What I really resent about this season...

[SGBlade]

Have watched United since the late 80s in the old 3rd division and it’s hard to argue the last 8ish years haven’t, on average, been a shit load better than most of what came before. whilst that’s not all down to the prince, you can’t blame him for all the crap and simultaneously absolve him of credit for the good stuff.

This season is fucking awful and depressing, but I’d take a couple of these seasons for two like 17/18 or 18/19.

FWIW I think generally our strategy has been right in recruiting top, young champ players and promising European youngsters. The execution has been woeful (McBurnie vs Bowen? Brewster vs Toney?) and that’s on him for not putting a proper DoC or scouting network in place (although that was the plan with United world).

The prince hasn’t put money in, or attracted decent outside investment, or taken enough care over governance. But I reckon he’s tried to do it right (more often than not) and we’ve had some of our best ever years in which seen plenty of genuine club legends.

Let’s just get this fucking season over and done with and move on. If that’s with the prince then I think he’s proved to be a fair championship chairman. lets be careful what we wish for - plenty of similar clubs waaay worse off than us.

 

[Kozzy_is_my_Dad]

Have watched United since the late 80s in the old 3rd division and it’s hard to argue the last 8ish years haven’t, on average, been a shit load better than most of what came before. whilst that’s not all down to the prince, you can’t blame him for all the crap and simultaneously absolve him of credit for the good stuff.

This season is fucking awful and depressing, but I’d take a couple of these seasons for two like 17/18 or 18/19.

FWIW I think generally our strategy has been right in recruiting top, young champ players and promising European youngsters. The execution has been woeful (McBurnie vs Bowen? Brewster vs Toney?) and that’s on him for not putting a proper DoC or scouting network in place (although that was the plan with United world).

The prince hasn’t put money in, or attracted decent outside investment, or taken enough care over governance. But I reckon he’s tried to do it right (more often than not) and we’ve had some of our best ever years in which seen plenty of genuine club legends.

Let’s just get this fucking season over and done with and move on. If that’s with the prince then I think he’s proved to be a fair championship chairman. lets be careful what we wish for - plenty of similar clubs waaay worse off than us.

Whilst I respect your points, the issue is, the coffers are running close to empty. He can't provide a competitive budget to fund the rebuild that we need, or to try again for promotion before the parachute payments expire. A blessing from this season could've been having a new owner through the door, whilst we survived using PL funding in the shorter-term.

 

[Kozzy_is_my_Dad]

Another key resentment from me, relates to a combination of factors:

1. Lack of quality on recruitment led to a lack of competitiveness.
2. Combined with lack of squad depth.
3. Combined with poor timeliness of recruitment (into late Aug '23).

...which all in all meant that we had a poor squad, lacking on familiarity or shared identity, depth, or game plan. Before we knew it, we were being taught harsh lessons, and having our arses handed to us on a weekly basis.

Understandably, in the circumstances, heads drop.

But now, I really resent that we have players that seemingly can't get out of here quick enough, come the summer transfer window. I resent that some of those players (namely Hamer) could love it here, could thrive here, and we would adore him - if he could experience the United of the previous 5 years. As it stands, he might leave thinking very little of our club. I resent that we have a shocking lack of leaders, amongst the worst I've known in my time as a Blade. I resent that we have very few characters in the squad, to connect with from the stands or to trust on the pitch. That's something we've been VERY strong on since the first Wilder era, culture carriers as Wilder now calls them. So, to see that lacking is very worrying for the longer-term future of the squad.

We lack leaders, balls, identity. I resent that. That's not my United.

 

[TJ blade]

Another key resentment from me, relates to a combination of factors:

1. Lack of quality on recruitment led to a lack of competitiveness.
2. Combined with lack of squad depth.
3. Combined with poor timeliness of recruitment (into late Aug '23).

...which all in all meant that we had a poor squad, lacking on familiarity or shared identity, depth, or game plan. Before we knew it, we were being taught harsh lessons, and having our arses handed to us on a weekly basis.

Understandably, in the circumstances, heads drop.

But now, I really resent that we have players that seemingly can't get out of here quick enough, come the summer transfer window. I resent that some of those players (namely Hamer) could love it here, could thrive here, and we would adore him - if he could experience the United of the previous 5 years. As it stands, he might leave thinking very little of our club. I resent that we have a shocking lack of leaders, amongst the worst I've known in my time as a Blade. I resent that we have very few characters in the squad, to connect with from the stands or to trust on the pitch. That's something we've been VERY strong on since the first Wilder era, culture carriers as Wilder now calls them. So, to see that lacking is very worrying for the longer-term future of the squad.

We lack leaders, balls, identity. I resent that. That's not my United.

My resentment is, the owner and board making us a total laughing stock global

 

[Kozzy_is_my_Dad]

It's a sad state of affairs isn't it, that most fans and clubs are typically devastated to lose their premier league status. In our circumstances, we can't wait to get out of the league. We can't get out of their fast enough, such is the shit show that our board have orchestrated.

 

[Grizzly blade]

Can’t disagree.

I was livid we sold players of the importance as Berge and Ndiaye.
Yes, they didn’t sign a new contract, but the point of us apparently seeing it better to sell them, and effectively give up on this season at that point while thinking we could just get someone else who would hold some future value was more than just a little naive.
A second season in this league was worth a shit tonne more to us than whatever fraction of their actual worth we got for them, and this is yet more stupid when we consider how we spent it and that we needed their sales to spend any significant money at all!

That, coupled with the slow uptake of arrivals meant we were doomed from game 1, players here at that point (Anel’s attitude has hinted more than any) were clearly destroyed by it and all that we had was gone. Replaced by empathy and a sense they were just paid employees turning up to do a days work in a job they hated. Hecky- looked completely destroyed, and pretty much said as such with an interview declaring he didn’t even have a style of play!

So, regardless of the disgrace on the pitch by certain players I put that wholly at the door of the owner and the board of clowns in the board. Nobody likes getting beaten, and you accept it’s gonna happen more than we’d like being in the premier league, but our club is a laughing stock, and embarrassment to the game and looked upon by many as not worthy of the false grandeur of the premier league.

 

[Gimli]

Another key resentment from me, relates to a combination of factors:

1. Lack of quality on recruitment led to a lack of competitiveness.
2. Combined with lack of squad depth.
3. Combined with poor timeliness of recruitment (into late Aug '23).

...which all in all meant that we had a poor squad, lacking on familiarity or shared identity, depth, or game plan. Before we knew it, we were being taught harsh lessons, and having our arses handed to us on a weekly basis.

Understandably, in the circumstances, heads drop.

But now, I really resent that we have players that seemingly can't get out of here quick enough, come the summer transfer window. I resent that some of those players (namely Hamer) could love it here, could thrive here, and we would adore him - if he could experience the United of the previous 5 years. As it stands, he might leave thinking very little of our club. I resent that we have a shocking lack of leaders, amongst the worst I've known in my time as a Blade. I resent that we have very few characters in the squad, to connect with from the stands or to trust on the pitch. That's something we've been VERY strong on since the first Wilder era, culture carriers as Wilder now calls them. So, to see that lacking is very worrying for the longer-term future of the squad.

We lack leaders, balls, identity. I resent that. That's not my United.

All things I agree with. I don’t see how we were ever going to actually be ‘competitive’ though, we don’t have any money - even if we did, we’d need monstrous levels to even think about competing. Burnley spent 100m, relegated (6 of their points coming against us). Luton, everyone decided that ‘they’ve given it a go’ presumably because Kenilworth Road has had some decent atmospheres. Relegated. 6 wins all year.

That’s not to dispute any of your points really and I am fully in agreement with the lack of leadership and bollocks part, but being realistic (even if we keep Illi and Sander), relegation was always on the cards.