The plan for this season

[Proper Blade]

Excuse me for a moment whilst I indulge the idea that we might actually have a plan this season.

But one thing that struck me from Bettis' RS interview was that he seemed to see this season as a bit of a 'clear the decks' one - we needed to comply with SCR and so got £20m+ in transfer fees for some of our biggest earners.

So (I'm hoping beyond hope) that we are essentially writing this season off. That we were always planning to bring in a few older, experienced heads to see us through this season and basically just make sure we avoid the drop after all the sales. Next summer we have loads more players out of contract - most of them garbage - and that's when we can really rebuild with a bunch of fresh new signings (maybe the plan is also to do it with a new manager, with Wilder moving upstairs).

I know I may be being extremely generous to the board of directors here. And I'm still convinced that the current owners want out ASAP. But it's just a possibility and maybe a reason to look to next season with a little more positivity than this one.

 

[Varkanoid]

 

[Latters]

Excuse me for a moment whilst I indulge the idea that we might actually have a plan this season.

But one thing that struck me from Bettis' RS interview was that he seemed to see this season as a bit of a 'clear the decks' one - we needed to comply with SCR and so got £20m+ in transfer fees for some of our biggest earners.

So (I'm hoping beyond hope) that we are essentially writing this season off. That we were always planning to bring in a few older, experienced heads to see us through this season and basically just make sure we avoid the drop after all the sales. Next summer we have loads more players out of contract - most of them garbage - and that's when we can really rebuild with a bunch of fresh new signings (maybe the plan is also to do it with a new manager, with Wilder moving upstairs).

I know I may be being extremely generous to the board of directors here. And I'm still convinced that the current owners want out ASAP. But it's just a possibility and maybe a reason to look to next season with a little more positivity than this one.

Thinking the board may be considering moving Wilder “upstairs” isn’t being generous to them, it’s plain ridiculous. When he goes, he needs to go, and I’d much prefer that to be sooner rather than later so we can start to plan for January and beyond.

 

[Maidenhead]

It's a marathon not a sprint, so we'll take it one game at a time.

 

[bakeblade]

Thinking the board may be considering moving Wilder “upstairs” isn’t being generous to them, it’s plain ridiculous. When he goes, he needs to go, and I’d much prefer that to be sooner rather than later so we can start to plan for January and beyond.

I've been an advocate of CW becoming DoF, however I've now changed my mind. He's pissing us all off with his team selections and in game changes, and in his post match interviews he won't take any responsibility and is too spiky. He's basically a busted flush.
The club needs to appoint an experienced DoF before the end of the year, so he can start restructuring the club in particularly overhauling the recruitment team and looking for a new coach for next season.

 

[Deadbat]

We can say goodbye to Rothwell, RND, Choudhury, BBD, Dohery, Shackleton, Ayew and Riedewald.

But we probably lose Seriki though. Bamford also. McCallum out of contract too?

Some of the worst players are still under contract long term sadly.

Cannon, McGuinness, Chong till 2029.
Campbell and Matos till 2028.

Incredible decisions to hand such long term deals to above.

Our best two outfield players are currently loan players in Phillips and Donovan.

Course Peck, Tanganga, Cooper and Arblaster are until 2028.

TBH I'd not be bothered if we had to build a brand new squad completely. Its a largely poor, unlikeable bunch with little re-sale value.

Not sure there has been any clear plan at all looking at it from the outside?

 

[KMC-1889]

Rosen was fairly clear in his podcast if you could read between the lines. He’s quite happy to tank the next couple of seasons to clear the decks, reset the cost base and bring in new investment.

It’s good that someone has a mid to long term view, I just wish that approach was shared by the football side of operations.

 

[Menage a petit pois]

Everyone has a plan.....until they get punched in the face......

 

[Bell4]

Excuse me for a moment whilst I indulge the idea that we might actually have a plan this season.

But one thing that struck me from Bettis' RS interview was that he seemed to see this season as a bit of a 'clear the decks' one - we needed to comply with SCR and so got £20m+ in transfer fees for some of our biggest earners.

So (I'm hoping beyond hope) that we are essentially writing this season off. That we were always planning to bring in a few older, experienced heads to see us through this season and basically just make sure we avoid the drop after all the sales. Next summer we have loads more players out of contract - most of them garbage - and that's when we can really rebuild with a bunch of fresh new signings (maybe the plan is also to do it with a new manager, with Wilder moving upstairs).

I know I may be being extremely generous to the board of directors here. And I'm still convinced that the current owners want out ASAP. But it's just a possibility and maybe a reason to look to next season with a little more positivity than this one.

Like it

 

[UddersBlade]

Rosen was fairly clear in his podcast if you could read between the lines. He’s quite happy to tank the next couple of seasons to clear the decks, reset the cost base and bring in new investment.

It’s good that someone has a mid to long term view, I just wish that approach was shared by the football side of operations.

Think he was on about this season only. But they still need us to stay up in the Championship. So I think Wilders target is to get 62pts - just in case we get the 12 pt deduction.

Next season will be a different situation as we will have been sold or new investment I reckon. But i can’t see Wilder leaving before next summer . And no way he will be sacked unless we are staring down the barrel of relegation.

 

[parkblade]

Rosen was fairly clear in his podcast if you could read between the lines. He’s quite happy to tank the next couple of seasons to clear the decks, reset the cost base and bring in new investment.

It’s good that someone has a mid to long term view, I just wish that approach was shared by the football side of operations.

The trouble is if we do get points deducted we will be in league 1. Ultimately this is a bad plan then, isn't it?

 

[YES Blade]

If the plan is to rebuild, why did we sign older players, short term contracts and loans? I appreciate we can’t just sign a load of younger players, we need a mixture.

I fail to see how we couldn’t have used the money spent on BBD, Ayew and Choudhury on younger players that will still be at the club next season.

 

[Bartleby]

Thinking the board may be considering moving Wilder “upstairs” isn’t being generous to them, it’s plain ridiculous. When he goes, he needs to go, and I’d much prefer that to be sooner rather than later so we can start to plan for January and beyond.

we'd never move away from this "British is best" bonky madness if he went "upstairs"

 

[Cheesebored]

Rosen was fairly clear in his podcast if you could read between the lines.

Oxymoron or paradox? It's made me chuckle regardless.

 

[KMC-1889]

The trouble is if we do get points deducted we will be in league 1. Ultimately this is a bad plan then, isn't it?

He’s given the manager a top 8 wage budget, the fact the manager has spent that on complete shite is a bit out of his control. It’s a good plan in theory if you’ve been sold a story that Wilder knows anything about transfers.

Given he was sold a pup by Bord I’m sure he’s swallowed the pitch from Bettis & Wilder hook line and sinker.

 

[ancientblade]

we have a plan

 

[Hillsboro Blade]

Great point by another member earlier today. £300 million has come into the Club in the last 7 years. And look at the state of it now. We cannot even afford to put some steel sheeting on a stand roof for fucks sake. Total mismanagement from top to bottom, I’d say too many at the Club have been on easy Street for too long like some Masonic Lodge all looking out for ‘the boys’ interests. A root and branch clear out needed. For a starter, clear out the old and past it dross on high wages on their last pay day. Get young, up and coming talent sought out by a competent scouting team. I’d take a 2 to 3 year rebuild if there was a clear plan in place which you could see. But this is United I’m talking about. We don’t do common sense. We do day to day with sticking plasters. We do have the potential to be a consistent Premier League side, look at Brighton. Brentford and Bournemouth. Well run clubs, when a star player leaves they’ve done their due diligence in getting a suitable replacement. It’s so frustrating because you know we could be like this.

 

[UddersBlade]

Great point by another member earlier today. £300 million has come into the Club in the last 7 years. And look at the state of it now. We cannot even afford to put some steel sheeting on a stand roof for fucks sake. Total mismanagement from top to bottom, I’d say too many at the Club have been on easy Street for too long like some Masonic Lodge all looking out for ‘the boys’ interests. A root and branch clear out needed. For a starter, clear out the old and past it dross on high wages on their last pay day. Get young, up and coming talent sought out by a competent scouting team. I’d take a 2 to 3 year rebuild if there was a clear plan in place which you could see. But this is United I’m talking about. We don’t do common sense. We do day to day with sticking plasters. We do have the potential to be a consistent Premier League side, look at Brighton. Brentford and Bournemouth. Well run clubs, when a star player leaves they’ve done their due diligence in getting a suitable replacement. It’s so frustrating because you know we could be like this.

Great post - and it’s actually circa £500million we’ve squandered since 2019/20 season! So sad that our legacy from all that money is minimal. And now we have a part of the stadium closed because we don’t think it’s worth repairing yet. Almost guaranteed now that we draw either Man Utd or Newcastle Utd at home in FA Cup Round 3…… Sod’s Law!

 

[Green7361]

The first thing about the plan is....we don't talk about the plan.

 

[RandomBlade]

Excuse me for a moment whilst I indulge the idea that we might actually have a plan this season.

But one thing that struck me from Bettis' RS interview was that he seemed to see this season as a bit of a 'clear the decks' one - we needed to comply with SCR and so got £20m+ in transfer fees for some of our biggest earners.

So (I'm hoping beyond hope) that we are essentially writing this season off. That we were always planning to bring in a few older, experienced heads to see us through this season and basically just make sure we avoid the drop after all the sales. Next summer we have loads more players out of contract - most of them garbage - and that's when we can really rebuild with a bunch of fresh new signings (maybe the plan is also to do it with a new manager, with Wilder moving upstairs).

I know I may be being extremely generous to the board of directors here. And I'm still convinced that the current owners want out ASAP. But it's just a possibility and maybe a reason to look to next season with a little more positivity than this one.

Is Seriki garbage? In contract talks with him and a few others.

 

[Blade In Flame]

 

[DifferentClass]

Get Pedersen in.

 

[Rufus T. Firefly]

Great post - and it’s actually circa £500million we’ve squandered since 2019/20 season! So sad that our legacy from all that money is minimal. And now we have a part of the stadium closed because we don’t think it’s worth repairing yet. Almost guaranteed now that we draw either Man Utd or Newcastle Utd at home in FA Cup Round 3…… Sod’s

The Prince would argue that the pockets of land were brought back together as one holding and the Dore training facility purchased, which seems like a white elephant until further investment pushes it along. But as for the rest of the munneh?

 

[Rufus T. Firefly]

Thinking the board may be considering moving Wilder “upstairs” isn’t being generous to them, it’s plain ridiculous. When he goes, he needs to go, and I’d much prefer that to be sooner rather than later so we can start to plan for January and beyond.

Think of when Fergie retired, staring down at the latest incumbent from the directors box with his laser eyes.

 

[Proper Blade]

We can say goodbye to Rothwell, RND, Choudhury, BBD, Dohery, Shackleton, Ayew and Riedewald.

But we probably lose Seriki though. Bamford also. McCallum out of contract too?

Some of the worst players are still under contract long term sadly.

Cannon, McGuinness, Chong till 2029.
Campbell and Matos till 2028.

Incredible decisions to hand such long term deals to above.

Our best two outfield players are currently loan players in Phillips and Donovan.

Course Peck, Tanganga, Cooper and Arblaster are until 2028.

TBH I'd not be bothered if we had to build a brand new squad completely. Its a largely poor, unlikeable bunch with little re-sale value.

Not sure there has been any clear plan at all looking at it from the outside?

I think if you could list the players you'd most want gone from the squad, it's probably the first 8 names you mentioned. Losing Bamford would be a shame but he's getting older and his performances are getting more inconsistent.

With all of those off the wage bill, we really would have the scope for a proper rebuild.

 

[Ginger Gnome]

The thing about those first 8 is that none of them should be here to begin with apart from RND. Shackleton was always a terrible signing, Rothwell was a bad January signing who clearly wasn't good enough. Having released Riedewald on the summer it was bizarre to bring him back and the rest of the dross picked up this summer simply aren't good enough. Kids or AI lads couldn't have done any worse and may have been able to develop if given the chance.

 

[Blademan89]

I've been an advocate of CW becoming DoF, however I've now changed my mind. He's pissing us all off with his team selections and in game changes, and in his post match interviews he won't take any responsibility and is too spiky. He's basically a busted flush.
The club needs to appoint an experienced DoF before the end of the year, so he can start restructuring the club in particularly overhauling the recruitment team and looking for a new coach for next season.

You couldnt have wilder as a Dof, there would be too much of a personality clash hes runs it now like hes prime al capone, imagine what hed be like as dof.

His input would be too strong and connections throughout the club, we want to move away from that now let alone as a dof.

Finally his ethos as British players only, grafters and culture carriers is outdated and he would be left alone to do the recruitment drive, what forward thinking manager would want the players he brings in?

Only thing I would allow wilder to be involved in the future after his departure is wheeling him in to training ground a week before we play pigs and to dressing room, then wheeling him back out into retirement, rinse and repeat as required.

 

[Blademan89]

The thing about those first 8 is that none of them should be here to begin with apart from RND. Shackleton was always a terrible signing, Rothwell was a bad January signing who clearly wasn't good enough. Having released Riedewald on the summer it was bizarre to bring him back and the rest of the dross picked up this summer simply aren't good enough. Kids or AI lads couldn't have done any worse and may have been able to develop if given the chance.

Your right but I get the Riedewald one, we had him as panic signing thinking we wasnt getting phillips and as cover. He was excellent last season for us but seemingly feel off a cliff this season, looks shocking.

We could do some decent business in january and be in the play offs amd do it on the cheap but I very much doubt we will.

 

[Kona]

Excuse me for a moment whilst I indulge the idea that we might actually have a plan this season.

But one thing that struck me from Bettis' RS interview was that he seemed to see this season as a bit of a 'clear the decks' one - we needed to comply with SCR and so got £20m+ in transfer fees for some of our biggest earners.

So (I'm hoping beyond hope) that we are essentially writing this season off. That we were always planning to bring in a few older, experienced heads to see us through this season and basically just make sure we avoid the drop after all the sales. Next summer we have loads more players out of contract - most of them garbage - and that's when we can really rebuild with a bunch of fresh new signings (maybe the plan is also to do it with a new manager, with Wilder moving upstairs).

I know I may be being extremely generous to the board of directors here. And I'm still convinced that the current owners want out ASAP. But it's just a possibility and maybe a reason to look to next season with a little more positivity than this one.

I had a similar opinion, PB. In acknowledging the mistakes that had been made and talking about the future, thought Bettis alluded to a reset.

I can’t recall exactly what he said, but I was left with the impression they had a plan and that didn’t necessarily include Wilder.

I can’t help be feel the court case/legal issue is the only thing stopping them implementing it. There was definitely a change in tact in the TW, when it came to light.

Maybe I’m just wishful thinking though

 

[Pintor75]

Excuse me for a moment whilst I indulge the idea that we might actually have a plan this season.

But one thing that struck me from Bettis' RS interview was that he seemed to see this season as a bit of a 'clear the decks' one - we needed to comply with SCR and so got £20m+ in transfer fees for some of our biggest earners.

So (I'm hoping beyond hope) that we are essentially writing this season off. That we were always planning to bring in a few older, experienced heads to see us through this season and basically just make sure we avoid the drop after all the sales. Next summer we have loads more players out of contract - most of them garbage - and that's when we can really rebuild with a bunch of fresh new signings (maybe the plan is also to do it with a new manager, with Wilder moving upstairs).

I know I may be being extremely generous to the board of directors here. And I'm still convinced that the current owners want out ASAP. But it's just a possibility and maybe a reason to look to next season with a little more positivity than this one.

Agree with everything you say up until the moving wilder upstairs bit, no way he should be given another role, when he goes from being manager( sacked or quits) he goes and takes all his coaching staff with him and the bladey blade stuff ends, he's had his days in the sun ,but now he's a shadow of his former self and I think he knows it, can't see him quitting unless everyone turns on him as it's his last pay day. We need to think of the club ,not Chris Wilder, if his fans don't like it,,sorry ,but time moves on and we are stuck in a time warp from 5/6 years ago