Pleas for patience amid f***s no longer being given in a Mailbox split on Man Utd…

Editor F365
Harry Maguire applauds Man Utd supporters.

There’s more than just Man Utd in the Mailbox – Alexander-Arnold, Arsenal, Palace, and more – but opinion on the Old Trafford farce is divided.

Get your views in to theeditor@football365.com

 

Madness to move Trent
Having read CanuckLFC’s letter in Monday morning’s Mailbox I felt myself let out an audible sigh at my desk. Every time Trent has a below par game at RB there seems to be a certain group that want him pushed into midfield so he is ‘further forward’ and thus will be more dangerous. I believe the expression is ‘putting 2 and 2 together and getting 5’.

Now personally I don’t think Trent is as bad of a defender as people make out. Is he the best defensive full back in the Prem? No, he’s not and makes the odd error. The trade off? A generational attacking fullback who is shattering assist records season on season and an integral cog to the way Klopp has Liverpool play. Why on earth would you move somebody creating that many goals a season?! It’s madness. More so when you consider Liverpool have just added Nunez who looks to be a real threat in the box. Taking away those sensational crosses from TAA just makes no sense at all. Let’s not blow up plan A because they had an off day at Fulham.

I also want to point out that the ‘plenty of cover at RB’ he mentions are just that. Cover. Gomez (Centre Back). Milner (Midfielder) and Ramsay (an unproven 18 year old who also happens to be injured) are not fullbacks for a team that is looking to push for the League and Champions League again.

I suppose what I’m saying is playing multiple players out of position’s probably isn’t the answer. Especially when one of those is up there with best in his position in the world.
Adam (Leeds)

 

 

The antidote to jerky knees
To try to assuage the anguish of the many knee-jerk reactions I’ve seen during the weekend (esp. on the hellscape that is Twitter), if I may some points to consider.

– Liverpool will be fine. No need to move Trent just yet. Especially as we have Nunez playing as a 9, this would seem a very strange time to move the best crosser of the ball in the World to a central role.

– United will settle and improve over time – Brighton are a good side who are progressing. United need work, lots and lots of work. But I still expect them to push the top 4.

– Tottenham Hotspur will not challenge Liverpool and City. Closer, sure. Better, definitely. Good enough to split or beat those two, not for me…yet.
Similarly, City won’t run away with it. Buckle in for a long slog everyone.

– Bournemouth and Fulham will struggle. Not saying they will go down at all, and absolutely not taking away from great weekend performances. But let’s not get giddy. We’ve seen this in the past.

– If I can allow myself one knee-jerk as a red – it has to be Everton adrift by New Year.

Also, as an aside, what about Haaland and Nunez? One gets two goals and the other a goal and assist on debut. They may go through bad spells this season, but it has at least spared us the wait on both counts – I expected at least one of them to fail to score for a while leading to some nonsense about transfer flopping. Early days but looks like two cracking buys.

Looking forward to the papers shrieking that Liverpool MUST WIN next Monday as they are already FIVE POINTS BEHIND City.

Cheers,
Marc


Gerrard sacked, Newcastle trophy, Manchester United record low and more kneejerk reactions


 

…Christ I hate the furore that surrounds the early rounds of the new season every year. It really highlights just how fickle fans are, and how downright stupid some can be.

We’re one solitary game in, and I’ve already had it up to my eyeballs with fellow United “fans” writing the season off. I’m not going to suggest that the defeat to Brighton wasn’t a bad start, or that the performance was excellent, or any other contrarian nonsense. But…

As recently as 2 seasons ago, we began our campaign with a home defeat to Palace followed by a frankly larcenous smash and grab win at the Amex and then got utterly thumped by Spurs at Old Trafford. 3 points from 3 games, 11 goals conceded, sky was falling.

We finished that season 2nd, ahead of a Liverpool team that was apparently all set to dominate after running away with the league the previous season. We were even top of the table in early winter, before Oleball reverted to its limitations and City streaked away. But the point remains that a disastrous start culminated in our joint best finish in a decade.

Other recent early season red herrings include Scolari’s Chelsea handing out some royal hidings pre-October, only for things to go horribly wrong mid-season. Or Everton starting like a house on fire a couple of years back before a rot that continues to haunt them set in.

So while I’m not happy that we lost on Sunday, I’m not about to burn my replica shirt or declare my team to be on the slide or any other such boll*cks. I’m here to enjoy the football, not get my excuses in early so Liverpool fans don’t poke fun at me if we miss Champions League again. That’s not the point.

Revel in the highs, don’t take the lows too seriously, support your team and for god’s sake have a bit of patience. Nobody lost a marathon because they had to tie their laces just as the starting gun rang out.
Keith Reilly 

Rabiot in the headlights
It’s with a sense of cosmic irony that I write this email. After yesterday’s game, I was going to send in a tongue in cheek email about how anonymous Pogba was, clearly wasn’t putting a shift in for the team, his attitude is stinking out the place and all our problems would be solved if we could just get him out the door.

Cue my surprise when I see a deal is now in place for Rabiot, a notorious sh*t-stirrer with a bad attitude who we are prepared to bring in compared to Pogba who *checks notes* happened to have several injuries and not play, in a struggling team, as well as some people expected due to an arbitrary price tag that he had no say over. Obviously reports that suggest that Pogba was actually a well liked team mate who tried to bring the dressing room together will fall on deaf ears. And from yesterday’s display, it seems as the the problem is still a pathetic double pivot and a decent-but-not-world-beating centre back painfully short on confidence playing with a partner he’s never played with, not Pogba after all.

I hope the ‘fans’ and media that called so vociferously for the club to boot Pogba out will be just as proactive in calling out Adrian Rabiot’s (a white man) bullshit in the event that he joins and does indeed kick up a stink. I personally think it’s a gamble, Rabiot is certainly (on a technical level) an improvement on Fred and McTominay and hopefully he’s grown up a bit in Turin; but equally, maybe he hasn’t and his mother almost certainly has not discovered some self-awareness over the last couple of years. Like anyone who joins the team, I’ll treat them with a clean slate but probably with a bit more suspicion than another player with a less troubled reputation.

On a side note, it seems ridiculous that Man Utd may be after Antony when Barcelona are dangling Depay to anyone with the cash (reportedly around £20 million). That would be ridiculously good value compared to Antony – the only question is whether Depay, like De Jong, would want to make the step down.
Daniel, Cambridge

 

Lost faith
I’ve been around a long while now, watching United since I first heard of George Best and my Dad let me stay up for MoTD in black and white. It was a thrill to meet him and my long-time love of the club was cemented. It was tough, the 25 years, the second best to Liverpool years, the occasional flicker of hope only to be dashed. But then the Fergie years and all that time was rewarded with success and even more important, real pleasure watching them play with such flair.

But now the club is festering, and like many businesses I have worked with, the people at the top set the culture, even if they don’t realise it. The ad agencies I competed with all had a culture, a personality that was established by the owners. Some were steady and rather dull, others exciting and party animals. It came about by osmosis, seeping through the people in the business.

And so here we are. A Manchester United that is in the image of the owners, and that image is money. I was misled to think it was Pogba, but all he was doing was grabbing the money, like the Glazers. Why would anyone complain about Jesse Lindgard, all he is doing is what he has seen as the goal for people who own United, get as much as you can. The money is there in all teams, but the Glazers make it the all, the total, the only reason to be in football, and so the players now think that too. Why run when it makes no difference to your pay packet? Why worry about the team and the fans when your bank account will show you that you are at one with the owners, and you’ve made more money?

Is it different at other clubs? Sure they pay the big bucks too! But, it Is different. The money has a different purpose. It is being used to achieve success, on the pitch, not in the bank. There is a debate about the Saudi and Emirates owning clubs, but you can be sure they are not in it for the money. Smaller teams are not making money, they are holding on. Tottenham has invested in the future, not for the increased wealth of the owner, although that will result as well.

But at United it is now all about the money, nothing else. It’s a shame because I used to care. And I don’t anymore.
Tim

 

…Just when you think it can’t get worse at United, we go and prove that the impossible can in fact be achieved. Years and years of disastrous mismanagement of the club preceded us being assured that this season it’s going to be better; we’ve got a new executive vice president, director of football, technical director, manager, and coaching team – and they are all pulling in the same direction. Yet, here we are, starting this season in exactly the same way that we finished last, and following a summer of utter farce.

To have started the summer looking at Timber, De Jong, Antony and potentially end up with Rabiot and Arnautovic – transfer targets dating back to the Mourinho and Van Gaal days – is so far beyond pathetic I don’t think there’s even a word for it. Neither of those players is a) going to be an upgrade on anything we have already, b) a long-term solution, or c) anything even approaching the right profile of player. It goes in direct opposition to what Ten Hag said about making sure we sign the right players – these two are categorically, 100% absolutely the wrong players.

I’m not going to pass comment on the performance yesterday as I (thankfully) didn’t watch much of it, but I see zero possibility that either of these signings would have had a positive effect on the result or performance. But if the narrative is anything to go by, this was just more of the same – except the clueless running around with no end product was done with more with the ball than without it.

We have been told time and again that the money is there, that we will be smart signings that fit in with the manager’s vision. If Ten Hag’s vision includes either of these two, then I truly despair. I wouldn’t care but it’s not even as if much better players weren’t available, there have been so many players to move this summer who would have been a vast improvement on what we have and what we’re apparently getting. If we sign either one of these scrapheap players, then I’m just going to give up watching any of the games. I cannot bear to endure another season like last, especially if we somehow manage to downgrade the (shockingly bad) McFred partnership. Top four? Not even a remote possibility.
Ted, Manchester

 

…Manchester United are a mess, this is not an over reaction to a loss, this has been evident for years.

Manchester United’s biggest problem is they have overpaid players bought in for a lot of money that no one will take off their hands. Players who are good enough for the Premier League but not good enough to win it.

Here is the squad assesment:

1. Harry Maguire. Our captain is the anchor sinking the ship. Even after the match his diagnosis was that United were too open and Scholes asked him to drop even deeper for his own sake.

You can’t play a high line with Maguire. It is that simple. He will keep dropping deeper to cover for his lack of pace bringing our midfield and attacking lines 5-10 yards deeper than they should be just to receive the ball.

Eriksen was supposedly our false nine but he had to come to United’s half just to get the ball.

2. McFred. It hasn’t worked. It won’t work. You can’t play two inadequate mid fielders as if they were one and they’d cover each other’s inadequcies.

Give ETH the time and the right players around and he will put players like Eriksen in the double pivot because good teams don’t need more than one player there as the screener.

United will never win anything major with McTominay and Fred in the middle.

Fred isn’t the worst player in the world. He is a decent number 8 being forced to play as a number 6.

3. De Gea. He has been our player of the year for the past couple of seasons but if United are to play a high line De Gea will not magically turn into a sweeper keeper over night. He looked so uncomfortable the one time he had to sprint out of his area to clear the ball.

One of the best shot stoppers in the world but can’t organise a defence and is not good enough with the ball at his feet.

4. Shaw. Expect Malacia to take his place very very soon. Shaw is another one of those ‘good enough’ players. His attacking output is not good enough for the defensive liability he can be.

5. Dalot does feel like an upgrade on AWB, even Crystal Palace won’t take him back now, he still needs to learn the defensive side of things but for now he’s fine with Lindelof providing cover there.

6. Martinez. Already looks like United’s best Center Back.

7. Varane. Has won everything there is win and can’t get into the team ahead of Maguire. What is the point of keeping him on massive wages then?

8. Baily. Not consistent enough. Sell to Roma.

9. Lindelof. Not as bad as people think. Put him next to a capable defender and he will shine. Expect Martinez and Lindelof to be the first choice CB pairing eventually.

10. Ronaldo. Wants to leave but no one wants him. He does not fit the way United want to play but the players we have are so terrible that he shines when he comes on. He’d never accept that role but would be a great asset to bring on from the bench.

11. Rashford and Martial. Willing to give them both a chance this season. The talent is there. Hopefully with a clear plan and a coach who understands the game they can shine.

12. Sancho. Would be a world beater in a team like Manchester City.

13. Christian Eriksen. Showed in 90 minutes what United have been lacking for years – a player who can actually pass the ball from deep. This is what a mid fielder should be able to do – pass the ball! The two best players on the pitch were players brought in this summer.

The abysmal performance of the board has hamstrung ETH. How is he meant to play total football with McFred? You’re asking him to get you to Mars on a clown car.

14. Bruno. Wouldnt start for the top 5 teams in the world but is often United’s best player and always seems to be trying when others have downed their tools. Put the right players around him and he will do even better.

15. DVB and Elanga. Will never be good enough to start for United regularly. If ETH can’t make Donny work then it’s time to accept the truth – this is his make or break season.

The good news in this dark storm is that James Garner, Garnacho and Diallo actually look like great players. They should be given the chance and with the likes of Zidane Iqbal, Hannibal Mejbri and Charlie Savage behind them there is potential there to develop.

If United stop selecting the team based on names and price tags, we still might not win anything this season but we can atleast challenge and watch a team we actually like watching.

I can’t do another season of McFred. It genuinely hurts.
Shehzad Ghias, MUFC, Karachi (I don’t care anymore. Go ahead. Sign Arnatouvic)

 


Arnautovic and Rabiot? Ten Hag doesn’t have to put up with this sh*t from Man Utd


 

Red Devils and relegation
If you go back to last March, Man Utd lost at home to Atletico Madrid and the full scale of Fraudnick’s shortcomings became evident. Since then United have played 10 league games (not insubstantial), and accumulated 8 points (quite insubstantial). Extrapolate that out, and that’s a 30 point season – relegation form.

Does anyone think that Ten Hag is equipped for a struggle towards the bottom of the league, or is this clearly a case of Frank de Boer 2.0?
David, Atlanta (I think in time we’ll look back and realise the miracles that Ole worked with these players)

 

Perspective needed
I can only imagine the pile on you are going to receive in the mailbox today so please allow me to provide some perspective on Man Utd’s opening game:

We had five shots on target to Brighton’s four. We had seven shots blocked compared to Brighton’s five. We completed 462 passes compared to Brighton’s 238. And most tellingly we finished with an xg of 2.09 compared to Brighton’s 1.76.

So nowhere near the shambles the pundits would have you believe. If Bruno scores his chance in the opening minutes it’s a completely different game. If Rashford converts one of his two big chances we win the game 3-2.

Erik isnt just transforming our style of play, he has the unenviable task of building our confidence back up. It will come, but it will take time. During this process mistakes are going to be made and poor results are going to happen. So don’t pile on the manager, don’t pile on the players and have a little faith.
Super Sancho

 

Patience is a virtue
I hate how immediate everything must be in football. I hate how fans expect new signings to make instant impacts. I hate how managers are expected to work miracles in such a short time. I appreciate, because of the size of the numbers involved, you would think people could make immediate change, but that is not how any thing really works.

Arsenal fans take a lot of hits. We are demanding, we are delusional and we are demented. But I will say this, although there will always be a minority, many of the Arsenal fans I talk to are fully bought into Edu and Arteta’s 5 year plan. I think it is brave of the club, who in the face of a rabid fan base and media, have had the courage to stick with their ideas and plans, spend accordingly and deliver real cultural change at the club. You could see it in the first episode of the All or Nothing documentary. There seems genuine alignment between Edu, Vinai, Josh and Mikel, to focus on what they want to achieve and how.

We as fans can see how Zinchenko and Jesus have raised the level. Not just in ability, but also in effort and the way you will be expected to work and the effort required. Young players who are being blooded will see what is required. We see the first team which is young, has homegrown stars, and our hearts swell. No longer players at the club for one last pay day, we now have a squad and team who look like they are willing to go to war.

Sure, we may not have the strength, both in the first team, or their back ups, but we are on our way. I would say to United fans, its rough, but give ETH time, believe in him and the players you have. You’ll be back, you’re too big not to, but it may take some time.
John Matrix AFC

 

…Yes there’s countless emails already about how the bubble has burst at United and the honeymoon is over etc. Newsflash, there was no bubble and no wedding, you need good times for that to happen and through no fault of ETH – there hasnt been any of that for 18months.
The problem at United to me is very obvious. The players arent technically very good. Dont get me wrong, I think they do try mostly but when you have De Gea, Dalot, McTominay, Fred, Rashford and Bruno that are incapable of keeping the ball you are contantly going to get attacked. Try playing 5 a side where 3 of your players cant pass, you’ll never win because opposition just waits until one of them has the ball and goes after them. So all this talk that united have good players, they really don’t. Those players have good ELEMENTS – pace, stamina, reflexes, shooting, but they’re not good complete players.

So basically ETH needs at least 3 or 4 windows get the players he needs, problem is we’ve seen how United operate its an absolute car crash behind the scenes. Its like the Directors are oblivious to how desperate we are and how selling clubs know we’re desperate and rich therefore we will get stung – just have to swallow that I’m afraid.

Expect a top 10 finish at united and if we see 4 or 5 games where the ETH philosophy is actually being implemented and working then we should take it. Its a long way back.
Peter Lard.

 

…So we only had to wait one weekend for United to metaphorically “sh*t the bed” this season.

All the optimism from a great pre-season (we looked like world beaters) has gone out of the window against a really poor Brighton side. Something is really wrong with the club and starts from the top down. I’m looking at you Avram!

When Brighton scored their second I was so enraged with what I was seeing I threw my chai latte against the nearest wall so now not only am I distraught at another abject performance but also in the dog house with the mrs.

It’s time for a change at United in terms of personnel. Let’s start with the players. We’re short of goal threat yet why do we bench Ronaldo and still Mason Greenwood can’t get anywhere near the squad, why???

We also start each game with the axis of sh*t in CM with Fred & McTominay. Is that duo worthy of a trophy-chasing side?

Drastic change is needed. Glazers out, Eric Ten Hag out and take your backroom staff with you. It’s embarrassing.
Mark “Danger” Endicott

 

The current United team has:

– Strikers and forwards that cannot finish (Should have scored atleast 2-3 more goals against Brighton)

– Midfielders who cannot pass (McT needs to leave, Fred is best in a game when 3-0 up, not when chasing)

– Defenders who cannot defend (How many times must we see Maguire run like a headless chicken)

– A keeper who deserves better ( A crap performance by DDG, but i think he is phoning it in now, has lost all hope and opitmism)

Even a single good player in the team will change everything. If we had a finisher, we could have won, if we had ONE good midfielder (Eriksen was a class apart) we would at least create some chances. If we had ONE decent defender instead of Maguire, we wouldn’t concede such childish goals. The elements of a decent team are there, but to continue with a spine of Maguire, McFred & Rashford is just going backwards. Someone and something needs to change.

Also, did Tent Hag not do a single day of coaching? Cause the players reverted EXACTLY to how they ended last season. Running around like headless chickens behind the ball rather than man mark and stop the passes. I’ve seen 5th grade children with a better understanding of how a game flows, and where the next pass would be. Every pass for Brighton was just so easy because at any time there were 3 united players running after the ball, which left 3 empty Brighton players to make the easiest passes to in the United half. Absolute madness!

I surely can’t be the only one seeing it, I was SCREAMING at my TV that just MARK SOMEONE during every Brighton attack. We did not deserve anything from the game, and deserved to lose 3-0 rather than 2-1. Well done Brighton, hope they have a brilliant season, and thanks for spanking us yet again. It was needed.

regards
Aman (Cant get any worse can it?)

Peak Unitedy?
With United’s latest results, recent transfer activity and possible acquisition targets, it looks like they have taken over the Spurs spursy pejorative.

Surely it should be being Unitedy now?
Paul McDevitt

Crystal Palace manager Patrick Vieira.
Postcard from the Palace
After some extensive research I have discovered the most annoying people on social media: users who reply to tweets solely to tag the Didn’t Happen of the Year Awards in.

*Crystal Palace versus the Arsenal was never going to be a season-defining fixture for either team, but perhaps carried greater stock for the visitors. After all, if the Gunners have any legitimate hopes of getting back into the Champions League then they need to prove they are a cut above the likes of Palace. For the hosts, it was a bit of a free hit: a win would be nice but against a team with loftier ambitions, it was equally important to road test the new tactical setup.

*One new signing started for Palace, Cheick Doucoure in defensive midfield, as Patrick Vieira used what the BBC describes as a 4-2-3-1, but at times Eberechi Eze came deep as an outlet, in the way that an unnamed Chelsea loanee did last year. The Eagles will miss a player the calibre of Conor Gallagher, but it’s unhelpful to suggest any disappointing result is down to not replacing him like for like.

*This was quite similar to a lot of Palace games last season. They played some nice football at times and created good chances they couldn’t convert, while conceding from a set piece. For the second the Arsenal goal, Marc Guehi was caught in an unfortunate position: like a lot of own goals, he can’t simply ignore the ball, but attempting to make contact with it always carries the risk of disaster.

There were moments, however, when the team looked disjointed, perhaps as a result of how far the Eagles have come. Towards the end of last season, several of their games were moved for television, as they were an appealing combination of trying to play an attacking/passing style and not being in a European competition (see also: the Arsenal and Leeds United). As an extension, this led to them being invited to preseason games in Singapore and Australia. However, in order to aid players recovering from injuries, they seem to have sent the starting defence and a young forward line out to lose to Liverpool and Manchester United, while the first team forwards have stayed at home to play Gillingham and QPR. The two parts of the squad only came together quite late, so it’s understandable if it takes a while to cohere.

*The Christian Benteke era is over. One of the great mysteries of sport is what happened to him in the summer of 2017. After a season in which he scored 15 Premier League goals, it took him five seasons to match that total, missing out on a place in a Belgium squad that finished third at the World Cup. He scored some timely goals and his all-round play was generally good, but it still seems like he didn’t quite live up to his potential, and no one ever got to the bottom of why. Maybe there’s a curse on breaking your transfer record to sign a Liverpool player.

*Liverpool will have better games than their opener against Fulham. However, their defending for the opening goal was shocking. As usual, both centre-backs were ball-watching and not paying attention to the opposition, or considering that if the ball is out wide, they should be aware of who the likely target will be. Aleksandar Mitrovic realised this and ran to the back post. Beating Trent Alexander-Arnold in an aerial duel is less tricky than beating Virgil van Dijk, but the Dutchman beats himself with poor awareness. Look out for less prolific strikers than Mitrovic and teams with higher ambitions than Fulham to try to exploit this all season.

*Newcastle United’s tifo had an awkward misprint in it. It said “it’s a new dawn, it’s a new day, it’s a new life for NUFC”, when what it should have said was “we’ve got loads of money now, and I’m feeling good”.

*Sky using badges instead of team abbreviations is an interesting choice, but it makes sense because the EFL abbreviations can get odd. Making less sense is Match of the Day putting the club crest next to a player’s name when they do the ticker showing the players in formation. The campaign to replace abbreviations and badges with the What 3 Words for the home ground starts here.
Ed Quoththeraven

 

Happy Gooner
We may well lose at home to Leicester this weekend but a win is a win so I’m more than happy with the three points.

Two of our back four were making their Arsenal Premier League debuts and we were given the Friday night kick-off against a team that should have taken six points off us last season and absolutely battered us as recently as the Spring.

I’d have taken a draw against Vieira’s Palace and I’d bet Stewie had his email ready to go before kick off. But three points and a sans Stewie mailbox – happy days!

PS – this United thing isn’t even funny anymore. Could the Glazers please just sod off so that club can get back on track please?
Graham Simons, Gooner, Norf London

 

The stripes don’t help
I don’t know what it is but there is something about Scott Parker I just can’t stand. The passive-aggressive attitude towards everything. Constantly paving a story to say it’s not his fault. And it’s got nothing to do with them stripes.

I know I’m not the only one who can’t stand a manager (or player) for no real reason at all. Am I right Guys? Guys?

Luke (I’ll be honest, the stripes tipped me over the edge)

 

Italian job
In response to Mediawatch on Monday; it’s so bad it’s bad. Definitely.

Especially when Hag-liatelle was staring them right in the face.

Tor-Ten-Lini? Loss-agne? Euro-Penne League?
Chris (prefer the action-man-bow-tie pasta, myself) Bridgeman, Kingston upon Thames

Season tickets
Replying to Sara / Numbers of Season Ticket Holders

Hi Sara, I believe the google search you want is simply “Premier League Rules” as these would be the only rules (I think) that Premier league clubs would be subject to that might cover this. The link is here but it’s the first one if you just search “Premier League Rules”.

They are quite long obviously but I can’t see any section that would cover restricting or dictating the number of season ticket holders and I wouldn’t expect to find one either. There will be rules in there somewhere detailing how many Away tickets must be allocated but I would expect the number of Season Tickets sold to be up to each club. That said I would never expect a club to sell or try to sell the maximum number of season tickets (eg every home ticket for every league game).

This is because Season Tickets are there to provide a bedrock to your finances. If the club is doing badly season tickets might make up most of your sales and so you will obviously just want to sell as many as possible knowing you’ll never fill out the stadium anyway and giving yourself as much bedrock as possible.

But perhaps less intuitive is that if the club is doing well you also won’t want to have sold too many season tickets cause then those seats can’t be sold to punters at much higher rates. If you are a big club you are weighing up how much more money you can make by selling those tickets to other people (eg Korean tourists or members or whomever) but taking the risk that you might not sell them at all. As far as I can see it should just be a private decision of the corporate entity and it looks like West Ham are deciding to take the absolute minimum risk that they can as about 7000 must surely be away allocation?

but feel to see if you can find a rule, I can’t be arsed obviously.
rgds
Ethan (Spurs fan and 20 years in Investment Banking)