Sergio Ramos next? Manchester United are clearly trying to recreate Real Madrid 2018

Manchester United signing Casemiro makes us think that they want to go back in a time machine to that great Champions League team.

Is that the right approach? Mail us at at theeditor@football365.com

Manchester United playing Supermarket Sweep
So, Man U are signing Casemiro for £70m.

They’ve gone from pursuing De Jong for €85m, to Rabiot for €17, to Casemiro for £70m.

Now they are apparently going to bid €100m upfront for Antony who at the start of the window was valued at €40-45m.

Carragher was right, it’s like watching Supermarket Sweep, and reading the responses from the dedicated United supporters and internet trolls, United are back! Haha!

From an outsider’s view (all be it a Liverpool fan), Casemiro was told that he would have limited playing time this season, whilst Modric and Kroos are still in the starting line up for Madrid.

Call me cynical, but United have just been played. Paying £70m for a now benched player for Madrid, and paying him £360k a week for 5yrs, smells of desperation yet again in search of reclaiming past glories!

It wasn’t too long ago when this mailbox was awash with United fans ridiculing Liverpool for splashing out on Nunez (and yes Badwolf, I’m looking at you), along with everyone who ridiculed us for signing Thiago for £25m. Liverpool and City have a clear recruitment plan, and buy players that fit the system. Players that can improve the team and integrate for the long term.

Yet again, United have promised strategy and everything was going to be so different, but yet again, they’ve gone from a supposed strategy to a complete cluster f*ck of an approach.

Nothings changed, and BadWolf and Super Sancho who have peppered this mailbox throughout the summer with their expert opinion, and told us all how much United have turned a corner, and are going to transform the Premier League under Ten Hag, as United have a plan, are starting to look a little foolish.

You haven’t changed in the slightest!

Still going to be demonstrating for Glazers Out on Monday and wanting an empty stadium because the Glazers don’t spend any money guys? And you lot call Liverpool fans entitled!

Anyway, talk amongst yourselves in the comments below, as you seem to enjoy your own opinions.
Gronk (LFC)
PS. I was under the opinion that club legends played for their teams in exhibition matches after they stopped playing, but United seem to be playing Madrid’s Legends in their first team! Ramos next anyone?

Why are Manchester United trying to recreate Real Madrid of five years ago?
So by adding Casemiro, United now have the spine of the Real Madrid team (Varane-Casemiro-Ronaldo) that won the 2017 and 2018 Champions League. Why do I have an image of the Glazers jumping into a DeLorean? Hardly a blueprint for the future is it?

You would expect McTominay to be the one most affected by this (not a bad thing). Mainly because Fred and Casemiro play together in the Brazilian midfield. That would imply Fred has a future at Old Trafford. It would also imply Varane is earmarked as a starter (certainly not a bad thing if it means no ‘Arry). But is it also an Uncle Sam-flavoured pacifier for Ronaldo to stay and behave?

There were noises last year of cliques emerging inside the dressing room. The team that started against Brentford had four native Portuguese speakers. Add Casemiro to the equation and that becomes 5. The point being that if a clique exists, half your starting line-up is already potentially geared that way through common culture and previous team affiliations, and then led by a player who clearly thinks he is bigger than the club. That is not good for Ten Hag, if he even had a say in the Casemiro signing.

And before the “righteous brigade” jump on this, you can substitute Portuguese for any other, including English. I’m just using it as a factual example because this is what United have and the rumours were already there. And yes, other teams do get on just fine with a babel-load of languages, but we’re talking Ronaldo and United here. If anyone is interested, the other cunning linguists starting against Brentford were English x 3, Spanish x 2, Danish x 1, and Harry Maguire.

All in all, Ten Hag may have an untenable job on his hands because the player that he should have sent out the door first is still there. Ronaldo should have been gone as a condition of Ten Hag’s employment. Ten Hag is following the company line by saying he’s part of his plans. And that is absolutely a Glazer decision over Ten Hag. There is an albatross at United and it begins with the letter R. I don’t think the Glazers will sanction a move even if Ronaldo himself wants out. They’ll force him into Ten Hag’s non-team. It’s the MVP mentality that pervades sports in the US. Both the Glazers and Ronaldo himself know he is the MVP of possibly all-time in his sport. So do his team mates, but who’ll speak up in public if that MVP is a problem? Captain Harry?

Lebron James is the same age as Ronaldo, and he just signed for $100M for another 2 years at the Lakers. In a non-contact sport, that’s twice what Ronaldo is on. Weirdly, he may actually hinder the development of his own son, who the Lakers want, by still being there. Ronaldo=Lebron in the eyes of the sports franchise world and those who inhabit and own it. I know, I live here. As long as the Glazers are in charge, Ronaldo will be a United player. Don’t be surprised if at the age of 40 he turns out as a punt kicker for the Glazers’ Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Casemiro might help stabilise the ship a little, but where do United go from here? This is the opposite of the promotion of youth that Ten Hag wanted, and the polar opposite of the new team he wanted to build sans “troublemakers”. Wasn’t pacifying the cliques an Ole thing that was supposed to be no more?

One final conspiracy theory: Kasper Schmeichel plays for Nice, Jim Ratcliffe owns Nice, Jim Ratcliffe buys United, Kasper Schmeichel replaces David De Gea. You read it here first folks.
Terry, Texas

Casemiro will milk Manchester United dry
Like most things in life, there comes a time when enough is enough. Times when you feel so sorry for the enemy or you have beaten them down so much, you have a moment of clarity and realize it’s just not worth it, we are all one blah blah blah.

As a Liverpool fan, it’s getting close to that time with what’s going on with Man U. As enjoyable as the comedy may seem, it just beggars belief that they will splash an enormous amount on a 30-year old. Real Madrid are laughing. Their fans are laughing. Casemiro is laughing (all the way to the bank). The agent is laughing. The Glazers are laughing because they have a temporary distraction and it won’t make any difference to their bottom line. The only ones not laughing are the poor United fans who have their hopes elevated but with plenty of trepidation to mute feelings.

Let’s be clear. In an ideal world (for Man U) Casemiro will be the missing piece. He’s a proven winner and one of the best in the world at what he does. He could stir his old pal Ronaldo to recreate the Madrid magic. However, the chances of this materializing are slim to none. United fans – just think of one Bastian Schweinsteiger. Or Paul Pogba. Get ready for painful glimpses of what could be, followed by plenty of mysterious injuries while he milks you dry and quietly leaves. United are stuck because the big names don’t want to join, and so they have to indulge stars for one last massive payday. The rot will continue, which will make many of my fellow fans delirious, but will bring a slight tear to my eye. Enough is enough.
The Big P, Vancouver

Casemiro might be great for Man United but it’s a deal that points to a club in chaos

Actually…
I’ll keep this simple. If we actually sign Casemiro, things at United will markedly improve.

Yes, we know the Glazers just want a high-profile signing, to try and appease fans, and no we won’t be appeased; we absolutely need them and their cancerous presence gone because they still have far too big a say on transfers. But, Casemiro is still a great player to bring in. It doesn’t change the narrative but it does improve the team.

This gap in midfield has been there since we lost Keane. Carrick would be rinsed in today’s game. Casemiro is exactly the kind of player we need. Sure, he’s no De Jong but he can make that midfield work.

Now yes, we still have other calamities apparently commanding first team places, but if we have someone in midfield who can win the ball, break up attacks and pass the ball to a team mate, it will allow the rest of the team to start to work. This position was always the most important and that’s why it’s vital it’s the right calibre of player: reliable, proven, and with the right attributes.

I just hope beyond all reason that Varane stays injury free and partners Martinez from here on.

With Casemiro ahead of them and Eriksen and/or Bruno there to create, we will see a very different team from that being dragged down by Fred and McTominay (both playing out of position).

We’re still a bit f**ked for Monday, but with pace up front and please god Martinez in CDM, maybe we can carve that aging midfield and creaking defence open.
Badwolf (we’re going to see Fred there again, aren’t we)

Is it just about age?
I’ve enjoyed reading football 365 articles for a while now,it’s been my primary source of football related content for a couple of years and while taking a dig at Manchester United is obviously the standard these days in any media house, I was left absolutely disappointed that you guys decided to base your whole criticism of Casemiro’s transfer to United on his age.

Shame.
BOJ, Kenya( I’m not mad, just disappointed)

What’s worse about the Glazers?
OK United fans, help me out. The Glazers’ aren’t the best owners. I get it and it’s probably time they took their winnings and cashed out. BUT I need someone to help me understand the argument that the Glazers are bad apples because they are not spending their own money – look at the likes of Goldbridge today – they sign Casemiro for a boat load and all we now get from the likes of him and his masses of followers (sheep) is “yeah great but don’t forget it’s not their money, it’s the clubs”….so F*ing what !

The vast majority of clubs only spend what they generate – in fact United still spend a WHOLE lot more than most clubs in world football. Yet because it’s not the Glazers’ getting their shiny wallets out, this is still not good enough? Did JP and Magnier spend their own money on transfers, or did they simply spend the club’s money and win things – I guess when you’re winning, it’s easy to turn the other cheek
Morgan

Martial matters
Sometimes, things are just written in the stars – Ole’s last kick winner at the Nou Camp in ’99, Aguero’s last minute title clincher in 2012, Graeme Souness talking bollocks or a Lampard/Gerrard midfield just not quite dove-tailing.

As a United fan, this season is going to be one to forget. I don’t think they’ll go down or anything as drastic as that but they’ll do well to get a top half finish…and I’ll be happy with that so long as ten Hag can get some of the deadwood out and make some solid signings before the window closes – and then maybe some more deadwood out/players in in January despite MUFC not really being a January business sort of club. I’m hoping that the club can get a bit stronger and some players can get interested in joining when the team shows it’s moving in the right direction.

But there is one thing that is niggling me. It’s often said that Anthony Martial has regressed since his early days at the club. He seems to have lost interest apart from this pre-season but there is no doubt that when he returns to fitness he’ll be back in the team in some capacity.

So I got to thinking about how Martial might fit in.

Firstly, he could play as a lone out-and-out striker…hmmmm, not too sure about that one.

Secondly, United could feasibly purchase Antony from Ajax and they could maybe play as a pair.

Thirdly, if United do sign the Ajax player, Martial could be deployed up front with both him and Sancho.

Lastly, it has been suggested that United might have more joy signing players that are maybe not top tier, in particular someone like Ivan Toney at Brentford.

So the way I see it the possible combos up front for United could be: –

• Martial
• Antony/Martial
• Antony/Jadon (Sancho)/Martial
• Toney/Martial

…there’s a message in there but I can’t quite put my finger on it…
Mr Grumpy-Pants, Rochdale.
(OK, I shoe-horned Sancho in there a bit)

Let’s go back to November 2019…
Found this old letter to F365, sorry to the writer I didn’t copy your details (We found it and it’s here – Ed). I obviously thought it was brilliant and worth saving. Still relevant just change the opponent’s name.

Having watched the Bournemouth v Man Utd game I totally agree with this guy’s post-match review on Football365 site, absolutely nailed it. Long but worth a read:

When I was 15 I was on a date and we wandered around Chinatown in London and went into the most authentic place we found.

The menu was characters with very poor English translations underneath.

One of the dishes was “Egg with the meat bird” so OBVIOUSLY I had to order it.

It arrived and it was a big round earthenware dish with a gelatinous beige layer of vindictive evil flobbling around on top, like Satans lemon curd but the colour of a hearing aid and the consistency of misery.

I pushed my spoon through this travesty and broke through to the meat bird layer with a damp organic sound as the membrane was pierced, similar to when the eggs open up in Alien.

What followed was a smell unlike anything I’ve ever known to be associated with food. It was an oily pungent stench that leapt to the back of your throat and nostrils and coated itself over them. It was both rancid meat and rotting eggs and thousands of years of repressed hatred of the white man all at once.

Wiping tears from my eyes I was aware in my peripheral vision of my date gagging and recoiling, and a spreading circle of horrified silence moving rapidly away from our table as the smell hit the other diners, followed closely by a second spreading circle of scraping chairs and a quietly desperate rush for the door.

Under the layer of what I now knew to be biohazard protective eggy depression was a layer of bird embryos that had been fermented in what I can only assume was the acidic urine of the offspring of a jar of sulphur and a carton of primary school milk left in the sunshine on the last day of the spring term and not discovered until September.

Tiny whole bird embryos, beaks half open, eyes glazed, drowned in the liquid Jabba the Hutt orgasms.

That was the worst stench I’ve ever experienced, until I watched United’s midfield display against Bournemouth.
San Smith (New found love for Granit Xhaka after watching All or Nothing)