As painful as it is to hear, Manchester United could do with taking a thing or two from Liverpool’s transfer model.
Now, now. We understand that it is a tender topic, the whole Manchester United-Liverpool rivalry, and even more so now given just how differently each team is currently performing both domestically and in Europe.
While there are plenty of things that have contributed towards the recent rise and fall of the respective sides, it is Liverpool’s transfer policy which has so evidently placed them ahead of the longstanding North West feud.
…and before you scream at us about Liverpool’s flops (and we acknowledge their presence, we do), we’d argue that the botched signings United have made in recent years are far, far worse.
So let’s look at the facts of Liverpool’s transfer policy first – or at least what we interpret it to be.
Jurgen Klopp has systematically targeted and signed overachieving players from the lower half of the table. Why? Because it feels like a genuine step up for them.
Andrew Robertson, for instance. The former Hull City star didn’t move to Liverpool because he thought he would be able to use Anfield as a springboard into the upper echelons of European football. A champion.
As far as Robertson is concerned, he’s peaked; representing the badge is an absolute joy and a privilege, and you can see that in the way he plays.
The same could be said of Sadio Mane. The industrious winger was poached from Southampton, Liverpool’s favourite hunting ground, in 2015. Just like Robertson, his immense work rate and evident passion for the club whichever club he represented was everything Klopp was trying to find to help rebuild Liverpool. And again, he had a proven track record at a lower tier side.
The same goes for Virgil van Dijk (though we won’t honour him with any more praise than he’s already been drizzled with by the rest of the drooling football world).
Fill in the blanks with some proven talents from abroad including the likes of Roberto Firmino, Mohamed Salah, Fabinho and Alisson, who all align with the club’s philosophy, and you’ve got yourself a winning formula.
Now for Manchester United.
First and foremost: what an incoherent mess.
From the day Ferguson and David Gill left their respective posts, United have been a complete and utter shambles.
And this isn’t to say that the Ferguson was a saint when navigating the transfer market; he definitely made a fair few mistakes himself in his time.
The difference is, however, fans recognised and appreciated his mission; they could see his workings out on the paper and understand where he was going.
The same simply cannot be said for Ed Woodward and *insert any of the previous managers over the past six years*.
What exactly was the thinking behind Angel Di Maria?
That he played for Real Madrid and was pretty good? You can literally imagine Ed Woodward sifting through his spreadsheets to find out if he was a commercially viable option, before splashing the cash.
Then there was (and still is) Paul Pogba. A truly wonderful player who has all the talent in the world but is hampered by the painfully obvious fact that he is a mercenary player who has always had one eye on joining Real Madrid, or moving onto “better” things. His passion for the club is debatable at best. What he does, and does well, tends to come in pockets of self-serving vanity which are designed for one purpose and one purpose only: boosting his CV.
Romelu Lukaku, as well. He may have ticked a couple of the necessary boxes but he is in no way a Manchester United player. The man can barely play football.
And we haven’t even started on Nemanja Matic, Radamel Falcao, Bastian Schweinsteiger and co.
Honestly, all the signings United have made in recent years have spawned from a horrendous mismatch of conflicting philosophies.
Look at the likes of Rio Ferdinand, Nemanja Vidic, Wayne Rooney, Roy Keane, Carlos Tevez (sorry), Cristiano Ronaldo (to some extent). All players who made a step up when joining Manchester United, and were literally salivating at the chance to prove themselves.
While there is so much more that could be said on the subject, the general message stands. Manchester United need to start looking towards players who see the club as the pinnacle of their career, who appreciate the club for what it is.
Until then, the club are doomed.
Manchester United fans, how do you think you can improve your current transfer philosophy? Who would you like to see join? Let us know in the comments below…
