Adam Dennehey WAFU manager
As the share price of Manchester United falls to $13.42 the impact of the signing of Robin van Persie failed to register with investors.
Frankly that’s because the expectation on Wall Street is that Champions League football is an annual certainty, and the only growth in income will be from selling the brand more widely. For investors Man United is just a name like Nike. Success is simply the means to access the wallets of the customers.
For the fans the goal of financial success is to allow us to invest in the team. Victories, in United style, are what drives us. The stock price matters but only as a health check, it’s not what makes us buy tickets.
Maybe this is a perfect storm, both investors and fans want United to succeed, and both of us want the team to win trophies.
But when the owners take money out of the Club for personal gain, we find it hard to reconcile he interest on debt, cash in Glazer pockets and Wall Street Profiteers from the fans on the terraces.
To investors RvP didn’t stop the stock losing almost 5% of its value, to the fans we have just invested in a 29 year old for 4 years at a price that demands instant and continued success.
If Fatman and Robin do form the dynamic duo that the media are drooling about then perhaps he money will look well spent, but frankly it’s a gamble.
The team does look to have some weakness. Clearly left-back remains a problematic position despite the signing of the unknown Alexander Buttner. While Antonio Valencia, Phil Jones and Chris Smalling cover Rafael, Evra has no such luxury as Ashley Young, Nani and Ryan Giggs don’t offer the same flexibility at left-back.
It worries me after seeing how exposed Evra was by Everton in their 4-4 comeback. Even if he recovers some form, which was sadly lacking much of last season, one injury and we are exposed to any decent right wing/ right back combination. It’s a position that cries out for Leighton Baines and we need him even at £12m or more Can Buttner do the goods, only time will tell?
In midfield, I think we can get through the season although I have been talking about Moussa Dembele for 6 months or more now. He is a good player, as box to box as any I’ve seen and rarely loses possession, always positive. I like him.
However if we play 4-4-2 now RvP has arrived, as I suspect we will, then we have 4 wingers and 4 strikers, so the centre midfield is going to be just 2 players from a roster of Anderson, Tom Cleverley, Michael Carrick, Paul Scholes, Nick Powell, Shinji Kagawa, Ryan Giggs and Jones (who can also play there). That’s 8 players for 2 places. It’s enough.
This line-up will win many games, score plenty goals and beat all but the very best:
De Gea,
Rafael, Ferdinand, Vidic, Evra,
Valencia, Cleverley, Carrick, Young,
Rooney, van Persie
Adding, Danny Welbeck, Kagawa, Scholes and Anderson from the bench will unlock many 0-0 defenses and Javier Hernandez, Giggs, Jones and Nani can play 20 times each in Cup and weaker league games.
Form issues are easily resolved by this rotation and only the left-back position remains exposed.
So I think we begin in good shape, but need Leighton Baines to complete the puzzle for this season, he’s tailor-made to play at Old Trafford.
I think Wall Street would agree with me.
By Steve Burrows CBE @ifollowsteve
very optimistic at the end,i was thinking the same before the game yesterday,I WONDER how this lads from everton performed ,with so many heart and emotions,,,and they are only paid 20 -30 % of the utd stars,,,comitment was missing from the utd players ,i dont understand how they can demand top wages and playing average,they couldnt get a pass right,,,very shamfull attitude, greedy for money for the new contract ,but nothing behind it , they should start talking on the pitch finaly