SWOOPER TROOPERS
United shortcomings leaving a sour taste FOREST’S NEW RECRUITS
ERIK TEN HAG articulated the problem facing him and Manchester United in the immediate aftermath of their 4-0 humiliation at Brentford.
“We need new players,” said the Dutchman. “We need quality players, we’re working on that and we will do everything to convince them to come.”
In the past, United never needed to convince players to join them. The lure of playing at Old Trafford, for one of the most storied clubs in world football, was enough in itself.
Now, however, top players need to be persuaded to join a club in turmoil and one at its lowest ebb since Alex Ferguson walked off into the sunset with the club’s last Premier League title almost a decade ago.
State
The very best players want to play in the Champions League, something United cannot offer and which they are unlikely to be able to do for some considerable time, judging by their current lamentable state.
After watching United get dismantled by Brentford what player in their right mind would consider joining a club in freefall?
United have been chasing (left)
Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong all summer, but the Dutch international is reluctant to reunite with his former Ajax boss Erik ten Hag, the weekend’s events at Brentford underlining his stance.
Barca may want to offload €90m-rated De Jong to ease their financial woes, but the midfielder is acutely aware his career is almost certain to take a downturn with a move to United.
It is why United are now reduced to grubbing around in Europe’s bargain bucket for players nobody else wants, the likes of Juventus midfielder Adrien Rabiot and Bologna’s Marko Arnautovic, although the pursuit of the latter was ended after a backlash from fans.
While Ten Hag is culpable for team selection and the way he set his side up against Brighton and Brentford, he has been failed by those above him.
Before he left United, interim boss Ralf Rangnick said the squad needed “open heart surgery” and “six, seven, eight, maybe 10 new players” to have any chance of challenging the top sides again.
With 16 days left before the transfer window closes, United have signed a back-up left-back in Tyrell Malacia, a central defender too short for the Premier League in Lisandro Martinez and a free agent midfielder in Christian Eriksen.
Victim
None of those signings have addressed the glaring deficiencies that continue to blight United’s squad, with Ten Hag needing a goalkeeper, rightback, centre-back, central midfielder and one, possibly two, strikers.
Ten Hag is the latest managerial victim of the United hierarchy’s lack of vision and unwillingness to invest money in the players required to compete with those rivals for the top four.
He can work United’s players as hard as he likes, as he did on
Sunday by cancelling their day off, but such punitive acts cannot address the desperate lack of quality at his
United’s players feel Ten Hag has been handicapped by the club’s failure to deliver the signings he needs to compete.
A €24m move for Rabiot is close to completion and United will listen to offers for midfielder James Garner, who impressed on loan at Nottingham Forest last season, to fund the transfer. disposal.
United have a little over two weeks to deliver Ten Hag the players he has told them he needs to make the team competitive again.
Failure to do so is likely to condemn United to another season of mediocrity, one where a mid-table finish could be the best they can realistically hope for. How the mighty have fallen.
TALL ORDER: Lisandro Martinez tussles with the Bees’ Ivan Toney
STEVE COOPER insists Nottingham Forest were left with no choice but to sign a record number of players this summer.
Forest have been the busiest team in the transfer market after confirming their 15th signing with Remo Freuler joining from Atalanta for €10m.
It is the most new players a club has ever acquired in a summer window in Premier
League history.
More new faces are on their way with the club in talks with Brighton striker Neal Maupay and Lyon midfielder Houssem Aouar.
Forest are also chasing a new left-back while Wolves midfielder Morgan Gibbs-White remains a target.
It has made for a
(Watford, €24m)
whirlwind time since Forest clinched promotion in May to return to the Premier League for the first time in 23 years with a €200m payday.
Cooper (inset) has been given the backing of Greek owner Evangelos Marinakis and the Forest boss wants further signings.
“I would like to,” said Cooper, when asked if more signings were due.
“I really hope everyone is looking into why we have had to make so many signings and not just the narrative of Forest have signed loads of players.
“There has been a real rationale and necessity. We have had no choice. I don’t mind saying we would have loved to carry on last year with our team and added a few players but it was never going to happen.
Process
“We are still in that process of becoming the team and the squad we want to be.
“There are a couple of weeks left of the window and there will definitely be some ins and outs.”
New striker Taiwo Awoniyi was the matchwinner in Sunday’s 1-0 win against West Ham.
The integration of so many new players has kept Cooper on his toes and caused moments of concern.
“A lot of players were experiencing the City Ground for the first time against West Ham after not being able to play in pre-season,” he added.
“It did play on my mind in the buildup. But it looks like it felt like home straight away.”
Forest head to Everton on Saturday where their new €24m striker Emmanuel Dennis, signed from Watford, can expect to debut.
The Nigerian, who scored 10 Premier
League goals for the Hornets last term, trained with his new teammates yesterday,
“He can be a really important player for us,” said Cooper.