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United in Deadline-Day disaster movie

Glazers laughingFirst there was “The Poseidon Adventure” then “The Towering Inferno” followed by other noteworthy disasters like “Earthquake, “The Day After Tomorrow”, “2012” and of course everyone’s favourite, “Titanic”. Now it seems the right time to add another to the list. The long anticipated but highly dreaded “Manchester United – 2013 The Summer That Never Was”.

What can I say folks. I have gone on and on for weeks with my doom and gloom predictions and glass half empty outlook only to be proven correct at the end of “Zero Day”.

After we have endured the summer from Hell, we went into the last 24 hours hoping, just hoping that all of this was just a big joke on us and that United and their brain trust (I use that term very loosely) had something wonderful up their sleeves and that at the end of the transfer deadline we would all be rewarded for our loyalty and patience with a number of outstanding signings that would not only fill the gaps in our midfield, but would ensure our competitive edge in England and Europe as well. Well “Zero Day” is over now and all we have to show for our anxiety and wishful thinking is the one player we knew was coming all along, Marouane Fellaini.

How sad it must be to be David Moyes these day. Can you imagine the hit this man’s self esteem and ego have taken over the few months he has been in charge of Manchester United? He has gone from having nothing to work with and believe in to something even less hopeless and seemingly more frustrating, having to count on the Glazer’s and Edward Woodward for his security and ambition.

Most of all, it must be a real slap in the man’s face to know that not one single player in Europe has heard of him nor do they have the burning desire to play for him. He thought himself to be as desirable as Kate Middleton but in reality has the appeal of Dame Judy Dench. Nobody of any consequence wants to play for Dave, only desperados wanting out of Madrid and his old boys club duo presently doing hard time under Warden Martinez at the Everton Correctional Institute for Hopeless Boys. In two short months Moyes has had his honeymoon period with United crash down around him and now supporters like me and there are many of us are calling for a swift and expedient annulment of this forced marriage.

Moyes and WoodwardDavid Moyes cannot and should not take all the blame for our failures off the pitch and on it. We are only three games into the season so I am willing to reserve judgement of Moyes the on field manager for now. But Moyes the manager in charge of buying and selling players and building the club has failed miserably along with his partner in crime, Lex Loser (aka Unsteady Eddie Woodward). These two Muppets have made a shambles of the transfer window this summer and have severely damaged the United brand as well as the club’s image regarding the way we do business. Shameful, disgraceful and a complete embarrassment.

I think it’s rather sad that a supporter like myself who lives on the west coast of Canada has enough common sense and knowledge about the game to know that David Moyes was from day one, the wrong man for this job. He lacked the pedigree, tactical wherewithal, ability to evaluate talent (can anyone say Shinji Kagawa), had absolutely no pulling power or allure with elite and not so elite players around the world, and did not possess the finesse and ability to complete a transfer when his career depended on it.

Sorry but Fellaini doesn’t count and to be honest, he botched that one up really well considering he could have had him a month ago before the man’s contractual buyout clause expired. Woodward and Moyes have become as comical a duo as Laurel and Hardy, Abbott and Costello, Blackadder and Baldrick and The Two Ronnie’s. I’m just not sure which one is the straight man. Then again, lumping Blackadder and Baldrick in with these two is unfair because at least those two comedic giants had a cunning plan or two. United’s dynamic duo hasn’t got a clue to share between the two of them.

I can’t help but remember the end of last season when Sir Alex Ferguson spoke to the Old Trafford faithful as he was saying his farewells to support our new manager and give him a chance. Fair enough Fergie but to be honest sir, I never expected the Muppet show that we have been witness to during the transfer season as well as the ineptitude displayed over the past two matches. Yes two matches do not make a season and they do not define a manager but still, it seems to me that David Moyes is afraid to be his own man at Old Trafford. Instead he seems to want to follow Sir Alex and attempt to copy his plans and strategies rather than evoke his own brand of ideas and team selection. The fact he is just an unreasonable facsimile of Fergie is sad because he lacks all the special intangibles that made Fergie the legend he is today.

Gone is the magic, intimidation, fear and sheer respect for manager and club that he brought to United. Gone is Fergie time or the free ten to twelve points we would get as a team that were solely due to him. Now we seem saddled with a club that is sadly lacking in quality and depth and has finally been uncovered as frauds and pretenders.

Yes we were champions last year and we won the league by eleven points but that was yesterday and today the reality is that we are without the man who guided us to thirteen Premier League titles, Five FA Cups and two European Cups, not to mention other honours. Gone is that vision, that security blanket, that edge, that confidence and that defiance against all opponents that faced us. Gone is that pedigree and the allure, the arrogance and mystique. Add to that the fact that our top opponents, all four of them (even Arsenal have dipped into their wallets and spent big to close the gap at the top. In the case of Chelsea and Manchester City, new world renowned and highly respected managers have taken charge and they will mount quite a charge. What have we done to compete with that and to nullify their improvements. We raided a minnow for a manager who up to now had won nothing in eleven years in charge at Everton and we also get his man servant, Marouane Fellaini who I actually like but who I have doubts whether he will make a difference in improving our midfield that much. Quite a dramatic contrast to all that has been going on at Chelsea, Manchester City, Tottenham and Arsenal.

To talk negatively about our manager alone is grossly unfair. Others have got to take the blame for the debacle they made of this transfer season and what it’s repercussions will do our team this year as well, the damage and perception that it will leave for years to come around the football world. Sorry friends for this doom and gloom but today was the official beginning of the end and Mr. Moyes as well as Mr. Woodward and their bosses. the infamous Glazer family have all got a major stake in the blame.

It’s not just bad enough that this club needed to sign players to fill weak gaps in our starting eleven and bench. But to go about it in the incompetent and hilariously ridiculous manner in which Woodward and Moyes did, leaves me with much more than a sour taste in my mouth. I am filled with rage and as a loyal fan of what is the greatest sports club in all the world, I feel humiliated for the team and for myself and all other loyal supporters. These two clowns have done more damage in two months than anyone can yet imagine or fathom. The damage is not irreparable but at least for now it seems that way under a Glazer regime bent on extracting every dollar the club makes and not showing the willingness to spend on buying great players and also paying them competitive salaries.

That fact alone has made David Moyes job that much harder even before he took over the helm of manager of the club.
Moyes cannot have imagined that he would be leaving a club run by paupers only to be in charge of a club run by thieves. Sounds like something out of a Charles Dickens story. The fact is he left poverty to enter depravity. He is worse off than he was under Bill Kenwright who at least he could trust and knew had nothing more than three shillings in his pocket.

GlazersThe Glazer’s were smart. They were patient. They bided their time and waited for Sir Alex to retire. Then they would have no restrictions in finally implementing their wicked plan to cut the finances off from the club to such a level that it would be very difficult for the manager to be able to entice the very best players to come and play for Manchester United.

It’s bad enough that United cannot compete for the very best players, but the fact is, even if they were willing to pay out 50 million pounds for a Radmael Falcao, they would never ever agree to his salary expectations and bonuses. That is the number one reason why they looked to sign Ander Herrera for 36 million as opposed to Mesut Ozil for 42 million. Many of you are saying WTF, what is another 6 million when you consider Ozil is twice the player that Herrera is? Problem arises in that Ozil wanted more than twice the salary whereas Herrera was willing to take a pay cut to come here and we still didn’t get the job done despite the fact the man had a release clause in his contract. And today they finally pulled the all timer of gaffs because they were finally unmasked for the liars and con artists that they are.

Today they had Ander Herrera virtually signed, sealed and delivered. All that was needed was their acceptance of the terms and Herrera was ours. So what do they do? They renege on the deal agreed upon as soon as it was clear that Bilbao had accepted all the terms. “Hang on there Bilbao, we weren’t serious with ya, we waz only teasing”. Bilbao and Herrera agreed to the buyout price and then United balked and made up excuses that Herrera in hindsight isn’t worth the valuation that was put on him. DUH!!!! Finally caught with your pants down and having to make up an excuse and go back on a deal because all of a sudden you were expected to come up with the money. All along I have said the money was not there. Show me the money, talk is cheap. Manchester United, I am ashamed and embarrassed by your lack of scruples, professionalism and class. This is no longer the club I have supported for most of my life. I am emotionally drained and so incredibly disenchanted and disheartened. I literally feel sick about the calamity and cesspool I find my club swimming in today. This was an all time boner and dictionary example for the word “INCOMPETENCE”.

INCOMPETENT:
1. Not possessing the necessary skill, ability, etc to do or carry out a task; incapable
2. Marked by lack of ability, skill, etc
DUPLICITOUS:

1. Marked by deliberate deceptiveness especially by pretending one set of feelings or actions and acting under the influence of another.

Does it get plainer than that? I’m sure as I write this that there are millions of United fans who are still wearing blinders and who still just don’t get it. The terminally optimistic and perpetually naive. Sorry for the name calling but I call it as I see it. Fact is too many fans have tolerated the status quo at Old Trafford for too long. Winning and the trust in Fergie was enough to blind us from the reality of what was happening and to where we were headed. And I’m not even judging this on our start to the season. Sir Alex had many poorer starts to a season and somehow he was still able to right the ship and head for sunnier climbs. My complaint is with the owners (everyone knows this by now) but there is nothing I can do about them and their corrupt and fraudulent regime. There is also nothing I can do about David Moyes and his sidekick Ed Woodward. These two have been appointed to run the on field affairs of Manchester United and so far, they are doing exactly as their bosses have ordered. The only recourse left to me is to bitch, whine and complain and this is something I do very well I must say. In fact I have been categorized by many as world-class in this department.

But you know something, despite the fact I am the Ronaldo of whining and bitching, I am tired and fed up with the whole thing. United have stripped from me the fun factor that came with being a United supporter. That guarantee and trust that we would entertain, win and compete both on the pitch and in the boardroom. I feel let down by my team and betrayed.

I still love my club despite all this because Manchester United is not to blame. The club is a sacred cow and an icon, an institution. But the club is being held hostage by usurpers. Illegitimate and highly controversial claimants to the throne of this great and prestigious club. They have slowly but surely stripped the club of its crown jewels and now they are readying themselves for the final ransacking. And to help them with this dastardly deed they have appointed two loyal lackeys to make sure that nothing gets in n the way of this goal, not even the need to improve the club’s standing on the field. Sad really that all my fears from five years ago are finally coming to fruition. I was right and damned me for being so.

I want to support and cheer on my club and I will continue to support the lads even though I know in my heart that they aren’t good enough to repeat as champions, and doubtful to even finish in the top four. I could be wrong about where finish up this season but I am not wrong about the direction this club is headed. Not unless there is some serious soul searching done by our manager. You are either with them Dave, or you are with the supporters and the team. Stand up to the regime and stand up for the supporters. Be your own man and stop trying to mimic Fergie.

Sir Alex can be imitated but he can never be duplicated. Moyes may not be my choice (hey that rhymes), but he is what we have been saddled with. Now it’s up to him to either become an asset or a burden. Right now he has shown me absolutely nothing. That’s just what I expected and in matters of the heart, I hate being right.