Sir Alex Ferguson’s response was a well-worn one. “I can only say what I’ve said before,” he began. “It’s very difficult to buy in January. You don’t want to buy just any player because it’s another player. You want to buy someone who can make a difference.”
It was his usual deflection when it comes to the matter of hitting the January sales.
But as loathe as the United manager is to spending in the inflated mid-season transfer window, he is increasingly facing a situation that can only be solved with money.
Cold, hard cash is what is required to prevent an aberration from becoming a full-blown crisis. Arsene Wenger is no fan of rushing into the transfer market – but an 8-2 defeat at Old Trafford in September had him spending like a lottery winner on deadline day to save a season that had barely begun.
Defeat in Basel was United’s 8-2 – perhaps even more so than the six they shipped against City in October.
It was final confirmation of what many observers had increasingly begun to suspect – that far from being capable of rising to the challenge of Barcelona, Ferguson’s current squad will struggle to fend off the danger at their own front door in the guise of Roberto Mancini’s irresistible pacesetters.
The Premier League champions went into Wednesday night’s game with a midfield consisting of a 19-year-old centre back, a 38-year-old veteran and Ji-Sung Park.
On the bench – Darron Gibson – a virtual exile since failing to secure a move to Sunderland in the summer.
Fragility
It was closer to the Championship than Champions League winners – and should have convinced Ferguson once and for all that he must address a fragility in his midfield that was evident long before he spent the summer trying to lure Wesley Sneijder from Inter Milan.
Exit at the group stages in 2005 ultimately spelt the end of Roy Keane’s United reign as Ferguson set about building his next great team – signing Nemanja Vidic and Patrice Evra that January. And exit this time around was every bit as symbolic.
True, his squad is ravaged by injury with Michael Carrick, Tom Cleverley and Anderson all unavailable in Switzerland. But of that trio, Carrick and Anderson have often flattered to deceive, while Cleverley remains very much a prospect, rather than an anchor to build a team around.
Vidic and Evra are the precedent United supporters will cling to when the transfer window opens at the turn of the year.
Proof that Ferguson will go against his self-imposed winter ban if circumstances dictate. Consider them dictated.
United remain in sight of City – but while Mancini’s men are rampant, Ferguson’s are stuttering and stumbling as they desperately try to cling onto their fierce rivals’ coat-tails.
“We’ve only made about four or five January signings in my time here,” said Ferguson, sticking to the script. “Louis Saha, Andy Cole, Vidic, Evra and Diego Forlan.
“It’s not a consistent route for us to buy in January because of its disadvantages.
“I’ve nothing in my mind at the moment.”
The disadvantages of not buying could be even greater.
Guile
United lack the imagination and guile of Paul Scholes – the drive of Darren Fletcher since he suffered a mystery virus earlier in the year. Ferguson might have thought Wednesday’s midfield would be good enough to get past Basel – but surely no further, given that Europe’s big guns of Barcelona, Real Madrid and Inter Milan lay in wait in the last 16.
As it happens it was a midfield that couldn’t even navigate its way through Switzerland.
And so to the candidates. Few had heard of Vidic and Evra when they arrived at Old Trafford – and without the intensity of the Champions League, Ferguson may decide to go down the same route, rather than the more obvious option of long-term target, Sneijder.
He remains an admirer of Tottenham’s Luka Modric but Harry Redknapp has insisted his star man is not for sale at any price.
If Modric is unavailable then Ajax starlet, Christian Eriksen and Benfica’s Nicolas Gaitan would be less expensive alternatives.
Newcastle’s Cheick Tiote has been linked this season, but the Ivory Coast midfielder is currently sidelined with a groin strain. Jack Rodwell is another option, given his emergence as an important figure for Fabio Capello. Should the Everton midfielder go to next summer’s European Championships then his price-tag could be significantly inflated on the back of a good tournament for England.
The fall-out from Champions League failure has only just begun and United’s faithful are waiting for a defiant response from their leader.
With the best will in the world they do not want to hear the reasons why not to buy in January.
Wednesday was the most compelling reason why they must.
Fans making their way back from Switzerland and facing up to Thursday night football care little about how “difficult” it is to buy in January. Difficult has never stopped Ferguson before, so why should it be any different now?
Who should United go for? Have your say.
Manchester United must hit January sales
December 10, 2011
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Buy one get one free.
LOL !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Even though I have this bulging war chest, full to the brim with money I think I will not touch it because there's no value in the market plus I have all the youngsters ready to come through.
And don't forget all the experienced Internationals I already have like Fletcher, Gibson and Evans!
I repeat there is no value in the market.
United can go 4 Tiote,Gaitan or Eriksen,Modric is not avalaible now.
The question to ask now is who would like to come to a club which is a shadow of what it has been in the last two decades. Before the Glazers, Utd used to be big spenders (we might also add: overall, bad spenders), so money was also a good bait, but now the only attraction Utd could have is the possibility of playing alongside great players and winning trophies. Sadly, the current Utd team have only Rooney and Nani at world class level, players who would interest the likes of Real Madrid and Bayern Munich, but, excluding Jones and maybe Smalling and Evra, who would want the rest ? Maybe Stoke o Sunderland ? Then there is the Manager, a worldwide icon who, unfortunately, is getting too old for the job but is refusing to retire as most modest people at his age would do, and whose only apparent solution in the dressing room is the hairdryer; always the players' fault and not also or more often his. Fans must get used to the idea that this is going to be a year of transition. Most probably they will get knocked out of the FA Cup by City, they will not progress much in the EL and they are not going to win the PL. A transition year which should end with the departure of SAF and all his staff of assistants, the appointment of a new manager and the start of a new era hopefully with new owners. In the meantime, such as in January, I don't expect much to happen.
There may only have been five January purchases in Fergie's reign, but significantly, four out of those five were an unqualified success. Not a bad ratio and should encourage him to go again - whatever the cost.
There are NO TARGETS because there is no money . Is now the time to ask about the 120mil war chest ? Or did you all know it was all lies to sell season tickets ?
I find it remarkable that MU fans are not asking about it.
Since they (MU) said it was there they have bought 3 over rated championship players at best & paid 3x their real value in order to secure tick from the selling clubs.So 120mil war chest hasen't been touched.
SO WHERE IS IT ?
Why would anyone want to join a club on the decline? Further more why play there and not get paid because all nited players play for the shirt and nothing else
SAF made all those same comments about buying last summer. Well, if summer's not a good time to buy, and January's not a good time to buy, ... At least last summer, players like Schneider would have wanted to come to United. Right now, how excited could they be?
Your all talking sh.. Manchester United will be at the top for years to come the best team in the world, if you support a team them do so not like other clubs only support them when the win ,
.
Well what's it to be....Buy, buy United or Bye, bye United?
We should'nt have to buy in Jan. if Fergie had done his job properly in the summer. Every man and his dog knows we need to improve the CM but he goes and buys another average winger instead. Why? It was reported that Everton offered us Rodwell for 15m in the summer but the great man decided against it. Why? Of the others mentioned, we won't pay the price for Modric, I suspect Ericksen will also be too expensive for the Glazers. None of the others are better than average and we already have enough of those types although a blindman would be a better option than Park!
Red noses pressed up at the window,By the way Wayne Wooneh wants out lads,remember where ya heard it first.You cant blame him though.
I still say SAF is play acting, its not a good move to out right say we need to buy and we need him or him or him cause it will give the teams with the players an unprecedented upper hand in any negotiations, Its not a lie thast january prices are inflatted this is merely a move to retain some negotiating chips to atleast limit the price, We are already going to loose money because of the champions league exit buy an inflated play will just compound on that.
We need 2 CM preferrably one world class than just 2 potentials but we dont have to scream out loud that we need them cause tht will cost us dearly. As for people saying Man U is on the decline, Honestly I have no idea what they mean, the addition of a World class CM will put us at par with Barca Millan and Madrid. We have all the pieces except for the CM one and maybe a few back ups here and there. Rooney Hernandez is still one of the best forward partnerships, Nani is top 3 in the world on the wing Young and Valencia are no joke. We have had trouble with right back but im sure a fully fit Rafael is good Right back and Unfortunate we lost Vidic but Rio plus Smalling or Jones is a good combo. Evra is a bit slow but still remains one of the best left backs in the world and a fully fit Fabio to back him up is a great back up.
The team is there all it Needs is a top class CM and it will be back on top, I am sure by next year we will be shaking down Europe as long as we fix the CM problem
Old boy Ryan Shawcross. A Vidic style of player.
I would love us to go out and buy Eriksen and gotze and both are also out of the champions league and i would be happy to wait until the summer as these 2 for me are outstanding talents and versatile and also still in their teens like jones
I think this is all we lack as with these wed add alot more craft to the team and also would make us less predictable as the midfield would be scorin and creating whereas at the minute our midfield keeps puttin the ball wide for the wingers to do all the work and creating/scoring
I also think we could do with a leftback as evras got way too comfterble and complacent but i want fryers to get his chance to prove himself as hes done very well thus far and is very quick
P.s
I think its just as important to get rid of the deadwood in the squad between now and the;
Kuszczak- couldnt even get a club after being shown the door in the summer
Park- average player who ive never rated as hes no technical ability and is slow. His woeful performances in rome, Wembley and then palace and basle prove this
Gibson- like Kuszczak couldnt get a club when shown the door and for such a woeful player to demand 40k a wk im no surprised
Fletcher- always been an average player and like park just offers runing and since his virus hes been woeful and nows the time to cash in imo
Carrick- not good enough and yes hell do a job against bolton, wolves, ect but he constantly fails to turn up to the big games and was non-existant in rome and Wembley and in his 30s
Berbatov- never suited us and although a good player is too slow and his moaning effects the young players
Owen- constantly injured and not needed
Diouf- woeful and not even good enough for our carling cup team
Macheda- primadona whos full of himself and money and fame has went to his head and his 1st touch is that of a conference player
With these players gone i think we could also do with a signing of an attacker or 2 also that can play wide and up top
De gea
Lindegaard
Rafael......jones......vidic......evra
Fabio......Smalling....rio......fryers
........................evans
Nani........eriksen....gotze....young
Valencia.Cleverly.Anderson..
..............Rooney...Chicharito
..............welbeck....
But dont forget weve morrison and robbie brady @ hull who are very talented and deserve to be squad players. Pogba i think will leave on a free as like pique and Rossi werent given enough chances and like these 2 Pogba will prove elsewhere hes good enough
a billion spent and europa lge! at least you favourites to win that too-which means of course you wont! with citehs european experience it will be interesting-we on the other hand are past it, finished and the 'team of the past'! 2 points behind with games v qpr,fulham,wigan. blackburn-yep-we're totally out of it-citeh are champions =AGAIN! 4TH TIME THIS YEAR
If Bertie Robson says that we need to buy then it must be true. Maybe we can buy someone who speaks Mexican to please him.
suprise, suprise, more bitters invading this page.
sorry but you pre-planned invasion of the man united have only been met with absolute laughter over your bitterness and your obesession with man united.
and we've won 4-1. how does that feel bitters.
as for the article, saf's probably playing mind games, he now knows, after 3 catastrophic defeats, that a midfielder must be signed. he's now woken up from lalaland and come back to the real world. there are good players out there for a cheap price, we can buy those players, unlike the biters who spend 100m on players every season. most importantly, it's not about how much you spend, it's about who you buy.
fergie should know that having seen the berties from the dark side sign robinho, adebayor, bellamy,santa cruz etc. and later discard them after about a year or two.
proud to be a rag, united till i die
Sneijder is the obvious choice, but we need to strengthen our defense, by buying 2 players to support Jones, and at least 3 mid fielders to assist and compliment Rooney, and mmaybe 1 additional striker, so 6 players in total, it may seem like a lot, but we need to do this if we want to be serious contenders and defend our title and take it for a 20th time, so the importance out weighs the cost factor, as it will pay off for the positive and be well worth every penny spent. Come on SAF do what youy have to do
For once, a well written sensible artical.
If it was a CM i needed, I would go Javi Martinez especially after the way he played against Barca. Plus he is Spanish and he can bring those possession skills which Spain and Barca boast to United!!!
He is young and does not command much fee and wages as well!!
If we can sell some players like Diouf, Kuzcack, Gibson then may be we can plan for Goetze in summer!!!
Ideally Javi Martinez and Mario Goetze. Possible options Ninis, Doug Costa and Stevan Jovetic. Realistically I dont see anyone arrving in January. Nicolas Anelka?