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A return of two wins in 11 Premier League games

  • 21-12-2009 1:07am
    #1
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 17,154 ✭✭✭✭


    An unwise man once said:
    “A return of two wins in 11 Premier League games is clearly not in line with the targets that were agreed and set. [We] felt that there was no evidence that the situation would fundamentally change.

    If only he had the slightest respect for history:

    25 Nov 1989 Manchester United 0-0 Chelsea
    3 Dec 1989 Arsenal 1-0 Manchester United
    9 Dec 1989 Manchester United 1-2 Crystal Palace
    16 Dec 1989 Manchester United 0-1 Tottenham Hotspur
    23 Dec 1989 Liverpool 0-0 Manchester United
    26 Dec 1989 Aston Villa 3-0 Manchester United
    30 Dec 1989 Wimbledon 2-2 Manchester United
    1 Jan 1990 Manchester United 0-0 Queens Park Rangers
    13 Jan 1990 Manchester United 1-2 Derby County
    21 Jan 1990 Norwich City 2-0 Manchester United
    3 Feb 1990 Manchester United 1-1 Manchester City
    10 Feb 1990 Millwall 1-2 Manchester United
    24 Feb 1990 Chelsea 1-0 Manchester United
    3 Mar 1990 Manchester United 4-1 Luton Town

    This run of 14 league games with only 2 wins precipitated 11 league titles, 5 FA Cups, 3 League Cups, 8 Charity Shields, 2 Champions Leagues, 1 Cup Winner's Cup, 1 UEFA Super Cup, 1 Intercontinental Cup and 1 FIFA Club World Cup.

    Long live hazardous contemporary short-termism!


Comments

  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,252 ✭✭✭deisedevil


    Neil3030 wrote: »
    If only he had the slightest respect for history:

    Some day a man will come with the money and the respect of history. He'll give the time required and he'll reap the benefits.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 17,154 ✭✭✭✭Neil3030


    deisedevil wrote: »
    Some day a man will come with the money and the respect of history. He'll give the time required and he'll reap the benefits.

    His name is Randy Lerner ;)


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,252 ✭✭✭deisedevil


    Neil3030 wrote: »
    His name is Randy Lerner ;)

    Does he have the bucks and the willingness to use them I wonder.

    I always wondered what MON would do with some real money, he might go crazy.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 17,154 ✭✭✭✭Neil3030


    deisedevil wrote: »
    Does he have the bucks and the willingness to use them I wonder.

    I always wondered what MON would do with some real money, he might go crazy.

    He has always said he'd back O'Neill wherever funds were needed and has yet to give any indication that this is not the case . I would strongly doubt the availability of mega mega bucks would spur O'Neill to spend his kitty any differently. He has put together a strong squad and the youth development side of things is in great shape.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,252 ✭✭✭deisedevil


    Neil3030 wrote: »
    He has always said he'd back O'Neill wherever funds were needed and has yet to give any indication that this is not the case . I would strongly doubt the availability of mega mega bucks would spur O'Neill to spend his kitty any differently. He has put together a strong squad and the youth development side of things is in great shape.

    He has indeed built a strong squad. So the answer to what I was wondering about what MON would do with mega bucks is sort of a case of only spending slightly more than what he has spent before. I sort of assumed he was on a tight budget.

    I'd love to know how much in total the Villa squad cost to put together compared to the old top four ;)

    I'd say it's a big difference and if he gets them at least a top 4 spot or more it will be one hell of an achievement, maybe manager of the year stuff.


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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 20,617 ✭✭✭✭PHB


    MON has the problem of attracting talent. At United, there are plenty of players he'd probably want who would come to him. At Villa, he might want lots of people, but they won't go there. It is Brum after all.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,252 ✭✭✭deisedevil


    PHB wrote: »
    MON has the problem of attracting talent. At United, there are plenty of players he'd probably want who would come to him. At Villa, he might want lots of people, but they won't go there. It is Brum after all.

    A top 4 finish and Champs League qualifaction might change some minds though.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 17,154 ✭✭✭✭Neil3030


    deisedevil wrote: »
    He has indeed built a strong squad. So the answer to what I was wondering about what MON would do with mega bucks is sort of a case of only spending slightly more than what he has spent before. I sort of assumed he was on a tight budget.

    I'd love to know how much in total the Villa squad cost to put together compared to the old top four ;)

    I'd say it's a big difference and if he gets them at least a top 4 spot or more it will be one hell of an achievement, maybe manager of the year stuff.

    MON getting Villa into the top four will be a triumph of proper development though (just to get this baby back on topic ;)). A methodical, gradual ascent so that at no point is he or his coaches burdened with the enormous pressure of getting instant results to justify a huge spend at any given point.

    MON's spent big, but it's been over 3-4 seasons now (I think the total figure is around 125m gross spend, but he's also brought in funds from sales). Fergie, likewise, spent big. Relative to the going rate, players like Steve Bruce, Brian McClair, Mark Hughes, Gary Pallister, Eric Cantona were not cheap. But he was also afforded the time to develop the likes of Neville, Scholes, Beckham and Giggs, which all amalgamated into such a dominant side.

    We (or at least I) always observed the continental revolving managerial door as a complete farce, but in many respects Mourinho's success at Chelsea showed that it is possible for a manager to spend big and dominate overnight in the contemporary EPL. In other words, the get rich quick model that's so lusted after by narrowminded, megalomaniac businessmen was suddenly validated, if even in an isolated case.

    And I can't help but feel that as a consequence we're going to have certain club owners chasing a scenario that may never be repeated. How long will Mancini get to develop his City side? How long will Fergie's successor be given? It's worrying.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 17,661 ✭✭✭✭Helix


    deisedevil wrote: »
    I'd love to know how much in total the Villa squad cost to put together compared to the old top four ;)

    since hes been at villa £125,000,000 give or take a few bob

    hes never been left wanting for cash, whatever he wants is there for him


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 7,185 ✭✭✭G1032


    deisedevil wrote: »
    I sort of assumed he was on a tight budget.

    I'd love to know how much in total the Villa squad cost to put together compared to the old top four ;)

    I would imagine it has cost more than Arsenal's. O'Neill has always been backed at Villa regards buying players.

    Edit: I'm estimating Arsenal's current first team squad cost in the region of 100 million or so.


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  • Closed Accounts Posts: 5,492 ✭✭✭MementoMori


    Seeing as there was chat about Villa's squad and what it cost.

    Brad Friedel £2m
    Luke Young £5m
    Wilfred Bouma £3.5m
    Steve Sidwell £5m
    Stewart Downing £12m
    Ashley Young £8m
    James Milner £12m
    John Carew Swap for Baros (who cost £5m)
    Gabriel Agbonlahor Youth
    Marc Albrighton Youth
    Nathan Delfouneso Youth
    Curtis Davies £10m
    Fabian Delph £6m
    Moustapha Salifou Free
    Emile Heskey £3.5m
    Stiliyan Petrov £6.5m
    Nigel Reo-Coker £8.5m
    Brad Guzan £600k
    Habib Beye £2.5m
    Carlos Cuéllar £7.8m
    Stephen Warnock £6m
    Craig Gardner Youth
    Ciaran Clark Youth
    Richard Dunne £6m
    James Collins £5m
    Andy Marshall Free

    Marlon Harewood £4m
    Nicky Shorey £3.5m

    This adds up to £109m without taking into account Carew(who was a direct swap with Baros) or both Harewood (£4m) and Shorey (£3m) who are out on loan and pretty likely to move on.

    Also a lot of Villa's deals seem to have pretty decent add-ons involved. The deals for Delph (£2m), Petrov(£1.5m), Warnock (£2m), both Ashley (£1.75m) and Luke Young (£500k) are all described as having significant add-ons in addition to the basic fee.

    These are best-estimate prices using reliable sources like the BBC, Times, Guardian etc.

    Arsenal's squad by comparison cost somewhere in the region of £90m and Liverpool's squad somewhere in the region of £145m. These are the two squad who are above and below them in the cost of squad's league. City, Chelsea and Utd are all in the £200m plus range with Spurs on 4th at about £180m mark.

    I'm not sure what Villa's wage bill is but at a guess I would say it's pretty reasonable, when compared to the big spenders. Barry was reportedly on somewhere in the region of £45k prior to his move to City


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