‘Just ambitious’ enough

I want to be proven wrong by Manchester United regarding this. However, all I am hearing is that it’s just a slip and that a result against Manchester City gets our season back on track. People are saying it’s too early to judge, but I tend to disagree with that. We only have to look at our opposition that we’ve faced. It’s also important to understand where we are as a football club. Our squad is aging. How often can Bruno Fernandes save us? We have no plans nor have we identified a successor.

The way we’re being run it’s nigh on impossible to have the kind of success that the fans expect. Even if we get a good result against Manchester City. We’re not the team of the Fergie days where we could go back-to-back and win five in a row anymore.

I mean how long has that kid been waiting for a haircut now? In all seriousness though, let’s put things into perspective. We had a level of success last season which the board were very happy with. We haven’t built on from that, and we certainly haven’t given Carrick the tools to be ambitious in putting his own blueprint on the squad.

I sometimes look at what we’re doing and I do not recognise a style of play. It’s just not there. I mean, the two goals we scored against Everton were moment chances and individual brilliance. If you look at what Arsenal are doing. They’ve further strengthened their defense with a view to shutting everyone out.

Of course, it takes time to build a team but I do not have much confidence in what we’ve invested in this summer.

I actually think our recruiting was nowhere near ambitious enough. You can talk about the reasons why and that we did the most we could in terms of funds. How are you ever going to be ambitious if you’re constantly having to treat your transfer dealings as secondary?

Especially in line with what the fans expect in terms of ambition to go and win an actual title? We’re still treating our current squad members as assets. If you want to know what I mean by that. You only have to look at how that defensive line-up hasn’t been changed in four years, nor has six of our senior squad.

That’s embarrassing. So when ex-players turn around and they say the club wanted to proceed to do things but they couldn’t because of the budget. They’ve had many other years to get the house in order. We’re stuck at this moment in repeating the same mistakes and Ralf was very much onto something when he got the boot. We’re never going to be a serious club under this board. That’s my belief.

Our ambitions are being weighed down by the ambitions of a board and ownership that are putting profits and dividends at the top of the table. It’s no longer Manchester United. It’s about how they can keep the status quo just ‘good enough’ in terms of results so that the fans do not kick off in numbers. I said last season that third was good but it wasn’t something to be over ecstatic by.

Two pivotal managers in our club history would agree. We need a manager that not only delivers on a style of play, but has the full backing of the board to deliver the change we need.

I want to believe in Carrick, and I want us to do well. However, knowing what I know in my head, and what I know in my heart are two very different things. You may call this article highly critical. I call it tough love for a club that needs to remember what it once was and how it got itself there.