"The Manchester United recruitment team don’t think Sofyan Amrabat will succeed in England. He is an Erik ten Hag target."
https://twitter.com/mufcMPB/status/1703810947851133038
I ordinarily don't put much stock in these Twitter nuggets but I thought this was interesting enough to share. I note that some of these accounts seem to have been correct on a number of rumours, including team lineups well ahead of them being publicly known, so while I can't speak to the legitimacy of the claims, I'm not dismissing them entirely.
Why is this interesting? Well, for one, we heard of similar reservations expressed last summer about Antony. The rumour was that the recruitment team had reservations about his dribbling style and whether it would translate to the PL. Whether that particular rumour was an accurate reflection of the recruitment team's position on Antony I've no idea, but the concern expressed seems well founded with a season of watching Antony not take anyone on. It sounds like two of the three women who initially alleged he had assaulted them have somewhat backtracked as well, so it seems he couldn't even beat them either! (Sorry, had to...)
I think it's fair to say we'd never have signed Antony were it not for ETH, however, last summer's recruitment has to be seen within the context of having been conducted whilst the club was in a state of transition, so leaning on the new manager's recommendations made more sense that it ordinarily would.
As far as Amrabat goes, his profile sounds ideal for the PL; physically dominant, highly energetic, carries the ball well, entering his peak years etc... I do wonder however if part of the reason for securing his signature at the last minute of the window may have been down to a reluctance to fully commit to his signature from some quarters of the backroom staff. I know money was an issue, but he was seemingly available to buy outright for about £21-25m. I'm sure we could have made that work earlier in the window had we really wanted to.
Either way I hope he turns out to be an excellent signing and I'm looking forward to seeing him play.
What do we think? No smoke without fire? I'd be concerned if ETH is having too much say over signings.
Mutiny in ranks?
posted on 19/9/23
Well if the recruitment team did their job and scouted good talent and/or negotiated in a way where clubs wouldn't get fed up and overcharge us, we wouldn't be in this position.
posted on 19/9/23
comment by The Great Dane (U22987)
posted 3 minutes ago
They DO have independence from them though.
Look at the mental gymnastics you are having to do to make your theory on Antony and Amrabat work.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
To be clear, you consider this to be "mental gymnastics":
1. Antony was overwhelmingly an ETH signing
2. Amrabat's signing may not have been made in full agreement between the recruitment team and ETH
And that second point isn't even mine!
posted on 19/9/23
comment by Garnacho cheese (U5318)
posted 21 minutes ago
Well if the recruitment team did their job and scouted good talent and/or negotiated in a way where clubs wouldn't get fed up and overcharge us, we wouldn't be in this position.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Signings aren't just made based on.'good talent'
posted on 19/9/23
comment by The Great Dane (U22987)
posted 34 minutes ago
comment by Garnacho cheese (U5318)
posted 21 minutes ago
Well if the recruitment team did their job and scouted good talent and/or negotiated in a way where clubs wouldn't get fed up and overcharge us, we wouldn't be in this position.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Signings aren't just made based on.'good talent'
----------------------------------------------------------------------
No, but they aren't based on the RDD playbook of going the extra mile to annoy your counterpart as much as possible either.
Hold on ... you're not a United negotiator, are you?
posted on 19/9/23
comment by BerbaKing11 (U6256)
posted 21 minutes ago
comment by The Great Dane (U22987)
posted 3 minutes ago
They DO have independence from them though.
Look at the mental gymnastics you are having to do to make your theory on Antony and Amrabat work.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
To be clear, you consider this to be "mental gymnastics":
1. Antony was overwhelmingly an ETH signing
2. Amrabat's signing may not have been made in full agreement between the recruitment team and ETH
And that second point isn't even mine!
----------------------------------------------------------------------
ETH and the recruitment team are at loggerheads, resulting in a power battle.
We leaned heavily on ETHs recommendations last Summer whilst these rules were implemented.
It would be generous to think the manager and recruitment team agree everytime or that there is a plapn for when this doesn't happen.
ETH got his way on Amrabat. There was no other business being done so the club 'bent to his will'
Willing to buy into the fact Antony was 100% an ETH signing.
Like I say, lot of work to get to that.
posted on 19/9/23
comment by it'sonlyagame (U6426)
posted 20 minutes ago
comment by The Great Dane (U22987)
posted 34 minutes ago
comment by Garnacho cheese (U5318)
posted 21 minutes ago
Well if the recruitment team did their job and scouted good talent and/or negotiated in a way where clubs wouldn't get fed up and overcharge us, we wouldn't be in this position.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Signings aren't just made based on.'good talent'
----------------------------------------------------------------------
No, but they aren't based on the RDD playbook of going the extra mile to annoy your counterpart as much as possible either.
Hold on ... you're not a United negotiator, are you?
----------------------------------------------------------------------
No.
posted on 19/9/23
comment by it'sonlyagame (U6426)
posted 36 minutes ago
comment by The Great Dane (U22987)
posted 34 minutes ago
comment by Garnacho cheese (U5318)
posted 21 minutes ago
Well if the recruitment team did their job and scouted good talent and/or negotiated in a way where clubs wouldn't get fed up and overcharge us, we wouldn't be in this position.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Signings aren't just made based on.'good talent'
----------------------------------------------------------------------
No, but they aren't based on the RDD playbook of going the extra mile to annoy your counterpart as much as possible either.
Hold on ... you're not a United negotiator, are you?
----------------------------------------------------------------------
RDDaniel Levy.
posted on 19/9/23
comment by BerbaKing11 (U6256)
posted 1 hour, 52 minutes ago
comment by The Great Dane (U22987)
posted 9 minutes ago
comment by BerbaKing11 (U6256)
posted 50 minutes ago
comment by The Great Dane (U22987)
posted 47 minutes ago
Why wouldnt the guy who is responsible for team selection, tactics, performance, results, not have a major say on the players we sign? Especially in his first Summer or 2?
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Here's a thought... Try and figure out an answer for yourself to that question and then come back and post it in this thread. We'll let you know if you've got it right.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Roundabout way of telling us that you don't know. 👍🏻
----------------------------------------------------------------------
The subject of why the sporting/recruitment team need to have a significant degree of independence from both the wider executive structures and the given manager at the time has been discussed many, many times on here.
The issue has been discussed thoughtfully, intelligently and in good faith, so it comes as no surprise to me that you're apparently behind the curve.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Haha
posted on 19/9/23
comment by The Great Dane (U22987)
posted 57 minutes ago
comment by BerbaKing11 (U6256)
posted 21 minutes ago
comment by The Great Dane (U22987)
posted 3 minutes ago
They DO have independence from them though.
Look at the mental gymnastics you are having to do to make your theory on Antony and Amrabat work.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
To be clear, you consider this to be "mental gymnastics":
1. Antony was overwhelmingly an ETH signing
2. Amrabat's signing may not have been made in full agreement between the recruitment team and ETH
And that second point isn't even mine!
----------------------------------------------------------------------
ETH and the recruitment team are at loggerheads, resulting in a power battle.
We leaned heavily on ETHs recommendations last Summer whilst these rules were implemented.
It would be generous to think the manager and recruitment team agree everytime or that there is a plapn for when this doesn't happen.
ETH got his way on Amrabat. There was no other business being done so the club 'bent to his will'
Willing to buy into the fact Antony was 100% an ETH signing.
Like I say, lot of work to get to that.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
I haven't stated any of those things as facts, and, quite the opposite, have actually said multiple times I think those rumours might not be correct. I'm considering whether the claim in the OP that I linked to could have credibility and whether that claim is or is not contradicted by Richard Arnold's letter to fans explaining how things work.
posted on 19/9/23
comment by BerbaKing11 (U6256)
posted 39 minutes ago
comment by The Great Dane (U22987)
posted 57 minutes ago
comment by BerbaKing11 (U6256)
posted 21 minutes ago
comment by The Great Dane (U22987)
posted 3 minutes ago
They DO have independence from them though.
Look at the mental gymnastics you are having to do to make your theory on Antony and Amrabat work.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
To be clear, you consider this to be "mental gymnastics":
1. Antony was overwhelmingly an ETH signing
2. Amrabat's signing may not have been made in full agreement between the recruitment team and ETH
And that second point isn't even mine!
----------------------------------------------------------------------
ETH and the recruitment team are at loggerheads, resulting in a power battle.
We leaned heavily on ETHs recommendations last Summer whilst these rules were implemented.
It would be generous to think the manager and recruitment team agree everytime or that there is a plapn for when this doesn't happen.
ETH got his way on Amrabat. There was no other business being done so the club 'bent to his will'
Willing to buy into the fact Antony was 100% an ETH signing.
Like I say, lot of work to get to that.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
I haven't stated any of those things as facts, and, quite the opposite, have actually said multiple times I think those rumours might not be correct. I'm considering whether the claim in the OP that I linked to could have credibility and whether that claim is or is not contradicted by Richard Arnold's letter to fans explaining how things work.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Yes you have stated some of these things as fact