We had better get him cake for his birthday, we don't want a Yaya situation on our hands!

Lots of rumours around that we are in for the Villerreal defender Eric Bailly.

I don't know how true they are, so take them with a big dolup of scepticism.

It seems to have some legs. Its being reported from multiple sources.

If Mourinho adds players to the spine (if thats a defender and a striker already) then I think United are credible challengers already.

Big price tag (then again we were always going to see higher than the usual prices this summer I suppose) of about €40 million, so I hope that he proves his worth, as admittedly I haven't seen anything of him in the flesh.

I agree with your assessment, if we can get a good spine of players, then we should be up there pushing for the top places, rather than for the minor ones as we have been in recent seasons sadly enough.

Ignore the price tag. The prices go up with the TV deal. You have to assume he is a good player if Mourinho wants him.

De Gea is obviously a great keeper and if you are adding a centre back to play alongside Smalling thats an improvement. Shaw is coming back too. That all improves the defence.

Yeah that is very true, and I kind of alluded to the tv deal in my previous post (), if we can get a decent right back, as I don't really have that much faith in Valencia, then we really should have a very solid defence.

I think you have the talent already to cover the full backs and by their very nature they aren't the spine of the team anyway.

I expect you to sign one or maybe two big big players in the midfield and you will be good to go.

It will take a bit of getting used to being back at the top (if that is what happens) as we have been Moyesified, and then LvG'd for the past few seasons.

Mourinho is a different matter altogether. He is a winner and a bit of a genius.

The interest he has created in Man Utd in the last two weeks is amazing. Imagine if Van Gaal was still in charge - none of this optimism and headline grabbing with transfers. He is remarkable.

Yes, I am kind of having to reprogramme my brain to come to terms with (a) that he is our manager, and (b) revised and higher than fourth place as a target!

I haven't had to think like this since the start of Sir Alex's last season with us!

Are you happy with having him as your manager?

I am willing to give him a clean slate, and to go from there, just as I was with Moyes and LvG,from there it is up to them, if they then disappoint or if they bring g joy to the fans.

Thats a bit of a crap answer. Are you happy or not? You must have a feeling going into the new season? There are some Man Utd fans who hate Mourinho and are sticking to their guns, fair play to them. They have the courage of their convictions. They disliked him when he was at Chelsea.

I was perhaps on this thread in a minority of being against him coming here to us, but once he signed the contract with us, I think that it is only fair to judge someone on what they do with us, what he did elsewhere, and how he behaved there, is nothing to do with us, if he does anything similar to the eye poke, or the Eva situation, then of course he will deserve all of the criticism that will inevitably come his way.

He is our manager, and the least that means is that from the off the fans should back him unless he gives them reason or cause not to, as Moyes and LvG did during their time with us.

I will be happy once he can give me reason to be, either with his actions, his signings, or the way the team plays, by signing for example (if it happens) Ibrahimovic, then that goes into the signing category, and would indeed make me happy, but he would need to show progress in the other categories before overall I can say that I am totally happy with him.

So far, he has given a couple of youngsters contract extensions, which is a positive step forward, let's see what happens next.

Thats actually terrible Batdude. Im sorry you feel that way. Its like saying "Ive been a Labour voter all my life" yet be behind the Tories just cos they won the election.

Thats all thats wrong with this country

Good luck.

Nah, I could never vote for the Tories, I would vote for the Monster Raving Looney Party before them lot!

I'll assume you are joking.

Well the person representing them round where I am, in the general election prior to the most recent one, was a throughly decent chap, so hence why I would be inclined to vote for them after my first choice of Labour.

This must be the best ever casual name drop in terms of potential transfers on the back of the Express about us potentially signing Ibrahimovic!

https://twitter.com/suttonnick/statu...948588544?s=09

Oh come on Stilton. I hated Eric when he was at Leeds. But once he started performing for United all was forgiven. Love of the club must come before hate of the individual surely? I don't agree with most of what batdude says but I think here his stance (or at least the one he's repeated for a while) is entirely reasonable. He doesn't like Jose, but will try to put that aside and get behind him while he's a red.

BTW Who do you support Stilton? Reading your previous posts I took it for granted you were a United fan...

BTW part 2: Batdude, I will personally buy you a pint if you can get through the whole of next season with out saying "I never wanted Jose at United anyway...." when the inevitable scandal/dust-up/dip in form happens.....

Ohhh, I don't know if I can manage a whole season, how about just one match? (probably the Dortmund one?!)

But I will give it a go, I know that I probably will fail though, so your money I think will be safe!

No I dont think thats reasonable at all. I'll bet you hated Cantona BECAUSE he played for Leeds? Thats completely understandable and once he signed for United it was ok to admit he was actually a pretty decent player. Thats normal football tribal behaviour.

I have lurked here for quite some time and I have seen Batdude attack Mourinho more than once - not because he managed a rival but his actual character and behaviour and he has said quite categorically "I dont want him at Old Trafford" You can't just switch that off because Mourinho signed a bit of paper. Its extremely hypocritical to suddenly be in the pro Mourinho camp. A lot of United fans didn't want Moyes and said so from Day One.

I prefer not to discuss club loyalties. I have seen how people are judged around here based on saying what club they support.

I agree. If you genuinely don't like a player then just stick to it. I'll admit I don't like Zlatan. No particular rhyme or reason I just don't. For the good of Utd then I'll tolerate him but I'll never actually like him. I'd praise him for a decent goal but silently say "you prick" at the end of the sentence

What exactly is wrong with being willing to give someone a chance to prove themselves?

Yes I was against José coming here to manage us, as I had a fair few concerns, but since it has happened, and he is now our manager, then he deserves to be given a chance.

I am not a hypocrite, I am just not going to not support our manager.
He does however have to show me that he is worthy of my praise, and to do that as I previously mentioned, he has to do a fair few things.

Do I still have my concerns over him, yes I do, but I am willing to judge him on what he does with us, as that I think is only the fair thing to do.
So far, he has got a few contract renewals for a couple of very talented and promising youngsters, which is a good start.
However more does need to be done in order to fully quash my concerns, and that can only be done in due course.

In response to Stilton's post above....

You can switch it off if he goes to your club.

Plenty of football fans can't stand Ronaldo for his perceived preening and arrogance and the way he seems to play for himself and not the team, but every one of them would love him at their club and would support him if he was there.