United failed in bid to land Erling over Ole’s future
ERLING Haaland’s father has suggested his son rejected a move to United due to concerns over Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s future at the club.
The Reds were keen to sign the Norway international in the January transfer window as Solskjaer looked to bring in a new attacking option.
Haaland was not short of suitors following his incredible start to the season with RB Salzburg in Austria, but eventually made a move to Borussia Dortmund.
United also saw a deadline day bid for fellow Norwegian Joshua King rejected before they made a move to sign Odion Ighalo late in the window.
Much was made of Solskjaer’s relationship with Haaland as United monitored the teenage forward, with the pair having worked together at Molde.
However, a reunion at Old Trafford didn’t materialise and Haaland Snr, without explicitly naming United, suggested it would’ve been unwise for his son to join a club just to work with a particular coach.
“You never know how it would go in other clubs,” Alf-Inge Haaland’ told TV2.
“It may well have been good, too, if we had chosen a different route. We’ll never get an answer to that. But we are very happy with the clubs he has been in.
“You have to go to a club where the whole club wants you, not just the coach. I think that’s the most important thing, in addition to how the club has been over the last five or ten years and what direction they’ve taken.
“Because it’s dangerous to just sign for a coach, because he can suddenly be sacked.”
WHEN you see a headline that begins with the words ‘Manchester United owners the Glazer family are more popular than ever’ you have to sit up and take notice.
It’s not a headline that has been particularly common in the past few years, amid supporter discontent with the United-owning family.
But as with many tabloid headlines, all is not what it initially seems as it becomes obvious the article is about Tampa Bay
UNITED are reviewing plans around season ticket renewals in the wake of the disruption caused by the coronavirus outbreak.
The deadline for renewals for next season is currently midnight on Friday, May 1, but the club are conducting a review of those dates and the procedures around renewals.
The Premier League remains
Buccaneers and their capture of NFL legend Tom Brady from the New England Patriots.
It’s a fair enough story about the Glazer-owned American Football team who are, indeed, popular with their supporters in Florida right now, with Brady a genuine galactico of the sport.
The situation is equivalent to United signing Cristiano Ronaldo or Lionel Messi, an ageing but still legendary figure.
Brady’s deal with the Buccaneers is worth a reported £42m and it’s suspended until April 30 at least amid the COVID-19 pandemic and it seems unlikely that football will be ready to resume then.
The league remains committed to finishing the campaign and there has been speculation that games could be played behind closed doors at first, with United also working through the issues that would cause – and the club are consulting with the Manchester United Supporters’ Trust as part of also been claimed the Glazers were ‘intimately involved’ in sealing the marquee signing.
All of which makes you wonder whether the headline does, after all, apply to United and their own supporters’ relationship with the Glazers.
It seems a long time ago, but it was only this season that United fans were protesting against the US owners and Ed Woodward.
Since then, Old Trafford has seen the arrival of a transfer gem in Bruno Fernandes, the acceleration of the team’s form under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and more recently an eerie silence – with all football suspended amid the global coronavirus crisis.
Combating the spread of COVID19 is now rightly the priority of everyone and sport comes a distant second in that list of priorities.
But one day soon football will resume and the summer transfer that review. “In light of the disruption caused by coronavirus, the club is reviewing dates, policies and procedures around season ticket renewals for next season, along with the administrative processes should games that are currently postponed be either cancelled or played behind closed doors. We are consulting with MUST as part of that review,” a United spokesman said.
“We would like to thank fans for window will be very relevant to United fans – especially those with a particular axe to grind against the Glazers.
Those defending the way the siblings run United will point to the significant amount of money invested in Fernandes in January, which was an obvious boost for Solskjaer’s team.
They’ll mention the world record £80m fee paid for Harry Maguire, the big chunk of money on Aaron Wan-Bissaka and in previous years on Fred, Paul Pogba and Romelu Lukaku. Maybe Brady’s move to Tampa is comparable to those transfers.
Or maybe it should heighten the sense that, whereas the Glazers’ NFL side can attract the biggest names, their Manchester-based football team are shopping in Aisle 2.
When was the last time United signed a genuine megastar? Pogba?
The Glazers have seemingly put themselves under pressure in the world of transfers
their patience while we work through the uncertainties around timing of forthcoming games, with an aim of ensuring that fans are treated fairly.
”We look forward to the resumption of football when we are advised it is safe and appropriate. In the meantime our priority remains the health of fans, players, staff and our wider communities.
“Our thoughts are with everyone affected by COVID-19.”