Robbie Fowler believes the summer transfer window has cruelly exposed a serious fault line in Manchester United ’s transfer policy.
And the Anfield legend, who also played for Manchester rivals City, believes new Old Trafford boss Erik ten Hag must follow the careful course of Jurgen Klopp to guide the club back to the summit of the game. With Paul Pogba leaving on a free this summer, and Cristiano Ronaldo causing ructions amongst the squad behind the scenes as he pushes for a move, Fowler has pointed to a flawed transfer policy which has caused such massive problems.
And pointing to Liverpool ’s determination to stick to their wage structure, he said: “I actually think Manchester United are in a bit of a mess right now, because they didn’t do that. They paid David de Gea an absolute fortune to keep him, but what did that mean? Instantly, players like Paul Pogba want parity. And then others do. Ronaldo comes in and wants more than them. Then Pogba wants parity with him.
“It’s a vicious cycle and eventually you end up like Barcelona. They tried it with Messi, kept paying him more and more, and quite rightly the players who are equally important want pay rises. Look at where Barca are now. They are still trying to meet all the financial regulations, and they’re paying the price for pushing the wage structure to stupid levels.”
Fowler also believes chasing big-name players has caused chaos behind the scenes at Old Trafford, with suggestions of serious infighting at the club causing explosive fights amongst the squad. Ronaldo was made the highest-paid player in the Premier League when he arrived last summer, but that had players queuing up to ask for pay rises…with Pogba eventually leaving.
Now the Portugal star wants to go, and Fowler believes he SHOULD be sold, to allow new boss Ten Hag to have a clean slate at the club - just as Klopp did when he replaced Brendon Rodgers. “United need to look at where they are and maybe think of a reset. Take a look at Liverpool, and see how they make some incredibly tough decisions to keep their finances under some sort of control,” he said.
Can Erik ten Hag replicate Jurgen Klopp's success at Liverpool? Comment here
“When Klopp came in, some big names were dumped. He couldn’t get Balotelli out fast enough because he was trouble, and he moved on some of the other big earners, like Benteke and Skrtel very quickly. Even Coutinho went in the end, I think because it was causing unrest in the squad as he was chasing the big money, and at that time, and it didn’t fit with what Liverpool were doing.
“What Klopp did was bring in young players with hunger, and paid them salaries where they were given bonuses for winning trophies. Apparently, Salah’s new contract is still bonus based. These players like Salah and Mane weren’t massive stars when they arrived. He signed, promised, and developed them into world-class players. That’s what ten Hag has to do.
“Klopp resisted the temptation to buy older players with top-class experience who were past their best, so there were no instant fixes. It took him five years to win the big trophies. That’s where ten Hag is now, and that is exactly what he has to do. He can’t repeat the mistakes they’ve made so often of going for ‘names’. He has to build a team, a young team, and develop them. That is the only way to get back to the top.”
Fowler knows too, that when a team slips out of the top four, then it can have a massive impact on transfer business, with the biggest players insistent on playing in the Champions League. And he recalls his own experience with Liverpool, where they missed out on the likes of Marcel Desailly and Teddy Sheringham. “Imagine the difference they would have made to that Liverpool team,” he said.
“But they were guaranteed success elsewhere and not with us. So they made the right decision. I reckon United are going through a period which is a bit like the situation we were in at Liverpool. They’re a huge name still, but they’re just behind the top teams…and that means they can’t readily attract the top players if their rivals want them.
"I think we saw that with Darwin Nunez, who wanted to play in the Champions League, so turned United down flat. And I think we’ve got a stark example of it with Christian Eriksen. I’m reading he’s been offered £150,000 a week and is still undecided whether to go there. A top player is undecided on whether to go to Old Trafford or Brentford! It’s barmy!
"But now ten Hag has to reset. He has to find the hungry players who are not instantly picked out by the biggest clubs, and develop their talent. I see he’s been criticised for targeting only players he has experience of in the Dutch league. But it makes sense. He knows which players still have real development in them, who can grow.
“Then he has to be given time to turn those players into world class stars. In the meantime, they get rid of the older players on huge money who cause problems, and suddenly you have a healthier, happier squad.”
