UnitedViews

I should say now that I realise what I’m about to suggest is a direct contradiction of my previous posts(s) on the subject of Mr Berbatov but… United face the very real prospect of signing absolutely no one in this summer’s transfer window. OK, it’s called hedging.

After the Fleet Street’s traditional pursuit of linking United with absolutely everyone on the grounds that some of it must be true, it’s all starting to go a bit quiet. In fact, even the outlandish lies gossip that usually fuels everyone’s favourite page on the BBC seem to be drying up.

We seem to have come full circle with the laughable Thierry Henry story but it’s really just fulfilling the barrel-scraping role that stories about Paddy Viera and little Michael Owen have fulfilled in the past - i.e. a famous name to a famous club with no requirement for a genuine connection between the two.

Thierry Henry - probably not looking to escape Barcelona, actually (Image from mediafury on Flickr)

It does seem that in reality all our eggs are now firmly in the one basket and with Spurs apparently happy to take a £5M hit to sell Dimitar abroad rather than send him up to Old Trafford that particular basket is looking none too stable (although much depends on Berbatov’s own preferences).

So, when was the last time United signed absolutely no one at all? Well… I don’t actually know…sorry. Anyone out there able to tell me? I do know that in 2000 we only signed Fabien Barthez. I guess that could be a good sign, given that we went on to win the league by 10 points in spite of losing the last 3 games of the season (I seem to remember Luke Chadwick featuring a lot…).

However, what followed that season was a loss of momentum that it arguably took Ferguson until 2006/7 to regain. Dangerously, and for the first time ever, Ferguson seemed happy with his squad and didn’t look to improve from a position of strength.

Now, this year we know we need a striker. Whatever the outcome of Ronaldo’s dalliance with Real, we can’t expect him to replicate the scoring feats of last season. It’s just not realistic.

So there are two possibilities: either United know something we don’t (look at how they pulled off the Anderson/Nani double swoop last year); or… Frazier Campbell and Manucho can expect to be getting some quality time with the first team this season.