Gary Neville believes Manchester United’s last-minute loan deal for Odion Ighalo underlines their poor planning in the transfer market.
Former Watford striker Ighalo, who has spent the last three years playing in China, is heading to Old Trafford on a short-term contract until the end of the season after United reached an agreement with Shanghai Shenhua on Deadline Day.
The 30-year-old will provide cover for the injured Marcus Rashford, but Neville is puzzled as to why his former club did not have long-term targets lined up following the departures of Romelu Lukaku and Alexis Sanchez.
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“They just needed a body in that area,” he said ahead of Manchester United’s meeting with Wolves. “Rashford’s going to be out for another couple of months,” Neville told Skysports.
“I can’t let the club off the hook though, unfortunately. Romelu Lukaku told us a couple of weeks ago that he had said he was going to leave last February or March.
“That’s nine months to be able to manoeuvre and get into a position to sign a striker for the club for the long-term. And yet they have ended up desperately doing one on Deadline Day.
“The boy may do very well. He might come in and settle in, he might score goals and do a job for the club.
“But the fact that the club were in that position, knowing that Sanchez and Lukaku were leaving for many, many months, tells us that Manchester United, at this moment in time, are struggling to navigate through the transfer market smartly.”
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COMMENTS
“Gary Neville believes Manchester United’s last-minute loan deal for Odion Ighalo underlines their poor planning in the transfer market”.
There we go again. If to say Ighalo has been representing England, Gary will love him. We African are nothing in front of Oyinbo people.
It is high time we respect ourselves. Because Ighalo is an African man, is a problem and he doesn’t deserve to play for Manu U.
My advice to you all over there, don’t put you trust in them but if you do, I’m so sorry for you. Enough is enough. God bless Nigeria!!!
Ighalo’s aircraft has not even landed at Manchester and English ex-footballers are out, swords drawn ready to cut him to shreds. Is this not prejudice? In sports performance matters and they should let the man play first. Manchester United and Barcelona could not have wanted him if they believed he was not up to their level. What is even wrong with sone of these English people?
Will they complain the same of Eto, Drogba or even Mane? If you are good you’re good wether black or white. Honest assessment is that Ighalo might come good or bad unlike the aforementioned players whom many knows are very reliable and consistent. Ighalo will score goals but his past flaws in major matches is what has led to this divided opinion and has nothing to do with race. Else while will I doubt a player of my country??? Who no like better thing? But when truth is said people go savage instead of reflecting on points that is been made!
And if by tomorrow Ighalo starts scoring of which I wish he does let nobody start bad mouthing these guys because nobody hates anyone. Making an assessment has nothing to do with hate because I am very sure everyone wants the best for his fellow man.
Ighalo is very mobile and has a great turn with strong shot power but finding the back of the net in high pressure game against very technical defender is what I find a problem, because if this Ighalo was very clinical like Eto, Martins, Drogba or even Aghahowa then Nigeria would have won a major trophy starting from his u20 days with the creativeness and chances that always finds him, but that big game syndrome is something that he has had to battle all through his career like Yakubu.
Playing for Manchester might be the psyche he will require to perform at a higher level and create a change of mentality for big games. I hope so because I will be following his progress as every other Nigerian. If he does well I will be happy and if other wise God forbid I will just ignore and not even make a mock, as it is never in my habit to mock rather I just highlight the wrongs and walk past!
Manchester United wanted him when he was still younger and fresher coming from Good spells at Watford instead he chose money and went to a weaker league where his skills depreciated because of the Majority Lack of quality players with the exception of Teves, Oscar Ramieres and co.. who knows the quality development he would have had and by now he will be even richer but definitely more famous and confident. Mcheew!!! he is even lucky Manchester came for him again and are giving him a lucky second look in.. Abeg all i hope is that he doesn’t make a full of himself and chop bench.