Manchester United Thread

[Crimson King]

Scholes also saying post game that we need our central midfielders to stay deep all game to gain control and not run up the pitch that leaves huge gaps in midfield and that our midfield is vacant most of the game.

 

[pantskyle]

Garbage manager. Can change the whole team but nothing will change with these average tactics.

 

[Crimson King]

Last 15 games:

No wonder why opposition fans are singing they want Ten Hag to stay.

 

[pantskyle]

He is already talking about the trophies he has won, does he not realise we'd trade them to actually be involved in a title fight and not be embarrassed in the league most weeks?

 

[RPCB]

ETH is gone for all money. If not now or in October, at the end of the season. INEOS have given him a shot so they can have a look at him up close, but they won’t go further with ETH than this season.

 

[manureid]

Well, glad i didnt get excited and hand over the money for Optus this season.

 

[pantskyle]

ETH is gone for all money. If not now or in October, at the end of the season. INEOS have given him a shot so they can have a look at him up close, but they won’t go further with ETH than this season.

Nothing will happen until at least December.

Very sick of seeing new managers come into other clubs and have them playing how they want, we're 3 seasons in now and what the hell is our identity?

Why the hell was Amad dropped? Took to the third game in for us to actually start a striker and our preferred/best CB combo, ETH states this morning that Ugarte could take weeks/months for fitness, why is it only our signings that take weeks/months to be fit? If he was signed by any other team he'd be straight in expected to perform.

 

[Punchy Bassett]

Gone by XMAS

 

[UnitedWarrior93]

Well top 4 is already gone, we’re not making up 4pts + GD based on those first 3 games.

 

[weekend at bernies]

I dont think were as bad as everyone is saying. 2 goals direct from Casemiro mistakes, we found out last year that hes past it. Ugarte should help to fix that problem. both teams had 3 shots on goal, they took their chances we didnt.
XG was 1.36 to 1.79.

 

[pantskyle]

I dont think were as bad as everyone is saying. 2 goals direct from Casemiro mistakes, we found out last year that hes past it. Ugarte should help to fix that problem. both teams had 3 shots on goal, they took their chances we didnt.
XG was 1.36 to 1.79.

I'm actually concerned about Ugarte, ETH has already indicated he ain't coming straight in and he is a Ineos signing not a ETH signing and cost him his golden boy in McTominay.

 

[Maybe Tomorrow]

I'm actually concerned about Ugarte, ETH has already indicated he ain't coming straight in and he is a Ineos signing not a ETH signing and cost him his golden boy in McTominay.

EtH won't be making that decision much longer I suspect. He's got to be on very thin ice.

 

[pantskyle]

EtH won't be making that decision much longer I suspect. He's got to be on very thin ice.

Problem is Ineos has invested heavily on the coaching staff with new appointments, most if not all new managers would want to come in and bring people and as much as I love Ruud I can't see him being anything other than a caretaker.

 

[Maybe Tomorrow]

Problem is Ineos has invested heavily on the coaching staff with new appointments, most if not all new managers would want to come in and bring people and as much as I love Ruud I can't see him being anything other than a caretaker.

Most would have some sort of release/pay out clause. Coaches are on much lower wages than players.

More worrying is they seem keen on Southgate.

 

[pantskyle]

Most would have some sort of release/pay out clause. Coaches are on much lower wages than players.

More worrying is they seem keen on Southgate.

Please don't mention that name. My biggest fear is we'll sack ETH for the British ETH.

 

[manureid]

Oh god, Southg..... the ex England manager, would be a shambles.

 

[Eastdog]

No good. Not a good start to our season.

We are no longer feared when playing at Old Trafford like we used to be.

 

[Macca19]

Zirkzee was just as bad as Casemiro

 

[Crimson King]

We are no longer feared when playing at Old Trafford like we used to be.

Exactly. Even low level teams now try to go toe to toe with us knowing they can just run through our open midfield with ease most times and create quality chances.

We are probably at our lowest onfield point atm since SAF retired.

 

[UnitedWarrior93]

No club has feared OT for years, this ain’t a new thing.

Yoro while injured is probably in contact with Perez, “Get me outta hereeee”.

IMO we lose to soton after the break and he’s gone.

 

[UnitedWarrior93]

No good. Not a good start to our season.

We are no longer feared when playing at Old Trafford like we used to be.

Can’t remember the last time United started a season well.

We always look unfit, sloppy and all over the place.

 

[Swallow_Wood]

We hear Ten Hag talk about transitions all the time and he is trying to create artificial transitions through initial controlled piercing of the first line of the press then looking for direct balls to wide positions with wingers and high full backs. Zirkzee also drops deep to facilitate this. However, if it works we get isolated out wide and nothing in the middle with Zirkzee too far up the ground. If the press breaking fails the look no further than the second goal. Dalot and Masroui up high, shit pass by Casemiro and all we have back are the two CB's.

They look better on the ball in general but the transition from back to forward is a ****ing impotent mess and leaves us in trouble when it goes wrong. Replacing Casemiro is not going to fix it. Doing the same thing is not going to fix it.

On the plus side, De Ligt looked good.

 

[Jeremias]

1. A midfield of Mainoo and Casemiro (can replace with Ugarte now that he has signed) should be employed as a deep-lying defensive pivot and not as part of a chaotic football style where they are constantly running up the field leaving a massive gap behind them that is constantly exposed by the opposition on a regular basis. We have low level teams dicking us around in midfield these days.

Again a lack of midfield control is a huge issue for us atm and it doesn't require world class players to be able to do it. Ten Hag prefers a high press, quick counter attacking style which directly is the opposite of a controlled, possession football style that is proven to be more consistently successful and that essentially is the problem.

Thankfully you edited this; I can only assume you realized that I very obviously wasn't being critical of Mainoo. He's a star and will be for a long time, but even he looked cooked by about the half hour mark overnight.

He's a 19 year old kid who is being asked to cover for a number of others - including Casemiro. He urgently needs more help but right now we just don't have the cattle.

2. Rubbish. It is absolutely ridiculous to suggest that no manager would succeed with that midfield and as such, tactics don't matter.

Good managers will always make do with what they have personnel wise and implement a system that maximises their players strengths and covers weaknesses to make a team function effectively. Look at how Arne Slot has come in and done the exact same thing when their biggest weakness was a lack of a proper DM and they didn't even sign anyone for that position in the summer after Zubamendi rejected them but he has made it work regardless. It's pretty much all excuses for Ten Hag now.

The same Liverpool who have failed to finish in the top 4 once in the past 8 seasons?

How are we even making this comparison?

Slot took over a great club with a fantastic squad. I don't know the ownership story well but it can't be as fractured as what MUFC has been in recent years.

Meanwhile EtH took over a basket case who have been a basket case pretty much since Sir Alex left...in 2013.

And he has been our most successful manager since then despite the absolute shit he's been handed off the field.

3. Where are Mourinho, LVG & Ole now? They weren't good enough regardless of the spending we backed them with so they got the flick just like Ten Hag should soon. INEOS are making the required changes and I trust them to make the right managerial appointment soon enough.

Ole was a joke of a manager but both Mourinho and LVG have had very successful managerial careers.

None of them were ever backed as they should have been. I am impressed by INEOS early but it's just 1 window.

4. Tactics are irrelevant if you don't have the cattle? Yeh sure, if you are a poor manager who can't coach for shit like Ten Hag. He hasn't got a clue on how to succeed in this league. That's down to his incompetence and not 'lack of cattle'.

Lack of cattle is clearly a significant factor. If you're that blinded by your hatred for the manager, I'm not sure there's any reasonable discussion to be had here.

 

[Jeremias]

Zirkzee was just as bad as Casemiro

He was poor, but it was his first start for the club. There were quite a few worse than he was.

 

[Crimson King]

Thankfully you edited this; I can only assume you realized that I very obviously wasn't being critical of Mainoo. He's a star and will be for a long time, but even he looked cooked by about the half hour mark overnight.

He's a 19 year old kid who is being asked to cover for a number of others - including Casemiro. He urgently needs more help but right now we just don't have the cattle.

The same Liverpool who have failed to finish in the top 4 once in the past 8 seasons?

How are we even making this comparison?

Slot took over a great club with a fantastic squad. I don't know the ownership story well but it can't be as fractured as what MUFC has been in recent years.

Meanwhile EtH took over a basket case who have been a basket case pretty much since Sir Alex left...in 2013.

And he has been our most successful manager since then despite the absolute shit he's been handed off the field.


Ole was a joke of a manager but both Mourinho and LVG have had very successful managerial careers.

None of them were ever backed as they should have been. I am impressed by INEOS early but it's just 1 window.



Lack of cattle is clearly a significant factor. If you're that blinded by your hatred for the manager, I'm not sure there's any reasonable discussion to be had here.

1. Mainoo is being run into the ground because of the role he is asked to be played in Ten Hag's ping pong system. My worry is Ugarte is also going to struggle as his midfield partner due to the system. Lets wait and see.

2. Slot didn't take over a fantastic squad. This is one of the weaker squads Liverpool have had in years and their biggest weakness was in central midfield, specifically a lack of reliable DM, an area which they didnt even address in the summer, yet, the manager has made it work with Gravenberch. This is what good coaches do which was my point.

Btw, Ten Hag isn't the most successful manager since SAF.

3. He has gotten most of the players he has wanted. He has been the most backed manager we have had in recent times. There should be no excuses now. You are making it sound like our midfield is relegation fodder level. Heck, even Ole, who we all agree was a poor manager, managed to get top 4 twice with a midfield of McTominay and Fred and a meme defender in Maguire at the back ffs!