Football Season 2021-2022

[Marleycat]

Have you seen how shit Dalot is? That’s how AWB keeps a spot.

Good players but not ones that make up a sensible, disciplined, balanced XI. Got like 7 attacking midfielders, no real wingers, 2 left backs, 4 strikers who can come in from the side, mostly the left, and one actual centre forward who’s not allowed to play because Ronaldo might do something. Defensive end of the pitch is ‘can Harry stand up for 90 minutes’ and whoever else we’ve picked up that’s fit.

TBH I havent seen much of Dalot. When you look at full backs from other top teams you have Cancelo and Walker, TAA and Robertson, Azpilucueta and Alonso, I think thats a comparatively weak area for Utd.

I can only agree so much talent so little plan, bringing on Rashford seemed like a plan that worked today when he scored. but it had opened up the midfield, and that's why Leicester kept creating chances and scoring. Its been said a lot that Ole cannot respond, and that situation felt typical of that criticism. Man Utd dont need to be playing like Leeds as fun as that is to watch.

[Zantera]

AWB looked legit great when we got him from Palace but it's one of those things you buy someone who is great for a team that's playing with structure and discipline, you throw them into a team that's like wild west football and they turn into crap. You could look at other players like Sancho coming in from a great time in Dortmund and he looks completely lost out there because there's no tactics whatsoever.

3 years into the Ole project and our tactic is "get the ball to one of the star players and hope they do some Messi-level stuff". I'm not gonna say Ole is the worst manager in the league but I honestly think you could pick almost any of the other 19 managers and they probably wouldn't have us playing any worse than we are now.

[DingDongKing]

I again was not able to watch (/rage) but when it comes to Ole's wtf face, he kinda has that expression most of the time I feel

Will catch highlights tonight I hope.

#OleOut ?? ;P (just kidding don't shoot me please)

I don't know why anyone would be apologising for wanting Ole to leave anyway. He wouldn't be manager at any of the other top clubs in Europe.

[Nerph-]

I don't know why anyone would be apologising for wanting Ole to leave anyway. He wouldn't be manager at any of the other top clubs in Europe.

That's true. His short term at Cardiff when they were in the PL was pretty bad and forgettable. That said I'm still personally on the fence, which is sort of frustrating haha

[DingDongKing]

That's true. His short term at Cardiff when they were in the PL was pretty bad and forgettable. That said I'm still personally on the fence, which is sort of frustrating haha

Ole tactic. Rely on the individual brilliance of players.

Sub on more individually brilliant players if that fails.

Mention Fergie or blame the ref if that fails. Blame Klopp if that fails too.

[Jessicka]

AWB looked legit great when we got him from Palace but it's one of those things you buy someone who is great for a team that's playing with structure and discipline, you throw them into a team that's like wild west football and they turn into crap. You could look at other players like Sancho coming in from a great time in Dortmund and he looks completely lost out there because there's no tactics whatsoever.

3 years into the Ole project and our tactic is "get the ball to one of the star players and hope they do some Messi-level stuff". I'm not gonna say Ole is the worst manager in the league but I honestly think you could pick almost any of the other 19 managers and they probably wouldn't have us playing any worse than we are now.

AWB looked good when we played more defensively and nothing more was asked of him, the moment we've tried to be more attacking he's been completely out of his depth, it's just not in his game. I'd hoped getting some more on the right going forward might take some pressure off him, but he's gone backwards but is still the best we've got by a mile.

There are definitely managers who'd do worse, but to do better? I'm not sure people would like the selections they'd put out. It's like early 2000's England for scrutiny, could probably do with ditching some 'stars'.

[DingDongKing]

AWB looked good when we played more defensively and nothing more was asked of him, the moment we've tried to be more attacking he's been completely out of his depth, it's just not in his game. I'd hoped getting some more on the right going forward might take some pressure off him, but he's gone backwards but is still the best we've got by a mile.

There are definitely managers who'd do worse, but to do better? I'm not sure people would like the selections they'd put out.

Honestly, even folk like Rodgers or Nuno would do better with the highly talented squad United has. Beyond that, there's managers on the continent.

Off the top of my head, you've got Simeone, Luis Enrique, Conte. So there are folk out there.

[Zantera]

With the risk of sounding like a broken record, there are clubs like Leeds and Southampton in the bottom 5 with better managers who would easily do a better job here with this group. Potter at Brighton is perhaps the best example of a manager at a lesser club limited by their squad but who still has them playing great football. I would be delighted if we could move the ball around like Brighton. And I just find it weird as a Man Utd fan to be jealous of Brighton in that regard.

I don't even necessarily want a Zidane or Conte either. But I'd gladly take someone who has proved they can play good football with lesser players because 3 years in and our performances haven't really gotten any better. Still the same mistakes, the same players not stepping up and Ole is just standing there looking clueless.

[molliewoof]

I really want to give ole this season and then if we don't challenge for the title or win a cup, get a new manager but he's making it really difficult. By the end of these next 3 games I bet the odds are pretty high we will be below arsenal in the bottom half of the table.

[Jessicka]

With the risk of sounding like a broken record, there are clubs like Leeds and Southampton in the bottom 5 with better managers who would easily do a better job here with this group. Potter at Brighton is perhaps the best example of a manager at a lesser club limited by their squad but who still has them playing great football. I would be delighted if we could move the ball around like Brighton. And I just find it weird as a Man Utd fan to be jealous of Brighton in that regard.

I don't even necessarily want a Zidane or Conte either. But I'd gladly take someone who has proved they can play good football with lesser players because 3 years in and our performances haven't really gotten any better. Still the same mistakes, the same players not stepping up and Ole is just standing there looking clueless.

Potter plays nice football, but would not be able to manage the egos in the room. Sad fact is, McFred would still be our best line up, that's just statistical fact. The players we have just cannot play together with anything else in the middle of the pitch.

[Zantera]

Potter plays nice football, but would not be able to manage the egos in the room. Sad fact is, McFred would still be our best line up, that's just statistical fact. The players we have just cannot play together with anything else in the middle of the pitch.

I think you have a fair point but Pogba is out of the club after this season, Ronaldo's not here for the long run. I could definitely see players like Rashford, Sancho, Greenwood (to name a few) take to someone like Potter. Could see Bruno do it as well, he seems to want to play attacking football and he seems very frustrated at times when we can't string 3 passes together.

The McFred issue will still remain but I still have more faith in someone who can do it with lesser players than someone who can't do it with a squad like ours. And as much as we need a good DM in our team, I refuse to believe in the notion that one puzzle piece will all of a sudden transform us from an uninspired glorified Burnley to Man City 2.0. Yes a great DM (like a Bissouma in Brighton, just for the Potter comparison) would be a big boost but Ole hasn't really shown us enough to make that excuse imo.

[molliewoof]

Potter plays nice football, but would not be able to manage the egos in the room. Sad fact is, McFred would still be our best line up, that's just statistical fact. The players we have just cannot play together with anything else in the middle of the pitch.

I can't believe I agree with you on that. What a sad state of affairs.

[Tommy T]

Potter plays nice football, but would not be able to manage the egos in the room. Sad fact is, McFred would still be our best line up, that's just statistical fact. The players we have just cannot play together with anything else in the middle of the pitch.

Oh? Do you know him personally?

Also, I can't really be arsed to look. What was Ole's excuse today? Will he be feeding his son dinner?

[Jessicka]

Oh? Do you know him personally?

Also, I can't really be arsed to look. What was Ole's excuse today? Will he be feeding his son dinner?

No, but Mourinho couldn’t do it, what’s Potter got?

His excuse? ‘Well De Gea was good’. Think he’s probably lost the dressing room as well, when he comes out saying a keeper that ships 4 goals is his best player. Not sure we’re coming back from this now.

[Zantera]

No, but Mourinho couldn’t do it, what’s Potter got?

His excuse? ‘Well De Gea was good’. Think he’s probably lost the dressing room as well, when he comes out saying a keeper that ships 4 goals is his best player. Not sure we’re coming back from this now.

While I get your sentiment I don't think the 'if X couldn't do it then Y can't' argument necessarily applies in this case. Different managers have different approaches and I feel like Mourinho, at least under us came off very much as a manager past his prime with no new ideas and that combined with how he was treating some players probably didn't help the player group. I don't know how Potter is behind closed doors but he could be better in that regard.

There's many managers out there who don't necessarily come with the trophy cabinet of Mourinho or LVG who would get the squad on their side by the way they coach and if they get results. Mourinho and Ole are like opposites in that regard, Mourinho had all the experience but wanted to park the bus and threw players under the bus which didn't work with the players at all. Ole has 0 experience and about as much tactical knowledge as the janitor wiping off the tactic boards in the dressing room but he seems to treat the players as humans and he gives them freedom and they seem to appreciate that a lot.

So yeah I don't think you necessarily need a Conte/Zidane/Mourinho level manager to get this team working. Just because LVG and Mourinho (both arguably past their prime) didn't work I don't think we should take that as a sign to give up and just hand the job to a former player who looks way out of his depth.

[Jessicka]

It’ll definitely need someone with a big presence. I’m sick of reading ‘Ronaldo said this, Pogba said that, whoever said the other…’ it just lands us back in the toxic shit hole that we were in under Mou.

It’s not so much ‘leaving it under Ole because there’s no one else’ so much as ‘it’s becoming an unmanageable mess since Ronaldo came back because shitty egos’.

[RobertoCarlos]

have to question why maguire was started and clearly rushed back to "fitness" who played awful today

What was the point of resigning bailly if you are not gonna use those players.

Leicester are a good team but next week is liverpool/city where you will need maguire and he could have another week under his belt getting fit.

Hard to look past another tactical mistake.

[DingDongKing]

For what it's worth I think United will beat Liverpool just because Ole's job is on the line, and the latter will be exhausted from playing Atletico.

So this may continue for a little while longer.

[Zantera]

For what it's worth I think United will beat Liverpool just because Ole's job is on the line, and the latter will be exhausted from playing Atletico.

So this may continue for a little while longer.

That's the biggest pain at the moment as a MU fan is that once it starts to look like things are improving (whether that's us going on a winning streak or the form is so bad we might sack Ole) it's like Ole turns around and shanks us in the back either with a crappy performance to ruin the mood, or a weird counterattack master class against a much better team.

It's kinda like that episode in The Simpsons when Mr Burns has some money on a string and Homer is chasing it but he keeps yoinking it away.

[DingDongKing]

That's the biggest pain at the moment as a MU fan is that once it starts to look like things are improving (whether that's us going on a winning streak or the form is so bad we might sack Ole) it's like Ole turns around and shanks us in the back either with a crappy performance to ruin the mood, or a weird counterattack master class against a much better team.

It's kinda like that episode in The Simpsons when Mr Burns has some money on a string and Homer is chasing it but he keeps yoinking it away.

It’s kinda funny to watch, you have to admit.