Football Season 2022-2023

[Jessicka]

United still have no defence then.

[jonnysensible]

looool @ united, welcome to the mid table abyss

[Zantera]

The so-called gap between us and Brighton in terms of individual player skill is completely bridged by them being tactically drilled, knowing what their system is and executing it. Half of our team look like Bambi on ice and like they've never played football before. I do feel for Ten Hag because the negative comments are gonna start coming even after the first game but he's not been given much backing at all and the fact we're still saddled by a McFred midfield all these years later is just sad.

Only positive I feel as a Swede is that at least people can't blame this on Lindelöf

[Northern Goblin]

I was done with McFred before this game started, now I'm at a point where I might just not watch if they're on the starting sheet.

[Fkiolaris]

The short version is (and someone correct me if I get anything wrong, please): They've been in financial difficulty for years, and they're signing players left and right they can't afford to pay, meanwhile trying to get other players they haven't fully paid (De Jong) to leave without fully paying them. La Liga said they can't register their new signings without lowering their outgoing costs, so now they've signed 5 (maybe even 6 if Alonso gets signed from Chelsea) players they can't even play in their main competition.

As I said, if I got anything wrong someone please correct me, as I'm not fully following the situation. This is how I've understood it at least.

You are correct, they were giving massive salaries for ages, while hiding some/a lot of the actual costs for their overall dealings (agent fees, sign-on bonuses etc). I don't remember who it was, but a presidential candidate for the club had a public meltdown a few years back because he had a look at the internal books (as he is allowed to do as part of being a "proper" candidate) and they showed about half a billion extra debt than what was publicly disclosed, according to him anyway.

The reason they can "afford" to sign new players is that they sold a percentage of their future TV rights. What makes them even more reprehensible, is that instead of using the money to cover their running financial obligations, they just act like everyone will right-off whatever they are owned by Barcelona and they will have a clean slate. Which is utterly ludicrous.

The other issue with registering the players is kind of irrelevant to their ability to pay their debt, because that's La Liga imposing (for reasons I do not know) a salary cap and that's why Barcelona cannot get those 5 players registered. In general, a salary cap is a great idea IMO, but I just think that if only one league has it, then they are shooting themselves in the foot, especially in the era of sugar daddies in world football. It needs to be universal across all leagues, but good luck with imposing such a thing.

Edit: absolutely no surprises what-so-ever with what's going on at Old Trafford in the first half. I honestly have complete apathy for the shitshow that my team currently is because it's absolutely, 100% predictable and avoidable.

[Northern Goblin]

Thank god the transfer window is still open.

[MCMLXXXII]

Thank god the transfer window is still open.

To get more former Ajax players he can bench?

[Northern Goblin]

To get more former Ajax players he can bench?

To replace McFred with.

[Zantera]

I would be curious to hear the reasoning for not giving Garner a chance next to Fred. He was great for Forest last season and might have some confidence. I'm not saying he's our permanent solution or that he would be a world beater, but for me you have the potential of someone who could be good VS Mctominay who you know what you're gonna get out of - and it's not good.

It feels to me with every manager we've had recently that certain players like Maguire or Mctominay are not benched and the logic feels like "He's experienced and has PL games under his belt and we need the safest bet".

[Fkiolaris]

I would be curious to hear the reasoning for not giving Garner a chance next to Fred. He was great for Forest last season and might have some confidence. I'm not saying he's our permanent solution or that he would be a world beater, but for me you have the potential of someone who could be good VS Mctominay who you know what you're gonna get out of - and it's not good.

It feels to me with every manager we've had recently that certain players like Maguire or Mctominay are not benched and the logic feels like "He's experienced and has PL games under his belt and we need the safest bet".

The rumour mill on those 2 is that both are imposed from higher up, one for commercial/contractual reasons and the other because of SAF. We don't know, but I fail to see any reason that has anything to do with football. Maguire is an utter clown for the high-line that ETH wants to play, I almost feel bad for him because he is asked to play in a system that shows him in the worst possible way. But then I remember that he gets paid millions for that, so all my sympathy vanishes.

[Nerph-]

Nice to see nothing has changed then. This season's challenge will be finishing in the top half of the table.

[RobertoCarlos]

When its another season of Mcfred so your only positives are things like Klopp blaming the grass.

grats man city on the league

[MCMLXXXII]

So Ten Hag now has his eyes on Arnautovic? Sigh...

[crusadernero]

What a absolute horror show from Manchester United. One would think that the first game of the season, at home, would ignite something in these players. But no, theres nothing. Doesnt even look like they give a shit, or arent able to do so.

Last season was more or less over for MUFC in april(if I recall correct?), and they have had good time to figure things out. Who to let go of, who to get in. They got the manager they wanted, but did they really prepare for what kind of players they wanted in? Every player so far is a Ten Hag player, someone he have worked with before. Fine enough, but that often times backfires.

They have also decided to chase De Jong and dabble about the pricetag, which to be fair after watching the game yesterday, shouldnt be an issue. Scrap up the money, it needs to be done. BUT, if De Jong REALLY doesnt want to join and he has said so long time ago, move the F on.

Signing Rabiot & Arnautovic now is a desperate move and got nothing to do with club planning at all. Its a desperate move, everyone knows it. Also, non of them solves anything.


Ten Hag is probably gone before this season is over. We can already start speculating on whos next.

- - - Updated - - -

To replace McFred with.

At this point McFred is starting to look like a law of nature. It just needs to happen when Manchester United plays. Im running out of words to describe how bad that duo is. Its even worse with a manager that wants to play with the ball. Yesterday was a utter horror show to watch.

Just think of how many seasons & transfer windows that duo has been kept intact. Its literally insane for the size of Manchester United.

- - - Updated - - -

When its another season of Mcfred so your only positives are things like Klopp blaming the grass.

grats man city on the league

To be fair, City will stroll to the PL throphy this season. LFC will be good as always, but not at the level they used to be. Tottenham & Chelsea will put up a fight, but city will take it with ease. With Haaland up front they got yet another avenue to cause havoc.

Citys game against West Ham was a sign of whats to come. City with 99% control, plays the ball while "resting", then explode to create chances. City have become so good now its boring. They are boringgood.

[Jessicka]

So Ten Hag now has his eyes on Arnautovic? Sigh...

The United way. Spend years talking about needing a decent holding midfielder and right back, but keep buying past-it mediocre strikers in a panic. Then wonder why we keep sucking at defending and why our younger strikers have zero confidence and can't get a game. Meanwhile we keep trying to make Dalot and McFred happen.

Where's the scouting? Other mediocre clubs seem to be able to find half decent players.

[crusadernero]

The United way. Spend years talking about needing a decent holding midfielder and right back, but keep buying past-it mediocre strikers in a panic. Then wonder why we keep sucking at defending and why our younger strikers have zero confidence and can't get a game. Meanwhile we keep trying to make Dalot and McFred happen.

Where's the scouting? Other mediocre clubs seem to be able to find half decent players.

Dalot is horrid. Cant believe he is supposed to be "the man" on RB. Well, guess he has to be when AWB is he other option.

MUFC clearly doesnt have a scouting team, atleast not a functioning one. They do everything on a whim, nothing seems planned. They players they have brought in are Ten Hag players, no scouting required.

[Othraerir]

so tell me again, why did we fire Ole?

[jonnysensible]

MUFC clearly doesnt have a scouting team, atleast not a functioning one. They do everything on a whim, nothing seems planned. They players they have brought in are Ten Hag players, no scouting required.

wait didnt i get flamed for saying this in the last fred.

Ole was the best manager in the last decade RIP.


Palace have got a mean first 5 games and we dont look ready. Gonna be rough.

[crusadernero]

wait didnt i get flamed for saying this in the last fred.

Ole was the best manager in the last decade RIP.


Palace have got a mean first 5 games and we dont look ready. Gonna be rough.

Ole was perfectly fine as a manager. MUFC have gone through Moyes, Lvg, Mourinho, Ole & Ragnhick(does he even count?) and its all been a mess. In fact, Mourinho atleast wont a couple of thropies while being more or less honest about the clusterfuck behind the scenes.

Look at the matches since Ole got sacked and compare it to what we saw yesterday. Its utter, complete garbo. Clearly, this is not only a manager issue. Its much, much more than that.

If MUFC dont turn around VERY quickly and suddenly perform, we should expect "Ten Hag out" soon enough and we can start prediciting who the next sucker will be. Probably Poch.

[MCMLXXXII]

The United way. Spend years talking about needing a decent holding midfielder and right back, but keep buying past-it mediocre strikers in a panic. Then wonder why we keep sucking at defending and why our younger strikers have zero confidence and can't get a game. Meanwhile we keep trying to make Dalot and McFred happen.

Where's the scouting? Other mediocre clubs seem to be able to find half decent players.

There's no scouting. Ten Hag wanted Malacia to come to Ajax last season. He knows Arnautovic back when he worked at FC Twente.

The team he worked with at Ajax was mostly brought together by Overmars, whi was doing a pretty good job until he decided to send dickpics to female co workers. I think one of the latest signings purely by Ten Hag was Sean Klaiber