So what exactly is the 'United Way'?

Crossie

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Happy New Year!

I keep on hearing and reading that something is or isn't the 'United way' but it's a bit nebulous to me what exactly this way entails, if there's a common understanding among United supporters on them and if the 'United way' has changed over time (let's say since SAF has retired).

From an outside perspective, I associated two things with the 'United way:
- Loyality
- Developing players (both academy players and young prospects)

What else? Thanks to anyone who cares to elaborate.
 

rpitchfo

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There isn't one...in order to stay successful you employ what ever strategy is needed to stay relevant.
 

JPRouve

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There isn't any "United Way", United struck gold with two exceptional and stable managers, that's the only reason why the club had less managers than others.
Now the club historically trusts young homegrown players (from England, Wales, Ireland and Scotland), the fans are supportive and the managers want to entertain themselves and the fans through exciting football.

But that's not reserved to United, many other clubs are like that.
 

skidmark

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Happy New Year!

I keep on hearing and reading that something is or isn't the 'United way' but it's a bit nebulous to me what exactly this way entails, if there's a common understanding among United supporters on them and if the 'United way' has changed over time (let's say since SAF has retired).

From an outside perspective, I associated two things with the 'United way:
- Loyality
- Developing players (both academy players and young prospects)

What else? Thanks to anyone who cares to elaborate.
It's a meaningless phrase. Even 'Loyalty' is open to interpretation in this context. For example, if you support a team, how could you be non-loyal? Wake up one day and start supporting the opposition?
 

GeneralGattuso

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Happy New Year!

I keep on hearing and reading that something is or isn't the 'United way' but it's a bit nebulous to me what exactly this way entails, if there's a common understanding among United supporters on them and if the 'United way' has changed over time (let's say since SAF has retired).

From an outside perspective, I associated two things with the 'United way:
- Loyality
- Developing players (both academy players and young prospects)

What else? Thanks to anyone who cares to elaborate.
To me it would just be: Attacking football and a commitment to youth players. But people like Gary Nev (and a lot of the class of 92) see it as that, plus: 4-4-2 (or just Wingers) and crosses into the box.

It's an empty phrase that alludes to United being above modern football.
Yup. I always find it funny when someone says "it's not the Man Utd way" - SAF used to slate West Ham for saying "The West Ham way" because it was meaningless, but it now seems ok to say "the Man Utd way".
 

Dante

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If you could guarantee that "Manchester United" would win the PL + CL double for the next 5 seasons in a row on the proviso that the club:

-moved to a random Spanish city
-changed the strip to blue

I reckon about half the forum would agree to it.
 

Sultan

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You must get to that football ground
Take a lesson come and see
Football taught by Matt Busby"
 

#07

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I hope the mods don't mind me bumping this thread, I thought it would be a good time to do so given all the talk about potentially appointing a director of football to ensure our team has a continutity of style in line with its traditions etc. Especially with Gary Neville speaking out about United's idenity on the second captain's podcast, I think it's a live topic and one that's worth discussing.

For me, the United Way is epitomised by goals like this:


Keeper has the ball and within a couple of passes we've scored.

Since Pep began his managerial career there has been obsession with posession football. For me its not important. People used to say teams at Old Trafford were never in more danger than when they had a corner and the speed at which we counter attacked was beautiful to watch.

Who could forget this?


And that's just one of dozens and dozens of goals we scored that way.

Tiki Taka is not the United way, high pressing is not necessarily the United way but the ability to transition at speed from defence to attack is. If we're getting a Director of Football then I hope that person will make sure that the people come into this club can play that way.
 

Lennon7

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I don’t think it means that much, but United teams have always been associated with aggressive, attacking football - particularly from some of the best (proper) wingers in the world. LVG’s lazy possession style of play and now Mourinho’s defensive cuntery has people riled because it’s so different to what they’re used to.

It’s not a bad thing if it actually works, though - people won’t complain about “United style of play” if we turn into the next Juventus (the good version) who depend on world class defenders, capable midfielders and clinical forwards.
 

charlenefan

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I hope the mods don't mind me bumping this thread, I thought it would be a good time to do so given all the talk about potentially appointing a director of football to ensure our team has a continutity of style in line with its traditions etc. Especially with Gary Neville speaking out about United's idenity on the second captain's podcast, I think it's a live topic and one that's worth discussing.

For me, the United Way is epitomised by goals like this:


Keeper has the ball and within a couple of passes we've scored.

Since Pep began his managerial career there has been obsession with posession football. For me its not important. People used to say teams at Old Trafford were never in more danger than when they had a corner and the speed at which we counter attacked was beautiful to watch.

Who could forget this?


And that's just one of dozens and dozens of goals we scored that way.

Tiki Taka is not the United way, high pressing is not necessarily the United way but the ability to transition at speed from defence to attack is. If we're getting a Director of Football then I hope that person will make sure that the people come into this club can play that way.
That goal v Bolton was over 10 years ago, the most recent example of that kind of goal would be Rooney's v Arsenal a few years later (the one with Nani involved). My point being two fold

1- that type of football was the panicle of Fergie's best sides but it certainly wasn't the norm even for those sides
2- its been years (spanning even Fergie's final few years) that we had a side playing that level of attacking football

People choose to forget how bad the football was under Fergie especially for the final few years
 

SecondFig

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If you could guarantee that "Manchester United" would win the PL + CL double for the next 5 seasons in a row on the proviso that the club:

-moved to a random Spanish city
-changed the strip to blue

I reckon about half the forum would agree to it.
Bollocks. The idea of a "United way" is slightly nonsensical - same as the "West Ham way". But, United do have a well established tradition of playing youth players; and of playing swash-buckling attacking football - even when we were mid-table in the 80s we played that way.

That's not to say that style has to come above everything else, but the way Mourinho has (and LvG before him) approached our tactics is distinctly not in keeping with the "United way" - hell, it's not even in keeping with the way you'd expect any major side to play. We're one of the richest, most successful, clubs in Europe and we play not to lose, with zero ambition, zero risk, and zero appeal.
 

Grande

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I hope the mods don't mind me bumping this thread, I thought it would be a good time to do so given all the talk about potentially appointing a director of football to ensure our team has a continutity of style in line with its traditions etc. Especially with Gary Neville speaking out about United's idenity on the second captain's podcast, I think it's a live topic and one that's worth discussing.

For me, the United Way is epitomised by goals like this:


Keeper has the ball and within a couple of passes we've scored.

Since Pep began his managerial career there has been obsession with posession football. For me its not important. People used to say teams at Old Trafford were never in more danger than when they had a corner and the speed at which we counter attacked was beautiful to watch.

Who could forget this?


And that's just one of dozens and dozens of goals we scored that way.

Tiki Taka is not the United way, high pressing is not necessarily the United way but the ability to transition at speed from defence to attack is. If we're getting a Director of Football then I hope that person will make sure that the people come into this club can play that way.
Well put.

Youth, speed and panache have become associated with the club through history.

Billy Meredith, The Welsh Wizard, was an early exponent for this, dribling at speed up and down the wing with a toothpick in his mouth around 1910. Since then we’ve seen The Busby Babes, George Best, a score of fast wingers, Cantona and Ronaldo embody this to great aplomb.

But also grit and dedication, roots back to the railroadworkers but hammered down by Matt Busby and Jimmy Murphy fighting back from 1958. So we’ve loved players like Nobby Stiles, Bryan Robson and Roy Keane. The combination is what strikes me most, looking at the history of the club.

Pogba, Sanchez, Rashford, Pereira, Bailly - we have players that fit the bill very well. Mourinho is a tough one to swallow, but he has used a lot of young players in his time here, and his counterattacking when it flows should be perfect for the old Old Trafford roar.
 

stevoc

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I don’t think it means that much, but United teams have always been associated with aggressive, attacking football - particularly from some of the best (proper) wingers in the world. LVG’s lazy possession style of play and now Mourinho’s defensive cuntery has people riled because it’s so different to what they’re used to.

It’s not a bad thing if it actually works, though - people won’t complain about “United style of play” if we turn into the next Juventus (the good version) who depend on world class defenders, capable midfielders and clinical forwards.
I would agree with that, attacking football and wingers. Both of those aspects can be successfully implemented into almost any style of football whether you want to play possession based, counterattacking or whatever. Both Van Gaal and Mourinho failed to recognize and/or care about this.
 

#07

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That goal v Bolton was over 10 years ago, the most recent example of that kind of goal would be Rooney's v Arsenal a few years later (the one with Nani involved). My point being two fold

1- that type of football was the panicle of Fergie's best sides but it certainly wasn't the norm even for those sides
2- its been years (spanning even Fergie's final few years) that we had a side playing that level of attacking football

People choose to forget how bad the football was under Fergie especially for the final few years
We have scored plenty of counter attacking goals since then. We still score them under Mourinho. Look at the second goal in this game, for example:


However, you're right, that type of football was the pinnacle of what we did under Fergie rather than what we did week in week out. Even in say, 2007/08, the game we won 1-0 against Birmingham around Christmas time was one of the worst wins I've ever seen us record. I don't know if the players had drunk too much over Xmas but we were absolutely shocking.

Still, if we're talking about standards we should aspire to, a blueprint for a director of football to work from and build around. Surely we should aim to play like the very best Fergie teams rather than passing it sideways constantly like a poundshop Barcelona.

If there is a United way it surely doesn't involve Valencia running up the touchline with the ball, turning around and passing it backwards on repeat.
 

charlenefan

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United were just terrible in that final season under SAF, only winning the league by a margin of 13 points. Awful.

[/s]
I know you're trying to be a dick with that comment but you're actually correct, winning football is what ultimately matters even if it's not free flowing (which that season it most certainly was not)
 

#07

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Well put.

Youth, speed and panache have become associated with the club through history.

Billy Meredith, The Welsh Wizard, was an early exponent for this, dribling at speed up and down the wing with a toothpick in his mouth around 1910. Since then we’ve seen The Busby Babes, George Best, a score of fast wingers, Cantona and Ronaldo embody this to great aplomb.

But also grit and dedication, roots back to the railroadworkers but hammered down by Matt Busby and Jimmy Murphy fighting back from 1958. So we’ve loved players like Nobby Stiles, Bryan Robson and Roy Keane. The combination is what strikes me most, looking at the history of the club.

Pogba, Sanchez, Rashford, Pereira, Bailly - we have players that fit the bill very well. Mourinho is a tough one to swallow, but he has used a lot of young players in his time here, and his counterattacking when it flows should be perfect for the old Old Trafford roar.
Agreed.

When Jose joined I was very excited because his very best counter attacking teams have been very much faithful to what you'd expect a United team to be:


There have been glimpses of it as I highlighted to @charlenefan. However, too often the final ball lets us down.

I am sure Mourinho wants us to play that way. He has been desperate to get a midfielder to replace Carrick. He's also made Pereira play as a number 6 for every pre-season he's been manager. Plus, based on what Pereira says he's been told by Jose about getting it forward early, you can tell he wants fast transitions.

The penny just aint dropped yet. If it does though I think we'll be back to what we should be or something thereabouts.
 

99withaflake

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When Fergie took over the club, he specifically said that he would “respect the traditions of the club by bringing back excitement” and that “this club is all about young players.”

He obviously looked back to Sir Matt’s teams, and although I wasn’t around at the time, I hear the Busby Babes and Holy Trinity really got the crowd going, and young players were given a chance.

Undoubtedly, Fergie gave youth a chance, and during large parts of his reign, the likes of Cantona, Giggs, Ronaldo and Rooney brought excitement to the fans too. Most of the time we were on the front foot, other times we would hit teams on the break, but the excitement was there more often than not.

People can say “there isn’t a United Way” and “it only comes from two managers” but those two managers paved the way for almost 50 years between them, had unbelievable success, and did so in an approach and style that much of the World fell in love with.

So whether it’s the United Way, or however you want to call it, Manchester United is all about playing an exciting brand of football and having faith in young players.
 

Ban

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Win trophies, bring in youth prospects whenever possible.

As for style, every manager has his own style, I mean we were used to attacking football (and not always, in Europe or when we would win 1:0) but not every United team in the past was an attacking one, maybe older fans could help me.
 

Kaizane

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Bollocks. The idea of a "United way" is slightly nonsensical - same as the "West Ham way". But, United do have a well established tradition of playing youth players; and of playing swash-buckling attacking football - even when we were mid-table in the 80s we played that way.

That's not to say that style has to come above everything else, but the way Mourinho has (and LvG before him) approached our tactics is distinctly not in keeping with the "United way" - hell, it's not even in keeping with the way you'd expect any major side to play. We're one of the richest, most successful, clubs in Europe and we play not to lose, with zero ambition, zero risk, and zero appeal.
Exactly! Couldn't have put it better myself.

It's super cliche but we should not be worrying about the other teams as much as we do, they should be worrying about us!

Against the sides who are just as good, fair enough, take a more risk averse approach but when you're set up at home against teams like West Brom with two sitting midfielders and you're having a go at Pogba for taking risks going forward and we STILL lose, well, it's time to take a long hard look in the mirror. That is not how any team aiming for top 10 should set up to play never-mind a team aiming to win the whole thing.

If I saw this kind of football against Real Madrid away at the Bernabeu, fair enough but not at home to West Brom, please. That's not even a case of it not being "the United way", it's just not the way, total.
 
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Josep Dowling

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I hope the mods don't mind me bumping this thread, I thought it would be a good time to do so given all the talk about potentially appointing a director of football to ensure our team has a continutity of style in line with its traditions etc. Especially with Gary Neville speaking out about United's idenity on the second captain's podcast, I think it's a live topic and one that's worth discussing.

For me, the United Way is epitomised by goals like this:


Keeper has the ball and within a couple of passes we've scored.

Since Pep began his managerial career there has been obsession with posession football. For me its not important. People used to say teams at Old Trafford were never in more danger than when they had a corner and the speed at which we counter attacked was beautiful to watch.

Who could forget this?


And that's just one of dozens and dozens of goals we scored that way.

Tiki Taka is not the United way, high pressing is not necessarily the United way but the ability to transition at speed from defence to attack is. If we're getting a Director of Football then I hope that person will make sure that the people come into this club can play that way.
Whilst I like this style of football, it isn't the United way. It was Sir Alex Ferguson's style of football. We just spend so many years watching it we just assumed it was the style of the club and not the manager.
 

cyril C

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I would agree with that, attacking football and wingers. Both of those aspects can be successfully implemented into almost any style of football whether you want to play possession based, counterattacking or whatever. Both Van Gaal and Mourinho failed to recognize and/or care about this.
Sorry, but this is still meaningless. Every clubs want to win so by default they are attacking, even Wolves-Everton was attacking football. Tactics come into play if manager prefer possession base so there were more backward pass than forward, but of course we were still attacking. Some club surrender possession but can still win games with counter-attack, are they not attacking as long as they can score goals?

Wingers - every clubs have wingers, but modern wingers all cut-in instead of the traditional crossing like Valencia. Utd use 2 wingers as fullback, so we have as many as 4 wingers, does it make us double-delight.
 

cyril C

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Happy New Year!

I keep on hearing and reading that something is or isn't the 'United way' but it's a bit nebulous to me what exactly this way entails, if there's a common understanding among United supporters on them and if the 'United way' has changed over time (let's say since SAF has retired).

From an outside perspective, I associated two things with the 'United way:
- Loyality
- Developing players (both academy players and young prospects)

What else? Thanks to anyone who cares to elaborate.
Fergi failed on Developing players when he benched Pogba, Pogba failed on Loyalty when he jumped ship. All forgotten when we paid 90m. So we have lost the United Way?
 

el3mel

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- Winning trophies.
- Winning in dramatic way, last minutes goals or crazy comebacks.
- Winning while developing youth.
 

jmaggio

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What we really need to do to get back to our old status is to improve our away form against direct competitors.

We managed two victories from the five matches away from Old Trafford against the other top six sides. We drew 0-0 at Liverpool and lost 1-0 at Chelsea and 2-0 at Tottenham Hotspur but they beat Arsenal 3-1 and City 3-2. A yield of seven from 15 points while scoring only five times is not title-winning form though beating Pep Guardiola’s runaway victors proves the on-road record can be improved. United also suffered two surprise reverses on their travels, going down at Huddersfield Town (2-1) and Newcastle United (1-0) before the deflating reverse to West Brom at Old Trafford 1-0 that handed city the crown as early as 15 April.

The question of the "United Way" has become hoariest of chestnuts because it is so fundamental to our chances of challenging under Mourinho. Put simply he has to enable his creative players to express themselves, take more chances and swarm forward in more cut-throat style. There is difficulty recalling more than a handful of times this has happened under the manager and what is most baffling is how much better his team are when it does. The 3-2 derby over City is a prime illustration of the frustrations many of us feel with Mourinho. United were 2-0 down at the interval and staring at allowing Guardiola’s side to become champions by beating them at the Etihad Stadium. Given zero choice, out came Mourinho’s men for the second half, Pogba scored twice quickly – on 53 and 55 minutes – before Chris Smalling’s late finish completed a memorable comeback win. This spirit of twist-or-bust has to be the template this year or we will not be contenders.
 

MUFC OK

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It's a combination of elements. As I understand I'd say its roughly this.
  • No one is bigger than the club
  • Play style - attacking football with wingplay, a never say die spirit
  • Promoting players from the academy and giving them first team opportunities
  • Behavioural - family atmosphere, treating all members of the club as equal (Fergie referenced the cleaners, dinner ladies etc and recognising how they all play a crucial part in the organisation)
  • The most important elements being what goes on within the club, not the external pressures/gossip
 

Grande

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What we really need to do to get back to our old status is to improve our away form against direct competitors.

We managed two victories from the five matches away from Old Trafford against the other top six sides. We drew 0-0 at Liverpool and lost 1-0 at Chelsea and 2-0 at Tottenham Hotspur but they beat Arsenal 3-1 and City 3-2. A yield of seven from 15 points while scoring only five times is not title-winning form though beating Pep Guardiola’s runaway victors proves the on-road record can be improved. United also suffered two surprise reverses on their travels, going down at Huddersfield Town (2-1) and Newcastle United (1-0) before the deflating reverse to West Brom at Old Trafford 1-0 that handed city the crown as early as 15 April.

The question of the "United Way" has become hoariest of chestnuts because it is so fundamental to our chances of challenging under Mourinho. Put simply he has to enable his creative players to express themselves, take more chances and swarm forward in more cut-throat style. There is difficulty recalling more than a handful of times this has happened under the manager and what is most baffling is how much better his team are when it does. The 3-2 derby over City is a prime illustration of the frustrations many of us feel with Mourinho. United were 2-0 down at the interval and staring at allowing Guardiola’s side to become champions by beating them at the Etihad Stadium. Given zero choice, out came Mourinho’s men for the second half, Pogba scored twice quickly – on 53 and 55 minutes – before Chris Smalling’s late finish completed a memorable comeback win. This spirit of twist-or-bust has to be the template this year or we will not be contenders.
Do you steal from jamie Jackson without crediting, or are you him?

If you are Jaime Jackson:

The first argument is a lot of dosh as 2-1-2 away against the top five rivals in todays PL is more than very decent and will certainly not be likely to decide the title chase. Beating sll the weaker teams almost every time will (just ask Klopp).

The second: Enable the creative players to express themselves. That’s a brilliant cliché, but not a reasonable way to describe how most of neither Guardiolas or Mourinhos previous success has come about. It sounds like something Brendan Rodgers would say after beating Tranmere 4-2 at home.