[Oldyella]

After a shit show like that, we will need press briefings linking us with Messi and Ronaldo

 

[Red_toad]

Missed the game. Seems like the kids aren’t actually better than the senior players taking their game time then?

 

[DatIrishFella]

Watched a few mins. Laird looked decent but the rest are dreadful. Awful, awful squad.

Not Ethan Laird the white guy

 

[Red00012]

Why isn't it though, if a defender blocks it on the line is it not on target? If you shoot from the halfway line and it rolls toward the keeper is it on target?

He wasn’t on the line though ?

 

[Vidyoyo]

Solskjær on #mufc's performance vs AZ Alkmaar: "Very happy with the boys, we come away with a good performance.

The absolute shite this man talks.

 

[ash_86]

Good point . Joint toppers of the group. Greenwood, gomes, all got decent minutes.

 

[Hugh Jass]

Solskjær on #mufc's performance vs AZ Alkmaar: "Very happy with the boys, we come away with a good performance.

The absolute shite this man talks.

Please tell he did not say that.

 

[FerociousCorgis]

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i mean....what the F ole. I know you can't blast people in media but jesus christ this is delusional AF. Ignoring all the chances AZ created and their penalty shouts, but apparently ours towards the end was the difference. Tired of Ole.

 

[Buster15]

I watch alot of AZ games. They're a highly organised team. Every club with exception of the top teams in Europe would have a difficult game. But what I saw from United this evening was terrible.

Highly organised we are most certainly not.
Well prepared we are not.
Well drilled we are not.
Hard to find any positives.

 

[MisterLupus]

Really? I really would like to know what players are better than mid club or championship level.

DeGea, Pogba, Wan Bissaka, Maguire, Shaw, Martial, Rashford. Then we have James and McTominay of course - they've delivered you can't argue that.

 

[DomesticTadpole]

Please tell he did not say that.

No we won't.

 

[Hugh Jass]

This is Moyes level of delusion.

 

[Hound Dog]

Definitely made it difficult for them.

Moyes's vision is coming to fruition.

 

[Leftback99]

It was poor but lets be honest, we haven't been good away from home in Europe for years. A point is fine. 16/17 we lost 1-0 to Feyenoord with a far better team.

 

[tomaldinho1]

Nah.
Liverpool at home might be the melting pot though.

I guess even if we lose to Newcastle, Liverpool will hammer us so the board might as well keep Ole on to take that loss anyway. I can't see how he survives now bar a miracle

 

[Luke1995]

Last season in which United played great football was 2008-09. The last four seasons of Fergie's reign weren't as entertaining, but he still managed to build good teams.

Everything since the big man has gone has been shocking. Was excited for a brief moment when Mourinho Zlatan and Pogba arrived...

Ole shouldn't have accepted this job straight from Molde.

As for this match, the less said the better.

 

[sammsky1]

Thought it was an evening kick off so was in the gym. Seems as though I was very lucky to do something far more useful than watch this pathetic team.

 

[Classical Mechanic]

I can see why he’s happy. He wanted to rest players for the weekend and not lose the toughest game in the group. Only 2 or 3 of the lads that started will start at weekend.

The pitch was also a big advantage for the home side. I used to watch Oldham Athletic when they had a shitty astro like that and it’s like having an extra man because the home players are adjusted to the pace of it and controlling the ball.

That said, playing James through the middle was a bizarre decision and the lack of cohesion in attacking phases is worrying.

 

[Cockney Phil]

I was hopeful after the first half because I thought they might trash us on that crappy pitch. We began to play some acceptable football. They came out like they’d been scolded over tea and oranges. Like a group of smacked arses they waddled around in a pathetic display of how to lose the ball, squander opportunities and poor control. Matic was useless. Mata looked petulant when he came off and deserved a clip around the ear. Jesse is a liability, when the going gets rough he limps off. MoTM to Williams for his first full game, the only tradition the club has left - respect and pride have died. The badge is just a commodity for a brand - we’re done.

 

[Red00012]

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I only thought of one person when I read Ole’s post match comments.
David Moyes.

 

[Asger]

When has a blocked shot by a defender ever been on target ?

DeGea, Pogba, Wan Bissaka, Maguire, Shaw, Martial, Rashford. Then we have James and McTominay of course - they've delivered you can't argue that.

Of this list I would only say De Gea and Pogba are good enough for top 4. Rest are Everton level.

 

[Alemar]

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Our manager needs an urgent brain surgery...

 

[DomesticTadpole]

I can see why he’s happy. He wanted to rest players for the weekend and not lose the toughest game in the group. Only 2 or 3 of the lads that started will start at weekend.

The pitch was also a big advantage for the home side. I used to watch Oldham Athletic when they had a shitty astro like that and it’s like having an extra man because the home players are adjusted to the pace of it and controlling the ball.

That said, playing James through the middle was a bizarre decision and the lack of cohesion in attacking phases is worrying.

That was seriously odd. Wonder which Einstein thought that putting your best finisher out wide was a good idea?

 

[OohAahMartial]

When we play a reserve side, with youth debuts, it shows how little importance we give to the competition, so why fans gets so upset at an away European draw I don't know. If it does bore or upset you, just treat Europa League games as U18 Academy games on MUTV ie. don't watch them (I do, and they're boring and shite). If we get to the knock out rounds just start tuning in then.

I do agree that this evening's side was clueless in possession but as Kevin Moran just said on MUTV, a side with 8 changes isn't a team, its more or less a bunch of strangers playing together for the first time. And they did look like that. But it did look to me that the player's decided pre-game that with this pitch they would put in the bare minimum to get a point, to not risk any more injuries. Only Lingard was too foolish to even do that, but no-one will miss him.

The youngsters got game time which seems to be the whole point of this season, as if the club strategically decided to forego any trophy ambitions this season to try and grow our kids. If you're not comfortable with that, and I can empathize with that, then skip a season and come back next year when they're more mature, or this experiment is abandoned. I thought Brandon did ok for his debut, and pleased to see that he got that chance (and pleased that Dalot is back too). Was disappointed with Gomes's lack of movement, but assume again they decided to play positionally rather than move again due to the pitch, but even then his positioning was poor. We've all wanted him to get starts, but I would like him to seize his chances.

Speaking of not seizing chances, when will Fred take his? Our real big problem is that Fred, Matic, Mata are simply nowhere near a good standard. If we are going to do this youth experiment, face facts and drop all three, and promote Garner and Levitt, and stick Gomes as #10, not on the wing. And similarly keep Greenwood up top and not on the right--can't fault him when there is zero service.

Bottom line is we did the bare minimum to get through, and got the away point we clearly aimed to get. If you're struggling to watch our games, simply don't, or treat them as the U23/U18 games that they have become and the occasional glimpses of the future that they give. When you watch youth games you are watching raw players that you are forced to have a quarter-full glass viewpoint as they are so undeveloped, yet the joy of watching youth is to see that gradual development, and the flashes of promise and hope. So if today all you remember is Brandon's debut--that is enough.

 

[Sterling Archer]

i mean....what the F ole. I know you can't blast people in media but jesus christ this is delusional AF. Ignoring all the chances AZ created and their penalty shouts, but apparently ours towards the end was the difference. Tired of Ole.

Sounds to me like he is feeling the heat. He trusted 'the boys' to do enough this summer. And between their inexperience and our coaches seemingly not doing enough, we've been worse than flat. Ed's got another big decision to make while he's still masterminding our demise.

 

[robinamicrowave]

I've got no idea why, but that felt like it, lads. Sorry. As someone who watched mediocre football for every week of every season until 2010, United are showing all the hallmarks of a side who cannot cope at the top level and won't be back there any time soon. It will be years before you're close to looking capable of winning any trophy of any description again, let alone regularly competing the league title.

Woodward's season-long plan to "get rid of the deadwood, play loads of youngsters, and generate some optimism for the future" has lasted until the first week of October. Well done, Ed. He's just loaned out Smalling after giving him a contract extension six months ago. Phil Jones and Marcos Rojo are still there after years and years of simply occupying space. The ways Woodward finds to look even more incompetent than he did two weeks ago continue to be absolutely astounding.

There's no way his summer plan was to spend £130m on defenders and needlessly weaken the team in every other area of the pitch, but somehow that happened. He gave the job to fecking Moyes in the first place and then eventually gave it to Solskjaer, whose only managerial experience in this country prior to this year was getting relegated with Cardiff. I mean, for absolute god's sake, putting United's future in the hands of that guy.

And, fine, sure, the odds are against Ole for the reasons stated above, but Chelsea are basically in the same position as you (relying on kids for squad depth, their main star leaving or agitating for a move, inexperienced manager), yet the very, very beginnings of a new cycle at least look like they're under way for Lampard. Other than aiming for Maguire at the back post on free-kicks and corners, is there any one tactic or plan that United consistently aim to do? I can't think of one.

Sure, sometimes philosophies don't work. Pep during the 16/17 season and all of Van Gaal's reign (his philosophy needs time, remember), but you could see they were trying something at least. With United it's gone so far beyond the point of "Not knowing which United side are going to turn up" because you know what United side are going to turn up. It's going to be the United side that prays for a moment of brilliance because they cannot control anything else about a game of football.

I think that was it tonight. 5 wins in the last 22 games. That's not a bad run of form, that's routine now.

 

[aamnkeane16]

The worst part is even if we want to claim we play mostly our youth, AZ Alkmar had as many if not more teenagers in their 11. And they were pressing better than us when we try to play from the back, when we press they escaped easily and manage to find space to attack.

We’re just not a well-coached team out there, it’s like 11 strangers playing for the first time. At one stretch we couldn’t even get the ball past the halfway line.

We’re too slow in moving the ball forwards. It’s tactics and coaching. I have to believe our players have more talents than what was shown.

 

[drunkmonkmeth]

The saddest thing is that im not surprised.. i dont think theres a team in europe and prem that we can look better than. We will be outplayed by everyone and deservingly so.. i did not buy the ole hype.. the beginning did feel good but anyone who wanted him to get the job is as clueless as the united board. Hes a terrible manager and makes moyes look good. Treating lukakku the way we did and selling him was brain dead.. he played good for us and was one of our best players.. he truly was a scapegoat much like pogba has been. The fans dont deserve any of them. I cannot blame the players for how poor we are though. The majority of them arent ready for first team and may never be. The senior players should have been moved on ages ago. I can understand the rebuild. And blooding the youth but we have no offense.. id understand sacrificng stability at the back to have a free flowing attack.. losing game but scoring goals but we literally have nothing at all
Theres nothing good about this team under ole.. its pathetic.

 

[Dolf]

AZ, PSV and Ajax are all better organized teams than we are. We lack the very basics such as a RW for the RW position, or you know... some kind of playing style or plan.

Ridiculous.

 

[Classical Mechanic]

That was seriously odd. Wonder which Einstein thought that putting your best finisher out wide was a good idea?

And the best winger currently through the middle, it’s like reverse logic.

 

[Eric7C]

And the best winger currently through the middle, it’s like reverse logic.

So this really happened. I thought I was sitting too far from the telly.

 

[MisterLupus]

Of this list I would only say De Gea and Pogba are good enough for top 4. Rest are Everton level.

Haha! Well okay then.

 

[VeevaVee]

The amount of shots we're getting off at the moment is disgraceful.

Another game, another big laugh for scousers.

 

[GazTheLegend]

Yes, I can definitely remember nights like this under SAF...against the biggest clubs in Spain, Italy and Germany...in the Champions League

Mate I remember them vs Torpedo Moscow, Rotor Volgograd, and we lost once to a team that started with a "Z" in their name that I don't remember. Don't pretend it never happened under Ferguson.

I'll give some credit tonight: it was an artificial pitch away from home and we had a stonewall penalty denied for no good reason. It probably is a good point

 

[Classical Mechanic]

Mate I remember them vs Torpedo Moscow, Rotor Volgograd, and we lost once to a team that started with a "Z" in their name that I don't remember. Don't pretend it never happened under Ferguson.

I'll give some credit tonight: it was an artificial pitch away from home and we had a stonewall penalty denied for no good reason. It probably is a good point

I remember when we had won the group and went away to a Turkish side bottom of the group for the last game and played some kids. They got slapped 3-0.

 

[SilentWitness]

1/10 games this season you've scored more than one goal. Not replacing Lukaku/signing an established productive winger is fecking you completely.

It's all well and good to have faith in Rashford and Greenwood but Rashford is never going to be a 20+ goal a season striker that bangs them in consistently and Greenwood is far too young to be expected to grab goals all the time. You needed to invest in someone/keep Lukaku.

 

[arthurka]

Fred is not a red...

Add Matic, Mata and Rojo to that list.

 

[DavidDeSchmikes]

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[hobbers]

Forget scoring goals, Ole's teams can't even create a single clear cut chance against European fodder.

 

[Green_Red]

Well done the kids. Great experience for them in that game. Future is bright.