[redmanx]

Whether Haaland is gay or straight, he is at the right club - Dortmund. They have a good track record of developing young players.
We have a track record of destroying players and then selling them on.

Beckham did quite well when we sold him on, as did Ronaldo I seem to recall. Hernandez, Johnny Evans, Smalling, Cleverley, Ji Sung Park, John O'Shea, Danny Wellbeck, Van Nistleroy, in the last 8/10 years all these and several others after decent careers at United, some more so than others, all moved on and had continued success elsewhere. Very few players leave United in their prime and to say we destroy players is utter nonsense.

 

[noodlehair]

We had a heroic victory away in Milan just a couple of nights before today, and a heroic victory away to City a week or two ago.

Our first team players are shattered tired. We don't have the strength in depth of City or Chelsea.

Ole gives a few of our first teamers a much needed rest today, resulting in a poor performance and suddenly it's all doom and gloom again. We are prioritising the Europa League over the FA Cup which is the right thing to do.

Werner, Havertz, Ziyech at Chelsea are all showing that some of the highest rated young stars from around Europe often need 6 months of playing week in week out in the PL before they are ready to adjust to the tempo. The same went for Fred and Lindelof, and the same will go for Donny Van De Beek, so expect more poor performances from him until he has been given a fair chance.

Heroic is a strtching it quite a lot with that Milan game. We scraped through probably undeservedly and it was the fecking Europa League last 16, not a CL semi final. Other teams who were so heroic that they managed to get through in the Europa League include mid table Arsenal and a discontinued ITV channel.

I'm not massivley fussed about going out although its disappointing, because I think something had to give. We've been struggling through every game playing poorly and with no break in between to work on anything, and I'd rather lose out on the FA Cup than the Europa League.

The concerning thing is Ole's consistent lack of ability to use his own players effectively. Matic should not be getting picked for any game. He can't keep up with the pace and he has no outstanding qualities to justify handicapping the entire team to play him. The only reason to pick Matic is to avoid having to play someone else, and that's completely stupid as you can literally say anyone is good enough to play for Man Utd if you will pick someone based on that logic. I have nothing against him and sure he tries his best but if you are off the pace and can't get back on it then the race is over for you. Pogba is not a winger and playing him there when it means playing Matic in midfield with Fred is ridiculous. We had other fit forward players, and even if not having someone who might not be up to standard on the left wing is less terminal than not having a functioning midfield.

People on here are very harsh on some of our players and seem to expect everyone to play at elite level every week. The reality is most of our players have their uses but aren't going to be at it every week or constantly fresh and in form, and aren't necessarily better than every opponent they face. So we can't afford any needless fecking about, which is something we seem to do quite a lot of at a management/tactical level, particularly since Christmas. I honeslty have no idea what our team will be from one game to the next, or even what competition we're trying to prioritise. It looks like we're trying to chase every rabbit in the field at once at times.

 

[Pjisared]

Beckham did quite well when we sold him on, as did Ronaldo I seem to recall. Hernandez, Johnny Evans, Smalling, Cleverley, Ji Sung Park, John O'Shea, Danny Wellbeck, Van Nistleroy, in the last 8/10 years all these and several others after decent careers at United, some more so than others, all moved on and had continued success elsewhere. Very few players leave United in their prime and to say we destroy players is utter nonsense.

J.Lings ain't doing to shabby either

 

[Lash]

I find it odd that Bruno not starting was cited as a poor decision. He's been playing some of the worst football since he joined the club recently, as he looks absolutely shattered. You have to actually use a squad in a season, it's more the fact some of them don't look capable when called upon to do enough.

Have to says Greenwood has had a poor season overall, but today he really disappointed me.

 

[Denis79]

Leicester away was always going to be a hard nut to crack.

 

[pocco]

"Heroic victory away at Milan"

My god, I've heard it all now. We were outplayed by an average team for two games. Rescued by our £80m substitute, whilst they're throwing in their near 40 year old CF to try and salvage something. Heroic. I feel sorry for the likes of Fergie when people are championing this shit. The standards he set have been well and truly washed away. We are done.

 

[pocco]

Leicester away was always going to be a hard nut to crack.

Injury ravaged. Knocked out of the EL by Slavia Prague. Drop points to 15th placed Burnley a couple of games ago. We're not talking an impossible task. To be dominated by their severely weakened team was a complete embarrassment.

 

[The Firestarter]

I find it odd that Bruno not starting was cited as a poor decision. He's been playing some of the worst football since he joined the club recently, as he looks absolutely shattered. You have to actually use a squad in a season, it's more the fact some of them don't look capable when called upon to do enough.

Have to says Greenwood has had a poor season overall, but today he really disappointed me.

The guy who scored our only goal, really disappointed you. Really ?

 

[Freak]

My decision not to watch the game was good. Considering that this game was at 1am here, I made a good choice to prioritise sleep over these bunch.

 

[pocco]

I find it odd that Bruno not starting was cited as a poor decision. He's been playing some of the worst football since he joined the club recently, as he looks absolutely shattered. You have to actually use a squad in a season, it's more the fact some of them don't look capable when called upon to do enough.

Have to says Greenwood has had a poor season overall, but today he really disappointed me.

Correct. So why has Bruno been run into the ground whilst Ole's £40m VDB sits on the bench every week? No surprise he ends up with egg on his face when he has to bring him in out of the cold and hopes he can find a performance.

 

[DRJosh]

Struggle to think Fred hails from the land of samba style football.

 

[DRJosh]

Correct. So why has Bruno been run into the ground whilst Ole's £40m VDB sits on the bench every week? No surprise he ends up with egg on his face when he has to bring him in out of the cold and hopes he can find a performance.

VDB's overstep for that Greenwood goal was decent but we haven't seen close to what he can do for us thanks to Ole. From VDB's body language, and I could be completely wrong, he doesn't seem even remotely happy to be at the club either.

 

[Denis79]

Injury ravaged. Knocked out of the EL by Slavia Prague. Drop points to 15th placed Burnley a couple of games ago. We're not talking an impossible task. To be dominated by their severely weakened team was a complete embarrassment.

No we were awful and deserved a beating but people are reacting like this was an upset. We aren't that good it's as simple as that. We're 2nd in the league because all the usually better teams are struggling.

 

[Maluco]

Well we have won important games so that’s not true we’d just beat Milan and just beat city
We also beat Leicester to qualify for the cl last year

he’s spent it in areas that needed improving, now we need cm, can’t tackle all problems at once.

Beating City after failing to beat Sheffield United, west brom, Everton and Crystal palace, thus diminishing the importance of the game.

We beat Leicester and got into the top 4, only to crash out on the group stage because we couldn’t beat Istanbul.

I know people see things differently, but I just don’t see our players improving (bar Luke Shaw) and it’s worrying to me how much time and how much of their careers we are going to invest into what is essentially a hopeful punt.

We have people in the thread arguing that Leicester have a better team than us. How far are we going to bend backwards to try to excuse things. We have won 4 out of the last 10 in the league. What are we rotating for exactly? Yet another run of bad form.

Again, I am not being malicious, I’m just genuinely concerned. And I think there are enough signs to be concerned.

 

[pocco]

No we were awful and deserved a beating but people are reacting like this was an upset. We aren't that good it's as simple as that. We're 2nd in the league because all the usually better teams are struggling.

If that's your POV then fair enough, it at least makes sense logically to say we aren't actually the 2nd best team and therefore shouldn't be expecting to beat Leicester. It's not my opinion but I can respect it.

What I can't accept is people that talk about us being the 2nd best team etc but then complaining that our players are not yet good enough to not get beat 3-1 and dominated by an injury ravaged Leicester. Because that flip-flopping of opinions doesn't weigh up.

 

[NZT-One]

We had a heroic victory away in Milan just a couple of nights before today, and a heroic victory away to City a week or two ago.

Using words like "heroic" in the context of Manchester United isn't one of the better ideas these days. Especially not when trying to accuse others for over-the-top reactions.

I am sure the City game meant a lot to you. And to all the fans, United and City. But actually, even if it was a game 1st against 2nd, there were more than 10 points between us (right?). Pep didn't even saw the need to go more conservative against us. Like the way he did for the first league game and the game in the cup where he went for a result, being conservative and playing for a fluke. The 2-0 was a moral victory and very good performance but in the grand scheme of things a nothing game.

I also wouldn't call the Milan game heroic. Pogba stumbled the ball over the line to win the game. 1st game was 1.7 vs 0.8 xG wise (51% possession), 2nd game was 0.9 vs 0.8 xG (49% possession). A very professional and good performance but hardly a modern classic or anything close.

If these are heroic victories, you inflate the meaning of that word.
You have every right to use it though. But then you shouldn't complain about other people doing the same.

---
About the game today: I also don't see resting Bruno as a tactical mistake. At some point you have to rest him and as we were set up with very good passing capabilities (Pogba, Fred VDB and Matic) against a team that many would have predicted to stay relatively deep and surrender most of the ball to us, it was worth a shot. It backfired unfortunately this time and I probably would have started with at least one the 4 players he then brought into the game later. But you have to take risks from time to time and as Ole seems very risk averse in general, I won't complain when he takes one even if doesn't pay off. These moments were there with SAF as well - remember that infamous game where we set up with Fabio and ...(was it Park?) in midfield while leaving Pogba as an unused sub? Or fielding 7 defenders against Arsenal? Sometimes you get away, sometimes you don't. But the downward trend especially with Bruno is evident so providing him with some rest, shouldn't be considered a mistake.

Leicester was really up for it today, that way they would have caused most teams trouble, so I don't agree that they were average. I thought all their defenders had very good games, Ndidi and Tielemans were class as well. We contained them just fine, but in the end fine margins decide. Bad moment from Fred, bad defending at a set piece. At some point, these things can catch up. Going out of the cup s*** big time, but there were games that hurt way more than this.

 

[Eternitiy]

Injury ravaged. Knocked out of the EL by Slavia Prague. Drop points to 15th placed Burnley a couple of games ago. We're not talking an impossible task. To be dominated by their severely weakened team was a complete embarrassment.

It's okay, trophies don't matter. This game was meaningless. Our manager said so.

 

[firstkuyttouch]

Using words like "heroic" in the context of Manchester United isn't one of the better ideas these days. Especially not when trying to accuse others for over-the-top reactions.

I am sure the City game meant a lot to you. And to all the fans, United and City. But actually, even if it was a game 1st against 2nd, there were more than 10 points between us (right?). Pep didn't even saw the need to go more conservative against us. Like the way he did for the first league game and the game in the cup where he went for a result, being conservative and playing for a fluke. The 2-0 was a moral victory and very good performance but in the grand scheme of things a nothing game.

I also wouldn't call the Milan game heroic. Pogba stumbled the ball over the line to win the game. 1st game was 1.7 vs 0.8 xG wise (51% possession), 2nd game was 0.9 vs 0.8 xG (49% possession). A very professional and good performance but hardly a modern classic or anything close.

If these are heroic victories, you inflate the meaning of that word.
You have every right to use it though. But then you shouldn't complain about other people doing the same.

---
About the game today: I also don't see resting Bruno as a tactical mistake. At some point you have to rest him and as we were set up with very good passing capabilities (Pogba, Fred VDB and Matic) against a team that many would have predicted to stay relatively deep and surrender most of the ball to us, it was worth a shot. It backfired unfortunately this time and I probably would have started with at least one the 4 players he then brought into the game later. But you have to take risks from time to time and as Ole seems very risk averse in general, I won't complain when he takes one even if doesn't pay off. These moments were there with SAF as well - remember that infamous game where we set up with Fabio and ...(was it Park?) in midfield while leaving Pogba as an unused sub? Or fielding 7 defenders against Arsenal? Sometimes you get away, sometimes you don't. But the downward trend especially with Bruno is evident so providing him with some rest, shouldn't be considered a mistake.

Leicester was really up for it today, that way they would have caused most teams trouble, so I don't agree that they were average. I thought all their defenders had very good games, Ndidi and Tielemans were class as well. We contained them just fine, but in the end fine margins decide. Bad moment from Fred, bad defending at a set piece. At some point, these things can catch up. Going out of the cup s*** big time, but there were games that hurt way more than this.

I just cannot understand the logic of your final paragraph; it was like listening to my friend complain about Democrat leaders on the evening of 1/6. Leicester were up for it and would’ve given anyone trouble DOES NOT to me mean a match in which the first goal is a badly under hit backpass off a dubious pass to a man under pressure, the 2nd goal is everyone and their brother falling back and inviting the ball carrier right to the edge of the box to smack one, and the 3rd goal has to go through a United player to land on the head of Ian Nacho. Those are three very bad moments if you ask me, not a good well coached team being outplayed by a team that’s just up for it and would give anyone trouble. It was three shitshows. And to happen in the same week or so as Ole saying cups aren’t so special, and to be doing his regular smiley interview afterwards, hoping to get as far as possible in the EL.....I mean, I just don’t know what the floor is for expectations anymore. This is a very expensively assembled squad, manager who has had plenty of time to get his vision across, yet it is ceaselessly 2 steps forwards 1 step back. But sure let’s say Leicester would’ve given anyone trouble, the way they.....took advantage of poor play.

 

[amolbhatia50k]

They didn't even have Vardy and Maddison?

Rodgers is a much better coach than Ole.

 

[dpansheth]

They didn't even have Vardy and Maddison?

Rodgers is a much better coach than Ole.

Amol Sir, then my question is, why Ole is still "at the wheel". This team is still lacking good players, but that doesnt take away the fact that Coaching team (you can blame it on a single person or the whole unit) has failed to improve them at all. Passing, off the ball, patterns of attack, patterns of defense, corners, free kicks. we have not seen any collective improvement in the team

 

[Denis79]

It's okay, trophies don't matter. This game was meaningless. Our manager said so.

He said that?

 

[pratyush_utd]

He said that?

No he didn't obviously. He was quoted earlier as why he doesn't think Trophies at our stage of development doesn't mean a lot as it just papers of the crack. And he is obviously right, just look at Arsenal. And he doesn't mean Champions League or Premier League trophy when he said trophies.

 

[Scholes_boi]

It was a cowardly approach to the game - starting Matic, Fred and VDB all at once. They're all highly defensive players that have no real attacking intent. That was ALWAYS going to invite pressure on us which Leicester gladly took. They took advantage of our pace deficit in the CB's by running in behind. Wan-Bissaka played as though it was a training ground match. The only players that looked up for it were Greenwood and Telles. Does Bailly have an injury? Because he would have been perfect to counter the likes of Vardy and Iheanacho.

 

[Ferguson’s Hairdryer]

The team with the better coach won

 

[Amadaeus]

"Heroic victory away at Milan"

My god, I've heard it all now. We were outplayed by an average team for two games. Rescued by our £80m substitute, whilst they're throwing in their near 40 year old CF to try and salvage something. Heroic. I feel sorry for the likes of Fergie when people are championing this shit. The standards he set have been well and truly washed away. We are done.

The standards has fallen so low, it is embarrassing. We have the second most expensive squad in football, yet our standards seems to be that of Arsenal under Wenger.

 

[Tarrou]

I missed the game but sounds like we were dog-shit

How come Pogba was subbed? Playing bad or tired?

 

[sdb4884]

Nothing will change under Ole, good results sometimes and shockingly bad results every few games. No Cups or titles on the horizon under him.

 

[Red Indian Chief Torn Rubber]

Simply a bad day at the office

 

[RedDevil@84]

Leicester away was always going to be a hard nut to crack.

Now now. Let's not start making up things. This was a winnable game. If we went with our normal starting XI, I think we win. We didn't create enough while making mistakes. They did well, even after Bruno and cavalry came in. But that's not down to being superior at home.

 

[elmo]

If that's your POV then fair enough, it at least makes sense logically to say we aren't actually the 2nd best team and therefore shouldn't be expecting to beat Leicester. It's not my opinion but I can respect it.

What I can't accept is people that talk about us being the 2nd best team etc but then complaining that our players are not yet good enough to not get beat 3-1 and dominated by an injury ravaged Leicester. Because that flip-flopping of opinions doesn't weigh up.

Leicester's squad isn't better than ours.

Rodgers is a far superior manager over Ole.

It's as simple as that. We're underperforming relative to our squad quality, just not as bad as Chelsea and Liverpool have. Leicester are over performing despite all their injuries and they're running us close for second place. It's all down to them having a much better coach who actually knows how to use his squad and make them perform consistently on the pitch.

 

[Desert Eagle]

Can some Ole in fan please explain to me why he chose to rest Bruno yesterday but not in the Sociedad second leg

 

[croadyman]

Personally feel that was a shambles of a performance pretty much from start to finish, yes I know the opposition was better but it goes up there for effort with Sheff Utd & Istanbul in my opinion

 

[croadyman]

Fully expected a loss here tbh. We've had way too many games these past few months, too many injuries that meant we couldn't rotate enough and have just had a very tough game in Milan on Thursday. Leicester is also a very good team. Would've been nice, but with the timing of the game we really needed an easy tie to get through, no chance to win any tough game. Good time for the international break to refresh and get fit for the Europa League and cementing 2nd in the league.

Please don't give our team that get out clause because I am sorry to say they don't deserve it one little bit, don't give a shit about the international break fixtures coming up either and all this tiredness BS

 

[Crustanoid]

Leicester were way better than us. We didn’t turn up.

There was a massive difference between the two sides in terms of desire and the fact we played Thursday night and they didn’t should be looked at but not excused

 

[SirScholes]

Beating City after failing to beat Sheffield United, west brom, Everton and Crystal palace, thus diminishing the importance of the game.

We beat Leicester and got into the top 4, only to crash out on the group stage because we couldn’t beat Istanbul.

I know people see things differently, but I just don’t see our players improving (bar Luke Shaw) and it’s worrying to me how much time and how much of their careers we are going to invest into what is essentially a hopeful punt.

We have people in the thread arguing that Leicester have a better team than us. How far are we going to bend backwards to try to excuse things. We have won 4 out of the last 10 in the league. What are we rotating for exactly? Yet another run of bad form.

Again, I am not being malicious, I’m just genuinely concerned. And I think there are enough signs to be concerned.

Every team loses games
But saying we don’t win big games yet we have, city will always be a big game Liverpool is a big game when we knocked them out the cup

I personally wouldn’t of rotated but plenty in here have been calling for it.
I think it was a mistake but that doesn’t mean I think we are awful going backwards and should sack the manager.
Shit happens

 

[Marwood]

Now now. Let's not start making up things. This was a winnable game. If we went with our normal starting XI, I think we win. We didn't create enough while making mistakes. They did well, even after Bruno and cavalry came in. But that's not down to being superior at home.

Why is it making things up to say away at Leicester is a tough game?

We're one point better off than them this season. Yeah every game is in theory winnable but it's not a fabrication to say it was a game that could go either way. Throw in a couple of individual errors and it definitely is an uphill task.

Yeah they had a few injuries but equally it wasn't our best XI either.

 

[The Boy]

You lost a game after a tough away tie in Europe, disappointing of course, but hardly unheard of and certainly not proof that your team and manager are somehow complete gash.

 

[Feed Me]

You lost a game after a tough away tie in Europe, disappointing of course, but hardly unheard of and certainly not proof that your team and manager are somehow complete gash.

The responsibility falls to the resident BHA fan to talk some sense.

 

[Desert Eagle]

The responsibility falls to the resident BHA fan to talk some sense.

Not being complete gash might be okay for a Brighton fan but it's not for any self respecting united fan. We were shocking yesterday.

 

[Godfather]

The responsibility falls to the resident BHA fan to talk some sense.

Yeah well hardly anyone talks isolated about the game yesterday. The game portrayed our football under Ole pretty well though. Incredibly inconsistent, uninspired and undercoached, especially in the final third.