[Beans]

He had a hand(literally) in the goal which prevents him getting a one. He is shite and should be nowhere near our squad let alone starting 11.

ETH could have sold him and AWB and used proceeds to buy a decent right back. If he thinks Dalot is good enough then we are all in trouble.

I did give him a 2 to start, but then I gave someone else a 2 and felt there needed to be space between their ratings.

I agree, how anyone could think we could challenge with Dalot and AWB (now that he's been found out as diabolical in the air) is madness. Unless he just doesn't think he can fix all the problems in one window.

But then we need more players, midfielders obviously. If we could take control everyone would look better. Sancho can look good with a good midfield, it's known.

 

[Loony BoB]

Dalot was not the issue today, I'd say he did better than the other 3 in defense if I'm being honest. Everything ahead of him was crap, including Sancho.

Dalot gave away the ball repeatedly. I think there was a tweet saying ten times in the first half alone? Didn't stop happening in the second half. He was our worst player in my opinion, although the other players were not good at all either.

 

[UnofficialDevil]

Sack Murtough for starters.

 

[saik]

Same culprits that cost us last year cost us again today.

Just last year? McT and Fred in midfield have been costing us for far longer than that.

 

[matt23]

Biggest worry about all that would be how similar everything looked to the last 3 years

And that Ronaldo got cheered on with his own song after completely dicking the club over about 3 weeks before the season was due to start - and is quite openly only at the club because nobody else wanted to pay him the obscene amounts of money he earns to be an ageing hindrance at Manchester United.

 

[largelyworried]

Well, its going to be a tough old season I guess. I really feel like the problem is mental with these guys. They started off decent enough, but then started giving the ball away cheaply in midfield. They then keep losing cheap turnover after cheap turnover til eventually Brighton start cutting into us. At which point we lose what little confidence we ever have and start bricking it even more. Rinse & repeat. Second half when we start to put some modest pressure on them, we continually looked scared at their ability to counter attack us. The reality is these guys just aren't confident at playing the ball in the way the boss requires.

You obviously hope that ETH will just be able to flick a switch & sort out the boys' heads, but nope. So this is going to take time. Its going to take months, probably, to get the group of players up to the level of rigour required to playing the game the way the boss demands.

There's an idea we talk about at our work called time debt, where if you put off developing something for too long, you're just storing up all the time you should have spent for another day and it'll take longer and longer to eventually sort it out. Same applies here. We've spent years assembling a squad and coaching them in playing tactically simplistic football with little focus on complex build up play or possession under pressure. Most of what this group has ever known is just Jose and Ole, neither of whom ever focussed on developing the kind of modern football we need to start playing. ETH isn't simply trying to coach a tactically astute group of players in his particular style, he's building up from a painfully low level.

There's no getting around the hard work that's required, even in the transfer market. Upgrades here or there are important, but replacing 12 to 16 players with alternatives would take 3 or more seasons, so there's no shortcutting things that way. Its going to take coaching, which will take time. I just hope the fans and, more importantly, the Board continue to trust ETH even if it continues to be bumpy for the next few months.

 

[OrcaFat]

Today we learned: even good coaching cannot turn bad players into good ones.

A manager and a club with any balls and some backbone would sell Maguire, Shaw, McT, and Fred. They should never play for us, ever again.

If we have money - buy replacements, if not - accept that we are a bottom half team and play youth, but these overpaid, incapable wastes of space should not be part of this club.

Until that happens - it is all just a pathetic circus.

You see, I don’t agree with that about Shaw. He’s one of our best players when in form.

 

[Blood Mage]

I and posters like me get mercilessly mocked on here for being pessimistic about the fecking state our club is in but fortunately reality tends to be on our side. You call us doomers but we're really just pointing out the reality of the situation, that our club is being run into the ground by parasites who don't give a fook.

 

[Deanor44]

Reality bites..... While I started the season with a degree of optimism that optimism did not last long. I always felt that ETH has inherited an absolute sh*t show but I hope with some time and an absolute mountain of patience that he will be given enough time to coach some of this lot into some bit of form that might make them appealing to other sides that would consider buying them. Right now they are soo clueless, damaged and absolutely afraid of playing for MUFC that nobody will consider them never mind the stupidity of the contracts/wages they are on! Realistically I see united being mid table ALL season and actually fear we could be drawn into a battle that this lot do NOT have the bottle to fight. What sickened me as much today was all the idiots who purchased the new kit! If MUST brought out an alternative kit this season I would buy it because I for one will not give the glazers a single cent of my money until they start spending theirs!!! GLAZERS and their crew OUT!!!

 

[TheReligion]

Once I saw McFred in midfield, Maguire in defence I knew we wouldn't win.

Maguire didn’t do anything wrong?

 

[FreakyJim]

We’ll struggle but I think we’ll finish mid table relatively comfortably.

 

[DSG]

Eriksen's passing ability was one of the few positives in the second half. Not much else really.

Dalot is so average, imagine having Lamptey instead.

Very nervous about the centre back combo. Martinez simply won't win headers against players who are way taller, and he'll get worked over by pacy players too.
He'll work in games we have 90% of the ball and the opposition having little interest in attacking.

Dalot is not average, he’s an atrocious defender. The first goal was entirely his fault because he didn’t close down Troussard, easy through ball and it’s a dangerous ball through the box, goal. I’

The fact remains that up until now, Ole has gotten the best out of this squad. Of course, Ole needed to go, but all the complaining about his tactics and counter attacking football, I’m starting to think that with this midfield and RB, you can’t play anything but counter attacking.

Fred cannot be a distributor in a midfield 2.

 

[jamesjimmybyrondean]

It's pretty much the same complaints from last season - need a winger, defensive midfielder, right back, striker

 

[Daengophile]

Lethargy bottled in treacle

 

[lex talionis]

Shocking, shite…everyone knows that and no one denies it.

But a few excuses are in order. We started the game without a striker. And the club has made a strategic decision to go all for de Jong no matter how long it takes to bring him over the line, so we went with McDire. Without a proper finisher and without a midfield the odds of putting in a scintillating performance were not great.

In a situation like the one we have with Ronaldo, who probably had only 60 minutes in, why not start him and sub him off at 60 minutes? Presumably his quality is such that we finishing those chances and take the lead.

But at least we know now that McShit will never been seen again.

 

[mitchmouse]

A proper forward would have scored Rashford's missed chance (and it wasn't offside so VAR would have given a goal) and Bruno's...

 

[Livewire1974]

Martinez and Eriksen the only positives. McFred should never start for us in midfield again. Rashers and Bruno should be on the bench.

 

[Shiva87]

Based on that performance, i rather ETH plays our academy lads for the rest of the season to get them ready for next season. We have some potential there, and I rather watch them make mistakes and learn than watch the same dire stuff from our starting XI.

Garnacho, Zidane Iqbal, Hannibal, Savage, and Laird.

 

[Teja]

McFred should never start again. Just stick Eriksen in a permanent deep role, the change after we did that was so obvious to see.

Or just let Iqbal into the line of fire. Can't be worse than Fred there.

 

[mattunited1978]

Mcfred, nothing will improve until we improve on these 2 clowns

 

[Jazz]

ETH didn’t do himself any favours with the selection but we see again that fundamental lack of either technique, basic positional intelligence, or both, is rife in our squad.

Many of the players don’t trust themselves or their team mates when the pressure comes. It is a Pep mantra, isn’t it, “trust your team mates”. But our guys can’t. And if they don’t, they start to abandon the game plan and the whole thing goes to shit.

In my opinion, the midfield two are 90% of the problem. We need two guys in there who are fully reliable in technique and positioning.

Will take quite a while for that to happen. Can't be changed overnight. That's just the reality.

For it to change quickly is to buy a whole new set of players.

 

[Kinky Melinky]

Maguire didn’t do anything wrong?

Agreed. I don't think Maguire was a major issue today at all. Our problem from what I could see is our midfield and forwards, their interplay, the poor passing, the lack of many clear cut chances. It's just shocking.

 

[mitchmouse]

I and posters like me get mercilessly mocked on here for being pessimistic about the fecking state our club is in but fortunately reality tends to be on our side. You call us doomers but we're really just pointing out the reality of the situation, that our club is being run into the ground by parasites who don't give a fook.

did you get an official warning? Or am I the only one?

 

[TypeR]

Madness is starting the same nonexistent midfield duo as the last two managers, and expecting our midfield to be better. I’m not sure what McFred has laced t coaches’ cups with but they should NOT be both starting for a United team who has intentions of being progressive and winning a match.

The difference when Eriksen dropped back into the pivot was night and day as to what an actual fecking midfielder does i.e. regain and retain possession, progress the ball to the attackers.

Beyond that, it’s the same turd that saw two managers and one interim fail - Dalot only good going forward and poor positionally on defence, Shaw having no desire, Rashford looking like a shot shadow of his former self.

I hope EtH realises after this game that 3/4 his starting squad just cannot be trusted.

 

[ayushreddevil9]

You see, I don’t agree with that about Shaw. He’s one of our best players when in form.

Currently its like 1 season out if 8 so I will let you do the math.

 

[Beans]

You can’t pack a team out with too many players who have little or absolutely no physical ability to tackle, win a ball, press tightly and effectively, or win in the physical tussles.
We are stacked with too many weak players in this department.

A robust, tough, but technically competent midfield is key in this league.
The midfield are the most important defenders and the foundations of an effective attack.
If he comes, FDJ can’t address this issue on his own.

No fight, SAF must look at that team and want to puke. You can't control your talent level, you can control your effort.

We look like we think we're the princes of soccer, and we're playing a charity match against some Championship club, we don't want to be there so we're just jogging about, making the other team look amazing. Our boys have their mind on the party later tonight.

 

[Gazautd18]

Pre - Season FC
Social media excuses incoming..

 

[DevilRed]

Yeah right, when the chance fell to him he was probably too busy thinking about food banks

Stupid comment.

Agree with the rest mind you.

Certainly hasn't improved as a footballer though.

You wonder why?

 

[scream]

Full backs were poor, McTominay was awful

 

[mitchmouse]

Agreed. I don't think Maguire was a major issue today at all. Our problem from what I could see is our midfield and forwards, their interplay, the poor passing, the lack of many clear cut chances. It's just shocking.

he stood still for the first goal.. neither closed down nor went with the run

 

[Irwin99]

Probably because you've got another Dutch manager but that game reminded me of Van Gaal's first in August 2014 which was a 2-1 home defeat to Swansea. Swansea dominated that day in similar manner to Brighton and you put out a mixed and match line up.

You did improve that season and finished top 4 but standard of top teams is much stronger now given likes of Liverpool and Spurs were in big transition that season.

Line up you put out today isn't getting you top 6 imo and limited options off the bench if Ronaldo isn't hanging around.

That was exactly my thought too. I think we'd only brought in two players at that point in the summer (Herrera and Shaw) before we panicked and brought 3 players.

The energy levels were a tad better and Eriksen was easily our best player but other than that it was a continuation of last season. Everyone knows about the issues with full backs and midfield but the attack was just so weak and ineffectual:

Rashford-meh, not terrible but not great either
Sancho- so passive; he just does not force the issue and take charge of attacks.
Bruno- same as last season.

 

[mitchmouse]

Maguire didn’t do anything wrong?

I think you mean "Maguire didn't do anything". horribly at fault for the first goal. never moved

 

[Bestofthebest]

The real problem, apart from every player being asleep, is that Brighton were pressing the whole game. They were so organised that even losing the ball did not phase them because they immediately went into press mode. This will not work for them in most games because all PL teams rely on pressing. We obviously think pressing is beneath us so don’t participate.
We still do too many back/sideway passes that there are 11 men behind the ball by the time we start to build an attack. Individuals who never turned up today included Sancho and Rashford and I’m amazed the kids didn’t get on until injury time. Very poor show from ten Haag to the whole team.

 

[suhaylah]

Still need CB, RB, 1 box to box, 1 DM, 1 RW and 1 striker. In short we still need half a team.

 

[reelworld]

Got done by defensive mistakes again.
Lack of cutting edge also make it easier for them to defend our attack.
Eriksen should started with Fred or whoever we got to replace him.
Nobody was making runs to break them. Look at Welbeck. He was making runs to drag our defenders all over the place

 

[Jazz]

Could be Martial was the one making us look good in pre-season. His link up play is great. Ok he has his issues, but you can't deny that/. Big miss today I think.

 

[saik]

A proper forward would have scored Rashford's missed chance (and it wasn't offside so VAR would have given a goal) and Bruno's...

Yup and the sad thing is we don't have anyone to play in place of them. So we are stuck with them for now.

 

[lex talionis]

Don't count on it

We can indeed count on it. Even Ray Charles, blind and deceased, can see how disastrous McFred are.

 

[DevilRed]

I think we can safely say its not the manager. Come to think of it, it probably never has been entirely the managers fault.

Its the same fecking players. Year in. Year out. Almost for 5-6 years now in some cases.

If we cant change the players, this is yet another lost season. Alot will hinge upon whether we can bring in at least TWO central mids and a half decent striker.

We just need an actual functioning midfield that can join up the fecking team. Players who don't give away the ball at the edge of their own box.

Its not that much to ask for. Neves. FDJ. Ruiz. Whoever. Get them the feck in. Get rid of Fred and Mctominay.

Then we might actually play some football.

 

[12OunceEpilogue]

To try to be positive, the second half was better and there were a few crumbs to build on from the likes of Martinez and Eriksen.

Erik needs to realise that a midfield of Eriksen/VdB or some other combination (possibly including a younger player) is preferable to McFred. People are worried that they'd be overrun but at least they could play the ball forwards when we have it. If the whole team buys in and works hard we could at least become a better version of Bielsa's Leeds who have high scoring games every week. If we stay as we are there is nothing happening in the midfield and we could genuinely be facing relegation.

We need to back the manager in fecking off these loser players, who have proven time after time after time they are not good enough. The only time I will start to question Erik is if he persists with the same old faces when he has decent kids in the wings.