[Yakuza_devils]

It's acceptable that we lost to Liverpool and Newcastle as they are top opponents. But it's absolutely unacceptable to lost the way we played.

No pride, no spirit, no teamwork, no fight, no creativity, no leadership, nothing. These players should be ashamed of themselves representing Man Utd.

The minimum requirement to play for Man Utd should be going all out every game. Fighting for every ball, pressing and running. We must go down fighting.

 

[Korwas]

Well, that sucked.

Got what we least deserved. It could have been a lot more of an embarrassing margin.

Does anyone want my ticket against Brentford for Wednesday night?

If you are serious hit me up , gonna be in town for the first time of my life.

 

[golden_blunder]

One of the annoying things for me is we gave the ball away dicking around with trying to pass out from the back, prior to their first goal. We never got the ball back until picking it out of the net

 

[MancunianAngels]

Chelsea's Champions League run means that finishing 3rd could become very important. What are the odds that we finish 4th, lose Europa final and Chelsea win Champions League?

 

[Handsome Devil]

One of the annoying things for me is we gave the ball away dicking around with trying to pass out from the back, prior to their first goal. We never got the ball back until picking it out of the net

"Dicking around" sums it up succinctly. My blood pressure was soaring to dangerous levels watching it. And then to cap it all, we had the final comical set of substitutions, bringing on attacking players too late to give it a go. Except we couldn't even get the ball out of our half!

 

[MrBest]

When is casimiro back, he's the only player that links us as a team. Yesterday was so bad, we didn't even try. And when we had the ball in a dangerous areas we were to selfish with the ball.

 

[justsomebloke]

Most of our away games against the top 6-7 have been dire like this. The gloom is not frivolous.

That is a real worry. Also, the number of really horrible performances, especially against top teams away. We had that early wobble - that could be rationalised as startup trouble for a new system etc. Then there was the City game, but as long as it was just one, you could rationalise it as a fluke. Now there's been another two in the space of the last three PL games, it's beginning to look like a pattern. Then there's the loss at Arsenal, where the closeness of the result really masked how bad the performance was.

In all of our away games against top half sides, we have one win (Fulham) . The remaining six are all defeats (City, Arsenal, Liverpool, Brentford, Villa, Newcastle). With Brighton and Spurs to come.

 

[TheRedDevil'sAdvocate]

Chelsea's Champions League run means that finishing 3rd could become very important. What are the odds that we finish 4th, lose Europa final and Chelsea win Champions League?

If Chelsea win the CL and finish outside the top-four, England will get 5 teams in next season's CL.

The teams that could be slightly worried in the scenario you mentioned are Newcastle and Spurs. This is because if both Chelsea and United win the CL and the EL respectively, and they both finish outside of the top-4, England will still get 5 spots in next season's CL, but the team that finishes fourth in the PL will qualify for the EL.

It's probably not going to happen, but, nevertheless, it is not something that concerns us at the moment.

 

[Andy_Cole]

When is casimiro back, he's the only player that links us as a team. Yesterday was so bad, we didn't even try. And when we had the ball in a dangerous areas we were to selfish with the ball.

2 more games out.

 

[golden_blunder]

"Dicking around" sums it up succinctly. My blood pressure was soaring to dangerous levels watching it. And then to cap it all, we had the final comical set of substitutions, bringing on attacking players too late to give it a go. Except we couldn't even get the ball out of our half!

I was screaming launch it because at that stage it was obvious what was gonna happen, they were pressing us with 3-4 men and getting closer to pinching it everytime

 

[Relfy]

You just knew that was going to happen yesterday. I had zero confidence of a result which was compounded when seeing the starting XI. That midfield just isn't up to it and is too easily bullied and overrun. This away from against top half sides is becoming alarming now.

 

[ayushreddevil9]

You just knew that was going to happen yesterday. I had zero confidence of a result which was compounded when seeing the starting XI. That midfield just isn't up to it and is too easily bullied and overrun. This away from against top half sides is becoming alarming now.

Yeah this is same as last season without Casemiro. I don't trust the other players.

 

[Bosws87]

Clear to see our players are beyond fatigued and it’s gonna be a slow stumble over the line this could easily end up with us being 5th by the end of the season.

Too many games for a squad which is miles behind others in quality. Whereas it may pay off for Arsenal in the end getting knocked out of everything it may well haunt us staying in everything.

 

[Dansk]

It's a good thing we're one point above Tottenham with a game in hand, representing (hopefully) a four-point gap. That gives us room to lose another one and still be a point above them. We're not gonna get a better GD than them, so if we were only three points clear, I'd be a lot more worried.

 

[Chairman Steve]

We missed our first choice midfield of Casemiro and Eriksen, and take any teams first choice midfield away from them and they’ll struggle.

We have no reliable striker available to us. We had to sack our main striker, another striker is suspended, another striker has missed over 30 games this season through injuries and we’ve had to use a bargain bin loan signing due to us having no money, who has tried his best but isn’t good enough. When we get that striker, things will look A LOT better. It’s been a serious handicap to us this season.

We’re the European team that’s played the most games this season,

We played a team that this season is good, has considerable money to spend (they had a £65m striker starting and we had a Championship loan signing) , played no Europe (a massive advantage for them), ducked out of the FA Cup early and had general home advantage. I don’t think between all the ‘top’ team clashes this season that the away team has won.

 

[Hughie77]

That game proves UTD need 2 more CM, at least. Mctom sold,.. Fred can go and 2 quality CM needed, to start, Striker as well and maybe even 2 if Greenwood doesn't feature again.

Have to get those in.. in the summer window. Yesterday was awful and realy awful there was so many players below the standards that we've seen, it's a accumulation of injuries, suspensions and a loaded fixture list, we all know the best 11 .. ETH brings on Sancho, Martial Yesterday done nothing, Sancho what does he bring?? He can be sold as well .

Missed a Garnacho kind of player Yesterday and Eriksen in CM ... if this lot doesn't improve on Wednesday its a collapse of form.. and what do you put it down to...?

 

[The Brown Bull]

The Geordie’s are getting a bit dizzy aren’t they ?
It was 3 points. They flopped on the day a trophy was to be won.

 

[Jacko21]

Just reflecting on yesterday, all of a sudden it feels like there's some needle back in this fixture.

Newcastle fans seem to be particularly het up about the cup final defeat, ETH's comments about the time-wasting and the whole tedious argument over the use of the word 'United'.

The scenes yesterday seemed like a bit of a release for everyone connected to Newcastle - cup final revenge, the constant fist pumps to the crowd, the lap of honour, the team photo, Sky Sports inside the the dressing room etc. Couple all that with the fact that Newcastle fans feel like they're edging closers to the big boys and have a real shot at CL qualification.

If both clubs continue on an upward trajectory, it could become quite the throwback rivalry. Should be fun.

 

[RedRonaldo]

The Geordie’s are getting a bit dizzy aren’t they ?
It was 3 points. They flopped on the day a trophy was to be won.

It’s a big boost to their top 4 run to be fair

 

[Von Mistelroum]

I think what's most worrying is that, despite what people seem to assume, we're not moving on from the squad we've been left with for a long time. The core of these spineless and substandard players will be around for a few more years minimum.

We can't just make wholesale changes as we can't currently spend without selling, and the Glazers won't be sanctioning huge spending anyway. I've heard people talking about Maguire, McTom, Fred, Dalot and more leaving this summer and how we need two new midfielders and "maybe we should get Evan Ferguson as a backup to whichever big name striker we sign?" But realistically, I think we will maybe get in one midfielder and a striker if one can be found without breaking the bank too much.

Our back-up striker will be Martial or Weghorst because we cannot buy two strikers. Our back-up midfielder will be one of Fred or McTom because we cannot buy two good midfielders.

Maybe we'll get lucky and sell on one or two of our current lot, but that will still leave us with many players who don't have the skill or fight when it comes down to it. Also, I actually get the feeling that the manager likes McTom and Fred...

 

[Offside]

Casemiro being suspended for 8 matches since the turn of the year is absolutely ridiculous. No wonder our league campaign has derailed.

 

[The Brown Bull]

It’s a big boost to their top 4 run to be fair

When is the open top bus parade?

 

[Maticmaker]

If ever a game looked lost even before we kicked off, it was this one. Due to injuries, suspensions, number of games, etc. we had a depleted team, even kicking off there seemed to be some debate as to who should KO, in the event it was McT?
I can understand that ETH's ideas are being put under a lot of pressure, for all the above reasons, but why for example do we try to play out from the back, when we have the same start off play every time and we had neither Casemiro or Erikson and Dalot was facing having to try to contain the 'magician' down Newcastle's left?
I felt for Wout, his 'nuisance value' has some merit when we have a half decent team behind him who can get the ball forward for him to chase down opponents. Yesterday his nuisance value was nil, the Newcastle defenders, to put it directly, simply ignored him and eventually so did his team mates, with Shaw twice refusing him a pass when Wort was in the best position.
I couldn't understand the position with Fred, at first I thought he was being kept for Wednesday, but he was brought on when the game was over, surely he should have been on when he could effect the game's flow?
Certainly was another 'bad day' at the office, and if truth be told, but for a couple of world class saves by DeGea and atrocious finishing by a few Newcastle players, it could easily have been another 7-0 drumming!
There was a period of about twenty minutes towards the end of the first half when we 'got a few touches of the ball', but after that .... it was one-way traffic.

All that said, we've won one piece of silverware, are still in two other cup comp's and could still be in the top four come the end of the season... no more bad days at the office though lads, please!

 

[11101]

I knew we were in for a tough day as soon as i saw Sabitzer and McTominay in midfield. Both passengers who will let even the most pedestrian teams run at our defence all day long.

Couple that with Weghorst who can't hold the ball up, can't head it and can't shoot. Every time our defence cleared the ball it came straight back.

 

[Buster15]

It's acceptable that we lost to Liverpool and Newcastle as they are top opponents. But it's absolutely unacceptable to lost the way we played.

No pride, no spirit, no teamwork, no fight, no creativity, no leadership, nothing. These players should be ashamed of themselves representing Man Utd.

The minimum requirement to play for Man Utd should be going all out every game. Fighting for every ball, pressing and running. We must go down fighting.

Spot on

 

[Buster15]

If ever a game looked lost even before we kicked off, it was this one. Due to injuries, suspensions, number of games, etc. we had a depleted team, even kicking off there seemed to be some debate as to who should KO, in the event it was McT?
I can understand that ETH's ideas are being put under a lot of pressure, for all the above reasons, but why for example do we try to play out from the back, when we have the same start off play every time and we had neither Casemiro or Erikson and Dalot was facing having to try to contain the 'magician' down Newcastle's left?
I felt for Wout, his 'nuisance value' has some merit when we have a half decent team behind him who can get the ball forward for him to chase down opponents. Yesterday his nuisance value was nil, the Newcastle defenders, to put it directly, simply ignored him and eventually so did his team mates, with Shaw twice refusing him a pass when Wort was in the best position.
I couldn't understand the position with Fred, at first I thought he was being kept for Wednesday, but he was brought on when the game was over, surely he should have been on when he could effect the game's flow?
Certainly was another 'bad day' at the office, and if truth be told, but for a couple of world class saves by DeGea and atrocious finishing by a few Newcastle players, it could easily have been another 7-0 drumming!
There was a period of about twenty minutes towards the end of the first half when we 'got a few touches of the ball', but after that .... it was one-way traffic.

All that said, we've won one piece of silverware, are still in two other cup comp's and could still be in the top four come the end of the season... no more bad days at the office though lads, please!

I can understand all of that. It just goes to show that with this squad, we have over performed in terms of league position.
As so many have said.
It wasn't that we lost.
It was the way we lost.
Such an incipit and inept performance.
Apart from Varane and Martinez and possibly DDG, the rest were really awful.
There was a total lack of fight and desire and effort.
Over the whole game, we were hardly ever first to the ball.
And ball retention was none existent.
A dreadful performance.

 

[Maticmaker]

I can understand all of that. It just goes to show that with this squad, we have over performed in terms of league position.
As so many have said.
It wasn't that we lost.
It was the way we lost.
Such an incipit and inept performance.
Apart from Varane and Martinez and possibly DDG, the rest were really awful.
There was a total lack of fight and desire and effort.
Over the whole game, we were hardly ever first to the ball.
And ball retention was none existent.
A dreadful performance.

Think we are on the same page with this.
United tend, (as Gary Neville hinted yesterday and Keano said the other week) play only in a 'few moments' each game, if in those moments we can score then we have a chance, because at some stage we are going to be put under pressure, and not just by 'good' teams... but by everybody.
In those 'precious moments' however we need the likes of Casemiro and Eriksen in mid field and such as Garnacho on the wing, to support and supplement Rashford's new lease of life.

ETH knows this is a squad game, if you want to be competitive/successful in all the major trophies. He also knows (or should by now) that bar a handful of his current squad, he has nothing like the overall skills in the squad, or in depth, or in commitment, either. Erik seems to know what he's about most of the time and does occasionally gamble with his substitutions, which of course both the greats Busby and Ferguson did, perhaps more often that many of the younger fans appreciate. They also suffered their share of high scoring defeats along the way.
Whats the saying... "a man who never made mistakes, never made anything"? Well both Sirs Matt and Alex did do and both learned from the experience, lets hope ETH is the next in this great line.

 

[Buster15]

Think we are on the same page with this.
United tend, (as Gary Neville hinted yesterday and Keano said the other week) play only in a 'few moments' each game, if in those moments we can score then we have a chance, because at some stage we are going to be put under pressure, and not just by 'good' teams... but by everybody.
In those 'precious moments' however we need the likes of Casemiro and Eriksen in mid field and such as Garnacho on the wing, to support and supplement Rashford's new lease of life.

ETH knows this is a squad game, if you want to be competitive/successful in all the major trophies. He also knows (or should by now) that bar a handful of his current squad, he has nothing like the overall skills in the squad, or in depth, or in commitment, either. Erik seems to know what he's about most of the time and does occasionally gamble with his substitutions, which of course both the greats Busby and Ferguson did, perhaps more often that many of the younger fans appreciate. They also suffered their share of high scoring defeats along the way.
Whats the saying... "a man who never made mistakes, never made anything"? Well both Sirs Matt and Alex did do and both learned from the experience, lets hope ETH is the next in this great line.

Yes we are on the same page.
EtH has only been here for a very short period of time (compared to Busby and SAF) and has not had enough time or support to really change the squad. That and the club sale has largely dictated the introduction of Weghorst and Sabitzer.
But he does seem very ambitious. And caring judging by his patience with Sancho, who has been a dreadful let down unfortunately.
Providing we finish in the top 4, for me it is all about next season.
However, if the sale of the club drags on into the summer, that could most likely affect the transfer situation.

 

[ti vu]

Chelsea's Champions League run means that finishing 3rd could become very important. What are the odds that we finish 4th, lose Europa final and Chelsea win Champions League?

4th would still have CL next season if Chelsea wins CL this time around.

 

[r0663664]

I cannot understand what is so difficult to kick the ball as high up the field as possible. Didn't we sign a tall striker who can shield the freaking ball? Everytime I see De Gea pass to Varane or Martinez with Newcastle right in their face. To me, it is brain fart from ETH. It seems we are going back to the first 2-3 weeks of the season. It is stupidity of the highest level, you will now see team pressing up against us and get a few easy goals along the way.

 

[NewGlory]

Chelsea's Champions League run means that finishing 3rd could become very important. What are the odds that we finish 4th, lose Europa final and Chelsea win Champions League?

Chelsea ain't winning Champions League any time soon, but we need to stop throwing important games away, or else - who is to say that we will finish even 4th? Very upset about yesterday.

 

[Offside]

Chelsea's Champions League run means that finishing 3rd could become very important. What are the odds that we finish 4th, lose Europa final and Chelsea win Champions League?

What would be really great is if Chelsea win the Champions League, we finish 5th and win the Europa League and Spurs finish 4th.

 

[DWelbz19]

Casemiro being suspended for 8 matches since the turn of the year is absolutely ridiculous. No wonder our league campaign has derailed.

That's actually insane. He's missing 8 of 14 PL matches in 2023 just solely down to suspension.

 

[ti vu]

What would be really great is if Chelsea win the Champions League, we finish 5th and win the Europa League and Spurs finish 4th.

That's some dark humor for Chelsea to match our CL tally, winning 3 CL in this manner (change manager mid season, 2 times with interim managers).

Please god no. I don't want to laugh at the 4th placed in that scenario.

 

[Charles Ufarley]

What would be really great is if Chelsea win the Champions League, we finish 5th and win the Europa League and Spurs finish 4th.

Our play is going to have to improve 1000% from recent levels to pull that off.

 

[The Brown Bull]

That's actually insane. He's missing 8 of 14 PL matches in 2023 just solely down to suspension.

Almost as if he was a marked man.

 

[Suedesi]

People going off on Wout are missing the point. Wout is a nobody - a short gap solution to our Ronaldon / Martial / Mason situation. He will be thanked and released in the summer.

I am worried about players we've invested quite a bit of money in and are still refusing to show up. Talking about Jadon Sancho who is an infuriating player with his lack of effort and urgency.

Bruno and his tantrums are getting tiresome as well, and the less we talk about Scott McTominay the better.

 

[ti vu]

People going off on Wout are missing the point. Wout is a nobody - a short gap solution to our Ronaldon / Martial / Mason situation. He will be thanked and released in the summer.

I am worried about players we've invested quite a bit of money in and are still refusing to show up. Talking about Jadon Sancho who is an infuriating player with his lack of effort and urgency.

Bruno and his tantrums are getting tiresome as well, and the less we talk about Scott McTominay the better.

That's not so certain because he doesn't need to start as much, but ETH chose to start him this much, even shoehorn as no 10 in some other games.

The squad building issue is nothing new. It is a reason people are desperate to see the back of the Glazers.

Ronaldo didn't play well in first half of the season. Martial was out injured. Rashford scoring rate before the World Cup was decent, so normally you expect that forward urgency signing anyways. The narrative however is that we wait until Ronaldo burned the bridge to force the move, to start looking for that forward. And all we end up with was Weghorst.

If ETH can't fix previous regime signings, then that's it. We need to do well with the players we want to keep. Busy fixing last regime mistake, only piles up the issue. Successes help with selling the deadwood too. It's best to keep adding quality so we can afford to malign the worse players, but still have luxury to showcase them in easy condition to upkeep sale value.

 

[MancunianAngels]

4th would still have CL next season if Chelsea wins CL this time around.

Would they? I thought only 4 teams qualified from each country with Europa League winners getting an extra place regardless of nation (assuming they haven't already qualified through the league position). It's why Spurs missed out in 2012.

 

[ti vu]

Would they? I thought only 4 teams qualified from each country with Europa League winners getting an extra place regardless of nation (assuming they haven't already qualified through the league position). It's why Spurs missed out in 2012.

Rule changed since then. The rule nowadays is maximum 5 teams from same country in CL.

4th place only loses their spot now if there are both EL and CL winners finished outside top 4.