We are on the right path, but we still have a long long way to go. The squad is paper thin right now, but if we keep filling up with the right kind of signings, I am optimistic about the future. But it will take time.
Could the Leicester result be a critical turning point or a false dawn?
- Thread starter fastwalker
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In the latest episode of the United Hour Podcast, Nik and Imran hold a long overdue conversation about United's awful league form with 1 win in 7. They discuss a disappointing draw at Bournemouth, a not so disappointing draw against Liverpool and a crushing defeat at Chelsea - Is time nearly over for Erik Ten Hag?
Then in a special second half of the pod, Nik welcomes Natalie ( https://twitter.com/natalie_17) to discuss the fortunes of Manchester United Women as they booked a place in the FA Cup Final after a historic first ever win vs. Chelsea.
Maybe a 360° one.
I don't see the victory over Leicester as either a critical turning point nor beginnings of a false dawn, it was what it was, a good win against a rated opponent with some key players missing.
Other positives De Gea was back to his best, our three new players continue to show a positive impact, Rashford has seemingly learned to place rather than blast a penalty, McTominay is getting more self confident and starting to make his presence felt in midfield, Fred's first couple of touches gave him confidence that he desperately needed, and young Chong after first couple of rushed passes, started to show why Ole might give him more chances.
Negatives, whilst giving a better overall display I still need convincing about Pereira, whilst half decent displays from Mata and Matic, both confirming they are rapidly becoming 'yesterdays' men, perhaps now best saved for the Europa competition to support youngsters. Young continues to surprise with his second overall good performance, his 'owd-headness' comes to the fore, especially in captains role.
We still don't have a natural no.10, (maybe Maddison?).
However as they say you cant win the league in September, but you can lose it, we are still in the top four now and could well stay there.
Other positives De Gea was back to his best, our three new players continue to show a positive impact, Rashford has seemingly learned to place rather than blast a penalty, McTominay is getting more self confident and starting to make his presence felt in midfield, Fred's first couple of touches gave him confidence that he desperately needed, and young Chong after first couple of rushed passes, started to show why Ole might give him more chances.
Negatives, whilst giving a better overall display I still need convincing about Pereira, whilst half decent displays from Mata and Matic, both confirming they are rapidly becoming 'yesterdays' men, perhaps now best saved for the Europa competition to support youngsters. Young continues to surprise with his second overall good performance, his 'owd-headness' comes to the fore, especially in captains role.
We still don't have a natural no.10, (maybe Maddison?).
However as they say you cant win the league in September, but you can lose it, we are still in the top four now and could well stay there.
You're talking about Leicester's tactics, but without knowing what you're talking about. Choudhury has started 4 of our 5 games so far this season, "shunting" Maddison to the left for the likes of Sheffield United also, and I don't know where this stuff about Rashford and James forcing us to be scared of going forward is coming from when we were the Red Arrows against Pulisic/Willian/Pedro/Abraham.Yeah Leicester performance was not influenced by opposition team
Forget performance, your team selection was influenced by which team you are playing and at which ground. Going by Leicester fans, Rodgers set up defensively and shunted Maddison to LW. Wonder what made him to do that?
Apart from that it's hilarious to post that Leicester performance wasn't influenced by superior team, when your players looked clueless on the pitch with Vardy barely getting a chance to score.
Also the fact that we have players like Rashford, James in the attack means Leicester didn't even push higher up the pitch, to counter the pace.
In any case, I have already outlined in detail that I am not talking about tactics, but about the most basic of skills that can only go wrong on particularly bad days, regardless of whether we are playing Real Madrid or Fatchester FC. If you can't accept that Leicester played badly through no influence from yourselves then that's fine but I flatter myself that I can detect Leicester's off days better than you.
So for all players basic skill went wrong on same day? Weird coincidence.
Don't flatter yourself, fatchester FC? Would have asked are you 12 but that would be insult to 12 year olds. One more butt hurt opposition fan with too much sand in the vagina.
Not a weird coincidence at all, all it takes is for one or two key players to have an off day in order to sap the confidence of 90% of the rest of the team.
Anyway this is my last allowed post of the day, which is just as well considering I'm arguing with someone who calls me 12 then uses an Eric Cartman reference and wears a scout badge.
Pity the Leicester manager couldn't, "We've found a way to play against United"... didn't seem to get the message through to his team did he?
Maybe you really struggle to read. I didn't call you 12 as that would be insult to 12 year olds.
Maybe Leicester are the only team whose performance are buy influenced by opposition team.
So it's only possible to play poorly against superior opposition?
Well we had to win a game eventually. We didn’t play that well and in each of the last 4 games we have scored ONE goal.
You can play poorly against inferior opposition too, take us for the example vs Leicester. It was influenced by inferior team and how they set up.
We’re in an injury crisis and won by a single penalty while being rather predictable in the midfield and forward areas. I don’t think it indicates either. I’m just happy that we got the points.
Don't think it's possible for a weaker team like Leicester to take a superior team like United for granted. It usually works the other way round. You've also got a pathetic record at OT so if would be rather strange to take a better team on a ground where you nearly always lose, for granted.
If we're blaming it on the mental side then your lot probably got overawed by facing us at Old Trafford if anything.
I think it was a combination of our agressive performance and Liecester not being a very good team. Pretty much as expected.
Nothing in this match suggest to me anything of note. It's a small margin win and that's it. No need to over analyse it.
It certainly wasn’t a false dawn, it was a 1-0 win and an average performance at home to Leicester.
Other than the Crystal Palace result, though, the form is good for what we are. Wins against Chelsea and Leicester and draws at Wolves and Southampton. We’re no better than that.
Other than the Crystal Palace result, though, the form is good for what we are. Wins against Chelsea and Leicester and draws at Wolves and Southampton. We’re no better than that.
We're going to have a lot of ups and downs any season, but more so this season.
We're in transition, it's going to be a long journey.
And before anyone says "We've been in transition for 6 years" - yes, we have. And yes we still are. That's the reality. Get over it.
We're in transition, it's going to be a long journey.
And before anyone says "We've been in transition for 6 years" - yes, we have. And yes we still are. That's the reality. Get over it.
Someone on here mentions Utd "bedding in a new style of play". Please enlighten me as to exactly what style of play it is. I cannot see any pattern or style from any games this season at least. The Leicester game tells me nothing, sadly. It pains me to say we have no identity and it upsets me.
This threat really does remind me of my one.... Let's hope it turns out better.
Maybe just a link in a long win-draw-draw-win-defeat-win-draw-draw-win-defeat-win-draw chain.
There was however signs of a return of some battling spirit, pride in the shirt and defensive resoluteness.
Why would this result be indicative of anything?
It wasn't vs a great team nor did we play exceptionally well.
It was a good result. Nothing more.
It wasn't vs a great team nor did we play exceptionally well.
It was a good result. Nothing more.
As United fans we are expecting some kind of miracle all the time I think. Especially with Ole.
This season we are mediocre, our football is hardly inspiring so it will be a false dawn I’d assume for most of us.
The youth stepping up would be a start but seems a bit too early for them development wise.
Dunno about the cups but we all know our league form won’t inspire us from evidence seen already.
This season we are mediocre, our football is hardly inspiring so it will be a false dawn I’d assume for most of us.
The youth stepping up would be a start but seems a bit too early for them development wise.
Dunno about the cups but we all know our league form won’t inspire us from evidence seen already.
No. A good / lucky result with a depleted squad does not mean much, just like what we did last season. With Shaw, Pogba and Martial return, they will return to starting 11 straight away, but no guarantee that they will SHOW UP (Shaw normally does) and perform for the team, so there is no guarantee that we can move up a notch with a full team.
Inshallah
Unless we completely dominate for 90 mins, then yes it is likely..
True, the only big moment was that Maddison chance, which came from our mistake and the dipping half volley shot that De Gea tipped over the bar. They didn't threaten much at all.
Simple case of two very similarly matched teams fighting to finish between 4th and 10th. Leicester underperformed and United were solid. Another day Leicester sneak it.
This is the new normal unfortunately, competing in 50/50 games with mid table teams, winning some, drawing some and losing some.
This is the new normal unfortunately, competing in 50/50 games with mid table teams, winning some, drawing some and losing some.
This Ole Gunnar United side are fantastic in open games..
We can beat Spurs, Liverpool, Arsenal, Leicester, Man City even, Chelsea...
because those teams open up and play into our hands of counter attacking football.
Our problem is against the likes of Crystal Palaces and Burnleys and Bournemouths - tactically sound and set up to stop opposition.
This is obvious. We are a fantastic counter-attacking team, but we have yet to evolve into a sound creative, breaking-down-opposition team.
So no; the Leicester result is NOT a turning point; it just tells us everything we already knew... we can beat teams who open up against us... no matter who they are. Yet we have still to prove that we can beat teams who allow us to have the ball and take control of the game.
We can beat Spurs, Liverpool, Arsenal, Leicester, Man City even, Chelsea...
because those teams open up and play into our hands of counter attacking football.
Our problem is against the likes of Crystal Palaces and Burnleys and Bournemouths - tactically sound and set up to stop opposition.
This is obvious. We are a fantastic counter-attacking team, but we have yet to evolve into a sound creative, breaking-down-opposition team.
So no; the Leicester result is NOT a turning point; it just tells us everything we already knew... we can beat teams who open up against us... no matter who they are. Yet we have still to prove that we can beat teams who allow us to have the ball and take control of the game.
We are very very far from being a "fantastic counter-attacking team". We struggle against everyone, literally. Don't even try to use Chelsea game as an example to prove your point
Sadly I have to agree. I can’t see us scoring too many and it will really come down to 1 -0, which way will often be anybodies guess.
Squeaky bum time starts early this year.
I’ll smoke some of that stuff dude!!! We are far far off being fantastic at anything! Saving money maybe.
We are very very far from being a "fantastic counter-attacking team". We struggle against everyone, literally. Don't even try to use Chelsea game as an example to prove your point
Why not use the Chelsea game as proof we are a fantastic counter attacking team?
We absolutely proved in that game that when a match opens up we can be devastating.
Why would you suggest we shouldn't count the Chelsea game?
What about the Arsenal game in January? The Tottenham game in January? The Chelsea game in February? The Leicester game in February? The PSG game in March? Am I not allowed to use them in my 'we perform better when teams come on to us' argument because it doesn't suit you?
Anybody who knows anything about football knows that Ole Gunnar's Man Utd side are most devastating against the bigger sides when they come on to us.
The only thing is; our players need to be fit to carry this out; it's a press and punch counter-attack - it needs full fitness. My problem is, we will die off during the season because we are too shallow a squad and won't be able to carry this counter attacking throughout the season. But I'm fine with that.. once we are working towards something over the long-term.
But I'm afraid your post is rather ridiculous.. 'Don't count any games in which the point you are making is highlighted'. How stupid is that?
As I said; ask anyone who knows anything about this sport - Ole's United are great at counter-attacking; our best performances have come against the bigger teams who take the game to us. That's just blatantly obvious, man.
Majority of games you mentioned we were extremely lucky so if by saying "fantastic counter-attacking team" you meant "capable of getting some smash and grab wins" then yeah, I agree we can do that from time to time. Ole's tactics heavily depends on opposition being stupid and naive enough to leave us acres of space. It will happen 5 times a season but apart from that, and it's quite clear if you watch our games, that we will struggle 95% of the time against any opposition.
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17 game unbeaten run last season, if we do that again (sorted defence now) top 4 is in the bag. Everyone struggles against parking the bus, City look shaky at the back now without Laporte, we're going to see some surprising results this season. Keep the faith!! Mason scored a beauty last night, hopefully that convinces Ole to give him more mins in the PL. Shouldn't write us off yet!
If people think the Leicester game was the start of the 20-game winning streak that will lead us to glory unbound in May, they need to take a reality check.
It isn't a 'critical turning point', neither is it a false dawn. Our team is so inconsistent atm that we are as likely to beat Liverpool 3-0 tomorrow as we are to lose 3-0 against Sheffield United.
It isn't a 'critical turning point', neither is it a false dawn. Our team is so inconsistent atm that we are as likely to beat Liverpool 3-0 tomorrow as we are to lose 3-0 against Sheffield United.
A bit rich coming from you, someone who can't stop making stupid and deluded posts
I don't have any faith in us, we are clearly going in the wrong direction and are closer to 17 games without a win rather than being unbeaten. I only have faith in Arsenal & Chelsea being even worse than us and gifting us TOP 4.
So let me get this straight if we beat any opponents then it will be because opponent were naive but if we lose or draw it is because opponents are amazing and we are crap. Never seen so much biased attitude. It's like you want Ole to fail so that you can be proven right.
Oh come on. Not that narrative again. When was the last time we beat someone convincingly? Dont tell me Chelsea even though the score line flatter us massively. It's been a while and that's a fact. You cant blame people for doubting Ole's capability because of this.