"A quagmire of mediocrity" - anonymous member of staff at United

Infra-red

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I mean we have so much money to spend on the best staff in the world and still we end up with Matt Judge as our chief negotiator? Something is not right.
Jobs for the boys. Woodward, Judge and Arnold are old friends from Bristol Uni. All three also went on to work for PWC. Now they run United.
 

El Zoido

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It’s not Ole ffs, it’s intensely irritating how the manager is always blamed. He’s not a top class manager but this goes WAY beyond him. Short term memories for some people who failed to notice we’ve been garbage under the three previous managers too. People think that just getting the next hot prospect coach in will magically solve everything, it won’t. In fact, good managers are smart enough to stay away, such as Klopp, who turned us down because he could see what a shambles the whole club is. Any top manager would avoid this club like the plague. Poisoned chalice is too kind of a description. I hope Ole leaves just to save him from this godawful, hateful fanbase to be honest. He doesn’t deserve it.
 

Art Vandelay

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There's wanting the best for the long term health of the club (i.e. shedding to light just how badly it's run and what needs to be done, in certain ways using the press). And then there's what Ole has done which is blind devotion.

In any case, the article highlights what we know. I don't think it changes the view that Ole has no tactical foundation or understanding of fluid systems to suit our team.
To be fair, he saw what happened Mourinho when he aired this stuff in the press. People called it excuses and he got all the flak anyway. He's trying the opposite of that and is stuck in the same situation. Inadequate support from the players on the pitch or those above him and he's the one in the firing line just like the last manager. He might not be the right man for the job and Mourinho did enough to get himself sacked anyway, but it's going to need a miracle worker with the current situation.

I don't think there are any systems to suit our team, especially when half of them can't stay fit for any length of time or don't really seem to work in any position.
 

Dr. StrangeHate

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Absolutely proves what I believed. We can bring back prime Fergie and he'd still finish mid table under Ed Woodward.
Ole's own words prove this is bollocks. He has said many times now that there were players available and he didn't go for them as he wanted someone else. He has said many times now that it was his decision to let Lukaku go and not replace him. What does he need to say for you to not believe the PR stuff in this article.
 

KristianMackle

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Once again, we didnt fully back the manager in the transfer, things go south and then it's all the manager's fault.
 

ivaldo

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Someone really used 'quagmire' in real life?
 

edcunited1878

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Ole's own words prove this is bollocks. He has said many times now that there were players available and he didn't go for them as he wanted someone else. He has said many times now that it was his decision to let Lukaku go and not replace him. What does he need to say for you to not believe the PR stuff in this article.
Ole didn't want another Dybala, who was available yes to a degree, but he really didn't want to be at United or seem to be there for the long haul relative to the wages/fee to get him to play at United. For example, they'll wait for Maddison if the situation is real. Same with Sancho. But what they should be doing is signing players who can provide PL quality and depth/fringe starting XI players like Ryan Fraser or even Andros Townsend.
 

Bastian

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It’s not Ole ffs, it’s intensely irritating how the manager is always blamed. He’s not a top class manager but this goes WAY beyond him. Short term memories for some people who failed to notice we’ve been garbage under the three previous managers too. People think that just getting the next hot prospect coach in will magically solve everything, it won’t. In fact, good managers are smart enough to stay away, such as Klopp, who turned us down because he could see what a shambles the whole club is. Any top manager would avoid this club like the plague. Poisoned chalice is too kind of a description. I hope Ole leaves just to save him from this godawful, hateful fanbase to be honest. He doesn’t deserve it.
To be honest, I think most people who have come to view Ole as significantly out of depth also know the biggest problem at the club is the hierarchy. I think a lot of people currently voting "keep" in that poll/thread would change it sharpish if we'd change the structure and become a professionally run football club. I do agree that hiring a new manager with no other changes is pointless. But I'm hoping this new nadir of the 6 year malaise prompts some sort of a logical response from the Glazer cnuts.
 

Greck

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Once again, we didnt fully back the manager in the transfer, things go south and then it's all the manager's fault.
Did you even read the article? It said the right ones weren't available. The club opted not to pay 50m for Longstaff.
 

Dr. StrangeHate

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Ole didn't want another Dybala, who was available yes to a degree, but he really didn't want to be at United or seem to be there for the long haul relative to the wages/fee to get him to play at United. For example, they'll wait for Maddison if the situation is real. Same with Sancho. But what they should be doing is signing players who can provide PL quality and depth/fringe starting XI players like Ryan Fraser or even Andros Townsend.
Did I accidentally stumble into an alternate universe.

All I know is Ole took a top 6 squad and gutted it to a 8-10 squad. And then employed management/coaching which converted them to 10-14 level. This is why he deserves to be sacked.
 

Rafaeldagold

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Did I accidentally stumble into an alternate universe.

All I know is Ole took a top 6 squad and gutted it to a 8-10 squad. And then employed management/coaching which converted them to 10-14 level. This is why he deserves to be sacked.
Yep exactly this.

He’s making us worse than what we could be- for any manager that means they need to go
 

RedSky

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If we keep on Carrick and McKenna for the next Manager then we're really not learning our lesson. Time for a complete redesign, sorry chaps but you've had ample opportunity to get this right and it's not all down to Ole.
 

edcunited1878

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Did I accidentally stumble into an alternate universe.

All I know is Ole took a top 6 squad and gutted it to a 8-10 squad. And then employed management/coaching which converted them to 10-14 level. This is why he deserves to be sacked.
United can't score goals and I think the answer (Pogba) is within the ranks. However, Ole is trying to establish a consistent side that plays a 4231. They solidified the defense (not including Shaw, who should be moved one or have a direct replacement not named Rojo or Young). If Pogba and McTominay are going to be a double pivot, then next summer a #10 and wide forward will have to be signed. Two bona-fide starting players (e.g. Maddison, Sancho...or similar, not saying those exact two since they'll cost like 220 pounds total). Ole should be making adjustments to his 4231 and be given until the end of January to see where United are at the table and performance wise.

Move Pogba up into the 10/SS position, or go 442 like United did when Greenwood came on/before Newcastle scored against the run of play, United will be giving themselves a better chance of scoring more than 1 goal.

That's the growing pains of sticking with something for the long term. United have had clear chances every match in the PL, however it's not good enough or consistent enough. Can't rue one or two good chances all the time. You need to pepper the goal and put defenses under pressure. Being beaten by 1 goal is not an excuse. Should be able to fashion more good chances with the amount of the ball United have typically had.
 

Random Task

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Did I accidentally stumble into an alternate universe.

All I know is Ole took a top 6 squad and gutted it to a 8-10 squad. And then employed management/coaching which converted them to 10-14 level. This is why he deserves to be sacked.
This article, if true, confirms what many of us have suspected since the beginning; that Ole was let down by the upper-management and their failure to acquire much-needed squad additions over the summer. You can question his coaching techniques or his decision-making during the game all you want, that's fair, but I don't believe Ole was stupid enough to allow so many players to leave the club without prior knowledge that they would be promptly replaced.
 

Random Task

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Ole didn't want another Dybala, who was available yes to a degree, but he really didn't want to be at United or seem to be there for the long haul relative to the wages/fee to get him to play at United. For example, they'll wait for Maddison if the situation is real. Same with Sancho. But what they should be doing is signing players who can provide PL quality and depth/fringe starting XI players like Ryan Fraser or even Andros Townsend.
PL quality and Andros Townsend used in the same sentence.

Now that's rare.
 

edcunited1878

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PL quality and Andros Townsend used in the same sentence.

Now that's rare.
I understand, but he's better than Chong and Pereria (squad player who could play inside or wide). Hard to comprehend I know, but that's where United are currently at.

Ryan Fraser would be a great signing for this current United squad.
 

hobbers

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The worst manager in the league is not going to be able to attract the calibre of player that we need to bring in, especially as our demise continues.

Maguire moved last summer. Do you think he would have made the same move next summer, given the likelihood of us finishing around 10th and Leicester in the top four? Would. He. Feck.
 

hn4manunited

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This article, if true, confirms what many of us have suspected since the beginning; that Ole was let down by the upper-management and their failure to acquire much-needed squad additions over the summer. You can question his coaching techniques or his decision-making during the game all you want, that's fair, but I don't believe Ole was stupid enough to allow so many players to leave the club without prior knowledge that they would be promptly replaced.
in addition to questioning his coaching abilities, decision making during game, etc, his inexperience and naivety with regards to letting players go before getting replacements. All of the above points to poor management on his part.
 

Overlook

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A United source put the club's situation into stark perspective after Sunday's defeat at Newcastle: "We just have to try and get to January."
This worries me. What’s the plan, to throw £40m at Tottenham for Eriksen who looks burnt out? There are no outstanding targets that we can reasonably expect to be available in January. The squad needed these players in the summer.
 

MisterLupus

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Absolutely proves what I believed. We can bring back prime Fergie and he'd still finish mid table under Ed Woodward.
No. Prime Fergie would've put Woodward six feet under after having broken the table on top of his head - that man was never afraid to raise the dragon.
Did I accidentally stumble into an alternate universe.

All I know is Ole took a top 6 squad and gutted it to a 8-10 squad. And then employed management/coaching which converted them to 10-14 level. This is why he deserves to be sacked.
Nah we were about the same when he came in. 26 scrappy points from 17 games having just been trashed 3-1 by Liverpool - the entire squad in absolute shambles nobody enjoying the football they were seeing and the players looking either miserable or totally uninterested on the pitch as well. He took the worst Man Utd side in thirty years and improved quality in some areas (morale, fitness, defense and possession) - but at the same time butchered our midfield and what little offense we had going before deciding not to reinforce those areas. We were shite when he came in - we are shite still but only in specific areas (and we weren't brilliant in these areas when he arrived either mind you just "slightly less limp" than the "utter impotence" we're witnessing now).

You're all crediting Ole way more than he deserves in all of this - our squad simply isn't that good and no matter who's in charge we'll probably need at least two-three top-class signings to look half a decent side - and probably three qualified squad players / rotation options on top of that before being able to challenge for anything again. A lot of people called this once the transfer window closed - and now we're living it. I decided already a month ago to just suck it up and see how this project evolves once the necessary pieces are in place - because until that happens it'll be impossible to judge any manager on the job they're doing.
 

MrPooni

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Simon Stone's piece on the BBC.

That quote is quite revealing. As is this follow up by Stone:

"This was a real quote, from a United staff member, to sum up what they thought of the current situation.
Solskjaer, it was stressed, was not to blame for this. It was just what the speaker felt was an honest assessment of the club's squad at the present time. Sources have told the BBC that Solskjaer's initial view after replacing Mourinho was that United needed to change nine players. So far, three have left and three more have come in."

The first comments from within that Ole was hung out to dry. It doesn't really excuse his appalling approach to games and the apparent inability to coach the team, but it does once again highlight the main problem at the club.

Stone goes on to say that the coaching staff knows too much is being asked of the youngsters. So this debunks two theories that have been peddled on the Caf: 1) that buying more players this window would have been disruptive and 2) that Ole planned to rely heavily on completely untested youngsters.

It's a bit of a shame the way Ole has played his cards though. He can't openly criticise anything at the club. I remember how he said we were a fantastically well run club once the malaise was back in full flow last season and now he needs an anonymous member of staff to tell it like it is.
Damage control in the most cowardly way possible. People pelted Mourinho for openly discussing the mediocrity of our squad, infrastructure and chairman but at least he had the fortitude to do it publically and honestly. Ole on the other hand has gone from claiming our entire squad was world class while they were winning games to basically parroting Jose's assessment of them when everything has gone to shit (largely to save his own arse) while ignoring the Ed Woodward shaped elephant in the room in a pathetic leak.
 

Infra-red

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in addition to questioning his coaching abilities, decision making during game, etc, his inexperience and naivety with regards to letting players go before getting replacements. All of the above points to poor management on his part.
Indeed. There's no reason why it has to be either Ole or the Board. It's entirely possible that they have both done a terrible job - that certainly appears to be the case here.
 

el3mel

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The beginning of the end this. Briefing and story getting leaked. Dead man walking and I said it long time ago.
 

ravi2

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There's wanting the best for the long term health of the club (i.e. shedding to light just how badly it's run and what needs to be done, in certain ways using the press). And then there's what Ole has done which is blind devotion.

In any case, the article highlights what we know. I don't think it changes the view that Ole has no tactical foundation or understanding of fluid systems to suit our team.
Good post
 

Infra-red

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The beginning of the end this. Briefing and story getting leaked. Dead man walking and I said it long time ago.
He needs to avoid a historic thrashing vs Liverpool, otherwise he's in big trouble.

The two week break should allow us to get a few injured players back - they are going to have to play very, very well.
 

MrPooni

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There's wanting the best for the long term health of the club (i.e. shedding to light just how badly it's run and what needs to be done, in certain ways using the press). And then there's what Ole has done which is blind devotion.

In any case, the article highlights what we know. I don't think it changes the view that Ole has no tactical foundation or understanding of fluid systems to suit our team.
i.e. What Mourinho started doing after dragging this sorry lot to a 2nd place finish. Everyone thought he'd lost the plot when he called that one of his greatest achievements in football but it was the canary in the coal mine.
 

Big Ben Foster

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Seems like a brief, first two at least.
These stories are all coming out too close to one another for there to be any other explanation. Writing's on the wall.
 

Infra-red

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I know Ole has not done a great job up till now, but seeing Ed Woodward, a man who has brought nothing but disaster to this club, throw a genuine legend under the bus in this way, is rather aggravating.

Is there no level to which Ed won't stoop to save his own neck. He is a cowardly dickhead.
 

KristianMackle

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Did you even read the article? It said the right ones weren't available. The club opted not to pay 50m for Longstaff.
To me, it seems like the club is dictating to the manager who the "right ones" and if they're worth it. If that's the case then remove all accountabilty from the manager.
 

pascell

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Ed/Stones buried him in the article as well. Amazing!
Woodward, chief of deflection tactics, as long as he's not in the firing line then all is good, he'll also throw anyone and everyone under the bus to ensure he's not in the firing line. That is the man running the club we love, albeit into the ground, anyone that comes after Ole is a sitting duck with that incompetent fool running things.