And there we have the reason for our decline.
10
Season Average Rating
- Appearances
- 32
- Goals
- 5
- Assists
- 2
- Yellow cards
- 3
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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.
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A shame he didn't work as hard as his PR team.
Yeah Ronaldo's image.
Pogba's image.
Lingard's image.
Who else has an image in your opinion?
Again Rangnick is part of his PR team because he picked him purely for his training he said.
I'm going to defend Rashford here. He does try and I don't get the people that say 'look at his body language' or he doesn't run etc. He's our attacker that covers the most distance, presses the most and makes the most attacking runs.
The problem with him however, is quite simply, he's not good enough. Not good enough for a team wanting to challenge for the title. He's a useful option to have but he's not a starter. Another problem is he's not a starter but he's on a starters wage and has a starters ego.
Recipe for disaster.
The problem with him however, is quite simply, he's not good enough. Not good enough for a team wanting to challenge for the title. He's a useful option to have but he's not a starter. Another problem is he's not a starter but he's on a starters wage and has a starters ego.
Recipe for disaster.
PR overdrive. So much being leaked and reported to distract from conversation about his form. New contract, off field distraction, PSG, recovering from injury, 12 hour training sessions etc.
You have to wonder what agents, PR teams and family are saying to these players behind the scenes and how it must effect their attitude to their own development.
His representatives are treating him like a delicate flower. Doesn't seem to be able to take criticism.
For all of the comments blaming the trauma of the summer and missing the penalty, it completely misses the point.
Rashford's workrate is simply not good enough for a top level footballer. When he was on form, his offensive output barely made up for it but when he's not producing offensively, he is a massive liability.
You see the workrate of genuine attacking star players like Salah and Mane and any of the attacking players at City and he's not even in the ball park. This is what puts so much pressure on the midfield 2 to cover and stretches the defence.
Last season there were excuses that his workrate was down due to injury but it's been the case for more than 2 years now. It's not an anomaly. That is just how he plays.
I found these tweets interesting from the other thread:
I am embarrassed. I am a United fan. I am delighted to have got on the scoresheet.
But, WE need to improve.
It's basically, "I'm doing all I can and am being let down by everyone else". I get the impression that mentality is rife throughout the squad just now.
The best way to improve is hard work. That's an individual, not a collective thing. Rashford does not work hard, on the pitch at least. If you could see him put the effort in on the pitch, those tweets would seem less pathetic.
The first thing everyone at United needs to do is look at themselves as the problem and ensure they are putting in the required level of effort for the team to win. Finger pointing and blaming everyone else is a loser mentality and that's where the club is at right now.
Rashford's workrate is simply not good enough for a top level footballer. When he was on form, his offensive output barely made up for it but when he's not producing offensively, he is a massive liability.
You see the workrate of genuine attacking star players like Salah and Mane and any of the attacking players at City and he's not even in the ball park. This is what puts so much pressure on the midfield 2 to cover and stretches the defence.
Last season there were excuses that his workrate was down due to injury but it's been the case for more than 2 years now. It's not an anomaly. That is just how he plays.
I found these tweets interesting from the other thread:
The language is both interesting and telling.
I am embarrassed. I am a United fan. I am delighted to have got on the scoresheet.
But, WE need to improve.
It's basically, "I'm doing all I can and am being let down by everyone else". I get the impression that mentality is rife throughout the squad just now.
The best way to improve is hard work. That's an individual, not a collective thing. Rashford does not work hard, on the pitch at least. If you could see him put the effort in on the pitch, those tweets would seem less pathetic.
The first thing everyone at United needs to do is look at themselves as the problem and ensure they are putting in the required level of effort for the team to win. Finger pointing and blaming everyone else is a loser mentality and that's where the club is at right now.
This is something I do not get at all.
When Ralf first came in, everyone was like ohhh what's the point if Carrick, Mckenna and them are there, they will influence him.
Now, its the same as Fletcher, people make up narratives based on who they like / dislike.
Yeah it's definitely Ralf.
Looking at Rashford's physical attributes you can see why Ralf would like him and give him chances. The problem with Rashford is technically he's not even close to a United level player.
Like half of the team
Or him and his team have fed to Hirst so that he can get a cushty extention.
There's a real lack of self awareness with those PR tweets. Makes me feel like whatever needs fixing with him isn't going to happen.
If you really must put out a tweet, (and let's face it, we are all sick of 'we go again' type crap), honesty and self reflection on one's own performances and owning up to that fact is the first proper step.
Not, 'if anything, I try and care TOO much!'
What a joke
If you really must put out a tweet, (and let's face it, we are all sick of 'we go again' type crap), honesty and self reflection on one's own performances and owning up to that fact is the first proper step.
Not, 'if anything, I try and care TOO much!'
What a joke
Two things:
1. He has a great PR team to get out there, after that performance and speak about both a bumper contract and how if anything he's just working too hard.
2. He's been awful recently, and medicore for getting towards 2 seasons, but people are forgetting he's actually a seriously talented footballer for some reason. For about 3 years he constantly demonstrated excellent technique, an impressively strong shot, incredible pace in behind and the ability to beat a man if isolated. What's failing him right now isn't down to a lack of footballing ability, it's all mental imo. He doesn't know what he's going to do when he receives the ball, and he's thinking way too hard about it.
Didn't we hire a sports psychologist recently? It seems to me that's where this one gets solved.
He's a physical monster with great technique, a United fan and has had seasons in the past that suggest he's a 25+ goals/assists wide forward. It's in everyones' best interest to sort this out, and get him going at United again.
1. He has a great PR team to get out there, after that performance and speak about both a bumper contract and how if anything he's just working too hard.
2. He's been awful recently, and medicore for getting towards 2 seasons, but people are forgetting he's actually a seriously talented footballer for some reason. For about 3 years he constantly demonstrated excellent technique, an impressively strong shot, incredible pace in behind and the ability to beat a man if isolated. What's failing him right now isn't down to a lack of footballing ability, it's all mental imo. He doesn't know what he's going to do when he receives the ball, and he's thinking way too hard about it.
Didn't we hire a sports psychologist recently? It seems to me that's where this one gets solved.
He's a physical monster with great technique, a United fan and has had seasons in the past that suggest he's a 25+ goals/assists wide forward. It's in everyones' best interest to sort this out, and get him going at United again.
Saka missed the decisive pen, has still put them all to shame this season, younger than all of them too. Better mentality or maybe just a bigger talent
This applies to the whole team, not Rashford but this is not a single person sport, he want's to do it all everytime and after each time he fails, he becomes more desperate and predictable, lift your head up and make the pass and find some space, he doesn't need to score from 30 yards with every shot. I don't know if it's not trusting his team, being too desperate to score himself or what the issue is but he and most of our attacking players should be limited to 3 touches in training, all hang on too long and try to the ridiculous far too often.
Good post. He’s been undeniably (mostly) shit for a long time now but the rush to pretend he’s not incredibly talented is silly. Plus his connection to the club is important too.
It was interesting to hear Rangnick talk about the difference between performances in training and match-day. That’s exactly the sort of problem a good sports psychologist will be chomping at the bit to fix. If he was playing as badly in training as he did at OT the other night then the problem could be much harder to resolve.
I generally agree with the above, but how much longer do we excuse his poor performances in the hopes he turns back into the player he was a few years ago? He himself said recently that he's now 'free of injuries', so it now has to be on him to replicate potential ability to actual performances.
What the hell are you on about? Maybe if the Glazers treated this place as an actual football club then we wouldn't be in the shambolic state we're in now.
Every single thing about this club revolves around image and PR. The Ronaldo signing isn't the only example, but it's a perfect one. It runs through everything. We're all style, no substance.
If Rashford wants to leave and not sign a new deal he can go. There is no way we should be giving him a pay rise, 200k is already overpaying him.
I read somewhere that Rashford is back with his childhood sweetheart. So there you go, it’s been woman trouble. There is not worse trouble than woman trouble so hopefully he may start to show his true form.
feck OFF Marcus with the tripe.
There is a huge difference. Fletcher in the Technical Director. He was involved actively in recruiting Ralf. He will be actively involved in the future of Ralf at United. Carrick and McKenna were coaches under him. In a way Fletcher is above Ralf.
Ofcourse it's in everyones best interest to sort this out, and pray that he returns to his best form, I'd be very surprised if anyone feels differently, but in terms of 1 and 2 it's rarely that simple.
Yes, it could be a mental block and that he just needs a bit of guidance and he'll sort himself out, people are quick to forget the effect it can have on performances and how much self confidence actually means, especially at this level.
It could also be far more problematic, he'd hardly be the first or the last highly talented player to perform at the highest level and completely drop off a cliff form wise. The amount of insanely talented youngsters is hardly small, those who make it is even smaller and those who keep performing at the highest level over a long period of time, well.. Parts of that will always be down to mentality, the constant desire to keep improving rather than feeling satisfied, then there's injury combinations having an effect on your major strengths and simply being unable to adapt your game afterwards. The opposition learns how to negate your strengths and you need to improve overall.
What caused Lingard vast improvement and major decline etc etc.
He's been beyond awful recently, but I can't believe how quickly people seemed to turn on him. We always talk about how much football have changed and become mercenaries, but the truth is a lot of you are even worse supporters
I'm glad I'm not the only one who felt that wayYou have just said something that was already posted - so I will do the same.
Rangnick has said that he has been one of the best trainers so he has been picked. Rangnick is in the PR machine too.
A few of these players should take a leaf out of Lewis Hamilton's book and just take a break from Social Media/the media. 1) to escape negativity and 2) to stop with the pity me statements they keep posting.
His performances will be scrutinised and criticesed if they are not good and he will be praised if they are good. I personally don't need to hear how he's training etc, just show some desire on the pitch, show us on the pitch rather than on Instagram.
He of all people should know the standards that the fans hold for united players and he should know the effort that he has been putting into matches for a while now has not been good enough.
Interesting translation.
Asked why the academy graduate was underperforming, interim manager Rangnick said: "Actually I don't know. I think he's trying hard. In training he was doing well in the last couple of days, that's why he was quite rightly in the starting XI.
So are you trying to say, a director cannot work with a manager? Or can't be seen in dialogue with the manager? What is the problem with Fletcher?
Is it you think he picks the team?
Fletcher has always been part of the coaching set up, even prior to his technical director approval.
I actually like the set up because if Ralf and Fletcher are going to be working together next season in a different capacity, him trying to understand what Ralf wants is crucial.
Fletcher and Ralf working together finding out about players is crucial, they'll be able to identify weaknesses in the squad and address it. They will be able to work out who isn't fit to be at the club too.
We all wanted footballing decisions to be left to footballing people.
? How is that different to what I said. In training he was doing well and was therefoee picked by Rangnick
Don't cry.
Not sure why you feel such a need to put your own spin on things, like pretending "doing well" is the same as "one of the best"
Doing Well =\= Best Trainer.
Yes, I honestly don't see the stuff about not caring. Maybe he has a little ego but I couldn't care less about how much less he runs. My problem is how much his brain wastes his talent. He's actually very talented but his application of that talent is disappointing. The nature of his poor decisions are some of the worst.
It's not like a poor Sancho or Bruno performance where you can see what they were trying to execute. Rashford straight up looks like he doesn't know what to do in crowded areas or how to pass out of trouble. If there isn't acres of space behind the last defender I half expect him to have a mediocre or bad game in link up. A terrible trait for a player who's supposed to be receiving the ball in central areas.
A striker has to be very much present in attacking combinations and Rashford is underwhelming when he has to make choices that aren't run into space or shoot. Then he also doesn't have enough to justify a more advanced role, he doesn't have instincts to pounce on half chances and his heading is also abysmal. Can you become a team that can comfortably hold possession and break down low blocks with all of these weaknesses in your starting central striker? I think he should be a rotation option.
Good post.
He's a top player who's just going through a slump in form just like nearly every player does once in a while. Despite that his footwork wasn't bad vs Villa, and although his decision making (and not following up on Greenwood's shot is an error in judgement I feel in that case) has been horrendous. He's scored 42-43 goals in the last 2 seasons, and this despite him not being the designated penalty taker. He's having 20 something assists on top of that. So, people going that he isn't good enough are going a bit overboard.
Having said that, his form this season since the Spurs game has been pretty poor, like every other attacker tbf. He came back from injury with a bang - 3 goals in 4 games and all of them were good finishes.
I just think, Rashford's agents/PR team goes overboard in defending him and that sometimes means there is more scrutiny on him. Just accept he's going through loss in confidence and working hard to get over it or adjusting to the team with introduction of 2 new attackers and be done rather than involving the other 10 variables. All that sound like excuses especially when you're in a prolonged period of poor form and these quotes will come up repeatedly whenever he has a poor game.
Having said that, his form this season since the Spurs game has been pretty poor, like every other attacker tbf. He came back from injury with a bang - 3 goals in 4 games and all of them were good finishes.
I just think, Rashford's agents/PR team goes overboard in defending him and that sometimes means there is more scrutiny on him. Just accept he's going through loss in confidence and working hard to get over it or adjusting to the team with introduction of 2 new attackers and be done rather than involving the other 10 variables. All that sound like excuses especially when you're in a prolonged period of poor form and these quotes will come up repeatedly whenever he has a poor game.
Rooney all over again.
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