Our lack of physicality

Even with everyone fit, we have almost no midfield or forward player, with the exception of young Rasmus Hojlund, with the necessary physical strength, ability to tackle or retain the ball under physical pressure.
Bruno does at least try, but usually ends up bouncing off the stronger opponent.
Casemiro has lost the physical edge and is a liability with his lateness and clumsiness
Most of the others can’t or won’t even try.
Mainoo and Garnacho can be excused as they’re only kids and not fully physically developed.

All season, we’ve seen nearly every team in the PL, even the strugglers, easily take the ball off our players (like taking sweets from a kid), win most of the 50/50’s, be quicker to the loose ball…. and just storm right through our midfield, like it didn’t exist (probably because doesn’t).

This is not a new phenomenon.
It was the same under Ole, despite Fred’s desperate efforts to do the physical stuff (his diminutive stature and short legs prevented him being effective physically, a lot of the time).
Matic’s physicality and pace faded badly and we didn’t address the issue then.
It’s a significant weakness that we’ve had for far too long.
Until we have a squad with more robust and quicker reacting players, we are not going to be challenging in this league.

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I agree that even when everyone is fit and available the supposed best team we have is still not really an athletic or aggressive team. I think most people would say our best 11 looks something like this:

Onana
Dalot Varane Martinez Shaw
Mainoo Casemiro Bruno
Garnacho Hojlund Rashford​

Not exactly a team with formidable energy levels is it, even if you switch Mount for Mainoo or another defender for Varane. What a crap plan for a team.
 
I’m sure I recall an interview with EtH before he joined us (possibly?) talking about how Pep first struggled when he joined city because he under estimated the pace and physicality of the PL. I’ll try to go find that somewhere.

It was good signs because I thought we’d found a coach who was aware of it. Only for this fecking bald dud to go and sign basically zero fecking players with those characteristics.
 
Ish said:
Found it:

https://onefootball.com/en/news/eri...udged-physicality-of-premier-league-29894972#

So please tell me how you have that kind of insight before joining us, and then to still go on and make the signings you’ve made?
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Some kind of mental breakdown or undiagnosed neurological condition, honestly. This has long bothered me, and I can't explain it in terms of 'normal' , non- pathological decision-making. Even if it was recruitment 1st choices being missed out on, why wouldn't he be going for his 2nd or 3rd choices with similar profiles.
 
This will be the focus of any new hires I believe. It’s more about attitude than just being fast/strong to be honest. A lot of Pool, City, Arsenal players aren’t that rapid or big but they are aggressive feckers. That said we need more pace in the team because of silly hires in the middle/attack.
 
This always makes me think back to some interview with a winger who talked about playing against Valencia (once converted to RB). He said he absolutely hated playing United because Valencia was just a solid piece of steel that would tackle you hard, run faster than you and get in physical battles the whole 90.

Our team is powder puff for sure. Mainoo, Fernandes and Eriksen has to be the weakest midfield that has played in the Premier League.

Then again, Jose's giants didn't really move mountains either.
 
Yes agree we lack physicality but not the whole story, we just don’t work or move as a team. Front three push up defence drop massive space in midfield. Not rocket science to fix it. Our tactics are dumb.
 
Beachryan said:
This always makes me think back to some interview with a winger who talked about playing against Valencia (once converted to RB). He said he absolutely hated playing United because Valencia was just a solid piece of steel that would tackle you hard, run faster than you and get in physical battles the whole 90.

Our team is powder puff for sure. Mainoo, Fernandes and Eriksen has to be the weakest midfield that has played in the Premier League.

Then again, Jose's giants didn't really move mountains either.
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Won 2 trophies and then got our highest league total since SAF. Then implosion. We had an issue with pace with Matic, Lindelof, Ibra type signings but at least we had a lot of physicality in that side and I can’t remember us ever taking a hiding like we did under latter managers. It was basic but there was a much better attitude which then changed once Ibra left (by then I think Young had also gone as the last of the older guard who was vocal, I like Carrick but he’s a very calm/quiet guy) and the club backed Pogba over the manager. Since then it’s really been player power ruling the roost.
 
tomaldinho1 said:
Won 2 trophies and then got our highest league total since SAF. Then implosion. We had an issue with pace with Matic, Lindelof, Ibra type signings but at least we had a lot of physicality in that side and I can’t remember us ever taking a hiding like we did under latter managers. It was basic but there was a much better attitude which then changed once Ibra left (by then I think Young had also gone as the last of the older guard who was vocal, I like Carrick but he’s a very calm/quiet guy) and the club backed Pogba over the manager. Since then it’s really been player power ruling the roost.
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That's probably fair. Issue being building around players like Matic/Ibra who were clearly at the end of their careers. But how we could use some actual steel these days.
 
Beachryan said:
This always makes me think back to some interview with a winger who talked about playing against Valencia (once converted to RB). He said he absolutely hated playing United because Valencia was just a solid piece of steel that would tackle you hard, run faster than you and get in physical battles the whole 90.

Our team is powder puff for sure. Mainoo, Fernandes and Eriksen has to be the weakest midfield that has played in the Premier League.

Then again, Jose's giants didn't really move mountains either.
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I think the common denominator is inability to cover ground with any pace or intensity.
 
Beachryan said:
That's probably fair. Issue being building around players like Matic/Ibra who were clearly at the end of their careers. But how we could use some actual steel these days.
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Yeah it’s an easy problem to fix as well. I don’t get how our recruitment could be so poor though - we’ve got a slow CB pair (no matter what combo you use), a very slow/weak midfield (although Mainoo is still developing) and an average pace attack. The spine is a dream for any half fast player to counter and just bomb through our midfield.
 
Been saying it since the start of the season when wolves decimated us on the opening wknd. Initially i thought it was just a bit of rustiness and blamed another stupid arduous trip to the US.

but it’s been prevalent through the season.

my biggest laugh out loud moment v palace was seeing Eriksen try to commit a tactical foul on a man that had just waltzed past him. He was too slow to even be close enough to make contact with his opponents leg

if you breakdown some key elements of a modern epl player (pace, strength, mental strength, technical ability and I’ll add injury proneness) and apply that to each member of our squad. They might (at best) have two of those traits.
 
Irwin99 said:
I agree that even when everyone is fit and available the supposed best team we have is still not really an athletic or aggressive team. I think most people would say our best 11 looks something like this:

Onana
Dalot Varane Martinez Shaw
Mainoo Casemiro Bruno
Garnacho Hojlund Rashford​

Not exactly a team with formidable energy levels is it, even if you switch Mount for Mainoo or another defender for Varane. What a crap plan for a team.
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Compare this to City with Dias, Akanji, Walker, Ake, De Bruyne, Rodri and Haaland, or Arsenal with White, Saliba, Gabriel, Rice, Havertz etc... the best teams in England are rammed full of top athletes and physical specimens who are also good and technically consistent footballers. We get bullied on both counts.
 
ToToMarshall said:
Compare this to City with Dias, Akanji, Walker, Ake, De Bruyne, Rodri and Haaland, or Arsenal with White, Saliba, Gabriel, Rice, Havertz etc... the best teams in England are rammed full of top athletes and physical specimens who are also good and technically consistent footballers. We get bullied on both counts.
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Also a big part of why we're terrible on set pieces.
 
fps said:
Yes agree we lack physicality but not the whole story, we just don’t work or move as a team. Front three push up defence drop massive space in midfield. Not rocket science to fix it. Our tactics are dumb.
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Exactly, if anyone expects a new signing to come in and cover that level of ground they're delusional.We might improve but the bigger issue is tactical.
 
Lentwood said:
...is our #1 biggest problem.

Every other club figured out a decade ago that 28 is now "old" in football terms. We're still paying £60m for 30yos
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It’s not necessarily about age, but the ability to withstand challenges and physical pressure, the ability to effectively do the same to opponent players, being able to retain control of the ball and not have it just taken off you, stopping opponents simply brushing past you as if you’re not there, being much faster to react and have the pace and acceleration over a few yards (a defensive ability), plus the natural inclination and desire to do these things.
There’s a general lack of pace going forward too.

There are players who can perform in these areas, well into their early thirties, but this issue is, we have younger players in their early, mid and late 20’s who are just too limp.

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Lentwood said:
...is our #1 biggest problem.

Every other club figured out a decade ago that 28 is now "old" in football terms. We're still paying £60m for 30yos
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You can have older players in your team for their experience and tactical nous, but just make sure to surround them with younger, stronger, more athletic players who can run the extra mile. Real Madrid have a 34 year old Kroos bossing it in midfield but surround him with the likes of Valverde, Tchouameni, Camavinga and Bellingham.
 
Baxquux said:
Some kind of mental breakdown or undiagnosed neurological condition, honestly. This has long bothered me, and I can't explain it in terms of 'normal' , non- pathological decision-making. Even if it was recruitment 1st choices being missed out on, why wouldn't he be going for his 2nd or 3rd choices with similar profiles.
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Leftback99 said:
Yep, I mentioned it earlier in the thread.

Absolutely baffling. His signings are like he's never watched a PL game in his life.
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Yep, absolutely baffling only explained by what I can assume is extreme willfull arrogance with a heavy dose of narcissism.
 
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