agreed, I think I could have accepted it if we changed it up, 2/3 subs at the 60 min mark and went for it. Did come across as somewhat giving up.
Anyone else feeling ok after losing to City in the semi-final of the Carabao Cup?
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I think the set piece defending is a major issue for us. From the stand point of "bottling it", maybe that term is harsh for yesterday but we continue to defend set pieces like that against city or the dippers, we're done.
Agree, Ed let down Ole this summer and if he was properly backed with a world class CB and RW, we'd be putting in a legitimate title challenge!
Yeah so frustrating that we wasted that window.
Let’s hope we can add something in Jan and really strengthen again in the summer. We simply have to if we are to show real progress from here.
I was dissapointed last night,but I guess we do have to accept the fact that we were beaten by the better team.Last nights game clearly showed the gulf in class between the 2 sides,so we still have to go a long way before we can reach that level...
I know I will get shot down for this but I've made my mind up that il be okay if we end up second with this squad even in this league. I am able to be patient yet able to both be disappointed and happy aslong as there is progress year upon year, 2nd this year and a title on the next.
I don't really see many world class players and I feel like Ole has made players play above their level. Only really Bruno and Rashford would get in to City and Liverpool, with Maguire, Fred, Shaw probably being the best out of the rest.
Its really nothing to shout about as a squad and last summer Woodward clearly didnt trust Ole yet. He has to give the money and go for big players. We lack CDM, ST, RW, CB maybe even 2, a competing RB. So many positions, it's quite impressive what Ole has done especially when you look at his rotating style of tactic and squad.
Disappointed by the cup result but dont give a shit as long as there is progress from the year before. I'm happy with a slow and steady approach rather than a quick and nasty approach that leads to the next Mourinho around the corner. I really cant handle that.
I don't really see many world class players and I feel like Ole has made players play above their level. Only really Bruno and Rashford would get in to City and Liverpool, with Maguire, Fred, Shaw probably being the best out of the rest.
Its really nothing to shout about as a squad and last summer Woodward clearly didnt trust Ole yet. He has to give the money and go for big players. We lack CDM, ST, RW, CB maybe even 2, a competing RB. So many positions, it's quite impressive what Ole has done especially when you look at his rotating style of tactic and squad.
Disappointed by the cup result but dont give a shit as long as there is progress from the year before. I'm happy with a slow and steady approach rather than a quick and nasty approach that leads to the next Mourinho around the corner. I really cant handle that.
I think 'feeling ok' is the right sentiment. Not happy but not sad either. On paper, we, the 3rd best team in the league based on last season, played against the 2nd best team and lost. Also, their big summer signing had a motm performance while we didn't recruit one first XI player in the last window. So, it was a likely outcome.
If we don't go to Anfield being three points clear, then I'll be disappointed.
If we don't go to Anfield being three points clear, then I'll be disappointed.
Nope. Still savagely pissed off. Was worse after the Leipzig and Palace game though. Losing to City(or anyone) in a semi is never going to go down well.
Although Im trying to look on the positive side that the season is far from over.
Although Im trying to look on the positive side that the season is far from over.
I feel about the same. Hopefully we put this result aside and get a win in the next game.
It is OK but for the first time, I think Ole did not help the players by not providing a structure to win the game. There are some thoughts to be had.
I am all in into Ole, so this is the first time, but Ole needs to be better.
Maybe he needs a Matic replacement to continue the development of this team.
We need that player in Jan so that he can learn from Matic and be ready next Sep.
I am all in into Ole, so this is the first time, but Ole needs to be better.
Maybe he needs a Matic replacement to continue the development of this team.
We need that player in Jan so that he can learn from Matic and be ready next Sep.
I am completely ok with it. It turns out to be a good lesson for the team and hope they can learn from it so that they can handle better when playing those big rivals in the rest of league games.
I also hope Ole not to use the diamond midfield anymore.
I also hope Ole not to use the diamond midfield anymore.
I really agree with you OP. We weren't bad, just not on the same page as city.
Our midfield still isn't good enough. We badly missed Cavani, and who would have thought that at the beginning of the season.
I really enjoyed the game even if we were bad in the last third. Its miles better then last year and Ole showed he wanted to win by us playing our game and not parking the bus.
When reading the match thread it felt like people are still stuck with the belief that our squad is on par with citys. It really isn't. Fred and mct are nowhere as good as fernadinho and gundogan. Kdb och bruno are equally good when they are on their top game but bruno just didnt get it right last night and his last show showed he got frustrated with his performance.
I dont mind us losing out on the league cup, it would be good for moral to get a cup but we still have fa, europa league and a remote chance on the league title. Its not the end of the world and Ole is still the right man.
Our midfield still isn't good enough. We badly missed Cavani, and who would have thought that at the beginning of the season.
I really enjoyed the game even if we were bad in the last third. Its miles better then last year and Ole showed he wanted to win by us playing our game and not parking the bus.
When reading the match thread it felt like people are still stuck with the belief that our squad is on par with citys. It really isn't. Fred and mct are nowhere as good as fernadinho and gundogan. Kdb och bruno are equally good when they are on their top game but bruno just didnt get it right last night and his last show showed he got frustrated with his performance.
I dont mind us losing out on the league cup, it would be good for moral to get a cup but we still have fa, europa league and a remote chance on the league title. Its not the end of the world and Ole is still the right man.
Disappointed on the night of course, i didn't really want to read anything on the caf after it.
Lets get the job done against Burnley.
Lets get the job done against Burnley.
It was the normal thing to happen in a knock out competition where the better team with the better manager won comfortably.
Disappointed but otherwise fine. We played reasonably well against a very good team with a world class manager.
Frustrated we conceded from a set piece, their second was just a great shot.
I’ll never forget watching us get played off the park against them in the same competition two seasons ago at home, that was fecking bleak and yesterday’s performance was a good indicator of how far we’ve come.
Beat Burnley and we’re clear top of the league almost halfway through. That’s pretty sweet considering the ups and downs we’ve had this season.
Last nights result changes nothing, I’m still feeling positive about the future.
Frustrated we conceded from a set piece, their second was just a great shot.
I’ll never forget watching us get played off the park against them in the same competition two seasons ago at home, that was fecking bleak and yesterday’s performance was a good indicator of how far we’ve come.
Beat Burnley and we’re clear top of the league almost halfway through. That’s pretty sweet considering the ups and downs we’ve had this season.
Last nights result changes nothing, I’m still feeling positive about the future.
Absolutely.
The Mickey Mouse Cup simply has no bearing on how I perceive our season. It’s a meaningless trophy when we win it, in my opinion, and I don’t care if we go out of the cup.
Of course, I’d always prefer to beat City. But more than that, nothing.
The Mickey Mouse Cup simply has no bearing on how I perceive our season. It’s a meaningless trophy when we win it, in my opinion, and I don’t care if we go out of the cup.
Of course, I’d always prefer to beat City. But more than that, nothing.
Standards are so low now.
Next we have anyone feel ok with relegation?
Next we have anyone feel ok with relegation?
Our inability to defend set pieces is the lasting concern after last night, but overall I'm not even remotely as bothered as I was after the Leipzig defeat and CL elimination, where we were completely and utterly outclassed. We competed on fairly even terms last night and if all our forwards hadn't simultaneously had terrible matches (which is a relative rarity) we had every chance of nicking the first goal and winning that. Burnley and Liverpool matches will be the more significant barometers of our progress imo.
that's what it's becoming. Got alot of contradictory comments of people who will laugh at the like of Poch's time with Spurs but then somehow defend Ole when he's basically producing the same yield with even more resources.One thing I can't understand is that fans are waiting for us to sign more fancy surnames and all of a sudden be ready to judge the manager. Solskjaer has to earn that time, not one manager in world football has been given an automatic 4 years irrespective of their performance within building the team. To Ole's credit he has achieved the bear minimum to keep him in the job. But his time is running out, he is simply another 80 million pound signing away from HAVING to deliver. Neville said it best the failure to win any trophies the longer it goes the more pressure the manager puts onto himself sub consciously.
Would never say “I’d take that defeat”
Its not like there’s an upside!
Its not like there’s an upside!
matic is the only one we have able to control the tempo. But his legs are gone. It’s hard to find a young midfielder with that capability.
Not too bothered about the cup.
But what pisses me off is every time we play a Baldiola team, he dominates us possession wise. I am still waiting for the day when we dominate a Baldiola team.
But what pisses me off is every time we play a Baldiola team, he dominates us possession wise. I am still waiting for the day when we dominate a Baldiola team.
I never like to loose, especially to city but I’m not too arsed about this cup and wasnt upset after the game.
last night felt like a reality to check to getting too carried away that we can win the league.
We still look a good way behind citys level to me. I expect them to win the league if they retain that level of performance. I think we will be in the mix for top 4
that said i think we are the best we have been post Fergie.
last night felt like a reality to check to getting too carried away that we can win the league.
We still look a good way behind citys level to me. I expect them to win the league if they retain that level of performance. I think we will be in the mix for top 4
that said i think we are the best we have been post Fergie.
Yea i think they will win it, although its a topsy turvy season.
If we lose to Pool and they win their games in hand, they will go top.
I wasn't that upset to be honest. I knew where we were going into this season, and I know where I wanted us to improve. Halfway through the season I think we're well on the way towards reaching those expectations.
There have been areas which have exceeded expectations (our league position and consistency) and areas where we've fallen short (throwing away a commanding position in the CL group) but by and large we've done well. I don't think anybody is dumb enough to think our league position means we're the best, or even second best side in the country - City or Liverpool at their best are still clearly a level above us and City showed that last night.
It shows us where we need to get to. Bruno aside, we didn't play too badly - we just weren't good enough to match City playing like that.
There have been areas which have exceeded expectations (our league position and consistency) and areas where we've fallen short (throwing away a commanding position in the CL group) but by and large we've done well. I don't think anybody is dumb enough to think our league position means we're the best, or even second best side in the country - City or Liverpool at their best are still clearly a level above us and City showed that last night.
It shows us where we need to get to. Bruno aside, we didn't play too badly - we just weren't good enough to match City playing like that.
I think it was a great chance for a trophy to prove to this squad and manager they can win one. Disappointed to go out at another semifinal.
But I just find it absurd and tiring that our fanbase has to go into meltdown at every loss or dropped points. News flash, we can't win every game. We played a good team yesterday. We made preventable mistakes, but we played a good team. There is no perspective in this fanbase. I was furious after the UCL defeat to Leipzig, but it was unbearable to go onto social media yesterday and seeing so-called United fans (I know all these FT care about is attetion and praise from rival fans) slagging off all our players and manager, the flip-flopping is like nothing else I've seen. Not every loss is a crisis, that's all I can say.
But I just find it absurd and tiring that our fanbase has to go into meltdown at every loss or dropped points. News flash, we can't win every game. We played a good team yesterday. We made preventable mistakes, but we played a good team. There is no perspective in this fanbase. I was furious after the UCL defeat to Leipzig, but it was unbearable to go onto social media yesterday and seeing so-called United fans (I know all these FT care about is attetion and praise from rival fans) slagging off all our players and manager, the flip-flopping is like nothing else I've seen. Not every loss is a crisis, that's all I can say.
It’s very annoying. Must win the next two now.
Incidentally, does anyone listen to the Guardian weekly football podcast? I cannot stand the anti Utd bias on there they are so unbelievably condescending towards us and I feel like this is a view across the board with pundits/journos. There wasn’t much between the sides last night, came down to set pieces but listening to them you’d think we were a relegation side who could do nothing to cope with the might of City.
Incidentally, does anyone listen to the Guardian weekly football podcast? I cannot stand the anti Utd bias on there they are so unbelievably condescending towards us and I feel like this is a view across the board with pundits/journos. There wasn’t much between the sides last night, came down to set pieces but listening to them you’d think we were a relegation side who could do nothing to cope with the might of City.
I actually do, thought it was a tight game and the better team won in the end. We still have work to do regarding our midfield and control on games but it biggest one is if course our defense. We suck at standards and can't defend them to save our lives.
Not to bothered but of course I want us to compete for cups badly.
Not to bothered but of course I want us to compete for cups badly.
I went into the game not giving a feck, it's the league cup. What worried me about the game is the difference in levels at times between the two sides - not exactly a positive indicator for what's to come for the rest of the season. Hopefully we can put the loss behind us and keep getting results though.
Really? Are you sure?
I don't understand why United fans underrating cups. I can understand City or Chelsea fans because they are winning something every year but our fans? We didn't won anything nearly 4 years now. We need a trophy for morale boost and to show that we are back.
I wasn’t that bothered till I saw this thread. The state of cuckery knows no bounds.
We were not at our best last night & lost a game, definitely not something to throw the dummy out over but fans falling over themselves to look less bothered about a loss to a rival in yet another cup semi-final is stomach churning.
We were not at our best last night & lost a game, definitely not something to throw the dummy out over but fans falling over themselves to look less bothered about a loss to a rival in yet another cup semi-final is stomach churning.
Always want to win. Always. But at the same time, you have to hold hands up when you get beaten by a better team. Not by much but better. I think it is clear we showed that we have closed the distance to ManCIty. It wasn't a best game from our side but we did ok. Shame we didn't get to the final but we look forward.
This./
People like to throw around the arrogance argument when posters were asking for more from OgS but apparently are ok with continually failing in cup semi finals because, ‘it’s only the. . . [enter cup name here]’.
We should be about trophy collecting & by the time you reach the latter stages of a competition where you’re starting your best 11 available there’s really no excuse to not hope to win it.
I do, or I did inside at least before reading this thread, so it's a real worry that the fact it seems ok overall is just an ever lowering of standards, or worse still an acceptance of what we have become, a semi final defeat from a rival should always be a kick in the teeth, and make you angry.
Same.
I think it might be different people though. Some might have too high standards at times and too low other times.
One thing I can't understand is that fans are waiting for us to sign more fancy surnames and all of a sudden be ready to judge the manager. Solskjaer has to earn that time, not one manager in world football has been given an automatic 4 years irrespective of their performance within building the team. To Ole's credit he has achieved the bear minimum to keep him in the job. But his time is running out, he is simply another 80 million pound signing away from HAVING to deliver. Neville said it best the failure to win any trophies the longer it goes the more pressure the manager puts onto himself sub consciously.
I think the thing is subconciously some people are happy with top 4 and no trophies. Just like Arsenal fans. Now it could be worse than that, but I think you should always aim high.
I’m ok with the loss, don’t really care that much about this cup. But I’ve watched most City games this season and seen their transformation from unstable and insecure, to a winning machine. And yesterday’s match just confirmed that even if we are fighting with Liverpool at the top right now, City will win the PL by a large margin anyway.
I'm not to upset about it. Thought it was a good opportunity to get a first trophy under Ole but it was not to be. Tough to beat city right now, but we should have done better. Anyways let's keep winning in the League.
Too many players had bad nights, Bruno, Rashford, Martial, McTominay included and nobody else picked up the slack. It was always going to happen, players do get tired; I hate losing to City but Id rather lose against them in what is in all honesty a throw away tournament than the Prem or FA Cup.
I don't see it that way. There has been a lot of turmoil around United after SAF and truth be told it's the hardest job in world football because of our standards. There exists this expectation of failure at the club after SAF left, that the manager is bad and sacked and the next is even worse.. that feeling is being perpetuated even by those fans claiming to 'have great standards', and at times what those expectations really does is make people lose sight and only see the negatives. It's like if you are working on learning a new skill like playing the guitar. All you can really do to improve is to face failure after failure that's the only way.. you have to find something, some reason to stay positive to keep going until you get there. If you don't you will just say ah I've sucked at doing this 100 times now, this wont get better and I give up.
One thing I can't understand is that fans are waiting for us to sign more fancy surnames and all of a sudden be ready to judge the manager. Solskjaer has to earn that time, not one manager in world football has been given an automatic 4 years irrespective of their performance within building the team. To Ole's credit he has achieved the bear minimum to keep him in the job. But his time is running out, he is simply another 80 million pound signing away from HAVING to deliver. Neville said it best the failure to win any trophies the longer it goes the more pressure the manager puts onto himself sub consciously.
You can quit, or "fire" the manager at anytime but that's not really a winners mentality and so I highly disagree with the notion that 'standards have dropped' is a great point, when the opposing side of that argument consist mostly of people who might just have a patient approach in evaluating the progress under Ole.
The point about sub consciously getting more pressure as time go by is a moot point, as it's rooted in our earlier approaches to hiring managers. It completely ignores the aspect of long term thinking. Van Gaal had that in mind but completely ignored it once he realised nobody liked him that much and all he could do to win the over was to win trophies. To me he abandoned a real chance to do something big here. Win big or go home. It's not how Fergie did it, he just won shit he didn't go home if he didn't. So that's not what we wont from our managers, we want longterm thinking and if Ole started worrying about fake pressure to 'keep his job' it removes the positive non-egotistical aspect of having a manger like Ole in the first place. If the board take that away from him, or he loses that perspective there is no difference from him to Van Gaal, imo.
We might no be there yet in terms of trophies but it's clear to see we're on the right path. If we're on the right path but sometimes stops the development then we have to look at it but if things keeps moving forward then sooner or later we'll start to dominate. If we have a great team under Ole, plays finals and lose them year after year then yeah he has to go, but we're not there yet. He keeps his job if we continue to develop, once we start to set back from what he has built questions can be asked. The only midfielder he has bought is VDB and he doesn't even seem to have wanted him. Despite him getting a tune out of Matic, Pogba, McTominay, Fred at times, it's not his team. Last season he relied on Pereira, Lingard and Mata heavily the first half of the season. Phil Jones is still at the club. That's not even that long ago. Some things moves at a faster pace at the club, and some things don't. Some things is down to Ole, other things is just not his fault.
We don't have someone that can guide Ed, no DOF or anything like that and because of it we rely so much on Ole's profile and attributes because he does bring some of that. Thinking longterm, I would hope that even the next manager we pick wont be a rash decision, there is simply no need for it. We're pretty stable now and we have to thank Ole for that, at the least, even if he wont win any trophy. If we sack him mid season and don't hire a DOF and just hire a random manager in place, that's our problem. That Ed, and shouldn't be what we want. But look, he wont stay here forever and times come to and end for all managers, even if that is by leaving the club by mutual agreement, gets sacked or wants a bigger challenge. There is no shame in that and happens everywhere. The fact is, there is no bigger challenge than being manager at United, there is no way to go but down. Ole can do pretty well and if all fans act hysterically polarised in their opinions, like the tide is telling us to do, the pressure will be not only on Ole but the club and their reactions will probably be in line with that rash mindset. Something we don't really want. Why should Ole be painted as a total failure even if he is not that, just not quite good enough.
There is a middle grown to be found here but the standards of the club is unchanged in that regard so even we're not been a top team of the pitch we're still always on everybody's lips for better or worse and in the nature of that, unless you are SAF and manage to stay on for 100 years you'll be 'a failure'. If Ole manages to play Knocking on heavens door I'll be singing, it might not be SAF with his Beethoven's No. 29 in B flat major 20 years without sleeping but it's something. It's not quitting, being positive towards Ole is not what dropping standards is.