Are we really this bad?

Pickle85

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Apologies if this duplicates another thread or three in existence, but so much of my thinking recently has been: 'the players aren't really that bad, they've just stopped playing for the manager' or 'we've spent absurd money on this lot, it can't be a lack of ability, has to be something else'.

Watching today made me worry that, man for man, we actually aren't any better, talent wise, than Brentford et al.
 

Cloud7

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When your second highest paid player passes the ball to a player within his box with three attacking players surrounding him, yes we are this bad
 

Annihilate Now!

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I think I key areas (GK, Full backs, Midfield) we are amongst the worst, if not the worst, in the league.
 

OleGunnar20

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Yep, thos squad is rotten mentally and subpar technically. A disastrous mix.
 

Leg-End

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Yes and this isn't new, they have been this bad for a long time now. Rot is set in.
 

Someone

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I don't get it either. I think the lack of charachter is our biggest problem at the moment. We kept signing mentally weak players for years, maybe they could get by on their own with other teams, but as a group they can't. The ultimate majority of players on the team have zero character.
 

Big Ben Foster

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Individually, some of these players are talented. But between low confidence, poor attitudes / work ethic, and a horrible lack of balance in the squad, they are collectively shit.
 

The_Midfielder

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We have players that cannot play to this system
We have a goalkeeper who is useless playing from the back..
Right-back.. Can't defend.. Can't cross..
Couldn't even get into Milans team
weak cbs
Left back.. Always injured.. Cannot run
No midfield
Strike force of a 37 year old and a lw and re who have lost all confidence
 

Skills

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Martinez cost more than the entire Brentford starting XI.

The players are nowhere near as good as the fees we are continuing to pay for them.
 

rimaldo

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i feel like each of these players have burst into an important meeting at work. pushed me into a swivel chair, pulled the hair at the back of my head to force my face upwards and my mouth open, and then drooled into it.
 

Hammondo

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I don't get it either. I think the lack of charachter is our biggest problem at the moment. We kept signing mentally weak players for years, maybe they could get by on their own with other teams, but as a group they can't. The ultimate majority of players on the team have zero character.
I feel like this thinking is decades out of date. Completely agree we need a big change in mentality, but even if we did these players are not close to good enough.
 

MadDogg

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Individually, some of these players are talented. But between low confidence, poor attitudes / work ethic, and a horrible lack of balance in the squad, they are collectively shit.
This exactly.

Combine that also with terrible coaching for most of the last five or six years, and different players suited to playing different styles of football...its all just a recipe for disaster.
 

BlahRules

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These players just don't care that's the problem. When they got subbed off at half time they showed no emotion. Its the problem with these overpaid players, all they care about is their next pay cheque.

When Ronaldo joined the team it was made clear this team only want to reach their top 4 that's it. We won't win anything for a very long time if these players are still here.
 

Hammondo

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Individually, some of these players are talented. But between low confidence, poor attitudes / work ethic, and a horrible lack of balance in the squad, they are collectively shit.
Which players? I am not saying we don't, just think you might be overeating some.
 

amolbhatia50k

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We have
  • Players who have regressed majorly and are living off their past reputation (likes of Rashford)
  • Players who don't suit progressive foot all (see DDG)
  • Players who don't bother (Shaw)
  • Players who are not good enough at this level (like Dalot and Mct)
  • No players in certain roles (holding midfielder or playmaker in deep areas)
  • A team that is mentally shattered
  • No CF except 37 year old and perennially injured Martial
  • A talisman who is again living off his 1st year at the club and has been rubbish since (Bruno)
All that contributes to a carcrash that is performing way below their natural talent. You have to accept them for what they now are revolutionize the team.
 

Ole'sgunnarwin

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But we finished second.
I think they are this bad. But confident/form/trust/frustation, it's all hugely influencial. This could be like the opposite of Leicester after staying up. Sometimes everything just clicks. Sometimes it's a complete disaster. I'd be surprised if we're not bottom half this season and perhaps dangling around the relegation zone.
 

AndySmith1990

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Yes I think so. It's all looking very bleak. I think we're in for a lot of pain this season
 

the hea

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It was men agains boys in the first half and we where playing fecking Brenford, their players where superior in any aspect of the game. We have the most over rated and over paid squad the football world have ever seen.
 

Von Mistelroum

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At this point we should be trying to look for positives.

This season we're likely to give many teams an 'historic win'. We're spreading genuine joy among opposition fans wherever we go and that's got to count for something!
 

meamth

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We have top "professional" players who can't pass the ball properly. That is a major concern.
 

Stretfordender

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We’re bad make no doubts about it. In fact we’re the worst team in the EPL table doesn’t lie.
 

Roykeaneismagic

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Maybe just a knee jerk reaction after today's debacle but I honestly believe with this group of player's we could be fighting for our lives in a relegation battle this season. We've been completely outplayed by two sides, who, if being totally honest will finish mid table at best.
 

saik

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We have
  • Players who have regressed majorly and are living off their past reputation (likes of Rashford)
  • Players who don't suit progressive foot all (see DDG)
  • Players who don't bother (Shaw)
  • Players who are not good enough at this level (like Dalot and Mct)
  • No players in certain roles (holding midfielder or playmaker in deep areas)
  • A team that is mentally shattered
  • No CF except 37 year old and perennially injured Martial
  • A talisman who is again living off his 1st year at the club and has been rubbish since (Bruno)
All that contributes to a carcrash that is performing way below their natural talent. You have to accept them for what they now are revolutionize the team.
Very well put everyone one of them in different categories. Fully agree with all of those. I would also put Sancho in the Shaw category. He looks he doesn't bother half the time.
 

Aretak

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The squad is genuinely poor when you look at it in an objective light. Not a single player in this current United side would get into the current Liverpool or City teams. Literally not a single one. Bruno might have a couple of years ago, but getting him that lobotomy he wanted for Christmas was a bad idea in hindsight.
 

Todd

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Yes, this team is legitimately bad.

If we don't bring in new players we will probably finish bottom half.
 

Ali Dia

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My take is that we looked untied full of running and good ideas in preseason without Ronaldo. Then Ronadlo comes back into the squad and we fall apart again instantly. It looks to me like a lot of our players aren’t playing for each other and that’s a major major problem.
 

santeria13

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These players just don't care that's the problem. When they got subbed off at half time they showed no emotion. Its the problem with these overpaid players, all they care about is their next pay cheque.

When Ronaldo joined the team it was made clear this team only want to reach their top 4 that's it. We won't win anything for a very long time if these players are still here.
Their next pay check and their next excuse, the latter usually being the manager at the time.
 

Someone

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I feel like this thinking is decades out of date. Completely agree we need a big change in mentality, but even if we did these players are not close to good enough.
Not good enough is what got us 6th last year, but the complete collapse is something else.