Blood Mage
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Mourinho and Ole assembled a disgraceful and loathsome squad of players. Ten Hag should be given full backing in dismantling this snake pit over the next few windows.
Yeah, precisely and he wouldn’t have been giving Bailly the arm around the shoulder treatment if he was taking the piss either. His advice to Dave Brailsford for continued success always sticks with me "Get rid of the c*nts". Unfortunately, the c*nts seem to run our dressing room.Fergie would have dropped every player who didn’t attend the leaving party for staff members even if it meant playing the tea lady in a crucial European cup tie
To be fair, I don't see too many fans on here letting the players of the hook. You're right about the media but I suspect they are biased towards their sources.Sounds like half the story. I can add more. Leaking to the press. Fighting and arguing in the dressing room. Downing tools. 90 percent of players just abandoning all form - Rashford, Bruno, Maguire etc (even with all the sht going down you can still play well - De Gea managed it), Lack of any leadership from senior players - especially the captain. It can go on and on and on. And yet we have already moved into the 'its all Ralfs fault and lets give the players a clean slate' land from some press and fans. I dont think there is anything that could go wrong that didnt. Heck we couldnt even serve hot food that one game!
If Mourinho had his way then Pogba and Martial would have been gone! So we would have got rid of at least two toxic players years ago... the players that Mourinho wanted to buy as replacements is a different story.Mourinho and Ole assembled a disgraceful and loathsome squad of players. Ten Hag should be given full backing in dismantling this snake pit over the next few windows.
My personal highlight
Rangnick sought and received advice from Sir Alex Ferguson. Armas met Ferguson in his lounge after the Young Boys game and explained his history as a player at Chicago Fire and managerial stints at New York Red Bulls and Toronto FC. A glint in his eye, Ferguson smiled and said words to the effect of: “You’ll need more than that here, son.”
This makes for depressing reading. If true, we continue to be poorly run post Woodward. Hopefully ETH gets full support from Murtough and company.https://theathletic.com/3326843/202...ed-inside-ralf-rangnick-spell-interim-manager
Solid article unlike the sensationalism by MEN. Some similar points between the two, so they probably have the same source.
The whole article is really worth reading but here's a summary:
Summary
Coaching
Tactics
- Chased several high profile coaches when Rangnick first came in but we had to settle for Armas because of various reasons (Brexit, visa regulations, unavailability during mid season etc.)
- Bypassed Paul Brand (current analyst at United) and relied on Kornetka (his long term partner) to run video analysis for him. Recommendations were delayed by several days leading to some confusion in training sessions. Armas would be on a call with Kornetka trying to get his insights mid game.
- Psychologist wasn't a huge help - had an open door policy but no one came to see him.
- Eric Ramsay who was bought in as a set piece coach had to fill in as a regular first team coach because of the number of people that left (Carrick, McKenna etc.)
Squad Harmony
- Initially wanted to come up with a strict system and pass on detailed instructions to players.
- Players came from different backgrounds - some thought football was about freedom and some thought more intense tactical sessions in-formation were necessary.
- Ralf thinks bad recruitment lead to this ("At Hoffenheim and RB Leipzig he had led clubs that made signings based on an overarching idea. Publicly he pointed out how Manchester City and Liverpool built squads subservient to a concept. At United this aspect seemed muddled", "In Rangnick’s opinion, United’s results were being affected by a fractured squad put together by five different managers")
- Had to compromise his system to fit in available players - Rangnick regrets doing this.
- Wanted to play a 5-3-2 but his CBs were always injured.
Transfers
- Rangnick and squad themselves were questioning seriousness of players' injuries. (i.e., are they faking it?). Martial was the only one named here.
- Recently made comments about injuries sustained by his players - that was a dig at players faking injuries rather than any issues with the medical team.
- Bailly returned late from AFCON and Rangnick "tore into" him.
- Senior players didn't attend a farewell for long-serving United employees - something Rangnick didn't like.
- Ronaldo drama
- Subbing him off at Brentford
- Dropping him against City etc.
- Greenwood got arrested, Ralf tried to stop the Martial loan move but wasn't successful.
- Tried to get a forward signing in at the last minute on loan.
- "Multiple sources say United’s transfer process lacks agility for having so many checks and balances, eroding a sense of clear direction."
- "United have privately argued it would have been folly to rush an emergency signing, with leverage to the selling club, and a smaller budget for an incoming manager."
- Rangnick questioned why we haven't planned for Matic's departure and instead spent 90M on signing Amad, Pellestri and VdB.
My personal highlight
Rangnick sought and received advice from Sir Alex Ferguson. Armas met Ferguson in his lounge after the Young Boys game and explained his history as a player at Chicago Fire and managerial stints at New York Red Bulls and Toronto FC. A glint in his eye, Ferguson smiled and said words to the effect of: “You’ll need more than that here, son.”
Revisionist history a bit though? Under Ole we were making progress up until this season (when the players decided they were too tired/downed tools again).Mourinho and Ole assembled a disgraceful and loathsome squad of players. Ten Hag should be given full backing in dismantling this snake pit over the next few windows.
Cop out. Jose was part of the problem. His boy Lukaku was part of the toxicity. When the privileges ended under Ole he didn't waste time to get the hell out of here. Same high maintenance diva at chelsea.If Mourinho had his way then Pogba and Martial would have been gone! So we would have got rid of at least two toxic players years ago... the players that Mourinho wanted to buy as replacements is a different story.
Harsh. Fergie was pretty decent.It’s important to listen to Rangnick experience and assessments. He sounds like a very sensible man.
On the other hand I never felt Rangnick took responsibility for anything during his time as a manager. Like he identified himself more as an evaluator than a manager. Pretty weird.
My conclusion: Rangnick is a good evaluator and his strength is strategic thinking. He is a terrible manager; the worst manager we’ve had since SAF.
Honestly, I can't blame him. If you're being subjected to school boy comments from your team and they're perfectly willing to throw you under the bus, why would you take responsibility. There was a definite improvement in performances after he started but then the team downed tools. I think he's right to call them all out and show them up. That dressing room sounds like a nest of vipers.It’s important to listen to Rangnick experience and assessments. He sounds like a very sensible man.
On the other hand I never felt Rangnick took responsibility for anything during his time as a manager. Like he identified himself more as an evaluator than a manager. Pretty weird.
My conclusion: Rangnick is a good evaluator and his strength is strategic thinking. He is a terrible manager; the worst manager we’ve had since SAF.
Murtough and Fletcher definitely don't come out of that article unscathed either. Murtough wouldn't engage with Rangnick on transfers, didn't support him to the team and sent Fletcher off to do his dirty work.This makes for depressing reading. If true, we continue to be poorly run post Woodward. Hopefully ETH gets full support from Murtough and company.
The one in bold really is bemusing isn't it? Did Ole really think Mctominay was going to cut it?
Yes. The clubs been a mess for years. Loads of players have alluded to it over the past decadeIt's going to take years to sort all this shit out isn't it
Ha ha.. You’re right. Have to edit that oneI've no reason to disbelieve any of these claims. They fit most of the models we've discussed ad nauseum - downing tools, lack of cohesion, etc.
He's massively on point in terms of there being a lack of long-term thinking with regard to signings and style of play. We'll do better as a football club to work on this but it could take anywhere between 3-5 years to fix, regardless of whether ETH is a success. I hope fans have the patience for it
Harsh. Fergie was pretty decent.
Correct.Murtough and Fletcher definitely don't come out of that article unscathed either. Murtough wouldn't engage with Rangnick on transfers, didn't support him to the team and sent Fletcher off to do his dirty work.
Yeah, I mean we're getting certain people's points of view for sure. Mike Phelan randomly the only one coming out of it with credit is certainly suspicious! Still, it all rings true with what we're seeing with our own eyes every week. Sounds like Murtough appointed him and almost immediately wanted to wash his hands of him when he started asking questions that may not have portrayed the football departments in great light.Correct.
Upper management shouldn't leave a coach/manager (even an interim one) bewildered. They should be clear about what they want, first and foremost.
And they certainly shouldn't sit back if there's any reason to think the coach/manager lacks authority in the dressing room.
We can hire all the ETHs in the world, it'll make feck all difference if there's no dramatic change in how the people above him run the football side.
[Obvious caveat: we shouldn't treat this article as gospel.]
I've been saying the same for a while (and I didn't even remember Diaz!)This is probably lost among the more sensational stuff in the article but it's so telling. Recruitment meetings taking place where nothing happens.
Also, I wish the cliché that January is a bad time to do business would die a death. Kulusevski, Bruno Guimaraes, Christian Eriksen, Coutinho and Luis Diaz were all done in January of this year in the PL and have had huge impacts for their clubs. Bruno was signed in a January window for god's sake.
We have finally got the answer to who he's been speaking to all this time with his air podsCoaching
Armas would be on a call with Kornetka trying to get his insights mid game.
If it exposes all the cnuts in the team then it absolutely is helping.Laurie Whitwell can absolutely do one as far as I'm concerned. He's supposed to be a big united fan but has a new massive leaked story every single week it feels like and it's really really not helping matters.
Maybe. It has already and we're as shit as ever.It's going to take years to sort all this shit out isn't it
He's a journalist!Laurie Whitwell can absolutely do one as far as I'm concerned. He's supposed to be a big united fan but has a new massive leaked story every single week it feels like and it's really really not helping matters.
More than likely, yeah. The fact of the matter is, our two biggest rivals have better managers, better recruitment and a better structure both on the field and off it. Realistically, we could do everything right and still not overtake those two teams.It's going to take years to sort all this shit out isn't it
Exactly.Maybe. It has already and we're as shit as ever.
But these stories always come out when a team is losing and shit. If we were winning and successful, we could have 80% of the same problems behind the scenes and not hear about it.
If the club start making some good decisions, getting a style of play, enjoy playing and things start to click then it'll turn around quickly. It's about getting that break I think.
I can't even think of one player who I'd say has 100% unequivocally been a success in the last decade. Once they sort out the simple things like recruitment, and little thing after little thing start going right, it'll change the whole momentum.
Whether United will start making good decisions is yet to be seen.
It's like when people criticise Andy Mitten. They are journalists who respect their profession.He's a journalist!
You expect him to turn down stories and not report on them because it might paint United in a bad way. That's not his problem.
Yeah, I'm surprised at some of the shit Mitten gets on here. He's been in the game for a long time and is very respected. Not to say you have to agree with everything he says, but at the end of the day, it's up to United to sort their shit out. Not for journalists to not report on it.It's like when people criticise Andy Mitten. They are journalists who respect their profession.
Why did Ralf and the club allow them to leave then?If we don’t use Ralf going forward then we really have to ask why we allowed our season to basically end in mid November when a top 4 finish was definitely achievable - Ralf wasn’t given a chance especially after all the coaches left - if the club had been more assertive about Ralfs long term position it may have helped him with the egos and attitudes of the players and basically enabled him to assert for authority with there being some consequences - sounds like the players had no respect and didn’t give a shit.
Shocking to have allowed this to go on…….maybe Ed’s last gift!
Since when did Ralf let them leave? He has no say. It's the club who let them leave. Plus it would create a much worse atmosphere trying to keep coaches who don't want to be at the club. These are not players who needs to get transferred.Why did Ralf and the club allow them to leave then?
They were under contract so they couldn't just unilaterally decide to feck off mid-season. Ralf didn't seem too fussed when he let McKenna leave for Ipswich a few weeks into his reign.
We can't blame our managers. Our scouting department has been nothing short of a disgrace and by all accounts Ed Woodward meddled in transfers and sometimes just outright went and signed players...like is seemingly the case with DvdBED WOODWARDMourinho and Oleassembled a disgraceful and loathsome squad of players. Ten Hag should be given full backing in dismantling this snake pit over the next few windows.
When he became the manager obviously. McKenna was sitting on the bench beside him for his first few games in charge so he didn't leave without Ralf's blessing. If Rangnick had told the club he needed McKenna then he wouldn't have been allowed to speak to Ipswich.Since when did Ralf let them leave? He has no say. It's the club who let them leave. Plus it would create a much worse atmosphere trying to keep coaches who don't want to be at the club. These are not players who needs to get transferred.
My personal highlight
Rangnick sought and received advice from Sir Alex Ferguson. Armas met Ferguson in his lounge after the Young Boys game and explained his history as a player at Chicago Fire and managerial stints at New York Red Bulls and Toronto FC. A glint in his eye, Ferguson smiled and said words to the effect of: “You’ll need more than that here, son.”
And as far as I know no player has hired a current (temporary hiatus) Athletic journalist to work as their media advisor.any report took a pro player approach in the same way this has for Rangnick the responses would be accusing players of briefing the press and being unprofessional.