Damage done by previous regime

[Ixion]

At that stage in the season, sure. They were certainly not at the halfway point. What indications were there that the squad was good enough when they were dropping points left right and center under Lampard?

But the argument is Ole left the 2nd best team in the country as it finished 2nd, that he left squad that only needs to move up 1 place in the league. I think Liverpool sticking 4 past us at OT in May and 5 again this season, and Chelsea winning the CL suggests we might not be the second best team in the league and there's actually plenty to do before we're winning it.

 

[stevoc]

I wouldn't want him to cut it out completely. It's his game and it's an important part of who he is as a player.

He needs to work on improving his positoning and timing. He's running too far forward this season, he leaves the central area, the area where he is most effective too much. He finds himself out on the wing or playing almost like a second striker. That is not his game.

I think he'd be more effective if he was less rash on the ball and worked on getting in better positions to create and play those risky passes, rather than running all over the place and trying the killer pass from where ever he happens to find himself.

That I do agree with mate, he's been playing as almost a striker way too much we don't need him up there especially now with Ronaldo.

 

[RUCK4444]

Most here are glass half empty. The problem is that, once again, opinions tend to polarize at extremes without allowing for a bit of nuance.

The problems we had before the season are still there: lack of midfield options / quality. This is key to the 4-2-2-2 and to pressing.

we have too much talent in attack to say we don’t have the players for the 4-2-2-2. Also, pace and workrate are key and we have an abundance of pace in attack.

There is a possibility that a single player picked up in January could be transformative to the side, a la Bruno in 2020.

Yeah I agree. If we can get an impact signing for midfield it could be huge for us.

I’m interested to see who Ralf wants for midfield.

 

[Foxbatt]

Let's forget about the previous regime and look at the current one. It's gone now.

 

[McTerminator]

Jesus fecking Christ move on

this is the concise version of what I’ve been saying I think

 

[sunama]

Did you say 3 years ? we were pretty good last season

We finished 2nd, but it's debatable just how good we were.
Bruno was a revelation and single-handedly dragged us up the table.
Had Bruno not joined, I could see us finishing mid-table.
In so many matches we got beat in the 2nd half and had to make a comeback in the 2nd half. Not sure why that happened so frequently.

In any case, the players simply aren't as fit as players from other clubs. The players we have bought in though, are very talented which is why so many times we relied on individual brilliance to win us matches, as opposed to tactics or a system.

 

[Siezard]

Lindegaard
Rafael Vidic Rio Evra
Nani Fletcher Kagawa
Javier Hernandez
Welbeck RVP

Can this team survive in the premier league?

It was sold by LVG.

 

[stevoc]

We finished 2nd, but it's debatable just how good we were.
Bruno was a revelation and single-handedly dragged us up the table.
Had Bruno not joined, I could see us finishing mid-table.
In so many matches we got beat in the 2nd half and had to make a comeback in the 2nd half. Not sure why that happened so frequently.

In any case, the players simply aren't as fit as players from other clubs. The players we have bought in though, are very talented which is why so many times we relied on individual brilliance to win us matches, as opposed to tactics or a system.

It's not really debateable though is it?

We were the 2nd best team over 38 games, that's the whole point of a league table.

 

[stevoc]

Lindegaard
Rafael Vidic Rio Evra
Nani Fletcher Kagawa
Javier Hernandez
Welbeck RVP

Can this team survive in the premier league?

It was sold by LVG.

No chance mate half of them are retired.

 

[Andycoleno9]

130 mil for Maguire and Awb sticks more and more. And it was considered as a great window back then. How was it; cultural reset?

 

[Mainoldo]

130 mil for Maguire and Awb sticks more and more. And it was considered as a great window back then. How was it; cultural reset?

What happens when people get too excited. Jose’s first transfer window was the best ever too and then we was told Maguire etc topped it

 

[The Brown Bull]

It's not really debateable though is it?

We were the 2nd best team over 38 games, that's the whole point of a league table.

It was an outlier of a season. Empty stadiums for most of it.Plus we were second by a considerable distance.

 

[The Brown Bull]

Let's forget about the previous regime and look at the current one. It's gone now.

Not possible.We are living with the damage done by the previous regime.
We still badly need a right back, a center back, a midfielder (at least one) and a striker.
And that’s being optimistic.

 

[stevoc]

It was an outlier of a season. Empty stadiums for most of it.Plus we were second by a considerable distance.

True we really made a jump up the table from 3rd the year before.

Also I actually forgot we were the only team that were forced to play in empty stadiums. While every other team continued to play in front of packed houses.

 

[Dan_F]

130 mil for Maguire and Awb sticks more and more. And it was considered as a great window back then. How was it; cultural reset?

In fairness they were taking over from Valencia and Darmian or Jones and Smalling.

It’s not hard to see why they looked like an upgrade at first and then now still appear to be a few levels short of what’s required.

It is extremely surprising that the scouts couldn’t see the limitations in their game. I didn't watch Leicester or Palace enough to have any kind of opinion beforehand, but I’m confident that after 10 games of watching them I’d be like no, probably not worth £130 million for the pair.

 

[The Brown Bull]

True we really made a jump up the table from 3rd the year before.

Also I actually forgot we were the only team that were forced to play in empty stadiums. While every other team continued to play in front of packed houses.

You know very well the point I’m making but go ahead and delude yourself if you want.We are the 2nd best team in the league.

 

[Devil’s Trident]

You know very well the point I’m making but go ahead and delude yourself if you want.We are the 2nd best team in the league.

Some people just aren’t honest mate. They will stick to their shit opinions and will refuse to admit they are wrong because it hurts their worthless pride and pimple of an ego. Small time and will always be small time. Don’t argue, you know they will cling on hard to their view points as if their life is dependent on them.

 

[stevoc]

You know very well the point I’m making but go ahead and delude yourself if you want.

I genuinely don't if you've convinced yourself that United somehow uniquely benefitted from playing in empty stadiums while every other team didn't. That's delusion mate.

We are the 2nd best team in the league.

No currently we're the 6th best team in the league. It's last year we were the 2nd best team in the league, keep up.

 

[The Brown Bull]

I genuinely don't if you think United somehow uniquely benefitted from playing in empty stadiums while every other team didn't. That's delusion mate.



No currently we're the 6th best team in the league. It's last year we were the 2nd best team in the league, keep up.

I doubt we are 6th best at the moment.
The table doesn’t lie is a myth on a par with “bad decisions even out over a season”.
We were unbeaten away last season, do you seriously think that would have been the case in a normal season?
City & Chelsea contested the CL final while we were stumbling about in the Europa.
Leicester tonked us in the FA Cup, where was the great away form that day?
I’m all ears.

 

[stevoc]

I doubt we are 6th best at the moment.
The table doesn’t lie is a myth on a par with “bad decisions even out over a season”.

We're 6th with a game in hand.

We were unbeaten away last season, do you seriously think that would have been the case in a normal season?

I never mentioned the unbeaten away run but you do realize we could have lost a game away and still came 2nd?

Please explain to me how United benefitted more from empty stadiums than other teams did?

City & Chelsea contested the CL final while we were stumbling about in the Europa.
Leicester tonked us in the FA Cup, where was the great away form that day?

Do you understand how cup competitions work vs league championships mate?

Chelsea won the CL in 2012 when we came 2nd in the PL. Liverpool got to the final in 2007 when we won the league. Portsmouth knocked us out of the FA Cup in 2008 when we won the double.

Were they better teams than United in those years?

I’m all ears.

Good for you, start using the thing in between them more.

 

[L1nk]

Nevermind signings, just look at the attitude of the players that Mates FC has cultured, pampered and spoiled on their every whim with zero accountability for anything

 

[Mr Anderson]

The only thing that annoys me is the likes of Neville praising Ole for bringing us back on the right track - when we appear as disjointed as ever with a team of individuals.

we are a long long way off competing. Need to yet again get rid of a few previous regime signings/some signings also questionable and not good enough. Same as all our previous managers.

Not as bad as Jose is the only plus, but that’s not saying much. Not ground breaking improvements as Neville tries to make out

 

[The Brown Bull]

We're 6th with a game in hand.



I never mentioned the unbeaten away run but you do realize we could have lost a game away and still came 2nd?

Please explain to me how United benefitted more from empty stadiums than other teams did?



Do you understand how cup competitions work vs league championships mate?

Chelsea won the CL in 2012 when we came 2nd in the PL. Liverpool got to the final in 2007 when we won the league. Portsmouth knocked us out of the FA Cup in 2008 when we won the double.

Were they better teams than United in those years?



Good for you, start using the thing in between them more.

Do one.

 

[NZT-One]

The only thing that annoys me is the likes of Neville praising Ole for bringing us back on the right track - when we appear as disjointed as ever with a team of individuals.

we are a long long way off competing. Need to yet again get rid of a few previous regime signings/some signings also questionable and not good enough. Same as all our previous managers.

Not as bad as Jose is the only plus, but that’s not saying much. Not ground breaking improvements as Neville tries to make out

My thoughts exactly. I am not even accusing Ole for his actions, it was the club who dragged the whole thing longer than needed. Plus part of the fanbase embracing in their ****

But seriously I hope we start getting s**t right now. It seems like Rashford is already lost, maybe we can give Greenwood all the tools to be the footballer, he has the talent to be. Its disheartening a bit to think, that players like Rashford, Lingard, McTom, AWB, Shaw or Greenwood will now (after being in one of the biggest clubs in the world for quite some time) start to experience or learn, how modern pressing systems work or/and are organized. I hope, they can catch up quickly. Not because I think, that is the end all or be all of football. But because our rivals already reap the rewards of investing time and energy in it. While we sat on our a**es and wasted precious time while collecting players seemingly just by rolling the dice, claiming we must still be a big club because we go for the big names and the big prices...

 

[stevoc]

Do one.

Great counter argument mate.

Happy new year, genuinely.

 

[Jackal981]

130m of combined turd in our backline. That's the amount of damage he and his mates had done. Plus this fetish with british players with him is very weird.

 

[432JuanMata]

When most fans turned to Ole out I kept seeing he should move upstairs as he is good at transfers but 130m spent on Maguire and AWB and both could and should be replaced the VDB doesn’t even get a min

 

[stevoc]

130m of combined turd in our backline. That's the amount of damage he and his mates had done. Plus this fetish with british players with him is very weird.

Yeah Brexit FC innit.

Ronaldo
Varane
Sancho
Van De Beek
Pellestri
Diallo
Cavani
Telles
Fernandes
Ighalo
Maguire
Wan Bissaka
James

 

[Ludens the Red]

130 mil for Maguire and Awb sticks more and more. And it was considered as a great window back then. How was it; cultural reset?

It’s sad really but two and a half years in and it’s obvious we’re going to need to replace these two within the next 18 months to improve as a team. I don’t think they’ve been terrible overall but a 6/10 , which is just a mile off what 130 million should have gotten us.
The pair of them are just so ungainly, it’s hard to ever imagine them featuring in a fluid system. They also have this knack of spending an eternity on the ball when they’re probably the two worse technical players we have.

 

[Bebestation]

Same as other teams, some expensive transfers work, some don't.

Ousamane Dembele.
Greizmann
Hazard
Coutinho
Jaoa Felix
Grealish
Lukaku to Chelsea
Pogba
Ronaldo to Juventus
Lukaku to United
Sancho to United
Nicolas Pepe
Kepa to chelsea
Di Maria to United
James Rodriguez to Madrid
Arthur
Deligt
Zlatan to Barca
Kaka to Madrid
Morata to Chelsea
Torres
Naby Keita
Luka Jovic
Ndombele

 

[RedBanker]

Same as other teams, some expensive transfers work, some don't.

Ousamane Dembele.
Greizmann
Hazard
Coutinho
Jaoa Felix
Grealish
Lukaku to Chelsea
Pogba
Ronaldo to Juventus
Lukaku to United
Sancho to United
Nicolas Pepe
Kepa to chelsea
Di Maria to United
James Rodriguez to Madrid
Arthur
Deligt
Zlatan to Barca
Kaka to Madrid
Morata to Chelsea
Torres
Naby Keita
Luka Jovic
Ndombele

1 vote for the worst analogy of the year.

 

[Bebestation]

1 vote for the worst analogy of the year.

No worries! Keep voting and giving me your attention

 

[Jackal981]

Yeah Brexit FC innit.

Ronaldo
Varane
Sancho
Van De Beek
Pellestri
Diallo
Cavani
Telles
Fernandes
Ighalo
Maguire
Wan Bissaka
James

Point me the top 3 most expensive on that list and you got your answer

 

[roonster09]

Point me the top 3 most expensive on that list and you got your answer

That logic

 

[Roane]

Nothing wrong with McKenna as coaching goes, mate. Unless it's something personal with you and him.

I don't know McKenna and good things were said about him as an up and coming young coach.

The issue I do have with McKenna and Carrick was that they were novices and with an experienced manager like Jose maybe it wasn't too bad but placing newbies/novices with Ole was setting them all up to fail as he was a newbie/novice too to an extent. As in he had managed but cardiff and mklde to UTD is not enough experience without a good set up of experience around him.

Just my opinion

 

[NinjaZombie]

Damage done by previous regime

Right. Beginning to think Harry Maguire's captaincy falls under this. It's one thing to drop an underperforming first team player, dropping your captain is slightly more complicated.

 

[Foxbatt]

Look at yesterday. There were so many options to pass forward and then the players delayed and passed it backwards. Every player.
The AWB one was pure comedy. I really wonder what players like AWB, Bailly etc think when they have the ball? RR face told it all when AWB conceded the corner.

 

[MalaysianRed7]

Mourinho made it North Korea, and from the outside, Ole made himself as peripheral as a manager can be by essentially entrusting the players to be the boss. Both failed miserably. Ralf seems to be going the right way. He’s instilling a disciplined culture which players will have to adhere to or leave and he’s definitely no one’s mate, but he also seems to have a good relationship with the squad, and their full respect. I like that he’s never sat down during games as well. I felt that LvG and Ole constantly doing that created a lethargy in the team.

It obviously also helps that he’s more tactically astute than Mourinho, who is still stuck in 2010, and Ole, who’s simply not PL level tactically.

Damage done by previous regime

Right. Beginning to think Harry Maguire's captaincy falls under this. It's one thing to drop an underperforming first team player, dropping your captain is slightly more complicated.

And this. Ole really, really messed us over with this. The weakest link is now the captain, when even he doesn’t look like he wants it. I mean, Wes Morgan captained him at Leicester.

 

[Red Indian Chief Torn Rubber]

A truly shameful thread

 

[jackal&hyde]

A truly shameful thread

Yes. It's to keep the Ole hate train going.