Our squad is a hodgepodge of people we can't sell, remnants from previous managers with contrasting styles, and youth players.
I don't think any fan believes that EtH doesn't see the problems at all. But it's pretty clear that they don't like his approach to fixing them. EtH seems to believe that his ideas will work if better or more consistently applied, many fans here don't share that belief.
Definitely agree about planning. I know you want to help a new manager out, but when prices rise to ridiculous amount, then you have to say no, we are not paying that. That is where the scouting network comes in, we have one apparently and you look at the players they have come up with. Instead we overspent which then impacts on this seasons spending. It is a complete shambles.
My opinion on that is that everyone and their mother has the same opinion on our midfield, so the management team clearly can see the same thing that we do.
Actually when you break it down like that it is quite chilling. That is not acceptable at any ambitious club. We are United, not Everton, West Ham or Palace. The ship needs to turn quickly or we will disappear into mediocrity. Beating villa and not losing to Liverpool means nothing when we roll over to likes of Forest and Bournemouth.
Tbf there's not much of a difference between the fanbases. We're a huge club because with the resources and history of the biggest in Europe, but with a fanbase that is closer in culture, drive and attitude to Crystal Palace than Real Madrid.
Take a look at your lineup vs Liverpool that year and then a look at our average lineup during all these injuries. You had a midfield of Kroos, Casemiro and Modric all in their prime. Benzema up front.
If Ten Hag didn't insist on buying shite players we'd certainly be closer to the quality of Madrid, instead of fecking light years away
The way we have so completely made Chelsea our bitch is the one and only upside to the post Fergie era.
So, roughly the same as Liverpool last season then. With a lot more injuries.
It's a pretty weak defence of the manager. I don't think anyone would expect him to win every match and keep us at the top of the table, but he shouldn't be losing to most of the teams beating us. When we're not getting the basics right, like defending a cutback, we're naively throwing Scott McTominay forward and leaving a gaping hole in midfield. You'd expect these injuries to derail a top-three finish but not a total collapse. We looked pretty goddamn awful before the crisis, too, for the last eleven months, if truth be told.
It's not an explanation for everything but its far from a weak excuse. Managers need players. Their results are dictated by the players on the pitch. They're not magicians.
Excellent observation.
Yeah let's just lower the bar to the worst anyone has ever done and pretend it's all OK.
Thanks, I'll do that next time. Because yes, it is. Sometimes good managers have bad seasons. It doesn't make them bad managers. Especially when their entire team has been decimated by injuries.
A good season would be nice.
Last season was Ok at best. We won the tin pot cup that most teams fielded reserves in. We consistently fielded close to our strongest team and no doubt that contributed to our injuries. We were awful for much of H2 and awful first few games when most players were fit. He's an average manager at best who has failed outside of the tiny pond that is the Dutch league. The fact that was allowed to recruit almost exclusively form that same second rate league is criminal. Sick of people defending him, its embarrassing. Any idea what we are trying to do on the pitch? Why we signed Mount? Or paid £85m for Antony? Or played Weghorst ahead of Elenga? The list goes on.
Well if he can achieve 2 ppg for the rest of the season, he deserves another season for sure. Point being, with injured players back and only one match per week, there shouldn't be any more excuses come end of the season.
Why though? That would be a 67 point season, probably finishing 6th or 7th, while not passing the group stages of UCL.
Because if we get most players back and have a strong second half to the season its pretty conclusive proof injuries were the majority of the problem.
Can you honestly say player for player that Nottingham Forest are a better side than us and we should be expected to lose? What about the likes of Copenhagen and Galatasaray? You can always use it to explain a game or two but it just keeps happening, that's the issue. Not to mention other teams have injuries as well. Injuries are a factor but in the context of this terrible season they are a weak excuse for the manager as well. Our problems obviously go far deeper than injuries.
I would like to break the season into two parts. The first half with lot of injuries and the second half with a fully fit squad. I am willing to write off the first half because he hasn't had any of his new signings available for more than 5 matches (at the same time). So obviously his tactics isn't working because he just don't have his players available.
We've had our full strength attack available for large parts of this season, and still only scored 22 in 20. What conclusive proof are you looking for exactly? Are you expecting Martinez and Mount to start scoring and assisting for fun?
It would also show that when he has the full squad, has no other matches cause checked out of cup competitions early, he can give to us what Ole gave. Which we agreed it was not that good.
We should be looking beyond just the point accumulation unless that 2ppg comes with quality football creating lots of good chances while keeping stable defense otherwise it would just be delaying the inevitable .
I mean if you discount Greenwood and Sancho you could say we've had our first choice attack available.
He hasn't got a title winning team. You can't exepct title winning point tally from here ill the end of the season.
Totally agree. All that has to happen to dismiss all the doubts. There'll be no excuses.
No Forest haven't got a better side but that's not how football always works. You don't automatically win games because on paper your team is 10% better.
When Casemiro was in the team people were saying his legs have gone. And we were still losing.
Where did I say we'll be playing fast free flowing football? Can you show me the quote?
Fair point but the entire fam base wouldn’t trust his transfer suggestions or his valuations of them. That’s a pretty difficult spot to be in for a manager who you expect to bring success. Not sure any manager with so little trust has succeeded after that at the top level.
He has the fourth best team in the league, easily. If we give to him amnesty for burning half a season, then he should give us reward for being great in the other half.
) and thus winning most games, while getting annihilated by good squads? Nope.Ofcourse and that goes without saying. Don't you see an improvement in our buildup phase ? I see that clearly . Teams don't press us high these days and if they do, we will play right through it. Having a fully fit Licha and Martinez would make a huge difference.
Having no midfield and scoring no goals is a style you're optimistic about?
We've been being outplayed by minor teams for many years now. The club had an idea with LVG and then bottled it with Mou and since then we have been stuck in a reactive/defensive setup where we can beat teams who play a high line/take too much risk but are otherwise a mid table team from an attacking perspective. Coaching standards are much better across the minor leagues now and almost everyone can press.
Every manager gets transfers wrong, and as seen with recent articles, there wasn't a person in the world that valued Antony at the price we paid for him, that is on our moronic upper management, not the manager.
Regardless of how much we paid, he's still an awful player who isn't a good fit for us, and that's on the manager for insisting we sign him. Also Ten Hag has got almost every transfer wrong
