I think Arsenal are much more likely to make that leap instead of Spurs. They seem to have a much better, clearer plan and everything suggests they'll be even better next season.
Erik ten Hag - Manchester United manager
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In the latest episode of the United Hour Podcast, Nik and Imran hold a long overdue conversation about United's awful league form with 1 win in 7. They discuss a disappointing draw at Bournemouth, a not so disappointing draw against Liverpool and a crushing defeat at Chelsea - Is time nearly over for Erik Ten Hag?
Then in a special second half of the pod, Nik welcomes Natalie ( https://twitter.com/natalie_17) to discuss the fortunes of Manchester United Women as they booked a place in the FA Cup Final after a historic first ever win vs. Chelsea.
Good.
Everything?
There remains huge uncertainty over Arteta's managerial qualities, and as for clear and coherent strategic planning, Arsenal's board have for many years longer, looked every bit as uncommitted and incompetent as United's.
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McClaren talking about his new job on his podcast today.
hell...his arrival should be the last thing that causes that anxiety. FFS...their shitty performances should have them fearful for getting sold but the new gaffer just enhances that anxiety
On its own this claim makes no sense, there has to be more than that otherwise it's likely nonsense. The players have known for a while that he was the future manager so why would they be fearful this week instead of any other week. Did he talk to them, did he say something specific to certain players?
Expecting top 4 under ETH is not realistic, not after Spurs went for Conte. It is difficult to catch City and Liverpool. Chelsea and Spurs both have managers who have the nous to challenge the top 2. Arteta is nowhere near Conte, its a joke to compare the two. Our target is 4th surely but a 5th place behind these four teams would be realistic under ETH.
Despite us having one of the worst seasons, from a footballing perspective we had enough to make top 4 if we just retained Carrick instead of Ralf. But Ralf was needed for fault-finding and future building. So essentially we sacrificed top 4 for long term goals (far fetched considering the "brilliance" at top, but let's assume that was the case for our sanity). So if ETH manages to gets the team on board (a few early good results will help), we should be where Arsenal where this season or even better as we have the better squad. If we had any luck, both Tuchel and Conte are moody managers and if one of them fecks off fighting their boards (probable in both cases), we could nick it. This is the best we can expect next season. Despite all the crap that went on this season, I feel we have the players to make top 4. It was a colossal system failure at the board level to hire a temp manager in Ralf midseason, which is understandable as no outstanding managers were available mid-season and if it were we would have made top 4 100%.
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Luke Shaw 100% off to the chippy
Well it certainly didn't affect them too much against Palace with him looking on in the stands.
Ill argue against this. Conte only did well in regards of v Rangnick and Arteta imo. If Ten Hag brings ups up any level then we shouldn't be shaking our boots at Conte. Spurs will throw him under the bus as they do to any manager who asks them to work hard, plus 3 at the back has a short window for most sides in the EPL.
Id place a bet right now that Conte doesnt see out next season.
Haven't they got to be in peak condition in the first place.
I actually think the world cup might be a bit of a blessing for Ten Hag with the Ronaldo situation. Being mid-season, there's probably never been an easier time to tell Ronaldo he won't be playing every week. In a well functioning well coached side, ronaldo should be starting and scoring against countless weaker teams- but there are games he just isnt suited to also. Being a good team player, aware he wont start every week, I think he could be a crucial part of the team.
Most of the snakes are moving on or being sold, which snakes will we have remaining
Pogba, Lingaard, Cavani (sulking) gone.
Bailly (taking the piss)
Henderson (sulking)
Martial (poor attitude)
All looking like theyl be sold this summer or loaned out.
Thatd only leave Rashford for me who's shown a questionable attitude. See the man City walk about cameo.
I think the rest in the squad just suffer from being not good enough. So I don't we l have any little snake cliques left.
I'd be intrigued to hear of any you think are snakes thatl be in the squad next season
STAY in peak condition? Anyone else see the problem there?
What he probably said was “Pre-season is going to be fecking brutal, so make it easier on yourself by returning in the best shape you possibly can between now and then”.
But aside from Ronaldo, there isn’t a single cnut in this squad in peak condition.
Yeah I’d say most of the snakes are, or will be gone, and the remaining ones will hopefully be onboarded successfully into a new organisational culture.
Snakes on a plane
It will be important that we as fans and the board back him even if the results are lacking look at Klopps first season all i hope to see is attacking intent and not parking the bus
He came to Old Trafford and handed Rashford, Maguire and Ronaldo dartboards with their own faces on them.
His weight is insane after so many years.
How many times has he gone on serious extra training to work on his fitness? All to little avail?
Then it makes sense.
According to Google he weighs 75kg compared to Maguires 100kg. Rashford is 70kg, Lindelof is 80kg. I don’t see Luke’s weight as a problem let alone ‘insane’. What is insane is the constant unfounded jokes, comments and jibes toward Luke who is obviously stocky built rather than fat.
We rarely have accurate stats of these, so I don't know where you got them from, and frankly speaking don't really care either.
It is not a joke, unless he has some medical condition we might not know of, his shape is obviously not ideal for a footballer with his role on the pitch. And it doesn't end at stocky build, he obviously carried a lot of weight with him. Some mirror pics after intense workouts do not change that. Ask Lukaku.
Body positivity is great, and very serious but these are athletes, Shaw one of the very best paid one in his position.
Muscle weighs more than fat does and no clue why you feel the need to mention some of our most seemingly fit athletes in Rashford, Maguire.
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Your number 8 is Maxence CaqueretIf he can makes United playing equal good or better than the Ajax he left next season. Then i will be more than satisfy. Because the way the Ajax team was playing. I think they shall be good enough for top 4 in premier league. But the different between the Ajax team and United team is really big.
United dont have a magical left foot in Tadic. Who beside scoring goals had between 15-20 assists. Ajax had a stronger CB duo, better defend line and better wingers. United without any good RW right. And incosistent attacking line because of the affect of the poor collective. A collective collapse.
So sum up and in short words. United biggest problems Ten Hag to fix :
+ Yet again. United shall get another world class CB or closest to that level as possible. Still after the years of Lindelof, Maguire and Varane. United still another world class CB.
+ A top level nr.6 in a 433 formation. The balance midfield controlling and dictating cm player
+ A new top level and creative nr.8. You can say a Pobga replacement if he decide to leave. Since Pobga has been incosistent in that creative attacking role. United have been screaming for a Scholes, Modric and Eriksen playmaker of type player. Not the creative sitting back cm playmaker. But a more offensive and attack nr.8. Since the time of Scholes retirement and back to David Moyes time. That problem havent got fix yet or someone consistent good enough to cover the super conistent creative role and job Scholes was doing. Even Bastian from Bayern and Germany was struggling to did that. Understandable because of injurires and Bastian wasnt on his peak, but on the way down his career when he joined United. Like Cavani and Ronaldo. Those 3 were at the end of theirs career
+ A new top RW.
So there are 4 clearly positions United and Ten Hag need to solve. To at least to be good at this current Ajax team and closer to City and Liverpool level.
I can mention and suggest some names in each positions mentioned above:
+ A new CB. There has been linked with Timber and L.Martinez. United have many right foot CB in this current squad. And does have speed too. But with a left foot CB. Who can dictate, controll and deliver precise diagonal long passes from left area/back to a really quick and skill RW. Special set up for counter attack against a high back line. Can be a dangerous and effective attacking weapon.
But if Ten Hag thinks United need both of them. Need both of Timber and Martinez at United. Then he shall for it. But who is most needed as CB. At this United current situation and squad. I think i would go more for Martinez. Martinez is more a natural leader and outgoing than Timber. Martinez is aggresive and really hate to loose. So he will pust rest of team to give the best. United need top fighting and winning mentality.
I will set up a line up with both of them later.
+ The controlling DCM/nr.6 playmaker. There are few i think can do a decent job as nr.6. With more practise, get use in that role as the highest level and with Ten Hag guidance how to play that role. Then i can see Fred and James Garner in that role. But if they are good enough to be a regular starter in a team that are battling for top 4 or better is another question.
Like Ten Hag just said. I think Fred and Garner will do a good enough job in that nr.6. But for Ten Hag "good is not good enough". I agree with that. The level shall be closest to Pirlo, Busquets, Carrick or Rodri is doing for City. And Fred and Garner at this moment is not on the top level as nr.6. Clearly.
Reason why i think Ten Hag shall get a new nr.6. With external solution.
And with external solution there are 2 nr.6 i think meets those expectations of level. Those 2 are Aurélien Tchouaméni and Manuel Locatelli.
+ And for the new top creative nr.8. I am still searching and still havent come to the last decision who i should go for yet. Jude Bellingham is one of the option. But i m still looking for another options.
+ And for RW. There are 2 options with a 3 rd alternative. First Antony who has been linked with United. Then another really good RW in Raphinha. Then the third option is Leverkusen and France RW Diaby.
So now how to line up those options in each position. In Ten Hag most use formation 433.
RB - Varane/Timber - Martinez - LB
Raphinha/Antony - RCM = Bellingham? - CDM Tchouaméni/Locatelli - Bruno - Rashford/Sancho
CF: Rashford/Ronaldo/Nunez
There you have. 433 turn out to be a 451 without the ball and in the defensive. RW and LW track back to help the fullbacks. Become a 5 men midfield. Make 433 and total compact, tight and hard to break down. But still have super fast and skill full wingers always ready to counter attack or good enough to beat defenders against establish defenders.
So conclusion. Those are mine suggest and recommendations. But if Ten Hag is having his own targets and options he shall go for. But from mine scouting and formation analizing. Those players i have mentioned are best and from United realistic can get and buy from.
From a freelance scout and United external consultant
I simply googled, I have no idea of the accuracy but the comparison was interesting. I wanted to know if he was significantly heavier and he isn’t as I suspected. That’s all.
The main thing is that he is unnecessary heavy by likely poor professionalism. His fat percentage is obviously higher than those players you mentioned, and the issue is that fat isnt as heavy as muscle.
Though their form has gone to crap, Maguire and Rashford are very muscular and in shape to supposed advantage of their game. They must be very disciplined, especially Rashford gained visible muscle after his debut, which did actually make him a lot stronger and balanced.
Shaw might have put on some muscle as well, but is also so much more fat since he came through at Southampton. For a professional footballer, unless medical reasons, there shouldnt really be excuses for that. It doesnt have any positive effect, it isnt good for agility, stamina, speed, acceleration which he could really do with. Lukaku and Depay are some of the recent United examples that benefitted greatly for cutting down. It is usually not really useful to be that big in football I'd say, it seems like Bayern has worked it out the best though.
Their players are physical specimen, whilst maintaining the ability to play football. Goretzka, Davies, Coutinho are just some that underwent transformations to their benefit.
I don't know, Maguire always looks a bit heavy for me and it's not like he's some physical beast defensively.
I think his problem is agility and speed, but in terms of strength I think he is one of the stronger CB's. What might be to his disadvantage is that speed increases impulse as well.
Stocky?
By professional standards he is fat, plain and simple. Luke is not anywhere near single digit figures in fat %. He's arguably not even less than 18%, which is appalling.
The bottom two are him after an entire season and Euro's. How in God's green earth can be be in that shape? He's well out of shape for an elite athlete. He's got handles! His lower chest is carrying fat visibly because he's overweight, not in terms of musculature, but in terms of bodyfat %.
Luke is carrying a bit, let's be honest about that. He might be of a slightly stocky type, we all have different builds and different vascularity but he's clearly a little overweight even for his own frame. Especially because his job is elite athlete for Manchester United, not just being in shape for the average Joe, which obviously he is as a professional footballer. By what should be exacting standards of fitness he's lacking.
Maguire however, is clearly lean. Not sure how that even came up. He's just a big, lumbering centre half. If you dropped some weight off him he wouldn't turn into Mr Agile, he'd probably just lose some of his positives.
Maguire however, is clearly lean. Not sure how that even came up. He's just a big, lumbering centre half. If you dropped some weight off him he wouldn't turn into Mr Agile, he'd probably just lose some of his positives.
To be fair they're not the best pictures. You can do a lot with lighting.Yep! And for reference, this is Luke Shaw when he gives a shit.
I'd say he's definitely had fluctuations though. That suggests discipline is a problem because if you're a professional footballer you have everything going for you to be lean. You run around all morning. Hit the gym. Get elite advice. The opportunity to have a perfect diet with minimal effort. It's pretty hard to not be in shape. Being fit to play proactive football for a whole season is a different level of fitness again, but to not be lean is baffling.
Rooney was never lean but had a phenomenal work rate and intensity. You dont need to be in a low percentage of body fat to achieve that and boast a good cardio vascular system.
But they were feeling good after a fantastic season though
Good point. Does weight contribute to more injuries though?
I would say so as being overweight naturally places more load on your joints and makes you work harder.
Shaw is definitely overweight and he shouldn’t be when you consider his job.
I want to be wrong and believe this. But Conte is an elite manager. He knows his team. If they hold on to Kane (looks highly likely) and add a wingback and a decent CB they will be very hard to stop for the top four. The guy won the PL with three at the back beating the likes of Klopp and Pep. He turned defensive liability of [Irrelevant point] and Viktor F-ing Moses into offensive machines in his tactical formation. The following season, he fought Klopp till the last day for a top four position and won the FA Cup beating us, after Chelsea strangely didn't back him up that summer and brought the wrong targets (Morata). So yeah I won't bet against Conte, unless Spurs do Spursy things and don't back him.
I dont agree to this at all. Ole (much as I love him) is a mid-table manager at best who can punch above his weight. He would do well for Everton, Crystal Palace, even Newcastle, Leicester or the likes, where the expectations are not title. We were 2nd Last season, he is expected to win the title or atleast do a Klopp and take it to the last day. Buying Ronaldo is like upgrading Cavani. It was a waste of money getting him with Cavani in the squad, true, but it was not the reason why Ole got shanked. He was never going to get us past the plucky underdog wins, because he was out of his depth and its not a criticism of the man. He was rushed too soon to the spot, much like Lampard was. To break low-blocks CONSISTENTLY you need to dominate the game, something he never did CONSISTENTLY.
The reason Ole abandoned Counter Attacking football and tried to play expansive football was not because of Ronaldo or other misfits. It's because its the natural next step for an elite manager. Conte got shanked the first three games in his new season at Chelsea, but tactically adjusted it to suit the team and they started playing with an identity. Klopp had poor players so he had to stick with gung-ho Counter-Pressing or counter-attacking in his first full season. Then once he got a few players they started playing a system with an identity. Now for OLe, the phase 2 transition to make us an elite team was never happening because he had no plans (atleast it wasnt working from the way we played). Adding CR7 in fact was a blessing, because despite his bumbling tactics (almost all the players have at some part looked completely clueless on the field in the new system and DDG even spelled it out in the interview), he was getting bailed out by individual brilliance and you cant get better than CR7 in the current market. So this shit sandwiches narrative is not true. Ole was out of his depth and the moment he was put in the title spotlight, it was obvious to all.
Terms like snakes and treacherous almost always never exists under a good manager getting good results, something Ole didn't do this season and Ralf couldn't do . Ox, Minamino, Sterling, Gundogan, Mahrez and the likes are keeping quiet despite being on bench often because the team is getting results and even if they did make a commotion, these are elite managers who will throw them out instantly as they are not truly valuable to the team no matter how much they cost. But in Ole & Ralf's case, the team was not getting results this season and the fringe players like like Lingard and Bailly start moaning for play time. The most important thing under ETH era is to win games against teams we are expected to win. That's where we should start. Everything will fall in place when that happens and I am optimistic all these other noises will die down once that happens.
[Last Post for the day. Sorry for the length]
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