Have we just entered into another bad patch? The roller coaster continues

[K Stand Knut]

We haven’t played well for ages. And I’m talking months, not a few games.

Very consistent results but performance wise, not great by any stretch of the imagination. We’ve probably had 90 minutes of good football all season

 

[Sky1981]

Our squad and performance are top 4 material.

Luck comes we can be 2nd, complacency and bad luck comes we migh finished 5th or 6th.

But 4th or 3rd is our par.

So no I'm not saying we are title challenger even if we're 2nd, nor that we're bar enough to finish 5th or bellow.

Im wary of going back and forth between ole in and out. Ima just enjoy the season and see where we ends up.

 

[Inigo Montoya]

Yeah bad patch! It’ll be back to ‘Ole out’ again before long

 

[amolbhatia50k]

A bit kneejerk after a point away to Arsenal.

You speak as if this is a good result. Its 2021 not 2001. Arsenal are 10 points behind us.

 

[DavelinaJolie]

We aren't playing great, but haven't we been saying since the start of the season that the squad still needs work? Sheffield game was shocking, I don't think yesterday was terrible.

 

[Manuboy63]

This time next week we could be back behind liverpool if we don't buck our ideas up.

 

[city-puma]

Our real bad runs under Ole had been caused by massive injuries or fitness issues. So, I don’t think we will have a new, real bad run developing at the moment. But one thing for sure is that we are in a situation our system looks not able to work well enough. If we don’t address it, we won’t see a winning run.

 

[Jippy]

You speak as if this is a good result. Its 2021 not 2001. Arsenal are 10 points behind us.

Of course it was disappointing, but a point was not the catastrophe some have been painting it. We have a horrible record versus Arsenal lately and it could've been worse.

 

[tomaldinho1]

We've been poor for a while but had good results. It's the old catch 22; supposedly the 'mark of Champions' to grind out 1-0 wins whilst not playing well.

 

[GazTheLegend]

Think we are tired, and our second string players are just a bit wank, to be honest. Doesn't help that our front three (besides Cavani) don't take their chances when they come, and don't really create much themselves anyway.

We are relying WAY too heavily on Bruno and Pogba to dig us out of games and it's just not feasible to continue. Martial has been utterly impotent against any half decent defender and is a BIG problem for Solskjaer to solve. Forward line needs looking at sooner rather than later, wouldn't be surprised if Diallo or Hugill were drafted in on the bench.

 

[FrankDrebin]

Watching City and Liverpool turn it on while we continue to drop points.

 

[SAFMUTD]

We were the best team in the premiership in the last 12 months, I don't think we have lacked consistency

We may have been the one with most points, but were we really the best?

Between that "consistency" we have really marked highs and lows. With an amazing run after the covid break followed by a really shitty run and then another good spell.

 

[Feed Me]

Watching City and Liverpool turn it on while we continue to drop points.

They were always gonna do it. We need to focus on ourselves.

 

[Red00012]

This time next week we could be back behind liverpool if we don't buck our ideas up.

Try Wednesday night

 

[tayside red]

I'd rather have us where we are now and playing half decent attacking football (when we do get our acts together)
rather than where we were with Jose directing the traffic

We've come a long way since his tenure, still a long way to go, but hey ho' Rome wasn't built in a day

we need to keep moving on, work out our best defensive formation and start taking a few more of our 60/40 chances up front

Have we ridden our luck, of course we have, that's what goods teams tend do, we must come out the other side stronger and more compact

 

[Stack]

You speak as if this is a good result. Its 2021 not 2001. Arsenal are 10 points behind us.

Arsenal are one of the in form teams right now so 10 points behind misses the fact that before the game they had amassed 16 out of a possible 18 points in their previous games

 

[dev1l]

Different OP s but same shit from the same bunch of shitsters

 

[tayside red]

Ole in Ole out - he's the best thing that's happened to us since SAF, surely our squad is in transition, younger, dynamic in bursts, more energy and with a bit of luck, a couple more signing we may have a team ready to go all the way
Ole is Man Utd rock' if he needs a defensive coach to help in that area, then I'm sure there are people closer and better informed than us to identify our failings at that level
I don't see the point in getting rid of Ole who'll give his all for us, who do we go for a 'big name' Euro manager who'll come in for the pay day. spend zillions, change everything and then get the boot after 3 seasons for under achieving, stick with what we've got and bolster the coaching staff with quality as well as building the team up
If it doesn't work, then we'll have to make the change, but give it a few years - no more revolving door

 

[OrcaFat]

We may have been the one with most points, but were we really the best?

Between that "consistency" we have really marked highs and lows. With an amazing run after the covid break followed by a really shitty run and then another good spell.

Most points equals best. It’s the only truly objective measure.

 

[Feed Me]

Most points equals best. It’s the only truly objective measure.

Even when United put up the numbers people find a way to shit on us.

 

[lex talionis]

This was never a season anyone expected us to win they league trophy. The plan seemed to have been to finish in the top four and strengthen this summer, putting us out a position to win the league tittle next season.

I’m still unhappy about dropping points to phucking Sheffield and Arsenal, but even so we’re in a better place than we thought we’d be in at this stage of the season.

 

[wolvored]

We were the 3rd best team in 2020 as a calendar year as well as season. We have been very fortunate with injuries, lack of them. We have been fortunate that Bruno can and did improve the team overall when he is on form. I think he is now just playing a level below his best and this is starting to show with the team. A the moment 2 games not won doesn't count as a bad patch, but if the trend goes on through the Southampton and Everton games it starts to become a worrying trend. Ole then needs to look at changing tactics personnel etc. The difference is highlighted against the big clubs that they have learned how to nullify our only major means of attack, countering. we need to adapt to how we attack the other side and not be so one dimensional.

 

[jackal&hyde]

We aren't playing great, but haven't we been saying since the start of the season that the squad still needs work? Sheffield game was shocking, I don't think yesterday was terrible.

Same. We improved on last season but we are not the finished article yet. Plus the occasional very poor result/performance is expected by any club this season let a lone a team that is 1.5 years in its transition.

 

[sglowrider]

Thank god that we have our 40points already otherwise I will be shitting bricks by now.

Oh, wait....

 

[Freak]

You never know with this team. We don’t seem to be able to bounce back easily after a defeat.

 

[Red & White]

I mentioned this in another thread recently as I can’t start my own threads or post in the match day forum yet. It’d be another big step forward if we could keep these poor spells to a couple of games and not several weeks as we’ve seen previously.

I’d take 11 points from those 5 games if offered now as that’d mean no more loses and we’d still be averaging 2 points per game and in a good position to finish third. Yes, I know, that’s not what we want to be aiming for as United fans but no one can honestly say they thought we‘d finish above City and Liverpool, especially after our horrendous start to the season.

A win against Southampton is a must I think, though. Maybe draws with Everton and Chelsea if we can’t win them.

 

[Polar]

We have reached our bottom level, I think. The positive is that it could’ve been worse. It’s mostly because of Martial, Greenwood and Rashford’s performances - out of form and perhaps a symptom of something else.

I strongly believe we are able to adjust and be back on track very soon. Why?

Because:

1. Pogba is in form,
2. Fred is consistent and will continue to be a Duracell
3. Bruno will continue with his fighting spirit and have a deadly foot - only upside
4. AWB and Shaw are in very good form
5. Mentality of Cavani
6. Martial, Rashford and Greenwood only have an upside
7. Our CBs have been descent.

 

[UpWithRivers]

Doesnt help every one of our attackers being out of form including Fernandes and including Cavani who everyone loves but he missed 2 against Arsenal. We will be fine if a couple of them hit form. We need goals.

 

[Bebestation]

A draw against Arsenal could be better but isnt a sign of bad form.

Losing against Sheffield is a blip.

If we dont win against another low team then that fair to say we are in bad form.

One blip isnt that for me.

 

[lysglimt]

Everyone can agree that Sheffield U was awful - but Arsenal was a decent performance. This Arsenal-side is a lot better than they were 5-6 weeks ago - now they look like a pretty decent side and we should have won

 

[Silverman]

When was our good patch?
We literally have only won oe Premier League game comfortably (Leeds)
ONE!
When has that ever happened at this time of the year.

 

[EricEricDjembaDjemba]

Honestly, we haven't played well consistently since Xmas. The difference this season as opposed to previous ones is that even with poor performances we're grinding out wins- (Villa, Wolves, Burnley, Fulham)

 

[Glorio]

Unsure it's a bad patch, we dropped the ball badly with Sheffield United, however, watching our approach this season, I think the game against Arsenal was always going to look like this regardless.

Hopefully, was just a bad game

 

[Rooney24]

We are still a strong centre half and a right winger away from a sustained title challenge. I reckon we will end up about 10 points behind city.

No reason we can't finish second though.

 

[Mr Anderson]

This 'patch' comes around every so often with is. Martial & Rashford in poor form, Bruno is going to burn out is we are not careful too.

We tend to make a lot of starting XI changes, but are then reluctant to make subs early into second half or even at half time. We stutter because it's a mixed bag of awful form by some players, ineffective starting XI and poor sub selections or poorly timed ones.

As good as Ole has built up the character of the team - he still needs to improve in these clutch decisions. Our results against the old school 'top 6' (unless we can counter like the results at times vs City) show we are more concerned about saving face rather than going at the opposition for a result.

 

[Siorac]

Most points equals best. It’s the only truly objective measure.

Even when United put up the numbers people find a way to shit on us.

City got one more point in the 12 months since signing Bruno and played one fewer game.

It's also quite meaningless. Arsenal were the 'best team' in 2015, for example.

 

[OrcaFat]

City got one more point in the 12 months since signing Bruno and played one fewer game.

It's also quite meaningless. Arsenal were the 'best team' in 2015, for example.

Well, sure, if City got most points then they are the best. I’m happy with that criteria over any given period, even one match.

Of course the league is won over a specific period, a season, but it’s not meaningless to look at a period of time up to the present; it’s the form table, be it over 6 games, 10, 20, 40. It tells you whether what you’ve been doing has been effective. Far better than saying “we win but we’re shite”, there’s just no point in doing that at all.

 

[USREDEVIL]

We have reached our bottom level, I think. The positive is that it could’ve been worse. It’s mostly because of Martial, Greenwood and Rashford’s performances - out of form and perhaps a symptom of something else.

I strongly believe we are able to adjust and be back on track very soon. Why?

Because:

1. Pogba is in form,
2. Fred is consistent and will continue to be a Duracell
3. Bruno will continue with his fighting spirit and have a deadly foot - only upside
4. AWB and Shaw are in very good form
5. Mentality of Cavani
6. Martial, Rashford and Greenwood only have an upside
7. Our CBs have been descent.

They are on the descent. We need a decent and reliable CB ffs!

 

[KD6-3.7]

Our last decent performance in the PL was back in December against Leeds.

This season in general we have just been scraping a lot of wins together, yes that’s always the sign of a good team but the fact that you can probably count on one hand the amount of games in Ole‘s reign that we have been in complete control from start to finish is very telling for me. Even the game against Leeds and RB Leipzig could have have ended up very differently.

 

[alexthelion]

I see that after a couple of not so good results the Ole-Outers are back in force. Didn't take much for them to start spouting their shite again.