Manchester United: Have fans reluctantly accepted their team's 'B-List' status

[Gopher Brown]

You think we'll finish ahead of Spurs or Arsenal?

Unbelievable. I see Mourinho's defeatist attitude and brilliant ability to lower expectations have hit some hard already.

Um what? We're 8th, have negative goal difference and going into Xmas period. You think that's acceptable? You think that's the expectations we all had going into this season?

Eh? I think you’re all misinterpreting my point - either deliberately or not.

I don’t think it’s acceptable to finish anywhere other than first. But saying we’re going to win the league, or even finish in the top 4 with the problems we have, and the way this team is performing, is wishful thinking.

At this point, realistically, the best we can hope for is 5th.

At no point have I said we’ll finish ahead of Spurs or Arsenal.

It’s not a defeatist attitude - it’s reality.

At no point have I ever said our current situation is acceptable.

 

[Nate Dogg]

We've been B rated for a few years now.

All we now need is Nic Cage to star in our ads to complete the transition.

 

[Tosicsleftpeg]

I actually have sorr of accepted the fact that we are a bit crap now, any time we actually play well I'm very surprised which is obviously a concern.

I am also happy with Star players like Pogba when they have an average game and don't make loads of mistakes which is a sign of something going seriously wrong.

 

[jmaggio]

We have

A negative goal difference after 15 games.
18 points behind City.
24 goals (18 behind city)
15th best in the league for goals against
11th for shots taken
9th best home record
Closer to the bottom half than top.

But yeah it’s all because we didn’t sign Maguire and our players have no passion

 

[KingMinger22]

It’s a simple fact of where the clubs is now and I do not see it changing any time soon.

 

[Josep Dowling]

We have

A negative goal difference after 15 games.
18 points behind City.
24 goals (18 behind city)
15th best in the league for goals against
11th for shots taken
9th best home record
Closer to the bottom half than top.

But yeah it’s all because we didn’t sign Maguire and our players have no passion

Don't forget the least amount of sprints in the entire league!

 

[SirFergie]

Would you try for this manager?

Well they haven’t tried for the previous 2 either so we’re look
ing at a manager who no one likes and players who’d rather not try for the shirt they’re wearing because of said manager.

 

[SilentWitness]

They should come on redcafe for a couple of hours and see if they still think you're accepting being a B team.

 

[Foxbatt]

Here it is not acceptable as a B list status. I do not know what the current match going fans think.

 

[RedFish]

B list!! Fexking hell. These are hard times indeed

 

[RooneyLegend]

It's obvious the person who wrote that article is reacting to the atmosphere at Old Trafford.

 

[MrPooni]

https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/46463178

Tweet

— Twitter API (@user) date

Two direct calls from two major media outlets outright demanding that our fans openly turn on our manager? feck that noise. Whether you love Jose or loath him, I hope people see through this shite. It's nowt but an attempt to reengineer the Wenger Out nonsense that plagued Arsenal over the past decade or so – they're desperate for a United-flavoured Arsenal Fan TV campaign to help fill the gaping banter gap left by Wenger's departure. Sure, one could argue Jose doesn't really need any help on that front but for me there's a massive difference between sports writers playing up internal strife at a club to generate clicks and them actively attempting to rile up match going fans in order to illicit an aggressive response.

 

[breakout67]

Two direct calls from two major media outlets outright demanding that our fans openly turn on our manager? feck that noise. Whether you love Jose or loath him, I hope people see through this shite. It's nowt but an attempt to reengineer the Wenger Out nonsense that plagued Arsenal over the past decade or so – they're desperate for a United-flavoured Arsenal Fan TV campaign to help fill the gaping banter gap left by Wenger's departure. Sure, one could argue Jose doesn't really need any help on that front but for me there's a massive difference between sports writers playing up internal strife at a club to generate clicks and them actively attempting to rile up match going fans in order to illicit an aggressive response.

The media seem to have no clue how this club are run. The vast majority of match going fans know Mourinho is a goner in the 2nd half of the season when we are out of all competitions and out of the top 4. They are just trying to find a bit of joy from the remaining games before we get get a new manager and can look forward.

These type of articles will only reinforce the support for Mourinho until he is gone. That is to say, fans will back Mourinho like an old and decrepit dog. They know his time his out, but they won't let him be beaten from all angles and humiliated.

 

[Amir]

Well they haven’t tried for the previous 2 either so we’re look
ing at a manager who no one likes and players who’d rather not try for the shirt they’re wearing because of said manager.

That's just not the issue.

Moyes had a squad that included Fellaini, Mata (for half a season) and a huge bunch of Fergie's players. Does that mean Fergie had a big bunch of players with shitty attitudes who would just stop trying? Van Gaal and Mourinho both made a lot of signings that didn't work out. Are they so bad a judging character?

For me it just means that footballers, for the most part, are the same. The question is the managers, their attitudes and their methods.

 

[hobbers]

These hacks are so pathetically transparent.

Overpaid under qualified simpletons.

 

[Adisa]

The journalists confuse apathy with patience.

 

[Adam-Utd]

Tweet

— Twitter API (@user) date

Two direct calls from two major media outlets outright demanding that our fans openly turn on our manager? feck that noise. Whether you love Jose or loath him, I hope people see through this shite. It's nowt but an attempt to reengineer the Wenger Out nonsense that plagued Arsenal over the past decade or so – they're desperate for a United-flavoured Arsenal Fan TV campaign to help fill the gaping banter gap left by Wenger's departure. Sure, one could argue Jose doesn't really need any help on that front but for me there's a massive difference between sports writers playing up internal strife at a club to generate clicks and them actively attempting to rile up match going fans in order to illicit an aggressive response.

I’d agree if there was no motive or reason, but everything they say is true. We’ve been god damn awful all season and things are getting worse not better. How long do we wait? if the fans keep happily clapping and singing Jose’s name after each poor result maybe the board will never get the message.

 

[ForestRGoinUp]

I think these articles are important and will hopefully lead to a little more verbal chatter in the media when discussing the club and squad as well. Even though we know the English media protect their own - so the Lingards and the Rashfords will generally get a pass - it would be good to hear them start to be a little more honest about the quality in the team, which is not good. Not surprisingly, Jose keeps them generally focused on his own nemesis Pogba. In reality, I have only heard one person talk about how Ashley Young shouldn't be at the club, let alone a key player and CAPTAIN. Same for Valencia, Fellaini (nobody would take him this past summer when he was looking to go), McTominay, Rojo, Jones, Herrera, Mata, Darmian, Matic (beyond this season), Lukaku...

The bottom line is 3 managers have failed to get a tune out of the team, and the board won't sanction the funds needed to overhaul it. The choices we have in defense are the definition of midtable players - not a single top quality defender at the club. In midfield we have 1 top quality player, and our technical midfielders get edged out of the team by static giants. Our forward players (bar Lukaku) have promise, but go figure they look so disjointed when there is only ever 1 midfielder to pick a pass and no fullbacks with any attacking qualities.

Reluctantly almost seems the wrong word. United fans seemed genuinely HAPPY to watch their club play like a bunch of game raisers at home against Arsenal a couple days ago. On here all you see is talk of how good the squad is. So reluctantly seems quite a ways off. Most fans seem proud of the quality we have rather than questioning it. We're almost nosediving into mediocrity, now trying to shove Paul Pogba out the door (a few months ago it was Martial). That should tell you something about whether this is a reluctant decline or not.

What's the point of blind support when it's just taking us down such a negative path? I'm sure that tickets to Old Trafford for league games are tough enough to come by, and there is always someone else ready to snatch them up for the chance to be there. The fans need to send a message to these owners though and empty seats do just that. Instead they are taking offence when their 8th placed club with a negative goal differential who hasn't challenged for a league in 6 years is rightly called mediocre.

 

[Raees]

They should come on redcafe for a couple of hours and see if they still think you're accepting being a B team.

Match day fans are a different breed of animal though. Neanderthals to the caf’s Homo sapiens.

 

[Eckers99]

Match day fans are a different breed of animal though. Neanderthals to the caf’s Homo sapiens.

Well allow me to retort. May I present @LoveFootball

 

[MrPooni]

Well allow me to retort. May I present @LoveFootball

 

[Raees]

Well allow me to retort. May I present @LoveFootball

Actually I was hasty - forgot the likes of SirAF, Ramshock and Haram. Perhaps we are not such an evolved bunch after all.

 

[MAME DIOUF 32]

I'm OK with us not dominating like we did in the past. We've won trophy after trophy through my entire football watching lifetime and that can't last forever. I'm not OK with not even trying to compete and continuing to indulge a total charlatan like Mourinho.

 

[Eckers99]

Actually I was hasty - forgot the likes of SirAF, Ramshock and Haram. Perhaps we are not such an evolved bunch after all.

And lo the names began to tumble forth!

 

[LoveFootball]

Well allow me to retort. May I present @LoveFootball

Isn't this a personal attack? breach in the rule 404 of redcafe.com. will report you.

It's not a secret that our match going fans have an IQ of Neanderthals.

 

[MrPooni]

It's not a secret that our match going fans have an IQ of Neanderthals.

Do you ever get tired of being wrong all the time?

 

[WensleyMU]

To be fair the internet is a place for the lowest common denominator to scream the loudest. Neanderthals would have pitied the modern humans online existence.

To the topic at hand, Mick Nulty or whatever hes called can accept what he likes, but the fact remains that United are still the headline act. Us not being the best is a bigger sell, that a team breaking records on all fronts or, sadly, even cheating their way to that success.

So B-list my arse. We are the only A-list side in the UK.

 

[Raees]

Isn't this a personal attack? breach in the rule 404 of redcafe.com. will report you.

It's not a secret that our match going fans have an IQ of Neanderthals.

Which is probably why they can’t get enough of our cave man football where we punt rocks over long distances and unleash wild mad dogs on the opposition.

 

[Devils11]

We can accept 2nd best if we are playing to our full potentials with flowing attacking footballs of the past. Now i don't even watch Utd if Martial or Rashford is not playing cause you know the football on display will be bad.

 

[LoveFootball]

Do you ever get tired of being wrong all the time?

MrPooni cares about being right all the time. Bravo warrior.

Which is probably why they can’t get enough of our cave man football where we punt rocks over long distances and unleash wild mad dogs on the opposition.

Hahaha. I think they should switch to rugby, full of mad dogs.

 

[breakout67]

I’d agree if there was no motive or reason, but everything they say is true. We’ve been god damn awful all season and things are getting worse not better. How long do we wait? if the fans keep happily clapping and singing Jose’s name after each poor result maybe the board will never get the message.

The board don't care about the fans, we are a means to an end. And the fans clapping and singing his name has no relevance whatsoever to their support. They clap and sing his name to get a good atmosphere going. There are many times when Martial isn't even playing and the fans sing his chant when we score a goal, that's because its a good chant.

The red army chant is one of the most popular chants, has been for a long time.

 

[ForestRGoinUp]

To be fair the internet is a place for the lowest common denominator to scream the loudest. Neanderthals would have pitied the modern humans online existence.

To the topic at hand, Mick Nulty or whatever hes called can accept what he likes, but the fact remains that United are still the headline act. Us not being the best is a bigger sell, that a team breaking records on all fronts or, sadly, even cheating their way to that success.

So B-list my arse. We are the only A-list side in the UK.

Well that attitude will only aid in the decline

 

[Eckers99]

Isn't this a personal attack? breach in the rule 404 of redcafe.com. will report you.

It's not a secret that our match going fans have an IQ of Neanderthals.

Report away pal. There was no attack, just thought you'd be the perfect ambassador for the intelligent internet.

So when do you plan on going to your first game?

 

[Borden]

Complete nonsense, just a few games ago the fans were booing a poor performance. The game against Arsenal was praised because we put in enough to win, if it were not for individual mistakes at the back. Match day is not the place for making salient points, fans don't think like that on the day.

Anyone that thinks this is some sort of manipulation by the manager is completely detached from the match day experience. Most match going fans want Mourinho out, they are simply not so deluded like arrmchair experts on the caf that think that a new manager would turn us into a world class team.

Mourinho also constantly goes on about this, but what does it even mean? Are you (and Mourinho) suggesting that we’re actually a really good defensive team if not for those pesky ‘individual mistakes’?

It’s such a pointless thing to say, pretty much all goals are the result of mistakes. Just another way for Mourinho to shift the blame.

And we were hardly the better team against Arsenal.

 

[Hoof the ball]

What usually separates United fans from Arsenal, Chelsea, Spurs, etc, is that we're never (or shouldn't be) happy with second place. Even when, like last season, we finish second, we ought to feel more relieved than pleased that we achieved that position in the table. Sir Alex would never be happy with second best, and that transferred to the fan segment. Anything other than a 1st place finish would be seen as a failure. Yes, it's a little entitled, sure, but that's what set this club apart, manager, players and fans. Nowadays, you've got scores of people making arguments that our 2nd place finish was some magnificent feat of accomplishment, and so, in some ways we have accepted our lesser prominence in the english game. But that's not United. Call it arrogance or entitlement, but there's no shame in having a drive and mentality that doesn't accept anything other than first as a success. In fact, it's that same mindset that got us where we are in the first place.

 

[Ekeke]

Just because a lot of Man Utd fans are realistic about our chances this season doesn’t mean anyone has accepted being second best.

Otherwise, what been the fecking point of any of this?

Second best would be what we were last season. We're joint 6th best with Everton and Bournemouth

 

[Jezpeza]

Board that have given up investing, poor scouting, poor manager, poor squad. Best way to define a mid table premier league team.

 

[LoveFootball]

Report away pal. There was no attack, just thought you'd be the perfect ambassador for the intelligent internet.

So when do you plan on going to your first game?

When Mourinho will be sacked.

 

[Buster15]

It’s a simple fact of where the clubs is now and I do not see it changing any time soon.

That may be the way it currently is but, that in no way means that we the loyal fans accept it.
Of course we don't and you only have to read the vast number of passionate comments to understand that.

The pain felt by the majority is very clear to read.
That is one of the worst things about being a football supporter. You yearn for success but have little real influence on how things are.

Onwards and upwards - I hope....

 

[Escobar]

Well they haven’t tried for the previous 2 either so we’re look
ing at a manager who no one likes and players who’d rather not try for the shirt they’re wearing because of said manager.

Well, Moyes was the worst ever and LVG was also poor. So as long as the board does not appoint a top quality manager who understands how to get the best out of the players, it just wont happen.