You don't know what you have until you lose it.
Murtough and Ten Hag on Utd squad
- Thread starter ehsanul
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Look at that squad again and give me a combined team. I’ll wait.
McFred midfield, Shaw and Rashford running the left flank,and can't forget captain fantastic at the back 
Loads of potential there, what could possibly go wrong?
Loads of potential there, what could possibly go wrong?
Bizarre take.
We were 13th in goals against and 8th in goals for… not saying the attack doesn’t need help, but the defense was atrocious last season. I believe it was our worst goals against record in the premier league era!
Obviously his past is there as evidence but he’s also had good periods under the right environment. He just needs to focus more and if disciplined then there is a good player in there somewhere. It’s also not like anyone else is dying to take him off our hands and considering our shortage in forward positions, we do need him as a backup if nothing else.
It genuinely does not matter what a manager says at the end of the day. Ole gave child-like over-positive press conferences and was terrible. Ralf gave very honest press conferences that I loved but guess what, was even worse. Fergie said that Phil Jones might become the best player in our history and compared him to Duncan Edwards.
Couldn’t care less what Erik or Murtough say. Actions speak louder than words.
Couldn’t care less what Erik or Murtough say. Actions speak louder than words.
Despite multiple sources saying it will? Ok thanks for the insider info, I’ll believe what you’re saying and not the journalists who report differently
source? last time I read his won’t change like the rest of the squadDespite multiple sources saying it will? Ok thanks for the insider info, I’ll believe what you’re saying and not the journalists who report differently
This message was probably aimed at the players.
The truth of the matter is going to be in which players are moved on and new players arriving.
The summer transfer window opens in a couple of weeks and I hope both sides of the business (in and out) have their ducks in a row when the starting pistol is fired
The truth of the matter is going to be in which players are moved on and new players arriving.
The summer transfer window opens in a couple of weeks and I hope both sides of the business (in and out) have their ducks in a row when the starting pistol is fired
I feel optimistic.
Thanks for sharing @SAF is the GOAT
Thanks for sharing @SAF is the GOAT
A Marca article that openly says it is taking it's info from the Daily Mail is pretty sketchy by itself. Especially when the Mail article says "some" players "could" lose "upto" 25% and then use Ronaldo as an example of what could possibly happen because he is one of the highest paid players. Generally in English journalism these are all key signs of intense speculation, bullshit and clickbait.
Was also reported last time we missed out champions league. Any reason to think why clubs wouldn’t protect themselves against a loss of revenue? Much like relegated clubs reduce wages as it’s all in their contracts.
My whole point was that spiralling wages would not be an issue, as I pointed out, we have champions league clauses and have gotten rid of a lot of high earners. But some people still wish to claim it’s an issue. Unless we bring in some big hitters on big wages, we’re fine with the wage bill, our transfer budget is pretty much the biggest question mark.
I'm not saying you're right or wrong, I don't know what United players have in their contracts about not making the Champions League and anything I suggest would be pure guess work.
But I do know that the source you posted as proof that Ronaldo was taking a 25% wage cut was not exactly tier 1 or even tier 7!
We're talking about the same Martial that's completely forgotten how to play football over the last 2yrs and suddenly became so injury prone?
He's been terrible here and at Sevilla despite being in the perfect league to thrive with zero pressure and original Ronaldo's cosign.
If at 26 turning 27 he's not shown jack I don't know what black magic you think makes him good again overnight. He's damaged beyond repair.
And we'll buy a ST one way or another.
Can't wait till ten hag gets called out for being a shit manager followed by coordinated leaks from "sources within man utd".McFred midfield, Shaw and Rashford running the left flank,and can't forget captain fantastic at the back
Loads of potential there, what could possibly go wrong?
You know its inevitable with these players, they're professionals by now at throwing managers under the bus.
I’d say it’d be bad business sense for clubs not to protect themselves for loss of income and bonus’s are certainly part of player contracts. Our players get larger wages for champions league qualification. So whoever is reporting it is very likely to be on good ground to do so. I didn’t say Ronaldo was getting a 25% pay cut, nor is it posted in the link as a fact, but he will miss out on bonuses and thus reduce the clubs wage bills. As will Matic, Pogba, Mata etc etc etc all leaving the club.
Even Fergie took 4 seasons to win FA cup and 7 to win the league. He would have been sacked if he had have been hired in the Glazer years. Lets hope TH can buck the trend.
It’s funny how any negative story is believed to be the absolute truth, while anything positive is dismissed as false on here. The truth is probably somewhere in the middle.
Expecting any big club to sell all their players in one season is utter madness, not sure what some are smoking here. Ten Hag will have to work with some of them and get the best out of them next season, so of course he will say positive things to keep them motivated.
Actions speak louder than words, so let’s see what happens next season. I don’t think every single player we have is toxic or can’t play football. If the manager thinks he can get a tune out of some of them, then fair game. I’ll believe what I see on the pitch.
Also, I am not sure which is worse - football journalism (and the journalists who spout any nonsense) or the fans who lap it up. Probably the latter, cause its the problem while the former is more of a symptom.
Expecting any big club to sell all their players in one season is utter madness, not sure what some are smoking here. Ten Hag will have to work with some of them and get the best out of them next season, so of course he will say positive things to keep them motivated.
Actions speak louder than words, so let’s see what happens next season. I don’t think every single player we have is toxic or can’t play football. If the manager thinks he can get a tune out of some of them, then fair game. I’ll believe what I see on the pitch.
Also, I am not sure which is worse - football journalism (and the journalists who spout any nonsense) or the fans who lap it up. Probably the latter, cause its the problem while the former is more of a symptom.
I don't disagree with that. Our true level is below the behind closed doors 2nd place, but well above this season's showing. Almost all our players were playing below their true level. ETH's job first and foremost is to get the most out of what he's got. If he doesn't know what the current lot can really do he can't identify where to improve.
Was there any truth in the suggestion that Martial was offered half the value of his remaining contract to sling his hook?
We should open poll for next manager.
This club never learn.
This club never learn.
Yeah, that's the thing now from Luckhurst. 20/21 was just some kind of mirage, so nothing that happened then counts.
Cheers
No doubt if United were shit and finished outside the top four that season it would count.
I keep being fascinated by this line of reasoning. Why, exactly? How did the special circumstances of that season benefit United in a way that it did not benefit others? In fact, if anything United were more disadvantaged than others, having had the shortest summer break and preseason among all the teams in the PL. And how the feck do you determine "our true level" on that basis?
And anyway, it's not like 20/21 was a stunningly dominant romp. Tactically and structurally, most would say we were undercooked (and a lot of people would put it much more strongly than that). In terms of individual performance, you had Shaw who took things to a new level, but also some players who notably underperformed relative to expected levels - de Gea, Martial, Lingard, Williams.
It seems pretty clear to me that the 20/21 team hardly maxed out on its potential. That doesn't automatically mean it makes sense to continue to build on the same core though. There are obvious shortcomings and gaps in the current composition of the squad, and also when things have gone as badly downhill as they did this season, that speaks to a need for fairly far-reaching change.
As I said, Rangers got to the Europa league final in 2022 same as Manchester United in 2021, both sides losing on penalties in the final which tends to suggest that both clubs are competing at the same level in Europe. Celtic spending less than half of what Manchester United spent on AWB were able to recruit wisely, introduce 9 starters and win the league comfortably. Good coaching, careful spending and building a team spirit, exactly what Manchester United have been missing for at least 9 years.
There is nothing irrelevant about it, it is an example of best practice right on our doorstep, but hey it cannot be done because we do not have the scouting knowledge, the tactical knowledge and the team spirit.
We have a knew coach, new scouts and hopefully a new team spirit. Be smart, pick up free transfers, pick up young hungry players from Holland, France, Czech republic, lower leagues, wherever. Liverpool are in the champions league final on Sunday and just signed a player from the Fulham in the championship, but no we are Manchester United and we have to pay £50- 70m for superstars who do not perform to prove how financially strong we are.
If you keep doing what you are doing you keep getting what you are getting, spending £150-£200m every July on 3 players who underwhelm and underperform is not the answer. We can easily ship out 10-15 players this summer and we need to, replace them with 8 competent professionals who want to be here and want to put some effort in. And stop worrying about players running down their contracts and wanting to leave, if they don't want to be here let them go. Chelsea are losing half their defence out of contract this season but I can almost guarantee they finish above us next season. Time for a real clear out and a real change of attitude throughout the club.
Because our squad has a lack of leaders and we crumble under pressure from any direction, especially the fans. The players think the fans are against them, their comments in the press show that. When the fans were not present they were much less susceptible to all this.
That, and Bruno dragged us to results we did not deserve.
I saw that about a month ago in an article as well. i look at newsnow so cant state specifically what the media source was.
True. Before Bruno we were on course to finish anywhere between 6th-10th. The football was awful.
Feeble stuff. If we had a unique lack of leadership and crumpled under any pressure, how come we again and again came back from deficits to win? And if the fans are the problem, how come we did considerably better at home than away this season (we're 5th on the home table, 9th on the away table)?
And you know, Bruno is part of the team. It's not like if you have an exceptional player, that 's somehow extraneous to what the team delivers.
I've seen him mention it a few times now on Twitter and in articles. It's an utterly bizarre opinion that he never actually expands upon.
Liverpool had a defensive injury crisis that's how we moved from 3rd to 2nd. It had nothing to do with bizarre theories related to behind closed doors matches.
Honestly I wasn't trying to prove anything except La Marca is not a good source to base your beliefs on.
I was just giving you the best source possible. Otherwise in general I agree with the point that you made.
Luckhurst's weird theories aside, there's no getting away from it feeling seriously wrong when we get a response like that to a season as bad as the one we just had. Whether it's the squad or the management or both that are to blame, how can you look at that and then speak of the situation with such relative complacency? "Significant improvement needed"? What sort of signal does that send to the players? I agree that there are almost certainly players who were awful this season who has the ability to redeem themselves and stay part of the project and I also agree that it's not realistic to change half the squad immediately, but surely this is to wildly overstep in the opposite direction?
I'm really starting to lose confidence in Murtough. He had the wrong strategy in bringing in an interim GM, he made the wrong choice for one with Rangnick, he's on record in December stating his confidence in the squad and now he's confirming that view. What is there to indicate he's got good judgment really?
I'm really starting to lose confidence in Murtough. He had the wrong strategy in bringing in an interim GM, he made the wrong choice for one with Rangnick, he's on record in December stating his confidence in the squad and now he's confirming that view. What is there to indicate he's got good judgment really?
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I keep seeing this, why is last year finish false? The league finishes of this and last are stupidly similar, Its only Utd falling that pushed everybody up a place or two. Last season wasn't as mad or random as its made out to be.