Our Performances Since The 2023 League Cup Final

Who's Kissing Cameras?

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Have been horrific.

Can someone give me 5 games from March 2023 to March 2024 where we have looked like a competent, cohesive team for the majority of the 90 mins.

You probably can’t name more.

https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/man...te=&datum_von=01.03.2023&datum_bis=31.03.2024

Real Betis (H) 09/03/23
Everton (H) 08/04/23
Nottingham Forest (A) 16/04/23
Chelsea (H) 25/05/23
Crystal Palace (H) 26/09/23

That’s it.

Thats how bad it’s been.

12 whole months of poorly coached, low block, high pressing, zero ball retention, midfield exposing, kamikaze football.

Not good enough.
 
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Who's Kissing Cameras? said:
Have been horrific.

Can someone give me 5 games from March 2023 to March 2024 where we have looked like a competent, cohesive team for the majority of the 90 mins.

You probably can’t.

https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/man...te=&datum_von=01.03.2023&datum_bis=31.03.2024

Real Betis (H) 09/03/23
Everton (H) 08/04/23
Chelsea (H) 25/05/23
Crystal Palace (H) 26/09/23

That’s it.

Thats how bad it’s been.

12 whole months of poorly coached, low block, high pressing, zero ball retention, midfield exposing, kamikaze football.

Not good enough.
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It’s crazy. We went into that final, and I knew we would beat Newcastle pretty comfortably. We looked a good side in the making….and since that game the whole thing has been a shitshow.
 
Jeppers7 said:
It’s crazy. We went into that final, and I knew we would beat Newcastle pretty comfortably. We looked a good side in the making….and since that game the whole thing has been a shitshow.
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It’s quite strange. I can’t put my finger on what changed so much.

The 7-0 surely can’t be why the coaching have been so shit for over a year now?
 
It’s been impressively bad. I thought that we’d decline after the league cup just because (it was actually just a what if, because I’m a pessimist), and by God we have. It’s horrific. What the unholy feck has happened.
 
Jeppers7 said:
It’s crazy. We went into that final, and I knew we would beat Newcastle pretty comfortably. We looked a good side in the making….and since that game the whole thing has been a shitshow.
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That’s what’s so startling.

We knew we’d win against Newcastle then immediately looked unreliable to even keep a clean sheet.
 
thisisnottaken1 said:
It’s been impressively bad. I thought that we’d decline after the league cup just because (it was actually just a what if, because I’m a pessimist), and by God we have. It’s horrific. What the unholy feck has happened.
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Yep. Even after the league cup win I thought a slight drop off would occur seeing as we played so many games. But it has just got worse and worse.

Unacceptable stuff.
 
Everyone knows there’s deeper issues at the club and that’s what we should focus on. Then when we reach a pick like that final again we kick on from it.
 
This is the reason why the quality of the squad isn't questionable when you assess the team objectively. The performances have been horrible but the team have been in contention for top four in recent weeks (optimistically) and even assessing the lack of goals, holes in the midfield and the back and forth momentum within games those are primarily tactical issues not reflective of player quality.

There has been this theme to signify that everything of this seasons demise is solely reliant on injuries but I think given the inability for this team to kick on irrespective of who in the squad is available, it's clear that the managers initial intention in the seasons infancy to become the best transition has handicapped the majority of the players with exception of the defense.

The team is putting in bad performance after bad performance even in the context of winning games.

What makes it worse is we have seen poor performances under previous managers when the players have literally imploded (stopped running, toxic playing environment, heads down etc) and the fact that many of this first eleven haven't abandoned the manager to a point of crises, demonstrates how bad the coaching truly has been this season.
 
Redstain said:
This is the reason why the quality of the squad isn't questionable when you assess the team objectively. The performances have been horrible but the team have been in contention for top four in recent weeks (optimistically) and even assessing the lack of goals, holes in the midfield and the back and forth momentum within games those are primarily tactical issues not reflective of player quality.

There has been this theme to signify that everything of this seasons demise is solely reliant on injuries but I think given the inability for this team to kick on irrespective of who in the squad is available, it's clear that the managers initial intention in the seasons infancy to become the best transition has handicapped the majority of the players with exception of the defense.

The team is putting in bad performance after bad performance even in the context of winning games.

What makes it worse is we have seen poor performances under previous managers when the players have literally imploded (stopped running, toxic playing environment, heads down etc) and the fact that many of this first eleven haven't abandoned the manager to a point of crises, demonstrates how bad the coaching truly has been this season.
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Good post.

I think the players understand that a visible downing of tools would cause a riot this time & are enacting what EtH is asking, they’re doing it poorly but I honestly don’t think it’s a case that EtH wants much different to what we’re seeing.
 
Have we ever had so few good performances in a 12 month span as March 2023 - March 2024?

Even under Moyes we'd occasionally win a game comfortably. The last 12 months even the wins have been a huge struggle.
 
Our home game against West Ham this season was probably the best game we played this season, but I agree. these games are so far and between.
 
We have a group of losers who are complacent with small achievements. They players thought they have made it after winning the Carling Cup.
 
We were glitching games before the League Cup final as well. We weren't playing well but winning games mostly due to Rashfords form. When he stopped scoring we stopped winning as much. Add those Rashford goals into what we've had this season and we're top 4.
 
@Who's Kissing Cameras? If you looked at the underlying statistics for last season, they had us in 6th I believe.

Now I know a lot of people on here don't necessarily agree with xG, xA, and whatever, but they don't -lie-. You can have players that put away harder chances, you can have a goalkeeper with butterfingers, for a few games. But ultimately, if you have less possession and less shots every single game, while consistently giving away the ball and allowing your goal to be threatened every time you step on the pitch, eventually you're going to see that manifest in dropped points.

The truth is we simply aren't a very good side. Now whether that's down to the players we've got, the coaching staff, or otherwise is arguable. But it's Erik Ten Hag's responsibility to at least make sure we don't get dominated in every single game by the likes of Luton and Brentford who, with all due respect to them, simply shouldn't be able to lay a glove on these players we have with their massive reputations and salaries. And I think it's fair enough if Ineos decide to try something new because our performances, the players we've been signing, and our infrastructure are all an embarrassment to our name.
 
We've been consistently poor under Ten Hag. There's been no style, no tactical awareness, no progression. We plod along waiting for moments to bail us out. Somehow we've massively overachieved results wise. Last season we were lucky to finish top 4, and this season we're lucky to be as high as 6th. Stats place us at midtable, which when you watch our performances you'd agree that's exactly what we look like, a midtable team. You'd also expect a midtable team to get humiliated in the CL, just as we did.

It will be very concerning if this new "proper structure" continue with such an inept manager.
 
I think even a mid table team would have racked up more good performances than we have over the last 12 months. It’s actually remarkable how consistent we’ve been. Just plodding along, either bad or mediocre, without ever playing well. There’s a few teams in the bottom half who probably have more objectively good performances than us over the last year.
 
Winrar said:
Our home game against West Ham this season was probably the best game we played this season, but I agree. these games are so far and between.
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Even with that though they still had nearly double the goal attempts we had, it’s got to a point where every team we come up againest has at least 15 goal attempts it’s shocking,
 
I was banging the drum even before March that our underlying performances weren't very good but most couldn't see past the results so I got accused of 'hating' Ten Hag.

We were fortunate that Liverpool left it too late to put a run together for top 4 but it was clear the direction to two sides were heading in at the end of last season.
 
It has been the worst 12 month period in the post-Fergie era. No redeemable qualities really, the utter embarrassment of the CL group stage a real standout.

It will certainly see EtH fired in June. The question is, can the new regime finally get it right with the next guy.
 
The most damning inditement is how poor our GD has been over the past two seasons. Visually we play dog shit football and the stats make it look even worse.

2022/23 + 2023/24 for Manchester United:
Goals scored = 98
Goals conceded = 83
Goal difference = 15

Arsenal:
Goals scored = 158
Goals conceded = 67
Goal difference = 91

Man City:
Goals scored = 157
Goals conceded = 61
Goal difference = 96

Liverpool:
Goals scored = 140
Goals conceded = 73
Goal difference = 67

Absolutely grim.
 
The worst 12-month period of watching United in the last 32 years, easily. Without even looking at the poor results, the performances have been horrible, almost ever single week. Haven’t enjoyed watching us this last year, bar the odd game or ‘moment’.
 
DWelbz19 said:
The most damning inditement is how poor our GD has been over the past two seasons. Visually we play dog shit football and the stats make it look even worse.

2022/23 + 2023/24 for Manchester United:
Goals scored = 98
Goals conceded = 83
Goal difference = 15

Arsenal:
Goals scored = 158
Goals conceded = 67
Goal difference = 91

Man City:
Goals scored = 157
Goals conceded = 61
Goal difference = 96

Liverpool:
Goals scored = 140
Goals conceded = 73
Goal difference = 67

Absolutely grim.
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Horrible stuff. We haven’t had a good goal difference since 2012/2013 and even in that season we conceded so many goals.
 
Still not as bad as Moyes and LVG for me. Under LVG was the worst I've ever seen United. Hated that team.
 
Memory is a bit vague but the final itself was warning many wouldn't have. Newcastle looked the more complete team.
 
FreakyJim said:
Still not as bad as Moyes and LVG for me. Under LVG was the worst I've ever seen United. Hated that team.
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LVG had a style of play albeit boring. We were a lot more solid as well. Right now we've been outplayed by almost every team in the league and if luck wasn't on our side we'd be bottom half. Please explain how that's better.
 
Marwood said:
Memory is a bit vague but the final itself was warning many wouldn't have. Newcastle looked the more complete team.
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I think that's a bit harsh. The final was quite Mourinho like actually, we scored from a set piece and a big deflection then basically parked the bus for the rest of the match.

Newcastle had most of the ball but they never really looked like scoring. It wasn't pretty but when it comes to cup finals where it's all about making sure you win I was fine with us playing like that.

Since then of course it's been a total shitshow.
 
That’s it’s hard to back ETH anymore. I wanted him to succeed but after a good start (post the first two losses) he’s done a poor job and made too many questionable decisions - Antony, Casemiro, sticking with the existing playstyle and so on.


We need a vision at this club that isn’t making the most of what we have but singlemindedly building towards a dominant future. If Bruno can only play on the counter then sell him. Just do what you have to make every piece fit in with that vision.
 
Djemba-Djemba said:
I think that's a bit harsh. The final was quite Mourinho like actually, we scored from a set piece and a big deflection then basically parked the bus for the rest of the match.

Newcastle had most of the ball but they never really looked like scoring. It wasn't pretty but when it comes to cup finals where it's all about making sure you win I was fine with us playing like that.

Since then of course it's been a total shitshow.
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I think many times now we've given the team this type of benefit of the doubt. That we chose to sit in and be out passed by the opposition.

I don't think its a choice. We're just getting outplayed and that's how the final looked to me.

Backed up by Newcastle battering us not long after. Writing was on the wall.
 
Marwood said:
I think many times now we've given the team this type of benefit of the doubt. That we chose to sit in and be out passed by the opposition.

I don't think its a choice. We're just getting outplayed and that's how the final looked to me.

Backed up by Newcastle battering us not long after. Writing was on the wall.
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I agree. They pinned us back throughout the whole game. They just weren’t clinical at all and didn’t create much.
 
Who's Kissing Cameras? said:
Have been horrific.

Can someone give me 5 games from March 2023 to March 2024 where we have looked like a competent, cohesive team for the majority of the 90 mins.

You probably can’t.

https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/man...te=&datum_von=01.03.2023&datum_bis=31.03.2024

Real Betis (H) 09/03/23
Everton (H) 08/04/23
Chelsea (H) 25/05/23
Crystal Palace (H) 26/09/23

That’s it.

Thats how bad it’s been.

12 whole months of poorly coached, low block, high pressing, zero ball retention, midfield exposing, kamikaze football.

Not good enough.
Click to expand...
Nottingham Forest (A) 16/04/23 was one you missed out. We won 2-0 with an xg of 3.49.
 
Home draw against Sevilla in the Europa League last season was turning point for me. It's almost as if we had our heart ripped out that night and we haven't got it back entirely since.
 
Basically since Rashford stopped scoring every game we have been rubbish. Even then it was that golden patch of his that was masking the problems.

We have never looked a good team under ten Hag. We are just totally reliant on one of our better players going through a purple patch and dragging the rest of the team with him.

We have never had a good set up style of play had been non existent since day one. That's no evidence of any coaching or tactics it's been abysmal Ten Hag has lasted this long.
 
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