[Dirty Schwein]

I missed this thinking it was Wednesday. Glad I did

 

[fps]

I missed this, but the priority right now is the league, dodgy pitch, just don't get any injuries, done from what I can tell.

 

[Pscholes18]

Fantastic result given that we usually struggle against Barcelona.

 

[BenitoSTARR]

I fell asleep watching this... says it all

 

[reddevil702]

The post match interview is a complete joke! Ole's become delusional.

 

[Lee565]

Supposedly ole needs a full strength side to beat AZ alkmaar now but arsenal with just as many youngsters in their side tonight as ours played great football and won 4-0.

 

[Mr Anderson]

Atrocious. Ole talked for ages about entertaining fans and showing them good football.

This was a B team, but we saw no tempo, no plan and no attacking nature.

We learned nothing from this game, fringe players didn’t stand up and make an account for themselves either. But im more disappointed in Ole - he talks a good game but has no idea how to implement anything, change anything or influence things.

It’s not all his fault - he’s just not the man for the long run, but the clowns above don’t help at all.

 

[Sp00ks11]

So what are you saying? You didn’t want to be in the Champions League?

Nope I didn't. Getting hammered every game is not my idea of fun. Europa League I actually felt we might have a chance of winning. But no chance!

 

[AFC NimbleThumb]

Jose: *gives honest critique of players performance*
Caf uproar

Ole: *obvious lying to protect players*
Caf uproar

You can’t win. He’ll know that was utter wank. Anyone who thinks he’s genuinely happy with the state of us at the minute has a screw loose.

You don't have to give a Jose rant to be 'honest' with the fans. What is he protecting? He has said he was happy with the squad, whilst slating the Greenwoods, Gomes' etc. would be unhelpful if Matic, Mata & Co. can't take an honest evaluation of a team performance they had a part in then he really is out of his depth.

We get very limited soundbites from OgS. He spoke of 'understanding the United way', 'exciting football', 'attacking football', all platitudes he knew would chime with the fans but what has he actually done to coach any of this out of them since being permanently appointed - the team look more and more clueless with every game.

 

[AFC NimbleThumb]

I've got no idea why, but that felt like it, lads. Sorry. As someone who watched mediocre football for every week of every season until 2010, United are showing all the hallmarks of a side who cannot cope at the top level and won't be back there any time soon. It will be years before you're close to looking capable of winning any trophy of any description again, let alone regularly competing the league title.

Woodward's season-long plan to "get rid of the deadwood, play loads of youngsters, and generate some optimism for the future" has lasted until the first week of October. Well done, Ed. He's just loaned out Smalling after giving him a contract extension six months ago. Phil Jones and Marcos Rojo are still there after years and years of simply occupying space. The ways Woodward finds to look even more incompetent than he did two weeks ago continue to be absolutely astounding.

There's no way his summer plan was to spend £130m on defenders and needlessly weaken the team in every other area of the pitch, but somehow that happened. He gave the job to fecking Moyes in the first place and then eventually gave it to Solskjaer, whose only managerial experience in this country prior to this year was getting relegated with Cardiff. I mean, for absolute god's sake, putting United's future in the hands of that guy.

And, fine, sure, the odds are against Ole for the reasons stated above, but Chelsea are basically in the same position as you (relying on kids for squad depth, their main star leaving or agitating for a move, inexperienced manager), yet the very, very beginnings of a new cycle at least look like they're under way for Lampard. Other than aiming for Maguire at the back post on free-kicks and corners, is there any one tactic or plan that United consistently aim to do? I can't think of one.

Sure, sometimes philosophies don't work. Pep during the 16/17 season and all of Van Gaal's reign (his philosophy needs time, remember), but you could see they were trying something at least. With United it's gone so far beyond the point of "Not knowing which United side are going to turn up" because you know what United side are going to turn up. It's going to be the United side that prays for a moment of brilliance because they cannot control anything else about a game of football.

I think that was it tonight. 5 wins in the last 22 games. That's not a bad run of form, that's routine now.

When a post hits home as much as this did it's either time to go bed or open a bottle of gin.

Spot on.

 

[Gandalf]

And, fine, sure, the odds are against Ole for the reasons stated above, but Chelsea are basically in the same position as you (relying on kids for squad depth, their main star leaving or agitating for a move, inexperienced manager), yet the very, very beginnings of a new cycle at least look like they're under way for Lampard. Other than aiming for Maguire at the back post on free-kicks and corners, is there any one tactic or plan that United consistently aim to do? I can't think of one.

Chelsea are not close to being in the same position as us. They have a much better first team squad than us right now and yes they are playing their youngsters but theirs have all got a season or two of playing regularly in the Championship on loan whereas we are relying on kids stepping straight up from the youth team after a handful of U23 appearances.

 

[Gandalf]

Supposedly ole needs a full strength side to beat AZ alkmaar now but arsenal with just as many youngsters in their side tonight as ours played great football and won 4-0.

AZ would batter Liege, Arsenal had a significantly easier game and they were at home.

 

[Sterling Archer]

If anyone expects us to play good football with Fred, Matic and Mata - combined with some youngsters - they are very optimistic. But the fact is - with McTominay rested on the bench (things immediately improved when he entered the pitch) and Pogba and Martial injured - this is where we are.

People can complain about getting a new manager - but will that make Fred a better footballer, or Mata and Matic quicker ? Nah - we need to replace these 3 players with new players. It wont get radically much better before that. Fred is quite possibly the worst midfielder I have seen at United in my time as a United-fan. (not counting youth players who got 2 matches etc). Matic is simply too slow.

I don't care about the football we played tonight - we rested basically our entire team because of injuries and an astroturf pitch. Shaw, Maguire, Young, AWB, Lingard, Pogba, Martial, Rashford, McTominay, Jones, Bailly and Tuanzebe - were all either missing or started on the bench. And we got a draw against a team that is 1 Point behind Ajax and PSV.

We need to get 2-3 creative players in - and this will be quite ok. We are much better organized than we have been for quite a while, but we lack goalscorers.

I've seen much better football from the likes of Norwich, Swansea Bournemouth Wolves all after just being promoted. You can't excuse this with the quality of players available.

 

[Alemar]

Anyone who thinks he’s genuinely happy with the state of us at the minute has a screw loose.

But what else should we think if he continues to play these crap Matic, Mata and Lingard bunch every single time?

If he was unhappy he would have demoted them

 

[RedB4ndiT]

The post match interview is a complete joke! Ole's become delusional.

I missed it. What did he say?

 

[Martialfc]

We had three players on that pitch today all wanting to do the same thing. Gomez, Mata and Fred. We need wingers and pace around someone like them who is slow immobile and relies on movement from other players too look good. You can’t play them all at the same time. We have no system and no way of playing. As bad as he’s been Chong would of been better than having those three on the pitch at the same time. Atleast he can run!

Can someone tell me what Fred is ? He’s not a box to box. He’s not a holding midfielder. He’s not a attacking mid. What is he ? He’s not even big he can’t even be a presence in the middle he’s literally awful. Djemba Djemba was better.

 

[Lee565]

AZ would batter Liege, Arsenal had a significantly easier game and they were at home.

Would Astana batter them as well, the team we struggled to get a goal against at home, today was the same tumescent football we saw against Astana and rochdale.

 

[Leftback99]

Would Astana batter them as well, the team we struggled to get a goal against at home, today was the same tumescent football we saw against Astana and rochdale.

Why didn't Arsenal bring their amazing football on Monday night?

 

[reddevil702]

AZ would batter Liege, Arsenal had a significantly easier game and they were at home.

You mean like when we played Astana at OT?

I missed it. What did he say?

Good point away from OT, good performance, not getting a PK cost us the game.

 

[Lee565]

Why didn't Arsenal bring their amazing football on Monday night?

Arsenal are terrible away from home, we are awful away and at home no matter who we play and who we are up against.

Just look at arsenal's youngsters tonight and in the league cup compared our lot against a weaker side like Astana and rochdale.

 

[Alemar]

Djemba Djemba was better.

Even Bebe would be a decent player in the current squad. Djemba Djemba would’ve been an undisputable starter

 

[432JuanMata]

AZ team was younger than ours so playing the kids wasn’t a excuse playing the front 3 all out of position and not having a shot on target is disgraceful.

a draw here isn’t the worst it is how we drew it’s all of our performances this season

 

[Bastian]

A few things.

No match should ever be played on that type of surface in an official UEFA competition. It's not really football. I think Ole made some dubious remark prior to the match that there could be no excuses with the passing because the ball doesn't change direction, but the weight of the ball has to be so precise for the game to flow and any type of high ball just bounces on the surface like a bouncy toy.

I am not sure our youngsters are greatly served by playing in a team that has zero energy or quality in midfield. Mata has been really poor this season, we know we don't get energy from him or any pace, but usually he's a composed technician who think quickly. Not this season though. Matic is declining rapidly, and Fred is not a football player I've come to assume. But I was pleased to see Williams get a full 90 tonight.

We still really struggle with identity. Given that Ole is somehow averse to playing 433, and wants to develop his 4231, I was surprised to see us swapping all over the place tonight. At times James was "leading the line" in a very false nine sort of way. Then he had Greenwood and James up front together, with Mata tucked in behind and Gomes dropping deeper in a 3 man midfield of sorts. When Rashford comes on he starts behind Mata, then goes left. It wasn't until McTominay came on that we looked balanced.

The ref missed not just the foul on Rashford, which was a clear pen, but moments earlier Fred was hanging onto the shirt of one of their players right in front of the ref, a clear pen in my view. Which summed up his game really. I guess I'll go to the Fred thread to moan now.

motm: Lindelof/Rojo.

 

[Ekeke]

Sorry but everyone who has been screaming "just play Fred and push Pogba up!", "Start Greenwood and Gomes!" etc should eat their humble pie and stop parroting it - all 3 were absolutely SHOCKING.

Gomes was HORRENDOUS and even worse than the resident pensioner Mata and Greenwood had literally no impact, no pressing, poor touches, whatever.

The less said about Fred the better.

The writing is on the wall - hopefully we have a competent manager lined up. Painful.

Manchester United time wasting against AZ Alkmaar when it's 0-0..... Jesus.

He wasnt worse than Mata he was better. And this is in a poor match for Gomes which is why we should keep giving him chances. Mata not even being decent in a match like this is why he shouldnt keep getting chances. We know what we get with him and its not good enough and there are no excuses

 

[Steerpike]

For a much changed team on a dodgy pitch against opponents who are in good form, I'm happy with the point. It leaves us still very much in control of our own destiny, and we should win the group from here. I fully expect AZ Alkmaar to win their other two home games. We would most likely have won the game had the officials given a penalty for the blatant foul on Rashford, but I doubt that will be relevant to the group standings at the end. As it was, a draw was a fair reflection of the game as a whole.

Obviously the performance in the attacking sense was a disappointment. We may have hoped to exploit the pace we had, but that was difficult to do on a fast bouncy pitch where through balls didn't hold up at all, and this meant that we just looked very lightweight without a strong central attacker.

The positives are the result, and Dalot, Gomes, Greenwood and Williams getting some useful game time. We are likely to be calling on them a fair bit this season.

Being flippant, perhaps Fred discovering that he could pass to people wearing red shirts was a positive too (shame we were in black).

All in all, a bit of a tumescent watch, but what do you expect playing on a surface which isn't really suitable.

 

[iKeano]

Since Utd last won an away game, City have won 12 away games, scored 76 goals, won the PL, won the Community Shield and the FA cup.

Utd are an expensive pub team. Absolutely shocking.

 

[lysglimt]

I've seen much better football from the likes of Norwich, Swansea Bournemouth Wolves all after just being promoted. You can't excuse this with the quality of players available.

We have some players who simply are too slow and not good enough - every single one of those players were on the pitch tonight. Fred is the worst (and I am not joking) - worst United-player I have seen in my Life. Matic is not quite as bad - but he is certainly not good enough - and Mata is too slow. In addition to that you have some teenagers who are nowhere near the finished article. Defensively we were good - going foward we do miss some players yes

 

[lysglimt]

He wasnt worse than Mata he was better. And this is in a poor match for Gomes which is why we should keep giving him chances. Mata not even being decent in a match like this is why he shouldnt keep getting chances. We know what we get with him and its not good enough and there are no excuses

He was worse - there is a Point behind what Mata is trying to do. But it requires something from his team-mates. God knows what Fred is trying to do

 

[Ayush_reddevil]

Oles at the wheel, tell me how shit does it feel

 

[KristianMackle]

This performance was bad. Wow, it was awful! We need at least 5 new players to crack the top 4. We are so far behind its laughable. For a club this size to be that inept in the transfer market is shocking!

 

[Yagami]

I thought Teun Koopmeiners looked alright. Anyone who watches the Dutch league know about him? @KirkDuyt

 

[Jaap]

We need to accept that performances like the one today will be the norm & will not change before we make changes to the structure of the club; owners, directors, manager, players.

On the other hand, Ole‘s post match words are beyond laughable. Not even Moyes managed to sound so ridiculous.

 

[Sterling Archer]

We have some players who simply are too slow and not good enough - every single one of those players were on the pitch tonight. Fred is the worst (and I am not joking) - worst United-player I have seen in my Life. Matic is not quite as bad - but he is certainly not good enough - and Mata is too slow. In addition to that you have some teenagers who are nowhere near the finished article. Defensively we were good - going foward we do miss some players yes

That's the beauty of football - you don't need to be Usain Bolt to play well. It's just not an excuse. The players have enough technical ability to beat the likes of Rochdale. To not do so and come off looking inept is much more than the players.

 

[Dansk]

I didn't even like football anyway.

 

[Steerpike]

You don't have to give a Jose rant to be 'honest' with the fans. What is he protecting? He has said he was happy with the squad, whilst slating the Greenwoods, Gomes' etc. would be unhelpful if Matic, Mata & Co. can't take an honest evaluation of a team performance they had a part in then he really is out of his depth.

We get very limited soundbites from OgS. He spoke of 'understanding the United way', 'exciting football', 'attacking football', all platitudes he knew would chime with the fans but what has he actually done to coach any of this out of them since being permanently appointed - the team look more and more clueless with every game.

Ole's job isn't to keep us informed and entertained through insightful press conferences. It's quite likely he has had, or will have, conversations with players who put in unacceptable performances, but the manner in which it's done should be private and respectful. He would gain absolutely nothing beneficial from going public. Long may his press conferences continue to be boring and cliched.

 

[smudgegezer]

We are becoming manchester city from the 90s and city have become us. It is witch craft, we have been cursed.
This is seriously relegation form, we will not be able to hold onto any of our players or bring any in at this rate.
0-0 but I did not feel like we was unlucky, but felt like it was a hard thought draw. I appreciate olys positive attitude towards the pundits and media. I really hope behind the scenes he is telling the squad that this is unacceptable.
Roy Keane said that this bunch of players would from him under the bus, he was right because I do not see a team fighting for its manager.
Still I will not sack him, I do feel he has a plan and his transfers have been decent. Getting rid would make the situation worse.

 

[Justin Bieber]

We are a shambles

 

[pauldyson1uk]

Since Utd last won an away game, City have won 12 away games, scored 76 goals, won the PL, won the Community Shield and the FA cup.

Utd are an expensive pub team. Absolutely shocking.

This is shocking !!

 

[Fully Fledged]

At the end of the day in Europe the job is to win your home games and not lose away from home. So far job done move on to the next one.

 

[SungSam7]

At the end of the day in Europe the job is to win your home games and not lose away from home. So far job done move on to the next one.

I am hoping you are joking to be honest.