[RooneyLegend]

A lot of decisions went Utds way today.
Young's challenge was a red card and Bournemouth should have had at least one penalty .

Even our refs are back...happy days!

 

[Sentient Meat]

I think you are doing Ole a disservice. He has been brilliant so far, and he has made some key tactical and positional changes as well. It's not all down to ''new manager bounce". I could agree that the Cardiff game was bounce, but we've progressed since.

The biggest difference I saw yesterday was the number of runs being made by the players. One clip last night showed United breaking from a corner which ended with Pogba almost getting to a header (before his second goal). It had 6 runners charging down the Bournemouth goal. You think Jose allows that? Not a chance.

My first comment on this thread was facetiously that we successfully used Zerg tactics with a Zerg team as opposed to using Terran tactics with the Zerg (Starcraft reference). I think this is true to a certain extent... but what happens when we must set up for Spurs in two weeks?

This will be Ole's first big test.

If he can find a way to win this one or at least play them close, then I can start to believe he's onto something more than simply raising the spirits of the squad.

Don't get me wrong, what I've seen so far is terrific... but I've seen these false dawns in Moyes first match against Swansea... during LVGs reign and even some high scoring games with Jose when Ibra came.

But if he can find a way to get a result against Spurs and PSG, I will be much more convinced.

 

[Gary_Walsh_Nou_Camp_Hell]

I don't think he was intentionally trying to get fired. My point was that his decisions stopped making any sense.

I guess the context of the post was lost on you!

You not understanding his decisions is very different from him sabotaging the team and his own reputation.

I'm not particularly a mou fan btw

 

[ayushreddevil9]

We have scored almost the same number of goals as Arsenal and Tottenham, more than Chelsea and 7 less than leaders.

We can't really win the GD battle but this is very promising!

 

[Shiva87]

You not understanding his decisions is very different from him sabotaging the team and his own reputation.

I'm not particularly a mou fan btw

Again - I didn't say that he was sabotaging - I only said it 'felt like a sabotage because his decisions did not make any sense'. I'm not questioning his logic of making those decisions - which are probably known only to him!

 

[Shiva87]

My first comment on this thread was facetiously that we successfully used Zerg tactics with a Zerg team as opposed to using Terran tactics with the Zerg (Starcraft reference). I think this is true to a certain extent... but what happens when we must set up for Spurs in two weeks?

This will be Ole's first big test.

If he can find a way to win this one or at least play them close, then I can start to believe he's onto something more than simply raising the spirits of the squad.

Don't get me wrong, what I've seen so far is terrific... but I've seen these false dawns in Moyes first match against Swansea... during LVGs reign and even some high scoring games with Jose when Ibra came.

But if he can find a way to get a result against Spurs and PSG, I will be much more convinced.

Agreed. Spurs, and PSG are the real test for Ole. But, we shouldn't put too much weight on those games as well. His tactics are showing, and the team should get better over the next 6 months. Spurs may still be too soon, but he has to set up this squad to be ready for PSG.

We may not win those two games as he can't magically make our deficiencies go away (CB position for sure) - but the way he sets up for those games will really show if he has got the ability to manage at this level. I'd be worried if we get beat by big scorelines (like Jose did against pool) - but as long as the games are tight, and we give a good go at it - I'll be happy. (Disappointed, but happy).

 

[Raees]

Mourinho being dishonest and unprofessional at a club he dreamed of managing just for quick money? I'd like to think he was stubborn than dishonest.

So it’s okay to say professionals can ‘never’ sabotage yet state that the players downed tools (an act of sabotage) and the manager was incapable of doing the same thing? Hypocrisy at its finest.

Look the cnut has gone once and for all - let’s not surgarcoat what was an incredibly toxic reign towards the end. He has been accused of sabotage at three clubs and I am sorry if anyone looks at that West Ham game and his comments during pre season as just being stubborn they need their heads examined.

A Mourinho who was trying his best would not have tanked this season as hard regardless if he is a dinosaur now or not.

 

[Member 113277]

Sabotage or not, the sea change in the last three games is clear enough to everyone.

Mourinho was deservedly sacked for failing to get anything like the current performance from this squad (and the massive investment in it) - any manager in any line of work should expect the same and that's the last word on him, from me.

Ole has had three great games - there's nothing wrong with being lucky (e.g. the refereering yesterday*) and you can only beat the given opposition, so the clear wins have (hopefully) started us off on a roll.

Spurs will be a sterner match, though one we should not be frightened of - we are not outgunned by anyone, though the leaky defence is a concern and probably won't be a quick fix, with some sustained coaching on the training pitch, plus a solid CB signing, who will make Lindelof and Dalot look better, though the former is developing nicely and looking more confident.

The main differences to me in the last three games are the freedom of play, which other posters have described well, but just as importantly, the work rate, which has gone from dismal to excellent - our second rate midfield is now first rate in this respect and the fact that 50% of the 12 goals have come from Ander, Pogba and Matic is welcome and will make a significant difference if it continues - Pogba could finish this season with +/-15 goals (as he should, IMO).

Let's keep our fingers crossed for a good performance and a win at Newcastle - if we do this, it will be a good reminder that top teams are ruthless in dealing with lesser teams.

This glorious form can't continue for ever, so we'll need to get behind the manager and the team on those occasions where they grind out scruffy one-nils, which are as important as 5-1s.

The team looks like a top four team now, though with the points deficit, it will be an uphill struggle, but with limited strengthening in the summer, next season could see us as a genuine title contender for the first time in a few seasons.

(*Mind you, we've had some stinking bad decisions against us this season, so the law of averages and all that...)

 

[Sandikan]

That's just how these pundits are chameleons. I remember Carragher going from "Pogba wouldn't improve if Mourinho leaves" to "Mourinho has been holding him back". Just one bad result and they'll change tone again.

Saying we're playing great stuff now isn't the same example as saying pogba wouldn't improve though is it.

That's just calling it as is it.
Whereas the pogba comment wad obviously just plain wrong.

 

[Buster15]

This isn't 1996 player motivation is a completely different proposition. Do you think the players at Spurs/Liverpool/City work so hard because they have superior work ethics to our players? No, their managers keep them happy and motivated. Speaking of salaries, did Mourinho not make enough to try to motivate his players instead of degrading them constantly and making them miserable?

The keeping them happy bit is not in my opinion the issue.
It is about keeping them hungry by challenging them to keep performing and to keep improving.

One of the reasons clubs need a big squad is so that a player knows that if his standards drop he is out and another player will take his place.

The motivation is therefore largely self driven.

Of course the coach needs to create the right environment by being a leader who the players want to follow. But the relationship should not be too cosy as hard decisions need to be made.

 

[Robbo's Shoulder]

Best performance under Ole, we controlled the game much better than we did against Cardiff and Huddersfield, even when Bailley was sent off we managed the game very well, not allowing Bournemouth to build any momentum whatsoever.

 

[GloryHunter07]

30% of our PL goals came in the last 3 games.

Ffs

 

[Pogue Mahone]

What the hell?!? Is this game not featuring on a MOTD?!

 

[onemanarmy]

What the hell?!? Is this game not featuring on a MOTD?!

It was last night?

 

[Pogue Mahone]

It was last night?

Really? Fecking thing was series linked but didn’t record. Livid.

 

[Salus Populi Suprema Lex]

The atmosphere was great; you could sense the optimism. Wonderful to see attacking football back at Old Trafford.

 

[Ibrahimorich]

Another exciting attack performance, which is great to see. I do worry about us defensively though. We seem a little naive. I know Bournemouth are well regarded as an attacking unit but they're not Spurs and we could've easily conceded a penalty and had Bailly sent off much earlier. There was a good 15-20 minutes where they dominated play.

Not really a complaint. I'd rather see us smash all the smaller teams and take our chances in the big games but I can see the Spurs game being high scoring. We'll either get on top early and win 4-3 or we'll get stuffed 5-2

 

[GJNJ]

Really? Fecking thing was series linked but didn’t record. Livid.

I think it was because it was MOTD 2 and they need to be series linked separately.

 

[vidic blood & sand]

Isn't it on catch up?

 

[Joseunited]

Jose has quite rightly paid the price for his mis management and negative tactics , but to think that the players were blameless is nieve at best and ridiculous at worst .
Jose hated Pogba , Pogba hated Jose obvious to all , but to down tools as much as he did when earning a million pounds a month was a disgrace .
To say they were playing exactly as Jose told them too ?? Do you think Jose said to Pogba when you get the balll give it away ? Or if through on goal hit it wide or over the top ?
Sanchez , Pogba and to a degree Martial let the club down as well as the manager and as a result they have more than likely cost us a champs lge place next season .
I’m glad Jose has gone I’m glad ole is here I’m glad Pogba and co have hit form I’m enjoying watching united again for the first time since fergie retired long may it continue but it is so
obvious to see that player powere rules but at least if they turn on ole the fans will 100 % back the manager this time and quite rightly so

So you believe that in front of all the world and the media these players all decided to on purpose misplace passes and try and miss scoring goals?The buck stops with the manager,simple as.If the tactics had not been negative and we were playing poorly then I could look at the players but they were negative.Look at how free flowing the football is now and how happy the players are and from what we're being told it isn't just the players,everybody at the club has had this horrible cloud lifted from them.

Under Jose nothing about the club was being run the "United way" on or off the pitch, I don't understand how anybody can blame the players knowing that if they did the slightest thing wrong the manager would be all over them,I can remember a game where Rashford missed a chance and Mourinho who was o the touchline at the time, instead of encouraging Rashford turned to the bench and made it quite clear how disgusted he was, on match of the day that night Lineker made a thing about that incident and how he as a striker wouldn't like to see his manager do that.

That is the worst kind of management and we suffered as a result, and I still go back to the same thing, you play to the managers tactics.He didn't send us out there to win games, he sent us out not to get beat.

 

[Canagel]

If the players downed tools we wouldn't have made all those comebacks. The setup was wrong, the team was set out to contain hence some of the disastrous starts and only when chasing games did they perform well - proof they were trying despite Mourinho.

 

[Ban]