[DomesticTadpole]

“The ones who played, did well but it was not good enough.” scares me senseless, if I'm honest.

It scares me as well.

 

[The Mitcher]

Get rid, Ole and players. Ole has proven little and offered nothing long term

He hasn't even been here long term, jesus.

 

[Infra-red]

Cue meltdown mayhem.

Hmnnn. I'm wondering if that was a smart thing to say.

He ruled out a title challenge next season a few weeks ago - said the gap to the top two was too big to have any chance of making it up this summer. Which it is.

 

[Luke1995]

I remember watching the first pre season game, the America one saying ''These players aren't trying. That's disgraceful'' some replied ''Oh it's just pre season, calm down''

I think pre season performances can tell alot about how a team will approach the season

 

[deafepl]

I like Ole and he knows that we are not enough and have a lot of hard work to do it, it does not just transfer window but mentally, tactical, finesse and hunger to win. Greenwood is only one who has a hunger to score a goal.

The rest is like, "it's Cardiff, I don't care whether we put more effort in this but there's no point in trying to do because they're shit. I'm sure we'll score at some point, maybe out from nothing, I dunno. Maybe because we're Manchester United and superior, we'll get 3 points. Let's just see and how it is going on. Until 80 minutes, just can't anyone score, please? fecking hell"

 

[NFM]

I am worried that Ole thinks after a summer break this lot are going to turn into Maldini, Messi, Zidane and co. It isn't just about attitude, it is that they are not good enough.

17:36
Solskjaer: 'The work starts now'
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer says United’s players will have to come back with a different mentality and attitude next season.

“Today was not the problem, you can have all the possession and chances you want but we concede easy goals and not score at the other. That is not where our challenge lies, we have a long and hard way to be where we want to be.

“Mason Greenwood was brilliant, he was our best player by a mile and that says a lot about the kid. He came into the team with a lack of confidence and you can see that has take a total. Not surprised by his performance, we know he is capable of that.

“It will take some time to close in on the top, we finished five or six points behind third, fourth, fifth and that has to be our aim. The top two teams have set a standard higher than before and we have to take up the next challenge.

“The work starts now, everyone has the summer off but we have to come back with a different mentality and different attitude of being a Man United team.

“The ones who played, did well but it was not good enough.”

Greenwood, yes he played very well for his debut in a terrible team.
I have had great hopes for him being a very good player. His early performances after turning 16 yrs were as as a sort of second striker , a bit like Ali at Spurs. He could run a game from that position in his age group, and at international level as well.
Then someone at United decided they would turn him into a wide striker. No idea why. He has not developed quite as quickly from that moment. Since his goals against Chelsea in the YCup he is a marked man, and more injuries have followed.
He still deserved his chance and he took it well.
But, and there is a but, he showed a weakness today that may make a good player rather than a very good player. Everyone says he is completely two footed, but he isn't ,he favours his left, his right is good, but mentally he wants it on his left. Rashford put him through on goal and he hit a difficult shot with his left and missed. In that split second he did not take the much better option of letting the ball come to his right and hit it across the keeper with most of the goal to aim at.
What makes a really good player are those split seconds and the confidence to hit the better shot, not the one that is 'easier' on your favoured foot. Especially if you are supposed to be a goal scorer.
I hope I am wrong, I really hope it was just debut nerves, but somehow I doubt it. Ah well.

 

[hobbers]

Logically I know managers have a lot of constraints in how critical they can really be... but these bland platitudes and non-committal acknowledgements just ring so fecking hollow.

"The work starts now"..... why didn't it start 5 fecking months ago when you took over?
"The ones who played did well, but it wasn't good enough"....... oxymoron?

It's not just about fitness, it's not just about attitude (and good luck fixing that with bland platitudes and picking chronic failures), it's about quality. And if you don't realise that Ole the game was over before you even signed the contract.

 

[Marcelinho87]

Europa League qualifiers in July anyone?

Sounds like a hoot.

I would throw em tbh.

 

[NFM]

Greenwood, yes he played very well for his debut in a terrible team.
I have had great hopes for him being a very good player. His early performances after turning 16 yrs were as as a sort of second striker , a bit like Ali at Spurs. He could run a game from that position in his age group, and at international level as well.
Then someone at United decided they would turn him into a wide striker. No idea why. He has not developed quite as quickly from that moment. Since his goals against Chelsea in the YCup he is a marked man, and more injuries have followed.
He still deserved his chance and he took it well.
But, and there is a but, he showed a weakness today that may make a good player rather than a very good player. Everyone says he is completely two footed, but he isn't ,he favours his left, his right is good, but mentally he wants it on his left. Rashford put him through on goal and he hit a difficult shot with his left and missed. In that split second he did not take the much better option of letting the ball come to his right and hit it across the keeper with most of the goal to aim at.
What makes a really good player are those split seconds and the confidence to hit the better shot, not the one that is 'easier' on your favoured foot. Especially if you are supposed to be a goal scorer.
I hope I am wrong, I really hope it was just debut nerves, but somehow I doubt it. Ah well.

Oh and I hope United sell 'the virus' and his fellow countryman asap. The place will suddenly get a lot better without their poison.

 

[Handsome Devil]

Couldn't watch match. Was little Ed there? What was the expression on his face? Any reaction?

 

[RedRonaldo]

Hate this team. We should sell everyone, and keep Greenwood.

 

[nainaisson]

Quite poetic that Ole's season started off with a bang against Cardiff, and ended with a damp squib against Cardiff as well.

Funny thing is, this is the kind of performance I was expecting against Cardiff in Ole's first game in charge. Instead, we got the biggest new manager bounce I've ever seen, which ended up exploding in the air like the Hindenburg.

 

[Vidyoyo]

Do you remember when somebody said the other day that this is the low point?

Turns out that this is the low point.

 

[noodlehair]

Greenwood was very impressive, unsurprisingly.

The game highlighted the problem Ole has. You either pick players with shocking attitudes, or players who aren't good enough.

Rashford, Dalot, Mctominay etc will improve. Greenwood is a great prospect. They need better players around them than what we have. It's a very small core of players who aren't write offs.

 

[DomesticTadpole]

Bloody hell Mason. Stay well clear of any Jesse Lingard advice.

18:13
Lingard: Greenwood a revelation
Jesse Lingard was taken by Mason Greenwood’s performance on his first Manchester United start.

“He was brilliant,” Lingard told MUTV. “He enjoyed the occasion, he gave us that energy, he was getting on the ball and he got shots away.

“That is compliment to the kid, he is not scared of the occassion. He is not scared of playing i front of 75,000 people. He really took it upon himself to take the game to them.

“Obviously he has people around him to help us and that is our job.

“He is kind of laid back to be honest. When you get to know him he comes out of his shell a bit more.”

 

[Joseunited]

Do you remember when somebody said the other day that this is the low point?

Turns out that this is the low point.

Can only get better then.

 

[Vidyoyo]

Can only get better then.

I do think that's true but god I also hope it's true.

 

[GledTheRed]

I hate them all with a passion apart from the kids. Set of cnuts who need to shipped out.

 

[Schmeichel's Cartwheel]

Next year will be 8th-12th place.

In the words of Alan Shearer, "Man United are fecked"

 

[future2future]

It just doesn't end, does it? At home, last game of the season against Cardiff ffs

 

[DomesticTadpole]

It's the lack of pride that infuriates as well.

 

[fps]

Bloody hell Mason. Stay well clear of any Jesse Lingard advice.

18:13
Lingard: Greenwood a revelation
Jesse Lingard was taken by Mason Greenwood’s performance on his first Manchester United start.

“He was brilliant,” Lingard told MUTV. “He enjoyed the occasion, he gave us that energy, he was getting on the ball and he got shots away.

“That is compliment to the kid, he is not scared of the occassion. He is not scared of playing i front of 75,000 people. He really took it upon himself to take the game to them.

“Obviously he has people around him to help us and that is our job.

“He is kind of laid back to be honest. When you get to know him he comes out of his shell a bit more.”

Honestly, Lingard has no right to act as a senior Man Utd player. He needs taking off interview duties.

 

[Reiver]

I've read some comments looking forward to the summer. I would ask on what basis? That we are now going to suddenly do a complete U turn and start making good decisions good signings?
I'm dreading this summer. I can only see our rivals getting further ahead of us.

 

[Whatsername]

Didn't see the game as was travelling but did they do a lap of the pitch and manager speech etc. at the end?

Lap of ‘honour’ when the stadium was pretty much empty, no speech.
I was ready to go before the whistle but my lad wanted to stay to show Ander his appreciation.

 

[DomesticTadpole]

I've read some comments looking forward to the summer. I would ask on what basis? That we are now going to suddenly do a complete U turn and start making good decisions good signings?
I'm dreading this summer. I can only see our rivals getting further ahead of us.

Because some people are just naturally optimistic, there are always better time ahead. Now me I am the classic 'glass half empty' person.

 

[Fanatic 00237]

Greenwood was very impressive, unsurprisingly.

The game highlighted the problem Ole has. You either pick players with shocking attitudes, or players who aren't good enough.

Rashford, Dalot, Mctominay etc will improve. Greenwood is a great prospect. They need better players around them than what we have. It's a very small core of players who aren't write offs.

Exactly and I think that’s the reason why Ole’s task at hand is going to be very, very difficult. In fact, I don’t even know who can do it, if not a beloved club legend. Everyone was calling for young players to be given a chance for the last game of the season and Ole did that for positions where he could, while including senior players to have some mature hands in the lineup and also for positions where there was no academy player ready to step up. As expected, young Mason was bright but lacked the cutting edge to finish off his chances.

Asking for youth next season would mean not minding so much about the results but being more interested in giving a chance to academy players to have a go in the senior team. We had a bright first half today and with a good and more mature striker we would have been at least two or three up by half time which would have put the game out of the hands of Cardiff (especially that their pen was a wrong call by the ref).

Instead of taking the score line in the context of the game, people are calling for Ole’s head because we lost to a relegated team (okay, and also because of the poor form shown since after the PSG game, I know). My point being, it looks like everyone wants a quick fix solution again (tried and failed with the previous two appointments): a big name manager who would release and sign 8 or 9 players and mount a title challenge next season. That won’t happen!

The only realistic plan (with or without OGS) would be to slowly and progressively build up sustainable success which WILL entail inconsistent results and winless runs. We’re going to have to stand by our manager through this one. Maybe Ole can, maybe he can’t, but we will never know if he’s not given a chance like we did with a certain Alex F. many years ago.

 

[KiD MoYeS]

Lap of ‘honour’ when the stadium was pretty much empty, no speech.
I was ready to go before the whistle but my lad wanted to stay to show Ander his appreciation.

Cheers!

 

[AndyMUFC]

So glad I decided to stay at home and not to go to this one. Absolute shower of shite.

 

[Giggs86]

Weak, lazy, spineless bastards. None of them worthy of wearing our shirt. This is a mockery of our great club.

 

[Cee90]

Can someone please embed the post match interviews?

 

[noodlehair]

Exactly and I think that’s the reason why Ole’s task at hand is going to be very, very difficult. In fact, I don’t even know who can do it, if not a beloved club legend. Everyone was calling for young players to be given a chance for the last game of the season and Ole did that for positions where he could, while including senior players to have some mature hands in the lineup and also for positions where there was no academy player ready to step up. As expected, young Mason was bright but lacked the cutting edge to finish off his chances.

Asking for youth next season would mean not minding so much about the results but being more interested in giving a chance to academy players to have a go in the senior team. We had a bright first half today and with a good and more mature striker we would have been at least two or three up by half time which would have put the game out of the hands of Cardiff (especially that their pen was a wrong call by the ref).

Instead of taking the score line in the context of the game, people are calling for Ole’s head because we lost to a relegated team (okay, and also because of the poor form shown since after the PSG game, I know). My point being, it looks like everyone wants a quick fix solution again (tried and failed with the previous two appointments): a big name manager who would release and sign 8 or 9 players and mount a title challenge next season. That won’t happen!

The only realistic plan (with or without OGS) would be to slowly and progressively build up sustainable success which WILL entail inconsistent results and winless runs. We’re going to have to stand by our manager through this one. Maybe Ole can, maybe he can’t, but we will never know if he’s not given a chance like we did with a certain Alex F. many years ago.

Today was always a write off game regardless of what happened. I was glad he gave younger players a chance and in place mostly of the players who we all know aren't up to it.

If he uses the core of younger players he has to try and build something new, then I'd be happy to give him a chance and would expect next season to be tough at least in terms of results. If we go into next season with Lukaku, Matic, Sanchez, etc. in our team then I'm going to lose faith very quickly. You know what you're getting from these players at this point.

 

[Red Devil Rising]

“The ones who played, did well but it was not good enough.” scares me senseless, if I'm honest.

And the ones that didn't play? Did they do well? Don't understand that quote

 

[Red Dreams]

as poor as we were, two diabolical decisions by Moss who really is becoming one of the worst.

Non penalty and not sending off the defender for that pull down of Martial.
In fact no foul even.

 

[Sweet Square]

Sorry if this has been posted before

 

[Siorac]

Let’s start next season. Let’s start it now.

Let's not. I'm very grateful for the summer break.

 

[Web of Bissaka]

Cardiff is a Top Team.

 

[Che Guevara]

This is a comment out of left-field, but it seems to me as though marketing and social media is having a serious negative impact on society and that includes the players of United.

Any random person from the public can potentially have a following of hundreds of thousands or even millions today. Social media is addictive and the endorphins being released from likes and notifications is apparently more addictive than crack. United players like Pogba and Lingard are basically competing with millions of popular randos on social media and game streamers or whatever. This was never the case in the past generations... Millions of children maybe idolise someone like Ninja, PewdiePie or a Logan Paul far more than someone like a Jessie Lingard. Whereas in the past, this would not have been the case whatsoever. To play for United, you would have been like a king.

My point is: United place so much emphasis on image and marketing deals, this could potentially be transferring over to the psyche of the players. And with United no longer being the top dogs, I'm sure those players who care about their personal following and personal brand are really sick of playing for this team.

I don't know if I'm getting my thoughts across clearly enough and it may be something of a giant assumptive leap... I don't do social media much myself anymore and don't follow any of the players, but just looking at the affect social media has had on my own social group and the people around me, I have no doubt it's affecting the players too... they are human after all.

When Lukaku launches his own aftershave, and Lingard has his own clothes line, there has to be something wrong. Their heads are not in the game anymore.

What's the solution, if this is really a problem? I have no damn idea. The impact of social media on the human psyche have yet to be fully explored and it's still a relatively new phenomenon. Perhaps the next generation of players are contractually obliged to not have personal social media accounts? I think that might be a start. Mobile phone addiction is a very real thing. We see it all around us. Sometimes I wonder if some of the players are wondering if they got a text back from some instagram model instead of being concerned about being 2-0 down, at home to relegation fodder.

There is something obviously very wrong with the psyche of the team and it must be coming from somewhere.

I don't know if it's a director of football United need more or whether it's a world class sports psychologist, with some sweeping policy changes regarding players and their media exposure.

In my mind, all marketing, endorsement and social media presence should be managed directly by the club, or at least heavily monitored. I'd go as far as banning personal social media accounts as well.

This is all very orwellian and overly controlling, I'm aware of that. And I don't understand the legalities or implementing something like that, but fecking hell. Something needs to be done to regain a siege mentality in the team.

Sorry for the rant and the crazy theory. It was just a thought that I've been having for a while now.

To the extent that you express your deep concern (which I also share) on the negative effects of social media and celebrity status, you make some valid points. However, there are some worrying points to note: Firstly, turning United into the North Korea of football clubs is unlikely to be the solution. If anything, it will ruin morale and scare away potential signings. Secondly, the big egos in dressing rooms nowadays need big characters at management level to match, and I'm not sure Ole, as likable as he is as a person, fits the bill, whilst SAF did perfectly. The worrying thing about Ole is that, by comparison, he is actually managing a very tame dressing room compared to the characters SAF had to deal with.

 

[Web of Bissaka]

Thing is Ole is just doing his job by saying all those good/nice comments in all the interviews.

Manager "protecting" his players.

Would be better and him being forgiven slightly if he would actually be ruthless in his player selection decisions. Unfortunately not.

 

[Tom Cato]

Imagine if everyone on the field gave a full tilt effort like Mason Greenwood did? Little guy ran for everything, maximum effort every time. EVERYONE needs to get on that level out of the gate next season.

 

[Tom Cato]

Thing is Ole is just doing his job by saying all those good/nice comments in all the interviews.

Manager "protecting" his players.

Would be better and him being forgiven slightly if he would actually be ruthless in his player selection decisions. Unfortunately not.

Scolding players in the press accomplishes absolutely nothing. Its terrible man management and he should never do it. You deal with it behind the press and cameras.

He's been plenty ruthless in his player decisions, but we dont exactly have a thousand players to work with