[dal]

How on earth could any of them possibly be fit?

was a play on the overreaction of the post match tbh

 

[Maluco]

Most of the team were clearly not match fit and their skills were rusty and out of tune. We then came up against a capable team who were fit and played very well. We were deservedly beaten.

doesn’t mean it’s all gloom: fitness will come within a week or two, and let’s hope this loss forces our board into investing in a better LCB and RW than we currently have.

As a big CL club, we need to be better. It’s great to be positive, but the organisation at the club is non-existent. We should have been ready to go, but the line-up was awful, key players haven’t arrived and the team looked terribly unfit and flat.

Going to a very competitive Brighton next game, and a loss there would mean we could be 6 points behind other top 4 teams after the first two games.

It’s very early, but we have seen this pattern so many times and from there, it would be difficult to stay positive about any facet of things. Today is a sizeable blow to moral, for so many reasons.

It wasn’t a 1-0 loss against the run of play. We were well beaten by a side with very little quality. It’s a massive downer.

 

[RashyForPM]

In all my years supporting United (2008-09 season onwards), that was the worst performance I have ever seen from a United team. Genuinely. We lacked heart, drive and perhaps most frighteningly of all, quality. This was largely evidenced by the many times Maguire and Shaw played passes 10 miles short from their target and Lindelof was skinned.

Also, how come since that Chelsea semi final defeat, even our supposedly world class players like Pogba, Rashford and Bruno have turned to actual shit? Do we put that down to them or the manager? If it’s them, who do we drop them for? It certainly can’t be Ighalo or James.

If Woodward and the Glazers don’t take drastic action, I suppose us fans will have to take our own action. Make of that what you will. This is bigger than Jadon Sancho or Alex Telles, or even Ole Solskjær. It’s about addressing the root problems at our club, meaning getting, or forcing if needs be, Woodward and the parasitic, corrupted twats known as the Glazers out. For now though, I don’t predict a sunny future for our club unless the pricks upstairs leave, although I truly hope I’m wrong. We can always have 6 month periods where we’ll look great due to buying one top player or hiring a manager, but it is absolutely unsustainable. I pity our new generation of supporters. Despite my relatively short time supporting Manchester United in comparison to some of you, I am so glad I have at least seen Manchester United win the Premier League many times, something the new generation won’t be experiencing unless around 10 unfortunately influential figures leave.

On a side note though, well done to Palace. What a classy opponent, with a manager oozing class. They came to OT, absolutely bossed us and didn’t go wild with their celebrations at the end. I’m thankful it was them who caused us this embarassment.

 

[ShinjiNinja26]

I was hoping seeing us play again would take my mind off our dreadful transfer window but instead it’s just compounded it.

 

[RedDevil@84]

1st game and we're already in complete meltdown??

love it. keep going.

You are suggesting after some number of games, it is ok to be in complete meltdown? Wonder what that number is and does it get reset every season?

 

[DevilRed]

At this point, how long before we see Bruno or VDB on the right wing?

At least they might be able to cross the ball.

 

[Tony247]

I am starting to believe Ole is suffering from psychological intertia, which is a medical condition. Because once a player is in the team it becomes very difficult for Ole to get him out, and once players are out it becomes extremely difficult for them to get back in. His system, players, their positions, everything is rigid. Once he starts player in a wrong position, the player stays in that position...match after match. Also his fixation of bringing sub on 80th min. At least today he sub players early, which is a good sign.

 

[FreakyJim]

I'd rather have Henning Berg back than Lindeloff.

 

[Møllemanden]

I would cut him some slack, at least for now as he just came out of covid, probably not fully fit.

Then you are a better person than me.

He should let Ole know then, if he isn't fit enough to play.

 

[Zoo]

Terrible game, nobody played even up to 75% of what they are capable of and we were well off physically. Only positive was VdB off the bench. Need to recover fast and Woodward needs to act now in the market.

 

[stubie]

We're on the road to nowhere with Ole.

Like the previous 3 managers?

Almost like there is some sort of pattern emerging here

 

[gerdm07]

You are kidding right. He was being kind. There was that weak header back that we got lucky as well. He backed off every time they broke because he is scared.

He was pathetic in the semis and Ole stupidity had him starting again. If he pulls on the shirt again - will be travesty. And this coming from a person that was desperate for him to succeed.

The first goal was more Shaw's fault than Lindelof's. If Shaw is in better position that's not a goal. The other two goals were unfortunate more than anything especially the second.

 

[Red_toad]

I don't think Rashford is instructed to be conservative. Zaha is a better winger than Rashford and Greenwood and would definitely start. Schlupp made some great runs today and I wish he was playing for us today.

I can’t think of any United fans who’d put Schlupp on any transfer wish list. Zaha isn’t a better wide forward than Rashford, neither is a winger. Palace players could only really get a game in the slot we have to shoehorn Greenwood into, but I’d still not want any of them.

 

[Woodzy]

1st game and we're already in complete meltdown??

love it. keep going.

We have every right to be fuming after that performance

 

[Strelok]

We will do nothing this season with those two as our CB pairing

Agreed.

Tbh I find Jones probably better than them atm. At least I can't remember a match he's worse than those two. Slow, weak, ball watching, clueless, they looked exactly like my two boys on their first school day.

 

[48 hours]

We look so un coached.

set pieces are awful, defence a circus and the attack flaccid

 

[Swearing Budgie]

The Beek will get ruined by our 'coaching'.

I remember how they did that to an exciting, raw Rooney. Diminishing returns each year after he signed for us.

 

[Kostov]

Here we go again. So glad that I turned it off after they missed the first penalty, I am actually fecking relieved. Shambolic

 

[Lee565]

I said it in the match day thread when the line up was announced, ole is quite literally insane because the definition of insanity is repeating the same action (playing james on the right) over and over again and expecting a different result, bloody clueless.

 

[Nogbadthebad]

Lack of match practice might account for somethings, but not making bad decisions or making bad mistakes.

Its not just fitness, they aren't match sharp at all.

Thats why place were thinking faster, playing better.

I mean, its not all that, some of our players just are not really up to it, or being expected to do jobs they have never shown any ability to do (James on the right against a deep defence, he's the very worst player to have in that position), but the biggest difference was they have 5 games under their belt, we have 1, and half of them have none.

 

[90 + 5min]

Let us start with basic. We are not ready for the season. It will take at least 2-3 weeks before we even get going. Sadly but Europa League in august ruined every inch of preseason training.

We were beaten even if we had more ball. We lacked sharpness. Palace looked sharper and some of our players were as bad as it gets. I don't know how Lindelof played whole game and how Pogba even managed to escape being taken at half time. Rashford nowhere to been seen. Fernandes not ready.

VAR didn't help us either. Absolutly shocking decisions today. They missed Palace player taking out Pogba heel but can give Palace another shot at penalty. Atkinson was as bad as he always is and even third world countries have better refs then this league.

It will get better but we can't afford to lose this kind of games so early on. Confidence can be your best friend but it can give you hell.

 

[RedRonaldo]

1. Shite performance
2. Shite penalty decision from Ref
3. Everyone is shite, except the newcomer
4. James is fecking useless
5. Lindelof is a total joke
6. Mensah should go
7. Mctominay can't even make a 5 yard pass to save his ass
8. Rashford is so fecking rash
9. Shaw is a shocking daydreamer on the pitch
10. Maguire is so slow in everything and so unreliable
11. Pogba plays like he hasn't fully recovered from COVID-19
12. Bruno has turned shite and keep losing the ball
13. Martial is not doing enough
14. Greenwood prefers either shooting at the defenders or scoring chicks

 

[meamth]

You are suggesting after some number of games, it is ok to be in complete meltdown? Wonder what that number is and does it get reset every season?

Yeah, until we got to like 5-6 games losing streak, I'll join the meltdown train.

 

[crossy1686]

I'm annoyed that it's got to the point again where I'm going to have to go through social media an unfollow all the players and United accounts. Try getting a sponsor when no one fecking follows you.

 

[patty123]

James has been good for Wales recently, but on the left, he is terrible on the right. Think he was making a point to Mason and it has backfired big time. Now we have a tricky game away at Brighton who play some nice football and we struggle against at times.

Finland and Bulgaria are hardly something to be using mate as most average will look good against those 2. Now haven't said that we both agree right is not where he belongs and should never have been shoehorned into it today and that's on Ole.

More concerned about Luton if I am being honest mate.

 

[DomesticTadpole]

Lack of match practice might account for somethings, but not making bad decisions or making bad mistakes.

Its not just fitness, they aren't match sharp at all.

Thats why place were thinking faster, playing better.

I mean, its not all that, some of our players just are not really up to it, or being expected to do jobs they have never shown any ability to do (James on the right against a deep defence, he's the very worst player to have in that position), but the biggest difference was they have 5 games under their belt, we have 1, and half of them have none.

He should never have started with James. Wrong position for him and as you say the wrong kind of opponent.

 

[Gazza]

• Squad is slightly above average in PL terms with a sprinkling of individual quality; many players have no business being here and several first choice players should be rotational options at best.
• No discernible approach to breaking teams down; this has not changed after a full season and a half with Ole. We are predictably predictable.
• Our long term failings in squad building are being compounded by a refusal/inability to go into the market, both for outgoings and new players.
• Deja vu. Positive momentum from previous season is up in smoke. One could almost feel the players’ lack of urgency reflects a lack of belief snout what can be achieved this season.
  
  
• Board/ownership not fit for purpose. Trying to pin negativity on fans in social media is a new low.
• 4th is the absolute height of our ambitions and capabilities this season and will require a huge effort from the players.

 

[Acquire Me]

Better (coached) team won today.

We were shit. I don’t think the manager alone should take all the blame.

We are still tanked. Terrible “pre season” for us.

And we must get some new players in.

 

[DickDastardly]

Match fitness eh....

Could it really be the difference between us and Crystal Palace?

Ok, home crowd doesn't mean feck all in this covid crap. So, no boost there.

So, it comes down to match fitness, team preparation and tactics, and individual skill.

Hodgson vs Ole? Tough call.

Individual skill? Surely we have better players.

Match fitness it is then.

We'll see in a month or so.

 

[jderbyshire]

I know there's fitness issues. But they just weren't up for it from the first whistle.

Will City play like that on Monday??

 

[Red_Orchestra]

Pogba was very very poor. Lazy passes, sloppy passes, slow footwork. I would straight up bench him and play Fred with Van De Beek in a double pivot b2b behind Bruno.
Nonetheless, very poor overall performance by the team.

 

[48 hours]

not sure how sancho is suppose to fix all our problems.

he might make a good centre back

 

[Sara125]

Where did the rumours about Zaha and Moyes’ daughter start from? If he’s supposedly never even met her?

 

[Deery]

Every man and his dog knew we would lose from that starting lineup, not surprised we are just lucky it was only 3.

Big problems at the club this isn’t just match fitness we play badly far to often

 

[abailey123]

Over to you Ed. Go and spend some money before it’s too late.
We need an upgrade on Lindelof who is just error prone.
Desperately need Sancho.

That was a shambles from start to finish. Pogba must have gave the ball away about 100 times. Rashford and Martial were completely anonymous, Fernandes was made to come deeper and deeper. We’ve been dealt a crap hand with literally no pre season but we need to be a million times better than that!

 

[RedDevil@84]

Yeah, until we got to like 5-6 games losing streak, I'll join the meltdown train.

So if we do a LLWDL, its ok

The meltdown looks fair to me, given we have the same team, same coaches, similar levels of performance from last season. It is not like something has changed over the break.

 

[DomesticTadpole]

Finland and Bulgaria are hardly something to be using mate as most average will look good against those 2. Now haven't said that we both agree right is not where he belongs and should never have been shoehorned into it today and that's on Ole.

More concerned about Luton if I am being honest mate.

These players obviously need minutes so he needs to give them some against Luton. If he puts a weak side out he will have no excuse against Brighton if it goes wrong.

 

[YouOnlyLiveTwice]

Bad day all around.

Team looked unbalanced from the get go.

 

[mazhar13]

Regardless of all of the good work that Ole does, I find that he doesn't necessarily have the courage to take chances with his first XI and subs. Whilst an overall lack of match sharpness was certainly a factor, we could have tried to mitigate that given that we did have one pre-season match.

Martial, Pogba, and Lindelof didn't play any pre-season football with United. It was quite clear that they weren't in sync with the rest of the team (to varying degrees). James also played on the right instead of the left. Why couldn't Ole have fielded a midfield of McTominay-van de Beek-Fernandes? Why couldn't James play on the left and Rashford on the right? Why couldn't Fosu-Mensah play at CB with one of Dalot or Brandon Williams at right back? Why couldn't Ighalo start in place of Martial?

Sure, we may not have had our strongest XI on paper, but at least we'd have had a side that'd be more familiar with and get more out of each other. The likes of Pogba and Martial could then have been options off the bench to make us even better. As it stands, though, our overall sloppiness and lack of sharpness was telling. Whenever Palace pressed us at the start, the midfielders didn't have instant options to play a pass to, and they needed extra touches to settle on the ball. Both Maguire and Lindelof became hesitant to play through the midfield, which slowed us down big time and made us easier to defend.

Maybe Ole wants more good players in his squad before he can take those chances, but at this point, if fielding our best XI gives us this kind of a performance, then he may have no choice but to take chances as the team continues to sharpen up and get ready for a long season ahead.

 

[Siorac]

Finland and Bulgaria are hardly something to be using mate as most average will look good against those 2. Now haven't said that we both agree right is not where he belongs and should never have been shoehorned into it today and that's on Ole.

More concerned about Luton if I am being honest mate.

Really? I don't think it's humanly possible to give less of a feck about something than I do about that game. It's the League Cup. I wouldn't mind if we didn't even compete in it.