[tjb]

I'll give Ten Haag the benefit of the doubt. Tbh when he talks, it does sell me on the project. I'm just perplexed by the need to have perfect ingredients for things to look even normal. For me, that's the reason why I'd be ok with him leaving. I just don't see how a team can consistently be shaken to the point of horrendous play.

We play a 4231 for the most part.

We signed a goal keeper in Onana.
We had a good centre back in Varane and bought another in Lisandro Martinez.
We already had Luke Shaw, but then also bought Malacia and Reguillon on loan.
In midfield, we bought Casemiro and Eriksen last season. We bought Mount this season; filling all three midfield positions despite the fact we already had Bruno. We also then got Amrabat.
In attack, we had Rashford, but we bought Antony and Hojlund.

So in terms of positions, we bought a centre back, left back, 1 DM, 1 CM, 1 CAM, 1 right winger and a striker.
This is clearly his squad. A lot of changes have been made. The players that weren't brought into the starting xi were already thought of as quality players. How can people then sit back and say we haven't supported Ten Haag as a club. We essentially got a new team, yet people are still calling out players.

In terms of play today. I don't actually mind the more direct game. We played it much quicker along the backline than we have done with Evans at the back. Our pressing and ball recovery was pretty good. For me at the moment, its quite clear that we need athleticism in midfield. Eriksen currently can't cut it. Casemiro seems to have slowed down and Mount isn't a central midfielder in a 4231 (this transfer was a massive blunder from ETH). I think at present, we need to look more at Mainoo, Amrabat, Mctominay, Gore and Hannibal. With a direct, more aggressive approach, Eriksen and Casemiro are currently hurting us. We may need to dip into the January transfer window as well. With a weaker than normal defence, a midfield like the one's we've been using makes it really difficult to not concede on drives. I'm starting to realize that we've failed to build another midfield. Last year, Martinez and Shaw were covering heavily for that failure with thier good on ball ability. This season, it's quite obvious that this was never solved. That in my opinion is something Ten Haag as well as the recruitment staff will have to carry.

 

[Yakuza_devils]

Thank you Maguire. AWB makes the defence stronger can't wait for Shaw and Martinez to be back too. Onana is improving.

We still need to sort out midfield, hope Casemeiro find his form back. The best midfield should be DM-Casemeiro, CM- Erikson and McT. AM - Bruno/Mount. LW-Given up, cursed position, just play the 80M Antony until he find form or get Greenwood back. RW-Rashford. ST-Hojlund.

 

[sglowrider]

It was the right decision, eventually. Don’t turn this place into RAWK

If we were RAWK, we would be praising our average players to the hilt.

Instead, the Cafish trait is to slag everyone off within the club -- and then praise and want opposing players or managers.

 

[TheRedHearted]

I forgot all about Toney. He’d be great for us.

He’s the one, his movement would help Hojland as well.

 

[RedBanker]

Missed the game. Did we improve over previous games?

 

[Isotope]

If you thought Garnacho was awesome, god help you my friend. Low standards indeed.

If he had longer hair and smaller cock, you'd mistaken him for young Messi. He was that good.

 

[Sir Erik ten Hag]

Missed the game. Did we improve over previous games?

Please keep missing games, for your own mental well-being.

 

[Ahmer Baig]

I'd love to hear Ten Hag say something like, 'If Jurgen Klopp or Pep Guardiola is on the touchline, do you think that is getting ruled out for offside?'

Guy needs to stop being so passive on this. That offside call was a joke.

Ten Hag really needs to come hard on these officials regarding VAR like Klopp.

 

[Wing Attack Plan R]

Pellestri's end product today was forcing a mistake that ended in the goal being scored, he did more in 10 mins than Antony has done in the last 30 games

Ftfy

 

[Dannn411]

Thank you!

Great sign. Regular matchgoing fans need to be more vocal with the team to show how the fanbase feels. You are the mouthpiece of the fanbase.

 

[ants7]

That result won't fool anyone but it will postpone sacking the manager which I'm all for. Sacking the manager would give the owners a free ride for another two years and would postpone "the big reset" which will come eventually. Also, hard not to enjoy three points won with the first match played on Saturday and then watch others playing.

 

[ColvaleGoa]

That call was the right call. VAR has its problem but Fulham would have been robbed. It getting missed every now and then, does not make it a wrong call.
VAR has done us enough with actual bad decisions but this is not one of them.

Yes it is horrendous.
How many offside have you seen given after neither the scorer or Assist provider is not offside? Subjective Bullsh** they said. Something wrong if you are not outraged by that decision. ABU enjoyed that but if it was one of the media darling than this will run for weeks on Talk Shite. And sky sports.

 

[justsomebloke]

It’s not broken, it’s corrupt. There are way too many mistakes (all of which are against us), whereas there are just as many cases where same situations are judged differently for certain other teams.

Don't be a fool man.

 

[justsomebloke]

Missed the game. Did we improve over previous games?

Same as all year.

 

[alexanderplatz]

Actually thought in general you could see the players making an effort which was a nice change. Garnacho really was trying to win the ball back and make tackles which I’m not sure I’ve seen him do before.
Bruno was trying to make things happen but lacked the final ball most of the time, obviously a great winner with much credit to Pellistri who showed how you’re supposed to press, with intensity.
Hojlund bossed by Ream but we didn’t help him at all with the service.

Fulham didn’t put the press on and I think thats why our defence looked better - less pressure when playing it out. Will be different against Copenhagen but at least this might help with the confidence.

 

[R'hllor]

Football is to hard for us

 

[DRJosh]

I know we should enjoy the victory but no matter how hard I try, I still feel we’re not on an upwards trajectory. We’re lumbering along without purpose for the most part.

 

[Buster15]

The problem was that we were playing on the front foot as a team, with a high line.

Now we play relatively shit football, not on the front foot by any means, and defensive line is lower. So it suits Maguire very well.

Ok thank you. I was wondering why he was being checked for being ill or a head injury.

 

[Buster15]

Missed the game. Did we improve over previous games?

Not really. It was a dire boring lackluster performance. Which if it stayed 0-0 would not have been a surprise.
There is no excuse for such a weak incipit display.

But a win is a win and no goals conceded. So take that and move on.

 

[greater wall]

There was a bit more control and possession but it could be because it was Fulham. Very few chances created. None for poor Hojlund, who got very frustrated with Garnacho trying to score from an impossible angle when he was open for a 3 yard tap in. Still an away win and moves us forward.

 

[Castia]

At least we got the 3 points and my weekend wasn’t ruined but boy that was another awful performance. I guess we just need to grind our results at the moment whilst our backs are against the wall

I just want to say it’s absolutely pointless playing a striker in the mould of Hojlund and create absolutely zero for him, we need to be getting balls in and around him because if not it’s like playing with 10 men

 

[IRN-BRUno]

Typical scrappy game between two toothless sides. Always great to have an injury-time winner but these performances aren't sustainable. Can only hope that grinding out a couple of results like this boosts the confidence enough to improve them.

 

[Rake]

To be honest it looked like the 14th was playing the 15th... This was an absolutely atrocious performance. We couldn't string 2 passes together or create a somewhat decent chance. EtH saved once again by a goal in the last minute. Had we drawn the game, the manager would have been thorn to shreds and rightly so.

 

[Herschel Krustofsky]

Give me a break. VAR is broken for sure.

It’s not perfect, neither is the other solution, folks just moan at VAR now instead of the referee. The reality is, where there is room for interpretation in rules, there will be grey areas. Where there are grey areas there will be disputes.

Add to that mix football fans that are largely man-babies who cry foul every time they perceive their team to be ‘hard done by’ and you get a whole load of toxicity - use of words like ‘corrupt’ or ‘cheating’. It’s not a great look for adults.

Most would be better looking at the bigger picture - some go your way, some don’t. Better to accept both types of outcome with good grace than cry foul play when they don’t.

 

[Herschel Krustofsky]

To be honest it looked like the 14th was playing the 15th... This was an absolutely atrocious performance. We couldn't string 2 passes together or create a somewhat decent chance. EtH saved once again by a goal in the last minute. Had we drawn the game, the manager would have been thorn to shreds and rightly so.

That’s what was running through my head during the game, lower mid-table scrap.

That and I’m hating seeing us being so ponderous ’playing out’ from the back without Shaw, Licha and even Rafa - not sure how we’re supposed to unpick teams when we give them so much time to get back into position.

 

[Yanited__]

Another poor performance. Feels like a copy of the Burnley game, with individual brilliance bailing us out. But we're in no position to complain when everyone's lacked confidence. McTominay said we have to fight like dogs, just gotta grind these results.

This isn't a team that's not playing for the manager. At least those 11 were out there trying, including the subs that came on.

Thought the backline were decent, especially Maguire and AWB. Onana key saves today.

Eriksen quiet but tidy on the ball. Fernandes poor game but came up with the big goal, McTominay and Pellistri dogged determination from the pair of them especially the latter for the goal.

Garnacho great and always direct. Best moments came from him. Hojlund graveyard shift.

Antony, I feel sorry for him cause you can tell he's trying but he's lacking confidence and on top of that, isn't cut out for this level. Look at the difference when Pellistri came on, extra step in and determined. Pellistri made that goal through his tenacity.

Moving forward, still worried about that midfield. We're lacking balance. Also, the lack of proper chance creation is concerning Hojlund had a graveyard shift but that was also down to the fact he barely had the ball in key positions. Lucky he's a physical player so he can drop deep to get involved, otherwise he'd be a complete ghost in this team.

 

[Buster15]

To be honest it looked like the 14th was playing the 15th... This was an absolutely atrocious performance. We couldn't string 2 passes together or create a somewhat decent chance. EtH saved once again by a goal in the last minute. Had we drawn the game, the manager would have been thorn to shreds and rightly so.

Indeed. The fact that we are completely unable to string 2 or more passes together is just appalling.
Any other side in the PL can pass and move, pass and move throughout a game.
Not only can we not pass, we certainly don't move.

Everything is so static and slow. There is no instinct. It is like we are a team of badly programmed robots.

 

[M Bison]

I’m surprised at how little discussion has been had about McTs disallowed goal. It wasn’t even mentioned on MOTD, surely there’s merit in reviewing it against other similar decisions that have gone the other way?

 

[Chumpsbechumps]

I’m surprised at how little discussion has been had about McTs disallowed goal. It wasn’t even mentioned on MOTD, surely there’s merit in reviewing it against other similar decisions that have gone the other way?

United VAR decisions are such a joke. So many that are technically correct but are let ho in every other game.

I know it was kind of funny watching Rafa and his facts but I’d love ETH to pick out a bunch of our dissalowed goals and incidents we didn’t get versus other games were it was let go. Take the van but show a little fight, who knows it might even galvanise the squad around him more.

 

[lex talionis]

The front line continues to be a problem, a problem through the beginning of the ETH era. Apart from a 3 month purple patch Rashford really hasn’t clicked. Martial, crap. Sancho, crap. Antony, crap. Garnacho, young and promising. Hojlund, young and promising.

Even though our attackers have been relatively healthy compared to our midfielders and defenders, but they’ve been by far our weakest link. I’m curious as to what ETH does in training to address the catastrophic form of Rashford and Antony.

 

[trevor newnham]

for a team low in confidence that was a massive result. Antony should not be let near that team again. pellistri showed fight and application and should keep his place. I felt sorry for Hojlund - he isn't getting much service but I still think he will come good. He certainly puts a shift in. For a bloke who gets castigated week in, week out, Maguire has to be admired. He was tremendous even though he looked to be suffering but he showed the guts and determination we need. 3 points, damn ugly but it's 3 points.

 

[Cantonagotmehere]

It’s not perfect, neither is the other solution, folks just moan at VAR now instead of the referee. The reality is, where there is room for interpretation in rules, there will be grey areas. Where there are grey areas there will be disputes.

Add to that mix football fans that are largely man-babies who cry foul every time they perceive their team to be ‘hard done by’ and you get a whole load of toxicity - use of words like ‘corrupt’ or ‘cheating’. It’s not a great look for adults.

Most would be better looking at the bigger picture - some go your way, some don’t. Better to accept both types of outcome with good grace than cry foul play when they don’t.

Well said. I don't believe there is conspiracy or corruption, I just believe decisions like yesterday where over turning the goal is not 'clear and obvious' makes me feel the system is 'broken' as I said. I do feel we have been hard done this season, but it just goes with the feel of our club being 'cursed' right now where so many things are going against us. The only thing that matters right now is a change in the ownership structure.

 

[NZT-One]

Missed the game. Did we improve over previous games?

Not really. It looked like we care a little bit more overall. But not by much. I thought, Fulham was the slightly better of two midtable teams playing for a midtable finish. Game was decided by one moment of quality by an individual, that came from a moment of chaos.

 

[Herschel Krustofsky]

Well said. I don't believe there is conspiracy or corruption, I just believe decisions like yesterday where over turning the goal is not 'clear and obvious' makes me feel the system is 'broken' as I said. I do feel we have been hard done this season, but it just goes with the feel of our club being 'cursed' right now where so many things are going against us. The only thing that matters right now is a change in the ownership structure.

Agree with this. The amount of times ‘in-game’ I’ve felt it’s just not going our way is remarkable this season, and I’m talking more about when / how we concede more than refereeing decisions. It will turn at some point I’m sure!

 

[GueRed]

Attacking wise it was an average performance.
The effort and intensity off the ball was better at least.
Garnacho had by far his best start this season.
Eriksen had a bad game.
Maguire had a good game. Motm performance.
The less said about Antony the better. His confidence looks shot atm
Our away support was class. Proper fans. Never got on the backs of the players..Just urged the team on from the first minute to the last.

 

[Snow]

Well said. I don't believe there is conspiracy or corruption, I just believe decisions like yesterday where over turning the goal is not 'clear and obvious' makes me feel the system is 'broken' as I said. I do feel we have been hard done this season, but it just goes with the feel of our club being 'cursed' right now where so many things are going against us. The only thing that matters right now is a change in the ownership structure.

You don't think that three different referees being paid by the City owners is corruption?

 

[city-puma]

Missed the game. Did we improve over previous games?

A little better in sense of less chaos. My impression is the system is gradually getting shape but still chaotic. We basically keep shooting our own feet by the failed ambitious passes at the moments we are about to gain control and put more attacking momentum. The opponents then just break fast. Similarly, Hojlund has issues in first touch and linkup play. We are lacking in technical part of game around the box, but the team is trying to play fast.

 

[Maticmaker]

There was a bit more control and possession but it could be because it was Fulham. Very few chances created. None for poor Hojlund, who got very frustrated with Garnacho trying to score from an impossible angle when he was open for a 3 yard tap in. Still an away win and moves us forward.

Yes, whether its Rashford or Garnacho attempting time and again to cut-in at impossible angles, or against overwhelming numbers of defenders, rather than laying off a simple pass to a colleague, is not acceptable... at least until we are three goals up!
Also giving the ball away by comical/unbelievably bad attempts at back heeling, this happened at least twice yesterday, it's no wonder fans banners called for our players to 'play as if they mean it'.
The above are just examples of stupid play.

 

[Sandikan]

Yes it is horrendous.
How many offside have you seen given after neither the scorer or Assist provider is not offside? Subjective Bullsh** they said. Something wrong if you are not outraged by that decision. ABU enjoyed that but if it was one of the media darling than this will run for weeks on Talk Shite. And sky sports.

It's the classic scenario where the decision that's gone against us hasn't affected the outcome of the game.

When we get one in our favour occasionally, it generally seems to be critical to the result, which is why the media go nuts, and fuels all the "United get all the decisions" nonsense.

"Oh but Onana wiped that Wolves player out", months on, after 5 or 6 that have gone against us, increasingly weird.

That one yesterday was a classic, how can we rule this out hatchet job.

 

[sunama]

Indeed. The fact that we are completely unable to string 2 or more passes together is just appalling.
Any other side in the PL can pass and move, pass and move throughout a game.
Not only can we not pass, we certainly don't move.

Everything is so static and slow. There is no instinct. It is like we are a team of badly programmed robots.

It is strange.
ETH should appreciate a playing style where we pass and move, a lot.
The idea that we don't practise quick passing and quick movement would be insanity.
These are the absolute basics.