[Number32]

Well it's very over-simplified - but I would say we aim for wing play, speed up front and counter-attacking football. I'm not sure we are that good at staying in formation though.

Liverpool aim for possession, positional nous and playing as far up the field as possible. But there's a lot more to it than that.

Wow.. Klopp aim for possesion now? Regarding not so long ago he describes his tactic as antithesis of Arsene Wenger, I think you describe Brendan's Liverpool not Klopp's.

The fact Liverpool's most assists is come from their full backs (TAA and Robertson) prove that they aim for more wing play than us.

Klopp is genius for playing tactical formation that will never win trophies, and Ole is clueless to copy that?

 

[glazed]

An argument you could level at any manager.

Your point? All we heard last season was how Klopp never won anything. Don't hear that so much now

 

[Gasolin]

Wow.. Klopp aim for possesion now? Regarding not so long ago he describes his tactic as antithesis of Arsene Wenger, I think you describe Brendan's Liverpool not Klopp's.

The fact Liverpool's most assists is come from their full backs (TAA and Robertson) prove that they aim for more wing play than us.

Klopp is genius for playing tactical formation that will never win trophies, and Ole is clueless to copy that?

I needed to see that to believe it.

Apparently whatever Klopp says or shows on the field is completely ignored and no one uses their eyes to see how Liverpool plays... at least, that explains something to me regarding the tactical formation that will never win any trophy.

 

[Thepinhead]

Let's call a shit manager shit. The only major thing he has going on for him, is that he's United legend, as a player. Take that away, he's comfortably the worse manager we've had on reputation and on results. And he shouldn't have been given the permanent position. Oh, and I support the club, not the manager. It's rather foolish to think he's gonna be a 'Guardiola at at Barca' part 2 all of a sudden. Or even a fraction of what Sir Alex was; based on what we have seen. I'm all up for giving a progressive manager time to develop his team here. When Ole comes up with crap like “I don’t want them playing that sort of football – I want them playing proper football", it's hard to find support him. Gleaming like an idiot after loses doesn't help at all.

So far, he doesn't look like a good manager. And more time given, more players signed, he may even start to look competitive. But at that point with a better manager, we would be far ahead, than with this Clueless One.

How do you guys know he is clueless? It must count for something that these same players who downed tools against one of the most winning managers in history haven't done it against Ole

 

[Hughie77]

How do you guys know he is clueless? It must count for something that these same players who downed tools against one of the most winning managers in history haven't done it against Ole

I'd agree, go back through past managers at other clubs, who's just been given the top job, not many hit the ground running, klopp finished in 6th or 7th his first full season, and his performances were simlar to ours at present, then I'd say 2 signings have made them what they are now along with improvement in others. The 2 signings are VVD, Alllison. 2 positions problematic for a long long time with them.
Ours are in CM at present. To say oles clueless is unfair on him and the rest of the coaching staff. Patience is needed.

 

[Thepinhead]

I'd agree, go back through past managers at other clubs, who's just been given the top job, not many hit the ground running, klopp finished in 6th or 7th his first full season, and his performances were simlar to ours at present, then I'd say 2 signings have made them what they are now along with improvement in others. The 2 signings are VVD, Alllison. 2 positions problematic for a long long time with them.
Ours are in CM at present. To say oles clueless is unfair on him and the rest of the coaching staff. Patience is needed.

Ye I honestly question how much some of these people on here are really supporting this club. But hey, I like these young kids and Ole has actually made us play some of the best football since Ferguson. We just need that bit of consistency and Matic has shown us the way with a proper DM in midfield. We need the right balance in midfield between defensive cover, attack and pressing. Fred and mctominay are good at pressing and winning the ball but they are maybe slightly too similar because they create too much room behind them to counter attack in. Hopefully Ole finds the solution soon.

 

[Zen86]

Your point? All we heard last season was how Klopp never won anything. Don't hear that so much now

Klopp won a trophy with Liverpool and very narrowly missed out on the league after a very strong performance. Poch got sacked by Spurs. Spot the difference.

 

[glazed]

Klopp won a trophy with Liverpool and very narrowly missed out on the league after a very strong performance. Poch got sacked by Spurs. Spot the difference.

Klopp is doing better - no doubt about it. But both men have outperformed their clubs.

 

[OrcaFat]

Well it's self evidently true as witnessed by Liverpool. But obviously you need Klopp and that particular set of players to do that, so it's not an intelligent thing to say.

It would be better to say that Klopp, Poch and Pep have, to different degrees and with variations, identified a more sophisticated brand of tactics that are more likely to win games, all other things being equal. And Ole has not.

That sounds just as daft to me. Ole hasn’t failed to identify anything, you can be sure. We’re just playing in a way that reflects the players we have and the teams we’re playing against, at our present state of development - we are evolving.

 

[glazed]

That sounds just as daft to me. Ole hasn’t failed to identify anything, you can be sure. We’re just playing in a way that reflects the players we have and the teams we’re playing against, at our present state of development - we are evolving.

Yes but we are not evolving in the right direction. The most we can hope for is to get really good at an outmoded playing style.

 

[OrcaFat]

Yes but we are not evolving in the right direction. The most we can hope for is to get really good at an outmoded playing style.

Maybe. Perhaps it only looks outmoded because we’re losing too often. But anyway, what I meant was that the whole thing is evolving and just because we may appear to play a certain way at the moment, the style will likely evolve or even mutate with changes of personnel, particularly in midfield.

Time will tell but I don’t think it’s right to say the current style and performances are the limit of Ole’s vision and understanding of the game. Pretty sure if he swapped jobs with Pep, city would still play like city and United would have little choice but to play as we do for the time being.

 

[Sea-Cow]

Flattered

1-0 at HT was a pisstake considering how much territorial dominance we had and if not for us overplaying it in the final third we'd have had 2 at HT at a minimum. We then slowed down after we got the third and saw the game out. What game were you watching ffs

I think that is the problem. We struggle to turn "territorial dominance" into actual chances. We struggle to even turn it into shots on goal, much less dangerous chances.

 

[OrcaFat]

I think that is the problem. We struggle to turn "territorial dominance" into actual chances. We struggle to even turn it into shots on goal, much less dangerous chances.

Agreed. Nowhere near enough shots in general and a lack of creativity in the final third. We have looked much better in that regard when Pogba is in and playing well. Cupboard is pretty bare otherwise.

 

[Hughie77]

Ye I honestly question how much some of these people on here are really supporting this club. But hey, I like these young kids and Ole has actually made us play some of the best football since Ferguson. We just need that bit of consistency and Matic has shown us the way with a proper DM in midfield. We need the right balance in midfield between defensive cover, attack and pressing. Fred and mctominay are good at pressing and winning the ball but they are maybe slightly too similar because they create too much room behind them to counter attack in. Hopefully Ole finds the solution soon.

Agree, about Fred, Mctom. Very simlar but in some games there needed, ie a Darren Fletcher, who SAF picked against Arsenal a few times to do a job. CM are needed, at least one with quality and legs, Mata has the quality but not the legs, Matic is getting on in age, but can still be a very good DMF, a few transfer windows are needed to bring in the players we need, along with improvement from others. Patience is needed like I said. Plus Greenwood is going to be a star, what a finisher he is, already at 18, how good is he going to be with a better CM behind him in a few years or even next season.

 

[Schmeichel=God]

Miles better, albeit against poor opposition.
Agreed. Norwich just seemed to approach it so lackadaisically. If only all teams would give us that space and lack of pressing! E.g. If our defence had given Mata the time he had to put that cross in we'd have gone mental.

Matic and Fred looking like a proper double pivot, playing quick balls forward.
Same double pivot idea that has looked awful under LvG and Mourinho previously! It's the pace of the passing that's key isn't it.

Unfortunately AWB just looks lost when he gets past the halfway line.
But, all day I would give up the attacking element on the right, because defensively I've not seen anyone as good as AWB in decades. If only we could stick him in a grow bag, get him in the gym and clone him once with a right foot and once with a left foot for RCB and LCB!

I would love to see Williams given a go out on the right, giving us some real width without needing to cut inside every time.
I feel though that the reason he's doing so well is because of him being on the left. He isn't afraid to run onto his left side and cutting inside is giving us some different options and passing angles that teams aren't quite nullifying.

We could do with an 18 yr old Shaw to do the same on the left. Get him in the gym Ole!
It's taken my 5+ years...but I am finally Shaw out!

Those daisy-cutter/pea-roller/worm-killer shots from Greenwood are unstoppable.
Never heard that before in all my time. Proper lolled.

I am worried about Dan James. He runs a lot, and is super-dedicated, but not only his skills have not developed, he seems to have . regressed skills-wise. In the beginning of the season he scored some goals, made some assists. Now - nothing. His crosses reach nobody and he is no threat for a goal.

You can say that every one of our other attackers have improved this season, why is Dan stalling/regressing? Literally, the only reason he's still liked because he has dedication and energy out the wazoo, but it's hard to overlook that his technical abilities are bad. He needs help of some kind.
Nah. I ain't concerned. He's so young and fresh to the PL so will improve. His natural attributes are too good to fall flat. From what I've seen from him, the finer details of his awareness/agility/body positioning etc, I feel he'll be fine and that form is just up and down.

Good response to the embarassment vs City.

Love to see the passion from the players too.
Absolutely. Martial especially. I mean, the guy still looks completely CBA even whilst he's actually celebrating & geeing up his teammates running back to the centre circle. If he was a comedian he would be the dryest of the dry, never cracking a smile, straight faced even at the funniest/darkest of his own jokes. Frankie Boyle; dark as fk...at least cracks smiles at his own worst jokes.

That Williams miss was all Ole's fault. I expect his resignation on Ed's desk first thing in the morning.
I had to watch it again to see where it even went!!
Ole's can't even get finishing training right as an ex striker....off with his head.

Its only norwich but it still reminded me of the days when we used to have waves and waves of attacks under Fergie.
Ah the days...

We are crying out for someone with creativity that can play in the midfield.
Well, we've been linked again with Bruno Fernandes today...tons of goals and assists from a midfield player. You never know. I feel like we've played our cards properly in recent windows...essentially putting the middle finger up to players and agents who only want us for the money, making noises about "the player not being right" to the point where these noises are coming out now of the player wanting the move himself.

I get the feel that Solskjaer's softer siege mentality approach of moulding the youthful minds together might actually pay dividends as opposed to throwing in big name, big personality, big wage packet prima donna mercenaries.

Williams proved he is the real deal for every passing game!!! MvG is a fantastic striker of the ball.
If we could just have Van Gerwen launching darts into the opposition players every week we'd definitely win the league.

 

[alexthelion]

It's not strange at all and you have it the wrong way round. If you as a world class player don't see a club with the best manager and a way of playing that promises trophies and making you a better player, you are only going to come for the money, and probably not stay very long once you realise that it's not worth it.

If you are a top manager like Pep or Klopp, you will go to where the owners are going to back you with a serious well thought out and well funded project. Maybe if you're a total mercenary you'll go anyway for a couple of years, but what will you achieve if the project isn't there?

And if you have owners that don't want to pay high transfer fees to buy player at the top of their game because they will by definition lose value transfer value, then you will never have many top players anyway. And if you do manage to get the odd one, they will soon leave if they want to carry on being top players.

So long as Woodward and the Glazers run the club this way, we won't win anything significant. But hey, we panned Norwich so let's not think about it.

So why is that Ole's fault?

 

[glazed]

Pretty sure if he swapped jobs with Pep, city would still play like city and United would have little choice but to play as we do for the time being.

That's where we disagree. I don't think Ole would know how to coach City.

 

[glazed]

So why is that Ole's fault?

He's not at fault. The owners are at fault. But he is part of the problem.

 

[OrcaFat]

That's where we disagree. I don't think Ole would know how to coach City.

Heck, I can’t argue that Ole could do this or that with the players city have got. I’m just saying you can’t conclude either way by looking at how we currently play with the squad we have. Still, you could be right. In a year we might have a bit more to go on.

 

[Robertd0803]

Yeah nearly fell off my seat that we actually scored from a corner. I really thought that was Maguire's first goal but Tony beat him to the ball.

What did you think about the anti Glazers/Woodward chanting today out of interest?

Understandable and nessacary to be honest. You would hope the negative attention it generates would force the Glazers hands to do something at least but thats probably wishful thinking.

I draw the line with chanting for people to die though thats a bit too much in my opinion.