[Janson]

It's the standard schedule of a team competing in Europe at this time of the season though, isn't it? It's been the same schedule for ages, it hasn't recently changed. We knew this would be our April/May fixture list (if all went well) from way back in June 2016.

I can understand using the injuries as an excuse, but the fixtures? Please

Having been the same for ages doesn't mean it's ok and we shouldn't complain about it. It shouldn't be an excuse by itself but injuries do go hand in hand with too many mins played, so when these things start happening to you, it's natural to complain about it.

 

[SachinJ22]

He is a squad player. Get it into your brains. Squad player.....You only get to mourn about starters. There is zero difference between his type and Nacho's at Real. Or Badstauber pre injury issues and Bayern loaning him. Citing the likes of Marcelo is dumb. He is starting material. Citing an Isco is worse. For his starting material that has failed to secure a place and is openly itching and angling to move as a result. Only the truly naive believe a stable, competitive squad can be built with strictly that level of player.

Even I said that he is a squad player. Mourinho treats him as a starter, are squad players immune to criticism now? Marcelo works harder and has better passing and more pace and still he is paid less than Lingard, if we keep paying 100k for average players imagine how much new signings might ask.

 

[Miscemayl]

It's the standard schedule of a team competing in Europe at this time of the season though, isn't it? It's been the same schedule for ages, it hasn't recently changed. We knew this would be our April/May fixture list (if all went well) from way back in June 2016.

I can understand using the injuries as an excuse, but the fixtures? Please

The fact that the fixtures are a nightmare "if all went well" is precisely Jose's point. It punishes teams that do well.

This year is made worse that all of our league competitors were out of Europe early (or not in at all). And we played in the League Cup final and went relatively deep in the FA Cup.

Compound that with bad luck on injuries and a relatively thin squad means the players are getting drained.

 

[togg]

I always think we are pretty crap when we have early start games. I'd be interested to know the stats on that. How many we have won with the game starting at midday to how many we have lost, drawn. However..can't be arsed to do the research.....

 

[minoo-utd]

Any news on Bailly?

 

[Red Indian Chief Torn Rubber]

Even I said that he is a squad player. Mourinho treats him as a starter, are squad players immune to criticism now? Marcelo works harder and has better passing and more pace and still he is paid less than Lingard, if we keep paying 100k for average players imagine how much new signings might ask.

Mourinho most definitely does not treat him as a starter. That's pure fiction. He is simply a first team squad regular. Furthermore, just because Real Madrid for reasons best known to them are unable to pay Marcelo well is not remotely a valid criticism of what Lingard is paid by us nor what we pay our squad players. Its not like we pay our players who we sign as starters less wages than him. And since when did United ever have problems paying high wages for that to concern you? After all we gave an under performing Rooney 5 years of 300k a week! I also never understand why people think it remotely wise for us to pay our squad players or lesser talented players a pittance just to sit on our bench or play for us. Its us who need the squad depth. There is no player who will willingly pick up a pittance on a big club bench when he can go else where and earn better wages. It's that kind of mentality that led to Perez selling a Makelele to Chelsea.

 

[Acole9]

That was a very poor Swansea side which we should've beaten no excuses. But hey, the unbeaten run goes on .

 

[Infra-red]

In the 'being absolutely terrible' stakes, that was up there with anything we've seen in the last 4 years. Just woeful. Most of this lot look spent and the squad is surely now too tired, too thin and too devoid of quality to get over the line in both the Premier League and Europa League. Time to dump one.

 

[Catt]

Drawmaster United.

Enough negatives have been posted, so I'll focus on the positives.

Our senior players did well imo - Carrick, Valencia and Young fought well.



Mata's back!

And Pogba is right around the corner.

 

[MadMike]

I think Jose is saying what most managers of English clubs in europe say. That other countries will schedule games to give their teams the best chance possible to progress. Here the TV companies rule the roost and they couldn't care less as long as they get the viewers for their games. The best thing would be that United were not on TV yesterday, the play the game later, but BT were not going to give up that game.

Mate, give over. A few hours here and a few hours there make feck all difference. You are telling me that if we played at 4pm instead of 12pm then a team that has played 9 fixtures in a month would suddenly be fresh and rested? Because of 4 hours? You can't be serious.

Ultimately, you have to play the same amount of fixtures in the same number of days. An earlier kick off on Sunday, means a longer rest before the Europa League. You have the same hours of rest and more importantly the same number of night's rests (minimum 2, usually 3 or 4).

Having been the same for ages doesn't mean it's ok and we shouldn't complain about it. It shouldn't be an excuse by itself but injuries do go hand in hand with too many mins played, so when these things start happening to you, it's natural to complain about it.

But what isn't ok? That league games are at the weekend and european games mid-week? What exactly is there to complain about that and how could this change? You want longer seasons with less summer rest to spread them out or what?

The fact that the fixtures are a nightmare "if all went well" is precisely Jose's point. It punishes teams that do well.

This year is made worse that all of our league competitors were out of Europe early (or not in at all). And we played in the League Cup final and went relatively deep in the FA Cup.

Compound that with bad luck on injuries and a relatively thin squad means the players are getting drained.

Teams that win in playing more games shocker

Of all the stuff I had to respond to this is the funniest. Of course a team that wins and goes deeper into competitions will play more games! Wtf is there to complain about that? How would you plan to change that, let me hear the suggestion?

The relatively thin squad argument is objectively utter bollox. We had the biggest squad of anyone going into this season. So big in fact we couldn't register them all. Our current first team size is 24 players if we exclude Tuanzebe, Fosu-Mensah, and Pereira who are listed as U23. That's 26 players or essentially 23 outfield players if you exclude the GKs. For the first half of the season we also had Depay, Schneiderlin and Schweinsteiger for a 26-man outfield squad. Almost 3 players for every position.

That's was the biggest and strongest squad in the league and relatively thin to absolutely no one.

 

[Pogue Mahone]

Mate, give over. A few hours here and a few hours there make feck all difference. You are telling me that if we played at 4pm instead of 12pm then a team that has played 9 fixtures in a month would suddenly be fresh and rested? Because of 4 hours? You can't be serious.

Ultimately, you have to play the same amount of fixtures in the same number of days. An earlier kick off on Sunday, means a longer rest before the Europa League. You have the same hours of rest and more importantly the same number of night's rests (minimum 2, usually 3 or 4).



But what isn't ok? That league games are at the weekend and european games mid-week? What exactly is there to complain about that and how could this change? You want longer seasons with less summer rest to spread them out or what?



Teams that win in playing more games shocker

Of all the stuff I had to respond to this is the funniest. Of course a team that wins and goes deeper into competitions will play more games! Wtf is there to complain about that? How would you plan to change that, let me hear the suggestion?

The relatively thin squad argument is objectively utter bollox. We had the biggest squad of anyone going into this season. So big in fact we couldn't register them all. Our current first team size is 24 players if we exclude Tuanzebe, Fosu-Mensah, and Pereira who are listed as U23. That's 26 players or essentially 23 outfield players if you exclude the GKs. For the first half of the season we also had Depay, Schneiderlin and Schweinsteiger for a 26-man outfield squad. Almost 3 players for every position.

That's was the biggest and strongest squad in the league and relatively thin to absolutely no one.

You do realise that there are more fixtures to play in the Europa than in the CL, right?

 

[MadMike]

You do realise that there are more fixtures to play in the Europa than in the CL, right?

Of course, 2 more. But we knew we'd be in the Europa League since the end of last season. We knew how many games we'd have to play if we reached the final, none of this is a surprise.

EDIT: Although, if you finish 4th in the league then you have to play CL Qualifiers so you end up with the exact same number of fixtures. Worth noting.

 

[SachinJ22]

Mourinho most definitely does not treat him as a starter. That's pure fiction. He is simply a first team squad regular. Furthermore, just because Real Madrid for reasons best known to them are unable to pay Marcelo well is not remotely a valid criticism of what Lingard is paid by us nor what we pay our squad players. Its not like we pay our players who we sign as starters less wages than him. And since when did United ever have problems paying high wages for that to concern you? After all we gave an under performing Rooney 5 years of 300k a week! I also never understand why people think it remotely wise for us to pay our squad players or lesser talented players a pittance just to sit on our bench or play for us. Its us who need the squad depth. There is no player who will willingly pick up a pittance on a big club bench when he can go else where and earn better wages. It's that kind of mentality that led to Perez selling a Makelele to Chelsea.

Well, I am also saying that we don't need to pay OTT for underperforming players. No other team will pay 100k for a squad player, none of the top 6 teams in PL will take Lingard in their team. Lingard can earn as much as he wants. I am allowed to criticise the team which I support, and many people here have the same opinion about him that I have. We don't need average players like Fellaini, Rooney (has become average now) and Lingard in a team like Manchester United. Any player can put in a shift and take less money than Lingard. We need quality players not immature players who work hard without any skills and practice dabbing more than passing and shooting.

 

[DomesticTadpole]

Of course, 2 more. But we knew we'd be in the Europa League since the end of last season. We knew how many games we'd have to play if we reached the final, none of this is a surprise.

EDIT: Although, if you finish 4th in the league then you have to play CL Qualifiers so you end up with the exact same number of fixtures. Worth noting.

Thought they were getting rid of the qualifying round for the big leagues? England, Spain, Germany and the like. That now 4th go straight in. I might have dreamt it mind you. Doesn't say much for my dreams.

 

[el3mel]

Thought they were getting rid of the qualifying round for the big leagues? England, Spain, Germany and the like. That now 4th go straight in. I might have dreamt it mind you. Doesn't say much for my dreams.

True, but will be applied on qualified teams starting from next season.

 

[DomesticTadpole]

True, but will being applied on qualified teams starting from next season.

Thanks. I must have woken from my dream before I got to that bit.

 

[el3mel]

Thanks. I must have woken from my dream before I got to that bit.

No problem, mate, but be sure to complete your dreams next time

 

[Red Indian Chief Torn Rubber]

Well, I am also saying that we don't need to pay OTT for underperforming players. No other team will pay 100k for a squad player, none of the top 6 teams in PL will take Lingard in their team. Lingard can earn as much as he wants. I am allowed to criticise the team which I support, and many people here have the same opinion about him that I have. We don't need average players like Fellaini, Rooney (has become average now) and Lingard in a team like Manchester United. Any player can put in a shift and take less money than Lingard. We need quality players not immature players who work hard without any skills and practice dabbing more than passing and shooting.

You are allowed to do whatever you delight. As are others allowed to call you out on it when it doesn't make sense. The notion that a player capable of being a starter at United would gladly take wages and a place on the bench, to just be part of the squad is just plain fallacious. And Lingard was paid that much precisely so that no team could steal him. And the claim no top 6 team would take him in their team is too laughable for words.