[lex talionis]

We look a shattered side. There are plenty of Mourinho threads to go around to discuss his future but it does look a matter of days now before the sack must be pulled over his head as he's walked out of Old Trafford.

I'm in the "we have quality" camp. No, this isn't a side that should be a favorite to lift the EPL trophy, but it is a side that should be competing for the EPL trophy and easily dispatching clubs like Valencia in the CL group stage. But for the poor management of the squad, we would be.

 

[Damien]

One thing I definitely agree with Moaninho is that we don’t have the technical quality in the back 4 to be successful. It’s been blatantly obvious for many seasons now. What I don’t agree with is him making these remarks in public. Hardly going to boost moral is it?!

The thing is he's made three signings for the back four so has had the opportunity to improve it. Only one of them played last night (first start in a couple of weeks), another had been dropped like a hot potato who is supposedly the best on the ball but bloody awful as a player, and the third was at The Lowry but didn't even make the final 18 - instead Darmian was preferred.

And then there's the issues he's created with other signings. Yet he has the gall to moan about lack of quality when he was the one who picked the players to sign in the first place.

 

[VeevaVee]

Difficult to even rate the players on that nothing performance.

 

[RooneyLegend]

This feels as low as the Moyes era, players are either not playing for JM or short on confidence either way he needs to go , his interviews are getting worse and worse how many more times is he going to tell his centre halves they’re useless ? The 2 he paid 60mill for have both played in the past 3 days. Is he trying to tell us he p****d away 60mill ?

Exactly what he's saying, but what he's also saying is that he needed more money to solve the problem.

 

[Casanova85]

Not scoring at OT is simply not acceptable.

 

[Canagel]

The lack of any subs to change the game is what I can't get my head around. Everyone could see Fellaini and matic were slowing the game down but he doesn't take either off. Fred doesn't come on. Mata doesn't come on. Only Martial comes on but only for 15 minutes. Periera not in the squad. What is that?

 

[Seven Seas Sardines]

He surely can't keep his job during the internationals if we lose to Newcastle?

 

[Jojo <3 Mou]

The thing is he's made three signings for the back four so has had the opportunity to improve it. Only one of them played last night (first start in a couple of weeks), another had been dropped like a hot potato who is supposedly the best on the ball but bloody awful as a player, and the third was at The Lowry but didn't even make the final 18 - instead Darmian was preferred.

And then there's the issues he's created with other signings. Yet he has the gall to moan about lack of quality when he was the one who picked the players to sign in the first place.

Surely we don't expect a manager or DoF to get every signing right.

They signed 3 good players, 2 are struggling to adapt to this level (being at United and playing in the PL), the other, Dalot is recently recovered from surgery. All of the players are under 24 and if sold, they will recoup some of the money spent.

It highlights why you can't do a half job. This team we are seeing is in no way they team we should have at the 3rd year but due to failures we have an incomplete squad. Particularly in defense, there is a lot of 'potential' but no leader with experience. Look at the difference Kompany makes to City. Experience and leadership matter which Smalling and Jones don't provide.

I'd love if Mourinho could work with what he has but, he has grounds for complaint.

 

[Organic Potatoes]

I’m loving Luke Shaw’s redemption. Good to see.

 

[Neo_Mufc]

I stopped listening after 20secs.

"The group is really hard"

I mean yes Juventus is a fantastic side with Ronaldo BUT Young Boys and Valencia? Come on he's taking the piss.

He really does love to choose his words when he wants to. Keeps talking about how Young boys will lose every game yet come out with this shit.

 

[Salus Populi Suprema Lex]

This is now starting to feel like a lost cause for Jose. I'm sick of saying after matches that we were second best, but that was the case yet again tonight. The team doesn't look interested and looks scared to play. The fans were so flat tonight - a Champions League night - and quickly became as uninterested as the team. There were empty seats to be had too, which is a poor reflection on the mood in the support. Luke Shaw gave his all; some of the others just don't give a toss and seem to be killing time until Jose is sacked, which now looks odds on.

This is totally unacceptable. The board need to make a decision regarding Jose: either back him or sack him, but we can't continue to drift in this way. The board are hiding as much as the players are. It's a real mess. What a sad situation for a great club.

 

[RedMilo]

Im just back from the game. Im right in hearing Mourinho's post match conference, that he is happy with the players performance and that he doesn't think its a bad result. What planet is the guy living on? He got to go and go quickly now before we go into freefall and its too late to recover. At this stage lets steady the ship..

 

[VivaObertan]

At least make an effort to make it a home-game.. Not sit around and mope looking like a average Brit..

I decided to work late so gave my ticket to a family member instead. Could've gone but I've got no interest in United at the moment... and I'm completely pro-Jose.

 

[Neo_Mufc]

Im just back from the game. Im right in hearing Mourinho's post match conference, that he is happy with the players performance and that he doesn't think its a bad result. What planet is the guy living on? He got to go and go quickly now before we go into freefall and its too late to recover. At this stage lets steady the ship..

What was the atmosphere like? We heard the boos at the end, and pretty much attack attack attack.

 

[Salus Populi Suprema Lex]

What was the atmosphere like? We heard the boos at the end, and pretty much attack attack attack.

It was awful; very flat. The support is also beleaguered.

 

[tentan]

Such a stalemate, no team really looked like scoring. We would've lost easily tonight if they had good finishers.

 

[WR10]

The perfect game to play Perreira Fred and Pogba in midfield. Instead Mourinho somehow thought we were away at stoke defending a 1-0 lead. I don’t think they hoofed a long ball once Valencia.

 

[Seven Seas Sardines]

Intrigued to hear what Jose will say about Woodward once he leaves the club. Does anyone have anything good to say about the bloke?

More intrigued to hear what the players say about Mourinho when he's gone.

 

[Web of Bissaka]

1st half - counter attack set-up. Seriously?

2nd half is much better. Our players had a go, but just couldn't break the deadlock.

Damn, no players playing that can make something happened in the final third, as if no clue on how to play there. The know how, decisions making, press or not, build-up and movements in the final third is shocking. No team play.

 

[Cantonagotmehere]

I’m trying, but I just can’t handle that lineup at home. Lots of things are fecked up right now but I can’t get over the lineup.

Edit. Lastly Dalot has to play. I love Tony V but it’s over for big games.

 

[Loublaze]

I thought it was a decent performance. We just lacked some quality.

 

[promisedlanchiao]

Yeah, the crowd is the problem.

i can tell your sarcasm but the crowd is not THE problem, but still one of them.

 

[tjb]

We lack the most vital component of a top team, or any team....a standout leader on the field. There isn't one. Pogba thinks he is but isn't good enough nor deserves it. Valencia doesn't do anything as a captain. We lack that special someone to take charge on the pitch. Wouldn't even need to be a world class player, just someone with the heart and love for the club. This is not a team

Nothing to do with leadership, we just lack talent in key positions. Why can't we create chances? Because Pogba is the only one that can deliver a final pass successfully on our team, our wingers have trouble taking people on or dribbling, our wingers have terrible decision making, and until this season, our full backs could not attack at all. Why is our build up so slow? Because our centre backs need ages to set their feet right to control short passes, because our centre backs have little composure on the ball, because our defenders cannot pass the ball into midfield, and before this season our full backs did not get into positions to provide forward options for the pass. Again a problem of quality and positional awareness( also quality). Why can we not defend? Because four out of our five centre backs cannot clear a header with their head effectively, because 3 of our 5 defenders( centre backs) have issues with balance, because some of our defenders are too weak, because some of our defenders lack composure on the ball, because we have had no depth in the full back areas, and until this season we had no consistent left back meaning our left hand side was weak defensively ( in addition to no pace from our right wing making Valencia isolated).

Our problems under Mourinho have been mostly personnel issues, even though it can be argued that Jose could have solved these issues if he had a bit more patience and less bias. Our recruitment of players, and our inability to sell for value has been our biggest issue over the last 5 years, and it has led to us having these sort of issues, issues which can easily be solved in the transfer market, but require the right figures to sort them out. a) We need new centre backs, ones with quality and the ability to handle the rigours of the premiership. b) We need a new right winger at least, and patience to see whether Martial Sanchez or Rashford can nail down the left wing spot. c)We need a back up striker, potentially to compete with Lukaku and replace him in case of injury. We need quality in all these positions. Leadership will come as the squad ages. Zlatan was a leader, and we still finished in 6th place with him in the squad.

 

[oz insomniac]

There has only been one constant figure in the last 5 years of dross. Teflon Ed, difficult to move him on while he's contributing to the owners bottom line, end of story !!!!!

 

[Frank Grimes]

Think people are going way overboard, pathetic first half but everyone tried their hardest in the second half but we lacked a bit of quality and snatched at everything. We weren't playing Derby tonight, Valencia are not a top side but they can give anyone a game on their day.

 

[Sereques]

Is Ed going to sack this man or we are going to keep watching that dross every week?

 

[The Mad Manc]

Has he gone yet?

 

[Kapardin]

Think people are going way overboard, pathetic first half but everyone tried their hardest in the second half but we lacked a bit of quality and snatched at everything. We weren't playing Derby tonight, Valencia are not a top side but they can give anyone a game on their day.

No, we were trash like always. It's not like we played a better game in the second half, the football on display was still amateurish. This isn't "a bad day", it's just the norm nowadays.

Jose should be sacked before we damage ourselves further. As it is, we have to hope YB can take some points off Valencia -- quite possible as they are shite like ourselves -- or we face the task of requiring a win against them in Spain and beating Juventus atleast once.

 

[IAmAWinner]

I'm embarrassed to say, but this was the first time I actually fell asleep watching the United game. Missed the last 30 or so minutes, didn't miss much I guess. A really predictable result, but at least I'm doing well in the score prediction league lol.
I thought we were okay in the first 10-15 minutes, actually pressing well and the players looked motivated. Same tumescent shit resumed then.

 

[DomesticTadpole]

Lukaku wasn't always so static, was he? It's like he's got cement in his boots. Just bafflingly bad play from a centre forward.

I am just curious, but is he bigger than he used to be? He's always been a big lad, but he just seems too big to me.

 

[TheGame]

With a midfield of Matic and Fellaini, how are we expected to have any pace in the centre? Pereria or Fred should be in there. Our play is so laboured and slow.

 

[DomesticTadpole]

Jaysus. Jose’s post match interview is so depressing. Basically saying we over-achieved massively last season. He’s not wrong tbf. It is hard to believe that this same squad of players finished ahead of every club bar City.

I agree. We did over-achieve last season, but the skill of a manager is to make good/average players feel like they are world beaters. He makes them feel like Sunday League players. A lot are his buys or he has put his trust in them, so his judgement and managerial skills really need to looked at by the board. A lot of successful sides are not jam packed with world stars, they have journeymen as well, but a great manager knits them together and gets the best out of everyone.

 

[Sunny Jim]

Truth to be told Valencia looked the better team. Had they known how to finish they would have won by a huge margin.

I fear the Newcastle game.

 

[DomesticTadpole]

Has he put on weight? If so, that could be it.

I have just mentioned this. Funny how some players have made themselves more muscular. Is that them thinking it is what Jose wants or has he asked them to?

 

[DomesticTadpole]

The players look like they've never done an attacking drill before, it's bizarre. Some good moments of individual effort from Pogba, Rashford, even Sanchez and Lukaku but it's almost never quality link-up play.

Does he do attacking drills? Not sure he does.

 

[reddaz71]

Definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and hoping things might change, its clearly not happening for Mourinho and it would appear that he is in the last chance salloon, time to throw the kids in next match ie Pereira, Dalot,Chong and yes Martial, just be bold and let them be expressive, criminal really that the manager is so self embroiled in his own identity when it should be the clubs identity he should be managing!

 

[DomesticTadpole]

The perfect game to play Perreira Fred and Pogba in midfield. Instead Mourinho somehow thought we were away at stoke defending a 1-0 lead. I don’t think they hoofed a long ball once Valencia.

Not playing Perreira was baffling. He knows these players, That can be a big advantage. Instead he decided to play two tortoises.

 

[Charlie Foley]

So how does this set us up for the group?

We're on 4 points, Valencia on 1.
Valencia likely to beat Young Boys twice, and we should beat them at home handily enough. I don't see us getting more than a point from the two Juve games with how things are going-draw at home and lose away.

You'd also expect Juve to beat Valencia again. Adding all that up I'm guessing without the game in Valencia we're on 8, they're on 7. We have to get a result there so. Could be a nervy night-hopefully YB could take points off them!

 

[WR10]

Not playing Perreira was baffling. He knows these players, That can be a big advantage. Instead he decided to play two tortoises.

It’s very odd to say the least. Some tactical decisions and selections seem baffling but in truth have pros that outweigh the cons in context. This selection had absolutely no pros unless of course Fred and perreira were crippled and next best was mctominay. You don’t even need to watch more than 5mins of Valencia beforehand to figure out you probably don’t need our two extra large training pylons in midfield

 

[DomesticTadpole]

So how does this set us up for the group?

We're on 4 points, Valencia on 1.
Valencia likely to beat Young Boys twice, and we should beat them at home handily enough. I don't see us getting more than a point from the two Juve games with how things are going-draw at home and lose away.

You'd also expect Juve to beat Valencia again. Adding all that up I'm guessing without the game in Valencia we're on 8, they're on 7. We have to get a result there so. Could be a nervy night-hopefully YB could take points off them!

If we do get through and there is a chance I dread to think what might happen in the next round. I just don't have any confidence at all.