Solskjær press conference vs Brighton (A)

KM

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I wouldn't go as far to say everyone knew/knows that. I've always felt Greenwood would be the no.9 eventually and at 18 I think it's fair that he will be managed more sparingly. I do expect Mason to play more now but I am sceptical of starting those three together all the time and if it doesn't work one game we lack options on the bench to turn to. Unless it's a game where the opposition are coming at us late on, then James is good.

Opinions anyway, I think James gets a bit of unfair treatment and as the season has gone on and we have everyone fit, the way you're looking at things is actually happening with Greenwood playing there a bit more.
Yup, those who are criticizing James right now will criticize Greenwood later on in the season, such is the state of United fan base right now.
 

roonster09

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I don't understand what all the moaning is about. It's like people are moaning for the sake of it and nitpicking which player should have played in which game instead of taking season as a whole.
 

Cassidy

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I wouldn't go as far to say everyone knew/knows that. I've always felt Greenwood would be the no.9 eventually and at 18 I think it's fair that he will be managed more sparingly. I do expect Mason to play more now but I am sceptical of starting those three together all the time and if it doesn't work one game we lack options on the bench to turn to. Unless it's a game where the opposition are coming at us late on, then James is good.

Opinions anyway, I think James gets a bit of unfair treatment and as the season has gone on and we have everyone fit, the way you're looking at things is actually happening with Greenwood playing there a bit more.
Greenwood is a no9. He is infinitely a better option at RW since James form fell off a cliff before the turn of the year
 

Cassidy

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Yup, those who are criticizing James right now will criticize Greenwood later on in the season, such is the state of United fan base right now.
Or just never ever rated James
 

Nickelodeon

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Yup, those who are criticizing James right now will criticize Greenwood later on in the season, such is the state of United fan base right now.
Why is it unfair to criticize James? As a squad player he has done well but as a starter, his end product has been extremely limited. I think not criticizing and being happy with limited performances is far more dangerous for a United starter. If his role is reduced to that of a RW cover, then I think most people would be satisfied with him.
 

Lemansky

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Yup, those who are criticizing James right now will criticize Greenwood later on in the season, such is the state of United fan base right now.
Disagree strongly. In Mason we have one of the biggest talents in world football, he is unique. James is bang average.
 

SirAnderson

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Greenwood is a no9. He is infinitely a better option at RW since James form fell off a cliff before the turn of the year
We see what happened to Martial when he was constantly shoehorned into a position he wasn't natural in.

Ole as a striker, understands developing that part of his game, as you also admit, he is a pure number 9. Giving him exposure elsewhere on the pitch is a benefit, but not to the point where it starts affecting what he is naturally good at, his thinking changes and you get a diluted version of what is a pure no9.
I understand the frustration of James, but the solution is not to shoehorn Greenwood on the wing day in day out. You not thinking of the long term development of the player, just looking at what you prefer.
Him and Greenwood rotating that position, only because we don't have better options is fine, but his main role should be rotating with Martial and Ighalo as the strikers of the club.
 
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KM

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Why is it unfair to criticize James? As a squad player he has done well but as a starter, his end product has been extremely limited. I think not criticizing and being happy with limited performances is far more dangerous for a United starter. If his role is reduced to that of a RW cover, then I think most people would be satisfied with him.
Disagree strongly. In Mason we have one of the biggest talents in world football, he is unique. James is bang average.
I'm not comparing both of them as talents but IMO it's an unrealistic expectation that Greenwood should start every match(considering his age and we've seen a lot of youngsters get burn out when they start too many matches at a young age). James fits in well with our style in big matches and I don't think it's a "farce" that James started ahead of Mason against Spurs.
 

Lemansky

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I'm not comparing both of them as talents but IMO it's an unrealistic expectation that Greenwood should start every match(considering his age and we've seen a lot of youngsters get burn out when they start too many matches at a young age). James fits in well with our style in big matches and I don't think it's a "farce" that James started ahead of Mason against Spurs.
I agree with that. Mason is young and should not be burned out. I don’t think James is good enough to start Spurs away though. That’s why our main priority is an RW anyway with Sancho strongly linked. Mason will get plenty of games in a two if we play that and in other offensive positions. James will rightly play a lot less if we get Sancho for example.
 

Adam-Utd

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Fair to say he wasn't happy with the Norwich performance at all and gave them a right good rollocking.

He clearly has been listening to how Fergie talked. There's all the message of Mourinho rant without pointing fingers or blaming individuals.

I really do have faith in Ole can do the right job here.
 

bondsname

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Fair to say he wasn't happy with the Norwich performance at all and gave them a right good rollocking.

He clearly has been listening to how Fergie talked. There's all the message of Mourinho rant without pointing fingers or blaming individuals.

I really do have faith in Ole can do the right job here.
He speaks like a father who cares a whole deal. Mourinho spoke like an abusive step-father.
 

Inigo Montoya

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Disagree strongly. In Mason we have one of the biggest talents in world football, he is unique. James is bang average.
Never stopped the moaning and criticism before though!

Mason is still developing, let's see how he gets on.

James has a lot of pressure on his shoulders playing for a club like Utd;let's give him time too eh?
 

Lemansky

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Never stopped the moaning and criticism before though!

Mason is still developing, let's see how he gets on.

James has a lot of pressure on his shoulders playing for a club like Utd;let's give him time too eh?
In Mason I see a lot of potential and quality. In James there is not a lot of quality and I don’t see the potential at all.He is also 4 years older than Mason. That’s my opinion on it anyway. I like James the person though. He is professional, looks like a great lad and has a big work ethic. Sadly not a lot of talent.
 

Matriac

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I think Greenwood will continue to feature mostly on the right the rest of this season. Alternating with James and maybe the rare Mata/Pereira.

Then hope to sign Sancho or another quality RW in the summer, then next season keep Greenwood on the bench to swap in for Martial at 60-70min, later that he takes some of Anto' starts as the program gets more congested.

Ighalo gone in January so Greenwood/Martial will have all of Spring season to duke it out with Anto favored for the starting position unless Mason really impresses in the fall season.
If he does the opposite then maybe another Ighalo extension or another short term mercenary brought in.

If things are rosy-red Summer '21 we'll probably kick on the next season with Greenwood/Martial as our strikers, and with either another youngster flirting with first team minutes or an experienced striker towards the end of his career brought in as rotational backup.

But if either one of them is not showing signs of stability we'll look to add a world-class striker to replace one of them next summer. We won't likely sell Greenwood for many years even if he isn't stable yet then, but we might consider selling Martial. (That said I hope he'll keep kicking on and delivering same performance as this season, and better, as he keeps being trusted as the 9.)
 
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Adam-Utd

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He speaks like a father who cares a whole deal. Mourinho spoke like an abusive step-father.
Yep. I never took to Mourinho because I always felt he kept himself separate. It was him and the club as 2 entities, where as Ole IS United and he doesn't care what people think of him as long as we win and get back to the top.

That for me is why Mourinho failed and Ole will succeed. The passion and belief is just different.
 

Andycoleno9

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Yup, those who are criticizing James right now will criticize Greenwood later on in the season, such is the state of United fan base right now.
Nah, he is just not good enough for highest level clubs. With Mason you can see with his every touch and every move how much quality he has. He can have a bad game or two or three but that kid has huge amount of quality in him. With James is opposite. He just lacks quality. People keep thinking that if you give player time that he can improve everything. Well he can't.
 

SirAnderson

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Crikey. Can we at least end some of our "opinions" with, imo or that's what I think. Based on some of these posts, you'd swear most a lot of the cafe are in the wrong line of work and should be scouts, managers and fecking players they way they have such "clear" insight into their abilities that they can right them off just like that. Mind Boggling. :houllier:
 

abkmufc92

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Yup, those who are criticizing James right now will criticize Greenwood later on in the season, such is the state of United fan base right now.
People are criticising James because he has been poor in the majority of games that he has played in.

James has started 26 of the 29 games he has been involved in the prem whereas Greenwood has started just 5 of 24 games in the prem.

Greenwood has shown more in the games he has featured in compared to James and should have started more games for us.

No one is saying that Greenwood should start every game but they should have been rotated more this season.

We would have been in a better position if that role was actually shared between them instead of giving so many undeserved starts to James.
 

Inigo Montoya

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In Mason I see a lot of potential and quality. In James there is not a lot of quality and I don’t see the potential at all.He is also 4 years older than Mason. That’s my opinion on it anyway. I like James the person though. He is professional, looks like a great lad and has a big work ethic. Sadly not a lot of talent.
Those qualities have never stopped players making an impact at a big club.

A modicum of talent + huge work ethic and professionalism often produces a good player.
 

fps

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I’ve often said he has a ruthlessness about him that has been missing in our culture for a long time. It’s not a contentious ruthlessness, it’s one borne out of a maintenance of high standards. He’ll recruit in the summer and continue adding the right type of players. The mentality in and around the club is completely different under him, and very Manchester Unitedy.

He’s completely changed the way we play from the previous manager, developed the players we have, and all his signings have been superb. I have a lot of faith in Ole taking us to the next level. Whether he’s the long term future or not, remains to be seen. But whenever the next manager comes in, he will inherit the best squad we’ve had since SAF retired. This is a young team full of talent and hunger. I’m excited to see a couple of quality additions in the summer.

For the first time in a very long time, we are on the right path. Personally, I am ready for any bumps in the road because I see the vision. The short termism of previous years seems to be a thing of the past.
Totally agree, especially about ruthlessness/toughness. For a good while there, there was a false assumption that if someone was in a Man Utd shirt, it meant they were good enough to play for Man United. That's falling away now.

It's not always about being tougher on the players you have - he can put Lingard and Pereira through all the training and hell weeks in the world, it's not going to make them good enough to be Man Utd first teamers. But it is about getting everyone you want into the club, everyone you don't out, and then working to drive that whole group to the summit.

Feel much better about Ole than previous managers. That said, if the club misses CL competition it would be enormously deflating.
 

fps

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People are criticising James because he has been poor in the majority of games that he has played in.

James has started 26 of the 29 games he has been involved in the prem whereas Greenwood has started just 5 of 24 games in the prem.

Greenwood has shown more in the games he has featured in compared to James and should have started more games for us.

No one is saying that Greenwood should start every game but they should have been rotated more this season.

We would have been in a better position if that role was actually shared between them instead of giving so many undeserved starts to James.
I think that's a little unfair. Greenwood has grown and developed massively over the season, he wasn't what he is now last August. James is also a young player who needs to adapt to the PL and this has been a huge learning curve but will benefit him hugely long-term. Greenwood is now regularly showing moments that suggest he should start ahead of James, but he's very, very young and I think he's been carefully managed in order to look so confident and good now.
 

anant

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In Mason I see a lot of potential and quality. In James there is not a lot of quality and I don’t see the potential at all.He is also 4 years older than Mason. That’s my opinion on it anyway. I like James the person though. He is professional, looks like a great lad and has a big work ethic. Sadly not a lot of talent.
James was brought in as a squad player, and he is more than decent for that role. I wouldn't mind him coming in the final 15-20 mins against tired legs and stretch the defences.

Worst case - he stays as a squad player, which is fine. He was brought in for 15m and if he stays with us for even 4 seasons, it's money well spent
Best case - He improves his decision making in which case he starts for us

I just don't see any scenario where this signing is anything but a win for us
 

Lemansky

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James was brought in as a squad player, and he is more than decent for that role. I wouldn't mind him coming in the final 15-20 mins against tired legs and stretch the defences.

Worst case - he stays as a squad player, which is fine. He was brought in for 15m and if he stays with us for even 4 seasons, it's money well spent
Best case - He improves his decision making in which case he starts for us

I just don't see any scenario where this signing is anything but a win for us
I agree with all of this. My problem with James is that we play him like a first team player. He is at best, as you say, a rotation player. Yeah, I really hope he makes it here. But my view on the player is that he lacks some qualities to become a first team player. He is just to limited and easy to defend against.
 

Handré1990

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I would think he felt the heat a lot more in October, after a dreadful end to the season, full preseason and then lower half of the table, while press and people on social media where unisonly talking about him being out of his league. At that time he talked up the players, to the constrrnation of quite a few here who wanted him to shred them in public as well as behind the scenes.

Now, after 14 unbeaten and passage to the SF and QF of the cups, coming off two straight wins, and while most of the press is publicly eating humble pie (wether it’s premature or not), the heat seems palpably less. And this is the time he choses to put pressure on the players.

To me it seems very deliberate, and the point of it seems obvious for someone concerned with the both the confidence and attitude of the players.
This is post was written by someone who is a student of the human condition, and with a high understanding of the human psyche. He protects the players when they’re fragile and demands more when they’re strong. It’s excellent leadership from our manager.
 

Hoof the ball

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I'm not comparing both of them as talents but IMO it's an unrealistic expectation that Greenwood should start every match(considering his age and we've seen a lot of youngsters get burn out when they start too many matches at a young age). James fits in well with our style in big matches and I don't think it's a "farce" that James started ahead of Mason against Spurs.
What is this ill-repeated mantra?

Teenagers on average are less likely to suffer from burnout than fully-grown adults because their stamina, endurance and recovery are at an elevated level. This is why teenagers can weight train 5-6 times a week and recover better than a 20-something can with the same workload. It's just pure myth that teenagers are more likely to suffer physical burnout. In fact it's the exact opposite. They're less likely to.