Yep, don’t know if it will last but I’ve never seen this in a United team before.
Swarm
- Thread starter Billy Blaggs
- Start date
What a bombastic post.
"My perception is the reality folks, end of discussion".
The manager has said that he wants the players to play with more intensity and so far that is the case in pre season. Highlighting that isn’t an issue. And I don’t think people have to caveat that by saying it might not happen when the seasons starts for real. Personally, I think that goes without saying.
99% of managers in world football want their team to play with more intensity. This isn't something which should be a revelation to anybody.
Genuinely interested as to why you care so much (to write several lengthy posts) on how United fans feel about their pre-season.
And highlighting that this is the case in the first three games of pre season isn’t an issue, as I highlighted so articulately. What has your reply got to do with mine?
You’re scatting about in here looking to labour debates that don’t really exist.
It's simply my opinion on pre-season.
You're welcome to believe it's an important indicator of how a season might go, and I'll continue to think it means little to nothing and find it amusing when football fans (from all clubs) get overly excited at stuff which takes place in pre season. I found it equally funny when our own fans thought Nkoudou was going to come good this season because he scored a few in pre season.
It'd be better if it were.
It's not an issue, it is a terrible indicator of how the team will look when those ideas are applied in the realm of competitive matches however. What Ole wants/the team can do in pre season games vs what happens against a fit, competitive side are completely different. That's the entire point.
Debates that don't really exist? I'm saying pretty clearly I do not think pre season matters or has any real bearing on how a team will look come first matchday, others clearly think differently. That's a debate right there.
Man these Spurs fans are tedious.
It's more of a general comment on how football fans treat pre season .. Spurs fans, United fans, we all do it. I've seen it hundreds of times where people get either overly excited or overly pessimistic based on pre season results and I've always seen it as folly. I don't specifically care whether United fans are happy with their pre season, but people replied to me so I replied to them. That's generally how a forum works.
The problem I had with the original post was just that: it was blowing an attempt to play pressing football in pre season games way out of proportion. It pretty much seems to dismiss genuine, sensible concerns fans might have based on competitive games last season/the current state of the squad, and it does so on the basis of very little.
It’s great until the players cba.
I don’t trust this bunch to put in 100% every game which is really fecking sad to say.
I don’t trust this bunch to put in 100% every game which is really fecking sad to say.
Then don’t make it an issue. So far, United have played with intensity. That’s a sensible opinion based upon a set of working eyes and some modicum of thought. As far as I can see on this forum, no United supporter has claimed that this guarantees having a fantastic season; or that it ensures we consistently play with intensity. It merely gives supporters hope that it may continue, which is both acceptable and rational. Your point doesn’t marry up with the sense I am making above. You’re just saying things that any halfwit would agree with.
I do think pre season has more bearing than you do, though. If you have a particularly terrible pre season then it is very likely that your season is a poor one. I watched it happen just last season.
You played with intensity for a good while under Ole last season too. Playing a pressing, intense game for a few games vs for an entire season is a completely different story. Right now we're not seeing anything new at all. A lot of what your fans are saying is like a broken record and something we've been hearing for years 'finally playing an attacking/intense/energetic game!' but every time it happens it's like it's something totally new. Playing with intensity now means very little, it's exactly what you'd expect in pre season from players who have something to prove/want to make their mark.
And I've watched teams have amazing pre seasons and then have terrible seasons.
I have to say I agree. As much as I want to remain positive and as encouraging as it's been, I don't trust these players. I'd be more confident if the overhaul was more successful.
Feel the same sadly.
Essentially, you’re spending time on a Manchester United forum taking issue with said supporters noticing that their team is playing with intensity during pre season. We don’t need your wisdom. We don’t need to be told mind-numbingly obvious things like ‘playing a pressing, intense game for a few games vs for an entire season is a completely different story’. You’re traipsing about in here pretending as if there has been some sort of delusional widespread perception that United have turned a corner due to three games in pre season. You’re on this forum enough as it is, so it should be abundantly clear to you that the forum isn’t exactly brimming with positivity. Yet here you are, lecturing people for holding beliefs they don’t even believe.
Get a fecking life.
This.
I absolutely loved our pressing at times. We didn’t give them a chance to settle down and spray a few passes together.
Pre season means very little but if we can get a centre back in to lead the back line and we should this pressing and attacking intent over the bulk of the season + trying to make something of this latest generation of kids I think we can get behind the team, top 4 or no
It's weird how you have no issue whatsoever with other United fans saying essentially the same innocuous comment (it doesn't mean much, pre-season means little) but seem to have become incredibly riled up because I've said basically the same thing. I made a general comment about football fans getting overly excited about pre season results. At no point did I pretend I was offering some sage wisdom or that all United fans are in a frenzy, merely stated how I feel about pre season.
Essentially, you’re spending time on a Manchester United forum taking issue with said supporters noticing that their team is playing with intensity during pre season. We don’t need your wisdom. We don’t need to be told mind-numbingly obvious things like ‘playing a pressing, intense game for a few games vs for an entire season is a completely different story’. You’re traipsing about in here pretending as if there has been some sort of delusional widespread perception that United have turned a corner due to three games in pre season. You’re on this forum enough as it is, so it should be abundantly clear to you that the forum isn’t exactly brimming with positivity. Yet here you are, lecturing people for holding beliefs they don’t even believe.
Get a fecking life.
Right back at you if such comments really rile you up to the extent that you need to get personal about it. You really do seem quite angry that I've made a very simple point, and again it's pretty telling that you've zoomed in on the easy target (a rival fan) rather than the many United fans making comments to the same effect.
I have learned over the years that it’s better to have a good pre season then not. Keeping clean sheets build confidence and makes the squad more positive against tactical changes. So from that perspective good results counts.
With Sir Alex it’s was easier to accept a slow start but with our last season in mind then a good start is probably a must to install positivity and give our manager time to breath.
Regarding out new set up I’m one of those who likes when we play modern with high intensive pressing all over the pitch. Overtake possession in the final third is often a goal scoring opportunity so I’m very positive to see Ole tries this again.
Hopefully one or two new players and then let’s continue and see where it takes us.
I don't think you are getting the point here. No one is saying we will win the league or we will continue to play like this but for us this preseason is very important to know whether these players will buy into ole or whether Ole knows what he is doing. Last season he kept on harping about being able to workhard and high press and now we are seeing that. It's a sign maybe we are moving in a right direction. Maybe this is the club's identity and we needed one after years of shittiness. It's a step in the right direction and for our club this pre season is far more important than yours or city's.
I haven't said anybody thinks you're going to win the league.
I just fundamentally agree with the bold, that's the point. It's just an opinion and you're free to feel otherwise (obviously!) but that's how I feel. I don't think you can tell whether a player will buy in to ole/a strategy long term just because of what they do in a few pre season games. It's really very difficult to tell based on such a small sample and under circumstances very different to competitive games.
Say you're playing like this a few games in to the PL season, then I think it's a valid time to be going 'yep, clearly the ideas are taking shape and the players are maybe buying in to it'. That's just me and how I try and judge things.
I mean this is a great step ahead, however, if Leeds United or Inter Milan sat deep against us....I don't think we would be effective. Lack of creativity in the final third. We rely too much on Pogba. Although Lingard presses the best in our attack, his creativity is as bad as Jones.
We need to work more in the final third to be as effective as Liverpool or Man city in the final pass.
We need to work more in the final third to be as effective as Liverpool or Man city in the final pass.
But we are not judging on the long term basis. We cannot, no one cannot because one cannot predict the future. All we are doing is judging by what we are seeing. What we sre seeing so far is Ole wants his players to press high and players so far after 3 games have responded to his ideas and are doing that and that is a positive. I know resultr in ore season can be meaningless but trust me any manager will prefer to win games than lose and the way United ended the season we needed to win with some identity.
Again this whole judgment is based on three games and we are happy from what we are seeing so far.
For pre season, it's far too early to see if the players are invested because given the last ten games of the season they seem to entertain not playing for the manager.
15 games into the new season we will see how far Ole has influenced these individuals.
I disagree with the bold part. Until top 4 was gone they were trying. They were just shattered
Dude take a break. Even the manager acknowledge that he couldn't continue the pressing game last season due to fitness. And is working extra hard on fitness this preseason in order to be able to play a more pressing game through the season. Fans have noticed that work in progress and are saying, " we hope we are able to continue with it" .You are here writng like we said; we have already won the league.
The team suffered due to fitness issues which led to injuries. When players lose games it doesn't automatically mean they are not playing for the manager. Who put that idea in peoples heads? This team has been suffering for many years, they clearly lack in quality, fitness as well as other factors, but everytime players are struggling: they are not playing for the manager.
Spot on. And I would consider this season a success if we came top 5 and brought through Greenwood, Gomes, Chong, James, and Tuanzebe as first team regulars. The future IS bright. Success won’t be immediate but I like what I’m seeing. Team looks the fittest I’ve seen in ages.
In my opinion you're being deliberately disingenuous. No one has claimed that Brewster is going to win Balon Dor, nor that Greenwood is going to finish top scorer. Nor have I said that it's an important indicator of how a season will go.
This forum is 99% doom and gloom and the original poster just pointed out that there are encouraging signs which is a completely fair statement to make. But the 1% optimism about United seems to get shot down at all angles, which just makes discussion tedious.
@SquishyMcSquish There's a marked difference in our approach. This isn't happenstance, it's a concerted effort to change the way we play. This is precisely what Ole had said from the very beginning, and we are now seeing the fruit of his labour. Teams don't randomly mix up how they play in a preseason, if you see an entirely different approach then chances are you're going to see your team play like that in the future. This excites fans. If the team is willing to press relentlessly in a nothing game in 500°c, then that bodes well for when the season proper starts. feck sake man it's football; we are meant to get excited.
Well said.
Essentially, you’re spending time on a Manchester United forum taking issue with said supporters noticing that their team is playing with intensity during pre season. We don’t need your wisdom. We don’t need to be told mind-numbingly obvious things like ‘playing a pressing, intense game for a few games vs for an entire season is a completely different story’. You’re traipsing about in here pretending as if there has been some sort of delusional widespread perception that United have turned a corner due to three games in pre season. You’re on this forum enough as it is, so it should be abundantly clear to you that the forum isn’t exactly brimming with positivity. Yet here you are, lecturing people for holding beliefs they don’t even believe.
Get a fecking life.
people are mostly happy because the approach is different
It’s brilliant. Once we start to learn to be clinical in winning the ball higher up the field it will be devastating
You rang?
Squishy is just getting in his excuses early before we beat them in our next pre-season game: "Doesn't matter, just about fitness".
Why do some of my fellow United fans feel the need to justify, or even reply to a Tottenham fan talking shite about our evaluation of our team’s progress in pre-season? Boggles the mind. Remember, Tottantic is now the big dogs in town, they’ve reached the summit of football (losing a CL final, and winning as much as the square root of feck all!), so we shouldn’t presume to be on their level. Not even when talking of our own team’s progress, in what is essentially a training camp.
Because now, apparently, saying it’s nice to see United play as a team, and run and fight like we haven’t seen, even in the actual seasons, for the last oh...6 years, in pre-season games, is, by this Tottenham fan’s account, «putting too much stock in pre-season». Do you not see anything wrong with this picture?
@SquishyMcSquish and the whiners of the United fan variety.
Because now, apparently, saying it’s nice to see United play as a team, and run and fight like we haven’t seen, even in the actual seasons, for the last oh...6 years, in pre-season games, is, by this Tottenham fan’s account, «putting too much stock in pre-season». Do you not see anything wrong with this picture?
@SquishyMcSquish and the whiners of the United fan variety.
Who I support is completely irrelevant and at no point did I claim that Spurs were big boys on the block but good one, you really got me because what Spurs have won is really super relevant to how important pre season results are.
And yeah, I do think certain people in this thread are placing too much stock in pre season. It's so easy to press and be energetic when your team is full of youngsters/players with shit to prove before the competitive games to start. Getting those ideas to stick when the season starts and the games are coming thick and fast is a totally different reality. You can think it's super duper important if you want, even though we've seen countless times that pre season results can have little bearing on how a season plays out, but please stop acting like it's outlandish to say that pre season isn't a good way to judge a team.
Some of you are so incredibly precious whenever someone who isn't a United fan says anything even remotely negative about United .. even though I haven't even actually done that, just said that signs of a pressing game in pre season doesn't mean it'll be effective when the season starts, because you still may not possess the players to do it on a regular basis. But yeah, have a cry about it and fire some more shots at Spurs if that makes you feel loads better about yourself.