The “Ole doesn’t have the players to work with” myth

UNITED ACADEMY

New Member
Joined
Aug 14, 2018
Messages
13,127
Supports
Erik ten Hag
He did say that in one his interviews. I will try to find it. You all who support Ole says our midfield is the worst in the PL. I have no problems with that. But are you seriously saying that the Board rejected any midfield player from the PL? Surely if Tielemans went for 40 million then if Ole had wanted they would have bought him. He could have got anyone to improve the midfield. No he did not want just anyone. He could have sold Mata, Jones, Bailly too but he did not. This whole mess is his fault. He was the one who depleted the squad without getting new players to replace them. He lost Lukaku, Fellaini, Sanchez, Hererra, and Smalling. He never replaced them. Missing two midfield players and relying on Pogba and McTominay and Fred who has not played much is asking for big trouble. Now it has come to bite him in the arse and some of you are blaming the players instead of the cause which is an incompetent manager.
Mate, just show the evidence first then you can start talking, otherwise you are basically just making it up now. Ole has stated that he wanted a midfielder and that’s it, nothing else that he said about world class thing. He went to sign Bissaka, Daniel James and we were linked with Longstaff, how are these three even in the category of world class?
 

Fosu-Mens

Full Member
Joined
Apr 11, 2016
Messages
4,101
Location
Fred | 2019/20 Performances
Our midfield is shocking and if and when Ole gets a chance to replace and improve that area is when I will start to judge his skills as a manager
Should this not have been the primary target during the summer? He had his chance but prefered to buy two defenders and a left-winger. Everyone with eyes and anything other than a peanut for a brain should have been able to predict that our midfield would be our main weak point this season, especially if you are the manager of MUFC...
 

Tom Cato

Godt nyttår!
Joined
Jan 3, 2019
Messages
7,565
Can this nonsense please stop now?

We’re being outplayed by a Sheffield United team filled with Championship players as well as some who I believe have been there since they were in League 1 ffs.

People need to stop judging a manager on nothing more than the side he picks. If selecting the best match squad possible from the currently available players was all there was to being a manager then any idiot on here could do it.

Good managers make their teams better than the sum of their parts and they improve the players they work with. It’s what goes on between games that makes the difference, and we’re seeing nothing to suggest there is any kind of worthwhile work being done at Carrington right now.
We d*cked Liverpool around a few weeks ago. Let's stop the pick and choose our own adventure argumentation.
 

Tom Cato

Godt nyttår!
Joined
Jan 3, 2019
Messages
7,565
Should this not have been the primary target during the summer? He had his chance but prefered to buy two defenders and a left-winger. Everyone with eyes and anything other than a peanut for a brain should have been able to predict that our midfield would be our main weak point this season, especially if you are the manager of MUFC...
Everyone would be able to predict that our midfields biggest star would be out nearly half the season, on top of frequent injuries on key player?

Man, give me some of what you are smoking.

We allowed 57 goals last season. The defense needed fixing.
 

Fosu-Mens

Full Member
Joined
Apr 11, 2016
Messages
4,101
Location
Fred | 2019/20 Performances
Everyone would be able to predict that our midfields biggest star would be out nearly half the season, on top of frequent injuries on key player?

Man, give me some of what you are smoking.

We allowed 57 goals last season. The defense needed fixing.
Even with PP healthy, our midfield would still the biggest issue.
Is our defence fixed? Can we defend without resorting/relying on a superior numerical advantage?

Is the only way to improve our defensive performance by buying better defenders? Would it not improve our defence if get better midfielders that are able to retain possession, control games etc and thus allowing the opposition to have the ball less or get fewer counters due to fewer bad passes?
 

Tom Cato

Godt nyttår!
Joined
Jan 3, 2019
Messages
7,565
Even with PP healthy, our midfield would still the biggest issue.
Is our defence fixed? Can we defend without resorting/relying on a superior numerical advantage?

Is the only way to improve our defensive performance by buying better defenders? Would it not improve our defence if get better midfielders that are able to retain possession, control games etc and thus allowing the opposition to have the ball less or get fewer counters due to fewer bad passes?
Our defense is the best in certain metrics and top4 in most others this season. For a top4 aspiring team, the defense is very much "Fixed" to use a term that takes on a new meaning after every game.

But my question to you is: Did you miss the part of the summer window here we made effort to buy several midfielders?
 

Kag

Full Member
Joined
Jun 15, 2013
Messages
18,875
Location
United Kingdom
I used to argue these things. The arguments no longer stack up, however. We’re not failing with the Herrera’s, Zlatan’s and Di Maria’s of this world. Insert whichever historically good footballer we’ve signed in there.

We’re playing with lads like Pereira, Fred, Jones and Lingard.

Pereira and Fred, in particular, are worse than some midfield partnerships in the Championship. Easily one of the worst
combinations in the league.
 

Fosu-Mens

Full Member
Joined
Apr 11, 2016
Messages
4,101
Location
Fred | 2019/20 Performances
Our defense is the best in certain metrics and top4 in most others this season. For a top4 aspiring team, the defense is very much "Fixed" to use a term that takes on a new meaning after every game.

But my question to you is: Did you miss the part of the summer window here we made effort to buy several midfielders?
"Improving" our defensive metrics when our attacking metrics have declined does not necessarily prove that our defence has improved. We could be playing safer, parking the bus more etc... And compared to last season our expected goals against from open play per game is the same, while our expected goals scored from open play has declined.

Did we try to buy several midfielders during the summer? Longstaff and Rabiot? Rice?
 

Tel074

New Member
Joined
May 8, 2019
Messages
1,531
Should this not have been the primary target during the summer? He had his chance but prefered to buy two defenders and a left-winger. Everyone with eyes and anything other than a peanut for a brain should have been able to predict that our midfield would be our main weak point this season, especially if you are the manager of MUFC...
We needed the 3 players we got as well as midfielders and a striker but that's got absolutely nothing to do with the manager /coach that's Ed's job and he has shown time after time he's useless at it
 

Tom Cato

Godt nyttår!
Joined
Jan 3, 2019
Messages
7,565
"Improving" our defensive metrics when our attacking metrics have declined does not necessarily prove that our defence has improved. We could be playing safer, parking the bus more etc... And compared to last season our expected goals against from open play per game is the same, while our expected goals scored from open play has declined.

Did we try to buy several midfielders during the summer? Longstaff and Rabiot? Rice?
We tried to buy Jadon Sancho - that process got stopped by Dortmunds director before it could start. We made a bid for Sean Longstaff. We also made an approach to Christian Eriksen. And those are the midfielders we know about. The players we wanted could not be had, and that's that
 

el3mel

Full Member
Joined
Oct 23, 2016
Messages
43,735
Location
Egypt
We tried to buy Jadon Sancho - that process got stopped by Dortmunds director before it could start. We made a bid for Sean Longstaff. We also made an approach to Christian Eriksen. And those are the midfielders we know about. The players we wanted could not be had, and that's that
Wenger is that you ?
 

el3mel

Full Member
Joined
Oct 23, 2016
Messages
43,735
Location
Egypt
I don't think there's a secret we wanted to bring in more players.
So what, no manager gets everything he wants. That was the notion said for previous managers on here. We still spent 150m overall in summer. Just because we decided to splash 80m of them on one player is our own problem.
 

Fosu-Mens

Full Member
Joined
Apr 11, 2016
Messages
4,101
Location
Fred | 2019/20 Performances
We needed the 3 players we got as well as midfielders and a striker but that's got absolutely nothing to do with the manager /coach that's Ed's job and he has shown time after time he's useless at it
So OGS did not have anything to do with the players brought in? Or what we should prioritize? OGS stated himself he was involved in the recruitment. Sure, there are other people involved as well, but OGS stated himself he had the final say.
 

Fosu-Mens

Full Member
Joined
Apr 11, 2016
Messages
4,101
Location
Fred | 2019/20 Performances
We tried to buy Jadon Sancho - that process got stopped by Dortmunds director before it could start. We made a bid for Sean Longstaff. We also made an approach to Christian Eriksen. And those are the midfielders we know about. The players we wanted could not be had, and that's that
We knew Sancho was off the table before the season was over, Eriksen was a last minute panic deal. So in the 3 months between we were unable to find a midfielder that would join us? Are you saying that we were unable to acquire players that are better than Matic, Pereira, Fred and McT?
 

Tom Cato

Godt nyttår!
Joined
Jan 3, 2019
Messages
7,565
So OGS did not have anything to do with the players brought in? Or what we should prioritize? OGS stated himself he was involved in the recruitment. Sure, there are other people involved as well, but OGS stated himself he had the final say.
OGS give the list of the players he wants. OGS's job is then done, and its down to Matt Judge to negotiate the deals.

If you're going to be pissy at someone for the lack of signings, blame the guy that couldn't get the deals done.
 

Tel074

New Member
Joined
May 8, 2019
Messages
1,531
So OGS did not have anything to do with the players brought in? Or what we should prioritize? OGS stated himself he was involved in the recruitment. Sure, there are other people involved as well, but OGS stated himself he had the final say.
Yes he has a say in what players come in but it's then up to Ed to go get them and he fails at this every time . Every manager at the club has felt the wrath of Ed being so crap in the transfer market. Do you not think Ole knows he needs more midfielders and a striker ? He has already stated he couldn't get them all in one window . I'm calm I go to matches and support my team and I'm pretty confident when Ole leaves the club will be in a better place than when he started
 

Tel074

New Member
Joined
May 8, 2019
Messages
1,531
OGS give the list of the players he wants. OGS's job is then done, and its down to Matt Judge to negotiate the deals.

If you're going to be pissy at someone for the lack of signings, blame the guy that couldn't get the deals done.
Totally true . To many people on here chucking absolute bollocks at Ole . Blaming him for others being shit at their jobs is laughable
 

Fosu-Mens

Full Member
Joined
Apr 11, 2016
Messages
4,101
Location
Fred | 2019/20 Performances
OGS give the list of the players he wants. OGS's job is then done, and its down to Matt Judge to negotiate the deals.

If you're going to be pissy at someone for the lack of signings, blame the guy that couldn't get the deals done.
So OGS could have given Judge a list with VVD, C.R and Messi and it would be Judge at fault for not getting them? I refuse to believe that there would not be continuous communication between the people involved with transfers over the summer. Are we really operating in such an outdated way? Do we not have the technological means to make two people not in the same room talk to each other?

I'm not saying OGS is the only one to blame, but f f s you cannot say that OGS gives Judge a list with 3-5 midfield targets and thats it.
 

UNITED ACADEMY

New Member
Joined
Aug 14, 2018
Messages
13,127
Supports
Erik ten Hag
Even with PP healthy, our midfield would still the biggest issue.
Is our defence fixed? Can we defend without resorting/relying on a superior numerical advantage?

Is the only way to improve our defensive performance by buying better defenders? Would it not improve our defence if get better midfielders that are able to retain possession, control games etc and thus allowing the opposition to have the ball less or get fewer counters due to fewer bad passes?
Is our midfield fixed, even after spent 180m for just midfield in 3 summer windows with Jose? Well no.

The three Recruitment has been good last summer under Ole, defensively we have the least goal expected.

We have been crying out loud to have a ball playing centre back, a centre back who can play week in week out instead of being rotated, a replacement for Young & Valencia and right winger. We have finally sign them and you lot are moaning about it. And on top of that adding a leadership is also something the manager is working on it and Maguire is one of his good candidate to be our next captain.

If we don’t sign defenders, would we be able to sign midfielders? Or we will just do panic buy again like what we did previous one with Fred. Was it really all about not enough money or Ed simply just failed deliver the job in negotiation? No one know but the manager has made it clear, he wants a midfielder.
 

Craig Ward

Full Member
Joined
Dec 30, 2016
Messages
2,117
All the talk is, we need a RW and Midfielders. That's all we hear, on some never ending loop.

While I agree, there are areas of the squad that need addressing, I don't think it's as bad as people make out.

Consider how many players Ole has inherited who he probably doesn't want to include long term:
Lukaku/Sanchez/Darmian/Smalling/Jones/Young/Rojo/Matic/Mata/Lingard/Grant/Bailly
Then you have questions mark over how the youth will settle@
Chong/Garner/Gomes/Tuanzebe/TFM/Williams
Then you have players who have yet to prove themselves:
Fred/Periera/Shaw/Dalot

Plus integrating new signings.

It's an absolutely massive job to transition the squad completely, much more work than 1 window.

I think there will always be critique with the transfer dealings, partly due to fans over expecting and thinking real life is the same as Football Manager and partly due to how we as a club conduct ourselves.

I'd consider the 1st window a success.
3 very good signings and crucially, good movement on outgoings.

Injuries obviously haven't helped on times this year, highlighting lack of depth but in truth, this season was always going to be hit and miss. There is still a lot of work to be done.

I think some players have given us massive positives, others obviously highlighting the flaws.

James/AWB/Maguire have all hit the ground running. 3 good signings.
Greenwood has been a positive, as has Tuanzebe.
Rashford has been in good form
Rojo is looking less calamitous when used, good squad member.
Williams - stepped up big time
Mctom - stepped up massively.

Negatives.
Jones and Young proving they are truly past it. I think we have enough depth at CB to not use Jones at all any longer. Young we unfortunately have to use because Dalot/Shaw are injured.
Lingard - What is he? No one knows, truly useless.
Pogba - Mystery injury for months, all talk of him AGAIN angling for a move. Surely time to sell
Mata/Matic - 2 old head around the squad, used infrequently - good pro's but will be the last season for both

Ole has plenty of good players. truthfully, our form should be better but I think the issue he has is the bulk of the squad is the same as we've had for years - the same core that failed under LVG/Mourinho will fail again - why each window is so important for Ole to sell some and integrate new players.

There's plenty of optimism around under Ole - he just needs time
 

Eric's Seagull

Full Member
Joined
Sep 23, 2018
Messages
3,707
Location
4-4-2: The Flat One
All the talk is, we need a RW and Midfielders. That's all we hear, on some never ending loop.

While I agree, there are areas of the squad that need addressing, I don't think it's as bad as people make out.

Consider how many players Ole has inherited who he probably doesn't want to include long term:
Lukaku/Sanchez/Darmian/Smalling/Jones/Young/Rojo/Matic/Mata/Lingard/Grant/Bailly
Then you have questions mark over how the youth will settle@
Chong/Garner/Gomes/Tuanzebe/TFM/Williams
Then you have players who have yet to prove themselves:
Fred/Periera/Shaw/Dalot

Plus integrating new signings.

It's an absolutely massive job to transition the squad completely, much more work than 1 window.

I think there will always be critique with the transfer dealings, partly due to fans over expecting and thinking real life is the same as Football Manager and partly due to how we as a club conduct ourselves.

I'd consider the 1st window a success.
3 very good signings and crucially, good movement on outgoings.

Injuries obviously haven't helped on times this year, highlighting lack of depth but in truth, this season was always going to be hit and miss. There is still a lot of work to be done.

I think some players have given us massive positives, others obviously highlighting the flaws.

James/AWB/Maguire have all hit the ground running. 3 good signings.
Greenwood has been a positive, as has Tuanzebe.
Rashford has been in good form
Rojo is looking less calamitous when used, good squad member.
Williams - stepped up big time
Mctom - stepped up massively.

Negatives.
Jones and Young proving they are truly past it. I think we have enough depth at CB to not use Jones at all any longer. Young we unfortunately have to use because Dalot/Shaw are injured.
Lingard - What is he? No one knows, truly useless.
Pogba - Mystery injury for months, all talk of him AGAIN angling for a move. Surely time to sell
Mata/Matic - 2 old head around the squad, used infrequently - good pro's but will be the last season for both

Ole has plenty of good players. truthfully, our form should be better but I think the issue he has is the bulk of the squad is the same as we've had for years - the same core that failed under LVG/Mourinho will fail again - why each window is so important for Ole to sell some and integrate new players.

There's plenty of optimism around under Ole - he just needs time
Sensible post and I agree with a lot of what you say. I realise that this rebuild is going to take more than one window. If we had a full team to choose from regularly I think we would be doing a lot better but sadly due to so many injuries it has shown how thin our squad and that we are one one or two injuries away from mediocrity and having to to play Lingard and Perreira as a holding midfielder. That is why I think it was negligence on the club's part to not buy a new midfielder in the summer to replace Herrera, same thing regarding the striker situation. We are short in numbers up top and that has been shown when Martia was out injured.

I commend Ole for managing to get rid of some of the deadwood but there are some here who still need need to go Mata, Matic, Jones, Young, Fred and Perreira I'm not sure of and would decide about at the end of the season. Not sure whether Lingard deserves a new contract.

Happy with the signings Ole has made especially James and I think if we had been better at taking our chances he could have quite a few more assists than he has. Due to his form I'm not as concerned as I was about a right winger, I would like Sancho but can't see it happening. My concern that if James gets injury we might have to play Mata or Lingard there, so I think James could do with someone as back up/competition.

Glad to Rashford is starting to put some form together and happy with how Williams and Greenwood are progressing. We now need to do whatever we can try to get Gomes to sign a new contract.

Think you are spot on with the last two paragraphs in bold :)
 

kouroux

45k posts to finally achieve this tagline
Joined
Apr 25, 2007
Messages
95,709
Location
Djibouti (La terre des braves)
Sensible post and I agree with a lot of what you say. I realise that this rebuild is going to take more than one window. If we had a full team to choose from regularly I think we would be doing a lot better but sadly due to so many injuries it has shown how thin our squad and that we are one one or two injuries away from mediocrity and having to to play Lingard and Perreira as a holding midfielder. That is why I think it was negligence on the club's part to not buy a new midfielder in the summer to replace Herrera, same thing regarding the striker situation. We are short in numbers up top and that has been shown when Martia was out injured.

I commend Ole for managing to get rid of some of the deadwood but there are some here who still need need to go Mata, Matic, Jones, Young, Fred and Perreira I'm not sure of and would decide about at the end of the season. Not sure whether Lingard deserves a new contract.

Happy with the signings Ole has made especially James and I think if we had been better at taking our chances he could have quite a few more assists than he has. Due to his form I'm not as concerned as I was about a right winger, I would like Sancho but can't see it happening. My concern that if James gets injury we might have to play Mata or Lingard there, so I think James could do with someone as back up/competition.

Glad to Rashford is starting to put some form together and happy with how Williams and Greenwood are progressing. We now need to do whatever we can try to get Gomes to sign a new contract.

Think you are spot on with the last two paragraphs in bold :)
Him playing would help a lot.
 

kouroux

45k posts to finally achieve this tagline
Joined
Apr 25, 2007
Messages
95,709
Location
Djibouti (La terre des braves)
Agreed. I would rather him come on than sh!te like Lingard. We need to make him feel wanted and convince him that his future is here and that he will be an integral part of the team in future.
It honestly annoys to see players given time to play when we know what their ceilings are. Whether it's Lingard or Perreira, they're not gonna suddenly reach another level of performances. They are who they are, I see no harm in giving Gomes playing time and then subbing him if he finds it hard to perform.
 

Judas

Open to offers
Joined
Jun 28, 2010
Messages
35,964
Location
Where the grass is greener.
It honestly annoys to see players given time to play when we know what their ceilings are. Whether it's Lingard or Perreira, they're not gonna suddenly reach another level of performances. They are who they are, I see no harm in giving Gomes playing time and then subbing him if he finds it hard to perform.
Yep, this is where I'm at too. Constantly giving minutes to someone like Andreas at this point is infuriating. I get Gomes is injured or coming back from injury I believe, but bloody hell I think we've all seen enough to know Andreas isn't the answer.

Gomes not getting a proper chance and leaving would be a massive failure from Ole and the club. It's one thing for him to get minutes and look shite, but he's barely even got that.

Players who aren't good enough blocking the way for talented kids is infuriating.
 

Eric's Seagull

Full Member
Joined
Sep 23, 2018
Messages
3,707
Location
4-4-2: The Flat One
It honestly annoys to see players given time to play when we know what their ceilings are. Whether it's Lingard or Perreira, they're not gonna suddenly reach another level of performances. They are who they are, I see no harm in giving Gomes playing time and then subbing him if he finds it hard to perform.
I agree. We know how good Lingard and Pereira are. I think both are taking minutes which could have been allocated to Gomes. 34 goals and 21 assists by Lingard in 7 years is terrible numbers for an attacking midfielder. Since he had that semi-decent season 2 years it seems as if he thinks that he has made it. He's 27 next month and people are still waiting for him to come good, he is not going to get better and doesn't deserve to be on the pitch.

It must be frustrating for Gomes watching from the sidelines thinking he could maybe do a better job. We don't know how good Gomes is going to become unless we start playing him. I think that Gomes would have had at least one goal or assist in the League in the last year, unlike Lingard.
 

Fosu-Mens

Full Member
Joined
Apr 11, 2016
Messages
4,101
Location
Fred | 2019/20 Performances
Is our midfield fixed, even after spent 180m for just midfield in 3 summer windows with Jose? Well no.

The three Recruitment has been good last summer under Ole, defensively we have the least goal expected.

We have been crying out loud to have a ball playing centre back, a centre back who can play week in week out instead of being rotated, a replacement for Young & Valencia and right winger. We have finally sign them and you lot are moaning about it. And on top of that adding a leadership is also something the manager is working on it and Maguire is one of his good candidate to be our next captain.

If we don’t sign defenders, would we be able to sign midfielders? Or we will just do panic buy again like what we did previous one with Fred. Was it really all about not enough money or Ed simply just failed deliver the job in negotiation? No one know but the manager has made it clear, he wants a midfielder.
Midfield is in a worse state than ever before.

Daniel James is a very good transfer for a specific role or system.

We had 5/6 central defenders before the summer that could perform more or less to an average EPL level now and again. We currently have PP who wants to leave, McT that have improved but still not a good EPL midfielder and the rest are Championship at best. Comparing the options available in the two positions makes for a bad comparison.

Most likely a mix of failing to identify targets and Judge/Woodward failing/unwilling to make the transfers.
 

Foxbatt

New Member
Joined
Oct 21, 2013
Messages
14,297
Mate, just show the evidence first then you can start talking, otherwise you are basically just making it up now. Ole has stated that he wanted a midfielder and that’s it, nothing else that he said about world class thing. He went to sign Bissaka, Daniel James and we were linked with Longstaff, how are these three even in the category of world class?
Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has declared that top-quality players will always be compelled to join the club, regardless of what European competition the team will be playing in next season.
 

Zen86

Full Member
Joined
Jul 1, 2007
Messages
13,871
Location
Sunny Manc
It honestly annoys to see players given time to play when we know what their ceilings are. Whether it's Lingard or Perreira, they're not gonna suddenly reach another level of performances. They are who they are, I see no harm in giving Gomes playing time and then subbing him if he finds it hard to perform.

Yes, that would do wonders for Gomes’ confidence wouldn’t it. Good old youth development 101.
 

James Ward

New Member
Newbie
Joined
Aug 29, 2014
Messages
336
Two world class center midfielders and United will at least be in the top four.
A top striker as well and could well be challenging for the league.

The 11 or 12 deadwood players how do we actually get rid of these to bring down the wage bill is another question and sign decent squad players.

Ferguson's teams always had a spine about them and United are seriously lacking that at the minute.
 

Sterling Archer

New Member
Joined
Jun 30, 2016
Messages
4,289
Part of what I've come to expect of top managers is playing players out of their normal positions to good effect. Been spoiled with Sir Alex doing it left and right but it's been seen with more than a few contemporaries. Ox being played in the middle. Delph becoming a RB.

We have experienced squad members waiting around during this midfield crisis that could definitely do a job in the middle. And yet we lined up at Sheffield with Andreas and Fred unsupported. Jones. Lindelof. Even Rojo for a while before getting Axel on.

I'm not seeing the ability to manage the talent we have. Among other tactical issues.
 

Walrus

Oppressed White Male
Joined
Aug 25, 2008
Messages
11,156
Redcafe would have absolutely called for Ferguson to be sacked at various points in his career, were it not for his history and reputation.
 

Untd55

Full Member
Joined
Feb 28, 2018
Messages
1,516
Everyone would be able to predict that our midfields biggest star would be out nearly half the season, on top of frequent injuries on key player?

Man, give me some of what you are smoking.

We allowed 57 goals last season. The defense needed fixing.
We conceded 54 goals last season. We are on course to concede 43 goals this season. Is an 11 goal reduction really worthy of £130m of investment?

Also, we have the same amount of clean sheets this season as we did at the same point last season: 2 clean sheets. We are currently 17th in the league for clean sheets, which shows we are not all that great at defending as we have conceded in the last nine Premier League games, starting with Leicester on the 14th September.

I think Bissaka was worth signing, but Maguire was a waste of money. Bissaka has made a considerable difference defensively when you see how hard he is to beat and his tackling stats, but Maguire is very unimpressive for £80m. That was a bad investment, particularly when there were more important areas to improve. It was a bad decision from Solskjaer to, clearly, prioritise the defence over every other area.

We lost Herrera and Lukaku in the window, which made those priority areas, particularly when we had already signed Bissaka. He knew about the loss of Herrera for months before the transfer window, on top of that.

Choosing to neglect our midfield was a shocking decision. We needed two midfielders in the summer as it was, but next summer we will likely need three as Pogba is most likely going to leave.
 

el3mel

Full Member
Joined
Oct 23, 2016
Messages
43,735
Location
Egypt
Everyone would be able to predict that our midfields biggest star would be out nearly half the season, on top of frequent injuries on key player?

Man, give me some of what you are smoking.

We allowed 57 goals last season. The defense needed fixing.
Everyone was actually predicting our biggest midfield biggest star to leave in summer anyway.

And we also lost 2 midfielders in the same period.
 

Foxbatt

New Member
Joined
Oct 21, 2013
Messages
14,297
I am watching the Ajax game. How better football they play. Why did we never bid for Donny Van Den Beek? His value is the same as Longstaff and lower than Bruno Fernandes. So is Ziyech. They are both better players than what we have now. I am sure that we would not have scored the way they scored their first goal. Look at the way they play. Very well coached team. At least with someone like Eric ten Hag you know that it is how the will play.
 

UNITED ACADEMY

New Member
Joined
Aug 14, 2018
Messages
13,127
Supports
Erik ten Hag
Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has declared that top-quality players will always be compelled to join the club, regardless of what European competition the team will be playing in next season.
What the feck is this? You call this evidence? I was expecting some link to show the quotation or YouTube interview or press conference.
 

UNITED ACADEMY

New Member
Joined
Aug 14, 2018
Messages
13,127
Supports
Erik ten Hag
Midfield is in a worse state than ever before.

Daniel James is a very good transfer for a specific role or system.

We had 5/6 central defenders before the summer that could perform more or less to an average EPL level now and again. We currently have PP who wants to leave, McT that have improved but still not a good EPL midfielder and the rest are Championship at best. Comparing the options available in the two positions makes for a bad comparison.

Most likely a mix of failing to identify targets and Judge/Woodward failing/unwilling to make the transfers.
Stop making excuses and ignoring fact.

Our defense last season was terrible, it wasn’t just Ole who wants a new centre back but Mourinho also wanted one in his last summer transfer window and when he didn’t get one he was moaning. Two managers had the same idea of signing centre back and if it doesn’t convince why those two thinks we need one you may be you should watch the game again and look at Jones in the weekend, are you telling me that was good enough?

We have spent the entire 3 transfer window under Mourinho a 180m for 3 midfield and that wasn’t enough to even fix it. What the feck Mourinho was doing in those three summer windows wasting our money.

We needed a winger, a full back & centre back and we got them. Why are you still moaning with our recruitment? If anything been the most positive is actually the recruitment & the improvement of our players. I bet if we don’t get a centre back but get midfield instead you would have still moan about why Ole didn’t sign a centre back. People like you are just finding excuses to blame the manager just because he doesn’t suit you.