The Assassin and The Untouchables

[manunited1919]

This is the story of Lingard and Rashford, The Untouchables, who play for Manchester United but can’t be dropped. They went thru the academy and never looked back, breaking into the scene by surprise and striking fear from into our competitors’ hearts. But now, the surprise is gone and so is their form, and the only fear they strike (and perhaps also despise, and utter contempt) is into the hearts of many of our own fans and CAFtards.

Despite their horrible form and inability or ineffectiveness with their shooting, the assassin just won’t drop them.

The question is why? Can’t the team function without The Untouchables? Is the Assassin unable to perform his job or adapt his tactics to attack without The Untouchables? Or has the Assassin lost his killer touch and gone too soft?

 

[King Andow]

Just a bad coach. Does anyone doubt that Pep, for example, would beat him playing a Utd team with Williams, Garner, Gomes and Greenwood vs Smeagol with Pereira, Youngy, JLingz and Rashy?

 

[Rhyme Animal]

Just a bad coach. Does anyone doubt that Pep, for example, would beat him playing a Utd team with Williams, Garner, Gomes and Greenwood vs Smeagol with Pereira, Youngy, JLingz and Rashy?

Cmon, phrases like 'Smeagol' etc aren't needed.

If you dislike OGS as a coach (as I do) that's fine, but don't personally insult his appearance ffs. Cmon, keep it about the footy.

 

[ArjenIsM3]

Why? We've a shallow squad that's lacking quality and a lot of injuries to top it all off. The only alternative Ole had to Rashford was a 17 year old. You don't throw a 17 year old in at the deep end in an important match against Arsenal when you don't have to. And the only alternative he had to Lingard was Mata, who's not been much better of late. Gomes is injured iirc. Chong is another kid and he's played worse than Lingard so he's not really an option either

 

[manunited1919]

Just a bad coach. Does anyone doubt that Pep, for example, would beat him playing a Utd team with Williams, Garner, Gomes and Greenwood vs Smeagol with Pereira, Youngy, JLingz and Rashy?

Since February Lingard and Rashy have been getting starts whenever fit. I guess we could include Youngy too, but Youngy is supposed to be covering for injured fullbacks. But why does Ole think Rashford and Lingard are the only ones who can press?

WTF is going on in our club? In any top club in the world these “Untouchables” would have been benched ages ago. Yet here we are.

 

[He'sRaldo]

Lingard was dropped initially, but a lack of options meant Ole had to eventually start playing him again.

 

[King Andow]

Cmon, phrases like 'Smeagol' etc aren't needed.

If you dislike OGS as a coach (as I do) that's fine, but don't personally insult his appearance ffs. Cmon, keep it about the footy.

No.

 

[Tarrou]

Lingard has been dropped. Strange thread.

 

[manunited1919]

Why? We've a shallow squad that's lacking quality and a lot of injuries to top it all off. The only alternative Ole had to Rashford was a 17 year old. You don't throw a 17 year old in at the deep end in an important match against Arsenal when you don't have to. And the only alternative he had to Lingard was Mata, who's not been much better of late. Gomes is injured iirc. Chong is another kid and he's played worse than Lingard so he's not really an option either

Is Diogo injured? He could play instead of Lingard, and move Pereira or Pogba to play more centrally.

Rashford has proved over the last 7 months that he isn’t a striker, so if we play him as a striker we are effectively playing without any kind of striker. Rashford needs a rest and needs to be taken out of the firing line. BTW, wasn’t Rashford about 17 when LVG threw him into the deep end against Arsenal?

 

[manunited1919]

Lingard has been dropped. Strange thread.

Wasn’t he injured when he was out of the team? I don’t think Ole has dropped him. Lingard should really be dropped to the reserves based on form.

 

[In Rainbows]

No.

Why?

 

[manunited1919]

If Ole wants to play a certain style that’s fine, he is the manager. But he depends too much on 2-3 players fitness and good form to be effective playing that style. He needs to adapt his style and try perhaps a different formation given that those 2-3 players are unfit and or in dire form.

 

[TheRedHearted]

Rashford is getting too emotional and taking the whole team on his shoulders. He's lacking confidence right now because he's beating the hell out of himself for not saving this team. It's not all his fault and he's yet to realize that. I didn't see a single cross reach him. I did see him fluff that chance he had when he was on the left, and he's never scored many goals from there. He's very strong when he drifts a little wide of the post and slots it into the lower left corner as quick as can be.
Martial as the top left striker and Rashford as the top right works if we have a world-class number 10. So, uh, lets buy Eriksen and trust James on the wing and those two up top.

 

[Tarrou]

Wasn’t he injured when he was out of the team? I don’t think Ole has dropped him. Lingard should really be dropped to the reserves based on form.

No. He was dropped after the Palace debacle.

 

[ArjenIsM3]

Is Diogo injured? He could play instead of Lingard, and move Pereira or Pogba to play more centrally.

Rashford has proved over the last 7 months that he isn’t a striker, so if we play him as a striker we are effectively playing without any kind of striker. Rashford needs a rest and needs to be taken out of the firing line. BTW, wasn’t Rashford about 17 when LVG threw him into the deep end against Arsenal?

Yes, he's still injured. Or injured again, I'm not sure. Read some articles on sites like the MEN that say he's injured. Either way he was unavailable. So he couldn't do that.

Rashford does need a rest but with Martial out that's problematic in big games. If it were a game like Newcastle then maybe he could rest Rashford and play Greenwood. And yeah Rashford was about that age but that doesn't mean that's the way to do it all of a sudden. He was thrown in because LvG has no other option. All our senior strikers were out and the under 23s one was out too.

 

[Ish]

Cmon, phrases like 'Smeagol' etc aren't needed.

If you dislike OGS as a coach (as I do) that's fine, but don't personally insult his appearance ffs. Cmon, keep it about the footy.

This.

 

[Judas]

All these self created narratives to fit peoples agendas are getting very tiring. We'll see how untouchable these players are when everyone is fit, but for now of course you'll see whoever can just about walk playing.

It's weird feeling the need to defend a bloke who I wouldn't mind being sacked, but people just talk so much shite on here.

 

[Sandikan]

If Ole wants to play a certain style that’s fine, he is the manager. But he depends too much on 2-3 players fitness and good form to be effective playing that style. He needs to adapt his style and try perhaps a different formation given that those 2-3 players are unfit and or in dire form.

This is the worry.

The "system" relies totally on having a fully fit Martial, Rashford and Lingard.

We're 2months into the season and we've been able to feature all three about 2-3 times. And two of them have been in fairly poor form.