It only takes a few leaders to influence the majority. Last year the leaders ( both separate) were Ronaldo and Maguire, this year it’s hard to tell… but some or all of Casemiro, Varane, Martinez, FernandesFernandes, Casemiro, Martinez, varane, de gea, shaw, malacia, Antony, garnacho, eriksen, sabitzer, awb, dalot, rashford so basically the whole damn team.
Last season hated most of the same players. Just couldn't see the effort. This season, you can see how much they are willing to sacrifice on the pitch. Just needs to continue along the same standards as a drop will be easily noticable.
We have a lot of likeable players again, don't we?
- Thread starter Mr Pigeon
- Start date
I really didn't like a single one of them end of last season. Obviously Ten hag knows them and their character better than I do, but the players I genuinely like at the moment are Ten Hag buys: Casemiro and Martinez.
Looking back, we really did have a whole lot of wankers this past decade. But looking at this team now, its full of likable players. Even better, players that we like that opposition fans hate. Another side to this excellent turnaround under ten hag.
Absolutely. Also felt Bruno was not able to make his mark with Ronaldo around and looked to pass to him at every opportunity which also brought his own game down. Now he is the actual guy making those assists and brilliant passes for Rashford to score. Ronaldo being out has been excellent.
Yeah that’s certainly gone under the radar. Bruno feels like a new player, is a lot less wasteful and makes much better decisions. Also a lot of his killer balls which used to go to waste are now actually getting through.
Now Ronaldo is gone, I genuinely like pretty much everyone in the squad. I'd say even the less well-liked players (primarily just Maguire to be honest) are only unpopular because they're not performing as well.
Most people don't want to recognise it because they don't rate him as a player, but even Maguire I think has handled himself very professionally this season. I don't imagine it's particularly easy having everyone lay into you specifically whilst praising everyone around you, but we've only heard positive things from both the manager and other journalists about his attitude.
I am biased here but I really believe that Ronaldo was pretty much the entire issue with our squad harmony last season. Now he's gone, I think we have an extremely likeable group of players.
Most people don't want to recognise it because they don't rate him as a player, but even Maguire I think has handled himself very professionally this season. I don't imagine it's particularly easy having everyone lay into you specifically whilst praising everyone around you, but we've only heard positive things from both the manager and other journalists about his attitude.
I am biased here but I really believe that Ronaldo was pretty much the entire issue with our squad harmony last season. Now he's gone, I think we have an extremely likeable group of players.
Fully agree with this and love all of Ten Hag's signings (less so the loans)
- Martinez is my new favourite player for sure
- Casemiro is just a total boss
- Malacia gives it everything
- Antony has attitude, charisma and high workrate
- Weghorst seems to be the most grateful footballer of all time
Looking forward to seeing who Ten Ha brings in next.
Notable improvements in likability go out to:
- Dalot really has great spirit now
- Varane has become another leader in the team
- Bruno works as hard as anyone else
- Shaw seems to have untethered himself from Macguire
- Garnacho has so much courage and talent
Looking forward to getting rid of:
- Macguire
- Henderson
- Jones
- Martial
- Martinez is my new favourite player for sure
- Casemiro is just a total boss
- Malacia gives it everything
- Antony has attitude, charisma and high workrate
- Weghorst seems to be the most grateful footballer of all time
Looking forward to seeing who Ten Ha brings in next.
Notable improvements in likability go out to:
- Dalot really has great spirit now
- Varane has become another leader in the team
- Bruno works as hard as anyone else
- Shaw seems to have untethered himself from Macguire
- Garnacho has so much courage and talent
Looking forward to getting rid of:
- Macguire
- Henderson
- Jones
- Martial
Thing is though, as annoying as Fred can be, I couldn't bring myself to dislike him, Elanga, or any of the boys that didn't hide and actually put in a shift.
You can be low on confidence and still work hard
Pretty sure the stats for their presses and distance covered prove they’re actually working harder as well
Massively disagree here - his interviews are horrendous, he looked miserable after the cup win, he's slow and clumsy and disorganised and takes no accountability.
And all the times last season he'd say "Manchester Utd are better than this, we should be winning games" he literally never contributed to that winning culture so he's also very self deserving.
Absolute virus, get him out
I love Casemiro and Martinez but also believe the way they've been speaking is somehow undermining the old guard, Bruno and Shaw in particular.
We don't need the talk as they're already walking the walk.
We don't need the talk as they're already walking the walk.
Maguire is not exactly the type of player that the journalist will say anything other positive things. His stint in Greece proves that. ETH is not going to throw him under the buss especially as he might need him.
I’ll put it this way. If Ronaldo was the captain who never played, Maguire the stand in captain who was an essential starter… would the media have praised Ronaldo for joint lifting the League Cup?
It's really quite simple:
Players who are performing = likeable
Players who aren't performing = cnuts
Players who are performing = likeable
Players who aren't performing = cnuts
I agree with most of what you've said. Maguire has barely said anything this season, and he's been out of the team for 90% of it. He didn't help himself last season with some of the things he said and did. He lacked way too much self awareness. Being picked when you're captain doesn't mean you're performing okay. Shutting up has done him a lot of good this season.
Ronaldo was a major problem. I don't think it was only him, but things went toxic really fast when he stepped into the club. The squad morale in the 2 seasons before he joined seemed decent. We also had players like Hendo, Bailly, Matic, Donny, and Lingard unhappy with their lack of minutes. Too many players were clearly given assurances that they would play, but barely did. It wasn't good for team morale.
The fanbase hated half of these players last season. They're liked when they win. They aren't when they lose. We don't know any of these players on a personal level to know if they're actually likeable. The only player I'd be willing to guess is likeable person is Fred. That man never stops smiling.
Well, I like them a lot more now that they are all performing, that's for sure. If we look beyond that, I would highlight these players as being very likable.
Rashford - For his humility and all the stuff he has done outside of football. He's a real role model.
Casemiro - For being a tremendous leader, his ambition and his wholesome nature off the pitch.
Martinez - For giving absolutely everything, being a true fighter and bringing that mentality to the team.
Rashford - For his humility and all the stuff he has done outside of football. He's a real role model.
Casemiro - For being a tremendous leader, his ambition and his wholesome nature off the pitch.
Martinez - For giving absolutely everything, being a true fighter and bringing that mentality to the team.
Love Bruno more than ever, he gets a lot of criticism when he has a bad game/is wasteful, but the bit i like the most is how much other teams hate him, thats the sign of a stalwart!
Tbh I always thought stuff like this was nonsense.
People wouldn't say McTominay is extremely likeable on the whole, when the only thing that makes him unlikeable is he isn't all that good. Which of course is dumb. Being good at football doesn't make you likeable.
Guys like Rashford who are just apparently great people off the pitch, that is what is rare in football. He's our academy player, is talented as feck, always shows up in big games, but the important thing is his contributions off the pitch. And yet he received more abuse than anyone last year.
People wouldn't say McTominay is extremely likeable on the whole, when the only thing that makes him unlikeable is he isn't all that good. Which of course is dumb. Being good at football doesn't make you likeable.
Guys like Rashford who are just apparently great people off the pitch, that is what is rare in football. He's our academy player, is talented as feck, always shows up in big games, but the important thing is his contributions off the pitch. And yet he received more abuse than anyone last year.
This is essentially all there is to it, yeah. Some of the players being deemed "likeable" now were considered "toxic" last season.
Football fans are just irrational. I'd say our squad over the past few years has generally consisted of a likeable group of players, ruined by some very dislikeable ones (Greenwood and Ronaldo, primarily).
Was fun while that lasted.
Back to their old selfs. Win one trophy and they think they can relax.
Liverpool fecking adore him by the way. Especially Trent. Easiest game of his life.
Had a shocker yesterday, he'll be back (and so will Trent, but the other way!)
Yesterday was literally like Bruno read this post, lost his mind and thought "right, I'm gonna show M Bison why he's so wrong about me being likeable".
They threw away a lot of the goodwill they built up yesterday. I'm not even sure I even fully trust Martinez anymore, Salah completely made him his bitch.
Prophetic post.
No, we do not.
Bruno and garnacho are incredibly dislikable
Antony too with his stupid asking for a yellow card stuff.
That really was a just slip, Antonio properly did Martinez the other day which was far more embarrassing for him.
Does any United fan like Antony?
Compared to Bruno yes, otherwise no.
From an outward perspective this United team are quite dislikable, but I can see why United fans would like them. A lot of internal likeability has got to do with if players are simply performing well and getting results, like people have mentioned already.
I like them both, personally.
A lot of our 90s and 00s team was hated by the outside, but insanely loved by us because of what they did and produced.
Success is a part of being likeable of course.
I do think , despite the 7-0, I wasnt thinking, ugh look at them. I didnt see many social media posts saying the same ol shit. Maybe one or two. But they bounced back yesterday which is good. And I didnt see anybody being thrown under the bus after that result.
From the outside, I'd say De Gea, Varane, Shaw, Casemiro, Eriksen, Rashford, Sancho and Weghorst seem like likeable characters even to non United fans, or maybe at least not dislikeable. Martinez, Fernandes and Antony on the other hand ... 
Casemiro is a classic example of a player who is very dislikeable, unless he is on your team. He was a filthy player at Madrid, a king of the dark arts, and that hasn't changed - but once he is doing it for your team, he becomes one of the most likeable. I agree with all the others you said, maybe apart from Shaw who I think is pretty dislikeable too.From the outside, I'd say De Gea, Varane, Shaw, Casemiro, Eriksen, Rashford, Sancho and Weghorst seem like likeable characters even to non United fans, or maybe at least not dislikeable. Martinez, Fernandes and Antony on the other hand ...
I still think I would love Martinez if he didn’t play for us. There’s no arrogance, he’s a pure footballing man.From the outside, I'd say De Gea, Varane, Shaw, Casemiro, Eriksen, Rashford, Sancho and Weghorst seem like likeable characters even to non United fans, or maybe at least not dislikeable. Martinez, Fernandes and Antony on the other hand ...
Love Bruno. He gives his all every single time. Antony I'm really warming towards. Love Fred - another man who is much maligned but gives his all and often times makes things happen. Shaw I have always liked and always rated. Eriksen seems like a real gent and clearly is a great footballer. It's a good time to be a United fan.
Yea I probably mixed likeable for respected in Casemiro's case. You have a point there. I don't see why anyone would dislike Shaw though, never really heard a nasty thing about him.