What happened to creating a style of play?

RyRy11

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What happened to the high press style we were reportedly training on during pre season? What’s worse is that there’s still absolutely no movement in the attacking 3rd which has been plaguing this team for the last 6 years. Why are we not working on any of this?
 

kiristao

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What happened to the high press style we were reportedly training on during pre season? What’s worse is that there’s still absolutely no movement in the attacking 3rd which has been plaguing this team for the last 6 years. Why are we not working on any of this?
Was about to ask precisely this question. All pre-season we play the high press and not once do we do that this season. We don't have the striker to play against a deep defense by scoring from crosses in the box. Our only was is fast passing on the floor and pressuring opposition into mistakes. If we sit back that will never happen.
 

freeurmind

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I think this is a reasonable question to ask. I have no idea what supposed style of football we are supposed to be playing. It looked like Jose style counter attack stuff today.
 

Skills

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What happened to the high press style we were reportedly training on during pre season? What’s worse is that there’s still absolutely no movement in the attacking 3rd which has been plaguing this team for the last 6 years. Why are we not working on any of this?
He was just saying anything the fans wanted to hear and would lap up.

There's been no indication of this 'style' from last season. Imagine being stupid enough to believe we want to play a 'high pressing' style of football, with a deep defensive and one of the slowest pair of CBs in the league.
 

friendlytramp

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Impacted by having to play a midfield three of mata, matic and McT maybe?
 

MikeKing

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Well, when you have to play Matic, Mata, Young who has already proven they are useless in the new system, and not only are they ageing but pretty much incapable of doing any pressing then the system is of no purpose. If you consider Pereira and Lingard fighting over who is not the most trash and even the thought of Rashford playing as a lone striker is exhausting. You probably should expect to lose any away game on not being able to play your own game due to these circumstances alone.

Only way to create a playing style is if you have the players for it. If you don't have it, you have to figure out some other way. The thing is, we do not have the depth to get through a season playing only the players we want in the system we want. We do not want to spend any more time on getting the best out of our old and worst players, however we actually have to play them due to lack of depth, which leads to this situation.
 

RyRy11

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Impacted by having to play a midfield three of mata, matic and McT maybe?
There was no signs of it whilst everyone was fit either. Besides the whole point of having a style of play is that we stick to it regardless of who is playing at the time (maybe with the exception of being pragmatic in tournament football etc).
 

Lentwood

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You can’t implement an attractive, attacking style of play if you don’t have the players, it’s as simple as that

The people comparing us to teams like Bournemouth don’t actually watch teams like Bournemouth regularly

It’s different being Utd, the onus is on us to have the ball and on us to break teams down - we’re not good enough to do that
 

Idxomer

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You don't have the coaches who could do that at this level.
 

buckooo1978

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What happened to the high press style we were reportedly training on during pre season? What’s worse is that there’s still absolutely no movement in the attacking 3rd which has been plaguing this team for the last 6 years. Why are we not working on any of this?
good question

it feels like since Pogba was injured in particular it's all been a bit desperate

our press was never that great to begin with but today's team didnt look bothered apart from one or two like James

the main tactic today was Rashford on the shoulder and us trying to put him in behind

it's no surprise he's pulled up injured - each game he's running himself into the ground with no measured build up play
 

Skills

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You can’t implement an attractive, attacking style of play if you don’t have the players, it’s as simple as that

The people comparing us to teams like Bournemouth don’t actually watch teams like Bournemouth regularly

It’s different being Utd, the onus is on us to have the ball and on us to break teams down - we’re not good enough to do that
Bollocks. Klopp came into Liverpool and had them playing to his tune from the moment he walked in. They weren't getting the results they're getting now but you could see that was the way he wanted them to play.

He then over the next few seasons, bought in and slotted better players into that team to improve his team gradually. It's not like he once he finally completed his team with Fabinho & Allison last season that he decided - now he could finally play the football he wants.

Guardiola did exactly the same.
 

Lentwood

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Bollocks. Klopp came into Liverpool and had them playing to his tune from the moment he walked in. They weren't getting the results they're getting now but you could see that was the way he wanted them to play.

He then over the next few seasons, bought in and slotted better players into that team to improve his team gradually. Guardiola did exactly the same.
The Klopp that came 8th in his first season and the Guardiola that came 4th?

Use your brain. Every club wants to play “attractive attacking football” but you can’t do that with two plodders at CM, a poor man’s Paolo Wanchope at #9, a lad who flopped at Valencia on one flank, young lad from the Championship on the other and a decrepit old bloke who can’t move as you’re #10

I get sick of these lazy soundbites. “Attacking attractive football” is banded around as if Ole is saying “you know what lads, let’s play ugly, negative sloppy football today”
 

Marcelinho87

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The Klopp that came 8th in his first season and the Guardiola that came 4th?

Use your brain. Every club wants to play “attractive attacking football” but you can’t do that with two plodders at CM, a poor man’s Paolo Wanchope at #9, a lad who flopped at Valencia on one flank, young lad from the Championship on the other and a decrepit old bloke who can’t move as you’re #10

I get sick of these lazy soundbites. “Attacking attractive football” is banded around as if Ole is saying “you know what lads, let’s play ugly, negative sloppy football today”
Bingo.

Klopp and Pep were afforded time, not sure Ole will be.
 

Schmeichel=God

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What happened to the high press style we were reportedly training on during pre season? What’s worse is that there’s still absolutely no movement in the attacking 3rd which has been plaguing this team for the last 6 years. Why are we not working on any of this?
He needs massively calling out on this.
He needs massively calling out on the glaringly obvious pattern that is:

* played Pogba at 10....won almost every game
* plays Pogba at 6/8 hybrid....loses almost every game.

Progressive managers shine regardless of the level they're at. It's just a fact of almost any profession, you can tell which ones have it.

Ole did well at Molde, and decent at U21. But nothing that suggests he has it. He was given the benefit of the doubt because he's beloved, but he's had his chance now and nothing, NOTHING in our patterns of play suggest we're being managed by an elite level coach.

That's what he should be judged on.
This comment from another thread sums it up to a god damn T.
 

Josep Dowling

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What happened to the high press style we were reportedly training on during pre season? What’s worse is that there’s still absolutely no movement in the attacking 3rd which has been plaguing this team for the last 6 years. Why are we not working on any of this?
As someone else has pointed out how can we play the high press with the lack of pace that both Maguire and Lindelof have? And on top of that the lack of pace in midfield as well. Shaw isn’t exactly quick either.

And this comes back to if Maguire lacks pace and Solskjaer wants to play the high press why buy him, because he’s English? The targeting of players has been an issue since Ferguson retired. Even under Jose signing Micky for example and then realises he doesn’t fit in any system. Buying Pogba for a midfield two when he lacks defensive qualities to be in a 2 man midfield. Signing James when we already have options on the left but no right wingers. It’s obvious stuff and people being paid millions can’t seem to spot it.
 

NinjaFletch

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Bollocks. Klopp came into Liverpool and had them playing to his tune from the moment he walked in. They weren't getting the results they're getting now but you could see that was the way he wanted them to play.

He then over the next few seasons, bought in and slotted better players into that team to improve his team gradually. It's not like he once he finally completed his team with Fabinho & Allison last season that he decided - now he could finally play the football he wants.

Guardiola did exactly the same.
This is complete and utter imaginary bollocks and I think you know that deep down.
 

BigBebe

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Are you the ref?
All that blah about pre-season getting our fitness levels up and conditioning to avoid injuries and here we are playing exactly as we did at the end of last season and with a long injury list.
 

tomaldinho1

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Bingo.

Klopp and Pep were afforded time, not sure Ole will be.
Why should he be - he has no experience. With the other two, you could see a new style regardless of where they finished up and Conte came in and got his team playing his style in one pre season. I see no change in how we play, none whatsoever.
 

Skills

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This is complete and utter imaginary bollocks and I think you know that deep down.
You think Klopp just flicked a switch last summer when he completed his team & decided FINALLY the Klopp can play the way he wants?
 

Josep Dowling

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Bingo.

Klopp and Pep were afforded time, not sure Ole will be.
They were afforded time because people could see things going in the right direction and both were backed properly.

I can’t see us going in the right direction at all, if anything we have gone backwards with the quality in the team. And the managers aren’t being backed now. Net spend in the last 2 seasons is nothing for a club the size of United. £75m gets you one above average player these days.
 

Di Maria's angel

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The Klopp that came 8th in his first season and the Guardiola that came 4th?

Use your brain. Every club wants to play “attractive attacking football” but you can’t do that with two plodders at CM, a poor man’s Paolo Wanchope at #9, a lad who flopped at Valencia on one flank, young lad from the Championship on the other and a decrepit old bloke who can’t move as you’re #10

I get sick of these lazy soundbites. “Attacking attractive football” is banded around as if Ole is saying “you know what lads, let’s play ugly, negative sloppy football today”
Pure bollocks. We played defensive football under Mourinho because thats all he knows. We played pointless possession football under LvG cause thats all he knew. We're playing garbage football under Ole because thats all he knows. Most teams in the league are able to conjure up periods of decent football - even the shit teams can create against each other. See Southampton on Friday where they had something like 25 shots against Bournemouth. We simply can't.
 

Marcelinho87

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They were afforded time because people could see things going in the right direction and both were backed properly.

I can’t see us going in the right direction at all, if anything we have gone backwards with the quality in the team. And the managers aren’t being backed now. Net spend in the last 2 seasons is nothing for a club the size of United. £75m gets you one above average player these days.
That is on the bell ends who own and run the club and their pet Woodward.
 

Freeney

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How the hell are you going to play good football with sideway mctominay and Matic in the midfield?
 

The Firestarter

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Bollocks. Klopp came into Liverpool and had them playing to his tune from the moment he walked in. They weren't getting the results they're getting now but you could see that was the way he wanted them to play.

He then over the next few seasons, bought in and slotted better players into that team to improve his team gradually. It's not like he once he finally completed his team with Fabinho & Allison last season that he decided - now he could finally play the football he wants.

Guardiola did exactly the same.
Fully agreed. Both managers had a very clear idea of what their teams should be playing from the get go.
 

Romez

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Good question.

I’d also like to ask what happened to playing out from the back?

Isn’t that the reason we got rid of Smalling?
 

NinjaFletch

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You think Klopp just flicked a switch last summer when he completed his team & decided FINALLY the Klopp can play the way he wants?
I think Klopp and Guardiola both initially struggled to impose their identity and style with the players they inherited and were given the time and patience to remould the squad where they needed to.

I don't know if Ole can cut it at United, but I do know that those that are pointing to Klopp and Guardiola as proof that he can't are rewriting the first year of both their reigns to suit their narrative.

Hell, Guardiola finished his first season in 4th with some City fans comparing his football to LVG. If you'd argued they were going to sweep the league with a record point hall at that point you'd have been called a loon.
 

Buster15

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He was just saying anything the fans wanted to hear and would lap up.

There's been no indication of this 'style' from last season. Imagine being stupid enough to believe we want to play a 'high pressing' style of football, with a deep defensive and one of the slowest pair of CBs in the league.
Totally agree. It was just an excuse.
There is not even the remotest improvement in anything let alone style and fitness.
Unfortunately he has zero idea of what is wrong and how to change it.
Now we can see what happened when he was at Cardiff.
 

redIndianDevil

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There is no high press, it's an insult to pressing to call what our team does as pressing. Our "pressing" is coached by a manager who has no clue, remember when we "pressed" against Barcelona last year - forwards pressing, defenders sitting back and our midfield clueless, that is continuing here.

It's ridiculous that we are once again backing a manager who has no clue, who is never going to improve. Any idiots bringing up statistics to prove that we are pressing can feck right off.
 

bosnian_red

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Isn't there when we get a couple of injuries. Can't do much when you have mctominay/matic/mata/Pereira as 4 of your midfield and attack. Literally left with hoping you grind something out because there is no attacking threat.

We all know Ole is no Pep or Klopp, but my expectation is that he gets the team to play to their normal level at least and that the manager isn't harming them. I think he's done that so far, just that our attack and midfield today personnel wise was just so far short of what's required
 

hobbers

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Ole's style is just a carbon copy of Mourinho's but done worse.

Attacking football. Creativity. Team pressing. :lol: Surely people dont still expect Ole to inject any of those things in, he doesn't have a clue.

Work hard, get fit, run around. Sit deep and counter. This is all Ole knows.
 

El Zoido

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We can’t high press with Matic and Mata. The whole team needs to conduct it and these guys are snail-paced pensioners.
 

Oldyella

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Bingo.

Klopp and Pep were afforded time, not sure Ole will be.
You could see what they were trying to do though, even if they didnt have the players to make their systems work how they wanted.

We cant really say the same about Ole right now.
 

BalanceUnAutreJoint

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It's been 6 years of nothing as far as I'm concerned, I don't see in what ways this team any better than under Moyes, we've been stuck in the same shithole for 6 straight years, the "rebuilding" process has been a failure, there's a massive massive task ahead to bring us back to the top level and to compete for major titles and those who deserve the blame for this situation are neither Ole nor the players but the board
 

Posh Red

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The Klopp that came 8th in his first season and the Guardiola that came 4th?

Use your brain. Every club wants to play “attractive attacking football” but you can’t do that with two plodders at CM, a poor man’s Paolo Wanchope at #9, a lad who flopped at Valencia on one flank, young lad from the Championship on the other and a decrepit old bloke who can’t move as you’re #10

I get sick of these lazy soundbites. “Attacking attractive football” is banded around as if Ole is saying “you know what lads, let’s play ugly, negative sloppy football today”
We will finish eighth this season. Difference is we won’t be any closer to implementing a football philosophy.