He really didn't. SAF is a legend of a manager but not everything was rosy and beautiful under him. Cleverley well but only for a few weeks and Jones was atrocious in midfield. The famous zombie passing thread was created in August 2012 but it highlighted issues that were happening for a few months already.
What would SAF do with this team?
- Thread starter manunited1919
- Start date
DeGea
Tuanzebe Lindelof
Wan Bissaka—————————————Telles
Matic
Bruno ————————Fred
James—————Cavani—————Rashford
Tuanzebe Lindelof
Wan Bissaka—————————————Telles
Matic
Bruno ————————Fred
James—————Cavani—————Rashford
The team was good, but SAF's brilliance sprinkled with RVP's brilliance is why we got 89 points.
No other manager would get 89 points with that team IMO.
We had that same team in 2013-2014 with Moyes.
It looked like a team full of losers.
The manager matters a LOT.
You forget how good Rooney was dropping deep and feeding RVP
Carrick was also great that seasonYou forget how good Rooney was dropping deep and feeding RVP
Rooney wasn't very good that season imo.You forget how good Rooney was dropping deep and feeding RVP
Heck, he was benched in our biggest game of the season.
He was actually better the following season under Moyes. Probably the only player who had a better season under him than under SAF in 2012-2013.
I think that we have excellent squad and SAF, Klopp, Pep and any other top manager would do excellent job with thos squad. This is title challenging squad which must dominate in games
We know Fred's role, a little bit..but what is Pogba supposed to be doing?
If the manager has given him a specific role and he's fallen short, then either the manager is at fault for assigning him to that 'role' or Pogba has failed at it. In both cases the manager is at fault because by this stage he ought to know what works and doesn't for these players
From what i'm seeing, the midfield don't know how to take control of a game, don't know how to keep the ball or how to work together except when they're trying to get the ball forward as quick as possible. Basically when they get the ball, they're trying to get away from it as fast as possible. That's what they've been coached to do.
They don't really havy any clue where the ball is supposed to go, other than 'forward, that way' and when they do, it's just a useless quick pass into nothing.
They're badly coached. SAF would have given every one of them a role and if they strayed out of that they'd be out of the team. The only time SAF made exceptions were when he'd signed an expensive player and was being stubborn eg with Veron or Anderson, repeatedly playing them in roles they were rubbish at.
If the manager has given him a specific role and he's fallen short, then either the manager is at fault for assigning him to that 'role' or Pogba has failed at it. In both cases the manager is at fault because by this stage he ought to know what works and doesn't for these players
From what i'm seeing, the midfield don't know how to take control of a game, don't know how to keep the ball or how to work together except when they're trying to get the ball forward as quick as possible. Basically when they get the ball, they're trying to get away from it as fast as possible. That's what they've been coached to do.
They don't really havy any clue where the ball is supposed to go, other than 'forward, that way' and when they do, it's just a useless quick pass into nothing.
They're badly coached. SAF would have given every one of them a role and if they strayed out of that they'd be out of the team. The only time SAF made exceptions were when he'd signed an expensive player and was being stubborn eg with Veron or Anderson, repeatedly playing them in roles they were rubbish at.
Yes and we’ve never replaced him
Give the team a character, personality, drive and belief every single side has lacked since he left.
I think Pogba would be out for a start.
Hed win the league this season if he took over now. Latter stages CL could go either way. He'd be salivating at a couple of years with Europe's top clubs off the boil
I didn’t say it was beautiful, Cleverley played a lot alongside Carrick in 12-13 and we won the league. Phil Jones in midfield managed to mark out Ronaldo.
SAF would buy a great CF, tell Pogba to look for the first time pass to him every time similar to how that team was instructed to look for RvP, and have two midfielders sweeping after him, most likely Fred and McTominay. He’d also probably look for someone like Saint-Maximin to feed his striker, no clue about the defence personnel but for a start he’d dispose of the high line. We would be back to zombie but effective football, for the most part.
GK: Sir Alex would probably start phasing DDG out. He'll certainly play Henderson more or he'll sent the British on loan and keep Romero
Def: He'll notice how slow and weak his defence is. He'll play Tuanzebe with Maguire thus getting the best balance between aerial prowess and pace. He'll play AWB in the Wes Brown role (ie a rb/cb hybrid) and then he'll release Telles. In long term Dalot would return and he'll either play AWB-Telles or Dalot-Shaw. Sir Alex would probably instruct the club to find him a quick CB. He'll also toy with the idea of bringing in Evans on the cheap up until he's got a closer look at Mengi. Meanwhile he'll sell Lindelof, Rojo and Jones
Mid: Matic and Pogba would be goners. Matic is an anchor man and Sir Alex always hated that role. Pogba produce zero workrate. He'll be out as well. He won't be playing Fred-McT either. Instead he'll play one of them alongside VDB and Bruno. The latter two are the typical Sir Alex's signings (ie creative midfielders who are hardworking). VDB would be b2b and Bruno as AMC. Fred and Mejbri would act as cover up until he can dip in the transfer market and get someone.
Flanks: There's no chance that Sir Alex would play with 2 inside forwards. I can see him get Adama Traore as his Valencia with James as his cover. Martial and Rashford would battle the LW role. If in the future there's money to be spent then I can see Sir Alex sell Martial and bring in Sancho.
Stk: Cavani and Greenwood would be battling the STK role.
United team
-----------------------DDG------------
AWB---Maguire---Upamecano------Telles
-----------Fred/McT-----VDB---------------------
Traore-------------Bruno------------------Martial/Rashy
---------------Cavani/Greenwood-------------
Def: He'll notice how slow and weak his defence is. He'll play Tuanzebe with Maguire thus getting the best balance between aerial prowess and pace. He'll play AWB in the Wes Brown role (ie a rb/cb hybrid) and then he'll release Telles. In long term Dalot would return and he'll either play AWB-Telles or Dalot-Shaw. Sir Alex would probably instruct the club to find him a quick CB. He'll also toy with the idea of bringing in Evans on the cheap up until he's got a closer look at Mengi. Meanwhile he'll sell Lindelof, Rojo and Jones
Mid: Matic and Pogba would be goners. Matic is an anchor man and Sir Alex always hated that role. Pogba produce zero workrate. He'll be out as well. He won't be playing Fred-McT either. Instead he'll play one of them alongside VDB and Bruno. The latter two are the typical Sir Alex's signings (ie creative midfielders who are hardworking). VDB would be b2b and Bruno as AMC. Fred and Mejbri would act as cover up until he can dip in the transfer market and get someone.
Flanks: There's no chance that Sir Alex would play with 2 inside forwards. I can see him get Adama Traore as his Valencia with James as his cover. Martial and Rashford would battle the LW role. If in the future there's money to be spent then I can see Sir Alex sell Martial and bring in Sancho.
Stk: Cavani and Greenwood would be battling the STK role.
United team
-----------------------DDG------------
AWB---Maguire---Upamecano------Telles
-----------Fred/McT-----VDB---------------------
Traore-------------Bruno------------------Martial/Rashy
---------------Cavani/Greenwood-------------
He wouldn’t sit on the bench looking at his little Ipad!
he wouldn’t talk like a championship manager saying things like “ we need to disrupt their play”, “ their played can do damage and we have to find a way to stop them”
He would say to Maguire” you’re as fast as a week in jail”
Pogba would get 1 chance in a 4-4-2 and then he’d be off
he wouldn’t talk like a championship manager saying things like “ we need to disrupt their play”, “ their played can do damage and we have to find a way to stop them”
He would say to Maguire” you’re as fast as a week in jail”
Pogba would get 1 chance in a 4-4-2 and then he’d be off
This is more nuanced and it makes more sense overall. SAF's football was harder and harder to watch as he got closer to retiring but at least the team had more cojones and character than this one. Ole seems too kind and too tolerant of mediocrity. He'd demand the best from everyone and he'd elevate the level of many ok/average players.
What would Sir Alex do with this team ? He'd tarnish his legacy.
The quality of football standard at the club is so so low. I think he would address the following:
- we can't pass (length, speed, accuracy)
- most of our players have a shit 1st touch
- we rarely win headers forward
- we rarely do the right runs
- we pass too much sideways and backwards
- we have 0, absolute 0 clue on how to occupy space and what to do when one of our creative players has the ball
- our GK takes 10 minutes to make a decision when he has the ball
- our 80 mil CB has no clue when to step forward and when not, especially when we're being attacked(which leads to Lindelof covering his ass)
- our whole defense organization is 100% shit and the best example is Pogba's penalty yesterday. If the right players were in the right position, Pogba has nothing to do in the box there fouling.
- players like AWB, Scott will either learn to play with the ball or be ditched soon.
- we can't pass (length, speed, accuracy)
- most of our players have a shit 1st touch
- we rarely win headers forward
- we rarely do the right runs
- we pass too much sideways and backwards
- we have 0, absolute 0 clue on how to occupy space and what to do when one of our creative players has the ball
- our GK takes 10 minutes to make a decision when he has the ball
- our 80 mil CB has no clue when to step forward and when not, especially when we're being attacked(which leads to Lindelof covering his ass)
- our whole defense organization is 100% shit and the best example is Pogba's penalty yesterday. If the right players were in the right position, Pogba has nothing to do in the box there fouling.
- players like AWB, Scott will either learn to play with the ball or be ditched soon.
He would win the League.
He'd build the team around Maguire, Bruno (the only two leaders in the squad) and maybe Rashford
weed out the soft flakey characters. build the team more around men with character than talent...
have better coaches around him
buy better.
buy premdominately british/irish
weed out the soft flakey characters. build the team more around men with character than talent...
have better coaches around him
buy better.
buy premdominately british/irish
I don't think he does. He doesn't have an elite striker or elite centre back.
We would be consistent.
SAF had this uncanny knack of somehow getting an extra 10 or 20% from players who most others would consider as average. It was amazing really. I think he would have definitely lined up differently and be more attack minded especially at home.
SAF could win us games we had no business winning. I remember in his last season there was an away game we were losing snd he was on the touchline motivating, giving instructions and putting pressure on the fourth official. The French media at the time said that he won us the game.
Compare that to Ole casually sitting on his chair yesterday when we were being outplayed for the better part of the first half.
Compare that to Ole casually sitting on his chair yesterday when we were being outplayed for the better part of the first half.
Shoot it.
You seem to be ignoring the fact that he has probably been our best player in every game since Spurs.
Leipzig aside but he was still excellent in that game
Yes, I hate this about any manager. LVG used to be the same, except for showing us how a player falls. SAF showed Motivation and Tactical awareness that Ole and his crew have not got.
He wouldn’t have signed half this squad, for a start.
We challenged for the league with John O Shea and Alan Smith as midfielders in 2005-2006 and Richardson with over 12 starts. It is fair to assume that we would at least challenge.
Think the first thing he would do is have the very best coaches working with him. He might have had Carrick working in the background to learn the job. He would have had an assistant who is completely up to date with today's methods. He would also certainly put fire in their bellies and anyone who was not up for fighting to win every game would have been out of the door.
Agree.
Some of the player SAF had were not great, but my god they ran through a brick wall for him, they put the effort in. Every defeat was like a stab to the heart. Now, not just our players, this is all players, they just give a few soundbites for the media, a few social media platitudes and go home with a shrug of the shoulders.
Under SAF, that game against Arsenal was exactly the type where we'd have snuck a winner from a set piece, or a scrappy goal from Hernandez, while being very solid at the back.
Arsenal came to OT to defend deep and not give any chances away, and counter. The difference between this side and the sides of SAF was that we would have found a way to win.
We didn't always play great football, but we had great players who delivered consistently in the big moments. That difference is huge.
Arsenal came to OT to defend deep and not give any chances away, and counter. The difference between this side and the sides of SAF was that we would have found a way to win.
We didn't always play great football, but we had great players who delivered consistently in the big moments. That difference is huge.
Spot on. We had some right stinking performances under SAF but still got the win, that was always what mattered most.
Never forget the zombie passing, sack Fergie sell Giggs culture.
Yes, I remember SAF put the twins out in midfield against Arsenal when we were short ( Injuries) and both of them scored. He got the best out of all players and made ordinary players feel they were world beaters.
What wrong with O'Shea? Was a quality player
Managers now seem to quick to alienate players, you have to keep everybody on your side because you do not know when you will need them. If they hate you then it leads to trouble.
Better than this midfield. It had a player that could defend and pass the ball.our Midfield was diabolical most of the time
Started a grand total of 29 league games between them and were both sold within two seasons. He made mistakes but he rectified them as quickly as he could. We usually had a little fella called Paul Scholes who played midfield back then. Another guy by the name of Roy Keane too.