Why are Man United playing worse than last season?

[Paul_Scholes18]

As a minor reason, I don't think fans returning has helped our results:

- Our squad generally don't look good under pressure, imo. Nor do they react especially well to moments of adversity in games.
- We have a bad habit of giving moments of encouragement to the opposition (and their fans) out of nowhere with sloppy play. I think the momentum that generates against us is huge, whereas without fans it seemed easier to recover from those moments (including the many comeback wins).

Not that having fans back is bad in any way, obviously, just something I think factored in our favour last season.

good point about the fans. Our best period with Bruno came without fans and then last season.

 

[sp_107]

Wondering if any new manager can do well with McFred in the midfield as it looks they are the better option than snyone else

 

[SAFMUTD]

We didn't signed a CDM, that's the whole problem.

 

[SER19]

Because the difference between getting very good players to finish top 4 and getting them to actually compete to try win every match demands tactical changes that Solskjaer isn't good enough to implement

 

[VivaRonaldo85]

To add to what I said. I think Bruno views Ronaldo as his bigger brother. So everything Ronaldo says and does is emboldening him as well. That's why there have been rumors that Bruno isn't thrilled with Ole this season as well.

As some other posters said. The acquisition of Ronaldo might spell for Ole's doom.

I think it will too. I think he thought he could be the final piece to win us trophies but for me it could actually end up costing him his job.

 

[Crimson King]

Ole should have never been made permanent manager. The way the results immediately dipped just after that announcement said it all.

The club will tread water forever whilst the Glazers and one of their lackey's are calling the shots.

 

[lex talionis]

We were actually pretty shambolic last season at this stage. But why we’re just as bad now as last season is a worthy question. I don’t have the answer, but I suspect the root of the problem is that Ole is too stubborn to learn from his mistakes, so keeps making them.

President Abraham Lincoln had pretty poor and stubborn generals, but he found his man in Ulysses Grant. The stakes were higher in the 1860s of course, but not by much.

 

[arnie_ni]

That's the thing that myself and others have been trying to suggest - we haven't really gone backwards imo. This was the norm for us. The question mark over Ole was always the sustainability of the football. We were consistently outperforming our xG, constantly being bailed out by individual moments but the football wasn't improving. It was also a very difficult conversation to have because it always went back to the league finishes, completely overlooking context.

This is just us performing more in line with the quality of our football imo. We finished last season as second place due to circumstance, not our own brilliance - that amount of points usually has us 3rd or 4th.

This this this. Points wise we are no worse than last season!

 

[VivaRonaldo85]

As a minor reason, I don't think fans returning has helped our results:

- Our squad generally don't look good under pressure, imo. Nor do they react especially well to moments of adversity in games.
- We have a bad habit of giving moments of encouragement to the opposition (and their fans) out of nowhere with sloppy play. I think the momentum that generates against us is huge, whereas without fans it seemed easier to recover from those moments (including the many comeback wins).

Not that having fans back is bad in any way, obviously, just something I think factored in our favour last season.

I can see that. I feel we actually were a team who weren’t negatively affected by no fans as much as others.

 

[Crimson King]

We didn't signed a CDM, that's the whole problem.

I'm going to assume this is sarcasm?

Lacking one player shouldn't see you lose 0-5 at home to your fiercest rivals. For years Liverpool lacked decent players in most positions and we were winning trophies left, right and centre, but we never humiliated them like they did to us today.

 

[Zaboot]

We can't press and we can't play on the front foot. It's what we tried to do today and it was a disaster. Don't have the right players to play that way. Have only ever looked good as a counter attacking team with these players.

 

[sp_107]

McFred Midfield / Magure&Shaw losing form/ Finally above everything adding Ronaldo to non-funnctioning team who doesnt contribute to defense like Cavani
+
Martial / Pogba / Lingard / Sancho / Cavani / VDB / Baily / Lindelof / Dalot / Henderson so many unhappy good players who can be regulars at different clubs

 

[Andycoleno9]

The results have just caught up with the performances this season

100% this.

 

[Ajr]

We should have never signed Ronaldo, went downhill when he signed tbh

 

[SAFMUTD]

I'm going to assume this is sarcasm?

Lacking one player shouldn't see you lose 0-5 at home to your fiercest rivals. For years Liverpool lacked decent players in most positions and we were winning trophies left, right and centre, but we never humiliated them like they did to us today.

Can't judge him until we get him a proper CDM, it's not like we can expect anything more that absolutely humiliation at home without a proper CDM.

 

[Daysleeper]

Ronaldo was a nostalgic signing and the balance with the team is off now

 

[VivaRonaldo85]

We should have never signed Ronaldo, went downhill when he signed tbh

It was a very indulgent signing. Short term it looks attractive and he does have his obvious qualities still but it risks disrupting the balance and unity of what was being built. I’m sickened to even be saying this as he’s my fav United player of all time!

 

[Flytan]

The results have just caught up with the performances this season

Yup, most sane fans who aren't deluded to live in 1999 saw he was always a poor choice of manager

 

[pratyush_utd]

We didn't signed a CDM, that's the whole problem.

This must be sarcasm because no midfielder in the world can play in that over exposed midfield that we play. There were times it was 5 vs 2.

 

[tomaldinho1]

We looked disjointed a lot last season as well, we rode our luck way too much and these things even out. Think of how far we were from first and then think how many games we went behind in and then had to get late winners, we’d probably have finished in Europa places again. Liverpool we’re the best team we’ve played so far and we looked like a Europa team playing a CL team.

 

[Relevated]

I missed the mismanagement of Lingard in the OP too. One of the players of the second half of the season last year for West Ham on loan. So you either sell him and cash in or keep him and give him a real run in the first XI. What does Ole do with him instead….. “go and sit on the bench next to Donny like a good boy”.

This is the worst. When he was in bad form he was played every week, but now that he's in good form he's warming the bench.

 

[passing-wind]

The manager uncertain of what he wants from the team. The team's better on paper this year but lacking balance due to inept tactical approaches.

I've said this repeatedly but it's the same element as Lampard, when an inexperienced manager has a multitude of options it's more damaging to the team, because they are unable to find a first 11. This is exactly what's happened to Solskjaer, he doesn't have the know-how to figure this out.

Ronaldo is a problem because he's too much of a serial winner, Solskjaer since he's arrived as the caretaker has never once said with confidence and reiterated wanting to win the league. He's been coasting along, but now the team is of a high standard he's got nothing to hide behind.

Pending a miracle this is for 100% Ole's last season at top management. He's finished.

 

[WR10]

It's very obvious. We can't do anything about it. Ronaldo has to play.

 

[ExoduS]

Ole fecked up big time. Got ahead.of himself and think he is playing a video game or something. Bought players, sold players without clear plan to replace them or integrate them.

 

[Denis79]

We never had a proper strategy or plan to fall back on, hence the extreme inconsistency. If the players have a good day we look unstoppable if we're in bad form anyone can beat us.

This season we finally have a squad that everyone agrees should do very well in any competition so that's not an excuse anymore and Ole has been found not to have the tactical know how for this level of football. Last season he was saved by Bruno and VAR not because of his skill.

 

[InfiniteBoredom]

I'm going to assume this is sarcasm?

Lacking one player shouldn't see you lose 0-5 at home to your fiercest rivals. For years Liverpool lacked decent players in most positions and we were winning trophies left, right and centre, but we never humiliated them like they did to us today.

A midfield of Jonjo Shelvey, Llana and Henderson dominated us at Anfield the season we last won the league. Today, Milner Herderson Keita are hardly cream of the crop stuff.

If anybody still think one player is going to transform this team, they are living in fantasy land. You can stick prime Makelele in there and we would still be dog shit most weeks.

 

[Jaxa]

We’ve been Shite for a good while now however as someone mentioned our results have finally caught up with our performances ,

When a team has a system and game plan that In itself can carry you over the line sometimes , however if your plan is solely relying on individuals having a good game what happens when they’re off the boil ? You’re fecked that’s what and here we are

 

[Ollie Derbyshire]

Wondering if any new manager can do well with McFred in the midfield as it looks they are the better option than snyone else

How can you say that when we’ve conceded 7 in the last games they’ve started together.

 

[SAFMUTD]

This must be sarcasm because no midfielder in the world can play in that over exposed midfield that we play. There were times it was 5 vs 2.

Just wait until we get a CDM and will win the treble.

 

[DLE]

We have new players, new setup and injuries.

 

[Valencia Shin Crosses]

People keep saying we don't press as much, but we were never a pressing side besides situationally in recent times, and even then it was always disjointed. That has nothing to do with Ronaldo (who has actually pressed more the past couple of games) or more to do with tactical shape and ability to put players in positions to succeed, as opposed to just telling them to "press" for the fecking hell of it.

We are worse because we clearly try to play more expansive, but you have a captain that's possibly the worst defender in the league currently, a left back that's badly out of form, a midfield duo that has 0 clue how to play together within the lack of system besides just running a lot, a #10 that's gotten a bit of a hero complex and is now playing WAY too off the cuff, and keeping it all together is a manager that after 3 years still can't figure out how to get his team to play out of a press, and has 0 idea how to defend transitions when his team is in the final third.

So what you get is what we watched today, a team that is basically running around and trying hard (I didn't see lack of effort), but plays like a pickup side and is unsure how they want to approach games besides "playing attacking football". We got away with it in past years in these bigger games because it's easier for Ole to not get exposed if he has the team sit back and try to break, which also lends it self to having your attackers in more space and can use individual skill.

 

[Valencia Shin Crosses]

Ronaldo was a nostalgic signing and the balance with the team is off now

Mate what fecking balance did we have before signing him? Christ we'd be even worse without him so far, unless you lot are really clamoring for Martial again. Cavani has been out for half of the season already and in reality he and Greenwood were just bailing us out in the spring we hardly had any balance.

 

[Chairman Steve]

Where is Jimmy Hoffa’s body

Was the Hanging Gardens of Babylon real

Are we alone in the universe

What do Manchester United do in training

The greatest unsolved mysteries

 

[UnofficialDevil]

We were bad most games last season too. Just very lucky.

 

[ExoduS]

We were bad most games last season too. Just very lucky.

We were not this bad. We had some great performances last season against Chelsea, Liverpool and City and some stinkers. We weren't this bad. Not even close . What has been happening since Young Boys game has been worst stretch ever.

 

[FatTails]

Fine margins not going our way this time around. Take today for example. If Bruno scores that early chance and we get them breaks with refereeing, maybe win a few more 50/50s, then you’re looking at a different game.

We probably would’ve still lost but not 5-0.

 

[BorisManUtd]

Ronaldo was a nostalgic signing and the balance with the team is off now

This season was always going to be struggle imo, with or without Ronaldo. We started the season good against Leeds yes, then two away games against Southampton and Wolves came where same old problems showed yet again. We should have lost to Wolves easily. That's all before Ronaldo.

On topic: I think last season, where we were obviously good, there were many games where we were losing at HT, only to come back in 2nd half. Relied to great extent on individual briliance, it wasn't sustainable and there were always signs that made you think 'it's going ok but there are constant issues/flaws in our game. It's a combination of factors that are to blame for the season we're having but bottom line to me is that Ole and his staff got the team as far as they could last season, finishing 2nd in PL and getting to EL final. They cannot take them to next level and it's become pointless keeping them.

 

[wolvored]

We were 8 points better than the season before last season, so hardly a great step forward. The lack of coaching/poor coaching also catches up with the players and WB Bruno Maguire etc all playing poorly compared to when they first came in.

 

[Bearded One]

Because the difference between getting very good players to finish top 4 and getting them to actually compete to try win every match demands tactical changes that Solskjaer isn't good enough to implement

Very interesting point you’re making here.

 

[Bearded One]

We were not this bad. We had some great performances last season against Chelsea, Liverpool and City and some stinkers. We weren't this bad. Not even close . What has been happening since Young Boys game has been worst stretch ever.

That’s the point I try to make to fans that say we were also bad last term. Granted we were far from finished product and there was a lot of papering over cracks, we were not this terrible. My expectation was that with the new signings, we would be able to compete.

I honestly think we need a tactician that knows his onions. If we get the manager question right, everything will fall in place in no distant time.