Yet another Tactical Masterclass from Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. Whoop whoop!

[Giggs86]

Everyone who knows anything about football knows that when you set up not to lose you end up losing.
Every United fan knew we're going to lose with that lineup by conceding first and then chasing the game with 7 defenders.

And somehow our commander in chief thought that this troll of a lineup would work.
A masterclass indeed.

 

[r0663664]

Ole's masterclass always start with losing the 1st half and trying to win the game in the 2nd half so all the pundits would shower Ole with praises on how good this team is. I rather start the game winning in the first half, maybe Ole wants to be known as a comeback king or Best half time team talk manager. I am obviously a Ole out guy.

 

[ti vu]

Those subs though wtf did he smoke ?

I can understand that he wanted to put pacy defenders in defense to play catch up with Leipzig's counter and pushed Maguire and McTominay up front for set piece and stay there until the ball go out of play.

The issue is why TFM? Bailly is better at this type of game. Why 2 back up GK and not bringing an outfielder from the academy? (Ideally a forward, given we're short of option).

 

[Mockney]

Antonio Conte took over Chelsea in a near identical situation to Ole, after a Jose 3rd season meltdown left a prestige team mid table... he won the league almost instantly

Jose himself took over Spurs in a similar state. They’re now early title challenges in his first full season. In fact he almost did the same for us in his second, taking us from 6th to 2nd, and our only genuinely hopes of a title challenge post-Fergie (that admittedly faded by Xmas)

We finished above Klopps Liverpool that season though. The season after, they won the Champions League

The idea that Ole needs 3 or 4 seasons of incremental progress to slowly but steadily get us back near the top, is something that seemingly applies specifically to Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, and only Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

 

[Web of Bissaka]

You guys are so harsh criticizing the starting system.

We control the game when we use the same 352 formation against PSG, and then we lost when we field a more attacking 4231 formation against them. Last time we play attacking 4222 formation against Leipzig, we weren't that good until Bruno and Rashford subs won us that game comfortably.

I agree with Ole this time to use 352 at the start. Initial planning is to control and nick a win. We made two shit defense moments giving them two goals, and then our master plan (likely our only plan) goes kapuut. It's like we didn't prepare at all if our plan didn't work. Terrible.

The problems are his decision makings and player selection changes made after that are just pure trash.

 

[croadyman]

You guys are so harsh criticizing the starting system.

We control the game when we use the same 352 formation against PSG, and then we lost when we field a more attacking 4231 formation against them. Last time we play attacking 4222 formation against Leipzig, we weren't that good until Bruno and Rashford subs won us that game comfortably.

I agree with Ole this time to use 352 at the start. Initial planning is to control and nick a win. We made two shit defense moments giving them two goals, and then our master plan (likely our only plan) goes kapuut. It's like we didn't prepare at all if our plan didn't work. Terrible.

The problems are his decision makings and player selection changes made after that are just pure trash.

Yeah his decision making and substitutions just gets worse by the day,however he will be allowed to keep on making mistakes because Woody hasn't the guts to do anything

 

[ti vu]

You guys are so harsh criticizing the starting system.

We control the game when we use the same 352 formation against PSG, and then we lost when we field a more attacking 4231 formation against them. Last time we play attacking 4222 formation against Leipzig, we weren't that good until Bruno and Rashford subs won us that game comfortably.

I agree with Ole this time to use 352 at the start. Initial planning is to control and nick a win. We made two shit defense moments giving them two goals, and then our master plan (likely our only plan) goes kapuut. It's like we didn't prepare at all if our plan didn't work. Terrible.

The problems are his decision makings and player selection changes made after that are just pure trash.

Not comparable this game and PSG away game.

PSG players is more less disciplined in that they may dribbling more, pressing less. Leipzig doesn't mess around as much when they're in it as this first half showed. They passed when option became available. Our defenders especially Shaw, AWB are better dealing dribbler than off the ball runners. As seen in game vs Spurs, and this game, when their tactic is going direct instead of dribbling, these guys can't keep up with all the runners even when we outnumbered them in many situations.

They didn't just have 2 moment and 2 goals. They created bunch other. Even their disallowed goal, on another day would be a straight goal from the header.

Formation is only a part of game plan. We failed to deal with different approach from Leipzig from the very beginning.

 

[RedBanker]

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[drmuji]

He got it horribly wrong. And he should take responsibility of that. You can't play two midfielders (one on last legs and the other with zero positional sense) together in a 3 man midfield. There had to be a ball carrier and he never put one. We needed that and we were over run in midfield, coupled with the unwillingness of AWB to get forward and put pressure on Anglino.

 

[hungrywing]

+1 to the group of people who facepalmed when they saw the 5-3-2

That being said though: if Greenwood, Rashford, AWB, Maguire and DDG had done better, we'd be singing a different tune.

 

[treble_winner]

This thread bump literally put a smile on my face although we got crashed out of Champions League. CAF at its peak!

 

[Nitewolf]

You guys are so harsh criticizing the starting system.

We control the game when we use the same 352 formation against PSG, and then we lost when we field a more attacking 4231 formation against them. Last time we play attacking 4222 formation against Leipzig, we weren't that good until Bruno and Rashford subs won us that game comfortably.

I agree with Ole this time to use 352 at the start. Initial planning is to control and nick a win. We made two shit defense moments giving them two goals, and then our master plan (likely our only plan) goes kapuut. It's like we didn't prepare at all if our plan didn't work. Terrible.

The problems are his decision makings and player selection changes made after that are just pure trash.

The problem started with players selection and tactics. The reason that 3412 worked away to PSG was because we played with a fast RCB in Tuanzebe, and AWB was instructed to stay wide where is confident and commanding. Today, Tuanzebe didn't start for some reason, and consequently AWB was instructed to play near Lindelof. This created a big space in our right side for Angelino to reek havoc. As if no one have seen RB Leipzig play before, that's what their team is about, they play with width and wingbacks! Second selection mistake was playing Matic and McTominay in a double pivot, how many times do we have to try this before acknowledging how poor these two play together!

What really killed me, was the Alex Telles sub, he wasn't injured, he was fine, Shaw had a yellow card, and wasn't match fit to begin with, yet we sub VDB for Telles, only to take Shaw out 15 minutes later to play a right footed LB!!

And people are still thinking that we have a coaching marvel! All what we have really is Bruno Fernandes and Rashford, there is no system, it depends solely on individual brilliance. Forget about tonight, take a few days off, cool down, then come back and calmly watch some replays of some Man united matches at random, and take notes trying to figure out what the manager wants to do, the only thing you'll come up with is that he knows how to set the team in a mid-block and counter. That's it, yet when to came to an important match where that was exactly what we needed, we failed.

No one is saying don't support your manager, please keep doing that, but let's stop pretending he's some kind of an expert, he's clearly learning on the job.

 

[el3mel]

You guys are so harsh criticizing the starting system.

We control the game when we use the same 352 formation against PSG, and then we lost when we field a more attacking 4231 formation against them. Last time we play attacking 4222 formation against Leipzig, we weren't that good until Bruno and Rashford subs won us that game comfortably.

I agree with Ole this time to use 352 at the start. Initial planning is to control and nick a win. We made two shit defense moments giving them two goals, and then our master plan (likely our only plan) goes kapuut. It's like we didn't prepare at all if our plan didn't work. Terrible.

The problems are his decision makings and player selection changes made after that are just pure trash.

3-5-2 on its own is fine. 3-5-2 with 2 extra DMfs is terrible. It was always going to backfire if you are having only 3 players capable of attacking on the pitch.

We deserved this. We approached the game with overly defensive lineup and negative approach. It was coming for us.

We went for the draw...got rekt.

That's the summary of the game.

 

[dpansheth]

Its been said by better posters already but I’ll reiterate.
- doesn’t matter the end goal
- doesn’t matter the opposition
- doesn’t matter the same players..


if you concede 2 goals in first 12 minutes of a European game, essentially a knockout, as a Manchester United manager.... with 7defenders on the pitch, you are not a coach or a manager.. he should resign without woodward sacking him.

edit: 2 goals conceded were not even worldies

 

[Micky Targaryen]

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Sadly, this is how I think some of the devout Ole in crowd is. Too content with mediocrity and standards way down the toilet. Serial "Loyal to the Manager" trophy winners.

 

[croadyman]

Sadly, this is how I think some of the devout Ole in crowd is. Too content with mediocrity and standards way down the toilet. Serial "Loyal to the Manager" trophy winners.

Yeah he still has plenty of support and that will be music to Woody's ears and means he has no decision to make

 

[MalibuKen]

Haven't posted in the Caf in a little while, thought I'd pop in to see how it's going? Everyone still #OleIn? Can still see what it is we are trying to do?

 

[Volumiza]

If pochitino has designs of replacing Ole I'd personally give Old Trafford a massive wide berth. We need to face facts that whoever is in charge it's going to be dire.

Why? So we just give up? Just accept sh*tness? Glad you're not in charge.

 

[Volumiza]

Haven't posted in the Caf in a little while, thought I'd pop in to see how it's going?

It's going just dandy

 

[treble_winner]

Supporters of this club have been baited for months by OleOUTers that hipster coaches like Nagelsmann put our manager to shame.
Viciously ranting that Ole doesn't know tactics, how to coach patterns of play, organise a press or make timely substitutions. And WTF does he do in coaching session?

Solskjaer's Manchester United 5
Nagelsmann’s Leipzig 0

A top draw bonafide performance vs the most in form team in Europe and last seasons CL semi finalists.
Leipzig barely getting a serious shot on target. United totally dominant. These threads are just getting too easy.

Ole is proving to be one of the best tactical brains in world football. Give him the right quality of players and a little time, and he's be spanking them all.

Whoop whoop!

 

[Stadjer]

Whoop whoop!

Ole won 7-3 on aggregate against the hipster manager! Master class whoop whoop!

 

[BlahRules]

You guys are so harsh criticizing the starting system.

We control the game when we use the same 352 formation against PSG, and then we lost when we field a more attacking 4231 formation against them. Last time we play attacking 4222 formation against Leipzig, we weren't that good until Bruno and Rashford subs won us that game comfortably.

I agree with Ole this time to use 352 at the start. Initial planning is to control and nick a win. We made two shit defense moments giving them two goals, and then our master plan (likely our only plan) goes kapuut. It's like we didn't prepare at all if our plan didn't work. Terrible.

The problems are his decision makings and player selection changes made after that are just pure trash.

PSG game is to give the ball to the attackers and they'll do the rest as the midfield is rubbish bar Verrati. It would be ideal to play 352 against them.

Leipzig use their midfield to make runs inside the box and flood them to cause a havoc for the opposition. When playing the diamond they were not able to flood the midfield and players like VDB who are press resistant and able to play 1 touch football to avoid the press and start an attack with ease thus they were always on the back foot and avoiding to be open. When they decided to go for it and play their style, they were punished. Yesterday's game they had the same game plan as the previous game but we played the game plan which was used in Paris.

We had 4 managers and only LVG kept to his ideals and I wish we have the same again. I understand that his football was horrible to watch at the end but the player recruitment was woeful to be honest which played a big part.

We need to get a coach who has an attacking philosophy first and foremost. It should be acknowledged that a manager/coach will never get his first option and should coach players at his disposal.

 

[tomaldinho1]

Antonio Conte took over Chelsea in a near identical situation to Ole, after a Jose 3rd season meltdown left a prestige team mid table... he won the league almost instantly

Jose himself took over Spurs in a similar state. They’re now early title challenges in his first full season. In fact he almost did the same for us in his second, taking us from 6th to 2nd, and our only genuinely hopes of a title challenge post-Fergie (that admittedly faded by Xmas)

We finished above Klopps Liverpool that season though. The season after, they won the Champions League

The idea that Ole needs 3 or 4 seasons of incremental progress to slowly but steadily get us back near the top, is something that seemingly applies specifically to Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, and only Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

This is why I simply don't understand how people remain Ole In, unless it is for the simple reason they don't want to sack a manager, which is like not wanting to leave a toxic relationship because you can't be bothered. It's counter productive.

Strip football back to it's basics and good managers improve teams & good players improve teams. We have not improved despite buying good players (I'd go as far as to say all Ole's signing bar Bruno have regressed) so logically we must scrutinise the coaching team. What are Ole's credentials and should he be in charge of Manchester United?

Do you know who else did well, got multiple promotions and won a trophy in a minor Scandinavian league with a non dominant team? Graham Potter, and he had to take a job at Swansea in the Championship before being hired by Brighton. There is a correct way of hiring managers and mitigating risk by hiring people with relevant experience. This is the same for every industry under the sun, not just football. If you hire someone who is unqualified you set yourself up for failure.

 

[The Leader]

Feels like he is playing FIFA like me.

Hey we need a draw, so let's switch formation to "defensive". Oh my team is United , let's have a look who have the best defensive stat overall, say 85 and above. Oh well we have 6 players have that, let's put them all on the field.

Sorry to say he is just a caretaker level manager at best, and United is definitely not the place for him to "work and learn"

 

[treble_winner]

Ole won 7-3 on aggregate against the hipster manager! Master class whoop whoop!

Ole at the whoop whoop wheel!

 

[croadyman]

Feels like he is playing FIFA like me.

Hey we need a draw, so let's switch formation to "defensive". Oh my team is United , let's have a look who have the best defensive stat overall, say 85 and above. Oh well we have 6 players have that, let's put them all on the field.

Sorry to say he is just a caretaker level manager at best, and United is definitely not the place for him to "work and learn"

Absolutely spot on we shouldn't be his apprenticeship either

 

[Amadaeus]

Some fans never learn there lesson. As if this didn’t happen before. I guess I will have to be proven right again.

This is what I mean that some fans never learn. We beat rb Leipzig, but at the end of the day, we couldn't even qualify from this group. I definitely made a lot of fans eat crow in this thread.

United is awfully inconsistent. I remember when sone fan kept saying spurs were bottlers, but Ole seems to supercede a lot of manager with this especially with having the third most expensive squad in football

 

[UNITED ACADEMY]

Antonio Conte took over Chelsea in a near identical situation to Ole, after a Jose 3rd season meltdown left a prestige team mid table... he won the league almost instantly

Jose himself took over Spurs in a similar state. They’re now early title challenges in his first full season. In fact he almost did the same for us in his second, taking us from 6th to 2nd, and our only genuinely hopes of a title challenge post-Fergie (that admittedly faded by Xmas)

We finished above Klopps Liverpool that season though. The season after, they won the Champions League

The idea that Ole needs 3 or 4 seasons of incremental progress to slowly but steadily get us back near the top, is something that seemingly applies specifically to Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, and only Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

Chelsea was PL champion in 2017 which is a year before Conte took over and majority the players were from that title winner. There is massive difference between taking over a title PL team with a team that Jose said was his greatest achievement to be 2nd place.

 

[Mockney]

Chelsea was PL champion in 2017 which is a year before Conte took over and majority the players were from that title winner. There is massive difference between taking over a title PL team with a team that Jose said was his greatest achievement to be 2nd place.

The “massive!!”difference here being; one took over a team Jose tanked after finishing 1st, and then finished 1st... and one took over a team Jose tanked after finishing 2nd, and then finished... 3rd

Essentially this is admitting that Jose achieved more with a worse team than Ole has managed with a better one..: where’s the success story here!?

the word “massive” is doing a lot of the work in this anti-expectation argument of yours. As it always is when it comes to us....as we operate in a completely different universe to everyone else when it comes to what is and isn’t considered tangible progress or reasonable expectation.

For example, “Jose’s greatest achievement” is pretty relativ, and ironically one of the reasons he was sacked, as well as one of the biggest reasons Ole was hired full time, was that his caretaker tenure proved pretty much instantly how capable that team was of beating the top teams and playing good football when given the right opportunity.... and yet nearly 3 years later, we’re still basically that same team ... occasionally fun to watch, big game raising, but ultimately bottling when it matters... and remain stuck in this endless Schrodinger scenario where we are alternately and simultaneously a rubbish team and a great team, depending on which one best credits/absolves our management at any given time

This idea that we need a uniquely long and masochistic period of “one step forward, two steps back” incremental progress is one entirely invented by our more romantic-inclined fans... not one borne out by the comparable reality of any other club.

 

[vivaronaldo]

cardiff molde pedigree...you get what you pay for

and the worst part ......since he wont ever get a gig this good , he wont be going nowhere ......

pathetic...he should quit

 

[UNITED ACADEMY]

The “massive!!”difference here being; one took over a team Jose tanked after finishing 1st, and then finished 1st... and one took over a team Jose tanked after finishing 2nd, and then finished... 3rd

the word “massive” is doing a lot of the work in this anti-expectation argument of yours. As it always is when it comes to us....as we operate in a completely different universe to everyone else when it comes to what is and isn’t considered tangible progress or reasonable expectation.

For example, “Jose’s greatest achievement” is pretty relative, and ironically one of the reasons he was sacked, as well as one of the biggest reasons Ole was hired full time, was that his caretaker tenure proved pretty much instantly how capable that team was of beating the top teams and playing good football when given the right opportunity.... and yet nearly 3 years later, we’re still basically that same team ... occasionally fun to watch, big game raising, but ultimately bottling when it matters... and remain stuck in this endless Schrodinger scenario where we are alternately and simultaneously a rubbish team and a great team, depending on which one best credits/absolves our management at any given time

You don’t keep manager who doesn’t make progress, cost 360m with net spend of 285m just to sent us downhill and once he lost his dressing room it becomes no brainer decision to sack him. No manager even if he achieved the impossible should be kept when he lost the dressing room.

A title winning team should never be compared or considered in the same category as a team that finished 2nd and not just 2nd, the team was not even close to challenging the league. And the fact is becoming even more obvious with almost every single players in that 17/18 season are being sold and about to be replaced one by one.

Season isn’t ended yet and you have come into conclusion that we are basically still the same team. I don’t know what’s your realistic expectation before the season started, but mine was to show progress in the league not ‘’still the same team’’, and that’s by at least get into top 4 with 80 points or plus. And based on what I see right now, it’s still achievable.

 

[croadyman]

cardiff molde pedigree...you get what you pay for

and the worst part ......since he wont ever get a gig this good , he wont be going nowhere ......

pathetic...he should quit

Yeah it's brilliant pedigree and like you say we are proper lumbered now after making this experiment permanent

 

[Mockney]

You don’t keep manager who doesn’t make progress, cost 360m with net spend of 285m just to sent us downhill and once he lost his dressing room it becomes no brainer decision to sack him. No manager even if he achieved the impossible should be kept when he lost the dressing room.

I don’t think we should’ve kept Jose. We were absolutely right to bin him when we did... but you can’t claim Ole has done brilliantly to keep us relevant because the team he was left with only finished 2nd thanks to a uniquely great achievement by Jose... whilst also claiming Ole has done a better job as manager because he’s rebuilt us into a better team, but could only managed to finish 3rd! It’s a completely mental argument! That basically outright admits that we’re giving a less talented and successful manager a much wider and forgiving berth!

I don’t know what’s your realistic expectation before the season started, but mine was to show progress in the league not ‘’still the same team’’, and that’s by at least get into top 4 with 80 points or plus. And based on what I see right now, it’s still achievable.

We finished 3rd last season. The only progress worth anything is finishing above that.. not “at least getting into the top 4” FFS!!

If you can’t see how that’s a subjective lowering of expectation, then I don’t know what to say. We finished above Klopp’s Liverpool 6 months before Ole took over... nearly 3 years later and we’re apparently still arguing that top 4 should be considered a success, because the likes of Liverpool are unrealistically unassailable

feck my life

 

[croadyman]

I don’t think we should’ve kept Jose. We were absolutely right to bin him when we did... but you can’t claim Ole has done brilliantly to keep us relevant because the team he was left with only finished 2nd thanks to a uniquely great achievement by Jose... whilst also claiming Ole has done a better job as manager because he’s rebuilt us into a better team, but could only managed to finish 3rd! It’s a completely mental argument! That basically outright admits that we’re giving a less talented and successful manager a much wider and forgiving berth!



We finished 3rd last season. The only progress worth anything is finishing above that.. not “at least getting into the top 4” FFS!!

If you can’t see how that’s a subjective lowering of expectation, then I don’t know what to say. We finished above Klopp’s Liverpool 6 months before Ole took over... nearly 3 years later and we’re apparently still arguing that top 4 should be considered a success, because the likes of Liverpool are unrealistically unassailable

feck my life

I get the impression that some people think that finishing in the top four 2 years in a row is progress. Apparently this hasn't happened since Fergie retired and should be seen as an achievement.

Correct me if I am wrong but didn't we used to rip it out of Arsenal fans for celebrating that every season under Wenger.

 

[Tapori]

Ole's problem is he deep down doesn't trust our defence and the midfield is selected to combat this.
He has to play Tuanzebe now but is scared after Istanbul and the Bailly experiment.

 

[Tapori]

Lads, I know we shouldn't do this and it isn't to be soft on Ole but look down and see that we could be Arsenal right now.

 

[UNITED ACADEMY]

I don’t think we should’ve kept Jose. We were absolutely right to bin him when we did... but you can’t claim Ole has done brilliantly to keep us relevant because the team he was left with only finished 2nd thanks to a uniquely great achievement by Jose... whilst also claiming Ole has done a better job as manager because he’s rebuilt us into a better team, but could only managed to finish 3rd! It’s a completely mental argument! That basically outright admits that we’re giving a less talented and successful manager a much wider and forgiving berth!

No it’s not mental argument. You don’t get it at all. What Jose achieved was considered miracle based on the level players he had but he wasted 360m with net spend of 285m to buy those players that are now considered as deadwood.

He should be at least giving us quality and title challenger level of players like Fabinho, VVD, Salah & Mane level of players with that money not sent us downhill and backward with deadwoods to start all over again.

That’s why it’s different to how Conte took over Chelsea. Conte inherited title winning level players, they are quality and he won the league with majority same players while Ole inherited deadwoods to start all over again and needs to replace all of them.

We finished 3rd last season. The only progress worth anything is finishing above that.. not “at least getting into the top 4” FFS

If you can’t see how that’s a subjective lowering of expectation, then I don’t know what to say

Finishing 80 points is progress compare to 66 points that’s not lowering the expectation. That‘s minimum 14 points difference FFS!! Do the maths.

 

[Mockney]

No it’s not mental argument. You don’t get it at all. What Jose achieved was considered miracle based on the level players he had but he wasted 360m with net spend of 285m to buy those players that are now considered as deadwood.

He should be at least giving us title challenger level of players like Fabinho, VVD, Salah & Mane level of players with that money not sent us downhill and backward with deadwoods to start all over again. That’s why it’s different to how Conte took over Chelsea. Conte inherited title winning level players, he won the league with the same players while Ole inherited deadwoods to start all over again and needs to replace all of them.

Ole has replaced them... he’s spent record breaking amounts on our defence (of which only Lindelof is not his sighing) and we look worse - much worse in fact - than we did under Jose.

And Klopp reached 2 European finals in his first couple years at Liverpool before buying half of those players you mention.... Ole has failed to reach the final of anything...and we’re already out of the CL, the comp Klopp got the final of at this point in his tenure... and yet many of our fans expect us to celebrate that we got to a few ducking semis last season! HOORAYY!!

Massively, Lowered. Expectations,

Finishing 80 points is progress compare to 66 points that’s not lowering the expectation. That‘s minimum 14 points difference FFS!! Do the maths.

By that logic Jose’s miracle 2nd place with a bunch of terrible players was a bigger success than a good third of Fergie’s title wins. And the 2000/01 team are better than the Treble winners...Hell, Conte’s Chelsea are better than the Treble winners!

This isn’t how football works, or has ever worked. Points tallies are relative. We’re playing in the same league with the same group of teams as we played in last year, and the only metric of progress that matters a feck is that we endeavour to become better than them, until we’re ultimately the bests.... if we end up with more points, but less competitive, and lower in the table, that isn’t a fecking achievement. It likely just means a lot of the lesser teams were worse, but that our immediate rivals were better. Which would be a failure on our part... yet again. This is sport, not accountancy.

 

[UNITED ACADEMY]

Ole has replaced them... he’s spent record breaking amounts on our defence (of which only Lindelof is not his sighing) and we look worse - much worse in fact - than we did under Jose.

Replaced what? We replaced Lukaku with 33 years old Cavani who can’t play week in week out. We signed Mkhy & Sanchez as winger and we got rid of them without replacing them and now people are still talking about signing winger. We still have Matic, Pogba, Bailly and as what you said Jose’s signing Lindelof. The fact that those players are still in the club and people are still talking about replacement for Matic, Pogba and one more centre back should sums it up.

And Klopp reached 2 European finals in his first couple years at Liverpool before buying half of those players you mention.... Ole has failed to reach the final of anything...and we’re already out of the CL, the comp Klopp got the final of at this point in his tenure... and yet many of our fans expect us to celebrate that we got to a few ducking semis last season! HOORAYY!!

Massively, Lowered. Expectations,

No one is telling you celebrate. Don’t waste people time with your sarcasm.

By that logic Jose’s miracle 2nd place with a bunch of terrible players was a bigger success than a good third of Fergie’s title wins. And the 2000/01 team are better than the Treble winners...Hell, Conte’s Chelsea are better than the Treble winners!

How?

I bet you can’t tell me how because you just randomly said that.

This isn’t how football works, or has ever worked. Points tallies are relative. We’re playing in the same league with the same group of teams as we played in last year, and the only metric of progress that matters a feck is that we endeavour to become better than them, until we’re ultimately the bests.... if we end up with more points, but less competitive, and lower in the table, that isn’t a fecking achievement. It likely just means a lot of the lesser teams were worse, but that our immediate rivals were worse! This is sport, not accountancy.

No one say it’s achievement. It’s about making progress step by step, you don’t go jump from born baby straight to Olympic runners. You learn how to stand first, walk next and then run. Not rocket science.

The expectation this season before the season even started or even before the transfer window even open was to close the gaps from last season. Last season we were 33 points gaps with Liverpool ffs!! You want to close that gaps and to do so is by getting 80 points or plus.

It’s not about point tallies but it’s about closing the gaps with the title holder.

 

[RedBanker]

Can't believe this premature ejaculation of a thread still hasn't been locked.