Manchester United

[Sparkles]

Fully fit squad available for tonights game, quite unusual.Shaw of course has collected 5 yellows so the only one missing.

 

Don't expect there will be too many changes.Maybe the mid week game against YOUNG BOYS will will finally see Bailly again.

 

[RickG16]

^^ never thought I'd say it but Shaw is actually a big loss for us at the moment.

 

Not too concerned with Bailly, Lindelof and Smalling actually playing pretty well atm (sorry to jinx it) but yes it would be nice to see Bailly crunching into tackles again soon. 

[Bredbury Blue]

I do hope he keeps playing that fluid 3 of matic, herrara and fellaini.

[BangrakBob]

 

 

 

 

[smokie36]

23 minutes ago, BangrakBob said:

 

 

 

 

 

We were going to sell them Toby in Jan for 60m quid but they wanted to add Pogba and Lukaku so we had to turn them down. 

[BangrakBob]

1 minute ago, RonniePickering22 said:

 

We were going to sell them Toby in Jan for 60m quid but they wanted to add Pogba and Lukaku so we had to turn them down. 

I bet you Toby is thankful. 

 

I have to say I am enjoying this, although it seems the reds on here have run out of denial juice. Young Boys will hopefully fill their cup again for them, so they bounce in to St Mary's next week full of hope. 

 

-1 GD ????

[champers]

Would Zaha get into this United team?

Fellaini is like Samson.

[smokie36]

12 minutes ago, BangrakBob said:

I bet you Toby is thankful. 

 

I have to say I am enjoying this, although it seems the reds on here have run out of denial juice. Young Boys will hopefully fill their cup again for them, so they bounce in to St Mary's next week full of hope. 

 

-1 GD ????

 

Wasn't moaning Mourinho during the week talking about being top four by Xmas?

 

Perhaps he meant his new team in Portugal....

[BangrakBob]

1 hour ago, RonniePickering22 said:

 

Wasn't moaning Mourinho during the week talking about being top four by Xmas?

 

Perhaps he meant his new team in Portugal....

Hard to see them getting anywhere higher than 6th, that could be a stretch. 

[BangrakBob]

1 hour ago, champers said:

Would Zaha get into this United team?

Fellaini is like Samson.

Fellaini was <deleted> before he cut his hair though...

 

[smokie36]

3 minutes ago, BangrakBob said:

Hard to see them getting anywhere higher than 6th, that could be a stretch. 

 

I keep hearing how good their players are but to me they have bought a pile of dung.

 

What they have done to Sanchez is anyone's guess....the lad has become a bit player sat on the bench which is just insane.

[smedly]

14 minutes ago, RonniePickering22 said:

 

I keep hearing how good their players are but to me they have bought a pile of dung.

 

What they have done to Sanchez is anyone's guess....the lad has become a bit player sat on the bench which is just insane.

football is a team effort and the players have to work together, this is just not happening with that team, whether that is the players fault or the managers or both - it isn't working 

[smokie36]

58 minutes ago, smedly said:

football is a team effort and the players have to work together, this is just not happening with that team, whether that is the players fault or the managers or both - it isn't working 

 

They blow hot and cold but that striker needs to be put out to pasture....he's not fit for purpose.

 

Pogba has bags of ability and so does Sanchez....they would be central to any team with anyone other than Mourinho the master of the 0-0 draw.

[RickG16]

5 hours ago, BangrakBob said:

run out of denial juice

What is there to deny? We look like a mid table side. We are a mid table side.

 

Some of us aren't naive enough to think we can dominate English football for decade after decade. There are some good sides around so of course there will be a dip. In football as in life - it's best to be brutally honest about where you are and where you need to get to. Our manager is often brutally honest, but then everyone starts crying that he's a horrible person and upsetting the poor young players. 

[RickG16]

3 hours ago, RonniePickering22 said:

 

that striker needs to be put out to pasture

He is infuriating to watch. And if we aren't playing to his strengths I'd rather see Rashford or Martial in that position. 

[Kadilo]

6 hours ago, RickG16 said:

He is infuriating to watch. And if we aren't playing to his strengths I'd rather see Rashford or Martial in that position. 

That’s the confusing thing. If they insist on keep bringing him back in, why aren’t they playing to his strengths? 

Whose fault is it they are not?

[carmine]

12 hours ago, RickG16 said:

What is there to deny? We look like a mid table side. We are a mid table side.

 

Some of us aren't naive enough to think we can dominate English football for decade after decade. There are some good sides around so of course there will be a dip. In football as in life - it's best to be brutally honest about where you are and where you need to get to. Our manager is often brutally honest, but then everyone starts crying that he's a horrible person and upsetting the poor young players. 

So you are still missing the point everyones been making about Mourinho i see.

 

There are times and places to be brutally honest and there are times and places when you do not.

 

Clearly in your defense of Mourinho you must think the morals high, dressing rooms buzzing and Jose's doing a really good job.

 

Funny because the table says he's taking you backwards.  And you really shouldn't be having a "dip" like this off the back of spending nigh on 500m.  You're still living in dreamworld regards Mourinho.

[carmine]

7 hours ago, Kadilo said:

That’s the confusing thing. If they insist on keep bringing him back in, why aren’t they playing to his strengths? 

Whose fault is it they are not?

Its anyones fault bar Jose's.  Funny, he's questioning the strength of his players character, thinks they are weak and he thinks that throwing them under a bus after every poor performance is the answer!!!  I think its highly questionable if he's still going to be in charge by christmas.

[xylophone]

9 minutes ago, carmine said:

Its anyones fault bar Jose's.  Funny, he's questioning the strength of his players character, thinks they are weak and he thinks that throwing them under a bus after every poor performance is the answer!!!  I think its highly questionable if he's still going to be in charge by christmas.

I sincerely hope he's gone by Christmas because he's doing absolutely nothing for the club or for the players for that matter.

 

Somebody in the club needs to take an overarching view of what they have with regards to players at this moment in time and who is necessary for the future and who is just not going to make it in a set up like United want.

 

Intriguingly, we've got some of Maureen's purchases sitting on the bench doing nothing, and even when they do come on, they just don't have a clue as to how they fit in with the "system" whatever that is.

 

Such a shame that Lindelhof was injured, because I think he's been playing well of late, and although a lot of people do like Bailly, I'm not one of his admirers, although he is good marking man-to-man, he is abysmal when having to figure out what to do when the opposition play a zonal set up and often gets caught out of position because of this.

 

Anyway I digress, taking this overarching view, there should be many players exiting the club right now; – Valencia, Jones, Rojo, Bailly, Fellaini, Mata (much though I like him), Young perhaps (time for a change here), and I'm not sure about the likes of Fred and Pereira because of their lack of playing time! Almost the same can be said about Herrera, although I have liked him in many games, he just seems out of favour now.

 

Sanchez should be playing much better than he is, and as for Lukaku, well maybe we've bought a pig in a poke here, this especially as his first touch is so abysmal.

 

The problem I see it is that if Maureen is allowed to continue his ways, then we will have a club full of "also-rans" and that does not bode well for the future. 

[Bredbury Blue]

 

[RickG16]

6 hours ago, carmine said:

So you are still missing the point everyones been making about Mourinho i see.

 

There are times and places to be brutally honest and there are times and places when you do not.

 

Clearly in your defense of Mourinho you must think the morals high, dressing rooms buzzing and Jose's doing a really good job.

 

Funny because the table says he's taking you backwards.  And you really shouldn't be having a "dip" like this off the back of spending nigh on 500m.  You're still living in dreamworld regards Mourinho.

No.... you are living in the world of the last result, instead of realising the bigger picture. Jose is the only top 6 manager (with the possible exception of Pochetino) who is charged by his board (who could back him more) with the task of bringing through young players. That, plus the large amount of dead wood left over from previous managers, means that this is another season of sifting out those who aren't up to this level. After this season we will have a clearer picture.

 

To add a caveat... yes I am concerned with the effectiveness of some of Jose's signings, namely Alexis and Lukaku. If both of those turn out to be flops it will be a black mark on his record, for sure. But there are examples of him improving players, almost beyond recognition. 

 

I realise I am possibly in the minority among United fans, but there is still nobody I think is more qualified to do the job. I think it would be counter productive to sack him and bring in some unproven muppet at this stage.

 

Basically I agree with everything G Nev says here:

 

 

[BangrakBob]

8 minutes ago, RickG16 said:

No.... you are living in the world of the last result, instead of realising the bigger picture. Jose is the only top 6 manager (with the possible exception of Pochetino) who is charged by his board (who could back him more) with the task of bringing through young players. That, plus the large amount of dead wood left over from previous managers, means that this is another season of sifting out those who aren't up to this level. After this season we will have a clearer picture.

 

To add a caveat... yes I am concerned with the effectiveness of some of Jose's signings, namely Alexis and Lukaku. If both of those turn out to be flops it will be a black mark on his record, for sure. But there are examples of him improving players, almost beyond recognition. 

 

I realise I am possibly in the minority among United fans, but there is still nobody I think is more qualified to do the job. I think it would be counter productive to sack him and bring in some unproven muppet at this stage.

 

Basically I agree with everything G Nev says here:

 

 

He's had 2.5 years and 400million quid and signed 11 players and your team is going backwards. You make it sound like he just walked in to the job last week. 

 

 

 

 

 

[RickG16]

2 minutes ago, BangrakBob said:

He's had 2.5 years and 400million quid and signed 11 players and your team is going backwards. You make it sound like he just walked in to the job last week. 

 

 

 

 

 

OK... go and meet Alex Ferguson in 1989. Tell him the team is going backwards and it's not good enough.

 

Incidentally, I'd argue that because of a certain ban imposed for one reason or another ???? , the top flight now is a lot higher quality than it was then, with more realistic title contenders.

[BangrakBob]

14 minutes ago, RickG16 said:

OK... go and meet Alex Ferguson in 1989. Tell him the team is going backwards and it's not good enough.

 

Incidentally, I'd argue that because of a certain ban imposed for one reason or another ???? , the top flight now is a lot higher quality than it was then, with more realistic title contenders.

So you are saying that Jose Mourinho is on the cusp of going on an Alex Ferguson run, sounds like you have topped up on denial juice and are drowning in it. You really believe that the two events are even closely comparable?

 

Really is pathetic throwing in your little dig about Heysel again and again it is out of line, unnecessary and you're emoji does not make it ok.

[RickG16]

2 minutes ago, BangrakBob said:

So you are saying that Jose Mourinho is on the cusp of going on an Alex Ferguson run, sounds like you have topped up on denial juice and are drowning in it.

 

Really is pathetic throwing in your little dig about Heysel again and again it is out of line, unnecessary and you're emoji does not make it ok.

I'm saying if anyone should be given the same time Fergie got, it's him. Jose has already won two more trophies than Fergie at this stage. 

 

And mate, I am not keen to go down that road. But I was referring to a ban which actually happened, whether you agree with it or not. I think you might be the one who is downing denial juice. 

[BangrakBob]

2 minutes ago, RickG16 said:

I'm saying if anyone should be given the same time Fergie got, it's him. Jose has already won two more trophies than Fergie at this stage. 

 

And mate, I am not keen to go down that road. But I was referring to a ban which actually happened, whether you agree with it or not. I think you might be the one who is downing denial juice. 

Yeah you do, you've done it multiple times with me, it's completely off topic. Agreement about what, completely off topic. And closing again with your opinion on the issue that has nothing to do with the topic. All in order to flame, pathetic. Don't worry I'm no grass, I'll just refrain from engaging you.  

[RickG16]

1 minute ago, BangrakBob said:

Yeah you do, you've done it multiple times with me, it's completely off topic. Agreement about what, completely off topic. And closing again with your opinion on the issue that has nothing to do with the topic. All in order to flame, pathetic. Don't worry I'm no grass, I'll just refrain from engaging you.  

I was making the point that the ban meant the title race wasn't as competitive as now. And United finished 11th that season.

 

 

 

[Bredbury Blue]

1 hour ago, BangrakBob said:

He's had 2.5 years and 400million quid and signed 11 players and your team is going backwards. You make it sound like he just walked in to the job last week. 

 

 

 

 

 

The stats show Maureen is on a downward trend:

 

Mourinho’s 1st season, after round 13, ManU were 6th with 20 points, 11 points behind leaders Chelsea, 6th highest goal-scorer and 7th best defence.

Finished 6th, 7th highest goal-scorer and 2nd best defence (behind Spurs).

 

After round 13 last season, ManU were 2nd with 29 points, 3 points ahead of Chelsea and 8 points behind leaders City, 2nd highest goalscorer and the best defence.

End of the season finished 2nd position, 5th highest goal-scorer and 2nd best defence (1 goal behind City). EVERYTHING UPWARDS TREND.

 

This season. 7th position with 21 points [8 POINTS WORSE], 14 points behind leaders City, 7th highest goal-scorer and 14th best defence.

EVERYTHING DOWNWARDS TREND.

 

The analogy with giving Maureen time as Rednose was given time is admirable but times have changed and managers nowadays are not given as long to get things moving in the right direction. The stats above, the performances and the general vibe coming out of Old Trafford and ManU fans is that things are very badly not right - Maureen's defence stats are always impressive wherever he is but look at this season's defensive (decline) compared to last season. All of the top 5 with the exception of Spurs have changed the managers and all have improved by doing so.

 

Can't see Maureen lasting beyond this season.

[RickG16]

3 minutes ago, Bredbury Blue said:

times have changed and managers nowadays are not given as long to get things moving in the right direction

True, but that doesn't make it right.

 

If any club should remember that giving a manager time can pay off, it should be us. 

[Spidey]

I can remember when Sir Matt retired. A succession of managers followed him and all were failures, we even got relegated. At the time, I and others put it down to the shadow of Sir Matt hanging over the club.

 

Since Sir Alex retired, we have seen a similar scenario, a succession of managers who haven't lived up to their reputation. Sir Alex is still a prominent presence at the club. I wonder if, God forbid, we have to wait for him to go toes up before we see real success again.