05 Dec 2015 22:54:00
I'm losing the will.
Ok, performances not great, not easy on the eye, not what we are used to.
That aside . I can't quite understand the mentality of some of the fans.
The Premiership is a totally different animal now to what it's been. It's time we all accepted that. The invincibles of Arsenal wouldn't be able to repeat that in this league now. The glory attacking days of Manchester United would get exposed on the counter with total class and quality from lower league teams with more money.
We are fourth but pints wise right in the mix.
People can be so fickle, calling out players and even the manager from Leicester!
They will not finish in the top four but we def will.
Also today in my opinion ( and this site is all about opinions ) we deserved to win.
I don't particularly warm to our manager, but we are the toughest team in the league to beat, ok not what we want but not a bad quality either.
I guess the point of my post is think for yourself, don't hop aboard the lvg out train.
He will be gone soon anyway, but we are doing ok, when man city lose to Stoke and Chelsea lose at home to Bournemouth it should tell you all you need to know about the league this season.

1.) 05 Dec 2015
05 Dec 2015 23:03:25
The reason the fans are pissed off is because we play garbage week in week out. Why are the players not giving 100%, why are world class players not able to pass to a team member. Why are they all scared to try anything exciting, why are they not smiling. the answer is because we are being managed by a muppet. It is so obvious players aren't happy, staff aren't happy and when the arrogant miserable prick leaves i am sure we will hear some stories. If we miss out on a good manager because he stays for the duration of his contract i will be really pissed off.

{Ed025's Note - kermit and miss piggy will not be happy being compared to LVG mate.. :)

2.) 05 Dec 2015
05 Dec 2015 23:10:14
This is a shocking post. We have ridden our luck for the past 12 months or so and we have no clear blueprint going forward. Yes we are fourth in the table but will that be the case come May at this rate? Maybe. Will that be good enough? Hell no.

Can you honestly say your happy with this brand of football? Maybe folk are thinking for themselves, maybe folk are just sick and tired of coming home after working a long week at work to watch paint dry on the TV. We should be excited for the weekend to see the team play and chat amongst ourselves who we feel will get the first goal or who will be man of the match not praying another game not to finish 0-0.

"Man City lose to Stoke and Chelsea lose at home to Bournemouth it should tell you all you need to know about the league this season".

- Yes it tells me that the big clubs are capable of slipping up so we should be making the most of it as we have a real chance at the title this season. It also tells me the way to win games is to have a go at your opponent no matter who they are as this seems to be the way to win games. The teams showing no fear are the ones reaping the rewards. Look at Leicester they are flying and have the worst defensive record in the league.

{Ed025's Note - hard to argue with that MAZE..

3.) 05 Dec 2015
05 Dec 2015 23:12:46
Really sensible post. People seemingly ignore the increased competitiveness of the league when considering our results. So much talk about the elite of the PL declining but I think the biggest factor is smaller teams having more spending power and tactical nous.

We are currently in the title race for a title that's wide open. Our style of play is far from entertaining but we are tough to beat.

The only thing I'll disagree with is in regards to today's game. I don't think we deserved to win. We missed a few close chances but West Ham had multiple opportunities to kill the game off before we even registered a meaningful attempt.

Our lack of a cutting edge and high tempo is worrying but we have a solid structure.

One a side note, I thought Carrick was great when he came on. Really looked to play some sharp passes forward which has been lacking all season.

{Ed025's Note - are the lower teams getting better ruud?...or are the top sides getting weaker?, the lack of success in europe over the past few years would suggest the latter mate..

4.) 05 Dec 2015
05 Dec 2015 23:23:44
Yeah but Leicester will not win the league Maze.
Look I'm not pro lvg or his brand of football I just don't think it's as bad as some folk are making out.
The big clubs aren't slipping up, they are being matched in terms of quality by so called lesser oppenents because of the money available from tv rights strengthing the entire league.
At the end of the day mate there are 20 teams in the Premiership and I'd be very careful what you are wishing for. Meaning who the hell is really setting the world alight at the moment.
And before you repeat yourself by saying exactly we should be taking advantage, maybe it's harder now than you realise.
I'm just trying to balance the view a bit, I don't like the style of play, I really don't but I'm a fan of the results. And I do think that come may we will be right up there because we are picking up points every week.
It's not pretty but we are effective, teams do not score against us, we are hard to play against and with a little bit of luck and a tiny bit of tweaking we can win the league.

5.) 05 Dec 2015
05 Dec 2015 23:35:35
Ed and maze are right! It's not the weaker teams getting better, it's the stronger teams getting weaker! It's exactly the kind of league table fergie would have had wrapped up by early april. It's there for the taking. The way we're playing, Spurs, Liverpool and even Chelsea could be breathing down our necks before long.

6.) 05 Dec 2015
05 Dec 2015 23:41:36
But if the stronger teams are getting weaker then why are we any different?

{Ed025's Note -your not LSMA, but united should be setting the standard like they have over the past 20 odd years mate..not being content to be also rans..

7.) 06 Dec 2015
06 Dec 2015 00:13:29
Lastsanemanalive- I think you need to read over your post and then consider your username for this site. Having spent over £250m on players, making the likes of Di Maria look like Sunday league players, overlooking our most creative player in Hererra, failing to address the CB position after 3 windows, signing Martial for an extortionate fee then suppressing him by playing him out wide rather than down the middle where he is our biggest threat, keeping Rooney in the side regardless of form, focusing on maintaining possession above all else, stifling the teams attack, all resulting in dishing up 7 or 8 games where we haven't even scored a goal, then I think we're right to question the manager. If you think sitting in 4th, in a season where all the big sides are floundering is acceptable then we have very different ambitions and expectancies from our club. Most teams would concede considerably less than they are if the were effectively playing 6 at the back each week like we do. It's boring, tedious, slow, horrible football, and not good enough for what this club should be dishing out. Liverpool has shown what a manager can do with the same squad under klopp, to the results Brendan was getting. LVG needs to go ASAP IMO and I wouldn't wait if the chance arouse for a top manager before LVG's contract comes to an end.

8.) 06 Dec 2015
06 Dec 2015 00:15:36
Exactly ed! When did man united fans become content with being last on match of the day on a regular basis? The really worrying thing is, with one shot on target in a home game against an injury hit West Ham side, yet another 0-0 90 mins of passing the crowd to sleep, van gaal can't understand why the fans aren't happy and chant 'attack'! He's been here for 18 months and he still doesn't understand that this great club demands more!

9.) 06 Dec 2015
06 Dec 2015 00:22:57
Your wrong lastmansanealive. You tried to use your perspective. What you need to do is if you can't single out Lvg completely, pick a player, any player and constructively produce a flow chart regarding stats on how they are to blame. Multiply by the Cleverly factor and divide by Klopp. You will then have got near a post that bring us back from the Lvg era of mediocre dutch style opinions. Only then can you decide wether we return to a Scholes like banter, easy and un complicated or Prunier banter (one time wonder, just not relevant)

{Ed025's Note - you do make me smile supasub..quality mate..

10.) 06 Dec 2015
06 Dec 2015 01:18:04
I would tend to agree with you to an extent Supasub. I believe many players are used by many as scapegoats as they are easy targets rather than looking at the overall problem. I am no Rooney super fan but he gets so much unwarranted stick on here it's ridiculous. Maybe if others showed the commitment he has over the years and the desire he still continues to portray - even though he knows he is no longer the best player in the side - we would be in a better position.

Felliani gets garrotted at every opportunity yet the lad is utilised in such a way by the management that he is made to look foolish even though he is a decent player. When Blind makes a mistake it's hard to pass judgment on him as he is no CB. Likewise when Young gets caught out at LB it's difficult to pin blame on him. Valencia got smashed time and time again last season but how can you pass judgment on the lad when he is played out of position?

I have been very critical of Depay thus far but even though his performance ability wise on the pitch has been downright poor it is more his lack of determination and work rate that gets to me the most which in my opinion even if you are off your game there is no excuse for. This was similar to Di Maria last season so maybe these types of players are just being stifled by the powers at be.

All these above points have one common denominator - the management team. This is the primary reason that a grey cloud is covering Old Trafford at the moment. Let's not kid ourselves this is not the team of the 70's and 80's we have evolved into a global sporting institution at the height of the elite level. We are worldwide renowned and should be the benchmark for any club in world sport, not just soccer, to aspire to be.

11.) 06 Dec 2015
06 Dec 2015 09:26:04
Maze, you think United won't be in the mix? What if the end up winning the league, what will be your opinion then?

12.) 06 Dec 2015
06 Dec 2015 10:13:14
Good post Maze, can't argue with that.

13.) 06 Dec 2015
06 Dec 2015 10:29:05
Shikashi

No chance we will be in the mix and will be in a dog fight for 3rd or 4th which will eb imo a meter of one point and 3 points between 3 to 6th place. it is not coincidence we are drawing 7 of the last 10 and anaemic in terms of scoring.

The difference between us and club like arsenal is even when they lose they seem to have missed bucket loads of unbelievable opportunities, where when we draw or lose no one can say we were hard done or it was for poor finishing.

This guy keeps talking about how teams come to OT to play for a point, Someone should tell him no sh. t donkey, they were doing that for 20 years when fergie was here and we still ripped them apart because we were brave and winning was the only acceptable result. Nowadays we are happy to get a point in 10 to 12 fixtures in this league.

I wrote a couple of weeks ago let's see how we perform against Westham at home and stoke away to really gauge this team and we seem to fail every time we come up against semi decent opposition. I was not even aware of the fact that westham's best 2 players were injured or they would have torn us apart.