Manchester United Banter Archive February 23 2018

 

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23 Feb 2018 16:39:45
Ed 001 what's your thoughts on pogba? Is he just not as good as what he was hyped to be? Or just being badly managed? Do you have him up there with one of the best midfielders?

Believable2 Unbelievable0

{Ed001's Note - the problem is people are confusing potential with actual. Potentially he is one of the best midfielders in the world. Actually he is a decent midfielder with flashes of brilliance. The problem is that he would rather look good than be effective and Jose is trying to make him more effective. Long term, if he bothers to listen, it would benefit him, the problem is that he is extremely headstrong and wants to play his way rather than the way the manager wants him to play. I just feel Jose is being too confrontational with him, trying to force him to change, rather than educating the lad so he wants to change for himself. Jose used to spend hours going through his dossiers with players, working on their strengths and weaknesses to make them better players. Most of all he would make them want to work on things, because they understood how it would benefit their career. He is not doing that any more. Whether that is time constraints from a demanding job or whether he is jaded, particularly from his experiences at Real Madrid, or a bit of both, only Jose really knows, but it is clear he is not the same inspirational manager he was in his early days.}

23 Feb 2018 18:00:11
Has everything to be top class cm and run things from the centre of the park, apart from, at the moment desire and work rate .
Does he really want it? Does he really want it, does he want it enough to really put the hard graft in.
Or does he just want to look good, play the position he Likes and do the things he Likes.
Could be a great player but we are still staying could be .
Needs to show a bit more heart and fight imo.

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{Ed001's Note - that I think hits the nail on the head, does he really want it enough?}

23 Feb 2018 18:11:17
Agree completley ED001

Some flashes of brilliance and quality which is why people see the potential to be a great midfielder however that also comes with poor decision making at times and lack of effort going back towards our goal. Not jumping with an opponent at a corner kick (Newcastle away) is just not on. It's a team game and he's a midfielder which means he attacks and defends in equal measures like all the other players.
People who keep saying he needs to be left to attack are being naive as his job is not just to attack but also defend when we don't have the ball. Besides the fact he is hardly absolutley amazing going forward scoring and assisting week in week out like other top players who are relieved of there defensive duties some what.
Too interested in how he looks and his silly haircuts and dances if he ever actually scores!
A spell on the sidelines should have sorted him out but somehow in this day and age, where his agent can just get him another move, i doubt it.
I remember we spoke a year or so ago ED01 about there being too much pressure on managers to achieve top 4 when there are some 6 or so good teams/ managers trying to get top 4 and 4 into 6 doesn't go. Nothing much has changed there and its still tight however having wanted Klopp before Moyes i think you are a better watch than us at the moment which pains me to say!

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{Ed001's Note - what amazes me with Pogba are that some people think he should be an attacking midfielder, even though his performances in that position have been resoundingly awful. What he needs is to work harder, he has the ability but ability is nothing without effort.}

23 Feb 2018 18:26:58
Correct he's not that great going forward just shows some nice touches and tricks at times along with poor shooting and decision making.
There was one game early on in the season (can't remember who) but he had around 10 shots and got one on target!

Like you say jsut needs to get his head down and work harder for himslef and the team.

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{Ed001's Note - I just hope it clicks in his head in time for him to achieve his potential.}

23 Feb 2018 19:26:30
I think jose sees what we all see. He is handling it like he usually does. He throws down the gauntlet. It's up to the player now. If he plays Better the team play better. He can be that influential. I think he will be fine. But its all about attitude.

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23 Feb 2018 19:32:43
Brilliant summary Ed, I’m fed up of waiting for him to deliver. Fancy haircuts, videos, dance moves, he seems more interested in his image, Ronaldo work ethic is legendary, Cantona instilled hard work and dedication in the class of ‘92. Talent is one thing, application is another.

I think Jose has become one dimensional in his management of players which is a shame as I think he has some raw talent to work with. Think of Jose in his first spell at Chelsea and imagine what he could achieve with Pogba, Rashford, Martial. Sadly he doesn’t seem to have the nous to do that any more.

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{Ed001's Note - it is odd how much Jose seems to have unlearnt over the years. He seems to have completely forgotten the fundamentals that most of his success came from.}

23 Feb 2018 19:55:13
Imagine Pogba had the desire of Roy Keane? That would be the best midfielder in history.

Great thread guys, thanks.

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23 Feb 2018 20:07:30
You lose hunger as you get older, the things that got you to where you are do not carry the same weight. It happens with almost everything in life, it's why so many people cheat on the people they love, why they are delighted with a pay rise only to be complaining about how little they are paid a year or so later. People take things for granted and forget the hard work/ effort/ promises that got them to where they are.

We need a manager with something to prove. We need to reward players when they have delivered, not the promise of delivery. We have too many players without their hearts in the game, but most worryingly we have a manager who has lost his passion for the game, or at the least his passion has waned. It shows in our performances, a team represents it's manager - we are cagey, negative, selfish and a bit bewildered on the pitch, people going through the motions throughout the club - but being compensated ridiculous amounts for under-performance.

The key is identifying the issue before it can take root and unfortunately having made the mistakes of Moyes and LVG, the decision makers will be more reluctant than ever to show they have been wrong 3 times on the spin. As evidenced by the new contract given to Jose despite nominal signs of advancement since he signed up for us.

This season is about to blow up for us - might be a blessing in disguise for our long term advancement. Jose and Pogba are not meant for Utd, PSG and Madrid will save us from ourselves I hope.

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23 Feb 2018 20:19:08
In his early years Keane was the attacking midfielder and was very good at for both Forest and United at scoring goals. His style somewhat changes over the years to being the commanding midfielder who ran the show but make no mistake Keane new where the goal was and could certainly play going forward.
He was needed more as a leader to run thing behind scholes as there was enough attacking talent in those teams for him to worry about it.

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23 Feb 2018 21:26:18
At juventus he was such a highlight reel and exciting it felt every week he was scoring long range worldies as well it feels like he's a totally different player.

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24 Feb 2018 02:43:53
But people would rather pick the player over the manager. As if it was joses fault.

Ultimately it's down to pogba how much he wants to give.

The more he gives, the more he will get out of it. But he better hurry up because years will pass him by and we will all talk about what could have been.

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24 Feb 2018 03:58:03
Fergy was successful because the fans and club backed him in these types of player disputes. Manager can't manage if the player is backed over him. It is also the manager's job to inspire and motivate his players.

I'm happy to back Jose ruffling Pogba's peacock feathers, he deserved to be dropped on form, but he then needs to show in the players that do play that he can get some performances. Big game this weekend, I imagine Pogba starts.

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24 Feb 2018 08:34:36
sell him and recoup the money, and replace him with better, the team is crying out for a playmaker in the Scholes or Moravcik mould.

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24 Feb 2018 09:21:14
I reckon we should be buy a couple of Celtic players as they are a much better team than united James 😂

They were just unlucky in Russia the other night.

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24 Feb 2018 06:56:51
Ed1 if you could expand on the part about Jose being jaded from his time at real Madrid. What happened there?

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{Ed001's Note - he had a hard time from the press and a section of the players, from the moment he walked in the door they didn't give him a chance.}

24 Feb 2018 12:56:59
what is Celtic got to do with it angel? when im on the united page im on it as a united fan of 40 odd years, i have probably been to more united games than you too.

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24 Feb 2018 19:00:27
Yeah. Pogba has a bit of Balotelli about him.

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23 Feb 2018 15:16:03
Just out of interest in regard to defence matters, tuanzebe is going to be a monster, i just hope the powers that be have long a contract for him to sign, for a player of his age, his positional awareness and athletism is scarily good, if alderweireld (spelling? ) were to sign, not only would that be a heck of a partnership going forward, but the lad would be learning from a top top player as well, that's like a 2 for 1 deal, and you didn't even need to go to the co-op, happy days!

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23 Feb 2018 19:51:32
Tuanzebe is the reason I'm not fussed if we don't sign a CB this summer.

I think this lad can become world class, him and Bailly could form an awesome partnership imo.

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23 Feb 2018 13:24:35
Who else would love a back 5 of De Gea Fosu Mensah Bailly Alderweireld and Alex Sandro for next season? Attainable, and would sort us out immensely.

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{Ed004's Note - Is Fosu Mensah ready? Realistically that would be the best we could do in the upcoming market but I reckon Sandro will be PSG bound. Ed001 also mentioned that Cancelo was off interest to us. I'm leaning more to the idea of us needing 2 new full backs signed instead of one with Valencia and Shaw acting as cover (Fosu and Tuanzebe loaned out again and Fosu replacing Valencia the season after)}

23 Feb 2018 14:02:52
that would be a great back line although i think fosu's best position is in midfield. I would invest in two new full backs and move for aldeweireld if there is any chance we can get him. But I think shaw deserves an extended run of games till the end of the season to see if he can kick on. Apparently Demi Mitchell is doing brilliantly up at hearts so I would be happy to see him come back and be back up to shaw. I think valencia has been a great servant but age is catching up with him and offensively i don't think he offers enough. Modern football means full backs have to be capable both defensively and offensively and we are not getting much attacking threat or overlapping from ours. It is one reason why our attack is so blunt as we rely far too heavily on the wingers to create bits of magic.

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{Ed004's Note - We have enough in our attack as long as we can get 3 out of Martial, Sanchez, Lukaku, Rashford, Lingard and Mata to gel it's the midfield and defence that needs sorted this coming window. I think Jose is not happy with our current cb and due to injuries we haven't had a consistent back four. Alderwereild seems ideal to bring experience, quality on the ball and leadership to our back line. Currently Valencia and Shaw do not offer enough going forward and maybe it's our style of play but neither has impressed me bombing forward. Both look like they've lost half a yards pace. Therefore, whatever full backs are targeted they require pace and the ability to cross a ball.}

23 Feb 2018 14:10:33
I would take it.

If TFM can force his way into the team then I am ok with it ed4.

And Alderweireld for me is the best CV in the league so He'll Yeah. But will he leave Spurs and if he does so can we get him? I would love to see him playing for us.

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23 Feb 2018 14:10:37
I personally think he's close to being ready Ed004, what better way to learn than playing in the first team week in week out, disappointed with Sandro but i do remember one of the Eds saying he is likely to go to PSG, wouldn't mind Tierney either, but the defence that started vs Sevilla was dreadful, i mean Valencia Young Smalling 👎🏻👎🏻👎🏻.

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{Ed004's Note - If Fosu is given a chance next season then whatever LB is signed will have to be excellent at going forward because Fosu will not offer much end product on his side. He would near enough be an additional cb and enable us to play with a very attacking LB. However, whoever plays on the right would need to keep the width out there at times. Currently, doesn't suit any of our wingers}

23 Feb 2018 15:05:29
I might be in the minority here but i feel fosu mensah would be much more suited to the central midfield role. The role that fellaini, herrera and now mctominey have been trying to fill in a 4-3-3.

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23 Feb 2018 15:17:16
Do you know if we have any interest in Alderweireld ed? I really like tuanzebe and wouldn’t be against him taking either Jones or smalling’s place in the squad. I feel he is ready to be back up next season. I agree on shaw he hasn’t provided as much attacking threat as he used to but I think he can rediscover that if he is given an extended run in he team. I really like Ryan sessegnon but he looks like he will end up like bale and play as a left winger. I really hope mourinho tries Sanchez on the right so we can get martial back on the left. Valencia and Sanchez on the right could be quite good going forward for the rest of the season.

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{Ed002's Note - Yes, MU is one of the interested sides.}

23 Feb 2018 15:50:31
thanks ed much appreciated. I agree DSG fosu has the right energy to play in a midfield 3 and would be wasted at right back. But i doubt jose would trust him in the midfield yet. Pereira is another who could play there. I think he would have got a lot of game time if he had stayed.

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23 Feb 2018 17:02:44
I predict tfm will never play mire tham 50 games as our right bsck primarily because he is not and never will be a right back.
Its a decent spot to gain experience but its not his position long term.

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23 Feb 2018 10:29:54
So the Manchester United civil war is in full flow at the moment. I was like everyone else watching that turgid affair on Wednesday night but it's a two-legged tie. If we get through to the next round no one will care. I get that the football is dog $hit at the moment but that's down to how our club has been run for the last decade.

Fergies handling of the squad in his last few years was atrocious. The handover to Moyes and Woodward was a disaster and then LvG filled the squad up with mediocre players. 7th, 4th, 5th and 6th have been our last four Premier League finishes. That's down to poor management and woeful squad building. Run before we can walk springs to mind.

Jose sets the team up cautiously because our defence is abysmal. We have the best goal keeper in the world. Sadly in front of him are two failed wingers a headless chicken in Smalling and an injury prone Jones. When Bailey plays he is immense but he seems to be out more than he plays lately but him and Dave are who you build the defence around. My point being is that normally a championship winning side builds from the back. Jose has been putting out fires all over the squad and has had to spread his purchases and couldn't fully revamp the back line. Look at Pep, he's bought 5 defenders and 2 goalkeepers in less than two years.

The one time Jose got off the bench on Wednesday was when we gave the ball away from the corner and they countered. The style of play is boring and slow because if commit too many forward we probably would concede a lot more. I'm not trying to be condescending by explaining this I'm sure you all get it, but I'm just trying to reiterate that this short termism sack a manager every two years isn't going to work for us. He's playing this way for a reason.

Liverpool, the pundits fall over backwards with superlatives for them. But baring a miracle in the Champions league, they'll end up potless. One league cup in 11 years. The great Spurs side that play attractive football with some wonderful players in their team will always be the bridesmaid, never the bride. Hats off to City though, long term planning, squad building, backing the manager and they're getting their rewards.

Whether you like Jose or not, he's bringing in a better standard of player and when he does eventually leave, he'll leave a better squad for the next man. And in the grand scheme of things in all our football supporting careers, what's another year or two to see if Jose can crack it, instead of ripping it up and starting again.

Take a step back and a deep breath, it's never as bad as it seems!

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23 Feb 2018 10:54:23
Agree with most of that Mumbles, but despite all of what you say, there is no excuse for the lack of energy, and what looks like lack of desire. A bit more passion would ease things while Jose builds his team.

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23 Feb 2018 11:36:30
You're totally right Mumbles; our defense is rubbish. Having said that, it doesn't concede that many.

However, the strongest part of our squad is the attack so why not make us of that and go on the attack. Also, we have quite energetic attackers who are more than capable of pressing high up the pitch. So, if we have a weak defense why invite the opposition on to us rather than try and play in their half.

The problem is that Mourinho is so blinkered and one dimensional he can't adapt to make best use of what he has at his disposal.

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23 Feb 2018 11:23:49
Nice read mumbles.

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23 Feb 2018 11:25:55
agree in part mumbles put I disagree with the reason why we are setting up defensively. Our strongest area of our team in terms of personnel is attack. Sanchez, martial, lukaku, mata, rashford, lingard and co is stronger than valencia, young, smalling, jones. So surely we should be playing to our strengths and adopting the mantra 'you score 3 we score 4'? When bailly returns and if we pair him with rojo I will be happy with that defence. I personally would give lindelof a run in the team and stick with him. That is the only way he will learn. For the life of me I do not know why Shaw is not playing. Young is and will never be a left back. We look so unbalanced and whenever we face a decent side Young gets shown up. Love his attitude but he should be nothing more than a squad player.

I agree that we have been atrocious post fergie and Jose has improved the squad. But we are nearly two years down the line and we still have no identity. We consistently chop and change the team selection and have not struck up many meaningful partnerships across the pitch. There is no energy and cohesion in our build up play. It is often slow and laboured and nobody is making intelligent runs. We have seen early on in the season when we move the ball quickly and carry the ball forward with intent and purpose we are a force to be reckoned with. For us to not take teams on is unacceptable.

This was Sevilla not Barcelona. All us fans want to see is excitement and entertainment. We are not even doing that. We are going backwards and we need to stop the rot quickly. Players need to stand up and be counted for but the manager must get the lads fighting otherwise our season will go to pot very quickly. I am not advocating sacking the manager I just want to see a plan or system and to stick with it. Consistent team selection and some passion, energy and confidence and this team will produce the goods. There is a lot of talent here.

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23 Feb 2018 12:20:04
I disagree Mumbles. Our defence isn't rubbish. And our record shows that. It is the way we play that is rubbish. we defend deeply and invite pressure onto our defence and that's why we look nervous all the time. If the manager plays the right tactics and trains the team to be more energetic and close further up the field, then we will not look so bad and we might even create a few scoring chances in the process. At present, the opposition defences are very comfortable with our play. Our build up is slow and ponderous, our attacking play is narrow and predictable, and our closing down and desire to win the ball back is non existent. And these are the reasons why so many of us are desperate to see change.

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23 Feb 2018 13:00:17
With Lingard in the team we have more movement up front and are able to play more of a forward press. Fan and media pressure has been deafening to move to 433 with Herrera and everyone is surprised that the midfield dropped deeper and created less.

I think Jose needs to stick to his 4231, Sanchez switch to the right, martial or Rashford to the left and Jesse in the 10 role - adjusting to be slightly more disciplined for bigger games.

The other option is put Pogba wide right in big games. He can easily have more impact their than Mata - and that is the type of move Fergy would have made in big European games.

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23 Feb 2018 13:48:23
AAA

I disagree, I think there is uncertainty in our defence particularly centrally and RB and they are covering it by playing a little deeper and it is costing a little going forward.

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23 Feb 2018 16:51:31
I agree with you folks that our build up play is slower than an old man getting into a bath. Jose could 100% be doing better but I think he's just trying to grind this season out. It certainly isn't pretty.

AAA, I'm sorry mate but our defence is woeful. De Gea has been POTY for the last four seasons, says it all. Valencia and Young are top professionals but they need to be replaced. The eds told us last summer that Jose wanted a new right back. Valencia will do but he's not at the level.

AAA, out of curiosity, which defenders do you think are good enough for us to make a push in the league and give us a chance in the Champions league?

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23 Feb 2018 19:35:11
Mumbles, he wasn’t POTY last year and he hasn’t had a huge amount to do this year. The defence may look dodgy on paper but we don’t concede many.

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23 Feb 2018 09:25:52
All this talk of style of play etc has echoed what's been on my mind for a very long time.

I've had a season ticket for a very long time at Utd, and enjoy the odd away game too for fun and atmosphere when I can avoid morons fighting etc.

However, it's all just extremely dull going to Utd and has been for a long time. It's a chore not a joy. Our style is no fun to watch, and I don't like the way the game has gone. I don't relate to the players or the owners of the club, and I am starting to resent giving them my money. Sanchez earns 5 times more Than me in a week than I can in a good year.

I can't recall a Utd match I've come out of breathless and buzzing from in a long time. I'll go to the Chelsea match this weekend and will come out after a 0-0 deflated, or indeed we might win 1-0 and pretend it was a "great win".

Don't get me wrong, it's not just our club it's all of them. And don't get me started on international football as that died years ago.

I'll always love Utd, and always have this romantic notion in my heart of what the club stood for. Sadly, today's reality is not the same and I have come to the conclusion I'd rather invest my time and money into my growing family rather than Woodward's coffers and TV executives etc. I'll still go to some games, but frankly don't enjoy it anymore. This feeling started during Sir Alex's reign before anybody thinks it's since he left.

All the best,
A Sad but also relived Eric.

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23 Feb 2018 12:24:10
Eric, I know exactly how you feel. It has been going backwards for some time. We have more points than last season, but we have also spent the odd million, so we should be expected to do so.
The sad and frustrating thing, is that in Sanchez, Martial, rashford, Mata, Pogba, Lingard and Lukaku, we have a fantastic set of attacking players. But the way they are being played and stifled, is the problem.

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23 Feb 2018 09:16:27
Jred, not picking a fight or anything. I admire your unwavering support but just how dull does the football have to get before you become unhappy with what you are seeing?

Also, you obviously don't watch football for entertainment, so is it just about the bragging rights for you? Do you come from a family of city fans or something?

I'm trying to understand because I come from the other perspective. I'm almost not bothered about the result, it's the joy of watching an exciting game which matters to me. More often that not, if Man Utd are involved in a dramatic game then the result takes care of itself because we usually have the better players because we have the bigger budget. It seems counter productive to shackle their abilities.

So, like I say, what do you get out of the 90 minute borefest that is watching Utd because at the moment I'm desperately looking for any sliver of entertainment I can get from it.

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23 Feb 2018 10:08:08
MancMan,

I agree with some bits of what you've written, but it's mostly this paragraph that I don't agree with

"I'm trying to understand because I come from the other perspective. I'm almost not bothered about the result, it's the joy of watching an exciting game which matters to me. More often that not, if Man Utd are involved in a dramatic game then the result takes care of itself because we usually have the better players because we have the bigger budget. It seems counter productive to shackle their abilities. "

You say you are not bothered about the result and you only look for entertainment? What was entertaining in the Sevilla match a couple of nights back? What was entertaining in the schooling we got from Spurs almost three weeks ago or the away game at Newcastle, where we were outplayed, again?

We were nil-nil with Newcastle for a while, did the result take care of itself? No, we bloody lost. Against Sevilla, man-for-man, we were better, so according to your theory, we should have won? Did we? We came close to conceding more than scoring.

Bigger budget obviously helps in getting better players, but better players will only play to the best of their ability if they are allowed to. A cautious approach will never get the best out of your attack-minded players.

What you get after 90 mins of watching a United game is a false sense of hope that the next game will be better, players will perform better in the next game. After watching the UCL game (in India, it starts at 1:15 AM and you have to up till 3:30 AM and then go for work at 8), you feel like you wasted your time, because it's not entertainment, it's not snatch and grab, it's just football played in a manner in which your team doesn't lose.

And for me, that is unacceptable.

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23 Feb 2018 10:55:32
Read down the page I've said time and again it was a crap game .
And argued over and over this is a very talented squad .
I don't agree we need to buy 6 or 7 players it's an awful squad etc
Thats proved by our league position .
If we buy another 5 superstars will we suddenly start playing like barce or city? Not in my opinion .
Does that mean all our players need sold? Again not in my opinion .
But that's a different argument to " are we good to watch ". Are we effective yes like most Jose teams .
Good to watch, pleasing on the eye? I've never said that.


But there is a middle ground and as always it's never as bad as many make out and it's certainly never as good as some make out .
But this is the Jose way, he will do it his way, will it be great to watch, not imo .

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23 Feb 2018 11:35:36
So then jred should Jose be the United manager.
We can argue he is a good manager but the question is does Jose fit United?

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23 Feb 2018 11:46:19
Jred, my point is you seem quite sanguine about us being crap to watch whereas I'm bloody furious.

I actually disagree with you about the squad. I think we have a decent 1st team but lack real quality in depth particularly in midfield.

Raghav, if we went toe to toe with the teams you mention I'd fancy our chances in at least two out of the three. We'd at least stand a chance of watching some decent football which would make it worthwhile for you getting up in the middle of the night.

It's getting to the point where I might as well go to an empty stadium or not bother turning the tv on as a blank screen will be just as entertaining.

It's a serious issue for the future of the club. Boring football equals less new fans equals less future revenue and we know about the importance of money in football.

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23 Feb 2018 12:54:16
Leahy
If not who? The fact is he is our manager and as long as he hits his targets he will continue to be
Manc
It is what it is people always think the grass is greener .
Get our top players playing well and I still think we will find a happy medium . But you won't please everyone .

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23 Feb 2018 19:37:27
Jred calls it correctly. We all knew what we would get. Some of us expressed our reservations, some are happy to live with it. I don’t think he is a fit for our club, never was and never will be. But because he wins things people are prepared to put up with the down sides. Not me.

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23 Feb 2018 07:07:06
Morning

My apologies I missed the game on Wednesday as I was on a plane going long haul. Also seems I missed the trial and execution of the manager. I was disappointed to find we didn't get an away goal, it was also a mistake SAF made quite a few times. However we are very much in the tie and need to win at home, which we are capable of. Of course if views on here were represented in the crowd we would struggle without the support. Luckily the crowd are not so fickle.
I can't comment on the game but we are still in the competition with a good chance of progression and there are some big games to come, traditionally the time to unite behind the team. There have been far worse times than having to deal with a draw away to clever Spanish opposition but you wouldn't think so. The manager will be judged on progress in the competition, with the club and first team as a whole, it is only half time in the game, see what happens rather than keep making a crisis every time we play. Back to my beer.

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23 Feb 2018 07:28:32
Sorry RedMan couldn't disagree more. I watched the match with another 12 United fans. And every one of us was disappointed with the performance and lack of ideas and endeavour. We could not string two passes together. At one stage, Sanchez was playing left back. The whole team looks totally devoid of confidence and harmony. It was really poor showing. De gea made two stunning saves and I would not have been surprised if we had list by two or three.
We didn't though, but the biggest problem is we didn't look or attempt to score an away goal. Which means the match at OT is going to be a nervous affair. Sevilla are no slouches. They'll come to OT and can easily score a couple of goals. They had 24 shots and only the brilliance of de gea kept them out.
I don't think nil nil is a good result and it was one of the worst performances I've seen from a United team in Europe. So make no mistake, the disappointment on here is highly justified.

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23 Feb 2018 07:49:12
AAA

It is a disappointing result and a big mistake not getting an away goal. Yet, I have seen far worse times as I am sure you have, plus a win in the home game puts us through. I recall we struggled with the 94 team including Cantona and Keane so the search for the magic formula goes on. It is two legs so let’s see the result overall. I have managed to locate WiFi over here and get on to find some on social media resigning their support for the club, would rather watch the plastics. Maybe we now only have 400m followers. Getting through may be harder but it is two legs not one and it has been far far more dire than this in the past. For me the Jose journey has some time to run and I hope for a better transition than after SAF.

Agree2 Disagree1

23 Feb 2018 08:06:52
I'll be honest. The manner in which we set out to defend and not try to trouble the opposition doesn't sit well with me and other fans. It also has exactly the opposite effect as we end up defending deep and conceding ground to the opposition. The best form of defence is attack.
None of us are deserting United and I realize some fans might not be real. But we have to realize that the mourinho style of management is coming under severe scrutiny. He's blaming everyone for our failings. Surely, we can't all be wrong and he's the only one that is right?
I hate the way our club is being exposed in the media and he seems to have no idea how to handle them. The place looks depressed.

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23 Feb 2018 08:21:02
With our confidence, Seville are now the favourites for going through. I had mentioned this earlier, if we score 1st then we will sit back and they can just equalize even in the 90th minute and we are out. On the other hand if they score 1st and sit back then it'll be very difficult for us to score 2 with our lack of creativity. I have a picture in my mind where we are in the tie with desperate need of a goal and mourinho using his same old tactic of putting in forward in place of a full back and just hoping that it works somehow. (Fellaini tactic can't be used as he is injured) .

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23 Feb 2018 08:41:06
Red Man, for me I don't think it's the worst result. It was how we went about getting it that is so disappointing.

We only had 6 attempts at goal, we barely ventured out of our own half and when we did we looked like we might get a nose bleed and turned back asap.

If we were up against a powerhouse side I could understand it more. But we were up against a team that has conceded more goals than they have scored this season, a team that has conceded the most goals in the UCL this season.

The worst thing is we didn't even do the sit tight and defend well tactic very well. Chelsea did a similar thing against Barcelona, and they restricted Barcelona to a few chances.

Yet we did it against Sevilla and we restrict them to just the 29 shots on goal. Which is 16 more than they had on average before they played us.

They managed more than twice as many shots as they normally do against a team that was only trying to stop them scoring.

The only reason we aren't 2 or 3 nil down in this tie is a combination of poor finishing on their part and a few world class saves from DDG.

It was probably the worst performance I have seen from us in a long time, although the result wasn't all that bad. Personally I would have preferred a 3-3 draw as at least then we have 3 away goals.

Looking at this squad and the team we were up against it just wasn't a game plan we needed to use.

We now have a pivotal month, lose the Chelsea and they draw equal on points with us, lose to Sevilla and Liverpool and we would be out of the UCL, and probably 4th in the EPL with a manager who seems to be having an issue with our best player.

It's starting to feel very familiar to how Jose normally ends things with a team.

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23 Feb 2018 08:50:25
Tell you what Redman, how about you go to Seville and watch a replay of the game then come back and tell us all how buzzing you are having invested that time and money for that experience.

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23 Feb 2018 09:13:33
Sailor,

The bookies don’t think Sevilla are favourites in the slightest but what do they know?

Snappy,

A hell of a lot of ifs there, including 3 Home defeats when we have 1 Home defeat in 18 months.

Agree2 Disagree1

23 Feb 2018 09:34:32
For me Weds summed up the José conundrum, most people are completely against how we played but we got a result. The style is not easy on the eye so it's not a surprise when we lose to the likes of Huddersfield and Newcastle.
I get fed up with people saying we are 2nd in the league as a defence for José and his tactics because it's where we finish in May that counts. If we lose the tough games we have in the next couple of weeks and we are 4th does that make José a worse manager than he is now.
AAA may have a point about the club looking depressed, how many players play with a smile on their faces, the players look miserable, Lukaku is a great example.
I think our strongest asset is the strengths we have going forward and I would rather see us try to win games rather than avoid losing them. I'm not sure we have gained anything by signing Sanchez due to the way we play, in fact it seems to have disrupted things. Sanchez is a top quality player so let's see him operating in the final 3rd of the pitch rather than just in front of our left back.
Like many I have supported Utd for over 50yrs and even when we got relegated I can't remember the style of play being so hard to watch. We have had worse players and worse managers but we have always tried to win games and for me that is the crux of the matter.

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23 Feb 2018 10:28:11
Shappy. did you say an issue with our best player? By that I presume you mean Pogba? Do me a favour please. yes we all know that he has all the talents in the world but he has been absolutely pathetic for the past month or so and Jose is well within his rights to bo**ock him and drop him out of the first 11. We have players like Matic who look absolutely knackered and on his last legs trying to do all the leg work and cover Pogba in that central midfield area. You just have a think about that. he earns 300 grand a week and he's prancing about like bambi on ice ducking out of 50/ 50 balls and not tracking back. If you get asked to do a job then you go out on that pitch and you try to do a job to the best of your ability which he clearly isn't doing.

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23 Feb 2018 13:00:57
I think with the dominance English clubs have had in the champions league this season, especially in the 1st legs, it kinda feels like it was around 2008 when The premier league could have 3 teams in the semis consistently. Except we could be left behind.
If city, Liverpool and spurs had lost their 1st legs, do you think there would be as much of an outcry for Jose’s head? Because it was a 1st leg away from home in Spain I’d think of it as he was happy with a 0-0 or grab a 0-1, confident we will finish the job at home.
If it was a repeat performance in the 2nd leg at home though, then would be the time to be worried.

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23 Feb 2018 13:50:13
Simon, Pogba has been poor for the past month.
That doesn't mean he isn't our best/ most influential player.

The question should be why is he in poor form? Is it just a natural dip? Is he struggling with injury? Has he been distracted by off field issues? Or has our manager mismanaged him?

Lingard was in the form of his life until Jose started digging out his best mate. Coincidence or knock on effect?

If Jose is picking fights with one of the most popular players in the team does he truly believe that the players won't talk to each other? Is he completely sure that the players will back him over Pogba?

If not then it's a big gamble to take, you risk alienating the majority of the squad and that only ends one way.

For me this is starting to feel like the beginning of the end for Jose.
More and more fans are turning against the kind of football he serves up.
More are getting annoyed with his dower demeanor, his sour press conferences and his strange out bursts.
He doesn't seem happy even after getting a contract extension, maybe living in the Lowery is getting to him.
He is picking fights with fans, with players, with ex players and pundits, with journalists and just about everyone.

We saw this happen in his final six months at Chelsea, both times before he was sacked.

Things look like they might be about to unravel, and Jose looks like the key contributor in his own demise again.

Agree4 Disagree0

23 Feb 2018 18:06:30
I agree Shappy; the manager at any club lives and dies by his relationship with the fans. Once a manager loses the fans it's only a matter of time. We have LVG as our very own recent example.

Jose is perhaps a little unlucky because coming after LVG, the fans haven't got the amount of patience they would have had if he followed Fergie directly. As it is we've had years of crap, turgid football and I think many Utd fans have just reached the point where we've just had enough of it and we need it to change.

Add Jose's miserable demeanor and miserable face to his miserable football and I for one just think "oh, sod off to Paris"

Conversely, a good fan/ manager relationship really strengthens a manager's position when it comes to the players. I think the players are more inclined to behave if they believe the fans love the manager.

No doubt Jose will leave us in better shape than he found us but there is still a lot of work to do. I hope Jose leaves at the end of the season and takes a sabatical. I think he needs a break to try and rediscover his love for the game and to rethink his approach which is now outdated and surpassed.

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23 Feb 2018 06:46:04
Rumours abound that Jose and Pogba had a heated discussion and Jose told him to check whose name was on the Managers door. Apparently, Pogba wants to feel loved. It’s interesting that DDG struggled initially and it was tough love that has transformed him into the best keeper in the world. It seems like this is the approach being adopted with Pogba and he needs to decide if he wants to put in the work and effort to step up to the top level.

I’ve expressed my doubts about his ability to do it but it seems things will come to a head one way or the other. It also shows Jose has lost none of his swagger or confidence despite the Chelsea meltdown and is prepared to face down the clubs marque signing.

I hate watching us right now, Wednesdays game was a perfect demonstration of what we have become. It was dire but was it really a surprise based on what we have seen this year? Our forward line is as good as any but just don’t get enough of the ball. We have signed excellent players But suddenly they don’t look excellent. I don’t want to win trophies this way, this is not who we are or what we stand for and I will fight for the tradition and history of our club.

People are asking if it was between Jose and Pogba, which one would you want to keep, for me the answer is neither.

Believable5 Unbelievable0

23 Feb 2018 07:38:23
Agreed on most Tony. But I will definitely keep Pogba as he'll show what a fantastic player he is in a different team under a different manager.
Mourinho is picking fights with the fans, the players, the management, the medical staff. I think all this energy he's wasting on this should be channelled positively into the team.
How come pogba Sanchez Rashford lukaku are looking so poor? Maybe the manager should sit back and analyse his own performance.
Not all players react positively to tough love. Look at the way Fergie handled players. He gave Sharpe and Giggs a hard time and they flourished. Yet he treated cantona and Ronaldo less harshly and they flourished.
In my opinion, the person holding the club back is no other than the manager himself. And I'm really sad to say that as I wanted him at the club in the first place.

Agree1 Disagree1

23 Feb 2018 08:13:49
So let's say we change the manager and we are playing beautiful attractive football, satisfying everyone. And pogba, maybe, starts to struggle and not play well, having difficulties, playing up a little bit. Do we also look for another manager because they aren't getting the best outta PP?

Get outta here, he's in a united shirt and shoulld be putting more effort in. You can't take 38 touches and give the ball away 18. That's not down to any one manager, that's down to the player. A recurring issue over the past 4/ 5 years is players that have not been pulling their socks up. It's time to stop making excuses for players. Pogba has it All, it's down to him and only him whether or not he wants to show it.

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23 Feb 2018 08:53:50
The problem is that Pogba is our 'star' midfielder and all players have dips in form. The solution is to be able to leave him out the team and have other players come in who are just as good.

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Review Of The Day 23rd February 2018

23 Feb 2018 05:56:47
{Ed's Note - Tris Burke has posted a new article entitled, Review Of The Day 23rd February 2018

Believable0 Unbelievable0

22 Feb 2018 23:45:56
Sad what happened in Spain tonight,
I wouldn't fancy going to Russia for the world cup. Something will have to be done before the world cup but what can and will they do to stop them lunatics.
No one needs to lose a life over football.

Believable4 Unbelievable0

23 Feb 2018 09:11:20
No. I was going to go on holiday in Russia this year. Realised would-be at a similar time to the world cup and changed plans.

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