Manchester United Banter Archive April 04 2019

 

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04 Apr 2019 17:03:30
So United Addict (Ahem Maze), has decided to go in double footed on OGS.

I have said that Ole isn't the perfect manager, but I feel he might be the right fit for us currently as he should be able to reinstate certain qualities we have lost since Sir Alex departed.

For me there are 4 main criteria for a United manager, in order of importance to me they are:

1, Play offensive and entertaining football.

2, Promote youth, develop and improve the players under their command.

3, Challenge for titles and cups.

4, Respect the traditions and history of the club.

Now if for me if you do the first two well then the third one will automatically follow. The forth one is a new one I have added after some of the comments made by previous managers. It should just be a given, yet for some reason in modern society that isn't the case.

So Maze, sorry United Addict gave forward these names as manager he feels fit the brief, Allegri, Tuchel, Pochettino, Nagelsmann and Blanc.

So let's go through them. Allegri is a great manager, I wouldn't say his style was particularly offensive but he isn't a park the bus coach. His record with young players is patchy at best, often preferring to buy in players rather than promote youth. However, the real issue is that he has been messed around by the club before and is unlikely to want to get involved again. Plus Ed002 has said he is likely to move elsewhere this summer.

Tuchel is an interesting one. His sides play good football, he has developed and improved his players and he has won a title or at least he is about to, albeit with PSG. That will be his first title win and only his third cup win after the DFB-Pokal with Dortmund and Trophee des Champions with PSG. However, he is under contract with PSG currently. He could be an interesting option, but as shown he is far from guaranteed to bring success.

Pochettino, ticks the style and youth boxes well, and is settled in England. However, he is yet to prove himself a winner and at least presently is a nearly man. Does he have the ability to breed a winning mentality in his players?

Nagelsmann is an excellent young manager who has torn up trees in the Bundesliga. He has shown ability in developing players. Yet you would have to seriously stretch your imagination to say his style if offensive or entertaining. His team stifles the life out of teams and rely on goals from set pieces or the occasional counter attack. He also he has yet to win anything with his approach.

Blanc is the last name thrown forward and actually probably the best for steadying the ship. His style of play is relatively balanced, possession based approach. He has had some success developing players, but should probably have done better with some players he has managed. He has also had success in France with Bordeaux as well as PSG. However, he has been out of work for a couple of years for a reason. And has never managed outside of France.

None of these managers guarantee to tick all or even half of the four criteria I put forward or are even available.

Ole, has shown he is prepared to try and bring back a more offensive style in keeping with our traditions, he has given youth a chance and has improved some of our players in a very short space of time. He clearly values the clubs traditions and history and will obviously respect them. The only one he can't guarantee is winning titles. However, we should consider he won the title with Molde for the first time in their history against teams with bigger resources. Which means he has won more titles as a manager than Pochettino. Ole might not be the right person long term, but he might yet be the perfect man for right now. He can steady the ship and get us pointing in the right direction again while hopefully the boardroom and behind the scenes gets sorted.

Believable24 Unbelievable14

04 Apr 2019 17:33:59
no one knows if anyone will be good long term,

im sure if this site was around back when fergie started maze sorry addict would be calling for his head.


we have tried proven managers and its got us to where we are now.


Woodward is the biggest problem atm but i'm sure the YES man as described won't stay around if he isn't going to be backed, the difference with previous managers is that OLE is one of us a fan and give him TIME to make his stamp on the team.

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04 Apr 2019 17:48:57
šŸ‘šŸ‘ good points Shapps.

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04 Apr 2019 18:33:48
There are questions surrounding 1 and 2 with Ole.

I havenā€™t seen much evidence of Ole playing attack orientated entertaining over the last two months. The team has started reverting to the Jose posture of sitting deep, and trying to hit teams on the counter. After the initial bounce in performances, in the immediate aftermath of sacking Jose, the performances have dropped, and we have, generally, played quite uninventive boring football.

In addition, Ole hasnā€™t really given youth a much bigger role. There have been a few cameos, but nothing substantial. Last week people were criticising Chelsea for not playing Hudson-Odoi, but Ole has played Mata, Sanchez, and players who werenā€™t fully fit rather than giving Chong a chance. As for improving the players we have, performances have declined the more time he has had with the squad.

Maze is obviously exaggerating things, but we should be honest about what Ole has done. I want him to succeed, but he needs to start leaving his mark on the squad and pushing us to play a faster more intensive game.

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04 Apr 2019 18:46:54
Shappy

Will the boardroom get sorted though? I can only see that happening if we get new owners who demand a different structure. A DOF is unlikely to be as successful as they should be, if they report to Woodward. There is an argument, a very good one, that all of those managers bar Blanc should be considered in front of Ole, but it appears they werenā€™t even considered and that is my major bugbear. I see we tried proven managers argument, which ones, Moyes? Give me a break, LvG was past his best and should have been to set up the structure for Pep, but it seems we had no plan. The only one proven was Mourinho and whilst he created problems, he also wasnā€™t supported and the players were allowed to dictate. One proven manager out of four, why?

I know you say he has given youth a chance but where were they on Tuesday, not one even on the bench? Ole went with experience because I believe he thinks the stakes are so high.

Ole may work, heaven knows we all want him to but it is a high risk roll of the dice that slaps of what I said weeks ago, sentimentality. The risk and the downside if it goes wrong is serious.

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04 Apr 2019 18:53:15
Style wise, Ole started bright, but we seem to have reverted to a counterattacking style more often than not. Of the managers listed above, I would say that Allegri is practical and flexible, Blanc is possession based, Pochettino sets his teams up well with possession and pressing. Of all of them, I think that Tuchel would bring the most striking tactical imprint. But with all of them, the question remains. And even as we learned with Jose, a winning resume does not guarantee winning in the future.

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04 Apr 2019 19:13:52
Danny has got it spot on, look at it without Ole tinted glasses and things haven't improved that much. A few great results lifted the mood, but the football in the main has been unexciting apart from a few quick counters and some late dramas. I want Ole to succeed, I would love nothing more than to bring back the good times under the guidance of a legend, but we are so far behind City and Liverpool in quality and entertainment, I worry Ole hasn't got the experience to change so much. Still I think he should get at least 3 years to turn round 7 years of Sh*t. I would like to see us buy young hungry talent, that wants to become United greats. No more big names just to sell shirts. Players like Declan Rice, David Brooks, Wan bissaka, and James Maddison.

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04 Apr 2019 20:15:22
The boardroom won't get sorted, not by any new manager, not by any director of football or technical director and not by the fans.

It could be by the fans if we could all pull together, but as we can't even get behind a club legend then it's clearly not going to happen.

Ole needs time, I think injuries mostly brought about by the change in intensity and style have caused the management team to have a slight rethink about how they approach this season. Let's give them time, a transfer window and a pre-season and let see how they do.

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04 Apr 2019 21:14:29
Fully agree Shappy good posts.

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04 Apr 2019 22:11:07
I think one of the eds mentioned somethung about Phelan and how it is who is setting the teams up in terms of how they play.

The way we are playing is the way fergie used to play but without Rooney, Giggs, Scholes etc.

I sont think thwre is any manager out there that could miracles with what we have.

If we are not going to be serious about signing top. player and replacing them with mediocre players then it is best to stay with Ole.

I don't think we are going to be challenging for the premeir league or championes league in the n3xt five years with the way the likes of City and Liverpool are playing and setting up for the long term future we should just forget about winning and lower our expectations.

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04 Apr 2019 22:19:57
Shaps. I think most of us are behind Ole. I certainly am. But if one believes what Ed02 said at the time of his appointment as interim manager, that there was no intention whatsoever to hire him on a permanent basis, then doesn't this point to issues of a different sort. Yesterday I suggested that maybe there simply wasn't anyone coming forward who might be regarded as better than Ole. I also suggested that it looked like Ferguson's hand was in this decision and that the problems at United are part of a conflict between an outdated old guard and a management team that has no idea what they are doing in football terms. I got roundly disagreed with! But it hasn't changed my mind. The problems rest squarely on a club structure that after 5 years hasn't yet adjusted to the new realities.

I hope Ole can bring us around next season. Given the gaps in the team, and what appears to me a toxic management team that has no ability at all to acquire the very best players, and the second best ones at well over the odds, I have to say it's a tall order. May they prove me wrong.

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04 Apr 2019 22:55:22
Ole was bought in to steady the ship and that's where it should have stayed, why he got the job is beyond me, now I like ole but that shouldn't give him the job smiles and all that,
And so what if the posters name was maze or whatever it was, that's his own business, and he is entitled to his own opinion, and he hasn't said anything wrong,
United addict good posts, your only saying what your seeing in front of you.

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04 Apr 2019 23:02:20
Think people need to keep things in perspective.

The squad of players we have is not good enough and we all know that. It is also universally known that we need to get rid of a number of players and ideally bring in 4 (RB, CB, RM/ RW and CM) .

Ole has only been in the hot seat for just over 3 months he hasnā€™t had a pre-season or any new signings to bed in.

Hi win ratio has been good and if we had something similar for the 17 games before he arrived then we would be 3rd and comfortably in a CL place. Even if we accept losing at City and Liverpool plus losing at home to Spurs etc. We would of picked up more points in some of the away games at Brighton, West Ham and Southampton plus the home games against Wolves, Palace and Arsenal.
Add one extra win and change a draw to a win and we are currently 3rd. All ifs, buts and maybeā€™s I know but Ole is getting the basics right and putting the sides outside of the top 8 to bed.

Until we get the defence solid we canā€™t plas as we would ideally like.
We canā€™t have balance in our attacking play until we have a recognised quality right sided forward player.

You canā€™t make a silk purse out of a sows ear.

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05 Apr 2019 05:53:50
Excellent post Shappy, deserves to pinned on the top for sometime.
We need to be practical in terms of our expectations.

Firstly, until Woodward remains in charge of footballing side, we cannot expect to match the progress of top teams.

Secondly, we need to recruit the right type of players starting this summer.

Finally, back the manager. He needs our support.

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05 Apr 2019 10:21:11
Out of those 5 none really convince. Nagelsmann has the wrong style. Poch can't win anything. Blancs out of work for a reason. Allegri is totally the wrong fit so is no surprise he almost got the job. And Tuchel is probably the best of those.

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05 Apr 2019 23:40:35
Let's see how next season goes before we judge Ole. He has made a promising start, nothing more nothing less. He has made a lot of Utd fans enjoy their football again and that is very important. However, the true test is how his methods translate to a full season. Until then everything is moot and anything we get out of this season is a bonus.

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06 Apr 2019 09:19:10
Finally some common sense, 12 days.

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04 Apr 2019 15:24:03
moving on from the obvious debates.


out of all the players we have been linked to I've not personally seen koulibaly play.

anyone watch much italian football to give an insight on what type of player he is.

Believable0 Unbelievable0

04 Apr 2019 16:33:07
Physically dominant player, not known as much as a ball playing center back. Powerful in the air and in the tackle. Not as convinced about leadership and decision making. He would give a huge presence, but it would be more like Vidic than Rio.

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04 Apr 2019 16:53:38
I'm sure there's a player profile floating about somewhere but I couldn't find it.

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{Ed001's Note - he is actually next on the list to do after the one I am doing now. I wasn't sure if there is an old one already up, but if you couldn't find it, then there probably isn't one.}

04 Apr 2019 17:25:11
thanks for the reply zidaniel.

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04 Apr 2019 22:22:28
Ed, interested to know what you do when you're profiling a player?

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{Ed001's Note - watch them as much as possible and note down anything about them or their performance that stands out. Unless I have seen them play in at least 5 full games, I wouldn't consider writing a profile. I prefer to watch 10 or more though. If I have seen them play a lot, then I just write it from what I have seen of them already.}

04 Apr 2019 22:33:39
No worries Ed Iā€™m sure I read one not long back but it must have been a different player.

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{Ed001's Note - could it be Umtiti? Both fairly physical and not so much of a ball playing centre back.}

04 Apr 2019 23:31:37
I have watched him quite a lot. Obviously he has a big physique but for me at the moment he gets caught out of position far too easily by clever players.

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05 Apr 2019 12:44:05
Koulibaly is actually quite good with the ball at his feet.
He's also quite a commanding player from what i've seen of him.

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05 Apr 2019 14:41:46
UMTITI imo, is very much like yeri mina. Nothing more need be said.

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04 Apr 2019 15:08:45
Would you guys be worried if Pogba left us? There are no doubts about his talents, but he's far too inconsistent and his contributions in matches and over an entire season doesn't measure up to his obvious talents.

He is world class in terms of his abilities, but not in terms of his performances so far. Probably, he needs to be played in a more advanced attacking position and maybe that could work.

Probably next season would be his make or break season with us, provided he stays.

Believable1 Unbelievable0

04 Apr 2019 15:19:13
Can never make up my mind. Just when I think I've given up on him, he pulls out a great display. Don't know if those far and few games are enough to warrant persevering with him. Can't be any passengers. I guess if he stays I'll be happy enough providing there's more consistency in his performances, but if he goes, I'll not be as upset as I thought I would be.

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04 Apr 2019 15:57:53
If you could describe him as a footballer without getting in to any athletic qualities, in my mind anyway, he is remarkably similar to Mesut Ɩzil. Can perfectly execute a range of passes, has immaculate close control and is mecurial on the ball. However, just like Ɩzil he needs to be deployed in a totally free role and looks disinterested when things aren't working for him. This flaky attitude is something Pogba needs to fix, as soon as teams target him and they rightly should he's a key player, he doesn't look up to the challenge of having one or two players tasked with disrupting him. I think to really get the best out of him in the PL, he needs to play in a 'false 10' kind of role with two defensively solid and technically gifted players behind him. Right now there's no one else in the squad who you expect to create something from midfield and teams are free to focus solely on Pogba. It all comes back to squad balance - only one truly creative midfielder stop him and you stop United, only got players who are comfortable on the left wing - can overload the right hand side of defence to suffocate that attacking threat, only got one maybe two good ball playing defenders ā€” close them down let them pass it to Smalling or Young who will smash it away long. It's why I think perhaps some players we won't see the best out of until we have those 4-6 top class editions we really need. Get a right winger and Martial and Shaw will be a lot more dangerous down the left, get someone who can create from deep and Pogba will have much more space to exploit.

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04 Apr 2019 15:44:48
He isn't worth the drama around him.

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04 Apr 2019 16:15:01
My main concern would be how weak we are in midfield and that we canā€™t afford to lose another player (whether it be him or any other midfielder) . It seems Ander and Juan will be on their way this summer and Matic is near the end of his career. We will need to replace Ander and already need to look at a replacement for Pogba. If Pogba left, we would need to sign at least three new midfielders minimum as I donā€™t have much faith in Fred, Andreas or Scott. That much change (as.

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04 Apr 2019 16:15:44
Well as the need for a new RB, CB and RW) could have a very negative effect on an already unsettled and unbalanced squad.

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04 Apr 2019 15:50:31
LPU- No I wouldn't lose sleep. On his day he can play outrageous passes and show superhero vision to find a teammate but he doesn't have many of those days. I get the impression that craves attention and has to be the man in the news als not always for his football. On a financial note, he's on big wages and would bring in either a hefty fee or cash plus player deal that would benefit the club onlots of levels. If he stays and proves me wrong, sobeit but I won't hold my breath.

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04 Apr 2019 15:53:42
thing is when pogba turns up we are a totally different team.

but its not just on pogba to be the only player to turn up. but world class players perform every week and that is what sets them aside to the rest and at the minute pogba is not world class

we need to keep our best players selling him would only make us weaker i feel, plus i bet he makes us a mint in merch.

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{Ed002's Note - What "merch"?}

04 Apr 2019 16:25:26
On form he is one of the best players in the world. However, his form wobbles from amazing to awful sometimes within 90 minutes of a game. He doesn't seem to have the mentality to dig deep when needed or work on his game. Which means he is unlikely to ever seriously improve. Add to that he doesn't want to be here and he has the most difficult agent to deal with then it becomes clear that maybe we should allow him to move on if the right deal is available. Either 150m+ or maybe Varane and 40m+. But certainly not Bale or Kroos.

It was bad enough having to deal with the Ronaldo to Madrid circus every summer for 3-4 years. But Ronaldo was worth it. I would rather avoid that sort of distraction for a player such as Pogba.

Sell him and bring in someone who wants to be here, someone who will work on developing their games, someone who'll dig deep and fight when needed.

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04 Apr 2019 16:23:44
Good post Nathaniel. Our lack of midfield depth has really been exposed, especially with Fellaini leaving. Pogba is such a frustrating player. Brilliant one day, poor the next. And when adversity hits the team, he goes from invisible to trying to do too much on his own. He does not seem able to drive the team or dictate solutions by combining, which is what we need from a good center midfielder.

Much of his brilliance is individual in nature - the way he can dribble, shield, turn, shoot, pass and run with the ball. These are all tremendous qualities he possesses. But he does not seem to develop that understanding with players around him to quickly pass and move to play out of pressure. Part of what made Barcelona so good at their peak was not just how good Messi, Xavi, Iniesta, and Busquets were individually, but how good they were collectively.

We don't have that currently with our midfield. Matic has quality but is slow, Herrera is excellent defensively, very committed tactically, intense, but limited offensively, and Pogba's strengths are more individual, and that when he is up to it. They are not a trio that come up with solutions together to different kinds of defensive pressure.

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04 Apr 2019 17:00:24
Imo for pogba tp succeed he needs the right players around him to allow him to be as indulgent as he is on the ball.
So we either sign those players or sell bim.
He needs runners and players with great technical ability around him. We don't have a greizman or mbappe or kante or varane bonucchi pirlo etc all of these complement his weaknesses.
With better players around him he can excel. We have seen that.
He is no bryan robson or roy keane. He will rarely gran a game and win it on his own. He doesn't have that skill set.
But if he wants to move then its not the end of the world. Get a good deal and move on.
If that happens the irony will be us selling the players jose wanted out and chasing the players ed002 says he targeted.

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04 Apr 2019 17:01:38
If a club offers Utd good money for the player then I would take it.
He gives us a 9/ 10 performance in one game followed by a 5/ 10 performance in the next 3 or 4. Players like Keane, Scholes, Beckham, Giggs, Robson, Ince etc were 7/ 10 as standard with a few 9/ 10 performances and hardly never the 5/ 10.
People mention a ā€œfalse 10ā€ position or a free role for Pogba. That just tells me everything that is wrong with him.
He has the talent and ability to match any player in addition he is powerful, fast and tall.
So why is he not a box to box midfield player that takes the game by the scruff of the neck and just dominate the midfield.
Why couldnā€™t he go on the pitch against Wolves and say you have Neves and Moutinho but Iā€™m Pogba and I will control the midfield.
All midfield players are pigeonholed as other DM or AM etc itā€™s nonsense when you have a player of his talent.
He is very frustrating to watch and all the problems with his performances are in his head.

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04 Apr 2019 17:02:55
Hard to disagree with everything above.

On his day he's class, absolutely no doubt about it. Watching him run a game is magical. Unfortunately it's once or twice a season which isn't enough.

People say he's world class and I have to disagree, as mentioned above, World Class players turn up every week. Even players like Christian Eriksen who play a similar position, but do it 7 or 8 times out of 10, have really high passing accuracy, scores goals and controls games. I'd much rather have a player like Eriksen than Pogba. More consistent and less drama.

I'm in the Pogba-out camp and have been for a long time. We'd be much better off without him.

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04 Apr 2019 18:33:42
If he wants to go let him go. We only want players that actually want to be here. He's great on his day, the problem is he doesn't have too many of them. I can see him moving, his agent would love it plenty of money coming his way.

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05 Apr 2019 06:34:13
I personally feel Pogba will excel if we sign top players. When we have players like Martial who rarely makes off the ball runs, it is difficult for Pogba to utilize his vision.

We have seen the pin point passes he spots when Rashford makes those runs in behind the defence.
Those are match winning moments only a few can pull off.
If we have similar attackers on the left and right, I believe Pogba will be a bigger threat as he can find those through balls at will. The team as a whole will be a serious attacking unit.

I also hope that working with Ole teaches him about passion of playing for this beautiful club.

Shappy, I am not convinced regarding the cash exchange deal with Varane. I believe he has never played close to 30 or more league games in the past 5 seasons.
Although his quality is undeniable, the last thing we need is a 100 million defender with exorbitant wages on the treatment table.

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04 Apr 2019 13:23:24
Like some of the other posters pointed out, the vibe of negativity is back on with a few losses and it's quite depressing.

OGS couldn't have done any better than what he did to be given the job. It's one thing not liking or wanting a manager, but the "yes man" taunts from some is over the top. For what OGS has done in such a short time, he definitely doesn't deserve that.

One can understand the passion, frustration of some, but OGS has been in the job for only 4 months and he's just settling down. Just wait for the transfer window, let him get the players he wants and next season we can judge him.

For now, he has got to work with what he got with top 4 in sight and tough CL games coming up. Let's back him wholeheartedly and see where it takes us.

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04 Apr 2019 14:17:01
Well said LPU well said šŸ‘.

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04 Apr 2019 14:46:53
Good post mate. Problem we have seen the last few appointments is that if people donā€™t support the appointment then they never give that manager a chance. Letā€™s get behind the team and manager and see what happens. We have a huge summer of investment needed as well as a major overhaul. Until we have done that itā€™s very unfair to be attacking ole. Just because he wasnā€™t your choice of manager does not mean you have to revel in the ā€˜I told you soā€™ mentality when we lose. Itā€™s unhealthy and makes this site not particularly enjoyable. We are all united fans and all we want to see us return to our former glory. Ole has a huge job in his hands that wonā€™t take one season to fix. He needs time and signs of clear progression in playing style and results. He has my backing.

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04 Apr 2019 15:21:29
Good post, Park. It's no secret I can't stand JosƩ and didn't want him here, but I wanted him to succeed, because if he succeeded, Utd were succeeding. Can't understand the other mentality at all.

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04 Apr 2019 15:31:49
So true Park3lung. The one thing with Ole is that he knows more about the club than any of the previous appointments and that's a good starting point.

It probably would take 2 transfer windows to get the quality signings to cover each position. In the upcoming window we need atleast 4 signings to strengthen the key positions.

Provided we get our targets, next season would be a settling-in period for new players (unless they settle in quickly) and also for OGS to implement a style of play. And then carry on from there.

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04 Apr 2019 14:15:04
Fine LetsPlay, reaction is OTT. But please do explain the following quoted comment from Ed002 and then tell me about your comment as to how will he get the players he wants.

"{Ed002's Note - OGS will not have any more than a minor role to play in the transfer market. }"

if he isn't a yes man, then what will he do when he isn't backed with players he wants rather than a dedicated hospital wing fr gareth bale. Please do tell me.

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{Ed002's Note - The comment is clear. Many coaches only have a minor role in deciding which players to chase - and many have no involvement at all when it comes to picking players.}

04 Apr 2019 15:42:14
ole all ready has his hands tied behind his back because of some players that are on big contracts and are not going to leave for less money. that then stops him getting the type of players to get us back to the top and with him having little input on transfer makes his job even harder.

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04 Apr 2019 16:32:03
UA,

You are living off this comment from Ed002 when he isn't saying anything that isn't normal in most clubs across the land. Clubs have scouts etc that deal with spotting players and then Woodward and his cronies will sort out the deals, I am sure Solskjaer has given an idea of how he wants to play and what type of players we should sign and then he will work with what he is given.

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04 Apr 2019 17:16:49
The important point is that Ole understands Utd, the fans and the way that the team should play.
If the club already have transfer targets which are relatively long standing and Ole is aware and in agreement then that would be normal.
If he didnā€™t agree with a certain target for whatever reason then we would presume that he would say so and if agreed by all concerned then the club would not pursue the player in question.
When LVG joined he was told about the proposed signings of Shaw and Herrera which were longer term targets which he was happy to sanction. These players havenā€™t been bad signings.
So this is probably normal when you have a proper scouting system.
Ideally all of this would be channelled and agreed through a DoF which is perhaps where the uncertainty and fault of this kind of scenario currently sits.

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04 Apr 2019 17:19:05
The days of the Ferguson style manager having total control over every aspect of the club are gone. Ole will say to Ed the Great which players he doesn't need and which players he does. Its then on the Magnificent Woody to do the deals. If people aren't interested in buying our cast offs because they're either garbage or asking too much money or if he can't get clubs to sell players we want then what can we do. The issue I'll have is if he ignores the manager and spends the summer batting his eyes at that crock Bale.

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And Finally... International Football

04 Apr 2019 09:59:15
{Ed's Note - Ed001 has posted a new article entitled, And Finally... International Football

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04 Apr 2019 14:23:00
Great read Ed.
Towards the end I read the last paragraph and it just reminded of how I felt šŸ¤£šŸ¤£.
How time have changed over the years. I used to wish WC for want of watching the superstars but these days unfortunately urge has wane šŸ¤¦ā€ā™‚ļø.

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{Ed001's Note - it is not the same these days that is for sure.}

04 Apr 2019 07:35:47
It's like this page has jumped into a time machine and we're back in November again with all the negativity.

Two defeats in big games and all the progress of the past three months is forgotten. We were something like 11 points off 4th with no chance of CL qualification, now we're in the mix and have a CL QF to look forward to. Best start ever for a PL manager, our best ever away winning streak. Players we all wanted to be dropped have been dropped. Rashford is back on track.

You'd think the last few years would have humbled some of our fans. We can all agree our squad is poor. That's not Ole's fault and he's got a tune out of the players.

We're a lot closer to the top 4 now than before he took over and a busy summer lies ahead.

Believable10 Unbelievable0

04 Apr 2019 08:10:28
Wazza,

I agree, some of the posts and overreactions in the last 2 days have been utterly pathetic.

Agree6 Disagree0

04 Apr 2019 08:39:10
I couldnā€™t agree more. It beggars belief that thereā€™s so much agreement about the lack of quality in the 1st team, yet alone the squad, that people have such high expectations. I just donā€™t get it. especially as we rock in to a fabulous tie with Barcelona when weeks ago we couldnā€™t even dream about such a situation.

Get with it people!

Agree4 Disagree0

04 Apr 2019 09:12:05
Spot on wazza. Itā€™s a shame because it was enjoyable the last few months. Nothing wrong with people disagreeing or having differing point of views. But some perspective would be nice.

Agree4 Disagree0

04 Apr 2019 09:32:35
1) Itā€™s not an easy league. It contains good managers, players and a lot of money.
2) Solskjaer is not an experienced manager and needs the suppprt around him to make it work. From the board to the players. One man alone is never the solution in itself.
3) The squad needs changes and be built with a plan in mind over the medium to long term.
4) United fans are generally very supportive and I hope criticism for some is understood as passion/ opinion by others.
5) Edā€™s I find your insights and opinions fantastic and thank you for all your efforts.

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04 Apr 2019 09:33:45
Totally agree Wazza.
Shame on those who call themselves fans or "supporters".

Agree2 Disagree0

04 Apr 2019 10:36:04
its the fact that all our hard work over the past few months we have just threw away with the performances in the past few games


some players have stopped performing, where are the warriors that played against psg. giving everything, that is what is frustrating we can play the way we did against psg FIGHTING.

consistency has been the problem all season

OLE has changed the way we play for the better and we were on a roll, injuries affected us and we have not been the same since but we are heading in the right direction but unless we make major changes we are looking at being a top 6 team not top 4.

we are not a title chasing team we have spent mega money and are still way off how many more times does Woodward have to fail with the recruitment, 2 players were bought in the summer when we needed major changes

its not mathematically impossible to still get 4th but it looks like we will be in the Europa again


if in the summer we don't sell and buy the right players it will be another season of top 6 football because we are not good enough to complete at the very top with the best teams.

if we are serious about wanting to challenge it will be a busy summer. that doesn't mean spending 100 million on a player just to make a statement we need the right player to fit the team

but if come august we are still lining up with the same players we will have to except we are no longer one of the big teams in terms of challenging.


but were going to win the champions league so no need to worry.

Agree1 Disagree0

04 Apr 2019 13:24:47
Consistency has been a problem all season? Apart from when we won our record number of away games in a row and didn't lose for months under Ole. Seemed fairly consistent then to me. We have hit a slight bad patch but even then we played ok, I can't wait for Tuesday, nothing to lose and the atmosphere should be incredible.

Agree2 Disagree0

04 Apr 2019 14:51:25
I agree GDS. Also, we have consistently created chances - even in the games we lost against Arsenal and Wolves in the league, the only thing we failed to take them, otherwise we would have been in a much better position for top 4 or even top 3.

One thing is for sure that it's going to be a interesting and testing time ahead. Next up is Barcelona at home, it's going to be tough but we are UNITED and we can cause them problems on the counter - should be fascinating.

Agree0 Disagree0

04 Apr 2019 15:12:25
we wouldn't be in 6th place if consistency wasn't the problem.

its a 38 game season not 11.

thats why we are so far off the top 2. its not ability or for lack of creating chances.

we are consistently making mistakes. i would love to know how many errors have led to goals against us and how many points this has made us drop.

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04 Apr 2019 15:25:13
Bolger, I don't think you can blame Ole for the first half of the season! There was definitely more consistency in our performances after JosƩ left. We have a fighting chance now, which was definitely more than we could have hoped for at Xmas.

Agree1 Disagree0

04 Apr 2019 16:20:26
thats what i was aiming at noucamp that consistency has cost us this season even pre ole.

i love ole, i'm glad he's got the job he has deserved it, we needed a miracle to get close to the top 4 before he was brought in.

maybe my posts have been misinterpreted

what i was getting at was we were consistently playing at a level that was able to make us go on that 11 game streak and now that consistency from some players has gone and that is the reason we have hit speed bump.

but there's always another game so we must put it right against a Barcelona side that will take us apart if we play at anything less that 100.

Agree0 Disagree0

04 Apr 2019 16:34:11
Bolger,

You said our consistency has cost us ALL season, I was just pointing out that isn't really the case, we were inconsistent / dreadful before Ole took over and pretty good since.

Agree1 Disagree0

Review Of The Day 4th April 2019

04 Apr 2019 07:29:01
{Ed's Note - Ed001 has posted a new article entitled, Review Of The Day 4th April 2019

Believable2 Unbelievable0

04 Apr 2019 14:26:52
Great updates Ed.

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{Ed001's Note - thank you mbd.}

mbd              

04 Apr 2019 14:47:52
A wonderful read with quite a few memories trickling down. It is almost impossible to list the various interesting WC moments in one article. Personally I am a fan off croatia's run in their maiden WC and Ghana at the 2010 WC with the suarez saga. Was it the 92 euro's that Denmark did not qualify for but yet won it? And that Greece team who managed that fete in 2004 beating the hosts in the opening and final games scoring just one goal in each match but the opener. Also that 10 against 11 classic semi final match between Holland and Italy in 2000, when that defense and Toldo were immense, winning it on penalties. Lastly Yugoslavia vs Serbia in the Euro 2000 where at 3-0 down Mihajlovic was sent off sparking the 3 goal come back.

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{Ed001's Note - exactly mate, there are hundreds of great memories. I am intending to use the theme a few more times to include a bunch more of them.}

mbd              

04 Apr 2019 15:35:18
Just realized i mixed up my reply postings sorry ED. And that was meant to read Yugo vs Slovenia not serbia lol
However i look forward to all the other ones.

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{Ed001's Note - that's ok, it is an understandable mix up.}

mbd