07 May 2017 22:31:32
Here we are, the first loss since October and our manager is getting abuse.

I remember McGuiness not being good enough, OFarrell, gave us real dross. Everyone says they enjoyed the Docherty years, but forget he inherited an ageing squad and took us down. Yes we enjoyed the comeback but the first couple of years were dreadful, the club gave him 5 years. The club appointed Sexton, those moaning now need to take a good look at that dire rubbish, selling Gordon Hill and playing the most negative stuff I think I have ever seen. The club gave him time. Atkinson, bojangles, tried fancy football and it would likely please the present day moaners. I went down to Luton in 85 for the 11th game after winning the first 10, we blew it when the pressure was on and we blew the league again because the team allegedly had a drinking issue and did not have the right mindset, but hey the football was nice. SAF had a dreadful few years, I remember 89 when we lost 5.1 to City, three years and that was what was served up, it was testing yet I was told in the background he was turning the club around, changing the mindset. His CV was impressive, a winner, knew what was needed. The club and most fans stood by him,

We didn't learn from the Busby transition, then appointed someone in Moyes whose cv was totally inappropriate. The club went into free fall. LVG was appointed and I expected he would define a new playing style, he didn't, however his cv deserved longer than 12 months, which the club gave him.

What knowledge do we gain from our history?
There are transitional times where it won't be sweetness and light
When there is someone with the cv of a winner give them time
Recognise where there is a mess and understand there are very few quick fixes
There are Dochertys and Atkinsons out there playing pretty football but prolific winners like SAF and yes Mourinho will be successful by being more pragmatic

Winners of leagues and major trophies make teams hard to beat as the cornerstone. Right now we are hard to beat with defenders who are not Rio and Vidic standard. A few weeks after winning a trophy there are some calling for the managers head, whilst he is trying to address the mess we have been in. I believe Jose must be given more time, take another view this time next season and see where we are, what Jose's plan is and how it is playing out.

Calling for change so we can have pretty football is what got us Ron Atkinson not SAF.

1.) 07 May 2017
07 May 2017 22:42:08
Hear hear!

2.) 07 May 2017
07 May 2017 23:02:53
Top post Red Man. One of the best this season actually.

3.) 07 May 2017
07 May 2017 23:16:16
Great post.

4.) 07 May 2017
07 May 2017 23:32:25
Great read red man 👏🏼👏🏼.

5.) 08 May 2017
08 May 2017 00:05:04
Aptly put 👏.

6.) 08 May 2017
08 May 2017 02:30:47
Well said Redman! In the era we're in now it is impossible to tick all the boxes the fans want, especially in the premier league. The scatter-gun approach of sacking managers after 1 or 2 seasons isn't a habit we should be getting into. Of course it is necessary at times but when you have a manager like Mourinho in charge, you have to give him at least 3 seasons.

The squad needs serious investment and Jose is fantastic judge of talent. Our defence isn't good enough to go gung ho every game. This squad needs rebuilding. We're already hard to beat and that's with a defence on paper that's not the best. Build from the back and the free flowing attacking football will come. I love that we have a manager that can adapt from game to game (obviously he gets it wrong sometimes) and it is frustrating when we sit back at times we should be going for the jugular but this has similarities to his first season back at Chelsea. Get a few top players in, take stock of the team, trophy on the board, lay the foundations and get the transfers done early hopefully and we'll be looking in great shape for the start of next season.

The few posters that have been calling for his head, we never hear a replacement name? There is no manager out there that is better equipped to take us into next season other than Jose.

{Ed001's Note - how is Mourinho a fantastic judge of talent? He was not the talent spotter in Portugal. He was not the talent spotter at Chelsea, Inter or Real Madrid either. He worked under a sporting director. Mourinho could be a fantastic judge of talent, but he has never had to be in the past, he had someone else to find the players for him.}

7.) 08 May 2017
08 May 2017 03:40:43
Good stuff Red Man.

8.) 08 May 2017
08 May 2017 03:49:55
Nice history lesson redman. But other than beast no one really is calling for mourinho's sacking. But let's not trt and compare him to SAF and say it is alright what mourinho does because SAF did it. But the fact is SAF never did it.

I dare you to find me 1 game, just 1 game in his 26 year career with us where we played the way we did at city. Problem isn't being pragmatic, but that wasn't pragmatic, fergie went into many games with i would take a draw attitude but with mourinho it is more i want a draw and i won't even try for a win fergie never did that. Find me a similar game then we will compare mourinho to SAF.

9.) 08 May 2017
08 May 2017 03:53:20
Problem is, if you have the wrong one you need to know when it is not right and change it.

I believe JM is the right one for us right now. He is doing good job for me. Just wish he would cheer up in interviews! Worries me that he has not got his family up living with him too.

Great post.

10.) 08 May 2017
08 May 2017 04:04:59
Red, a few of us have been through the Busby, o farrell, Docherty, sexton and Atkinson years. I loved the Docherty era despite the fact we got relegated. We played superbly to get promoted and would've done great things had he not messed around with the physio's wife!
But the way we've played against the top sides away from home is unacceptable. We're going into these matches with no ambition. This is shown by the fact our goal tally in all these matches had been a big fat zero.
I wanted mourinho at United and I still do. But we've got to be doing a lot better against these teams. It is extremely disappointing to see a United side play with zero ambition. Seeing Mata and mkhiktaryan playing as wing backs is pathetic. We made arsenal look like Barcelona.
It is very well making a passionate appeal in favour of Mourinho, but the team has seriously underperformed this season. And you try and travel all the way to London with the expense it entails to watch a United team put in a display like that. It's unacceptable.
Lastly, Mourinho's comments that the team played well are ridiculous. His sour comments towards Arsenal having been well and truly beaten, were childish and maybe he should grow up and be more professional.

11.) 08 May 2017
08 May 2017 04:27:14
Don't shout out here Red Man else there are posters here who would be calling for you to be sacked.

Totally with you on this though. Top Post.

12.) 08 May 2017
08 May 2017 05:36:53
Great post Redman. Top stuff.

13.) 08 May 2017
08 May 2017 06:47:58
So Ed001, Jose doesn't or hasn't identified any of the players he's bought over the years? I get the teams in Europe use a sporting director and they normally have a huge influence in choosing the players, but you can't tell me he has no input on who got signed. I doubt Woodward said "here's Zlatan, Mkhitaryan, Bailey and Pogba. Get on with your job" surely he deserves some credit mate?

{Ed001's Note - and how do you know which ones were his over his career? Does it take a great bit of scouting excellence to spot a player like Zlatan? He had no hand in Miki or Bailly. As for Pogba, I am not sure who chose him, but again, it hardly takes a top talent spotter to notice a guy that is the biggest name in Italian football and in every football magazine, all over the internet and plastered on huge billboards all over the place! That is my point, how many times have the clubs he has been at, due to him, gone and picked up an unknown gem? I bet you can't name a single one that was defo 100% down to him. I know I can't. So how do you know he is a "fantastic judge of talent" rather than just a man blessed with a huge sum of money to spend each season?}

14.) 08 May 2017
08 May 2017 07:41:17
Top post Red Man 😆😆.

15.) 08 May 2017
08 May 2017 08:02:54
Marmite Mourinho, love him or hate him, was given a set of players to work with, few of which typically fulfilled his preferred player profile. We all know he liked the player who knows his job, and gives 110% for the team (and doesn't complain) including tracking back, often enhanced with pace. How many players from the current squad fit this bill? Perhaps the case of Mata typifies what he's had to work with: clearly not a Mourinho player, but he's used him because of his work ethic and lack of protest, so maybe a "mostly-Mourinho" player, as like lots of Thera in the team who don't quite fit the bill.

Now, this possibly exposes JM as a limited manager who should be able to do great things with whoever he's got, but clearly his formula has worked for him in the past and maybe that's what he's building again.

16.) 08 May 2017
08 May 2017 08:55:37
Top post Redman.

17.) 08 May 2017
08 May 2017 12:56:42
Again, who are these people calling for Jose's head? I still only count one. Is any constructive criticism of his methods or tactics, now going to get people lumped in to an 'anti-Jose' group?