16 Feb 2021 13:43:16
The biggest problem at Manchester United is undoubtedly the board, the incompetent investment bankers charged with running one of the most famous institutions in Sport.

Following the embarrassing pursuit of Sancho and then the desperate deadline day supermarket sweep across Europe many of us speculated that a title challenge was impossible and even a top 4 finish improbable.

The summer transfer window was yet another excruciating calamity where none of the top transfer targets were secured and the manager was sent into the season woefully unprepared with a rag tag bunch of summer acquisitions hastily assembled some not even ready for first team football.

Whilst I have sympathy for Ole and think he's done a decent job this season there must be questions about his style of play, coaching ability, team selection, in game management and favouritism. The Champions League capitulation still irks and the football has generally been turgid lacking any real cohesion, innovative or imagination.

As the season progresses I think we all expect to get dragged back into a dog fight for a top four finish and the expectation of adding any silverware is low.

Some argue that Ole is out of his depth, should never have been appointed and will never lead this team to success. Time will probably prove them right but in my opinion Ole has done a good job of rebuilding the squad, cleansing it of the perpetually injured, mediocre and re-establishing some harmony and togetherness following the toxicity of Jose Mourinho.

I think we are in for a very difficult and turbulent last few months of the season and Ole now finds himself in another battle to save his job. Ultimately Ole's legacy might just be leaving the Club in a better position than he found it.

I don't think our Club will ever be successful whilst Woodward and Co remain in charge and replacing Ole will not change that. How long before we complain about the next managers style of play, lack of experience or in game management whilst our owners continue to syphon money away from the Club allowing Woodward and Judge to saunter around Europe upsetting the elite and not delivering on their promises.

1.) 16 Feb 2021
16 Feb 2021 14:33:53
I agree with most of that DLIB. I don't have any love for the owners or the board but we do spend money. I think a decent coach could have us matching City at this stage of the season.

Posters sound like abuse victims when worrying "what if the next manager is just as bad". That doesn't mean for one second that we should stick with a poor coach in Charge.

There's things I want to see as a football fan. I ultimately want to see us win the league, I want to see us winning cups, I want to see us challenging, I want the emotion of watching the last 10 games of the season dreaming we can win it. I want to see entertaining football.

Our current manager doesn't tick any of those boxes unfortunately.

Imagine a Manchester United manager sitting 6 points off the top of the table with 45 points to play for saying "We're not in the title race". Criminal.

The club has to do what's best for the club. Ole in charge is a waste of everybody's time.

2.) 16 Feb 2021
16 Feb 2021 14:56:33
Great post DLIB.

I believe it's a combination of poor recruitment and average management.
While our team is strengthened with the acquisition of Bruno and Cavani, several recruits such as Maguire, Fred etc, aren't of United quality.

Our club should be having best in class recruitment department, but given the expenditure, the ratio of successful recruitment is poor.

I also believe this squad is capable of challenging for the title mainly because the clubs around us have serious injury troubles. Although I'm an Ole supporter, I acknowledge that he is not getting the best out of this squad under the current climate.

3.) 16 Feb 2021
16 Feb 2021 15:05:28
Mumbles

sitting 6 points off the top of the table with 45 points to play for saying "We're not in the title race", just shows how defensive Ole is. He sticks to his trusted players just incase playing an untried / youthful player does not work or not having two defence minded midfielders opens up our slow centre backs. He is terrified of losing his dream job and because of his fear, he WILL probably lose his dream job.

4.) 16 Feb 2021
16 Feb 2021 16:07:11
Agree jrred. Neither a ole in or out based on the guy, but good guys don't always succeed and imo it has a lot to do with his coaching staff. Phelan is defence minded and negative whilst carrick lacks experience in the role. His go to guy seems to be mckenna and now fletcher another good pro but lacking experience.
If we look at the ist team 11, we have a keeper who's confidense is shot but also on the decline. A back 4 where everything goes to the left because the whole team have no confidence in awb unless he is tackling because he is feared to go past the 1/ 2 way line and lack of discipline, awareness and pace at centre back with exception of bailly who is injury prone.
Midfield we have mctom, promising, fred full of energy but suspect and matic whose legs cannot last. Creatively pogba, who wants out allegedly, fernandes awesome but not a one man team and vdb who has been screwed over. Up front rashford who imo plays better on the left has been shipped to the right to accommodatemartial who cried on to be the striker he will never be and Cavani although top top striker is 34 and was brought in as cameo player. Greenwood has to bodyguard AWB if he gets a game but reduced game time this season for whatever reason.
The pundits all rave abought the brilliant bench: stop press so does my mrs but its the garden bench! @
We are not much further forward than lvg era which was eyebleeding stuff to watch and many cry at the board but as a club we have spent and big but not on the personel needed.
the next 3 weeks could define or have a major indication of where our season is going but it could kickstart by realeasing the defensive and negative playing style we currently have.

5.) 16 Feb 2021
16 Feb 2021 16:10:59
Mumbles If you genuinely think our squad is comparable to Cities then your either delusional or drunk, don't be greed and pour me out a glass of what you're drinking.

6.) 16 Feb 2021
16 Feb 2021 16:30:35
I never mentioned that we have a squad or manager on par with City. Neither do Liverpool, the squad anyway. And they won the Champions League and League because they have a manager that makes his team greater than the sum of their parts.

You think Ole is over achieving in his role after winning nothing. Nonsense.

I said that I think a competent coach could have us level with City this season. I stand by that.

And I'm drinking Lyons tea, no sugar, drop of milk, stirred to the left.

7.) 16 Feb 2021
16 Feb 2021 16:58:45
I think you're right with that assumption jrred.

8.) 16 Feb 2021
16 Feb 2021 17:02:30
Over the course of a season the strongest squad wins the league 98% of the time. City's second 11 is probably as good if not better than out first 11.

When looking around our current squad which players do you think might be remembered as a United great come the end of their career?

How many of those are at their peak now and how many are you basing that on them fulfilling their potential?

I would argue that the only ones other than Bruno are 23 or under. While it was fun to once shove his words down his throat, on the whole Hansen was right you don't win much with kids.

9.) 16 Feb 2021
16 Feb 2021 17:10:38
I think our squad is comparable to City's, what isn't comparable is our mentality.

DDG v Ederson
AWB v Walker
Maguire v Stones
Lindelof v Laporte
Shaw v Zinchenko
McT v Rodri
Pogba v Foden
Bruno v De Bruye
Rashford v Sterling
Greenwood v Silva
Cavani v Aguero.

10.) 16 Feb 2021
16 Feb 2021 17:34:37
Mumbles i generally agree with a lot of what you say but even with a good manager in charge this Utd squad is not as good as City's. They have really good players and backups for most positions except centre forward which they will surely address. probably by buying Haarland.

We are second because Chelsea and Liverpool have not played as well as they can and due to injuries especially in Liverpools case. We need at least four top quality players to even think about really competing against City.

11.) 16 Feb 2021
16 Feb 2021 17:55:38
Grims, the comparision looks cool except Maguire/ Lindelof vs Stones/ Laporte/ Dias.

City's CB's are on a whole different level.

As you say mentality is a huge factor as well.

12.) 16 Feb 2021
16 Feb 2021 17:57:30
Again Salford, I never said that we do have the same squad as City. I said "this season" a good coach could have had us challenging.

We play City in the league twice. The worst they can do to us is take 6 points from us. The other 36 league games we play have nothing to do with City. Us failing to beat West Brom has nothing to do with City. Our failings have nothing to do with City.

13.) 16 Feb 2021
16 Feb 2021 17:58:24
Mumbles - I can’t deny we don’t spend money but it’s rarely invested wisely. I think this board has continually delivered players our managers didn’t want or even need and demonstrated incompetence in the market the like of which we have rarely seen for a so called elite Club.

I certainly don’t think we should be afraid of changing managers and I’m not scaremongering I’m just not convinced it’s the silver bullet some hope for. Until we have competent people at board room level making informed, reasoned, sensible decisions with the best interests of the team at the forefront of their mind I believe this dysfunctional cycle will keep repeating.

I see Ole as a decent manager doing a difficult job with one hand tied behind his back. In my opinion he plays safe, percentage football often lacking ambition and sophistication not unlike Moyes, Dyche, Allardyce, Southgate or even Mourinho. I’m not saying this style can’t be successful but it’s determined by the quality of the players rather than any tactical nous or innovation by the manager. There is nothing modern or exciting about our play and if we want to challenge the likes of Pep and Klopp I think we need new ideas and a more modern and innovative approach.

There were times under SAF when the approach was basic yet he often appointed new coaches and assistants to keep us relevant. Let’s not forget SAF was completely schooled by Pep and made to look like a dinosaur in two Champions League finals. In 2009 he left Tevez, Berbatov and Scholes on the bench. Like I said I think Ole has done well to restore some harmony following Mourinho and I think our current squad is probably as strong as it’s been since SAF retired. In my opinion I think we should wait until May and see where we finish. Despite the recent run of poor results and predominantly turgid football I don’t think we should sack a manager currently in second place and we need to wait until the end of the season and see where we finish.

14.) 16 Feb 2021
16 Feb 2021 19:09:41
You judge and compare players based on current form and how they play now in a top managers system. They seem better in a proactive and well coached system and that's what a top manager does.
Was Fernandinho the world class holding before Pep arrived? I think at the time most people rated Matic higher.
Was Sterling a world class player before Pep? He was talented and had many similarities with Rashford but he wasnt a top player. He became a top player with the guidance of Pep in the training.
Were Stones-Otamendi Company (at his age and with his lack of pace) Delph Walker and Ederson a world class back 5? Would you see them and say wow?
Was Sane a world class player? He was a wonderkid a top talent and untested.
They had some good and some world class players and a very good squad but people make it like they had 11 world class players because they want to make a point and excuses.

15.) 17 Feb 2021
17 Feb 2021 03:20:58
Our players are better then citys apart from our cbs the rest lf citys players aren't as good as ours.

We are where we are because of our coach and our cbs.

16.) 17 Feb 2021
17 Feb 2021 10:00:12
Wow Singh, I'll have a pint of what you're drinking. City have Mahrez and Ferran Torres on the RW we have no one.

While are you suggesting we have better players than Fernandinho, Rodri, Gundogan and KDB in midfield, or that we have better forwards than Bernardo Silva, Sterling and Aguero?

City have a far better defence, as seen by them conceding less than half as many goals as us. Their midfield is far better, while they have forwards who are top class and in their prime.

Walker, Cancelo, Mendy and Zinchencko
or
Shaw, AWB, Telles and Williams


Dias, Stones, Laporte and Garcia
or
Maguire, Lindelof, Bailly and Tuanzebe

Fernadinho, Rodri, Gundogan and KDB
or
Fred, McTominay, Pogba and Bruno

Mahrez, Torres, Bernardo, Foden, Sterling and Agureo
or
Mata, James, Greenwood, Martial, Rashford and Cavani

Man for man City have better players.

17.) 17 Feb 2021
17 Feb 2021 10:34:44
Shappy, you could argue that City's defence has conceded less goals but they have also had to defend fewer chances, the Premier League stats show how few attacks they have faced compared to other teams. This for me is down to the midfield who are better at retaining and winning back the ball.

18.) 17 Feb 2021
17 Feb 2021 10:46:09
Have to agree with Shappy here, some of these comments are quite funny.

B. Silva, Mahrez, Torres all walk into our first 11 for the RW position.
Sterling is currently better than Rashford for LW.
Fernandinho, Rodri and Gundogan are streets ahead of McFred, and it's a case of take your pick from their centre backs. Maguire and Lindelof wouldn't make their bench. Ederson over DDG too.

From our 11 I'd take Shaw, perhaps AWB over Walker, perhaps Rashford, maybe Bruno depending what mood he's in, but KDB is probably the better of the two overall.

Best case scenario we have 4 players who get into a combined 11. City have a much better first 11 and squad.

19.) 17 Feb 2021
17 Feb 2021 11:33:32
Not 1 city player would get into oles team. They want to play football.

20.) 17 Feb 2021
17 Feb 2021 18:25:45
Ken you win for best posted reply although it is a tad unfair on Utd and Ole. Still funny though.

21.) 17 Feb 2021
17 Feb 2021 18:52:09
Fernandinho, Rodri and Gundogan are streets ahead, really. Fernandinho needs a zimmerframe he is so slow, Gundogan has been at City of 5 years, but has only been any good for the last 6 weeks, the rest of the time he has been injured or sat on the bench, 45% of games played in 5 years is poor. Rhodri is just the non-scoring poor man's McSauce.

{Ed047's Note - Rhodri the poor mans McTominay! 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

22.) 17 Feb 2021
17 Feb 2021 19:01:57
and Ederson over DDG, Ederson has a decent defence in front of him and has only made 2/ 3 of the saves that DDG makes. Just look at the number of times he has made an error that leads to a goal, Ederson is averaging double DDG.

{Ed047's Note - 🤣🤣🤣