12 Dec 2021 08:51:30
Morning!

Norwich away is one of those tight grounds where the crowd is close. Their team had injury issues but did have a new manager and have improved of late. Even so we should expect more of Manchester United.

What I saw were several players who think they are superstars, with big fancy reputations, however were frankly terrible. Bruno apparently gave the ball away 27 times, Rashford was not much better, stats proved it but it was obvious just watching. When they lost the ball they gave up. We have some deeply ingrained bad habits from the last 3 years where the front players were just expected to do a bit of magic to create a couple of goals but no need to do anything beyond that. I can see we are doing the pass back and across far less, that there is now a very welcome effort to pass forward, I can see Dalot is a player we should never have considered selling. I can also see that Bruno and Rashford have to change or be sold, that simple. We all talk about Pogba and Lingard leaving, yet Bruno and Rashford have seemed untouchable. They are not and if there was something to critique Rangnick on yesterday it was that he kept those two on the pitch too long. Perhaps with Bruno the thinking is this must be a blip, his reputation was awesome and no doubt the previous manager and coaches were singing his praises, but that was in a different style where giving the ball away didn't matter as much because it brought the opposition out to counter attack them.

It will take some months to get the bad lazy habits out of some players systems, a win is a win, but in a team game, a team wanting to play modern football, not 80's and 90's stuff, then several have to wake up.

Lastly seeing Phelan on the bench yesterday was embarrassing, akin to the coach driver being on SAFs in his first game. A clear out is still needed and some players should also be wary of staying in the shirt.

1.) 12 Dec 2021
12 Dec 2021 11:06:50
Bang on redman.
It will take time for players to adjust.
Doing what they liked for 3 years has got them into bad shape and bad habits. The lunatics were running the asylum.
It won't happen over night and will take months to form new habits and for those habits to become 2nd nature. As a result I'm not going to be too criticise on individuals just yet.
I fear for the same ones you do. I do think that any player not adjusting will be sold I hope so anyway.
Really interesting few months ahead. But at least we have wrestled control back from the loons and we have a plan.

2.) 12 Dec 2021
12 Dec 2021 11:40:01
Even weeks before his departure Mourinho was saying the players still hadn’t been able to break out of their LvG programming. Find it a bit hard to believe, it’s not exactly rocket science altering a style of play but I think we all need a little more patience. 2 league wins and CL qualification for Ralf isn’t bad.

3.) 12 Dec 2021
12 Dec 2021 12:02:52
Exactly how I saw it Red Man. The result papered over the cracks. Had we lost yesterday this forum would be in uproar. Our performance yesterday didn’t deserve a 1-0 victory and if we continue to play in that manner results will suffer.

It’s Rashford’s work off the ball which worries me. I don’t mind him trying stuff and running with the ball although I accept his end product has been missing for a while but his attitude to pressing or trying to win the ball back after he’s lost it is concerning.

Bruno must look after the ball better it’s as simply as that.

Rangnick must react after yesterday’s performance otherwise we’ll just end up in the same situation as Ole with underperforming players keeping their place in the team then results will undoubtedly suffer.

4.) 12 Dec 2021
12 Dec 2021 12:44:44
Bruno ended last season very poorly and other than day 1 he has been poor this season. However, it’s not often that all the front four play so badly in the same game.

{Ed014's Note - the list of excuses just gets longer AJH.

5.) 12 Dec 2021
12 Dec 2021 12:49:37
Sadly yesterday performance mirrored what I have been seeing for a long time and probably spans more than 3 years. In my opinion the players give a performance when needed (eg. New manager or after a poor performance) but then quickly revert to type a game or too later. I think ralf will look at this and have to be quite clinical regarding some players if they do not up their game. The tail cannot consistently keep wagging the dog.

6.) 12 Dec 2021
12 Dec 2021 13:05:45
bookedredmole, you know what's a statement?
Rashford and bruno dropped to the bench while others play.
I might even drop ronaldo, but he's ronaldo, he needs 1-2 moments and he will turn the game on its head
Replace rashford with greenwood and play Donny for bruno and let's how we perform then.

7.) 12 Dec 2021
12 Dec 2021 13:48:31
Rohanarora8 I think who ever plays it should be on merit and if they do not perform others get their chance so wouldn't be too unhappy to see these changes. If we are to press and apply pressure then it has to be as a team or it does not work. Winning your personal battles and putting maximum effort in for 90 minutes is what is needed and sadly I do not always see this with united. Saddens me to say that city and Liverpool have quality and work rate and we just have quality. ralf can coach them on what he wants but effort and professionalism on the pitch is down to the players.

8.) 12 Dec 2021
12 Dec 2021 20:03:17
Red Man. I think Bruno will have to adjust his style. He's used to playing these clever but risky passes over the top of defenders. Unfortunately, they don't come off very often. He needs to play through passes on the ground. I think he's good enough to do it.
Rashford on the other hand, had no football brain, so I'm not sure if he's going to be as good as he should be. Also, his work off the ball is nil, and that's unacceptable.