06 Aug 2022 23:52:35
On the eve of a brand new Premier League season I find it hard to remember one in which we have entered so Ill prepared. Maybe under Moyes and the infamous summer where Ed Woodward flew back from Australia on urgent transfer business only to deliver Fellaini on deadline day but that was a championship wining squad littered with serial winners.

It's ok to be optimistic about a new manager but if you seriously expect him to do anything with this squad it can only be based on pure hope rather than expectation and a relief that OGS no longer prowls the touchline or more accurately sits passively on the bench.

This squad of players has only one recognised striker, he's now 37 and desperately wants to leave. Martial was sent out on loan last season, has also expressed a desire to leave and many supporters believe he's better deployed as a LW. Rashford hasn't consistently been played upfront since his breakthrough season and beyond that the cupboard is bare.

In midfield there is little alternative to Mctominay and Fred. Nobody is really convinced by DvB not even EtH if pre season is anything to go by. Bruno and Eriksen are both better further forward so the engine room lacks both quality and numbers.

Out wide there are few alternatives to Rashford and Sancho.

Over 1 billion spent since SAF retired and a decade later we enter a premier league season with only 1 striker.

In my opinion EtH has been set up to fail. "We won't overpay" eerily reminiscent of "No value in the market". Ed Woodward and urgent transfer business replaced by Murtough and Arnold jetting into Barcelona and leaving empty handed. If this is a new Man Utd somebody better tell the Club.

If EtH is to succeed it will be against all the odds. He'll someone have to turn Maguire, Lindelof, Shaw, Dalot, Mctominay, Fred, Martial and Rashford et al into players. He'll have to develop the likes of Garner, Iqbal and Garnacho.

Good luck EtH. We don't expect much just free flowing, attacking, high intensity football with a squad littered with pretenders, deflectors and back stabbers. Ps - half of them are f. rubbish and the world is watching. Break a leg!

1.) 07 Aug 2022
07 Aug 2022 01:19:40
Dlib, spot on. You've laid it on quite clearly, and anyone expecting miracles and top4, is going to be hugely disappointed.
I feel sorry for ETH and the gullible fans.

2.) 07 Aug 2022
07 Aug 2022 03:57:55
It's going to be a very up and down season. Even if we buy another 4 first team players, this amount of change takes time. When did a team last buy 7 or 8 first team starters and make top 4?

There is a difference between patient and hopeful and gullible. The ship is turning, a long road ahead, but it is happening. The player who have gone have all been the right players, I won't miss any of them. The ones who stay have a clean slate, a short rope, and need to prove themselves.

3.) 07 Aug 2022
07 Aug 2022 06:14:36
This season is all about green shoots, don't expect us to be competing for any trophies.

By the end of the season I expect a lot of the under 23s competing for 1st team places, those who under performed last year (plenty to chose from) will have either stepped up or be on the way out and EtH will know exactly who he is bringing in for next season.

The most important thing from the season is that we should hope to see a style and attitude on the pitch of a team hungry to compete.

Remember our most important signing was EtH, part of the reason he got the job was because he said he could develop the players we had, let's see what happens.

4.) 07 Aug 2022
07 Aug 2022 07:53:37
DLIB couldn’t be more wrong
I’d argue this is the most prepared we’ve been in a long time! Why? Because we have got a proper leader at the top as simple as that! Criticise the squad as much as you like, I have over last few years but one thing for certain is they are a million times better than what they’ve shown in last 18 months and I think ETH will show that. Long road ahead, expect a completely different looking squad in 18-24 months but for now let’s see what happens. Ideally few more in and few more out before window closes and let’s try and cause a stir this year, good football and a trophy ??.

5.) 07 Aug 2022
07 Aug 2022 08:14:25
I think dlib is being very realistic. Having no midfield and no attack that can score goals is not "prepared". I think we'll struggle to score goals consistently and if we don't score, it puts pressure on our defence.
But I'll be cheering the team on and losing my voice as I do every match and I hope the kids get a chance.

6.) 07 Aug 2022
07 Aug 2022 08:22:40
When we overpay for players, there is whining and moaning here, when we stick to our guns, there is whining and moaning here. We are yet to play our 1st match yet prophets of doom are already at it.
Give it a break guys, let's see how it really goes before infecting us with your pessimism.

7.) 07 Aug 2022
07 Aug 2022 08:23:25
DLIB

Spot on and what I have taken stick for saying. My biggest worry is who is going to score the goals. We have some semblance of midfield, might even play the defender from Ajax in CM yet to win games you have to score. We need two strikers in my eyes, remember SAF had four. Shambolic on the transfer front. I would hope Garnacho takes a winger spot. It really worries me when it was rumoured ETH wanted Zyech from Chelsea.

8.) 07 Aug 2022
07 Aug 2022 09:14:48
Remember when Bruno first showed up, scored the goals and carried the team for 18 months. EtH needs to get that Bruno back to cover the short term scoring issues, that gives him time to build the team in his own vision.

9.) 07 Aug 2022
07 Aug 2022 10:54:56
Well thank the Lord that we're underway! Hopefully now we can see with our own eyes what's going on rather than be overpowered by the constant speculation and often unpleasant threads that have dominated the close season by the louder opinions.

10.) 07 Aug 2022
07 Aug 2022 11:37:25
We scored plenty of goals before Ronaldo with rashford martial Bruno and greenwood, we’ve since added sancho erikson and Ronaldo is still here! No need to be so down in the dumps, waiting for any opportunity to get a dig in!
On route to hopefully see the first three points in the bag! Come on the boys!

11.) 07 Aug 2022
07 Aug 2022 12:20:04
Chris no one is down in the dumps. Who is going to score the goals? I think we're going to rely heavily on
Our midfield and wingers scoring goals.
Like Red Man, I want Garnacho to start, he's ready. And I too am not sure about having Zayech as a transfer target.
Charlie McNeil has scored plenty of goals, I would rather give him a chance than rely on Ronaldo going or staying.
Sesko seems a very confident and skilful player, and I would be going all out for him to bolster that area. Problem though, is our club is no longer an attractive proposition to most players with ambition. But hopefully, ETH will change that. I have confidence in him.

12.) 07 Aug 2022
07 Aug 2022 13:07:35
I have every confidence in ETH. But I don’t think the club has properly backed him.

Specifically I think midfield and attack are massive problems.

Even if Ronaldo stays, we have two strikers. A 37 year old and a player who was so unnecessary last season that he was shipped out on loan where he flopped.

Midfield, as has been said for the last few seasons, you cannot compete with Fred and McTom as the starters. We lost Pogba and Matic who were regular starters last season, and have not replaced them. DVB and Eriksen would need a bona fide defensive mid to play there. While I can accept that the club is holding out (in my view pointlessly) for De Jong at ETH’s behest, there is no reason why the club has not brought in one midfield player to replace Matic in the squad. With Garner looking likely to be loaned, it is baffling how inactive we have been.

I have much more confidence in the manager’s ability to get performances, but the club is simply not putting him in a position to compete. I think we are falling behind the top 4, let alone the top 2.

13.) 07 Aug 2022
07 Aug 2022 13:22:57
Agree Chris. On top of that, all players (bar 1 certain individual) had a good full pre season. Two poor individuals for a changing room gone as well so team spirit should be the best it’s been for a long time too.