Manchester United Banter Archive December 19 2018

19 Dec 2018 22:25:58
Lots of good posts below and on the 2nd page.
While its not quite the beginning of a new era there seems to be a growing feeling that its the end of a five year largely dull era.
Ole has a very specific job to do.
He has 5 months to change the mindset of every player in the squad.
He is a club kegend and has the potential top inspire each and everyone of our players.
He has seen how fergie handled some of the biggest egos in the likes of keane cantona becks blanc stam etc. I m sure he has learnt a trick or 2.
He won't put up with any player who steps over the line and doesn't give his all for his teamates.
I think he will set out to attack and will encourage the players to play with a smile on their face.
I think the players will be delighted i hope he throws caution to the wind. What's the worst that can happen?
More pace in our play more intensity in our running off the ball more attacking intent. More togetherness more calmness .
On a personal note i'd love to see sanchez come back and be ole's cantona type figure. ( i'm not comparing him to a club legend by the way) I don't believe he is finished as a player. He more than anyone looked to be so frustrated by jose.
Im sure ole will be a boyhood hero of jessie and rash and ole will know exactly the type of service lukaku wants and needs.
So desipte his lack of experience and despite it being a 5 month job he has a kot of the right credentials to do his five month specific job.
Im always optimistic. I wish him good luck. Every player starts with a clean slate.
I can't wait for the weekend.

19 Dec 2018 23:02:25
For me the best part of this appointment is mike phelan, now I like ole and hope it works.

{Ed0333's Note - Phelan with the shorts or without?

20 Dec 2018 00:19:53
The team will show what it can do over the next 5 month and how much Jose has held them back .
That said ole isn't the long term solution but we will again make a step forward if we can appoint 5he right manager .
Poch is the man imo many have argued that he hasn't won any thing etc and that's how you judge a manager.

I'm not having that, poch is the next big thing a top top manger and his next job will be a big one . I hope it's United and he proves the doubters wrong.

20 Dec 2018 01:08:47
People have short memories, in Fergie’s last couple of seasons when the football wasn’t as great as it used to be Phelan was getting the blame on here and people couldn’t wait to see the back of him. What was it Fergie said about cows in fields?

20 Dec 2018 01:51:06
I'm never said a word about phelan, did he say they eat grass or was that his horse.

20 Dec 2018 08:53:39
Short memories on here GDS2! They used to slag Carrick off big time as well.

19 Dec 2018 17:56:22
So, Ole Gunnar Solskjær it is on an interim basis.
Firstly I have to say thanks to Jose Mourinho for the success he achieved at our club and I wish JM luck in the future.
Onto OGS, many say a risky appointment but for me he is a good appointment at the moment, he will play the right way, embrace the way united do things, obvs he will be gone in May but the objective appears to be to bring the positivity and entertainment back and rebuild confidence in the players.
I am happy Mick Phelan is with him, perhaps will add the steel Ole may lack with disciplining players.
Onto the summer and the permanent manager, only 1 choice for me and it's a no brainer, Mauricio Pochettino. Has overachieved with Spurs on that budget, plays the right way, embodies what United are about also, with Spurs limited on money with their new stadium it may be a challenge Poch will want to take at OT, i for one hope so.
So, nowhere to hide now for any players that was holding back, blaming the manager, the weak will be sought out and during the summer a rebuild perhaps will begin.
Are we happy with Ole then chaps?
I recall some on here saying they'd take losses if they was entertained, attaching football will be back and hopefully the results with it.

19 Dec 2018 19:24:15
I imagine any manager would want 1 season in the brand new stadium, why sit and watch it be built then walk away -if it were a mid table team possibly but a top 4 team, flying high in CL . must be hard to walk away from.

19 Dec 2018 19:47:56
No money to spend, possible sales to their star players to fund any moves, new stadium is for Spurs not Poch. I don’t see spurs progressing higher than their 2nd3rd place finishes, at United he will have a lot of money to progress to the very top.

19 Dec 2018 21:53:54
2nd or 3rd will be a lot better than us in the next 2-3 years. I would like to see Poch at UTD but I think he is on to a good thing where he is - have a look back at some of Wengers comments on moving into a new stadium - I think it would be a lot harder than many think to lure Poch away from Spurs.

19 Dec 2018 17:40:05
Hi guys just came on here to share my views and get yours. I’m not particularly confident of Ole’s appointment, especially since he has no experience at this level. I think it’d have been better to go with Blanc as caretaker manager, but we don’t know why the board has settled on Ole. I hope I’m wrong and he goes on to do well at United.

19 Dec 2018 15:19:40
I haven't seen Molde play and didn't look much into Cardiff when Ole was in charge. If you guys have seen his teams play, can someone please throw some light on how usually his teams set up. What formation he prefers and what kind of football he prefers?
Thanks in advance.

19 Dec 2018 16:11:02
Attacking football, left open at the back what I've been hearing today from Cardiff journo.

Lost 6-3 against liverpool the year they almost won it, went for it from the off. Got battered at the back scored 3.

4-2-3-1 formation.

19 Dec 2018 15:08:14
Rumour - In Wings the other night while a couple of United staffers where having dinner. The gossip was that our Ed has secured Zidane as the United DOF a role he is more interested in and something ED002 alluded to a little while ago) . And. he is to be joined by Poch as the new United manger for next season.
Could this be United's dream team?
Watch this space.

19 Dec 2018 15:47:47
Cant beat a good old fashioned rumour!

19 Dec 2018 16:54:20
He called Dave by any chance?

19 Dec 2018 17:26:18
I would say he will go to Juve in some capacity.

19 Dec 2018 18:01:22
My aunt's friend has a cousin whose father's friend knows a guy whose son works at old Trafford and he can confirm the above post is bull.

20 Dec 2018 00:45:44
That Zidane will go to Juve in some capacity?

19 Dec 2018 13:44:46
Just a quick thanks to Ed002 for all the insight over the past couple of days. It's very much appreciated and helpful to understand the full picture.

{Ed002's Note - You are welcome.}

19 Dec 2018 14:19:54
Ed002 which do you think is the best run club currently?

{Ed002's Note - Overall, Manchester City are very well run.}

19 Dec 2018 14:24:01
Can you kind of elaborate on that, what is it they do better than others, especially what Utd could actually learn from them.

19 Dec 2018 14:47:15
Ambitious owners who want to win trophies.
Football people running the day to day business of the club and handling recruitment.
Backing the manager in bringing in players but also in shipping out those no longer deemed good enough rather than rewarding them with new contracts.
Investing in the local community.

19 Dec 2018 14:59:56
I think City had the good fortune to be starting from next to nothing and were therefore able to create an extremely well financed debt free structure geared or the long term. They invested in the ground, the locality, the youth structure, international development all with the long term intent of being the best in Europe. Moreover they have been prepared to act quickly to take the opportunity to move on from one manager to the next in furtherance of that aim. It's rather like building a new city where none existed before. All the infrastructure is modern and contemporary as opposed to trying to update a road system built for horse drawn carriages and fix a crumbling sewer system. It's a process of natural evolution. United is the heir to Athens, City to the gleaming new towers in the desert. United has been about debt management, City about football.

19 Dec 2018 13:26:10
Whatever bad happens during the rest of the season the caretaker manager will not be regarded as being responsible for it. That allows him enormous freedom to experiment and it also shifts the burden to prove themselves squarely onto the players. I expect them to be told to go out and play football with freedom and intensity and that there will be an expectation of a much higher work rate. To a man they seem to have all lost confidence in their own ability, and that needs to be reversed, as does the sense that virtually none of them care any longer about the club itself.

As the assessment of the players' characters and commitment to the club is undertaken the club itself will be attempting to finally put in place an effective management structure and team to dig us out of this malaise. The question is whether this ownership group and its CEO, bedeviled as they are by their lack of any footballing knowledge, and whose incompetence and cupidity was masked behind the Ferguson aura, will ever be capable of making the right decisions, or indeed appeal to the preferred candidates, to work for them. They now have not one but two key appointments to make, and having not got one right yet, one cannot have too much confidence in their decision making process.

We have become a big club with expensive players headed dangerously in the direction Leeds and Newcastle took before us. Much has been said of the toxic fans but I still believe its the ownership that's the chief source of the toxicity, and for that reason, I remain skeptical as to whether we will see much from United in the next 5 years.

19 Dec 2018 11:34:34
Probably just started getting carried away but I'm genuinely delighted to see Ole coming in, and I hope it works out and he stays long term.

{Ed002's Note - He won't be staying long term. To May and he goes back to Molde.}

19 Dec 2018 12:06:07
I'm feeling positive, season imo is a write off. Get back to basics and get the lads enjoying their football again. Behind the scene, some real work needs to be put in in appointing the right coach and hopefully dof.

19 Dec 2018 12:23:50
Thank for bursting my bubble Ed.

Do you have any further insights on the long term plan? I'm assuming the next step should be the Director of Football style role and that person will play a role in the head coach appointment.

{Ed002's Note - Not beyond what I said yesterday.}

19 Dec 2018 10:23:20
For the Eds, do you see the change of manager helping the situation with Martial signing a new contract?

{Ed002's Note - Well we don't yet know who the manager will be so it should not make any difference,}

19 Dec 2018 11:43:30
Thanks Ed, my thinking was more that his relationship with Jose may have been the problem.

{Ed002's Note - I am not aware of them having a "relationship". You probably want to talk to the Sunday papers about that.}

19 Dec 2018 12:04:16
Ha ha, nice one Ed. I will keep an eye on the gossip columns.

19 Dec 2018 10:08:49
So ole it is! Not my preferred choice but having thought about it more I’ve warmed to the idea. I loved him as a player the ultimate team player and ultimate professional.

I feel a sense of relief now that Jose has gone, rather than a sense of happiness. For once I think the board made the right decision at the right time as he seemed like he had thrown the towel in and the players looked so devoid of any enjoyment and happiness.

So I believe the first thing on the agenda for ole will be to come in and bring the enjoyment of playing football back. Release the shackles and allow the players to play with lore expression and freedom. I think everybody attached with the club needs that feel good factor back. In many ways this appointment may reek of sentimentality, but we have been down the tried and tested route and it hasn’t worked. At least now we have ‘one of our own’ in charge and if it works great but if it doesn’t he isn’t staying longer anyway.

I expect to see ole revert to 2 up top and to see us playing with more width and intensity. I don’t expect top 4 or any trophies this season tbh. But it would be great to see us build that confidence and put a run of results together before we hopefully see someone like Poch walk through the door in the summer. I’m really happy to see Phelan return I was always a fan. It makes me feel more positive about ole’s appointment knowing he has someone who is vastly experienced as his number 2. Great to see Carrick and McKenna still around too. I hope they have got on the buzzer for meulensteen as well because he is a fantastic coach.

Again, I may be shot down for perhaps getting carried away with the romanticism of the appointment. But to be honest I think we should all relax and not pick holes in this appointment after the terrible last 3 months we have had. Let’s put our personal differences or opinions aside and get behind the manager and team and just enjoy watching Man Utd again.

19 Dec 2018 11:01:25
Top post mate.

19 Dec 2018 12:14:18
Here here park.

Good post.

19 Dec 2018 08:35:15
For the last 3 managers the club went for candidates that either had vast experience or a strong proven track record for winning.
All 3 failed
So its nice to see the club try a different approach and put someone in with little or no epl management experience that has had no major success in his coaching career.

Ole is a player that served the club well has great support from the fan base.
His credentials are somewhat suspect when it comes to taking a job of this size but i wish him the very best of luck.

Brining in a proven winner has not worked. Maybe a complete novice is the right move only time will tell.
I feel he needs a good start and we have a couple of fixtures that we should win so it might get some momentum going. The players will be happy. He can't do any worse so its a pretty free ride for ole.

19 Dec 2018 09:34:23
Ken - I was initially underwhelmed and apathetic to the news but he'll obviously get my full support. I loved Ole as a player he was the epitome of a Club man and team player. An unselfish warrior that put the team ahead of his own personal ambitions but when called upon he always made an impact and help shape the history of our Club. We will never forget that balmy night in Barcelona not to mention a last minute winner against Liverpool along the way which saw us lift an historic treble and many other memorable goals along the way.

His appointment reeks of sentiment but at this time maybe we just need some romance and excitement in our play.

Forget tactics, video analysis and detailed dossiers on the opposition let's just hope he picks an attacking team, increases the intensity and brings some joy and confidence back into our play. We have some talented players in our squad and if they are allowed to go and play with freedom and expression then we might at least witness some decent football.

Good luck Ole make us happy whilst skies are grey! You always did! Welcome home!

19 Dec 2018 09:55:27
The important point is that it is a temp post atm. he knows the club and with the right people around him could provide the jolt that the squad needs to get their arses into gear. We've had the names and they haven't worked out and Sir Alex wasnt exactly the finished article when he got the job way back but look how he developed.

19 Dec 2018 07:40:21
Does anyone have any idea of Solskjaer's footballing ethos and tactical set up? My expectation is attacking, using width and potentially lining up with two strikers?

19 Dec 2018 08:29:59
Well I think Molde scored the most goals in their lg and came 2nd, unless i am mistaken.

19 Dec 2018 08:44:36
I think well see two strikers up top, maybe he trys rashford and martial together, try and strike up a partnership.

19 Dec 2018 10:34:22
4-3-3 I believe, I don’t imagine we will see tactical master classes but I think you can bank on the shackles being taken off the players and you will see a more adventurous attacking style. You score 3 we score 4 kinda thing. I fully expect Bailly back playing regular now and playing like he cares again which is a new signing in itself.

19 Dec 2018 10:48:31
He plays a press but more like Nagelsmann than Klopp. He favours high energy over almost everything.

Expect a 4-3-3 set-up with Herrera, Fred and Pogba in the middle.

He hasn’t mastered the press at all however and at the moment it resembles more of a copycat tactic than one he has developed himself.