Manchester United Banter Archive August 20 2018

20 Aug 2018 21:03:09
I feel the most important signing for Utd is to get the right person in the Director of Football role.

We need a clear plan of recruitment, youth development and our style of play.

Then the head coach of the future can be selected on this basis and have the full support of the DoF and associated youth coaches and scouting system.

21 Aug 2018 00:02:24
The most important thing right now is getting the right manager, i do believe we are falling way behind with the current manager, we need to get a manager with modern ideas of the game and one who respect our traditions. Sack mou he clearly doesn't want to be the manager anymore, leave carrick in charge for now or one the reserves coaches while we get a new manager, i don't think they will do worse than mou, Brighton scored 3 in 45 minutes for crying out loud. 3! Even worse we don't look like a proper team let alone a top one. I'm just tired of watching that crappy football that we have been playing the past 2 years. At least with Van gaal we dominated possesion and attack with a plan.

{Ed0333's Note - surely things aren’t that bad that you want Carrick to take charge or a reserve coach? Are you some kind of sadist?...you clearly love pain.

20 Aug 2018 17:20:06
Question for Ed001: Any reason why Lionel Messi wasn't in the top 3 for Uefa's award today? Most goals and assists last season, most dribbles in Europe, most freekicks scored and more man of the match awards than any other play on the continent, arguably dragged Barcelona to a league and cup double aswell?

{Ed001's Note - I have no idea. Sorry. Maybe it is just because he was not playing at his best level, even if the team did well. He certainly did not drag them anywhere last season, they won it because the rest were terrible for large periods of the season.}

20 Aug 2018 18:03:22
Messi wasnt as good as Salah, Ronaldo or Debruyne last year.

20 Aug 2018 19:08:01
Yep, that's why he got more MOTM awards than any of them 3 Singh, more goals than Salah and Ronaldo and finished just behind KDB in assists, close in terms of chances created aswell, does the goalscoring aswell as the creating. Also won Spanish and European golden boots but okay, he wasn't on the same level as them. Ronaldo was nowhere to be seen for the first half of the season either, disappeared vs Bayern in both legs and L'pool in the final.

20 Aug 2018 20:36:01
Who cares.

20 Aug 2018 21:05:02
He flopped in big games this year. He was rubbish for Argentina as well. I guess your a Messi but anyonw that tells me he was better then Ronaldo, Salah or Debruyne is deluded.

I think the best player last year was Salah or Debruyne and one of them should win the award and I also beleive one of them. should win the Ballond'or.

20 Aug 2018 21:42:44
He was easily better than them last year Singh, he literally got the most goals on the continent, assist, dribbles, passes, chances created, freekicks etc, he ranked 1st or 2nd in all them categories, also won two trophies, not to mention the amount of winners he scored in tight games or scored to get a draw. Also, got around 28 MOTM awards, 28!

20 Aug 2018 22:52:03
Also, that's quite disrespectful B Red, just because you may not be interested in this conversation it definitely doesn't give you the right to say 'who cares', i certainly do.

20 Aug 2018 23:13:45
Stats don't mean much when winning awards. Its what you win in terms of titles that counts when winning these kind of awards.

I also think Griezmann shouldve been up there for the awards as he helped Madrid win the Europa and France the world cup.

21 Aug 2018 01:04:18
Which titles did Salah win last year then Singh?

21 Aug 2018 08:32:29
So messie wins 2 titles, out does them in nearly every other stat but he still wasn't the best player on the planet, not even better than Salah who won nothing?

21 Aug 2018 10:31:27
Can't figure it out Darv lol🤔.

20 Aug 2018 12:11:29
I don't want to add too much fuel to the fire and I will confess to being among those who looked forward to his arrival.
I can agree with Jose re lack of recruitment and ultimately that is on the doorstep of Woodie, the Glazers and the board. However, three years without change of tactics or improvement of players speaks volumes about Jose and his ability (or inability? ) as a coach.
Discuss.

20 Aug 2018 12:20:54
Forgot to say (many will think me foolhardy) but could this be a good time to put a cohesive group of youngsters out there? I don't think they could do worse than what we are enduring. A few older heads among them. And for those talking about our much vaunted defensive record much of that is down to DDG.

20 Aug 2018 12:58:30
i wouldn't expect him to last beyond this season with the same negative football being played.

we can all slate how bad lvg was but at least you could see a way of playing.

we literally look like we have no clue on what type of football we want to play.

as soon as the wig came on "hoof" ball was plan a, b and c.

we are slow, lack any desire and the players have to take the blame as well.

it is going to be a very long season playing the way we are.

top 4 challenge at most.

20 Aug 2018 13:39:39
Yesterday's performance needs no dissection. We've seen it before and we'll continue to see it unless the attitude of both the players and the manager changes.

Yesterday's performance had nothing to do with ability and everything to do with attitude. It was lazy, lethargic, sluggish. We didn't match their commitment or desire. We didn't look focused and lacked concentration. We didn't show the required hunger or application. The manager sets the tone and we are still complaining three years on that we are unable to raise our game against bottom of the table teams especially away from home.

Our team is crying out for an injection of intensity and purpose. Perhaps Mourinho's biggest problem is his insistence that we sit deep behind the ball and allow the opposing team easy possession of the football. Perhaps his mantra is safety in numbers but this provides a false sense of security. When we sit deep behind the ball, it allows players to hide, to pass on responsibility, to lose concentration, social loafing is the correct expression I believe. When we start slow it's difficult to pick up the pace. The players are being sent out in the wrong frame of mind. We must at least show a desire to press, to close down, to stop crosses, to win the ball back. When will we learn that passive, defensive tactics are not required at the likes of Brighton, Huddersfield or Cardiff. Put inferior players under pressure, don't let them settle with easy possession of the ball, don't let them grow in confidence and allow them a foothold in the game. This is no longer a question of ability but of hunger and desire. The managers tactics don't set the correct tone.

Our best performances under Mourinho have come against Chelsea, Arsenal and the first half against L'pool when we've set the tone, pressed high and closed down with speed and aggression. In two of those games we've played with three at the back. A change of emphasis and formation is required.

20 Aug 2018 18:47:08
40 years ago Sexton had just taken over from the Doc. That was worse than this.

20 Aug 2018 19:34:46
DW20 I have mentioned on here before my wish to see some of the dead wood removed such as Darmian, Rojo, Blind etc and for the gaps to be filled by the younger players as back up.

However once TFM and Tuanzebe went out on loan such an idea went out the window.

The whole team was useless yesterday but Perreira ends up being one of the players taking the hit.

Jose doesn’t seem to have the skills to really bring on youth.

I believe that a manager such as Fergie could give players such as Rashford and Martial a rocket to get a response as he would balance that with a gentle arm around them when needed.
His man management skills were second to none and you only realise how good he was now he has gone.

Moyes, LVG and Mourinho have all struggled in that area. Under Fergie where would Zaha be now?

20 Aug 2018 03:33:46
There are those in journo land who have it on 'jibba-jabba'authority that the dressing room is split, that the reason luke shaw is staying is not because he wants to 'fight for his place', but because he's been advised that jose won't be in charge by the end of the season, seems the papers are waiting for the fall-out from the amazon documentary to run its course to see what happens, to me the constant disparaging stories about jose smacks of some journos' wanting payback, but somehow i think the lack of support from the directors upwards is a silence that's defining, nows the time to voice support or be prepared for more tosh being reported.

20 Aug 2018 11:03:22
Our great club has become a joke. Instead of discussing how we will conquer Europe by beating the great European teams. We are here discussing rifts, bust ups, boredom and people wanting to leave. Our club is becoming like a class in a secondary school. Why would a top world class talent want to join us when we like this. We need a new manager 100%.

20 Aug 2018 11:50:11
MissingFergie. As i and some of the others have alluded to in the past 2-3 years, the club needs a shake up from the top down to the playing staff and manager.
There is no quick fix or a silver bullet I'm afraid. The owners have to get their priorities right. They have to invest time in the way the club is run on the pitch, not just off the pitch. Woodward has been a complete joke in the transfer market and we clearly need a more professional approach. When David Gill was in charge, most transfers happened seamlessly.
The manager doesn't want to be here and it shows in the way he behaves and talks. Yet, we rushed into giving him a one year contract extension. Why?
It seems the whole place is rudderless and no one is in charge. A new manager might paper over the cracks, but will not solve the problems completely.
The club structure has to change to focus on the footballing side as much as they do the commercial side. Director of Football will be a good start, but we need to sort out the manager's intentions first before we appoint a DOF.
Is Mourinho staying or is he getting the push? If he's unhappy here, and if the dressing room is split, then the board have to act and act quickly and get rid of him.
Appointment of next manager will then become crucial. We need someone who is happy to live in Manchester (and why not, as it is a great city) . Someone who understands and respects our heritage and plays in the right way. Someone, who is assertive but not divisive. And most importantly, someone who can spread the word and attract the right players to our club and can work well with the DOF.
Until this happens, we will be playing second fiddle to City and Liverpool unfortunately.

20 Aug 2018 15:00:42
I agree completely with the first part of your post, but I don't think things would be solved by a new manager. The Glazers are interested in money, not glory. They have loaded a massive debt on the club and take millions out every year for themselves. Whilst Fergie and Gill were at the club, the effect of this was hidden, but now we have Woodward who is also a money man and is hopeless in the football world. Both LVG and Jose have complained about not being able to get hold of him to talk. Unlike the Abu Dhabi team over the last 10 years, there is no plan to improve - just to stay high enough for the money to keep coming in.
Sorry if this is depressing but I really feel this is the case.

20 Aug 2018 21:54:35
That’s the point of the DoF surely. They decide who the first team coach is ultimately and is a good stooge for actually making a decision.

Two years in and we still don’t know our best 11, formation or style Of play under Jose. I am a fan of his but he
Does not fit our club. Time to make a younger, longer term change and back then. G Neville, Giggs, Poch, Jardim whomever. As long as we entertain and go for it.