Manchester United Banter Archive May 26 2018

26 May 2018 23:05:37
Shame to see you believe you’re labelled as toxic Shappy. Whilst I’m more pro Jose than yourself your arguments against are well structured, thought out and very often hard to counter.

Toxic fans I would suggest have none of the above, waver their beliefs to fit in with some delinquent crowd and place as much significance on the colour of the away shirt as they do team performance.

That is most definitely not you from what I’ve read. Nor is it any of the other regular insightful posters - Beast, Jred, Park and so on.

I’m sure every club has its toxics, however United - as they embrace social media more and more - will attract more through plain old statistical reasoning. United have a wealth of tradition, not just as a club but as a loyal supporter base. If supporters such as yourselves are perceived as toxic then we may as well give up.

There’s more to United than simply winning, and it’s the ridiculous and unjustified craving for success beyond the fact that no team dominates in any sport forever that creates the juvenile, transfer seeking toxic mindset that separates true fans from those looking to boost their own fragile self-esteem and online identity.

That’s not you Shappy!

26 May 2018 23:30:41
Shappy, have you done a MAZE, and registered under a second name? :)

{Ed007's Note - Has, Shappy's Tinder/Grinder been hacked?}

27 May 2018 00:23:38
Come on Stevie, Gumbo's post is only 5 paragraphs long, clearly not one of mine. Lol.

Cheers, Timbo. I've fortunately been around long enough not to take it to heart. I generally tend to be one of the more positive posters, not quite GDS level positive but pretty close. However, I am finding it increasingly hard to find things to be positive about atm with regards to our club. For me Manchester United means so much more than winning titles. We should be winning titles our way. What I would give for a manager who wants to bring positive offensive football, trust in youth, fight and spirit to our side.

We are all enjoying poking fun at Liverpool tonight, but look at that team for a second. Look at the quality of the players. You have one or two great players, Salah, Mane and Firmino. But beyond those three they have two jokes for goalkeepers, a very underwhelming midfield and a defence that lacks any real quality.

Yet look at the football they play, look how far it has taken them in the UCL? Klopp has improved everyone of their players regardless of their attitude. He hasn't given pitiful excuses, he has just got on with the job. He has embraced the club.

Many of our fans state that once Mourinho has had another 250m to spend that our side will start to improve. That suddenly we'll play great football, even though none of us can point to a single player in our squad who we can categorically say Jose has improved in two years at our club. Why is Jose unable to improve the players we have? Including 8 of which he himself bought.

Will more money help? Maybe? But not on what I've seen so far. And it might cost us several of our best young players to continue down this road.

27 May 2018 01:34:58
Really good read Timbo. Shaps can’t argue much with that. Over the years I have always found myself agreeing with your posts but it seems for the first time we disagree on something - the dreaded Jose topic! But I agree on the Liverpool point that Klopp has them playing out their skin. He has improved nearly every single one of their players. That’s the sign of a great coach. His man management skills are clear to see. However, he struggles to do the most important thing - win. 6 finals and 6 losses. Personally I wanted Klopp when Fergie left but it wasn’t to be.

I think buying new players is not always the problem. Especially when Jose isn’t getting the best out of the current crop of talented players. However, investment in the full backs should provide us with much needed attacking intent and threat from the wide areas. Dragging the opposition full backs wide will allow more movement inside for the likes of Sanchez, pogba and martial etc. A big problem is our movement off the ball so if that improves then I expect to see an upturn in playing style. Think we have plenty to look forward too.

27 May 2018 07:03:31
Park, investment in new full backs will only improve our attacking intent if Jose wants his full backs to attack. This session our first choice full backs were Valencia and Young, two players who have been attacking wingers for the majority of their careers. I would have thought they would have been more than capable of providing attacking intent if that was their directive.

Shaw has been dropped not because he lacks attacking intent, he is probably our best offensive full back, however, he has been dropped because he occasionally has lapses in defence.

I agree we need two new full back, strength and depth is poor at full back and two of them are 33 and 34, which isn't ideal in what is probably the most physically demanding position on the pitch.

However, I disagree that Jose will change his spots and do something different for the first time in 20 years.

If you want Jose to continue then fine, but do so knowing that it will mean more of the same and not with the hope that suddenly Jose will have an epithany and change. He won't. We may get better at grinding out results, but the style will stay the same.

27 May 2018 09:53:23
I agree he isn’t going to suddenly play free flowing football. He will still set us up defensively sound and then to counter at pace. This was very effective and entertaining while he was at Chelsea and real. At both those teams he had a very robust and dynamic midfield so hopefully the addition of Fred and another will facilitate this. I’m under no illusion we will be playing pep or Klopp football next season. But I do think quality signings in key positions will see and improvement in style and substance.

26 May 2018 21:51:02
A fairly definitive interview from Bale there, looks likely he might be moving. But where?

Just a random prediction, Bale - Pogba swap?

26 May 2018 21:54:59
No chance.

Bales value has prob just gone up 20 million

But pogba isn't at his peak yet.

26 May 2018 21:59:10
No thankyou.

26 May 2018 22:03:25
Bale De Gea more likely.

26 May 2018 22:12:16
I think Poch might push for him - wildcard I know money wise for spurs but i reckon Bale would fancy it.

26 May 2018 22:37:24
^ no chance, he's on a huge amount and won't come down to Spurs salary. Also he will be £70m+.

26 May 2018 22:53:44
Always thought he would play for Utd at some point. I'd have him here in a heart beat. Not my money, and he's not stunting the development of any of our young players in the RW position. Guy is still absolute class.

26 May 2018 21:11:00
Forget Bales injury record, if that goal stops Liverpool winning the champions league sign him up. I don't care if he spends half the season on the treatment table, he will be a legend in my eyes.

26 May 2018 21:15:42
He can spend the whole season if that's the winner!

26 May 2018 21:31:46
Well. that one is going to ve the winner!

26 May 2018 21:34:10
People forget what a top player he is. A bit of the out of sight, out of mind. Guy's still class.

26 May 2018 21:35:35
I don't care if Madrid wins with that goal, the guy can't stay fit. I want Mou to build for the future so no, i don't want Bale. Promote from within if he has to but let's build a team to dominate.

26 May 2018 21:41:38
Never been happier to lose £100 on a bet. Bale Bale.

26 May 2018 21:52:36
Blackpool, none of my four bets came in and I’m smiling like a Cheshire Cat who just met Pepe le Pew’s girlfriend.

26 May 2018 19:40:07
Anyone fancy Johnny Evans for £3m. Has to be better than Rojo.

26 May 2018 20:40:33
No even though it is a steal at that price. Would rather promote Tuanzebe.

26 May 2018 21:12:19
Well said Park.

26 May 2018 18:56:53
Welcome back Fulham! I guess Terry doesn't have to worry about facing Chelsea anymore.

26 May 2018 19:06:00
Its a shame villa didn't come up, we have a great record at villa park. Even moyes and lvg managed to win there.

26 May 2018 19:30:48
I’m glad, hate the play offs, Fulham was 3rd so deserve to be the 3rd team up plus Villa need a spell out, they stink.

26 May 2018 19:33:32
Used to live in London and enjoyed a match at Fulham now and again. Great ground. Pleased they’re back. Villa too negative under Brucie but he’s done well to get them back and being competitive.

26 May 2018 12:06:25
I read this earlier which was pretty crazy (especially if you are the Pope) .

1981 - Liverpool won CL, British Prince Marries, Pope dies

2005 - ditto

2018 - Harry just got married - oh dear!

26 May 2018 12:08:46
Just fact checked - 1981 Pope was almost killed didn't die. fake news from Beast sorry.

26 May 2018 12:28:20
There is another one

58-real win
68-utd win
78-liverpool win
98 -real win
08 - utd win
18 -"NNNNOOOOOO"

26 May 2018 12:40:13
Last time united lost a cup final and was a Royal wedding Liverpool won it, omen enough for me.

26 May 2018 13:10:40
I've put a whole fiver from my son's uni fund on 4-2 to Madrid. He'll probably not be needing it anyway 😁.

26 May 2018 13:32:13
Every utd fan should be putting money on the scorers as I’m a terrible gambler so it’s a win win. I won’t be watching can’t bear it.

26 May 2018 14:19:35
I've 2 words, please Ronaldo.

26 May 2018 14:20:21
In real's favour scousers haven't played for two weeks and it's not at Anfield. That team is a very dangerous prospect at anfield, not quite as irresistible away.

Liverpool will look to blast them early, If real keep that high press and the three attackers at bay for the first 30 then they'll take control as the team with a far superior midfield.

Reckon Bale could be the man tonight, plenty to prove after another injury ravaged season and against a British team.
Also looking for another midfield masterclass from one of my favourite players, luka modric.

26 May 2018 15:14:49
Real are the masters of gamesmanship and footballs dark arts. They can get the opposition frustrated, annoyed and riled up. That's when they can hit you with some footballing brilliance. It takes big game experience to deal with that. Liverpool are lacking in that department.
If Liverpool can deal with the gamesmanship and play acting, they can win. Unfortunately.

26 May 2018 22:19:14
yeah beast get it right mate lol, you nearly had your 3 good catholic pals me, leahy, and ken in tears there with that stat lol.

26 May 2018 09:07:31
I’d to reply to MikeT80 who says he doesn’t come on any more due to all the negativity.

Firstly Mike, you have a point. There has been a lot of whinging about Jose and I’ve not been shy about adding my view to that. I guess the issue is when that is all a poster does it gets repetitive and boring (no names, no pack drill) . I have had a whinge or two, but I’ve also had a laugh, made suggestions, reminisced about the past, cracked a few jokes and generally tried to stay engaged.

A recent poll about whether Jose should stay, finished with a slight majority wanting him to stay but it’s not decisive either way so clearly a debate will rumble on. For whatever reason, the negative posters tend to be more passionate about sharing their views that the positive ones.

Despite my occasional negativity I steer clear of live chat because I find it toxic in the literal sense of that word and that sums the issue up. Passions run highest during a game, them immediately after the game. When there is a gap everyone calms down and we get more rational debate. I’ve enjoyed the discussion, people have fair points to make either side of the argument and when they don’t and spout rubbish, then they are called out.

My one wish is that people stop repeating the same thing time after time. Make your point, have the discussion, move on. The Rooney debate was a classic example. We had a great thread about Rooney with his fans and critics all contributing and then a week later another poster wants to do it again.

I’d like the more positive posters to stay and contribute more, we’ve lost some, who like you, got fed up of the relentless pessimism. Mike I’ve just read your last post from a match and it’s a really good thread, as GDS said, you should post more. Let’s get a better balance.

26 May 2018 09:36:58
Great post mate. Very well said.

26 May 2018 09:50:06
Tony, it all get a bit much. I have always considered myself a more positive poster, yet recently I get labelled as "toxic" for believing that Jose won't bring the glory days back and will leave the club with just as many issues as he found it, albeit different ones.

My view is that when things are going well then there is no negativity. So the clear unrest amount a large proportion of fans clearly suggests things aren't rosy.

I also think sadly Jose brings a lot of the negativity against him on himself.

Parking the bus against teams that will go on to be relegated.

Slating all our players after every loss.

Blaming defeats on the clubs history.

And his general sullen, sulky attitude. I can appreciate it must be hard living in Manchester without his family, but that is his and his wife's choice not not move. If he is unhappy about or he feels that is isn't something he can do for the next 3 years of his contract then he will have to move them up to be with him.

When all you give out is negative then it can hardly be surprising to find yourself surrounded with negativity.

26 May 2018 10:29:28
Good post Tony. To be honest initially I enjoyed the debate but you are right it has become very monotonous and boring. I consider myself just about on the Jose in side but I can clearly see and agree with the points made by the Jose out side. The issue I have is when someone posts something positive regarding new players coming on or something of that ilk, there are some people who immediately shut it down and push the negative angle that it doesn’t matter who we bring in we will still be crap. If we cannot be excited for the season to come then what’s the point?

I am not aiming this at you it’s just something I have noticed recently. Recently I’ve had to take a few days off the site because the negativity got a bit too much. Some things Jose does are ridiculous but there are some people who simply dislike him for who he is and cannot post without being clouded by this bias. Anyway, I agree it’s time to put this in the past and enjoy the new signings because I am really excited by some of the players we are linked to. We are still a huge pull for players, as is Jose. Back in the champions league as well so lots to look forward to.

26 May 2018 10:34:03
Also we are kind of limited in terms of the topics to talk about at the minute. You also get some random post which either misconstrues what you have said or completely ignores the entire thread below and asks the exact same question - which is the primary cause for repetition.

I personally feel compelled to write when I see somebody criticising anybody being critical - it's a king of virtue signalling whilst doing the very thing they are saying we should be above. I think some people struggle to disconnect Jose from Man Utd, we support Man Utd, a growing number of people do not particularly like Jose Mourinho in charge of OUR club for a myriad of reasons.

Ultimately as Shappy says if every thing was rosy in the garden the 'toxicity' would vanish, even if there were credible signs of things being as they should us 'critics' would be all over it like a rash to give us some hope. However you get people regularly saying things like 'Jose should see out his contract', I hope they have forgotten he signed a new one just a few months ago. How can you not expect people to be critical when the horrible football we are being subjected to is being rewarded by the board and there looks to be no turnaround in the near horizon.

26 May 2018 10:42:39
It would be great if we could get behind and support our players .
The term dead wood etc drives me round the bend or the fascination with players that play for different clubs.
What's wrong with supporting your club your players, you can't always have 11 superstars or win the league every year .
Buts that what supporting a team is About, good or bad there part of your team.

26 May 2018 11:40:02
Deadwood 😒.

26 May 2018 12:09:48
I like your post Tony but I do also like reading other post from Shappy, Beast, Jred, Ken, Park etc. I enjoy spending my time reading all the different opinions. Obviously we are all not the same but there is a common thing here: WE ALL LOVE MANCHESTER UNITED.
If we all think the same I think this would be a fantastically boring site. Just agree to disagree. Nobody is toxic as far as I am concerned. Life is short so enjoy each other’s difference and opinions. We are not trying to run a political site here. I’d be the first one to get out if it becomes that 🤣🤣🤣. Let’s just enjoy guys 😊.

26 May 2018 12:49:04
AJH, you make the point perfectly and I completely agree - hence why this is my first post in months.
It's all become a bit tiresome. If you were a neutral visiting the site you would be forgiven for thinking it was an anti United page at times.
Of course there has to be a balance and we all have different views, but some are just so repetitive and negative it's completely unbalanced.
Still when we have a new manager and 74 shinny new signings we are bound to be too dogs again because City, Liverpool and the like are only doing well because we are crap.
Other teams have no right to invest, improve and be better in their own right, have they?

26 May 2018 12:48:27
666 love that you always bring positivity and a feel good factor to the site. Long may it continue mate!

26 May 2018 15:10:45
Shappy, you could turn any thread into a moan about Jose. You need to go drink on a beach somewhere! 😂.

26 May 2018 16:10:47
666. Great post and i also agree i find all people's views interesting. Of course, we can't agree completely, but i can see other people's point of view.
The main thing is to remember we all love United and want them to do well.
If Mourinho can deliver that without dragging the club's reputation through the mud, then I'll be the first to stand up and congratulate him.

26 May 2018 19:16:21
Nice to see you post again betty hope all is well in your world.

27 May 2018 07:56:11
All good Deano, thanks for asking. You good too?

26 May 2018 07:31:17
So it is the morning of the biggest most important game in club football. Who do you want to win?

I would say Aston Villa, great history and Villa Park is a good ground to go to, plus Steve Bruce a legend.

26 May 2018 08:46:46
Very good Red Man. Brucie is the best layer never to be capped by England, he was immense for us and there through the journey. Who can forget the winner in the 7th minute of injury time against Wednesday?

I also have a soft spot for Villa from when they got promoted with us in ‘75, I was 10 and I always kept an eye out for their results. Did you know, when we got promoted, Villa finished second and Norwich were third? And when we won the Premier League in ‘93, Villa finished second and Norwich were third. Spooky. Villa are an example of how it can go horribly wrong; they were challenging the top 6 but the owner wasn’t prepared to invest what was needed, and look what happened.

I think Villa will shade it today, they have some experienced players, a game like this is made for Terry. As for the other game, I think aliverpool will blow Madrid away in the first half hour unless they change their usual approach. We would then see them clinging on as their defence remains suspect. I’m almost tempted to watch it.

26 May 2018 09:29:14
AJH

Is there another game today?

I had to switch radio stations in the car because it was wall to wall Scouse history, fine for a while but it’s so over the top, I don’t want Radio Liverpool and I may not switch the sport station back on, so hence why my post was a little humour based.

Been to Villa Park a few times in the past, especially enjoyed semi finals there, when semi finals were real and not at the bloated waste of money, made for southern England, white elephant Wembley.

If I was betting I would go Villa based on being able to manage the game, Terry will be important. Bruce is a thoroughly decent man who deserves to get a big club like Villa up.

The other game, if it is nil nil after half an hour I fancy Madrid may edge it, but Marcelo positioning will be key. An early Liverpool goal and it will settle them, but can they defend any lead? Not sure I will watch.

26 May 2018 09:37:30
I think it'll be a great game to watch, Tony. Nice distraction from the turgid stuff we've spent most of the season watching.

As regards the play-off, I'm genuinely torn. I love Bruce, soft spot for Villa since the days of Withe and the wee blonde haired lad, who's name escapes me, and they should be a Premier League club. But Fulham have been great to watch this season, only faltering at the very end. Probably hoping for Villa if pushed.

26 May 2018 10:17:53
I currently live in Birmingham and have always had a soft spot for Villa. Been to a few games this year and have been really impressed with jack grealish. As much as I dislike John terry he has been a great for them a real calming presence and I think that will see them through. Having said that, I hope Fulham win because they have been great to watch this year.

I will be watching the champions league tonight. I expect Liverpool to come out all guns blazing and if real are not careful they could see themselves 3-0 down in the first half hour. I have this horrible feeling Liverpool will win. i'm expecting an entertaining game so let’s hope the Ronaldo steps up once again to cement him as one of the ultimate greats.

26 May 2018 10:39:25
The wife and the in laws are from Erdington and are all rampant Villa fans.
I'm therefore hoping for a comprehensive Fulham victory.

26 May 2018 10:45:12
The match tonight should be a belter, I'm expecting a great game if footy.

26 May 2018 11:22:23
Red Man, I’ve switched the radio off as it has been dreadful, breakfast, lunch, evening, you’d think it was the second coming.

As for Billa Park, my favourite game was the FA Cup semi final against Arsenal in ‘83. 1-0 down, up stepped Big Norm and Robbo with a couple of screamers. Happy days.

26 May 2018 19:18:24
I also live in Birmingham park and most of my pals are villa fans so a dark day for them today. Some pretty miserable faces about .

26 May 2018 19:19:10
🤣🤣🤣🤣 like it red man. Been counting down all week me roll on 7.45 . dancing on ice semi’s.

26 May 2018 06:47:08
Not really heard any news about SAF for almost 2 weeks . Does anybody have an update 😆😆.

26 May 2018 07:17:21
I think the family asked for privacy, so unusually the media have respected that. Personally, I'm taking the angle that no news is good news and he is recovering as hoped.

26 May 2018 10:18:31
I would suspect no news is good news. Can’t wait to see him back at old Trafford watching.