Manchester United Banter Archive August 28 2018

28 Aug 2018 18:41:12
Hello Ed002,

Thank you very much for all the info you’ve given and keep giving us.
I keep wondering about one bit though.
You keep saying we should take everything Jose says to the media with a pinch of salt.
I take from that he wants to achieve something with some kind of a show for the media.
Do you have a clue what he is trying to achieve at the moment, or let’s say up until recently, with his grumpy pre-season and start to the season?
Apparently he is different within the camp.
Is he positive towards the team? Is he positive towards EW / the board?
Why is he kicking his Defence in the media?
Thank you in advance for your insights here.

{Ed002's Note - Yes, I would not take any notice of anything he says. He is certainly not interested in trying to provide any sort of "show" for the media. He is trying to achieve the side winning, being successful and, if it is viable, playing attractive football as well. He doesn't need to be positive toward anyone, particularly the media who ask tiresome questions and look to trap an answer in order to produce a splash headline. He certainly does not need to appease players or massage their egos - they have a job to do, if they do not feel they are up to it they simply need to go along to his office and blubber about them not being up to it and demand to play every game and they can be shown the door. He doesn't need to be positive toward the board, he has a job to do and he will do it as best he can. What you need to do is ignore everything he says, and not listen to it and try to analyse what he means from it. I spent a little under two hours with someone who is "high profile" in the media last Tuesday. A complete moron who is looking based on a five minute conversation with person x to publicly try and tear person y apart based on hearsay and without any knowledge of the facts at all. It is a pitiful and predominantly British problem - I would have said English but he isn't. Try not to get in to over thinking these things, try not to take what you hear and read in the media as gospel.}

28 Aug 2018 19:15:48
Thanks Ed.

So basically you mean he simply tries to best avoid their games and traps?
But there is no agenda from his side at all?

I’m not British, so might misunderstand that, but I’d guess it would be easier on his side to be Mr. Niceguy then to Mr. Grumpy.
But nevermind, I just hope they get their Act together and turn this into a better season then the previous two. That would mean we are moving in the right direction.

Thanks and have a nice evening.

{Ed002's Note - No, I mean what I said. He doesn't need to be anything with them - you seem to be trying to over analyse everything - what he said what I say. Have a nifty evening yourself.}

28 Aug 2018 19:45:55
Ed02 what went wrong for Jose at Chelsea? I you don't mind me asking .
Early days but from the outside its starting to look a bit similar.

{Ed002's Note - Try the Chelsea page.}

28 Aug 2018 19:49:22
Good insight this Ed and makes good reading. Do you think he’d get a lot more support from the club if he wasn’t so outwardly grumpy? Or, does he not care / make a bit of difference?
I buy into not pandering to players though. Get our head down, work hard and earn your super salaries!

{Ed002's Note - I don't understand the question - uou think the support of the club varies depending on the outward mood swings of the manager?}

28 Aug 2018 20:15:02
thanks for the great insight Ed, we’re tabloid fodder at the moment, it seems like the media spend there day trying to make football as dramatic as Coronation street.

28 Aug 2018 22:17:31
Not the support of the club Ed no, that clearly won’t change, but the support of the manager. What I am saying is Jose’s surly public persona certainly could put a lot of fans off backing him as the man they feel to take the club forward - you can see it clearly on these pages.

{Ed002's Note - Who cares if the fans are fickle as well as toxic.}

28 Aug 2018 23:30:10
All clubs have fickle fans.

{Ed002's Note - You sound like a Liverpool fan trying to make it about someone else. Embarrassing.}

29 Aug 2018 07:40:20
Glad to see that ed002 has clarified the gutter british media. I would say sports journalists, but they have little interest in sport and more in sensationalism and outright lies. A few on here would do well to remember that when reading.

29 Aug 2018 08:55:01
You’re right in hope, and it’s not just restricted sports journalism which is far more damaging.

29 Aug 2018 11:47:29
Really insightful and thought-provoking read Ed002, thank you.

Really can’t be easy for Jose at the moment.

29 Aug 2018 12:39:15
Some of our fans are the worst. Just look at how they behaved around LVG sacking.

29 Aug 2018 13:08:37
Angel
Can you remember the abuse our captain and all time scorer got.
Unfourtantlt a lot of fans are like that.

29 Aug 2018 14:19:11
Angel, do you remember how poor the football style was under LVG? I think time is starting to tell with how some of us view his stewardship. The revisionism seems to be creeping in. Yes, he had a philosophy and style, which is more then Jose seems to have at the minute, but it was a God-awful style. I'd still take watching Jose's efforts over LVG's any day of the week.

29 Aug 2018 15:31:22
Abuse Rooney got? Like personal? Or what abuse do you mean? Please elaborate on that.

Maybe just some fans rightfully saying he was finished as a contributor to our team. I think they were right about that as it has been shown in the last number of seasons. Unless I'm mistaken and he isn't playing in the US?

However, the respect he received from the very same on here because of his achievements is unquestionable.

Nou, there was a plan in place, fans changed that. We are where we are because that change was made.

29 Aug 2018 15:32:33
Jred, don't mistake criticism for abuse. No matter what suits your narrative.

29 Aug 2018 16:03:11
Angel
Yet abuse non football and footy related .
And yet your getting your knickers in a twist because some people have critised our manager, who so hasn't achieved a great deal compared to our previous captain .

So should we support the manager club and players like you say or just Jose.

29 Aug 2018 16:04:56
Or a weak board changed it. Who's to say Allegri would have done any better than Jose. A plan is just a plan. Doesn't mean it would have been a good one 😁.

29 Aug 2018 20:14:06
Jred still misses Rooneyy. Lolllĺ.

29 Aug 2018 21:08:29
Singh
Really good post that pal .

30 Aug 2018 07:19:12
Nou, be a better plan than any of us here could come up with 😁

Well any of us except jred 😂.

28 Aug 2018 13:40:03
I honestly don't know where I am with Jose.
In one hand his attitude and demeanor have been wrong since preseason. Last night, I thought he was a different bloke. On the touch line applauding, motivating and instructing. He made a bee line for Shaw at the end and put an arm round him and praised him. He didn't run down the tunnel like he has done before. He stood infront of the fans and was prepared to take what was thrown at him. I think if the fans booed him he would have walked. The reaction gave him a new lease of life and the press conference reminded me of Fergies back in the day. Defiant.
End of the day I hear the same things. The Man United way. Nurturing etc. If that is one of tge biggest gripes then direct your anger to the board. They knew what you get when you sign Jose. We all know the kind of player he wants. he's been the same all his career. Its hardly a shock. Personally, I would back him. let's get some trophies in the cabinet and look like a big team again. Players want to win trophies and if we were, we would attract the big stars. i'm not saying let's buy 29 year olds but I would back Jose and when he leaves, have a great platform to build upon. All his over teams after he left were not terrible teams. All went on to win something we minimal transfers really.
If Jose wants to fight. i'm prepared to let him.

28 Aug 2018 17:40:20
I don’t go to old Trafford anymore which in a way breaks my heart. When I was a kid late 70’s and 80’s going there was better than anything including Xmas and holidays. The place is now soulless
There is no atmosphere whatsoever, all the club is bothered about are the mugs spending money in the megastore. God forbid you stand up and sing or swear. All seaters killed the game in this country.

28 Aug 2018 18:34:38
Blackpool,

Times have changed get over it and get on with it, the atmosphere was decent last night, I enjoyed it despite the result.

28 Aug 2018 21:37:37
Gds, seating is only a small part of the problem. How come they still generate a lot of noise at Liverpool and Everton grounds? Blackpool Red is absolutely spot on, and we can't just ignore it or "get used to it". Its exactly that attitude that has got us in the mess we are today.

29 Aug 2018 07:32:05
First half was great just like a big game from the 80s . When the second went in it was a little different but weird to say no booing. Its because of all seater stadiums I would say 😆😆.

28 Aug 2018 12:52:40
Saddest thing I have heard today was from a few other utd fans who said " at least they had a go". to me this is just ridiculous!

When a bottom level club come up against top teams and get stuck in or run around like headless chickens that to me is "having a go". once Spurs weathered the early storm they were far superior technically, tactically, physically and mentally.

Herrera, Fred, Lingard, Valencia and few others will always "have a go" which to me is the bare minimum you would expect from any professional at any club. However I feel we lack quality. How many of our team would get in City, Liverpool, Spurs or even Chelsea team. Athletes (Mourinho type) but not technically good enough on the ball to control a game. Mourinho has always had this type of team and has had success so won't change. Happy to be defensive first but seems we can't even do that now!

28 Aug 2018 11:36:38
To the Ed's
Are the club planning for the inevitable of Mourihno's departure. Rumours of Zidane being lined up, is he looking to return to management? If he isn't, are the club looking for a replacement that has a particular style or is it going to be another case of getting a big name in regardless of style? Heard a rumour of conte as a possible, as if that would solve the current issues.
Cheers.

{Ed002's Note - I think you will find that the club has a manager and they have made that very clear. I am not aware of any approach to Zinedine Zidane or anyone else. I am not going to comment on Conte at this time for other reasons. Sam Allardyce is of course available.}

28 Aug 2018 11:51:29
Conte would be as boring, and would let city walk all over us like he did with Chelsea last season. ZZ has no experience building sides, I doubt he would last either.

28 Aug 2018 12:32:54
IF the club was forced to act and change manager yet again it would be Poch as my personal choice, can’t see him coming here at the moment tho, Eddie Howe, as Noucamp said last night with an experienced DOF or as Ed alluded to Laurent Blanc. Jardim seems unlikely tho I would like him here post Jose but Jose Mourinho is our manager and we should get behind the team thru this difficult time. By all accounts the club are looking at a DOF regardless which is a good step imo. I feel the club needs is to rediscover it’s identity tbh, we seem to have lost our way since 2013.

28 Aug 2018 13:04:23
I agree welsh! Porch is the perfect replacement. Do I think it will happen? No but I will say this and by all means take it as a gain of salt. I remember hearing an interview from a Southampton employee and close friend of poch’s, he said that he knew poch was leaving Southampton because when they played against Spurs poch treated the game as a job interview. He wore his best attire made sure he was well groomed and spoke well of Tottenham. I kept this in the back of my mind and watched every time he has managed. Tonight he looked the business!

28 Aug 2018 13:22:54
Looked sharp tracksuit was good suit and black shirt simeone style 🤣.

28 Aug 2018 19:53:57
Black shirt with a suit. Definite faux pas!

28 Aug 2018 09:51:10
23 shots yesterday and on the whole a more attacking performance yesterday.

Are the people who said theyd be happy if we lost but played attacking football satisfied?

28 Aug 2018 10:29:17
It was better than the first two games, so happier. But the performance couldn't really be described as 'attacking' could it?

Going from 10% attacking intent to 25% is improvement, but it's not what you'd expect from Utd going forward, nowhere close.

28 Aug 2018 10:42:23
I think Mourinho set up the team brilliantly and it's the players who have let him down, again, just as they did last week.

Lukaku missed a sitter yesterday, his goal could have totally turned the game around, just like he did last week against Brighton, although last night was easier than 8 days ago.

Another player who doesn't deserve to wear the jersey anymore is Paul Pogba, his inability to play simple football is mind-numbing. He wants out, sell him. We wanted him back, he doesn't want to be here. I think it'll be fair to him and the club if he was to leave now.

I think Matic looked off yesterday, maybe because he isn't match fit, maybe Andreas should have started yesterday.

Anyway, I don't fault Mou in either of the losses, it's the players who seem to be doing a really good job of making Mourinho looking worse that what he actually is.

28 Aug 2018 10:46:36
i don't think you can call that performance attacking.

we were running round like headless chickens, didn't have a clue what to do when we got in the final third, countless times the crossing was poor again

the first 5 minutes we were pressing trying to play the ball quick,

but after the lukaku miss we were poor yet again.

the only players looking like they gave a damn, were shaw and lingard, and to be fair to fred at least he was trying.

our big game players were missing yet again.

we can all give jose the blame but again the players were below par. mistake after mistake, i don't even think we made 5 passes before losing the ball.

already we have a mountain to climb, burnley away is a must win. top 4 is going to be a struggle already.

the players need to wake up.

28 Aug 2018 10:51:45
Raghav - There is more to management than picking a team and watching them for 90 minutes. He is meant to be preparing the players, physically and mentally - we look unprepared. Yes the players should man up, but they reflect the manager. We seemed to use up all our energy in 45 minuts, which is bad fitness and game management. Heads dropped at the Kane goal as well.

The manager is more responsible than the players as he picks them, tells them what he wants them to do and prepares them for this. One or two players have an 'off day' for other teams, but for us it's 2 or 3 players have a decent day, the rest don't turn up almost every week. BIG problem.

Remember the numerous chances Alli had, in fact Lindelof gifted Alli the virtual same chance Rose gifted Lukaku - Spurs were just as guilty of missing great chances as well.

I wouldn't want to work under Jose, we only see glimpses of what he is like, but if he is like this in public then it must be horrible being managed by him if you are on or close to his ever expanding 'naughty list'. He has lost the players imo, just like at Chelsea.

28 Aug 2018 11:16:24
I think it’s completely Jose’s fault yesterday. Spurs missed some sitters too, plus should of had a pen.

In order to make a point about how the club didn’t back him in the transfer market, he dropped the two cbs from the first two games (one from the squad entirely), and played a midfielder in defence. Our defenders have zero confidence because the manager has repeatedly intimated that they are not good enough. We were left with a back 3 that have never played together in a game against one of the best attacking sides in the league. The first half was a mess with both sides making mistakes, and generally looking like a bunch of nervous kids. Second half Spurs came out and dominated. Jose’s response when 2 nil down was, as usual, to bring on Fellaini and lump it up the field.

So we played with slightly more attacking intent, but got hammered. It all looks like his final half season with Chelsea. Jose lashing out at players, a disjointed team, and confidence shot throughout.

28 Aug 2018 11:29:13
Wondered when this would appear. Simple answer, yes. Would you not prefer a little bit more urgency, compared to that insipid performance last week. However, I'll say again. Playing good football and winning, don't have to be mutually exclusive. And one usually follows on from the other.

28 Aug 2018 12:06:11
I suppose there is that way of looking at it as well Danny your point is not lost on me despite my more optimistic posts this morning.

28 Aug 2018 12:07:40
One word answer : Yes.
A step in the right direction.
Detail:
1.Defence needs addressing - I think most agree. I do not think recent
signings have improved us so far - these are José's signing that he must take responsibility for. Until this is properly sorted, bad as they can be Smalling and Jones have to stay.
2. We did everything better except put the ball in the net. Story of the last few years. I know we have multiple attacking options but we desperately need a competent goalpoacher.
3.Fred is not a finisher, at least on the right.
4 Lindeloff? Is this the same as the WC Swedish International or a twin brother?

28 Aug 2018 12:36:06
That’s the issue DW, players like Lindeloff are capable of playing much better than they do for us. For me this is an issue of confidence. Our cbs have spent the last two months listening to the manager publicly state that they are not good enough, this has a knock on effect, and decisivness is replaced by second guessing - the worst thing for a defender. Look at the difference in Shaw’s game now that Jose isn’t criticising him after every game. At a certain point it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy - the more the manager criticises/ blames the cbs, the less likely they are to play to their best.

28 Aug 2018 13:27:12
I think danny makes a really good point.

28 Aug 2018 09:09:40
As if this site is already not frustrating enough at the moment, people want to ask the Ed's for their insight into what is happening at the club and when they don't get the answer they want or disagree with the information they are given, especially with the manager plan that was scrapped, they then want to argue about it. No wonder ed002 takes breaks from some of the forums after some of the constant nonsense.

28 Aug 2018 10:09:51
So A don't ask if you don't like the info and B shall we all not have a opinion on some info being given?

Eds have great insight but why can't people have views as long as they aren't abusive and nasty and calling them names.

28 Aug 2018 10:33:02
I never said that FZZ, I can't work out why people need to constantly argue over info given from the Ed's, especially ed002. It seems like some on here are after any reason to prove that they are wrong at some point.

27 Aug 2018 23:53:41
What I'm going to say might shock a few people, it might even make some laugh but that performance wasn't half as bad as the score line suggests.

The first half was good. We played with passion, desire, intensity, hunger. We played with energy, dynamism, movement. We pressed Spurs and created changes. In fact we created more chances in that first half than we have in our last three competitive games combined against Chelsea (Fa Cup Final), Leicester and Brighton. The wing backs provided width and got forward well. Lingard pressed brilliantly from the front and provided good support for Lukaku. Fred brought good energy, movement and creativity to the midfield. We should have gone in at HT at least two goals up.

We don't normally play with such intensity and tired quickly in the second half. We we're a second slower to the ball and more importantly our minds tired even faster and we lost concentration. The opening goal killed us. Spurs grew whilst we looked burdened by pressure. We continued to try and press but is now looked desperate and frantic. We panicked and went to pieces.

Despite the humbling defeat the hunger and appetite of the players was in stark contrast to the Brighton defeat where it was slow, lethargic and weak. The players came out fighting tonight but a combination of poor finishing, fatigue, mental fragility and individual mistakes cost us the game.

Moving forward I liked the system, we played with energy, intensity and creativity. I think playing three at the back gives us more natural width and gets more players forward in support of Lukaku. I'd like to see us play 3-5-2 for the remainder of the season. Play with the same intensity, energy and desire and see where that takes us.

This is not the time for division or treachery. We shall not flag or fail. The manager, the Club, the players need our support now more than ever. I didn't see a team divided, not giving their all or not playing for the manager. It was a bad night that's all. We've seen them before but the sun will rise in the morning and we'll try again. We'll never die!

28 Aug 2018 01:50:37
I’m a Liverpool supporter and I’ve got to say Man U looked good first half and looked like they were going for it just poor finishing let you down. second half the defence just crumbled Under a little bit of pressure Wich I personally believe is down to the way Mourinho as acted the last 2 months has given them defenders 0% confidence . 😉 just an outside perspective looking in .

28 Aug 2018 06:14:10
The club is rotten from top to bottom. Owners who aren’t interested in glory, a manager who is living in the past nobody cares you have won 3 premier leagues Mr Mourinho except you and the Chelsea fans. Ovepayed premadonna players. Ideally we need new owners and a new manager but that won’t happen so I honestly don’t know what is going to happen. At least we haven’t got Blackpool’s owners where I’m from because I’m sure they’d of been lynched if they had of been. No matter what happens Utd will never die keep the red flag flying high.

28 Aug 2018 09:18:59
We played ok first half but I've got to be honest it felt a little bit like the last role of the dice .

Herrera at cb? He was all over the place, turning up on the edge of the spurs box time and again .

Positives smalling done well although he got done by moura, Jose has said he doesn't know his best cb pair, which is a sin from a manager in his third year .
But he also said it will smalling and 1 other .
The other positive was Shaw who was excellent, very good a player people have constantly posted isn't good enough and should be sold .

28 Aug 2018 10:53:41
Exactly JRED
We did okay and lost. Can't we just play very well and win just like the other top teams?

Mou is on is third season how long will take make this team play like this week in week out? Another 500M and 3 more seasons?
That's not good enough for United.