Manchester United Banter Archive February 02 2020

02 Feb 2020 18:44:39
Genuine question. Assuming same Estrada and signings.
If brenden rodgers took over united 18 months ago and ole took over Leicester at the same time do you think Leicester would be 3rd and united where we are?
Personally i think we would be 3rd and Leicester would be about 10th.
Im not championing rodgers its just the started around the same time.

02 Feb 2020 18:57:41
# assuming same squads.

02 Feb 2020 19:07:43
I think we’d most definitely be sitting in the top 4 Ken. The squad has glaring issues, but it’s not nearly as bad as it is showing under Ole. Chris Wilder has shown what excellent coaching, tactics and a system can do for a squad not exactly littered with star quality. Simply put, Ole is a below average manager and that’s reflecting on the squad.

02 Feb 2020 19:09:04
Think your right Ken. Its no coincidence that the top 3 are the teams with attack minded coaches whos first thought is to win.

03 Feb 2020 01:33:03
Interesting question Shaps.

The Wilder point is a but off. He has had time to shape and mold the squad as he wants. He has a nicely balanced squad of players.

Leicester also have a much better squad. How many Leicester players do people on here want to buy? They lose Maguire and replace him with an excellent players and don't miss a beat. I would still take about half their team if we could.

Utd issues are a complete lack of balance in the squad. Players who don't gel well together. And injuries to key players whilst running with a thin squad.

I'm happy to complete the reboot. Reset the squad and move forward. Sticking plasters were not working.

03 Feb 2020 01:53:46
Ken, we would be in 2nd and God knows where Leicester will be.

03 Feb 2020 06:37:26
The one argument from the Ole fans that annoys me the most is "well any manager would struggle with this squad". A competent manager would have us comfortably in the top 4 at the moment. 11 wins in 33 premier league games is appaling. The fact that our rivals in and around us are also bad is not a positivity for us.

9 games Chelsea dropped points in and we have failed to capitalise once. Watching Bruno multiple times pointing at players on where they should be on the pitch on Saturday was damning. Lingard drifting out wide where we had already had two players, Bruno telling him he should be in the middle. Little details that our manager is obviously overlooking. Our movement going forward, his insistence on 4231, completely devoid of any attacking intent. A decent manager with a plan and a strategy would easily have us higher up the table.

03 Feb 2020 07:18:48
If those around us such as Spurs, Arsenal, Chelsea weren't also having a mare we would be sinking like a stone.

03 Feb 2020 07:46:31
We started the week 5th, we're now 7th. We could be 9th after the next round of matches. We are sinking like a stone.

03 Feb 2020 08:23:13
DB how is the Wilder comment off the mark? Yes he knows his squad having coached them for a number of years, but Sheffield Utd are a side who have just got promoted. Player for player how many would you actually take over ours? I bet its no more than a couple. Sheffield Utd are where they are based on sheer determination, attitude and excellent coaching. They are a team moulded in the image of Wilder. You can say our side mirror our manager too - insipid, timid and clueless. At the end of the day, we are only this close to top 4 because as others have mentioned, other sides are having a mare.

03 Feb 2020 10:36:43
Utd's problems are deeper rooted than just the coach, Brendan would be struggling similarily.

03 Feb 2020 10:57:22
Mbd, do you see a style of play from us, fluidity, patterns of play? We still look like strangers on the pitch and the manager has had over a year. Honestly this idea that no manager would improve us is terribly disrespectful to any competent manager out there.

03 Feb 2020 20:04:13
Nonsense mbd.

04 Feb 2020 00:41:10
It's a totally hypothetical question Ken, with no factual answer, so how can anyone's opinions on it be 'nonsense'?

02 Feb 2020 17:22:01
Given the seasons performances from us, Chelsea, Arsenal and Spurs I think it would only be fair to give 4th place to Sheffield United 😂.

02 Feb 2020 18:30:31
Joking aside I wouldn't put it beyond them.

02 Feb 2020 19:01:35
I expect Chelsea and spurs to fight it out . We keep fluffing or lines i'm afraid.

02 Feb 2020 19:11:49
Sheffield utd could make it on their own merits don't get me wrong. What a story that would be 😉👍

Spurs lucky today, Jose's playbook worked so it will be a 'tactical masterclass' but honestly spurs, arsenal, Chelsea and us are all v poor.

02 Feb 2020 21:16:20
Tim I agree with what you wrote. What's worse is that we all make Liverpool so good. Shrewsbury showed that they are not the greatest.

{Ed047's Note - Liverpool don’t need anyone to make them look good, they smash that themselves and was it the Liverpool first 11 they played?

Don’t start devaluing things mate, when you got totally outplayed by Bayern for 90 odd minutes did that devalue your win?

02 Feb 2020 22:10:53
Salford7 u are deluded mate.

02 Feb 2020 22:43:19
Liverpool have been outstanding, their record is phenomenal. Add that to the trevails of the other 'top' teams and we are where we are. With their points total Liverpool would be winning the league any year, however everyone else should still be performing better.

03 Feb 2020 09:48:31
Yes we were outplayed by Bayern but come on we were missing our 2 best players. If Liverpool were missing Mane and Salah they wouldn’t be no where near as effective.

{Ed001's Note - you mean like when half the team was rested and smashed Everton? Or last season against Barcelona when Salah and Firmino were out and Robertson went off at half-time injured?}

03 Feb 2020 12:44:41
A shocking Everton side and a bang average Barcelona.

{Ed001's Note - right, you don't sound bitter at all.}

03 Feb 2020 15:06:26
I’m as bitter as your lot have been for 30 years. Congrats it finally is your year.

{Ed001's Note - you certainly sound a bit pathetic. Not even able to be magnanimous about things. Just the sly little dig. Bless you. Muppets like you make it all the more enjoyable.}

03 Feb 2020 18:41:28
I never said that Liverpool are a bad team. They quite clearly are a very good one. Results prove so. However I stand by the fact that they have been made to appear better than they are because of the lack of top opposition. Bayern, Madrid and City last year were poor in the Champions League. In the Champions league final itself Spurs were not good. In the Premier league last year only City really gave Liverpool a hard time.

This year City, Spurs, Chelsea and Utd have been worse than last year whilst Liverpool have maintained their form. We have to see how Liverpool fare in Europe this season but they have not gone through unbeaten in the group stages but that's more down to them not performing at the highest level than the opposition. Barcelona Madrid Bayern Atletico and to a lesser extent Juve are in transition. City flatter to deceive. As for Utd beating Bayern in 1999.nobody claimed we played great in the final. We clearly did not but we did win the treble which Liverpool so far have not. We had strong challengers at home and in Europe that year we faced two really excellent teams in Barcelona and Juve.

For me next season will be the test to see how good Liverpool really are. City and Chelsea are going to spend on high quality players in the summer. Barcelona and Madrid likewise. Juve keep getting better. If Liverpool win the league again next year and do well in Europe then I will be among the first to say well done. I am not bitter about Liverpool's success as they have deserved it. I am bitter that Utd are performing so poorly but that's not Liverpools problem. Nor does it make Liverpool a great team. Great teams win year after year after year. The Liverpool of Shankly and Fagan were great teams. The jury is out on this current one.

02 Feb 2020 12:57:50
It's sad to see some are turning on AWB, Maguire and couple of the others. Ken pointed out below, that a lot of the players are going backwards. AWB didn't suddenly turn into a rubbish fullback. James showed great form at the beginning of the season.
However, one common denominator is that Solskjaer and the two clowns sat next to him, have suddenly decided that playing not to lose is the main objective, and that in turn has had a negative effect on the whole team.
Get them all out of the club now, and appoint anyone, even Shappy can do a better job, and
I mean no disrespect to Shappy. But the current management team is completely and utterly clueless.
They offer no passion, no tactical knowhow. We do have some good players, but this management team is not even getting 10% out of them.
Lastly, Solskjaer comes on week in week out to tell us how well we've played. Its insulting every fan's intelligence. When you see Klopp, Pep shouting instructions and urging their teams forward, then you look at our lot in the dugout, is it any wonder we're in the position we're in?

02 Feb 2020 13:22:53
TotallY agree AAA, Ole talks a negative game, saying things like we have to stay in the game, he sets up scared of the opposition, even at home. Negativity from the coaches obviously spreads to the players and affects confidence. Oles obsession with counter attack football no matter how the other team set up means we always have more men behind the ball than in attack. Its easy to defend against players when it is 2 or 3 on one because defenders don't have to deal with runners. I hold back from criticizing any player because it must be frustrating to play under these tactics. I could go on and on about Ole's incompetence but it just frustrates me. Until he is gone I expect nothing from this team.

02 Feb 2020 13:37:33
AAA - I haven't seen many posters criticising either Maguire or AWB other than giving an honest opinion on the roles they've been given in the team.

The truth is if Ole wants our full backs to provide width and attacking impetus similar to Liverpool or even Poch a few years ago at Spurs then AWB unfortunately at this moment in time lacks quality in attacking areas. Most will agree he's excellent in 1v1 situations but struggles going forward; however we knew this when we signed him.

The boy is still very young and raw but despite having some excellent attributes if he wants to be considered as one of the best full backs in the league then he must improve his attacking output.

We face a similar problem with Maguire, whilst he's excellent on the ball and in the air he lacks pace and agility. If we want to play a high line then unfortunately he'll be exposed on occasions.

Whilst I think both are very good players I'm just not convinced the way they are being asked to play best suits their attributes.

02 Feb 2020 13:56:44
Good post AAA.

02 Feb 2020 15:29:40
Dlib, AWB did attack at Palace, yet there seems to be a reason he's not going forward. In order for him to attack we have to keep possession, but unfortunately, solskjaer's tactics do not allow for that to happen. We have some very good players, but the management staff are not getting the most of them. In the words of Eric Morecambe "we're playing all the right notes, but not necessarily in the right order". That sums up our current plight.

02 Feb 2020 16:16:19
DLIB if you watched AWB last season, you could have seen he really wasn't good going forward, AAA he did not go forward much, I am not a big ole fan but to claim he was used in any form as an attacking outlet is just plain false, iirc most questioned his attacking ability when the signing was announced.

DLIB If ole wants his fb's to attack he needs to buy/ coach them better, he can't expect awb to put in great crosses, that's not his strength right now and if he wanted an attacking fb, may be he should have bought someone who was better in that department.

02 Feb 2020 17:24:30
I don't think he's as bad as people are making out. He seems to be the only one willing to try to get a goal.

02 Feb 2020 17:43:30
CSM - That's exactly my point mate. AWB is a very good full back but attacking isn't one of his strengths. Whilst in some regards he is a very good addition to the side if Ole wants our width and attacking impetus to come from the full backs which I believe he does then maybe the Club should have targeted a different kind of full back. Having said that at only 21 maybe Ole thought that his attacking instincts could be worked on and improved.

It's a similar position with Maguire. We were led to believe that Ole wanted his team to press from the front, be more dynamic and hold a higher defensively line. Unfortunately Maguire, although a very good player, doesn't quite have the pace or agility to play in a high defensive line and can sometimes be badly exposed when left isolated against fast and skilful forwards.

It curious to me that although both are very good players neither perhaps fit the profile of player required to implement Ole's preferred style of play.

I like the look of Fernandes but if he's going to play in the sane team with the likes of Mata and Pereira who all want to occupy the same space then sadly he'll be just another expensive mistake.

18 months on and nearly £200m invested in new players I still see no discernible style of play or system that is designed to get the best out of the players at his disposal.

1 win in 4 and without a goal in 270 minutes of premier league football is not indicative of a Team improving or heading in the right direction.

02 Feb 2020 18:38:26
Good post dlib mate. Veey good post. Awb is a top defender great 1v1 and in recovary tackles. In fact there is nobody better imo.
He was better for palace last season going forward he made runs with intent and did not turn inside consistenly. But as CSM said his delivery was poor and final ball was often a let down. That can be coached. It should be improving but it appears he is not allowed over lap and make attaching runs or take up streaking positions and make runs to break the lines. He did a lot mite of that at palace and with the correct coaching and under a coach with attacking intent he will imorove that side of his game.
Maguire needs a more stable partner imo. He has done ok. But again can do better.
Williams must be 1st choice for me on the other side ahead of Shaw i can actually see Williams breaking into the england squad if he plays weekly.
Mctom Williams pogba will be back soon so we should see some energy return to the team .
Im a big martial critic. Just don't like anything about him on the pitch. I recognise he has a lot of talent with a football but he is a bit fur coat no knickers for me.
Ighalo will provide some energy and experience up front at least. I'm sure he will be giving it his all and i'd rather see that and i'm sure those in midfield will appreciate a willing runner.
Dalot can make an impact.
Once we have a decent coaching team with a positive approach looking to improve players we will be fine.

03 Feb 2020 02:02:01
In that case, bearing in mind Solskjaer wants to play with attacking full backs, and if AWB is rubbish at going forward, then why did Solskjaer buy him?

03 Feb 2020 13:00:00
I thought in Saturdays game AWB made a few decent runs and got to the line but unfortunately his crossing isn't the greatest at the moment and does need working on. He very nearly created the winner when Dalot headed wide.

02 Feb 2020 12:46:08
This Utd team remain a confusion to me. I just can't understand Ole's insistence on setting us up in a 4-2-3-1 formation. It's apparent that Ole wants our width to come from the full backs and for the three players behind the striker to be fluid and interchangeable with two holding midfielders providing a shield for the defence. But we don't really have the players to make this system work effectively.

I remember endless debates about fullbacks a few years ago when Young and Valencia occupied those positions yet we find ourselves in the same position. Shaw simply doesn't have the appetite, desire, mentality, courage or fitness to play that way. We signed AWB for £50m yet he can't attack. He simply doesn't have the quality on the ball if you want the full backs to provide width and attacking impetus to the team.

I remember another debate about the signing of Maguire and playing a high defensive line in an attempt to compress the play and press the opposition allowing us to win the ball higher up the pitch. I think Ed001 suggested Maguire was not suited to this role and he was correct. We can't allow our full backs to bomb forward or our team to press aggressively because Maguire and Lindelof can't be trusted to be left exposed. Maguire has the turning circle of a cruise ship and simply doesn't have the pace or recovery speed. Lindelof also lacks pace, physicality and looks particularly vulnerable when exposed in 1v1 situations.

If Ole has a vision or identity for his Utd team then it isn't particularly well represented by his recruitment. Maguire and AWB are both very good players and solid additions but perhaps don't best represent the style he wants to implement.

I thought Fernandes made a promising debut but I get the feeling we don't really know what to do with him. It's square pegs in round holes again.

Without Rashford I just don't think Ole has the personnel to play 4-2-3-1. James progress has stalled, Martial looks lost and isolated and we don't really have a viable option on the right. Our full backs don't get forward enough and lack quality in the final third meaning the entire teams lacks width and penetration. Our CB's look vulnerable when exposed to the counter attack and we struggle at both ends of the pitch.

I suppose the suspension to Matic confused things slightly yesterday but in my opinion Ole should have persisted with the 3-5-2 formation. This allows us to get more width from the wings backs, it's allows us to to play 2 upfront and also gives us numbers in midfield.

In my opinion Greenwood is perfectly suited to the games where we dominate possession. He's a real goal threat when he receives the ball in and around the box. James is more suited to partner Martial when we want to sit deeper and break quickly against the better teams utilising his superior pace.

With the return of Bailly I'd love to see Maguire and Lindelof positioned either side and encouraged to bring the ball forward. Maguire is a very good footballer and more than capable of bringing the ball forward into midfield; likewise Lindelof on the other side. The wings backs can then push higher up the pitch giving us more players in advanced positions. Bailly or even Tuanzebe both have the pace and defensive ability to cover when one of the other CB's moves forward. With Matic, Fred or Mctominay anchoring the midfield, allowing Pogba (when fit) and Fernandes licence to get forward and influence the play.
Two forwards means Martial isn't left isolated and gives us more options in the box .

Traditionally Utd haven't played with 3 at the back but in my opinion this formation is better suited to most of the players in our current squad. The formation provides width, allows us to play two up front, gives us numbers in midfield and defensive cover.

02 Feb 2020 14:02:11
It’s negative tactics mate. We are set up not to lose and it’s absolutely cowardly. Simple truth is that the likes of AWB and Maguire came highly rated and with the view they would kick on and improve, yet what we have seen is regression with both. How long before that happens to Bruno? The manager and his awful coaching side have a lot to answer for. If so many players are regressing surely the common denominator is ole. Hence why I believe that you can give him 10 windows yet he still wouldn’t win the league. Get a proper manager in and you will see improvements in the performances of the players you’ve mentioned. Yes we need reinforcements, but these players aren’t half as bad as they are looking right now.

02 Feb 2020 14:41:38
Park - Sadly I think your probably right pal! Enjoy the rest of your weekend mate.

02 Feb 2020 17:15:56
You too buddy!

02 Feb 2020 17:33:40
None of your centre halfs are particularly strong in 1v1 or comfortable at defending out wide or the pace to play. in fact I couldn't think of a team more not suited to play 3 at the back than utd. unless you went with maguire centre about and shaw outside him. dalot and the Williams out side them. would need coaching as nd some work.

02 Feb 2020 08:42:03
I don't always agree with Jamie Redknapp but I do on both Martial and Solskjaer.

Martial was awful yesterday, virtually no movement, he is only any good with the ball at his feet facing goal about 18 yards out. I watched Raul, the Wolves centre forward and how he and several of his team ran at us with the ball, unafraid to commit our players. Then I watched our team that got the ball out to full backs yet then passed it inside, whilst Martial stood around waiting for the Hollywood pass. I grew up watching our great wide players, who didn't love Georgie Best, then Coppell and Hill. Now we rely on fast breaks using pace Through the middle and without Rashfords pace we look toothless, tactically bankrupt.

Redknapp says Ole looks a beaten man, doesn't have any spark, his win numbers are terrible. I think Ole and those nodding donkeys that sit alongside him are not just beaten, they are in fear of losing and set their team up not to lose, not to get caught. It is a negative, Cardiff, Hull mindset. Yesterday we contained Wolves at home, great performance according to Ole. I don't think I have been as bored watching United since I was stood on the Stretford End watching Sextons team.

Yes I am at it again, it's because this hurts, the drivel about how Ole is a legend so should be given more time whilst the club withers to insignificance is thoroughly annoying, frustrating and downright stupid. That negative safety first set up yesterday, the don't concede at all costs because once we do we are stuffed, that counter attack at home tactic, is unacceptable as are Solskjaers numbers as a manager. This is far worse than anything under any manager since Sexton.

After 25 games we are below Sheffield United, sat with the also rans, playing to do not lose tactics. We look up and an awful Chelsea team are easily ahead, look further up and Liverpool have more than double our points. Look around us and we have Newcastle, Everton, Southampton not far behind. It's disgraceful and I weep at the lack of leadership, the folly, the hubris coming out of my club. We have to start the comeback, you all must know Ole isn't up to it by now. Yes we need new owners, yes we need new decision makers, a DOF but at least let us watch some decent football, actually looking to attack the opponents goal, not this safety first where shape, shape, shape has replaced Attack, Attack, Attack.

{Ed047's Note - it’s like me trying to believe Unai Emery was taking Arsenal places, he was but it wasn’t upwards.

Some duped by that 22 game unbeaten run at the beginning of his tenure, even gave him the start of this season after the abject failure at the end of last season.

Two managers clearly way, way, way out of their depths. I don’t imagine their is a single fan of any other team in the league that doesn’t want OGS to stay at United.

02 Feb 2020 09:18:16
We are not a ruthless club.
We let lingard, Jones, pereira keep playing for us again and again and again.
We let Pogba take the piss out of our club.
And we do not sign a striker because we fear it will halt the development of martial.
if Martial is good enough he will grow with the competition of places, if he wants to sulk the door is always open to leave the club.

Then there are angel Gomes and tahith Chong who have shown little flashes and we have been unable to sign them up.

Maybe they won't ever be united players, but I don't really think they have had a proper chance.

If half the game time afforded to pereira and Lingard were given to either of them we would have been better performances.

James Garner is suddenly not training with us for a month.

I'd rather have a coach like hassenhuttl or nagelsmann.

02 Feb 2020 10:17:08
Top post red man. Can’t argue with any of that. The one positive for me is I think Bruno can be a real player for us. Some really nice passes. Haven’t been this excited for a player for a while. Imagine him under a proper manager.

02 Feb 2020 10:21:29
No doubt you will get the usual bashing from the usual suspects Red Man, but in all honesty I genuinely fail to understand how anyone can disagree.

02 Feb 2020 10:37:40
Redman i think we will have to wait until the summer.
Most of the usual suspects have taken a break betty. Funny that.

02 Feb 2020 10:42:58
Completely right.

Martial looks like a winger playing up front in a training game. No movement, no dragging defenders out of position, no ability to hold up the ball, and no willingness to get on the end of crosses.

Shappy said that he is great at linkup play. Really? When he’s not being muscled off the ball, he’s misplacing one-twos at the edge of the box.

The most damning thing from yesterday was Fernandes. He started the game trying to occupy the space between the defence and mid. Slowly he started dropping deeper when he started to realise that no one was capable of getting the ball to him in those positions. By the end of the game he was often our deepest lying mid because that’s the only way he could influence the game.

02 Feb 2020 11:13:19
Danny

I maybe wrong, but recall I read Ole said he tactically changed Fernandes position at half time, dropped him back to be deep so he could “get more time on the ball” . Our best chance of a goal from midfield pushed back away from goal.

Ken, You May sadly be right. Although I think it may be like with Moyes, just waiting to see if we make top four. It really breaks my heart to see us regress to early seventies standard and accept it.

02 Feb 2020 11:14:01
Hard to disagree Red Man.
I was just wondering if we had 3 of the Wolves players.

Raul Jiminez as Striker, Adama Troare in RW and Ruben Neves as the holding midfielder.
For the past couple of months, teams have been ganging up on Adama.

02 Feb 2020 11:37:32
I thought we were awful yesterday, devoid of ideas, passion, energy, pace. James looks massively out of his depth and has done for some time, Pereira was dreadful as he has been regularly, and Martial was, well Martial. I also noticed the comparison with Raul who never stopped running and attacking.

Lots of huffing and puffing but no bite up front and apparently no desire. I even started playing on the iPad I was so bored. Woodward isn’t a fool despite the grief he gets. If we continue post break like this when we have players back then Ole will be gone. Whatever the master pan might be, displays like yesterday are not acceptable, maybe once a season but not as regularly as we are seeing them. Having see off Spurs and a City we should have pressed on but sadly we are sliding backwards.

02 Feb 2020 11:51:37
AJH

There is a real fear of losing in the management, you can see and feel it. It transmits into the tactics.

02 Feb 2020 12:05:23
Attack Attack Attack, is unfortunately a mantra that has been ignored by ALL the post-Fergie managers.

02 Feb 2020 12:12:33
I really like Martial so maybe I am being too easy on him but I think Ole is draining the life out of our players. The Wolves players are playing with a confidence that comes from having a Manager that knows what he's doing and having top-level coaches like Ian Cathro.

We are relying on players to basically win games by themselves because those in the dugout have no clue. I don't want to use the cliche that has become too familiar with us since Fergie left but maybe with a good manager players like Martial would have the confidence and freedom to perform more consistently.

02 Feb 2020 12:21:12
Moyes, LVG, and Jose are all defence first managers. The club knew that when they hired them.

Ole, I still don’t know what type of manager he is, other than a mediocre one. His best performances came before he had time to properly coach the team - just go out and have fun. The more time he has had in charge, the less attacking we have become. There were points yesterday when our forwards were surprised that Fernandes was passing the ball forward in the final third.

At present we play like a midtable side - maintain the shape, keep it tight at the back, and try to nick a goal on the break. I don’t think that this is all down to nerves or lack of quality players, it’s also a coaching team with no real ideas for playing on the front foot.

02 Feb 2020 12:23:58
Nou

This is the worst since Sexton.

02 Feb 2020 12:29:58
Red Man, as you know, I'm not a fan of Solskjaer at the wheel. And no one can disagree or put up half an argument in his favour.
I have been saying for some time that the problem lies with our forwards being too static. This makes it difficult for any midfielder to thread a pass to them. Watch Raul, or Aguero or any of the top attackers and they never stop making diagonal runs across the defence, trying to pull them out of shape. Martial does non of that.
So my annoyance is with Solskjaer and the coaching team for not picking this up. They play football that has been outdated 10 years ago.
I said from day one that Carrick and Phelan are useless. Carrick is a dour character and he was a holding midfielder (and very good at it) . Phelan as a player was a lingard equivalent but worse (if that's possible! ) . He used to run around like a headless chicken with no idea what he's trying to achieve. So, why did the club allow them to make a team, and how did they think that the three will suddenly turn into passionate, in your ear, managers? We need to see passion, arrogance and fight, but we have three people in charge who are so dour and the team is playing in the same way as the management characters, boring and dour.
Unfortunately, as Ken rightly says, we will not see a change anytime soon.

02 Feb 2020 13:01:16
I agree AJH, James should not be a starter he is a plan B, he would be better appreciated coming off the bench. He is probably on a par with Pereira, who again should only be considered for the bench with mounting injuries. As for Lingard, he should have gone at least 3 years back, nowhere near good enough for any Premier League team.

We are far too light weight up front and have been for some time. If the hollywood ball doesn't work we struggle to pull defences apart.

02 Feb 2020 14:20:11
Red Man, I think people forget how bad it was at times under all the previous managers. I stopped watching at half time under LVG. My son, a Utd fanatic, kept finding other things to be at when they were playing. As for Jose, the games against Seville and Liverpool, were two of the most negative games I've ever seen us involved in. And they were just the two that stood out in a pile of steaming poo. He had a full compliment of strikers to choose from, too. The football now, is no different. Too slow, too predictable.

02 Feb 2020 18:25:57
Sorry lads the usual suspects are here but maybe do not have as much free time as you guys.

We've beaten wolves once since they came up yeah? You're right Ole is to blame for all of those times we didn't beat wolves under jose aswell.

We are down to the bare bones, the players are goosed for energy. So many games. Most will laugh but I really think we will kick on after this 16 day break. Chelsea when we come back, if we win that I believe we will go on finish in the top 4 with relative ease.

In Ole I trust. Believe!

{Ed047's Note - well done for sticking to your guns mate, how much have you bet on it? 😉

02 Feb 2020 23:34:47
Bet my life on it Ed 😂.

{Ed047's Note - 🤣👍🏼