Manchester United Banter Archive February 04 2020

 

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04 Feb 2020 21:59:39
Not Man Utd related but just watching Match of the Day and Oxford just scored a cracking second goal to force extra time against Newcastle. It's a proper cup toe with great atmosphere. Who said the F A Cup is dead.

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05 Feb 2020 08:24:38
Some cracking goals second half and great atmosphere too.

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05 Feb 2020 08:54:52
Unfortunately I think the FA Cup is a dying duck, it matters little to the prem teams, I mean even clubs like west ham would rather finish a place higher up the league than win a cup for example such as the money available, fa cup is probably on a par with the league cup.
If you look at the prize money too it is dwarfed by what you get in the prem. The FA Cup needs some sort if incentive and a CL place up for grabs for the winners, that will give it a boost imo.

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05 Feb 2020 10:12:22
I think we need it to be about matches like last night. Money should not always be the main motivation. You don't judge a player at the end of his career by how much he has in the bank. You ask him what medals and trophies he won. That's why for all their greatness people like Shearer must have some regrets. The F.A. Cup has given us some of the most iconic moments in football.

I actually think making it rely on a champions league place to attract stronger teams isn't where we need to go. Let's look at the next round Utd v Derby. Rooney will be desperate to win he won't need the carrot of another prize beyond beating us.

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05 Feb 2020 11:12:21
Unfortunately premier league teams are motivated by money. Lower league teams take the cup more seriously but prem teams don't so much, I don't know how you would gain the prestige for the tournament back for teams to take it more seriously without an incentive for them.

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05 Feb 2020 11:56:18
Simple, clubs are motivated by the riches and prestige of playing in Europe.

Ask yourself this as a United fan would you rather finish fourth and not win the FA cup or win the cup and finish fifth?

So the solution is to shake up the cups by giving a European place to the winners. If the winners of the FA cup got the fourth UCL place instead of finishing 4th in the league then EPL teams will take the FA cup much more seriously.

With the league cup I would give the winners a Europa league place, but to make it more interesting and to make sure teams are being over worked I would not allow teams competing in Europe either in the Europa league or UCL not allowed to compete in the league cup.

If the winners of the cups have qualified for Europe by league position then the runners up in the cup get it. If both have then it can revert back to league position.

Boom, both cup competitions now really mean something.

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05 Feb 2020 12:28:21
That isn't going to work because it's a league cup where all teams from the premier league to league two take part. You can't exclude teams from the tournament if they are playing in Europe. Crazy idea.

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05 Feb 2020 13:40:27
Damon, Pep and many other managers of the top teams feel that playing in two domestic cups makes it tough for the teams competing in Europe.

As it is most teams competing in Europe tend to send out their squad players until the the semi finals as they can't afford to have their first choice players play these games.

Surely it is better for our league and our national team if the teams competing in Europe don't play in FOUR competitions and spread their squad too thin. When a top side send out the fringe players in a cup it devalues the competition and reduces the quality of it.

By those teams not competing in the league cup their players will be fresher during the season to push further in the European competitions. And hopefully fresher for international tournaments for the national side as well.

While replacing teams like ourselves, City, Liverpool, Chelsea and Spurs from the league cup with a genuine chance of getting in to Europe would in my opinion increase competition in the league cup as teams chase a genuine chance of money and glory.

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05 Feb 2020 14:02:18
Any player who’d rather finish 4th than win a cup is not a proper footballer.

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05 Feb 2020 15:35:53
Glad Shappy is on board with the CL place for the winners.
Makes sense to me as a lucrative enough prize to make teams take it seriously again.
For me I would rather win cups than the 4th place award but as I stated in my OP clubs look to the riches so as it stands 4th or a league position is more important than both domestic cups.

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05 Feb 2020 17:22:20
Man City have dominated the league cup competition though the last few years. They are professionals I'm sorry its absolutely ridiculous the excuses which are made up for players nowadays there's no wonder why they are all so soft. They are paid an obscene amount of money and cup competitions are all part of the game. It should be seen as a positive not a negative. You only have to play two games as a top club and you are in the quarter finals.

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05 Feb 2020 18:57:13
Agree Damon. Its all about winning trophies. We generally only have 3 or 4 shouts a year. Should try to win them all.

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06 Feb 2020 11:50:03
Damon, Man City are also the only team in the league who could field their second 11 all season and still expect to comfortably finish in the top four. That plays a big part into why they dominate it, yet they have still failed to advance to the final in the UCL, despite having on paper the strongest first 11 and the strongest squad in the EPL. Yet last season both Spurs and Liverpool made the UCL final.

The difference was that both Liverpool and Spurs exited the domestic cups fairly early and were able to keep their first team players fitter and fresher for the UCL.

Maybe if you can have 22 players of a high enough standard to play in the first 11 then you can attempt to win all 4 competitions and have a chance.

But is that best for the game? Do we really only want to see one or two teams win every every year because they are the only ones capable of building a squad deep enough to do so? Also how does that effect young players coming through? If a side has 22 full internationals is there space for that talented 18 year old to get a few games and make their way into the side? Jadon Sancho had to leave City and when did Phil Foden last play for them?

Three competitions is enough for any side to be in, most other clubs around the world don't compete in more than three competitions.

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04 Feb 2020 17:05:35
I listened to the podcast on MEN earlier, to be honest I listen to it most months -its all opinions no matter where you get your news-they are all as bad as each other . Point is all 3 of them were very very down on Ole -usually they have something positive to say but not today . Ole got it the coaching staff got it big time and of course Woodward .

I ve always believed once the press lose whatever faith they had, rightly or wrongly is can build up a head of steam that has consequences for the manager.

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04 Feb 2020 19:48:49
Let’s hope so. The “Cold Trafford” headline in the MEN signalled the start of the downfall of Sexton.

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04 Feb 2020 23:03:43
Ole is doing the job he's been hired to do, basically to be the permanent interim manager until the dead wood has been cleared out, the table set, and the next real manager identified and contracted. Down on him or not, nothing will be served by firing him and simply appointing someone else.

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05 Feb 2020 06:19:22
Shawthing, if we had a decent manager in there, we could possibly make top 4. So plenty to be served.

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{Ed047's Note - they’ll probably bin Ole then have Carrick as caretaker till end of season with Phelan as his coach. Tragic.

05 Feb 2020 10:29:52
Shaw. Was ole hired to take us to mid table?

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05 Feb 2020 12:00:11
I know everyone is feeling down about the club at the moment. But do you trust the decision makers or "amateurs" as they are affectionately known to make the right decision with the next manager?

How many times are the fans going to keep demanding the reset button be hit halfway through a rebuild?

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05 Feb 2020 12:25:44
Thats my point too Shappy.
We never know if the club will look to bring in Unai Emery or Big Sam or Marco Silva.
The decision makers have made blunders after blunder in managerial appontments post SAF.
The very first step however would be to fix the structure.

Get a top DoF, plan a good sporting project and revamp the recruiting.

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05 Feb 2020 12:51:21
We need new owners that want to invest in the infrastructure as well as the squad. We need a new management structure including a DOF, and then we new a new manager and coaches. That is a lot of new faces without even looking at the playing staff. So much to do.

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05 Feb 2020 13:46:29
The shoe the shoe, we should follow the shoe!

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05 Feb 2020 14:01:43
Angelred. So, who do you have in mind? They must be available now, in mid season, and want the job. Are you going to be limited to selecting someone who is currently managing a team not contending for honors in their own country or in Europe?

Ken. I made my point. I think the club views Ole as a longer term interim manager. If he succeeds, great, they will then be faced with an easier problem, one based on success rather than continued failure, but to imagine they aren't aware of his shortcomings, is a little bit beyond their customary level of blindness.

The club has been badly managed from a footballing point of view. Given their past incompetence, there is no guarantee that anything they do in the future will lead to right. But be that as it may, the club is now in a position where firing another manager is probably going to do more damage than good.

For this season at least they have to stick with Ole.

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05 Feb 2020 07:20:29
Please Ed047 tell me you're joking. right?

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{Ed047's Note - yes scooby I was but you know what they say, many a true word spoken in jest! 😜

05 Feb 2020 09:28:30
Jesus ed. Please don't even joke.

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{Ed047's Note - sorry angel, the thought just came to me!

05 Feb 2020 14:23:25
Failure is relative. If the club hired Ole to win the league then yeah, he's failing rather spectacularly.

However, if the club hired Ole to change the atmosphere around the club, clear out the players that need to go and to blood the younger players then is he failing? It's harder to say he is.

Unless you know the thinking behind hiring Ole then you can't say if he is failing that remit or not.

Maybe the club haven't fired him because he is doing well with managing off field issues that the club wanted him to handle when they hired him.

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05 Feb 2020 15:36:25
He's failing at whatever he is trying to achieve shappy. It's pretty depressing to watch and as ed002 has covered, he hasn't got a clue unfortunately.

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05 Feb 2020 22:13:59
So, Shappy Gunnar Solskjaer is out there again, “Maybe the club think Ole is doing well managing off field issues”

That should be a DOF, OGS is failing miserably in what the role is about, performance on the pitch.

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06 Feb 2020 07:20:06
Redman you can't argue with bolloxology like that. All in his head😂😂.

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And Finally

04 Feb 2020 12:10:24
{Ed's Note - Ed001 has posted a new podcast entitled, And Finally

Believable1 Unbelievable0

04 Feb 2020 16:11:33
Great job Ed.

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{Ed001's Note - cheers mate.}

mbd              

04 Feb 2020 20:24:50
Great podcast. Looking forward to January's podcast. in March lol.

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{Ed001's Note - hahaha, hopefully not! Though the way things are going you never know it could be May.}

04 Feb 2020 07:39:01
{Ed's Note - Ed001 has posted a new article entitled, Review Of The Day 4th February 2020

Believable1 Unbelievable0

04 Feb 2020 08:58:36
Thanks Ed.
Always thought Sean was the older Longstaff.

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{Ed001's Note - he is. Have I put younger when I meant older or vice versa? Sorry I will go fix that.}

mbd              

04 Feb 2020 09:23:25
Hahahah happens to the best of us.

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{Ed001's Note - and obviously the worst of us too!}

mbd              

04 Feb 2020 03:12:45
Lets say we are given £200m transfer kitty, who would you buy?

Personaly I would give it all to Wolves and buy Jimenez, Traore and Neves. 3 extremely hardworking players. Talent as well as character. Just what we need.

I know it is not FIFA but at least it looks very plausible.

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04 Feb 2020 05:27:40
Those 3 would be fabulous signings.

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04 Feb 2020 06:27:17
Can't argue with that.

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04 Feb 2020 06:43:29
Those 3 may be more successful staying put, particularly if they get CL football.

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04 Feb 2020 08:53:23
I agree with 2 of them but I will stay away from Traore, will go for Fredrico Chiesa instead.

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mbd              

04 Feb 2020 09:34:53
Attainable wise I'd go for
Jimenez 60mil
Bailey 40mil
Tonali 40mil
Dias 60mil

Though ill be honest the above prices would probably not be accurate.

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04 Feb 2020 09:46:19
That would be three great signings. I would be happy if we were able to sign any of them.

For me though the priority is clearly midfield. Pogba want's out, Matic is past his best, Fred tries hard but there are question marks over whether he is good/ consistent enough for a top side. That leaves us with McTominay who keeps stepping up and exceeding expectations, and a young Garner who looks like he might be ready for a squad role. Then finally our new signing Bruno who looks very good, but probably works best closer to the final third than the defensive third.

We definitely need a holding midfielder to play alongside McTominay who could play the box to box role. We then need cover and rotation options for both the holding midfielder and Bruno. Maybe Garner could step up and be one rotation option. But we need at least one more, ideally someone creative.

Not sure if 200m would be enough but it would be fantastic if we could bring in Rice, Maddsion and Neves.

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{Ed002's Note - Maddison is no longer an option.}

04 Feb 2020 10:52:44
Talking about dream signings my picks would be Ziyech, Jimenez/ Werner, Koulibaly.

Does anyone know why are clubs not interested in Ziyech? Eds?

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{Ed002's Note - Done to death - you are on the wrong page to ask for details - this is simply the fantasy football page now.}

04 Feb 2020 11:04:11
Used search function, got my answer :)

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04 Feb 2020 15:32:27
@Ed02 Maddison no longer an option because the club signed Bruno who plays in a similar role or there is another reason?

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{Ed002's Note - Maddison, Fernandes and Erkisen were the players who were the AM options. Maddison will now sign a new contract as both seriously interested clubs have moved on and signed other players.}

04 Feb 2020 16:09:54
Ed002, I know, but I can dream. Just the idea of Maddison and Bruno lining up as two free 8's is absolutely mouthwatering.

But as a United fan living through the past 6 years, I know my dreams aren't likely to come true.

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{Ed002's Note - Simply fantasy football.}

04 Feb 2020 17:20:32
Sell Pogba and get Saul Niguez or SMS.
A midfield of Bruno, Saul and McTominay/ Fred with Matic and Garner to cover will give quality plus options to rotate and keep players fresh.

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04 Feb 2020 19:38:37
When you watch some of the drivel we have over the last few years, then you have to have football fantasies Ed.

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{Ed002's Note - Or the damp patch as it should be called.}

04 Feb 2020 19:57:55
We need to stop living in dreamland. What top player would want to come to United at the moment, to be led by nodding donkeys, with the aim to make money in front of trophies and enjoy the masterful tactics of the manager.

What player thinks that a club who sell their centre forward on the last day of the summer window, then go scratching around In January for ex Watford players or Glen Murray, or perhaps a reserve ex United player at Bournemouth.

Our shopping now seems to be determined by those who have a previous connection with United, almost like we can’t attract others, perhaps they don’t want to play for our high profile manager. Time to downgrade the shopping list to more realistic options,

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05 Feb 2020 09:14:15
And the saga continues. It's like the movie Groundhog Day in here. Believe in Ole, Ole is inept. Believe in Ole, Ole is clueless. Ole's at the wheel. Ole can't drive.
Ole's at the wheel. Ole crashed the bus 18 months ago.
Ole needs to go, Klopp took time to build his team, so should Ole.

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05 Feb 2020 09:36:59
I like Diogo Jota me. Very underated hard hard working player.

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05 Feb 2020 12:04:43
Ed002, I'm well aware that I'm dreaming. But its more enjoyable than reality at the moment. It's not as if me living in the real world will suddenly make the club sit up and realise the error of their ways.

I'm a supporter, nothing more. I'll cheer the team on and dream. One day we might get things right, but until then I'll live in my little dream world and let those who want to chant about a club employees death or those that want to mask up and attack peoples houses to those that want to be a disruptive influence.

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