Manchester United Match Posts

13 Apr 2024 21:11:45
Garnacho on Twitter. the players are turning on ETH. Goodbye.

13 Apr 2024 23:27:02
One win in 7 EPL games. Worst games lost since 1977/ 78. Negative goal difference. Potentially lowest league position in Premier League history. Absolute lethargy on the park. Crazy shots against stats, bettered only by Sheffield Utd.

Trust the process people, trust the process.

Just think its a mother beautiful bridge and its going to be there!

14 Apr 2024 07:56:26
Got to get ten Hag out today. Throwing Garnacho under the bus and seeing him like a tweet about Ten Hag says team spirit is shot altogether.

15 Apr 2024 12:47:58
Sack the manger hub. nothing like player power even if its a 19 year old who is peoples pet atm. don't complain about player power folks with other players then.

13 Apr 2024 20:45:51
That was a pretty poor one all things considered. I do feel sorry for young Willy Kambwala, last week he was a hero, this week he is culpable in both the goals and nearly gave away a penalty at the death.

He over committed in a foot race with Solanke (who caused him problems all game) which led to his slip and gave Solanke all the time in the world to pick his spot. We can Question other defenders, Maguire maybe could have done more to close down Solanke. Yet as a defender you live and die on winning your individual battles. Willy lost that one and we were 1-0 down because of it.

Initially I questioned the positioning of Dalot for Kluivert's goal, yet when I looked back at it you could see he was staying wider marking Sinisterra who had pushed forward. Kambwala needed to be the one to move over and pick up Kluivert, as it was he was standing in no mans land, marking no one. With Maguire picking up Solanke.

You could question Garnacho's positioning in the build up for this goal. He's far too central, but he does at least attempt to intercept Senesi who had strolled forward from defence unchallenged. Realistically it should be Bruno stopping an opposition CB from strolling forward with the ball.

Yet I think the majority of the blame is at the feet of the young Frenchman who hasn't read the game well enough and realised he needed to step across to pick up Kluivert.

It's a harsh lesson for the lad, but unfortunately these are the sort of lessons he will have to learn as he develops, if he is to reach his potential.

It's also a lesson to us fans, while we might want to see "the kids" play for the rest of the season, it won't necessarily improve anything about our performances. They might play with heart and youthful enthusiasm, yet they are as likely to make the individual errors that cost us the game as they are to have a great performance.

Very few have the quality and mental understanding of the game to be able to play to the level required consistently enough to be playing regularly in the first team.

I like Kambwala, and feel he could have a bright future. Yet next season both himself and the club would be far better off with him heading out on loan to play regular football. Allowing him to develop and grow as a player out of the Old Trafford spotlight. Not every youth player is like Mainoo or Garnacho. Some need a loan or two to develop away from the club before they come back and are ready to perform.

Kambwala looks a talent, but he's not ready to play regularly in a side that has top four ambitions, and he will only stagnate sitting on the bench as a 4th or 5th choice option. It's be far better to keep one or even both of Lindelof and Maguire next season to be back up options, and allow Kambwala a loan move, than to move them on and keep the young lad on the bench.

13 Apr 2024 23:27:37
One game does not a season make. We have shown the same rubbish displays all year with experienced players.

Doesn’t matter how much you analyse it. We are royally S**T across the board.

14 Apr 2024 00:13:59
Shappy the only one I've seen judging him is you.

14 Apr 2024 03:18:22
Shappy

I think you're being a tad harsh there mate.
Kambwala is still a developing talent who would benefit from some faith in him to overcome the hiccups of one game against a team containing one of the most in-form strikers in the league and two or three very quick and mobile players around him.
Maguire was hardly blameless.

So many fans, following a poor showing, will show their propensity for binning off an academy graduate as soon as they've had a bad day - that's precisely what you're doing and there's literally nothing beyond unrealistic expectations that you could present as support for your comment.

Mainoo's had a couple of questionable performances and, while his ceiling is much higher, today was one of them.
The big difference is that once the opposition players have ghosted through our flimsy af midfield, they can so easily overload our defence and quickly condition our performance to be anxious and erratic.
When midfielders and attackers make mistakes - including some of the schoolboy errors committed by Mainoo and Garnacho, they are less likely to lead to goals being conceded - it's very different for a defender and so the depth of the subsequent shade is different.
Defenders will also face more pressure which can shake out a mistake - especially when the midfield that includes Mainoo is so weak.

So Kambwala, while clearly not having the best day, was exposed routinely by our midfield, as were the 3 experienced defenders around him.

Against Bournemouth, the whole team was crap, it's just unfortunate that the spotlight is drawn by the obvious.

As for the idea of retaining Maguire and Lindelof to bring through a condition of keeping Kambwala on the bench - absurd!
Why do a Tuanzebe on him when he's still developing?
Why entertain that idea based on one dodgy performance on a day when the whole team were dodgy and, as we all know ourselves, there is little functional structure to the team's set up?
Why focus so heavily on the obvious when the contributing factors pertain to greater issues - effort and desire?

14 Apr 2024 10:44:17
Ork, I think you've misunderstood my post.

I like Kambwala and want to see him succeed at the club. What I'm saying is that you can't just throw every youngster into the first team all together and expect them to be able to perform consistently to the level we need.

They will have their ups and downs, great performances and awful ones. It's all part of the learning process.

I do believe it's easier for young players to come through in certain positions, typically it's easier to give young forwards or full backs chances as they play in areas of the pitch where mistakes are less often punished and costly to the team. Whereas it tends to be harder for central defenders and defensive midfielders to breakthrough and get regular minutes as mistakes in those positions often cost you goals. While young keepers almost never get a chance at a top club to breakthrough.

Some players are so talented they buck the trend, often given a chance due to injuries, they seize it and they don't make the mistakes or rarely do, so get to keep their place.

Kambwala unfortunately plays in a position where mistakes are likely to cost us goals, as they did against Bournemouth. I don't really blame him for those mistakes as he's a kid and still learning the game. I'd be annoyed if a player in their midfield twenties with over 150 senior games under their belt was making those mistakes as it shows they aren't learning.

I expect all of our youth players to make mistakes, and as long as they learn from them I don't have a problem with it.

This certainly wasn't a post designed to hang Kambwala out to dry. However, it's impossible to learn from your mistakes without first highlighting and then accepting them.

What my post was trying to get across though is that we need various different pathways into the first team for our academy players. Each player is different in what they need as they are individuals developing into the player they will be and do so at different times.

Young players need a mix of natural talent, physical ability, along with mental and emotional maturity to be able to step into the first team at a top club. Some of them have those things at 17, others won't have it until 21, sadly some never develop all of those things and they don't make it at the highest level.

Players might be able to come straight into the first team, and some might need a loan. Maybe even a couple of loans. That might be a loan for them to experience a higher standard of football while they physically develop and grow. Or it could be for them to have time to mentally and emotionally grow up, push them outside of their comfort zone but without the spotlight of playing for a top side. Spending 4-8 months away from home, your friends and your family, having the demands of being a grown up and to work hard, take the knocks and learn some resilience. Or maybe it's a loan to develop your game understanding, to learn the ropes for playing at a higher level.

When I talk about youth players having a pathway into the first team it isn't about selling everyone bar the first 11 and having the academy players being the back up/ rotation option.

Yes, the squad is too bloated meaning there is little to no chance for youngsters to get meaningful minutes in the most part. 36 players in the first team squad is just too many.

We should have 18-20 first team, top quality, outfield players in our squad, enough to more or less have two players for every outfield position. The academy players then come in as the third choice players when and where needed. Then we can see which ones can step up to the level we need, and which will fall short. We can then find suitable clubs for those that won't make it at the level we need, and hopefully bring in some decent fees for young players with potential who have shown some ability to play senior football.

As fans we often complain that we sell our academy players for less than rival clubs. Yet our academy players have often had less senior experience, making them a bigger gamble for the buying clubs.

Tuanzebe was hyped up after his early performances, especially after he played RB and pocketed Alexis Sanchez against Arsenal. He was hyped up so much that the club decided against loaning him out and kept him. He stagnated sitting on the bench for a season or so. He then picked up several injuries and never kicked on.

You could argue that keeping Kambwala in the squad as a 4th/ 5th choice rather than allowing him to head out on loan to play regularly would be making the same mistake as we made with Tuanzebe.

There does seem to be an issue with our young CB's staying at the club too much, getting a lot of injuries and never kicking on with their development.

It happened with Tuanzebe, it happened with Teden Mengi (although he chose to leave much sooner and is flourishing at Luton with regular game time), while Kambwala has also had his share of injuries.

Is the step up in intensity and the physical demands from training with the academy to training with the first team too great for young CB's (a physically demanding position) . Which might be causing our young CB's to pick up injuries when training with the first team.

Ultimately Kambwala is a talent, and he will only be able to improve and reach his potential by playing regular first team football at a higher level than the academy can offer.

If he stays at the club then he has to play, he should be 3rd choice at CB or in the first team. Anything less would stagnate his development, stunting his growth and limiting his potential.

If he isn't going to be either in the first team, or the first guy off the bench for the stating pair then he needs to go on loan to play regular football. It's that simple.

While as fans we don't want to see the likes of Maguire and Lindelof at the club next season. I'd rather they stay as 4th or 5th choice and loan out Kambwala so he can continue to improve and develop. Than selling them, keep Kambwala as that 4th/ 5th choice option and stunt his development, only to see him leave on a free in 2-3 years time as he hasn't developed into the player we need.

14 Apr 2024 12:30:40
Shappy

Better still, why not just let the kid learn from his mistakes without unnecessary pressure from fans during a harsh period where, currently, he's one of only two fit senior CB options available - just let him learn and adapt properly.
The injury crisis has chucked him into the chip pan and yesterday he got his toes burnt - don't chuck him into the fire mate, that's unfair.

As for learning from mistakes - Lindelof makes far more mistakes than Kambwala, some of which are utterly pathetic for such a high-level player, so should certainly not be retained at his expense.

Quansah didn't get rinsed after that pass and will probably be rotated in today.
Branthwaite only stepped up in class after having a run of games where his inadequacies were ironed out - the same applies to Colwill.

Let's see how he recovers against our shots-faced rivals before we judge, let's see if he's actually got the mentality and aptitude before binning him off as lacking the credentials.

Your reaction is knee-jerk and unfair, cut him the slack you'll give to Mainoo and then make your mind up.

13 Apr 2024 17:56:17
Young Willy slipped, but watch Maguire after the slip, he stands on the penalty spot, no effort to close down Solake, just shocking.

13 Apr 2024 17:32:41
Not happy with team today, a post on hear last week suggested Bruno on the right with Garnacho left and give Mount a run at 10, it was a great call, might see it during the game hopefully, don't understand Rash getting a start again?

09 Apr 2024 21:58:28
Two great games in the UCL tonight, so much quality in both. Shows the standard we need to be aiming for. On a side note that was never a penalty on saka for me. He threw his leg out to contact neuer!

07 Apr 2024 19:22:45
Well today was never about us getting Champions league really, we just wanted to stop them getting 3 points. I thought the young lad at CB was topclass and definitely one for next season with Martinez, fast aggressive and passion. I can see the points being made by pundits, Bruno runs everywhere leaving lots of space for the opposition and Maguire is just slow and has no position sence. Our back line play so deep because of him there is hughe gaps when try to press. Again ETH has to decide what he wants, to press or not, if the team can't do it why persist, if everyone isn't pressing together it doesn't work. Today Liverpool could have been out of sight at half time.

07 Apr 2024 22:55:54
Great analysis by Danny Murphy about how poor defensively Utd are and their lack of desire and physicality. Spot on saying it would never be tolerated at City because players doing so badly would be dropped.

08 Apr 2024 08:48:41
We did our bit for the title bid and if that two points dropped stops 'Pool from winning the league I'll take it all year long.

{Ed025's Note - a pint of bitter for Fizz please bartender.. :)

08 Apr 2024 09:31:26
Make it a quart of at least Ed025 LOL :-)

{Ed025's Note - love it Fizz..

08 Apr 2024 09:31:27
Ed025

LOl. One of my best friends who was at the game yesterday is a mad scouse fan. When they smashed us 7-0 last year and whilst having a terrible season, he was delighted they had dented our chances of a top 4 finish no matter how bad their season was and was at it for weeks after that result. yesterday, he was messaging me being very chripy during the first half and then nothing thereafter and can't find him this morning and worried now:)

I am with Fizz on that sentiment 100% :)

{Ed025's Note - nothing wrong with that Ahmad, i do love a bit of rivalry mate..

08 Apr 2024 13:42:18
Maybe your friend is gone to get a copy of the league table to send you.
I'd rather be in his shoes with a chance of winning the league and a cup in the bag while we faff around hoping to qualify for the europa league trying to get our goal difference into positive numbers before the season ends.

09 Apr 2024 00:17:40
Oh Ken, lighten up, I’ve had to deal with scousers going on all season, they are unbearable, being undefeated against them all season, stopping them winning their quadruple and potentially stopping them winning the title would be funny, football is about rivalries, yesterday was fun and today they were quiet, if they had won they wouldn’t have shut up, so enjoy it.

09 Apr 2024 11:12:22
I did enjoy it gds. I thought we did well to get a draw. The potential consequences delight me.
But honestly that's schoolboy play ground stuff imo.
Teasing a team and coach that's 20 odd points above you is dumb, again imo.
We didn't even win so the days of celebrating a draw against a team 20 odd points ahead are long gone for me gone since the early 80s and it speaks volumes.
Cup in the bag and joint top v 6th is not the sort of platform I'm comfortable on bragging from.
It stinks of the annoying little dipso in your local pub that sits in the corner on his own that everybody avoids because he is a pain in the ass with his stupid out of context childish digs.

07 Apr 2024 22:47:31
I had forgotten what the buzz of a live game was like.

Rashford was useless and waste of time, hid in the first half. Disgrace to the shirt.
Live, you could see how much running Bruno did, not a captain though.
When ETH took Garnacho off it opened our left side, took away our out ball. The penalty equaliser for them came because Bruno on the left missed a tackle couldn't do what Garnacho did.
Hojland doesn't hold the ball, win headers, needs coaching
Antony, put his heart into it when he came on, I openly question what the manager was thinking starting with Rashford, ridiculous decision
Kambwala deserves a run.
As in 1972, I went to a United Liverpool game and Match of the Day didn't fairly reflect the game.
Better result than I expected but I watched Liverpool have a pattern, they were coached how to move the ball back to front, we weren't.

07 Apr 2024 23:13:57
That last point red man is why I think Hojlund struggles in games. He’s being asked to be this big focal point, but the reality is he’s so young in his career that he still learning.

We don’t build the play up to him, everything’s trying to be done at 100mph and that seems to be the instructions of the manager. Quick ball to try and get rashford or garnacho in behind. No control.

08 Apr 2024 16:44:57
Agree with both of you on rasmus.
He is having to learn new skills it's a very unforgiving environment the epl.
He would be gets very isolated at times and gis back to goal play needs coaching.
He makes good runs and I think he will be a lot better next season.
Still raw but has a lot of the right ingredients imo. He has good instincts and will flourish with a more cohesive attack.

07 Apr 2024 18:04:28
I was clowning around and hope no offense. we all love the club and might differ on opinions on things.

Decent game and we just can't protect leads and someone does something silly. It was not a pen for me he dove and made sure his trail leg gets awb legs but it was given.

If we were going to be honest about it not many gave us a chance and some thought it would be a humping. Poor season for us but today nothing to be ashamed of. league leaders and healthy squad. Our schedule gets easier now and let's see where we land.

07 Apr 2024 18:29:33
Ahmad
I always just look at a pen in the way would you expect it if it was for us! I think we would. Personally i thought was a pen. Good result on to the next.

07 Apr 2024 18:32:22
Ahmad I like your posts, some things I agree with some I disagree but sometimes you come out with some belters, how on earth do you think that wasn't a penalty?!

07 Apr 2024 19:16:53
Ahmad.
Don't worry I don't think anyone gets offended on here. Or shouldn't.
You are more biased than paddy cerrand used be on move.
You choose to ignore rashfords appalling effort and that's what it is appalling he is cheating himself his manager his teammates and the supporters. he is not trying as hard as he can simple as that.
Pointing the finger at nainoo today at half time to deflect from rashford criticism pretty off the mark though.
Hats off to Eth today it is a good result against a much better team. Again the manner that we drew in was a tough watch.
A much better 2nd half with some good some good defending and some decent counters.
Mainoo stepping up and Bruno with a great finish. Proving effort goes a long way and you make your own opportunities unlike rashford.
It keeps us a pint ahead of West ham and 2 ahead of Newcastle in the race for that 6th spot. I think eth will be happy to probably see the back of the challenge from Brighton but will be looking over his shoulder for a late surge from Chelsea to get into the mix. Fingers crossed he can keep his cool and we get that 6th or possibly 7th spot.

07 Apr 2024 20:24:33
Thirsty work eh Ken!

08 Apr 2024 06:35:21
I love paddy:)

07 Apr 2024 17:33:30
We are a funny team - no real structure or plan other than to get the ball forward quickly and hope for a moment of luck or brilliance

Is that the coach or the players?