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31 May 2020 15:03:20
Saul Niguez has apparently said he will announce his new club in 3 days. Will be interesting to see where that is.

1.) 31 May 2020 15:15:26
He looks City bound, i think he'll fit in any Pep side.

2.) 31 May 2020 15:56:54
Im not sure how reliable that teller is redman. hope your well.
If he is announcing it in 3 days then its been kept very quiet wherever he is going.
My guess would be city although i really hope its us. He is one of the top midfielders in Europe imo. If pogba where to go saul can replace most of his qualities and add more.
Saul and sancho and ighalo in this window would be the stuff of dreams.
Maybe get a player in return for pogba that could add depth.
Grealish is another target according to ed002 and the club are keen on him and Bellingham so saul is probably less likely.

3.) 31 May 2020 16:43:56
Hi Ken

I am well thanks, but not everyone in my family is, but we shall see on that. Sat drinking vino in the garden.

Someone said this was similar to what Griezmann did. It seems strange announcing it that way.

It would be interesting to see Ed02’s view on Saul and where he is going or if he is at all?

4.) 31 May 2020 17:34:47
It's his new e-Sports team.

5.) 31 May 2020 17:41:21
Fabrizio Romano has said this has nothing to do with a transfer.

Which seems to make sense. Saul has always appeared pretty commited to Atletico, at least publicly. I can't imagine he would announce himself leaving before the season is finished.

I'm expecting some sort of sponsorship or the other to be announced.

6.) 31 May 2020 17:47:50
Saul is a top class player and would fit in well in pretty much any side. If it was United he is due to sign for, that would surely signal the club are confident that Pogba will leave this summer? Even though the club appear to be dicking about in letting him leave.

7.) 31 May 2020 21:04:47
When do we ever announce a signing this early?

It will be a sponsor.

8.) 31 May 2020 22:48:25
Following United on twitter Orr instagram now apparently 👀👀 that 100% means were nailed on to sign him 😂😂😂.

9.) 01 Jun 2020 09:35:03
People will grab hold of anything, fair play to him for playing everybody like this and getting attention on himself, madness what people believe.

10.) 01 Jun 2020 10:02:17
I am sure the Atletico fans are really pleased with the circus he's created around him. Straight away i have been put off him. Sounds like he's feeling sorry for himself and is suffering from lack of attention due to lockdown bless him.

11.) 01 Jun 2020 15:38:11
Nothing official from athletico madrid or from any other club. so is take it with a massive pinch of salt.
Im sure any club sending that sort of money will want to maximise the coverage and to their unveiling.
Sounds like a load of BS to me.
Him and sancho are the dream signings this summer. Along with ighalo they would breath new life into this team. With maybe another player coming in to boost the squad in any deal for pogba. The likes of raibot would increase competition.

18 Oct 2019 07:02:23
Interesting seeing photos of Pogba and Zidane meet in Dubai and apparently chat for 10 mins, a coincidence meeting on the beach.

1.) 18 Oct 2019 07:34:54
I couldn't care less. Le Sulk can move to RM. I doubt we would notice he had left.

2.) 18 Oct 2019 08:54:50
We need quality but we also need 100% commitment from everyone. The reason we are in this mess is the lack of desire and pride for the shirt. Pogbas a good player but doesn't have the mentality we need. Time to go.

3.) 18 Oct 2019 12:24:27
Yh i agree if our new recruitment plan under ole is to bring in players with limited technical ability and do their best work off the ball but with more passion and work rate then pogba doesn't really fit in.

4.) 18 Oct 2019 14:04:23
I like to try and be more realistic in what I expect from footballers. I don't expect them to have an undying love and passion for the club, that's the fans job.
If they do then that's a bonus.

What I expect is for a footballer to be professional, as that is what they are, professionals.

I expect them to work hard, look to develop their skills and be committed to the team. They don't need to love the club.

But they need to respect their position, they need to respect their team mates and they need to respect their manager and coaches.

Without seeing how Pogba is in training it is hard to say if he is showing that. Yet his on field performances are often inconsistent at best which suggests he isn't working as hard as he should be. He has all the talent to be a top player, but does he have the drive and application?

If he wants to be elsewhere, then fine. I won't hold a grudge, but he needs to being working hard for his team mates or eventually they will turn against him.

I think Ed002 was right on the money again with Pogba, his career belongs in Spain or back in Italy. Yet with Juventus having 7 midfielders on the books (Ramesey, Pjanic, Khedira, Can, Raboit, Matuidi and Bentancur) I don't see a place for him unless several leave. Real Madrid's interest seems to stem from Zidane, who himself might not be there all that much longer with Jose apparently a possible replacement. His options might be growing thin. With Barcelona having recently signed Frenkie De Jong and Arthur, they are unlikely to look to spend the 150m+ it would take to bring him in, plus they have wage limitations unless they can shift one or two big earners. Ultimately PSG might be the best possible escape route for him. With both Real Madrid and Barcelona circling for Mbappe and Neymar respectively PSG might have some funds to reinvest and they have shown an appetite to try and bring in some of the best French players in the world.

So, I feel PSG might be the place he ends up next, either that or he will sign a new increased long term deal with us.

5.) 18 Oct 2019 14:34:03
you can count on one hand the number of top performances pogba has produced for us. you can say its because of the talent around him but i don't think that's totally accurate. Pogba has immense talent, however there are games where he doesn't even do the simple things well (pass to a team mate, control the ball, track a runner) . like the above post i don't expect him to die for the shirt but I expect him to put a shift in. Our problem is that our players are either short on talent, high on workrate or high on talent and short on effort.

This may all be a result of him being demoralised and wanting to leave, thus affecting his performances. whatever the reason a move away may be best for all parties.

6.) 18 Oct 2019 20:23:51
The reality is Pobga has no support around him, literally nothing. We play mostly rubbish football, I'm not shocked he doesn't enjoy himself. We have 4 average midfielders that create nothing/ do anything to support him. Pobga, as he has shown with France and Juve, with quality players around him, he is also a quality player. We are a team devoid of forward talent, quality or movement, or tactical knowledge form the sideline.

I implore anyone to play midfield in a team like this and excel as a creative player. It just doesn't happen at the highest level. Yeah he has rubbish games, yeah his good ones are not frequent enough but he is still the only one of those midfielders that comes close to being on an high level (couldn't consider him world class or elite) .

7.) 18 Oct 2019 20:33:01
That's the thing MrGoodKat, he has played better at Juventus and with France. Yet, he has been just as inconsistent with both his previous club and his national side.

8.) 18 Oct 2019 20:58:24
I agree, he goes missing - but he is still clearly the best midfielder we have, and the sad thing is, it's by a long way. It's good to see McTominay play for the shirt but lacks any real quality (in terms of what we expect a Man Utd player to be), Matic lacks mobility and any real influence on the game and Fred lacks everything technical about a footballer.

I disagree with the "Pogba doesn't track back etc" complaints. What I really want from him is to create something, get on the ball, run forward. Play to strengths and not square pegs round holes situation. I want United to but some players that have a dedicated position in the front 4. To be able to say, with confidence that this is the best player to play Striker or Right Wing or Attacking Mid.

9.) 19 Oct 2019 07:56:16
That's the annoying thing with Pogba, he isn't just our most talented midfielder by a long way. He has more talent than 95% of all midfielders anywhere.

He does track back, but he is even more inconsistent with his defensive work than he is with his more expansive and creative work. My issue is even when he does track back he doesn't do so with any purpose. He jogs back and never looks like he is going to attempt to put a tackle or a block in.

The fact that over his time at United he averages 0.8 tackles per game shows his lack of desire to do the dirty work.

To be honest I'm not too bothered about that. Not all midfielders need to be crunching in tackles. What disappoints me with Pogba is that he at 27 is still so inconsistent with the parts of the game he does enjoy. His passing, shooting and chance creation some games is world class, while woeful in others.

He reminds me a bit of Nani, a player on his day is unplayable and will win you games on his own. However, "his day" might only be one game a month, in the others he is distinctly average.

15 Oct 2019 06:38:15
There have been rumours for a few days that Kevin, one of the Glazers was selling up, that he had swapped his B voting shares for A shares. I was told a couple of days ago the B shares can't be sold. Now there are reports in the main press that Kevin Glazer has transferred his 13% to A shares and is looking to sell. According to the press several others want to sell up too. Hopefully it is the beginning of the end of them, although it is said two of the family don't want to sell.

1.) 15 Oct 2019 07:20:27
Yeah Red Man.
Multiple news channels reporting the same.

2.) 15 Oct 2019 07:37:48
I would not be surprised if they are selling to family? Maybe someone wants more power?

3.) 15 Oct 2019 12:02:01
So how does this work then? If the individual share holders sell up and shares are sold on the stock market, how will that change anything in the future? Won't the shareholders just keep getting dividends? How is that any different to how it is now?

4.) 15 Oct 2019 13:36:41
Nothing actually concrete has happened redman, 1 guy is selling but it just means more control over utd for the other glazers.

5.) 15 Oct 2019 16:55:43
If one's had enough then its a start.

6.) 15 Oct 2019 18:02:04
Apparently being denied now. ☹️.

08 Oct 2019 10:40:04
Rumour, The morale in the dressing room is at the lowest for the past ten months with observers claiming there is a lack of energy which is 'sapping' spirits at Carrington.

{Ed007's Note - Who ya gonna call.......

via GIPHY

1.) 08 Oct 2019 12:25:02
Love it Bond.

2.) 08 Oct 2019 15:17:04
you could see how bad the morale is in david de gea, s interview after sundays game.

3.) 08 Oct 2019 18:11:02
Dea gea was right though we can't even score.

We have a decent defence but that's what were relying on to get us points

The midfield and attack have to step up.


I'm still amused as to why we keep playing possession football. let the other teams have the ball then break.

We have speed up top but we are not using are best assets atm.

4.) 09 Oct 2019 06:16:56
He is rightfully disgusted.
We are short of a prolific goal scorer.

5.) 09 Oct 2019 19:12:58
TrueRedDevil, i would give my left nut just for a goal scorer. Both for a prolific one!

6.) 12 Oct 2019 15:50:37
Poor comment un an interview from DDG. He would have better saying that when the team isn't scoring there is more pressure on saving shots like the Newcastle one.

24 Sep 2019 06:35:17
So the leaks begin. Apparently some players harbour reservations over Kieran McKenna having such a key role in first-team training little more than a year after being promoted from the Under 18s. His sessions are thought by some to be more suited to the academy

There are also questions why there are so many non contact injuries having supposedly used pre season to get the players into peak fitness, questions why the lethargy when they are fit, what did Phil Jones and Woodward really say despite the denials.

This isn't going to end well everyone.

1.) 24 Sep 2019 12:46:00
Dont rub your hands too much, you'll get friction burns.

2.) 24 Sep 2019 13:18:39
Where are these leaks red man? I’ve not seen them (not saying what you’re saying is false btw would like to read them) but then surely they’d be saying the same of Carrick. Then again we heard these rumours in pre season and they soon disappeared.

3.) 24 Sep 2019 17:10:57
The Daily Mail. I read it myself, today, and knew you'd pick up on it Red Man 😁 Mind you, I had to take a long shower after reading it.

4.) 24 Sep 2019 17:56:10
Daily Fail? lol.

5.) 24 Sep 2019 18:24:19
I was getting my hair done, TRD 😁.

6.) 25 Sep 2019 07:54:04
I heard that Phil Jones said 'poor' unsure whether he was talking about a refereeing decision or his teammates (he should be) and Ed turned round and said 'quiet, we are on camera' that's just one story.

As for McKenna, I think the media are loving a United in crisis story so will push anything, wouldn't wprry too much on McKenna.

What I do worry about is why year after year we have so many injuries, it seems to have been every season since van Gaal, perhaps even Moyes time, I dunno if we have players nowadays more like athletes and break down easier or the stricter training we have now is too much for some, no idea.

Was thinking about Martial this morning, he is always injured, can never get a run of games out of him, and he is probably the most key player in the way Ole wants to counter attack, I see a long season of inconsistent results and performances ahead, I can live with that if we see the desire in the players, I have seen that except at west ham which worries me.

Arsenal at home next is probably the perfect fixture to get that desire back and a win wouldn't shock me, hopefully we have some players back for this one.

Saving grace at the moment is Chelsea and Spurs are having equally as bad starts and a win over the gunners keeps us on pace for 4th.

I've said it all along since they sacked Moyes and I'll say it again, we must stick by a manager, we cannot carry on chopping and changing managers, backroom teams, players and playing style, that's why we are in such a mess, it's not going to be pretty for a good while yet but the 3 lads he's brought in are the right type of player, he needs more windows to bring in more players that fits what Ole wants, it's going to take time.

I now hear 'oh we've spent £900m' yes, Ole has had 1 window, the rest is past and we are on a new path, one the club and fans must stick too.

7.) 25 Sep 2019 09:02:25
Welsh

We need to get the right manager to stick behind, not the failed Cardiff one.

8.) 25 Sep 2019 09:41:46
By the way there are now more rumours of players feeling training is uninspiring and old fashioned.

9.) 25 Sep 2019 10:43:54
Ole was appointed and is our manager so therefore he is the right one and we have to get behind him and the club needs to give him the funds and time to build a squad. Everyone is too impatient, can't rebuild a squad in his model in 1 window, will be a few more windows by we see the squad he ideally wants.

10.) 25 Sep 2019 12:06:39
Red man I’d pay no attention to those rumours. Always an attempt to find a problem wrong with everything. As ed001 said when results are good training is fine, when bad it’s rubbish. It’s the same with any job, it things aren’t going well in the office or wherever you work it’s not great but a good week or few days and it’s a different outlook.

11.) 26 Sep 2019 06:55:11
Caolin

What we are seeing on the pitch is a result of what is happening on the training pitch.

12.) 26 Sep 2019 09:59:30
Uninspiring training? Give me a break. They should be inspired to play and win trophies for Man Utd. Knuckle down, do what your boss is asking of you and make an impact on the pitch.

13.) 26 Sep 2019 11:15:01
Red man

I don’t think anyone can say definitively unless we are on the training pitch. Do you think Rojo is instructed to shoot on sight once he crosses halfway?

14.) 27 Sep 2019 09:37:10
It was exactly the same under Jose. I remember asking several times back then, what exactly did they do in training all week, because once they crossed the line, they looked like eleven strangers.

Red Man's banter posts with other poster's replies to Red Man's banter posts

05 Jul 2020 15:17:12
Let's stay calm, we are still in 5th, out of the CL positions and still have it all to do. It was also Bournemouth, who are a mess at the moment. I fancy Villa and Southampton will be more of an opposition but must beat them. Still Ole has got Bruno and Pogba playing together and that is something I was looking for before the restart.

Many seem to take aim at Maguire and our strength in centre of defence. I stand by Maguire, he is no Rio or Stam yet is very solid. Our problem is finding a partner, who complements him, who is patrolling, sweeping up danger. I have no idea what Bailey was doing to give the penalty away, even though it looked dodgy to give it, he seems to be either brilliant or awful and that is not a recipe for centre of defence. Centre Half is one of the easiest positions to play if you read the game, reading the game is so important there plus it helps these days to have pace. Lindelof is probably the better of the two, Tuanzebe hasn't convinced me and I watched a couple of Villa games where Mings guided him through positionally the whole game. I suggested AWB alongside Maguire but he looks an exceptional defensive right back, probably the best, so we don't want to lose that. Until the end of the season I would stick with Lindelof, if fit, but I have heard great things about the lad Mengi, apparently very quick. Games like yesterday should be an opportunity to give him 15 mins, three goal lead let's see what he can do. Same with Mejbri, looks brilliant, why are we not putting a couple of these exceptional kids on the bench and if the score allows give them minutes? There has been criticism of the planning for our kids futures and yesterday should have been an opportunity. If we are going to spend in summer, we need to know if Mengi has the mental capacity to step up. In summer we need a partner for Maguire, a Buchan, a Rio or from internally to play alongside Maguire because we are not going to jettison him.

Lastly, Greenwood. Often we see youth not step up after a bright start, many examples, Januzaj, Macheda, however I think Greenwood may be different. I said on here that the first game back he looked to have taken a step up in his touch and physically. We may well be watching the start of a great, the way he took those goals yesterday, especially his second, reminded me of a night years ago, where the Brazilian Ronaldo hit the ball in the same way. That is a heady comparison yet not many can do that with both feet. He must stay mentally tuned but at 18 he has the talent. I remember writing on here about him circa 4 years ago because he was so two footed he was taking a penalty with either foot. He has far more than that, there is also a balance about him. I can bet the owners at Real and Barcelona saw that yesterday and noted he is stepping up a level from the previous promise of youth. Ronaldo showed the way, let's hope Greenwood notes his development in the same way.

1.) 05 Jul 2020 15:51:54
Red Man,

I agree on Greenwood, have also been following him through the youth team and felt it was unfair at times how far ahead of the other players he was in ability. Some players step up later and it’s not so obvious but he’s the best forward we have had in the academy that I can remember in my lifetime. I was always hopeful he could step up without knowing anything about his character really, could easily be another Morrison or other players who haven’t made it but he does seem to have his head screwed on and has taken the step up in the same way he stepped up to the under 18s well before he should have done.

As you say, he seems to have taken a step up physically in the last few months as well which takes him to another level. I think we need to be careful with him as not to risk burnout but I think I said on here a year or so ago that if Greenwood stays fit and keeps improving and working hard the ceiling for him is scarily high. It’s unfair to compare to others and put too much pressure on but I genuinely think he’s got the ability to be in the top 5 players in the world, it’s very exciting and I’m delighted he is at our club. I also feel the same about Foden at City.

Mengi is training with the first team so I’m sure he will get a chance, maybe next pre season, see how he does, another quality youth player. Mejbri is a very talented lad but he’s a kid, you can’t put them on the bench at the moment when the results are so important, easy to say he should have been there to bring on once we’ve got 5 but what if we don’t get 5, you’ve wasted a sub spot on a child to give him minutes.

When you say ‘we have it all to do’ we just have to keep winning, we can probably afford to lose one as it’s unlikely all the other teams win every game as well but we look the better of the teams fighting for 3rd at the moment in my opinion. It is strange how I keep hearing everyone we play against is useless and in poor form then they all seem to go on and win their next game, Tottenham, Brighton and Sheff United all did it, so perhaps it’s us playing well instead of them just being terrible.

2.) 05 Jul 2020 16:26:22
Totally Agree RedMan on Maguire.
There must be some reason why Pep, Mourinho, Poch etc, wanted him.

After watching the likes of Smalling, Jones, Rojo in the last few years, Maguire is easily a step above them.
He won matches against Norwich and Chelsea. Leadership is his another important trait.
I'd like Giminez of Athletico alongside him.

We are also seeing a more disciplined Pogba. Bruno is sharing the creative burden.
We've hit form at the right time.

3.) 05 Jul 2020 16:59:24
Great post Red Man, agree with all that. I think if we keep winning we’ll finish in the top 4, that’s all we can do.

4.) 05 Jul 2020 17:06:23
Top post Red Man. It's easy to get carried away, this is the best we have played in 7 years so it's understandable that people get a little caught up in the excitement.

I think both Maguire and Shaw have become the new players to knock. Shaw has been an almost ever present since the restart and I wouldn't be surprised if he has played the most minutes since the restart. He has also looked one of our fittest players so I don't get the overweight comments. He doesn't have an athletic build, but then neither did Denis Irwin and we were all waxing lyrical about him earlier this week. I think since Williams stepped up and challenged him for his spot Shaw has really stepped up, he is consistent, good defensively and decent offensively. I haven't seen a single performance from him since January which I would say was less than a 7 out of 10.

Maguire is a player I wasn't convinced about before we signed him. But he has been far better than I expected. He isn't in the world class bracket, but then personally I feel currently world wide there might only be a handful of genuinely world class CB's. I feel like the role of a centre back has changed so much over the past 15 years that the training hasn't filtered down to grass roots level, there is still a tendency to stick a kid who has played in midfield most of his youth career but who has had a growth spurt and is now 6ft plus at CB and call them a "ball playing" CB. Everyone should be being taught how to read the game and how to defend properly.

Maguire is very good at several aspects of defending. Yet like many very good CB's what he really needs is a partner who compliments him. Someone who covers his weaknesses.

I agree with TrueRedDevil, if I could sign any CB it would be Jose Gimenez from Atletico Madrid. Someone who while comfortable enough on the ball looks to defend first. He would cover Maguire's lapses and give us a much more solid base. However, unless we can offload 2 or 3 Cb's this summer I don't see Gimenez or any other CB signing.

Yet I don't see that as a serious problem. While VvD and Laporte are excellent at Liverpool and City their centre back partners are often less than spectacular. Injury prone or just poor defenders. Who else is head and shoulders a better defender than Maguire in the EPL? Alderwiereld maybe if he can stay fit.

Luiz starts for Arsenal, Zouma for Chelsea, Sanchez at Spurs.

Like I said, there aren't many great defenders about now. So considering we have a decent defensive record I don't see CB as vital this summer. But is definitely a position I'd look to next summer.

Greenwood has been nothing short of magnificent this season, particularly since the restart. He looks to have filled out a little and isn't as easily pushed off the ball and can stand his own against men now. I think if he can keep focused, stay humble and work to maximise his talent then we have a potential future Balon d'Or winner on our hands. He looks every bit as exciting as Mbappe did when he first started playing at Monaco. Slightly different skill sets, but just amazing talents. At this rate with 5 games remaining you wouldn't bet against him scoring 5 more goals and hitting the 20 goals in a season barrier in his first season, which he was 17 at the start of.

The thought of a front three of Sancho, Martial and Rashford with Greenwood rotating in for any of those three is mouthwatering.

I think we have a lot to enjoy about this side currently, and huge potential for the future. Yes, Maguire got played for the nutmeg (although DDG should never have been beaten at his near post from that angle), while Bailly had a brain fart moment with the handball (which I'm still not 100% certain was either a handball or in the area) . Yet these things can be worked on and certainly don't matter when we are blasting 5 in at the other end. We could have won that game 8-2 without flattering us. Just enjoy some great football, we have waited 7 years or more for some genuinely world class offensive football, it may or may not last. Enjoy every second of it.

5.) 05 Jul 2020 17:26:47
We were always going to be a bit more open at the back when Pogba and Bruno play. There's no McTominay and Fred sitting in front of the back four. Mistakes happen, in the grand scheme of things the defence has been good. Of course it can be improved but I wouldn't be losing sleep over them at the minute.

As everyone has said, we're playing good football. The attacking impetus was always going to open the defence up and against the weaker teams we can do that.

Sancho seems to be in everyone's United team for next year. I'd worry that his agent has lowered his fees and approached two clubs about Sancho joining. Neither of which are Man Utd.

I just hope we don't put all our eggs in the Sancho basket or worse, we end up making him one of the highest paid players at the club.

6.) 05 Jul 2020 17:27:01
Bang on redman good post.

7.) 05 Jul 2020 17:39:52
Mumbles, I have a slight concern over Sancho myself. Without a doubt the most talented player who may be available this summer. Yet, like you say his agent has approached two other clubs lowering their fee to try and entice them to make a move. That suggests that we are quite far down Sancho's list of choices.

We could be in another Pogba situation where we sign a hugely talented player because we are the only ones daft enough to pay the agents price. Then in a couple of years time that player could be pushing to leave the club.

I think the club needs to seriously know how much Sancho wants to join United before we spend the whole summer chasing him.

8.) 05 Jul 2020 17:42:01
GDS2

Re Mengi and Mejbri, if we are wasting a sub then the kids are not good enough, plus why waste a space on Perreira? If we only had three subs I would be more in line with your point, but we have five, a great opportunity. We were playing Bournemouth, who got pasted by Newcastle and we were at home, I think in those circumstances Ole missed a trick.

Shappy

If Greenwood plays like he is then Martial or more likely Rashford will be rotating. I don’t think Rashford is pulling up trees at the moment, I see he has signed up with JayZ, who apparently is a rapper? Needs to focus on his football before he gets left behind, world peace will wait.
Maguire, got megged but it can happen, I was shocked at DDG positioning, should never be beaten at the near post so easily. I still think we need to look at Henderson.

As to Shaw, look at his body shape, the angle of his upper body, I think it holds him back slightly but he has responded to the challenge of Williams and deserves his place. If we want a partner for Maguire, it needs careful thought, Bruce and Pally, Stam and Johnsen, of course Rio and Vidic, it’s what SAF built on. We have mix and match right now.

9.) 05 Jul 2020 18:07:11
Red Man, I half agree on giving a youngster 10 minutes or so now that we have 5 subs. However, I suppose Ole has to have half an eye on the fact we have 5 more league plus at least 1 maybe 2 games in the FA cup then as many as 4 games in the Europa League. As many as 11 games in around a 6 week period. We will need our squad players, so I can understand why they might be getting minutes ahead of the kids.

I don't think we need to worry about Rashford, from all the stories from those who know him he is a hard working dedicated player who wants to be the best he can be. I just think he had 3 months out injured with a serious back injury and its taking a few games for him to refind his form.

Henderson has made a couple of mistakes over the last few games himself. Clearly he is the future, but I don't think another year of DDG while Henderson spends another year on loan would be the worst decision. On balance I still think DDG saves us more goals than he gives away. Every player makes mistakes, I don't think DDG is a liability yet.

10.) 05 Jul 2020 18:26:46
How can anyone blame Bailly for the penalty? Was a poor ball back from Matic of which clearly hit him on the top of the shoulder.

We need2 CBs not anyone to play alongside Maguire he's just not cut out for the highest level. Imo.

11.) 05 Jul 2020 18:45:36
We don't always agree Shappy but we're on the same page. We have a lot of talented young players in the squad. If we are daft and have to make Sancho one of our top earners to get him to join, what's going to happen when Greenwood or the other kids want a new deal?

We need to be a bit more clever. I wrote awhile ago that Chelsea are like the canary down the mine. They normally do solid business. If they're stepping away from a player like that, then there are obviously big issues.

We need to address the wage structure at the club. Some very average players on huge deals. Like you said, Sancho could be huge problem down the line and at those prices involved, maybe not worth the risk unless he's 100% on board which he's obviously not at the minute.

12.) 05 Jul 2020 19:30:13
Mumbles, I don't blame people for their mistakes the first time. But when you make the same mistakes over and over then you lack the intelligence and common sense to learn from them.

We have a potential issue with Pogba, he is the second highest earner at our club, but he doesn't want to be here. In fact he never really wanted to be here, and he would be happy to go back to Juventus if his "dream" move to Spain doesn't materialise.

I think the lesson from that is not to invest heavily in a player who isn't committed.

Of course I'd love to see a fully committed flying Sancho lining up for us next season. You'd be a fool not to want one of the best young players at our club, especially as he is English.

Yet if he doesn't really want to come and sees us as a stepping stone to one of the big clubs in Spain or until he can move to London then he hasn't got the right attitude and mentality for us to sign.

He would just be another expensive headache. Now none of us can truly know if he really wants to sign for the club, but the club needs to find that out before committing close to 200m of club finances to a player who might not truly want to be here.

I'd rather have a 100% committed player like Buendía or whoever else, than a 60% committed Sancho. Especially at the prices being quoted.

13.) 05 Jul 2020 20:03:58
Maguire is our captain and isn’t going anywhere so people are going to have to get used to that and stop with the need 2 centre backs nonsense.

{Ed047's Note - I agree, it would be embarrassing to get rid of him and admit you got mugged off for yet another player.

14.) 05 Jul 2020 20:15:19
If madrid or Barcelona come calling very few players turn them down .

Shaps mumbles
Which players do you think we should sign that wouldn't want to play for Madrid if given the chance.

26 Jun 2020 07:54:03
This morning is one that I can bet many if not most on here will not have seen, Liverpool, Champions. As someone who was around watching football from 68 I watched many many Liverpool triumphs, whilst United flattered to deceive.

Well done to Liverpool, the best team wins the league and they deserve it. I can say that because I saw their great teams live every season at OT and semi finals and finals. I recall mid 70's I think with Emmy Hughes they beat us comprehensively 3.0 at OT, I had begrudging admiration for a great side. With a European Cup and Champions in successive years they will say they are back on their perch. The how long is up to everyone else and also how Liverpool themselves go forward. They have owners who want the football side to succeed.

Make no mistake this would have been far more difficult and quite possibly not have happened, if we as a club had been more dynamic preparing for SAF departure, then the ridiculous decisions since. The whole issue does stretch back to the change of ownership, but that doesn't excuse the rank planning in the last 10 years.

I wonder if some are prepared for what happens if Liverpool build on this whilst we dither, will we have learned from the 70's and 80's repeated false dawns with glowing messages about managers like Sexton who had no chance? We didn't learn from Busby's departure when SAF retired so it is probably not likely we will have learned from the lack of direction and drive.

I suspect those of you not used to the press love of Liverpool will now find out the over adulation of them. Let's congratulate them they deserve the title but I am worried we have not learned the lessons to make a difference in the very near future, as Ed says we are not a progressive club.

1.) 26 Jun 2020 08:52:08
it feels a bit like "meh" liverpool have won the title o well, i think having the C.V. break and the fact there are no fans in the stadiums to watch them lift it, its made it not as a big deal

when in fact 30 years since there last title.

celebrating at home with the atmosphere the fans bring,

it felt worse when city won the title than this.

they have deserved it, they play fantastic football and are a joy to watch, city set the benchmark and Liverpool have raised it.

it will take a lot for any other teams other than city to challenge.

2.) 26 Jun 2020 09:24:31
Yeah! 'meh' to Liverpool and their worthless title. We didn't want it anyway.

In fact, shame on them for pursuing glory in these times of tragedy. The scouser have no class.

25 Jun 2020 07:37:19
I thought Ole got it generally right last night with team selection. He got Martial in the box, he can finish but he needs to be in the right areas. It doesn't look the same Sheffield as prior to lockdown but they still have to be beaten. Good to see Bruno and Pogba play and the third goal was a thing of beauty.

I felt we should have had Pogba further forward as he is dangerous there, as we saw on one run, yet he kept dropping back to pick the ball up. The subs were too late, 5 at once meant the entertainment was done with 13 mins to go and didn't give much time for the subs. In the heat we should have changed earlier but it's a good win, 7 more needed and Leicester may be nervous.

One technical point I notice quite a lot. We need to look at how we manoeuvre the opposition full backs to get behind them . We seem to do standard things and don't get them out of position often, I watch City and they have what looks like a specific designed Pep methodology to get behind full backs, worth watching.

3 points, move on and hope we can be consistent.

1.) 25 Jun 2020 08:43:24
Agree with you Red Man.
I believe Pogba maintained his defensive discipline.
He made occasional burst forward but was always available during opposition attacks.

Martial's finishing is up there with the best.
But he must maintain consistency and harass opposition defence when things don't go his way.
We missed the Rashford-Martial partnership.

All in all, Martial stole the show. Ruthless but calm finishing.

2.) 25 Jun 2020 08:44:47
the subs were too late?

the subs came at the perfect time for me, players have been out for a while, they need match fitness and minuites,

we were controlling the game ( and to be honest I've not seen us control a game like that in years) we were passing it around for fun working them down, in the heat, tiring them out.

i thought putting pogba with matic was the right choice, bruno is far more aggressive up top and will press and close down a lot more than pogba,

he will also not give a crap in telling the players in front of him to work hard as well.

3.) 25 Jun 2020 10:57:34
I liked pogba in that role, he broke the lines with a lot of his passing to Bruno. I thought both of them were excellent.

20 Jun 2020 10:00:26
My thoughts.

I thought the starting team was not right, in particular James but also Martial. James, prior to the break was not pulling up trees, yet it seemed the team and James was set up for pace on the break. Pace on the break seemed to be the message, why did they not look at the opposition coach and realise he wasn't going to play into our hands tactically . We spent £15M on James and that is what he looks like, he has pace but needs to have space to run into, to use it, needs to be on the run when being given the ball. Last night it cried out for someone else. As to Martial, masquerading as a centre forward, not sure what he is, can finish usually quite well but what else. I also wondered why not Bailly at the back.

I see Maguire has been criticised, he looked flat footed for their goal, but that can happen when rusty, however, he kept Kane very quiet, so deserves credit for that. As for DDG, I said a long time ago we should have sold him and gone with Henderson, I think that may happen in summer, if anyone will take DDG.

Why did Ole wait until 60mins to make a substitution? Why when there are 5 subs available did he dither? The first 15 minutes of the second half were awful, floundering around, yet he stuck rigidly to pre game tactics. At last he made a change and it made a difference.

Whatever the issues with Pogba, he is a brilliant player, sat on the bench looked like a punishment, an outdated way from SAF days to get a message over.

Greenwood, liked what I saw, seems to have stepped up in the break, just saw something in his balance and touch which said a step up. We need to play him, we need to stop thinking pace pace pace because that won't break down teams that sit back, which was Ole's Achilles heel in the past.

When we equalised I thought we would go on to win, I couldn't put my finger on why, with Spurs shattered, we didn't keep going, why we seemed to sit back, almost like we got what we wanted.

It's a point and a point is a point away, but we missed two for me.

1.) 20 Jun 2020 12:19:40
redman pogba hasn't started a game since September also fred etc have the shirt, have been playing well would of been harsh to drop them .
Add that together and its no surprise pogba was on thd bench .

Its easy to pick faults after the game, if pogba had of started you would be complaining. And wanting him sold.

2.) 20 Jun 2020 12:39:03
Jred

If you had been on livechat you would have seen what I said DURING the game

Everyone has had three months off which makes it a far more level playing field.

3.) 20 Jun 2020 12:44:59
Red man I agreee on mason. There’s a swagger about him too.

4.) 20 Jun 2020 13:10:57
Redman pogba hasn't started a game dince September.
He played well when he come on so we are having this convo .
If he had of started and had a poor game you would be complaing that ole shouldn't of started him .

The fact is when pogba did come on he played well and influenced the game . Job done
He hasn't started a gsme since September or even played a competitive minute since boxing day .

5.) 20 Jun 2020 13:26:21
Jred

Why did they give Pogba such a warm up session at half time to then sit him back down for 15 mins whilst the manager dithered? I didn’t say he should have started but the manager doesn’t have the instinct or experience to make decisive changes. The first dross 15 minutes of the second half may well have been very different, if instead of trying to be like his idol SAF and only make subs at 70mins, Ole had shaken the team up at half time.

Why when we scored, with a tired Spurs and with all the momentum in our favour, did we seem to fall back and not press our advantage?

6.) 20 Jun 2020 13:53:21
70 minutes? He come on at 60 your being dramatic again .
You don't see many changes at half time i would imagine ole would of looked at spurs at the start of the second half to see how they had set up before making the change .

We fell of a bit because the ultimate negative spurs actually tried to get out there hslf after we scored . Instead of parking the bus .
In modern footy which other manager other the jose, especially in the EPL still plays like that .

7.) 20 Jun 2020 14:17:48
Jred

The 70 min Subs I referred to was SAFs mantra, watched it happen so many times and I was flagging what Ole was trying to copy. Last night was 60 but it looks like Ole is trying copy SAF method on subs instead of making his own mind up.

Ole looked at Spurs to see their set up after half time? Do you hear yourself? Not leading that is following. There is one thing making adjustments to counteract something, but seeing how the opposition come out is indecisive at best. Then it took Ole 15 mins to see what Spurs were doing and make a decision?

8.) 20 Jun 2020 14:25:58
Pogba played 34 minutes and played well changed the game .
It was a good sub
Your clutching at starws
Its got nothing to do with SAF your talking waffle, absolutely scrapping the barrel . A lot of teams make subs around the 70 minute mark .
Are you really that desperate? Scarpping the barrel.

07 May 2020 07:02:12
Morning everyone
If the Newcastle take over goes ahead and awash with money they appoint Pochettino, do you think Ole's United would finish above or below Newcastle, a) Next season b) 21/22 season?

1.) 07 May 2020 10:38:02
I think we will finish above new castle in both seasons.

2.) 07 May 2020 10:51:13
Even with the lax FFP restrictions when Man City were taken over it took them years to build into a decent team.

Now, it's way harder to throw money around. Plus, I think we've turned a corner and are a couple of class signings away from really closing the gap on the top two.

3.) 07 May 2020 11:28:59
carful obi, this kind of talk is forbidden.

4.) 07 May 2020 11:31:48
Wow Red Man, scraping the barrel there to have a shot at Ole.

Firstly, there are a lot of ifs in that question, IF the take over happens, IF they decided to spend loads of money, IF they appoint Pochettino.

But let's pander to the idea for a minute. So the first question is how many of the current Newcastle squad would make it into our first team? Fabian Schar alongside Maguire maybe? Where as many of our players who aren't in our first 11 would probably be first choice Newcastle (Romero, Smalling, Jones? Dalot, Matic, Lingard, Mata, Pereira? Ighalo. And that's not including players like Williams and Greenwood who are kids in their first season in the first team) . So for Newcastle to have a better first 11 let alone squad they are going to need 10-18 new players. So we can assume that they are unlikely to have a squad to match ours for at least 2-3 years.

FFP rules have actually restricted the ability to take a middle of the road club and make them a huge club with nothing but deep pockets. Clubs are restricted to how much they can increase the wage bill and how much they can spend each year. So its a much longer process now then it was for the likes of Chelsea, PSG and Man City.

I have no doubt that if the deal goes through that the new owners will make Newcastle a force, but it will take longer with them than it did for other clubs previously.

Besides, turning over an entire squad and getting all the new players to gel and settle in a new part of the country or a new country entirely isn't straight forward.

I love Newcastle, spent a year living there and enjoyed it massively. Yet they will have the same struggles that all northern teams have when recruiting, its not Monaco, Paris, London, Barcelona, Milan etc. It isn't an area awash with money with great things to do if you are a millionaire.

So to get top players to sign they will have to convince them to move to a club that historically haven't won much, have little to no "Brand" appeal, doesn't have the draw of somewhere like London, won't be able to offer UCL or even Europa league football, depending on if/ how the season pans out might not even be a EPL club next season (although unlikely to be relegated now), while also not able to just bankroll massive wages to every player they sign if they are going to stay within FFP. To all of that then add an unusual transfer window where no one knows quite how it will play out. While some clubs might need to sell to balance the books, other clubs might be reluctant due to an inability to replace players.

In essence a lot of pieces of the puzzle need to fall into place for Newcastle to make the jump from relegation candidate to top four challengers. They will also need to over take clubs like Arsenal, Everton, Spurs and Wolves before they start to challenge us, Chelsea and Leicester for a top four spot.

So no I don't think Newcastle will finish above us in either of the next two seasons.

5.) 07 May 2020 11:33:32
Just look at Everton and what they have spent in the last 2-3 seasons. It has to be the right player and the right fit which is where United have been going wrong since Fergie left. I'm still not 100% convinced by Ole but i do like the players he's brought in so far and it looks like he is trying to get the right type of players in that want to play for united.

6.) 07 May 2020 12:19:35
If I stake 9-27-45-69-18 will I win the national lottery?

7.) 07 May 2020 13:24:48
Shappy, your "how many players would get into X, Y and Z team is a nonsense argument and takes away the importance of having a good coach.

Let's play that game with Sheffield United and see how many of their players get into the United Team? Yet if they win their game in hand they go above us?

We bought one of Leicesters best players in the summer and they havnt missed a beat. With a very good coach and talented players are sitting comfortably ahead of us.

Even go back 2/ 3 years and do your little squad game with Liverpool. You probably would have argued a few United players who would get into that Liverpool team, right now though, not one player would. That is the difference of having a proper football manager in charge. Having a proper football coach.

Ole has done very little being in charge the last 18 months. We have a squad full of talented players that are struggling to compete with teams like Leicester, Sheffield United and even Wolves. Teams being greater than the sum of their parts.

If you think Ole is doing well. Imagine what a modern progressive thinking coach could do with these players and our budget.

Redman is being a bit hyperbolic but make no bones about it, we're nearly a decade without a league win and another one is nowhere in sight. If Newcastle get these owners in and they do half as good as City did and putting a plan in place, we will move down the pecking order yet again and kids in 10 years will grow up wanting to play at St James park and not Old Trafford.

8.) 07 May 2020 13:58:03
Good post mumbles.

9.) 07 May 2020 15:11:53
Top post mumbles.

10.) 07 May 2020 16:04:34
Mumbles, while a great coach can improve a team to be more than the sum of their parts, these coaches are few and far between.

While Nuno at Wolves has worked wonders and built a very good side they have finished below us in the last two seasons. Even when we have been disjointed and inconsistent.

I would hold off on considering Sheffield United a top side, often a side comes up from the Championship and do far better than most expect in their first season only to drop down the table in their second or third seasons after the EPL teams have figured them out. Think of Wigan under Paul Jewell, or Bournemouth under Eddie Howe. Teams that finished in the top half in their first season only to be unable to repeat the feat. I wouldn't bet against Leeds with Biesla will doing it next season.

Like I said I expect Newcastle to become a force if the deal for the new owners goes through. Yet I don't think that will happen next season or the year after. But it's not as cut and dried that new owners means instant success.

As for our manager, I agree that there are better managers out there. The best two managers in the world at the moment are Klopp and Pep. So whichever manager we decide to replace Ole with will at best only be the third best manager in the league with at best the 3rd or 4th best squad in the league. Which means that is probably the highest we can get at the current time. Pochettino, Allegri, Ancelotti etc are unlikely to become better managers than Klopp and Pep. So hiring them would not be a step forward, or at least not a big enough one.

If we are going to over take City and Liverpool we need a young hungry up and coming manager who will grow to become a better manager than Klopp and Pep. However, it isn't as easy to just spot these managers. We have tried the "CV" route with LvG and Mourinho and neither could raise us to compete with City and Liverpool. We need to try something different, yet I feel our fans won't let a younger manager have the time to grow and develop.

11.) 07 May 2020 16:30:35
Redman just have patience dear Sir. Your dream of seeing Man United being coached by someone other than Ole will soon be a reality. If I had a choice I would choose a novice as our new coach/ manager, over an experienced one. Someone who is hungry to achieve, modern and progressive in thinking like most posters put it. Someone who hasn't won anything but has a clear ideology as to how the game should be played and be given the time to implement it. Personally I wouldn't want Poch to be manager of Man United. He had the best Spurs side ever assembled and though he had them challenging couldn't get them over the line. Not even in the cup competitions. It's only a matter of time fans would get tired of being a nearly club. Poch comes across as a coach who struggles with competition and is better off being a manager in a league where one or two teams dominate so he doesn't have much pressure on him. Just my opinion ofcourse.

12.) 07 May 2020 17:23:03
Let's play the game of where is Solksjaer in the worldwide manager rankings? Top 10? Top 50? Number 78?

I'd say Solksjaer doesn't even rank because he's done diddly squat as a manager. His record is appalling.

Then let's compare that with where Utd want to be in the world's top team rankings. Top 5? Top 10?

I'd say top 10 with Madrid, City, Liverpool, Juve, Barca, Bayern, PSG and a couple of others.

So why can't we get a top 10 manager to match our ambitions of being a top 10 club? Why do we have to put up with a managerial nobody who has been rubbish?

13.) 07 May 2020 17:42:02
So the logic here shappy is because we can't get Klopp or Pep, we might as well stick with Ole?

Hiring Poch, Allegro or Ancelotti would not be a step forward? FML, that has to be one of the most absurd takes I've ever read on this site 😂.

14.) 07 May 2020 18:06:51
No Angel, you've missed my point. So I'll be explicit with it.
What I am saying is there isn't a manager available who will be able to lift us any higher than third over the next couple of seasons unless one or both of Klopp and Pep either leave or implode.

MancMan, where would you rank Jose or LvG? Both failed and didn't get us to where we wanted to be.

It's not as simple as just hiring any manager we want. Some don't want to come to us, others aren't available, while others are a terrible fit for our club either stylistically or practically with the behind the scene set up.

What we need is a clear vision and long term plan. Then hire a manager who fits that vision when the right moment arises.

We have tried sacking managers and hiring whoever is available at the time. Where has it got us?

Ole might not be the right long term option, but we need to have the plan in place before we move on from Ole.

Currently, Ole has changed the atmosphere around the club, moved on players who aren't good enough, giving young players a chance, and improved most of our players. Why sack him?

15.) 07 May 2020 18:15:36
So Newcastle might be the new noisy not so near neighbours. I remember people saying City would do nothing and are probably the same people saying Newcastle won’t either. Newcastle may not get taken over, may not appoint a decent manager but if they get taken over I would bet they or their owners will have more ambition than ours.
The days gone by we laughed as City got money, flung it around but Newcastle are a one club City, have something to offer. Yet again our arrogance comes out, like when City were taken over.
Is Ole Gunnar Solskjaer the sign of ambition? Would Newcastle look to appoint him if they could? We are drifting along naive in our view of the world. Ole this Ole that, name is embroidered into the shirt you know, yet it feels more like that person at work, been there years does a good job, nothing outstanding. That is where we are. We still lack a direction, still can’t see the world has moved on from SAF which is why we are where we are, why no one dismissed the Newcastle question because that is what we have become comparable to a side who may well get ahead of us when money is no object and owners ambition is to win the league not to ensure the shareholders are happy with the dividend.
Wake up people, SAF days are gone, stop thinking someone can bring them back just like they were. I thought that after Busby, it cost us years yet I learnt from it and we must if we want to move on.
The clock will tick, how will you feel when it hits 10? I remember 77 very well, 10 years from a league win, enjoyable cup but there was another 16 to wait for the real prize. 10 is in sight but we just ignore reality, the reality of drifting along like we did when Sexton arrived and that is about where we are now.

16.) 07 May 2020 18:39:01
Come off it Shappy. We're Manchester United. We shouldn't be a club with training wheels on for managers with poor records. As Angelred says, your argument is very flawed.

As ed002 has alluded to, we do things in an amateurish way. The footballing world doesn't care about the goal Ole scored in 99. From top to bottom we are consistently making poor choices. But a lot of that can change with the right coach.

You said it yourself. There are better managers out there but you don't want them because what's the point, Pep and Klopp are better? Imagine using that logic on any other part of the club and expecting to succeed.

Do we want to be the best or not?

17.) 07 May 2020 19:11:25
St Lucia

Patience, I supported in every one of those 26 years without a title so Know patience is perhaps overrated but understood. We tried inexperienced with McGuiness, Moyes and Ole, didn’t work out. My first choice would be Simeone, the club needs an electric shock in the you know where.

18.) 07 May 2020 21:13:03
If the newcastle sale goes ahead, with incomes of lots of teams being hit or about to be hit I'd have thought the transfer market would be more of a buyers market than it has been for a long time .

Theres scope for rapid improvement at newcastle and I wouldn't have thought they see arsenal spurs or utd beyond there reach if something akin to what happened at city occurs . It's difficult to know just how big their potential new owners are thinking but you don't have to be too old to remember city and paris very different to what they are now .

Spending money duznt mean youl have success as someone pointed out about everton and we ourselves are a good example of big outlays with little rewards. But if you spend money wisely it duznt half help lift teams to bigger and better things .

19.) 07 May 2020 23:40:51
Shappy, Lvg and Mourino were has beens when they joined utd which they abley demonstrated. So in answer to your question they both rated very low down in the manager rankings.

I just don't understand why people don't want a really good manager to match what should be the clubs ambitions.

20.) 08 May 2020 00:25:44
I don’t post on here very much, but this one peaked my interest (no doubt the drinks that prefaced this helped as well) .
I hope everyone is well and, as always, thank you to the Ed’s for the expert insight. Not a day goes past I don’t read the site.

First off, I’ll admit that I wasn’t enthralled when Ole was given the job full time. While being a club legend and someone who clearly understands the club and it’s ethos, I was skeptical of his (lack of) managerial experience and felt it was a mistake to give him the post on a long term basis and the whole thing stank of a knee-jerk reaction to some media pressure from some club legends.

I’m a fan of Pochettino. I like the way his teams play and I’ve been impressed by the work he’s done with the squads he’s been given. ‘Given’ being the operative word in that sentence. People can hound his record all they want, and point to his lack of silverware until the cows come home, but we have yet to see the man given an opportunity to invest properly in a squad. So if he were to get the Newcastle job, it would be interesting to see the outcome as I believe we’ll truly see what he can do when given the freedom to build his squad on his terms.

Personally, if I HAD to replace Ole with anyone, right now my pick would be Ten Hag from Ajax. I have loved watching the football he plays and he’s got experience of winning titles and the players seem to love playing for him.

All that being said. why are we worrying or even talking about what’s going on over at Newcastle? The takeover may go through, it may not but ultimately, who cares? And why?!

To focus on the situation over there seems an extremely reactionary attitude and not a healthy one at that. Yes, you may point towards the fact that they have an opportunity to invest well and build themselves back up to a force in football once again, but why is that any of our concern? We can only have an impact of what goes on at Manchester United and so I feel the club’s best recourse would be to identify our weaknesses, invest in those areas to make US a better TEAM.

Last time the club made a knee-jerk decision based on what what other clubs were doing, we ended up with Alexis Sanchez.

Sorry, this is turning into the essay I hoping to avoid. I just believe that as a club we need to spend more time looking at our own situation and addressing the issues we have in order to make us into title challengers again, as opposed to looking at what others are doing.

Especially a team fighting relegation.

21.) 08 May 2020 08:21:32
its getting ridiculous it really is.

22.) 08 May 2020 10:59:49
Shappy

I am glad you think there are better managers out there. However, you think hiring them would not be a step forward, or at least not a big enough one? So we stick with what we have even if he is the 125th best manager.

We have not tried the "CV" route properly. LvG’S was out of date and we didn’t support Mourinho, who did have the CV, in the transfer market, so your CV argument is fatally flawed. S and neither could raise us to . We need to try something different, I agree, how about a manager with a proper CV who develops youth, attracts players, demands respect, like Simeone.

I just think the can’t get anyone better argument is lame and inaccurate, watching the club drift on. Action is needed. The original question was about Newcastle and I don’t think they would finish above us next season, but if we drift with Ole, the season after will be game on.

23.) 08 May 2020 12:12:10
I agree with you Redman although I think you missed out a key ingredient which is that we need a manager who will play attractive, attacking football. Simeone is not that manager.

Maybe we should try to learn from history and look at what Fergie was when he arrived at Utd. Who is the next Fergie? Unitedinred mentions Ten Hag. Is it him? It's definately not Solksjaer.

24.) 08 May 2020 12:33:13
MancMan

It has to be the right setting for a manager. Is Ten Hag able to come in in the shambles we are now and shake it up? That is my concern. I don’t know his MO well enough but I know Simeone will drive us forward with his own power of personality and will. That was a key element of what SAF brought and what drove his teams on. It needs change, a strategy and a plan and a real character to push the club forward, someone with the strength of personality to do it, with experience in a big league, who understands how big clubs operate in those big leagues.

25.) 08 May 2020 13:43:15
Red Man, I think you keep falling into the same trap. You wanted Mourinho because he had a good CV and he had the mentality to shake things up and get the club back on track. You now want Simeone for the same reasons. Ignoring the fact that Atletico have gotten steadily worse over the past 3 years. I don't think Simeone can do what you hope he can.

Firstly, he doesn't speak English which is a huge stumbling block for any manager coming in to manage in England.

However, for me the major flaw in your plan is expecting an employee with two or three levels of management ABOVE them to be able to come in and change the course of the club.

If you think Ed Woodward, the other board members or the owners are going to be whipped into line by a manager than you are massively mistaken.

If you rock the boat then you are the first one going overboard, don't believe me then ask LvG or Mourinho.

We have fallen into this idea of replacing Sir Alex, or Sir Matt. Managers who were true figure heads of the club, managers who dictated the direction of the club.

When Sir Alex retired the club was 20 years out of date with modern football. A behemoth of a club set up to work being run by Sir Alex.

The truth is football has moved on. Managers have a say in transfers but the financial implications mean you need experts sorting out transfers. Scouting isn't as simple as someone you trust gives you a call and recommends a lad they saw having a kick about in the local park. Sports science and analysis has developed into a huge monster of it own.

Football has seen a massive upscaling over the past 30 years, and with it the football landscape has changed dramatically.

The best club's have experts in every area. The best football financial experts handing the finances. The top sports scientists, doctors and football analysts managing the scouting and health of the players, multiple coaches using cutting edge training techniques.

The manager is now really a head coach, keep the players in line, set the tactics and work with people from other departments without the ability to dictate to them. Old school manager tasks are now the job of directors of football.

When our club is accused of acting like amateurs it is because they do not have the right set up behind the scenes. They don't have the right people in the right places making the right decisions. No clear structure, everyone sticking their oar in to areas that should not be part of their working remit.

Until that changes every manager is ultimately doomed to failure. The best we can hope for is a manager who keeps the squad happy, plays good football and develops our promising young players.

All things I feel Ole does pretty well. Clearly he isn't the long term answer, but we have tried the sack a manager every two years and it has given us an unbalanced squad as each manager tries to shape it in their own image, limited success and just stagnation/ regression.

You can't build a house until the foundations are laid down, to do so means your house will only fall down around your ears.

26.) 08 May 2020 14:00:55
Looking forward to next season, I think we will do well.

27.) 08 May 2020 14:29:01
You make a lot of really good points there Shappy. When I talk about the next Fergie, I'm talking about about the football side of things. I don't care whether the manager is on first name terms with the tea lady or is interesting in the politics of running the club.

When Fergie joined United he was young and had shown the ability to manage at a top level and win things.

So when I say I want the next Fergie, I mean someone who can spot a good player, build a team, is tactically astute, can innovate and can motivate his teams. For the cherry on top I want a manager who sets his teams up to attack and win football matches.

Perhaps the modern Fergie is Klopp, so maybe rather than asking who is the next Fergie, maybe I should be asking who is the next Klopp?

My knowledge of managers isn't nearly as good as some on this site but I do know it isn't Solksjaer so why persist with him? Why not identify the next Fergie/ Klopp and go all out for them?

28.) 08 May 2020 14:48:26
MancMan, That is the thing I'm saying. You've put down spot a player, but then that role of the scouting department.

A manager needs to be tactically astute, a good motivator, and be able to maintain balance within the squad. In a wider context their style of play should suit the clubs vision and be in sync with the club so that the player at the club and the player signed by the club suit the managers ideals as well as the clubs.

My point is that until the club have a vision, has the right people in the right places then whoever we bring in as a manager is destined to fail.

It's like asking a builder to build you a house, but you don't have any plans. They will build you a house, but probably not the one you want.

29.) 08 May 2020 14:53:30
Shappy

I don’t write essays, but “the best we can hope for”, “things I feel Ole does really well”, say to me you don’t get Manchester United, you get the sentiment of Ole.

I can’t disagree with Mancman too much, the next Klopp would be interesting, but Klopp does lack something. I can’t put my finger on it, maybe he doesn’t exude calm at key moments and that transmits around, but with that team why have they not done better in domestic cups. This season they perhaps should have challenged in more than just the league. He has done well, but SAF wasn’t perfect either.

I get some just want to support Ole, but it is wallowing in nostalgia. Saying he isn’t the long term answer means he isn’t the answer, stop dithering.

30.) 08 May 2020 18:16:30
Maybe Klopp is that great but it's not always possible to challenge in everything.

We complete in 4 tournaments a year, Sir Alex was in charge for 26 years, so that's 104 trophies he could have won at least (without including things like the super cup or the world club cup) . Which means he missed out on around 75% of the trophies he could have won.

Klopp this year will win 1 out of the 4 main titles. Same rate at Sir Alex. Although that is much easier to do over a short period, doing it over 26 years is a whole different matter.

Few if any will combine Sir Alex's winning record over a sustained period with the staying power of sticking at one club.

But it's horses for courses. Just like how some players could be successful in any era the majority wouldn't achieve what they have in another era. Same for managers. Would Busby, Shankley and Clough be great managers in the modern era? Could Pep have been a success 60 years ago?

Klopp is doing what he is doing in this era. And I don't think there is a sane United fan who wouldn't rather have signed Klopp when we got Moyes in hindsight.

31.) 08 May 2020 20:42:14
Shappy

I wanted Klopp to replace Moyes and said so on here

Will you acknowledge that they need to replace Ole?

32.) 11 May 2020 14:08:11
Redman. I think Shappy just kind of did but with the caveat that there is no point wasting a good manager in the current set up. I sort of agree with him.

Red Man's rumour replies

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28 Jun 2020 09:29:21
Shappy

Interesting you say that youngsters need more direction and wonder whether the club instead have their 1980’s head on. Isn’t that what our direction is now, led by our manager in a cultural reboot back to the old ways?

Moaning teenagers always happen, they all think they deserve more but it is also likely a sign the club structure and planning from top down is not what it should be and yes back to the traditional SAF way.

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31 May 2020 16:43:56
Hi Ken

I am well thanks, but not everyone in my family is, but we shall see on that. Sat drinking vino in the garden.

Someone said this was similar to what Griezmann did. It seems strange announcing it that way.

It would be interesting to see Ed02’s view on Saul and where he is going or if he is at all?

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07 Apr 2020 06:59:54
I have said before, don’t ignore this lad Mejbri, he looked to have serious talent. If anyone can step in rather than the useless Perreira or ageing Mata it is an exciting youth. Up to Mejbri But if he keeps developing he is the type that may well earn a place. As with all youth you have to see, but look beyond Perreira and Mata.

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05 Apr 2020 10:00:35
At the moment the Ed is correct. Between Busby and SAF United fans kept saying we were relevant, a big club, when we were historically big but inconsequential where it mattered. Liverpool were the same for nearly 30 years. Now we are kidding ourselves again. We are irrelevant where it matters in the league and in Europe. We have a manager that has no one convinced, doesn’t have the know how to challenge or make the club relevant. We wallow in sentiment, dewy eyed about history but not able to look at reality of our situation. We have an amateur set up with the focus on finance not football. We have huge debts and will no doubt see a huge loss of income to service them. At the moment we are not at Juventus‘s level. If the league doesn’t finish and unless there is a major change I can’t see it, there will be a large financial hole and trap awaiting us. Maybe the huge debt we have just became an even bigger problem that might wake some up.

We think because of history that we are as big or bigger than Juventus, folly and emotional tosh. A giant club would not have been so amateur over the last 7 years, it wouldn’t have been so sentimental in its decision making. If we are struggling to attract a Birmingham youth to play for our club and OGS, what gives anyone the idea that MDL, who isn’t involved in the sentimental claptrap, will want to take a step down because that is what it would be until we wake up.

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15 Feb 2020 19:00:25
If you played in defence you had to face forward and trust the keeper behind you. If there was any doubt it affected your decision making and concentration.

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05 Jul 2020 17:42:01
GDS2

Re Mengi and Mejbri, if we are wasting a sub then the kids are not good enough, plus why waste a space on Perreira? If we only had three subs I would be more in line with your point, but we have five, a great opportunity. We were playing Bournemouth, who got pasted by Newcastle and we were at home, I think in those circumstances Ole missed a trick.

Shappy

If Greenwood plays like he is then Martial or more likely Rashford will be rotating. I don’t think Rashford is pulling up trees at the moment, I see he has signed up with JayZ, who apparently is a rapper? Needs to focus on his football before he gets left behind, world peace will wait.
Maguire, got megged but it can happen, I was shocked at DDG positioning, should never be beaten at the near post so easily. I still think we need to look at Henderson.

As to Shaw, look at his body shape, the angle of his upper body, I think it holds him back slightly but he has responded to the challenge of Williams and deserves his place. If we want a partner for Maguire, it needs careful thought, Bruce and Pally, Stam and Johnsen, of course Rio and Vidic, it’s what SAF built on. We have mix and match right now.

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04 Jul 2020 10:32:03
The elephant in the room, the thing, the underlying theme is that ultimately Ole doesn’t have, nor has displayed the nous, the ability of a top manager and lacks credibility. His in game management has been woeful in most games. We are fighting for top four and I saw above, winning something and finishing top four is a “great” season, no it is a good season. Great is winning the league.

If we get top four and even win something the elephant in the room will still be there. Ole still lacks when it comes to in game management and tactical awareness. Will top players respect him if it continues? Will they be content to battle for top four if they don’t believe Ole can win the league?

My concern remains that next season will continue as is, battling for top four because the manager doesn’t have the know how to take us higher, no matter who we buy. I suspect if we get top four Ole will be retained, because the amateurs, as Ed calls them, want to be proved right and will call it an improvement. It would be an improvement but there is also a bigger picture. Until there is a big improvement in Ole’s management, we will continue as is. I have seen it before Ron Atkinson, Dave Sexton and they had more experience than Ole.

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02 Jul 2020 08:02:02
I think we need to calm down, win the next game and not get ahead of ourselves. When Pogba and Bruno went off Brighton had a few chances and our level fell notably. Suddenly there was space between midfield and defence. Yes we won and yes the third goal was spectacular but as is the tendency on here, people get carried away. I don’t want to say it was only Brighton but I get the feeling the lower teams thrive better when they have a vocal local support close to the pitch and when that isn’t there they are more vulnerable.
It is a bonus that both Leicester and Chelsea lost last night but let’s win our next game. I said before the restart that I felt Leicester may be the ones to drop back and still feel that. Third is up for grabs but feet on the floor time, we can get third with luck and if we win all our games and it would be nice to prove all those “super” computers wrong ( who said we would be 5th) . The key is using Pogba and Bruno well and adapting to what opposition do about it. Don’t kid yourselves that they are not looking at how to deal with it, perhaps man marking on Bruno. We need to have good in game management if that happens.
Until Bruno and Pogba went off we controlled midfield, control midfield and you control games, win games generally. We have cup finals all the way now.

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02 Jul 2020 06:52:45
Privileged to have seen Irwin’s whole career at United, superb. I sat low in South stand so got a good view of his work close up. Don’t forget he could take a free kick as well. I am not sure he was underrated by United fans but possibly by other fans who didn’t see the work he did. He just beats Evra as my best left back and I go back to Tony Dunne (RIP)

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30 Jun 2020 22:59:17
The 3rd goal was a throw back to that Ronaldo goal against Arsenal, superb to watch.

I like what I see of Greenwood, said that in the first game, balance and looks like his strength improved. Needs to play, May really have something

Good result, momentum builds but when Pogba and Bruno went off the level fell notably.