The Official Manchester United Thread (Vol 12)

[LF5335]

Have we touched the ball since they scored?

[bstb3]

Well we had the kick off. Does that count?

[Cie]

Pointless having it when all we can do is pass it back to them

[LF5335]

Antony is absolute turd. Run for miles then surprise surprise stop and play it back because he’s got no right foot. Pathetic.

[bstb3]

wtf was that defending, jesus. Oh well. It's gone about as imagined, but we haven't exactly helped ourselves with the last two and the other was a worldie so...

[simon800]

Remember when posters on here said we just need Amrabat back fit before we can judge the mobility and pace of Maguire.

[LF5335]

The last 30 mins have been a footballing lesson for us. We have been absolutely taken apart. Overall, we gave a good go of it for an hour and almost looked like we had a game plan albeit a poor counter attack only plan. We are so far away from competing with teams at this level that it’s embarrassing. Moreso when you consider how much money we’ve wasted putting this squad together.

[simon800]

Yes, it’s been like watching a League Two team against a PL team in the cup.

We were a far better counter attacking side under Ole….

[Big Rig]

[bstb3]

LF5335 said:

The last 30 mins have been a footballing lesson for us. We have been absolutely taken apart. Overall, we gave a good go of it for an hour and almost looked like we had a game plan albeit a poor counter attack only plan. We are so far away from competing with teams at this level that it’s embarrassing. Moreso when you consider how much money we’ve wasted putting this squad together.

Yeah, thats it really. It was known before the game so it's just really a demonstration of it. They have a much better squad, and first eleven, than we do. So even at full strength we'd be hard pressed. Take some players out it makes it harder, but the outcome is largely the same. We are a few years, at least, from being able to compete.

On the plus side we didn't just bend over like we have in the past, and pretty much everyone gave it a go which is pleasing to see. Apart from the second goal Onana actually did alright for me, though the goal means he won't get that credit (and probably rightly so, have to do it for 90 minutes). Evans was pretty solid and when he went off we kind of lost that organisation which probably was the cause of the third.

I'm not sure we learned much, but it wasn't a given up drubbing or a freak result like the Anfield one so there is that. It won't do ETH in, we carry on and hopefully can turn it around in the next game.

[and31]

simon800 said:

Remember when posters on here said we just need Amrabat back fit before we can judge the mobility and pace of Maguire.

what posters said that? I don’t remember people posting that about amrabat..

[Challo]

Can’t fault the effort, the team ran their socks off against far superior team. Just city relentless pressure with and without the ball.

Annoyed with the last goal as we were sloppy and lost possession in a stupid area.

Another make shift defence, meant we could get out from the back, and no striker means no holding the ball upfront and it just kept coming back.

Fair play to the lads. They put a shift in

[simon800]

and31 said:

what posters said that? I don’t remember people posting that about amrabat..

Amrabat was due to be the saviour according to some, which shows how much attention should be paid to the views of some posters on here

[bstb3]

and31 said:

what posters said that? I don’t remember people posting that about amrabat..

I think people were just hoping that we'd get that world cup version of him, rather than the Serie A one. We didn't .

It seems only fair to judge someone when their full squad and plan is available for a good run, however you can make inferences from whatever happens in the meantime and those aren't great this season I think it's reasonable to say.

[Challo]

simon800 said:

and31 said:

what posters said that? I don’t remember people posting that about amrabat..

Amrabat was due to be the saviour according to some, which shows how much attention should be paid to the views of some posters on here

Was he? Who said that?

I think there was optimism when he came in, but he has struggled with the pace of the prem. he won’t be signed in the summer.

[uk66fastback]

I think you probably did about as well as expected … slightly better in fact. It’s gonna take a lot more than two/three years - Sir Jim’s words - to close the gap though.

[and31]

simon800 said:

and31 said:

what posters said that? I don’t remember people posting that about amrabat..

Amrabat was due to be the saviour according to some, which shows how much attention should be paid to the views of some posters on here

Still don’t remember that-perhaps you have some stats about it
On a different note,there was a list of perspective new managers for United listed on the old thread-you always say you “don’t know who is available “ when pressed about it because you want ten Haag out, so from the list who would you choose? I’m sure you can find it easily enough..

[simon800]

and31 said:

Still don’t remember that-perhaps you have some stats about it
On a different note,there was a list of perspective new managers for United listed on the old thread-you always say you “don’t know who is available “ when pressed about it because you want ten Haag out, so from the list who would you choose? I’m sure you can find it easily enough..

I do have a good stat on Amrabat. Number of managers in the world who thought he'd be able to cut it at Man Utd after spending a career in mid table farmers leaguers clubs = 1

Without remembering who is in the list you've referred, I'd take any of them as none can be as bad as the Dutch fraud

[simon800]

bstb3 said:

I think people were just hoping that we'd get that world cup version of him, rather than the Serie A one. We didn't .

It seems only fair to judge someone when their full squad and plan is available for a good run, however you can make inferences from whatever happens in the meantime and those aren't great this season I think it's reasonable to say.

Yep, and judging players on world cups is a sure fire way to disappointment. International football is played at a completely different pace to the PL.

[bstb3]

uk66fastback said:

I think you probably did about as well as expected … slightly better in fact. It’s gonna take a lot more than two/three years - Sir Jim’s words - to close the gap though.

It will, but at least hopefully we will finally have the correct people in place to do it (at all levels)

What is a bit frustrating is that we actually could have done better today even with the way it panned out - Rashford had two good chances on the break which were completely fluffed. In previous seasons he may well have taken one of them. As well as the tactical and set up issues & injuries, we also have people a few stops below their best. It's a bit of a mess to say the least.

The strange thing is though it doesn't really feel like a huge loss. I know we expected it, which is probably mostly why, but somehow losing to these doesn't feel the same as Pool. Certainly less so than it might have in the past at least. They've somehow become less relevant in that sense, even though they are clearly a great team and realistically the best club one around right now. I don't know if it's just because they are so far ahead or due to the feelings about how they (allegedly) got there. Weird that.