The Manchester United Thread

Thought it was interesting post Arsenal game point from Carragher, in his thoughts on the top 4 hunt, he suggested United will get top 4 and Manchester City the likeliest to miss out (madness how things change, many had them down as a shoe in in the opening months) - he backed his statement up by saying their back 4 is very poor compared to the other teams in the fight. Can we disagree with him? I'm not sure if I can.

Thoughts? If we get top 4, will it be City to miss out?

I personally think Pep will get it right, like Mourinho, and even though both managers need time and a couple more windows to sand off the rough edges and engrave what they're about, I think Mourinho had much the better first window and will be a lot more content with his current options than Pep is with is (mainly at the back), demonstrated with Mourinho's comfort and trust in rotating Jones/Rojo/Bailly/Smalling in centre half in recent games (expect to see one of Jones/Rojo returned tomorrow). I wouldn't be surprised to see Pep go for practically a new back line bar Stones over the next 8 months.
Can see both returning tomorrow. And they should imo, both have been fantastic. And Mou defo was not happy with Smalling. Pep will get better at City no doubt but I'm not sure he will get City to be the dominant force in the Prem. Just don't think you can play like that no matter who you sign. If he fails or refuses to adapt then it's only going to go the same way. Chelsea, Pool, Utd, Arsenal top 4.
 
We sure can disagree with him as Jamie flip flops at will. Only yesterday he was saying L'pol have to go splash £40 million plus on whatever it takes to get van Dijk as their defence isn't good enough. (Along with Klopp's way not being sustainable apparently among other things.). Now it's City's turn as they lost last night.

He, along with his compadre Neville, really do play the Sky role well in getting people talking.
 
everyone can see pool need some quality defenders but you cant deny how dangerous they are going forward.have always been an admirer of klopp,dont mind admitting the fact
 
everyone can see pool need some quality defenders but you cant deny how dangerous they are going forward.have always been an admirer of klopp,dont mind admitting the fact
Yep very good manager. Very good at motivating his players to get the most out of them. Let's be honest they haven't got the best squad by any means. But a lack of Euro comps and Klopps management has got them performing well.
 
everyone can see pool need some quality defenders but you cant deny how dangerous they are going forward.have always been an admirer of klopp,dont mind admitting the fact

I'd disagree there. At a push we could do with a LB. Which is far from a priority as good as Milner's been. (Although the lad they picked up from Barcelona Juanma is really starting to settle and show his quality the last couple of months the U-23 so they may be the long term answer there.). And Klopp still rates Moreno terrifically highly. Maybe the year out of the limelight working hard the training field turns that one around? Shrugs. Matip and Gomez are the long term centre half partnership. Lovren and Klaven are solid deputy's. Maybe you could another into the mix. And RB is completely boxed off with Clyne and Trent. Don't think you'll see many defensive personnel moves from L'pool the summer. Certainly none in January.

But the point was as much as I love him Carragher is terrible at being flaky from one day to the next. Presumably to get a reaction. for his employers.
 
Considering Liverpool are giving up more big chances on goal than most, either they need a new defender, or they need to strike a better balance. Even Klopp raised that defensive concern pre christmas

And in fairness to Carragher he hasnt flip flopped, both City and Liverpool could do with it.
 
Yep very good manager. Very good at motivating his players to get the most out of them. Let's be honest they haven't got the best squad by any means. But a lack of Euro comps and Klopps management has got them performing well.

One thing that people always over look for some reason with both Guardiola and Klopp is how everything is so tightly tactically orientated with them both. The work both do on the training pitch for their lads to play the highly intricate styles both employ goes by the wayside in the general opinion of them where as more dour managers like Benitez and Mourinho are the ones people talk about as the tactical genius' for some strange reason. Peps a disciple of Cruyf. Klopp's a disciple of Sacchi. Both are terrific tactical brains that the general fan and media for some reason over look and just presume it's all passion and mad pressing, all out attacking footie.

City dying on their **** the last 15 last night aside, as quiet a game as it was that tactical work was on glaring display yesterday with different approaches from both managers to the norm out of respect for one another.
 
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Considering Liverpool are giving up more big chances on goal than most, either they need a new defender, or they need to strike a better balance. Even Klopp raised that defensive concern pre christmas

And in fairness to Carragher he hasnt flip flopped, both City and Liverpool could do with it.

And conceding the least shots on their goal from open play from any team in the top 5 leagues in Europe this season to date.

You can flip those stats anyway you want but L'pool's defence hasn't been half as weak as the mediots still laughably make out.
 
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Agreed, who takes Jamie and Gary seriously anymore? They only seemed competent because TV punditry was below level of dirt when they first burst on the scene. The truth is they are both completely reactionary, hindsight 20/20 kind of pundits, and they were hopelessly out of their depth the few times they were paired with actual professional manager during the show.

I still watch them because it's an entertaining show with good banter, but let's not bullshit ourselves that there's some any real, in-depth knowledge to gain from it.
 
One thing that people always over look for some reason with both Guardiola and Klopp is how everything is so tightly tactically orientated with them both. The work both do on the training pitch for their lads to play the highly intricate styles both employ goes by the wayside in the general opinion of them where as more dour managers like Benitez and Mourinho are the ones people talk about as the tactical genius' for some strange reason. Peps a disciple of Cruyf. Klopp's a disciple of Sacchi. Both are terrific tactical brains that the general fan and media for some reason over look and just presume it's all passion and mad pressing, all out attacking footie.
Not sure if that's a good or bad reply to my post? As I praised Klopp as a manager :)) I agree with what your saying about the tactical sides of both managers. Don't agree Mourinho is a particularly dour manager though. Difference I see in Pep and Klopp is that one is willing to change depending on how the games going the other seems to stick with the same plan, just change most his back line each game. Don't overly see Klopp obsessed with playing out from the back as an obsession either.
 
Klopp has actually described his footy as heavy pressing and attacking for years. And no one has ever said Guardiola (media wise) wasn't a tactical genius, quite the opposite for years. Odd assumption to make of the general fan and media.
 
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The stats arent flipped at all, all means is that you are conceding quality chances.

Quality trumps quantity
 
Tell what has surprised me this weeken on a few Forums is the stick Herrera is getting from Utd fans. Yes his long range shooting from rediculous ranges bugs the shot out of me, when we are in good attacking positions. But apart from that I think he's been fantastic and the most improved player under Mou this season. He really is a key cog in our CM and team. His pressing sets the tempo of our game and often gets crucial interceptions high up the pitch that's starts of attacks. Not to mention his defence work tackles and interceptions. Also very good at linking up play in the final third and helps us transition from defence into attack at a good pace.
 
One thing that people always over look for some reason with both Guardiola and Klopp is how everything is so tightly tactically orientated with them both. The work both do on the training pitch for their lads to play the highly intricate styles both employ goes by the wayside in the general opinion of them where as more dour managers like Benitez and Mourinho are the ones people talk about as the tactical genius' for some strange reason


To say that Benitez gets more acknowledgement as a tactician over any of the three named is just untrue. Also, just because you don't particularly like Mourinho's tactical identity; physically powerful teams, disciplined, well drilled, devastating on the counter - as it may not be quite as easy on the eye or as technical as Guardiola's or Klopp's, doesn't mean it's any less meditated nor does it mean fewer hours gone have went down trying to engrave what he wants from his team week in, week out.

Simeone as an example, you're never going to see free-flowing "heavy metal" football with attack after attack like Klopp likes to employ, or emulate Guardiola's style (or anything near it for that matter) - he's got his own beliefs, which isn't a million miles away from that of Jose's. It's not pretty at times, but to say it would be just "dour" management and there wasn't a great deal of tactical thought or hours on the training ground put behind it would be laughable. As it is saying it about Mourinho.

There's more than one way to skin a cat.
 
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To say that Benitez gets more acknowledgement as a tactician over any of the three named is just untrue. Also, just because you don't particularly like Mourinho's tactical identity; physically powerful teams, disciplined, well drilled, devastating on the counter - as it may not be quite as easy on the eye or as technical as Guardiola's or Klopp's, doesn't mean it's any less meditated nor does it mean fewer hours gone have went down trying to engrave what he wants from his team week in, week out.

Simeone as an example, you're never going to see free-flowing "heavy metal" football with attack after attack like Klopp likes to employ, or emulate Guardiola's style (or anything near it for that matter) - he's got his own beliefs, which isn't a million miles away from that of Jose's. It's not pretty at times, but to say it would be just "dour" management and there wasn't a great deal of tactical thought or hours on the training ground put behind it would be laughable. As it is saying it about Mourinho.

There's more than one way to skin a cat.

Aside from the bunkum about Rafa not being looked upon as a tactical genius, the rest was all very nice and all; but where did you get that from me on Mourinho or Simeone on the training ground? Or a lack of, what was it, 'tactical thought' for that matter?
 
Neither Benitez or Mourinho have been dour either

You honestly don't see the football either Benitez or Mourinho's teams have played as dour the bulk of their careers?

Interesting perception. I fell out of love watching my club being bored stupid by Rafa and his negative MO 'you start with a point, the least you can do is finish with a point' through the majority of his tenure at Anfield.

Whatever floats your boat I guess. But that's not for me.
 
The stats arent flipped at all, all means is that you are conceding quality chances.

Quality trumps quantity

A common false narrative that's utter bunkum. Plainer?

L'pool conceded no more big chances than the majority of the league. But the media continue to push it so what yer gonna' do?

Let everyone fill their boots I guess.
 
Klopp has actually described his footy as heavy pressing and attacking for years. And no one has ever said Guardiola (media wise) wasn't a tactical genius, quite the opposite for years. Odd assumption to make of the general fan and media.

Presumably you've not been reading/ hearing everything Klopp has been exasperatingly repeatedly saying then about the misconceptions of this L'pool side the past year? Which is understandable. Why would you not having a vested interest?
 
Funnily enough scouse, you don't need to be liverpool fan to read about klopp, he had a history before anfield
 
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