The Manchester United Thread

Embargoed.



Rangnick: "I mean, why should #mufc not be able to be as successful as those clubs [the likes of Liverpool & Man City] are now? It's not just the manager's quality. It's about changing all the other things that have brought the club into position as we are in right now." #mulive


Rangnick: "In a club like #mufc, it's difficult to tell people to be patient. It will take a little bit of time. But we just have to face the current situation." #mulive

Rangnick: "We lost on aggregate against Liverpool 9-0. We lost against Man City on aggregate 6-1. The team even lost against Watford 4-1 — this is just the sad reality that we have to face and just acknowledge, which will help #mufc in the future." #mulive
 
Rangnick: "We have an agreement on that consultancy role, but in the end, it's not a question of what has been written on paper or what has been agreed upon, it's about what will really happen in everyday life and, and in everyday's business." #mulive


Rangnick: "It's also important how Erik ten Hag sees that [his consultancy role]. Does he like to speak with somebody like myself? How close does he want to work together? And those are the things we haven't spoken about yet." #mulive

Rangnick: "It's not a question of having agreed upon a contract or whatever for the next two years - I'm 64 very soon so for me, it's about what will really happen and how much does Ten Hag and the board of #mufc really want to know my opinion and have my experience." #mulive


Rangnick: "It's not a question of having agreed upon a contract or whatever for the next two years - I'm 64 very soon so for me, it's about what will really happen and how much does Ten Hag and the board of #mufc really want to know my opinion and have my experience." #mulive


Rangnick: "Again, having seen Liverpool play against us, having seen what happened in other clubs and we also spoke about Arsenal's progress, why should this not be possible here?" #mulive
 
Rangnick: "This is one of the biggest clubs in the world, we have perfect training conditions, we have a fantastic stadium… We have massive fan support, probably the best fan support I've ever experienced apart from Schalke in Germany." #mulive


Rangnick: "I'm pretty convinced that he's [Ten Hag] the best possible coach that you can get right now. As I said earlier on, one of the very few good things is that it's crystal clear - you don't even need glasses to analyse and to see where the problems are here." #mulive


Rangnick on Erik ten Hag: "From all I heard from people who have worked with him, he's very communicative, carrying himself well, doing a lot of things himself. He obviously needs the assistance of the whole club, of all the people inside. I know he will get that." #mulive

Rangnick: "For me, the most vital part is the club manages to get in the right and best possible players, change the attitude and also the energy - I think we need positive energy for the new team. And this is also important for the new manager." #mulive

Rangnick: "If the right lessons are being learned from what has happened this season, this could be one of the few good things about a season like we are going through. At least we know which kind of screws we need to turn, things we need to change." #mulive

Rangnick: "To build how we want here you have to have top people and they have to work together in a very close and in a very reliable way." #mulive
 
Rangnick on United’s reconstruction: ‘For me it’s not enough to do some minor amendments, some little issues here and there and little cosmetic things. In medicine, you would say that this is an operation of the open heart.’ #mufc

Rangnick: "He [Pogba] won't be available for the game tomorrow and most likely not for the other four upcoming games. And as it seems he will not renew his contract. It's most likely that he won't be here anymore next season." #mulive
 
I mean, they do have a pretty good crop of young players coming through. In a few years and perhaps an upgrade on their gaffe and you never know.

No. You do mate. They are F from the owners on down.

If they fail to get CL football yet again, which would be an even bigger disgrace than Utd failing to get it this season if you miss out, those kids aren’t dtaying long. For if they couldn't bag 4th when the had no European football, and were out the FA Cup in the third round, allowing them the luxury of one game a week most weeks and being able to play their strongest side, they sure as heck aren’t getting that when they have to cope with Th-Su Eurooa League football. And the longer you are out of the CL, the harder it is to return. Players of Saka’s potential ilk want the CL stage.

It will say a lot about their owners if they do miss out and Arteta remains in charge. And F knows who would want to go there after him? At least Utd could attract a decent name in Pochettino to the table. Arsenal would struggle to even do that the mess the clubs in.
 
To the above, I shudder to think just what carnage todays game between Arsenal and Utd will throw up.

I mean man, we dropped off badly the first decade of the PL. But it was never anywhere near this bad as the absolute chasm both clubs are behind City and Liverpool. Which will continue to be that way over the next decade at least in all probability.

From what used to be a PL title deciding game, to now one with little relevance to anything, the seismic drop off from Arsenal and Utd to this level is frightening and a warning to everyone on just how fast things can go wrong if you don’t have your club right from the owners on down,
 
Levitt: "With the new manager [ten Hag] going in at #mufc, hopefully I’ll get a chance. My contract is up in the summer and it hasn’t been spoken about. Hopefully, I will hear something in the next few weeks." [@thecourieruk]
 
After announcing Paul Pogba's imminent departure, Ralf Rangnick answered on Eric Bailly asking to 'play more' on Instagram comments. #MUFC "If it’s true what you told me, that should not happen in a football club - no matter in which league", Rangnick said via @utdreport.
 
So another 180 for tactical style for you with new manager change. Cant even count how many this is already, think every manager was opposite to previous manager you had.

I personally feel (this really matters squat in here i know :D ) that Manchester United will be hard pill for ten Hag. Okey he is very good in possession football that he uses in Ajax. He has changed a bit of stile with Tadic (f9) and now Haller as regular striker, + ofc losing several top players. But Manchester does not really fit the pill for his main flow of tactics. First and priority should be getting back line in order. Transfer market should focus on back line + DM.

Also feel there is misconception of his transfers and ability to find players. Most of the hits (he has lots of misses also) for him has come from inside the Ajax youth + amazing Ajax scouting network that spreads into south America where he got several main players. This might not go through any more in PL as the work permit for younger South American guys( Antony, Martínez, Álvarez) might be harder to get + giving these young guys opportunity to play in ruthless league and Club that wants success will be hard sell. Eredivisie is also easier to ease players into team and give more game time, there is no reason to sugar goat it, PL is simply top league. Haller and Klaassenn where already proven before PL, but just misused in by managers and where good buy for Ajax and Tadic ofc(Blind being former Ajax player). These are all good for Eredivisie but top PL is another ball game.

Sure thing ETH will try to get some guys with him. Martínez, Álvarez would be main picks but will come expensive for sure. Dont know your work permit situation either, how many slots you have open?

Player who will shine under him i assume will be Sancho. Still young and technically good to change his game to fit ETH vision.

Club must be ruthless but also smart in transfers. Be extremely patience, specially if you dont figure out back four and get the right guys in. Same goes to fans, this might long project.

I mean ETH is definetly more than ready than Ole to make a bigger step up, but otherway around Manchester United as a club and squad might not be at state where to support and facilitate manager like ETH.

And small last idea:
If you take all the success and good things ETH has done during his reign as an argument. Dont forget we are talking about club name Ajax who has long years of breeding this success from their core. The club structure, staff, youth academy is all that lets this happen.
 
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I do not understand football anymore. Tavares grabbing and pulling Elanga when going 1v1 with the keeper is not a foul, but collision from Telles and Saka is. Honestly, can this football season just **** off already?
 
Not watching but not surprised.

English officiating is at an all time low and getting worse by the passing season.
 
So another 180 for tactical style for you with new manager change. Cant even count how many this is already, think every manager was opposite to previous manager you had.

Player who will shine under him i assume will be Sancho. Still young and technically good to change his game to fit ETH vision.

These 180s is why we’re always constantly rebuilding every 2-3 years. I always mocked Chelsea for the constant change in managers but they don’t just pick anything that’s hot in the market, they’ve always picked based on the blueprint Jose left in 2006 at the club. Ofc, there are a few exceptions in the mold of Ancelotti and Sarri but if you look at their managerial picks from Grant to Di Matteo, Conte, Rafa Benitez etc, they’ve often hired pragmatists as the core of their teams have always been built for that. As a result,we don’t hear of Chelsea constantly needed to rebuild.
With Solskjaer, I’m not even sure we even had a nailed down style of play. In his first season, I always got the idea he was trying to convert us into an atletico madrid type with sitting deep (this played well to Maguire’s “strengths”) and hitting teams on the break. We were very good at that however, we struggled to break compact sides down (hence why our matches against Nuno’s wolves were always a slugfest). Then in his 2nd and 3rd seasons, we “attempted” to play an expansive game and started keeping higher lines. He bought accordingly with Telles however, Maguire’s (and AWB’s) performances started to slowly decline as a result. So we didn’t really have a fixed style of play under Solskjaer. It almost felt we would change our style from game to game.
So in reality, we don’t have the players that fit one style so maybe we could use ETH as a benchmark


i also believe Donny Van Der Beek should be a wild card. I feel there’s every chance he benches Bruno next season (which would make that contract extension even more daft)
 
**** officiating, to many good missed chances, missed penalty and no confidence. Terrible recipe. Could of easily won that.
 
Scouse was right about one thing, Arsenal are bad compared to the Chelsea/Tottenham, let alone the top 2.
I was disappointed in arsenal today tbh. They hit a lot of the rub in the green today all things considered (got a soft pen, no pen with the Tavares pull on Elanga, no pen on Cedric’s handball, Bruno’s uncharacteristic penalty miss, loads of shots off the bar, Nketiah obstructing DDG’s view on the Xhaka goal).
 
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