The Manchester United Thread

[Tyton]

There's no 'guarantee' of course. But if you don't want to be entertained, what's the point of being a fan? I get the games become more and more results orientated.

That's the thing. The game was fun and entertaining, so they weren't booing that. They were booing the results.

 

[Scouseinthehouse]

That's the thing. The game was fun and entertaining, so they weren't booing that. They were booing the results.

i think they were more booing an accumulation of frustration toward a lack of goals and overal poor attacking play this season. The one shot on target the whole game, at home, against West Ham I suspect was the final straw. Looked a decent game to me off the highlights as previously noted but I get the frustration.

But regardless, the question on entertainment was a general one.

 

[sunilvk7]

There is no doubt that defensively we are excellent but our attacking game is so poor.

In PL, 15 games and we haven't scored in 5 games. That's 33% of the games.

To add to that, poor performance in the must win CL game at home, drawing 0-0 again. Before that 3 consecutive 0-0s and before that so many games where we were underwhelming in the attacking dept.

ManUtd have spent **** loads of money and can't score a goal at all. Fans are rightly worried.

 

[tigertailz001]

It was a good game with poor finishing. If you're booing that, you're an idiot. You're a bigger fool if you go to a football game looking for guaranteed entertainment.

When I said I agree with the booing, I didn't mean getting on players backs, it's the tactics that are not helping the situation. But you got to be honest with yourself, if they played for further ninety minutes they still wouldn't look like scoring, plus West Ham did hit the post twice during the game. The club buying all these expensive signings and it's seems that we are going backwards in attacking side of the game. But I said we have improved the defensive side of the game, plus possession (keep the ball). You remember most big clubs around Europe have standard's of the they play. For example Real Madrid didn't like Mourinho's tactics, Barcelona didn't like Martino's style, Bayern have way playing and of course Ajax defiantly a style of playing. Those supporters of those clubs have all booed their teams when they not playing attacking football.

 

[Scouseinthehouse]

It must be such a culture shock for Utd fans to go from over two decades of more or less constant, all out attacking football under Ferguson to the current style and Moyes before it.

I fully sympathise at the lack of attacking entertainment. It got so mind numblingly boring under Benitez at ours you didn't want to go the game. And the difference between last year under Rodgers and this year under Klopp is Worlds apart. From not wanting to go the match, you now can't wait for the next one. Even after a wretchedly bad outing as yesterday.

To go from that excitement/ enjoyment under Ferguson to this must be a real kick in the preverbals.

Being accepting of results from afar is one thing. But it's a whole other if you're paying hard earned cash and getting little enjoyment with it.

 

[tigertailz001]

It must be such a culture shock for Utd fans to go from over two decades of more or less constant, all out attacking football under Ferguson to the current style and Moyes before it.

I fully sympathise at the lack of attacking entertainment. It got so mind numblingly boring under Benitez at ours you didn't want to go the game. And the difference between last year under Rodgers and this year under Klopp is Worlds apart. From not wanting to go the match, you now can't wait for the next one. Even after a wretchedly bad outing as yesterday.

To go from that excitement/ enjoyment under Ferguson to this must be a real kick in the preverbals.

Being accepting of results from afar is one thing. But it's a whole other if you're paying hard earned cash and getting little enjoyment with it.

Not just that but the players don't seem to be enjoying playing current style/tactics under LVG.

 

[Mike.]

It must be such a culture shock for Utd fans to go from over two decades of more or less constant, all out attacking football under Ferguson to the current style and Moyes before it.

I fully sympathise at the lack of attacking entertainment. It got so mind numblingly boring under Benitez at ours you didn't want to go the game. And the difference between last year under Rodgers and this year under Klopp is Worlds apart. From not wanting to go the match, you now can't wait for the next one. Even after a wretchedly bad outing as yesterday.

To go from that excitement/ enjoyment under Ferguson to this must be a real kick in the preverbals.

Being accepting of results from afar is one thing. But it's a whole other if you're paying hard earned cash and getting little enjoyment with it.

We didn't play attacking football the last two years under Ferguson either...

 

[tigertailz001]

We didn't play attacking football the last two years under Ferguson either...

I agree, but that's why Sir Alex went out and sign Robin van Persie from Arsenal to score goals, of course we went on to win the league title.

 

[Scouseinthehouse]

Not just that but the players don't seem to be enjoying playing current style/tactics under LVG.

Talking in general terms, managers these days get way too bogged down in tactical approaches to games IMHO. If you're a player, you just want to be allowed express yourself and go out and play. Even more so at the very top level. Yeah, you need a to have some form of tactical approach to cater for the opposition. But you want to have fun playing football. Not be in a structured system that doesn't allow that. Always been a great believer in what Shanks used to say. Play your own game and let the opposition worry about you. Which Ferguson more often than not adhered to.

I'm reticent to say this as it leads to people naturally getting defensive, as we do over our own teams, and dismissed being as to date, Utd are handily placed in the league and still have qualification in Europe in their own hands. But this style of football often only takes you so far. And when you're not scoring and nicking games by the odd goal, and things stop dropping your way, the pressure mounts at the other end. I don't think many would disagree there's been quite a few fortuitous results already this year that could easily of gone the other way. Games that, given the players at his disposal, should never of been so tight for Van Gaal and Utd.

You wonder how long that can last and how frustrating results like Sat'day start to happen more often if he doesn't open it up?

 

[sunilvk7]

We didn't play attacking football the last two years under Ferguson either...

That's clearly wrong. We scored 89 and 86 goals in his last 2 seasons. In RVP's first season, it was you score 2 we score 3 approach.

 

[Mike.]

Talking in general terms, managers these days get way too bogged down in tactical approaches to games IMHO. If you're a player, you just want to be allowed express yourself and go out and play. Even more so at the very top level. Yeah, you need a to have some form of tactical approach to cater for the opposition. But you want to have fun playing football. Not be in a structured system that doesn't allow that. Always been a great believer in what Shanks used to say. Play your own game and let the opposition worry about you. Which Ferguson more often than not adhered to.

I'm reticent to say this as it leads to people naturally getting defensive, as we do over our own teams, and dismissed being as to date, Utd are handily placed in the league and still have qualification in Europe in their own hands. But this style of football often only takes you so far. And when you're not scoring and nicking games by the odd goal, and things stop dropping your way, the pressure mounts at the other end. I don't think many would disagree there's been quite a few fortuitous results already this year that could easily of gone the other way. Games that, given the players at his disposal, should never of been so tight for Van Gaal and Utd.

You wonder how long that can last and how frustrating results like Sat'day start to happen more often if he doesn't open it up?

Again similar to United last two seasons under Ferguson. Difference was that in his last season, he had Van Persie who could not stop scoring.

 

[tigertailz001]

Talking in general terms, managers these days get way too bogged down in tactical approaches to games IMHO. If you're a player, you just want to be allowed express yourself and go out and play. Even more so at the very top level. Yeah, you need a to have some form of tactical approach to cater for the opposition. But you want to have fun playing football. Not be in a structured system that doesn't allow that. Always been a great believer in what Shanks used to say. Play your own game and let the opposition worry about you. Which Ferguson more often than not adhered to.

I'm reticent to say this as it leads to people naturally getting defensive, as we do over our own teams, and dismissed being as to date, Utd are handily placed in the league and still have qualification in Europe in their own hands. But this style of football often only takes you so far. And when you're not scoring and nicking games by the odd goal, and things stop dropping your way, the pressure mounts at the other end. I don't think many would disagree there's been quite a few fortuitous results already this year that could easily of gone the other way. Games that, given the players at his disposal, should never of been so tight for Van Gaal and Utd.

You wonder how long that can last and how frustrating results like Sat'day start to happen more often if he doesn't open it up?

LVG hasn't helped himself by selling and loaning out strikers leaving the cardboard bare of options up front. For example selling Chicartio (Javier Harnandez) to Bayer Leverkusen who is scoring for quite regular now, James Wilson out on loan to Brighton scored 1 in 2 already, I believe that the young Chilean striker Anglo Henriquez (Sold) is doing okay at Dinamo Zagreb, Robin van Persie (Sold) is not setting the world a light at Fenerbahce but is doing okay as well and Will Keane is not doing to bad to Preston on loan.

 

[Mike.]

That's clearly wrong. We scored 89 and 86 goals in his last 2 seasons. In RVP's first season, it was you score 2 we score 3 approach.

Van Persie was taking chances we would have missed. RVP from 2013 would have had a hat trick against West Ham.

 

[Mike.]

LVG hasn't helped himself by selling and loaning out strikers leaving the cardboard bare of options up front. For example selling Chicartio (Javier Harnandez) to Bayer Leverkusen who is scoring for quite regular now, James Wilson out on loan to Brighton scored 1 in 2 already, I believe that the young Chilean striker Anglo Henriquez (Sold) is doing okay at Dinamo Zagreb, Robin van Persie (Sold) is not setting the world a light at Fenerbahce but is doing okay as well and Will Keane is not doing to bad to Preston on loan.

RVP is all but finished for the wage he was on. Only Hernandez is a partial loss.

 

[Scouseinthehouse]

Again similar to United last two seasons under Ferguson. Difference was that in his last season, he had Van Persie who could not stop scoring.

You never had the quality of squad to pick from though did you?

Let's be honest, you should never of won the league that season all things being equal. The fact you did was a massive testament to Ferguson's motivational powers to get so much from one of the worst squads he had at Utd. Certainly in the PL era. Along with RVP having a career year and nobody else wanting to take charge of the league.

Always appeared from the outside any drop off to what went before was down to inferior players more than anything else.

 

[ImAddicted]

Being accepting of results from afar is one thing. But it's a whole other if you're paying hard earned cash and getting little enjoyment with it.

This.

 

[sunilvk7]

Van Persie was taking chances we would have missed. RVP from 2013 would have had a hat trick against West Ham.

Not really. RVP used to miss chances back then but the quality of chances we used to create and the movement of players was much better.

Under Van Gaal, we are at max creating 1 or 2 good chances but with Fergie it was wave after wave of attacks.

 

[steveorobbo]

One thing we do know, is if we turn up tomorrow and dont score a goal, end up with another boring 0-0 or even lose, LVG will have a lot of pressure on his hands. Not just from the fans but from the board aswell. After the money he has spent, and the decisions hes been trusted to make (selling Chicharito, RVP, loaning out Wilson.....etc), if we fail to get out of the group its unacceptable.

 

[sunilvk7]

You never had the quality of squad to pick from though did you?

Let's be honest, you should never of won the league that season all things being equal. The fact you did was a massive testament to Ferguson's motivational powers to get so much from one of the worst squads he had at Utd. Certainly in the PL era. Along with RVP having a career year and nobody else wanting to take charge of the league.

Always appeared from the outside any drop off to what went before was down to inferior players more than anything else.

No. That squad was quality, just that people loved hipster players rather than the consistent performers who did job week in week out.

What happened to United post Fergie was same as what happened to Inter post their treble.

 

[Mike.]

No. That squad was quality, just that people loved hipster players rather than the consistent performers who did job week in week out.

What happened to United post Fergie was same as what happened to Inter post their treble.

It was very good, but more importantly it was consistent.

Also RVP did miss plenty, but he also hit a lot more than we are now.