The Manchester United Thread

[Theatre of dreams]

Hope we get Fabinho in the summer.

He does not even play FB anymore hardly. Been converted to a DM and not a good one at that.

 

[Theatre of dreams]

If he doesn't have the squad he wants, he only has himself to blame because he pretty much had an unlimited transfer budget this summer. This is not Chelsea where he had to sell one player everytime he bought one.

Rubbish. Yes we had a shed load to spend. But to think he could of completely overhauled the squad, and sorted out 4 years of mess in one window is rubbish.

 

[Theatre of dreams]

I don't buy the Mkhi story Mourinho says, he avoided international break to work on his match fitness and be ready yet still hasn't featured after.

The club wrote a letter to the Armenian FA to excuse him from international duty because he was injured still and not ready to play. He is fit now but hasn't been for the last 2 games to play.

 

[Theatre of dreams]

Despite our so called **** start. When you look at things in perspective, yes performances have benn up and down. But we are only 6 points off top. Still in both cups and joint top in our EL group. It's not all doom and gloom and time for calling for the managers head already. It was only a week ago Conte was getting flack after the Burnley game Klopp and Pep. It's our turn to go through a tough run and run of fixtures. Come on guys stick together trust in the manager and the club, I'm sure we will turn it around!

 

[Alcaraz]

Rubbish. Yes we had a shed load to spend. But to think he could of completely overhauled the squad, and sorted out 4 years of mess in one window is rubbish.

The amount of excuses you guys can come up with is staggering. This 'mess of a squad' won the FA Cup last season and many people here (including yourself) felt they were far better than their league position suggested and only Van Gaal's stifling tactics was preventing them from achieveing their full potential.

Not to mention that LVG left United in a good position for Jose to take over. Young stars like Martial, Shaw and Rashford lighting up the EPL already. World class players like Mata and De Gea already at the club. Firm core of senior players like Rooney, Carrick and Schwieni already present.

Yes squad is not perfect but you are making the situation out to be far far worse than it actually is. Almost the same as those guys who say Chelsea are an average team despite the same team cantering to EPL title last year.

 

[Theatre of dreams]

The amount of excuses you guys can come up with is staggering. This 'mess of a squad' won the FA Cup last season and many people here (including yourself) felt they were far better than their league position suggested and only Van Gaal's stifling tactics was preventing them from achieveing their full potential.

Not to mention that LVG left United in a good position for Jose to take over. Young stars like Martial, Shaw and Rashford lighting up the EPL already. World class players like Mata and De Gea already at the club. Firm core of senior players like Rooney, Carrick and Schwieni already present.

Yes squad is not perfect but you are making the situation out to be far far worse than it actually is. Almost the same as those guys who say Chelsea are an average team despite the same team cantering to EPL title last year.

Not making anything sound worse. Just stating the facts. Many United fans have been saying this tbh. Yes the squad is better than it's showing, but we have a lot of players not in form also. As for the senior Schweinstiger is shot. And god knows what's happened to Rooney this season, his drop in level has honestly shocked me. Baffled how Carrick and Schneiderlin have not played more! Shaws been injured, Martial the same and out of form and Rashford has been out of form the last 3-4 games. Yes I 100% agree we should be doing better, but there are reasons we are not. People need to keep calm give it time then see where we we end up Christmas next season.

 

[Scouseinthehouse]

https://twitter.com/hashtag/MourinhoOut?src=hash

I hope for your sakes this is some other set of fans doing a parody. If it's genuine, I don't know where to begin.

 

[Scouseinthehouse]

This from someone who when faced with any stat about Liverpool went on about how they don't count because at the end of last season they were in the Europa League and so they had to use two different teams because they had so many games

Want to put some proper context into that instead of doing a totally bollocks drive-by?

 

[Theatre of dreams]

Gary Neville gave his verdict on Manchester United following the 4-0 defeat to Chelsea, and while he says there are still big questions over the midfield, he does not think there is any need to panic.

Goals from Pedro, Gary Cahill, Eden Hazard and N'Golo Kante condemned Jose Mourinho's side to a thumping defeat and left them seventh in the Premier League, six points off the top after nine matches.

Speaking on the Gary Neville Podcast following the full-time whistle at Stamford Bridge, Neville highlighted poor performances from Marouane Fellaini and Ander Herrera in midfield and believes Paul Pogba is still confused over his role.

He says Mourinho still does not know his best team but has backed the manager to get it right. Here's what he had to say…

There are still issues in midfield

NEVILLE SAYS: "I think one of the things that was different for United compared to Monday night (against Liverpool) was they had control in the midfield, with Fellaini and Herrera alongside each other.

"Fellaini played so high in the game today. I am not sure if that was something he was told to do, but it just didn't work. It meant he was detached from Herrera who seemed to be exposed and for United it was not a good 45 minutes.


"I know Fellaini has had a lot of stick over the last couple of seasons with people saying he is not a Manchester United player and it is obvious to see his lack of quality in certain areas, but I thought today he was really poor.

"In the first half he had a really terrible game and it was no surprise he came off and I think Herrera dropped a level after being brilliant at Anfield.

"Pogba is no doubt confused. He has been signed for such a huge fee and I look at him and it was a difficult day for him. It was difficult for him at times at Anfield as a No 10, so at the moment, I think Jose Mourinho is trying to find a way to incorporate him and when you sign a player for that level of money, you somehow have to make it fit."

Mourinho is still building his team

NEVILLE SAYS: "I have to say when I look at United I still don't know what their best XI is. Mourinho is still early in his reign, he is identifying his best players, his best XI, his best partnerships.

"To be fair, United have to trust him and will trust him to get it right over the next couple of transfer windows, because if you look at their midfield, they have Pogba, (Morgan) Schneiderlin and Fellaini; that is £170m spent on central midfielders in the last three years and I still don't know which is the best pairing. Mourinho has got to try and build a pair or replace them.

Mourinho was left to rue "incredible defensive mistakes"

"There is a lot of work to do for United, but as a United fan I am not alarmed. I thought that they would be better at the start of the season. Maybe that was a thought of Mourinho having a massive impact, but when you look at it today, that's not a Jose Mourinho team at all.

"He has got to work with them, he's got to get more out of them. He can't do anything over the next three months and it will be difficult in January."

There's a lack of preparation time

NEVILLE SAYS: "Chelsea can have great confidence going forward. Antonio Conte has got time, Jose Mourinho hasn't.

"This is not comparing apples and apples, but Mourinho is rebounding off one game, three days later into another. That is completely different to having three weeks to prepare.

Thierry Henry thinks some Chelsea players were out to prove a point against Jose Mourinho

"It feels like those Manchester United players will need a free week but they are not going to get it, because they have Manchester City coming to Old Trafford so they have another big game coming thick and fast."

There's no need to panic

NEVILLE SAYS: "There will be a massive over-reaction to the game, Jose Mourinho will come under huge pressure and it will be ramped up ahead of the derby on Wednesday. I am quite relaxed.

"When you are a Manchester United fan for 30 years, for 50 years, you are going to have difficult times like these and you have to accept when they come along and be mature about it.

"They have got a fantastic manager who has been proven in every league in Europe nearly, and they have to allow him to do his job methodically over the next two to three years, get it right.

There has been some poor management, some poor recruitment decisions and there have been players signed who are not Manchester United players
Gary Neville

"There has been some poor management, some poor recruitment decisions and there have been players signed who are not Manchester United players. I am not talking about talent, I am talking about profile.

"Pogba and (Zlatan) Ibrahimovic are more Manchester United players in my mind in terms of personality and the physical aspect, so I do think ultimately Mourinho is on the right track in terms of recruitment.

"They have got to continue to do that and they have got to move away some of the previous, which will be difficult because they are on big contracts, but he doesn't panic in the transfer market."

 

[Scouseinthehouse]

..... There's a lack of preparation time

NEVILLE SAYS: "Chelsea can have great confidence going forward. Antonio Conte has got time, Jose Mourinho hasn't.

"This is not comparing apples and apples, but Mourinho is rebounding off one game, three days later into another. That is completely different to having three weeks to prepare. .....

Whilst it's a fair and pertinent point on the difference of Chelsea having no European game through the week, there's no need to exaggerate. They had eight days between games to fully focus on Utd. Not three weeks.

 

[Alcaraz]

Not making anything sound worse. Just stating the facts. Many United fans have been saying this tbh. Yes the squad is better than it's showing, but we have a lot of players not in form also. As for the senior Schweinstiger is shot. And god knows what's happened to Rooney this season, his drop in level has honestly shocked me. Baffled how Carrick and Schneiderlin have not played more! Shaws been injured, Martial the same and out of form and Rashford has been out of form the last 3-4 games. Yes I 100% agree we should be doing better, but there are reasons we are not. People need to keep calm give it time then see where we we end up Christmas next season.

Many players not in form is not the same as the squad itself being a mess. Your squad was already pretty good. Then you went and added a £100m player, an excellent young defender, best player in Bundesliga and a larger than life superstar. Not my words but those of United fans in this forum when describing your new signings.

Jose will get it right. I have been saying it all the while. Give him time as he usually peaks in his 2nd season with a team.

 

[zzeezzy]

Doesn't effect other Country's that compete in Europe. Hasn't effected Sevilla the last three years. Didn't stop Dortmund last year putting out a full strength team in the Europa whilst battling Munich on two fronts all season long domestically.

Just what pray tell is the difference in Wednesday- Saturday Champions League from Thursday- Sunday Europa League? Same recovery period of two days between games. It's complete and utter nonsense spouted by English teams that continue to disrespect another great, major competition.

And you've just spent over £150 million this past summer alone. Besides the money already ploughed into the squad. And now you're telling us you can't cope with the fixtures?

****, you'd of been apoplettic if you had a game on average every four days like Klopp had to deal with last year (the heaviest schedule of any side in Europe), with no signings and a horrific injury list. We went through a spell the Autumn through Winter using a group of around 14 players weekend/ mid-week/ weekend/ mid-week.

You deal. That's football. That's what sides who want to be successful do.

When was the last time Sevilla effectively done something in their league again?

Look at the end of the day it is an excuse BUT Mourinho doesn't rotate his team effectively to recover fitness and therefore it does have an effect.

I expected Mourinho to literally play two different teams for each competition, **** we have the squad for it. But instead he has picked first team players who play in the league against Chelsea and Liverpool also in the Europa tie. It doesn't make sense and they looked visibly tired. Maybe why the lack of concentration for the goals which was each individual mistakes for example Smalling.

 

[zzeezzy]

TOD don't think you realise the crippling implications on this club if we miss out on Champions League again this season in terms of commercial deals, it will be a huge blow and will require major surgery.

This season is hugely important, we can't blow it off and just say 'oh give it another season and see where we are at christmas'. Mourinho has already spent £150m+, I'd ****** hope that this would produce at least top 4.

Please, this squad is not even bad, it's one of the best in the league if you use it correctly. He has constant persistence with one of the worst midfielders to ever grace United in Fellaini and wonders why it is going wrong. He cast away Schweinsteiger for Fellaini, I'd take Schweinsteiger any day of the week at least he can play football.

I ask myself what does this squad lack? A natural DM perhaps and another CB. Apart from that it really has a bit of everything. A very poor excuse to blame the players so early on at his disposal I think from Neville.

 

[Theatre of dreams]

Many players not in form is not the same as the squad itself being a mess. Your squad was already pretty good. Then you went and added a £100m player, an excellent young defender, best player in Bundesliga and a larger than life superstar. Not my words but those of United fans in this forum when describing your new signings.

Jose will get it right. I have been saying it all the while. Give him time as he usually peaks in his 2nd season with a team.

If that's how it came across then I apologise. Never meant to say squad was a mess, just that you can see there is a lot of players Mourinho doesn't fancy from the current regimes. I like you think he will get it right. Fans need to be patient and give him time, we will have our ups and downs like most teams/managers have already this season. I just suppose the FM era fans want instant success and expect us to be dominant like we was under the Fergie era.

 

[Theatre of dreams]

When was the last time Sevilla effectively done something in their league again?

Look at the end of the day it is an excuse BUT Mourinho doesn't rotate his team effectively to recover fitness and therefore it does have an effect.

I expected Mourinho to literally play two different teams for each competition, **** we have the squad for it. But instead he has picked first team players who play in the league against Chelsea and Liverpool also in the Europa tie. It doesn't make sense and they looked visibly tired. Maybe why the lack of concentration for the goals which was each individual mistakes for example Smalling.

Hes picking players he obviously rates out of who is available to him. He obviously doesn't fancy Schweinstiger, Schneiderlin, Jones and so on or they would be playing. Is that stupid of Mou you could say yes and is doing himself no favours in leaving him with a select few to pick from week in week out.

 

[Scouseinthehouse]

When was the last time Sevilla effectively done something in their league again? .....

5th, 5th and 7th the last three years whilst winning three straight Europa Leagues and reaching their domestic Cup Final. And that's from a club with very limited resources compared to a Utd or the big guns in Spain ahead of them. A lot of far smaller clubs in Spain for one than EPL Europa League players have no problem with Thursday- Sunday football. I honestly don't know where or who started that bunkum here but that's what it is.

Point being most every other Country embraces the Europa League for what it is. A major European competition and the prestige of playing at the highest level, in Europe, and wanting to win it except one. This *** backward thinking football Country.

Credit to Utd that to press they are following Klopp's lead last year (we'd fallen to the same disgraceful levels of disrespect under successive managers before him) and treating it seriously.

It may well be as good a return ticket into the Champions League as you can hope for given 6 into 4 doesn't go and at last 2 big players are going to miss out on the top 4 slots regardless.

 

[Theatre of dreams]

TOD don't think you realise the crippling implications on this club if we miss out on Champions League again this season in terms of commercial deals, it will be a huge blow and will require major surgery.

This season is hugely important, we can't blow it off and just say 'oh give it another season and see where we are at christmas'. Mourinho has already spent £150m+, I'd ****** hope that this would produce at least top 4.

Please, this squad is not even bad, it's one of the best in the league if you use it correctly. He has constant persistence with one of the worst midfielders to ever grace United in Fellaini and wonders why it is going wrong. He cast away Schweinsteiger for Fellaini, I'd take Schweinsteiger any day of the week at least he can play football.

I ask myself what does this squad lack? A natural DM perhaps and another CB. Apart from that it really has a bit of everything. A very poor excuse to blame the players so early on at his disposal I think from Neville.

Yes it would be a blow but hardly crippling. And who's to say we won't finish top 4 or win the Europa League. No matter what you think, you can't just go through sacking managers after a run of bad games or sacking a new manager after 1 season. Or we will just keep going round in a cycle getting in more and more mess squad wise and money wise. Never said squad was bad, just that Mourinho doesn't seem to rate or trust most of them as you can see by his selection. You keep beating Fellaini but he has won more tackles and made more interceptions than anyone except Bailly. Yes he lacks in aspects but is good in others. Schweinstiger was cast away because his levels were poor and can't stay fit enough to play 90 mins or week in week out. You do realise that we have signed more sponsorship and partnership deals the last 3 years while being mostly out the CL and our income continues to grow season by season.

 

[razielioux]

Not 'always, always.' He played very well Monday night and saved them with a top drawer tackle when Firmino was poised to win it.

Tyton said, big games. Do you really consider 'Pool - United a big game, mate?

 

[Theatre of dreams]

5th, 5th and 7th the last three years whilst winning three straight Europa Leagues and reaching their domestic Cup Final. And that's from a club with very limited resources compared to a Utd or the big guns in Spain ahead of them. A lot of far smaller clubs in Spain for one than EPL Europa League players have no problem with Thursday- Sunday football. I honestly don't know where or who started that bunkum here but that's what it is.

Point being most every other Country embraces the Europa League for what it is. A major European competition and the prestige of playing at the highest level, in Europe, and wanting to win it except one. This *** backward thinking football Country.

Credit to Utd that to press they are following Klopp's lead last year (we'd fallen to the same disgraceful levels of disrespect under successive managers before him) and treating it seriously.

It may well be as good a return ticket into the Champions League as you can hope for given 6 into 4 doesn't go and at last 2 big players are going to miss out on the top 4 slots regardless.

Never understood the Bashing of the Europa league tbh. It's still a top competition and one we should be going all out to win. We are a big enough club, and have enough players to take all comps seriously. Plus it's important for the Euro places Coefficient.

 

[Scouseinthehouse]

Never understood the Bashing of the Europa league tbh. It's still a top competition and one we should be going all out to win. We are a big enough club, and have enough players to take all comps seriously. Plus it's important for the Euro places Coefficient.

That can NEVER be understated. People don't realise just how badly that hits you if you have a few poor seasons or even worse, complete seasons out of Europe. All those that would rather not be in the Europa League ..... Great, take a year or two off. Then when you do get back in the Champions League, welcome to being in pot 3 or 4 with at least 2 big European clubs in your group to try get ahead of.

And the one thing that should appeal to Utd fans this year .....

You can do something L'pool no longer can now the Cup Winners Cup is no longer in existence and win all three European majors. (Which only four clubs have achieved in over 60 years of UEFA competition. Ajax, Barcelona, Juventus and unbelievably in this era Chelsea.). Considering the times Utd will be in the Europa League going forward (or what they hope they won't be), this is a rare opportunity to complete that.

And in a rivalry between the two biggest and most successful clubs in England that's been built on oneupmanship, what bigger incentive do Utd fans need to be all in on the Europe League?