Mourinho throws subbie at LVG, confirms zonal marking, forms other sentences with additional words

Originally Posted by Lok

We tried him in midfield, several times. It didn't work because despite everyone praising his technique, he's simply not good enough to play there. He lacked the urgency to move the ball forward and the result was a shit load of backwards passes that slowed down our already frustratingly slow play.

We also tried him at full back and that failed. He finally ended up at centre back where his calmness on the ball seemed a benefit but he gets caught out of position far too easily and doesn't have the pace to recover.

As brilliant as half the idiots on here think he is, he doesn't really offer the team much. He's versatile so can be used as a squad player but that's about it. If he's going to be starting at centre back I would be a bit worried. I'd imagine Smalling and Bailly are first choice. If Jones can stay fit he'd be next in line.

Nail on the head.

Wednesday, 04 May 2016

Expectations at Manchester United are too high and not easy to meet, according to manager Louis van Gaal, who is looking to salvage a frustrating season by winning the FA Cup later this month.

"Expectations are too high," the Dutchman said at United's player of the year award ceremony.

"We are in a period of transition. It is not so easy. We have to meet the expectations of the biggest club in the world."

Jose Mourinho has challenged his players to win the Premier League title in his first season at Manchester United, insisting he believes in setting "unrealistic targets".

"I like to create that expectation and I like the players to feel it," Mourinho, who won the Premier League title in the first season of his first reign at Chelsea, said.

"Sometimes, during my career, I created some unrealistic targets. By doing that, you push the team to unexpected levels - to win the Champions League with Porto and Inter is unexpected.

"Those were very risky objectives and targets.

"To win championships in the first season is a bit of the same, but I like that. People analyse it as arrogance and so on but that's not a problem for me.

"The reality is that I always feel that targets like this can only help players, managers, clubs and this kind of establishment."

Christ making excuses already, got a bad feeling. Early optimism has subsided

Originally Posted by ZiggyStardust

Everyone seems to be completely misreading what Jose is saying

He's talking about zonal marking in general play
LvG had all our players man marking across the pitch

This was never more evident than in the Liverpool Europa league games when our right back was man marking Coutinho and he was dragging him from the right wing to the other side of the pitch causing Rashford to become the right back
Mentalist stuff

This. He's talking about the need to make the team more compact whilst the opposition have possession in open play. Our defensive record was good last year, but largely due to the brilliance of De Gea - we still conceded far too many chances, and this will be something Mourinho will be looking to fix ASAP, and one way is organising a zonal marking system when we don't have the ball.

FWiW, the comments regarding Zlatan and Rooney are concerning. I don't want to see us building an attack with both of them included. It should be one (at the most), supplemented with the pace, energy and overall brilliance of Martial and Rashford.

A Zlatan/Rooney front-two will be less effective and mind-numbingly pedestrian as the awful Van Persie/Rooney partnership that Moyes went with. Get Rooney out of the club, ffs.

Originally Posted by Coracao

Surely he was stating the obvious ?

Well he was probably right about Rooney and Zlatan not being suitable for that style (I'd argue that Zlatan probably could mind) but it's worrying if he sees the pair of them as the extent of our striking options, when we have 2 young lads capable of playing there with the perfect attributes for a counter attacking game

Originally Posted by Ethers

Well he was probably right about Rooney and Zlatan not being suitable for that style (I'd argue that Zlatan probably could mind) but it's worrying if he sees the pair of them as the extent of our striking options, when we have 2 young lads capable of playing there with the perfect attributes for a counter attacking game

I'm pretty sure he doesn't, but they are clearly going to start as first choice going into the season. Be interesting to see how many games Martial actually plays through the middle though, as he is effectively 4th in line atm.

So our supposed "born winner" is preparing us for a soft landing. Well isn't that just £#%&!ing lovely.

Originally Posted by andyroo

So our supposed "born winner" is preparing us for a soft landing. Well isn't that just £#%&!ing lovely.

u wot m8?

For someone who wanted to forget about the last few years, he talks about it a lot doesn't he

Cringey stuff about Ranieri too. Insecurity and paranoia still rife.

Originally Posted by S/Side.Red

For someone who wanted to forget about the last few years, he talks about it a lot doesn't he

Cringey stuff about Ranieri too. Insecurity and paranoia still rife.

Originally Posted by S/Side.Red

For someone who wanted to forget about the last few years, he talks about it a lot doesn't he

Cringey stuff about Ranieri too. Insecurity and paranoia still rife.

User CP.......Edit avatar.......come on, now....

Originally Posted by S/Side.Red

For someone who wanted to forget about the last few years, he talks about it a lot doesn't he

Cringey stuff about Ranieri too. Insecurity and paranoia still rife.

Fergie was riddled with it...

Originally Posted by S/Side.Red

For someone who wanted to forget about the last few years, he talks about it a lot doesn't he

Cringey stuff about Ranieri too. Insecurity and paranoia still rife.

He's said United aren't going to be playing on the break though. I thought you'd greatly approve of that given your repeated slating of such tactics last year, and thumbhead's dislike of it. Bloody horrible pacey exciting football.

Could be lots of slow football just like last year. Right up your alley

Originally Posted by Billy Redface

User CP.......Edit avatar.......come on, now....

FA Cup final was a great day pal. Hadn't won it in 14 years. Still worthy of place imo

Originally Posted by Mr_Ed

Fergie was riddled with it...

Fergie never came across insecure to me tbh. Or genuinely paranoid.