The not good enough's

Originally Posted by Tiberian

Yes, like yourself I find it odd the deniable of what seems obvious about Mourinho. Entertaining has never been a priority, it is all about winning and using his players in the manner he thinks is best to achieve that. At times that has produced some great football, his Madrid team were one of the best in that area that I can recall but he has always preferred to minimize risk.

It is not even really a criticism of him, these are the qualities that people favoured when calling for him to get the job, his winning mentality and focus.

In plenty of his early interviews he emphasised his awareness of the importance of bringing some style back to OT, and clearly we were trying to play a more expansive game when the season started; but what's he supposed to do when our forwards keep missing sitters and turning nailed on wins into draws? Certainly he's not coaching them to do that.

We found ourselves trailing in the league badly because our forwards were shit last year, and that limits your options massively if you're trying to make some sort of success out of the year, which tbf to him he did manage to do.

We're having a pop at him for pragmatism, when it was that pragmatism that got us back into the Champions league- because it certainly wasn't our fifteen goals between them shitbag forwards.

Originally Posted by utd99

That's bullshit. I've seen plenty of Mourinho teams play the opposition off the park. He gets the reputation he has because he can also be realistic about what it takes to win games and trophies.

You appear to have completely ignored my point. Teams can play some great football with a pragmatic manager. Also, the ultimate pragmatist will attack when he feels it's his best chance of winning. But I stand by what I said - I don't recall anybody heralding Mourinho sides until it became appropriate to do so as he's our manager.

Originally Posted by S/Side.Red

You appear to have completely ignored my point. Teams can play some great football with a pragmatic manager. Also, the ultimate pragmatist will attack when he feels it's his best chance of winning. But I stand by what I said - I don't recall anybody heralding Mourinho sides until it became appropriate to do so as he's our manager.

You don't recall people heralding his early Chelsea team? You don't recall people heralding his title winning RM team? Go listen to any interview Fergie gave in which he mentions Mourinho's arrival in England, see what he has to say on the matter. I don't know why you have to keep banging this drum about everyone changing their tune just because he's United manager now. He was the best available when it became manifestly apparent that VG just wasn't up to the job.

Originally Posted by utd99

You don't recall people heralding his early Chelsea team? You don't recall people heralding his title winning RM team? Go listen to any interview Fergie gave in which he mentions Mourinho's arrival in England, see what he has to say on the matter. I don't know why you have to keep banging this drum about everyone changing their tune just because he's United manager now. He was the best available when it became manifestly apparent that VG just wasn't up to the job.

No, I don't recall any of that. Because we used to see his Chelsea side as a relentless machine like side who would grind out victories more than anything. His Madrid side were phenomenal on the break, but let's be honest Benitez won one of his last games in charge 10-2; if you can't get some football going at Real Madrid something is wrong.

I always thought Mou would end up at United. My hope was that in the preceding years he might develop and expand a little in his football. Clearly that hasn't happened; the second half of last season was pretty much vintage stuff from him.

Originally Posted by utd99

.He was the best available when it became manifestly apparent that VG just wasn't up to the job.

He was the biggest name. He's yet to prove the right choice.

why not post this on the match thread ......oh wait you did

Why was everyone up posting all night?

Originally Posted by Sapien

Why was everyone up posting all night?

Because we lost

This thread was brought to you by the letters

D,O,O & the letter M


"Sunny days, chasing the clouds away..."


Nearly everyone you mentioned is a squad player, we need a DM, a full back and a winger...as we have all summer.

Originally Posted by Jethro

Because we lost

Wondered why Siders was back positing the same old shit again.

Originally Posted by Sparky***

I think it's fairly obvious that United won't be challenging the likes of Madrid, Bayern or Barcelona while the following continue to line up for us regularly.

Lingard
Fellaini
Valencia
Blind
Smalling
Jones
Carrick
Darmian

Are you happy in life? Serious question.

Originally Posted by Jethro

Because we lost

g2c the usual odd valid point mixed in with a healthy serving of utter doom. Can't wait to read how siders doesn't rate Mourinho in every thread again this season. Scintillating stuff. Loves sticking the boot in does the lad

Originally Posted by lindelof

Are you happy in life? Serious question.

Siders has wiped the floor with this thread

Mourinho has said he's happy with the squad apart from 2 more he'd like to add, so obviously he thinks the quality is fine. You have to take into account the fact that he's not got to worry(or care) about playing entertaining football, so his idea of a quality squad differs wildly from the supporters who demand(used to) it.

Originally Posted by Sandman

Siders has wiped the floor with this thread

Mourinho has said he's happy with the squad apart from 2 more he'd like to add, so obviously he thinks the quality is fine. You have to take into account the fact that he's not got to worry(or care) about playing entertaining football, so his idea of a quality squad differs wildly from the supporters who demand(used to) it.

Of course he wants more players... blame the market or the glazers if we don't get them.

At times we played some good football last year but our finishing was shite.

I agree with Sparky the some of our fringe players won't be good enough - stick them in the league cup games.

We're still short of overall squad strength and that has to be addressed.

I'd rather we play to win rather than play beautiful football and win £#%&! all.

save us mourinh...

Originally Posted by Tiberian

What type of football do we honestly expect a Mourinho team to play? If the aim is to play a highly technical ball possession style then you do not buy Lukaku and put so much trust in Fellaini, also do not spend a summer chasing Perisic and Matic. It is going to be very physical with plenty of direct stuff, a major focus on the counter attack, solid defensive shape and giving the likes of Pogba, Rashford and Mikitaryan a platform for individual excellence.

We looked shit against Madrid and Barca but they are levels above the teams in the PL. Expect a very strong league performance, but it is unlikely to be pretty.

No I wasn't expecting highly technical ball possession football but I was expecting something like what we saw at Madrid under Jose
They played more on the counter attack than the current Madrid team but they still played the ball on the deck and put some beautiful rapier like attacking moves together

The problem I see with this Utd team is not that we look like a counter attacking side it's that we can't seem to even do that
To play proper counter attacking football you need quick passes out of the back and into midfield but instead we either have our centre backs hoofing it up the pitch or as is more often the case taking the easy option of playing it back to the keeper then not making angle for pass so the keeper has to boot it up the pitch

Sick of seeing coward like Smalling, Jones and Darmian shitting themselves on the ball

Love this immense reading into what are essentially training games.

Already whining about Romer and Lindy.

Imagine still doubting Darmian btw after how he played in the last 3 months of the season.

Staaaaate of some of you lads ffs

You know when you need to sort your life out when you are losing your shit over a pre season game at 2am on a thursday morning

It means £#%&! all

Originally Posted by ScholesScoresGoals2

You know when you need to sort your life out when you are losing your shit over a pre season game at 2am on a thursday morning

It means £#%&! all

Ive only seen some highlights of games/players but have to say it's looked overwhelmingly positive, especially against City and in the first half v Real. Even lads like Lingard getting dogs abuse has played well in pretty much every game(apart from last night by the looks?).

Either way, Mourinho has hammered into the players that these are training games, and made loads of subs every game. 1 loss and it's panic stations from the usual suspects mixed of anti mou crew and doom crew. Sad!