Manchester United v Fulham - PL 24/02/24 3pm KO - Official Match Thread

Originally Posted by browser

It boils down to the facts we already know. We have spent the player budget horrendously and don’t have a team comfortable in keeping the football. We can do it when Shaw and Martinez are fit but take them away and we have nobody capable of progressing a football up the pitch to our strikers.

Ten Hag is a possession based manager having to work with players like Maguire, Lindelof, Varane, dalot, Bruno, Casemiro, and The Scottish Player.

That’s the reason we looks so disjointed.

We were a functional counter attacking team, we have all the same players and are now a very poor possession based team when missing Shaw and Martinez.

EtH has never had the structure above him to go and find the players he needs, which is why he has tried to shoehorn ones in that he knows. We have to give him the time in the new structure to put a squad together that can play how he wants. Half of the players in the team he’s asked the club to sell but they were incapable

Why do people keep making excuses for him. They're his players. It's his tactics. It's shit. Under no circumstances should it be as bad as this. No excuses.

It's the same attitude that has infested the dressing room. The idea we're unlucky and not that bad. £#%&! that. We're abysmal.

Originally Posted by browser

It boils down to the facts we already know. We have spent the player budget horrendously and don’t have a team comfortable in keeping the football. We can do it when Shaw and Martinez are fit but take them away and we have nobody capable of progressing a football up the pitch to our strikers.

Ten Hag is a possession based manager having to work with players like Maguire, Lindelof, Varane, dalot, Bruno, Casemiro, and The Scottish Player.

That’s the reason we looks so disjointed.

We were a functional counter attacking team, we have all the same players and are now a very poor possession based team when missing Shaw and Martinez.

EtH has never had the structure above him to go and find the players he needs, which is why he has tried to shoehorn ones in that he knows. We have to give him the time in the new structure to put a squad together that can play how he wants. Half of the players in the team he’s asked the club to sell but they were incapable

Sorry but that’s %@#$&!s

LvG had players who were even less suited to playing a possession dominating style of play but you could clearly see us trying to play it and that we were coached to play like that
It was turgid at times but you could see what the intent was

Never would we allow the likes of Luton or Fulham to dominate us especially at OT but that’s what we’re seeing under ETH

Either he’s coaching them to play like this or the players are just ignoring his instructions and he continues to pick them
Either scenario is unacceptable and means he’s not the man for the job

Yep. I think Eth himself said he’s not making us a possession based side (the Ajax way) as we don’t have the players for it and it’s not the United way. It’s about transitions and quick attacks so trying to force and capitalise on mistakes and break quickly. Maybe the method in the madness is the NBA Jam style introduces more chaos which we benefit from. Who knows but we’re definitely not trying to be possession based. Also claiming players like Varane, Bruno and Casemiro can’t pass or keep the ball is nuts.

Originally Posted by ZiggyStardust

Sorry but that’s %@#$&!s

LvG had players who were even less suited to playing a possession dominating style of play but you could clearly see us trying to play it and that we were coached to play like that
It was turgid at times but you could see what the intent was

Never would we allow the likes of Luton or Fulham to dominate us especially at OT but that’s what we’re seeing under ETH

A reminder that under LvG we lost to Norwich at home - they were relegated at the end of the season.

Originally Posted by ZiggyStardust

Sorry but that’s %@#$&!s

Originally Posted by red in cumbria

A reminder that under LvG we lost to Norwich at home - they were relegated at the end of the season.

And your point is?

Clearly we had shit results and turgid performances under LvG hence why he was sacked but my point is you could always see how we were trying to play we just never got to the point that the players executed it on consistent basis

The reason I can’t back ETH to be manager next season under the new football operation is that I can’t see how he is trying to get this side to play and after nearly 2 years in charge that just isn’t acceptable

Saturday was appalling, but your statement it would never have happened under LvG is simply factually incorrect. Sorry.

Originally Posted by ZiggyStardust

Sorry but that’s %@#$&!s

LvG had players who were even less suited to playing a possession dominating style of play but you could clearly see us trying to play it and that we were coached to play like that
It was turgid at times but you could see what the intent was

Never would we allow the likes of Luton or Fulham to dominate us especially at OT but that’s what we’re seeing under ETH

Either he’s coaching them to play like this or the players are just ignoring his instructions and he continues to pick them
Either scenario is unacceptable and means he’s not the man for the job

I just don’t think we have players capable of dominating anyone. The core of that side at the weekend was Ole’s and we saw the best from that squad when they didn’t have the ball. 3 passes, race down the field and shoot. Since then nearly all of them have proven time and again to be complete bottlejobs. They talk in interviews about taking ownership but they’re incapable of actually doing it. All season we’ve either been shit and lost or shit and scraped through. The only consistent performances we had were with Shaw and Martinez back fit. Take them and Hjolund out and you’re relying on the same core of sub standard players that have consistently failed to step up. It won’t happen, the squad is abysmal, Ragnick was right when he said we needed 12.

Ten Hag hasn’t been given any of the tools he asked for, the whole process around transfers has been abysmal. Let’s see how he performs with the football side of the club above him, functioning how it should.

Originally Posted by Sparky***

We didn't manage to lose in 7 whole games whilst playing the likes of Newport, Wigan Athletic and Luton.

Hardly something to crow about.

And even Luton should have got a draw. Hit the woodwork in the last minute and missed a bagful of chances. We zoomed into a 2-0 lead and then proceeded to play like absolute @#%&!s for the next 80 minutes, seemingly desperate to £#%&! it up.

Originally Posted by Zorg

And even Luton should have got a draw. Hit the woodwork in the last minute and missed a bagful of chances. We zoomed into a 2-0 lead and then proceeded to play like absolute @#%&!s for the next 80 minutes, seemingly desperate to £#%&! it up.

Yeah, its hard to remember us dominating a game a being in total control. It's embarrassing tbh.

Originally Posted by browser

Ten Hag hasn’t been given any of the tools he asked for, the whole process around transfers has been abysmal. Let’s see how he performs with the football side of the club above him, functioning how it should.

what about the teams we are playing …

Fulham don’t have better players than us and I’m sure their manager wants better “tools” how can they look better than us?
Why do you our victories come with us hold on or have our backs against the wall as the game finishes….

his Ajax team Famously gave up a 2 goal lead against spurs in the champions league semi final and now we do it on the regular…..so what does that tell you?
https://www.uefa.com/uefachampionsle...-vs-tottenham/

Originally Posted by marlo

what about the teams we are playing …

Fulham don’t have better players than us and I’m sure their manager wants better “tools” how can they look better than us?
Why do you our victories come with us hold on or have our backs against the wall as the game finishes….

his Ajax team Famously gave up a 2 goal lead against spurs in the champions league semi final and now we do it on the regular…..so what does that tell you?
https://www.uefa.com/uefachampionsle...-vs-tottenham/

Ajax had lost just once in 24 games, and were fresh from winning the Dutch Cup.

Beating real in Madrid, juventus in Turin, before this semi final and they would also go on to win the league....

That's spurs fold was just pure football, these things happen, you've watched the game long enough...

His 18/19 champions league team were rightly called magnificent by anyone that know ball ..

Originally Posted by Bunker Buster

Ajax had lost just once in 24 games, and were fresh from winning the Dutch Cup.

Beating real in Madrid, juventus in Turin, before this semi final and they would also go on to win the league....

That's spurs fold was just pure football, these things happen, you've watched the game long enough...

His 18/19 champions league team were rightly called magnificent by anyone that know ball ..

Is it just pure football that happen to throw away leads and have been doing so quite alot under him?

His 18/19 side?
What would you do if i brought up a team from 6 years ago to justify mourinhos management capabilities?

I said i'm in the 'in' camp unless we don't get CL football.

Problem is now, I can't see us getting CL because we've got a ton of injuries and playing shit on a stick football. Since Christmas we've had the positivity of the younger lads - basically Hojlund, Garnacho and Mainoo - pulling us out of it. But they're not going to drag us to 4th and nor should they be expected to.


Desperately want ETH to do well but this season has largely been an absolute disaster. They're all culpable for that - players and manager. The more experienced players should hang their heads because they've been absolute terrible for the most part. It really shouldn't take 3 under-21 players to remind you what it is to play for united.

Been a disaster. I’ve enjoyed about 2 matches. Have we played convincingly at any point? If so, I can’t remember doing so. West Ham the other week possibly. Possibly the worst season I can ever remember - certainly in terms of expectations versus reality. The football’s been diabolical.

There’s a death pallor around the place.

I’m just not sure sacking him will change anything.

Honestly don't know what to say any more. It was a mess of a performance again - his comments after the game were bizarre to say the least.

I know I'll be on the train to Nottingham singing "In 77 it was Docherty" but it really is piss poor

Originally Posted by Whip Hubley

I said i'm in the 'in' camp unless we don't get CL football.

Problem is now, I can't see us getting CL because we've got a ton of injuries and playing shit on a stick football. Since Christmas we've had the positivity of the younger lads - basically Hojlund, Garnacho and Mainoo - pulling us out of it. But they're not going to drag us to 4th and nor should they be expected to.

Desperately want ETH to do well but this season has largely been an absolute disaster. They're all culpable for that - players and manager. The more experienced players should hang their heads because they've been absolute terrible for the most part. It really shouldn't take 3 under-21 players to remind you what it is to play for united.

All that huffing and puffing to qualify last season, and then we were absolutely horrific in it. A total embarrassment. Even if we somehow scraped in this time, I wouldn't be surprised to see the same again next season.

Originally Posted by Hyman_Roth

Been a disaster. I’ve enjoyed about 2 matches. Have we played convincingly at any point? If so, I can’t remember doing so. West Ham the other week possibly. Possibly the worst season I can ever remember - certainly in terms of expectations versus reality. The football’s been diabolical.

There’s a death pallor around the place.

I’m just not sure sacking him will change anything.

This.

“He needs to go!”
“Ok buddy, who would you want to replace him?”
“I dunno!”

Rinse and repeat.

He’ll be very fortunate to have a job this time next week. If he loses against forest, they’ll probably only keep him on to after the city game to make the announcement easier.

After that team selection on Saturday, and his unwillingness or inability to have more than one game plan, one that only works if both Martinez and Shaw are fit (an event as regular as total solar eclipses), he has nobody to blame but himself.

Like the fella, his handling of some of the wastrels in our squad and the team he has given us when they’re all fit, but it’s not good enough to revert to relegation candidates every time two or three injuries occur.

He’s increasingly difficult to defend.

Originally Posted by NedKelly

“He needs to go!”
“Ok buddy, who would you want to replace him?”
“I dunno!”

Rinse and repeat.

Yeah but he needs to go tbh.
Not sure who should replace him, mind.

But he needs to go.