OFFICIAL: Cardiff City v Manchester United|Premier League|Saturday 22 December 2018|17.30|BT Sport 1

Originally Posted by redhegemony

there was no system of play - just utter confusion.

Sometimes a back 3: once with Herrera - one with The Scottish Player ffs. Sometimes the full backs pushed on v Spurs but most of the time they barely crossed the halfway line. A back 7 against Liverpool.

He found a spot for Fellani (where he was least useless) in front of the back 4 and then stopped playing him there as if he had suddenly morphed into Zidane.

Didn't play Fred despite the fact the lad was putting himself about and getting stuck in. Played Young at left back instead of Shaw. Didn't play Sanchez despite his willingness to make runs.

Dropped the lump - we played much better so he reinstated him.

Axed our most talented midfielder.

Pissed around with Mata.

Finally played Dalot who looked a talent then dropped him.

He couldn't even do the basic organisation to keep a clean sheet something which was supposed to be his strength.

I'd imagine the players were just baffled and frightened of making a mistake.

Not arguing with most of that. But some of them have phoned it in for large parts of the season imo.

Originally Posted by Pop

paul merson, the fat toothless alcoholic coke snorting £#%&!ing degenerate gambling bastard didn't like what he saw...

gawwy rahlett!

Gawwy rahlett!

Gawwy rahlett!

Gawwy rahlett!

We beat Fulham 4-1 literally a few weeks ago under Jose, so it's not like getting results like this against dogshit teams that should still be in the Championship mean the players have suddenly turned over a new leaf. Nobody will know how much has really changed until we actually face some half-decent opposition.

Originally Posted by TheKitchenSink

We beat Fulham 4-1 literally a few weeks ago under Jose, so it's not like getting results like this against dogshit teams that should still be in the Championship mean the players have suddenly turned over a new leaf. Nobody will know how much has really changed until we actually face some half-decent opposition.

Team was set up to be more attacking. By far. That's not on the players though, that's ole just doing what any normal human being would do with the attackers we have. Jose relied on the defensive attributes of a team that has at best a mediocre defence. Was just stupidity on his part in the end.

Originally Posted by TheKitchenSink

We beat Fulham 4-1 literally a few weeks ago under Jose, so it's not like getting results like this against dogshit teams that should still be in the Championship mean the players have suddenly turned over a new leaf. Nobody will know how much has really changed until we actually face some half-decent opposition.

True. But you'd be churlish to deny there wasn't a stark difference in level of performance between the two games?

Merson managed to make Tim Sherwood look like Bertrand Russell on the debate show last week.

Originally Posted by Sparky***

True. But you'd be churlish to deny there wasn't a stark difference in level of performance between the two games?

And intent.

The result is not one we normally get (evidenced by 5 years without 5 league goals) And neither is the performance and set up.

Our full backs pushed up. We played the ball forward. We attacked with 4 or 5 players in each attack.

None of this is rocket science and it doesn't make Ole a genius, but to deny there wasn't a stark difference based on the contrasting styles of the managers would be crazy.

Suggesting it's just the players trying harder would be even crazier.

Tbf to Merse apart from being an overweight piss-head he would never have not given everything as a professional.

Players have looked disillusioned to me, rather than not interested. And the increased running is very much tactical. Proactive teams tend to do things like try and win the ball back outside their own penalty area and make angles for short passes rather than hoof it.

I feel like Merse downed tools under Bruce Ricoh, or someone anyway.

Might’ve been to get out of Middlesbrough, although, who’d blame him?

Amazing the difference a bit of positivity makes.

Ole wouldn't have had much time to put together any detailed tactical plan for Cardiff, but it's clear he put some general instructions in place for our players - both full-backs pushed high into the opposition half, centre-backs playing it out from the back with confidence and finding teammates between the opposition lines, attacking players showing the courage to dribble and take their opponents on, quick triangles of passing, and more energy in the running.

That's a handful of instructions that would have got the players immediately invested, and had them expressing themselves and enjoying their football. The peak of the game for me was that Martial goal, and I actually felt a joy watching United that I hadn't felt in a long, long time, probably since Van Gaal's run where we played Spurs, Liverpool and City off the park. It was a great goal, and the proof that this squad is capable of playing some excellent attacking football, as long as it has the right leadership.

There will be bigger tests, but everything that was stultified during the horrific Mourinho reign seems like it could now blossom - attacking, exciting football, played by a team of brilliant, young players with the freedom to take some risk and really play the United way. "You are my Solskjaer..."

Originally Posted by Coracao

Not arguing with most of that. But some of them have phoned it in for large parts of the season imo.

Yes, its possible to fault both our ex-manager AND the players. Some seem to have a problem with this

Originally Posted by red in cumbria

Yes, its possible to fault both our ex-manager AND the players. Some seem to have a problem with this

The players were @#%&!s for a reason; Mourinho.

What was Mourinho’s reason?

To put it as restrainedly as possible, some of our players had more justification for being @#%&!s about it than others.

Originally Posted by S/Side.Red

Tbf to Merse apart from being an overweight piss-head he would never have not given everything as a professional.

Players have looked disillusioned to me, rather than not interested. And the increased running is very much tactical. Proactive teams tend to do things like try and win the ball back outside their own penalty area and make angles for short passes rather than hoof it.

We had 9 players in Cardiff's half in the 88th minute leading up to the 5th goal.

I genuinely thought i was hallucinating.

Originally Posted by Sparky***

We had 9 players in Cardiff's half in the 88th minute leading up to the 5th goal.

I genuinely thought i was hallucinating.

Or we forgot to switch ends.

Originally Posted by Sparky***

We had 9 players in Cardiff's half in the 88th minute leading up to the 5th goal.

I genuinely thought i was hallucinating.

Wasn’t it glorious

Originally Posted by Sparky***

True. But you'd be churlish to deny there wasn't a stark difference in level of performance between the two games?

Yep, but I'm waiting to see how this group of shithouses react to a real challenge rather than Cardiff before getting too giddy. I don't trust these players at all.