- Sep 28, 2013
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Perhaps the worse thing being in ETH opinion there are no gaping holes! ?I don't know how they can look at the gaping holes in their squad and think João Felix is the answer.
Perhaps the worse thing being in ETH opinion there are no gaping holes! ?I don't know how they can look at the gaping holes in their squad and think João Felix is the answer.
They would certainly have been considered the top English club at times during Matt Busby’s tenure.I’m not from the U.K so please correct me if I’m wrong, but from what I’ve read on United, they had never been considered the top club in the country until Ferguson got there.
Just to reinforce the point, look at their bench on the weekend:Feel like a couple of years ago you could look at their squad and say "the talent is there" but not even sure if that is true anymore. They used to have some genuine depth at least but they've now lost:
Lingard
Cavani
Matic
Mata
Greenwood
James
Greenwood
Pereira
And also loaned out Henderson.
Not the highest quality you might say, but on his day Pogba was world class, Cavani was a gamechanger and Greenwood was getting better and better. Plus Matic and Mata provided genuine experience, despite being old fuckers.
You look at the squad now and not only does is it a disjointed mess, but you scratch beneath the surface and there's barely any depth either.
I'll make one correction to your list.Just to reinforce the point, look at their bench on the weekend:
Malacia - promising but young, unproven kid
Varane - top class
Heaton - keeper
Wan Bissaka - OK backup but not a top full back
Van Der Beek - talented but still done nothing since moving to the Prem
Elanga - some promise but v.raw
Garner - unproven kid
McTominay - OK rotation but not a game changer
Ferreyra - never heard of him
There's only 1 top class player on the entire bench and barely anyone who could change the game in an attacking sense
Meanwhile we had Bissouma, Lucas, Richarlison and Perisic - all of which you feel could really change a game.
And this is a team that finished 4th last season...
In short: they look fucked.
You could say the same for half of their first 11 too.I'll make one correction to your list.
Varane - should be top class but don't understand what the hell's going on there.
Otherwise, totally agree.
Personally think it's practically guaranteed that Liverpool murder them. Ten Hag doesn't seem the type to park the bus, but that's the only way they will survive. And even if they try to park, I don't think they have the players or the discipline to do it. If they try to actually play, the Liverpool press will eat them alive and Klopp will be out for blood after 2 draws and the pre-season thrashing.I know some want Utd to get something at Liverpool but I don't, even if Liverpool do draw or lose on Monday (unlikely anyway) they will still be right up there, there is no way they don't recover. So I'd love to see utd with no points after three games, then its between Liverpool, Chelsea, Arsenal , City and us to fight for top four (and the title), well that's barring a miracle recovery from Utd.
But Varane's the only multi domestic and CL title winner and guaranteed starter for Real Madrid out of that lot.You could say the same for half of their first 11 too.
Not sure if even the most generous United fan would've called Fred and Mctominay "great".It's easy to forget but a lot of these players have been great in recent memory: Fred & McTominay were great under Solskjaer, van de Beek & Sancho were two of the most exciting prospects around, Maguire was tremendous in the Euros, Rashford was great pre-pandemic, Varane has won every trophy possible. They can't *all* suddenly have become bad players. I suppose that's part of the issue managers have had over the past few years; to know there's quality in players like Fernandes and be utterly befuddled as to why it's not showing.
I'm no tactical mastermind, so I'm going to assume it's an evil wizard doing it.
It's easy to forget but a lot of these players have been great in recent memory: Fred & McTominay were great under Solskjaer, van de Beek & Sancho were two of the most exciting prospects around, Maguire was tremendous in the Euros, Rashford was great pre-pandemic, Varane has won every trophy possible. They can't *all* suddenly have become bad players. I suppose that's part of the issue managers have had over the past few years; to know there's quality in players like Fernandes and be utterly befuddled as to why it's not showing.
I'm no tactical mastermind, so I'm going to assume it's an evil wizard doing it.
Bruno Fernandes would almost certainly agree with you, though he'd never say it publicly.Seems to coincide with Ronaldo showing up and demanding the spotlight 100% of the time. Looks like the rest of them have issued a collective 'Fuck this!'.
So much so he tried to buy Chelsea.We'd better enjoy the shit show which is United for as long as we can, because I saw on SSN, Sir Jim Ratcliffe wants to buy a 'minority share' of the club, which may well eventually turn into all of it. He says he's always been a United fan. Oh crap.
This is 100 percent accurate. The fans and pundits were clamouring to sign the majority of those players and they all went on to flop.
It's really quite simple, they need to hire the best DOF they can. They need someone to spearhead the football side of the club and give consistency and direction. The main issue is the fans and pundits are too arrogant and feel they need ex United players involved at all levels.
Until they have the right person in that role, everything else is redundant. They will continue to scattergun their recruitment, make signings to appease the fans and constantly think they have a right to be at the top because they are United.
Bloody hilarious whilst it lasts.
I agree. Your 2nd paragraph is the majority of their problem. Add to that they seem completely detached and don’t appear to care or have any real desire to put it right.The fans always focus on the owners taking money out of the club but they still manage to spend enough money on players that they could be successful if they didn't waste it all.
The Glazers biggest fault is hiring people who have no idea about football to run the club. It seems like a club that lurches between short term ideas designed to make the twitter fans happy. It's so funny that they finally hired a DOF but made him interim manager and got rid of him before he'd even started as DOF.
Levy bringing in Paratici would be a good example for them. Instead they hire business people who do things like extending Phil Jones contract so he doesn't leave for free.I agree. Your 2nd paragraph is the majority of their problem. Add to that they seem completely detached and don’t appear to care or have any real desire to put it right.
So much so he tried to buy Chelsea.