Manchester United - News, Developments & Season

[benteke]

Thanks coach for helping me to break it down. Every time this issue is brought up the fans of Ronaldo rally round arms and shields up believing their man is being attacked. The same plague has befallen PSG with Messi ,how do you accommodate an elephant on its last legs,without taking away from those with fresh legs.

It is not about blaming Ronaldo as an individual it is about looking at a system trying to integrate an individual who value to a team or should I say clout goes beyond the field. As a result when certain on the field decisions need to be made ,the coaches start to look elsewhere pretending and lying to themselves the problem lies elsewhere. 3 players who between them scored about 60 goals are now struggling to put 10 goals together. They brought Lingard back ,but don't know what to do with him.

I am just happy Pogba is not around,else he would be the one being flogged while they keep dodging the real issue.

Sadly they have found alternative in Fred. While Harry Maguire proudly leads them out of the tunnel like some colossus.

OK let me leave the Ronaldo point for a moment.

In bold you have mentioned something that was already happening last season, we all remember too well how much blame Pogba was getting.
What was the real issue then that was being dodged.

If it wasn't Pogba it was Fred getting the blame.

No one said they did not have problems before now,hence I threw in statistics of those three players to reflect upon so we don't reduce this to emotions. With Maguire problems they were still better last season.

You still don't get it,no one is trying to hang your boy, if you look at the statistics and drop your arms and shield,you will see the picture better.

As Coach pointed out to you, if you say that the inability by others for feed Ronaldo with correct passes is why they have also been poor, then perhaps they need to play with those they understand in other to get themselves out of the quagmire until they can find better players who will enable Ronaldo to shine.

What i am saying essentially is that Ronaldo was not a solution for Man United's existing problems, and as i conceded before, he also presents problems of his own as a player.

What i am refusing is the narrative that Man Uniteds current problems started when they signed Ronaldo, who allegedly has destroyed the wonderful way United was playing. That's false.

It's the same thing for PSG. They have been underperforming for years and even managed to sack Tuchel because they have some players who have egos.
Signing Messi was not the solution to such problems, he only compounds them.
What would be false is to say Messi has caused all of PSG' s problems

[mcal]

Pathetic display yesterday against Newcastle. We need to rebuilt that team.

...bigmanism was on display. Safe to say ManU is the SE of English football

[Coach]

@Benteke, United had issue before Ronaldo, none of which were solved by his acquisition. First name on the team sheet, last man off it. None can deny the talent just as none can denounce the brilliance that was Cavani in the last few games of the season. What of Cavani now?

Ronaldo was the show pony signing, Oga’s confirmation of his Ogbuefi by pulling a Lamborghini up to his gate in GRA, Enugu. Absolutely gorgeous till the tyres and chassis meet the Mario Kart roads. It made no sense beyond cents and dollars. Of which it made plenty.

Tactically, even wreck it Ralph’s 4-2-2-2 is at a loss to make it work. Let us deceive ourselves into believing the intensity, believing square pegs are not being pressed into round holes to ensure Triple Ogbuagu retains his place in the side. And with the goals coming, albeit no one else scoring, to the singleminded, tis all justified.

United are not good enough to sport a worldie, sad as it sounds.

[benteke]

@Benteke, United had issue before Ronaldo, none of which were solved by his acquisition. First name on the team sheet, last man off it. None can deny the talent just as none can denounce the brilliance that was Cavani in the last few games of the season. What of Cavani now?

Ronaldo was the show pony signing, Oga’s confirmation of his Ogbuefi by pulling a Lamborghini up to his gate in GRA, Enugu. Absolutely gorgeous till the tyres and chassis meet the Mario Kart roads. It made no sense beyond cents and dollars. Of which it made plenty.

Tactically, even wreck it Ralph’s 4-2-2-2 is at a loss to make it work. Let us deceive ourselves into believing the intensity, believing square pegs are not being pressed into round holes to ensure Triple Ogbuagu retains his place in the side. And with the goals coming, albeit no one else scoring, to the singleminded, tis all justified.

United are not good enough to sport a worldie, sad as it sounds.

We are together now
Your first sentence in bold is the one.
The acquisition of Ronaldo and Sancho were never going to solve the other more pressing issues that had been troubling United.

[benteke]

I hope the likes of @Coach are watching the game vs Burnley.

There is a real elephant in the room in the United defence and the squad at large, that the media and many avoid calling out.
It becomes easier to point a finger at someone like Pogba or Ronaldo.

Maguire.......

[mcal]

I hope the likes of @Coach are watching the game vs Burnley.

There is a real elephant in the room in the United defence and the squad at large, that the media and many avoid calling out.
It becomes easier to point a finger at someone like Pogba or Ronaldo.

Maguire.......

...you never criticize England captain, just like Kane committed a red card offense the other day but was never booked.

[Cristao II]

I hope the likes of @Coach are watching the game vs Burnley.

There is a real elephant in the room in the United defence and the squad at large, that the media and many avoid calling out.
It becomes easier to point a finger at someone like Pogba or Ronaldo.

Maguire.......

Even things that are meant to be penalties are ignored.

[joplass]

I hope the likes of @Coach are watching the game vs Burnley.

There is a real elephant in the room in the United defence and the squad at large, that the media and many avoid calling out.
It becomes easier to point a finger at someone like Pogba or Ronaldo.

Maguire.......

How that man is a defender in the Premier League shows how much commercialization is in that league. They hype everything and everyone in England.

[benteke]

I hope the likes of @Coach are watching the game vs Burnley.

There is a real elephant in the room in the United defence and the squad at large, that the media and many avoid calling out.
It becomes easier to point a finger at someone like Pogba or Ronaldo.

Maguire.......

How that man is a defender in the Premier League shows how much commercialization is in that league. They hype everything and everyone in England.

I don't understand that guy, he seems to freeze when he is in a United jersey.

It was always clear even when they were hyping him up at Leicester, that he was not the 80million defender they were touting him to be.
But at the same time he wasnt stand out bad, he was just one of those decent defenders who used to put in the odd performance, just the same thing he does in the England national team.

At Manchester United he has mostly been a disaster, and i wonder how he became the captain.
I also wonder why he is so unbelievably poor most times at Old Trafford.

[Kako]

Solskjaer go, Solskjaer comes United remain the same

[Cristao II]

That Solksjaer / Nuno match is becoming a key moment for both Spurs and United. United should have moved for Conte before Spurs.

[oloye]

United is a joke of a team. If Wolves did not play donkeys as attackers in this game,they would have humiliated United.

[Kako]

United is a joke of a team. If Wolves did not play donkeys as attackers in this game,they would have humiliated United.

[Cito]

United is a joke of a team. If Wolves did not play donkeys as attackers in this game,they would have humiliated United.

Donkeys in wolves skin?

[wiseone]

Is it outlandish to say that had Man United not signed Ronaldo, Ole might still have a job? Ronaldo is a world class goalscorer. However a team that finished second in the EPL, reached the final of the Europa League, the semi-finals of the FA Cup and League Cup, and that beat Man City 3 times in 4 games, did not need a legendary but ageing striker. They needed a deep lying regista. So they used the money they should have used to sign a regista, to instead sign Ronaldo.

End result = Because everything must revolve around Ronaldo:

1) Bruno has lost primary PK and FK responsibility.

2) Because Ronaldo always has to play and cannot be rested, Greenwood (who was being groomed into a CF) has been marginalised to accommodate Ronaldo, ditto Sancho, Rashford, and Martial. Man U are now about to sell the most expensive teenage player in history in order to accommodate Ronaldo.

3) Man U are now in a situation where Pogba, Martial, Lingard, Cavani, Matic, Henderson, Bailly, Mata, and Jones are likely to leave the club this year. That is at least 200 million worth of talent that is about to walk out of the club - for free.

[mcal]

...like I posited in an earlier post, United is the SE of English league. A collection of super stars that can be insulted by minnows, even on their own home turf.

[oloye]

Is it outlandish to say that had Man United not signed Ronaldo, Ole might still have a job? Ronaldo is a world class goalscorer. However a team that finished second in the EPL, reached the final of the Europa League, the semi-finals of the FA Cup and League Cup, and that beat Man City 3 times in 4 games, did not need a legendary but ageing striker. They needed a deep lying regista. So they used the money they should have used to sign a regista, to instead sign Ronaldo.

End result = Because everything must revolve around Ronaldo:

1) Bruno has lost primary PK and FK responsibility.

2) Because Ronaldo always has to play and cannot be rested, Greenwood (who was being groomed into a CF) has been marginalised to accommodate Ronaldo, ditto Sancho, Rashford, and Martial. Man U are now about to sell the most expensive teenage player in history in order to accommodate Ronaldo.

3) Man U are now in a situation where Pogba, Martial, Lingard, Cavani, Matic, Henderson, Bailly, Mata, and Jones are likely to leave the club this year. That is at least 200 million worth of talent that is about to walk out of the club - for free.

They have even gone ahead to make him the captain

[wanaj0]

Is it outlandish to say that had Man United not signed Ronaldo, Ole might still have a job? Ronaldo is a world class goalscorer. However a team that finished second in the EPL, reached the final of the Europa League, the semi-finals of the FA Cup and League Cup, and that beat Man City 3 times in 4 games, did not need a legendary but ageing striker. They needed a deep lying regista. So they used the money they should have used to sign a regista, to instead sign Ronaldo.

End result = Because everything must revolve around Ronaldo:

1) Bruno has lost primary PK and FK responsibility.

2) Because Ronaldo always has to play and cannot be rested, Greenwood (who was being groomed into a CF) has been marginalised to accommodate Ronaldo, ditto Sancho, Rashford, and Martial. Man U are now about to sell the most expensive teenage player in history in order to accommodate Ronaldo.

3) Man U are now in a situation where Pogba, Martial, Lingard, Cavani, Matic, Henderson, Bailly, Mata, and Jones are likely to leave the club this year. That is at least 200 million worth of talent that is about to walk out of the club - for free.

They have even gone ahead to make him the captain

They use their money to buy players they don't need.

Now they are going to lose players that they need

United problem was never coaching!

[benteke]

They use their money to buy players they don't need.

Now they are going to lose players that they need

United problem was never coaching!

I hear all the points above.

But this new German manager, what do you guys think of him.
He always. talks about a 4-2-2-2 formation, that uses only 2 central midfielders, is he trying the right things or what.

This thing is now confusing fans and pundits, Man U people are no longer sure what the exact problem is

[oloye]

Is it outlandish to say that had Man United not signed Ronaldo, Ole might still have a job? Ronaldo is a world class goalscorer. However a team that finished second in the EPL, reached the final of the Europa League, the semi-finals of the FA Cup and League Cup, and that beat Man City 3 times in 4 games, did not need a legendary but ageing striker. They needed a deep lying regista. So they used the money they should have used to sign a regista, to instead sign Ronaldo.

End result = Because everything must revolve around Ronaldo:

1) Bruno has lost primary PK and FK responsibility.

2) Because Ronaldo always has to play and cannot be rested, Greenwood (who was being groomed into a CF) has been marginalised to accommodate Ronaldo, ditto Sancho, Rashford, and Martial. Man U are now about to sell the most expensive teenage player in history in order to accommodate Ronaldo.

3) Man U are now in a situation where Pogba, Martial, Lingard, Cavani, Matic, Henderson, Bailly, Mata, and Jones are likely to leave the club this year. That is at least 200 million worth of talent that is about to walk out of the club - for free.

They have even gone ahead to make him the captain

They use their money to buy players they don't need.

Now they are going to lose players that they need

United problem was never coaching!

Their problem is from the boardroom and a group of former players who have constituted into a powerful pressure group.

The decision making of the board since Ferguson left has been questionable both in transfer market and in hiring of coaches. The latest was the handling of the firing of Ole, they could have fired him when Conte was available,but you hear them talking about ...oh we are not a club who fires coaches willy nilly, but they still fires him at the end of the day, only this time no good coach with a proven wining record was available. So they settled for a guy they planned to hire as their football director as if that is not confusing enough.

They have midfield that is crying for help ,they proceeded instead to engage City in a war of bragging rights over Ronaldo, they won alright,but they now have to overhaul the whole system to accommodate him.

Going back to transfer ,when Jose pointed out they needed another center back,they told him no,but as soon as they got rid of him ,they went into the market to buy a donkey for the price of a thorough bred horse and quickly handed him the captain's band. In other not to lose money on the over inflated purchase they are now forced to play him,even when it became obvious they bought a donkey. They kept trying to make him do the job of a thoroughbred horse.

Coming to the pressure group, the damage these ones are doing to the club is so immense it is sad that they don't even know it. They were the ones who drove Jose out of town ,rubbishing his accomplishments ,yet same bunch of Muppets rallied behind Ole saying he was doing well even with no trophy ,not even a tea cup to show.

And this silly talk of United way,that is the most ridiculous drivel one hears in an era where modern tactics have since rendered that kick and rush style obsolete.

There is nothing like United way,there is only football tactics ,if you don't adapt you become ancient , a ridicule and a laughing stock like they are now.

The players I see out there are as confused as the fans ....all because of those clowns running the show in the back ground.

[wiseone]

With the squad that Man U has (overloaded with too many attackers and a sub-standard midfield), I think the best formation is 4-3-3. That can simultaneously allow at least of those attacking players who are half winger, half CF (Rashford, Sancho, Greenwood, Martial) to play, and hide some of the team’s midfield weakness by putting an extra body in midfield.

Pogba has after all excelled when played as part of a midfield trio (his best performance in a Man U shirt was when Man U played that formation in an away game at Everton a few seasons ago). If they can get Tolisso in the summer, picking 3 of Tolisso, McTominay, Matic, Bruno, and Van De Beek in midfield allows a ball player (Bruno or VDB) to play alongside a sit and hold midfielder (Matic) and a runner (McTominay or Tolisso).

Van De Beek must be wondering what he got himself into.

[kajifu]

I dont like how you guys are batching united .Remember they have former players here that read this stuff and can report to the management and changes will happen.
Without Ronaldo Manu would have been in Europa now.By the way who are they playing in their next league game,
They need to keep dropping points and be one lesser threat to top 4 for my beloved.

[benteke]

Any truth in these stories coming out in tabloids about some 11 Man United players being unhappy with the new manager Ralf Rangnick.

The next press conference should be interesting