24 Aug 2016 11:20:03
So from the first few games it looks like the media may have called it right, this season looks like it is United vs City with the rest competing for 3rd-17th depending on your ambition.
It looks an intriging clash, and we don't have to wait too long to see a head to head. Knowing Mourinho I wouldn't be suprised if half the reason he pulled the plug on the pre season game with City is to limit Pep's chances of working his United side out and working on a plan to counter us. Some will see that as being clever others as cowerdice ultimately there is a good chance that the meetings between the two sides will decide whether the EPL trophy has blue or red rippons come the seasons close. If United win the league no one will care about what happened in pre season.
What makes the clash so interesting is the managers very different ideas on football. Pep likes to paint himself as an inovator and idealist, an idealist he may be, but all "new" ideas in football nowadays is just something rebranded from the past. Ultimately there are only a few different ways of playing with many small details that can be changed depending on the players you have available and the adjustments you make to limit your opponant.
Where as Mourinho takes a leaf out of Bill Shankly's book with "Football is a simple game, complicated by idiots, " idealogy.
You can see how he has simplified things with this United side, only one method of defending rather than the complicated different phase/ situation defending that LvG had us playing. He believes that his players should have at least one physical attribute advantage over their opponants. Be that speed, strength, size or technical ability. Ideally he'd like them to be superior in all aspects. Beyond that he simplifies the roles for his players within the team. This enables players to play to their strengths and in turn builds up their confidence.
Neither is the right way or the wrong way, just different sides of the same coin.
Mourinho's method has allowed him to get the best out of players such as Valencia and Fellaini, but it limits the ability of players such as Mata who doesn't have any physical advantages over other players, e requires his brain tobeat a player, which will mean going off plan at times. This fits easier in Pep system than it does Mourinho's.
This season is shaping up to be a classic, and I intend to enjoy the ride.
24 Aug 2016 11:48:59
Rule us out at your peril Shappy. Especially with the potential incomings of Rodriguez, James Rodriguez and Koulibaly.
24 Aug 2016 11:55:21
Good post Shappy. The only thing I'll argue with us that Mata has been excellent in pre season and during the first two games of the PL.
24 Aug 2016 12:08:33
Shappy I agree with most of what you said. More importantly we must respect every team and not be too overconfident ourselves else we could be badly hurt should the results come out otherwise.
Pep and Mou have their strengths and their experience. I believe both are excellent but not because I am a Man Utd fan rhat I am slightly swayed toward Mou but rather I think he probably has more knowledge of the PL. in years to come if Pep is still around, there might be some good managerial knowledge fight. I await to see that day.
BUT till then I really hope Mou will use his advantage and bring us back to glory days before Pep catches up. Hopefully by then the gap will be too much and we will again be the most hated club lol.
24 Aug 2016 12:34:56
CFCFOREVER, I'm not ruling anyone out, we are two games into the season. There is a long way to go yet. But based on what I have seen so far it looks like United and City won't drop too many silly points. Where as Arsenal already have, and Chelsea have by some miricle not thrown lost a game yet. They have beem good in spells but have looked quite shakey also. Its obvious they are missing a couple of players to be where Conte wants them to be, but there is just a week left in the window and any players who do come in will likely take time to adjust. I don't see this season as being one where a team will be able to overturn a large points lead. If Chelsea are 8 points off the pace by Christmas then it will probably mean their title charge is over, especially if two teams are above them at that point. I just don't see United or City dropping too many points against those teams you expect them to win. I will be very suprised if both United and City drop more than three points over the course of the season against teams that finish outside the top 7. So it really is likely to be about the head to heads this season.
SchMidfield, Mata has been good, but not amazing. His form atm certainly doesn't make him undropable imo. As Mourinho has said certain players suit certain games. I doubt Mata will start against City when we play them, or against the other top 4-5 teams unless injuries dictate it. In the games of fine margins I expect Mourinho will revert to type and go with the players who have more to offer physically.
Red666, obviously you have to respect every team, in our league you really can lose to anyone. I just expect United and City to be just abit too good for most teams even on a bad day. Not only do they have the best squads in the league, they arguably have the two best managers who will drag their teams through those games they might be struggling in.
I don't really have a favourite, I like elements of both managers, they also have elements I don't like. Both I think struggle with a lack of flexibility to their ideas, but then if I had the same amount of success as those managers doing things my way, why would I change it?
24 Aug 2016 12:52:32
CFCForever will u actually get any of those, AC Milan have been taken over by chinese so romagnoli will be a difficult signing, james seems to not want to leave madrid and sky italia were saying koulibaly mostly won't be moving. Your team is weak defensively and as shappy said u have been lucky to not drop points in either of those games, not to mention the lucky streak costa seems to be on, let's see how long he continues to get away with it.
24 Aug 2016 13:41:33
Wow Shaps,
I thought I was the over optimistic one on this site, even in Fergie's best seasons we dropped a lot more than 3 points to the teams outside the top 7.
I know people are getting excited because of how we started but we need to be fairly cautious, wait until the Europa starts on Thursday nights and EFL trophy games start and the games come thick and fast. We have watched 2 games and Hull have won both, we are a long way from winning every game against the bottom 13 teams, the league isn't suddenly really easy.
24 Aug 2016 14:18:43
Shappy. That's ridiculous. I'd go as far as to suggest they will BOTH drop DOUBLE that amount, at HOME this season.
24 Aug 2016 14:49:37
GDS, that probably was a little over optimistic to be fair. I'm just not sure how teams expect to get the better of us this year. We are a big strong team with quick skillful players. We have a manager who knows the league inside out, and if all else fails they still have to score past DDG.
We can match and surpass any team in the league for brute strength, no one will bully us this season. Add to that pace all through the team, Valencia, Bailly, Shaw, Rashford, Martial ect. Then add to that the Mourinho us against the world motivational style. We look like we want to prove a point this year. We have great squad depth, with Smalling, Carrick, Schneiderlin, Herrera, Mkhitaryan, Depay ect all struggling to get into the team.
Mourinho knows how to grind out a result when the team doesn't play well.
If I was to try and pick fault with our squad I would say we lack a little experience and world class quality in defence. But as mentioned previously the issue atm is there are very few world class central defenders atm, so our problem is shared by most teams. Mourinho though is very good at organising his defences to be hard to beat, regardless of who is playing there.
Only a serious injury ravaged season can derail us imo. That's not to say we will be champions, but that whoever finishes above us will be the champions. I see one side atm who can match us, the others maybe can on their day, but not over a season.
If I was a betting man I'd say we will win the league this year, as Mourinho's EPL experience along with the time it can take for Pep's complicated system to be fullyed adopted will give us the edge. But next season I think City will win it due to Pep having learned from his first season, his methods will be fully integrated along with him havimg the squad he wants, as well as Mourinho's full energy style starting to sap our players toward the end of next season. The only thing in our advantage is our players should be able to get a proper rest next summer.
24 Aug 2016 15:18:12
Time will tell shappy. I think you'll find that Mata will play in the big games.
24 Aug 2016 16:14:23
Shappy, I will happily bet that you will drop at least 9 points, same as City. It might be all rosy now with Jose, but just wait till a contentious goal or decision goes against you. I prefer Conte because he has already proven tactically astute to turn two draws into victories using intelligent substitutes. Under Jose, the sub would have been a DM on for one of the attackers and he would have settled for the point, and that is a fact.
This year's league will be decided on the games between Chelsea, City, Utd, Spurs, Liverpool and Arsenal, and who can get the most points.
24 Aug 2016 16:16:11
i think it will be between united and city but very tight between the top 4 or 5, with all dropping points .
still amazed how many on thr site don't rate pep or city.
24 Aug 2016 16:25:11
Wow a very good read, had to share it with my local lads. Thanks shappy.
24 Aug 2016 17:04:23
Lets not get ahead of ourselves here!
I agree jred, that it will be close among the top 4/ 5.
24 Aug 2016 19:07:14
Defo going to be tight the usual suspects will be there or there abouts imo United city arsenal Chelsea spurs will be in the mix with Everton pool and Leicester possibly making a push for top 4.
We have beaten southampton and bournmouth who are destined to finish in the bottom 8 imo. I think we will improve for sure but there will be games we lose or draw when we least expect it. the epl is a tough league and wet have many tougher games ahead.
24 Aug 2016 20:43:10
How can a chelsea fan prefer a manager whos been there two minutes to the greatest manager in your history.
Fair enough jose did a lot of things wrong in his second spell but youve forgotten about him quickly lol.