24 Oct 2016 00:31:09
Terrible result, obviously. The only positive is that Jose will now see who the flops are and what is wrong with our system.
Hopefully he still has the grapes to drop the big egos, too.
Players like Lingard, Fellaini, Rojo, and Smalling just aren't good enough.
Smalling has potential but his lack of intelligence let's him down. He looked good along side Blind, but it seems like this was due to Blinds great reading of the game. Along side Bailly he looks lost. However, with Bailly' injury maybe him and Blind can do the job at CB again? who knows. If he doesn't improve he either needs to go or should be benched. Personally feel he'd be a good squad player.
As for Fellaini, Lingard and Rojo, the just don't cut it. Not one team in the top 6 would have any of those in their starting line up. so why are they good enough for us?
We need to put feelings aside, with players like Lingard because they came through the academy, but the truth is he isn't good enough. Maybe he's a decent squad player, but certainly not a starter.
Jones is another who needs to go.
Depay should be loaned out. he's struggling at the moment and could do with a change of scenery and a way to get his confidence back by playing each week at a club with less pressure.
Pogba hasn't done anything in CM that warrants him starting ahead of players like Carrick or even Schneiderlin.
Ibra lacks the movement up top and slows our play down too much. Trying to counter with him in the team isn't going to be very productive.
We also don't put enough crosses or long balls into the box to take advantage of his height and power.
Hopefully we can make the top four this season, i think the title is a fantasy and some people need to wake up and realise it's not going to happen this year. not a chance.
I still think this team is 4 first team players off challenging for the title.
RW, CM, CB RB are all positions that need looking at the most. i'd even say striker could be looked at in the summer. With Ibra getting older and Rooney looking slow i think it would be unfair to put all the pressure and Rashford.
{Ed007's Note - Chris Smalling's 27 next month and you're saying he's got potential? A potential liability maybe. I've said all along that Utd would struggle to compete with top teams and compete for trophies while they stick with him. He's not going to improve now and should have been hunted years ago.}
24 Oct 2016 01:49:22
I remember posting something along the lines of 'Smalling needs to give his pay to the two fullbacks who are told not to go forward and the two holding Mids as they are all carrying him' a couple of years ago. I got absolutely slated for it on the board, its sad that this is the quality of player we are left with. We need a new CB (potentially two) and a RB to sort the defence. On the performances so far this season we need a player who can protect the back four with excellent positional play and passing. A right wing, a 10 and a 9 in my opinion. It's worrying the extent of the rebuild based on what we have seen so far, let's hope Miki can come in and change the balance in the team.
24 Oct 2016 05:43:42
I think I read somewhere that Thiago Silva has 1 yr left o his deal and isn't keen on re-signing . January bid maybe? He's not young but a steady influence like him would be excellent - Blanc style buy.
24 Oct 2016 08:12:15
But jred and maze says fellaini is a fantastic player.
24 Oct 2016 09:22:33
rover
no i said he is a decent player who is nowhere near as bad as people want to make out .
everyone was crap yesterday and in the last match against liverpool the wig and herrera where the best 2 on the pitch .
this season there has been far worse than fellaini.
24 Oct 2016 09:29:36
Ed007, i think with the right CB Smalling has the potential to be a good player, he needs a player like Rio next to him. But like you said he's nearly 27, time is running out for him.
He panics under pressure and doesn't know how to play with the ball at his feet. Along side Bailly we need a calm CB who can sweep up whilst Bailly gets stuck in.
24 Oct 2016 09:52:10
Smalling was abysmal before the start of the season but with the potential penalties for wrestling this season he is championship, or sunderland material at best!
Yesterday simply showed the rebuilding is nowhere near added with the necessity of changing players mindset, corrupted by Lvg. Jm will get there imo, but it will take another transfer window or 2 to mould the team to his way and get rid of the deadwood on MAssive salaries compared to their value.
24 Oct 2016 10:52:47
You watched that game and the only problem you seen was Felliani's performance? I will no longer take you seriously ever.
24 Oct 2016 12:31:32
I have been saying the same for sometime, smalling shouldn't be near the first 11 let alone captain it.
24 Oct 2016 12:02:50
Jk7 smalling is not and will never be a good enough player, he is clumsy on the on the ball, can't read the game and needs a decent cb next to him to babysit him through the game. And even with a cb he needs the fullback next to him and mf in front of him to save him from time to time. Add to that his shirt swapping tendencies which haven't stopped even with new rules. Bailly is young he needs someone who can help him when he makes mistakes or atleast someone equally talented who we can bank on for the future, smalling is neither.
I think come next season get rid of smalling, darmian, rojo, jones and replace them with someone like laporte or marquinhos and cancelo who i think is being wasted at valencia and promote tuanzebe and ro shaun williams.
24 Oct 2016 13:13:14
Was Fellaini the only problem JK7 wrote about? No, he was one of many, give the post a read Maze before you start thinking about taking him seriously.
24 Oct 2016 13:41:13
Ironic that he posts something like that harry.
24 Oct 2016 13:57:47
Lads, I think Maze was responding to the goading post from rovercocastic, not jk7. Maybe read the posts properly before launching into our favourite bogeyman ;)
24 Oct 2016 14:47:34
99
it was aimed at rover, come on boys.