04 May 2017 15:23:06
One of the biggest clubs in world football, and our managers talking about putting out a weakened team against one of our rivals. Changed times, indeed. Say it ain't so, Jose.
04 May 2017 15:26:29
We have a chance of finishing above city and and kicking them out of the top 4 .
Lack of ambition if we throw the towel in.
04 May 2017 15:32:48
Realistically we need 4 wins from 4 to get top 4. That means winning against Arsenal and Spurs away and against a Palace side fighting relegation.
A slip up in any of those games and our chances go from slim to near non existent.
But we can score draw in the away game against Vigo and draw 0-0 at home and we are in the final.
We could in theory win only one more game this season and win a cup and qualify for the UCL with it.
I can see why a pragmatist would focus on the Europa league.
People wanted Jose and Jose is what we have got.
04 May 2017 15:52:12
If swansea fail to get a point against everton this weekend then palace are safe, unless you feel a 19 goal swing around is viable in 2 games :)
by the time we play palace and southampton AT HOME they should have no worries about league position and just be there for the day out.
which leaves 2 hard games to think about. now if city or liverpool slip up prior to our game at arsenal then surely Josh has to have a go at arsenal.
04 May 2017 15:55:14
4 tough games, Shappy, but we're supposed to be a big club. Where's the ambition in that message? Pragmatism or defeatism?
04 May 2017 15:57:33
And we've just beat the prospective league champions recently. It's not like the ability isn't there to get something in those games. And it's bloody Arsenal. They're flakier than us this season!
04 May 2017 15:58:29
That is ridiculous to be honest. A weakened team? I'll be livid if he does that.
04 May 2017 16:41:21
I think he's playing the media to a degree.
I also think the other results from pool and citeh will have a bearing on our squad against the gunners.
Lets see what tonight brings before we hang Jose for his comments on the weekend!
GGMU!
04 May 2017 16:44:53
You all know if we win all 4 games there is still a good chance we won't make top 4? Also that if he puts the best team out against Spurs I think they will still beat us. We have given ourselves a huge uphill battle in the league to finish top 4 thanks to the home draws and we can still win a trophy elsewhere,
If Jose thinks some players need a rest then I am all for it. He only uses a certain number of players anyway so none of you will even know if it's a 'weakened' team, he will just use the squad like he has all season with priority going to the EL games which are more important as of now. I could pick two totally different teams for tonight and Sunday and you wouldn't be able to tell me which was weakened, some of the 'weaker' players like Ashley Young have played the majority of our games recently anyway.
Again, this also comes down to believing everything Jose says in press conferences and getting your knickers in a twist about it which is commonplace these days. Do you really think he is telling the players to down tools in the premier league?
04 May 2017 17:15:54
I think with the public criticism of players, the Marcos Rojo and Zlatan Ibrahimovic t shirts, and telling the media he will play a weakened team he is trying to send a message to the board that he needs funds to strengthen the team in the summer. Once Jose has his own squad of players then i am certain the public criticism will die down. I would expect the same tactics used against Chelsea in the match vs Arsenal if he plays a weakened team. it will be interesting how his selection will change if Crystal Palace avoid a defeat on Saturday or if we win by a significant margin tonight.
04 May 2017 17:32:17
Mind games me think. And quite a few are falling for it 😆😆.
04 May 2017 17:34:28
I don't believe in the idea of sending covert messages to the board, not at this level anymore and it's unnecessary.
Ring, Ring - Jose speaks - Hi Woody, you have seen how short we are this season, we need XYZ signings (or funds released) as agreed when I signed my contract, we still cool?
Woody - No problem Jose, what gave you the idea we wouldn't be spending big in the Summer, we gave that Muppet loads and gave you loads last summer, we have money to burn and don't care how you spend it so long as it's on some high profile social media players? Why you're on, why did you have to lower everyones confidence and expectations, when we already agreed that we would support you?
Jose - Oh, I'm just doing what I can to deflect blame from my incompetence, it doesn't matter. Anyway, see you at Rooney's leaving barbecue, I hear Shaw is doing the 50 burger challenge, but I doubt he'll beat Anderson's record! By the way do you know where Vigo is, I'm trying really hard to convince everyone this is an epic challenge, but I have never heard of them?
04 May 2017 17:37:37
GDS, it's perception, and how you, as a manager, project your club and its ambitions. Are you seriously saying it's ok for our manager to talk about throwing out a weakened team against a rival, because he doesn't fancy our chance? Could you imagine the managers of Madrid or Barcelona saying that? Have we really fallen so low? Were a big club, and we should start acting like it. Whether it's playing for a draw against City, or effectively telling everyone we're out of the top 4 race (even though many on here seem to think it's still possible, like yourself), what is that saying to our rivals and the wider football world? What happened to fighting until it was mathematically impossible?
04 May 2017 18:03:26
The result tonight will help shape the team for Sunday as will availability.
What is a weakened team? I don't suspect for 1 moment there will be 3 debut players v arsenal.
Full backs for example name the 2 strongest? We would get lots if different answers.
Smalling Jones mata all coming back he will name a strong team I've no doubt about it. In fact it could well be a fresh team with some rotation but I am pretty sure it will be 11 full internationals and not too many academy graduates.
04 May 2017 17:52:11
What's this weakened team? Against Chelsea we benched Miki, Carrick and zlatan and won convincingly, we've a big squad and will be competitive whatever team is out vs Arsenal, should take Jose's words with a pinch of salt, Jose will say stuff he doesn't mean for the medias sake, SAF was a master of such arts.
04 May 2017 18:05:17
Last time we put out one of our worst teams ever we beat arsenal 8-2.
04 May 2017 18:10:10
Spot in WRD.
I'm loving the reactions to his comments.
04 May 2017 18:17:14
Completely agree with Stevie and Jred. At times this year it looks like Jose has been planning excuses in advance. None of the teams competing for 3rd and 4th are showing anything like consistent form, and regardless of the games we have coming up, we still have a decent chance of finishing in the top 4. This could be an attempt at mind games, but if Jose has decided to throw in the towel in the league it is sad state of affairs.
04 May 2017 18:19:19
Can't believe so many think Jose will play a weakened side at Arsenal. He will play a side as strong as tonight if maybe a few different players. He also doesn't like Wenger very much so he's not going to give him his first ever win against a Jose team. He is going for top four and the Europa League as well he should be.
04 May 2017 18:32:43
Danny
Spot on.
04 May 2017 18:49:52
Brendan
Spot on.
04 May 2017 19:00:14
Oh dear, here we go again.
If I look at it dispassionately my guess would be that Jose is getting his players focus totally on tonight's game, Arsenal doesn't matter, it's all for tonight. He cannot have any thoughts of spreading effort over the two games, must give their all tonight, don't leave anything undone.
Of course come Sunday it may be somewhat different, but why not trust a manager who knows how to play it, ok it's slightly different to SAF but we all knew his games by the end. The answer is in the usual assassination of the man, no matter what he does.
{Ed025's Note - its what he does thats the problem red man, united are jittery and are playing boring football mate so whats to like?..
04 May 2017 19:02:45
Jose will not want his unbeaten run coming to an end at the hands of Mr Wenger. This is all media wind up/ mind games.
04 May 2017 15:30:11
Great way to inspire the lads!
04 May 2017 22:53:48
Guys get real. if i had to pick, play whatever side you need to play against arsenal to make sure we have the best side out next wednesday.
People can call it whatever they want, lack of ambition etc etc blah blah blah but in real life this is not the united of mid 2000s and until we get back there I would rather make sure we are in a final off a major trophy in Europe with CL qualifications than try and appease some fans by going all out at arsenal.
Next year i will be with you but not this year and i think you need to be pragmatic.
05 May 2017 00:09:28
No Shahram, it's not a team of the mid 2000s. But it's a team that just beat the prospective champions, and lie one point behind Man City.