21 May 2018 02:28:46
I've read the debate down below about the United way, and just thought I'd throw my opinion in.
Firstly, the last great team we had was the 2006-2009 side. Pace, power, and breathtaking to watch. Once that side began to break up and age, we never played the same way under Fergie again. The final title win in 2013 was down to Van Persie who was out of this world. I remember watching games in that period and whilst we had exciting comebacks it wasn't champagne football, but it was effective (sounds familiar? ) . Fergie got the best from an average side which was built to play to the best striker in the world.
Now here we are, an average season and yet again the football hasn't been great, which I feel can't be argued. All this talk about the United way etc is blinding a lot of people, we haven't played the "United way" in nearly 10 years. This began under Sir Alex and has continued right through to Jose.
I would love to see us go back to the United way and promote youth, play in an attacking manner with pace and power, but that hasn't happened in years at the club.
There's talent in the youth sides, and there's some quality players at this club, we've just come second in the league and beaten every side. So let's be optimistic, losing a cup final can happen, we were wrote off by many after the 2005 final with arsenal, and things began to pick up after that.
As a fan base we need to get behind the team, the club and the manager. It's a big window coming up, we need to get it right with both incomings and outgoings. We can't force out another manager with complaints about style, when we haven't played the United way in about 10 years.
Caolán.
21 May 2018 05:59:01
I am sorry but this is nonsense, the whole fergie didn't play the utd way in his last few years has been blown way out of proportion, in comparison to his best teams those years weren't great but somehow they weren't the utd way is bs.
Post ronaldo this is our league goals each season under fergie, 2009-10 - 86 goals, 2010-11 -78 goals, 2011-12 - 89 goals, 2012-13 - 86 goals. In comparison the so called great attacking Liverpool team this season has scored 84 goals. So except for the 10-11 season where rooney's injury in the second of the season screwed us a bit, we have scored an average 85 goals a season, if that isn't attacking football i don't know what is.
Barring Mourinho's madrid team which were the outlier his teams can only dream of consistently scoring 80 goals each season in the league, fact is his teams have never scored 80 goals in a season except for when he was managing madrid. So this mou's football is like fergie's is his last years nonsense needs to stop.
21 May 2018 11:05:42
Csm, this post isn’t about saying we are playing exactly how Ferguson played in his last season. I hope it doesn’t come across that way.
The aim is to suggest that as a club we have lost our way and as a fan base have helped forced the club’s hand (Ed002 was correct) due to the style of football. Yet the simple thing is we haven’t played the United way we all agree on in the best part of 10 years, and that even sir Alex put results above performance.
21 May 2018 12:26:21
How exactly did SAF not play the utd way. After Ronaldo was sold likes of Cleverly, Smalling, welbeck all were given chances sadly none of them made it but kids were given chances to succeed, fergie never played for a draw, it is one thing to play on the counter that too 2-3 games a season and another to go to a game with the sole objective of getting a draw not even trying to win. Please show me a game where Ferguson setup the team like mourinho did at Anfield or at Etihad last season or Sevilla away.
You are saying we didn't play spectacular football in fergie's last few years and then calling it the non utd way, just because it wasn't as good as our peak doesn't mean it wasn't the utd way. what the grumpy one plays isn't the utd way don't compare those two is all I am saying.
21 May 2018 12:30:56
The United way was largely about exciting wide players. Think Coppell or Hill. Giggs, Sharpe and Kanchelskis. Beckham. Ronaldo.
Who have we had like that post Ronaldo. Valencia in flashes, a declining Giggs. Mata in flashes. Martial in flashes.
21 May 2018 08:10:19
Am going to take a stand and people may not agree.
Jose came out to say that he suspects Lukaku and Fel saving themselves for WC.
I would think there is some truth in it and I feel Jose has been “too nice†to some of the players. He is not as hard hearted like SAF and push the players. I think Jose being nice is the reason why some of the key players are not giving their all. Protecting them and yet being screwed by them. Unlike the older players like Young and Valencia who though they are slower but still give their all ever game. That’s what make them worthy of wearing the United shirt. Matic played for Jose before and probably understands Jose best and is very committed.
Pogba, Lukaku, Fel all have their own personal objectives. Sanchez is new but still tries hard I can see. I feel he will come good next season. Herrera is committed and needs to be given more games.
Moving forward I think we need to seriously decide if the likes of Pogba and Martial is worthy of the United shirt. Sure I stand by that Jose have made mistakes but I do not think it’s anything major. He is not my best friend But he is our team manager and for that we need to support him, well at least for another year. We need to be rid of the bad influence from certain players and I think we’ll get back to a new United. We need to do this before the manager or any manager loses the dressing room.
There is no point we keep asking to sack the manager as it will bring us back to square one rebuilding. Can we afford another 5 years without the title. So what if we are the richest and biggest club in the world? I don’t want us to become a Liverpool of the last decade without winning anything. I also think a lot of people are not honest when they say they’d rather we play entertaining football without winning the title. I know I will not be happy without the title even if we play entertaining. We are just too spoiled all those years. The road to success is a long and difficult one so I urge all to support the club and team (including the manager) . Obviously everyone is entitled to their opinion.
Look forward to the next season.
21 May 2018 12:38:40
Until we bring in a right winger that will actually stay on the right we will always look unbalanced, we play Mata, Lingard, Rashford and Sanchez there over the season and all of them either drift in centre or go over to the left, we have become so predictable when attacking because the opposition know every attack will come down the left.
The right wing position for me is the most important one to fill for next season in my opinion and i welcome the talk of Willian coming to us as Jose can trust him to stay where he is supposed to.
When that is sorted i think we will look better, more balanced and our attacking pace will improve and we will play more like the United way that everyone is craving.
21 May 2018 13:42:57
What about the performance in the Etihad in 2012 when Nani was playing well and got dropped for park who hadn’t played in weeks.
The football isn’t vintage this year, but the fact is we haven’t played great football in years. Maybe more players need to leave, but there’s so much talk about the United way, but have we played phenomenal football in the last 7-8 years? I don’t think so.
There’s an entire improvement needed within the club, players need to go and certain players need to come. However if the only stick that’s being used to beat Jose is the ooor football, we can’t celebrate if we win then because it’s not the United way.
It’s not an easy fix, the club’s only clear plan got ruined by the fans, and we shouldn’t ruin another plan that may well be in place.
21 May 2018 13:47:09
Also CSM honestly I’m not comparing them at all. I’m just saying I feel the go to insult of any manager we have at the moment is about the football. It’s what got rid of leg and cost us allegri. We either want success or we want to be spurs, but when the team is winning consistently the style comes. I just haven’t seen us play the way we all wish since 2009. That’s all I’m saying.
So let’s get behind the manager and the club and try and rebuild this club to where it belongs!
21 May 2018 14:22:19
Caolan
We want both why can a United team be successful and entertaining?
Why can't this present team with the players we have be more entertaining.
It's just excuse after excuse.
21 May 2018 14:39:16
Most of us have short memories and are only very aware of the ‘right now’. There was a lot of negativity about SAF’s last season even though we won the league. It was often painful and RVP regularly rescued us.
However, the key points by I think is that SAF and Jose are diametrically opposes when it comes to how to play the game. There was probably the odd game when a more pragmatic approach might have helped SAF but on the whole he knew how he wanted to play.
Take the start of the season, we were flying and next up we’re a dodgy Liverpool team who were yet to get into gear. SAF would have gone for it, Jose reverted to type and that’s when it all started getting tedious.
21 May 2018 14:40:02
Good post Caolan.
21 May 2018 15:11:08
Caolan if we just drew that game we would have won the league so fergie went pragmatic, not Jose mourinho no one crosses the halfway line pragmatic just pragmatic and we lost. But again it is one thing to be pragmatic to get a result that gets you the title and another for it to be your template to football.
You are missing the big point when you say it is OK for us to play mourinho anti football because we haven't played great in a while, mourinho's football with 11 of his chosen players will never be more watchable than it is now.
Jose mourinho Will never play good football he has a history of dour unwatchable football, Chelsea, Porto, inter his teams were never known for entertainment and unlike those teams he hasn't won enough here to justify his football. Also what plan is this, we signed moyes, lvg and then jose, I don't see anything remotely resembling a plan here.
I respectfully disagree with what ed002 says. Lvg was sacked for his incompetence, barring martial none of his signings worked, even martial is about to go, that is after spending 250mn. Fans don't pick teams or set tactics or pick transfers. Why blame fans for the manager's failure, if he finished 4th do you think he would have been sacked because I don't think so. We had a wretched December that killed lvg fans weren't to blame for that either.
Also how much has mourinho actually improved us? You want him to continue rebuilding but right now his 2 cb signings can't dislodge Jones and Smalling. His 90mn signing is pissed off at him and might leave, he has bought a 29 year old whose signing has badly messed up our 22 year old attacker who until the signing was our 2nd best forward and for what, Sanchez is looking more and more like Rooney 2.0 on bigger wages. Add to that he wants to bring a 30 year old willian whose figures are worse than martial to chase his trophies, what happens when Mou leaves and utd are left with a bunch of oldies in team again having to go through a rebuild, I don't want us to be Liverpool but letting mourinho do his stuff will turn us into the next inter.
21 May 2018 16:01:24
I haven’t said it’s okay once, I just think we need to be realistic about where we are. I’m not saying Jose is as good as Sir Alex. What I’m trying to say is, the stick that’s always used to beat him, is style of play. I don’t think ya unfair to say we haven’t had a great team since 09 or even played great football since then.
There’s a reason we aren’t playing great football but it’s not just the manager. Look at the squad, there’s no one in there who when things are getting tough look like digging in.
But to reiterate, we have been playing poor football for about 7-10 years. This isn’t anything new.
Caolán.
21 May 2018 16:04:37
Also CSM I trust Ed002 opinion on this topic regarding lvg’s dismissal. In my opinion he is correct, but I get we don’t share the same one and I understand your point. But if all we as fans are going to do is cry and moan because we don’t play the same football as SAF did in our glory days, then I’m sorry but it’s going to be a rough few years until we can get anywhere near that level.