04 Mar 2024 14:46:37
Yesterday's tactics were pretty much spot on. We're not gong to beat City playing their game. Our only chance was to soak up pressure and then break quickly. We did that superbly for Rashford's first goal. In the first half Rashford had two more opportunities. He mis-controlled when through and then fell over in the penalty area when given a sharp chance from a fairly acute angle.
The first half was a win and it was a win with McTominay and Evans starting, with no recognized left back, an out of form Rashford, a slow Casemiro, two teenagers who are being overplayed, no recognized CF. Given the gulf in quality, and the extremely limited squad available to him, I don't think it's fair to criticize ETH at all.
Sure, be annoyed that our club has become a mid table team, but there's a whole lot of history behind the decline preceding ETH. As Ratcliffe pointed out, if a whole slew of good managers have failed to change the dynamic then maybe the reason for the decline is not the managers. Makes sense to me. Managing MUFC is a poison chalice. Do any of you recall Mourinho, LVG or Rangnick's post managerial assessments of the club itself?
I'm on the fence with ETH. He did have a very decent first season. He has been unlucky this one with not just injuries to key players and disciplinary issues, but also ownership distractions leading to an absence of corporate strategy and support both in the short and long terms. The club is in abeyance. and that's before FFP problems.
Even when SJR's managerial team is in place it will still take a couple of years at least to really see if they are up to the job of bringing United back to the top table, whoever they decide is the right manager for the club at this time. If it's not ETH, so be it. One thing to bear in mind is that City did not become what they are overnight. The end goal may have been to recreate a Barcelona type dynasty under Pep, but there were steps on the way. For a while they had to settle on just being the noisy neighbors.
04 Mar 2024 15:39:29
Good post shawthing.
04 Mar 2024 15:51:45
For the players that we had available and the current state of the club I think the game was as good as we could have hoped for result wise and that is a sad view of where we are compared to the current top 3 clubs.
We made a decent effort of the first half but never really felt like we were in with a chance of getting a result, City had lots of chances and could have had many more. I think Dalot, Onana and Evans can hold there head high.
Rashford is an enigma that I am not sure will ever recover the desire, with his statement this week I think the celebration was as much to stick it to our fans for doubting him as celebrating the goal.
I have wanted to stick by EtH but I think we need route and branch changes over the next couple of years. We are evolving the ownership and senior leadership group and the next stage of that will be the manager once the season ends. After that it will be a cull of the players. We may have an up and down period but for th long term success it is needed.
04 Mar 2024 16:26:56
Don't forget about Onana who, despite his howlers this season, has pulled off some saves so far that a certain Spaniard would be proud of.
He probably feels his defence is like Trigger's broom.
Ultimately, all-in-all, we're currently in the highest position we could really argue being worthy of.
04 Mar 2024 16:50:28
Spot on Shawthing.
I honestly don't know what these pundits expected yesterday.
you go toe to toe with City you get hammered. ETH got his tactics correct. Try and soak up the pressure and hit them on the counter attack with what we had available.
I haven't heard one pundit on TV or on Radio mention anything about our injury crises.
Never mind that we had 2 if not 3 of our first 11 defenders out injured who would of probably played yesterday in Shaw, Martinez and possibly Wan Bissaka.
We had no focal point up front to hold the ball up because our top scorer was out injured in Hoijland.
When Liverpool, Arsenal or Newcastle get 1 injury it's all over the tv and radio.
that performance was as good as i expected yesterday, we were never going to go there out pass and score them.
04 Mar 2024 17:43:57
Shawthing
Good post. A bit tribal atm and drama queens are out in full force today, so its good to read something that is balanced. We have 11 games to go plus cup ties. Personally that's what i care for the most atm. Fingers crossed reports saying Hoiland, Martinez coming back which will be a great boost.
If anyone cares to share any real news on malacia, mount, awb that would be highly appreciated.
Finally if anyone is going to the CUP tie vs Liverpool or in the Area it would be good to meet some of the keyboard warriors on the site. I have my tickets and looking forward to it.
04 Mar 2024 19:15:09
Shawthing, your post was a breath of fresh air, offering a balanced and realistic perspective on ETH's situation. I'm over the constant negative takes from certain individuals. ETH is a competent coach who's being undermined by the club's ongoing issues, a scenario too familiar for his predecessors.
Success is a must in his role, and while it might look like he's not living up to expectations following a promising first year, I believe he's exactly where he should be. Last season was a pleasant surprise for many of us, and it seems we're now seeing our true level. Like Arteta and Klopp, ETH deserves time to prove himself within a properly structured club. If, even then, improvements aren't seen, it'll be fair to discuss his departure. However, looking at the alternatives Ed mentioned, I'm not convinced many are a better fit.
Just taking a look at our bench from yesterday's game gives a clear picture of where the club stands. We're significantly behind, and it's apparent ETH is trying to achieve something substantial with limited resources. The conversation around spending £400m often misses the mark; it's not just about the amount spent but understanding the inflated football economy where even that sum doesn't stretch far enough to bring in multiple world-class players due to the high transfer fees demanded by clubs today.
04 Mar 2024 19:15:36
Good post Shawthing. The reality is that we'd struggle to beat City even with all our best players fit and available. The reality of us doing so with so many key players out was a fanciful dream at best.
It's just not a game that we should read too much into.
04 Mar 2024 19:36:32
Perhaps we should just read into the 28 loses in 100 games and forget the city one, Jose lost 29 in 144 games to put some perspective on it.
04 Mar 2024 21:02:25
we finished 6th in jose first season in a league that was easier and a better squad.
Jose win percentage is 62% eth is 61%. IMO a much tougher league at the top end evident by what we seeing atm and just a very different league. ETH will finish the season as the best united manager since fergie.
We can always get potter who has a 29% win percentage in the pl. 142 matches won 41 and lost 50.
Its a bit toxic with stupid stuff being posted over and over. going to stay away from this place for while. enjoy the rest of the season folks.
04 Mar 2024 21:55:05
Couldn’t just let this one slide could you Strangeways ?
Good post Shaw.
05 Mar 2024 05:24:19
With a better squad…LoL. What 400 mil spent and the squad is worse? Do me a favour, you forgetting Martial and Pogba were in those teams!
05 Mar 2024 09:32:16
Easier league. ???.
05 Mar 2024 11:47:53
The season Jose finished 2nd was a much easier league than this season.
Arsenal and Chelsea were at the start of rebuilding their sides.
Liverpool were in their 3rd season with Klopp and only just started to look like a side that could click and become a good side. They still conceded a lot of shots and would often run out of legs in the last 20 minutes of games, conceding a lot of late goals. This was before VvD and Alisson joined.
Behind us was Spurs, and the only side to really challenge is for a top four place. When Spurs are the 3rd best team in the league (without playing amazing or great football) then that tells you there wasn't much competition. We might have got 2nd place with 81 points, but we still finished 19 points behind City who were the only team playing consistently well that season.
Fast forward to this season and we have a genuine three way fight for the title, something that might have only happened once or twice before in history of the EPL.
Three teams playing at pretty much the same level that only City were able to achieve in 2017/ 18. That makes it a much stronger league.
Add to that Spurs and Villa as they are currently playing would have almost certainly have finished above United if they played in the 2017/ 18 season.
We also have a much stronger Newcastle side, due to their recent ownership change. Although injuries are also causing them big issues this season.
I'd say there are at least 4 maybe 5 sides playing this season that are playing better and more consistent football than the United 2017/ 18 team.
Meaning the league (especially the top of the league) is much stronger this season than it was in 2017/ 18.
05 Mar 2024 13:55:35
All the league fergie won were easy.
Easy peezy.
05 Mar 2024 15:16:38
LOL… some just come up with any old dross to try fight a losing battle, silly argument because all relative to the same time for all, whatever year/ season it was. so going by that Jose titles with Chelsea are worthless because easier then and SAF titles all worthless and everyone else in the history books…. LOL.
05 Mar 2024 16:21:10
Here they are the two class clowns like flies round the proverbial….