Manchester United discussion 2
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27 Sep 2025 17:23:46
We have a tendency to live in a bubble. The EPL is one of the toughest and most competitive leagues in the world.
Today alone so far Chelsea have lost at home to Brighton, Liverpool have lost to Palace and current 3rd place Bournemouth were held to a draw by newly promoted Leeds United. While at one point only a Burnley own goal was preventing Man City from being behind against Burnley.
Yeah it sucks losing, and in our heads we should be beating Brentford comfortably.
However, the reality is that over the past decade Brentford have been a far far better run club than we have been.
Our squad is a mess and we needed to move out maybe 15 or 16 players at least, and bring in 10 to 12 new players who are either top class or have top class potential.
Ripping down the old to build the new always results in a backward step first, while we have only brought in two top class players in Cunha and Mbeumo, and three young potential players in Dorgu, Sesko and Lammens. We are still at least 5 probably 7 new players away from actually rebuilding this team.
What kind of results/ performances do we really expect from half a team? In this league where its so competitive we shouldn't really be expecting to beat well run clubs easily that's for sure.
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27 Sep 2025 18:40:48
More points than 32 in 35 games shappy.
You replied to my post with a load of excuses and waffle and you're doing it here again.
27 Sep 2025 18:58:49
You are allowed to make incremental progress as a football manager.
This idea that everything has to go awful and then suddenly we become amazing in two/ three windows time is nonsense.
We are not better than at any point under ETH and he was deservedly sacked.
27 Sep 2025 20:35:22
Dsg we are far worse than at any point when ETH was in charge.
27 Sep 2025 23:09:23
This squad isn’t as bad as they are playing.
It’s full of international players, easily top 8-6.
It’s the players don’t fit the “system”.
28 Sep 2025 06:07:15
Then build a system that does fit the players?!
This one is on Ineos. Ridiculous decision to appoint Amorim.
28 Sep 2025 09:08:43
Ed002 suggested Amorin.
28 Sep 2025 15:14:29
But the evidence is there RA is not working
It’s not a matter of excuses the facts don’t lie under 30% win rate for a team with salaries that we pay and stature of United means you have to beat Brentford, Fulham, Burnley and you have to see improvement from individual players we are seeing nothing apart from decline.
You mention Players like Cunha and Mbuemo but they look worse now than last season.
Bruno looks really poor, Mainoo gone backwards, GK who was not even good enough to be number 2 when Onana here is now number 1 in front of our new signing
Building a team from the front a joke especially when it means the clubs best player is neutralised and a liability in the position RA puts him
Playing the 3 slowest CBs at the club as a Trio is diabolical
Perhaps Yoro now upset him, to go with Heaven and Mainoo on the naughty step
ETH was a terrible man manager but RA is another level of terrible but even worse naive to go with it….
I would honestly say that even his buys/ recommendations can’t even play his system.
Dorgu is never good enough for wing back, Cunha and Mbuemo are struggling, Sesko is he much better than Rasmus. GK who knows!
If it don’t change and very soon it’s another season down the pan
The players at his disposal if he was not so pig headed are capable of beating Brentford, Fulham Burnley’s of this world and to try make excuses why United ain’t, is just the same pig headed approach as RA got.
The evidence is there for all to see.
28 Sep 2025 23:03:04
It's the players who make basic mistakes week after week
Doesn't matter who he picks you can guarantee that at least one of them will do something stupid every week.
The players also should play with intensity and desire right from the start until the last minute. After every defeat you hear one of them saying "we know we weren't good enough" or "we just didn't match them" "we know what we have to do and we will work hard to put it right" but next week or the week after it's groundhog day. I am positive RA is not telling them to do this. This is on the players. They need to take full responsibility.
24 Sep 2025 19:30:50
Been away for a couple of days. Came back to discover our favourite troll is back.
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26 Sep 2025 00:24:36
And making it really obvious it is him as well, pathetic.
14 Sep 2025 20:59:03
I thought Urgarte was good today, he worked hard and instigated a lot of turn overs, Mainoo was very good too when he came on. Everyone talks about 2 in midfield but the wing backs should be working in there when we don't have the ball. At present we are still looking like a back four with and extra man in the centre which is costing us in midfield. Another issue l see is when we get the ball wide to Dorgu or Amad, they stop and delay putting the ball in behind their defence, this is the ball our CF and front 3 need to attack. It's usually a stop and pass it back or inside, which slows down the play and allows opposition to set their defensive line. Again the spine of the team is key, we have a GK, need a CDM and jury still out on our new CF. Still have to question our purchases in the summer getting attacking players was needed but a strong CDM should have been prioritised after Cunha was bought, then go for another 10 or a CF. Probably go and beat Chelsea next week now with the same team 🫢.
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14 Sep 2025 21:44:28
We ain’t beating Chelsea 😬.
15 Sep 2025 20:27:35
they will have so many scoring chances if we play 2 in the middle against their 3 and palmer and co will enjoy themselves.
15 Sep 2025 23:59:05
Play Mainoo with Ugarte .
Lammens
Yoro MdL (heaven if fit, otherwise maybe Mazraoui, or continue with Shaw)
Amad Dorgu
Mainoo Ugarte
Mbeumo Sesko Bruno
That team has to be the direction.
Quite simply, Mainoo has to play and Bruno needs to be moved from centre mid to a 10 role.
Mazraoui is NOT a RWB
Bruno is NOT a CM
Make those two changes to the formation that lined up against City and we might stand a chance against a well oiled Chelsea.
We have the cattle up top for those guys to run their socks off for the remainder of the season. We have no more than 40 games to play.
21 Sep 2025 15:32:17
Sorry eric, can you say that again for the people down the back.
22 Sep 2025 08:10:45
I love being wrong when it t comes to Utd winning. I hadn’t factored in the Maresca effect.
22 Sep 2025 17:53:26
Hahaha good man.
Chelsea struggle to get anything at OT so I was pretty confident. Even though we were lucky.
22 Sep 2025 21:24:28
I’ll take it! It was an enjoyable watch, albeit slightly mad!
23 Sep 2025 23:33:44
Were we lucky? We took the game to them from the start and created a chance that meant their keeper got sent off. We then capitalised with 2 goals. We were then really unlucky Cucurella didn’t get sent off for 3 yellow card fouls and unlucky Casemiro got sent off for getting the ball. Despite having 10 a side we saw them out quite well, they only had 1 shot on target all game and we deserved the win.
25 Sep 2025 16:02:44
Spot on gds2 except casimero did foul.
14 Sep 2025 18:14:54
Could we put Amorim up for sale maybe have to be in Europe because no team in premier would touch him talks a good game is nice guy but he'll he not got a clue and even worse not learnt a thing in a year that's a worry sorry if that upsets you all but no one of sound mind can say he is anywhere near the required level.
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14 Sep 2025 19:20:31
Trust in the process! Anyone who thinks we are going from where we were last season to beating the likes of city Liverpool you need your head checked. Improvement has happened, it’s a process. You don’t go from 16th to 4th 3rd 2nd. We all need to be realistic. So much toxicity in our fan base.
14 Sep 2025 19:54:30
we finished 14th and the last guy got sacked for being 12th after 8 games. i am afraid your reasoning does not wash we are not some newly promoted team. there is minimum expectation and no one is talking 2nd/ 3rd but this is so so poor. i said last year he will get himself sacked and still maintain that view and why i can't be bothered posting anymore.
He has made so many players look worse in this so called miracle system and it has failed us too often on both ends of the pitch. I am actually surprised how stubborn he is as good managers will make changes and not be so predictable. by Christmas he is gone imo.
I honestly wish he would be the one and got us going but the pl is too much for him imo.
14 Sep 2025 20:00:15
If the process was to get infinitely worse each week and show absolutely no ideas on how to improve then yes, we are well on our way.
Come on guys face facts - I really like Amorim and how he talks and acts. But on the pitch it’s utter dross. We’re a total mess.
Jose is available. Just saying.
14 Sep 2025 20:26:39
Any club, with any other manager getting the returns that we are getting from Amorim, would sack him.
14 Sep 2025 22:06:06
4 games into a season! You are the same guys that have asked for every manager to be sacked! What did that do? Nothing! What will it do this time? nothing.
I genuinely see improvement in this group. The stats do back that up. Even today. I don’t think the board when they looked at the 4 games so far thought we will win all of those. They are looking at being competitive. Arsenal we were Fulham we were Burnley we were.
Did we create many chances per game last year definitely not which was one of our main issues.
You guys have zero patience.
If saf was in charge now coming from Aberdeen he would be gone because his record early on was abysmal.
We all speak over the years post saf at every manager that joins that they needs 3 windows 4 windows 5 window that this is a project/ open heart surgery. It’s not because no one will allow it to be a project.
You all want instant success. I ask for improvement, dedication, application from the players which I’m seeing more this season than for a few years.
If we are below 10th at Christmas I may think differently but after 4 games you guys need to chill out and back the manager.
14 Sep 2025 22:10:07
We are not some newly promoted team? We finished 16th take that in. We may as well be a newly promoted team. We are not currently the Manchester United we know. A reasonable expectation would be 7-10th from where we finished last season. And after 4 games I’m not sure after investing in a manager in a system that a change now is really a good idea. It’s 4 games.
15 Sep 2025 07:51:56
Mate he is the one who had us finish that low. He is rubbish. get rid.
14 Sep 2025 14:19:37
RIP Ricky Hatton.
Football rivalries aside, as someone who loves boxing, I'm shocked and gutted at his passing at such a young age. One of the greatest boxers of the modern era,
I hope he enjoyed the schooling of Canelo by Crawford as much as I did.
Fly high Ricky, thank you for the memories - absolute legend. 🤛.
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14 Sep 2025 15:54:43
RIP Ricky, great fighter in his prime.
Met him once, too top bloke.
31 Aug 2025 16:41:59
Lammens or Emi Martinez?
For me we should be looking for the more experienced premier league option, who can at least command his box and is a big character.
The team is still hugely fragile at the moment in terms of confidence and don't think they can afford to bring along an inexperienced goalkeeper.
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31 Aug 2025 19:05:19
Apparently its a swap with sancho going the other way. Sounds way too good to be true. But martinez all day long if we had to chose, we need the here and now, not the future. Especially with a gk. Gks form the defence imo, with our current gks it creates nerves in the defence as nobody is sure what he is going to do. If we gor a solid gk in watch how we change as a team.
31 Aug 2025 20:09:27
If we could get a DM with the attributes we need (I personally don't think Stiller is the answer) then I'd be tempted to say we could accommodate a little time for Lammens to find his feet.
However, without the DM we need, I think Martinez would be a better choice because we aren't in the ideal world scenario right now and might be better off taking the cautious and sensible step of an experienced EPL GK with the character to deal with the United heat.
31 Aug 2025 20:11:13
Martinez all day.
Although I’ve never seen Lammens play, we need experience and a calm head in goal to give the snowflakes in front some confidence.
31 Aug 2025 22:44:48
Hahaha Eric did you just say Martinez and calm head together! Jesus Christ the guys a clown, we've spent all summer trying to get rid of them signing one on deadline day seems stupid.
01 Sep 2025 01:06:42
Ha. I realised when I typed that didn’t sound correct. I should rephrase and say experienced head!
01 Sep 2025 09:22:06
The narrative around Martinez seems an odd one, I guess it always is once a player is linked with United. I heard someone say yesterday that he’s a total liability and will let us down by getting red cards. He has had 1 (yes one) red card in his entire career and that was the one against us at the end of last season.
06 Sep 2025 10:05:12
For me there really isn't that much of a difference between Martinez and Onana.
Martinez is better at dealing with crosses, Onana is better with the ball at his feet. Both are prone to make silly errors that cost their team goals.
While Martinez might be a slight upgrade in that he seems a better fit for what Amorim wants from his keeper, it's a minor upgrade and only a short term fix.
Lammens has huge potential, and while he probably isn't any better than what we have right now, he had the potential to be one of the best keepers in the league in a couple of years time. If our aim is to win the league in the 2027/ 28 season then Lammens makes much more sense, in the same way that Sesko made more sense than Watkins in that regard.
30 Aug 2025 18:40:35
Big 3 points against a relegation rival today, Get In!
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05 Sep 2025 16:58:00
About sums it up!
28 Aug 2025 11:39:33
Saw a great comment yesterday.
Amorim would play 5 at the back in 5-a-side 😂😂.
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28 Aug 2025 17:00:23
His reluctance to change formation or even tweak the 3421 formation to even a 3412 as an example, is simply obstinate.
Life is about being adaptive, this applies to football as well. I wonder even if th club had signed a GK, and say Baleba, would they still be f£%& ups?
29 Aug 2025 09:43:40
Hatter, the formation does shift and change throughout the game, he does make tweaks and adjustments, but not huge ones.
He used to make bigger changes at Sporting, so that suggests that it's the options he has here at United that are limiting his tactical tweaks.
He did say last season that until his players have mastered how he wants them to play its difficult to make too many changes to it as it simply complicates things and confuses the players. While what seems like a slight change has knock on effects for lots of other players and their role in the team.
For example if you change it from a 3421 to a 3412 that to most people doesn't seem like a big change. Yet it changes the roles of the front three, and it likely changes what you want from the wingbacks and the midfielders. So that's 7 outfield players who have to understand that their role now has different demands and they need to be able to meet them at least adequately.
For example changing to a 3412 now means that the 1 behind the strikers is the sole creator in the final third compared to when it was a 3421, than means that you need more end product from you wingbacks rather than being supportive creators, you will also need more incisive passing from your midfielders to compensate. Players like Ugarte and Casemiro will now have a more important role in passing the ball forward. It also changes how the team defend and press.
While these tactical tweaks can be coached and trained into the players it takes both time and having players who are capable of both playing the original plan AND them having the quality and skillset to play the back up or tweaked version.
Furthermore, it's not a good idea to start adding lots of different variations of the tactics to the players while they are still getting to grips and building confidence with the main way the manager wants them to play. It makes them start to question the main way and it undermines their confidence in it.
29 Aug 2025 10:14:26
Shappy, you're an excuse merchant.
Grimbsy had no issues with their tactical set up the other night.
Tactics/ formations, he needs players etc. bla bla bla. You either want it or you don't. You either react to a manager or you don't. With a 24% win ratio in this league, it's quite clear that these players don't.
Tactics and formations are never an issue as long as you have the players onside and playing to your tune.
29 Aug 2025 17:08:28
Everyone is so fixated on formation. The players are not performing this has been the case for years. They turn up some games and not others. Again most people in here want to manager gone because a new one will get a tune out of them which has never happened long term.
Also we are 3 games into the season chill out people, stop reading sky sports and watching bloggers! We played very well against arsenal imo we deserved to get something out of that game and against Fulham probably played well for 45 mins. Against Grimsby it was horrible performance but a number of the players had played zero football so far this season but the players failed to do the basics nothing to do with formation. They didn’t press as a unit they failed to win second balls and they showed zero desire, these players are some of the players who should be trying to push to get into the first team but still didn’t turn up. People on here shouting that mainoo should be starting like he’s zidane he showed absolutely nothing against Grimsby. He is young he is learning his game but he clearly has the same attitude as garnacho he feels he deserved to be a starter even with some very average performances. When a player isn’t played people on here believe that player would have been the difference.
Honestly the club has failed in another window. 2 10’s bought when we have Bruno mount amad. And zero cm/ dm bought when we have an old Casemiro and an average ugarte. No GK signed even though stevie wonder can see we need one. That is a failure of the people ‘running’ the club. The spine of the team needed to be improved and would have been more sensible with the amount spent to do that rather than 2 10’s and a striker who could prob be starved like hojlund was of service.
30 Aug 2025 20:21:48
The “players”. We’ve seen so much squad churn and new signings in the mast 15 years, yet they’re all crap.
This is on Amorim this time. It’s not working. It’s clear to everybody except his fanboys. Yes sacking another coach etc is not a good look, but we’ve absolutely appointed the wrong coach this time. I really like Amorim and his style, but it’s not working here and time to rip off the band aid and move on.
31 Aug 2025 13:34:34
To be fair twenty we aren’t flush with real 10s (only Bruno) and the two players he’s brought in are head and shoulders above what we have. They are great signings for us.
Not scoring was our biggest problem last season. Of course now we’ve addressed that it’s something else. Would have loved a gk/ cm though, still slightly hopeful.
31 Aug 2025 14:49:43
Eric, what about Amorim's system isn't working?
The part where we have the created the second highest xG in the league so far?
The part where we have the 3rd highest expected points per game?
The part where we have had the most shots in the league?
The part where when have had the 5th highest possession?
Or the part where we have conceded the 5th least number of chances?
Every single statistic suggests that we are doing well holding the ball and restricting the oppositions chances of scoring, while offensively we are one of the best teams at creating chances.
The managers system is helping us have more control, restrict opposition teams, and give our players good chances to score.
Beyond that it's down to the players to take those chances and to not make silly errors that cost us goals.
We have conceded 6 goals this season, 4 of which are directly from a goalkeeper error. Literally if our keepers just did an average job and didn't gift the opposition chances we would have only conceded 2 goals in 4 games. How is that the managers system failing? It's not it's down to player error, a lack of individual quality.
While we have created an xG of 9.86 across our four games this season, suggesting we should have scored around 10 goals from the quality of chances we have had. Yet we have scored 6, the biggest underperformance of xG across Europe's top 5 leagues so far this season.
xG works on the average number of times a goal is scored from a particular position and type of shot. So if we'd just been bang average in front of goal we should have around 10 goals.
Amorim's system is loading the gun for the players, they are just missing the target. Again that is on the players and not the manager or his tactics.
This idea that his system doesn't work is just nonsense stemming from a regressive UK media and pundits who are wedded to 442 or at least 4 at the back systems, who don't really understand Amorim's tactics and they just want it to fail. A typical human response to fear what we don't understand.
It's made obvious when they try and talk about it, they don't have a clue how it works or what is going on. Their comments highlight their ignorance.
The number of times I've heard them say Amorim's 3421 system won't work because it leaves just two midfielders in the middle who will be outnumbered. Yet their answer is to play 442 or 4231 both of which play with a two man midfield double pivot 🤔🤦♂️
So why will a double pivot with a back three behind it get overran but a double pivot with a back four not get overrun?
Their answer, "well a player from defence or the forward line either steps up or drops in to midfield to make it a 3 or a 4".
Cool, you mean like in Amorim's system where either the central CB step up into midfield to make it a three or the two wide No.10's drop deep to create a box midfield four?
Amorim's system is doing exactly the same things that we see done in 442/ 4231/ 433 shaped systems.
Yet it won't work in Amorim's for some reason, despite him using it with Sporting to outplay far superior opposition in the UCL, including the media's favourite child Pep with his Man City team.
It can and is working with us and in the EPL, the problem is the quality of players we have using it and a lack of confidence.
Anyone who actually understands football tactics and can watch a game and dissect what is happening can clearly see that it is working.
Only those who form their opinions based on what the pundits tell them to think believe it isn't working.
31 Aug 2025 18:29:15
To add to Shap’s stats we have hit the woodwork four times, if we had converted those chances we would be top of the league right now.
Football is fine margins, the tide is turning under Amorims watch.
31 Aug 2025 20:18:22
I look at the actual results over xG etc to show me it’s not working.
He’s won under a quarter of his matches in charge. We finished 15th last season and were lucky to do that.
What witchcraft are you seeing?
06 Sep 2025 10:44:21
Eric, ultimately results are what matters, but how do you get the results?
With performances. Which means we need to improve all of the little things the players do in matches. Then over time all those little improvements will result in better performances, which will improve our results.
Including all of our results since Amorim took over is not a good way to judge whether he has made improvements. You end up distorting the data by including older data from when he first took over.
If you want to see if he has improved things you should maybe break the data down into two or three groups based on time, then compare those data sets.
Look at the data from the first 20 games he was in charge then compared that to the next 20 games to see if there has been improvement.
You need to look at both the results and other performance measuring data (stats) due to the nature of football. It's a low scoring game, which means individual errors have a huge impact to distort the outcomes.
We've all watched games where one team have absolutely dominated the game, had all the ball, created all the good chances and yet lost the game due to one error to concede a goal, while coming up against an inspired performance from the opposition keeper.
We have to understand what a manager/ coach can actually impact on a game. They can use tactics and training to improve aspects of performance, such as possession, chances creation, and opportunities given up to the opposition. They can make their team difficult to score against, they can help them to use patterns of play to create more chances for the team.
However, they cannot control players individual performances. If a player has a bad game, or if they make errors that is on the player not the manager or coaches.
If a goalkeeper flaps at a cross, or a striker misses a chance, a defender mistimes a tackle or a midfielder misplaces a pass these are on the player not the manager.
If you look at this season's performance data you can see that United are doing really well at creating chances, at keeping hold of the ball and at restricting the number and quality of the chances the opposition have per game. All things the manager can have an effect on.
Our results though haven't been decided by the performance data but by the players individual performances. We've missed too many good chances where we should have scored. The manager has created a system that loads the gun for the players, but they are the ones who pull the trigger, and we've missed the target too often. While at the other end our keepers have had less to do, this isn't like when we had peak DDG where we were only limiting the oppositions goals due to superhuman performances with DDG making 10 world class saves per game. As a team we are defending better and restricting the chances the opposition gets per game. However, we have already conceded more goals due to goalkeeper error THIS season than Liverpool did in the entirety of last season. No manager can come up with a system or tactics that can mitigate their keeper practically throwing the ball into his own net twice a game.
Is it perfect? Obviously not, there are still areas where I think the manager can improve us further. While our keepers have been poor dealing with crosses from set-pieces, I also think our defending as a team needs to be better in these situations. Defending set-pieces is always a tricky balance to get right. If you bring too many players back to defend it then you invite more pressure and make it harder for you to get out of your own half even if you win the ball. Bring too many players back to defend them and you risk getting yourself pegged back and giving the momentum to the opposition. However, on the flip side if you don't bring enough players back to defend then you risk leaving yourself open to conceding.
Ultimately the teams that defend set-pieces best are the ones who have players who consistently win their individual battles enabling them to defend in a one on one basis. This is definitely something we need to improve on, although we have a lot of young defenders who should improve in this area over time.
The manager has a tricky situation where he has to pick players who are not as well rounded as players as we need them to be. For example he has to choose between Dalot and Amad at RWB. Now Amad offer so much more going forward and creating chances, which should help our side control the game and peg the opposition back reducing the number of chances we concede. However, he is going to offer nothing when defending set-pieces. We could then play Dalot who for a fullback is actually pretty good in the air. He offers much more when defending set-pieces, but when we have possession of the ball he offer a lot less meaning we probably end up having to defend more set-pieces as the opposition will be able to get on the ball more.
We also have players like Yoro who has been excellent this season, but lacks experience and isn't yet consistently strong in the air.
We need to have a midfielder like Casemiro on the pitch for his aerial ability in both boxes to help out with the lack of aerial ability amongst our defenders, but he lacks the stamina to play in midfield in the EPL for a full 90 minutes. Which means when he starts to tire the opposition will get more chances.
We actually have all the skills we need but in 18 or 19 different players, meaning we will always have to field an 11 that are lacking a few of the skills the team needs to perform consistently at the level needed. That will be the same no matter what formation or tactics we play.
Ultimately we are one summer into a 2-3 summer squad rebuild, so we were always going to have gaps and areas of weakness this season, and probably next season as well if we are honest.
Yet despite all that our performances have improved, that is proven in the statistics and backed up by the eye test. Give it time and if we can keep these performances up, and maybe even improve them further, then the results will come.
27 Aug 2025 22:38:49
I like Amorim. Like the cut if his job.
But his inflexibility when it comes to tactics may well cost him.
All the top managers fit their tactics on a game to game basis.
Is he a top manager?
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27 Aug 2025 23:27:01
Talks a good game but doesn't back it up.
His post match comments suggest he has lost the dressing room. Question is does he resign or get sacked.
28 Aug 2025 09:06:43
While all managers adjust their tactics slightly, top managers tend to have a specific style or system that suits the players they have, and make smaller adjustments within that set up.
Yes you need to consider how you are going to counter your opponents strengths and take advantage of their weaknesses. But a top side is always better off playing to their own strengths as they tend to have the better players.
How many times do you see Pep, Klopp, or Slot dramatically adjusting their tactics? Slight adjustments maybe, but they mostly focus on getting their team to play their way.
Is Amorim a top manager? I'd say he's on his way to becoming one, but just like when it comes to players we aren't a top draw anymore for the top managers. We approached Tuchel and he said thanks but no thanks and then took the England job.
We are able to attract top players in the EPL who are at "smaller" clubs, and we can attract some of the best young talents from Europe who are still developing and aren't top players yet. But we can't get the very best players right now.
It's the same when it comes to managers. Which top manager will be willing to risk their career and everything they've worked so hard to achieve on us in our current state? Younger, up and coming managers with potential will see us as an opportunity to make a name for themselves and might be willing to take the gamble.
That's the markets we find ourselves in now. Young potential, not top level proven quality. Over a decade of mismanagement which have seen us become a graveyard for players and managers has put us in this position.
Just like with young players who will make mistakes, young managers will do as well. And just like with the young players if we want them to improve, grow and become the top players their potential suggests they can become we will need to support them.
Otherwise they will wilt under the pressure WE put them under by not supporting them. The media only has as much power as we let them have influence over us. If we stop letting them lead us around on a merry dance that leaves our club stuck in a state of perpetual limbo then our club might have a chance of climbing out of the doldrums.
Amorim talks a good game because he knows a good game, it's the players who then need to go out on the pitch and show it. Again it's the players who are letting us down.
{Ed025's Note - how can you say Amorim is on his way to becoming a top manager Shappy???, he is so stubborn and has not addressed any of the problems we all know that has turned United into a laughing stock mate, i get your loyalty and this changing managers all the time doesn,t work but come on you have to be realistic..
28 Aug 2025 10:00:41
Ed025, I said this months ago, he went in there with this stubborn and direct style. Called out the players, squad, refused to adapt tactics etc. And to my shock, the players have performed even worse.
When he labelled them the worst united squad in history, for me that was also putting all the nails into the coffin at the same time.
{Ed025's Note - its just not working Angel, and all that cowering in the dug out in the penalty shoot out whats that all about? it shows you how much faith he has in these players mate, hes out of his depth for me and even though we all know this is not a quick fix the least we expected to see was some improvement, nobody wants to see managers sacked every five minutes of course but if its yellow, looks like a lemon and smells like a a lemon...it usually a lemon..
28 Aug 2025 11:28:58
He looked close to tears during the penalties. I like him too, but he continually gives the impression he is way out of his depth.
His obsession with 343 is bizarre, playing 3 CBs against a League 2 team shows he has no other ideas.
28 Aug 2025 11:41:57
Bad optics, reminded me of Wally with the brolly, that and the magnet board that I use to show 9 year olds where they should be playing 😂.
28 Aug 2025 11:51:29
Ed025,
Brilliant 👏 👏 👏.
30 Aug 2025 09:10:05
Every manager uses the magnet board, this whole nonsense of picking on every little thing he does has to stop. He used the magnet board against Lyon, didn’t see anybody complaining. We scored 2 after he used it this time as well.
24 Aug 2025 20:40:20
Gents,
It's been an awfully long time since I posted on here - and I'm way behind in doing this but love and respect to Ed002 who I understand is no longer with us - awful.
A short assessment of where we are -
We have ridden, and are in the process of ridding ourselves from the bad eggs. Great. The team we have assembled looks good on paper, they look to be good pros who care. Minimum objective ticked.
Now the problem - Amorim. Or more specifically, the system.
As a philosophy, 3-4-3 just doesn't seem to work in this league. There's no need for 3 central defenders, wingbacks are all well in good but we don't really have any good ones, other than shoehorning attackers like Amad into the roles. A midfield pivot hasn't worked for years as midfields are packed, and so finding control is very difficult to come by AND we don't have the legs for it (Casemiro is long gone) . Bruno doesn't work in this system either, and regardless of his performance today, he's still our best player.
For me, the squad assembled lends itself to a 4-3-3. De Ligt and Yoro is a good pair, Dalot and Shaw or Dorgu is sufficient too. A midfield three, with Bruno roaming, Mainoo's quality on the ball and Ugarte's physicallity (or ideally someone new) would get more control. Sesko in the penalty box with Cunha and Mbuemo either side and given license to roam. What's not to like about that? Great options on the bench in Mount, Amad, Zirkzee etc who also fit the system.
Amorim has said on countless occasions that he won't change, and so, unfortunately, he must be the one changed.
Who? I've no idea, but Xavi and Zidane are available.
Agree6
Disagree0
25 Aug 2025 11:01:01
Good to see you fresh. But I don't agree. Rip it up and start again, no thanks.
4-3-3 is not too dissimilar to what we are already playing. We are looking too much into formation etc. We are just a group devoid of absolute confidence. Those first 15 mins, we should've been 2-0 up, put away the penalty and it's 3, hypothetically speaking and we are all on here saying how different we look.
Unfortunately it didn't happen that way and we reverted to type. It's a mentality issue with a lot of these players, scars of the past. We are very close to changing that, and I'm sure we will. I don't believe our business in the window is done, I can still see a good CM come in.
I've seen enough to know it's in them. The tide will turn.
25 Aug 2025 15:19:39
I hope you’re right, Angel.
It’s hard to have confidence when the managers record is 4 wins in 28 league games. Confidence has to come from the top - he doesn’t look particularly confident - to me.
25 Aug 2025 21:23:07
I'd be having serious issues if we weren't creating or looking dangerous. Thankfully we did against arsenal and should have been 2-0 up v fulham on Sunday.
I've said it 100 times before, confidence, confidence, confidence. It's like waiting for the Domino's to fall.
26 Aug 2025 08:18:00
But that’s where the likes of Roy Keane bang on about character, character, character. Thurs players that transcend confidence and drag the players through this. We don’t have any of those who can do that that I can see in the squad?
26 Aug 2025 07:11:30
I tend to agree Fresh 100% this just don’t work
I am not a lover of Deligt, but have said all along him and another would be much better as a two, this system leaves us so weak in midfield and does not suit any of our CBs
Midfield just gets overrun and now we have 200 million of forward talent and what nearly 200 mins of football not one of them put the ball in the net yet!
Now this fan base started on Bruno, Rashford not scapegoat this season…… it’s what happens when our best player yes still is shoehorned into a position that everybody apart from RA can see don’t suit.
But apparently it’s ok cos we are now entertaining! Delusion.
27 Aug 2025 11:09:53
I think with the system he is playing he still play Bruno out of position
In my opinion, i think SESKO upfront, CUNHA AND BRUNO behind him
Then DORGU, MAINOO, CASEMIRO, AMAD
Back 3 to be SHAW, DELIGT YORO
ONANA
We will do better and get goals with this.
27 Aug 2025 14:44:22
And what about Mbeumo, Abbey?
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