Manchester United Seasonal Blog 2021/22

[thebillfella]

Reports that some players are unhappy with Rangnick already. Have said players ever asked themselves if they might be the problem?

Square 1 at United was a lack of balance with too many attacking players and became Square 1+ with the purchase of players in the wrong area (Ronaldo and Sancho). It was as if there wasn't a plan....

Above is what a few of us were saying all along when most were just pointing the finger at Ole as the problem. All the problems start at the inept club leadership at the top and sooner or later people will understand how flaky some of the players really are.

The fact that Phil Jones came out of the last game with the most Kudos tells you a lot about the mental strength of some of the players there right now.

[blahblah]

I'd say vB is innocent, I almost feel sorry for the millionaire

[murf]

Reports that some players are unhappy with Rangnick already. Have said players ever asked themselves if they might be the problem?

Square 1 at United was a lack of balance with too many attacking players and became Square 1+ with the purchase of players in the wrong area (Ronaldo and Sancho). It was as if there wasn't a plan....

Above is what a few of us were saying all along when most were just pointing the finger at Ole as the problem. All the problems start at the inept club leadership at the top and sooner or later people will understand how flaky some of the players really are.

The fact that Phil Jones came out of the last game with the most Kudos tells you a lot about the mental strength of some of the players there right now.

Is there a thing with the leadership thinking they have already spent stupid money on loads of defenders (must be at least £200m????) and none has really worked (arguably has a bit with Maguire (at times) etc) so why just repeat that process? ??

The core of a team (IMO) is the keeper (now OK again after a blip), centre backs (now on a blip) and the central midfield - McFred have developed reasonably well but are still well short of being at the (approaching world class) level that Man U should be striving for. Bruno in a slightly less defensive way is borderline 'core' (see also Henderson and KdB) but certainly can add to it...... when he is happy and he currently isn't.

Once that core is sorted then the more fluffy bits can flourish but they need that solid base to be a consistently good team.

[blahblah]

Jose had a point about the CBs then?

Is there an official line/rumour why van Beek doesn't get minutes?

[Darbyand]

According to something I read the other day both Ole and apparently Ralf's coaches say he doesn't get around the pitch enough. Seemed to get around it ok for Ajax.

A solid reason to hate modern football is the obsession with physicality and "energy".

[murf]

According to something I read the other day both Ole and apparently Ralf's coaches say he doesn't get around the pitch enough. Seemed to get around it ok for Ajax.

A solid reason to hate modern football is the obsession with physicality and "energy".

If you don't 'put a shift in' you are letting your team mates down these days. An accusation also thrown at Pogba and Ronaldo.

Players often run 10-11km in a game which is a lot. My 10k PB is over half a football match and that is at a constant pace, no stop-start football involved!

[murf]

[buu1333]

According to something I read the other day both Ole and apparently Ralf's coaches say he doesn't get around the pitch enough. Seemed to get around it ok for Ajax.

A solid reason to hate modern football is the obsession with physicality and "energy".

I only looked at Spurs vs ajax in champions league semi final and he played AM both games maybe he not good enough DM or box to box CM and only good at Attacking midfield role like Bruno

[blahblah]

According to something I read the other day both Ole and apparently Ralf's coaches say he doesn't get around the pitch enough. Seemed to get around it ok for Ajax.

A solid reason to hate modern football is the obsession with physicality and "energy".

I only looked at Spurs vs ajax in champions league semi final and he played AM both games maybe he not good enough DM or box to box CM and only good at Attacking midfield role like Bruno

Which sends us back to 4231 as the formation to suit the squad?

[Darbyand]

I'm sure he's got a decent 10k in him but it's all about sprints and duals and transitions. Makes me pine for a fat lazy bustard like Le Tissier.

Edit - and before anyone says it Le Tissier produced time after time. Pogba is lazy, eff and inconsistent.

[blahblah]

I'm sure he's got a decent 10k in him but it's all about sprints and duals and transitions. Makes me pine for a fat lazy bustard like Le Tissier.

He'd make a great false 9?

[buu1333]

According to something I read the other day both Ole and apparently Ralf's coaches say he doesn't get around the pitch enough. Seemed to get around it ok for Ajax.

A solid reason to hate modern football is the obsession with physicality and "energy".

I only looked at Spurs vs ajax in champions league semi final and he played AM both games maybe he not good enough DM or box to box CM and only good at Attacking midfield role like Bruno

Which sends us back to 4231 as the formation to suit the squad?

Yes and good thing pochettino and ten hag play 4231 as we have alot of players for the AM. But if the AM thing is true about Van De Beak then we brought him as back up for Bruno, to challenge him or have back up if he got an injury not to replace fred or mctominay. So even with Ten Hag, Van de beek still probably wont play.

[forestfan]

I'm sure he's got a decent 10k in him but it's all about sprints and duals and transitions. Makes me pine for a fat lazy bustard like Le Tissier.

Edit - and before anyone says it Le Tissier produced time after time. Pogba is lazy, eff and inconsistent.

And he doesn’t even boot the ball out for a throw straight from kick-off

[Bob Newhart]

[buu1333]

So who lying, I think it miss communication. And players and mangers/ coaches getting annoyed with each other.

As for the Aston villa game we can't high press very well as a team and it going to take time. I personally find it much harder to do on video game without leaving big spaces for players to run in to behind making it easier for them to score.

[buu1333]

Ralf Rangnick does seem to be telling lies though. He said anyone who doesn't want to be here can leave or should leave. Also he trying to convince some players to stay who want to leave. It all seem like Politics to me saying what you think the public wants to hear. But don't act on them very well

[forestfan]

I guess there’s a lot of politics involved in the job, especially at a club where things aren’t going smoothly.

Doesn’t feel like the players have fully bought into him, though, which is always a likely issue with a semi-caretaker appointment. How much say will he have going forwards, will it depend on who the new manager/head coach is, will he still be guaranteed an upstairs role if they finish 8th this season, etc… everyone’s kind of in limbo at the moment. Might have made more sense to wait until the end of the season to bring him in as DoF alongside a manager, and stick with an internal caretaker, but guess that would have been seen as writing off the season.

[blahblah]

I saw reports him unhappy at not bring able to buy players which makes him question what his role for the following 2 years is.

Is he still banging his 4222 drum, which imho really doesn't fit your squad.

[buu1333]

I think its a bit unfair to say Doesn’t feel like the players have fully bought into him, as has no pre season and came in at busy schedule. Not much time to train with his ideas.

I remember when jose mourinho was the toxic one, Ole was the happy non toxic one but Jose won a trophy and ole didn't. Even van Gaal won a trophy and got sacked after it. So what we want is an happy non toxic manager who plays attractive football the Manchester united way and can win trophies. If your missing just any one of these qualities your getting sacked.

[forestfan]

I think its a bit unfair to say Doesn’t feel like the players have fully bought into him, as has no pre season and came in at busy schedule. Not much time to train with his ideas.

I remember when jose mourinho was the toxic one, Ole was the happy non toxic one but Jose won a trophy and ole didn't. Even van Gaal won a trophy and got sacked after it. So what we want is an happy non toxic manager who plays attractive football the Manchester united way and can win trophies. If your missing just any one of these qualities your getting sacked.

But they were minor trophies, if they’d won Premier League or Champions League they would have stayed, and that’s what a club the size of United demands.

[buu1333]

I saw reports him unhappy at not bring able to buy players which makes him question what his role for the following 2 years is.

Is he still banging his 4222 drum, which imho really doesn't fit your squad.

I am sure I seen on sky sports news that he played 4222 44 percent of his matches at other clubs. And different formation 30 percent of the time. And another one 20 percent of time and so on.
although he 4222 is his favorite he does like to switch it up. i hope he gets a new favorite for the time being

[buu1333]

I think its a bit unfair to say Doesn’t feel like the players have fully bought into him, as has no pre season and came in at busy schedule. Not much time to train with his ideas.

I remember when jose mourinho was the toxic one, Ole was the happy non toxic one but Jose won a trophy and ole didn't. Even van Gaal won a trophy and got sacked after it. So what we want is an happy non toxic manager who plays attractive football the Manchester united way and can win trophies. If your missing just any one of these qualities your getting sacked.

But they were minor trophies, if they’d won Premier League or Champions League they would have stayed, and that’s what a club the size of United demands.

I think if ole would of won one of them he would still be here

[forestfan]

I think its a bit unfair to say Doesn’t feel like the players have fully bought into him, as has no pre season and came in at busy schedule. Not much time to train with his ideas.

I remember when jose mourinho was the toxic one, Ole was the happy non toxic one but Jose won a trophy and ole didn't. Even van Gaal won a trophy and got sacked after it. So what we want is an happy non toxic manager who plays attractive football the Manchester united way and can win trophies. If your missing just any one of these qualities your getting sacked.

But they were minor trophies, if they’d won Premier League or Champions League they would have stayed, and that’s what a club the size of United demands.

I think if ole would of won one of them he would still be here

Not an FA Cup or League Cup, unless you’ve settled for being Spurs or Arsenal. Maybe the Europa, but I don’t think even that would have shielded him from the run of results earlier this season.

[buu1333]

Spurs lol 14 years ago never won anything big. Yes we don't want to be spurs, did you mean just Arsenal.

[forestfan]

Spurs lol 14 years ago never won anything big. Yes we don't want to be spurs, did you mean just Arsenal.

I mean teams whose ambitions don’t extend beyond winning a domestic cup and scraping into the top four, whether or not they actually achieve it.

[thebillfella]

Rio Ferdinand on Anthony Martial’s comments:

"Do you know what? That situation there is a perfect example for the hierarchy of that football club. If Martial isn’t telling the truth there - and I’m not casting any dispersions - but if he’s not telling the truth when he says he’s never refused to play or disrespected the club, if he did refuse then someone at that football club needs to come out and absolutely put this to bed.

They need to give pure clarity, put a line in the sand, put a flag down and say, “this is us and this is where we’re at”. At the moment, Rangnick has come out with what he said and Martial responded and basically said the manager is lying. Someone better come out today or tomorrow and say something. You can’t have a player coming out and belittling what you say. No chance. He needs to get shut down if it’s true.

If Rangnick is right, there’s no way any player should be allowed to speak like that. I don’t understand it. Manchester United can’t allow players to talk like that. There’s a truth and a false in this situation and I want to know."

[blahblah]

He seems a tad annoyed

[Darbyand]

Rangnick: “We have now decided to play a 4-3-3 like we did against Aston Villa, with one holding six, two eights, three offensive players.”

Probably the best formation for the squad but that number 6 is going to have his work cut out for him.

[thebillfella]

And back to the same issue again - do we have a no. 6 good enough. Prefer that formation with the players we have to 4-2-2-2 though.

[blahblah]

Yep. It's Groundhog Day....

When do we get to: "Where does Pogba fit in?"?