Greenlizard0 PL & Championship Football Thread ** spoilers ** [1st - 3rd January 2022]

Alex h said:
We need to sort the midfield out we've been over run there all season to be honest scotty ain't good enough but keeps playing Fred's been dropped but Scott hasn't he's had 1 good game against Burnley and then reverts back to normal it's a joke simply he's not good enough
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I fundamentally don't disagree about the limitations of McTominay however listen to what Rangnick said after the game about our two being up against 5 in midfield. Thats a coaching and tactical issue. Too often we've played 2 midfielders and 4 forwards and thats why you get by passed in midfield unless your forwards are absolutely drilled in defensive duty in which case you are neutering them as an attacking force. It's no co-incidence that we've played best football when Pogba was played on the left - a midfielder helping out in the midfield battle but not able to be trusted as one of two sixes. United's midfielders are being asked to do more than they are capable of and that's not their fault its the obsession with playing 4 forwards and no system to fall back on when we don't have the ball. Coaching imo needs to work with the players you have until you can replace them.
 
Calpol said:
I fundamentally don't disagree about the limitations of McTominay however listen to what Rangnick said after the game about our two being up against 5 in midfield. Thats a coaching and tactical issue. Too often we've played 2 midfielders and 4 forwards and thats why you get by passed in midfield unless your forwards are absolutely drilled in defensive duty in which case you are neutering them as an attacking force. It's no co-incidence that we've played best football when Pogba was played on the left - a midfielder helping out in the midfield battle but not able to be trusted as one of two sixes. United's midfielders are being asked to do more than they are capable of and that's not their fault its the obsession with playing 4 forwards and no system to fall back on when we don't have the ball. Coaching imo needs to work with the players you have until you can replace them.
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Which is why I'm amazed they don't play 3 in midfield - two of Matic, McTominay and Fred and one of Bruno, VDB, Pogba or Lingard.
 
I'm still very confident that no manager at United will be allowed to drop Ronaldo unless Ronaldo wants to be dropped. I wouldn't be surprised if its written into his contract and the managers.
 
fez said:
I'm still very confident that no manager at United will be allowed to drop Ronaldo unless Ronaldo wants to be dropped. I wouldn't be surprised if its written into his contract and the managers.
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You always hear of ex players realising they are not up to it anymore and the point they realised they had to retire. Ronaldo will never be like that. He will play and play and play. This is basically Wayne Rooney at his end all over again.
 
Surprised Jones hasn’t been mentioned again, MOTM performance for United at least.

shows what a fresh body and mind can do

interesting interview from Shaw, he basically admitted himself it’s not good enough from the players and there’s no cohesion. That’s what they’ve been saying for months though now.

he mentioned Rangnick too and hopefully he can bring some ideas. Well you need to sort the basics out first before trying to do what the manager wants, as it’s obvious he has ideas that the players aren’t implementing.
 
So following on from the last thread.

We have now played 5 games with a total of 4 goals for.

And 3 of those games were against bottom 3 clubs in their respective competitions.

Remind me again, apart from a lot of praise what has Rangnik won at any top European clubs?
 
Funny when you signed Ronaldo and I pointed out it was a completely odd and unneeded addition I was told how wrong I was and how much cover you needed. Same with Rashford when I said he would amount to nothing more than being yet another young united forward full of promise that would amount to nothing. One foot specialist. Greenwood will be the next one to not fulfil his amazing potential at United. He needs to go elsewhere. The club has no identity or direction left. Haaland would have to be completely mental to go there, or they will bend over and pay the money MR want's for himself, er I mean client.
 
IronSpider said:
Funny when you signed Ronaldo and I pointed out it was a completely odd and unneeded addition I was told how wrong I was and how much cover you needed. Same with Rashford when I said he would amount to nothing more than being yet another young united forward full of promise that would amount to nothing. One foot specialist. Greenwood will be the next one to not fulfil his amazing potential at United. He needs to go elsewhere. The club has no identity or direction left. Haaland would have to be completely mental to go there, or they will bend over and pay the money MR want's for himself, er I mean client.
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Both Greenwood and Rashford are being stunted in growth due to Ronaldo being there. Rashford is basically out cold until Ronaldo retires. He is a left sided player and is never going to have the confidence to play well whilst always being in Ronaldo's shadow having bit part roles in the team. There is still hope for Mason as he can play anywhere.

I can almost guarantee that Ronaldo wasn't an Ole target. It was simply a case of getting him in fear of him going to City rather than anything else. I think City could accommodate him though. We just do not have the players to accommodate Ronaldo.
 
Rashford has had chances of late, out wide and up front. He's been useless. You can't blame Ronaldo for everything.
 
Robbo said:
Rashford has had chances of late, out wide and up front. He's been useless. You can't blame Ronaldo for everything.
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Yeah Rashford is a classic example of a player given too much too soon and who thinks he has made it already. Which up to a point he has. We are paying him a salary that suggests he should be competing for the ballon dor each year and the MSM are stroking his ego at every opportunity about the charity work he has been doing.

I think that we just have a massive mentality issue at United right now. Too many players who don't play for the team, don't get held accountable and who are paid too much for average performances. Far too many people were happy with the dross that Ole turned out for 3 years because results were OK.

Its like a toxic workplace where the animals run the farm and powerful cliques don't see anything wrong with their behaviour because they are "under-appreciated" and "do all the work" and "get all the flak".

I don't know how much of this culture was here when Ole took over but its definitely got worse. I think Ronaldo hasn't helped one bit either. I don't think he motivates players to be better, I think he probably berates them and he is massively self-centred and only cares about Ronaldo. Other peoples performances are their problem.
 
Yep Rashford was average even before the world knew Ronaldo was going to United. Blame the fans that cried about him going to City. That said I think he'd have got 40 goals at City this year.
 
Over the past few seasons, Rashford on his day can be a fantastic player. His decision making is questionable but his speed and shooting can be excellent. It feels to me like he's given up on football and is more worried about other things, which is sad. The work he's done is great but he shouldn't forget that football put him in a position to do that work to start with.

There are issues with the majority of our players, a complete cultural shift is needed which I hope Rangnick will be allowed to help facilitate. The short term is not that critical.

In terms of tactics and systems, it's like rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic... if the players won't make the effort, nothing will work.
 
IronSpider said:
Yep Rashford was average even before the world knew Ronaldo was going to United. Blame the fans that cried about him going to City. That said I think he'd have got 40 goals at City this year.
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City don't play without a proper striker 90% of the time because they can't buy one, they do it because it doesn't suit their system. Ronaldo would have lowered Citys level with his unwillingness to put the team above himself and his lack of work rate. If there is one thing you can't accuse City players of it is being greedy or not working for the team.

Only difference is that Pep would 100% drop Ronaldo if he didn't do as he was told. I'm not sure RR is even allowed to bench Ronaldo.
 
I've just seen that Shaw interview, it's a thing of beauty. Bunch of overpriced, overhyped prima donnas that think they know best - screw the new guy and his tactics. Didnt think it could get funnier after ole, but it's shaping up nicely, meanwhile down at spurs Conte had the team playing his style and buying into the change almost instantaneously.
 
I think people are reading far too much into the Shaw interview. I think hes just saying that they need to sort themselves out and that hopefully the manager can help them do it.

I don't think there is any dig at RR in there.
 
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