Greenlizard0 PL & Championship Football Thread ** spoilers ** [2nd - 3rd October 2021]

Caporegime
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Look at Demarai Gray, cheap player, not doing great in the Bundesliga - goes to Everton with Rafa and now looks a top player.

Sancho - playing superbly at Dortmund, comes to Man Utd, has gone backwards.

Next excuses please.

Don't be a Nick Robbo. Gray has got loads of experience playing in the EPL, Sancho is only 21 has never played here. We started to see what he offers midweek and today and I thought he was one of our best players today. Different players need different times to settle.
 
Soldato
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Fred was actually mostly good today, it was McT that offered nothing. We just desperately need a better midfield. Can have all the attackers in the world but if we can't get it to them it means nothing.
I can't see that . We all know that McFred is limited but the Brazilian had a poor, poor game. I called it in the first half and he improved marginally before committing the same error and ultimately costing a goal> McTominay played ok for 60-65 mins and then looked knackered. I can't understand why Ole plays a player who barely played in August, had an operation missing 3-4 weeks and then plays him 3 times in a week.Very odd management. People won't like this but Fernandes is a problem for this team. Obtusely he is the reason why we have little pattern of play and find it hard to accomodate Pogba or van der Beek. His role is far too free and whilst he's a brilliant player he makes it hard to have a system with two others in the middle. Effectively we play 4-2-4 most of the time and our midfield isnt good enough. Sacrilege I know when he's won so many points for United but its a problem that perpetuates the inconsistency and lack of system.
 
Man of Honour
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Don't be a Nick Robbo. Gray has got loads of experience playing in the EPL, Sancho is only 21 has never played here. We started to see what he offers midweek and today and I thought he was one of our best players today. Different players need different times to settle.

I agree and understand that - it was just an example. Far bigger issues around the club that Sancho's form anyway. We could have the best player in the world in every position and we aren't getting anywhere under Ole.
 
Caporegime
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What did McTominay do today? Fred created one of our best chances in the first half with a great cross and his one touch passing was excellent. He made a mistake but he's far from the only one who did in that move, 4 or 5 made mistakes.
 
Soldato
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So if we'd done that instead then people would be complaining that we only had Martial and Greenwood as wide options at the start of the season. One hadn't played out wide in almost 2 years and the other is only 19.

Then of course it's finding a 70m midfielder that is available.
The amount of money spent on this team by Ole is outrageous given the performances it's putting in. He consistently buys players in the wrong positions, and it's been clear for years that the midfield needs fixing. To absolve him of responsibility on the basis that his players didn't have a good day, which is the point I was responding to in the first place, is absurd. He's been backed to the hilt, he's brought in the players he wanted, and he's not performing.
 
Caporegime
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We were in control? We had 72% possession. Up until the goal Everton had a couple of breaks which the defense dealt with well (Lindelof and Varane both played very well)
 
Soldato
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We were in control? We had 72% possession. Up until the goal Everton had a couple of breaks which the defense dealt with well (Lindelof and Varane both played very well)

Everton had 10 shots in your box.

edit also possession doesn’t equal control. Everton should have won…if that’s total control then lol
 
Caporegime
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Sigh....Ole out?
Shaw didn't look fit today. AWB was prob our best player. Another average performance with below average moments.

Yes should have let Telles a game as he really grew into the champions League tie. Let Luke Shaw have a rest. It see all the glitz and glamour of getting Ronaldo and Sancho this summer is overshadowed by the fact our CDM's are just none existent. We can challenge everywhere else but we do not have a Kante or Fabhino and that is why we will more than likely end up fourth.

Fred is a frustrating player because at times he looks elite but can go from hero to zero in a split second. He never rarely has a bad game but is so error prone in a position where you just cannot be so all the good work is overshadowed instantly.
 
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Man of Honour
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How can people still be blaming our hopeless football on the lack of a world class defensive mid. Most teams don't have Kante.

Our next run of fixtures over 2 months are quite brutal, so we'll probably win them all - could get messy though if we continue playing like this.
 
Caporegime
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How can people still be blaming our hopeless football on the lack of a world class defensive mid. Most teams don't have Kante.

Our next run of fixtures over 2 months are quite brutal, so we'll probably win them all - could get messy though if we continue playing like this.

Really? You need that world class CDM to play high up the pitch and not get cut to pieces on the counter which is what we are terrible at.

The next two months are pretty much make or break for Ole. We looked really strong in August but have just gone completely backwards which seems to happen at some point in the season but to compete against Liverpool and City you can't have those slip ups.
 
Man of Honour
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Really? You need that world class CDM to play high up the pitch and not get cut to pieces on the counter which is what we are terrible at.

The next two months are pretty much make or break for Ole. We looked really strong in August but have just gone completely backwards which seems to happen at some point in the season but to compete against Liverpool and City you can't have those slip ups.

So knowing that, why not play differently? Try and find a solution? The extent of his solution is to play McTominay and Fred and hope for the best - poor.
 
Don
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Given how easily Utd were opened up by Everton (and Villarreal in midweek), I'm not sure putting a Fabinho into the side would suddenly solve that issue. Utd play with two defensively minded midfielders as it is. Whether it's in attack or defense, Utd just look disjointed. It's not helped by the signing of Ronaldo but Utd need to defend from the front more than they do, so teams aren't breaking on them so often.
 
Caporegime
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Everton had 10 shots in your box.

edit also possession doesn’t equal control. Everton should have won…if that’s total control then lol

They had 2 shots on target the whole game, one of which was the goal. You're making it sound like they had loads of chances. Before the goal they had basically no chances.
 
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