Why would we want Hazard? We've got Lingardinho who has now scored and created more than Hazard this season
True, Lingardinho is on form at the moment, proper stepping out the woods moment for him
Has Jose Mourinho lost it?
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True, Lingardinho is on form at the moment, proper stepping out the woods moment for him
What's gone wrong? Man City. Mourinho's no longer able to just spend a fortune and rely on his percentage tactics to win him the league that's served him so well until now. He's got a rival that can match him financially and more importantly, is doing so much more than just spending money. I mentioned it in the spoilers thread the other day, Pep has taken so many City players on to another level where as I can't think of one Utd player that Mourinho's significantly improved. Furthermore, Pep isn't just playing percentage football - Mourinho's always gone into the big games with a don't lose mentality, believing that if he comes out unscathed he'll win the league in the other games. The problem is there's now too many big matches for that to work and more importantly, Pep and City are going into these games with a winning mentality and actually winning them too.
Mourinho's doing nothing different to what he's done wherever he's been. When things are going well he's the loveable rogue but when things aren't going well it's his players, officials, the board or even the media's fault. And no, nothing will change. When Mourinho rejoined Chelsea we were told he'd changed and things would be different. When he joined Utd we were told he'd changed and things would be different. He's the same **** he's always been.
The difference in net spend is approximately £30m and that's before you take into account the worlds most expensive free transfer, £16m paid to Pogba's agent and Utd spending £20m per season more in wages. Mourinho pleading poverty is quite frankly embarrassing.
You keep going on about spending not including the likes of KDB but it also doesn't include Martial (for example) who was on a pretty even level with KDB prior to both managers arrivals. The fact that Pep has helped KDB go on to a whole new level whereas Martial's gone backwards is not a stick to hit Pep with.
And btw, I could have sworn that you used to rave about Darmian and claimed he was a superstar.
The financial thing is no excuse, yes Pep inherited a slightly better side, but that gap could have been closed. How, after spending £300m recently, are we relying on Jesse Lingard to stop us losing to Burnley? It's absolutely crazy. Recruitment needs a total overhaul, we need some sort of vision. We can overpay if required but we have to buy the best up and coming players. There are loads of them out there.
I think the way the club is run needs an overhaul too. The club has the most critical thing to success: money. We can match and even outspend City if we wish to, even though the Glazers will try and rein things in if we are staying in the top 4 spots. They haven't seemed too tight so far (despite many negatives).
It's clear there has been no plan in place since SAF left, a manager who could elevate average players to the very highest level, without that everything is a mess.
While I don't disagree, Mourinho teams in the second year at least don't generally look this bad against the weaker sides. His tactics in the bigger games I have no issue with, it's more or less what SAF often did.
The big issue I have at the moment is not our league position, it's that we are getting worse as the weeks go by. I can accept Man City are a better side, playing better football and have better players, but we look so very poor. As Man City disppear off into the horizon, we are playing like an average mid table side.
There were shades of Moyes vs Fulham (death by a thousand crosses) against Burnley. That says it all.
I think the way the club is run needs an overhaul too. The club has the most critical thing to success: money. We can match and even outspend City if we wish to, even though the Glazers will try and rein things in if we are staying in the top 4 spots. They haven't seemed too tight so far (despite many negatives).
It's clear there has been no plan in place since SAF left, a manager who could elevate average players to the very highest level, without that everything is a mess.
While I don't disagree, Mourinho teams in the second year at least don't generally look this bad against the weaker sides. His tactics in the bigger games I have no issue with, it's more or less what SAF often did.
The big issue I have at the moment is not our league position, it's that we are getting worse as the weeks go by. I can accept Man City are a better side, playing better football and have better players, but we look so very poor. As Man City disppear off into the horizon, we are playing like an average mid table side.
There were shades of Moyes vs Fulham (death by a thousand crosses) against Burnley. That says it all.
Things look worse because you're coming directly off a bad week. He might not be doing as well as he has previously but in normal circumstances Utd would be a couple of points off the lead. The concern shouldn't be where you are now but whether, as history suggests, things only get worse.
I've said before that the only reason Utd appointed Mourinho and the Glazers found their wallets was because Utd needed to establish themselves back in the top 4. Utd are run as a business and a point will come (if it hasn't already) where they say enough is enough - even after spending fortunes he's complaining and his pet dog is putting out stories blaming the board, when finances start to get tighter, things continue not to go his way or get worse, all while Pep is tearing things up at City, the inevitable fallout will come. As somebody tweeted 18 months ago, if Mourinho's reign as Utd manager doesn't end with him and Duncan Castles scaling FA headquarters dressed as Batman and Robin, I'll be disappointed.
As for Fergie's tactics in big away games, that's a huge exaggeration. Yes, Utd would set up to play on the break in tough away games but not once can I remember Utd going away to Liverpool, City, Arsenal or Chelsea and playing like West Brom. In the two games away to Liverpool under Mourinho you've not even had a counter attack because your entire midfield has been camped on the edge of your 18 yard box.
Soldato
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Pep just improves players. Barca with basically the same players went up a level with Pep.
Personally I would be surprised if Mourinho is still at Utd by the end of next season. IMO he has already been laying the groundwork this season for his departure. As someone else mentioned he hasnt actually looked all that happy at Utd almost from day one
MOTD clip recently even suggests its £60-70m
KDB also had 2 or three years more senior / consistant experience before Martial even arrived , so Im not sure how that's comparable
I was actually talking as much about the state of both squads and that Man City already had two or three major hitters even before Pep arrived, Martial is very good but his consistency is only improving this season (is that the player , JM / couching or a bit of both?) but he still has a way to go before being at KDB' s current level.
Ive raved over individual games of his but he has never had the consistency required in the EPL to make it over here
That was the difference in gross spend. Net was around £30m.
I honestly have no idea what you mean with the first sentence here. As for the state of both squads, I mentioned this in another thread recently - I don't think you could argue there was much difference between either at the time both managers arrived. City had a whole host of players that were very good but well past their best mixed with a few at their peak and a number of players with potential. I think that would have been a fair assessment of Utd's squad when Mourinho arrived too.
There is also another factor that we've not taken into account, which I know you value very highly - premier league experience. Surely Mourinho's extensive Premier League experience should have made his job far easier than Pep's?
Caporegime
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We can't even play proper football. I don't know if it's the quality of he players, the manager or the tactics.
Basically our players are incapable of playing football. Herrera, matic etc stringing more than 3 decent passes together is nothing but a fleeting moment.
Let's look at the stats:
Long ball stats for premiership
We at have 50% more long balls than city and 20% more than arsenal who at least try to play football.
Yes we beat arsenal but honestly did we deserve it?
Basically our players are incapable of playing football. Herrera, matic etc stringing more than 3 decent passes together is nothing but a fleeting moment.
Let's look at the stats:
Long ball stats for premiership
We at have 50% more long balls than city and 20% more than arsenal who at least try to play football.
Yes we beat arsenal but honestly did we deserve it?
Other than the penalty call on Welbeck, yes lol?
Caporegime
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Either you didn't watch the match or don't know what deserve means.
What does deserve mean? Yes, on the balance of play you could argue Arsenal were the better side but they wasted chance after chance and their defence/keeper couldn't keep you out. As a general rule you get exactly what you deserve in football*.
*Dodgy decisions aside.
You scored more legitimate goals than they did and the only bit where the officials screwed up badly was the Welbeck penalty which happens.
Caporegime
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Deserve it.
"do something or have or show qualities worthy of (a reaction which rewards or punishes as appropriate)."
They hammered us, we just scored on 3 counter attacks. That's how minnows play against the big clubs bevause they don't have the quality to go toe to toe.
On another day where our keeper doesn't produce a miracle performance we would not have won that game.
Maybe but on that day your keeper played exceptionally well and Arsenal's forwards and defence didn't, therefore you deserved the win. Imo of course.
Arsène Wenger tells José Mourinho to learn to live with Manchester City riches https://www.theguardian.com/football/2017/dec/27/arsene-wenger-jose-mourinho-manchester-city-riches-united-arsenal
Good article from Andy Mitten on the current situation, and he's not far wrong: http://www.espn.co.uk/football/club...-foul-mood-is-clubs-mangled-transfer-strategy