The Manchester United Club Thread **Sponsored by Comedy Central**
- Thread starter Robbo
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I can see why some people want to give him the benefit of the doubt. I mean all he needs is his first choice defence available, right? Like when we had Shaw/Martinez/Varane/Dalot at the back and lost... err... 7-0 to Liverpool. Right.
Or this season, when our strongest XI struggled against Newport County. Just a one-off, surely.
I think the additional revenue is significant, and we should be able to manage. We've had no European midweek games for the second half of this season and our form has got worse if anything!
Or this season, when our strongest XI struggled against Newport County. Just a one-off, surely.
I think the additional revenue is significant, and we should be able to manage. We've had no European midweek games for the second half of this season and our form has got worse if anything!
Manager thoughts, assuming ETH goes:
I will caveat this by saying I consider ETH a failure and don't particularly rate him as a coach, so most managers are a potential improvement.
I would be delighted with Pochettino, I've always been a fan and while he hasn't set the world alight in terms of trophies, he's never had the ideal setting for it - yet. Man Utd would be a great project if INEOS can work something out with him.
Tuchel I am on the fence about, he seems more of a short term manager and not really someone you'd choose for a longer term project. I think it's less likely.
De Zerbi would be interesting, more of an unknown quantity, but he's done well at Brighton overall.
Potter is a bit meh, but he was highly rated and in a similar sort of situation to De Zerbi.
Southgate surely can't happen.
I will caveat this by saying I consider ETH a failure and don't particularly rate him as a coach, so most managers are a potential improvement.
I would be delighted with Pochettino, I've always been a fan and while he hasn't set the world alight in terms of trophies, he's never had the ideal setting for it - yet. Man Utd would be a great project if INEOS can work something out with him.
Tuchel I am on the fence about, he seems more of a short term manager and not really someone you'd choose for a longer term project. I think it's less likely.
De Zerbi would be interesting, more of an unknown quantity, but he's done well at Brighton overall.
Potter is a bit meh, but he was highly rated and in a similar sort of situation to De Zerbi.
Southgate surely can't happen.
What was impeccable about his first season? Bearing in mind what the word means - faultless.
He won what is realistically a second rate trophy that nobody is really bothered about. Not a bad thing but not a big deal either.
Final league position was good, all things considered. Losing 7-0 to Liverpool was a huge low point - a result so bad that people have erased it from memory!
So yes, it was a decent enough season, but nothing more. He's since had a full year of coaching the players, and working out what to do. And now look where we are... this season has been a complete horror show.
Thankfully I am fairly confident INEOS just want the cup final out of the way, and he'll get his marching orders.
Ten Hag's experience is primarily with Ajax though, and he did well there, but they are the biggest team in that league. Yes I appreciate they hadn't won it in prior seasons, but turning them around is hardly an underdog story that points to greatness.
PSG are a mess really so I wouldn't write Poch off on that basis - he did win the 21/22 season by a big margin. I think he's finished quite strongly in a very difficult environment at Chelsea, and his Spurs side were never likely to win much as it's Spurs!
The reality is we don't really know how the club is being run in any detail. INEOS appear to be attempting to install the best people possible at every position in the club. I think they'll consider ETH a failure and want their own manager - it may be someone from left field, a bit like Liverpool with Slot.
PSG are a mess really so I wouldn't write Poch off on that basis - he did win the 21/22 season by a big margin. I think he's finished quite strongly in a very difficult environment at Chelsea, and his Spurs side were never likely to win much as it's Spurs!
The reality is we don't really know how the club is being run in any detail. INEOS appear to be attempting to install the best people possible at every position in the club. I think they'll consider ETH a failure and want their own manager - it may be someone from left field, a bit like Liverpool with Slot.
I wanted ETH and hoped he would do well, but he's fallen off a cliff this season and I doubt he'll be able to pull himself back up. It doesn't really happen these days, when a manager plumbs new depths, they don't generally recover.
Even if he was doing quite well, I think there's a fair chance INEOS would boot him to get their own man in. The fact he's been atrocious this season (even accounting for injuries etc) makes it almost an inevitability.
I do think there's a slim chance it could all hang on the FA Cup. Winning that would mean a trophy plus Europa League, but again, it probably won't matter. Massively unlikely we win it anyway. Plus, they'd likely have to give him a new contract to keep him which makes it even less likely.
If we're just comparing trophies, you should be desperate for Tuchel. Wipes the floor with ETH in terms of silverware and prestige.
Even if he was doing quite well, I think there's a fair chance INEOS would boot him to get their own man in. The fact he's been atrocious this season (even accounting for injuries etc) makes it almost an inevitability.
I do think there's a slim chance it could all hang on the FA Cup. Winning that would mean a trophy plus Europa League, but again, it probably won't matter. Massively unlikely we win it anyway. Plus, they'd likely have to give him a new contract to keep him which makes it even less likely.
If we're just comparing trophies, you should be desperate for Tuchel. Wipes the floor with ETH in terms of silverware and prestige.
Pinches of salt required of course, but there are numerous semi-reliable reports we're interested in the following managers, primarily:
Apparently no firm decision made on ETH as yet, maybe an FA Cup win would swing it, but that's not likely.
- McKenna
- Tuchel
- Pochettino
- Frank
Apparently no firm decision made on ETH as yet, maybe an FA Cup win would swing it, but that's not likely.
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Not sure happy is the right word, but I am not disappointed.
The players are equally at fault, but I have seen very little from ETH that suggests he'll be able to turn things around. This season has been a complete disaster, and you can't just blame injuries and offer nothing else.
Edit ::
Also slightly typical it leaks right on the eve of the cup final. However, that seems to be down to the interest in McKenna from other clubs. If we assume this is true, then that must mean he's the top target for INEOS.
I know he's done brilliantly at Ipswich, but it's a hell of a gamble.
The players are equally at fault, but I have seen very little from ETH that suggests he'll be able to turn things around. This season has been a complete disaster, and you can't just blame injuries and offer nothing else.
Edit ::
Also slightly typical it leaks right on the eve of the cup final. However, that seems to be down to the interest in McKenna from other clubs. If we assume this is true, then that must mean he's the top target for INEOS.
I know he's done brilliantly at Ipswich, but it's a hell of a gamble.
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I mean this is just beyond damning, what a poor situation.
Erik Ten Hag sack rumours: Manchester United manager prepares for FA Cup final amid reports of firing
Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag is preparing for Saturday's FA Cup final not knowing whether reports he will be sacked are true.
www.bbc.co.uk
In all honesty it won't make a difference here. The players weren't going to go out there and be inspired by ETH.
This could actually rally the players a bit, but the reality is we're losing no matter what happens.
There's a belief that giving a manager time means they can turn it around - despite very little evidence of this ever being the case. An upward trajectory is a must. 2 full seasons is a long time in football.
Just because sacking managers hasn't worked in the past either, doesn't mean you should stick with a manager who is so obviously failing.
There are 3 main elements of a club, the sporting directors and senior staff members, the manager, and the players. All three elements have generally been a failure over the past decade.
Man Utd? No sign of that as yet. Seems to be McKenna, Tuchel or Pochettino.
Just because sacking managers hasn't worked in the past either, doesn't mean you should stick with a manager who is so obviously failing.
There are 3 main elements of a club, the sporting directors and senior staff members, the manager, and the players. All three elements have generally been a failure over the past decade.
Man Utd? No sign of that as yet. Seems to be McKenna, Tuchel or Pochettino.
The big change now is the ownership, the people making decisions are hopefully better. Nothing has worked since we last won the league.
I believe he's failing, yes. Forget the results for a moment, the actual performances have been dreadful.
The only thing you could say in his favour is that he did well at Ajax. Don't think that matters so much now.
Not sure he's an obvious fit, could be interesting though.
The people in the know are convinced he's gone already. The club would have backed him in the last 24 hours or so if the press were wrong.
The club are offering up redundancy for almost all staff now. Set against the backdrop of no more working from home - something that's harsh IMO considering there's a lack of office space.
www.nytimes.com
I wouldn't say this is unusual in terms of a business takeover, but I think some people need to understand that while Ratcliffe has presented himself as a friendly boyhood fan, he is absolutely ruthless and business matters will come first.
Man Utd give staff one week to decide on mass voluntary 'resignation' offer
Manchester United’s non-football staff have been en-masse invited to take redundancy, in an email sent across the club on Tuesday afternoon. United are giving employees just seven days to make a decision about whether they wish to continue their careers at the club. The offering relates to all...
www.nytimes.com
I wouldn't say this is unusual in terms of a business takeover, but I think some people need to understand that while Ratcliffe has presented himself as a friendly boyhood fan, he is absolutely ruthless and business matters will come first.
Do you mean WFH in general? Or do you mean it wasn't working at Man Utd specifically? I would argue the lower level staff are being made to suffer because of failures at the top level of the club.
It's not a fad at all.
Evidence largely points to the opposite, that's just an outdated, old fashioned view.
No idea how things work at Man Utd in that respect so I couldn't really comment.
Yep, no problem with that element of it.