Topic: "Green and Gold, it's O5e from Molde!" - Cornering like a reliant robin..

[rob1966]

They beat Watford at home set the end of last season and Brighton a few weeks ago without penalties.

Ah, I thought they were referring to this season.

[Funky_Gibbons]

Ah, I thought they were referring to this season.

No, that’s what makes it even worse 

[Brian Blessed]

But since he became permanent, I assume as 7% is about two out of 28 games.

[Lycan]

United have really weird results. They're the only team to take points off us, theyve beaten almost all the top teams, but against the bottom half they are woeful.

It's nothing different from what we used to do. Get ourselves up for the big games. Drop silly points against absolute dross. That's the Liverpool of the 90's/ 00's that is. And long may it continue.

[Eeyore]

Wan-Bissaka will be a millstone around their neck for years. They will never be able to reliably break teams down with a fullback that treats the ball like a live hand-grenade.

I don't think Wan Bissaka in isolation was a bad signing. He has exceptional recovery pace and there are plenty of systems in which you can have one defensive full back and one very offensive full back.

The remarkably stupid part was signing Maguire in the same window and then putting them two in a back four with Lindelof. It is as if Solskjaer had no comprehension oh how he was going to play them. Wan Bissaka's strength is offering recovery pace to an ultra high line. The other two look like they are running in lead wellies.

[mickeydocs]

United have really weird results. They're the only team to take points off us, theyve beaten almost all the top teams, but against the bottom half they are woeful.

Nothing funny, they are set up to counter attack and it suits them to play teams that are trying to win the game. They struggle when they need to go and win a game by playing football.

[Eeyore]

It's nothing different from what we used to do. Get ourselves up for the big games. Drop silly points against absolute dross. That's the Liverpool of the 90's/ 00's that is. And long may it continue.

I don't think it is game raising though.

Defending deep suits them down to the ground. They have centre backs who love to defend deep. They have no creativity in midfield. No traditional wingers but exceptional pace on the counter. Playing the likes of Liverpool, City or PSG is perfect for them. However that only happens a handful of times a season. Which explains their handful of wins per season.

Ask them to play an expansive game and it is all about their weaknesses. The front three don't want to hold the ball up or offer movement. The midfield wants to play narrow. The full backs offer very little from an attacking point of view. The centre backs are hopeless if isolated one on one and De Gea doesn't want to sweep in behind the defence and is poor on the ball.

[mattD]

Introducing the best goalkeeper in the world.....



No wait, sorry...

[rob1966]

I don't think Wan Bissaka in isolation was a bad signing. He has exceptional recovery pace and there are plenty of systems in which you can have one defensive full back and one very offensive full back.

The remarkably stupid part was signing Maguire in the same window and then putting them two in a back four with Lindelof. It is as if Solskjaer had no comprehension oh how he was going to play them. Wan Bissaka's strength is offering recovery pace to an ultra high line. The other two looking like they are running in lead wellies.

But he is awful as an attacking full back. His stats this season do not impress at all

0 assists
0 Big chances
40 crosses
8% cross accuracy
18 accurate long balls

TAA

6 assists
9 big chances
181 crosses
22% cross accuracy
83 accurate long balls

I thought it was a bit unfair to look just at Trent, so I looked al Baldock of Sheff Utd

3 assists
1 big chances
69 crosses
25% cross accuracy
9 accurate long balls

[Banquo's Ghost]

it would be painful to watch if it wasn't so funny. (Ole post match presser)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ybkhiMchoMY

I must say, Peter Jackson's work with CGI to show the gradual decay of Smeagol into the hopeless Gollum is very impressive.

[Eeyore]

But he is awful as an attacking full back. His stats this season do not impress at all

0 assists
0 Big chances
40 crosses
8% cross accuracy
18 accurate long balls

TAA

6 assists
9 big chances
181 crosses
22% cross accuracy
83 accurate long balls

I thought it was a bit unfair to look just at Trent, so I looked al Baldock of Sheff Utd

3 assists
1 big chances
69 crosses
25% cross accuracy
9 accurate long balls

I agree but there are ways around that. Look at us with Clyne and Moreno. You can play with one full back who tucks in and in effect makes it a three at the back in possession with the other one being given a license to push up really high on the other side. Going to a three also means you lessen the need for a traditional defensive mid.

So Wan-Bissaka's lack of penetration could be compensated for by playing a 1-2 midfield. Think of the way Klopp compensated for Clyne's lack of penetration by playing the likes of Coutinho and Lallana.

Instead of doing that Solskjaer signs Maguire and pairs him with Lindelof which means switching to a three at the back in possession would be suicide. To compound the stupidity he then pairs two holding mids in McTomminay and Fred in Midfield.

Wan-Bissaka isn't the problem it is tactical ineptness of Solskjaer. Ferguson managed to win titles with the likes of Brown and O'Shea playing at full back.

[Riquende]

Just stopping by to say I heartily approve of Manchester United's 2019-20 season.

Honestly thought they'd quickly correct the listing ship post-Moyes and that one season would stay long in the memory as they started to challenge again.

They fact they've slowly gotten worse since then is amazing.

[Gutzon Borglum]

Saw a stat that said Ole has only won 2 matches as manager on United in which they weren't awarded a penalty.

Hilarious if true, I mean they do win a lot of penalties to be fair, they have a fair few pacey dribblers. But its hilarious to realize how shite they are at otherwise creating a decent chance.

[kennedy81]

https://twitter.com/JoeDaveGomez/status/1208782380493873154

[Yorkykopite]

This could go on for years with a bit of luck.

[thaddeus]

A crazy stat lifted from the Beeb text commentary:

Matches when Solskjaer's Man U have had less possession: 73% win rate
Matches when Solskjaer's Man U have had more possession: 36% win rate (drops to 6% - or one win - in the last 17 matches when they've had more possession)

It's partly because Solskjaer isn't a very good manager but so many of their key players are badly suited to a controlled, possession game:
- De Gea.  He rarely leaves his six-yard box, never mind his penalty area, and he bunts it long at the merest hint of pressure (£350k/week, six-year contract).
- Maguire.  Seems to lack the most basic awareness of runners in behind him and has poor recovery (£80m + £190k/week, six year contract).
- Wan-Bissaka.  Provides no attacking threat (£50m + £80k/week, five-year contract).
- Rashford, Martial and James.  Great when they have space and can get one-vs-one with defenders but no craft or guile against crowded defences.  That they apparently think spending another £100m+ on Sancho will somehow remedy that says it all about their recruitment.

Klopp's tactical evolvement with us to almost guarantee three points home and away vs. non top six sides is why we are where we are now.  Solskjaer seems to have found Klopp's 2016 blueprint in the recycling - even down to signing the 2019 Nathaniel Clyne and Martin Skrtel - and ran with it.

[Circa1892]

Mad that Maguire cost as much as he did. He's just so limited. Van Dijk has everything, what does Maguire have.

[slaphead]

Maguire seems to really believe he's an proper footballing centre half. I've watched him closely their last few games. He was shocking v Everton trying long ball after long ball. Even today, around the hour mark he tried to come forward with the ball and lost it, then about 60 seconds later tried it again and played a dreadful ball out wide and out of play.
Seems to believe he's great at it, but he's a country mile away from it

[TepidT2O]

Mad that Maguire cost as much as he did. He's just so limited. Van Dijk has everything, what does Maguire have.

Yeah but VVD was why they paid the money...

They saw the effect he had on us.  The saw the value we got..

And they decided to come out swinging their cocks and pay the money Leicester wanted, it was as the tent signing.

And Leicester knew that’s what they’d do and exploited their weakness ruthlessly

[jepovic]

Still think Wan Bissaka could make a good CB. Has a lot in common with our Gomez.

[elbow]

Mad that Maguire cost as much as he did. He's just so limited. Van Dijk has everything, what does Maguire have.

A head as big as the moon.

[Eeyore]

Still think Wan Bissaka could make a good CB. Has a lot in common with our Gomez.

Except Joe is great in possession, great at bringing the ball out and above all wins trophies. Apart from that they are almost identical.

[kennedy81]

Yeah but VVD was why they paid the money...

They saw the effect he had on us.  The saw the value we got..

And they decided to come out swinging their cocks and pay the money Leicester wanted, it was as the tent signing.

And Leicester knew that’s what they’d do and exploited their weakness ruthlessly

That's exactly what happened. They're looking at Liverpool now for signs of what to do, because no-one at Utd has a clue. Just copy something Liverpool does and hope it works.

The whole 'give Ole time' thing is just cover for giving Woodward and co. time for coming up with some sort of plan, because it's obvious they're just out of ideas.

[Son of Spion]

That's exactly what happened. They're looking at Liverpool now for signs of what to do, because no-one at Utd has a clue. Just copy something Liverpool does and hope it works.

The whole 'give Ole time' thing is just cover for giving Woodward and co. time for coming up with some sort of plan, because it's obvious they're just out of ideas.

That's exactly what they did when they brought Ferguson in. They simply copied Liverpool. Thing is, Oleh is no whisky nose.

[Red_Mist]

Is Solskjær still their manager? It’s weird that I don’t even know I’m guessing he must be, but how is that possible? A club of their stature just pissing about with Ole GS

[Dim Glas]

Still think Wan Bissaka could make a good CB. Has a lot in common with our Gomez.

really? I don't see it, not that I've seen Wan Bissaka that much.  Gomez seems very poised, and he can pass a ball very well too, he's also a speedster when needed.

The way Wan Bissaka tackles, he has more in common with Sakho 

[Floydy]

Except Joe is great in possession, great at bringing the ball out and above all wins trophies. Apart from that they are almost identical.

Plus Joe is the 'Big Man' 

[Son of Spion]

Is Solskjær still their manager? It’s weird that I don’t even know I’m guessing he must be, but how is that possible? A club of their stature just pissing about with Ole GS

They've succumbed to sentimentality. That's all nice and fluffy, but in the ruthless  world of top flight football, it kills you.

[Mister Flip Flop]

Harry Maguire 80m quid 

[Mister Flip Flop]

Is Solskjær still their manager? It’s weird that I don’t even know I’m guessing he must be, but how is that possible? A club of their stature just pissing about with Ole GS

It's just so weird he got the position to begin with.

[So… Howard Philips]

So when will they go for Pochettino?

[Linudden]

They've succumbed to sentimentality. That's all nice and fluffy, but in the ruthless  world of top flight football, it kills you.

It's still so random. It's like we'd appoint Vladimír Smicer as our manager. He also scored in a Champions League final 

[Riquende]

really? I don't see it, not that I've seen Wan Bissaka that much.  Gomez seems very poised, and he can pass a ball very well too, he's also a speedster when needed.

The way Wan Bissaka tackles, he has more in common with Sakho 

But he *sniff* wins the ball *sob* so much

[macmanamanaman]

Pogba camea gives me hope that they can go on and snatch a few wins in the coming matches.
Dont want the wheels of this slowcoach to fall off.

[macmanamanaman]

Also, on Harry Maguire.
They say that for a good player, the first 5 yards are in the head.
This is why Harry gets a 10 yard headstart most times.

[Macphisto80]

Solskjaer's interview technique is just basically a checklist of the most cliche, obvious bollocks. I cringe every time I hear his post match nonsense. It's hilarious how he managed to snag the job.

[Crosby Nick]

Maguire seems to really believe he's an proper footballing centre half. I've watched him closely their last few games. He was shocking v Everton trying long ball after long ball. Even today, around the hour mark he tried to come forward with the ball and lost it, then about 60 seconds later tried it again and played a dreadful ball out wide and out of play.
Seems to believe he's great at it, but he's a country mile away from it

Mad passage of play that. He looks so ungainly and I get that for a while he was probably under rated at Hull, then Leicester because of it. Because he wasn’t quite as shit as he looked on the ball. But now he seems to overdo it like he’s obliged to come marauding forward to justify the big fee and he still looks as out of control as ever. Long may it last.

[RedForeverTT]

Maguire seems to really believe he's an proper footballing centre half. I've watched him closely their last few games. He was shocking v Everton trying long ball after long ball. Even today, around the hour mark he tried to come forward with the ball and lost it, then about 60 seconds later tried it again and played a dreadful ball out wide and out of play.
Seems to believe he's great at it, but he's a country mile away from it

Bought into his own hype.

He did have one good tournament with England and his stocks went up. And of course he was people’s choice of new £20 note.

He plays one good game out of 6 just about enough for Danny Murphy to wax lyrical about him and for Utd fans to feel like they got their money well spent.

Likewise with Anthony Martial. I couldn’t see a £58’m striker in him either. Miss the target, face in hands, look up to the sky, grimaces, repeat.

[mickeydocs]

Is Solskjær still their manager? It’s weird that I don’t even know I’m guessing he must be, but how is that possible? A club of their stature just pissing about with Ole GS

Are you crazy, this is an amazing 'rebuild' and a very young team.

[kennedy81]

Solskjaer's interview technique is just basically a checklist of the most cliche, obvious bollocks. I cringe every time I hear his post match nonsense. It's hilarious how he managed to snag the job.

His interviews are fucking weird. They're the squirmiest pressers I've ever seen, like he's barely keeping it together at times.