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Ole ball

Many of our fans are saying that we're currently watching Ole ball 2.0 under Erik Ten Hag.

But on the evidence of today as well as the previous matches this season , we have gone back to LVG ball.

Slow , boring , laboured and unconvincing football. Afraid to make mistakes and playing conservatively to not lose a match instead of playing to win.

I do remember us getting rid of Van Gaal precisely because of the type of football that we're currently watching from this team this season.

The next two weeks will be awful

posted on 3/9/23

comment by RB&W - Whiteside has done it again (U21434)
posted 21 minutes ago
Rashford and Bruno are our 2 most creative players. Without them we would be struggling, (more than we currently are. Another chit start for a new season). Yet some insist on slagging them off. We are lucky to have them compared to some of the wasters in that team.
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For the record, I'm not "slagging them off". I'm pointing out that our reliance on their moments of brilliance hinders our ability to control games properly.

If we could recruit players across the rest of the team that are more technically gifted, precise and enable us to dominate games, we'd get more out of both Rashford & Bruno. We'd be able to sustain possession of the ball in the oppositions half, giving the likes of Bruno & Rashford more suitable opportunities to take risks and try things.

KDB has license to try things for City because City dominate the ball so much. Same with Odegaard at Arsenal.

posted on 3/9/23

but they have gotten rid of every rubbish player on their team AND replaced them with more rubbish.
———
Exactly.

Berba, yeah Casemiro and the right side of defence contribute to these issues even more. It’s why I was annoyed we didn’t sign a cb and a rb that are better on the ball and, or, in the case of the right back can support the attack to counterbalance Antony’s lack of attacking threat.

Looking at a team like Brighton, for example, they’ve managed to control games really well through their ability to build up and maintain possession between the keeper and defence before moving the ball quickly in transition. It’s something we should be looking to replicate with the right transfers, unless we’re open to getting rid of Rashford or Bruno. Too many players that struggle in possession regardless of the style we want to play, though.

posted on 3/9/23

It's looking like Amrabat and Højlund are going to have to be our best signings post-SAF for us to have a good season. Not very stiff competition, I suppose.

posted on 3/9/23

comment by BerbaKing11 (U6256)
posted 1 minute ago
comment by Kobbie The King Mainoo (U10026)
posted 10 minutes ago
comment by BerbaKing11 (U6256)
posted 3 minutes ago
comment by Franko Cantona - 👓 a 🐮 in the (_•_) (U22187)
posted 56 seconds ago
comment by Franko Cantona - 👓 a 🐮 in the (_•_) (U22187)
posted 1 second ago
Is anybody mentions how totally ineffective Bruno is becoming
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Mentioning
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People will point to his "big chances created" stats and other such things, but for me his numbers in that regard are inflated simply by how often he tried the hollywood pass. He's also not passing the eye test for in that regard either - I'd absolutely love to see video evidence of what these "big chances" are that keep getting registered in his favour.

Those stats also don't really account for just how much of a problem his giving the ball away is for us. It's not just that he gives the ball away (most attackers do), but the manner and timing of it; often giving the ball away shortly or immediately after we've finally regained possession of the ball, and not allowing us to alleviate pressure or build into the game with a spell of possession of our own. His antics are infuriating.

I'll admit I'm not his biggest fan (I know I'm risking Rosso coming at me here!), but there was a time when his G/A numbers compensated for his sins. That's increasingly not the case anymore.

I'm hopefully that Hojlund's threat in behind plus physicality and ability to pin CB's and create space to play and run off helps to bring more out of Bruno in terms of goals and assists because without his output he can be a real liability.
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A team that can recruit well would bring in players to make up for the weaknesses in the game of Rashford and Bruno. They contribute to the lack of control, but you can control games with players that are loose in possession. Sadly we’ve continually managed to fack this up - doesn’t help we’ve not been able to get rid of enough of the shiiiiiit players that we need to to rebalance the squad.
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I agree fully. Casemiro was just as bad today at giving the ball away or playing a poor pass immediately after we'd worked well to recover the ball. AWB struggles to find and execute progressive passes (even if he is deceptively good at carrying the ball or worming his way out of danger), and Martial won't pin a CB and make the ball stick with his physicality, which nullifies Onana's ability to hit attacking targets from distance (Rashford's even worse at CF in that regard). Hojlund looks like he'll improve us in that respect. Antony is fairly neat and tidy until he actually has to try something threatening, and then it's usually woeful.

We've still got a lot of work to do and really need to get the likes of Amrabat, Martinez (hoping he's not out for too long), Shaw, Hojlund & Mainoo back into the fold sooner rather than later.

Shame that both Mainoo and Amad's preseason's were cut short - would have liked to have seen more of them.
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Your analysis is so spot on. I'm so stressed supporting this team. You mentioned the things that will help. I get the feeling Amrabat could be one of those 25-30 million players who could make all the difference. Hojlund is so young but it's clear he gives what no player in 5 years have provided for us. Mainoo should making players like Eriksen unplayable as we try to develop him.

But we need more. We should be selling every defender bar Lisandro and getting 3 new ones just so we don't deal with his rubbish we faced today. Pep buys a new defender every year despite having 2 unquestioned class defenders on his bench.

posted on 3/9/23

comment by Kobbie The King Mainoo (U10026)
posted 1 minute ago
but they have gotten rid of every rubbish player on their team AND replaced them with more rubbish.
———
Exactly.

Lmao. We kept our rubbish. At least some could not be rubbish at Chelsea but we know ours are rubbish but we have option but to play them. That's stupid to me.

posted on 3/9/23

They’ve not got rid of all their rubbish, though.

It’s also worth considering that you need owners that are willing to invest a stupid amount of their own money on the squad as well.

Man United’s transfer policy is poor. But you know what is stupid to me, suggesting we replicate one of the few clubs in the facking league that are worse.

posted on 3/9/23

comment by Kobbie The King Mainoo (U10026)
posted 12 minutes ago
They’ve not got rid of all their rubbish, though.

It’s also worth considering that you need owners that are willing to invest a stupid amount of their own money on the squad as well.

Man United’s transfer policy is poor. But you know what is stupid to me, suggesting we replicate one of the few clubs in the facking league that are worse.
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It's down to a long succession of woeful managers. ETH would probably get a better tune from them because he knows how to deal with rubbish 😂. Tbh Ole too. I suspect now they can't sell and buy every 2 days, they might improve.

All I know is having to play literally the same team from last year is not going to somehow lead to a better performance

posted on 3/9/23

The way you played today was very cynical, pessimistic or pragmatic

But for a marginal offside call it would have worked

posted on 3/9/23

I refuse to believe all the managers we have had are woeful. It's just not possible in my eyes.

It's the owners and the morons the hire to run things and always has been. We don't have best in class anywhere in our club anymore. That's the problem.

posted on 3/9/23

Go to bed, you’re obviously drunk.

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