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It's the last day of the year

Still got a good few hrs of work to go, so I may as well kill some time by throwing in my 2p's worth on current shenanigans.

Amorim - I was very excited when we appointed him and my enthusiasm is still there. I think we have to recognise that he is new to this situation, especially in terms of struggling with results and the expectation of a big club. So he is also learning on the job. And whilst a lot is due to what has happened before he arrived, and what he is trying to do, this does not make Amorim immune to criticism.

I appreciate the tinkering and getting players used to his ways, but it is now his responsibility and he picks the team. Eriksen and Cas is not going to work, especially against the better teams who just go through them. I know Amorim has his systems, but even he has to tinker a little with that, without completely losing his principles - it seemed obvious to need an extra body in midfield if he was starting with those 2, going 3-5-2 may not have changed the result, but surely it was the way to go with that starting 11, and not that much different to 3-4-3.

I know there is a big game on Sunday, but felt we should have started Mainoo, and whatever the issues with Rashford, if he's in the squad, he should have probably started being fresh. Maybe he is trying to save them for Liverpool, but the strongest line-up could have played both yesterday and Sunday - and surely more likely to get something at home to Newcastle than Liverpool away.

There was so little intensity in the side, I want to see a controlled anger in the team, not petulance, but show like it means something, rather than being riddled with anxiety - it's hard, but this is up to Amorim and the players to come up with better.

I appreciate Amorim's candour and honesty, but with a squad on such low confidence levels, I don't know if it helps them to mention that we could be in a relegation fight. Probably better to say that we can work our way back up the table with a few wins, even if he doesn't truly believe it. He keeps warning us about the pain, but needs to give us hope also - if you keep saying to the players there is bad things to come, that's not a great mindset for the. No need to go OTT, but just need more positivity from everyone.

Some have said that we could continue to lose game after game - I don't buy that at all, there are still standards at the club and it's not acceptable if we do end up in some relegation fight. Honestly, these players aren't as bad as that, even allowing for the changes, they should still be top 10.

We have a squad of decent players, but no superstars (or certainly not showing it currently), but they are capable of so much better. Just some thoughts on some of them.

Whatever your view of Bruno, he is by far our best performing player, he wouldn't have stopped us losing last night, but it's so noticeable when he's not there. But he's just crumbling by being captain when he's not a captain and trying to inspire this group of players.

Hojlund - just too much pressure on him to be some superstar striker at such a young age with no help. We need a Bowen type player who has been there and one it to help him out, otherwise it will just be another young talent we have destroyed.

Zirkzee - I have tried to show patience with him, but he just looks like he is running in quicksand atm.

Rashford - thrown in the spotlight, but doesn't have the talent to match it, but he is still one of our better players with moments of quality, so he probably needs to play.

I want Amorim to play a more settled side - any 3 of Yoro, De Ligt, Maguire and Sanchez, altho Sanchez is looking so out of sorts, Bruno, Maz, Amad, Ugarte and Hojlund should be starting regularly, allowing for injury / suspensions etc.

But if most of the side is settled, it can hopefully lead to better consistent performances.

The squad as a whole needs to step up, Amorim is going to find out a lot about himself in the next few weeks, but i still believe he will come out stronger and it will get better.

This is maybe a mini-rant, no doubt others will disagree with some things, but it's been a sloooowww day............

posted 2 days, 21 hours ago

Not all the players are as bad as we've seen.

But in some areas we are, especially in terms of the depth of squad. No LB with Shaw out. No one except a 19 yr old in midfield when Ugarte is out. No one to creare anything when Bruno is out. No one except an inexperienced 21 year old up front.

We were awful under Ten Hag over 15 months regardless of tactics either so I don't think Amorim changing his will make much difference.

All I'll say as far as results go - we didn't have to win the game last night, but as with many games this season we should at least be making ourselves hard to beat. Focus on the defence, focus on keeping clean sheets, earn a point. It helps to build confidence and at least you're picking up points along the way.

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