There are 21 points on the board. We have won four and lost one league game in the last five. It’s certainly not just from one game. When we consistently get more points, then we can worry about other things like more goals and overall performance to improve. Players all over the pitch are chiming in too which is positive sign even as ETH continues to jrk-off to pictures of Rashford. Mighty Newcastle that you referred to are on 20 points. They beat Arsenal last week, and so what? you don’t get five points for certain games. If we are to believe the demise of Manchester United, we deserve no more than 5 points. But here we are having won more than half of the twelve games. If we think that there are no positives and no hope to hang on to as the structural issues are addressed by Ratcliffe, then let’s just sack the manager and bring in Poch. We need patience and keeping things perspective. It probably isn’t a bad idea to be out of champions league to get things settled on league basis.
I don't know why you keep going off on one. I really couldn't give a **** about Newcastle except that we lost to them. And the rest. We beat Luton, a team which is sat in the bottom 3. Sorry if I didn't get as excited by that as many others have on here. So what? Does that mean I'm not hopeful that we can improve when players return from injury, or the supposed Ratcliffe takeover. No it doesn't. Not that any of that has anything to do with the match yesterday so fck knows why it's relevant to the game itself or my view on it.
Ok, without referencing any other team, this is the current table after today's games. 26 games to go. Anyone would think we're bottom six.
A big thing is same as last season, we don't score enough goals, so our gd is always ****e. If we aren't whispering in Brentford's ear going into next month there is something very wrong. Hopefully Ratcliffe and whoever he brings in will start looking at such things.
You hadn’t even watched the game before you went into overly critical mode, Treble. Each game is a battle and the table shows that no one is running away with it this season. We can still be critical of areas where we can improve but drawing a broad umbrella over the whole performance as though it’s just pure shyte week in week out isn’t exactly productive in my opinion. The tactics are evolving with each game especially defensively.
Our current 6th position is extremely precarious, just look at the GD of the teams around us. If we are extremely lucky and win our next few games, we are still at risk of going nowhere up the table because of GD - so 6th is a temporary illusion - 9th or 10th is more realistic given our current level of performances. Unless we get Andrew Cole and Dwight York on short term deals until the end of the season we're ****ed, unless Hojlund or Rashford start banging them in , all the rest is just incidental
We should have had at least 5 goals yesterday (probably more), the chances were there the players were there but the finishing was very poor. Rasmus should have had 2 Garnacho could have had 3 Rashford should have had 1 (2 good cahnces) Bruno should have had 1 (2 good chances) Yes i know should have and could have mean **** all in reality but am pointing out the chances were there and very good chances too.
That's been our problem for season after season, stats and what if's doesn't move us up the table. I know what you are saying, but this is a goals business, that's modern football, score more than the other ****ers. That's our goal (pun), nobody wins the PL or the CL because they have a great defence or midfield, none of that counts if you aren't scoring goals - and that is where we are now - and that is why the decision not to go for broke with Kane makes no sense.....yes, lets blow the same money on an untested 20 year old, plus dipshit Mount - that'll work...........NOT. Football today is a results business, you can no longer develop it, you have to buy it.
I would be more worried if we had no chances to miss. Garnach, 3 runs on goal and 3 shots that last season would have gone in. Hojland, 2 headers from 1 yard out that he slightly got under/mis timed. Rashford, 1 great chance that last season he would have been running away to celebrate before the ball hit the net. Bruno, one great shooting oportunity that he pulled wide. The chances are there and the goals will come, at the moment we have 13 different goal scorers (the highest in the division) so when the actual strikers start to hit the target we should be sound.
I think you have to develop it also. We've tried just buying it in the past and it was a disaster. There has to be some part in development. The likes of Pep, Klopp, and even Howe are turning players with potential to very good and great. Which leads to my question of what are our coaching team actually doing? Because I see very little in the way of development in the first team. And in some cases regression.
In fairness we have brought some into the first team squad in the last couple of years. I would like to see Hugill given a chance as striker in some cup games or the last 30 mins of a game we are in control of, the lad can score so we need to know if he can kick on.
It's not that so much. More the case of what happens to them once they get into the first team. There seems to be little or no game development or work on individual technical ability. Garnacho being one example. Greenwood before him. And McTominay tbf to him.
And also players we bring in. Mount will be an interesting one to watch over the next year for example. Same with Antony. Hojlund is another and looks to have real potential. He's never been a prolific goalscorer, but that's where we should be turning him into one.
Mount needs a position in the team that he can own and grow in for now, Antony has no right foot and will always cut inside onto his left without Bissaka pairing with him (he has started to make better decisions with his passing now though). Hojland has really good movement and positional sence, i hope his finishing can/will improve in time.
This is a good summary of how I think the team has improved versus weeks ago. We are actually creating clear cut chances now. I firmly believe that it has to do with the change of tactics in midfield tactics. Rashford on the right and Garnacho on the left. It opened up the midfield through the flanks. Rashford scoring last season covered up the illogical tactics of wasting Antony on the right side. It should have never been set up that way and we have paid the price dearly this season with the goals drying up from Rashford.
Not sure about playing Rashford on the right, always felt he's wasted there. Playing Antony on the left would certainly improve him though with Garnacho on the right. That would leave the option of twin strikers with Hojland central and Rashford "floating". I honestly have no idea if this would work but there's nothing to lose by trying it because at the moment our goal tally is abysmal.
I don't see the point in constantly referencing Kane, we know there would have been a United tax on him, and then an absolute circus in trying to sign him, that everyone would have just moaned about instead. He was never coming here. Ratcliffe needs to be getting Toney as Hojlund back up/partner as his immediate January priority. Rashford isn't a centre forward so forget that idea. We need another actual striker at the club.
On Kane; we can guarantee that with Ratcliffe coming onboard, the days of crazy United tax are probably over. Along with insidious salaries. Rashford will be the last of those mega salaries that have hunted the club in the last decade.
I think the most important change to our transfer policy has to be an end to these endless, speculative purchases of players who are untried in the PL. Yes, down the years we have had some stellar successes, CR, Schmeichel, Evra, Vidic, RVN etc, but our real nuggets have always been players who we know can play to the standards of the PL - Cantona, Yorke, Cole, RvP, Bruce, Robson, Keane, the list goes on. Spending top-end fees on the likes of Antony, Sancho, Hojlund, Malacia, VdB, Martial have all proved costly mistakes and have driven up the wage structure to the point where we can't sell them if we need to. We need to get back to the policy of buying tried and tested players, and I don't mean superstars, I mean those gems like Toney from mid-table clubs and developing them into top class talent. ,
