Match Day Thread Forever Match Day Thread

[Chief]

You’re telling me that this team is simply not good enough to get a point from the last three games?

Pretty much, yes.

They're ****e.

I'd keep about six of them, maybe seven.

He started the wrong team, and needs to start picking a settled eleven, but that not easy when your captain is getting sent off all the time.

I'd pick a back four for the rest of the season, though, yes.

 

[Chief]

If I were to pick an eleven that I think could be OK for the rest of the season it would be;

Onana
Yoro (right back)
De Ligt
Maguire
Mazaroui (left back out of utter desperation)
Mainoo & Ugarte
Amad
Fernandes
Garnacho
Hojlund

Sadly, that's 4 2 3 1

And stick with that, and hope they stay fit/not suspended.

We have to buy two wing backs. Ones who can defend and attack, that's the point. Ours can't do either.

 

[haslam]

You’re telling me that this team is simply not good enough to get a point from the last three games?

This game came at a fortuitous time for us and a bad one for you, it's easy to over react in football but quite simply we're in very good form and you're in terrible form - I think our first team 11 may be marginally better but it's not the chasm the first 30 minutes made it look.

We were also lucky you had possibly your best two midfielders unable to play as that's where we're strongest and that probably decided the game. There's not much Amorim can do about that, the issue lies at Bruno Fernando's door.

 

[cytrax]

We have to buy two wing backs. Ones who can defend and attack, that's the point. Ours can't do either.

I do agree that we need players that can defend and attack on the wings. It has been a major deficiency for years. But then again, you can’t have it all. And on balanced view of things, we sure as hell should not be losing the last three games on a roll. I naively had us down for at least 7 points from those three games.

This game came at a fortuitous time for us and a bad one for you, it's easy to over react in football but quite simply we're in very good form and you're in terrible form - I think our first team 11 may be marginally better but it's not the chasm the first 30 minutes made it look.

This is why I don’t buy the idea that it’s just collective players. Looking at the bench today, there’s just no way to justify the awful form we are. This is why I fear using the transfer market as a fix. Unless we are somehow able to bring in five players and get them to train together for a full summer, simply buying one or two players here and there won’t fix the issues.

There are no quick fixes. The most viable option is for Amorim to readapt the system based on the players in the squad.

 

[Diego]

I do agree that we need players that can defend and attack on the wings. It has been a major deficiency for years. But then again, you can’t have it all. And on balanced view of things, we sure as hell should not be losing the last three games on a roll. I naively had us down for at least 7 points from those three games.


This is why I don’t buy the idea that it’s just collective players. Looking at the bench today, there’s just no way to justify the awful form we are. This is why I fear using the transfer market as a fix. Unless we are somehow able to bring in five players and get them to train together for a full summer, simply buying one or two players here and there won’t fix the issues.

There are no quick fixes. The most viable option is for Amorim to readapt the system based on the players in the squad.

I very rarely say this but i blame the manager and wish he would **** off.
The players look lost and rudderless at the moment and i don't see it getting any better.
These players have performed better in the recent past (even under Ruud), not as well as i think they are capable of but better.
They either don't understand Amorims system or don't believe in it, either way it needs sorting quick because a relegation fight is far too close for comfort and is not something i feel confident we would win.

 

[W'in'thechat]

None of your players would get in our eleven and that's the bottom line. The game was easy for us.. blew you away then managed the game for an hour.

Firing Ashworth is the next error I think.

Happy new year.

 

[Mark Blow]

I very rarely say this but i blame the manager and wish he would **** off.
The players look lost and rudderless at the moment and i don't see it getting any better.
These players have performed better in the recent past (even under Ruud), not as well as i think they are capable of but better.
They either don't understand Amorims system or don't believe in it, either way it needs sorting quick because a relegation fight is far too close for comfort and is not something i feel confident we would win.

Amorim was hired knowing this was the system he played. Watching last night you need to drop Martinez for Yoro.

if the players can’t adapt to Amorim’s system is it because they’ve simply not very bright or that the players you have are not good enough?

it was mentioned last night with Dalot and Masroui as wing backs you have scored a goal in open play?

Amorim went to Sporting from Braga and won them two titles using the exact same system.

What is it about the Sporting players that bought into Amorim’s philosophy. I don’t know but were Sporting already playing with a back 3 so it wasn’t much of a transition?

what shouldn’t be happening is any Utd manager say relegation is a possibility. I remember Moyes getting grief after a press conference when in their upcoming Premier league fixture against Liverpool, Liverpool would probably favourites and Utd were at home as well?

 

[Chief]

I very rarely say this but i blame the manager and wish he would **** off.
The players look lost and rudderless at the moment and i don't see it getting any better.
These players have performed better in the recent past (even under Ruud), not as well as i think they are capable of but better.
They either don't understand Amorims system or don't believe in it, either way it needs sorting quick because a relegation fight is far too close for comfort and is not something i feel confident we would win.

Either way, it's the players who are the problem, not the manager.

If they don't understand it, then they aren't good enough. Particularly obvious in case of Dalot.
If they don't believe in it, well tough ****, the tail can't continue to wag the dog.

That said, until he gets players in he wants, he has to adapt to a style and formation that will fit, then evolve as those players come in.

I don't see us in a relagation battle at all, we'll end up mid table, as he will surely see that and see the season out.

Even if they manage to just provide him with two actual wing backs next month, that's a start. If they don't, we'll have to use a back four till they do.

 

[glazerfodder]

Amorim has to accept that we don't have the players to play his 'style' - the next best thing is for him to adapt to the strengths of the players we have at present with an eye to future windows/pre season when hopefully he can bring in a cohesive style of play - so far it's all talk with nothing whatsoever to show for it

 

[haslam]

Either way, it's the players who are the problem, not the manager.

If they don't understand it, then they aren't good enough. Particularly obvious in case of Dalot.
If they don't believe in it, well tough ****, the tail can't continue to wag the dog.

That said, until he gets players in he wants, he has to adapt to a style and formation that will fit, then evolve as those players come in.

I don't see us in a relagation battle at all, we'll end up mid table, as he will surely see that and see the season out.

Even if they manage to just provide him with two actual wing backs next month, that's a start. If they don't, we'll have to use a back four till they do.

Last comment I'll make then I'll get off your thread but can't disagree with any of this. From an outsiders point of view the players are the bigger problem and if they're any good should be able to listen to instruction and adapt/improve their game. I look at what someone like Eddie Howe (who is very good but not great) is able to do with a player like Jacob Murphy (who is ****e) and that only comes about because the player is willing to listen, buy into what the manager is telling them and then try their best to do it. Seems from the outside that too many Man Utd players think they know better and as a fan that would wind me up no end. I can accept a player being poor (we've got plenty of those) but if they're not on board with the plan and trying their best then they can **** off.

It's a cliche but no player is bigger than the club, if that's true at Newcastle it's much more obviously true at a behemoth like Man Utd.

Anyway, good luck. Zero chance of being close to relegation but around 10th is a realistic level of disappointment.

 

[cytrax]

Either way, it's the players who are the problem, not the manager.

“Sporting have sacked head coach Joao Pereira just six weeks after appointing him to succeed Ruben Amorim.”

That proves it starts and ends with the manager ALWAYS! Yes, one off game and you can blame the players. But when a team starts losing on a consistent basis without scoring goals, it is without a doubt the manager’s problem to solve and it can’t involve simply going out to spend more fkin money.

There’s also no shame in acknowledging that it isn’t working.

Amorim has to accept that we don't have the players to play his 'style' - the next best thing is for him to adapt to the strengths of the players we have at present with an eye to future windows/pre season when hopefully he can bring in a cohesive style of play - so far it's all talk with nothing whatsoever to show for it

Yup!

 

[cytrax]

Before we hired Amorim, there were few flawed ideas we kicked around but the biggest of them being -
1. Don’t hire a manger out of work.
Why do we think it’s such a bad idea to hire someone that is currently unemployed?

I’m throwing this out there because if Amorim can’t make this work in the next few weeks, he would probably have to go. And if he does leave, I really wouldn’t care if the replacement is out of work or currently working. It makes no darn difference evidently from what we have witnessed in the last four years at the club.

The insistence to keep playing a formation not suited to the players as matter of principle will be Amorim’s downfall.

If you can’t readapt a system in the premier league, you will die! It is that tough!

 

[Mark Blow]

“Sporting have sacked head coach Joao Pereira just six weeks after appointing him to succeed Ruben Amorim.”

That proves it starts and ends with the manager ALWAYS! Yes, one off game and you can blame the players. But when a team starts losing on a consistent basis without scoring goals, it is without a doubt the manager’s problem to solve and it can’t involve simply going out to spend more fkin money.

There’s also no shame in acknowledging that it isn’t working.


Yup!

Sporting are actually top of the Portuguese League on goal difference. After Amorim left they lost 2 league matches on the trot to mid table opposition but have just beaten Benfica at home 1-0 so maybe there’s more to this Perreira sacking than meets the eye.

 

[cytrax]

Sporting are actually top of the Portuguese League on goal difference. After Amorim left they lost 2 league matches on the trot to mid table opposition but have just beaten Benfica at home 1-0 so maybe there’s more to this Perreira sacking than meets the eye.

He lost 4 of 8 games. It would appear they made the change to avert destroying their season.

 

[pieguts]

I very rarely say this but i blame the manager and wish he would **** off.
The players look lost and rudderless at the moment and i don't see it getting any better.
These players have performed better in the recent past (even under Ruud), not as well as i think they are capable of but better.
They either don't understand Amorims system or don't believe in it, either way it needs sorting quick because a relegation fight is far too close for comfort and is not something i feel confident we would win.

As an outsider looking in, it does appear to be the very definition of insanity, where you appear to be doing the same thing over and over again but expecting a different result.

 

[Solid Air]

We held discussions with Amorim in the summer but moved on to Slot as Amorim made it clear he would not change from 3-4-3 and we decided against because all our recruitment had been based on 4-3-3 .

 

[glazerfodder]

So, the game is going ahead. I smell another tonking for us - the dippers are on top from and our confidence is shot to pieces - 4 - 0 I reckon.

 

[Chief]

Dreading it, can't lie.

 

[Chief]

I'm scared to even say anything for fear of the jinx, but that's a really good first half.

 

[Diego]

I'm scared to even say anything for fear of the jinx, but that's a really good first half.

I expected to be 2 down by 30mins so am quite happy with that.