25 Jul 2020 11:00:54
Ole has had some stick this week, but at the restart if we’d been offered sitting in 3rd needing a point for Champions League qualification we’d all have probably been delighted.

We’ve seen the potential of the team albeit against lower table opposition, but hasn’t that been outer big issue in the last year or two, the inability to dominate and beat ‘lesser’ teams? The front 5 looked up for it, fit and focused and for a while we just rolled teams over. I particularly liked the Bournemouth game. You score 2, pfft, we’ll score 5.

It’s the end of the season, things get nervy, it’s all about the result so I guess we have to be happy with the current situation, but the approach to the West Ham game was worrying and blinkered, happy with the draw it seems. Watching how poor we were maybe he’s right? It seems Ole is happy to let everything rest with the Leicester result, whereas beating West Ham would have heaped more pressure on Chelsea. Brave, or foolish?

Since we came back, 6 wins and 3 draws in the league, scored 22, conceded 7, and this has put us in a position where it comes down to the last game. Pretty much every player was poor against West Ham, we really need a few to rediscover their form. Pogba and Fernandes were poor, Rashford had a shocker, Martial was pretty anonymous, that happens again and we are in trouble.

But, but, but, our squad has bet been deep enough this season. Pogba out most of the year, Rashford was carrying the team when he got injured. A fit Rashford, the Fernandes we bought, a motivated Pogba (! ), a hungry Martial, a developing Greenwood, 2 or 3 top quality new players, and I think we will be a good team. Probably not Champions material but who knows? As for Ole, well I guess he will continue to divide opinion.

Let’s hope the real Man United turn up tomorrow.


1.) 25 Jul 2020
25 Jul 2020 11:25:51
No team has the perfect game every week especially in the EPL, other teams will always have a say.
As AJH says since the resart we have played 9, won 6 drew 3 that's pretty good .
Scored 22 and only conceded 7 I think that's excellent.

I would be interested to know what peoples expectations where before the restart and there has been a lot of negativity so if the above isn't good enough what would be considered, good enough.


2.) 25 Jul 2020
25 Jul 2020 13:47:58
Expectations differ with each individual jred. A poor man's expectation is to be able to feed his family today while a rich man's expectation is to have a million dollars in his accounts everyday. They differ for you and me. You are happy with us being in a position to seal a CL place tomorrow while knowing perfectly that we could have sealed it by now if Ole had made a few correct decisions and choices in a few games through the course of the season. I would have been happy if we didn't need to hold our breaths tomorrow.

Tony, why Ole divides opinion is because some see him as the hero who gave them 99, while the others see him as nothing more or less than a Manchester United manager, arguably the biggest club in the world. Why because Jose, LvG were criticized heavily for boring football while Ole gets a free pass even though his team has played some of the most pathetic games i have seen in my life. They want to cover all that up with the run post C.V. I don't think that's fair, because it has nothing to do with Ole, the entire run is because the the was galvanized by Bruno. Ole is still making those poor tactical decisions and still lacks in game management skills but he gets away with it because he scored that goal in 99. that's what turns my head in. Practicality goes for a toss.

We could all see that the players were tired, so why on earth didn't Ole play Ighalo ahead of Martial or Rashford in atleast one of those games. Forget starting, he has to wait 85 minutes before being brought on, why? Against Chelsea or West Ham, i would have pulled Bruno and pushed Pogba further forward because Bruno was tosh. Just some decisions that Ole dithers to make.

I am glad that we will play CL next season and hopefully sit in the top 4 comfortably next season and not have to wait till the last game to know our fate.


3.) 25 Jul 2020
25 Jul 2020 14:35:44
We are always 2 good results away from being back as the best team in the world or 2 bad results away from being potential relegation candidates. That is the extremes of modern society, there is no measured response. It's hard right or hard left. No comfortable middle ground.

The truth is simple, we have a massive rebuilding exercise going on at the club, bigger than most give it credit for. A lot of it is self inflicted, poor choices of managers, poor recruitment and a lock of long term planning along with snap decisions being made by people with limited experience.

For the most part our squad is very average, if we finish in the top 4 with this group of players, with the long term injuries we have had to our best players for large parts of the season then it will be a good return.

That said a potentially 3rd place finish should not see us resting on our laurels. Chelsea are making a big push, we need to do the same. The already have Ziyech and Werner in the bag, while Havertz might follow and they are looking at GK's, CB's and LB's. They will spend big to close the gap and rebuild the squad.

The gap between us and City and Liverpool is large, while teams like Chelsea and Leicester are around the same level as us. Then there are teams like Arsenal, Spurs, Wolves and even Sheffield United who are making pushes to climb up the table.

Let's wait and see what happens tomorrow.


4.) 25 Jul 2020
25 Jul 2020 14:58:43
We've definitely did well since the restart, played some really good football at times but the wins were ones Man Utd should be winning. Leicester have been decimated with injuries too, we're not playing in a vacuum.

The negativity comes from some of the performances and what the manager does during the games. The idea that the players are tired is a ridiculous one. He would have known the fixture list. The idea that the team is tired is one I can't excuse. If Martial is tired, play Ighalo. Rashford is tired, play James, if Bruno is tired, push Pogba further up. There's a few players who could play wide right. Midfield has options, defence has options to rotate. Playing the same 11 five games in a row then moaning the fixture list was unfair is a joke.

There's also 5 subs to combat tiredness. Some of the games we won we were out of sight early on. Changes could have been made to rest some players but as has been one of Oles poorest areas, the in game management is quite poor.

At the start of the season I would have said top 4 is what is needed. Him and the team have done really well to claw back the points deficit but that is because we needed to claw back points because we were awful for long periods at the start of the season.

Ole doesn't get to have his cake and eat it. He has been getting praise for the great performances but he also must face the music when we are poor.

The problem for me is when we look like we've turned the corner we revert to our own turgid displays. When we do the hard work and put ourselves in a posistion to consolidate 3rd or 4th we turn up like we did for the Southampton game and look truly awful. With a final against Arsenal waiting and just before kick off Leicester get thumped, you'd expect the players to be up for it, but that performance was probably one of the worst we've seen in a very long time. West Ham also was pathetic.

After 18 months of the manager in charge I still don't know how he wants to play? That's because the performances are so disjointed from week to week. Sometimes we look like the Harlem Globetrotters and other times with look like Harlem crackheads.

Before the season started I thought top 4 was achievable. With one games left, 3rd place is achievable. It's been a weird season but not only for United. If Ole can get what's needed to secure Champions League football that is a major step for the club. Finallcially it will be massive, considering the bump in money for qualifying and we won't be penalised by our sponsors for not qualifying. We can maybe get some players that would not be interested in playing Thursday night's.

We were in a position we wanted to be last season and we capitulated. We've had our last 3 games to kick on in the league and the cup and we've not done well when pressure was on.

One game, one point, one goal. Let's get it done.


5.) 25 Jul 2020
25 Jul 2020 15:14:18
Mumbles
Did ole say the players where tired.

Again since the restart we have played 9 won 6 free 3 scored 22 conceded 7.
What was peoples expectations?

Also if people really don't know how we are trying to play thst says more about them than united imo.


6.) 25 Jul 2020
25 Jul 2020 15:34:55
Jred, are you reading the replies or just repeating the same thing without context. Since, you are so wet about the performances since the restart what about Spurs, Norwich, Chelsea, Saints, Palace, West Ham? All since the restart and some of the most horrible displays even with Bruno, fit again Rashford, fit again Pogba, Martial rejuvenated and Greenwood scoring.

I think most, if not all agree that if we get Top 4, Ole deserves to keep his job because he has achieved the "bare minimum" but let's not forget the context and also not change the yardsticks that were in place for all previous managers. I am sure if we strengthen with more transfers, our team will improve in general but i still believe that we will drop points and lose a few because Ole will continue to dither and make poor tactical decisions next season. He is getting on the job training at the most high profile position in club football.


7.) 25 Jul 2020
25 Jul 2020 15:52:57
You're the king of being pedantic jred. You show me where I specifically said "Ole said the players are tired"?

Played 9 and won 6 is pretty good. It's a lot better than played 26 and won 11 as was the stat before the restart.

Anyways mate, I love a good argument but I do not enjoy conversing with you one bit and it's a waste of time to be honest.


8.) 25 Jul 2020
25 Jul 2020 16:13:52
Mumbles no need to be rude .
Thats my point has ole said the players are tired? Has he used it as an excuse? Or is just another thing for the same people to complain about?

Again since the restart we have played 9 won 6 drew 3 scored 22 and conceded 7.
What was peoples expectations?


9.) 25 Jul 2020
25 Jul 2020 16:28:15
I think the players look tired, you make a good point Mumbles, we could have used the 5 subs a lot earlier in a few games.

I can see how Ole wants to play and when it has clicked it has looked great, its just still a bit inconsistent.

On a down side I'm not sure how far 'create the right atmosphere and have the players feel good about things' will get us, but on the upside we now clearly have preferred starting 11, and we have seen the emergence of William's (still raw) and Greenwood (a revelation) . Martial looks re-energised and the signing of Bruno has been astute, I'm guessing it's not Ole's fault we didn't sign him sooner.

If he can't get the players up. for tomorrow then it's probably goodbye. I don't mean we have to win, I mean we have to see a plan, some effort, passions, and a desire to get the job done. We shall see.


10.) 25 Jul 2020
25 Jul 2020 16:49:32
There are definetely positives Tony in regards to Ole but it's time to ditch the stabilizers and put on his big boy pants. There is a world where Ole has done well but still deserves to be sacked. If he can't get us over the line, which will be very significant in our evolution of this team, then he's blown his chance.

I think we'll win personally and I do hope we back him again in the market.


11.) 25 Jul 2020
25 Jul 2020 19:47:43
Shan, it's fine to say we'd have sealed a CL place if it wasn't for some daft decisions by Ole when they are the only thing that have hindered us from doing so already which is what you seem to be suggesting.

They aren't the only thing though, De Gea, Maguire, Shaw, Williams, Lindelof, Pogba and probably more have made clear individual errors that have cost us just as much if not more than tactics. I've not mentioned the forwards but they've missed some easy chances as well. We can debate changing to 3 at the back or not playing with a high enough press all day but none of it matters if De Gea is letting in shots he should save easily, Maguire is hugging his own team mates at corners and Pogba is deciding to have a game of volleyball in the box.

It would also be fine to say Ole gets a free pass for poor performances compared to previous managers if he did, but he doesn't. The negativity on this site from some has been just as bad if not worse than under previous managers. There have probably been at least three occasions where it looked incredibly likely Ole would be gone not just due to performances but also due to fan opinion (I've suggested this myself actually saying in posts on here that he is not the coach we should have) . He's also constantly called out by most pundits as soon as United lose or drop points.

I'm not convinced long term that Ole will be the right appointment but the problems with the team aren't just tactical.


12.) 26 Jul 2020
26 Jul 2020 04:02:15
Everyone saying we could make changes but everytime someone comes on we look worse than before so either ole is making the wrong substitutions or they are just not good enough.