20 Jan 2020 21:41:52
Lets look at some positives that have come from essentially the first half of the season please feel free to challenge or debate if and where you differ.
1. The emergence of Williams and greenwood. I think both have been superb in their contribution.
2. We are still in the fa cup.
3. Rashford was improving and looking like he could develop into a top player.
4. The continuing improvement of mctom. Not quite top class but he brings s hunger and desire to the team and that's missed when he is not around.
5. Fred. Duracell bunny. Again not top class imo but he has upped his game considerably and will never be caught not trying unlike some.
6. James. Again not top class but its been a huge step up for him he looks knackered. He has played his heart out in every game. We have relied on him and he has made a very good contribution .
7. We enjoyed a good cup run in the league cup and have a million to 1 chance of still making a final.
8. We are still in the Europa cup.
9. Amazingly despite being 30 points behind the leaders we are still only 5 points chelsea and still in the hunt for a cl place but i think that's a long shot.
10. AWB a really good defender and tackler 1v1. A better set of coaches will develop his attacking side. Technically good with the ball at his feet great material to work with for the right coach.
That's the 10 most obvious ones to me.
Ddg his form has picked up but his flaws exposed.
Martial some might say. I don't see it week in week out so can't really say that.
So i'm struggling to find much else.
The list of negatives ill leave to someone else.
Ill be glad to add to that debate.
So are the above positives and can anybody else see any more?
I don't see a disaster situation i really don't. I see we have fallen a long way behind but with the right coach even with these players and this squad we would be 10 to 15 points better off and sitting close to city and Leicester.
There is the bones of a good young squad there with some players with high potential.
Awb and Williams have so much more to their games. i'm not quite sure but maybe a better coach good get more out of martial.
James when used correctly can improved a lot. Rasford is developing really well.
Then of course its what a new coach can add to that in terms of experience and flair. It s the signings that will gel this bunch together.
Get the right partner for maguire is a huge priority. Bailey looks made for a chance.
The new coach needs 6 new players. Cm×2 rw×1 cf×1 cb×1. 300m plus in one summer. Moving on pogba jones smalling rojo l ingard periera will recoup half the money leaving the owners to find 150m. Give him 3 seasons as long as we see gradual improvement and a clear plan and we get our identity back i think most would be pleased with that.
I more excited about the prospect of a new coach than new players. Any top coach would have this squad plus 6 new signings fighting for trophies.

1.) 20 Jan 2020
20 Jan 2020 22:05:13
Like van gaal would, like mourinho would, like Ole would.
Groundhog day.

2.) 20 Jan 2020
20 Jan 2020 22:24:58
Ken

A scouser suggested AWB might be a good partner for Maguire, it wasn’t a ridiculous suggestion but would need some serious coaching, which we haven’t got. Williams and Greenwood have done well, but it is disappointing to see Gomes unsettled. There are questions as to why Lukaku was sold but not replaced, why Smalling was loaned whilst Jones retained, why Pogba wasn’t shipped out in the brand new Ole world. We are where we are, but a glib smile and platitudes isn’t working.

I read an interesting point about when the Scouse looked at Klopp, they realised he was an inspirational leader. We just haven’t got that anywhere in the club.

I just hope for a plan, to see a plan that isn’t emotionally driven, an inspirational leader in the managers chair and see the club heading in the right direction. It can happen quickly and that is the hope I have, that someone will wake up and grab the situation to make the difference.

3.) 20 Jan 2020
20 Jan 2020 22:46:15
Ross do you think that's a fair representation of the positives?

4.) 21 Jan 2020
20 Jan 2020 23:18:33
Wouldn't Ole not have us further up the table with 6 new signings though? Regardless of whether he's the right man or not I don't see another manager having this squad any higher up the table with the injuries we also have to key players. 5th is probably about right with this squad all the teams above us have stronger teams.

5.) 21 Jan 2020
20 Jan 2020 23:52:35
Yeah it's pretty much what I've been saying all the time and hasn't changed but what also hasn't changed is be I right or wrong I still believe Ole is the man to keep this going. I know we are not winning titles and hard to watch City and scousers.
Do people not see that we're now basically gone back to the football under lvg. I again believe lvg should not have been sacked. I do not want another mourinho, I'm willing to take the risk with Ole.

6.) 21 Jan 2020
21 Jan 2020 00:32:56
ken i am begining to think ross is a scouser.

7.) 21 Jan 2020
21 Jan 2020 04:31:41
Ken. That's a really good post.
We have some very good young players with the right attitude.
By bringing 3-4 quality players, the team can become consistent.
The team is seriously lacking leaders to look upto, that's the main concern.

Injuries to Martial, Rash, Pogba, Tuanzebe and McTominay have had major impact this season.
Really hope we bring in a DoF to oversee a long term plan.

8.) 21 Jan 2020
21 Jan 2020 08:06:26
Top perspective Ken

Axel is also a bit of silver lining but had a few little injuries.
Timbo and Dalot now back in training too.
Hoping both make an impact in the 2nd half of the season.

9.) 21 Jan 2020
21 Jan 2020 08:18:03
Ross, the league table is a bit of red herring. I would rather focus on what I see week in week out being served up. We simply have no way to know if any manager could have us performing better. But the list of teams that have beaten us this season are criminal.

The squad is extremely unbalanced with 32 centre backs and very few midfielders and attackers but this is Oles mess too. Letting players leave after the transfer window has closed was a risk and the threadbare squad are dropping like flies.

I wouldn't look at 5th in the league and be impressed. I would look at the worst win ratio of a manager in over 3 decades. A squad that plays like strangers and a manager and coaching staff that don't seem to know what they're doing.

Just because the teams like Chelsea, arsenal, Spurs are also having a poor season is not some excuse to let Ole off the hook.

There are better managers available right now and a whole host more will become available in the summer. This Ole experiment hasn't worked. Let's hope the powers that be are putting in a plan to rectify the situation because he's not the manager to push us on.

10.) 21 Jan 2020
21 Jan 2020 09:25:27
Apart from the best team in the world right now, all the other teams in the league can beat each other on any given day. Stronger teams than ours have lost to much 'smaller' teams this season.

11.) 21 Jan 2020
21 Jan 2020 09:39:30
Damon i doubt think so he got 3 this season spent 150m took over a team that had finished 2nd the season before and had taken us backwards.

12.) 21 Jan 2020
21 Jan 2020 10:15:41
Ross back to the football under lvg my ass we can't keep possession at all now. That statement process you are totally delusional. Our football could not be further away from whit wad under lvg. In fact or tactics are the exact opposite. You are not making sense at all.
Please tell me how our football is like it was under lvg. What a load of cobblers.

13.) 21 Jan 2020
21 Jan 2020 10:25:00
Top post mumbles. It’s quite ridiculous that people are using the fact we are 5th in the table to justify Ole’s position. Let’s put context onto the situation.

14.) 21 Jan 2020
21 Jan 2020 10:53:46
How is Tuanzebe a silver lining, we have mo idea how we will so as he has been continually injured.

Ken, I agree with your list but its 'positive' from the tallest dwarf view.

We have too many players who will never be good enough for United, even with new coaches and the structure remains a major issue.

I was all for allowing Ole to reshape the squad but I fear this could go either way and right now, my guess is it is going to get worse.

The Rashfird situation is a disgrace, Maguire is playing with an injury, the players were supposed to be fitter but look knackered. If Ole was not an ex player he would be gone by now, his win rate since being appointed is the worst in our history. As I said yesterday I apathetic now, I don't see anything changing and therefore we will fall further behind.

15.) 21 Jan 2020
21 Jan 2020 11:35:53
I think we all need to take a step back and look at the bigger picture here.
Ken post is spot on we are not a millions miles behind the top teams in this league and we have showed we can beat any the top 6 on our day probs apart from liverpool but that will come no problem.
It's the lesser teams that are the problem for us as they sit in but it's really hard if you don't have any flair players to unlock defences. If we can get fernandes in then you get the players back who are injured added to the youngsters who have came through we have the makings of one of the best squads in the league 2nd only to liverpool and maybe city .

I'm happy with what's oles doing I see a structure there's a plan you can see what he's trying to do much the same way liverpool fans seen with klopp. its took him 3 seasons to get them challenging for titles and oles in his first full season with IMO a stronger squad than what klopp started with.
We
need to be patient and ole needs to be backed by the board and well be back challenging soon I've no doubt .

16.) 21 Jan 2020
21 Jan 2020 11:39:23
I agree ajh totally.
I was just trying to point out that its not all bad if we have a decent coach. There is some decent material there to work with if you know what your doing.

17.) 21 Jan 2020
21 Jan 2020 12:27:29
Ken -in part agree re decent material to work with but we need 3/ 4 first teamers as a matter of urgency imo. add to that a couple of squad players, good ones not medicrity that we have resorted to and we will see us move upwards.
One earlier point above was made regarding injuries : ALL clubs have players suseptable to injuries look at city, no cb playing a 34 year mid as cb!
The blame can be pointed at this one and that but fundamentally we require a plan and stick to it. I think ole is out of his depth and the coaching staff are poor but the recruitment and those responsible for the structure of the club need to be redressed and redefined, boardroom?

18.) 21 Jan 2020
21 Jan 2020 13:54:41
Ken, really good post and I agree with your positives (we all know lots of negatives as well) . AJH, I agree with your view on Ole and as an ex player we all want him to he successful.
For me he has steadied the ship and there is the start of a team who could compete in years to come (loving the youngsters and with some new signings) . My biggest question for next season is whether this is Ole's ceiling, great player, okay manager, nice guy. And as such aside from adding players we will be top 6 fighting for a CL spot. Or if he really has it and gets us into challenging for the tile.
You can see the impact Rodgers had at Leicester with his coaching ability.
This for me (along with appointing a DOF) is the biggest decision.

19.) 21 Jan 2020
21 Jan 2020 16:13:45
2nd the year before is irrelevant we were 6th when he came after an absolute battering from liverpool. That was probably the worst Anfield performances I've seen and 1 of the worst I can remember from United. We didn't have a spell in the whole game and scored from an Alisson mistake. +==$! ='pp

So Ken are you saying we are now worse than under Mourinho? Let's cast our minds back how dreadful it was the players didn't even look like they were trying.

20.) 21 Jan 2020
21 Jan 2020 17:47:36
Damon i'm saying its miles worse. And the worst its been since 1978 to 81 actually under Dave sexton.