31 Oct 2023 18:52:04
I have to go back to ETH comments about the players not being able to play like Ajax.

After being derided as I usually am by certain posters, on here, I want point out that this morning Manchesters main newspaper ran an opinion piece on this, using words like bizarre, baffling, defeatist and confusing to describe ETH comments. It is an issue.

I am not calling for him to be sacked, but we cannot walk blindly along pretending that everything he does is perfect. Why shouldn't we ask questions and talk about his decisions. I have talked about thought police on here before, and they just seem to change name.

1.) 31 Oct 2023
31 Oct 2023 19:17:39
I was worried the second I heard ETH saying he wanted to play 'the United way' in pre-season. Citing fast counter attacks and quick transitions as the United way.

If we wanted that then we should never have sacked Ole as that was all he played (counter attack)

The fact is we wanted the Eric Ten Haag way/ playing style as we wanted to step out of the past to a modern style and that's why we hired him.

He needs to stick to his values as other wise all we have is uncertainty and that's translating to our (lack of) playing style on the pitch.

His comments sound like he has no belief in his players and unfortunately that becomes a two way street very quickly.

2.) 31 Oct 2023
31 Oct 2023 19:36:13
Read Martin Samuel in the Times.

3.) 31 Oct 2023
31 Oct 2023 19:46:54
Don't think there are too many over the hill yet but there is lots of noise. And many slowly moving towards the top of the hill.
Frustration and disappointment is there for all fans. I don't think there is one fan who thinks he got much right at the weekend.
I've said below it's a time for clear cool heads not for panic. Eth needs to clear his head imo. Reevaluate a few things and pivot on a few things.
I'd have liked to hear him take more responsibility and accountability for last weekend in particular. We don't know if he has done that within the group, funnily, I suspect not but who knows.
He is bad in interviews. Too open too forthright and too easy to open up. He needs coaching on that badly imo.
Too many mitigating factors internally and externally to expect ant individual to perform at their best be that player, board or coaching staff.
Whatever he is trying to do with the players is simply not working right now. Collectively they all need to do better. Imo they would all do well to ignore all the questions you want answering, just put the shutters up, an us against the world mentality. 1 or 2 word answer to any media q's any fans Q's and work hard to give better answers on the pitch.
It's time to close ranks. Trust nobody but each other ignore everything else. Eth needs to show his leadership qualities and the players need to do likewise. This is not the mess of 1 man it's a collective mess and they will only sort it out Collectively. Ignore the noise ignore the Q's and do your talking on the pitch.

4.) 31 Oct 2023
31 Oct 2023 19:49:53
RedMan you should know by now you’re not allowed to have an opinion on here unless it coincides with certain posters, then maybe just maybe they won’t try shoot you down with the usual long winded nonsense.

Only consolation you can take is in 6 months time they backtrack on everything they said then find another set of stats to back that up with, or mumble on about something else to attract to something else.

Last time I looked it’s called a banter site, but they like to also get personal if your view differs!

No prizes being offered for the names of the usual suspects!

5.) 31 Oct 2023
31 Oct 2023 19:52:11
Red Man, its an opinion piece, which means its just some mad journalist rantings. Seriously do yourself a favour and stop reading crap like that, it'll only raise your blood pressure and for what?

On what basis has this journalist have any authority to critique a qualified, professional football manager? I'm not saying they don't have a right to an opinion, but on what basis or authority do they have for their voice to be put into print?

These things are purely written to illicit a response, to provoke, in this case with no actual journalism required, no investigation or research, not even canvassing of opinions. Just literally thought diarrhoea splurged out across the pages of a highly questionable media publication.

Seriously you have better things to do with your time.

6.) 31 Oct 2023
31 Oct 2023 20:03:04
It was the MEN who ran a poll on sacking SAF so they have form here. I suspect his comments have been blown up somewhat, but it would be good to understand what he is trying to do, right now, I have no clue, other than long ball.

When SAF arrived, he sold Whiteside and McGrath which was a bit of a shock, but it sent a clear message. He also bought some real turkeys initially, and it easy to forget how bad we were in '89, the City 5-1 in particular was a shocker.

ETH is highly regarded by some big names, he needs to decide what he wants to do and then get on with it. The biggest worry is that our purchases have all been overpriced and most are yet to feel like great buys. Cas was awesome last year but has not been the same player this year. Antony, well we got mugged there. Martinez was awesome, my kind of player, just needs to rediscover his form, Varane is class but regularly injured. Mount was over priced and not sure where he fits in, and Hojlu d may or may not turnout to each good buy, but right now, he looks like a youngster with potential. Onana has been flaky but I think he will turn out fine.

Imagine if we had just bought Rice and Kane for about £230M. DDG for another year, no Mount or Hojlund. Wed be a far better team with 2 proven winners added to the squad. Instead we are mixing and matching, £70M on Hojlund is just baffling.

7.) 31 Oct 2023
31 Oct 2023 20:15:51
I think there's an issue with ETH, in that he's from a largely rural, part of Holland. I remember reading something when he was appointed about how even people in Holland would mock him for his 'provincial' ways. English is not as widely spoken as it is in Amsterdam. I think he's struggling with expressing himself properly in a foreign language, and he lacks the sophistication to give 'politicians' answers. It can be refreshing, or it can get him into a hole.

8.) 31 Oct 2023
31 Oct 2023 20:20:17
Seriously Shappy now journalist have mad ramblings, but you don’t, you never seize to amaze, of course he/ she have the right to print, that is their job!

How on earth do you know or even have the right to call it lazy journalism or no actual journalism

Even if you are remotely right which I doubt, they get paid for there ramblings, what do you get, how’s the time to say!

9.) 31 Oct 2023
31 Oct 2023 20:21:08
Red Man

I've rarely seen better sense being dropped onto this site.

Ultimately, there are too many on here who simply thrash out statements with no explanations, and they generally lack the interest to back up their blurts.
These people then initiate debate with others, of whom some will also fail to expand upon their statements.
Thus, muddles are frequently seen because one or two, or three, or four, more, will not get the full gist of the initial point, nor those subsequent, and so things are taken out of context and some can get a little, let's say, irritated.

This kind of situation is exacerbated when we've all seen such garbage on the pitch and some can be rather reactionary and/ or unfair.

I understand that I could be accused of such, but there's a couple with pointed fingers in the replies who could do with finding the mirror.

10.) 01 Nov 2023
01 Nov 2023 01:41:23
AJH,

Hojlund looks a bloody good player to me, when we get the ball to him we look dangerous, he just should be as well as a top striker not the only bloody striker at the club. ETH has been killed by the wrong type of players being signed, money wasted on players who would fit nicely into a settled squad when we don’t have a settled squad to fit them in. Mount is a cherry on top of the cake type of signing but we got him and then couldn’t get a CB we needed and have no idea where to play him. The new owner situation is the only potential light in the tunnel at the moment.

11.) 01 Nov 2023
01 Nov 2023 02:04:09
He can play that way, but he'll need 5 years and to change all of our players. Meanwhile, the fanbase will call for his head and want him sacked for the next shiny manager.

Consider for just one second, that Ralf Ragnik was right. We have a whole squad of players that cannot fit the style of play that the top teams play. Rashford and bruno, mcguire, wan Bissaka are all players that suit better a direct counter attacking style from a low block. But top teams dominate the ball and press high up the pitch and prod and poke and move and link and find opportunities to create and score good chances.

I think many fans would be happier seeing that change coming. I would. Certainly like to see rash and bruno dropped for lack of goals and assists. We tried playing them back into form. Now time to give kick up backside and substitute or drop. Bruno should be at 10 OR bench. Not right wing.

I just don't get the formation we are trying to play, but I bet it would work a lot better, and with onana. If we had our back 4 from last year playing every game and playing well. He wanted a new CB who could play, and we didn't get it. McGuire is not the answer, no matter how much English media try to ram it down our throats.

12.) 01 Nov 2023
01 Nov 2023 05:19:07
He said it straight and what's hard to understand. You play a certain way with what is at your disposal atm considering injuries and who is available and we will see a gradual change with change of personnel.

So many teams go through this its a non event but people want to create a mole out of a mountain. Even pep has changed his approach through the years and even in their recruitment. Many good managers have failed in the pl for not being able to adapt and change.

If you are frustrated with him not throwing the players under the bus like a lot of you do, he is never going to that. He always talks about the collective win lose or draw.

AJH

When you question why the club did not sign Kane and rice. Maybe the club did not want to spend over 100 million on a 30/ 31 year old and 450k/ 500k in wages given our finances and maybe levy would not even sell to pl club, so many factors go into this stuff but we like to ignore it.

Did you consider maybe Rice was always wanting to go to Arsenal. Just maybe his camp told the club he wants to go there and a waste of time chasing a player who does not want to come.

I agree with you on Antony being a terrible buy and a donkey for what he did with Duku.

13.) 01 Nov 2023
01 Nov 2023 06:49:17
Why didn’t we sign Kane or Rice?

It’s quite simple. They were not attainable for our club. So why are fans still banging on about it because it’s really not hard to understand.

Mount and Hojlund were attainable - and we overpaid massively especially for the latter (who I do rate for the record) .

We’re spending Waitrose money in the Asda supermarket. That is not the fault of the manager.

14.) 01 Nov 2023
01 Nov 2023 06:55:19
Shappy is right regarding journalists I’ve always thought it, they are football fans like us and watch matches, various teams and games and like us all have an opinion, difference is they get a platform to spout their opinion and ram it down peoples throats to create the storm or circus! No homework or effort goes into it it’s literally their opinion! It’s nonsense!

15.) 01 Nov 2023
01 Nov 2023 11:08:36
Chris I don't have a problem with them having an opinion. If fact I think it's important for people to have an opinion.

The problem I have with journalists is that their opinion gets an elevated position within society.

Something people often find hard to accept, especially if it goes against their view is that some opinions are more valid that others. By that I mean they carry more weight because of the expertise of the person with that opinion.

John down the pub who has worked in the post office all his life is entitled to his opinion about whether I should build an extension on my house or not. But Mike the estate agent or Dave the builder might have opinions that are more informed and therefore more valid.

Just because you write about football that doesn't mean you understand it better than anyone else who watches and engages with football as a fan.

The guy who has played professional football knows more, the guy who works in football analytics knows more, the guy whose a scout knows more, the guy who has coached and managed knows more. Obviously depending on the level they have done these things will dictate how much they know and how relevant it is to a particular situation.

Journalism does tend to draw in people who like to hear their own voice. Not every journalist is like that obviously. But I'd suggest that most who write opinion pieces do fall into that category.

Nothing wrong with that, but we have to remember that just because some guys opinion has been put into print that it doesn't make that point of view any more valid than John's down the pub.

It is dangerous to not critically evaluate everything you read and consider the source. What authority does the source have and do they have a bias or an agenda.

The most dangerous thing in the world is to blindly base your opinion on the opinions of others. Your opinions should be drawn from a combination of mostly facts and some trusted sources with authority on the matter. Otherwise you cannot be sure that you aren't being brainwashed.