BatmanBeyond
Shadow On The Run
- Joined
- Jan 26, 2011
- Messages
- 2,309
- Reaction score
- 131
- Points
- 73
Look, I won't stand here and complain about a comeback + late goal like the one yesterday - but I also won't pretend that the glory days are back and that "this is what Manchester United Football Club is all about" .
That first half performance was dreadful, we were absolutely listless and it still boggles my mind that we always need to go at least a goal down in order to start 'playing'.
I maintain to this day that back when LvG was at the helm, we were best positioned in terms of transitioning to a modern, possession-oriented game and tactical style, which all the successful teams nowadays implement a variant of. I wasn't feeling particularly keen on Giggs back then as his successor, but I think if we would've gotten someone like Poch, Tuchel or Luis Enrique to follow Louis, we would've been in much better shape nowadays.
I think United's seeming aversion to tactics-oriented managers is not a coincidence, though, it obviously goes back to Fergie and how he ran the show. I'm not saying he was tactics-lite and full-on 'vibes', but the aura he created during his time at the helm and the cavalier nature that was a staple of the team's performances have understandably permeated our fanbase; ask most of our fans what the "United Way" is and they'll mention something about playing fast, attractive football, down the wings - a coherent tactical plan this does not make. I remember this was fans' solution when things were not going well under the previous managers.
If we're to go back to winning things and being successful, I think the attitude at club-level needs to shift from "We are Man Utd FC, best club in the world" to "We need to prove that we are a top club every season". Which, ironically, is something LvG touched upon way back during one of his first pressers.
Coincidentally, this is one of the reasons I don't give OGS that much credit for the 'cultural reset' he's brought about - to me, he's making us look into the past too much, instead of to the future. Still think his biggest merit is managing to keep the players on his side for so long - this is the only area where he's been better than his post-Fergie predecessors. And it might be too little in the end. But I digress.
Ah, I remember not being able to stand Scholes back when LvG was at the helm and he would moan after each match just because we were trying to implement a playing style which was foreign to the adepts of Fergie. So this doesn't surprise me. Atalanta are a very good side and they've proven it consistently over the past few seasons with their performances in the CL. They scored a couple of good goals yesterday, but did fall off worryingly at the start of the second half. Koopmeiners, who assisted one of their goals, is a midfielder sort of in the Carrick mold, which I would've liked us to take a look at.
I can't really stand listening to the Class of '92 nowadays anymore, they've basically become caricatures. I enjoyed listening to Neville previously, but he's reached that stage as well imo. Roy Keane will probably always be entertaining, though.
That first half performance was dreadful, we were absolutely listless and it still boggles my mind that we always need to go at least a goal down in order to start 'playing'.
Just to keep things in perspective, Leicester City have been in shambolic form so far this season by their own standards in recent years & we turn up today, make them look like Brazil & kick start their season.
Say what you will about LvG & Jose, but at least the pair of them seemed to have a plan & a playstyle that they tried to adhere to, both of which ended up compromising because of the imbalanced squad they'd to deal with. Under OGS, he's been given the most time, the squad he wants & we're a mess. We seem to rely far too much on brilliance from individual players to win us games as opposed to being well organised & well drilled.
Our next 6 games in the league are horrendously difficult -
Liverpool (H)
Tottenham (A)
City (H)
Watford (A)
Chelsea (A)
Arsenal (H)
If we have aspirations to actually challenge for the league & not be out of the title race by Christmas, we need about 12 points from a possible 18 from those games at bare minimum. With the way we've played so far this season bar maybe 1 or 2 games, we'll be lucky to get 6 points from that run.
Given how much time OGS has had & the fact that he's the first manager IMO since SAF to actually be given a squad he wants, questions need to be asked why they aren't performing, because on paper, with the exception of being a top CM short, this squad should be doing a lot better than it is.
I maintain to this day that back when LvG was at the helm, we were best positioned in terms of transitioning to a modern, possession-oriented game and tactical style, which all the successful teams nowadays implement a variant of. I wasn't feeling particularly keen on Giggs back then as his successor, but I think if we would've gotten someone like Poch, Tuchel or Luis Enrique to follow Louis, we would've been in much better shape nowadays.
I think United's seeming aversion to tactics-oriented managers is not a coincidence, though, it obviously goes back to Fergie and how he ran the show. I'm not saying he was tactics-lite and full-on 'vibes', but the aura he created during his time at the helm and the cavalier nature that was a staple of the team's performances have understandably permeated our fanbase; ask most of our fans what the "United Way" is and they'll mention something about playing fast, attractive football, down the wings - a coherent tactical plan this does not make. I remember this was fans' solution when things were not going well under the previous managers.
If we're to go back to winning things and being successful, I think the attitude at club-level needs to shift from "We are Man Utd FC, best club in the world" to "We need to prove that we are a top club every season". Which, ironically, is something LvG touched upon way back during one of his first pressers.
Coincidentally, this is one of the reasons I don't give OGS that much credit for the 'cultural reset' he's brought about - to me, he's making us look into the past too much, instead of to the future. Still think his biggest merit is managing to keep the players on his side for so long - this is the only area where he's been better than his post-Fergie predecessors. And it might be too little in the end. But I digress.
You'd think Atalanta were a literal pub team listening to Scholes.
Ah, I remember not being able to stand Scholes back when LvG was at the helm and he would moan after each match just because we were trying to implement a playing style which was foreign to the adepts of Fergie. So this doesn't surprise me. Atalanta are a very good side and they've proven it consistently over the past few seasons with their performances in the CL. They scored a couple of good goals yesterday, but did fall off worryingly at the start of the second half. Koopmeiners, who assisted one of their goals, is a midfielder sort of in the Carrick mold, which I would've liked us to take a look at.
I can't really stand listening to the Class of '92 nowadays anymore, they've basically become caricatures. I enjoyed listening to Neville previously, but he's reached that stage as well imo. Roy Keane will probably always be entertaining, though.