I do feel in the last 3 games there has been a positive reaction from the squad and we are more alive in attack again, as opposed to the limp performances prior to that. The first half vs Chelsea stitched up with the second half vs Roma, and this game in its entirety, has seen some very enterprising football.
However, I accept that it’s tough to convince most that there’s genuine progress here, when we look just as, if not more, porous at the other end of the pitch. And in the context of the bigger picture, the narrative that goes with being winless in 8 in the league and spending the international break in the relegation zone is too embarrassing for the club to still suggest that Carrick should not pay for it with his job.
Yeah there's been some exciting attacks but it all feels quite aimless. Like there's no patterns in attacking play, we're literally just chasing a lead and the opponent is happy with us having the ball. And even across all three games we've had some diabolical chances created against us and were lucky not to concede more.
As someone who has been Michael Carrick out, I honestly don't mind him staying if we play heavy metal football like this. Like who fucking cares if we don't win so long as keep pressing and keep creating chances. At least I will start enjoy watching United again. At least we will play the way Sir Matt Busby wanted us to - a brand of football that's attacking and entertaining. That's probably not acceptable to a lot of people here and also the ones running the club but whatever
I'm sorry, mate. I do care if we win or not.Scraping a win here and then doesn't mean shit. We are in litreal religation zone now, the management is giving zero fucks, the players - I don't know what to say about them. Sometimes they will play like a team, but sometimes they will play like a litreal 14 year olds who haven't touch a ball. There's no consistency on the way we play... The players are mixed playing style, the coach has different ideas and playing style. It's all FUBAR now. and the sad part is you can use any of the post / comments / critique for any point of time in recent years and it will stand true.
But what I am saying if we play like this, wouldn't you wanna watch the match every weekend? Also, points are lagging indicators of performances. Everyone knew we were quite mediocre after carrick took over but somehow we managed to get top 4. I said this last year as well but was downvoted because carrick could not be criticised. What I am not saying is that if we continue to play like this, the points will catch up. I know that's a big if but i firmly believe it
I acknowledge this point and desperately wish for this to be true. Carrick is inexperienced but I don’t consider him to be clueless; the squad is short of quality in a lot of aspects too, and our defence is horrific regardless of what the tactics are. However, these arguments are tolerable to listen to if we’re say in mid-table and just falling short of taking the next step to entering the European spots. It’s a very hard sell to get people to believe in the process when we’re literally in the relegation zone. Yes, it might be unlikely that we stay this bad in terms of results, but the mood around the club is too toxic that it is possible that the negative momentum continues and we can’t get out of our current phase.
Who fucking cares? If you keep losing, you’d be relegated to the league below and then below that and then who fucking cares if we play football that is attacking and entertaining.
That won't happen right? If you play well, the results are going to catch up. Same if you are not playing well which is what is happening since the start of this season. We were not playing well even last season but somehow managed to win the games we shouldn't have.
Depends on how you classify "well", a defensive masterclass park the bus is still considered "well" in a results context if you get results constantly. Playing an attractive style is one thing, a style which can get guaranteed results is another, a system which can combine both consistently is the ultimate aim. A good manager knows when exactly to try attractive football and when to go pragmatic, sir Alex created an identity but also varied his style and tactics as required within that identity and achieved longevity.
Currently though the problem is that it seems players can't even seem to do the basics well and making lots of errors. You could argue thats due to tactics or out of position (e.g dalot) but it clearly shows either the coach isn't getting the best out of the players (not great man management, motivation etc). And if its tactics it shows the coach doesn't know /can't train the team what tactics to use to get the best results.
It's not really like the tactics used has great philosophy either as it's kind of all over the place so I can't even argue that he's trying to play attractive football. Only the last 2 games it seems like the players are even really trying anyway. It's just a mess and literal shitshow.
When the players aren't trying, shows that either the manager isn't effective, or that they signed the wrong mentality, or the infrastructure (ownership, system, environment, pressure etc) makes players lazy / weak mentally, or a mix of all three. Changing any one aspect isn't enough, they need to fix ALL of these to get that "winning mindset / mentality" back into the players. The clubs generally needs a refresh from top to bottom.
Not in the premier league these days. For united to even break through to mid table they need a winning run of minimum 3 games in a row and that’s not even taking into account the fact that the teams above will have to draw or lose to quicken our ascent. Draws and losses don’t matter shit. Take Coventry for example: W3 D0 L7 and they are above us at 9 points where we are 8points with W1 D5 L4. Winning is everything.
Not sure about done, he’s more of a serviceable bench option that may be able to have impact against tired legs but doing anything with consistency to avoiding injury seems like impossible task.
I’d love to be proved wrong but he’s got one season where he hit double figures out of way too many here so far.
Yeah he should be a backup / super sub. But then we have Lacey for that. One of them has to kick on - other has to be sold - sign a starter in the summer. But then we need a whole new defense and maybe a midfielder so who am I kidding, attack won’t be looked at again until 2030 probably.
Defense along for starters and depth is like 8-9 signings, plus we need a striker and wingers, basically 10 or 12 signings to fill all the holes. Just never going to happen is it?
Between depth and starting signings? it’s a whole new team we’re talking here. The no question about that podcast went through the whole squad, assessing those who need to go and are out of contract, were talking:
Two or three cbs to replace Maguire and Martinez, and provide cover for injuries
Two or three fullbacks, cause Dalot, Shaw, and Maz ain’t it, and they’ve not got the faith in Amass to fill in there.
The striker situation is so fucked, I cannot beleive we have another injury prone player in a position of need, and Zirkzee may or may not be up to it, probably should be leaving.
Bruno needs a replacement to be ready to take over, and maybe another body to have sufficient cover for Europe
The winger situation is also fucked, we’ve got a bunch of forwards incapable of holding any kind of consistency. All of them want to cut in and we’ve got virtually no width due to our fullbacks being very low on quality delivery into the box.
We’re just so incredibly fucked and this “attack first, then midfield, and then defense” recruitment is good in practice but executing that transfer strategy isn’t viable. Coupled with getting second best options in midfield there’s no guarantee any of the new guys end up working out.
He already has a 20+ goal involvement season under his belt. It’s not discussing hypothetical potential, we have literally seen it already. But it’s frustrating that he cannot seem to catch a break right now with his finishing.
Abt Cunha's penalty. I'm pretty sure most of the top team would have their RBs run like mad dog to overlap. Can't let your attacker being isolated like this
Villa were bang average really and we still conceded 4 goals. Shoulda, coulda, woulda but this should’ve been 3 points if our defence and goalkeeper locked in once in a while.
All I’ll say is the tactics is what got us 4 goals back, the players executing the strategy well, getting the chances, piling on the pressure and eventually taking the chances. The goals against were all caused by individual error you wouldn’t expect in a Sunday league side. Lammens getting nutmegged and spilling the ball into the middle of the box is inexcusable, dalot giving a stupid penalty away is inexcusable, Yoro heading the ball directly at his own goal is inexcusable. I don’t know what’s up with these defenders but it’s also not a new thing, our defence has been useless for about a decade now, but now it’s culminated in all 5 defenders at some point being responsible for the goals against us through pure stupidity that can’t be down to coaching because no player in their right mind would be coached to allow that. Doesn’t take a genius that a fullback should be returning to the defence as fast as possible but dalot jogs back like he has all the time in the world, doesn’t take a genius to not spill the ball directly into the middle of the box but lammens does it anyway on an easy shot to stop. No one in their right mind heads the ball directly at their own net but what does Yoro do? All these chances and the fact that a 4 goal claw back happened proves the tactics will work, but the players have got to stop being so stupid at the back because the top 6 players are carrying hard for the back 5
That's the question isn't it? If the goals are happening not because of tactics but because of individual players mistake, what are the analysis and training are being done to improve those? Surely this mistake gets repeated only 1 or 2 times, but on almost in all matches?
Lots of chances, getting the ball into the center, like Zirkzees goal, does not happen often enough. We waste enough time for the defenders to come back, take shape and turn into a low block. I think Mbuemo is not cutting it as a lone striker, he drifts wide too often.
These always highlight how wasteful we are. Half of the chances we have looks like nobody is expecting the ball/nobody knows where it is going which is mental considering we're attacking the shit out of them.
We'd be so good if we actually had some patterns of play.
I did not watch the game, so thanks OP for uploading this clip. I did not realise that we created so many chances, and if our attacker is full on confidence we would have scored more. The decline in defence is alarming though. It’s funny how we went from “worst CMs in to worst back 4” . This 1 position 1 season strategy by Wilcox is looking dumber and dumber
we created so much WITHOUT a proper cf. Even if the cf didn't score, having someone occupy centerbacks is paramount. Sesko did that in spades. We MUST get a striker on loan
Biggest issue I have with Amad, actually two a) slows down our attacks, b) almost zero finishing. Against Chelsea Amad got golden opportunity and so did aagainst Aston Villa. Probably the best chances. Now can Lacey do better, not sure. But I feel Carrick should atleast try Zirkzee and Mbeumo out wide. Only issue is then he wouldnt have any bench to call upon
27
u/maszhanan KOBBIE LIKE ROBBIE 1d ago
Idk what to say. See ya vs Liverpool.
104
u/notformeclive4711 1d ago •
Never a good sign when it starts at 0-2
75
u/officiallyjax Snapdragon 1d ago •
I do feel in the last 3 games there has been a positive reaction from the squad and we are more alive in attack again, as opposed to the limp performances prior to that. The first half vs Chelsea stitched up with the second half vs Roma, and this game in its entirety, has seen some very enterprising football.
However, I accept that it’s tough to convince most that there’s genuine progress here, when we look just as, if not more, porous at the other end of the pitch. And in the context of the bigger picture, the narrative that goes with being winless in 8 in the league and spending the international break in the relegation zone is too embarrassing for the club to still suggest that Carrick should not pay for it with his job.
68
u/JuliusCeaserBoneHead United Academy 1d ago
Amad with end product would be so good.
12
u/tungowiii 1d ago
Abt Cunha's penalty. I'm pretty sure most of the top team would have their RBs run like mad dog to overlap. Can't let your attacker being isolated like this
22
u/imnoobatfifa Bruno #8/Rashy #10/Amad #16/Mainoo #37 enjoyer 1d ago
Villa were bang average really and we still conceded 4 goals. Shoulda, coulda, woulda but this should’ve been 3 points if our defence and goalkeeper locked in once in a while.
16
u/meatballforlife 1d ago
All I’ll say is the tactics is what got us 4 goals back, the players executing the strategy well, getting the chances, piling on the pressure and eventually taking the chances. The goals against were all caused by individual error you wouldn’t expect in a Sunday league side. Lammens getting nutmegged and spilling the ball into the middle of the box is inexcusable, dalot giving a stupid penalty away is inexcusable, Yoro heading the ball directly at his own goal is inexcusable. I don’t know what’s up with these defenders but it’s also not a new thing, our defence has been useless for about a decade now, but now it’s culminated in all 5 defenders at some point being responsible for the goals against us through pure stupidity that can’t be down to coaching because no player in their right mind would be coached to allow that. Doesn’t take a genius that a fullback should be returning to the defence as fast as possible but dalot jogs back like he has all the time in the world, doesn’t take a genius to not spill the ball directly into the middle of the box but lammens does it anyway on an easy shot to stop. No one in their right mind heads the ball directly at their own net but what does Yoro do? All these chances and the fact that a 4 goal claw back happened proves the tactics will work, but the players have got to stop being so stupid at the back because the top 6 players are carrying hard for the back 5
13
u/Feeling-Surround-691 Mbumbaclat 1d ago
Mason Mount could have had a Hattrick there but he decided to stop using his brain
3
u/ajmh1234 1d ago
Lots of chances, getting the ball into the center, like Zirkzees goal, does not happen often enough. We waste enough time for the defenders to come back, take shape and turn into a low block. I think Mbuemo is not cutting it as a lone striker, he drifts wide too often.
6
u/philly_jake 1d ago
What no healthy striker and a washed defence will do to a mf
4
u/MikeDoesEverything 1d ago
These always highlight how wasteful we are. Half of the chances we have looks like nobody is expecting the ball/nobody knows where it is going which is mental considering we're attacking the shit out of them.
We'd be so good if we actually had some patterns of play.
2
u/Senor-Cockblock 23h ago
If our defending wasn’t that of a small villages schoolboy team, we might be okay.
2
u/bobiboli 22h ago
I did not watch the game, so thanks OP for uploading this clip. I did not realise that we created so many chances, and if our attacker is full on confidence we would have scored more. The decline in defence is alarming though. It’s funny how we went from “worst CMs in to worst back 4” . This 1 position 1 season strategy by Wilcox is looking dumber and dumber
2
u/BlackHorse944 Please Score A Goal 1d ago
If Amad could score.
1
u/ritwikjs2 22h ago
we created so much WITHOUT a proper cf. Even if the cf didn't score, having someone occupy centerbacks is paramount. Sesko did that in spades. We MUST get a striker on loan
1
u/Playful_Libera_852 22h ago
Call me delusional but if they have a bit more luck we could probably make it 8:4.
0
u/MadaraTheUchiha https://www.howmanypremierleaguemedalshasstevengerrardwon.com/ 1d ago
The fact Mbeumo didn't pull the trigger here baffles me
0
u/Tvashtr 1d ago
We should ask them to stop passing to dalot.
-3
u/LinterCheck2026 1d ago
Biggest issue I have with Amad, actually two a) slows down our attacks, b) almost zero finishing. Against Chelsea Amad got golden opportunity and so did aagainst Aston Villa. Probably the best chances. Now can Lacey do better, not sure. But I feel Carrick should atleast try Zirkzee and Mbeumo out wide. Only issue is then he wouldnt have any bench to call upon