He had the choice of starting rashford up top. When it was announced ronaldo was starting I knew we were screwed, how on earth did ETH not see it? And why did he start Ronaldo against West ham and play him for full 90 mins playing like shite at the same time when we did have options?
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He had the choice of starting rashford up top. When it was announced ronaldo was starting I knew we were screwed, how on earth did ETH not see it? And why did he start Ronaldo against West ham and play him for full 90 mins playing like shite at the same time when we did have options?
It is obvious with Antony, Sancho and Martial injured that Ronaldo is going to have to play more minutes than he would with all of those players available but he has played every minute of the last 4 games and been dogshit while other players have been played out of position . We have needed goals against Real Sociedad and Villa and he has looked awful in both games where surely it would have been worth changing tactics to play with someone with a bit more pace and energy down the middle to shake things up but could the act of substituting Ronaldo , him having a strop and the following backlash from the media and pundits be in the back of Ten Hags mind ? Any player in the form that Ronaldo is in shouldn`t be starting every game then playing every minute even though the options to replace him are limited but we still have had options to play Rashford against Sociedad or Martial today down the middle, it does make you wonder if the backlash after the disruption Ronaldo caused in the Spurs game has affected Ten Hags decision making.
Exactly, even dragging up Charlie McNeil would have made more sense than starting ronaldo and refusing to sub him off when its clear he's being a liability.
The fact he was captain today made me physically ill. ETH sends out the completely wrong message with that one. It should have been Eriksen, Rashford, Shaw, De Gea, basically anyone but the diva.
fecking hell. Our list of attackers in order of preference is:
- Rashford
- Martial
- Antony
- Sancho
- Ronaldo
- Garnacho
- Elanga
Yup. Just wait for the meltdown when Martial isn't rushed to start next week either, precisely due to his fitness. All reason is gone from this thread I guess.
Ummmm because it's simply making a 3 out of the options we have. If your wingers are out, Rashford plays wing as the rest can't? Maybe garnacho will move ahead of Ronaldo in the list soon. But to complain as it it is crazy to have Ronaldo above an 18 year old as if it's some sort of pandering is fecking wild.
Do people genuinely believe Ronaldo's episode hasn't affected the way Ten Hag approaches him? Are we going to sit here and pretend that Ten Hag's handling of Ronaldo hasn't changed since the incident?
Dude who was getting dropped and subbed out for putting in mediocre performances suddenly start and finish all games despite still putting in mediocre performances?
Are we seriously that naive?
“Tin Foil, get your Tin Foil folks..I’ll do you a deal, 5 for the price of 2, so the hats you ain’t happy with just throw em away and make some more, can’t say fairer than that, you won’t find this deal anywhere else so grab em while you can guys and gals…lovely jubbly me ol’ mucker “
I don't believe that ETH has been pressured into starting/playing him.
That said, it seems irrelevant to me that a player like Elanga is "not United quality" or "Championship quality" (or whatever he's deemed to be) when Ronaldo is so shockingly poor as he actually is these days. He offers literally nothing. Elanga can at least run/press a bit.
That said, it seems irrelevant to me that a player like Elanga is "not United quality" or "Championship quality" (or whatever he's deemed to be) when Ronaldo is so shockingly poor as he actually is these days. He offers literally nothing. Elanga can at least run/press a bit.
He's an average player now. The sulking he does on the pitch, it's becoming evident to him too now, I think. Worst part is, by trying to incorporate him into the team, it's hindering our other attackers imo. Legendary player, but it's very clear he just doesn't have it anymore.
Question the managerial wisdom all you like but it’s a bit much suggesting ETH is somehow afraid of making a tough decision with regard to Ronaldo, when he’s already demonstrated such resolve earlier in the season.
I've been silently defending him for a fair while, but he's been terrible as of late. He doesn't get into positions. His touch has completely deserted him, and he cannot dribble anymore. His link-up play is average, and sadly arguably his biggest asset, so that's just sad. Looks like he can still run pretty fast in a straight line, which he has shown a few times, and he still has a helluva leap on him, but his timing isn't good. There was a game, can't remember which, where he picked the ball up and raced away from the defender, but then he made a poor touch out wide instead of straight or inside, forcing him to adjust and the defender caught up, ruining the chance. Now, that bad touch wouldn't have happened a few years ago, but it's happening all the time now. Heavy touches and lack of agility.
If he has to play, I think he needs to play alongside Martial, and perhaps use Ronaldo as a left forward and Martial as more of a free roaming forward. Use Antony on the right and Bruno with freedom towards the left. It might be a shite idea, so perhaps just bench him and use Martial down the middle and Rashford down the left with Antony on the right.
If he has to play, I think he needs to play alongside Martial, and perhaps use Ronaldo as a left forward and Martial as more of a free roaming forward. Use Antony on the right and Bruno with freedom towards the left. It might be a shite idea, so perhaps just bench him and use Martial down the middle and Rashford down the left with Antony on the right.
If you actually watched him for 90 minutes from his last/second last season at Madrid, the decline in his play had already started. The goals papered over many many poor performancs. He had essentially become a poacher with very little contribution otherwise. Now that he is not scoring, his poor general play is coming to the fore. This season has been the nadir of a slow decline over around 7 years or more.
I doubt we will be able to get rid after the wc simply because there are no takers unless he massively reduces his wages. But summer 2023 will be the end of him at United.
Only way ETH solves this problem is too sell him in January. Question is who buys him 5 months before his contract is up and he is free?
I genuinely hope he can finish his career in a better way somewhere else, but I'm so glad we're into the last few months of the Ronaldo circus after the WC.
Usually we play a man down when he plays anyways, but him and VDB out there at the same time is playing with 2 men down.
Back to Ronaldo though: He is absolutely finished. He offers literally nothing. He is completely incapable of playing football at the highest level now. I think he'll not score a single goal at the World Cup either. It's a bit sad seeing him in this state, but I truly hope he doesn't play again for the club. He is offering nothing but negatives at the moment.
His fanboys and stans throughout the media and social media are an absolute embarrassment.
Back to Ronaldo though: He is absolutely finished. He offers literally nothing. He is completely incapable of playing football at the highest level now. I think he'll not score a single goal at the World Cup either. It's a bit sad seeing him in this state, but I truly hope he doesn't play again for the club. He is offering nothing but negatives at the moment.
His fanboys and stans throughout the media and social media are an absolute embarrassment.
I do reckon his strops have had an impact and I don't know why he's starting all the games again as we looked much better with him on the bench. Hope Napoli or whoever can afford to take a punt on him in January. Legendary player for us and one of the GOATs but the future of us as a team does not have him in it, it's obvious.
you forgot nr 8 Maguire
Ok I'm being a bit silly because I have nothing to back this up. But it feels like Ronaldo has won some kind of battle of influence. Yeah he got fined and didnt play a game but now he's undroppable and wont even be subbed. Bruno has gone to the right - I presume to see if he can get crosses in to Ronaldo. Ten Haag has been saying he wanted to see Rashford next to Ronaldo. I presume thats why Rashford was a 10 as well to support him. DVB playing when Fred should have played I guess because in theory DVB might be able to cross or get more balls to Ronaldo. Ten Haag said today he wasnt happy with the crossing today because it wasnt at the right time for Ronaldo. Ronaldo as Captain. Players looking like they are doing everything to get the ball to him. And on and on. It just seems he is un-droppable again and is the main focus of everything. Does it feel this way to anyone else?
Doesn't look like he's coming back to anywhere even last seasons form or effectiveness. Reminds me of one of those F1 tyres from a few years ago that had a cliff drop shortly after small drop.
We used to hear or say what a physical phenomenon he is but this season at 38 I've been way more impressed with other players in their late 30s in how they move and strike or pass the ball. No doubt he was incredible at a high level into his mid 30s.
I still wouldn't put it past him to have a reasonable World Cup with the whole team willing to work and maybe the coach uses him off of someone and gets more time and space in a different style, he could still be Johnny on the spot and pick up some scraps. Playing for United and the PL is quite grueling and hard work. I remember him saying something similar even during his peak for us under Fergie, his goal scoring heights weren't attainable here, he knew it then and probably shouldn't have come back.
We used to hear or say what a physical phenomenon he is but this season at 38 I've been way more impressed with other players in their late 30s in how they move and strike or pass the ball. No doubt he was incredible at a high level into his mid 30s.
I still wouldn't put it past him to have a reasonable World Cup with the whole team willing to work and maybe the coach uses him off of someone and gets more time and space in a different style, he could still be Johnny on the spot and pick up some scraps. Playing for United and the PL is quite grueling and hard work. I remember him saying something similar even during his peak for us under Fergie, his goal scoring heights weren't attainable here, he knew it then and probably shouldn't have come back.
FFS Tony stay fit for a few games so he can't keep letting us down up front. This is becoming very Aubameyang at Arsenal. Sadly this board won't allow the same decisive action.
All the noise has been that we were open to letting him go in the summer but there were no takers that Ronaldo was willing to accept. Ronaldo will likely accept a much lower level now, but again, which club will be stupid enough to take him off of us? Either way, he's gone in the summer at the latest so whatever.
No a single good performance with him in the side. But I guess Keane, Evra and Ferdinand are happy these days.
We will probably let him leave on a free.
I love Cris - look at my name - but how can you discipline an underperforming player and follow it up by playing him every single minute and making him captain.
EtH has shown the balls to drop him and then completely contradicted the whole identity of his team, I don't get it.
EtH has shown the balls to drop him and then completely contradicted the whole identity of his team, I don't get it.
Can't put up with his moody attitude until May
Reminds of Fernando Torres during his later years. Just like playing with 10 men.
Literally laugh my arse off when he tried to do that stepover moves in first half. He moved like a clunky robot being programmed to do a shit stepover. Anyway he's washed out and how ETH cant see that is just mind boggling. Does he score worldies in every training session ?
The denial is astonishing. All these mental gymnastics to avoid calling it as it is. Ten Hag has clearly caved. No matter injuries or whatever circumstances there are no reasons to be playing an underperforming 37 year old 4 games in 10 days.
People are so desperate to be blind that they'd rather believe Ten Hag is such a dumb coach that he'd think having no midfield is the way to get goals and get back in a game.
Chasing the game doesn't mean you completely get rid of your midfield, it means you remove the ineffective attacker and put a new one while also keeping a midfield that will help you get a grasp of the game and allow you to have chances to even score in the first place.
Subs ended up doing nothing with the last 10 minutes constituted of Villa just passing the ball around while we chased shadows because we didn't have a midfield. Do people honestly believe that Ten Hag would make such a stupid move if he weren't trying to keep Ronaldo on the pitch at all cost? We needed goals so leaving an ineffective striker instead of replacing him is the way to go now? Are people really blind to what's going on?
You end up with Martial in midfield which renders the midfield non existent then Ronaldo as CF who had already proven useless the entirety of the game. These aren't changes to get you a chance at scoring goals but ones to accommodate Ronaldo and keep him on the pitch at any cost.
Why would it be much to suggest that? We've already seen the same happen with Ole and Ragnick, ETH isn't immune to feeling the pressure that comes with Ronaldo's drama.
Initially Ten Hag was indeed not afraid to drop Ronaldo, now in hindsight it was probably due to him not fully grasping what kind of drama, pressure and media scrutiny that comes with rocking the Ronaldo's boat. However after the episode and all the drama that ensued, Ten Hag has changed strategy and has been a lot more indulgent of Ronaldo and trading carefully.
There have been plenty of occasions to sub out Ronaldo in all 4 games he started since he'd been poor yet Ten Hag didn't dare to but instead opted to shuffle people around, making us play in less than optimal formations to accommodate Ronaldo.
Since Ronaldo's reintegration in the team, Bruno has been played on the right, Rashford has been played on the right, in the hole and Martial has been played in midfield. All these moves making these players worst thus the team worse just to keep Ronaldo on the pitch.
In contrast to that, before the incident, Ten Hag would simply sub out Ronaldo(Newcastle) or drop him and play everyone in more suited and natural roles, and guess what? We played better. Yet here we are now doing the complete opposite of that and playing Ronaldo at all cost.
Has fecked us up Martial being injured and meant Erik hand has sadly been forced
I actually could see Martial starting the first 60 min on Thursday. Either that or he gets another sub appearance and then starts at the weekend
Like every manager out there, he is also responsible for both the form and confidence of every player in his team.
I wasn’t comfortable with it but I can’t blame the him for giving him the armband. Something has to happen for Ronaldo at the moment. Even the goals we’ll accept as a trade off are not forthcoming. Just like Donny the manager somehow is trying to play them into form but, oh but.
Every shot he takes seems to be blocked cause he's so slow.
The other thing is the number of offsides.
Elanga and Garnacho are wingers too honestly I don't see why they can't play in the wings. Ronaldo is almost 38 yo I don't think it's crazy to have some 18 yo over him in the pecking order. Especially considering he's not only utterly useless but also a huge detriment in how we play.
Again we should agree to disagree then I guess.
Stupid fecking offsides too. So many times in the past couple games he's clearly offside in what a normal striker could turn into a goal scoring opportunity and forces Dalot or Bruno into a worse option.
Yup its clear to see ETH is playing politics. If Ronaldo stays beyond January it's unacceptable though.
It's the death of top 4 hopes if he does
It's a shite idea, Ten Hag simply needs to stop playing him and trying to accommodate him.
Putting him in place of our quickest player or even Sancho would be a bigger joke than what we're seeing currently.
No hope for top 4 with this guy on top.
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