The pitch was quite shit, terrible for the kind of football we want to play.
Erik ten Hag | 2022/23 & 2023/24
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Good post. 1st team in the 1st half was quite comfortably controlling the match with another class buildup goal despite pitch being a potato field.
We do have some players to sell / improve, but I refuse to believe no substantial reinforcements will arrive in this window.
Yeah we really do need 2-3 more first team signings this window ASAP.
The drop on quality from our front 3/Midfield to our backups are terrible.
The drop on quality from our front 3/Midfield to our backups are terrible.
The next Ralf wiggums.
He’s good in a low block counter attacking system. Clubs will definitely be interested - Nobody is paying more than 20m though. Bailly and Telles should get offers you’d think.
Especially Telles I would assume should relatively easily find a buyer in southern Europe
They're all decent players, its up to their agents.....they would do a job in most sides outside the top six and outside the elite European sides its up to their agents.
We should be making it clear that they're surplus to requirements.
I think he may get his wish and get Antony or a LF RW, but he also needs a RB someone around the price of Malacia and if De Jong doesnt come a leader in CM is essential. we cant go in with McFred and VDB as the CM options, unless Martinez is going to sit as anchor/DM in front of defence.
He's no fool. He knows he needs to replace a significant number of the players in the squad. Hopefully another 2-3 will happen in the next month or so
But who still plays like that in the EPL... You'd kinda have to count on West Ham, or otherwise maybe Wolves (not sure about their current style) or maybe Everton or Villa. It's a pretty limited set of potential buyers.
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Well Palace - the club he’s been linked with.
Can't say I blame you, it was a truly torrid affair.
Martinez and Eriksen are yet to play while some of our players are yet to reach full match fitness. Lets see how we fare against the 2 Spanish teams before we pull out the panic mode.
Serie A clubs, we should get as much as we could and let them go, no exorbitant prices.
Loan with an option to buy for £8m in two years it is, then
Yes there are plans for more but we cant depend on it. The key thing for ETH is to find other formations that can bring out the best of what he has. Its similar to how Ole had to adjust his formation to put Fred and McTominay as the double mobile pivot when it was clear that Matic and Pogba wasnt working out. Eventually, a manager's success will be determined by how he is tactically versatile with his existing options, such as Ancelotti etc.
FDJ and Ekriksen will add so much polish to this side. People need to relax.
I think awb would be the most difficult of the trio to sell because he's English, and English lads don't like to go abroad.
Didn't we have a bid from Fulham for Bailly?
No one is panicking we just need more depth, especially in attack.
We've only signed one of them
By far and away the worst performing/entertaining United period post-Fergie. The perfect example of good at possession is pointless if you don't shoot or score.
Oh, ok! I don't follow transfer rumours and thought Palace's style wouldn't fit him.
I didn't consider Italy because English players usually stay in the EPL, @Trex; but actually a few moved in recent years, so who knows. Italian clubs are generally not that defensive anymore either though. But Mourinho might like him for Roma.
He'll have loved VdB.
He’s been linked with Roma too I think - suspect he’d be out their price range though. They love a loan!
Wouldnt surprised if VdB is his love child.
Yeah, as @hellhunter said, a move to Italy wouldn't involve big bucks for United.
My concern is that our pressing structure looked fairly bad in the second half of the game. We were always leaving a free man in acres of space and the players didn't seem quite sure who's doing what.
This was the problem under Ole / Rangnick as well. Sure if there are no rotations and all the attackers are where they're supposed to be, we run 3v3s and isolate the attackers against the touch line and win the ball back no problem.
But the moment there's a little bit of rotation (CM drifts to RW, RW comes inside inside, CB joins in whatever) they are like a deer in headlights.
I agree that the Spanish sides are a good test, players in Spain grow up with positional rotation and 3rd man runs from when they are 12 or 13 years old. It's second nature to them. If we can adapt to a Spanish side and press them well then I'm convinced fully in the EtH way.
He is LVG football epitomized.
Not even close.
You mean?
He doesn't represent LVG's football at all and he would've never bought him if he were coming up during his stint at United.
Slowly walking around playing pointless 4 yard passes and doing nothing of any note?
It’s a pretty good description of LVG and DVDB at United to be fair
Pointless/Passengers. But I am sure there are still a few here who will still accuse the now 4 managers of not giving him enough chances to play.
Pass it side ways and backwards is something they both love.
Good first half, considering the pitch. Villa could barely get out of their half for big periods. Great build-up for Sancho's goal. He was having a surprisingly big impact on the game considering that we mostly attacked down the left today. Good signs! Won't put much stock in the second half performance, conditions were completely awful. The fact that we were able to play as well as we did for as long as we did today surprised me positively.
Encouraging signs!
Encouraging signs!
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LVG needs his midfielders to at least be able to get on the ball a lot to do that, VDB can go 45 minutes with barely touching the ball.
Missed the game but the over reaction in here for a preseason is crazy.
You're right though.
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