Is there favoritism or not?

Fortitude

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Sancho has burned bridges and will probably never play again under ten Hag, but is what he said correct?

Certain players are dead certainties to start, no matter what they did the game before, and seemingly, others can perform well and then see the bench for weeks/months/indefinitely. I don't particularly care for the names of those who seem to get preferential treatment, but if there is a sense that the game's tilted and you won't get playing time on merit or from a ceased chance, that's going to be seriously damaging to squad morale.

If it is happening, is it because:

- the manager is under pressure and feels it's his best chance of keeping his job?

- the manager does not trust the remainder of the squad?

- the manager doesn't feel they're good enough and is thus railroaded into the selections he insists upon?

- believes they'll eventually play themselves into form?

- pig headed and wishes to prove what's not working will work, eventually?

If you can think of anything else, all ears, but is this an actual issue in your eyes or just looking like one because, erm <insert creative reasoning >?

It does seem incredibly disheartening if you're a player in one of 'the undroppable's' positions - squad - and man - management is a skill in and of itself, for a multitude of reasons; is this going to sort itself out or eventually have an organic fallout at a later date?
 
At some point he has to drop rashford and Bruno. Try something new at least as this is definitely it working.
If he doesn’t then he won’t last the season.
 
Every manager that has ever existed has had favourite players.
 
I think a lack of rotation was already mentioned as a problem during his Ajax time? It seems like he tries to play his best team into form and everyone else is just there to fill the gaps. That probably also explains why injuries have such a big impact - EtH focuses on his best selection and as that's not available he fails to implement a system using his other available players. Which is a terrible long-term approach as a manager of a team that might have to play 60 games a season, it can work very well if you are just relevant in the league and don't care about cups and don't play in Europe. If you are lucky you get a run like that one time he reached the CL semifinal with Ajax, but it will burn through players and as we have seen can't be repeated.
 
Dropping Rashford and Bruno has become a weird obsession with some fans. They're massively out of form, but can create moments like very few others can in the squad and it isn't like we have a load of replacements lining up. Garnacho is good but patchy, Martial unreliable and swapping in Mount for Bruno doesn't exactly excite. Hopefully Rash and Bruno can play through this and find some form.
 
big time. i’ve noticed, for instance, how he always starts every game with a goalkeeper.
 
Bruno and Rashford are the new scapegoats and whipping boys, yet despite that they are still our most influential players, dropping them is insane.
EtH is picking the teams he believes will win against each team we are facing, really nothing else to say about it.
 
Is it favoritism or just common sense?

Antony starts because Sancho is Sancho.
Rashford starts because Garnacho is only effective coming on from the bench and Sancho is Sancho.

You could create midfield combinations that will see Bruno and Casemiro relegated to the bench, but I'm not sure if that decision is so wise. There is some merit behind letting them play. Both did well last season and both (Casemiro in particular) have a good CV. I also think we need to consider what goes on in the training ground.

But having said all that: no one is undroppable as long as there are other viable options. Eriksen is still useful, McTominay is in great form for Scotland, Amrabat is solid defensively and there must have been a reason behind the Mount purchase. If Bruno and Casemiro don't improve soon then their spots are in danger.
 
Jippy said:
Dropping Rashford and Bruno has become a weird obsession with some fans. They're massively out of form, but can create moments like very others can in the squad and it isn't like we have a load of replacements lining up. Garnacho is good but patchy, Martial unreliable and swapping in Mount for Bruno doesn't exactly excite. Hopefully Rash and Bruno can play through this and find some form.
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Yeh, I don’t get this “drop Bruno/Rashford” narrative. For who?

It’s the same in games where people are desperate for substitutions and there’s nobody remarkable on the bench who will definitely change a game. Most of the United squad subs are hit and miss, they aren’t guaranteed game changers.

This has actually been a problem for years, there is no competition in the squad (maybe sort of in defence when all fit) and there are particular players we just can’t drop.

We have no fit starting defenders. We have no alternative striker. We have an unproven teenager who can come in and sometimes do more then Rashford or Anthony.

In central midfield Casemerio just hasn’t looked right since that second red card and there’s nobody remotely close to being as good as him.

To me this explains a lot of our crap play and disjointed performances.

I get that the game is fickle and managers don’t get long to fix things but I feel if the club could just be run even a bit better, ETH can turn things around. I feel like if we can just get over this hump and start getting players back and our forward line can actually start taking its chances , we will start looking like a team.

Think about all the goals we concede after scoring. That’s a defensive issue as anything else so if we had our first team defence that doesn’t Happen.

There’s been some very questionable decisions go against us and we have had marginal decisions ( correct) go against us that made massive differences in games.

Our forward line (Hoijland aside) has contributed nothing of quality for weeks. They are wasting chances, even golden boy Garnacho made a mess of a one on one last night.

That’s not even factoring in all the other drama. I mean could anything worse happen this season in terms of things ETH can’t control , that are just making everything so
 
I'd say yes there is a bit of favouritism.. Nothing major though. But there is still a bit there..

Antony being the obvious, I know EtH doesnt have many options on the right, but Antony still came straight back into the team over the likes of Mount and Pellestri. For me hes nowhere near good enough. I think a lot of people get conned by players who run really fast, do a few step overs. It makes them look like they're dangerous and effective.. yet overall in a game, they dont actually do anything. Create nothing at all.. no interest in crossing the ball etc. He must be a joy to play against as hes so predictable.

Personally I'd love to see Mount getting a run on the right. Hes been great when hes actually played recently.
 
It starts to feel that way as a fan, but we don't know what is happening and being discussed in training. Defence is so messed due to injuries we can't have any criticism there, literally who is fit plays irrespective of form. However further forward where there are options it's a valid question. Rashford and Bruno are pretty much ever present and, based on prior performances last season and before you would say fair enough - by far the most productive for us last year. Antony seems to get a nod each time he's fit too, but again nothing to show for it at all yet this season (and not a huge amount last). I think it's fair to ask the question.

It is a squad game now and you have to wonder what effect it has if each game certain players don't produce they continue to be selected, while others who have done ok get dropped. The argument of who else can come in is valid, but surely you have to try otherwise some of the squad will legitimately decide there is no option for playtime other than injuries and it will be detrimental. If others come in and do just as bad then fair enough, but at least then you can tell them they had a chance - but if you don't try then surely it's a recipe for problems?
 
Could be a case that the manager doesn't have confidence in the players it also speaks well the coach's capabilities as often time the chance taken to play younger players is more on the management having the ability to inspire confidence in them to perform. The Ajax fans spoke of this very same issue and it was evident last season with a lack of rotation. I don't think it's a huge issue because the manager is on the ropes this season, if his superiors are uncertain of their employment than it's understandable going with experience and trusting key players to get you through bad patches.

The issue is the bad patch is more like a gaping wound with this team, the only way these players are going to improve form is for there to be a tactical element of success where they find more space or avenues to be effective because some of the performances despite good results are disastrous on an individual basis.

Sancho was perhaps correct in what he said but it doesn't justify his position as when he plays he has typically been absent in his intensity and performance levels.
 
Jippy said:
Dropping Rashford and Bruno has become a weird obsession with some fans. They're massively out of form, but can create moments like very few others can in the squad and it isn't like we have a load of replacements lining up. Garnacho is good but patchy, Martial unreliable and swapping in Mount for Bruno doesn't exactly excite. Hopefully Rash and Bruno can play through this and find some form.
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Exactly this 100%.
 
Hard to call it favouritism when the manager is simply playing our best players.
Rashford and Fernandes will not be dropped because statistically they are our most creative and productive players in the last couple of years.
The manager is giving it all we’ve got, we just aren’t there yet and putting weaker players in won’t solve the problem. His hand is also tied by injuries to key players.
 
Fortitude said:
Sancho has burned bridges and will probably never play again under ten Hag, but is what he said correct?

Certain players are dead certainties to start, no matter what they did the game before, and seemingly, others can perform well and then see the bench for weeks/months/indefinitely.
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Every manager has favourites, its nothing new. Fergie had a blind spot for Fletcher and Anderson, to name two, for years.
 
Jippy said:
Dropping Rashford and Bruno has become a weird obsession with some fans. They're massively out of form, but can create moments like very few others can in the squad and it isn't like we have a load of replacements lining up. Garnacho is good but patchy, Martial unreliable and swapping in Mount for Bruno doesn't exactly excite. Hopefully Rash and Bruno can play through this and find some form.
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I agree about Rashford, I don't see how he doesn't play, but we definitely have a way to play without Bruno now. It's just we're choosing not to.
I also think having Bruno (no matter what) in the team when you have alternatives is sending a bad signal.
 
The word “favoritism” insinuates an irrational motivation, which I really don’t think is at issue here.
 
Wumminator said:
Who has regularly performed better than them?
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When given the chance Eriksen has been better than Bruno. Højlund has performed better. We have also pretty much only played one game where the football was quite decent, and that was in the game without them.
I am not one of those who wants either sold, but taking players who are, for one reason or another, not performing out of the team for a few games can help the players. Look at Maguire now.
 
Borys said:
I agree about Rashford, I don't see how he doesn't play, but we definitely have a way to play without Bruno now. It's just we're choosing not to.
I also think having Bruno (no matter what) in the team when you have alternatives is sending a bad signal.
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Mount has been injured I guess. I would like to see Bruno rested more, given the crazy number of games he's played, but I think it's questionable if playing your captain and arguably most skilful player, even if out of form, is 'sending a bad signal' as such. Choosing not to play a lesser player is a strange criticism.
 
Jippy said:
Dropping Rashford and Bruno has become a weird obsession with some fans. They're massively out of form, but can create moments like very few others can in the squad and it isn't like we have a load of replacements lining up. Garnacho is good but patchy, Martial unreliable and swapping in Mount for Bruno doesn't exactly excite. Hopefully Rash and Bruno can play through this and find some form.
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Casemiro too. Look at the state of our midfield without him. They aren’t the reason for our poor form. We’re playing poorly because they aren’t playing well. And when you look at the players they’re playing with their job is being made much harder.
 
even a loving father / mother will have their own favorite child. Some bias is part of human nature. But this season is more driven by constraint than favoritism.

He tried Garnacho but didn't work out, then there is these injuries to Martial, Hojlund, Mount, Eriksen and match fitness of Ambarat. We don't really have the luxury to test out other options.

Even right now, we have an out of form Rashford, Bruno and Antony. We don't really have anyone to replace them.
 
I think he figures that even though players like Rashford and Bruno are on poor form, they're the ones who have shown that they can be top perfomers when they're in form. Benching them isn't likely to bring them back to form. Besides, with the possible exception of Garnacho, the backup players haven't really done much better and there's little chance of them earning a place as regular starters. We play poorly no matter who's on the pitch, so he might as well go with the ones who have been excellent before. The only way we're likely to start playing well again is if Rashford and Bruno return to form. With the backup options, the best we could hope for is that they play better than they usually do. As such, it isn't really a better alternative.
 
Lyng said:
When given the chance Eriksen has been better than Bruno. Højlund has performed better. We have also pretty much only played one game where the football was quite decent, and that was in the game without them.
I am not one of those who wants either sold, but taking players who are, for one reason or another, not performing out of the team for a few games can help the players. Look at Maguire now.
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Holjund plays with both of them so no point bringing him in.

Eriksen has been playing with Bruno as well.

There are no better alternatives than those two.
 
I thought ETH handled the Ronaldo situation well but it seems the squad was United then there was this petulant child in the middle of it. When he left we went from strength to strength.

The Sancho situation seems different. The squad definitely aren’t playing for him and it doesn’t appear from the outside that he’s handling it well.
 
Wumminator said:
Holjund plays with both of them so no point bringing him in.

Eriksen has been playing with Bruno as well.

There are no better alternatives than those two.
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You could bring Mount for Bruno or play Eriksen in Brunos position and then have Amrabat and Case behind them, which arguably would add more balance to our midfield.
 
Jippy said:
Mount has been injured I guess. I would like to see Bruno rested more, given the crazy number of games he's played, but I think it's questionable if playing your captain and arguably most skilful player, even if out of form, is 'sending a bad signal' as such. Choosing not to play a lesser player is a strange criticism.
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You guess? If that's true then we really have little options, although you might argue Hannibal could probably play with Amrabat in midfield to give Eriksen more cover. I have not seen any info on Mount injury though.

On the bolded part, I understand Bruno plays no matter what? Because he's been as bad as ever in his United days. Do you think keeping a player on this form in starting eleven and for full 90' game agtet game is not sending a wrong signal?
Because the signal I read is ETH is panicking and has no clue other than hope Bruno and Rashford find their feet somehow.
 
of course there is favoritism, its normal with every manager since the dawn of the football league. Players usually know it comes with the territory and usually stand and fight their corner within the club structure or else leave. Its brattish moaning on social media that displays a spinelessness in Sancho.
 
Sancho hasn’t said any of that and even if he did it’s irrelevant
 
Conor said:
Every manager that has ever existed has had favourite players.
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100%

It's also hilarious the player accusing the manager of favouritism (if you believe the media) is someone who can't even be trusted to get out of bed on time.
 
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