Although our performance seems to be getting worse game by game, the positive is that we are getting the points 16/18. I am fully convinced that this team can play much better. Last season we played very well in majority of our games and only finishing was letting us down. Currently, we are joint top of the league not playing well. Man City is in their best form and historically their form will drop off from Nov/Dec. When we start to play much better than now, especially with Pogba and Zlatan to come back, we should be the favorite for the title.
Jose Mourinho | 2017/18 Assessments | Poll Added
- Thread starter Suedesi
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He's instilling different ways of winning.
It's Fergie-esque.
It's Fergie-esque.
His signings have been spot on. Going in the right direction all the time. But we could still go on to draw the next 6 games. Still too early for any real assessment other than he's doing a very good job right now. Last season's finish in the league wasn't good enough though. Winning two trophies and getting into CL through the back door glossed over a very poor season for United standards. If that were to happen again this season, which I doubt will, I'd expect to see him replaced. But, he's made good on our expectations as United fans. Young players getting plenty of chances, signing the right types of players, playing attacking football and scoring goals plus being very hard to beat when we're not at our best. Great signs and hopefully it continues. Don't think the contract talks should happen until the end of this season.
Yesterday game shown why Mourinho said third summer window is required to complete the rebuilding.
1) Young assist shown how a proper attacking fullbacks can be so important in our setup especially with Lukaku/Pogba/Fellanni waiting in the middle for the cross. To sign quality attacking RB or LB (or both depending on Shaw progress)
2) Mikhitaryan position can be upgraded with someone like Griezman with far more creativity and intelligent to be the heart of our attack
3) Mata playing as false right wing position is not really effective. Yes, he provides balance and link up play well in the final third but we can do better with someone like Sanchez.
I can see that we still need 3 to 4 new signings next season to really challenge for major honours. I trust Mourinho to at least win us a EPL or CL before he leave (hopefully he will be with us for long time).
1) Young assist shown how a proper attacking fullbacks can be so important in our setup especially with Lukaku/Pogba/Fellanni waiting in the middle for the cross. To sign quality attacking RB or LB (or both depending on Shaw progress)
2) Mikhitaryan position can be upgraded with someone like Griezman with far more creativity and intelligent to be the heart of our attack
3) Mata playing as false right wing position is not really effective. Yes, he provides balance and link up play well in the final third but we can do better with someone like Sanchez.
I can see that we still need 3 to 4 new signings next season to really challenge for major honours. I trust Mourinho to at least win us a EPL or CL before he leave (hopefully he will be with us for long time).
We didn't win 5-0, what do you expect?We've been playing very well and racking up the goals and points so far.
A 1-0 win on an off day for our attack at a tough place to go is more than good enough. Some of you lot with your complaining...
I agree with this. For me Mata is more and more turning into the weakest link.
Mou's coaching yesterday was good. He put Smalling on the pitch the same minute that Gabbiadini came on. Soton never created much in the second half so we are a tricky team to break down and we can protect a 1-0 lead away from home. It wasn't pretty and I would prefer us to be stronger in possession but for that we need Pogba back and 2-3 more quality signings to really challenge the best team. We are making progress and Mou has a plan and that is reassuring should we not win the CL or the PL this season.
It's clear why he wanted perisic. Although he may not be a bale or Sanchez but I have to say had we got perisic, our chances of winning the league would have been even higher.
The subs he's made have been spot on so far.
I also like the fact that we worked on a number of formations during pre-season, meaning in games like yesterday, we can easily adapt to the situation we face.
People may see it as negative, and ideally in situations like yesterday, i'd have liked to see us being a bit more positive and trying to kill off the game, but the main thing is winning.
I also like the fact that we worked on a number of formations during pre-season, meaning in games like yesterday, we can easily adapt to the situation we face.
People may see it as negative, and ideally in situations like yesterday, i'd have liked to see us being a bit more positive and trying to kill off the game, but the main thing is winning.
Managers are judged by pts in the table and trophies.
Joint top = good
Trophies won = 3
Credit where it's due.
Joint top = good
Trophies won = 3
Credit where it's due.
If we bought Perisic, we would be leaving Chelsea in the dust as a distant third and giving City's GD a good go. Now however, we could certainly finish behind Chelsea on 3rd if we falter.
I understand winning ugly in games that demand it but we were up against a team that's crap, is massively struggling to score and we played them like they're Barcelona. Ending with 9 keepers/defenders/dm on the pitch against an awful side like Southampton is nuts. Going that defensive only invites more pressure like it did vs Boro as well last year. I'd understand it if we were at City/Liverpool/Chelsea and defending a league but against this side that barely attacks?
Meh! We had plenty of struggles away under Ferguson too. I remember United regularly going to shit away against cannon fodder like ‘boro.
It’s obviously not nuts since we won and hardly conceded any major chances.
Soton is well known for a team that is quite capable in possession since Poch days. We lost Pogba and certain players failed to show up. It's understandable and tactical adept for Mourinho to avoid a midfield battle for possession. It's technically 2 vs 3 men midfield with Mikhi was more dedicated to support Lukaku (and had a bad game at it); on top of that Fellaini as midfield partner for Matic.
Soton barely created anything despite all the possession in the first half with us created quite sufficient of break that would have killed the game off if not for our own player killed these break off with bad decision making in final third. We're more than comfortable playing like this.
Soton turned the heat up in the second half with some of our players failed to turn up. They created chances and truly dominated. Still we defended well and Jones was outstanding. Unlike the second half vs Boro, we was still in game and looked for chance for second goal. Vs Boro, our attackers were knackered going into the second half. We just booted the ball away aimlessly. Here we still tried to make play, only that Soton showed their best form in this second half and defended well. Boro game our own defenders created us more problem than Boro attackers actually did.
These games happen happened from time to time. It's good that we can have tactic to grind out result from these type of game than playing into opposition hand and end up drop points.
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What. They actually did?
2 really. Still very good.
I think Herrera's and Lukaku's chances were better goal scoring opportunities than anything that Soton mustered, even though Romelu had a couple of decent chances.
I was and still am not convinced. Crashing to 6th in the league last season was pretty damn terrible if you ask me, and winning 2 second-rate trophies didn't make up for that for me (but apparently it did for many). I'm not impressed by much of our attacking play, even if he at least has managed to improve our set-pieces and counter-attacking. Not playing our most talented attacker in Martial for some weird reason is a huge drawback too.
We've done well results-wise so far this season obviously, but based on what I've seen so far I have strong doubts this team is good enough to compete with City and Chelsea.
We've done well results-wise so far this season obviously, but based on what I've seen so far I have strong doubts this team is good enough to compete with City and Chelsea.
I think Mourinho, more than any of us, can tell when his players just aren't on it. He'll also know things like fatigue levels across the squad, injury niggles, and be able to spot when an opposition is causing certain problems that need to be countered.
I would say he's a little too quick sometimes to reach for the darker side of his playbook, but undoubtedly you need that side to your game to go deep in all competitions.
Against Southampton it was clear we weren't on it from an attacking POV. Lost count of how much we were losing the ball. At the same time, Southampton were on it and fired up (league cup final revenge perhaps). It would have been nice to snatch the 2nd and play out the rest as probably another 3 or 4 nil procession. But seeing out a 1-0 is also very satisfying for othe reasons, not least our complete inability to see them out last season.
I would say he's a little too quick sometimes to reach for the darker side of his playbook, but undoubtedly you need that side to your game to go deep in all competitions.
Against Southampton it was clear we weren't on it from an attacking POV. Lost count of how much we were losing the ball. At the same time, Southampton were on it and fired up (league cup final revenge perhaps). It would have been nice to snatch the 2nd and play out the rest as probably another 3 or 4 nil procession. But seeing out a 1-0 is also very satisfying for othe reasons, not least our complete inability to see them out last season.
I believe we had to prioritize one of those 2 trophies to get back into Champions League. For me, coming 4th or coming 6th in the league doesn't make a difference but being in Champions League vs not being in it, definitely does
And I don't believe, we had the squad to prioritize both PL and Europa last season. We had to choose 1 and Mourinho chose Europa League
It's all well and good now but not playing and missmanaging Martial is a sackable offence and could cost him his job one the long run imo.
White text?
Agreed and we risk losing him if we don't rename ourselves Martial FC soon.
Important 3 points and you just know Jose would have loved that gutsy performance.
Actually this win probably annoyed Pep and Conte more than some of our 4-0 wins. They know this side has some steel to it and will be hard to finish above.
If you gave me a choice of Mourinho or Martial, I'll drive Martial to the airport myself.
Actually this win probably annoyed Pep and Conte more than some of our 4-0 wins. They know this side has some steel to it and will be hard to finish above.
If you gave me a choice of Mourinho or Martial, I'll drive Martial to the airport myself.
There's only 3 football persona that I'm a fan of, saf beckham and mourinho. I'm so gutted we got moyes instead of him in the first place.
So yeah I'd love it if he's successful with us
So yeah I'd love it if he's successful with us
That's ridiculous. The amount of time more our rivals have after CL games, yet all of our games are on Saturday at 3 pm.
An entire new 1st 11 to turn the 5th place English team into contenders? That's a bit extreme. When we sign Dybala, Verratti and Griezmann, only then can United think about challenging for major honours.....
Really?!
Is @Ban new to you?You never know at this place
What?
Huh?
You never know at this place
Crying here, you guys are funny.You asked for a white text but he was just joking.
Sorry, I'll stop derailing this thread now.
I stand by everything I wrote.
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