[pascell]

We were doomed the moment we lined up a 3-5-2 vs City. Poor thinking from the coaching staff

Expected nothing less from Ole as he has history for using a formation that grabs him a win when shit is hitting the fan, then flogging it until the cows come home.

Playing 5 at the back with 2 DMs just yet again played into the hands of a pressing team.

 

[Theonas]

This is so true. I don’t think the players have downed tools. I do think they’ve stopped believing in the tactics though. Or to put it another way they’ve lost faith in the manager. That is the extra 5 yards, the extra effort and the belief in the plan that is so evident. The players know the tactics aren’t right and yet they are really professional and keep ‘trying’ but their heart isn’t in it.

It really is just human psychology. The more there is that feeling of cohesion and seeing that the plan actually works, people will be likelier to try that bit harder. Our team changes plans every game, it is all about adapting or surprising the opponent. There is no established approach that one can believe or not believe in. It is all about running hard for this game but maybe sitting deeper and waiting for this one, maybe we will press, maybe we won't. It's all made on the go and Ole will argue that Sir Alex was no Pep or Klopp when it comes to micro coaching either. The lunacy in that argument is that Sir Alex was not facing the same footballing culture of today. You can get away with less coaching when that is the standard of the time. Ole is literally trying to emulate '90s tactics on today's teams forgetting that what made Sir Alex great was not his tactics or approach at any specific time, but his ability to constantly adapt to his time.

 

[Tapori]

Thanks for posting; even as a United fan i'm glad I watched that. It's just mind blowing the debate between those that think passion is the number one determining factor in winning versus those who set up their teams with clear instructions and a plan.

Pep basically explaining-quite joyfully and with justifiable smugness-how we play one way (and always have under Ole) and that although it can be difficult to contain, when you stop the fast transitions there's just feck all else to worry about from this team.

What is staggering, is that under Sir Alex, we genuinely - even within a match - had tactics to adapt and change and cut it with the best of our rivals.

Pep is incredibly astute and we look like pashhhhun merchants without even the basic solidity and acumen of a much more solid Burnley.

What is happening to Ole? We played very conservatively on so many occasions and produced performances or results but this season something has gone eerily wrong behind the scenes.

It's simply staggering the level of drop-off; we were never as good as our league position suggested but we were never this bad for this long. What could it be beyond Ole's own failures?

 

[nainaisson]

I’ve just watched Keane go mental on skysports, I can’t agree more with everything he said. Fred should not ever have have been in this team.

He's always been crucial in the games under Ole in which we managed to beat City, but, yeah, we totally should have played someone else there instead. This was the perfect opportunity for Van de Beek to reveal himself as the next N'Golo Kante.

 

[Tapori]

It really is just human psychology. The more there is that feeling of cohesion and seeing that the plan actually works, people will be likelier to try that bit harder. Our team changes plans every game, it is all about adapting or surprising the opponent. There is no established approach that one can believe or not believe in. It is all about running hard for this game but maybe sitting deeper and waiting for this one, maybe we will press, maybe we won't. It's all made on the go and Ole will argue that Sir Alex was no Pep or Klopp when it comes to micro coaching either. The lunacy in that argument is that Sir Alex was not facing the same footballing culture of today. You can get away with less coaching when that is the standard of the time. Ole is literally trying to emulate '90s tactics on today's teams forgetting that what made Sir Alex great was not his tactics or approach at any specific time, but his ability to constantly adapt to his time.

I have always advocated Sir Alex's approach but you can only do this when you have supremely intelligent, grafting footballers at the highest level + a basic solidity in formation and weekly training that keeps intelligence and work high, motivated and interesting mixed with individual improvement and general team play. We lack chemistry and understanding.

How can you keep tempo and match coherence with Maguire Fred and McTominay?

We by and large always played 4-4-2, but when you listen to Muelensteen, Hargreaves, Scholes, Brown, Evra, Ferdinand, Vidic, Giggs, Berbatov, Rooney et al - all understood the basics and tempo of matches and the need to say mark a player or get tight, close in, drop off, etc. They needed guidance but generally had a phenomenal IQ football-wise. Out players simply have never had collectively, that "IQ," at the highest level consistently enough.

Oh we might have a few matches or a run, but then when it matters we are too choir-boy dim.

It's a pefect storm; Ole's depth of ability + new coaches + poor form from trusted players + poor man management + return of Ronaldo changing the power dynamics.

I absolutely love Bayern's general approach; an incredible mix of modern system + flexibility + innovation based on solid foundations.
I mean, we're not even doing the basics now.

 

[Levi1]

What is staggering, is that under Sir Alex, we genuinely - even within a match - had tactics to adapt and change and cut it with the best of our rivals.

Pep is incredibly astute and we look like pashhhhun merchants without even the basic solidity and acumen of a much more solid Burnley.

What is happening to Ole? We played very conservatively on so many occasions and produced performances or results but this season something has gone eerily wrong behind the scenes.

It's simply staggering the level of drop-off; we were never as good as our league position suggested but we were never this bad for this long. What could it be beyond Ole's own failures?

Its the coaching and the tactics. The players are also demoralized now. So many bad decisions one after another and eventually it bites you in the proverbial. If we had decent first team coaches, I'm confident that players like Maguire and Fred would be playing so much better. If we gave opportunities to Lingard, VDB, Cavani, Bailly and Sancho (or had sold them) im also confident that squad morale would be better and more competitive and the players would find ways to interact better together.

And if we had decent tactics, and coached faster passing and ball control, the players would be more confident. There's a lot of potential. I personally think we have the best squad in club football. We just need a coach the team believes in that can get their confidence back. And a coach who won't be overshadowed by a decent first team coach...

 

[amolbhatia50k]

Just saw Pep's post-match interview.

I mean, he's literally describing in tactical detail precisely how he beat Ole's setup today. You don't need to keep your cards close to your chest in interviews when you're confident in your ability to see the tactical details.

Pep - "They're a transition team, and we thought we'd have to put the ball in the fridge (basically give us none of it), so, a lot of passes, a lot of passes, a lot of passes, and at the last moment arrive there." (create definite chances).

Interviewer - "How good was the movement of the players today?"

Pep - "Move the ball......it looks like the players are moving, but it's the ball. The people believe "how they move", but no. It's the ball that moves. Everybody has to be in their position. When you (the players) move much, it's no good. The ball comes where we are; we don't go to pick up the ball. Completely different."

Interviewer - "How much was it pre-determined? Switching the balls?"

Pep - "Because of the shape. They play 5-3-2. When we are in the 2nd part of the buildup, so the United three cannot control the width of the pitch, and the spaces were there."

etc, etc. He's basically giving him a tactical breakdown post-match.

Completely schooled today.

And people say it doesn't matter but it sort of does when your rivals have a quality style of football and you have none, but I never/rarely hear Ole speak about his football philosophy because he doesn't really have a tangible one and isn't a coach. Shame is that he isn't a very good manager either.

 

[Theonas]

I have always advocated Sir Alex's approach but you can only do this when you have supremely intelligent, grafting footballers at the highest level + a basic solidity in formation and weekly training that keeps intelligence and work high, motivated and interesting mixed with individual improvement and general team play. We lack chemistry and understanding.

How can you keep tempo and match coherence with Maguire Fred and McTominay?

We by and large always played 4-4-2, but when you listen to Muelensteen, Hargreaves, Scholes, Brown, Evra, Ferdinand, Vidic, Giggs, Berbatov, Rooney et al - all understood the basics and tempo of matches and the need to say mark a player or get tight, close in, drop off, etc. They needed guidance but generally had a phenomenal IQ football-wise. Out players simply have never had collectively, that "IQ," at the highest level consistently enough.

Oh we might have a few matches or a run, but then when it matters we are too choir-boy dim.

It's a pefect storm; Ole's depth of ability + new coaches + poor form from trusted players + poor man management + return of Ronaldo changing the power dynamics.

I absolutely love Bayern's general approach; an incredible mix of modern system + flexibility + innovation based on solid foundations.
I mean, we're not even doing the basics now.

I am always hesitant to compare different eras. The team you mention above is one of my favorites but we can't forget they were also not facing the type of teams playing today. Your average PL team nowadays is richer than all teams in Europe barring a few. Most try to keep the ball and play out from the back. They will try to press you and form triangles all around you in a way that was simply not the norm when Sir Alex was in charge. In fact, on those few occasions when we came up against teams who were highly coached, we did indeed struggle to dominate midfields. Towards the end of Fergie's time here, we found it very difficult to dominate games and relied more and more on moments of brilliance from Rooney, Van Persie, Berbatov, Nani and others.

Football was clearly moving to a much more structured/rigid (depending which side of the fence you sit on) approach whereby the top teams work tirelessly on pressing and passing in synchronized way. We hired 3 managers who just don't possess that quality in their portfolio (one of them downright loathes it) and a fourth who struggled to implement it.

 

[Tapori]

I am always hesitant to compare different eras. The team you mention above is one of my favorites but we can't forget they were also not facing the type of teams playing today. Your average PL team nowadays is richer than all teams in Europe barring a few. Most try to keep the ball and play out from the back. They will try to press you and form triangles all around you in a way that was simply not the norm when Sir Alex was in charge. In fact, on those few occasions when we came up against teams who were highly coached, we did indeed struggle to dominate midfields. Towards the end of Fergie's time here, we found it very difficult to dominate games and relied more and more on moments of brilliance from Rooney, Van Persie, Berbatov, Nani and others.

Football was clearly moving to a much more structured/rigid (depending which side of the fence you sit on) approach whereby the top teams work tirelessly on pressing and passing in synchronized way. We hired 3 managers who just don't possess that quality in their portfolio (one of them downright loathes it) and a fourth who struggled to implement it.

Fair points.
It's actually a very good debate and probably one for another thread if someone makes it; it was a point I heard mentioned when discussing modern young players coming through modern scrutiny of analytical coaching methods that it sort of "smooths," out some of the mercurial aspects of "our" era.

I still think Ferguson would have adapted - as he did by hiring Quieroz - and would have prepped for this "System IQ," era but I prefer the ultimate flexibility of geraing towards chemistry, cohesion, intelligence and unpredictability in attack/adapting with a solid foundation.

What's sadly failing Ole now is his man management of his players and coaches and morale; that is what is most worrying as that was supposed to be his strengths.

 

[UnofficialDevil]

Plus they played Wednesday night Saturday morning compared to us, something Ole always whines and cries about.

 

[ayushreddevil9]

Manchester City did the entire league a favor by scoring only 2 goals.

 

[Winrar]

Ole really needed to fall on his sword after the dismal Liverpool game and now we're just throwing this season away for no reason, dithering around and waiting for the inevitable.

Nothing much to analyze for the game, it was basically a glorified training session, a lifeless showing for what was supposed to be one of our biggest games of the season.

I mean in some ways this is even worse than the Liverpool game which was tragic as is. At least in that game we showed a bit of passion even for a fraction of the match.

 

[Siezard]

Should Ole stay on?

United is not a sacking club and Ole has the United DNA.

 

[Red Star One]

Ole really needed to fall on his sword after the dismal Liverpool game and now we're just throwing this season away for no reason, dithering around and waiting for the inevitable.

Nothing much to analyze for the game, it was basically a glorified training session, a lifeless showing for what was supposed to be one of our biggest games of the season.

I mean in some ways this is even worse than the Liverpool game which was tragic as is. At least in that game we showed a bit of passion even for a fraction of the match.

For the two last paragraphs I believe that’s because Ole was again fighting for his life and got the result he wanted - another battering like 0-5 could’ve got him a sack, 0-2 is all good for him as per his post match comments about City converting their chances and us not (just making fools of those who watched the game, but people in power probably didn’t) and by our second half you could tell there was no comeback hope, just the damage control. He’s all safe now as by looking at the result we were not that far off from City (only two goals) and it’s the same bullshit like the claims we were not so far off from winning league last seasons as we got the 2nd place (completely disregarding the number of points, gap between us and the first, the fact we were super lucky to win some of those matches).

 

[Winrar]

For the two last paragraphs I believe that’s because Ole was again fighting for his life and got the result he wanted - another battering like 0-5 could’ve got him a sack, 0-2 is all good for him as per his post match comments about City converting their chances and us not (just making fools of those who watched the game, but people in power probably didn’t) and by our second half you could tell there was no comeback hope, just the damage control. He’s all safe now as by looking at the result we were not that far off from City (only two goals) and it’s the same bullshit like the claims we were not so far off from winning league last seasons as we got the 2nd place (completely disregarding the number of points, gap between us and the first, the fact we were super lucky to win some of those matches).

Hundreds of millions spent on players that he doesn't know how to get the best out of, having to resort to damage control by first half against teams we are supposed to be competing against for trophies, along with no system to show for it is absolutely disgraceful. He needed to have been sacked yesterday and I say this as someone who was loosely mostly Ole in until as late as Leicester City this season.

The board desperately needs to do the inevitable and poach someone else that can salvage this season at this point (i.e. top 4) because with the way things are going right now we may as well sack him and bring in a Rooney-tier random caretaker just to see if anything changes.

 

[Partridge]

Quite tired of ole's inability to have a game plan. He is well out of his depth. Time to do a robert maxwell and disappear.

 

[manichester]

Abysmal setting up to try not to concede goals at home, this is not the United way.

 

[mitchmouse]

I pointed out the difference, in the matchday thread, between Pep standing on the touchline cajoling, instructing and generally (you know) managing his players and Ole sitting there doing nothing. Then you look at the post-mach interviews and Pep talks about tactics and "players not moving" but having the ball passed to them. Ole wittered on about... well, nothing.

I thought we were as poor against City as we were against Liverpool. The result could easily have been more than 2-0. Virtually not a single United player deserves praise: yes, DDG made some good saves but (along with others) hugely at fault for the second goal.

Ole has to go, we need better coaches and we need a proper director of football. Without action, we will remain were we are: milds behind the top sides, with Chelsea likely to thump us in the coming weeks and even Arsenal likely to embarrass us.

Truly pathetic

 

[TeddyBear]

My wife gave me a stunned look/stare when I was laughing hysterically after we conceded each goals.

She had never seen me like this before for 20 over years.

Going through various emotional stages during this 3 year period.

Stage 1: When Man United conceded goal(s) or lost a game in an uninspiring fashion, anger sets in.

Stage 2: You evolved and became sad over such results.

Stage 3: You are numbed already as you sort of expected it.

Final Stage: You laughed hysterically at each goal conceded by the team.

 

[Sultan]

I can't ever remember a more meek performance from the team. It's sad to say but this was a David and Goliath moment. I'm not even sure City were on full throttle. Besides the Ronaldo shot, United had no meaningful touches if any in the opposition penalty area or a shot from outside the area.

 

[mitchmouse]

Having just seen Palace on telly, I'd say they look a better team than us - and Viera already looking a better boss than Ole (not saying I want him at United but he seems to have a plan and tactics and his team understand what he wants them to do)

 

[Godfather]

My wife gave me a stunned look/stare when I was laughing hysterically after we conceded each goals.

She had never seen me like this before for 20 over years.

Going through various emotional stages during this 3 year period.

Stage 1: When Man United conceded goal(s) or lost a game in an uninspiring fashion, anger sets in.

Stage 2: You evolved and became sad over such results.

Stage 3: You are numbed already as you sort of expected it.

Final Stage: You laughed hysterically at each goal conceded by the team.

I can relate. I'm at the stage of laughing not only at our goals but at our hysterically bad football or phases of play.

 

[Buster15]

Just saw Pep's post-match interview.

I mean, he's literally describing in tactical detail precisely how he beat Ole's setup today. You don't need to keep your cards close to your chest in interviews when you're confident in your ability to see the tactical details.

Pep - "They're a transition team, and we thought we'd have to put the ball in the fridge (basically give us none of it), so, a lot of passes, a lot of passes, a lot of passes, and at the last moment arrive there." (create definite chances).

Interviewer - "How good was the movement of the players today?"

Pep - "Move the ball......it looks like the players are moving, but it's the ball. The people believe "how they move", but no. It's the ball that moves. Everybody has to be in their position. When you (the players) move much, it's no good. The ball comes where we are; we don't go to pick up the ball. Completely different."

Interviewer - "How much was it pre-determined? Switching the balls?"

Pep - "Because of the shape. They play 5-3-2. When we are in the 2nd part of the buildup, so the United three cannot control the width of the pitch, and the spaces were there."

etc, etc. He's basically giving him a tactical breakdown post-match.

That is what you get with an elite coach. One with intelligence, intellect, experience and a crystal clear vision of how he wants his team to play.
And has the communication skills to get that over to his players such that they can easily understand and implement what he has told them.
And of course, the relentless pursuit of excellence.

That is how it is done. And that is what we need. But are obviously not getting.

 

[SteveCoppellFan]

Michael Owen's take on Ole yesterday was the most accurate thing ive heard so far.

It was pretty damning and it really begs the question what Ole and his coaching staff have been doing for 3 years.

 

[AndySmith1990]

Having just seen Palace on telly, I'd say they look a better team than us - and Viera already looking a better boss than Ole (not saying I want him at United but he seems to have a plan and tactics and his team understand what he wants them to do)

I think there are a lot of football fans who don't fully appreciate just how critical coaching and tactics are to building a team. Not a day goes by where I don't read a post on here claiming that Solskjaer has built a great team and should be praised for it. No, he's not built a great team; we're a terrible team. What Solskjaer has done is assemble a collection of players who individually are rated highly. The only positive to take from that is if we were to hire a great manager/coach, he would in theory have less work to do in building a team as a lot of talent is already available.

But yeah, there are countless examples both past and present of managers taking average players and creating very good teams. Good on Viera and Palace.

After years of watching us play rubbish football, I can't begin to tell you how desperate I am for United to hire someone who can get us playing football that is even half as entertaining as our rivals.

 

[minoo-utd]

My wife gave me a stunned look/stare when I was laughing hysterically after we conceded each goals.

She had never seen me like this before for 20 over years.

Going through various emotional stages during this 3 year period.

Stage 1: When Man United conceded goal(s) or lost a game in an uninspiring fashion, anger sets in.

Stage 2: You evolved and became sad over such results.

Stage 3: You are numbed already as you sort of expected it.

Final Stage: You laughed hysterically at each goal conceded by the team.

This.

 

[Giggsyking]

both Pep and Klopp pulled the brakes in second halves because they know more goals will secure the sack, specially Pep who knows if he scored another 5 this "manager" will be sacked. Pathetic.

 

[UTD_Since_1978]

I'm probably repeating what others have said but I'll have my say anyway.

The cross for the goals should have been stopped 100%, City beat us without really breaking sweat & we barely attacked for the whole game & especially the 2nd half when we needed two goals or 3 goals, 1 shot on target & just 4 touches in City's penalty box is very damning, just not good enough, far too easy for City.

I don't know who we can get to replace Ole but surely he would get more out of these players than Ole is getting.

 

[Lee565]

Ole ditching 3 at the back so quickly halfway through the match pretty much sums up this club post fergie - reactionary.

 

[Ixion]

The cross for the goals should have been stopped 100%

When I see people say DDG was at fault for the second goal I wonder how anyone can miss this point. It's like a defender giving away a penalty then blaming the keeper for not saving it. If you're allowing a cross in and then allowing a shot from 2 yards blaming the keeper seems a bit ignorant to the actual problem.

 

[IncyWincySpider]

I can't ever remember a more meek performance from the team. It's sad to say but this was a David and Goliath moment. I'm not even sure City were on full throttle. Besides the Ronaldo shot, United had no meaningful touches if any in the opposition penalty area or a shot from outside the area.

It was a bit like starting a game of PES and then putting your controller down so your mate can figure out what all the buttons do and move the other team about. We were totally lifeless.

 

[Peter Parker's Mask]

Manchester City did the entire league a favor by scoring only 2 goals.

We didn't do ourselves any favours, though. We know to our advantage how goal difference could be a factor. Liverpool snared 5 a couple of weeks back, and Chelsea put 7 past Norwich recently. I can understand Pep coasting in that second half (avoiding unnecessary injuries), but we should have tried to get another couple of goals. Pity DDG picked yesterday to have a blinder, Bernie’s goal notwithstanding.

 

[Terminator2017]

Knee jerk sackings are not the Manchester United way guys, we need to start getting behind the lads, looks like Ole is here for the long haul so we need to bring back that sige mentality, its either Ole or Rodgers and for me I would rather let Ole regain his midas touch which he displayed when he first took the job, we just need to get off his back a bit, the pressure is destroying us. Give him the chance and respect he deserves.

 

[Maticmaker]

I don't know if I was more depressed after this game or after the Liverpool result, I suppose on reflection it was this result, simply because going in we have had some decent form against City in recent times.
In truth yesterdays defeat was even more humiliating than the 6-1 defeat featuring Mario Balotelli, at least in that game we were giving it a go right to the end, yesterday we collapsed after the OG.
One of Ole's claims to fame is that he has restored the old United spirit, and maybe in the earlier days he did, but he has I am afraid failed to continue with it. The display yesterday wasn't just bad, it was shameful, utterly shameful, watching it live you live the hurt, but watching it again on MOTD the hurt was now the cringing, stinging, what the F...! was all that about, type of hurt, especially after the MOTD team had difficulty in restraining their joy at tearing us apart in the analysis.

Does anyone at OT, indeed does anyone anywhere have any idea where we go from here?
Yes we could replace the manager, but I don't think they will, at least until the end of the season. The problem goes way back, there is something rotten at the heart of all this and it isn't just the owners. Over the last decade or more our players are not, IMO fit and not capable of basic football 'nouse', what sort of training they do is impossible to guess at, but whatever it is its fundamentally flawed and has been for years.

As you can tell I am in deep despair and I suspect I am not on my own!

 

[sunama]

And if we had decent tactics, and coached faster passing and ball control, the players would be more confident. There's a lot of potential. I personally think we have the best squad in club football. We just need a coach the team believes in that can get their confidence back. And a coach who won't be overshadowed by a decent first team coach...

Talking about fast passing, did anyone notice that in the first half (I think it was), we did exactly this. We were making really fast, crisp passes to one another and MCFC could not get the ball off of us and eventually Ronaldo shot (straight to the keeper), But twas the kind of thing I'd like to see more of.

We have the quality to put that fast passing game together, but it needs to be coached and practised more.

 

[sunama]

My wife gave me a stunned look/stare when I was laughing hysterically after we conceded each goals.

She had never seen me like this before for 20 over years.

Going through various emotional stages during this 3 year period.

Stage 1: When Man United conceded goal(s) or lost a game in an uninspiring fashion, anger sets in.

Stage 2: You evolved and became sad over such results.

Stage 3: You are numbed already as you sort of expected it.

Final Stage: You laughed hysterically at each goal conceded by the team.

She probably thought you were losing your mind.

 

[United Hobbit]

Ah good, the "apologies" from the players have started. Ever heard the phrase actions speak louder than words?

Maguire's is especially cringe worthy.

Just feck OFF

 

[GregM40]

Appalling performance. City didn’t get out of 2nd gear, they didn’t need to.

There was a moment first half on a goal kick when the entire stretford end were screaming at the players to push up, and they finally did and we got that Ronaldo chance. Said it all for me, who’s coaching the team now, the fans?

 

[Maticmaker]

Ah good, the "apologies" from the players have started.

Yes, its so predictable..... a bit like how we play just now.

Seriously, message to Captain Maguire ( and the rest of the team) I don't want an apology I want you to go in tomorrow, perhaps even this afternoon and do some proper fitness training and most important find someway of developing some football 'nouse', e.g don't keep playing out from the back with the same moves, you can't do it and every team you play against knows what you are up to.

Stop the 'rinse and repeat' patterns of play and eternally hoping something will be different. When you are playing top class teams keep them as far away from your goal as possible, don't (by attempting to play out) allow them to come and park on your 18 yard line and wait for you to slip up, if necessary with our goal kicks push everybody up to the halfway line.

Try varying corners, work out some different techniques for free kicks especially around the 18 yard box, if Bruno keeps insisting on taking potshots every time, then tell the manager he has to stay out on the practice pitch, till midnight if necessary until he can get 9 out of every 10 kicks over the wall and in on goal.

Get De Gea to practice long kicks (including goal kicks) left, right and down the centre, create targets with CR and his partner, above all use ploys like these to turn opposition defenders to face their own goal when they are looking to win the second ball, or if Ole insists on a midfield option then scrap our current midfield and put in some 'pass and move players' Donny to start with.... but for F*** sake.

Stop keep talking about it, or apologizing, just do it!

 

[Talisker]

On 13th December 1969, as an early Christmas present, this nine year old was ‘treated’ by his Liverpool-supporting uncle to a trip to Anfield to see Liverpool take on Manchester United.
I suspect the intention was to ensure my allegiance to Liverpool after watching an expected win over the rivals from Manchester.
By half-time, things were in the balance, thanks to a goal from Emlyn ‘crazy-horse’ Hughes and an own goal from Ron Yeats. However, in the second half things took a twist - goals from Ian Ure, Willie Morgan and a thunderbolt from Bobby Charlton gave United a very unexpected 4-1 away win. (search the highlights)
I couldn’t take my eyes off George Best. Number 8, gliding across pitch, thick black mop-top hair contrasting with United’s white away kit.
That day, over Fifty years ago, United claimed me from under the noses of the reds of Liverpool.

Fast-forward a few years and we were second-division. United fans had a bit of a reputation, but I persuaded my parents that I could behave myself and was allowed to attend United games without adult supervision. The Docherty years were fun. I vividly remember Stuart Pearson pre-1976 FA Cup final looking up at us massed behind the goal belting out his name. He looked like he was fighting back the tears. A couple of hours later, I failed miserably.

We made up for it a year later though!

The Sexton and the Atkinson years followed, promising much, but not really delivering.

Then came Fergie. Twenty-six years (well, maybe not the first 3) of going to work hung-over, hoarse from singing, screaming, celebrating, and arguing with scousers in the pub!

Moyes, van Gaal, Mourinho - OK, 3 cups, but few lasting memories.

Now, to the point. In over fifty years of supporting and watching United though the ups and downs, I honestly can’t remember a more soulless, inept, abject display than I had the misfortune to endure yesterday.

Well, I've got that off my chest :-)