[Moriarty]

He's earned the right to influence important decisions within Manchester United, if those decisions have an impact on the traditions, principles and morality of the club imo.

Indeed, but these days, the last two on that list seem a bit more flexible than they did in the past. Poor old Bobby must be shaking his head. The era in which he graced the game must seem like a thousand years ago.

 

[montpelier]

Yet he would want Giggs as manager, pretty warped morals there.

Yeah, that one doesn't make sense does it? If the view on Mourinho is that it would tarnish the image & so forth

 

[Shiva87]

I can't believe this is really happening. 4 games back, this looked like an easy fixture list and a run of games after which we should have been top of the table.

I don't think he'll be gone this week, but we really need to start winning games again. I don't care if its good or ugly, if its boring or attacking, we need to get 3-4 wins in a row.

 

[montpelier]

I can't believe this is really happening. 4 games back, this looked like an easy fixture list and a run of games after which we should have been top of the table.

I don't think he'll be gone this week, but we really need to start winning games again. I don't care if its good or ugly, if its boring or attacking, we need to get 3-4 wins in a row.

These were the games for a run of wins. That ship has sailed.

 

[Shiva87]

Yeah, that one doesn't make sense does it? If the view on Mourinho is that it would tarnish the image & so forth

Mourinho and United don't fit. His record with youth is so poor that we'll lose whatever little edge we have over City in getting youth players into the first team. City now clearly have the better set up, but what sets us apart is that our youth actually gets a chance.

 

[Shiva87]

These were the games for a run of wins. That ship has sailed.

I know, but we were in a similar spot last season before the Tottenham game when the squad just decided to turn it around. Its time for another one of those!

 

[walkinhop]

Yes, I did wonder how much of it was us playing better and how much of it was Norwich being bad. But at the end of the day we did show more attacking intent than we have for quite some time. We were getting the ball forward faster, we were looking to swing it out wide into attacking areas, etc.

With the amount of good balls being played into the middle today (and quite a lot of them were good balls, not just hopeful pointless crosses), we almost certainly would have scored a number of goals if we'd had a proper centre forward with a presence who's first instinct is to attack the middle of the goal.

I was arguing about this with a guy earlier. There were 2 extremely good crosses at which Rooney didn't even make an effort to get the ball. He didn't break stride at all. It was so bad.

 

[montpelier]

Mourinho and United don't fit. His record with youth is so poor that we'll lose whatever little edge we have over City in getting youth players into the first team. City now clearly have the better set up, but what sets us apart is that our youth actually gets a chance.

Ah, right. That's a fairer kind of a view on a comparison of them which results in a negative on Jose. More understandable.

 

[Americano]

Our tactics have been proven ineffective at winning football matches. Opposing coaches have learned we are easily beaten on the counterattack. We do not transition quickly from defense to attack, so we are always attacking a static, organized wall of 9 or 10 opposing players. It's a much greater challenge to get through that mass of bodies than a counterattacking team who must beat 3 men in wide open spaces.

Any sensible manager can set up his team to beat us without much trouble. This has been proven again and again. Nothing will change until we vary our approach, it doesn't matter what players we have.

 

[togg]

He's earned the right to influence important decisions within Manchester United, if those decisions have an impact on the traditions, principles and morality of the club imo.

I don't agree. He has no right to influence decisions on a managerial level or anything else. He's earned his right to be held up as an icon of a by gone age and certainly can help the club financially by being the representative he is. He doesn't get the game now, he can't, even Fergie admitted it sometimes went faster than he could keep up with. Players have different loyalties so have to be managed a different way. We will not see another Fergie, we have to play the same game all the major clubs do. Bobby still lives in a bygone era and he was a huge advocate of Moyes. Even Fergie didin't want Moyes as first choice...

 

[SalfordRed1960]

People were always saying well as soon as the attack comes good we'll be keeping clean sheets and burying teams. Never did they consider that if the defence went to shit and the attack failed to improve we'd end up losing to Norwich City at home.

Gone shit as we do not defend as a team. When we were playing 2 DMs people went ape, you now see the result.

 

[Fully Fledged]

Has he gone yet?

 

[LawCharltonBest]

Anthony Martial scored! That was good!

Overall, I think we have played better

 

[Moriarty]

Yeah, that one doesn't make sense does it? If the view on Mourinho is that it would tarnish the image & so forth

Bit of a head scratcher is that.

 

[MarkC]

Thought we started well enough but as the game wore on we looked less and less likely to get back in it a trend over the last few games. LVG will take the blame for this and rightly so but a lot of these players especially the experienced ones need to have a look at themselves. No real drive or energy to get back into the game and far to casual when losing.

LVG I feel slightly sorry for as I don't believe this is the football he intends to have us playing but it is what it is and so maybe it is time for a change. Even if he can get us back winning again we are so far behind where we should be 18 months in, with only another 18 months to go it's looking unlikely we will be where we should be this season or next which really makes keeping LVG if we have a better alternative pretty pointless.

 

[Inigo Montoya]

Thought we started well enough but as the game wore on we looked less and less likely to get back in it a trend over the last few games. LVG will take the blame for this and rightly so but a lot of these players especially the experienced ones need to have a look at themselves. No real drive or energy to get back into the game and far to casual when losing.

LVG I feel slightly sorry for as I don't believe this is the football he intends to have us playing but it is what it is and so maybe it is time for a change. Even if he can get us back winning again we are so far behind where we should be 18 months in, with only another 18 months to go it's looking unlikely we will be where we should be this season or next which really makes keeping LVG if we have a better alternative pretty pointless.

The first part read Chelsea and they sacked their manager.

The second highlight is hard to agree with

 

[Inigo Montoya]

Anthony Martial scored! That was good!

Overall, I think we have played better

Thank you Trevor Brooking

 

[Smores]

There was a period last season when we were outplaying the likes of Liverpool, Spurs and City that I genuinely thought he was the right man. It looked like it all had a clicked.

It's evident now that we are a long way off, and his fate is pretty much decided now. He will be sacked by Monday, i'm sure of it.

It hadn't clicked we just stumbled upon a formation that worked. That's the issue so many have been imaging some great progress based on his mighty philosophy, apart from instilling the mentality of the England team of always passing it about pointlessly there's been nothing.

Our defence hasn't ever looked organised and are forwards and wingers have consistently looked clueless.

I started this season hopeful that he'd turn it around and prove me wrong but the guys not got a clue.

 

[Pyroblazer]

Couldn't watch the game, but feck me we lost against Norwich at home? How bad was it?
Sorry van Gaal, but it looks like we are in free fall mode, we need to stop it. If he isn't able to get something out of that team, he needs to go.

 

[Shiva87]

Ah, right. That's a fairer kind of a view on a comparison of them which results in a negative on Jose. More understandable.

Point was not to compare Giggs with Mou. Just a 'anyone' v/s Mou. He isn't for us. If we do sack LVG (for the record, I don't want that to happen midseason, regardless of results), there will be lots of talent there to look at. We just need to be smart about our next choice - maybe someone like Tuchel (i.e. great manager, but not very well known before Dortmund). With our financial resources (and our football knowledge at the Board level, read SAF, Sir Bobby) - we should be able to do that instead of going for the 'shiniest' available thing.

 

[Winrar]

wow... said this as a joke but it's become a reality

2-1 win.

for norwich.

 

[sunama]

Sorry van Gaal, but it looks like we are in free fall mode, we need to stop it. If he isn't able to get something out of that team, he needs to go.

If?

 

[Mutter Merkel]

Why is Van Gaal still talking as though he's going to be here for the next game? He hasn't been told it's over yet? Is the board slow in getting the message to him or are they sticking with him?

 

[Inigo Montoya]

Why is Van Gaal still talking as though he's going to be here for the next game? He hasn't been told it's over yet? Is the board slow in getting the message to him or are they sticking with him?

He has 2 games max IMO

 

[mattsville]

I can't believe this is really happening. 4 games back, this looked like an easy fixture list and a run of games after which we should have been top of the table.

I don't think he'll be gone this week, but we really need to start winning games again. I don't care if its good or ugly, if its boring or attacking, we need to get 3-4 wins in a row.

We won't though, this was the "easy" period, we have a feck load of hard fixtures 2nd half of the season, if he is still manager, it is going to be a mess, at a guess, comfortably 8th, yes it is that bad, when you look at, not just the results against inferior teams, but the lack of belief and confidence.

 

[Dr. Funkenstein]

I'm surprised at the reaction in here.

We actually played relatively good football today, much more attacking minded and fluent.

That has been going on for weeks now, but got ignored because of the results. On creativity, attacking with an idea an fluency this was one of the lesser games of the last month.

It started all right, but then Fellaini started moving forward. This sounds attacking, but was actually relieving the pressure on Norwich, giving them all the space in midfield. That did not only give them the chance to have a bit possession, but also invited the counters that let them score.

We need a proper striker to lead the line and actually stick it in the net, but the intent was actually there for once.

Is it good enough? No, of course not. We lost. But at least it was better than the terribly boring football we've been dishing up for most of the season. Although right at the end it went a bit shit with the players looking lost unfortunately.

This is another paradox they fell for, the pressure is on, the clock is ticking, and they want to attack as fast as they can. But they lose accuracy and it only takes longer to get the ball forward. They also get sucked in it by the opponents, SAF had a habit of killing of games in the last 10 minutes, a few free kicks and throw ins, and the rythm and therefore the spirit gets broken, and if necessary, his players organized a little brawl so the ref would whistle for everything to make it to the end without fights and red cards.

Now every team who is ahead knows how to kill the last ten minutes, and they don't have to pull that many tricks to succeed because our players don't stay calm and finish off the game themselves.

Whe need a proper striker though. With Rooney and Mata there are two weak links making sure nothing happens through the middle. The wings did all right, but if there's no interchange with the centre, they can get doubled easily and then you end up with 50+ crosses and 10+ corners.

 

[MadDogg]

Gone shit as we do not defend as a team. When we were playing 2 DMs people went ape, you now see the result.

There's a middle ground though. Fellaini is unacceptable in a midfield two as he just goes wandering far too often and doesn't come back. Pretty much the entire first half I found myself going "Good work Fellaini, get in those positions and force things to happen", to 30 seconds later "What are you doing Fellaini, show some damn urgency to get back". It's great that he is willing to push forward, but he needs to time it better so that he's not always up there leaving Carrick acting as a one man midfield. There was another time they counter-attacked and would have been quite likely to score but Mata chased all the way back and managed to get a tackle in while Fellaini was just strolling back.

I'm ok with two DM's (although I do believe Carrick has to be one of them for his forward passing), but I'm also ok with Herrera being used there. Fellaini doesn't work in a midfield two though.

 

[utdalltheway]

The positives: 1) 70% possession. 2) Martial scored.
3) ???
The negatives:
1) another loss
2) playing shit on stick football
3) many, many more.

I don't see "for God's sake, when is the kickoff?" threads anymore. That speaks volumes.

 

[predator]

Lvg can't do much atm to change the outcome of match because he has bought and sold poorly. That is the bottom line. His tactics are just another disastrous part of his time at United, however poor tactics shouldn't lose us game after game against weak opponents.
We should still be winning even if we aren't playing at our best.

 

[MadDogg]

That has been going on for weeks now, but got ignored because of the results. On creativity, attacking with an idea an fluency this was one of the lesser games of the last month.

I'd disagree with that. There was one other game (I can't remember which one) where I felt the same way, but generally not so much.

 

[Shiva87]

We won't though, this was the "easy" period, we have a feck load of hard fixtures 2nd half of the season, if he is still manager, it is going to be a mess, at a guess, comfortably 8th, yes it is that bad, when you look at, not just the results against inferior teams, but the lack of belief and confidence.

Yes, but what's the guarantee that a new manager coming in will magically turn it around. We are now 9 points adrift of the top of the league, and the false sense of security that our players fell into (i.e. always 2-3 points from the top) will now be broken. I'm sure we'll turn this around, I just want that to happen now - and not a month from now.

 

[Maradona10]

 

[Maradona10]

 

[MarkC]

The first part read Chelsea and they sacked their manager.

The second highlight is hard to agree with

I'd agree with the Chelsea reference but if I had been in charge at Chelsea i'd have kept him on rather than let the players win, in the long run I believe he'd have turned it around and brought them more success. Sends out the correct message to players thinking of downing tools as well. LVG doesn't look like he will have the time to turn this around and get us to where we should be in the next 18 months.

Second part is just person opinion based on I don't think he deserves the sack and would rather stand by him but because of the short term nature of the appointment it is probably better to let him go if a better alternative comes along.

 

[Americano]

Remember Sir Bobby vetoed us getting Jose.

That is the biggest mistake that this club has done and yet nobody has come under fire for that mistake.

We get jose we go from strength to strength.

I don't put the blame on Sir Bobby - not wanting Mourinho is a reasonable position. I'm not comfortable with a lot of his behavior and look at how things have gone for him at Chelsea.

I will blame the lack of succession planning from the owners, we have handled the transition out of the Sir Alex & David Gill era very poorly. The real mistake was hiring Moyes. We needed someone much better. There were other quality options aside from Mourinho at the time.

 

[Crossie]

What was LVGs post match interview like? He needs to step aside.

Same old same old.

"Fans showed support", "we need to believe in the philosophy", "we know it's not good enough"...

Has he learned to say "lessons will be learned yet"? He's not a real manager until he can reel that one off without thinking.

IIRC when asked if he has the players that to do what he wants them to do, he responded something along the lines of "yes, we've shown it this season when we were top of the league; now you see what lack of confidence can do to players".

 

[Moriarty]

IIRC when asked if he has the players that to do what he wants them to do, he responded something along the lines of "yes, we've shown it this season when we were top of the league; now you see what lack of confidence can do to players".

So what has brought about the lack of confidence? A couple of bad results here and there surely can't be behind this slump. I mean, this is relegation form.

 

[Dr. Funkenstein]

I'd disagree with that. There was one other game (I can't remember which one) where I felt the same way, but generally not so much.

The directness, urgency and the less dwelling and indecisiveness has been there much longer. Today seemed more about quantity than quality of attacks. It started all right, with some intelligent moves, but after about half an hour it got more and more predictable without imagination. That got me annoyed. I've seen matches lately with more clear cut chances, but less balls into the box.

You can't blame the finishing today, because the attacks went wrong before there was something to finish, with a bit more imagination, you tend to get more attacks that end with a shot.

 

[mu77]

Gone shit as we do not defend as a team. When we were playing 2 DMs people went ape, you now see the result.

went from draws (not good enough) to losses (not good enough). equal results really. bournemouth and norwich.

 

[MarkC]

LVG sounded ominous when the Sky guy asked him if he still had the backing of the board. For him to talk about getting sacked means he is aware it's distinct possibility managers rarely do this unless they feel they have too. He's a wise man LVG so maybe just experience telling him it may happen but can't say I take any pleasure watching LVG in this position.

 

[Sb_16]

Post match interviews, the same?