Really, where are we now?

Deep breath...

We still have a lot of deadwood...but ETH has spent ~£400m on new players
We have a lot of injuries...but most of his 'big' signings started today
We got up to third in his first season...but there are now at least 7 other clubs who look to be ahead of us
We won a trophy...but our form since February has been consistently terrible
We need to be realistic...but we're going backwards

I'm really worried. I think we might see an upturn of sorts - Brentford (H: they're not as good as they were); Sheffield Utd (poor); and Luton (poor but potentially awkward) all coming up soon, but then have City fairly soon and a very tough looking month in December.

I don't see us getting anywhere near a UCL slot and, as crazy it might still sound to some, we could struggle to make the top 8. Top 10 even.

I don't see ETH being here next season
 
Whilst we have injuries, the starting eleven ETH had put out against Palace should be securing 3 points easily at home. We looked clueless and poorly coached - at times it looked like we lost all hope and were just going through the motions.

The problem lies in the club’s culture but ETH by virtue of his role at the club will have to bear responsibility and I, like many others, can’t see him remaining as a long term manager.

But the biggest kick in the teeth for us fans is that changing the manager will not lead us anywhere new. We’ve had this dance numerous times before.


A dismal time to be a United fan that’s for sure. The club is in utter shambles and I don’t see an end in the next decade at least or until we have new owners who are willing to transform the club’s structure and backroom.
 
We remain prisoners of our past. We treat football as a game of moments produced by mavericks, so we focus on nurturing the next mavericks who will set OT on fire while the game has already passed us by. Worst of all, we seem to have forgotten what a true maverick actually looks like, too. People say look at Ange and how well he's doing at Spurs after losing Kane. He lost a world-class striker, but he also got the chance for a fresh start which, for Spurs, was long overdue. Perhaps, that's also what we need. To hit that reset button and start anew.
 
Well I don't think we will get relegated
 
Rawls said:
I think last season we were a 65 point team masquerading as a 75 point team and my fear this season is that we will be a 75 point team masquerading as a 65 point team.

We were lucky to get so many points last season and maybe this season is when we get hit with all the bad luck
Click to expand...
We're on course for 49
 
We've been unlucky with the large number of injuries and a few of the players still looked tired after coming back after the short summer break, following that heavy season just gone.
But there's no excuse for the lack of fight or apparent lack of drive in a couple of our players.
Our biggest issue has been lack of goals and despite bringing in a young, but unproven rookie striker, with reputed potential, we still have that same problem.
The other big issue over several seasons, has been the lack of physicality across the whole team and ability to win the ball back, stifle opponents in the MF and control games consistently.
On top of those long standing issues, I can't work out if our current woes are a result of ETH's tactics or whether the players are just incapable of doing the jobs asked of them?

As it stands after 7 PL games (nearly 20% of the season gone already).......
Our goal difference is down there with the clubs just above the relegation zone.
Our goals for and against are reflective of bottom half form.
Depending on the remaining league results this weekend, we could be in 12th spot by Monday evening.

Brentford, who are 4 places below us, have a better goal difference and have only lost 2 games in 6 played.
They've scored 2 more goals than us and conceded 2 less.
They are not playing as well as last season, missing Toney's goals and are having too many draws.
Forget a top 4 or 5 spot, that's what we are competing with this season.


.
 
Last edited:
Katy Cat said:
Deep breath...

We still have a lot of deadwood...but ETH has spent ~£400m on new players
We have a lot of injuries...but most of his 'big' signings started today
We got up to third in his first season...but there are now at least 7 other clubs who look to be ahead of us
We won a trophy...but our form since February has been consistently terrible
We need to be realistic...but we're going backwards

I'm really worried. I think we might see an upturn of sorts - Brentford (H: they're not as good as they were); Sheffield Utd (poor); and Luton (poor but potentially awkward) all coming up soon, but then have City fairly soon and a very tough looking month in December.

I don't see us getting anywhere near a UCL slot and, as crazy it might still sound to some, we could struggle to make the top 8. Top 10 even.

I don't see ETH being here next season
Click to expand...

Neither do I
 
You just have to answer a very basic question: do we have an identity after a season with Ten Hag?

No. He needs to clear off.
 
TheRedDevil'sAdvocate said:
We remain prisoners of our past. We treat football as a game of moments produced by mavericks, so we focus on nurturing the next mavericks who will set OT on fire while the game has already passed us by. Worst of all, we seem to have forgotten what a true maverick actually looks like, too. People say look at Ange and how well he's doing at Spurs after losing Kane. He lost a world-class striker, but he also got the chance for a fresh start which, for Spurs, was long overdue. Perhaps, that's also what we need. To hit that reset button and start anew.
Click to expand...
Very well said. Fully agreen except for the last sentence as it sounds as if we have to start at zero once again. As soon as we implement some principles and follow them rigorously (for example no player is untouchable and will lose his place if playing is shit) we will be fine after a while.
 
I wouldn’t back us to beat Liverpool 11 vs 10 based on what I’ve seen this season.
 
We are shite.

Too many lazy players with egos they don’t deserve.

Id be all for a full reset this season. Bed in the likes of Mainoo, Hannibal, Amad etc with proper game time.

Donny coming on ahead of Hannibal was a slap to the face.
 
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DownRiver said:
You just have to answer a very basic question: do we have an identity after a season with Ten Hag?

No. He needs to clear off.
Click to expand...
The manager is supposed to give us a strong sense of identity after one season. I bet he hasn't even managed to find new owners for the club yet. Look, the league cup wont prove his worth as a manager if he refuses to sell the club. Sack him before he makes Manchester United worse with his tactics.
 
Rawls said:
I think last season we were a 65 point team masquerading as a 75 point team and my fear this season is that we will be a 75 point team masquerading as a 65 point team.

We were lucky to get so many points last season and maybe this season is when we get hit with all the bad luck
Click to expand...
How do we define what point team we are though?
 
We spent more than two hundred million Euro on players this summer, and we're nailed on to finish worse off in every competition than we did last season.

We could've done that for free.
 
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