Bruno was unlucky tbf... lucky save(s) from Raya. Højlund however
Ruben Amorim - Manchester United Head Coach
- Thread starter sewey89
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And the goal we scored was off the training ground and a tactical masterstroke?
In any case, it's basically still the case that going low block counter attack is the best we look in this system. Probably not much else to do, given the injuries but not really a sign of us getting "better", we clearly suit this type of game where we don't need to have much possession. Goals aside, our ability to build from the back was pretty shocking, and that is something that should be sorted on the training pitch.
We deserved to win on balance. I was half expecting us to crumble after the equaliser but we actually came on stronger.
Before he was one of the attacking focuses and responsible to score. Now he is more responsible to assist.
Hs still shoots a lot as you've said. But doesn't score anymore.
He gets us to turn up to big games and the fear of getting massacred that ETH put into us, has gone.
His one signing was banned. There’s a few centrebacks and midfielders missing. No real wingbacks (the only true one was the said banned). The midfield contained two peaked players who one is leaving and the other is hopefully being shifted. The attacking options were young and toothless.
Good recruitment in the summer will be key and I have more confidence in this hierarchy than I would have if Woodward or Murtough were running the show. The latter would have us spunking huge money on some unproven young talent and the former would go for a galactico signing.
His one signing was banned. There’s a few centrebacks and midfielders missing. No real wingbacks (the only true one was the said banned). The midfield contained two peaked players who one is leaving and the other is hopefully being shifted. The attacking options were young and toothless.
Good recruitment in the summer will be key and I have more confidence in this hierarchy than I would have if Woodward or Murtough were running the show. The latter would have us spunking huge money on some unproven young talent and the former would go for a galactico signing.
Same thing I said after the last game. This performance doesn't really change anything that know or don't know about Amorim.
Our best games have been against the better teams that don't go full press against us or run at us relentlessly; it suits our players as they can defend low and take the time to play out without too much difficulty.
Let's see how it goes against Sociedad.
Our best games have been against the better teams that don't go full press against us or run at us relentlessly; it suits our players as they can defend low and take the time to play out without too much difficulty.
Let's see how it goes against Sociedad.
But where he is receiving the ball has changed. His shoots come from further away and in different angles. Most players would opt to pass from these angles.
Those weren't lucky saves, that was great goalkeepingBruno was unlucky tbf... lucky save(s) from Raya. Højlund however
He's had plenty of chances in the box also. But his confidence these last few months seems low.
I think he actually had more assists pre November also. Not 100% sure though.
I appreciate Amorim's post match comments about not really wanting to play a low block game. I actually think that sitting deep against Arsenal is the right tactic at the mo, they struggle against teams that sit deep. But irrespective of that, when you look at who's fit to play and the general confidence level of the team, I think the pragmatism is fine.
I'll be unimpressed if he rolls it out consistently between now and the end of the season in the league, I still think we need to try and set the principles right, even if we don't see much success with it there. In Europe however it might be a different matter.
I'll be unimpressed if he rolls it out consistently between now and the end of the season in the league, I still think we need to try and set the principles right, even if we don't see much success with it there. In Europe however it might be a different matter.
Amorim-haters coping hard. Now let's pick out Garnacho's terrible shooting and playing a low block with an injury-stricken squad against Arsenal to blame on Amorim. 
Everytime we do well this thread doesn't get replies for hours. Must be sad when you can't be happy when the team does well just because you have an agenda against a manager that's been here 3 months.
Half the team is injured but a few games in a row now where we're disappointed we didn't win. There's been glimpses of what Amorim's tactics are capable of producing if we just had a few proper footballers in key positions. Summer transfers just need to be some sensible decisions around the right profiles and we'll improve exponentially.
Everytime we do well this thread doesn't get replies for hours. Must be sad when you can't be happy when the team does well just because you have an agenda against a manager that's been here 3 months.Half the team is injured but a few games in a row now where we're disappointed we didn't win. There's been glimpses of what Amorim's tactics are capable of producing if we just had a few proper footballers in key positions. Summer transfers just need to be some sensible decisions around the right profiles and we'll improve exponentially.
We seem to be playing the transitions a bit better in the past few weeks. Definitely noticed it against Sociedad and today at times.
Such a big game for him and the club on Thursday. If we can win and get some momentum and get a few players back, maybe we can have a stronger end to the season.
Such a big game for him and the club on Thursday. If we can win and get some momentum and get a few players back, maybe we can have a stronger end to the season.
Erm Rubén, we had by far the better chances in that match. Raya had three amazing saves, and and Hojland let us down on a sitter. Don’t sell yourself short
There is small difference between great save and lucky saves. But fair play to Raya, except that free kick, he was easily MOTM. If we would win 4:1, no one would say it was great goalkeeping, but great finishing.
To be fair to him, we have already played better and on the front foot against Liverpool at Anfield but we weren’t blitzed with injuries then like we were today.
To those that level a lack of tactical flexibility against Amorim as a negative - why doesn't what we just saw count? Quite clearly today was a departure from the possession based style he prefers, and he did so in order to produce a performance that defied a laundry list of issues against the vast majority of posters and commenters who thought we'd get tonked. What, is it just because its still 3 at the back?
The only thing I didn’t understand was why he didn’t bring obi on instead of Hojlund. Obi can’t play Thursday and this would have been ideal to give him minutes and experience. We know Hojlund wouldn’t do anything so why play him?
He's been saying the right things for a while now and what he's saying needs to show up in the recruitment process. I've been repeating myself for years about the team being comfortable in a low block where they cede possession. And this is what has to change and it can only change with the right type of players especially at CB and midfield. I think one more CB and ideally two midfielders who fit the criteria of playing higher up the pitch will bring about the biggest improvement.
Yeah, recruitment this summer will make or break him. Ole got Varane and Ronaldo and thought that'd be enough for us to play on the front foot. The wheels fell off. Ten Hag got Mount in and played his wacky 4-1-4-1 to get us on the front foot. The wheels fell off.
The quality and profile of incomings need to be spot on if he's going to be the one to finally get us playing something like a big club and controlling games again.
I would love to be like Pete Molyneux, looking back laughing at myself for having doubted him. Honest to God.
A game that summed us up.
Clear we need a bunch of new players but there's still plenty of good stuff going on. The effort, discipline, attitude all spot on.
All nearly chucked away by a forward and a goalkeeper.
Clear we need a bunch of new players but there's still plenty of good stuff going on. The effort, discipline, attitude all spot on.
All nearly chucked away by a forward and a goalkeeper.
Just gonna say they Leicester won a PL playing a low block counter attack game
Nah.. we're scoring like shit. Biggest improvement is surely if we have potent attackers that makes opponent wouldn't dare to commit forward a lot. Of course improving other positions will improve the team in general, but they shouldn't be the upper most priority.
Drumming for years that having the "ball playing" Gk and CBs as the most important part of game domination have been proven a horse shit.
Which one would scare the shit out of opponent? Beckenbauer and Nesta at the back or peak Messi and Pele in attack?
Drumming for years that having the "ball playing" Gk and CBs as the most important part of game domination have been proven a horse shit.
Which one would scare the shit out of opponent? Beckenbauer and Nesta at the back or peak Messi and Pele in attack?
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Well, I have to say I'm seeing signs of progression. With all the injuries we have we could have won this game 3-1. Next season is the real test.
Yup, and I don't think Ugarte is one of those midfielders in the long run.
And Forest are doing extremely well playing that way.
It's not the United way and the plan should always be to dominate the ball in 90% of games. We're right to recognise we're not there at the moment and play pragmatically but Amorim is also right to say this is not the endgame.
If Amorim had 5 or 6 good PL quality players, even with his tactics and formation that he gets pelters for, we'd be easily in top 8 or even knocking on CL spots.
Instead what he has is 1 good player in Bruno and then 15 average to poor players and 5 truly dreadful players! Players should improve individually with any new manager but these players have shown time and again that their capacity to stink the place out is never diminished. I'd like to see where he would get to with 2-3 transfer windows and 7-8 players to fit his tactics/formation. But given our dealing in transfers and the dreadful nature of players, this won't happen.
Instead what he has is 1 good player in Bruno and then 15 average to poor players and 5 truly dreadful players! Players should improve individually with any new manager but these players have shown time and again that their capacity to stink the place out is never diminished. I'd like to see where he would get to with 2-3 transfer windows and 7-8 players to fit his tactics/formation. But given our dealing in transfers and the dreadful nature of players, this won't happen.
Thought it was an excellent performance today considering that we'd been written off before kick off.
Yoro & Heaven both looked really good and we created some really nice chances. It keeps being said but a top striker is an absolute necessity this summer.
Amorim and the players should be feeling pretty pleased tonight, definitely signs in recent games that things are starting to click.
Yoro & Heaven both looked really good and we created some really nice chances. It keeps being said but a top striker is an absolute necessity this summer.
Amorim and the players should be feeling pretty pleased tonight, definitely signs in recent games that things are starting to click.
I don't even think we need to be spot on with our recruitment to become a more dominant team. I think the key thing to understand is how do we go about having a build-up phase that is very capable on the ball to push us higher up the pitch and that then needs to be backed up by a strong rest defense which consists of mainly the same players who will be required to contain the oppositions transitions/counters.
I know we need to replace our forwards like Rashford and Antony etc. And someone like Quenda would be a good high potential signing to replace one of the out going players in attack. But the biggest difference to how dominant we can be as a team will come from the back line and deeper midfield.
For me the young CB at Bournemouth (Huijsen) looks a very complete player as far as the attributes he possesses. And him being left footed is probably a bonus. I think a CB like Huijsen or even Diomande (SCP) with the addition if at least one central midfielder who fits the criteria with and without the ball would change the dynamics of this team.
Our fans have turned on multiple managers who dared to play a low block against teams like Wolves.
We know that we can be a decent and effective low block team but, as Ruben has alluded to, we're not particularly great at being the side playing on the front foot.
So good performance, ok result but long term there's not a great deal here ,minor a couple of performances from one or two, to build from.
So good performance, ok result but long term there's not a great deal here ,minor a couple of performances from one or two, to build from.
Ugarte wasn't a good signing and he was never going to raise the level of the midfield because he quite clearly lacks in-possession. Jason Wilcox reportedly pushed for the signing and it was basically a sideways move from what Fred and McTominay provided. Fred probably better at progressing the ball whilst Ugarte had the edge defensively. These types of signings for €60m just don't move the needle.
In games where we’re forced to play a low or mid block, we always turn up and look good. Right back as far as Ole, we’ve always been a counter team. We only have issues when we try to be expansive and play on the front foot. We didn’t have the players when Ole tried it, and we definitely don’t have the players now.
The only good thing at the moment is that despite Amorim trying to get us playing dynamic football, we’re not getting hammered 4-0 when we do unlike under Ten Hag.
On top of that, if we had a quality striker we’d have won today and picked up way more points. The big chances missed by the likes of Hojlund are absolutely criminal at this level.
The only good thing at the moment is that despite Amorim trying to get us playing dynamic football, we’re not getting hammered 4-0 when we do unlike under Ten Hag.
On top of that, if we had a quality striker we’d have won today and picked up way more points. The big chances missed by the likes of Hojlund are absolutely criminal at this level.
Having a prime Vardy, Kante and Mahrez also helped a bit.
Yeah, with 81 points, which is close to the ceiling for a low block team. As we've seen under Ole and Jose, you can fight for the top 4 with that approach, and with a fair wind can get around 80 points. So if you're happy with 6th to 3rd being your usual range, it'll do.
But since Leicester won the league, the average winning points total has been 94 points, and teams need to aim that high if they have ambitions of winning the league. I simply don't see any team playing with a style that's so easily countered reaching those kind of numbers for the foreseeable future. Its not suitable for a club with our goals.
Didn't Ranneri actually come out and say in the season after that Leicester had to progress beyond that style of football because teams were wising up to it? I'm sure I remember that. Likewise, Forest are playing really well but we'll see how they do next season.
And even then a lot went their way. It’s just not a sustainable way of playing long term for genuine top level success
That's the only way these players can play is low block and counter. Likes of Garnacho, Rashford, Hojlund need huge spaces to play in.
We struggle against low block teams or teams that that are bit more disciplined in defense as we don't have players with technical ability or the quality to play in tight spaces.
Been years since we can open up teams that play low block.
At moment no harm in playing to players strengths and today showed it. Sit deep and hit on counter attack even at home as that's the only way we can play.
Get players in next year that can play way he wants.
We struggle against low block teams or teams that that are bit more disciplined in defense as we don't have players with technical ability or the quality to play in tight spaces.
Been years since we can open up teams that play low block.
At moment no harm in playing to players strengths and today showed it. Sit deep and hit on counter attack even at home as that's the only way we can play.
Get players in next year that can play way he wants.
I agree he's been pretty consistent on this, even before he joined, saying simlar things after that Sporting win over City.
I disagree with the CBs and midfielders though, I actually think we progress the ball out of defence and midfield, well I won't say we do it well exactly, but at least adequately. I think our problem with possession is up front. Partly that's the profile of players, not having players who can hold up play, retain possession or pass in tight spaces near the opposition penalty area. But more to the point, just not having players good enough to worry the opposition and force them to dance to our tune.
If you're playing United right now you never need to double up on any of our attackers, you never get turned round facing your own goal and you never have midfielders covering runs back into their box, that sort of stuff. Defending against us is so comfortable you can happily press us higher up and not worry about the ball getting in behind. Which in turn makes passing from the back harder, because teams know that's the only bit of a possession phase you need to worry about, so that's where they focus their players.
We lack the attacking quality to make the opposition focus on defending for long periods. I don't think we can successfully start to pin opposition teams back until we have enough quality up front to hurt teams. At the point where we start dragging defenders into difficult areas and pulling the opposition midfield out of shape to cover, that's where we start to assert tactical dominance on games.