We are an awfully coached team

We're one proper CM away from being a solid team. The McFred combo is painful to watch.

If that CM is Ballon D'Or quality then yes.

I think our issues go beyond than just plugging players in.

I just have zero faith in this coaching staff + Ole being good enough to win us titles vs the two best managers in the world.
 
If that CM is Ballon D'Or quality then yes.

I think our issues go beyond than just plugging players in.

I just have zero faith in this coaching staff + Ole being good enough to win us titles vs the two best managers in the world.

Agreed and time will tell if Ole knows what he is doing. But I'm hoping we don't see a McFred midfield next season because they have been horrendous in keeping possession and distributing passes from defensive positions.

We do need a world class CM but I can't think of any suitable names given the Glazer's apparent reluctance to spend big after past failures amongst other things.
 
Oh give over. We're comfortably second. It's become a bit of a myth that we rely on pace, power and moments of brilliance while other top teams rely on patterns of play and a robust system. I'll admit that I'm still not all balls in on Ole, but it's bullshit to pretend we're any different to any top team. We have our moments, we have our foibles. We also have an opportunity in the summer to strengthen those positions which consistently flatter to deceive (CM, RW and CB) and Ole has given us a great pedestal to move forward. We have easily been the second most consistent and devastating team this season (and most entertaining, even with all those bore draws) so there is genuine reason to be optimistic. We've been completely fecked over with 4 games in 8 days, I think the players and managers should be cut some slack.

We have match winners, and most notably, we have Bruno. Tell me what we rely on to break teams down other than individual pieces of brilliance and/or pace and power on the break?

I saw nothing in last night's performance that I haven't seen as a theme throughout the season, only that we were far easier to get at as we seemed content to allow a basketball game to unfold.
 
We have match winners, and most notably, we have Bruno. Tell me what we rely on to break teams down other than individual pieces of brilliance and/or pace and power on the break?

I saw nothing in last night's performance that I haven't seen as a theme throughout the season, only that we were far easier to get at as we seemed content to allow a basketball game to unfold.
What individually great goals have we scored this season? We are 2 goals off City, must be some amount of goal of the season contenders to post..all the goals in Europe we scored as well...
Even last night had 2 goals that were well worked?
 
Which players have said that?

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-42611265

Half-time speeches
A lot of what the manager shouts from the touchline isn't actually audible to the players on the pitch.
Half-time is when a manager's character can make a difference. Team talks are the stuff of legend.
In the 1966 World Cup final, Alf Ramsey spoke to his team before extra time: "You've won it once. Now you'll have to go out there and win it again."

Perhaps it helped.
But Dr Sik is not convinced that this sort of thing goes on in the dressing room most weekends.
"We've all seen the films where the manager gives a team talk, invokes the memory of a dead player, the martial theme music starts up and that totally turns things round," he says. "It's pretty rare that that actually happens."
He adds that when he interviewed football managers for his book I Think I'll Manage: Football Managers Reveal the Tricks of Their Trade, not one of them gave an example of a half time speech that had changed the course of a match.

Basically. You shout on the touchline for great image and pose...


This one is for youth coaching perspective...but it is what it is:
https://community.ukcoaching.org/sp.../the-unknown-damage-caused-from-the-touchline

Caught up in the excitement and emotion of a game, many parents and coaches feel that they are really helping and supporting their children whilst watching by shouting technical or tactical instruction. Whilst this may on occasions in the short term prove successful there are major long term implications of this for the player.

  1. It reduces problem solving skills
  2. It decreases decision making skills
  3. It reduces creativity in young players
  4. It reduces the child's enjoyment
  5. It increases the pressure on the child
  6. It increases anxiety in the child
  7. It prevents children from mastering life skills
  8. It decreases the ability of the child to cope independently (particularly if the parent and the coach are not around)
 
We have match winners, and most notably, we have Bruno. Tell me what we rely on to break teams down other than individual pieces of brilliance and/or pace and power on the break?

I saw nothing in last night's performance that I haven't seen as a theme throughout the season, only that we were far easier to get at as we seemed content to allow a basketball game to unfold.
Like @cyberman said, we've only scored 2 less than Man City. It's just lazy at this point. We are clearly capable, so let's not talk shit.
 
You said we shouldn't draw any conclusions to two home losses back to back, bringing up our total to six, when many fans believe we'll be challenging for a title next season. We also fell off performance wise at the end of last season and the season before.
I wouldn’t draw any conclusions from that.
 
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-42611265



Basically. You shout on the touchline for great image and pose...


This one is for youth coaching perspective...but it is what it is:
https://community.ukcoaching.org/sp.../the-unknown-damage-caused-from-the-touchline
I would say with no fans in the ground, communication from the manager makes more impact than what it would with a full stadium.

How much impact it still makes is dubious...I still have awful memories of Moyes shouting 'Danny' over and over again at Welbeck. That made no impact at all :lol:

There is good communication however, and usually at United this is left to Phelan and the others to impart on the players rather than Ole.
 
Thats is complete sense. As Cruijff says if you give one option it is going to be blocked. If you give two options maybe it can be blocked but if you give three options, then the opposition cannot block the pass. 4 players normally make a diamond. The player with the ball and the other three players. That shape is then moved all over the pitch with different players making the diamond as the ball is passed among them. Right players in the right space at the right time.
According to him that is the diamond and not how the players line up when they kick off.

Spot on. I just don't even feel like commenting anymore regarding blatant stuff like this because I'm pretty much over it and accept we'll never be "pretty" to watch under Ole. Last night just got me riled up.

Plus Ole said he'd never play tiki taka football, which I think basically meant he doesn't know how to coach a good possession team. Why wouldn't you want that in your arsenal?
 
Players have said before whatever the managers shouted during the game, they can't be arsed about it and just nod in agreement.

You coach your team before the matches, the presence in the touch line is just a nuisance.
This is true at most levels. Half the time you can't even hear what someone is shouting properly.
 
The passing out from the back against not just pressing teams, but most teams...where to begin?

How many times do you look at the bigger picture, see our defence in a line, then like one midfielder amongst 4 or 5 opposition players? Then you get numpties saying these midfielders are solely to blame for their inability to pass forward. No, that's because they have to perform like Maradonna for a second just to be able to find a pass. And if they don't you end up with...well Fred, basically.

If you want to pass out, you give every man 2 or 3 options within 5 or ten yards until you beat the press. They shouldn't be having to pass 25 or 30 yards when surrounded by opposition players. But we're well coached and "patterns of play" is a load of bollocks...

The sad part is in the first 15-20 minutes we actually moved pretty well, Fred dropped in between defenders, Pogba from the left into midfield and we passed quite well around Liverpools pressing then after the 1-1 we completely lost the plot, no more movement, possession loss in our own third again and again because there was no one offering an easy passing option. It would have really shocked me if I wasn't so used to this face of our team by now. :(

But the thing that really shocks me is that our players simply refuse to hoof it, even under pressure. Shaw who has been so good in recent months rather dribbles into midfield and loses the ball leaving the entire left side exposed than trying to hammer the ball forward to one of the numpties who refuse to come deep. I mean even if the plan is to pass it short, if you have no passing option hoof it, still better to lose a long ball in their half than lose the ball in our own third. That doesn't only go for Shaw though, just as much for the other 3 defenders as well as our brain-dead midfield.
 
Whilst we have scored plenty of goals this season which is to be highly commended, we are still highly disorganised when defending set pieces (free kicks and corners) and still cannot play out from the back when put under anything like a molecule of pressure. If that’s not awful coaching (or at least naive coaching) , I’m not sure what is.
 
Whilst we have scored plenty of goals this season which is to be highly commended, we are still highly disorganised when defending set pieces (free kicks and corners) and still cannot play out from the back when put under anything like a molecule of pressure. If that’s not awful coaching (or at least naive coaching) , I’m not sure what is.
Maguire is the only one who can head. I’ve been saying it for ages we don’t put enough emphasis on basic defending when judging defenders especially centre half’s
 
Like I said in the other thread, we've only got 2 wins from 12 games against the comparable teams in the league. 2 from 12. Win percentage 17%.

That sort of form is not going to get us anywhere near a title and it's indicative of not even staying in the top four next season, unless we outspend all our rivals in the summer and actually buy well for a change.
Citys big game record is shocking and theyre champions?
 
We don’t have chequebook owners

Tbh I don't think money is our problem. We have spent plenty, more than any other club except City, and also has one of the highest wage bills. But what do we do with that money, and are we developing enough in our coaching? That's a way bigger issue IMO.
 
We certainly move the ball a lot slower than other clubs, I would be intrested in a stat that showed the average time a man United player kept hold of the ball before passing it. Compared to a City of Liverpool player.
 
Spot on. I just don't even feel like commenting anymore regarding blatant stuff like this because I'm pretty much over it and accept we'll never be "pretty" to watch under Ole. Last night just got me riled up.

Plus Ole said he'd never play tiki taka football, which I think basically meant he doesn't know how to coach a good possession team. Why wouldn't you want that in your arsenal?

The sad part is that originally it's not tiki taka. The old Ajax sides didn't play tiki taka. They have a lot of individual flair too. It's just common sense football.
A good example is Rashford. He runs with the ball all the way to the opposition box. By that time he has three players blocking him or his pass to a team mate. Once or twice is acceptable. But doing the same old thing for two years? It's insanity. But Ole couldn't stop him doing it.
McTominay doesn't know what to do when we have the ball. He hides behind an opposing player. Our corners. It's not just one issue. Yes Ole doesn't coach but he is responsible for his coaching staff.
 
Ole's persistence with shit zonal marking is what boils my piss.

If the fact that we're the 2nd worst team in the league for conceding at set-pieces doesn't make him consider some sort of change then I don't know what will.
 
Absolutely agree. Seems the coaches leave players to sort out the problem. Last night when Liverpool changed to a high press we were incapable of passing through it so lost control of the game completely. No tactical adjustment until game was gone. Defence all over the place.
Most damning of all is the inability to harness players talent. Pogba is a world class player but does fit into Ole’s pattern Last night when he got desperate and freed Pogba and Bruno we controlled the game for a period. As further evidence, look at the players who have “failed” at Old Trafford but gone elsewhere and starred: lukaku, DiMaria, Lingard, Evans, etc

Only significant difference between City, Liverpool Chelsea and us is the quality and clarity of management and coaching. World class teams need world class managers and coaches. No-one would put our lot anywhere near that level
 
I agree that we are badly coached. There were several examples of it just last night.
Trying to play out from the back against a team with such an effective press for one thing.
A good coach will identify players strengths & weaknesses and improve a player. Has Olé done so?
I think not.
At best we are threading water under his management.
 
For many years, we haven’t really been a team that is more than the sum of our parts. The problem is, as the bar has been raised, our rivals coached by Pep and Klopp have been exactly that. They are less about the brilliance of their individual players than they are about the quality of their unit. And their individuals are pretty good too!

Liverpool and City in recent years have been, I would say, 20-30% better than the simple sum of their parts. That 20-30% accounts for majority, if not all of the difference between them and us. I don’t think their players are as much better as is made out. I don’t think we can look at any of their best performers and confidently say they would have been at the same level if they were at United the last 3 years.

We will always be on the backfoot if our grand plan is to try and bridge that 20-30% gap by simply buying individuals that are 20-30% better than the ones they have. It’s just unlikely to happen. The way it has been in recent years, it’s like we need Mbappé, Neymar, Varane etc to compete. As a collective - nothing special. Which is why; irrespective of result, more often than not in recent years, we play poorly. It’s also why the solution always seems to be in the transfer market. Buy better and better. These players Liverpool and City are buying were of no greater calibre than the ones we buy when all players were at their respective previous clubs. It isn’t like they all just buy the world’s best while we shop in a different market. It’s what happens when they get to these respective clubs that is the main difference.
 
Prob would be better if we stopped filling every role with ex united players and just tried to bring in some top quality assistant coaches to help Ole out with the little things.
 
Absolutely agree. Seems the coaches leave players to sort out the problem. Last night when Liverpool changed to a high press we were incapable of passing through it so lost control of the game completely. No tactical adjustment until game was gone. Defence all over the place.
Most damning of all is the inability to harness players talent. Pogba is a world class player but does fit into Ole’s pattern Last night when he got desperate and freed Pogba and Bruno we controlled the game for a period. As further evidence, look at the players who have “failed” at Old Trafford but gone elsewhere and starred: lukaku, DiMaria, Lingard, Evans, etc

Only significant difference between City, Liverpool Chelsea and us is the quality and clarity of management and coaching. World class teams need world class managers and coaches. No-one would put our lot anywhere near that level

For many years, we haven’t really been a team that is more than the sum of our parts. The problem is, as the bar has been raised, our rivals coached by Pep and Klopp have been exactly that. They are less about the brilliance of their individual players than they are about the quality of their unit. And their individuals are pretty good too!

Liverpool and City in recent years have been, I would say, 20-30% better than the simple sum of their parts. That 20-30% accounts for majority, if not all of the difference between them and us. I don’t think their players are as much better as is made out. I don’t think we can look at any of their best performers and confidently say they would have been at the same level if they were at United the last 3 years.

We will always be on the backfoot if our grand plan is to try and bridge that 20-30% gap by simply buying individuals that are 20-30% better than the ones they have. It’s just unlikely to happen. The way it has been in recent years, it’s like we need Mbappé, Neymar, Varane etc to compete. As a collective - nothing special. Which is why; irrespective of result, more often than not in recent years, we play poorly. It’s also why the solution always seems to be in the transfer market. Buy better and better. These players Liverpool and City are buying were of no greater calibre than the ones we buy when all players were at their respective previous clubs. It isn’t like they all just buy the world’s best while we shop in a different market. It’s what happens when they get to these respective clubs that is the main difference.
These
 
I agree that we are badly coached. There were several examples of it just last night.
Trying to play out from the back against a team with such an effective press for one thing.
A good coach will identify players strengths & weaknesses and improve a player. Has Olé done so?
I think not.
At best we are threading water under his management.

I wouldn’t t say it’s even the high press per se that’s the problem. It’s about matching your tactics to the abilities of your players. Something I think you do quite effectively with Rashford for example. If you’re aiming to get the ball quickly to your deeper lying midfielders and relying on them to turn quickly and play swift decisive passes then you need players who aren’t Fred or Mctominay. They absolutely have their strengths (you are second for a reason), but transitioning possession into effective attacks is not one of them.
 
If that CM is Ballon D'Or quality then yes.

I think our issues go beyond than just plugging players in.

I just have zero faith in this coaching staff + Ole being good enough to win us titles vs the two best managers in the world.

You should find another club to root for.
 
We don't a collective pressing either. 2 of them go up while 1 of them jog back. We can't pass out from back either or we can't cross.
I agree with you, our press has no form, it seems as though we press when it occurs to one of us and others join in if they feel like it. And I miss Ashley Young’s crosses.
 
And that's where this whole thing will fall apart. This team needs a manager that can improve the team beyond the sum of its parts. Many managers have done it. Along with wise investment. We'll be stuck in this perpetual stage of rebuild as we are.
Agree with that but knowing the sensitivity of large chunks of that forum, I'd add this: Ole does and has done terrific job in consolidating the club and the team. Whoever would take over, has an infinitely better starting position than the one, Ole had to work with.
 
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You should find another club to root for.

The guy said nothing wrong.

Get off your high horse. I hate to break it to you but your way of supporting the club isn't certificated as the role model for every other United fan.
 
For many years, we haven’t really been a team that is more than the sum of our parts. The problem is, as the bar has been raised, our rivals coached by Pep and Klopp have been exactly that. They are less about the brilliance of their individual players than they are about the quality of their unit. And their individuals are pretty good too!

Liverpool and City in recent years have been, I would say, 20-30% better than the simple sum of their parts. That 20-30% accounts for majority, if not all of the difference between them and us. I don’t think their players are as much better as is made out. I don’t think we can look at any of their best performers and confidently say they would have been at the same level if they were at United the last 3 years.

We will always be on the backfoot if our grand plan is to try and bridge that 20-30% gap by simply buying individuals that are 20-30% better than the ones they have. It’s just unlikely to happen. The way it has been in recent years, it’s like we need Mbappé, Neymar, Varane etc to compete. As a collective - nothing special. Which is why; irrespective of result, more often than not in recent years, we play poorly. It’s also why the solution always seems to be in the transfer market. Buy better and better. These players Liverpool and City are buying were of no greater calibre than the ones we buy when all players were at their respective previous clubs. It isn’t like they all just buy the world’s best while we shop in a different market. It’s what happens when they get to these respective clubs that is the main difference.

Don’t always agree with you but this is very very true. For all the crap we give city about 60 million subs. I wouldn’t say the likes of Dias, Mahrez, Rodri, Cancelo, Fabinho, Salah, Mane, Robertson were at a world class level before they joined city and Liverpool.
I don’t remember there being a massive clamour on here to sign these players as for instance it is for Sancho, Haaland etc.
 
The guy said nothing wrong.

Get off your high horse. I hate to break it to you but your way of supporting the club isn't certificated as the role model for every other United fan.

If he can't find anything positive about Ole and staff then, yes, he has problems beyond just supporting the club. And to state unequivocally that Ole and staff can't win any major titles is pretty stupid. Do you agree with him?
 
We didn't learn our lessons last night. If you listened to Klopps post match interview he alluded to a process of solving the problems we caused Liverpool, it took 15-20mins. I wonder how much of this done by the players and how much by Klopp?

Then I wonder how much of this we do. Thinking about the absolute commitment to playing out from the back with McFred stood level with their forward line and it not only not working but actually costing goals.

Ole needs to be more dynamic during the game especially with a young team. He seems to only 'solve problems' at half time only it appears.
 
If he can't find anything positive about Ole and staff then, yes, he has problems beyond just supporting the club. And to state unequivocally that Ole and staff can't win any major titles is pretty stupid. Do you agree with him?

No he didn't say that. He said that can't trust them to win major titles against Pep and Klopp, which is his fair opinion. To respond to this by telling him to just go support another club is a ridiculously arrogant way of thinking of your ways of supporting the club and your beliefs. Just a terrible response that instead of trying to discuss why he can't trust the coaching stuff to win major titles, makes you act as the role model for United fans and the one who judges if people are supporting their club in the right way or not.
 
For many years, we haven’t really been a team that is more than the sum of our parts. The problem is, as the bar has been raised, our rivals coached by Pep and Klopp have been exactly that. They are less about the brilliance of their individual players than they are about the quality of their unit. And their individuals are pretty good too!


We will always be on the backfoot if our grand plan is to try and bridge that 20-30% gap by simply buying individuals that are 20-30% better than the ones they have. It’s just unlikely to happen. The way it has been in recent years, it’s like we need Mbappé, Neymar, Varane etc to compete. As a collective - nothing special. Which is why; irrespective of result, more often than not in recent years, we play poorly. It’s also why the solution always seems to be in the transfer market. Buy better and better. These players Liverpool and City are buying were of no greater calibre than the ones we buy when all players were at their respective previous clubs. It isn’t like they all just buy the world’s best while we shop in a different market. It’s what happens when they get to these respective clubs that is the main difference.

Agree, Pep and Klopp really set a bar higher since joining EPL. Their systems are very well drilled and I wouldn't put this down completely to Ole as he claimed not to be leading trainings. It appears that the coaching staff is not as competent as we wish. It's all about systems and then identifying the right players to fit in. Collective will always make individuals in the most important positions flourish, if they are all up to the task of course. We can argue about the quality of players they brought and we brought, but it is no coincidence that all of the sudden Robertson and TAA became one of the best full-backs or KDB and Silva most creative midfielders. Saying that, we can also argue about our setup helping Bruno's number, but we are far from a possession-style "drilled" team.
 
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Only significant difference between City, Liverpool Chelsea and us is the quality and clarity of management and coaching. World class teams need world class managers and coaches. No-one would put our lot anywhere near that level

For many years, we haven’t really been a team that is more than the sum of our parts. The problem is, as the bar has been raised, our rivals coached by Pep and Klopp have been exactly that. They are less about the brilliance of their individual players than they are about the quality of their unit. And their individuals are pretty good too!

Liverpool and City in recent years have been, I would say, 20-30% better than the simple sum of their parts. That 20-30% accounts for majority, if not all of the difference between them and us. I don’t think their players are as much better as is made out. I don’t think we can look at any of their best performers and confidently say they would have been at the same level if they were at United the last 3 years.

We will always be on the backfoot if our grand plan is to try and bridge that 20-30% gap by simply buying individuals that are 20-30% better than the ones they have. It’s just unlikely to happen. The way it has been in recent years, it’s like we need Mbappé, Neymar, Varane etc to compete. As a collective - nothing special. Which is why; irrespective of result, more often than not in recent years, we play poorly. It’s also why the solution always seems to be in the transfer market. Buy better and better. These players Liverpool and City are buying were of no greater calibre than the ones we buy when all players were at their respective previous clubs. It isn’t like they all just buy the world’s best while we shop in a different market. It’s what happens when they get to these respective clubs that is the main difference.

These posts are excellent, IMO, and I wholeheartedly agree with both (and have come to similar conclusions myself, despite trying and hoping not to, months ago).

Solskjaer will not get another Premier League gig when the inevitable happens here (or at least he’ll count himself extremely fortunate to do so if he does) yet we have sycophants here who ridicule and gaslight posters in their echo-chamber threads for calling out the distinct ‘averageness’ of our coaching and our playing style and try to claim Solskjaer is doing as good a job as anyone in the world could possibly do.

It’s like the twilight zone. You genuinely could not make it up.
 
Agree with that but knowing the sensitivity of large chunks of that forum, I'd add this: Ole does and has done terrific job in consolidating the club and the team. Whoever would take over, has an infinitely better starting position than the one, Ole had to work with.

Very fair point and one which needs to be respected.

Appreciating that, however, and also thinking the manager can be upgraded upon are two distinctly different things, it must also be pointed out.
 
No he didn't say that. He said that can't trust them to win major titles against Pep and Klopp, which is his fair opinion. To respond to this by telling him to just go support another club is a ridiculously arrogant way of thinking of your ways of supporting the club and your beliefs. Just a terrible response that instead of trying to discuss why he can't trust the coaching stuff to win major titles, makes you act as the role model for United fans and the one who judges if people are supporting their club in the right way or not.

You didn't answer the question. Do you agree with his sentiment?