GWT: PL Matchweek (mostly) 35

[Halladay]

Milner's celebration was gold.

 

[Chimaera]

I'd have already taken care of your other post were I not on my mobile, but I'll reply later. I don't even have the information in front of me but it's easy to refute all this.

It’s not really that refutable. I’m on mobile as well.

There was no rush to make him permanent. He wasn’t walking.

He’s not the worst manager, I’m not trying to make him out like it. He had a great run when he got there. But I think the club could do better.

 

[Il Mediano]

Who cares about Ole's track record? Judging someone based on their time at Cardiff is kinda pointless. If you take issue with the timing of the appointment, fine. But speculating on whether or not he's good enough is only something time can answer. We all know his resume isn't sparkling, but that honestly doesn't matter as much as people think. Mourinho and LVG have pretty nice CV's do they not?

And as I've already stated, it doesn't matter if he's the "right" guy for the job or not, when there are clearly much bigger issues at that club. It took an all-time great manager to mask the problems, and even then he had 20+ years of control/cultivation to help buffer the crap ownership.

Wish Ole the best, but he's got a helluva task on his hands if he has to do it alone with Ed the money maker.

 

[Jersey Fresh]

It's not even like OGS has any options beyond the guys that were on the pitch today. Maybe throw in Lingard, but this same team is going to be on the pitch on Wednesday and get mauled by City.

 

[Live in the Now]

It’s not really that refutable. I’m on mobile as well.

There was no rush to make him permanent. He wasn’t walking.

He’s not the worst manager, I’m not trying to make him out like it. He had a great run when he got there. But I think the club could do better.

Trophies are also won off the pitch. The club can't do better because they aren't run better. No manager without ties to the club who has a brain would walk into that.

For the record I do not think he will be that successful. They already gave Young and Jones contract extensions while he was there, with the way they've played this season. That speaks for itself. It's going to be like when Kenny was our manager, when we had good tactics 75% of the time and a moron signing players for him, and it will not end well.

 

[Burner Account]

Two teams trying really hard to win the league.

Four teams trying really hard to not finish top four.

 

[Ajacied]

Milner's celebration was gold.

Hopefully Liverpool pulls through. Wednesday's United vs City might be the decisive game that determines the winner.

 

[Live in the Now]

I still think City will have a hard game against Burnley. But if they haven't dropped points after that...

 

[les Habs]

It’s not really that refutable. I’m on mobile as well.

There was no rush to make him permanent. He wasn’t walking.

He’s not the worst manager, I’m not trying to make him out like it. He had a great run when he got there. But I think the club could do better.

It's easily refutable and you being on your mobile has nothing to do with how I post.

 

[Chimaera]

Trophies are also won off the pitch. The club can't do better because they aren't run better. No manager without ties to the club who has a brain would walk into that.

For the record I do not think he will be that successful. They already gave Young and Jones contract extensions while he was there, with the way they've played this season. That speaks for itself. It's going to be like when Kenny was our manager, when we had good tactics 75% of the time and a moron signing players for him, and it will not end well.

But that’s part of it. Ole isn’t going to come out and fight with the ownership. He won’t give anyone any grief. He won’t complain if they sign anyone because he doesn’t have any stature to do so.

That’s part of it

 

[Havre]

Well what I might blame him for is the lack of rotation, but not sure the squad situation.

I think his hand was forced a bit. In any case quite a few of the players playing today hasn´t played that much since OGS took over. No way can fatigue explain 4k.

It is just Manchester United falling back to earth after the effect of having a new manager wore off. The truth is that they are not a great football club and have not been for a while. Too much money spent on flops and underperforming players.

Also no competitive team should be fielding the likes of Smalling and Jones as starting central defenders.

So they need a new manager every other month to be bothered to run as much as the opposition? That is obviously false.

 

[Havre]

But that’s part of it. Ole isn’t going to come out and fight with the ownership. He won’t give anyone any grief. He won’t complain if they sign anyone because he doesn’t have any stature to do so.

That’s part of it

I don´t believe that for a second.

Obviously OGS is not going to be disloyal in public criticising the club, but he is very single-minded, idealistic and stubborn. On things he considers a necessity I´m 99.9% certain it will be his way or no way.

That is the way he was as a player and has been as a manager before Utd.

 

[Savant]

I still think City will have a hard game against Burnley. But if they haven't dropped points after that...

Arise King Brenny

 

[Live in the Now]

Arise King Brenny

Yeah that isn't an easy game either. In truth none of their games are. I'm just bummed that they can go without dropping points since January. That's an incredible run, they've had some luck on the way, but it's still insane.

 

[Savant]

Yeah that isn't an easy game either. In truth none of their games are. I'm just bummed that they can go without dropping points since January. That's an incredible run, they've had some luck on the way, but it's still insane.

Yeah, I've been saying since March that I didn't see where they are dropping points. Looks like both them and Liverpool will win out, which is going to be so disappointing

 

[Chimaera]

It will be disappointing to not win with only one loss, especially when they had a chance to win that one. But I will take a close second and a CL any day. (I think Barca are the favorite)

 

[Savant]

It will be disappointing to not win with only one loss, especially when they had a chance to win that one. But I will take a close second and a CL any day. (I think Barca are the favorite)

If Liverpool keep the tie at Camp Nou under control, they have a good chance to advance with the 2nd leg at Anfield. Granted this isn't particularly intellectual, but 0 0 or 2 1 with away goal at Camp Nou has them in a good spot. It could look like the Barca v Roma tie last season

 

[Prntscrn]

The Egyptian "fan" base is poison. Well atleast the Salah FC part of it

 

[Havre]

Haha. Focusing on what is important.

 

[Burner Account]

Yeah that isn't an easy game either. In truth none of their games are. I'm just bummed that they can go without dropping points since January. That's an incredible run, they've had some luck on the way, but it's still insane.

If City goes since January without dropping points then they deserve it.

People would insist Liverpool bottled it but I don’t think a team that wins 30 games can be considered bottlers.

 

[YNWA14]

They definitely didn't need to sign OGS before the summer. I'm fine with their state.

 

[S E P H]

Only bright side was Arsenal's game wasn't on NBCSN so I couldn't watch it.

 

[les Habs]

I’ll bite.

His honeymoon period was great. They played Spurs, some donkeys and PSG. Now they’re falling apart. The squad is mediocre, but the players look like they didn’t get off the bus today. We were told over and over by many that it was Jose and not the players.

Answer these questions, and I’ll stop. What in his past managerial record suggests he’s ready to helm that club? What was the rush to sign him to an extension? It’s clear he loves the place and would clean the stands after matches if SAF asked. Then just say, we will make a decision when the DoF is in place in summer. What in his history shows he has the ability to help reshape and overhaul that club if other managers with a much better track record couldn’t?

I will fully buy the he needs the summer to plan and preseason. But as is often the case with top level sides, he won’t have all summer with most of them. He also couldn’t do it at Cardiff. Why United?

You should really do some homework before you post. Here is what they've done under Solskjaer:

• Beat Spurs convincingly away.
• Beat Arsenal, away again, and knocked them out of the FA Cup.
• Beat Chelsea, away yet again, and knocked them out of the FA Cup.
• Drew Liverpool.
• Beat PSG, away just one more time, and knocked them out of the CL.

All of that in just four months and with no preseason, no new signings and having come from outside the club. That's not to mention what I've already demonstrated last week and which still holds true right now, that United are 3rd in the league in points just behind City and Liverpool and still 10 points ahead of Spurs since Solskjaer took over.

Yes, the team's form hasn't been good of late, but just saying things like "he's lost the plot" or "he's been found out" is just stupid and lacks context. They went out of the FA Cup to Wolves who this season are no slouch and they only lost by one goal and that was away. They went out of the CL to Barça who it was said they would be scored on by United and were not. In the league they've only lost 3 matches and all of those were away. 2-0 to Arsenal and 2-1 to Wolves aren't massive defeats. the 4-0 against Everton is bad any way you slice it, I'll give you that, and it sure sounds like it based on what I've heard/read. Now by chance I've probably seen Everton more than any other Premiership side all season. For me they're a real Jeckyll and Hyde team. Still they've got pretty record at home and prior to today's result and in the 3 prior home matches before today's win they drew Liverpool, beat Chelsea and beat Arsenal holding all them scoreless. That's four clean sheets in a row against the top six. Again, today's result and apparently performance are bad no matter what and I wonder at the team selection from what I'm seeing (again I don't know the squad situation, but Matic's first match in about a month, a bunch of guys who played midweek starting again and guys like Sanchez, Mata and Pereira starting on the bench).

So it wasn't Mourinho then? Then go ahead and explain how under Mourinho, who was at the helm for years and who had the entire Summer and preseason to prepare, they only had 26 points in 17 matches and how under Solskjaer they have 38 points from 17 matches. Explain how under Mourinho they had 29 goals scored and 29 goals allowed in those 17 matches and how under Solskjaer they have 34 goals scored and 19 goals allowed. Explain how multiple players have been playing notably better under Solskjaer to say the least.

To answer your questions, or not, I'll start with Luis Enrique. Look at Lucho's track record before he took over at Barça. It wasn't considered good and yet he did incredibly well at Barça when you look at what the won under him. Nothing in Lucho's history suggested he'd win a Copa much less the treble he did. Sometimes the conditions need to right.

As for "the rush to sign him to an extension", who said it was a rush? Even if it was, and that's very debatable, there are good reasons to make that move when they did. By not waiting too long it gives him credibility with the squad and also signals to the squad their intentions going forward. It also allows the club to prepare for contract renewals the Summer transfer window in advance which is very important.

Saving the best for last, why should they have waited? Who is the better option for United right now who they could have signed in the Summer? Pochettino? So he's going to leave Spurs who will at this stage likely be in the CL next season on top of finish ahead of United in this year's CL?

We'll see what the future holds for Solskjaer. I didn't think it looks great considering the overall squad situation. There's a lot of quality there, but the majority of the best players could be gone come the start of next season. How he does between now and then probably won't be as good as how he started with United, but there will also be a lot of context to consider there one way or the other.

 

[les Habs]

Only bright side was Arsenal's game wasn't on NBCSN so I couldn't watch it.

I was rather hoping it was going to be as I would have preferred that match.

 

[Live in the Now]

I was glad to see this. Some of the people on the internet (there are a lot) ready to dive off a cliff would do well to take those words to heart.

There will be other trophy runs. If the last City games don't go according to what we'd hope, it is what it is.