The Premier League thread

People too harsh on Ole, pretty much from the get go. Give him time. Has the second best win % after 100 league matches in our history.

Sure he's a really unproven manager and still learning, but just maybe it would be worth staying with him. I mean, also potentially not, but for now fans need to be fully behind him imo.

It's a bit depressing really, especially the top 4 bit. We had so many years where the top 4 was completely locked down and as a fan of a club with aspirations to get there it was really depressing. Obviously you were in the elite group back then so this is all new to you

Last 5 or 6 years we've at least had a bit of variety and competition for those places. They look miles away again now though.

I don’t recall naming any names or quoting anyone, but if the shoe fits.

Re successes, I’d say upwards progress in the league, a great sense of belief amongst the players and an overhaul of the squad with deadwood replaced by lots of talent are all things to be happy about.

Very much the path Liverpool took under Klopp including losing a Europa League final. And that’s not to say we’ll be winning the CL and PL* over the next 2 seasons, but it astounds me how much criticism Ole receives.

The goals scored last season stats have already been proven rubbish if you take away the 9-0 against a 9 man southampton and the freak 6-2 Leeds game. Our goals scored was average at best.

Nobody looks back on LVG and Jose with fond memories, they were boring to watch, exactly like Ole's team 90% of the time. The only difference being is that they won a few trophies...

I cannot fathom how united fans are seeing anything decent on the pitch.
This season we have already had the awful Southampton game, wolves game, Young boys game and West Ham game and we are only in September...

Oh were miles better to watch than LVG especially. That was excruciating football.

But we've had long enough of Ole now to expect progress on the pitch and that's not really happening. It's early enough in the season for progress to be made, but it's worryingly looking like the same Utd struggle against a low block. Just with much better players now.

I also find it quite funny how we're making progress and should get off his back, but if we don't finish 5 points off the top this season (a title challenge that any United fan in the world would be chuffed with and would snap your arm off for right now) then we should sack him.

Thing is, I don't think anyone has actually called for him to be sacked. He shouldn't be right now, it would be massively unfair to do so.

But it's perfectly reasonable to think that, and also realise the football probably isn't ever going to change under him. Then wonder just how badly this squad of brilliant players are going to be pissed away coming to the excruciatingly slow realisation that it just isn't going to work until we have our Tuchel moment.

We've had our share of luck. Southampton missed a sitter to beat us. West Ham missed a pen to draw. Eventually the luck will even itself out and you'll actually have to play well for a full 90 mins to pick up the points. A 38 game season ain't going to be kind to us forever.

My memories of United for the last ten years:

Fergies last season - The football was functional, we had an ageing squad, he was helped out by Scholes coming out of retirement, who somehow kept producing masterclass displays along with Carrick (who was criminally underrated by a lot of fans), we still had a great centre defence partnership, though both were coming to the end of their careers, Fergie could still get the best out of Nani and he had two of the best forwards the Premier League has seen.

Moyes - People say that he didn't get the backing in the transfer market, and it was true to an extent. I think Woodward promised Ronaldo & Bale (never going to happen) as well as Toni Kroos. Though strangely, it's been reported that Kroos was vetoed by Moyes as he went all out for Fabregas who ended up at Chelsea (not sure if it was that season though). Anyway, we ended up overpaying for Fellaini and nothing else was brought in. It was an ageing squad, but a title winning squad. Minus Paul Scholes but with Zaha coming in too (who was barely used by Moyes). The tactics were completely rigid, playing 4-2-3-1 but strangely lacking any movement whatsoever. Also made the bizarre decision to get rid of the backroom staff which had served the club well, which seemed to upset the players. The tactics seemed to be to get it out wide and cross. Infamous match vs Fulham which produced the most crosses in a Premier League game (no idea is that has since been surpassed). In a word, awful.

LVG - I was quite excited by him. While obviously not young, was part of a time of modernising football. Genuinely excited to see United evolve tactically as by the end, it seemed Fergusons methods had become a bit stale (aided by Mike Phelan, Carlos Queiroz was way better as an assistant manager). It all started off pretty well, we were playing either a 4-4-2 diamond, or a 3-5-2. We started the season quite well, Angel Di Maria had come in and hit the ground running, we were doing well in matches. Then we played leicester. We were 3-1 up at half time and cruising, Rafael then gave away a penalty, got sent off and we ended up losing 5-3. Subsequently, Van Gaal went ultra conservative, didn't trust the players. We were rigid positionally, had about 85% possession a game but had about 3 shots (on target or off) a game. The evolution of United was dead.

Mourinho - I wanted Klopp. But Mourinho was a proven winner, so time to give him the benefit of the doubt. He was good at organising a team, but evolving a team tactically, not so much. He relied on individual brilliance from his players to win games. He didn't have a clue about coaching attacking play, it was all about organisation and hoping the players could fashion something themselves at the other end. Glad when he was sacked.

Ole - Exciting start, shackles seemed to come off the players when he came in, things derailed when given a permanent contract. What has become clear, is that he is another manager who has no clue about coaching attacking play. I see no structure to United's attacking play, again relying on the players themselves to improvise on the pitch.

I would love to see a coach like Pep, Klopp or Tuchel at United, someone to take us to that next level, because the players are mostly there to do it.

City, Liverpool and Chelsea, the three main teams (sorry Leicester) who have all won and competed for the major silverware for the last 8 years.
We haven’t competed in the league since Ferguson left.
A distant 2nd under Jose and ole don’t count as we never had a chance of winning the league in those two seasons.
I’m not sure what point you are even trying to make.

I really like Ole. I'm there every home game and I've never heard anyone say they want rid of him.

I was there watching LVGs dreadful football and Mourinho's too.

We play much better and as a team have got better ever season. I'm happy with that. Keep that up and trophies will come.

Ace

Interesting...an obvious move really, circumvents the whole bidding process.