The Footie Thread

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4LEX

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So, just ignore he didn't play him in the previous FA Cup games. I guess they were dead rubber games....

He's started in 2/4 FA Cup Games and played nearly 100 minutes in the 2 games he didn't start. He's played the majority of FA Cup minutes in total.

Who would you like to see start at Wembley in that position?
 

Hobbit

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Of course it isn't rubbish. Managers stick by their big money signings through ego, even if it's obviously the wrong decision.

Diallo has looked brilliant in recent games, if he doesn't start in the FA Cup Final (bar injury) it will be down to ETH being pig headed.

But can you imagine how wise it is to be pig headed in an industry that is prone to sacking people? ETH might make some strange decisions but I doubt it’s down to being pig headed.
 

Swango1980

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He's started in 2/4 FA Cup Games and played nearly 100 minutes in the 2 games he didn't start. He's played the majority of FA Cup minutes in total.

Who would you like to see start at Wembley in that position?
I'm certainly not saying I want Antony to start from what I've seen. Amad has been given his chance by ETH lately, done pretty well, and I would like to see him on the right.

But, also don't want to get carried away just yet, on the limited amount we've seen him. Man City on a neutral ground will be a very different prospect to Newcastle at home. Attacking wise, Antony had been very disappointing. His shooting is garbage, and like Rashford it looks to be his only attacking feature. Unlike Rashford though, he does put in a lot of effort. Will ETH think Antony would be worth starting, thinking he will be a better option in tracking back and helping the team, then have Amad as a fresh attacking option later in game?

Basically, whether Antony starts or not, I wouldn't be shocked either way really. I'd like to see Amad, but I watch the matches on TV. ETH watches them live, analyses them to death after, watches the players train and paid to pick the team. And if he does poorly, risks the sack. No managers gets every single decision perfectly, but picking a player because your pig headed is a stretch. Maybe a few months after signing a player, a manager may continue to show faith, hoping they see the form they feel the player had. But not 2 seasons in. Even if Antony had a good game, it is too late to use that as evidence he was worth every penny.

Amrabat is another interesting player. Thought he has been very good since playing last 2 games. So very confused as to what has been going on when he couldn't get in side for ages.
 

Junior

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He looks very composed on the ball, skilful and has an eye for goal.

Let's be honest here, Antony will start in the FA Cup Final as ETH will be too afraid to leave his signing out. Diallo is only playing because these games are dead rubbers.
I know, it’s a shame really.

Our best performances (and I know there have not been many) have been with a makeshift side including the younger / second string players like Amad, McTominay Mainoo, Garnacho and Amrabat.

It’s a shame we have had the injuries (ETH training schedule ? ) as I think Bruno, Amrabat and Mainoo in midfield is a good partnership, and then bring in Mctominay/Casemiro when he needs to rotate. Garnacho, Hojlund and Amad as a front three works…..and we’ve not even spoke about Rashford and Sancho. (I actually like Rashford on the left and Garnacho on the right also).

I guess what I’m saying is the focus this Summer needs to be on the centre of defense and cover for AwB and Dalot.

Also, those who are slating Casemiro haven’t seen what he’s done when he’s been in a settled side. As a holding midfielder infront of the two CB he’s quality. He’s just been thrust into roles this season that don’t suit him.
 

Arthur Wedge

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I know, it’s a shame really.

Our best performances (and I know there have not been many) have been with a makeshift side including the younger / second string players like Amad, McTominay Mainoo, Garnacho and Amrabat.

It’s a shame we have had the injuries (ETH training schedule ? ) as I think Bruno, Amrabat and Mainoo in midfield is a good partnership, and then bring in Mctominay/Casemiro when he needs to rotate. Garnacho, Hojlund and Amad as a front three works…..and we’ve not even spoke about Rashford and Sancho. (I actually like Rashford on the left and Garnacho on the right also).

I guess what I’m saying is the focus this Summer needs to be on the centre of defense and cover for AwB and Dalot.

Also, those who are slating Casemiro haven’t seen what he’s done when he’s been in a settled side. As a holding midfielder infront of the two CB he’s quality. He’s just been thrust into roles this season that don’t suit him.


Players like Varane and Casemiro were superb, think they arrived in the Prem maybe 2 years too late and both have suffered from loss of form and injuries

There looks some very good young players there

Mainoo , Amad and the young CB that played

There does need to be a huge clear out and it prob does include players that have been bought under ETH

I think it’s going to be a long road now , I can’t see ETH being the man for the job but I’m not sure the options out there are shouting out.

I think it’s prob the worst United side I have seen since the 80’s - needs a lot of smart buying now
 

Swango1980

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Players like Varane and Casemiro were superb, think they arrived in the Prem maybe 2 years too late and both have suffered from loss of form and injuries

There looks some very good young players there

Mainoo , Amad and the young CB that played

There does need to be a huge clear out and it prob does include players that have been bought under ETH

I think it’s going to be a long road now , I can’t see ETH being the man for the job but I’m not sure the options out there are shouting out.

I think it’s prob the worst United side I have seen since the 80’s - needs a lot of smart buying now
Of Ten Hags signings, I'd definitely want to keep Martinez, Hojlund, Mount and Onana. I'd probably want to keep Malacia as well, he was good cover for Shaw, I just don't know how brittle he is, given him being out the entire season.

To me, the only real "failure" as of now is Antony. And, had he been bought for £20-30 million, he may well have been seen as a decent squad player. Casemiro was probably our best player last season, but injuries have not helped him this year, and then coming back into a massively unsettled, under-confident side. I wouldn't mind keeping him at the club in the slightest, he is still pretty young in today's terms. But, if a big offer comes in and he wants to leave, then I'll respect whatever he wants to do. He also brought in Eriksen, who will really need to go. Though he was a free transfer anyway. I suppose you could add Jonny Evans, although his signing was only ever meant to be cover in absolute emergencies, which turned out to be crucial.

Of the players that will probably most need to be considered to move on, I'd say only 2 would be ETH signings. My list would be:

Antony
Eriksen
Lindelof
Maguire (I like him, great attitude, but I don't think he'll be in 1st 11 ultimately)
Martial (out of contract)
Rashford
Varane (out of contract)
Wan Bissaka
McTominay
Sancho

I wouldn't expect all to leave, and maybe there might be one or 2 others that go, like Casemiro. Maybe even a surprise or two.

For me, ETH has already started the clearout as well. It just was never going to be done over a couple of seasons. Players that have left the club since he joined are Ronaldo, Henderson, Mata, Cavani, Matic, Lingard, Pogba, Bailly, Periera, Chong, Jones, De Gea, Greenwood, Telles, Fred and Elanga. And, Sancho is pretty much on his way out as well. Player recruitment was a shambles before ETH joined the club. When ETH did join, there were so many things that seemed to improve in that area, he must have had some good influence on those above him. Sure, it wasn't perfect, and we can just say the word "Antony" anytime we want to hammer ETH. But, he is ultimately the coach of the football team, so he needs better, more reliable people above him to make good decisions, so he doesn't need to take almost full responsibility for transfers. That is what I hope Ratcliffe and his mob will bring
 

Billysboots

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I know, it’s a shame really.

Our best performances (and I know there have not been many) have been with a makeshift side including the younger / second string players like Amad, McTominay Mainoo, Garnacho and Amrabat.

It’s a shame we have had the injuries (ETH training schedule ? ) as I think Bruno, Amrabat and Mainoo in midfield is a good partnership, and then bring in Mctominay/Casemiro when he needs to rotate. Garnacho, Hojlund and Amad as a front three works…..and we’ve not even spoke about Rashford and Sancho. (I actually like Rashford on the left and Garnacho on the right also).

I guess what I’m saying is the focus this Summer needs to be on the centre of defense and cover for AwB and Dalot.

Also, those who are slating Casemiro haven’t seen what he’s done when he’s been in a settled side. As a holding midfielder infront of the two CB he’s quality. He’s just been thrust into roles this season that don’t suit him.

I love Casemiro. Quality player. But he’s right at the tail end of his career and if the figure we hear he is earning is true then, sadly, I think we need to look to the future.

I agree he has suffered with injury and being played out of position but, even when he has played in his preferred role, I don’t think he’s been anywhere near the player he was last season. I genuinely have my doubts if the year on his birth certificate is correct, because he looks exceptionally leggy for a guy who is still only 32.

So whilst he’s on my “to go” list, it’s not because I dislike him, but because he’s not the future. Keep him or Amrabat for one more year tops, to help any young or new players coming in, but United have GOT to stop the practice of bringing in quality players who are in the twilight of their careers on stupid money. It’s been going on way too long.
 

Swango1980

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I love Casemiro. Quality player. But he’s right at the tail end of his career and if the figure we hear he is earning is true then, sadly, I think we need to look to the future.

I agree he has suffered with injury and being played out of position but, even when he has played in his preferred role, I don’t think he’s been anywhere near the player he was last season. I genuinely have my doubts if the year on his birth certificate is correct, because he looks exceptionally leggy for a guy who is still only 32.

So whilst he’s on my “to go” list, it’s not because I dislike him, but because he’s not the future. Keep him or Amrabat for one more year tops, to help any young or new players coming in, but United have GOT to stop the practice of bringing in quality players who are in the twilight of their careers on stupid money. It’s been going on way too long.
Very much agree with how I think the transfer policy should be.

It was how we did it in the Fergie years. Just looked through the signings for each season, nearly all of them where mid 20's at most, and still looking to prove themselves. For outfield players, amongst the oldest we signed, as top targets, where Berg and Berbatov at 27, until the final season when we bought Van Persie at the age of 29. We also bought in Owen and Larsson at times, but those where clearly just to fill temporary gaps without spending big money. Bought a few GKs just after Schmeichel left, getting in Barthez eventually at the age of 29, and a few years later Van Der Saar at 34. Even Veron was still only 26 when we signed him, though he might have been considered an established player when we signed him (and it didn't work brilliantly).

Things went a bit pear shaped once Fergie left. Fellaini comes in, only 25, but no one felt he was the type of player we needed or wanted (Mata also came in that year, at 25). Get rid of Moyes, and you can tell the club start to become desperate, throwing money at all types of players Falcao, Di Maria, Shaw, Herrera, Rojo, Blind, Martial, Schneiderlin, Depay, Darmian, Schweinsteiger, Pogba, Mkhitaryan, Bailly, Lukaku, Matic, Lindelof, Sanchez all come in over the next 4 seasons, for huge money. It almost feels like they were trying to buy a third / half of a new starting 11 every season, as all these players were bigger signings (i.e. not even mentioning the free signings like Valdes or the youngsters that could be coming through each season). A good few of these players may not have been considered old to be fair, but they were all coming from very different experiences before coming to Utd, and then trying to force their way into a team with a load of other big signings.

I suppose the catalyst are having more teams like Man City and Chelsea to compete with, you have a lot of money. And so our owners just thought that as long as they can still get their wallets out and splash the big bucks, they would continue to compete at the top of the table.
 

Arthur Wedge

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I love Casemiro. Quality player. But he’s right at the tail end of his career and if the figure we hear he is earning is true then, sadly, I think we need to look to the future.

I agree he has suffered with injury and being played out of position but, even when he has played in his preferred role, I don’t think he’s been anywhere near the player he was last season. I genuinely have my doubts if the year on his birth certificate is correct, because he looks exceptionally leggy for a guy who is still only 32.

So whilst he’s on my “to go” list, it’s not because I dislike him, but because he’s not the future. Keep him or Amrabat for one more year tops, to help any young or new players coming in, but United have GOT to stop the practice of bringing in quality players who are in the twilight of their careers on stupid money. It’s been going on way too long.


Who in the new working model is your “DoF” etc or the man that decides which players are brought in ?

Who does the manager go to and say I need

A CB etc


I know in the past it was Woodward
 

Orikoru

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Well it's better than the 82% of correct decisions pre VAR 😄

Don't forget, var can't correct everything. That isn't in its remit. It can only correct certain things.
That's just a rule they made up though?? I think one positive change would be to make it the ref's remit whether it's used or not. At least give him some power back.
 

Arthur Wedge

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Dan Ashworth, if they ever cough up the money to compensate Newcastle.

That’s going to be a massive link for the club - whilst getting the right manager in is key , also getting the right players also is

Our improvements didn’t just turn around with Klopp - it was also Edwards and Ward being involved to bring in the right player and also crucially- selling the right player for the right amount

Ashworth was key at Brighton and did well at Newcastle
 

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That's just a rule they made up though?? I think one positive change would be to make it the ref's remit whether it's used or not. At least give him some power back.
I think the idea is that they don't want VAR to double check every single decision. They want the ref to cover 95% of the game, VAR is there for the big decisions only.

Leaving it to the ref's remit also can lead to an inconsistency about when it is used. At least now we know when it can and when it can not be used.

It is not perfect, stating the obvious 😄 , and I do agree that there is definite refinement needed.
 

Lord Tyrion

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That’s going to be a massive link for the club - whilst getting the right manager in is key , also getting the right players also is

Our improvements didn’t just turn around with Klopp - it was also Edwards and Ward being involved to bring in the right player and also crucially- selling the right player for the right amount

Ashworth was key at Brighton and did well at Newcastle
Agree. Not really worth arguing about paying his contract off is it? But they are..............and so it continues, happily 😂
 

Lord Tyrion

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Looks like it’s £20mil to release him

Heck of an amount when the highest fee paid for a manager is £20mil


But massively worth it in the long run
Depends how key you think that role is? (I know you know the answer to this already but....) You can barely get a full back for that now. If Utd spend £20m on a player the likelihood is that they will be a squad player, not a starter.

In comparison, Ashworth has the keys to the piggy bank and will be authorising the spending of hundreds of millions. When you think what they have wasted, he would more than earn that fee. Also look at the signings he made both for Brighton and Newcastle. I know he is only part of that but he clearly has a an eye and understands what each club and each manager wants and supplies accordingly. He has barely made a duff signing between the two clubs (Tonali may be the only question mark).

If Ratcliffe is serious about changing things at Utd he should pay the money and let him get on with the job. The longer he delays, the more they miss out on players, Ashworth can't plan etc. Good for everyone else, poor for Utd.
 
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