The Footie Thread

[road2ruin]

That isn't really a ringing endorsement .

Imagine that as an advertising tagline, 'Onana, is he that bad?'

De Gea was pretty useless during his first season and didn’t turn out that bad and he had quality defence in front of him. Onana has been put into a pretty tough position and I’m happy to have him as our keeper and give him another season.

 

[Arthur Wedge]

And yet Liverpool are bringing in Arne Slot as their new manager and you've been far less vocal about how it's very risky to be bringing in someone who is very much unproven. His managerial record is Cambuur, AZ, Feyenoord and is far worse than Ten Hag's record. Ten Hag has managed Bayern Munich reserves, Utrecht and Ajax before joining Utd and took Ajax to the semi finals of the CL in 2019, and won three Dutch League titles in four years as well as a couple of domestic cups. Slot won one league title and one cup with Feyenoord. Wonder why you're far more critical of the Utd manager's record than of your club's new appointment?

How can I make any judgements on Slot when he hasn’t even taken charge of a game yet in the Prem

Slot is unproven in the Prem and it is a risk as it is with any new manager coming in

ETH is being judged on his performances at Manchester United not Ajax or Bayern Munich reserves

 

[road2ruin]

The very same thought occurred to me during his press conference. It must have been enormously tempting to simply get up and walk out.

ETH is in a pretty strong position IMO, most people in football would have sympathy for him whether he’s sacked or chooses to leave and he’ll get offered a top job if it’s the former.

 

[Billysboots]

That isn't really a ringing endorsement .

Imagine that as an advertising tagline, 'Onana, is he that bad?'

My serious answer would obviously be that, yes, I do think he is good enough.

Every ‘keeper makes mistakes. Onana made more than his fair share early in his Old Trafford career, and blotted his copy book today. But he has been pretty much error free for some time, and has generally been pretty solid.

The mistakes will be picked over because of the team he plays for and the man he replaced. I’m happy enough with him - there are far more pressing problems elsewhere.

 

[clubchamp98]

That isn't really a ringing endorsement .

Imagine that as an advertising tagline, 'Onana, is he that bad?'

I think when you are judging key players, and keepers are key, it's a good way to judge by asking which team would swap out their equivalent for them? I'm not sure many in the PL are swapping their keeper for him, that says a great deal.

I wonder how Pickford or Allison would do with Cassimero playing CB.

Onnana is a good keeper but has played behind some appalling defending this season.

The lad must be a bag of nerves.

 

[4LEX]

Just having a little fun!

Yes, I have changed my mind a couple of times. But that really didn’t start until the abysmal capitulation against Coventry. There was no excuse for that, and in the immediate aftermath I wanted the manager gone. It really was the straw which broke the camel’s back.

But looking at it objectively, and when considered in the context of what has gone on at United since 2013, the club has to break the cycle and at some point find some stability. I don’t think any manager post Ferguson has lasted more than two years.

I said earlier in the season that INEOS had to get the structure right above and around the manager, and then give him a year. On balance, and I’ll accept it’s a close call for me, I’d still go with that option.

INEOS are already looking bad with their handling of the Ashworth situation and various legal issues that could throw up unless they buy Newcastle off. That could take another year to sort out.

Also considering McKenna for the job is a bad look as he's not qualified.

I think long term, winning today was the worst thing to happen. As it will probably lead to another year of ETH, European football which you didn't need and papering over the cracks.

 

[Lord Tyrion]

De Gea was pretty useless during his first season and didn’t turn out that bad and he had quality defence in front of him. Onana has been put into a pretty tough position and I’m happy to have him as our keeper and give him another season.

That's absolutely fine. I suspect I'm not alone, as an opposing fan, in being happy for him to be there another season as well. He has cost you goals this season and as was pointed out earlier, he isn't a youngster as DDG was in that first season.

He may well prove me wrong. From the early rumours, clearly not reliable, you are looking to prioritise elsewhere so he is highly likely to be your no 1 next year still.

 

[Arthur Wedge]

ETH is in a pretty strong position IMO, most people in football would have sympathy for him whether he’s sacked or chooses to leave and he’ll get offered a top job if it’s the former.

Would he get offered a top job ?

I couldn’t see many top teams going for him tbh

That's absolutely fine. I suspect I'm not alone, as an opposing fan, in being happy for him to be there another season as well. He has cost you goals this season and as was pointed out earlier, he isn't a youngster as DDG was in that first season.

He may well prove me wrong. From the early rumours, clearly not reliable, you are looking to prioritise elsewhere so he is highly likely to be your no 1 next year still.

that imo is what speaks volumes

How many opposition fans would be disappointed if the GK and manager stayed ? I certainly wouldn’t be

 

[Lord Tyrion]

I wonder how Pickford or Allison would do with Cassimero playing CB.

Onnana is a good keeper but has played behind some appalling defending this season.

The lad must be a bag of nerves.

Allison has to deal with Trent waving people through and Jordan has spent his career at Sunderland and Everton, he isn't short of practice . I get your point but I bet you wouldn't want him at Anfield.

 

[Billysboots]

INEOS are already looking bad with their handling of the Ashworth situation and various legal issues that could throw up unless they buy Newcastle off. That could take another year to sort out.

Also considering McKenna for the job is a bad look as he's not qualified.

I think long term, winning today was the worst thing to happen. As it will probably lead to another year of ETH, European football which you didn't need and papering over the cracks.

I would tend to agree we perhaps don’t need European football, apart from the point of view of retaining players we want to keep, and attracting those we want to bring in.

But I’m no fan of Thursday night football and the disruption it causes.

 

[road2ruin]

Would he get offered a top job ?

I couldn’t see many top teams going for him tbh

He’s been at a pretty useless United side with massive off field issues for two seasons and won two trophies which still puts him as one of the most successful managers in the EPL regardless of what you think of him. I guarantee that if he’s sacked he’ll walk into a top job.

 

[road2ruin]

But I’m no fan of Thursday night football and the disruption it causes.

On the plus side I find it hilarious that we’ve relegated Chelsea to the Europa Conference league!

 

[Billysboots]

On the plus side I find it hilarious that we’ve relegated Chelsea to the Europa Conference league!

My best mate supports Newcastle. I can’t get hold of him at all.

 

[4LEX]

I didnt see City create anything clear cut that would have troubled the xG statistics....some long range shots maybe but nothing where the striker was facing goal in control of the ball, with the whites of the keepers eyes bulging.

Haaland was utterly anonymous for 90 minutes....his lack of lateral movement was very surprising...for all City's possession and moving the ball from side to side they never actually really got the Man U defense moving around....for me it needed someone to be making moves across the edge of the box, dragging defenders with them, creating holes for others to run in to.

Disappointed that Man U have scuppered Newcastles European football adventure for next season but cant deny they thoroughly deserved it for an outstanding team performance.

The data has it as I saw it it.

Man Utd dominated the first half and Man City the second. xG puts it at 1-1.

However Man City were in my view woeful from start to finish, bar a period from 50-65 minutes. KDB is finished at this level, looks overweight, sluggish, no end product and just miles off what he was a few years back. His performance was a genuine 1/10 it was that bad.

I said it to Tashy before, Man City are miles better without Haaland and Pep will try to sell him this summer. Alvarez up top with a left winger like VJ and it's a whole different City team.

 

[Pin-seeker]

Looking at the goal he conceded today looks a snapshot of him and a number of other shockers but it’s prob a combination of both him and the players in front of him not having confidence in each other. Think there is a soft wrist mistake in him



For Hojlund I guess the only way we will see is what happens over the next couple of seasons

It was a big fee spent on him and he will need to produce consistently - I don’t see a top striker there but we will see

Just out of interest what’s your views on Nunez?
Bet you can spin that one bette

 

[ColchesterFC]

That isn't really a ringing endorsement .

Imagine that as an advertising tagline, 'Onana, is he that bad?'

I think when you are judging key players, and keepers are key, it's a good way to judge by asking which team would swap out their equivalent for them? I'm not sure many in the PL are swapping their keeper for him, that says a great deal.

But how would Alison, Ederson, Raya, Martinez, Pickford, Pope etc have got on behind the revolving door that has been Utd's defence this season? It's very difficult to judge a keeper when the defence has been so poor and he's facing 20+ shots per game. He should've done much better with the goal he conceded today but that was the sort of regulation save he was making at both Ajax and Inter.

 

[4LEX]

But how would Alison, Ederson, Raya, Martinez, Pickford, Pope etc have got on behind the revolving door that has been Utd's defence this season? It's very difficult to judge a keeper when the defence has been so poor and he's facing 20+ shots per game. He should've done much better with the goal he conceded today but that was the sort of regulation save he was making at both Ajax and Inter.

No it wasn't. At Ajax he was in the best team and didn't need to do anything of note. He was more remembered for his mistake that led to the Spurs come back in 2019.

At Inter last season he had his best ever season but still conceded 42 goals and Inter didn't win the league. This season they replaced him and have conceded 20 goals and won the league

 

[Swango1980]

Lots of criticism of Onana I see. Pity City's keeper didn't make a mistake today, take some of the heat off him.....

Of course, Onana might have faced double the amount of shots that any keeper in a top side had faced this season? All whilst he had defenders and midfielders wildly running back, almost crowding him out on his line, allowing opposition to cut a ball back to a striker about 10 yards out for a free shot.

Probability says he is definitely going to have more errors than any other keeper, even if the rate of errors is similar.

Personally, I'm not bothered what other fans think, as a Man Utd fan I'm happy to keep him. I have warned to him, and he also had come across to me as a big character. I'd certainly have him over Reya and Spurs and Chelsea keeper.

 

[ColchesterFC]

No it wasn't. At Ajax he was in the best team and didn't need to do anything of note. He was more remembered for his mistake that led to the Spurs come back in 2019.

At Inter last season he had his best ever season but still conceded 42 goals and Inter didn't win the league. This season they replaced him and have conceded 20 goals and won the league

Yes it was. He was at the best team in the Netherlands at Ajax and was making those regulation saves, he then moved to Inter Milan and was making those saves. The fact that you have to go back 5 years to find a mistake that he's remembered for is evidence of that. During his one season at Inter he was voted the best keeper in the Champions League. That's a statement of fact and not a subjective opinion.

 

[clubchamp98]

Allison has to deal with Trent waving people through and Jordan has spent his career at Sunderland and Everton, he isn't short of practice . I get your point but I bet you wouldn't want him at Anfield.

No i would pick Kelleher before Onnana.
So he’d be number three at Anfield.