The Footie Thread

[Swango1980]

I actually think Casemiro had a half decent game at centre half. But Rashford? Oh my god. A player on the money he earns should be having a Championship defence on toast.

I really don’t know what the manager sees in him. I’d start Antony or Diallo over him every day of the week. Even when he has scored, I genuinely cannot remember the last time I saw him play a good ninety minutes.

Probably never. I don't think he has good "footballing intelligence", that thing Walcotte was always accused of lacking. He is poor at the basics, poor awareness, etc. All he can do is charge down a wing, hope defenders part like the red sea, then smash the ball and hope it goes in.

 

[Hobbit]

I actually think Casemiro had a half decent game at centre half. But Rashford? Oh my god. A player on the money he earns should be having a Championship defence on toast.

I really don’t know what the manager sees in him. I’d start Antony or Diallo over him every day of the week. Even when he has scored, I genuinely cannot remember the last time I saw him play a good ninety minutes.

I was shocked at Casemiro’s lack of pace. Not the player he was early last season. Has he got tired, end of season syndrome?

 

[Billysboots]

I was shocked at Casemiro’s lack of pace. Not the player he was early last season. Has he got tired, end of season syndrome?

No, his legs are gone. He’s been a shadow of the player he was last season because of that.

 

[Pin-seeker]

No, his legs are gone. He’s been a shadow of the player he was last season because of that.

This seems to happen to certain players.
I suppose playing at such a high level can do that to the body.

 

[Aztecs27]

One normal day as a Forest fan is all I’m asking for. Just. One. Day.

This whole week has been a PR nightmare for the club what with the absolutely diabolical season card increases, followed by the gas lighty tweets after the whole fanbase has voiced their displeasure to remind all the loyal SC holders that there are 11k on the waiting list….and today’s victim FC tweet at the end of the game just topped it off.

Officiating was absolutely embarrassing today as well, let’s make no bones about it, but that tweet from the club account…good lord

 

[Billysboots]

Time to nail my colours to the mast after this afternoon’s debacle.

I have been a big supporter of Erik ten Hag since his appointment. I like the majority of his signings, like the fact he has brought a bit of discipline and have been largely impressed with the way he has dealt with those who cause dissent within the ranks.

But I still remain unsure what he is trying to achieve on the pitch. I see no plan at all. Regardless of any encouraging results, the underlying performances have largely been abysmal, certainly this season. We can certainly blame some of that on injuries, especially to key defenders, but that doesn’t gloss over some very real problems. United play well in short bursts, periods within games. But they don’t control them.

Today, for an hour or more, they were in complete control. Coventry barely had a sniff. United looked calm in possession, and were able to take a comfortable 2-0 lead in at half time. They started the second half a little too open for a team two goals to the good, but were still able to score a third.

Then the fun starts. For Coventry and the neutrals, at least. Ten Hag makes the frankly baffling decision to withdraw Mainoo and replace him with Eriksen. A young, eager midfielder replaced by an aging and leggy midfielder, who takes his place in midfield alongside the largely anonymous McTominay and in front of one of the slowest centre half pairings I have ever seen. And when Antony joins the action he does so not for the absolutely dreadful Rashford, but Garnacho. Cue the Coventry comeback.

Sure, Coventry City deserve an enormous amount of credit for their performance for the last 18 minutes of the second half and then extra time, but they were largely handed the initiative by managerial decisions made by a man who was naive enough to think his side had the job done. He must have been the only person connected with Manchester United who wasn’t still chewing on their finger nails.

Sorry, I have put up with some dreadful football this season. But I have done so knowing that a structure is being put in place which is long overdue, and which the manager desperately needs. I am sick of seeing managers sacked every couple of years, and was fully supportive of ten Hag being given another season, once that structure is in place, to show us what he is made of.

Sadly, my patience has now been exhausted. If Manchester United, with some of the players at the manager’s disposal, cannot see out the last 18 minutes of an FA Cup semi final when they are 3-0 up against a Championship side and in pretty much complete control, then there is nowhere left to go. The buck for the last 18 minutes today stops with a manager who made some truly baffling decisions, and who was incapable of managing his side over the line.

I will say here and now I have absolutely no clue who the club can bring in. But I no longer have faith that Erik ten Hag is the man to take this club forward. If he goes, and I now think he will in the summer, my big hope is that the players who have let him down so badly are not allowed the opportunity to remain and hide behind the fact that the manager was deemed not up to the job. Too many of them aren’t fit to wear the shirt.

Never thought I’d be so depressed at seeing my team into an FA Cup final, but this afternoon was the final straw.

 

[Pin-seeker]

What I find surprising is Chelsea have been horrendous this season,win their game in hand they’re level on points with Man Utd

 

[Swango1980]

What I find surprising is Chelsea have been horrendous this season,win their game in hand they’re level on points with Man Utd

I could say the opposite. Man Utd have been horrendous this season, yet Chelsea need to win their game in hand just to go level

 

[Billysboots]

I could say the opposite. Man Utd have been horrendous this season, yet Chelsea need to win their game in hand just to go level

Or they’re both as awful as each other?!

 

[4LEX]

What I find surprising is Chelsea have been horrendous this season,win their game in hand they’re level on points with Man Utd

Chelsea have actually played considerably better than Man Utd, they've just had Jackson (and a few others) up front fluffing chances. The xG stats puts them +16 points higher than their current total. The same stats show Man Utd way down in the bottom half and -16 points worse off. Not a perfect metric by any means as we all know football is about winning games but it paints an accurate picture of how a team is playing over a long period of time.

 

[Slime]

What I find surprising is Chelsea have been horrendous this season,win their game in hand they’re level on points with Man Utd

.............. and yet they don't seem to be criticised to anywhere near the same degree as United, despite United's injury problems are worse than I've ever seen before.
Why is that, I wonder?

 

[Pin-seeker]

Or they’re both as awful as each other?!

Agreed.
I wasn’t having a pop at Utd,both no where near where they should be.
Chelsea really need to get rid of Jackson & a few more,easier said than done with the contracts they’re on tho.

 

[4LEX]

Time to nail my colours to the mast after this afternoon’s debacle.

I have been a big supporter of Erik ten Hag since his appointment. I like the majority of his signings, like the fact he has brought a bit of discipline and have been largely impressed with the way he has dealt with those who cause dissent within the ranks.

But I still remain unsure what he is trying to achieve on the pitch. I see no plan at all. Regardless of any encouraging results, the underlying performances have largely been abysmal, certainly this season. We can certainly blame some of that on injuries, especially to key defenders, but that doesn’t gloss over some very real problems. United play well in short bursts, periods within games. But they don’t control them.

Today, for an hour or more, they were in complete control. Coventry barely had a sniff. United looked calm in possession, and were able to take a comfortable 2-0 lead in at half time. They started the second half a little too open for a team two goals to the good, but were still able to score a third.

Then the fun starts. For Coventry and the neutrals, at least. Ten Hag makes the frankly baffling decision to withdraw Mainoo and replace him with Eriksen. A young, eager midfielder replaced by an aging and leggy midfielder, who takes his place in midfield alongside the largely anonymous McTominay and in front of one of the slowest centre half pairings I have ever seen. And when Antony joins the action he does so not for the absolutely dreadful Rashford, but Garnacho. Cue the Coventry comeback.

Sure, Coventry City deserve an enormous amount of credit for their performance for the last 18 minutes of the second half and then extra time, but they were largely handed the initiative by managerial decisions made by a man who was naive enough to think his side had the job done. He must have been the only person connected with Manchester United who wasn’t still chewing on their finger nails.

Sorry, I have put up with some dreadful football this season. But I have done so knowing that a structure is being put in place which is long overdue, and which the manager desperately needs. I am sick of seeing managers sacked every couple of years, and was fully supportive of ten Hag being given another season, once that structure is in place, to show us what he is made of.

Sadly, my patience has now been exhausted. If Manchester United, with some of the players at the manager’s disposal, cannot see out the last 18 minutes of an FA Cup semi final when they are 3-0 up against a Championship side and in pretty much complete control, then there is nowhere left to go. The buck for the last 18 minutes today stops with a manager who made some truly baffling decisions, and who was incapable of managing his side over the line.

I will say here and now I have absolutely no clue who the club can bring in. But I no longer have faith that Erik ten Hag is the man to take this club forward. If he goes, and I now think he will in the summer, my big hope is that the players who have let him down so badly are not allowed the opportunity to remain and hide behind the fact that the manager was deemed not up to the job. Too many of them aren’t fit to wear the shirt.

Never thought I’d be so depressed at seeing my team into an FA Cup final, but this afternoon was the final straw.

Fair play Billysboots. Things can turn around in football fast, especially with Liverpool in a state of flux and Man City's charges looming. The situation at the moment is so bad that even Ole as a caretaker would be a huge improvement. At least he'd get the fun back, dressing room onside and make you difficult to beat. The worrying thing is the damage ETH's transfers have done. With FFP limits close, a lot of those signings will be near impossible to shift due to sky high fees and wages. A new manager might get a tune out of them though.

 

[Pin-seeker]

.............. and yet they don't seem to be criticised to anywhere near the same degree as United, despite United's injury problems are worse than I've ever seen before.
Why is that, I wonder?

Are you having a laugh??
Chelsea not criticised for the circus & the owner playing “football manager”

Slime you’re sounding like a Liverpool fan

 

[Lord Tyrion]

.............. and yet they don't seem to be criticised to anywhere near the same degree as United, despite United's injury problems are worse than I've ever seen before.
Why is that, I wonder?

I think Chelsea had all their criticism in the first half of the season. By now, people know they are poor, it isn't news anymore.

 

[Swango1980]

I think the penalty Hojlund scored was something crazy like his second shot since after the international break.

Couldn't verify completely, but managed to find he has had 2 shots in total over the last 4 PL games. Over the season, he had averaged 1 shot a game, but had that rich vein just before his last injury.

 

[Pin-seeker]

I think the penalty Hojlund scored was something crazy like his second shot since after the international break.

Couldn't verify completely, but managed to find he has had 2 shots in total over the last 4 PL games. Over the season, he had averaged 1 shot a game, but had that rich vein just before his last injury.

When you think,Him,Nunez & Jackson are the main “strikers” at Utd,Liverpool & Chelsea

 

[Slime]

Are you having a laugh??
Chelsea not criticised for the circus & the owner playing “football manager”

Slime you’re sounding like a Liverpool fan

Read my post.
I didn't say they haven't been criticised, I merely said not to the same extent.
Oh, I'd rather eat my own eye balls than be a Liverpool fan.

 

[Slime]

When you think,Him,Nunez & Jackson are the main “strikers” at Utd,Liverpool & Chelsea

......................... and Havertz at Arsenal, too.

 

[Lord Tyrion]

When you think,Him,Nunez & Jackson are the main “strikers” at Utd,Liverpool & Chelsea

With Haaland not in great form it hasn't been a vintage year for strikers. Watkins has done well, Solanke perhaps. Anyone else on the striker front who has had a good season?

I'll add Isak when fit.