Football 2024/25

[kaosmark2]

7 hours ago, thetime said:

If you can't beat this utd side, that pretty much is on Newcastle.

😏

[charlierc]

Think it says a lot about my muscle memory being worried about a comeback. Not least the precedent in 2018 when the Toon were 2-0 up at Old Trafford at half-time, and were still 2-0 up with 20 minutes to go only to lose. Although even then that was a team with talents and one that would probably beat the current one.

 

Eriksen & Casemiro as a central midfield pairing was a bold pick that really didn't work and it's hard to see how Zirkzee recovers from that humiliation. 

[Ryan1984]

I didn’t see it but it sounds like the reaction to Zirkzee was harsh? Apparently one of the few Man Utd players that were trying.

[Gnomicide]

Hopefully over the coming weeks games against us, Man Utd will play like they did in the first half and Newcastle will play like they did in the second half.

[charlierc]

2 minutes ago, Ryan1984 said:

I didn’t see it but it sounds like the reaction to Zirkzee was harsh? Apparently one of the few Man Utd players that were trying.

I'm aware I could be seen as throwing stones from a glass house given Newcastle fans have been arsey to players in the past. But they really went for it in booing him off and I'm not convinced he was the biggest reason why they were just so sh*t in the first half hour. Casemiro-Eriksen as a CM pairing was a puzzling choice, Lisandro Martinez looked hopeless and they seem to be playing wide wing-backs that aren't really wing-backs - positions you suspect Amorim will want as priority in the upcoming window.

 

Rumours of Zirkzee going back to Italy have been doing the rounds in the past few weeks. Maybe that's something that'll transpire.

[thetime]

3 hours ago, kaosmark2 said:

😏

 

Nothing to be proud of mate, we are relegation threatened fodder. 

 

 

[thetime]

1 hour ago, charlierc said:

I'm aware I could be seen as throwing stones from a glass house given Newcastle fans have been arsey to players in the past. But they really went for it in booing him off and I'm not convinced he was the biggest reason why they were just so sh*t in the first half hour. Casemiro-Eriksen as a CM pairing was a puzzling choice, Lisandro Martinez looked hopeless and they seem to be playing wide wing-backs that aren't really wing-backs - positions you suspect Amorim will want as priority in the upcoming window.

 

Rumours of Zirkzee going back to Italy have been doing the rounds in the past few weeks. Maybe that's something that'll transpire.

 

Unfortunately utd fans have been doing it for years, it's nothing new. 

 

 

[Comfy Bean]

38 minutes ago, thetime said:

 

Unfortunately utd fans have been doing it for years, it's nothing new. 

 

 

Ferguson’s success has given an awful lot of people in that stadium ideas waaaay above their station. 
 

The managers got that team selection miles wrong after how they started. Newcastle should have been further ahead. 

Edited December 31, 2024 by Comfy Bean

[kaosmark2]

58 minutes ago, thetime said:

Nothing to be proud of mate, we are relegation threatened fodder.

After growing up under Fergie years it'll still bring joy regardless of what the sensible assessment is.

[thetime]

19 minutes ago, Comfy Bean said:

Ferguson’s success has given an awful lot of people in that stadium ideas waaaay above their station. 
 

The managers got that team selection miles wrong after how they started. Newcastle should have been further ahead. 

 

Hopefully this manager rips it all up.

 

 

[charlierc]

9 hours ago, thetime said:

Hopefully this manager rips it all up.

I think he's going to have to. He wants to play a way his squad is incompatible with, and is saddled with a squad full of players that have been just crap for several seasons and in a few cases several managers.

 

I'm not sure I buy the idea of Manchester United being in a relegation battle just yet, given that even with their rubbish squad and questions on whether they have the PSR tolerance to replace players (a few are saying its sell to buy), you'd imagine there's at least 5 teams worse. But tbf teams have had more points than them at this stage and gone down. It's kinda f**king crazy to think it's even in the conversation.

[pink_triangle]

Rooney is available now! 

[charlierc]

8 minutes ago, pink_triangle said:

Rooney is available now! 

It's really not been the most ideal start to his coaching position that the place where it seemed to work the smoothest was at Derby, when they were doomed the moment the EFL gave them a 20+ point penalty.

 

Still, says a lot about this predicament that a manager who left Plymouth with them bottom of the Championship and on a run of 9 games without a win isn't doing that much worse than the Red Devils have been of late.

[thetime]

1 hour ago, charlierc said:

I think he's going to have to. He wants to play a way his squad is incompatible with, and is saddled with a squad full of players that have been just crap for several seasons and in a few cases several managers.

 

I'm not sure I buy the idea of Manchester United being in a relegation battle just yet, given that even with their rubbish squad and questions on whether they have the PSR tolerance to replace players (a few are saying its sell to buy), you'd imagine there's at least 5 teams worse. But tbf teams have had more points than them at this stage and gone down. It's kinda f**king crazy to think it's even in the conversation.

 

Complete overhaul is what's needed. The current 2 year cycle of top 4 and poor 2nd season and then sacked on the 3rd, can't continue. 

 

 

[kaosmark2]

2 hours ago, thetime said:

 

Complete overhaul is what's needed. The current 2 year cycle of top 4 and poor 2nd season and then sacked on the 3rd, can't continue.

I don't think the cycle of reaching top 4 under a new manager will continue!

[thetime]

2 minutes ago, kaosmark2 said:

I don't think the cycle of reaching top 4 under a new manager will continue!

 

Exactly. 

 

Utd need to find a long term solution. 

[charlierc]

4 minutes ago, kaosmark2 said:

I don't think the cycle of reaching top 4 under a new manager will continue!

Honestly, just put it all in on trying to win the Europa League at this point. Famously get a Champions League place if you win it.

[charlierc]

10 minutes ago, thetime said:

 

Exactly. 

 

Utd need to find a long term solution. 

Feels like they've done this in a paradoxical way. Amorim has demonstrably proven he's a decent coach at Sporting but if you're going to sign him when he's so rigid in playing 3-4-3, surely you'd give him a pre-season to filter the playing squad into one he can work with rather than this real square-peg-round-hole feeling of throwing him in during the season after EtH was allowed to blow huge cash on players that already come across as failures.

[thetime]

39 minutes ago, charlierc said:

Feels like they've done this in a paradoxical way. Amorim has demonstrably proven he's a decent coach at Sporting but if you're going to sign him when he's so rigid in playing 3-4-3, surely you'd give him a pre-season to filter the playing squad into one he can work with rather than this real square-peg-round-hole feeling of throwing him in during the season after EtH was allowed to blow huge cash on players that already come across as failures.

 

I don't think it's as simple as that. A lot of clubs were looking at Amorim, he was linked to City a few months ago. Better teams, with better chance of success would of snapped him up. 

 

They could of been thinking, if we don't get him now we won't in the summer. 

 

For me it's a case of writing off the season, he probably knows who he wants out now. Certainly more beneficial than a pre season. It's what's needed, feel the pain now for a brighter future. 

 

Utd need better players, they are really average. Likes of hojlund, zirkzee, Dalot shouldn't be anywhere near the 1st team. 

 

Although massive clanger playing erikson and casemiro, but without Bruno and garter he didn't have many alternatives. 

 

 

 

[kaosmark2]

51 minutes ago, charlierc said:

Feels like they've done this in a paradoxical way. Amorim has demonstrably proven he's a decent coach at Sporting but if you're going to sign him when he's so rigid in playing 3-4-3, surely you'd give him a pre-season to filter the playing squad into one he can work with rather than this real square-peg-round-hole feeling of throwing him in during the season after EtH was allowed to blow huge cash on players that already come across as failures.

Well supposedly when Man U approached he asked if he could just commit to joining in the summer and the club said "now or never".

[kaosmark2]

6 minutes ago, thetime said:

 

I don't think it's as simple as that. A lot of clubs were looking at Amorim, he was linked to City a few months ago. Better teams, with better chance of success would of snapped him up. 

 

They could of been thinking, if we don't get him now we won't in the summer. 

 

For me it's a case of writing off the season, he probably knows who he wants out now. Certainly more beneficial than a pre season. It's what's needed, feel the pain now for a brighter future. 

 

Utd need better players, they are really average. Likes of hojlund, zirkzee, Dalot shouldn't be anywhere near the 1st team. 

 

Although massive clanger playing erikson and casemiro, but without Bruno and garter he didn't have many alternatives. 

 

I disagree on Hojlund. He isn't a world-beater but he's shown some ability to score goals and feed other players. I think if he were playing with better players he'd improve.

[thetime]

10 minutes ago, kaosmark2 said:

I disagree on Hojlund. He isn't a world-beater but he's shown some ability to score goals and feed other players. I think if he were playing with better players he'd improve.

 

He has 5 league goals since Feb. Sheffield Utd, Newcastle, Brighton, Brentford and Forest. 44 league games - 2 assists. 

 

In 32 games for Atlanta he scored 9 goals. 

 

 

Edited December 31, 2024 by thetime

[Skip997]

4 hours ago, pink_triangle said:

Rooney is available now! 

Great idea.

 

But surely this season can’t get better than it already is. Shaping up to be one of the best ever 

[thetime]

25 minutes ago, Skip997 said:

Great idea.

 

But surely this season can’t get better than it already is. Shaping up to be one of the best ever 

 

It's a bit crazy Liverpool up top and  forest in 2nd, with utd in the bottom half and winning a cup. 

 

It's like late 70s and 80s all over again. All we need is Liverpool to get English teams banned from Europe for 5 years to compete the set. 😉

[thetime]

7 hours ago, pink_triangle said:

Rooney is available now! 

 

Utd v Wrexham double header next season. 😄