Manchester United Team Talk/Gossip/Rumours Thread 2018

duffman13

http://www.planetfootball.com/quick-reads/every-time-mourinho-drawn-first-leg-0-0-happened-next/

Not sure if posted already but Jose doesn't seem to get many 0-0 draws in the knockout out stages but when he does the results of the second leg aren't great.

As someone said previously though, if we can't beat Sevilla at home we don't deserve to be in the champions league

deaddonkey15

pjohnson wrote: »

thread does be like conspiracy theories sometimes.

Yeah, probably the worst 'conspiracy theory' in here is the simpletons that suggest other posters are Man City or Liverpool fans when they post something complimentary about those teams or compare them favourably to our own.

Anyway, I doubt I would go unchallenged if I was to call Lukaku red raw useless.

Drumpot

I can’t help but shake a feeling that United just need a good confident win, With good performance to get on a bit of a role. Confidence and momentum cannot be under estimated and it just feels like this squad has been decent in fits and starts.

The doubt about performances in big games isn’t just a Lukaku thing, it seems to be a squad wide problem.

I also have a sneaky suspicion that city being so far ahead isn’t great when you are trying to motivate the squad. It really shouldn’t matter to be honest but if we look at the last 5 league winners, the next season the league champions have struggled in the league if they aren’t actually challanging for the title. It’s as if top teams struggle to get motivated to just get in top four (ala Madrid this season).

I am hoping the Seville away was just a means to an end and even a sloppy home win could start something. We all know there is enough talent in the squad to put in a decent run but sometimes you just need a bit of luck or a trigger. Remember Liverpool’s last minute winner in the group when they won the CL? Remember Chelsea doing terrible in league and winning CL? I remember Madrid losing twice to Bayern in the groups and then beating them in semis.

While we haven’t seen anything this season to suggest this will happen, I really feel it’s possible, particularly with a manager as good as Jose.

FutureGuy

If United don't go out and try to beat a poor Chelsea tomorrow, it'll be a disaster.

I wan't this negative since some of the bad results under Moyes.

deaddonkey15

deaddonkey15 wrote: »

I saw someone call him "red raw useless" in here very recently which wasn't challenged by anyone because he had the right username.

I think you are being extremely paranoid.

As an example:
John Marston thinks Lukaku is a donkey.

I called him out for saying it. I think he's completely wrong about Lukaku.

Does he have the right or wrong username?
He's been posting here for years.
Do I think he's a bad poster? No, not at all.

Or maybe it's a possibility people didn't see that post about 'red raw useless' Lukaku. Whoever posted it.

You seem to spend alot of time 'grudging' in here and then you wonder why most posters tend not to have constructed debate with you.

I've tried to engage with you fairly multiple times. Maybe if you try do the same Your experience here might improve?

And nobody has ever said you can't disagree with something. There is an awful I don't agree with with some of the other regular posters. If it's done in a constructive manner then that's ok.

GSPfan

@deaddonkey15

I get the feeling it’s you who is fixated on usernames a bit too much.

I have defended your right to defend Rooney in the past from unfair criticism but moreso because it was unfair comments about you. But it almost seems like that whole thing has left you with a chip on your shoulder and it stops you from having normal interactions with the thread now. The blinkered criticism of Lukaku you seem to have developed seems hypocritical. I guess that’s what most think from what I’ve read.

I have recently had complete disagreements with Lord TSC and at least one of the jayo’s but I don’t really even remember what they were about cause it really doesn’t matter. I even sometimes challenge bangkok on his opinions but sometimes agree too.

Not trying to dig you out here but it would be nice to add a lighter tone to everyone’s opinions so that we can enjoy our arguments. I think you need to meet people half way though.

StringerBell

Username doesn't come in to it if you agree or disagree, I agreed with a post of yours the other day and acknowledged it as such donkey.

Lord TSC

GSPfan wrote: »

I have recently had complete disagreements with Lord TSC and at least one of the jayo’s but I don’t really even remember what they were about cause it really doesn’t matter. I even sometimes challenge bangkok on his opinions but sometimes agree too.

Tbh, I come into this thread, more often than not, looking to get into critical debates and discussions about stuff. I enjoy when people have a genuine differing opinion and are open to a heated discussion. Rarely do I ever take anything personally.

That's not to say, mind, there's not some posters I don't think are genuine in their stances. I just tend to dismiss and ignore them as much as possible though.


On topic, I do worry that it feels there's a line in the sand with Jose that people are approaching. It feels like, in here and in other places, the "Sack Jose" side of things are starting to get their opinion closer to the "majority acceptance" point. It feels like it did just before everyone lost patience with LVG. Not quite there yet, mind. Nowhere near, personally. But I'm seeing a lot of doubt in posts from people I respect

limnam

GSPfan wrote: »

@deaddonkey15

I have defended your right to defend Rooney in the past from unfair criticism but moreso because it was unfair comments about you.

I even backed him up on the rooney debate.

Now he's calling me a simpleton.

Turncoat. :pac:

Will I Am Not

Will I Am Not wrote: »

You know what I’d do if I really wanted to wind up some Liverpool fans? I would sign up to the soccer forum as a Liverpool fan and spend my time in their thread bitching and moaning about everything Liverpool while fawning over United and Everton. Then whinge about being picked on and nobody taking me serious.

Now I’m not saying that’s going on in here but maybe some people look at other posters and put 2 and 2 together and get 5... or 4...

That's mental if true like in every sense of the word. Who's got time for that.

Lukker-

Bangkok's a Soviet spy?

limnam

Lukker- wrote: »

Bangkok's a Soviet spy?

Ashton new rd is not in Russia :pac:

deaddonkey15

M!Ck^ wrote: »

I think you are being extremely paranoid.

As an example:
John Marston thinks Lukaku is a donkey.

I called him out for saying it. I think he's completely wrong about Lukaku.

Does he have the right or wrong username?
He's been posting here for years.
Do I think he's a bad poster? No, not at all.

Or maybe it's a possibility people didn't see that post about 'red raw useless' Lukaku. Whoever posted it.

Convenient.

M!Ck^ wrote: »

You seem to spend alot of time 'grudging' in here and then you wonder why most posters tend not to have constructed debate with you.

I've tried to engage with you fairly multiple times. Maybe if you try do the same Your experience here might improve?

And nobody has ever said you can't disagree with something. There is an awful I don't agree with with some of the other regular posters. If it's done in a constructive manner then that's ok.

On the contrary. I don't grudge in here at all and if you pay attention to my posts, for the most part they are honest opinions of mine that contribute constructively to the thread. Having said that, I'm not afraid to point out hypocrisy and bullsh*t when I see it,and this thread is rife with it at times. It was only a few days ago I listed a number of instances where bangkok took sh*t for saying something in here that actually turned out to be true/accurate.

Have a look at my posts about Lukaku if you want, they are honest and measured and I'm quite happy to debate people on that. However I was given quite an interrogation on those views both recently and a few weeks ago, one poster claiming that my thoughts on Lukaku were revenge for the Rooney stuff which I didn't quite understand. At no point did I resort to simply claiming he was "red raw useless" which another poster did and wasn't challenged on it at all.

Even if you go back to last weekend where a few posters were remarking on Lukaku's touches for the 2nd goal against Huddersfield. 3 or 4 different posters offered their opinions yet only mine was quoted by another user who said my "microanalysis was laughably pathetic" or something to that effect.

Another poster has repeatedly questioned Martial's attitude in here, despite him having a reasonably good season. That's fair enough, but then he claimed that players like Martial are "killing our squad". No one challenged him on it. Do you honestly think that if bangkok said that players like Martial are "killing our squad" he wouldn't be called out on it by a number of posters here?

A number of times throughout this season both myself and bangkok have been accused of being City fans which is just pathetic and adds nothing to the thread. Plenty of people chiming in earlier telling us to go off to the City thread if we want to say something about City. Have a look at our thread after the Wigan City game the other night. Nearly 10 pages of people going "if Mourinho/Pogba did that". Have a look at the City thread in comparison, barely 5 or 6 posts on the night in question. This is a game we weren't even involved in.

Again, none of this bothers me. I'm sure a few posters will claim I'm having a whinge and a moan here but I'm just calling it as I see it.

GSPfan wrote: »

@deaddonkey15

I get the feeling it’s you who is fixated on usernames a bit too much.

I have defended your right to defend Rooney in the past from unfair criticism but moreso because it was unfair comments about you. But it almost seems like that whole thing has left you with a chip on your shoulder and it stops you from having normal interactions with the thread now. The blinkered criticism of Lukaku you seem to have developed seems hypocritical. I guess that’s what most think from what I’ve read.

Again, on the contrary. I think the whole Rooney thing has left some people with a chip on their shoulders about me. But I don't want to get into that. Again, what blinkered and hypocritical criticism? I've clearly outlined my thoughts on Lukaku a number of times. In short, I think he's good but not world class, and I'm unconvinced he will reach the level we need our striker to be at over the coming years. I haven't gone to the level of calling him "red raw useless"

GSPfan wrote: »

Not trying to dig you out here but it would be nice to add a lighter tone to everyone’s opinions so that we can enjoy our arguments. I think you need to meet people half way though.

I more than meet people halfway if they are good posters and refrain from constant swipes and whataboutery nonsense. Go back and have a look at my interactions with adox after the Newcastle game. I respectfully outlined my position that Mourinho was responsible for picking and playing Pogba despite the injury rumour. He on the other hand ended every post to me that day with an insulting parting shot. Did the same to bangkok and tried to do it with the Doc too. I called him out on it and all in one of my posts, he got a yellow for it and hasn't posted here since.

Your Airbag was trying to debate another user the other night and eventually gave up as the person he was debating just nitpicked at any little point he could to try and undermine Your Airbag's argument. Go back and have a look if you want. My tone is fine, if people want to maturely discuss United then great, I'm all in.

Will I Am Not

[Deleted User] wrote: »

That's mental if true like in every sense of the word. Who's got time for that.

You’d be surprised what people have time for. I’ve seen some very mental sh*t go on offsite about users here.

I didn't say he was red raw useless I said he was red raw useless at times :P i know how Jose feels now with all the misquotes. I'm not sure why you obsessing with this I'm generally a little more balanced when I post so maybe that's why no reaction to 1 post I made.

I mean It's not like everyone has me on ignore... isn't that right lads......... ah lads ........ LADS..........

@deaddonkey

@deaddonkey

This is fine. Point noted.
Please note, all I wanted to do is post my thoughts on this that might help the thread.
Not ment to be an attack on you, the poster btw.

Will I Am Not

Will I Am Not wrote: »

You’d be surprised what people have time for. I’ve seen some very mental sh*t go on offsite about users here.

I heard bits and bobs about that I do forget the internet is serious business at times.

limnam

deaddonkey15 wrote: »

Your Airbag was trying to debate another user the other night and eventually gave up as the person he was debating just nitpicked at any little point he could to try and undermine Your Airbag's argument. Go back and have a look if you want.

Nonsense your airbag didn't want debate he wanted to rabbit on about a very narrow point and only wanted to hear from people in agreement.

Airbag does the exact same thing to others which you can find other posters calling him out on this week on other topics.

Will I Am Not

Will I Am Not wrote: »

You’d be surprised what people have time for. I’ve seen some very mental sh*t go on offsite about users here.

Yea, it's been disturbing of late.

limnam

Deleted User wrote: »

I didn't say he was red raw useless I said he was red raw useless at times :P i know how Jose feels now with all the misquotes. I'm not sure why you obsessing with this I'm generally a little more balanced when I post so maybe that's why no reaction to 1 post I made.

I mean It's not like everyone has me on ignore... isn't that right lads......... ah lads ........ LADS..........

:pac::pac::pac::pac:

deaddonkey15

StringerBell wrote: »

Username doesn't come in to it if you agree or disagree, I agreed with a post of yours the other day and acknowledged it as such donkey.

Yeah fair enough. But I also posted (directed at no one in particular) during the Sevilla game that the game was going exactly how I thought it was.

You responded with:

'Ah it's not, surely your happy enough you got to point that out for example?'

I asked if you get tired of the snide posting and you replied with

'I will never tire of laughing at certain things I'm afraid'

Hardly constructive. Now, would you have responded like that to every other poster in here? I don't think so.

deaddonkey15

limnam wrote: »

Nonsense your airbag didn't want debate he wanted to rabbit on about a very narrow point and only wanted to hear from people in agreement.

Airbag does the exact same thing to others which you can find other posters calling him out on this week on other topics.

Not at all, he made a point and a largely accurate one at that. You picked a minority of results at odds with that point to prevent any possibility of an actual discussion.

deaddonkey15

M!Ck^ wrote: »

@deaddonkey

This is fine. Point noted.
Please note, all I wanted to do is post my thoughts on this that might help the thread.
Not ment to be an attack on you, the poster btw.

I know that. I think you're one of the better posters here. You don't seem to take anything too seriously.

limnam

deaddonkey15 wrote: »

Not at all, he made a point and a largely accurate one at that. You picked a minority of results at odds with that point to prevent any possibility of an actual discussion.

Guess his point didn't hold much water then....

As I said you can see him doing the exact same thing to posters here that he accuses others of.

0gac3yjefb5sv7

Bring on tomorrow's game. The amount of **** this week on the thread has been unbelievable.

We can continue it this week if the performance is as bad :pac:

limnam

Pheonix10 wrote: »

Bring on tomorrow's game. The amount of **** this week on the thread has been unbelievable.

We can continue it this week if the performance is as bad :pac:

It's going to go one these ways

"plays to win"

Gets a hammering.

Jose gets slaughtered.

Parks the bus.

Gets a draw

Jose gets slaughtered

Parks the bus.

Nicks a win.

Jose gets slaughtered.

Trigger

Lads, I’ve got pizz.........

Doesn't look a great day of premier league games today. I see none of the big teams are playing. Well unless you count Leicster

pjohnson

Pheonix10 wrote: »

Bring on tomorrow's game. The amount of **** this week on the thread has been unbelievable.

We can continue it this week if the performance is as bad :pac:

I can almost guarantee regardless of result it will be called a "bad performance" anyway.

Trigger

[Deleted User] wrote: »

Doesn't look a great day of premier league games today. I see none of the big teams are playing. Well unless you count Leicster

I personally think it’s ridiculous that the Pool v West Ham game isn’t the 3pm game.. they both have great followings in Ireland

deaddonkey15

pjohnson wrote: »

I can almost guarantee regardless of result it will be called a "bad performance" anyway.

Yes, if it is a bad performance it will be called a bad performance.

Drumpot

astradave wrote: »

I personally think it’s ridiculous that the Pool v West Ham game isn’t the 3pm game.. they both have great followings in Ireland

I agree but I reckon it’s sky getting rid of it’s crap team quota. Two teams in one match! Also there’s a few Irish players potentially playing so maybe they thought it would get some interest from some Irish neutrals considering it’s only being shown in Ireland?

astradave

astradave wrote: »

I personally think it’s ridiculous that the Pool v West Ham game isn’t the 3pm game.. they both have great followings in Ireland

I thought all that comes down to quotas though. X games of team's have to be shown throughout the year and they often use the sat 3pm games to fill em?

GSPfan

Will I Am Not wrote: »

You’d be surprised what people have time for. I’ve seen some very mental sh*t go on offsite about users here.

I’m totally oblivious to what this is, is there another place on the internet where people from here are bitching about other people here?

Trigger

Drumpot wrote: »

I agree but I reckon it’s sky getting rid of it’s crap team quota. Two teams in one match! Also there’s a few Irish players potentially playing so maybe they thought it would get some interest from some Irish neutrals considering it’s only being shown in Ireland?

Well I have access to all the 3pm games anyways so I’m not really bothered myself, the Liverpool game will probably be the better game on so will probably watch that.

Though as you say, there is plenty of Irish playing.. it would be interesting to see the difference in figures compared to a bigger team.

J. Marston

M!Ck^ wrote: »

I think you are being extremely paranoid.

As an example:
John Marston thinks Lukaku is a donkey.

I called him out for saying it. I think he's completely wrong about Lukaku.

Does he have the right or wrong username?
He's been posting here for years.
Do I think he's a bad poster? No, not at all.

Or maybe it's a possibility people didn't see that post about 'red raw useless' Lukaku. Whoever posted it.

You seem to spend alot of time 'grudging' in here and then you wonder why most posters tend not to have constructed debate with you.

I've tried to engage with you fairly multiple times. Maybe if you try do the same Your experience here might improve?

And nobody has ever said you can't disagree with something. There is an awful I don't agree with with some of the other regular posters. If it's done in a constructive manner then that's ok.

Did I label him a donkey definitively? He was mule-esque for about two and a half months from the end of September before his level rose to average/above-average again.

He will never be an elite striker though.

GSPfan

GSPfan wrote: »

I’m totally oblivious to what this is, is there another place on the internet where people from here are bitching about other people here?

That's what It sounds like to me some kinda boardsception job

Jose deffo going to sign badou in the summer

Liam McPoyle

GSPfan

I think the Jose frustration really started for me around the City game which I still can’t think back on without being annoyed.
The 3 drawn games over Christmas didn’t help either for people on the fence.
I think there are more and more Jose supporters starting to find it hard to defend the fact it’s not good to watch our games.

I hope our top 4 place is not in doubt because if he loses Champions League qualification I think he gets sacked. I also hope we don’t go out of Europe soon as I think a few players might down tools with a world cup coming up and we will limp to a finish again this year. With no real gap now between us and 5th it would be worrying.

I have to be honest I’m not looking forward to this game tomorrow as I think a draw is on the cards with 0-0 or 1-1 wrote all over it.

Lukker-

The Times have an exclusive about Raiola's meddling and causing an issue between Jose and Pogba

It's behind a paywall so here is the full article:

Manchester United officials are becoming increasingly annoyed by the conduct of Mino Raiola and his reaction to the dropping of Paul Pogba, his star client.
United had built a good relationship with Raiola over the past two and a half years, with five members of his illustrious stable joining the club. But senior figures at Old Trafford are now becoming concerned that the relationship with the agent may be more hassle than it is worth.
One senior figure suggested that Raiola has proved to be a disruptive influence at Carrington by telling José Mourinho, the United manager, where to pick Pogba in his team. Such “meddling” as one source put it, has led to questions about why United are doing business with Raiola, who also has Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Romelu Lukaku and Sergio Romero among his clients. Henrikh Mkhitaryan, the Armenia midfielder, is also part of Raiola’s stable. He joined United in 2016 from Borussia Dortmund, but left for Arsenal in January as part of a swap deal for Alexis Sánchez.
Raiola failed to reply to a request for comment.
Mourinho left Pogba out of his starting line-up for the third time in five matches on Wednesday when United played Seville in the first leg of their last-16 Champions League tie.
Pogba missed the FA Cup win over Huddersfield Town four days earlier after phoning in sick on the morning of the fifth-round tie. Mourinho claimed last month that he had a good relationship with Pogba, but it is understood that has deteriorated.
Staff members at the club’s training ground believe that Mourinho was trying to bring Pogba down a peg or two by dropping the Frenchman for the biggest game of United’s season. There are concerns within the club that the player is becoming arrogant. Mourinho himself admitted recently that Pogba was “not playing well”.
The Portuguese was impressed with the France international’s display when he came off the bench in Seville after 17 minutes because of an injury to Ander Herrera, who will be absent for tomorrow’s game against Chelsea.
‘To come on without warming up and getting to the pace of the game is not easy, and I think he had a very positive game for us,” said Mourinho, who is likely to restore Pogba to his team this weekend.
“He responded very well in a professional way.”
When asked what Scott McTominay, the 21-year-old midfielder, had done to earn Mourinho’s trust ahead of Pogba for the Seville game, he said: “I don’t give trust for free.”
In what may be viewed as a pointed reminder towards Pogba, Mourinho added: “I think [it] is the other way round, I don’t think it’s about the manager to trust the player, it’s about the player to make the manager trust him, it is as simple as that, sometimes it looks like we have to give everything to the players and they give nothing back to us.
“I don’t think that way, the confidence and trust I show towards Scott, he earned it since day one, since he came to the first-team training sessions step by step with a lot to learn and a long way to go.
“Even now after I would say that he has a lot to learn but since the first moment he was learning. That is the way to perform and of course he will have bad matches and make mistakes and be on the bench and not be selected, but I know when I want him to play I know the kind of mentality, the player I am developing, I know the qualities that will make him a really good player.”
Problem two: is Sánchez getting in Pogba’s way One problem Paul Pogba has had since Alexis Sánchez arrived is that they are often competing for the same space on the pitch.
The average position maps above show how the pair of them were very close together in the middle of the field in the recent defeat away to Newcastle United. This happens because Sánchez’s natural instinct is to come inside. However, when Marcus Rashford started on the left for United against Burnley (the bottom pitch map), he stayed out wide and further forward more often, giving the France international more space to roam and control the midfield.

Found the bit about Sanchez interesting. United were after a proper wide winger in Perisic during the summer, but ended up going for Sanchez who is another inside forward. I think it's a matter of them not clicking yet, but you could see how a winger who would hug the touchline would open things up for Pogba

GSPfan

It’s like we’ve swapped our overload obsession with number 10’s to wide left forwards. It’s madness.

Lord TSC

GSPfan wrote: »

I hope our top 4 place is not in doubt because if he loses Champions League qualification I think he gets sacked.

Its long established now that "No CL = Sacked", which tbh is fair enough. The money we spend and squad we have, it should be the bare minimum. Even last year, it was widely accepted winning or losing the EL would be a defining moment for the year, because it would determine if Jose met the bare minimum or not.

If we spend most of the year in 2nd and then collapse down to 5th, and miss CL football after all the investments we've made since Jose arrived, he will be sacked.

limnam

GSPfan wrote: »

I think the Jose frustration really started for me around the City game which I still can’t think back on without being annoyed.
The 3 drawn games over Christmas didn’t help either for people on the fence.
I think there are more and more Jose supporters starting to find it hard to defend the fact it’s not good to watch our games.

I hope our top 4 place is not in doubt because if he loses Champions League qualification I think he gets sacked. I also hope we don’t go out of Europe soon as I think a few players might down tools with a world cup coming up and we will limp to a finish again this year. With no real gap now between us and 5th it would be worrying.

I have to be honest I’m not looking forward to this game tomorrow as I think a draw is on the cards with 0-0 or 1-1 wrote all over it.

A draw is not the worst result in the world. I'd take it now.

GSPfan

limnam wrote: »

A draw is not the worst result in the world. I'd take it now.

Sadly I would too, but with the intention going in to win. A loss is devastating. But a win pushes Chelsea out to 6 points with them playing City next. Imagine a 9 point gap between us and them? That’s why id love a win.

limnam

GSPfan wrote: »

Sadly I would too, but with the intention going in to win. A loss is devastating. But a win pushes Chelsea out to 6 points with them playing City next. Imagine a 9 point gap between us and them? That’s why id love a win.

A Chelsea win is disastrous. The fact Chelsea play city next makes me a lot more comfortable with the draw as we go to palace.

Whatever happens forgetting Jose for 5 minutes and whatever formation he puts out. What I want to see is everyone at it, bit of pride, bit of quality. No silly mistakes.

jayo26

@donkey

If you think everyone is picking on you because of your username report it if not grow up and talk about United.

Your the one calling people simpletons and it's not the first time either you have brought childish attacks on others.

Act like a child all you want but don't expect people to give a toss about your opinion.

jayo26

If we get beaten tomorrow it's going to be major squeaky bum time we have managed to turn a strong league position into a fight for top four.

Lord TSC

jayo26 wrote: »

If we get beaten tomorrow it's going to be major squeaky bum time we have managed to turn a strong league position into a fight for top four.

I think if we lose tomorrow, the knives will be fully out for Jose, and I think a lot of people will sadly flip into the "it's not working out, time to change again" camp

jayo26

Lord TSC wrote: »

I think if we lose tomorrow, the knives will be fully out for Jose, and I think a lot of people will sadly flip into the "it's not working out, time to change again" camp

Id be flipping into the get your fuking **** together Jose or this is only going to end one way camp.