Manchester United Team Talk/Gossip/Rumours Thread 2018

bangkok

good read James Lawton

Sometimes football, like real life, serves up rebukes in a teeming job lot and if anyone doubts this it is surely a good week to check with Jose Mourinho. It has been one that must have made even him feel less the leading man in his own movie - his own unforgettable self-assessment - than just another extra.

It was bad enough that it started with the sight of his £89m signing Paul Pogba slumping on the bench after a humiliatingly early withdrawal from Manchester United's nightmare performance at Newcastle. He was wearing the expression not of a sure-fire superstar but a lost and agitated boy.

That was embarrassment enough for a Mourinho last year voted by UEFA as one of the game's 10 greatest coaches.

What, after all, did it say about the nourishing of a 24-year-old who contributed superbly to the four straight Serie A titles by Juventus and is hailed in France as the player of his generation? More than anything it seemed to speak of a failure of care - and direction.

But then this was just the start of Mourinho's invitation to look in the mirror more intensely than at any point since his first brilliant assault on the peaks of football.

While Pogba wreathed in stress and confusion, two players brusquely dismissed from Chelsea by Mourinho were nothing less than lords of the Champions League action.

Mohamed Salah put in another mesmerising performance for rampant Liverpool at Porto and Kevin De Bruyne controlled Manchester City's seamless stroll in Basel as though he was merely flicking a series of switches. Their coaches Jurgen Klopp and Pep Guardiola embraced them as prospectors fondle nuggets of gold. Mourinho said, curtly, thanks but no thanks.

Wounded

At 55, and for all his reputation and stockpile of trophies, including two Champions League titles, The Special One is inevitably wounded a little more each time these rejects make fresh announcements of their world-class status. He has also to accept that despite United's second place in the Premier League, and last season's League Cup and Europa League triumphs, he has rarely been under such fierce examination.

The focus is not on his career significance as a football man. That is already part of history. His aura holds but with less force than times in the past. Old Trafford natives are restless. The defeats by Tottenham, who showed a growing confidence under Mauricio Pochettino in their fine draw at Juventus, and Newcastle seemed less setbacks than statements that for the moment at least Mourinho has lost his galvanising touch.

What is clear enough is the FA Cup tie at Huddersfield and next week's visit to Seville have become a test of the manager's nerve as well as his power to motivate.


They are collisions that could well become utterly pivotal to the rest of the season - and one of the least overwhelming phases of Mourinho's career.

At the heart of his challenge is the restoration of Pogba and the true firing of Alexis Sanchez. Mourinho, the first manager to spend more than £1 billion in the transfer market is said to have wrung out £300m summer spending in exchange for signing a contract extension. But then before those cheques are signed it is hard to believe that a board which has called meetings to discuss the slippage of atmosphere and excitement on the terraces of Old Trafford will not be anxious to see more value for money in the cases of Pogba and Sanchez.

The complaint is that United are a team currently without the capacity to create any sustained belief in the certainty of their re-joining the great clubs of Europe. Against Spurs and Newcastle, Pogba wasn't the only little boy lost. The killing problem is not a shortfall of talent. The presence of such as Sanchez, Marcus Rashford, Anthony Martial, Nemanja Matic, Romelu Lukaku, Juan Mata David De Gea and, potentially above all, Pogba, weakens seriously that argument. What Mourinho needs desperately to bring in with his new signings is a sharp dose of competitive character.

United are simply without that supreme ability developed under the passionate leadership of Alex Ferguson and which has become progressively absent first under David Moyes, then Louis van Gaal and now Mourinho.

It was the belief that even on the bad days United would find a way to win, a quality which was underlined for all time when Roy Keane led the Champions League semi-final fightback against Juventus in Torino in 1999 and then United won the trophy in the Nou Camp, without the suspended Cork man, even as officials were pinning the colours of Bayern Munich to the cup.

At Porto and then Inter Milan, Mourinho cultivated that kind of determination at the highest level of the European game but at United he is yet to take anything like such a firm hold on the psychology of his team.

Pogba has become the kernel of his challenge. The Frenchman may have been hampered by a hamstring injury but it has surely not separated him from the elite of world players. He is not on trial at Old Trafford but simply in search of a clearly defined - and well-supported function.

Given that by both Juventus and France, he is a proven and much decorated player. He led France to the U-20 World Cup in 2013 and was voted the best player in the tournament. He was named best young player in the 2014 World Cup.

Juventus followers still warm themselves on the memory of his decisive play-making contribution to the victory over Real Madrid that won a place in the Champions' League final against Barcelona, his consistent strength and skill in the run of Serie A triumphs and, not least, the goal which helped beat Napoli after a long run of defeats in their ferocious stadium.

Will Mourinho re-animate the pedigree of one of the world's most gifted players?

It might well be one of the most crucial challenges he has faced in an extraordinary career. At a critical time it would also help along his rating as the ninth greatest coach of all time.

TheDoc

TheDoc wrote: »

Did I get ****?

There were a few harmless digs, I think they were mostly related to your awesome bangs.

.............

Good presser from Jose.

You have to admire the honesty from him regarding Pogba. It neither deflected from the issue nor threw the player under the bus. He acknowledged reality in the midst of a media shítstorm of speculation - Paul had a couple of bad games, let's draw a line and move on.

jayo26

bangkok wrote: »

good read

Never read a bigger load of bullsh1t in all my life.

Embarrassing and pressure? Its nice to see the kind of articles you form your views from.

Donnielighto

Can someone pm me what actually happened?

jayo26

jayo26 wrote: »

Never read a bigger load of bullsh1t in all my life.

Embarrassing and pressure? Its nice to see the kind of articles you form your views from.

Cheers I was waiting for someone to comment before embarking on that read can leave it now

DM_7

Bangkok, don't forget to post the source

bangkok

jayo26 wrote: »

Never read a bigger load of bullsh1t in all my life.

Embarrassing and pressure? Its nice to see the kind of articles you form your views from.

What was bull about it? Very well written imo

bangkok

DM_7 wrote: »

Bangkok, don't forget to post the source

https://www.independent.ie/sport/soccer/premier-league/manchester-united/comment-pogba-lies-at-the-heart-of-mourinhos-united-future-36609812.html

Trigger

It’s also written with an agenda, it’s James Lawton, who is typically anti-Mourinho in everything he writes, I could guarantee if you googled his and Jose’s name you would have article after article slating Jose.

bangkok

astradave wrote: »

It’s also written with an agenda, it’s James Lawton, who is typically anti-Mourinho in everything he writes, I could guarantee if you googled his and Jose’s name you would have article after article slating Jose.

not true at all

https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/sport/columnists/james-lawton/james-lawton-jose-mourinho-just-perfect-to-take-over-at-manchester-united-28513661.html

Trigger

bangkok wrote: »

not true at all

https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/sport/columnists/james-lawton/james-lawton-jose-mourinho-just-perfect-to-take-over-at-manchester-united-28513661.html

2010 :pac:

Have a look at the last two seasons worth or articles

Seriously, he talks about Jose the same way Dunphy talks about Pogba

bangkok

astradave wrote: »

2010 :pac:

Have a look at the last two seasons worth or articles

Seriously, he talks about Jose the same way Dunphy talks about Pogba

when he said he should be next united manager.

i dont think he has any agenda, he is a very good writer

Trigger

bangkok wrote: »

when he said he should be next united manager.

i dont think he has any agenda, he is a very good writer

Look, that’s your opinion you’re entitled to it, I’m just pointing out his negative agenda(imo) since Jose became united boss..

Anyways, we hoping for Chelsea loss/draw to knock some confidence?

bangkok

astradave wrote: »

Look, that’s your opinion you’re entitled to it, I’m just pointing out his negative agenda(imo) since Jose became united boss..

Anyways, we hoping for Chelsea loss/draw to knock some confidence?

id say chelsea will have an easy win tonight, 3 or 4 nil with giroud scoring his first goal

Andrew Beef

The Lawton article is a good read

Trigger

bangkok wrote: »

id say chelsea will have an easy win tonight, 3 or 4 nil with giroud scoring his first goal

Good call, Hull throwing in the towel already

bangkok

astradave wrote: »

Good call, Hull throwing in the towel already

and theres girouds goal

TheDoc

jayo26 wrote: »

Never read a bigger load of bullsh1t in all my life.

Embarrassing and pressure? Its nice to see the kind of articles you form your views from.

You read more bull**** here every day

I think its a pretty good article. Shown in microcosm it has immediately sprung those who won't accept any critique of the manager labelling it bull**** and likely a series of posts will follow. And those who take issue with the manager will likely read that and nod along.

I'd imagine in a few pages of this thread, we will perfectly en capture the world of football fandom when your club is managed by Jose Mourinho. I don't think there is or ever was in my living memory, a more polarizing manager.

And I say that from both angles. Those who venomously defend him, and those who viscerally attack him. I don't think there is any examples of a middle ground when it comes to him, just the side of the argument you fall on.

DM_7

TheDoc wrote: »

And I say that from both angles. Those who venomously defend him, and those who viscerally attack him. I don't think there is any examples of a middle ground when it comes to him, just the side of the argument you fall on.

You don't like it when people call you on your conscious bias yet come out with that?

Lot's of posters, even in this tiny part of the internet, have a go at him when they think it is needed and defend him at other times depending on what is discussed.

Some of the most prominent posters here fit that description rather than yours.

Trigger

TheDoc wrote: »

You read more bull**** here every day

Clearly

bangkok

With opening and closing comments like these, it's not hard to see the kind of bias the author writes with.

bangkok wrote: »

good read James Lawton

Sometimes football, like real life, serves up rebukes in a teeming job lot and if anyone doubts this it is surely a good week to check with Jose Mourinho. It has been one that must have made even him feel less the leading man in his own movie - his own unforgettable self-assessment - than just another extra.

....

At a critical time it would also help along his rating as the ninth greatest coach of all time.

Just because it happens to touch upon one or two relevant points in a sea of words, that doesn't rule this out from being quite a self-aggrandising, hyperbolic fluff piece.

As someone who can criticise Jose and still feel completely comfortable with him as United manager, I think that was a shít read.

Schwanz

Now time for us to up our game with Chelsea and Liverpool coming to OT in the next 3 weeks.

Really need 6 points from them 2 but tbh I'm not over confident, 2 grueling games incoming I feel.

Fingers crossed we click & go at them with vigor and guile.

Andrew Beef

Great to see Jose saying (again) that we need to buy a midfielder.

After years of spoof from David Moyes and Louis Van Gaal, it’s refreshing to have a manager who recognises weaknesses in the side and seeks to address them.

We have had years of chronic neglect in the midfield area; inside two years, Jose will have signed Pogba, Matic, and AN Other.

Lord TSC

Schwanz wrote: »

Fingers crossed we click & go at them with vigor and guile.

We can be optamistic, but tbh, I still don't agree "going at them with vigor" is the way you break Liverpool down. Teams who try that seem to get a few goals put past them. I stand by the blief the best bet is to defend well and hit them on the counter.

Would just need the players to be able to launch a successful counter attack which I've not seen much of this season...

I also think that Jose would as happily keep those two games as bore draws if he can, so as to make sure they don't get the six points....

bangkok

Andrew Beef wrote: »

Great to see Jose saying (again) that we need to buy a midfielder.

After years of spoof from David Moyes and Louis Van Gaal, it’s refreshing to have a manager who recognises weaknesses in the side and seeks to address them.

We have had years of chronic neglect in the midfield area; inside two years, Jose will have signed Pogba, Matic, and AN Other.

Did you forget about schneiderlain and schweinsteiger that van gaal signed?

Mitch Connor

Pogba out of the game today, ill.

Brill.

Narative.

Andrew Beef

bangkok wrote: »

Andrew Beef wrote: »

Great to see Jose saying (again) that we need to buy a midfielder.

After years of spoof from David Moyes and Louis Van Gaal, it’s refreshing to have a manager who recognises weaknesses in the side and seeks to address them.

We have had years of chronic neglect in the midfield area; inside two years, Jose will have signed Pogba, Matic, and AN Other.

Did you forget about schneiderlain and schweinsteiger that van gaal signed?

A shrinking-violet and a has-been unfortunately.

When I hear the name “Louis Van Gaal” I feel ill; infamy...that man practically destroyed our club.

pjohnson

Pogba out solves that lingering problem. Hamilton takes number 48 and replaces Pogba in the squad.

http://www.manutd.com/en/News-And-Features/Football-News/2018/Feb/Paul-Pogba-to-miss-Hudderfield-match-due-to-illness.aspx?utm_campaign=ManUtd&utm_medium=post&utm_source=facebook

Andrew Beef

I hope that’s not spin and something more serious under the bonnet (i.e. a Jose/Poga blowout).

TheDoc

DM_7 wrote: »

You don't like it when people call you on your conscious bias yet come out with that?

Lot's of posters, even in this tiny part of the internet, have a go at him when they think it is needed and defend him at other times depending on what is discussed.

Some of the most prominent posters here fit that description rather than yours.

I don't like when people assume bias in objective points I make against the manager. The mere fact bias is projected onto me from readers, when I'm not making biased points or views, goes to my very point. I think I clearly state when I'm making a point that I feel might be from bias, but most of it is objective, based on what is in front of us all.

I know when I'm saying something that is from my dislike of the man and manager, and know when I'm making points that are objective on a game, pattern, decision or problem. And I go to efforts to distinguish the two.

I might actually stop that, because there is very little effort made from other parties, who see the name on the post, avatar and immediately form "oh heres Doc, hates Mourinho" and skew whatever I'm posting back to that, to try somehow discredit me.

So I'll just post, not clarifying, knowing its not worth the keystrokes and people can take it any which way they like and belittle or discredit it anywhich way they feel best

TheDoc

bangkok wrote: »

Did you forget about schneiderlain and schweinsteiger that van gaal signed?

And Di Maria....who was the same problem tactically and extracting the best from for Van Gaal, as Jose is having with Pogba.

deaddonkey15

Apparently Pogba picked up an injury in the warm up last Sunday, plays terrible and gets subbed after 60 minutes and now missing the subsequent game through "illness". I'm not sure if I buy that.

Andrew Beef

TheDoc wrote: »

bangkok wrote: »

Did you forget about schneiderlain and schweinsteiger that van gaal signed?

And Di Maria....who was the same problem tactically and extracting the best from for Van Gaal, as Jose is having with Pogba.

No he wasn’t!

Di Maria was a mercenary and a disgrace to the shirt. That man’s name should never even be mentioned.

pjohnson

Aswell as Ethan Hamilton first inclusion apparantly Tahith Chong is also included in todays squad.

Andrew Beef

He should simply be referred to as “The Argentinian”.

Or as Gabriel Heinze’s gutless countryman.

I despise Angel Di Maria.

I practically spat out my coffee when I saw that man’s name; I feel dirty even typing it.

Lord TSC

Mitch Connor wrote: »

Pogba out of the game today, ill.

Brill.

Narative.

I don't know....

deaddonkey15 wrote: »

Apparently Pogba picked up an injury in the warm up last Sunday, plays terrible and gets subbed after 60 minutes and now missing the subsequent game through "illness". I'm not sure if I buy that.

Ok, never mind.

Tbh, probably suits to give Pogba a rest anyway. The timing, with the stories, sucks ass, but as I said over in the match thread, I'd have liked to see some players rested anyway.

Midfield 2 of Matic/McTom with Lingard at 10?

Lord TSC

pjohnson wrote: »

Aswell as Ethan Hamilton first inclusion apparantly Tahith Chong is also included in todays squad.

:O AWESOME!

Him and Gomes look exciting.

Andrew Beef

Sky Sports had a feature this morning on Demetri Mitchell, the young Manchester United left-back currently on loan with Hearts. He seems to be doing very well; great to see.

deaddonkey15

Lord TSC wrote: »

Tbh, probably suits to give Pogba a rest anyway. The timing, with the stories, sucks ass, but as I said over in the match thread, I'd have liked to see some players rested anyway.

Midfield 2 of Matic/McTom with Lingard at 10?

He should definitely be rested if he's ill or carrying an injury like he should have been rested last week. If he's fit, I'd be playing him today for sure. It's a very important game, I wouldn't be resting too many for it at all.

Andrew Beef

deaddonkey15 wrote: »

Lord TSC wrote: »

Tbh, probably suits to give Pogba a rest anyway. The timing, with the stories, sucks ass, but as I said over in the match thread, I'd have liked to see some players rested anyway.

Midfield 2 of Matic/McTom with Lingard at 10?

He should definitely be rested if he's ill or carrying an injury like he should have been rested last week. If he's fit, I'd be playing him today for sure. It's a very important game, I wouldn't be resting too many for it at all.

It’s important, but pales into insignificance compared with the Seville game.

duffman13

Schwanz wrote: »

Now time for us to up our game with Chelsea and Liverpool coming to OT in the next 3 weeks.

Really need 6 points from them 2 but tbh I'm not over confident, 2 grueling games incoming I feel.

Fingers crossed we click & go at them with vigor and guile

You on the batter last night Eamonn

jimmytwotimes 2013

https://twitter.com/ManUtdVines/status/964662257094361088

De Gea interview. Apologies if zerking.

It's a bit shít that all of last season's main CMs are now out injured. Pogba, Herrera and Fellaini.

Matic could do with a rest today, but we don't have that luxury.


I keep having to remind myself that Michael Carrick is now available. So, Matic, McTom and Carrick to choose from today for CM.

Whether it's a CM 2 or 3, I think Carrick and McTominay will start, for better or worse.

https://twitter.com/paulpogba/status/964859179075858432

Paul Pogba, Twitter; Gutted I won’t be at Huddersfield but I need to get better. Come on United

Deleted User

Deleted User wrote: »

https://twitter.com/paulpogba/status/964859179075858432

Paul Pogba, Twitter; Gutted I won’t be at Huddersfield but I need to get better. Come on United

Jose made him post that at gun point no doubt :pac:

jayo26

As people well know I'm one of the biggest defenders of pogba in here but was only thinking this morning how bad he has been the past few games and then my mind was wondering is there anything in the stories that came out the time of Sanchez signing that pogba wanted new deal?

Probably totally off track but the first game he played after Sanchez joining was spurs and he was atrocious and has been since.

Hope I'm wrong but as I said last week it's not just tactics that is the biggest problem he has really strolled around the pitch past couple of games.

Then he is suddenly out today I really donno.

Deleted User

Deleted User wrote: »

Jose made him post that at gun point no doubt :pac:

jayo26 wrote: »

As people well know I'm one of the biggest defenders of pogba in here but was only thinking this morning how bad he has been the past few games and then my mind was wondering is there anything in the stories that came out the time of Sanchez signing that pogba wanted new deal?

Probably totally off track but the first game he played after Sanchez joining was spurs and he was atrocious and has been since.

Hope I'm wrong but as I said last week it's not just tactics that is the biggest problem he has really strolled around the pitch past couple of games.

Then he is suddenly out today I really donno.

Hmm, who knows lads. 'I have to get better' leaves room for interpretation. Perhaps, he forgot to put the word 'contract' in that tweet indeed Jayo :pac:

TheDoc

Andrew Beef wrote: »

No he wasn’t!

Di Maria was a mercenary and a disgrace to the shirt. That man’s name should never even be mentioned.

Well yeah, but I'm just talking from a positional/tactical sense. I've no time for him like (Di Maria)

jayo26

[Deleted User] wrote: »

Hmm, who knows lads. 'I have to get better' leaves room for interpretation. Perhaps, he forgot to put the word 'contract' in that tweet indeed Jayo :pac:

Haha the tweet was posted here when I was typing but it was just in my head... as i said I could be totally wrong and hopefully I am(that makes me sound like Sean Bateman).

bangkok

jayo26 wrote: »

As people well know I'm one of the biggest defenders of pogba in here but was only thinking this morning how bad he has been the past few games and then my mind was wondering is there anything in the stories that came out the time of Sanchez signing that pogba wanted new deal?

Probably totally off track but the first game he played after Sanchez joining was spurs and he was atrocious and has been since.

Hope I'm wrong but as I said last week it's not just tactics that is the biggest problem he has really strolled around the pitch past couple of games.

Then he is suddenly out today I really donno.

he was clearly injured against newcastle and i would say he is injured for the game today as well but they just said he was sick