General Premier League Thread 2023-24 Mod Note in op 27/6/23 And 21/05/24

machiavellianme · 16-09-2023 4:58pm

I am at a loss as to all the fuss over ETH? All of my Utd supporting siblings are banging on about how great he is doing this that and the other, but all I ever see is him in the headlines fighting with one of his own players instead of getting the best out of them. Then today I watched them play for the first time in ages and am in shock at how poor they are. ETH doesn't seem to have any plan A (or B for that matter). Just send out Rashford, Bruno and hope for the best. I can't even be bothered to rub it in my siblings faces as they've suffered enough watching this. Surely ETH must be on thin ice at this stage?

LuckyLloyd · 16-09-2023 4:59pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121119030#Comment_121119030

Brazilian footballers just seem to pack it in much earlier on average than lads from other countries. Or maybe you just notice it more because the best Brazilian footballers tend to be so dominant.

Irrespective, one of the things I wondered about the Casemiro transfer at the time was whether he would really be arsed for years at Utd after winning everything at Real and getting paid. The results appear to be in on that score…

LuckyLloyd · 16-09-2023 5:01pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121119070#Comment_121119070

He was better than the previous incumbents. That seems to be the case for him, but that will start to wear thing if this run of form continues…

Brighton were the better team today imo, by some distance.

retalivity · 16-09-2023 5:02pm

Spurs! In Ange ye trust!!

slumdogemillionaire · 16-09-2023 5:03pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121119099#Comment_121119099

get.the.****.in!

doc_17 · 16-09-2023 5:06pm

In fairness to Ten Hag, he inherited Ronaldo and dealt well with that situation. He recovered after a disastrous start to get them from 8th the season before into the CL.

But Casemiro is doing a Fabinho, and without Varane and Shaw they are so weak defensively. If Martinez worried more about getting to the players to stop their shots and crosses it would help things. Some save from Onana at the end as well.

DAngelo Bailey · 16-09-2023 5:06pm

15 minutes of time added on in the spurs and villa games absolutely ludicrous.

Kiith · 16-09-2023 5:09pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121119119#Comment_121119119

Sheffield United took the absolute piss throughout the entire game, so serves them right.

jacool · 16-09-2023 5:10pm

Villa 3-1,looks a lot better than it was. 1-1,penalty given and scored but VAR fail to see that Diaby is at least a yard inside the box before the ball is struck! Should have had to have been re-taken.

In other news, 15 points from 15. Only Spurs can stop this now!

ebbsy · 16-09-2023 5:11pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121119047#Comment_121119047

You have to deal with different players in different ways.

Believe me it would work.

machiavellianme · 16-09-2023 5:11pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121119116#Comment_121119116

Ronaldo was one of the best players in the world and wasn't entirely crocked when he inherited him. Sure, he was passed his peak, but still a formidable weapon. A more effective manager might have found a way to unlock him to best serve the team, not publicly go to war with him and find a way to get rid. If he was to publicly go to war with anyone in the squad, I'd have rathered it be Greenwood. Maybe that's just me though?

LuckyLloyd · 16-09-2023 5:12pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121119119#Comment_121119119

It’s great

Teams are going to learn that time wasting doesn’t pay.

super_furry · 16-09-2023 5:13pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121119090#Comment_121119090

Is he though? I can't see any difference between that team today and United under Solskjaer. He had them finishing third in the league and then second.

Bounty Hunter · 16-09-2023 5:20pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121119119#Comment_121119119

The Villa one wasn't that bad tbh. Palace's keeper was down injured for 5m in the second half so 9m was announced in the 90th minute. The moment it was announced iirc Palace had another player go down for a minute or 2, and then during the added time a penalty was given that var checked then called the ref over to the monitor to check again before it was actually given (whole process probably took another 5m before the kick was taken).

16-09-2023 5:25pm

Ten Hagg won't be there next season. He's starting to be found out

sligeach · 16-09-2023 5:35pm

Brighton could have easily had double what they scored. They carved United apart so easily, especially in the second half. Ten Hag and United got lucky last season that so many of the teams that usually challenge for the Champions League spots were in such disarray. And United have gone backwards this season.

ArmaniJeanss · 16-09-2023 5:43pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121119139#Comment_121119139

I didn't see it but the EPL (incorrect) interpretation of that rule is to ignore it unless the penalty is missed AND the encroaching players are amongst the first to the ball. So it sounds as if it was consistent with the way they instructed referees to view it.

SlickRic · 16-09-2023 5:44pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121119030#Comment_121119030

This isn't being talked about enough in terms of Utd's general form.

Any control they tended to have last season came from him. But his legs are gone.

giveitholly · 16-09-2023 5:46pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121119196#Comment_121119196

Yeah I don't get the love in utd supporters have for him. He has had public spats with Ronaldo,Maguire and Sancho already. That kind of stuff should be kept in the dressing room. His tactics are one dimension much like Ole. Anyone who has Bruno as captain of their team would have questions asked of him.

As for his signings,He knew Anthony before he signed him so surely back round checks are done on players to make sure there are no skeletons in the closet. 70 million and a long term contract given to Casemiro? Why spend so much on Hoijland when he is so young and carrying an underlying injury that his minutes have to be managed? As for their new goalie does he realise his main job is to try stop the ball going into the net?

And he also wanted to keep Greenwood when not one Utd supporter I know wanted him to stay. Can Ten Hag read the room at all?

And I see some supporters blaming Maguire for today's performance,talk about being deluded

L1011 · 16-09-2023 5:58pm

As a Brighton fan who still believes the last six seasons have been a Dallas shower scene and will turn out to not have happened; today is only making it feel ever more dreamlike.

There's no bogeymen for Brighton anymore, but it looks like there's a new one for Man U

I used to stand in Withdean on meccano stands, wearing a £1 poncho watching random league 1 teams tonk Brighton. I was at the last league game there and the first in the Amex. It still feels surreal

DAngelo Bailey · 16-09-2023 6:05pm

Wissa should be off there.

Fitz* · 16-09-2023 6:35pm

While not wanting to be part of the pile on, I am going to do it.

The warning signs were there for Casemiro. He was and is the wrong side of 30 for the role he is playing. A lone holding midfielder and his legs have been on the wane since last winter. He is not a Pirlo or Modric spraying passes at 36 while being protected with legs beside them with Vidal/Valverde etc. He is being asked to shore up a midfield on his own, stupidly. Maybe Mount missing there is a problem, but I don't think is the player to play as a second midfielder, he's more of a third midfielder and Bruno already fills that role. Eriksen performed that role well last year, but again wrong side of 30.

And The Butcher. Got turned yet again today for a goal. It happens a good bit. There's a lot of bark from him, but little bite. He is fine when progressing the ball and starting attacks but I'm not convinced that he is the defensive CB leader that you need at the top end of the table. He was only won 50% of his ground duels this seasons and 17% of his aerial duels. 17!!

SlickRic · 16-09-2023 6:36pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121119279#Comment_121119279

They have to stick with someone, and of everyone they've had in recent years, he is the closest they've had to what they need long term.

The club can't get rid of the players that they need to. That's not his fault.

So I understand it entirely. They're in the CL, and did get a trophy.

But i still struggle to see what the identity is. So his methods aren't changing much on the field. It's largely counter attack still, but now with a better ball playing keeper, and better individuals in certain positions. They identity isn't that different to previous incarnations though.

doc_17 · 16-09-2023 6:37pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121119279#Comment_121119279

Maguire? Martinez was woeful today. Again. At the scene of all 3 crimes today. Holding his hands behind his back for 2 of their goals today when he should have been closing the player down.

giveitholly · 16-09-2023 6:46pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121119469#Comment_121119469

I didn't even think to mention Martinez,can you imagine the stick Maguire would of got had he made the mistakes Martinez made today

ctrl-alt-delete · 16-09-2023 6:51pm

Another bit of a Varcical one at Newcastle.

Fitz* · 16-09-2023 6:52pm

Newcastle goal ruled out for handball in the build up, but what was the Brentford keeper doing for it. A complete air punch.

DAngelo Bailey · 16-09-2023 6:52pm

That is an absolutely disgraceful decision by Pawson. Another apology incoming

ctrl-alt-delete · 16-09-2023 6:54pm

Flekken hell!

noodler · 16-09-2023 6:56pm

That's some really poor decision making by the goalkeeper.

ctrl-alt-delete · 16-09-2023 6:57pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121119557#Comment_121119557

Very soft but totally the keeper's fault, what was Gordon going to do from there?

Fitz* · 16-09-2023 6:58pm

Complete dive from Antony Gordon, but not surprising from him. Turns his body away from the keeper and is on the way down knowing that they will collide eventually.

jacool · 16-09-2023 7:02pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121119563#Comment_121119563

After what VAR said in light of the Onana incident, only a silly keeper makes contact there. Had to be a spotter. Sky blaming Collins for not closing down Barnes before he crossed.

pjohnson · 16-09-2023 7:26pm

Flekken must still be having nightmares of facing Ireland.

He looked good before the break, had a nightmare against Ireland and has carried it into today.

DAngelo Bailey · 16-09-2023 7:30pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121119641#Comment_121119641

Yeah he was dreadful against us a real flapper.

jacool · 16-09-2023 7:42pm

Newcastle and Brentford both very poor today. The Toon Army can be cheered by the fact that AC Milan got tonked 5-1 in the Derby della Madonnina earlier.

Oranage2 · 16-09-2023 10:35pm

Am I the only one that thinks De Gaa would have save two of those goals? Don't get me wrong Brighton walked through uniteds defense like butter but the keeper has a lot of question marks.

Hojurd??? Looks like the Danish Andy Carroll

Ottoman_1000 · 16-09-2023 10:58pm

Doku looks like as useful lad! City, a bit like Liverpool (although not as bad) are guilty of giving away a lot of big chances to the opposition every time I see them play.

Necro · 17-09-2023 2:59am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121120552#Comment_121120552

Harsh enough re: Hojlund. He had a goal chalked off for the ball being marginally out of play and had to play alongside Rashford who was like a 6 year old playing FIFA spamming the shoot button anytime he got on the ball

Bluebb993 · 17-09-2023 7:08am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121119078#Comment_121119078

Fernandinho, alves, marcelo, silva all played till late 30s

17-09-2023 7:34am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121120552#Comment_121120552

Onana can pass but saving shots is his problem.

His goals to shots ratio is brutal this season.

rob316 · 17-09-2023 8:44am

Call me crazy but I just don't think Ten Hag is all that. Definitely lacks the man management skills of a top manager, in game management is poor, his signings have been largely poor too.