Man Utd - The Gaalacticos thread

[kingraf]

First topic message reminder :

Didn't catch the match but I assume United were not that great? Two goals in three matches... for all the criticism given to the backline, the forwards have not covered themselves in glory

[Ent]

Not sure if he is injured or not but Jose doesn't seem to like darmian.

[nadeem2099]

Antonio Valencia did have a decent game against Leicester but I'd still pick Darmian over him.

[Ent]

So that's pogba move official, wasn't a huge fan of the mooted deal but hope he does well (obviously).

433?
De gea

Valencia Bailly smalling shaw
Carrick/Herrera blind pogba
Mhiktaryan zlatan martial

4231?

Defense

Carrick pogba
Lindgard/mhiktaryan Rooney martial
Ibra

4123?

Schneiderlin
Herrera pogba
Lingard zlatan martial

Who knows what team will be!

[Ent]

McNair and love sold to Sunderland for 5.5 million.

Fees a bit low considering McNair was floating about the squad for a good but last year and was starting at the euros.

[Ent]

Januzai to Sunderland on loan too.

[Ent]

So 3/3 under mourinho and that late winner ensures the feel good factor/confidence going not the international break before the city game.

Shows how hard the UEFA cup is to manage with away to feyenord on the Thursday and then Watford at 1200 on Sunday, with travelling etc players probably get a days rest between games. Hope the squad can cope with the challenge.

[compelling and rich]

feyenord away isnt the problem, its the trips to ukraine and turkey that will take it out of the legs. can see the likes of pogba and ibra not even gong on the plain. rooney will probably go, if he doesnt play he becomes a even more fat and unfit

[Ent]

Yes there will be longer journeys, just such a short turn round time from an evening kick off to a Sunday- couple with early kick offs in London.

[Crimey]

Surprised Schweinsteiger hasn't been named in the Europa League squad, I know that Mourinho said he wasn't going to play but I'd assume if he was going to be used, allowing him to play in the Europa League group stages is probably the best time to use him. That'd allow the major players to not travel, saving them for the league which is surely the priority.

[compelling and rich]

yeah im surprised at the decision, some kid in his place who wont even play. something must have gone on behind closed doors here, mourinho can be a bit of a tw@t but doesnt normally behave like this. i know some of the other players werent too happy with schweinsteiger last season. wasnt showing much commitment and was more interested in watching his missus play tennis

the other factor would be trying to shift him to get rid of his wage. he'll be on one of the best wages i would presume. not worked so far, when does the mls and Chinese windows shut?

[Born Slippy]

Odd season so far from United. Have looked competent for the most part but seem unable to finish teams off at home. Should have won their last 4 home matches but instead have drawn them all. Had they done so, they would be 3 points off top. As it is, they are 11 points adrift and top 4 is already looking unlikely.

Mourinho also seems to be making some odd decisions. Rooney and Mkhitaryan were impressive against Feyenoord but both get benched for Rashford and Lingard. He needs to stick to a front 4 of Rooney, Mata, Mkhitaryan and Ibra for a few games and see if they continue to gel.

[Ent]

So 3/3 under mourinho and that late winner ensures the feel good factor/confidence going not the international break before the city game.

Shows how hard the UEFA cup is to manage with away to feyenord on the Thursday and then Watford at 1200 on Sunday, with travelling etc players probably get a days rest between games. Hope the squad can cope with the challenge.

Forgot I'd written this, almost oracle like.

Odd season so far from United. Have looked competent for the most part but seem unable to finish teams off at home. Should have won their last 4 home matches but instead have drawn them all. Had they done so, they would be 3 points off top. As it is, they are 11 points adrift and top 4 is already looking unlikely.

We are just a crap side and make hay when the opponents sink below us in incompetence.

Mourinho needs to put together a decent back four that remember to play for the whole 90 minutes, not stand around aimlessly at the start and end of games.

I'd also give Pogba and Ibra the boot.

[Dolphin Ziggler]

Pogba I'd have had as your best player yesterday. Most others were just uninventive. Ibra had some clever moments and completely outdid Collins for the goal. 

Lingard runs but offers nothing as a footballer.

[compelling and rich]

we keep taking our foot off and sitting back when in the lead. nothing surer that everton would equalise. mourinho has to take the blame, its what he does. takes the lead then shuts up shop. the only problem being that our defence isnt anywhere nearly good enough to do it.

rooney has started playing well, mik looks the part from what ive seen recently. showing why we bought him. lingard has no end product whatsoever and rashford could do with a break. starting attacking line up should be 3 between mik, zlatan, martial, mata, rooney

[Hero]

So 3/3 under mourinho and that late winner ensures the feel good factor/confidence going not the international break before the city game.

Shows how hard the UEFA cup is to manage with away to feyenord on the Thursday and then Watford at 1200 on Sunday, with travelling etc players probably get a days rest between games. Hope the squad can cope with the challenge.

Forgot I'd written this, almost oracle like.

Odd season so far from United. Have looked competent for the most part but seem unable to finish teams off at home. Should have won their last 4 home matches but instead have drawn them all. Had they done so, they would be 3 points off top. As it is, they are 11 points adrift and top 4 is already looking unlikely.

We are just a crap side and make hay when the opponents sink below us in incompetence.

Mourinho needs to put together a decent back four that remember to play for the whole 90 minutes, not stand around aimlessly at the start and end of games.

I'd also give Pogba and Ibra the boot.

Almost oracle like...

[Jermaine2015]

Phil Jones is resurrecting his career, he gonna be a fantastic player by the time he's 28/29 years old

[Hero]

So 3/3 under mourinho and that late winner ensures the feel good factor/confidence going not the international break before the city game.

Shows how hard the UEFA cup is to manage with away to feyenord on the Thursday and then Watford at 1200 on Sunday, with travelling etc players probably get a days rest between games. Hope the squad can cope with the challenge.

Forgot I'd written this, almost oracle like.

Odd season so far from United. Have looked competent for the most part but seem unable to finish teams off at home. Should have won their last 4 home matches but instead have drawn them all. Had they done so, they would be 3 points off top. As it is, they are 11 points adrift and top 4 is already looking unlikely.

We are just a crap side and make hay when the opponents sink below us in incompetence.

Mourinho needs to put together a decent back four that remember to play for the whole 90 minutes, not stand around aimlessly at the start and end of games.

I'd also give Pogba and Ibra the boot.

Almost oracle like...

So glad that the manager isn't as short term and as pessimistic as you, yeah let's offload Ibra who's now scored 50 goals this calendar year and Pogba who's been dominating the midfield battles now that Mourinho has adapted the midfield to suit him which was pretty much what everyone who had some sense was stating. Imagine you probably called to get shut of Mkhitaryan too after the 45 minutes v City.

[Guest]

So the US Tour in the books, lots of minutes for some players, some with less than they should have got

3 pre season games to go between now and West Ham in a couple of weeks. I imagine (hope) that now the tour is over we may dip back in to the transfer market. Mourinho has been quite vocal on his need for a couple of extra bodies in midfield and out wide. The former being of utmost importance, Carrick can only be used sparingly and still to this day Fellaini remains one of the single worst players I have seen (committed to the cause granted, but utterly useless as a footballer). Its got to the point where I've actually warmed to the prospect of Matic, although he still wouldn't be my first choice

Hope we go back in for Perisic if I'm honest. Again I know pre-season is more about getting fitness and up to speed but the problem of our final ball in to the box long pre-dates the US tour, 50m is a lot of money but if he can get the ball in the box past the first man then sign him up as our crossing is beyond woeful

I'd imagine that Zlatan will be signed on a short term deal after Christmas as he comes back from injury

[Hero]

Have to say Daley Blind was horrific last night. Usually like him as a footballer put he probably had the highest pass rate to a Barca player on the pitch.

[Guest]

and to think some United fans want him to be a long term successor to Carrick, I think in all the times I've seen Blind play he's played one good ball and that wasn't even in a United shirt (his cross for RVP in the world cup)

He can read a game well though WHEN he's on form. Despite his lack of height he's had some cracking games at centre back. Decent player to have in the squad but not a starting week in week out calibre player

[Hero]

DDG as usual was immense last night and Barca certainly could have added to their score if it wasn't for him, Pogba was very much Utd's best outfield player.

[Guest]

Believe so. I never watched it, but from the fallout I've read there was a lot of disappointment in our performance (or lack of it)

Did the Lingard injury look anything serious? Again I see him more of a squad player but he's impressed me on this tour

Hopefully before the opening fixture we can do what we need to do in the market. Would like to see 3-5-2

DDG
Bailly
Jones
Lindelhof
Valencia/Mhiki (RWB)
Perisic (LWB) - pending signing obvs
new DM
Herrera
Pogba
Rashford
Lukaku

I think Jose will go 433 though

DDG
Valencia
Bailly
Jones
Darmian
Fellaini (again one of the single worst players I've witnessed)
Herrera
Pogba
Rashford (LW)
Lukaku
Mhiki/Lingard (RW)

[BamBam]

Mkhi playing RWB sounds horrific

A better midfielder than Fellaini, and Martial in the line up in the 4-3-3 looks decent

[Hero]

--------------DDG---------------
Valencia--Bailly--Lindelof--Darmian
--------------Matic--------------
--------Herrera----Pogba---------
Rashford-----Lukaku--------Martial

Is personally how I'd start

[Guest]

Mkhi playing RWB sounds horrific

A better midfielder than Fellaini, and Martial in the line up in the 4-3-3 looks decent

defensively I agree it would, this is more a hope that we adopt an offensive approach (you score 1, we score 3 and actually get a bit of excitement and atmosphere back at OT) rather than duller than dishwater garbage we endured since Christmas last season (I know he won 2 trophies last year but still....snorefest). Obviously will never happen, same with the inclusion of a new DM, alas until we sign anybody I fear that position will have Fellaini's name all over it, well, Herrera as the more defensive player and Fellaini further forward, you know because of his ability to carve open defences with those dangerous through balls of his

My hoping is that before the West Ham game Jose will have the players he feels he needs. Hoping that Ed Woodward got the hint when Mourinho was pointing out the overpriced nature of the transfer market has become the norm this year

[Guest]

--------------DDG---------------
Valencia--Bailly--Lindelof--Darmian
--------------Matic--------------
--------Herrera----Pogba---------
Rashford-----Lukaku--------Martial

Is personally how I'd start

tbh I'd accept this

[marty2086]

--------------DDG---------------
Valencia--Bailly--Lindelof--Darmian
--------------Matic--------------
--------Herrera----Pogba---------
Rashford-----Lukaku--------Martial

Is personally how I'd start

Can we get someone in to replace Pogba please?

[Guest]

Anybody watch last night? Hard to be too judgemental as we're not on the same level as Madrid

Some positives in there for sure, unfortunately some lingering issues from last season too. Final ball looks like its still going to be an issue, no width from anybody except from our right back, Rashford still head down when through on goal, need to be more clinical, Lingard love crush when a vastly more talented player in Martial sits out

I'm concerned that of Lukaku's three chances,two of them where poachers efforts off of rebounds. We're going to need to get the ball in to him, and I would say that it's imperative we push our pursuit of a winger

[Guest]

Large gulf between the sides, even with Ronaldo missing. Offensively, United's midfield hasn't progressed, still the glaring issue of a lack of creativity, and then relying upon a direct approach to Fellaini coming off the bench. Thought Matic was very good though.

Can only envisage more painful viewing for United fans, in terms of performances.

[marty2086]

As stated above can we get rid of Pogba?

For someone who has spent the majority of the last year as the worlds most expensive player he has really been a waste of money, for what hes brought to the team you could have spent £10m on a Championship midfielder and got more of a return. He is a show pony who delivers the odd bit of flashy end product and Jose talks him up and fails to develop him.

There is no apparent game plan for the team and against top teams it seems the team is set up to not lose and when Utd concede then the plan is to counter attack but against top teams they can sit back and pick off Utd when openings come.

In short Pogba and Mourinho out!

[Riggs]

Is the Special One losing his special touch?

3-2 suggests a possible declining of special ability.

Thoughts??

[Riggs]

Well, Ole is right about one thing.....the team needs re-building.

Things are going down hill quickly and the players need to decide, do they want it or not.

If not then out you go.

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