United Thread | 2025/26

  • Thread starter Thread starter Ric
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I don't ever remember seeing any game, where a team went through in a clear one-on-one with the keeper 3-4 times in 90 minutes.

And when you see the still of Haaland's second, where two defenders are going towards the ball and two going backwards, it says it all.

They are a mess.
 
feedmpenzaandhewillscore said:
So what happens next then? Does this rag squad keep buying into what Amorim is trying to implement or do they all revert to form? Sulk, go hiding and down tools on the manager. There’s players in that squad who have done this to Mourinho, Solksjaer and Ten Haag but the press were telling us everything was different this time before the season kicked off.
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Amorim is a dead man walking. He has 3 games to save his job. That would bring us up to November international break. Which also coincides with him being manager for over a year.

He has a clause in his contract that if he is sacked within the first 12 months, he receives 12m in a severance pay out. If he is sacked after 12 months, he only gets half that.

If they lose to Chelsea he is gone.
 
Salford_Blue said:
I don't ever remember seeing any game, where a team went through in a clear one-on-one with the keeper 3-4 times in 90 minutes.

And when you see the still of Haaland's second, where two defenders are going towards the ball and two going backwards, it says it all.

They are a mess.
Click to expand...
This might be related to their improved attacking stats (high xG and shots on goal). They've spent £200m on forwards so you had better not park the bus away from home. Hence they are trying to be more progressive and hence are shipping goals.
 
Citi-leaks said:
He has a clause in his contract that if he is sacked within the first 12 months, he receives 12m in a severance pay out. If he is sacked after 12 months, he only gets half that.
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I wondered about that. He's pushing for the sack but he wants the pay-off. It makes sense, given the nature of his recent interviews - throwing the players under the bus, telling the club if you want a manager who will change tactics get someone else in, etc.

Shame if he goes, but at least he'll have rinsed the bastards for another bumper payout.
 
foggy1974 said:
They're telling them what they want to hear so they can get the engagement. 1st goal is always huge in the derby, but coming home from the game I couldn't remember them having a shot on target even though the stats said 2
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Sesko's powder puff effort from outside the box, which I am not sure it was on target and Mbuemo's volley
 
KentBlue said:
It will all have to come out sooner or later. You can't keep a lid on these things for an indefinite period. His relationship with game officials, his insistence that all rag signings go through his son's sporting agency, his complete character assassination of any journalists that dare write a negative comment about him, a certain hotel in Thailand where he bans all mobile phones and video cameras etc while he's 'holidaying' there, when Dwight Yorke turned up at a club do with his then girlfriend Katie Price and the Pisscan made the DJ play 'Who Let The Dogs Out,' and stood there conducting the crowd using a biro pen as the conductor's baton.

When the whole sordid truth about his time at the rags is laid open for all to see, the club are going to have to put on a Herculean show of strength regarding damage limitation.
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I appreciate the sentiment, but very much doubt we'll hear anything anytime soon, probably many years after his death. I suspect they'll try to keep a lid on it, for the good of the rags.
 
feedmpenzaandhewillscore said:
Once Howson gives you the thumbs down it’s time to start packing your desk up. He’s doomed.
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He's not hostile to Amorim but he has lost faith i.e., he supports him but no longer believes that Amorim can turn Utd around. That's an untenable position because if you don't have faith in his ability to turn Utd around then you must be Amorim out. But I wouldn't want to misrepresent his position.
 
Salford_Blue said:
I don't ever remember seeing any game, where a team went through in a clear one-on-one with the keeper 3-4 times in 90 minutes.

And when you see the still of Haaland's second, where two defenders are going towards the ball and two going backwards, it says it all.

They are a mess.
Click to expand...

I think it’s a bit unfair to judge them on the Haaland goal because it was a double turnover, and every teams defensive line will look shit after that. Peps old rule was to make 10 passes every time you win possession to give time to get back in shape for when you lose it - Klopps entire system and geggenpressing is built on exploiting how vulnerable teams are immediately after winning the ball back.

So the Haaland 2nd goal where we win the ball, countered, lost the ball then immediately intercepted it again is always going to lead any team to be against a nonexistent defensive system.

The rest of the game though you’re right, it took us 1 pass to get behind their line all afternoon. It’s because the 2 man midfield doesn’t work. Ugarte is just shit and Bruno is a luxury attacking midfielder being asked to play like a box to box engine, which he just isn’t.

As a result there’s always space in front of their back 3, just get the ball into that pocket and Reijnders, Foden, Bernardo always had a ball in behind to play for Haaland or Doku.

I genuinely think most of their defensive tactical issues would be solved if they got a John Stones type who would start as a defensive midfielder and drop into the back line to make it a 3 when needed but Amorim seemingly can’t or won’t see it or lacks the humility to change his system.

Contrast that to Pep, who saw us get done by long balls and flick ons for 6 months in his first season and then changed the entire way his teams defended them (it went from being a CBs job to come forwards and challenge the striker for a long ball to Fernandinho’s job to drop back and let the 2 CBs mop up any flick on) and the problem ended overnight.

I’m hoping they keep Amorim as long as possible because in theory if they got a decent defensive manager and just tried to counter like Solskjaer did I think they’d be in the top 10 again soon enough.
 
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KentBlue said:
I wondered about that. He's pushing for the sack but he wants the pay-off. It makes sense, given the nature of his recent interviews - throwing the players under the bus, telling the club if you want a manager who will change tactics get someone else in, etc.

Shame if he goes, but at least he'll have rinsed the bastards for another bumper payout.
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The wonderful conundrum is they can only ever do rinse and repeat with their New Messiah managers and players to keep the banks and sponsors happy . Most clubs in their sort of state would benefit from a sober couple of seasons in the Championship to regroup and go again but they have survived by smoke and mirrors , wish and promise finances and a huge historic brand recognition that is slipping away every year . If they go down they are dead . Delicious.
 
Reduced losses. Revenues flat. Their guidance going forward is for reduced revenues but for Utd to return to profit.
 
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