United Thread | 2025/26

  • Thread starter Thread starter Ric
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IrishBlueSince92 said:
A totally clueless fan base. A lot of them didn't watch the match and those who did have really strange takes on it.

I'd near want Arsenal to hammer them at the weekend.
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Some of our top blues didn't watch the match either, and chose to sit in a box cuddling some rags instead ;-p

Apparently, according to our resident rag in work, "when" they beat Arsenal at the weekend the title charge is on.

Giddy kippers.
 
bluemc said:
Some of our top blues didn't watch the match either, and chose to sit in a box cuddling some rags instead ;-p

Apparently, according to our resident rag in work, "when" they beat Arsenal at the weekend the title charge is on.

Giddy kippers.
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I think it would be a mistake to dismiss the Rags. We can’t be as complacent as they were when we started our rise. I was at the 6-1 and last Saturday’s match. And they both felt like pivotal moments. It was a bad tactical defeat for Pep and they also outfought us on the pitch…winning all the personal battles. We need to get our act together quickly and that includes changing the style of play that has worked for ten years but is now outdated.
 
bobbyowenquiff said:
I think it would be a mistake to dismiss the Rags. We can’t be as complacent as they were when we started our rise. I was at the 6-1 and last Saturday’s match. And they both felt like pivotal moments. It was a bad tactical defeat for Pep and they also outfought us on the pitch…winning all the personal battles. We need to get our act together quickly and that includes changing the style of play that has worked for ten years but is now outdated.
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I am not sure what you mean by an outdated style of play but that has got nothing to do with Utd.

City weren't ready to play the Derby. I wouldn't draw any overarching conclusions from it.
 
bobbyowenquiff said:
I think it would be a mistake to dismiss the Rags. We can’t be as complacent as they were when we started our rise. I was at the 6-1 and last Saturday’s match. And they both felt like pivotal moments. It was a bad tactical defeat for Pep and they also outfought us on the pitch…winning all the personal battles. We need to get our act together quickly and that includes changing the style of play that has worked for ten years but is now outdated.
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You are 100% spot on, we do need to get our act together. Quickly. Starting tonight. But that's for our own reasons and because of the things we are still in contention for this season, and beyond.

But not because of the rags. They deserved the win on Saturday but let's be frank, they are a mess as a club.
 
Marvin. said:
I am not sure what you mean by an outdated style of play but that has got nothing to do with Utd.

City weren't ready to play the Derby. I wouldn't draw any overarching conclusions from it.
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We are trying to move towards a more dynamic model with two proper wingers like the 2018 team. At least that what I thought. But the tactic of inverting the wingers is playing into the hands of our opponents. We still need to keep possession but we are not proactive enough when we go forward. Carrick made fools out of us. One swallow doesn’t make a summer but we can’t afford to dismiss what happened on Saturday as just fatigue or not being ready. We were outplayed.
 
bobbyowenquiff said:
We are trying to move towards a more dynamic model with two proper wingers like the 2018 team. At least that what I thought. But the tactic of inverting the wingers is playing into the hands of our opponents. We still need to keep possession but we are not proactive enough when we go forward. Carrick made fools out of us. One swallow doesn’t make a summer but we can’t afford to dismiss what happened on Saturday as just fatigue or not being ready. We were outplayed.
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You cannot generalise from a game where we were really badly prepared.
 
bluemc said:
You are 100% spot on, we do need to get our act together. Quickly. Starting tonight. But that's for our own reasons and because of the things we are still in contention for this season, and beyond.

But not because of the rags. They deserved the win on Saturday but let's be frank, they are a mess as a club.
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I don’t doubt they are still a mess. But other teams know how to stop us these days. I hope Pep Linders is pushing Pep to change. If you stand still you go backwards. We have a great squad of players. Football has moved on. I hate those teams who rely on set pieces but our set pieces at the Swamp were shockingly bad. We have too many flaws.
 
bobbyowenquiff said:
We are trying to move towards a more dynamic model with two proper wingers like the 2018 team. At least that what I thought. But the tactic of inverting the wingers is playing into the hands of our opponents. We still need to keep possession but we are not proactive enough when we go forward. Carrick made fools out of us. One swallow doesn’t make a summer but we can’t afford to dismiss what happened on Saturday as just fatigue or not being ready. We were outplayed.
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Hard to disagree with any of that. Utd stuck to a rigid game plan and didn't need to do much else, we done it for them. The mitigating factors have been discussed at length. However every outfield player of ours should have done better, with some being woeful, especially in a derby. I suspect they'll revert to type soon. No repeat of anything resembling Saturday's fiasco for us again please City.
 
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Marvin. said:
You cannot generalise from a game where we were really badly prepared.
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It can't just be preparation though we certainly did look badly prepared at United. But we saw the same flaws against Villa, Chelsea, Brighton (twice). We finished last season strongly playing a more hybrid style. Still keeping the ball but playing more direct passes, often playing two up front with Marmoush/Foden just behind Haaland. Foden is playing deeper and the sideways passing is back. Why did Doku and Semenyo not target the two booked United fullbacks by driving wide for the byeline? They both had plenty of the ball but always took the low risk option of moving inside. Have they been instructed to play like that? It's not as if Doku and Semenyo did much tackling back either. To be fair to them it can't be easy playing on the wing with slow full backs like Lewis and Ake behind you.
 
bobbyowenquiff said:
We are trying to move towards a more dynamic model with two proper wingers like the 2018 team. At least that what I thought. But the tactic of inverting the wingers is playing into the hands of our opponents. We still need to keep possession but we are not proactive enough when we go forward. Carrick made fools out of us. One swallow doesn’t make a summer but we can’t afford to dismiss what happened on Saturday as just fatigue or not being ready. We were outplayed.
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What about injuries?
 
bobbyowenquiff said:
It can't just be preparation though we certainly did look badly prepared at United. But we saw the same flaws against Villa, Chelsea, Brighton (twice). We finished last season strongly playing a more hybrid style. Still keeping the ball but playing more direct passes, often playing two up front with Marmoush/Foden just behind Haaland. Foden is playing deeper and the sideways passing is back. Why did Doku and Semenyo not target the two booked United fullbacks by driving wide for the byeline? They both had plenty of the ball but always took the low risk option of moving inside. Have they been instructed to play like that? It's not as if Doku and Semenyo did much tackling back either. To be fair to them it can't be easy playing on the wing with slow full backs like Lewis and Ake behind you.
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It was discussed in the commentary, Amad and Dorgu doubled up with the two booked full backs, so they crowded out Semenyo and Doku. But they were way too slow in allowing them the time to double up. It was also mentioned in the aftermath that City should have whipped in some early crosses, to give Haaland something to worry the midget with. To cause a bit of panic in there. It was too easy to defend because the threat was only through the middle, where they had all the numbers. They played compact, but all dispersed as soon as the ball was turned over. With Pep's high line, it was a proper mis-match of styles.

Football seems to go through these bizarre phases of re-invention. Where everybody adopted Pep's style of possession football, and then in the last 12 months, we are seeing these set plays, long throw ins, corners whipped under the crossbar, and even Pep himself playing long balls up to a number 9. It's like Graham Taylor and Tony Pulis have suddenly come back into fashion. Then we see Carrick pull out Bacon face 2.0 and it's like the last 20 years didn't happen.
 
Roachy said:
Hard to disagree with any of that. Utd stuck to a rigid game plan and didn't need to do much else, we done it for them. The mitigating factors have been discussed at length. However every outfield player of ours should have done better, with some being woeful, especially in a derby. I suspect they'll revert to type soon. No repeat of anything resembling Saturday's fiasco for us again please City.
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Our performance at Villa was very similar to the Derby. We were killed on the flanks and did not compete in midfield where we were outnumbered. We don’t seem to be learning.
 
Fordyboy46 said:
What a fucking insufferable set of cunts they really are. Congrats on beating a makeshift City eleven, nobody is saying you didn't deserve it but the hyperbole over it is hilarious, season ended for them on Saturday ours is still chugging along quite nicely
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It’s probably another false dawn for them because of their long-term financial problems. But City need to wake up. Pep will finish this season or next. We can’t make the same mistakes they made when Bacon left.
 
bobbyowenquiff said:
It’s probably another false dawn for them because of their long-term financial problems. But City need to wake up. Pep will finish this season or next. We can’t make the same mistakes they made when Bacon left.
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We won’t,

Manchester City has a proper structure in place, from top to bottom, whereas the rags were reliant on two people, both of whom left their positions at the swamp within a few weeks of each other.
 
Debaser said:
At least we know this lot aren't as good as the press is making us believe
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That's the thing, I kept trying to tell the rags I've spoken to that getting excited about beating a well off it city side was daft, even after we got battered again last night they still think nited are back the fuckin idiots
 
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