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

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121551467#Comment_121551467

You keep on repeating this but offer no replacement. Could you just want the chaos to continue? Haven't heard a peep from ye on Poch or Howe.

For Forks Sake

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121551501#Comment_121551501

Given the way he squandered big money on dreadful players you'd wonder if the new owners will allow him more in jan?

Osmosis Jones

If ETH goes does Sancho get brought back into the fold? Or has he burnt too many bridges at the club?

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121551567#Comment_121551567

Depends on who is running the show. Be gas if Martial outlasted another manager

El Gato De Negocios

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121551567#Comment_121551567

There is no doubt he'll be brought back in. Another symptom of everything that's wrong at the club and has been wrong at it in more than a decade.

SlickRic

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121551442#Comment_121551442

The Mainoo to McTominay substitution, with both Forest goals coming from the vacated DM position, is just asking to be sacked.

TitianGerm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121551809#Comment_121551809

https://twitter.com/samuelluckhurst/status/1741188644583403547?t=CBUCw17yWlOENE8_jXUkYg&s=19

https://twitter.com/samuelluckhurst/status/1741193699588010197?t=RNc8RWjv-16i_4szM6rlLA&s=19

I'm not sure if ETH actually knows what he's doing anymore. For some odd reason he always says United played well even when they've been shocking.

StringerBell

Seemed to be a little more nuance in Ten Hags remarks re the sub than that goon luckhurst portrays (shock horror) but still just an awful sub.

He doesn't help himself.

fullstop

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121551002#Comment_121551002

Initiated the contact by winning the ball?!!

TitianGerm

I just saw a tweet that said Antony has one league goal in 2023 (33 games)? That's awful if true but he's bulletproof and plays pretty much every game as far as I can see.

StringerBell

He's been out of the team a bit more lately, and obviously was away with his legal situations.

He has certainly stopped being a guaranteed starter, played today as there was no other options really.

No Sancho, Mount, Højlund, Martial etc. Amad only back with the squad, Ten Hag hates Pellestri..

I'd say if Højlund was available it would have been the same front 3 as the Villa game, Rashford Højlund Garnacho.

Antony is dirt of course, none of the above changes that. He is well on his way to being pound for pound the worst ever premier league signing.

TitianGerm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121552257#Comment_121552257

Calender year should be 38 league games and he's played 33 (obviously a few of them are sub appearances) and he missed a few when he was given time off to go to Brazil but the €80m or whatever he was could have been spent so much better.

LuckyLloyd

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121551504#Comment_121551504

The ‘and who replaces him’ retort is a pretty tired last resort of football fans. It doesn’t matter who comes next, he is demonstrating incompetence in multiple ways and the team is underachieving relative to what they are capable of.

Presuming that the team hopes to try and qualify for the CL, a change should be made. He wouldn’t still be in a job at Real Madrid or Barcelona and I presume Utd still aspire to be one of the greatest clubs in football?

But listen man, keep on believing. Give him another couple of years.

CSF

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121552294#Comment_121552294

The ‘who replaces him’ is relevant to when you get rid of him. Doing it now, you’re either going for a temporary guy who probably won’t be better, or you’re going for someone of a lesser quality than you get in the summer.

LuckyLloyd

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121552651#Comment_121552651

I think there have to be managers available who can do better than he’s doing. There’s so much wrong with Utd right now in terms of tactics, shape, lineups, squad management, signings and in game subs.

CSF

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121552666#Comment_121552666

Getting a manager that’s a bit better than what he’s achieving now, only leaves you back here with the next guy. As has been the case with the last few hires, United desperately need someone with both a personality and a skillset so large that they can offset everything else that’s toxic at that club.

Guys like Potter (already has that experience from Chelsea), De Zerbi, Alonso going there would just be detrimental to their own career when the inevitable happens.

LuckyLloyd

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121552674#Comment_121552674

Yeah look, fair enough. I don’t think those managers refuse the opportunity tbh, but I understand a perception to the contrary.

I just feel if you’re accepting of this level of performance from the manager it’s probably for the wrong reasons.

IncognitoMan

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121552294#Comment_121552294

The club is in the middle of the biggest upheaval internally in modern history and sacking the current manager before Brailsford and Blanc take over the football side wouldn't make much sense (It needs their approval now anyway by reports). They may well come in and decide ETH isn't for them and at that stage so be it - it's their decision on how to move forward but I don't see it happening straight away.

We have seen a good chunk of this squad go through the same boom / bust cycle we are seeing here now multiple times at the club already. They play well for a while and then they decide they don't like the manager and throw their toys out.

LVG methods were too restrictive. Jose had too much of an Ego. Ole was too soft. ETH is too strict. At a certain point you have to question the core of this group of players and the culture they have been allowed to wallow in at the club. The culture the Glazers and the people they employed have allowed to form at the club.

Sacking ETH (to me anyway) does nothing to address that core issue in that squad, in fact it just gives in to those players again.

Also "and who replaces him" is the single most important question because if there isn't a higher quality manager available then what are you moving him on for? What is the immediate aim? What is the long term aim? Just looking for a quick uptick in form to end up back at the same place again in a few weeks time?

6 months ago ETH took the team from their worst ever PL finish points wise to 3rd and a domestic cup win. I would like to see him get a shot with a competent backroom team behind him. Something every other top level club manager has had in world football in recent years.

ETH has made mistakes on his side since joining the club for sure but at no other top club in Europe would he have had to carry so much of the footballing operation. Utd haven't moved into the modern era at all as a club yet. The Athletic did a very good article a week or so back that highlighted just what ETH has had to work with (or against) since joining.

https://theathletic.com/5151315/2023/12/22/manchester-united-fotball-news-transfers/

El Gato De Negocios

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121552666#Comment_121552666

Game week 20 last season

Game week 20 this season

For a man well into his 40's, id have thought that some level of critical thinking would be engaged but here we are.

Lemme guess, some other managers have credit in the bank that allows them scope for last poor performances, huge volume of games played last season, alot of injuries this season etc?

No, sorry, that doesn't count for anything, not like United have significant injuries this year and they played more games than any other club team last season. Bizarre in-game decisions notwithstanding.

Despite Uniteds current travails, it heartens me exponentially to see how much they are involved in your football viewing life, folk like Mick and Turty would be so proud of you.🥰🥰

Hated

Adored

Never ignored

But ALWAYS under your skin, happy new year son🤣🤣👌👌

LuckyLloyd

I’m not even 40. Yeah Klopp has credit in the bank because he has won a league and a European Cup plus lots of other winning things Utd are a far cry from at present. ETH is a nobody by comparison who probably had one lucky season driven by Casemiro before he packed it in. But look, if standards have slipped so be it. Let ETH continue on for another couple of years lads, it’s absolutely fine by me!

Let's all agree to disagree that ETH should not be sacked.

Maybe the guy should be given more time under the new management structure. He may as well finish the season out.

TitianGerm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121552811#Comment_121552811

Did Man City not play the most games last season? They literally won everything so I'd have thought that would mean they've played every game possible?

El Gato De Negocios

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121552892#Comment_121552892

United played

League x 38

Europa League x 12

FA Cup x 6

League Cup x 6

Total - 62 competitive games

City played

League x 38

FA cup x 6

League cup x 3

Champions league x 13

Total - 60 competitive games played

TitianGerm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121552926#Comment_121552926

Ah you're right, they didn't win the Carabao Cup!!

klose

Cliché as a term it is, but the united gig is a fairly “Poisoned chalice” so to speak. Seems like every manager needs to go in, clear their dross and set up their own “dynasty” only to just sign more dross to add to the pile.

They’re long gone front being the attraction to players they once were so are stuck to offering massive wages to entice players in, all clubs know they’ve deep pockets so are always paying well over the odds for signings. Managers coming in knowing it’s a massive task, oh look a massive salary, I’ll take all that when I’m inevitably sacked 2 odd years into their job. Rinse repeat.

SlickRic

Kompany is another who can shut up about refs.

They all had their chance. He's only angry as it's against his team.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121552864#Comment_121552864

You're not far off 40 in fairness. We've seen this sacking the manager nonsense many times before.

You're incapable of any reasoning when talking about United. Nobody is asking for him to be there for years bar you it seems. It's always 100% one way or the other with ye.

theoneeyedman

I'm always very wary of managers who bring a number of their former players, players they had at a former club. Leads me to think they have a lack of imagination, or a lack of knowledge/scouting network. Add that to the fact the 3 former Ajax lads ETH brought in at massive cost haven't been very good, would certainly lead one to question his judgment of players and what is required at this level.

Maybe he's still on commission from Ajax.... 🤔😉

TitianGerm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121553290#Comment_121553290

Martinez was good but ETH brought him back to quick after his first injury this year and caused him to break down again and he's missed months now because of it.

doc_17

I see Sterling was an unused substitute yesterday. Wonder if that was Pochettino punishing him for what he did against Wolves?