I believe I'm one of the more positive posters on here.
Why? Oh never mind that b******* let's get realistic...
It's pretty depressing watching the other top teams at present. And some of the not so top teams too. They're not all excellent and some of them aren't all that good either but they have fight, a plan and some quality in order to do something in a game. Late February of this year I thought we'd got that back too but since then we've been pretty average. Spurs aren't as good as City but they showed good character today. Can we really say we are capable of that at present? I don't think we are.
This isn't a Ten Hag in/out article but more a lament that we can't even, at present, look like a team working hard and to a plan. Even the infamous Moyes 100 cross game had a plan (even if it wasn't a great one!) that we stuck to.
I'm honestly at a loss to explain what's going on. This takeover and January window can't come soon enough even if it's just to sell a few players.
Having said all the above I know I'll put myself through it again midweek and watch us hoping it gets better. The frustrating thing about this season is that even had we been pretty average and got two points per game we'd be within striking distance of City and Liverpool.
Here's to better days.
It's depressing watching other teams
posted on 4/12/23
Yeah no doubt the mess at the club will affect players but with Rashford he’s always afford more leeway. Whether it’s the manager, his shoulder, the pen miss in the Euros, splitting up with his GF, backlash from the school meals, playing out of position, not having Shaw behind him, his brothers arrest, there always seems to bean excuse. I know these players aren’t robots and there will be many factors that contribute to a players form but Rashford has always been treated a bit differently, most likely because he’s a local lad and all fans want to see players like him succeed.
posted on 4/12/23
comment by manutd1982 (U6633)
posted 1 hour, 12 minutes ago
If it's a confidence thing then the lad simply lacks the mentality to be good enough for a club like United as he's more often 'lacking confidence' than not, or at least that's the excuse for his is consistently poor form and lack of effort. He's just not that good and he's put on a pedestal as one of the clubs big players when he isn't.
Over his 8 seasons at the club he averages 9 goals in the league a season and is on course to score 6 this season. There's a possibility (although probably unlikely) Haaland will have more PL goals than Rashford by the end of this season and he only joined last year.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Who at United averages more goals than Rashford?
posted on 4/12/23
Going back to the OP, I know what you mean - it's very depressing. I've followed Utd since early 80s, when even though we were 2nd best to Liverpool under Big Ron, we managed a couple of FA Cups and we played some good stuff etc. Obviously the initial SAF years were hard going, but what's been happening post SAF, it just feels like we are going round in circles.
I can't think of one player that has come in post SAF where I have thought, wow, he has been totally amazing or they've turned out to be a real superstar.
Off the top of my head, Zlatan was decent but past it, Pogba flattered to deceive, Bruno pretty good, Rashford ok, Shaw solid enough, Martinez looks good I guess.
But it feels almost by default when we have finished in the top 4 on the odd occasion, and there seems to be no continuity.
And compared to so many teams, we play unattractive, incohesive football - so many other teams look more progressive than us, regardless of where we are in the table.
Sad state of affairs
posted on 4/12/23
Thorgen Kloppinson
Probably no one because our attckers for years have been awful and no one has stayed at the club longer than Rashford. The closest is Martial who has averaged 8 league goals a season over the past same 8 seasons, but he's been awful too and shouldn't be at the club. Lukaku averaged 14 in his 2 seasons, Ibra managed 17 in his only full season at the club while Ronaldo got 18. All far superior numbers compared to Rashford.
Just because no one has scored more than 9 league goals a season for us over a period of seasons doesn't take away how poor Rashford has been.
posted on 4/12/23
Ibra and Ronaldo played centrally.
My point is that the problem at United isn't any single player. Rashford isn't worse than anyone else IMO. Bit unfair I feel.
posted on 4/12/23
He's played centrally a fair bit though. But aside from that he's been very poor and his body language this entire season has been shocking. He's the clubs third highest paid player (after Casemiro and Varane) and I think it's fair to expect far more from him and he shouldn't be immune to criticism (which applies to all players). He's been at the club far longer than the vast majority of this squad but has shown this kind of attitude under multiple managers.
I don't think he's being singled out either, there are plenty of first team players fans want gone (Casemiro, Varane, Martial, Maguire, Lindelof, Dalot, Eriksen, Sancho etc) and players who have been criticized for not doing enough (Bruno, McTominay, Martial).
Would be interested to see who you think have been worse than Rashford this season taking into account their stature at the club and how much game time they are getting?
posted on 4/12/23
comment by manutd1982 (U6633)
posted 2 hours, 46 minutes ago
I agree it isn't just Rashford that's been poor but he is the poster boy for the club and has been excused for too long IMO.
--------------------------
This. We've developed and fostered a culture in which players that are no better than good become poster boys on superstar wages. It means they have to start games regardless of form, and means they become hard to shift later on.
Rashford is a good player, but he'd be a rotation/squad option at any of the the really top clubs at the moment. He certainly wouldn't be the star player. It's not his fault that he's been elevated by the club beyond his abilities and no doubt being a local lad has amplified that.
But his work rate has been appalling for a long time (even when playing on the left), and it seems that after Newcastle, pundits are now starting to pick up on it after long last. There's no excusing that. If I'd played like Rashford on a Saturday afternoon for my 11 a side team, I've have been hooked well before Rashford eventually was, and I pay to play!
posted on 4/12/23
Berba
Exactly.
posted on 4/12/23
To be fair I don't think it's easy at United at present. The weight of the club's history seems to weigh heavily on some shoulders.
----------
Or perhaps not heavily enough.
posted on 4/12/23
comment by Clockwork Red: Amrabats in the Belfry (U4892)
posted 1 hour, 18 minutes ago
To be fair I don't think it's easy at United at present. The weight of the club's history seems to weigh heavily on some shoulders.
----------
Or perhaps not heavily enough.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Yes, maybe some need a reminder! It won't get better for any of these players. They won't get a club as big as United and they won't get wages as high either. Well, not unless Saudi or the like come in.