Manchester United fans are turning to Bruno Fernandes, Ruben Interim Amorim, the Glazers, and Sir Jim Ratcliffe.
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If Manchester United get rid of Bruno Fernandes, their problems will be resolved overnight!
If you could see his sneaky behaviour on the CCTV around training ground and at the stadium and the often accompanying audio youd agree. As a lifelong United fan, George
is the worst manager always. Why play a program that doesn’t work for the players and keep sticking with it? Enough, getting away today before we get relegated.
Stephen Smith
So Ruben Interim needs X number of transfer windows and X millions of pounds ( presumably ) to find players who can specifically play in a 3-4-3. How is coaching doing? Whatever happened to improving the people you inherit? There has been much discussion recently about the need for a dramatic overhaul of the Man United squad, with G Nev saying he needs at least two or three transfer windows, Dave Tickner writing about the requirements for players in some positions in that formation and
Matthew.
But, the rhinoceros in the room that has been bothering me is how come another managers can manage to move to a rear 3 program for certain games or specific periods and the planet doesnt cave in? The most recent day Ive seen West Ham was their meet away to Villa, I hadnt seen much of West Ham up to that point but they were remarkable in that match against a great Villa part and, lo and behold, Potter had switched to a rear 3. He had Kudus in one of the two No. 1 participants, the much-maligned AWB at RWB, and he didn’t have to add six new people at once. 10s roles ( as cited in Amorims system ). Wolves have also occasionally played a again three, suddenly without complaining that they need specialists in every role. Antonio Conte did it back in the day using Moses at RWB at Chelsea next suddenly at Inter using Ashley Young at LWB.
If Amorim is so inflexible that he needs such an overhaul to win some matches, maybe United have made another mistake in hiring a manager whos only success is in a non-top 5 league. His program might be a mess, perhaps.
Let no miss, United are not just under performing, they are rarely winning any games! At the weekend, Jamie Redknapp can be said how far away City and England are ( which is certainly appropriate ), but are their people worse than Evertons? After all, they are behind in the table now. Are they really that much worse than Fulhams or Crystal Palaces?
It shouldn’t be forgotten that some experts praised United’s exchange window and that they are now all backing-tracking because they aren’t good enough.
Sometimes the knowledge United and Spur are now having with professionals whos success was built in less major tournaments should serve as a reminder. Hiring newcomers is all well and good, but I prefer to work with those who have already established themselves in their own clubs in Spain, Italy, or Germany rather than those who have won titles in the shortest midget competition.
Andy MUFC
MORE MAN UTD COVERAGE ON F365
  ,Ruben Amorim needs way more than two or three transfer windows to fix Man Utd
  ,Who will be the next Man Utd manager if Ruben Amorim is sacked?
  ,Ashworth wanted Man Utd to appoint PL boss instead of Amorim before his 25m sacking
The cost of backing Amorim
Lots of fans seem to have an opinion on whether Amorim should stay or go, but lets look at the actual reality of the situation and the cost of backing the manager.
Sir Jim is contemplating having to find 100 million squid through transfers and another 100 million, probably out of thin air, just to create a club that is appropriate for the Amorim structure, which he claims doesn’t seem to suit 10-15 senior athletes.
Its obvious you cant do this in a single summer window. You couldn’t do that during the summertime, yet in Football Manager. But realistically its a two summers work at least, just to get Ruben what he wants.
And lets face it, what he wants is going to be costly. And while it’s wonderful that there’s a minority owner in an English team. For the immediate future, Manchester United may be operating on a budget closer to FC Nice than everything we saw under the Glazer program. Therefore, there won’t be a Victor Gyokeres entering the entrance. There probably isnt going to be a Goncalo Ignacio sometimes. Or any other Sporting person with an inflated price label, that will make Ruben feel comfortable.
Ruben will have to find those players in a similar way to Sporting did in the beginning. And even then, its going to be a stretch that requires a Todd Boehly kind landlord, terrible enough to give innings for the people Ruben doesnt want. And since dumb Chelsea owners only visit once every 20 or so years, that won’t happen either.
And Im not against making the scouting department earn their money. Nor am I against the idea that the owner is going to have to listen to the scouting department, rather than just overpaying for whatever big name player that has worn out their welcome in Munich or Madrid
But is this something that Sir Jim and Amorim are going to have the patience for?
Will Sir Jim accept another season without playing European football ( and the money it generates ) while Ruben trains a group of underage players who no one has heard of?
And thats not to mention the massive cost of replacing most of the junior coaching staff with Amorim guys. Because we will continue to play the 3-4-3 style of play, both now and in the future, if we continue to adhere to the INEOS philosophy.
So its a 300 million pound investment to try and make it work, versus fifty million pounds to make your mistake disappear and hope the next guy will be able to turn sh*t into clay?
I reckon Dan Ashworth would have an idea of what direction Sir Jim is heading. The tea lady who was fired to help pay for Ashworth’s permanent vacation from Manchester also has a job.
Cliff A, Australia
The Glazers, Ratcliffe and dreams of Sheikh Jassims unicorn farm
Ah, Manchester United. A club that is so large, historic, and beloved that it is now stifling itself between the icy winds of irrelevance and the scorching fires of the Europa League. Its a bit like watching the Titanic sink, except instead of rearranging deck chairs, Jim Ratcliffe is here slashing wages, selling lifeboats, and suggesting the iceberg might actually be good for morale.
Lets talk about Sir Jim, the knight who swept in to save United with a 27.7 % stake. Twenty-seven-point-seven Not quite a takeover, more like renting the back seat of a bus hurtling off a cliff. We were told, however, that this was the right decision to make because, er, nothing about crippling austerity measures and the background’s quiet hum of Glazer dividends seems to indicate that nothing about long-term success is true.
And lets not forget the absolute farce of decision-making under Ratcliffes stewardship. The man didnt even take full control but has somehow managed to take full blame. The Glazers continue to eat cake in the other room as he enters a kitchen, turns the oven on, and declares the souffl ruined. The only thing more embarrassing than our performances on the pitch is the complete lack of clarity in the boardroom. Who is in charge? Ratcliffe? The Glazers? The Red, Red, Red?
Sheikh Jassim is probably sitting in Doha, sipping tea, and watching this chaos unfold like a fan at a reality show reunion. One can only imagine what he or she thought when I offered to pay off the debt, construct a new stadium, and purchase half of Europe’s top players. Its like turning down a Ferrari because you think the complimentary air freshener smells too fancy. But sure, lets call it a strategic decision to stick with the people who once gave us Ed Woodward. The worst part is
And what? The fans saw this coming. Ratcliffe represented a patch job with a club’s hemorrhaging relevance, which we all knew. The Sheikhs vision was too good to be true, they said. But wasnt that the point? Football isn’t about having big dreams, going against the odds, or rebuilding what has been damaged? Instead, were left with an accountants approach to a poets gameand if we keep going like this, well soon be balancing spreadsheets in the Championship. What’s truly enraging is how completely predictable everything has been. Ratcliffe was always going to come in and optimize, which in business-speak usually translates to sell your silverware while pretending the cupboard was always bare. But whats next? Old Trafford’s naming rights A new slogan: Manchester United Brought to You by INEOS ( Debt Not Included )? I’m half expecting Sir Alex to be replaced at events by a cardboard cutout, purely to save on his ambassador fees.
The contrast with Sheikh Jassims proposal is staggering. Here was a man with the vision to make United great again, willing to invest in the infrastructure, the squad, and the ethos of the club. We were British, no! We dont trust ambition unless its tempered with a bit of good old-fashioned suffering. It seems as though the board decided that self-sabotage was a necessary custom, comparable to Arsenal fans stomping on us losing and Fergie fans.
And now were left with this half-measure that pleases no one. Ratcliffe wont fully take over, the Glazers wont fully leave, and the fans wont fully stop despairing. The only thing that seems certain is that this once-proud club will continue to stumbling around like a toddler in oversized boots. It’s a limbo of mediocrity. Sheikh Jassim may have been a risk, but at least it wouldve been a bold one. What we currently have feels more like we’re waiting for better branding and relegation.
Meanwhile, we had Sheikh Jassim and his glorious promises of debt-free footballing utopia. No more bond payments, no more stock exchange soap opera, no more excuses. When your midfield currently resembles a pub quiz team trying to take on Enzo Fernndez, it is helpful to have shiny new stadiums, shiny new training facilities, and presumably shiny new players.
But no. Jim and I chose them. Why? Because we like control. Evidently, the Sheikhs ‘ billions included too many restrictions, including ambition, vision, and the horrifying possibility of creating a squad capable of defeating Luton Town at home. Instead, were trimming the fatand the muscleand possibly the skeleton, as beloved staff are marched out the door faster than our defenders chasing counterattacks. It’s actually painfully poetic. We had the opportunity to build something extraordinary, to finally step out of the Glazer shadow, and instead were squabbling over who gets to water the patch of weeds in our trophy cabinet. But hey, at least Jims commitment to austerity ensures well be able to afford a truly magnificent commemorative plaque when we finally win the We Didnt Get Relegated in 2025 trophy. United used to stand for something. Now it stands for compromise, for mediocrity, for a sad, lingering sigh of what might have been. But at least Bruno Fernandes keeps pointing venomously at things.
Yours in exasperation,
Charly M
MORE MAN UTD COVERAGE ON F365
  ,Ruben Amorim needs way more than two or three transfer windows to fix Man Utd
  ,Who will be the next Man Utd manager if Ruben Amorim is sacked?
  ,Ashworth wanted Man Utd to appoint PL boss instead of Amorim before his 25m sacking
Arsenal are the new Man Utd
The email from Strevs today was evidence as if it were needed that football makes people lose their damned minds. There is a caveat that they are not necessarily representative of all Arsenal fans, many of whom are mature enough to recognize that there isn’t some massive conspiracy against the club, and that there are many reasons why they have consistently flattered deceived.
I imagine the same people who take their time to write in such nonsense are rarely wrong and dont understand why life gets complicated from time to time.
Decisions are made against clubs based on the pressure on Konate that caused Evertons ‘ final goal in the closing seconds, and the pressure on Diaz, which made it easier for him to fall over the goalkeeper ( who is ultimately to blame here, these decisions always go with the attacker ).
Its the same with Arsenal, like it is for all clubs, and whilst they have had a few high profile and distinctly debatable decisions go against them, they have had plenty of others go the other way, without the hyperbolic and hysterical response. Is there anything more frustrating in footballing terms than people cherry picking examples to develop their narrative?
And it led me to believe that the Arsenal version that has consistently been underachieving has created a duplicate of Manchester United. The circumstances are different, obviously. Arsenal are only a few players away from being the real deal, while United are a terrible mess with no obvious solutions to their numerous issues. But the unhinged responses from a significant minority in the mailbox, well, they are very similar, and as much as Arsenal have improved, they are perennial also-rans, and if they dont make that final step, the Arteta era will always be perceived as a failure.
Should the blip that Liverpool are having turn into something worse, and should Arsenal get a good run of results, well, maybe this will change this equation. God knows that Liverpool’s erratic fan base may start ranting about conspiracies after the first three games, but God knows how few will win.
It seems to me though that Arsenal have had a few opportunities to take that final step in recent seasons Liverpool are about where they were last season, and the difference is that so far, Arsenal arent and to blame referees for this is weak and more than a bit pathetic.
Mat ( judging by the comments section where people slammed me ),
Snubbing statistics
Righto, it’s been a few months. Tom G has made me bite though. Whilst I dont disagree with what he says, its more about the spirit of how I view football. Tom believes that statistics are irrelevant, but I don’t want them to affect how I play football in the first place.
I dont dispute the point that data and statistics are useful for specialist teams at a club. Performance-enhancing staff will use it to enhance an individual’s ability or on-pitch awareness, and on the team to enhance play patterns. Marginal gains often prove the difference between for example, winning and drawing.
Recruitment staff will focus on using it to maximise the probability of success of a new signing in a system. This is especially true for teams with relatively low budgets and teams with large clubs looking to capitalize on one significant signing.
But FatManScouse once said that as soon as you involve technology and data, it takes all the fun out of it. Everyone has a fixation on whether that is accurate and views their involvement with football as such rather than as the unknown.
As a fan, as I increasingly watch football, I am bombarded with percentage stats and xG and I dont have a choice. You can argue that it has led to enlightenment and a better general understanding of the sport but by the same token, I am being led to believe theres no hope of Liverpool surrendering a lead once they have it because the statistics say so, or of Manchester United ever scoring again ( giggles ). The most important things to remember are hope and the unexpected, thanks to cold statistics. If Arsenal dont concede after 47 minutes, then why bother watch most of the second half? If Chelsea wins first, they might as well leave once more. And we all know it because all the media outlets are now sounding off about it all the time.
Instead, nowadays, people are just on their phones passively comparing their xGs, safe in the knowledge that Akanji has completed yet another pass successfully, checking on their accumulators, or live streaming to their four followers. Really awful. A data-led narrative isnt fun or sexy. It bores fans and makes them miserable. But its in our faces all the time and it robs us of a reason to cheer on our teams.
When I was about ten, I was at the Abbey when Stevenage Borough knocked Cambridge United out of the FA Cup must have been the late 90s. The dirtiest team I’ve ever seen was probably them. The referee Im sure missed a few things, it was never offside, and there were a few scenes of argy-bargy after some horrendous fouling. I experienced it all. Injustice, anger, the roar ( particularly when we got one back ), and the gutting feeling that we were now out of the cup.
Similarly, a few years later wed had a shocker of a season, and it came down to the final day. When Paul Wanless rose like a salmon to head forcefully into the net, we were about to be relegated and a corner came in shortly before stoppage time. The scenes were incredible like nothing Id ever seen at the time and we stayed up. Even now that I’m only thinking about it, I still feel elated, joyous, euphoric, and ecstatic. Ive still got his autograph.
Where would I be if Stevenage had correctly had about three players sent off, and where Wanless was told not to go up for corners as hed only got a 0.2 % xG from deadball situations? There might be some accuracy and consistency with data-driven outcomes, but there wouldn’t be a soul or heart.
I would prefer broadcasters to ditch a stats-based narrative on analysis, commentating, and punditry. However, there are the days when Le Tissier, Ginola, Kinkladze, McManaman, Saint-Maximin, Shearer, Scholes, Hasselbaink, Beckham, or Rooney would score one in 35 yards because players are instructed not to do those things because they are likely to fail. Just lay it off instead. Pass it simple. The ball must be kept. After all, it has a much better percentage risk outcome.
It’s probably good that leg-breakers have had a day in the middle of the field and in defense, but it has also sapped the game of tackles, barges, dissention, and the odd fight. Instead, the game has become about conning the referee. Oh, and now you cant mock opponents with celebrations. Therefore, broadcasters must rely on dry numbers to gain insight into the game and develop a narrative based on that. Oh, and it was never offside ref! In reality, it was or wasn’t. Thats it. Proven. It has spawned worrying numbers-based conspiracy theories from the keyboard, rather than making it a bad call. And it just isnt as fun. It’s not quite a zero-sum game, but the temptation is to view football’s future as a clinical degree of ever slamming the outcomes. For example, its now a shock when a player hits a bad pass. If they do, it will reduce their numbers and theyll slip off their percentage bracket for players who can do that thing as a result. It fits a very strict definition of football management and manager philosophy, where players only perform their jobs and not much else, but at a very high level.
Football at the highest level I fear has already become a game run by numbers and played by robots. What might be rewarding for the younger generation. Good luck to them and their calculators and algorithms. They might be correct on their numbers which may be pleasing to them, but it will never give them unpredictable joy. Dejan Lovren, therefore, please shoot. Because one day, one will fly in the top corner for a 93rd minute winner and create memories and feelings to last a lifetime.
Rich ( boing boing ), Cambridge
Niggles
Vincent Kompany really gets under my skin when he wears a cap. No idea why. It just does. Anyone else who has these unreasonable pet irritants?
Luke ( Men Without Hats ) Dublin
Dear Ironsman
You state in your mail that F365 only focus on the big four and then produce a list containing Spurs and many, many references to ManU. You see, they DO write articles about the small clubs at the bottom of the table.
Happy to help.
Monsieur Monkey, boiling piss in the sand
