Oh come on, putting Lukaku in that list is ridiculous.
― Matt DC, Tuesday, 18 December 2018 12:01 (five years ago) link
still lots of love for rojo here
― my name is leee john, for we are many (NickB), Tuesday, 18 December 2018 12:04 (five years ago) link
Good on his day, never good enough for a club with aspirations of winning trophies. There are just too many limitations in his game
This season's version is the worst striker I've ever seen play for Utd
― Number None, Tuesday, 18 December 2018 12:06 (five years ago) link
blinding fury is my fav utd trait, i see you have already forgotten macheda, smith, falcao, bellion, obertan, depay and... alexis
― ogmor, Tuesday, 18 December 2018 12:13 (five years ago) link
Alexis is the worst major EPL signing in years and may turn out to be one of the worst ever, especially given that even Mkhitaryan, who was thrown in as a makeweight, has outperformed him this year.
― Matt DC, Tuesday, 18 December 2018 12:16 (five years ago) link
Oumar Niasse and Lewis Dunk have as many goals in that time.
― Matt DC, Tuesday, 18 December 2018 12:17 (five years ago) link
Alexis actually did better than Lukaku in his two games up front this season
Smith was alright til he became a midfielder. Macheda played about five games. Bellion, Obertan, Depay not strikers
Falcao was never actually at the club imo
― Number None, Tuesday, 18 December 2018 12:17 (five years ago) link
multi xps - not to mention later years rooney
seen to remember rvp going to shit after a great world cup, dunno if it's fatigue or what
― my name is leee john, for we are many (NickB), Tuesday, 18 December 2018 12:18 (five years ago) link
I agree Alexis is in contention for worst signing ever, although Lukaku will end up running him close. Think we'll get anyone else to pay 75m for him?
― Number None, Tuesday, 18 December 2018 12:19 (five years ago) link
current Lukaku is absolutely worse than Rooney even at his lowest ebb
― Number None, Tuesday, 18 December 2018 12:20 (five years ago) link
rom has scored more goals than a few strikers who are having nominally good seasons like jimenez and arnautovic, he's definitely in a slump but surely that's relatable. loads of clubs wld take him, he's a v complete striker, it's just hard to tell peering through the utd miasma
― ogmor, Tuesday, 18 December 2018 12:23 (five years ago) link
Complete is the opposite of what he is. In fact he's a very specific type of striker that Jose has admittedly been using all wrong
Clubs will definitely take him, but it certainly won't be at a profit
― Number None, Tuesday, 18 December 2018 12:26 (five years ago) link
I'd be happy to have him as a back-up, but no club in the world has a 75m bench striker
― Number None, Tuesday, 18 December 2018 12:27 (five years ago) link
Five Live just did this weirdly measured coverage of the sacking, managed to avoid interviewing any fan who was unreservedly tap-dancing and swilling champagne
― I Accept the Word of Santa (Noodle Vague), Tuesday, 18 December 2018 12:28 (five years ago) link
Also Lukaku should be at his peak right now, was fantastic in the World Cup and was a proven Premier League goalscorer over multiple seasons at Everton. The blame for this has to come with Mourinho and his special ability to suck the life out of talented attacking players.
There doesn't appear to be a reliable #10 to play behind him (Mata is probably on the wane) and there are too many good players being rotated in the wide forward positions. Playing Pogba further forward in midfield might help in the longer run anyway but there's still a player missing there I think.
― Matt DC, Tuesday, 18 December 2018 12:30 (five years ago) link
lukaku can run in behind, drop deep, turn defenders, make space, he's good in the air, has a good eye for a pass, his movement's intelligent, he's pretty quick, and he's a good finisher; he's just in a hopelessly negative team. he cld play deeper and work with runners like kane does w/ son and lucas. fans being similarly lukewarm on pogba and martial is similarly wild; it's such a delusional, hateful club
― ogmor, Tuesday, 18 December 2018 12:43 (five years ago) link
united fans love martial on the whole; pogba is very frustrating but i don't think anyone in the united camp will be happier than he is today
― my name is leee john, for we are many (NickB), Tuesday, 18 December 2018 12:47 (five years ago) link
I don't think anyone can judge a player at their mourinho level, and thats both the max and the min with that statement
he shouldnt be allowed near players under 24 though
― gabbnebulous (darraghmac), Tuesday, 18 December 2018 12:54 (five years ago) link
everyone can enjoy a pet hate or two, a nourishing grumble, but united crowds are like two ninety minute hates.
what percentage of strikers who will finish above utd in the league will utd fans deem 'not good enough' for their club. 80%?
― ogmor, Tuesday, 18 December 2018 12:54 (five years ago) link
imagining kane the debutant progressing under mourinho
eesh
― gabbnebulous (darraghmac), Tuesday, 18 December 2018 12:56 (five years ago) link
if poch did go to utd he'd love fellaini
― ogmor, Tuesday, 18 December 2018 12:57 (five years ago) link
I readily admit that it's difficult to judge any player in this set up but I'd still quibble with a lot of your list ogmor
He's not really good in the air. In fact, he's pretty clearly a player who never had to develop aerial skills because of his size. He's...ok with headers in the box. Only ok though, and his ability to deal with aerial balls with his back to goal is horrific
He's not really that quick anymore due to the excessive bulk he's carrying, and his movement is appalling. Spends most of his time strolling around and pointing
He's also extremely weak
Not comparable at all to Pogba and Martial who are natural talents and have been unfairly marginalised
― Number None, Tuesday, 18 December 2018 13:09 (five years ago) link
CFs aren't everything, Chelsea are currently 11pts clear of United with Morata and Giroud as their only options in that position. Yeah yeah Hazard obviously but the gap between him and Sanchez is not as huge as that gulf suggests.
― Matt DC, Tuesday, 18 December 2018 13:10 (five years ago) link
rom is no fellaini in the air it's true. it's true he's slowed down somewhat and become a beefboy now but any lack of strength or questionable positioning surely a question of deteriorating will which stems from the enervation of playing mouball, we've seen it time & again
― ogmor, Tuesday, 18 December 2018 13:24 (five years ago) link
a friend on the beat has been chatting to a woman in asda who demands 'hughesy' is given the job, says she's tired of "foreigners coming in with their crazy ideas. stop signing foreign players as well." winter is coming.
― ogmor, Tuesday, 18 December 2018 13:31 (five years ago) link
none of the top sides have a striker like lukaku, who prob fits all those sorts of 'old-fashioned' descriptions
and yet someone like firmino is prob p comfortably a better target man than lukaku. the phrase 'striker' doesn't even seem to accurately describe anyone at liverpool, for example.
― FernandoHierro, Tuesday, 18 December 2018 13:32 (five years ago) link
My view is they need someone who meets the three key principles of that football club - the promotion of youth, entertaining football and to win football matches.
this is why gary neville should be director of football. "to win football matches" is a key principle for any successful team!
― FernandoHierro, Tuesday, 18 December 2018 13:34 (five years ago) link
Mourinho won’t be sacked any time soonhttps://t.co/IpzEiGNnbu— Miguel Delaney (@MiguelDelaney) December 17, 2018
United will only sack Mourinho when CL next season impossible, and all logic suggests PSG will hasten that. But logic doesn’t always dictate in the CL? What it... no?Can Jose use it to save so much?https://t.co/aelpfI7I98— Miguel Delaney (@MiguelDelaney) December 17, 2018
― ogmor, Tuesday, 18 December 2018 13:36 (five years ago) link
What it...no?
― Number None, Tuesday, 18 December 2018 13:38 (five years ago) link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uvmytj56Tck
― FernandoHierro, Tuesday, 18 December 2018 13:39 (five years ago) link
i think kane is similar to lukaku, a bit slower and a bit better at passing into the bottom corner. lukaku doesn't have an alli or an eriksen tho
― ogmor, Tuesday, 18 December 2018 13:42 (five years ago) link
wat if mouriehno modarn day
― Master Humphrey's Cock (Bananaman Begins), Tuesday, 18 December 2018 14:08 (five years ago) link
solsjkaer in, lol please do that.
― FernandoHierro, Tuesday, 18 December 2018 14:48 (five years ago) link
i was thinking that was part of the old Skybet game and not a serious prospect at all, but you never know!
― calzino, Tuesday, 18 December 2018 14:51 (five years ago) link
lol, just heard solsjkaer "meets all the criteria" without a laughing track.
― calzino, Tuesday, 18 December 2018 15:10 (five years ago) link
the baby-faced caretaker
― FernandoHierro, Tuesday, 18 December 2018 15:11 (five years ago) link
the super-sub(standard) one.
― calzino, Tuesday, 18 December 2018 15:12 (five years ago) link
OMG with Mike Phelan as his assistant!
― Matt DC, Tuesday, 18 December 2018 15:41 (five years ago) link
There were a couple of early performances from Lukaku (admittedly on a US tour) where he looked quick and strong on the shoulder of the last man and it looked like he was going to develop into something. He's since had the life sucked out of him by the general gloom over Utd.
It does seem to be structural. Like, the same sluggish, sludgy football whoever the manager, the sense of fear on the pitch, the lack of direction in the boardroom. This is a stretch but it's either a) someone needs to come in and exorcise the ghost up in the stands (it's Hamlet's dad, essentially) or ii) it's a bit like Paul Gilroy's concept of post-colonial melancholia. They need a war.
― Good cop, Babcock (Chinaski), Tuesday, 18 December 2018 15:56 (five years ago) link
well, the optimism lasted almost an entire work day
― Number None, Tuesday, 18 December 2018 15:57 (five years ago) link
its managerial, completely and utterly
― gabbnebulous (darraghmac), Tuesday, 18 December 2018 16:09 (five years ago) link
There doesn't seem to be anyone above the level of the manager who knows anything about football, so they've had three dour negative appointments in a row, even though it's the last thing the fans want. The overall level of squad-building is incoherent, they have like six very good wide forwards, they've made one super-expensive marquee signing a year with minimal attention to less glamorous positions on the pitch. I think that stuff precedes Mourinho but he's made the absolute worst of a bad job. Maybe Fergie just ran the club from top to bottom and no one else has a clue, but there isn't really a reason why a better manager with a different philosophy couldn't be getting a lot more from even the existing squad.
― Matt DC, Tuesday, 18 December 2018 16:25 (five years ago) link
yup to all that
― my name is leee john, for we are many (NickB), Tuesday, 18 December 2018 16:32 (five years ago) link
lol to phelan and ole. wtf. fc united fans would prob raise eyebrows at that.
― FernandoHierro, Tuesday, 18 December 2018 16:43 (five years ago) link
?
― the salacious inaudible (Nasty, Brutish & Short), Tuesday, 18 December 2018 16:54 (five years ago) link
i just mean it would be a p underwhelming appointment even as caretakers.
― FernandoHierro, Tuesday, 18 December 2018 16:57 (five years ago) link
Phelan is pretty much the definition of underwhelming, I’d agree. I’d be fairly happy with Solskjaer, though, as a temporary thing. There’s not really much to lose at this point: finishing top four would be a miracle and there’s next to no chance of getting relegated.
― the salacious inaudible (Nasty, Brutish & Short), Tuesday, 18 December 2018 17:04 (five years ago) link
i guess even compared to carrick it seems a risk
― FernandoHierro, Tuesday, 18 December 2018 17:06 (five years ago) link
maybe not i suppose - i dunno, the whole idea of end of season caretaker is odd in itself.
― FernandoHierro, Tuesday, 18 December 2018 17:07 (five years ago) link
out of season caretaker obv a risky bet also
― gabbnebulous (darraghmac), Tuesday, 18 December 2018 17:47 (five years ago) link