Also shows that perhaps Ten Hag should've played him on the right weeks ago. I really don't think he should've made these subs btw.
Just throw anything at the wall and hope one sticks. I don’t think there’s much method to how we play these days. We are living on the edge psychologically hoping to see the light of day.
Told you all we always play better kicking to Stretty end second half **** knows how Rashford can be the widest man looking across the full width of the pitch and be 5 yards off-side so often, that said Brono was almost as bad. Observation, Bruno should never in this World be a captain, first one to start shaking his head then dropping it and waving his arms. Only captain in this squad is Martinez but unfortunately he is out.
Excellent 2nd half performance. I can't see Eriksen playing 90 mins every game but fck me keep that same starting 11 and bring in Shaw, that's it!
I think today showed good man management of Rashford by Ten Hag over the past 3/4 weeks. Credit where it's due. He's then brought him back, played him on the left and put Garnacho on the right to show confidence in him. Rashford responds by running his arse off, playing and linking up well and actually started to look like he was enjoying himself. Early days but today he was very good.
A genuine game of two halves! Makes a nice change the positivity second half, if the first half is on Ten Hag then so is the improvement in the second.
There's still half the first choice team still missing, I genuinely believe the intention is that we would be playing 4 3 3 and not this 4 2 3 1 bollocks. The 1st eleven, for me, should be; Onana (roll on the Afcon when we might get a glimpse of Bandiyir to see what he's like. Or even looks like!) AWB Varane Martinez Shaw Casemiro (Mainoo longer term) Mount (right of a midfield three) Fernandes (left) Rashford (left of a front three) Antony (or Garnacho, right) Hojlund He's never been able to play that side. I'm not making excuses, I'm just pointing out this truth. Maguire, Dalot, Evans, McTominay, Amrabat, Eriksen, Martial should not be anything other than members of the squad sat on the (admittedly strong) bench, yet they've been having to be 1st team players most of the season.
I think we're still a month away from seeing that but yeh goes without saying we need Martinez and Casemiro back. Mount to give us options and find a system that works with him and Bruno in the side. Eriksen though is a great midfielder and would be my first choice, it's just a shame he doesn't have the legs anymore as well as his health issues.
Also as much as I like Hojlund and want him to succeed, I think we need another striker as well, a more direct number 9.
Oh yeah, agree on both points. Eriksen is a top player but he's never going to be a first choice 90 mins player, he's just can't do that anymore and is not the future. Mount should be. Needs to get fit and we can see where he's at. I think Hojlund is a 9, he needs a Mark Hughes or a Dwight Yorke to help him out. This is a strong squad, or should be, but at no point this season has the first eleven all been on the pitch at the same time.
We can’t keep talking about injuries, Chief. Injuries are effectively part of the game. We are flushed with resources at this club. The notion that somehow the players that start any of games throughout the season should be deemed not good against at least 17 of the twenty teams is just plain ridiculous. We have scored 21 goals this season. The least of all the twenty teams in the league. Like seriously wtf?! Is that really because of injuries? Absolutely not! It is simply because we don’t know how to get the most out of our players and we don’t know how to keep them motivated, which is where the manager has been failing. End of! We also need to question why we get so many injuries. This may the result of the method that ETH is using which again brings it back to training and game strategy.
It's not the odd injury, it's the whole back four ,or the whole midfield, all at the same time. It's not a basic as you try to make it sound, at all. To form a team you need consistency of availability, and therefore selection. At no stage during this whole season has either the back four or midfield been fully fit at the same time.
But Chief, which recent season have we had a consistent back four? Besides, we can’t explain the lack of goal by simply saying that the manager has never been able to play his first eleven. I’m not even convinced that he knows what that eleven is at this time. And to think that that only Sheffield United has scored less goals than us is something that is hard to understand and I don’t think it has anything to do with injuries. It points to a terrible setup, training, and methods that all need to change.
Last season; when Martinez, Varane and Shaw all played together regularly and we came third at ten Hags first attempt. Feel free to correct me, but have those three all played together this season? Have Mount, Casemiro and Bruno? And I'm pretty sure, when everyone is fit, then a preferred first team will suddenly appear. That's how it works like. I don't even believe this is a preferred formation, it's just having to cobble one together as there are always 2 or 3 players missing. It's not far off everyone being available though.
Casimero, great reader of the game who often cuts passes out without having to tackle. Good on the ball and is capable of some great passing, also has a nice nack of pointing to where he want's the ball at free kicks and getting his head to it Matrinez/Maguire, very good defenders who are capable of making some great long passes out of defence as well as carrying the ball forward into midfield (or further) to start attacks. Shaw, very good left back whilst also acting as an auxiliary winger and linking up with Rashford to great affect (also gets into the oppo area). Mount, not yet had a chance to see where/how he fits in but at very least will be a good alternative to Bruno or work alongside him. These are players who as a set change the whole dynamic of the team and the way we start/build attacks and to think we don't/shouldn't miss that many when all out together is foolish.
Playing Garnacho on the right made all the difference. Sulky Rashford got to play on the left, and it also showed Antony to be a complete ****wit.
