Last season we made Newcastle look like Real Madrid.
We did it again.

#DaveSaves

Folks, have missed the past couple of games during the holiday season and the 4am kickoff time.

Curious to know how those who watched thought of United's performance and if there are any visible tactical changes?

Had a look at the highlights. Yup, that goal conceded was all on Maguire. Plenty of time to close the player down but he kept choosing to stand off.

His decision making is shot at times.

Thanks for the input guys.
Had a look at the highlights of the previous games. Several points came up.

- How would you rate Rashford within the new system? For me in theory he is a square peg in a round hole. The 4-2-2-2 system better utilizes two number 10s than wide forwards/wingers. Rashford is the typical wide forward who doesn't link up very wekk with the rest of the team. Sancho does, hence him looking better in the system.
- Both Fred and McTominay look way better when restored to a number 8 position as compared to both being used as a dual number 6 pivot. McTominay seems a natural nearer to the opposition box, especially with a number 6 (Matic) covering him.
- The defence needs sorting but Maguire has a squad status of 'undroppable'. Even hangs on to the captaincy. Giving him a game or two off may do him and the team good.
- It is too soon to judge Rangnick, the fixture list is too congested and results are needed ahead of cohesion. I suspect he seems to have eased off integrating his tactics into the style of play and we won't see an adoption util maybe March.

Isn't it way to early to go for a kneejerk reaction of calling for the manager's head right now? When he was appointed, there was a sense that it would take at least until Mar to see some tactical adoption within the team due to Dec-Jan fixture congestion.

The pressing triggers weren't implemented well by the players. Either unfamiliarity or refusal to adopt. This is essentially still Ole's team, and they revert to the same playing style that they have been playing the past 3 years whenever they are unsure on the pitch. Tonight was one such night.

Yes, energy in the middle of the park is needed and the Jan tranfers will be interesting.

Let's see if all of us can agree on the expectations and RR.

Should we judge if RR is the right man for the job?
No. Not at least until the end of the season. A manager has to be given time and space to work with the team.
We are two months in, not two years. There are two types of managers, system managers and adaptable ones. System managers are managers that subscribe to a particular system, like Pep's positional play or Klopp's gegenpressing. Adaptable managers are like Ancelotti, who goes to a team and sets it up the best he can with the players he has. Rangnick is a system manager, and system adoption takes time to drill into the players. Not all players will fit into the system and some will need to go. Like Martial.


Are the results expected?
Yes. With a new tactical approach, what we will see is inconsistency during the bedding in period. Which means bad performances as well as good. Recall the pressure based attacking football in the 1-0 win against Norwich. We should have scored more than one. Constrast that against the dull performance against Wolves and Newcastle.RR is trying to drill in a new style of play into the team, but we can see the team reverting to old styles under Ole from time to time. Players who fail to adapt should be moved on. This is the time to experiment on who can play the new way. Phil Jones being given a chance is good to see. RR is getting to know his players and giving them chances.

Is the draw against Newcastle and loss against Wolves acceptable? No because we are Manchester United. Yes because we are learning to play a new way. Are we making progress? In a sense yes. Because a couple of months ago we were losing 4-2 to LEI, 5-0 to LIV, 2-0 to MCI and 4-1 to Watford. Almost the worst defence in the League. Since then, we have been conceding one goal a game on average. It should get better.


When can we expect Manchester United to play the Manchester United way (Attacking football)?
Personally I think not until next season. Let me put forward the top two world class system managers in the world. Pep and Klopp.
Pep, with an unlimited bank account still took at least two seasons to get the team to play the way he wanted. Fans were laughing at City after the first season and saying Pep was a fraud remember? Klopp? Without oil money, it took him 4 seasons with club backing. To expect RR to transform us completely in half a season might be too much. If I see improvements in play by end of the season and us playing in the right direction, I'd back him for perm manager.


Why is RR playing Matic?
Because he realizes what all of us have been talking about. Matic is the only natural 6 in the team, and both McFred are actually 8s. No surprise Fred and McTominay have been putting in better performances because they have been playing in their preferred positions. Matic is the only 6 which allows the 8 to play but he is too old for the role. The 6 requires natural positioning which nither McFred has. I expect a CDM to be top priority this month to buy.


What if the board appoints a new manager at the end of the season who does not want to play gegenpressing?
Then the board once again is proved to be imcompetent, the footballing soul of Manchester United is dead and we are a corporate entity through and through. RR's appointment is a commitment by the club to play a certain way and whoever the new manager is, it is expected he continue along the same lines instead of resetting the team again. I expect RR to at least have an influence in whoever is going to be appointed, or RR himself to be in that role.


As fans, where do we go from here?
As Sir Alex once said, now is the time to back the manager. We got what we wanted. Ole out. Now back the new man and all players get a clean slate. Step up or get out. If big players like Bruno don't perform, bench them. I'm not sticking up for the players now. Manager has changed, time for the players to be accountable.

This was the hot Luke Shaw post match interview that had the backpages on fire. Read between the lines on what he is saying.
Sounds like there is now a split dressing room and not everyone is playing to get behind the manager. Players not doing their press or their role on the pitch.

Ole's loyalists needs to be identified and shipped if they refuse to get on with the program. Enough of internal sabotage at the club by the players.
I am quite concerned at Darren Fletcher's involvement in the coaching setup. Another ex player with no coaching experience and I really hope the mission the United board tasked Rangnick is NOT to train Fletcher up to be the next manager. Because if that is the case and the board is still going with the United DNA trope...I'm going to lose it.

Let me use the first player on your list as an example. Rashford.

I think it would be safe to say Rashford has not developed at all the past 2 years, and his form is in a bad place.
He remains a direct one dimensional inside forward who still does not open up play for teammates often enough. More importantly, he has been spending more time than some politicians in off the field social campaigns.

There was a time last season where fans wondered if that time would be better spent training and improving himself. At one point, Ole himself said it. Remember what happened after that?
The next game was a midweek CL game and Ole somehow had to sit beside Rashford and clarify his earlier comments on Rashford! Ole, the manager, had to sit beside the player and clarify to the world that Rashford way in no way distracted and his comments were being misconstrued. If that wsn't a demonstration of player power, I don't know what is.

Rashford has incredible clout at Manchester United and has been well protected. It is time for him to answer the hard question if he is a Manchester United player or a Manchester media personality. If he thinks his personality and his off the field work is more important than the team, then I say RR has to do what Sir Alex did with Beckham and ship him off. No matter how painful it will be. Team first.

They sent John Terry.

RR's interim tenure might actually be working against him.

Players know he is an interim. And those not supporting the manager will feel that they can outlast the manager. Especially those players on huge multiyear contracts. This reminds me of the old Chelsea dressing room where the players essentially called the shots over the manager.

The owner gets what they want usually.

Chelsea's owner wants to win championships. They do.
United's owner wants money and dividends. They do.

We are now seeing the price of Ole's management.

A responsibility free holiday camp for a group of players who call themselves United DNA that is safe from criticism and whose position at the club cannot be touched. A group whose collective egos are big enough to directly challenge any new manager who trespasses into their territory. They may say they are playing for the club, but that is only because they think the club is really themselves. Now at the slightest hint of pressure of raising the standards they go the mutiny route. Many of them are really looking like they are not good enough.

And not just the players. The "jobs for the boys" backroom of Ole who he deems world class but without any real qualifications. Yes, Carrick and McKenna are gone. Nobody really knows what Mike Phelan's role is. He does not take charge of training. He doesn't do press conferences. And he doesn't do game management. Darren Fletcher is a Technical Director at the biggest club in the world without any prior experience. And he must be the first Technical Director to put on a tracksuit and shout instructions at players during games.

Suddenly everyone's position at the club is under threat and they need to band together against the manager.
Fans say Mourinho was toxic. I would say Ole has been the worst manager post Ferguson and we are in a worse state now than post Mourinho.

The Board has to come out publicly to back the manager in making difficult decisions. This will not end well if some Board members privately support some of the dressing room prima donnas.

Yes, it's all rumours for now and I guess the absolute number is not set in stone.
What is known is the different camps and there are some players who are on the fence. RR definitely has his work cut out for him.

It's true. He could have signed elsewhere.
Let's not forget United offered him the most money to join the club compared to what other clubs were offerring.

It is not like he took a paycut to join United.

To those who watched the gamne, is it true that Rashford was the worst player performance?

From clips, he doesn't seem to be able to function in the role the team needs him to play. He is playing like a number 9 in role where he is expected to connect the play rather than go off on his own.

This was making the rounds today. On Rashford not even bothering to go for loose balls.

If it was Pogba, they would scream that he is going from Jogba to Stopba.

If Ronaldo was in that position, I could see him gambling on the rebound the moment the shot was taken. CR7 scored a few easy tapins already by doing that.

Sometimes, it's about looking for the half chances.

Talks of a midfield reinforcement transfer but unsure if Rangnick is allowed to make a buy in Jan. Zakaria talks ongoing.

And the English mafia in the dressing room will find out if they still have control.

"To build new things you must destroy other things".
Shots fired. Loud & clear.