Football News: Are Manchester United Fans' Emotions Clouding Their Views?

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So the general view seems to be that Manchester United is doomed, our players are either useless or money grabbing mercenaries, Ed Woodward is the devil incarnate, we may not have reached the bottom yet, there is no light at then end of the tunnel. But is it really that bad, or is emotion spilling out and clouding views?

People were slating Shaw a couple of years ago and many were very insulting and wanted him out, but here he is as our double player of the year, funny that. Same for Lindelof, looked like Bambi on Ice, what a waste of money said a few yet now a lot want him as Captain.

2 years ago we won the Europa Cup and last year we finished runners up, so at that stage it looked like progress was being made. Then we get to this season. Jose didn't get the players he wanted, but instead of knuckling down, he seemed to whine about it constantly, telling the world his players were not good enough and generally being an all round sour puss. His relationship with some deteriorated and along with that results and style of play were poor.

It wasn't really a surprise when Jose was sacked, although it was a surprise when Ole pitched up. And voila, the same players went on a very strong run, the most consecutive away wins we have ever achieved I think. Some memorable performances, although style dropped off after a spate of injuries. Ole gets the job and suddenly the wheels fall off and we have our worst run for as long as anyone can remember. So, let's try and rationalise and take some emotion out.

1. This team were runners up last year and we went backwards massively. 'But we didn't invest' I hear you shout, no we didn't, and neither did the ECL finalists that are Spurs.

2. Ole's arrival sparked something and we saw the players run further, try harder, look happier, and perform better.

3. More concerningly is why after such a good run and getting themselves in a position where 4th was there for the taking did the players drop right off again? Was it fitness (lack of), injuries, or something more sinister?

4. From the outside it seems we have some players who seem to not try sometimes, Pogba and Martial are the best examples, and we also have players who are not playing well despite their effort, Rashford and Lingard spring to mind.

5. Then there is the Sanchez conundrum and it's difficult not to draw conclusions from this one. The team was doing Ok, not great, but ok when we signed Sanchez. He then displaced Martial and Rashford, played like a drain but got picked for every game, all the while trousering way more money than any other player.

If you listen to players, they talk about judging new signings when they arrive and transfers had a huge impact on other players. "Hang on, this guy is crap and he's earning 2 times, 3 times, 4 times, even 5 times what I am". Like it or not that is going to unsettle some.

So, we have a team that finished runners up last year that has been dire this year, very similar to Jose's last season at Chelsea it seems. I'm ok to some degree with that, but the ups and downs of Ole's tenure are more worrying. The players seemed to be playing for him, now they seem not to be, and love him as I do, he is not an experienced Manager and I worry he will be out of his depth or relying on Phelan or even Sir Alex Ferguson for guidance. Remember he is up against Pep, Klopp, Poch, Emery, and Sarri, all very experienced and talented Managers - Not good.

I'm at a loss right now, I agree with a lot of views such as get the players fit, promote a few of the best youngsters, ship some out (definitely Pogba and Sanchez and potentially Martial), buy well, and take the fight to the opposition. But will that be enough? Are we really that bad or was Jose a negative influence which led to the players effectively getting so hacked off they downed tools, whether deliberately or subconsciously?

There remains something not right in our squad, it could be as simple as losing a few, it could be far deeper than that but I think Jose is a malign influence everywhere he goes. Right now, I can see us finishing anywhere between 3rd and 6th next year, hold on tight.

Written by AJH May 13 2019 22:20:53