Tag Archives: champions league

Don’t Look Back

With the absence of European football there was hope we might see more Saturday 3pms this year but we appear to have become Monday night mainstays instead. Not great for anyone travelling long distances, not great for fanzine sales and especially not great for those of us whose ideal match day is typically bookended by 5-6 hours ‘socialising’. I’ve not added it up but compared to last season’s total outlay I must’ve saved an absolute fortune in total.

Thanks to Michael Carrick and the general ineptitude of rival teams, at the time of writing it looks like CL qualification will be secured with games to spare. We’ve only played once over the last month and yet we’re still in 3rd place somehow – it’ll take an almighty capitulation for us to balls it up now. It’s been quite the turnaround from 12 months ago where despite lurching all the way to Bilbao, a 15th place finish was exactly what we deserved after an appallingly poor PL campaign.

This season has been much improved, particularly in the period immediately after Carrick’s appointment where Mainoo returned to the starting line-up and the whole team started to play like the shackles were off. We’re still quite brittle, particularly at OT (as Leeds recently demonstrated) but the positive signs are starting to outweigh the negatives (he said tentatively). The game at Stamford Bridge serves as a good example of this as there’s no way we would have seen that out so comfortably under Amorim.

Our inconsistency at home is made plain if you consider the experience of my mate’s 14 year old daughter. She’s been coming to the game with us over the last 3-4 years whenever there’s a spare ticket. Last season we noticed a trend had developed and after some discussion and questioning, it came to light that in 25+ visits to OT she’s seen United win a grand total of ONCE. It’s an incredible stat which has now led to her being known as ‘the curse’. If this poor girl had been born 2 decades previously she’d more than likely have never seen us get beat.

I was one of those people banging on about the missed opportunity for an unlikely title charge bearing in mind the horrendous run of dropped points over Christmas. A mate then helpfully pointed out that if we’d won those games (Everton, West Ham, Bournemouth & Wolves) then the likelihood is Amorim would never have been sacked in the first place. Instead of anticipating the return of CL football, we’d still be stuck in mid-table and Kobbie Mainoo would be about to leave for Napoli or wherever.

As usual, the upcoming summer transfer window is going to be key as regards how we progress from here. Prior to that, you’d hope they’ll make a decision within the next couple of weeks on Michael Carrick’s immediate future. All things considered, I wouldn’t have any issue with him getting the gig full-time as I think he’s done pretty well. Judging by the body language, the players appear to be fully on-board and results have been decent overall. If he finishes top four and doesn’t get the job then he’ll have every right to feel a bit aggrieved.

The main priority in the summer has to be replacing Casemiro with someone of a similar calibre, yet minus the ageing legs. Casemiro has been very good this last few months playing in tandem with Kobbie. He’s a top professional and will be remembered fondly for his efforts during what’s been a turbulent 4 year stay at the club. Clearly, he’s benefited from the less-congested fixture calendar this season as there’s no way he can handle playing twice a week at this stage of his career.

Casimero’s imminent departure wouldn’t seem so dramatic if we had someone capable of filling his boots, but Ugarte has been mostly terrible when called upon and will likely follow him out of the door. That leaves Bruno, Kobbie, the perma-injured Mount and a bunch of kids with a handful of first team appearances between them. Amorim explained last summer that we could manage with a depleted squad due to not playing in Europe but that won’t be the case next season.

Aside from that, the priority is probably a right back but given budgetary constraints I’d be content with a couple of new midfielders. 12 months ago I’d have been happy to cash in on Bruno but he’s responded with his best season since he was at the peak of his powers during Covid. He’s possibly in with a shout of winning the PFA award as I don’t really see many other standout candidates. City will probably end up edging out Arsenal to win the league but both teams are nowhere near the level they were a couple of years ago.

This summer will thankfully see us rid of Jadon Sancho, an absolute disaster of a signing whose career continues its steady decline. Neither Villa nor Chelsea wanted him on a permanent deal so he’ll likely opt for another shot at Dortmund – the only place on earth where he seems capable of getting his act together. There are numerous cases of modern pros thinking they’ve made it at 21 with nothing left to prove, post-Fergie MUFC have certainly been good at cultivating them.

Another one too thick to understand how lucky he actually was, is our friend Alejandro Garnacho. This brainiac has gone from an out-of-sorts, inconsistent mess at United to an out-of-sorts, inconsistent mess at Chelsea where everyone hates him. Those “we’ll have him for 3-4 years then he’ll go to Madrid” predictions seem a very long time ago now. All because he got dropped to the bench for the Europa final and responded with a complete hissy fit. He’ll get forced out there, do 2 years at Villarreal and then head ‘home’ to South America. In other words, the Anthony Martial career trajectory.

Talking of inconsistency, I’m not in the least bit surprised to learn that Marcus Rashford’s ‘dream move’ to Barca might be coming to swift conclusion. Due to a supportive fanbase and an effective PR team, he was given an easy ride here despite years of erratic performances. Instead of accepting some criticism as merely part of the job, the sense of entitlement grew and he’d completely lost the plot by the time he was shipped off to Villa. Keep your fingers crossed the club isn’t considering offering him an olive branch. Enjoy the summer and I’ll see you in August.

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Running on the Spot

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Looking at the current form table, you’d be forgiven for thinking that United’s season has started to turnaround in recent weeks. 4 wins from the last 5 league games is perfectly agreeable as long as you don’t dwell on the quality of opposition faced or the state of the performances. Current league form aside, the European campaign has been a complete disaster and Newcastle ensured that they’ll be no repeat of last season’s Energy Drink Cup “triumph.”

The worst performance was saved for last month’s Manchester derby – an excruciating afternoon which once again highlighted the gaping chasm that exists between ourselves and our blue brethren. Back when we reigned supreme and City were a national laughing stock they at least used to turn up for this fixture more often than not. Watching United unleash their laboured half-press against the best team in Europe led to an entirely predictable outcome. Yet again, it wasn’t the defeat that stung, it was the sheer ease of it.

The run up to the game was dominated by the sad news of Sir Bobby Charlton’s passing. The term “legend” is bandied about so casually these days that the true meaning of the word can be diminished, but Sir Bobby was a genuine legend in the world of sport. I was lucky enough to meet him on a couple of occasions and each time found him to be a total gentleman, the opposite of the cold and brusque figure I’d heard others describe him as previously. An incredible man who lived an incredible life and who’ll never be forgotten.

As mentioned above, the team’s performances in Europe have done nothing to dampen the sense that United are out of their depth at CL level and the Europa would present a more realistic target. (Granted, Thursday nights are a pain in the arse as would be the absence of Saturday daytime kick offs). Bayern were always going to be tough opposition but Copenhagen and Galatasaray should be canon fodder for any team likely to reach the later stages.

Galatasaray were there for the taking at OT had the team maintained even a minimum level of composure after taking the lead – but we seem hellbent on conceding each time we score at present. The Copenhagen away game was United’s season encapsulated in 90 minutes. Only this team could be 2-0 up and coasting 5 mins before HT then contrive to get a man sent off and concede 2 goals prior to heading down the tunnel. I can’t even get mad at them as it’s just so bleakly comic.

Thanks to a brittle defence, crap refereeing, VAR punishing us at every opportunity and some inexplicably inept goalkeeping we could be classed as fortunate to have not been knocked out already. All we need to do now is win in Turkey (no biggie with our mentality monsters) then beat Bayern at home and we should be sorted. The likelihood is, sadly, that we’ve already been rolled over in Istanbul by the time you’re reading this.

I detest using injuries, referees or VAR as excuses but we seem utterly cursed at the moment. VAR results in at least double the amount of questionable decisions the technology was proposed to eradicate and in practice, proves no less subjective than a referee making an instant decision without back up. There’s no doubt it’s made the match day experience significantly worse and instead of highlighting goals incorrectly ruled out, seems far more focused on penalising players for minuscule offside transgressions or unavoidable handballs.

Sadly, there’s zero chance of common sense taking hold to put an end to the madness. There’s too much invested in VAR for it to be removed and I’d argue those in charge of the game actively welcome the constant debate around the subject. The never-ending controversy drives social media engagement and that’s how these organisations measure success. If Sky didn’t have it, how on earth would they fill the 25 hours of airtime spent droning on about the subject every single week? Not to mention the fact it now merits its own dedicated programme.

No team does seethe quite like Everton, so it was heartening to discover that United’s (probable) final visit to Goodison Park would see their perma-outraged support even more unhappy than usual – this of course, due to the PL handing them a 10 point deduction for PSR rule breaches between 2019 and 2022. Naturally, they aren’t happy with the decision at all, which has led to predictable cries of “corruption!” and plans for protest at forthcoming games.

Whilst I can sympathise and understand Everton fans’ frustrations, I don’t think the penalty they’ve received is all that egregious. Whilst the club were reportedly transparent with the numbers posted and worked hard to find a resolution with the PL, the fact is they broke the rules and they’ve been handed an appropriate punishment. As for the PL being corrupt, I’m not convinced about that either. They aren’t corrupt, they’re just inept and incapable of controlling the cesspit of billionaires they’ve collated over the last couple of decades.

What must rankle most from an Evertonian perspective is the fact they’ve been charged once and found guilty, whereas a certain other club have been charged 115 times yet continue to deny all culpability whilst claiming to possess reams of evidence proving their innocence. This evidence, presumably, the same as what was presented to the PL during the 4 year investigation which resulted in the 115 charges in the first place.

Clearly, it’s easier to rule on a single charge than a total of 115, but the fallout from this isn’t going away until the PL reach a conclusion and administer some kind of justice for what appears to be multiple breaches of their own rules. It might take another couple of years of stalling tactics and further appeals, but we all know what’s coming eventually. City fans can continue to deny it whilst their Abu Dhabi paymeisters spend another billion on the greatest collection of lawyers ever assembled but it’s inevitable. I honestly cannot wait.

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New Dawn Fades

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So new year, new Woodward leaving announcement. Although Ed’s time in charge has been characterised by indecision and incompetence, he saved one of his best until last. After taking an age to pull the plug on Solskjaer’s reign, he then decided to bring in Ralf Rangnick in an interim role. I’m not pouring scorn on Herr Rangnick’s credentials here, it’s just I can’t quite get my head around the decision to appoint an outsider on a temporary basis. Why not just pay any compensation due and bring in the preferred choice now? I don’t see what’s to be gained from recruiting a handful of new coaching staff who’ll likely be surplus to requirements in 6 months’ time.

I know Rangnick has been promised a consultancy role beyond the end of the season, but we all know that’s just window dressing and his input will be negligible once the next manager is in place. I predict now that he won’t last very long because United don’t accommodate football people amongst the nodding dogs holding true positions of power. “We desperately need an overhaul of ze operating structure at zis club.” “Oh, cheers for that Ralf, very insightful. I’ll tell Joel when he calls in next week. He’s scuba-diving in the Bahamas, currently.”

If you think I’m exaggerating, recall what happened last time anyone stepped out of their lane and tried to challenge the power structure at the club. I know Mourinho went quietly bonkers during the autumn of 2018, but there was a time a few months prior to that when he still had all his faculties in place. Mourinho wanted Maguire in and to be rid of both Pogba and Martial that summer, yet the people above him at the club knew better. That turned out well, didn’t it? The pair of them still need bombing out of the place 3 years on and Maguire (rightly or wrongly) was signed 12 months later for a vastly inflated £80M. Do you honestly think the board will do anything other than pay lip service to the recommendations of a consultant? They decided not to listen to a manager who’d won multiple European trophies.

Excuse my cynicism, but if United genuinely desired an experienced director of football to control budgets and make strategic decisions, they would made such an appointment years ago. Instead, they considered it for a while and then chose not to bother. That’s why we’ve suffered nearly 10 years of abject failure under Woodward’s direction, completely out his depth and haplessly veering from one catastrophic managerial appointment to the next. Consider the club’s global standing when he took charge back in 2013 and consider it now. It’s no exaggeration to say his time in charge has been an unmitigated disaster.

So does Rangnick’s proposed consultancy hint at some recognition of this and are changes likely? Of course not. By promoting Woodward’s long-term understudy and fellow Bristol alumni Richard Arnold, the club have signalled their intention to follow precisely the same path they’ve been on for the last decade. It’s a direct like-for-like replacement that shows exactly where priorities will remain until the Glazer occupation eventually ceases. The pursuit of profit trumps any desire to return United to the pinnacle of football. Millions will be squandered on meme footballers and share dividends whilst midfielders remain unsigned and OT becomes so decrepit it’ll resemble a relic from a previous century.

If Rangnick figured he had a job on his hands when taking over, a month later the full extent of the task he’s facing is quite evident. The response of the players to a more demanding regime has been every bit as underwhelming as you might have anticipated. There’s been no upturn in performance levels and the body language continues to speak volumes about the lack of character in the squad. Fair play to the lads, they gave it all of 3 weeks before the whining commenced and leaks began to appear in the press. One only hopes that the (checks notes) 17 players allegedly seeking a move get their wish over the coming weeks and months.

The chances of a mass exodus are non-existent, sadly. Previous years have demonstrated how wildly off-kilter United’s salaries are compared to other clubs, so players are content to see out lengthy contracts without seeking a move. The manner in which we’ve accumulated such a bloated, underperforming collection of entitled “George Clooneys” is just another damning indictment of Woodward’s tenure. Failure and mediocrity have been rewarded routinely. Patience is shown when it’s simply not merited. Standards haven’t just slipped, they’ve been retired completely.

Whether it’s Ralf or the next manger who’s tasked with plotting a course for the club over the next few years, something radically different is required. Signing players in their mid-thirties has to stop for starters. No matter the class of Cavani, I simply don’t see how the overall investment is worth it when the player is pining for warmer climes and constantly injured. Oh so they’ve had a chat and he’s agreed to stay until the end of the season? How very noble of him honouring a contract he only agreed 6 months ago.

This is a more controversial one, but I still don’t see what Ronaldo has brought us aside from a boatload of hype and several last minute goals. You could justifiably point the finger at his teammates, but being totally honest, the lad himself has been largely anonymous in the majority of games this season. He’s not the biggest problem at the club by any stretch, but he’s certainly not improved the team in any way. There’s no sense in buying expensive cake decorations when you don’t even possess the basic ingredients to bake one. Or some such metaphor, I dunno.

One thing we do have to thank Ronnie for is a place in the CL knock-outs, because we wouldn’t be anywhere near there if it weren’t for his timely contributions during the group stage. February’s tie in Madrid now represents the single bright spot on the horizon as the team continues to churn out successive execrable performances throughout these dark winter months. Call me deluded, but I’m clinging to the hope the team might possibly replicate what Chelsea and Liverpool have done previously; sniding their way to the final despite being miles off the pace in the Premier League.

I know, I know… deluded as I said.

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