Premier League 2023/24: Man United vs Nottingham Forest - Sat 26th Aug - 15:00 KO

SuperRash

SuperRash

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Time to get back on the horse!

Disappointing defeat to Spurs yesterday but I guess a home game is the perfect chance to get back onto the winning trail.

I would definitely make some changes. Rashford out to the left is a must but that will probably mean Martial back in or Sancho in that false 9. Antony probably also deserves to be dropped.

Martinez will be also lucky to avoid the chop after his two erratic opening performances.
 
Rashford deserves to be dropped too, but unfortunately we don't have any replacement.
 
RVN said:
Rashford deserves to be dropped too, but unfortunately we don't have any replacement.
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To be fair I think you could argue most of them deserve to be dropped. I think only Onana and maybe AWB/Varane came out of the opening two games with any sort of credit.
 
Even this game looks tricky now given how badly we've played in those opening two games.

We still look very wasteful in front of goal not surprising when it's the same players who kept fluffing chances last season.

I dare say the refs are now under pressure to not give us a marginal decision. How was that Romero one not given as handball? I get the marginal stuff but my god the obvious stuff has to be given under the current rules that is a penalty all day long.

It'll probably be Rashford up front again because neither of the actual centre forwards at the club are fit enough to start the game.

I still can't believe how unfit the team looks after a proper rest and pre season I expected to see them ready to go but maybe all those games last season will leave a lingering effect on the side.

Maybe like last season things will click together in the third game of the season, lets hope so.
 
Giving Bruno the captain seems to be a mistake, nothing about him says leader.
Really bad transfer window.
This season is going to be long and tough.

But, if we can't beat Forest at home then...... I don't know what
 
He wore the armband all of last season and I really don't see the issue granted I didn't see the last game in full but I caught the highlights and he didn't look that bad, wearing the armband didn't make him miss that chance. It is also a purely symbolic role teams now are ruled by the manager and as players you need everyone taking accountability on the pitch for their own standards.

He was also right to say in the media interviews after the games that he'll be waiting for the PGMOL apology over the penalty decisions. Someone needs to start popping back and Bruno seems to be the guy who is willing to go out and say these things.

The bigger concern I have with Bruno is I do think there's been a bit of a drop off in terms of his quality around the box from that first 2 years where he was ridiculous, I don't think we'll ever see him getting back to those sort of levels.

I don't think it's a really bad transfer window we've signed good players and got rid of some problems but it's not going to be enough to really shoot us forward at best it'll keep us standing still in 3rd spot. You can't really judge it until we see Hojlund play because if he is actually a quality number 9 it could make a huge difference to this team.
 
SuperRash said:
Time to get back on the horse!

Disappointing defeat to Spurs yesterday but I guess a home game is the perfect chance to get back onto the winning trail.

I would definitely make some changes. Rashford out to the left is a must but that will probably mean Martial back in or Sancho in that false 9. Antony probably also deserves to be dropped.

Martinez will be also lucky to avoid the chop after his two erratic opening performances.
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jsp said:
He wore the armband all of last season and I really don't see the issue granted I didn't see the last game in full but I caught the highlights and he didn't look that bad, wearing the armband didn't make him miss that chance. It is also a purely symbolic role teams now are ruled by the manager and as players you need everyone taking accountability on the pitch for their own standards.

He was also right to say in the media interviews after the games that he'll be waiting for the PGMOL apology over the penalty decisions. Someone needs to start popping back and Bruno seems to be the guy who is willing to go out and say these things.

The bigger concern I have with Bruno is I do think there's been a bit of a drop off in terms of his quality around the box from that first 2 years where he was ridiculous, I don't think we'll ever see him getting back to those sort of levels.

I don't think it's a really bad transfer window we've signed good players and got rid of some problems but it's not going to be enough to really shoot us forward at best it'll keep us standing still in 3rd spot. You can't really judge it until we see Hojlund play because if he is actually a quality number 9 it could make a huge difference to this team.
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I totally agree with previous comments regarding rashford, antony and Sancho. I know I'm probably in the minority but I feel Bruno is becoming a bit of a prima Donna. I just can't see him gelling with Mount. I feel one of the them has to make room for a more aggressive midfielder. Mctominay even short term I feel would make a difference
 
We go around in circles on McTominay the issue is if he plays in midfield then that's another player who can't take the ball under pressure and a player who is likely to give it away needlessly. The ability he has on the ball just isn't up to the standard required and all the running around won't make up for that.

Simply put you have to be able to do both sides of the game you need to have the ability on the ball and be able to get around the pitch. Bruno and Mount can do both sides of the game as can Casemiro but it's quite clear that between the 3 of them they haven't worked out how to play together yet.

There has to be more discipline in the way the midfield operates at the moment it feels like two of them are playing a free role leaving Casemiro to pick up all the pieces when the ball is lost.

The most alarming thing for me is fitness we consistently start games well then run out of gas, our second half performances have been consistently crap and it seems to me like a big reason for that is the team hasn't got the stamina to last for 90 minutes.
 
I feel jsp is correct. Casemiro seems to be left isolated. With regards to running out of gas in the second half, can they be overtraining? Is there such a thing?
 
RH78 said:
I feel jsp is correct. Casemiro seems to be left isolated. With regards to running out of gas in the second half, can they be overtraining? Is there such a thing?
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More likely under trained pre season was a lot of time on tour after a very long hard season last year.

3 players picked up injuries in preseason, a new signing has arrived injured and Martinez has only just come back from months out.

A few maybe coasting after a good season last season feeling the pressure is off again, just doesn’t seem like they are at it which is very frustrating.
 
We are definitely lacking options off the bench still. I looked at our bench against Spurs and didn’t think anyone could really come on and make that difference. Obviously when Hojlund is in then we will have Garnacho back there as an impact player.

I have no doubt if Mainoo and Amad were fit then they would be taking their places on the bench, maybe in place of Pellistri and McT.

We still have some real problems in our squad for me.
 
I think long term it's the starting 11 that needs sorting

None of our RB are good enough, or CB will need looking at, we can't play mount and Bruno, Antony isn't good enough.

Varane, Casimero are aging a bit.

This is the worry, our starting 11 hasn't improved let alone the bench

Is malacia unfit? Because Shaw has dropped off, seems like he needs the pressure.

But Forest, come on, we should surely beat them.
 
Yeah Malacia was injured and missed preseason not sure how long he is out for last I saw was something saying he will be back after the international break.
 
Could we see McT back in? Surely we cannot afford a midfield of Casemiro and Eriksen even against Forest?
 
Shame really. Mount needed game time to help build fitness and understanding of his new role.

Think Eriksen should start on Saturday.

Any news on Mainoo?
 
Last I saw was Mainoo is at least a month away from a return
 
Apparently Hannibal was withdrawn from the U21 team that played in the EFL cup last night so he could train with the first team today.

Mount and Mainoo being injured does kind of highlight how short of numbers we are in midfield for 3 positions we probably only have 4 or 5 players the manager actually trusts to use. Not sure what is going on with VDB and I don't think he fancies McTominay so that leaves him Casemiro, Eriksen, Mount, Bruno and Mainoo.
 
Mount shouldn't be playing anyway, one of the most bizarre signings in the clubs history
 
Give the bloke a chance and remember this lad was also wanted by Liverpool and Arsenal but chose us. He's been picked consistently by a number of top managers who all rate him highly.

He's missed most of last season with an injury and has come into a new squad to play a new position.

I'll admit there's alarm bells ringing for me but it's way to early to be calling his signing bizarre.

Based off those first two games half that team shouldn't be playing but if they don't play Mount you've got Eriksen who struggles to last more than 45 minutes in games and McTominay who we all know has limitations.
 
I don't mean in that way.

He doesn't fit into our team when we have Bruno. It was a silly signing. Not the sort of midfielder we needed.

I also kind of get the impression he doesn't want to be here either

I have never seen what he actually offers to be honest.
 
Well I think we did need a midfielder like him we couldn't carry on with Eriksen as a starter but what I thinks become clear is we also need others who can do other things that are also missing from midfield. Mainoo may be the guy who can come in and do the Fred role when we want to be a bit more solid especially away from home.

Not sure how you can pick up the doesn't want to be here vibe from him nothing I've seen suggests that.

I think the team are clearly trying to be a lot more aggressive with the pressing style in these first two games and so far it isn't working but they need to keep working at it and hopefully it'll click into place as we can't just do what we did last season and go back to playing counter attack football.

I do think blending him and Bruno together is going to be difficult but there must be a plan he wasn't a last minute addition they went for him early so they must see something that us casual fans cant.

My worry is we are a very lightweight team football is becoming more and more of a powerful running game especially in midfield you need to be technical but you need to be able to cover the ground quickly and currently none of our midfielders can do that.
 
I think Mount is being seriously scapegoated by fans - he’s in a new team and a new system after long term injury problems.

I think the time to question him would be in a few months if he’s still below par. I was as frustrated with him as anyone in the first two games but got to give him time.
 
jsp said:
Yeah Malacia was injured and missed preseason not sure how long he is out for last I saw was something saying he will be back after the international break.
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mate of mine met him in a private hospital and he was getting cortisone injections at the time, this was a good while ago so potentially he has had a long standing issue resolved.
 
Mr C said:
Mount shouldn't be playing anyway, one of the most bizarre signings in the clubs history
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Yeah, I felt we needed a more physical, combative midfielder - not saying Mount is a bad player, just felt like a random signing given where we are as a team.
 
Everyone in the media praises mount to the hilt. Perhaps justified at times, but is he really the type of midfielder we need at the moment? I'm not a great fan of Bruno but given the fact he is captain, he will obviously start. We are days away from transfer deadline day, surely we can bring some midfield muscle in short term/ loan until January.
 
Wonder if we may see Mejbri in this game. Played in a behind closed doors friendly today, so that suggests he may come into the equation with Mount out.
 
Ben Townsend said:
mate of mine met him in a private hospital and he was getting cortisone injections at the time, this was a good while ago so potentially he has had a long standing issue resolved.
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Apparently it’s something from last season that he played through but the club are now giving him time to fully recover from..
 
Current injury list

Heaton
Shaw
Malacia
Mount
Mainoo
Amad
Hojlund

7 first team players out injured already has got to be a worry especially when 3 of them are in your strongest XI

That is worrying.
 
I think Hojlund is the way one I would expect to see you sooner rather than later. He’s training but don’t want to rush him too much as backs can be fragile things.

Hoping to see Amad and Mainoo back asap because I think they would have both definitely got minutes in those opening two games.

Just got to struggle through until we have a fully fit squad. I still think we will make one late addition to the midfield - wouldn’t be surprised if it’s Gravenberch/Amrabat on loan with an option to buy.
 

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