Jose Mourinho to replace LVG as Man U manager?

[Redpelt]

You did mention that the season was only three games old - my point was that the attitude shown towards our failures and issues is older than that, a new season isn't always necessarily a clean slate.

Mourinho's a calculated man - he may have applauded the fans out of appreciation, or he may just be trying to keep them sweet at a time when a large portion of them are getting sick of him, his general attitude and his football.

He can be hateful /spiteful and overzealous towards who he considers his nemesis but has he ever been that manipulative with his own fans ? I thought the reason the fans applauded him was because they felt that was genuine and not disingenuous.

I honestly feel like he's gone mate and this talking in riddles is the first signs of an addled mind and maybe,just maybe that was a goodbye to the fans who had the class to stay in their seats.

 

[Stevencc]

He can be hateful /spiteful and overzealous towards who he considers his nemesis but has he ever been that manipulative with his own fans ? I thought the reason the fans applauded him was because they felt that was genuine and not disingenuous.

I honestly feel like he's gone mate and this talking in riddles is the first signs of an addled mind and maybe,just maybe that was a goodbye to the fans who had the class to stay in their seats.

You could well be right mate, I certainly think it's a foregone conclusion now.

 

[SALTIRE]

You could well be right mate, I certainly think it's a foregone conclusion now.

Mourinho doesn't quit though, he usually gets ousted. You think there is anyone there currently with the gumption to do it at this moment?

 

[Stevencc]

Mourinho doesn't quit though, he usually gets ousted. You think there is anyone there currently with the gumption to do it at this moment?

To boot him out?

Or to handle the job?

 

[SALTIRE]

To boot him out?

Or to handle the job?

Well that is obviously a problem there too; there is no 'football men' behind the scenes, just accountants - and it will need to be looked at.

If there really is a disconnect between Mourinho, the players and his bosses; then yeah, there needs to be someone above him now looking at the situation, and assessing whether to retain him or not.

I think he'll stay on until the end of the season, however if so, it could be a very long one for the fans.

 

[mistermagic]

I do think that, yes.

Zidane is available, is he better?

I don't know. Is he? My guess is the tabloids have found no one better to link the job to. I for one can't see that guy speak English which is problem #1.

I'd go with a more experienced fella but they're dropping like flies.

 

[Bilo]

You did mention that the season was only three games old - my point was that the attitude shown towards our failures and issues is older than that, a new season isn't always necessarily a clean slate.

This is very true. I'd say the problem is roughly nine years old. Here's every transfer over 15m euros (transfermarkt, live with it) since 2009, when you sold Ronaldo:

2009: Antonio Valencia (18.9m)
2010: None (but you did get Smalling for peanuts)
2011: David de Gea (25m), Phil Jones (19m) and Ashley Young (18m)
2012: Robin Van Persie (30m), Kagawa (16m)

Spoiler

Here's the squad you won the league with at a canter, an absolute miracle in hindsight:

2013: Juan Mata (45m), Fellaini (32m)
2014: Angel Di Maria (75m), Luke Shaw (37m), Ander Herrera (36m), Marcos Rojo (20m), Daley Blind (17m)
2015: Anthony Martial (60m), Morgan Schneiderlin (35m), Memphis Depay (34m), Matteo Darmian (18m)
2016: Paul Pogba (105m), Henrikh Mkhitaryan (42m), Eric Bailly (38m)
2017: Romelu Lukaku (85m), Nemanja Matic (45m), Victor Nilsson-Lindelöf (35m), Alexis Sanchez (swap with Mkhitaryan)
2018: Fred (59m), Diogo Dalot (22m)

So what's this? This is a genuine disaster. It's not bad, it's atrocious. When you sold Ronaldo you'd won the league three years in a row, made two CL finals in a row (and you'd won two had you not run into the best side in decades) and should've been flushed with cash. Yet someone, possibly SAF but given the record continues past him probably not, decided on these transfers. I'd call it hit and miss but the hits are few and far between. Almost every single one of these transfers is either a complete disaster or comes with a huge but. The only genuine downright success in there is David de Gea. Yes, RVP was what it was but he aged and given Rooney's age it set you up with a ticking time bomb.

You moved from having one of the best squads in the world to the absolute miracle that was the 2012/13 title win, in a span of three windows. And now when the third manager in a row seems laughably bad, you want to sack him.

Mourinho isn't the answer to any of your problems but neither is any other manager. Your squad is hideously unbalanced as a result of your piss poor transfer policy over the past decade, and this will take years - years - to remedy. Now some (Nilsson) of you will say "but we only need this and this and maybe this then we're good", and perhaps. But you'd need all of this, this and maybe this to be a success and you can't string two successes together over nine years so do not underestimate how far off you are. You're miles off.

When I look at it, you need to start removing Woodward. Yesterday, preferably last week. Get a Director of football in and for God's sake accept that you'll probably get the first DoF wrong because most clubs do. The second will come in a couple of years from now and maybe he'll be brilliant, like Edwards has been for us (we had Comolli before that, the Carroll mastermind).

Then you need a proper manager. Stick with Mourinho as long as humanly possible (because it will serve you well in the long run), and make sure the next one you find will player entertaining football. Not because it brings more success necessarily, but because it will hopefully buy some time. Rodgers hadn't lasted a season with us had the football been shit, but the year after we were within a slip of a title.

And third, accept this shit. You're better off than we were in 2010 but you're getting there fast and furiously and it will take years. Accept that it will, support the club and try to enjoy stuff where you can. We won the league cup in 2012 that was cool. You won two trophies under Mourinho and maybe the next one will bring one or two as well, but you won't get anywhere near the league or the CL.

This isn't Mourinho's fault, almost none of it is (he gave you two trophies!). He's not the man to bring you forward, no, but you need to stop moving backwards as you have for nigh on a decade. The whole stick with the manager but don't back him in the market is disastrous, but looking at the transfer record the alternative probably wasn't better.

Be patient, things will turn out fine. But almost everything, from the top to bottom, needs to change. And it will take time, which your fanbase needs to accept the same way we did. But I can tell you that acceptance came a hell of a lot easier under a club legend (Dalglish) and with entertaining football at least (Rodgers), than it did under Hodgson. Just because it isn't a quick fix doesn't mean it's not the right thing to do. But stick with Mourinho for a while, at least. And pray you're not 15th in november.

 

[Stevencc]

Thanks Bilo, mate.

Be right back.

 

[AFCB_Mark]

The club broke Moyes, LVG, and appears to have broken Jose (although you can argue Real Madrid started that).

It hardly needs saying that something is badly wrong behind the scenes, at board level. For a club with such resources to consistently spend, and a youth system that quite consistently produces, to go through such trouble since Fergie left. Chewing up and spitting out previously competent managers and a myriad of their expensive signings.

I know the local United fanbase went through a whole rebellious phase when the current ownership first came into being, which hardly seemed to register a single dent in the Glazer/Woodward regime whilst so much cash come rolling in. The only thing that would register a blow is if the worldwide fanbase to some extent disengaged with the club, but how does that come about?

Perhaps a period of struggle (relatively speaking) would prompt Glazers/Woodward to a) reevaluate how they run the club, or perhaps even b) look around and sell, if the cash-cow stopped producing quite so much?

 

[mase]

Is Jose's 'respect' rant not just him taking away the attention from his players on the back of a 3-0 spanking and letting them get their heads down?

 

[Nilsson]

Now some (Nilsson) of you will say "but we only need this and this and maybe this then we're good", and perhaps.

I've already said on here that our problems predate Mourinho and will outlast him.

We won't start challenging for the league or the CL again until the management of the club dramatically improves. We've got no clear plan or long term strategy and have business men making football decisions. The hope is that soon it'll be a business decision to sort that out and we'll start appointing managers whom the decision makers are fully in line with, as apposed to mangers who Woodward thinks will get us that top 4 money.

But I do think it's important to not go over the top. We finished 2nd last season and have won more trophies under Mourinho than Liverpool or Spurs have won in over a decade. The grass isn't always greener on the other side.

 

[Liverlad]

Mancs currently remind me of us in the 90's, the more they desperately try to win that next title the more shit they get into! Fucking loving it!

 

[SALTIRE]

Mancs currently remind me of us in the 90's, the more they desperately try to win that next title the more shit they get into! Fucking loving it!

Yup and a lot of them will find it difficult to cope not being top dog, but just an also-ran like we have been for so long. They have the funds to get them out of it if they get a clear idea of where they are going behind the scenes and on the playing front. However, even if that does happen by next season, it could still take a while yet before they start challenging City.

 

[shane]

But I do think it's important to not go over the top. We finished 2nd last season and have won more trophies under Mourinho than Liverpool or Spurs have won in over a decade.

I hate to admit it but I agree with this.

I’m enjoying the Jose/Utd blip but everyone needs to get a grip. They really aren’t in the absolute turmoil everyone is making out.

 

[silkyman]

He looks like he’s in full on ‘third season get sacked and walk off with a massive pay off’ meltdown.

 

[Benji]

Thoughts on that training ground video of Pogba and Mourinho? My friend is a criminal psychologist and thinks that Pogba may be in some danger.

 

[SALTIRE]

Pilkington on Man Utd :

'I feel like supporting United is like having a tortoise as a pet. I had a tortoise, and they are not entertaining to watch. You don't watch them, but you know you have got a bit of responsibility to show some interest.

"That is what I do with United. I keep an eye on them.

"I don't watch them every game because, at the minute, that is a waste of 90 minutes. I just look at the result and if they win it is a bonus, I have no expectations any more.'

 

[Benji]

Pilkington who?

 

[DarkSithLord]

Pilkington who?

Karl Pilkington

 

[SALTIRE]

Pilkington who?

There's only one Pilkington.

 

[epic73]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anthony_Pilkington
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karl_Pilkington
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alan_Pilkington
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Danny_Pilkington
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rachel_Pilkington
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Florian_Pilkington-Miksa
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Francis_Pilkington
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frederick_Thomas_Pilkington
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johnny_Pilkington
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Pilkington

 

[SALTIRE]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anthony_Pilkington
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karl_Pilkington
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alan_Pilkington
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Danny_Pilkington
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rachel_Pilkington
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Florian_Pilkington-Miksa
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Francis_Pilkington
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frederick_Thomas_Pilkington
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johnny_Pilkington
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Pilkington

Even if your a Yank, you don't recognise a famous United fan. Poor show epic, poor show.

 

[Benji]

I didn't realise he was a Man Utd fan, but he is a famous idiot so I should've put it together.

 

[Bilo]

I think it's fucking ridiculous. As one of the most frequent visitors, period, of Redcafe I can tell you there's a lot of people saying they can't be arsed watching United because it's so boring and tedious.

Well fuck off then? I don't recall any Liverpool fans saying that even during the Hodgson era (and yes, I'm sure one or two can be dug up) but this is is like a huge thread on their biggest forum talking about a "disconnect".

Now, to be fair there obviously are a lot of people telling them to, well, fuck off, fair weather supporters etc. But it does strike me as almost unfathomable how many of them just turn their backs so quickly. And I don't say this as a dig, but I don't even find it funny and it kills my buzz. I want them to suffer not abandon ship ffs.

Fwiw where United (hopefully) are in the process would represent something like 1995 for Liverpool, when obviously forums weren't around (and I wouldn't remember anyway). So it might very well have been exactly the same for us, the fair weathers left and when Hodgson came around in 2010 the ship-jumpers were already gone. But it is quite disgraceful what's going on in my humble opinion and I will forever hold it against every United fan I know. Looking forward to it.

 

[Bilo]

The thread in question, for future reference:

http://www.redcafe.net/threads/anyone-else-feeling-disconnected-from-this-current-man-united.420165/

19 fucking pages of people largely agreeing I mean wtf

 

[Benji]

It must be annoying to pick a team because they're the best when you're 8 and then when you're 20 you have to be teased about them.

 

[Redpelt]

I

The thread in question, for future reference:

http://www.redcafe.net/threads/anyone-else-feeling-disconnected-from-this-current-man-united.420165/

19 fucking pages of people largely agreeing I mean wtf

I think its largely indicative of the lack of patience 'sadly now prevalent' in the modern game,what was once held up as a valuable trait is now seen as a weakness or indeed a fragility.

It beggars belief that for years the Glazer's have been laughing up their proverbial sleeves whilst lumping more debt on the club and not a word of dissent albeit from the 'quite ridiculous' green and yellow scarves whilst the club were investing in top players and yet in the wake of a weak transfer window and some poor results the fans suddenly take umbrage to the extent of withdrawing their respective support.

I know a lot of Manchester diehards and they stopped supporting in protest at the Glazers,they now proffer their support at Broadhurst Park for the 'Red Rebels' more commonly known as FC United of Manchester ,Its now one of the largest fan owned clubs in England with one of the largest home attendances in non league football and I applaud those lads for making the jump.

 

[epic73]

Even if your a Yank, you don't recognise a famous United fan. Poor show epic, poor show.

Am I meant to recognize all famous United fans? I don't think I've even heard of a single famous Pilkington.

 

[JimJams]

Don't worry epic. The Pilkington in question is a boring twat.

 

[SALTIRE]

Don't worry epic. The Pilkington in question is a boring twat.

How am I not surprised you don't get his genius.