Mourinho OUT!!!!

Legionreturns

octatonic said:

Surely the players are more to blame for playing so badly?

/ducks

It's a fair point. 

You never see players having their contract terminated for being shit

bloodandtears

Conte knows how to get a tune out of Pogba...

earwighoney

underdog said: 

Thing is manager is an easy Scape goat, the truth that most fans don't want to see is, right now the club as a whole is behind the times after spending so long being the club that led the way.

They are almost £500m in debt, the owners take massive profits out of the club each year, their youth system has fallen behind many others, their scouting department is 10 years out of date and their vision of buying success is hard to do when City can buy at 5 times the rate they can.

As someone mentioned a few posts ago the first appointment should be a director of football. There's been 3 managers since AF and zero planning or building for the future, no coherence in the club, it's changed with each manager.

I agree with your points aside from the issue of the observation of the youth system isn't really true, there are some players who have promise (or repute) but whether they step upto first team football is a question that is posed by nearly all youth team players in the EPL, which is why the wave of young English players making the move to Germany like Jadon Sancho may become more significant as time goes on. 

Aside from lacking leadership at board level and decision level (DoF is a must) I agree about Man United's scouting network being a pile of piss (at best).  The club seems completely unable to identify where they need to sign players and what kind of footballing identity the team has on the pitch.  

It's the lack of leadership at board level which is the real issue and even if JM takes a lot of the attention for the club's poor record on the pitch, sacking him won't make the club great again unless they address the deeper set issues. 

cgumtree

And he's gone!

earwighoney

deano said:

A serious list...

Potchettino
Guardiola
Zidane
Rafa Benitez
Nuno Espirito Santo
Lucien Favre (Dortmund)
Massimiliano Allegri (Juve)
Diego Simeone (Ath. Madrid)

I imagine I'm not able to in struggling to take a list seriously with Guardiola's name in it, I believe there's as much chance of it happening as he would be join Real Madrid or Sir Alex Ferguson in the mid 90's joining Liverpool. 

Nonetheless there are some interesting names elsewhere. 

I really rate Diego Simeone but there's little chance of that happening as he speaks no English, plays incredibly dull defensive football but his defensive organisation is possibly the best there is, gets every tiny bit out of his players as well. 

In terms of management and tactical approach to the game, Bielsa could be seen to be one of the fathers of the modern game but aside from being at Leeds, from a purely footballing perspective his game requires more pressing than most other teams and all his teams burn out at some stage due to injury.  

If Lucien Favre wins the German league with Dortmund then he'll become the most highly desirable manager in football and I imagine Bayern & Real Madrid will come calling at the end of the season, which even though they are clubs with problems are still almost guaranteed Champs League football next year which is unlikely for Man United. 

FWIW, I believe the club is in a position a bit like Liverpool has been in the last 20 odd years where the club's reputation with it's fans and expectation is greater than what is realistically feasible.  Liverpool however in the last few years have slowly improved things from many levels, scouting in particular and consequently are becoming more of a 'modern' football club able to compete in the league and in Europe. 

As important the next appointment will be for Man United, unless they address the scouting and failings at Board Level, throwing cash at the next manager may bring some short term rewards (as it did with Mourinho last season) but it will ultimately be papering over fissure sized cracks. 

scrumhalf

Why would Poch move?

He's developing a dynasty at Spurs, he's not a yes-man when it comes to the board, and he's almost certainly got Champions League football next year.

The timing of the sacking is interesting. If the are going for an interim manager will they be able to kick their overpaid and underperforming "stars" in the arse with sufficient force to make them up their games to match their pay?

crunchman

Man U probably will be a mess as long as the Glazers are in charge.  The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a mess as well.

Trying not to gloat insufferably.  Not sure I am succeeding, or actually even trying very hard.

Snap

I would imagine that they will be looking for someone who will stay at the club for a long time. For that reason, I think they will be looking at a younger coach - Pochettino surely must be top of the list.

After 4 years of managerial disasters (in their view no doubt), they will be very risk averse. For that reason, I doubt they would consider Eddie Howe (for example). He doesn't seem to travel well outside the south coast. Biesla? no chance, too risky. Doing well in the Championship is a long way from Man U.

Man U will have the pick of who they want, let's face it. Arguably the biggest club in the world, and in a bit of a mess, so there is only one way and that's up. Huge stadium, massive brand, opportunity to build something up. Very tempting for a young and capable manager.

Guardiola would be perfect too, but I can't see that, funny as it would be!

Interesting to watch for sure,

earwighoney

crunchman said:

Man U probably will be a mess as long as the Glazers are in charge.  The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a mess as well.

Yes to this.  The club had success under the Glazers whilst SAF was in charge due to the momentum the club already had but now they have had to make decisions themselves they have simply shown even if they have spent, they have lacked direction to make the club any more than what they want the club to be and that is a purely commercial construct. 

Only if the club stops selling shirts/sponsorship deals will they seek to readdress the situation. 

Agree about Poch not taking the United job, if he wants to a join a trainwreck with reputation the Madrid job would be his if he liked. 

axisus

As a Man U fan who enjoyed so very many glory years, I'm always happy to take it on the chin when the chips are down, and in respect to that I thought that this was a great quote:

United have become everything they laughed at once. Spending money like City, talking about history like Liverpool, aiming 4th place like Arsenal and changing managers like Chelsea.

Realistically I'm thinking get the right person in and aim to be slugging for the tile in 3 seasons time. I can't see a quick fix.

menamestom

underdog said:

octatonic said:

Surely the players are more to blame for playing so badly?

/ducks

They are almost £500m in debt, the owners take massive profits out of the club each year, their youth system has fallen behind many others

Last year in the prem, there were more players that had come through the Man United youth system than any other.
Last season Man United gave more minutes than anybody else in the top 6 to academy players. In what way is it behind?  
What teams have youth systems United should be looking to?

axisus

Hmmmnnn ........ Wenger is free .....

FX_Munkee

Call me cynical but I suspect the timing of the announcement might have something to do with the January transfer window coming up and the board not wanting to lose a player that sells a lot of replica shirts.

schrodinger1612

axisus said:

Hmmmnnn ........ Wenger is free .....

So is Alan Pardew https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3nJ9Ha--pAg

menamestom

It will be Blanc until the end of the season according to quite a few reports

menamestom

FX_Munkee said:

Call me cynical but I suspect the timing of the announcement might have something to do with the January transfer window coming up and the board not wanting to lose a player that sells a lot of replica shirts.

Probably more to do with the worst start in 28 years.

Plus Pogba has sold most of the shirts he is going to, I think the club will probably want to cash in while he has some value.

EricTheWeary

They've said the caretaker will be someone external. Apparently Wenger has been ruled out, FWIW. Some mention of Giggs as a possible long term manager. The way they broke the news on Radio 5 this morning I thought WW3 had started. 

underdog

menamestom said:

underdog said:

octatonic said:

Surely the players are more to blame for playing so badly?

/ducks

They are almost £500m in debt, the owners take massive profits out of the club each year, their youth system has fallen behind many others

Last year in the prem, there were more players that had come through the Man United youth system than any other.
Last season Man United gave more minutes than anybody else in the top 6 to academy players. In what way is it behind?  
What teams have youth systems United should be looking to?

That they simply don't have a coherent system, kids play one system at under 18s, then another system in the reserves and a different one in the senior team according to which manager it is. 

Also worth noting that the kids were also played while Jose slummed it with the players that he thought weren't good enough (even though he bought them).

There is also a difference between playing academy players because that's your options, and having players come through breaking in to the first team and making a place their own.

Not taking pot shots but read any article on the Man U problems and it will mention issues with youth and scouting system.

Philly_Q

scrumhalf said:

Why would Poch move?

He's developing a dynasty at Spurs, he's not a yes-man when it comes to the board, and he's almost certainly got Champions League football next year.

That's a perfectly sensible point and it's certainly what I'd think in his position, but football managers are a bit like boxers.  They believe - they have to believe - that they can succeed anywhere, beat anyone.  Despite the fact that everyone on the outside can see they're going to get battered.

They also have the compensation of big money, succeed or fail.

I wouldn't be at all surprised if he goes there in the summer.

deano

Philly_Q said:

scrumhalf said:

Why would Poch move?

He's developing a dynasty at Spurs, he's not a yes-man when it comes to the board, and he's almost certainly got Champions League football next year.

That's a perfectly sensible point and it's certainly what I'd think in his position, but football managers are a bit like boxers.  They believe - they have to believe - that they can succeed anywhere, beat anyone.  Despite the fact that everyone on the outside can see they're going to get battered.

They also have the compensation of big money, succeed or fail.

I wouldn't be at all surprised if he goes there in the summer.

Plus when he does get to Old Trafford, he will be given a war chest. Daniel Levy will give him nothing in order to pay off the new stadium.

Also, being absolutely realistic, and brutally honest, I think everyone, including Pochettino, Levy and the Spurs fans will know deep down that there is a more realistic chance of Poch winning titles and trophies with Manchester United than with Spurs. They are a top four team, capable of qualifying for the Champions League every season, but not being quite good enough to win the Premier League or the Champions League. He will know that he might be able to win those things at Manchester United.

The best he can hope for at Spurs is developing a dynasty of qualifying for the Champions League each year.

Also, the nice thing about getting Pochettino as our next manager is that we will be able to attract some of the better players from Spurs to Old Trafford. Rashford and Kane up front? Yes please!!!