Man Utd…

LvG will do two seasons whatever the results

If he gets the money everyone seems to think he’ll get, and they don’t start well and look like properly challenging, I wouldn’t be so sure. He’s had the somewhat understandable excuse that it’s not really ‘his team’ as yet, but a few more big buys and that excuse goes.

I think that excuse has gone. Hes had enough time to put his mark on the team now. If he says he hasn’t why hasn’t he fired/put people on loan etc. Excuse has left.

Because they have transfer windows and teams only really sell in the summer transfer period 🙄 When was the last trully world class player bought in the Winter transfer period? what is it 20:1 v the summer?
It has his flavour but it is no this yet
I agree that excuse goes this summer.

Oh great! Armchair pundit has turned up! The oracle on all footballing matters….

I think that excuse has gone. Hes had enough time to put his mark on the team now

No he hasn’t. Name me a manager who rocks up and wins something with a squad he hasn’t built, in his first season? We’ve got Jose, and…… erm……

But you’re the authority on football, so you tell me…. GO!!!

Whats encouraging from VG, is that the flops (Falcoa and Di Maria) can’t get into the squad because of the form the 2 previous seasons flops (Young and Fellaini) have shown. VG has got the best out of both of them. And to me, that points to good management.

He’s also showing the Fergie knack of still grinding out wins when you’re playing shite. Hence the top four finish. Not saying we’ll be challenging for the title next season. Chelski are so much stronger, and will strengthen further, City will spend big, and have an exodus, but I we’ll be nailed on top four, I reckon (running far closer than this season), and may do something in the CL (not win it, obviously, but have a good run). VG’s credentials there ain’t too shabby

I agree that excuse goes this summer.

When you walk into any business you put your mark/philosophy/man-manage existing staff. The existing players aren’t following someone elses rules or management are they. He’ll be disciplining/etc etc already.

Still I see what you are saying – he needs to buy/spend money to buy success. following the Man City approach

Name me a manager who rocks up and wins something with a squad he hasn’t built, in his first season?

Pelegrini won the Pl and league cup in his first season. Di Mateo won the CL and FA cup in his first season. Benitez won the European cup as an interim manager while being booed by the fans at almost every game.

Obvious troll is obvious

Name me a manager who rocks up and wins something with a squad he hasn’t built, in his first season?
Pelegrini won the Pl and league cup in his first season. Di Mateo won the CL and FA cup in his first season. Benitez won the European cup as an interim manager while being booed by the fans at almost every game.

Benitez also won the Champions league in his first season at Liverpool and Ancellotti won the league and FA cup in his first season at Chelsea. Don’t recall any of these managers spending north of £100m in their first transfer window either.

Whichever way you look at it Van Gaal has spent a lot of money for a 6 point improvement on what Moyes achieved, was embarrassed in domestic cups and not had the distractions of European football either.

Ouch.

Don’t recall any of these managers spending north of £100m in their first transfer window either.

Lets forget Liverpool straight away, as the CL win went with a fifth place finish in the league. Winning a league, over a season is a much bigger ask. As Liverpool demonstrate every year.

But the others – given the squads they had at their disposal, that they’d inherited, were in a lot different position to VG at United. None of those squads needed rebuilding from the ground up. Thats what VG has been tasked with. Nothing like the City squad Pellagrini took on, or the Chelski squad with Di Matteao. The job is a hell of a lot bigger than that. Whats Pellagrini done this season? Miles off the Chelski pace with the same squad

given the squads they had at their disposal, that they’d inherited, were a lot different to United. None of those squads needed rebuilding from the ground up

This’ll be the same squad who beat everyone by 11 points the last season?

Yes, I know nothing about football but the whole squad suddenly aged in a matter of months and couldn’t move for arthritis.

Give over!

You are comparing chalk with cheese there as those sides were settled and doing well. Everyone knows MAn u was in decline and needed rebuilding
3/4 of its defence left in the summer for example
I agree LvG has done ok but he has not been stellar and the jury is still out on him. Only next season can we judge how good or great he is
Plenty have spent as much – pool and Spurs for example and not reached his levels of mediocrity 😉

Moyes inherited a team who had just won the league under Fergie, spent £60m on Fellaini and Mata, then LVG spent another £150m, it’s not as if LVG took over Scunthorpe. If Liverpool, Spurs or even Southampton had put together a half decent run at the end of the season then Man Utd wouldn’t have got into the Champions league. United fans are deluded if they think LVG should not have done much better this season.

I think LVG will get a shed load of cash to spend this summer, but not convinced he’ll win the league anytime soon, particularly if De Gea leaves.

If Liverpool, Spurs or even Southampton had put together a half decent run at the end of the season then Man Utd wouldn’t have got into the Champions league.

Did you watch Liverpool’s last 10 games? Put a run together? Seriouly? By the end of the season they’d been whooped at home by Palace, then couldn’t stop Stoke banging 5 past them in 45 minutes. Top four? 😆

Watching United play has not been good this season, to say the least. But we’re still top four. Winning games we really shouldn’t of, but getting results when they were needed. Typical United really. The goal was top four. He got it. So we’re back in the CL next season.

VG needs to do a whole lot better next season, thats for sure. Especially if, as rumoured, he’s spending big. His big money purchases have looked far from clever so far

United fans are deluded if they think LVG should not have done much better this season.

He achieved his goal
We lost all our defence [ as he would not pick the one who stayed] and were ravaged by injuries and had a terrible start

No Man U fan thinks we played great this season and we hope its was the start of the beginning of a serious improvement

Its always the case that if other teams played better than you then they will be ahead of you, they did not so they are not.

I think Liverpool’s last 2 games was justice for Gerrads dives and punches off the pitch that were covered up.

(Runs away to Spain and to find shelter for the flaming.)

Utd need to improve – the teamwork isn’t there, the skill is but time will tell.

LvG has underperformed massively in my view, for all the brickbats aimed at Moyes Fellini has put in some decent performances and been better than most of LvG’s signings. Binners “typical United” was bossing games and playing great attacking football, never giving up and winning games in the last 10 mins. Not the same these days.

Saints:

Hats off the Koeman. He inherited a squad where apparently all the best players had been sold and they’ve had a fabulous season. Total irrelevant aside but I’ve always had a soft spot for them having grown up 25 miles away, went to see my first game with my Dad as a teenager, Alan Ball was in midfield for Soton and Ray Wilson in goal for Arsenal (he saved a penalty 🙂 ). Showing my age there. I hope the club spends wisely this summer and can maintain their momentum. Soton v Bournemouth in the PL who would have believed that a few years ago with Soton relegated and Bournmouth in the lower leagues.

Binners “typical United” was bossing games and playing great attacking football, never giving up and winning games in the last 10 mins. Not the same these days.

Not really. Thats the bits everyone remembers. The ones endlessly replayed on MOTD compilations. But for all those Fergie time winners, there would also be the terrible, flukey 1-0’s away at West Brom, when you’re playing shite! They’e the ones everyone forgets. But thats what wins you titles. Chelsea do it under Morhino too. Like their 1-0 at Burnley, where if any Burnley forwards had had his shooting boots on, Jose would have been 3 or 4 down by half time

Agree with you whole heartedly about Koeman. Whats he’s managed is nothing short of miraculous. I had them down as absolutely nailed on relegation fodder at the start of the season

Aye koeman has done well and many expected them to go down. Needs another good season though to prove it was not a fluke

LvG does not like to play risky football
Its odd he is like Jose very flamboyant in the press room but his team are a bit dour on the pitch

No rafeal for example at RB as he is a bit “risky” and he likes to bore teams tpo death with possession football

Ray Wilson in goal for Arsenal (he saved a penalty ). Showing my age there.

Definitely. Because it was Bob.

😳 😳 😳

Ray Wilkins, Bob Wilson all so confusing at my age. Saw Ray Wilkins in a Chinese in Esher once, less exciting than Bob saving a penalty obviously …

Southampton’s manager could have been full of excuses and their fans saying he inherited a lesser team etc.

But he did what a manager is supposed to do, manage, lead, get the best from thrm.

Take a note out of this book

Ray Wilson buried my grandmother, great player but not a goalie.