FA Carling Premiership and Milk Cup thread 2024/25

[WeeAl]

I don't personally know too many United fans that didn't want Ten Haag gone ages ago. He could have been sacked two thirds of the way through last season and it wouldn't have been unjustifiable. He should have been sacked either after the Coventry game or the FA Cup final. It's clear he was way in over his head and hadn't a clue what to do to improve things. 

By no means was he the only problem. That's the continuing, ongoing, issue of the club being an almighty disaster in the dressing room & at board level. But the owners aren't going to be going anywhere and the players? Despite player turnover there's still enough problems left each time to infect the next crop coming in. The transfer policy is reminiscent of the WWF late 80's travel schedule (calling @air_raidto the room). A ping pong ball in a tornado. 

Will the next guy succeed? Unlikely. At some point in time the club may be lucky enough to land on the exact profile of manager that's just enough of a misfit to match to the crop of misfits they've assembled, and it could show enough improvement to gain a bit of momentum. That's all it would be though. Sheer dumb luck. 

If it's Amorim, he's a dyed in the wool 3-4-3 man. I quite like some version of 3 at the back and wing backs with enough of the right pieces. Bruno Fernandes is a problem there though. I think he'd be a disaster in the centre of that. Is Amorim going to come in and immediately drop him, strip him of the armband or start him in the centre knowing he's going to leave holes all over the place? All options end in tears. 

Some combination of:

De Ligt - Maguire - Martinez

Dalot - Mainoo/(Fernandes) -Ugarte/(Casemiro)-Mazraoui

Garnacho-Hojlund-Rashford

Would be how it probably has to shake out initially. When those full backs get tired though? Woof. There's enough woof with needing them starting every game, never mind the next options.