Will we get top 4?

[Fuck the Glazers]

A win or draw against Arsenal, backed by a good performance, has the potential to help us build some serious momentum and confidence.

Speaking of confidence, when asked what changes Carrick has brought to the team, he said confidence in possession. He's taken away the fear of giving the ball away (which makes players give the ball away more). He's ditched Amorim's 57 passing routines bullshit.

To keep possession so well against the best possession team in the Prem is class.

[FuB]

A win or draw against Arsenal, backed by a good performance, has the potential to help us build some serious momentum and confidence.

Speaking of confidence, when asked what changes Carrick has brought to the team, he said confidence in possession. He's taken away the fear of giving the ball away (which makes players give the ball away more). He's ditched Amorim's 57 passing routines bullshit.

To keep possession so well against the best possession team in the Prem is class.

[JoelfuckingGlazer]

I can't remember where I saw or heard it, but one of the players commented that in the 3 days training Carrick had with the team, every bit of training they did was ball work. Now, that might sound obvious, but you'd have to assume from that comment that a lot of what Amorim was drilling was tactical, shadow play etc. You can over complicate things and I'm convinced there was elements of that. Simplicity is often best. I've seen several journo comments about how impressed the players have been with the training sessions - which apparently are now shorter, more intense, and ball work focused.

[Felwin]

We can talk about whether the training is having an effect in 3-4 games time. For now, it could easily be the change itself that's having the biggest impact. How often have we read about the lads apparently enjoying the new managers methods, only for it to ultimately not work out.

There's obviously a lot to be said for the Ancelotti style of management, just doing the basics well and relying on world class players, but we have 1 world class player, so we'll see how far the ball work takes us.

[Fuck the Glazers]

I can't remember where I saw or heard it, but one of the players commented that in the 3 days training Carrick had with the team, every bit of training they did was ball work. Now, that might sound obvious, but you'd have to assume from that comment that a lot of what Amorim was drilling was tactical, shadow play etc. You can over complicate things and I'm convinced there was elements of that. Simplicity is often best. I've seen several journo comments about how impressed the players have been with the training sessions - which apparently are now shorter, more intense, and ball work focused.

There are overlaps with Pulis and others of his ilk. Training at Stoke was all shape, where to stand, and 11 v 11 every day. There was virtually no ball work. Michael Owen said it was brutal and made him retire. Others have said similar.

Footballers learn to play football because they want to play with the ball. It's a basic thing. So more ball work is always going to be well received and beneficial on the pitch.

I also think you can trust players a lot more than the Pep micro-managers do. They pre-load them with an unfathomable amount of instructions for a mad number of scenarios on the pitch. It's gone beyond set pieces, kick off, attacking down the flanks etc. It's who to pass to, where they have to stand, at what point, after we've recycled the ball in the second third... fuck off.

Those instructions and tactics have to be effective too otherwise they don't work.

[Felwin]

I can't remember where I saw or heard it, but one of the players commented that in the 3 days training Carrick had with the team, every bit of training they did was ball work. Now, that might sound obvious, but you'd have to assume from that comment that a lot of what Amorim was drilling was tactical, shadow play etc. You can over complicate things and I'm convinced there was elements of that. Simplicity is often best. I've seen several journo comments about how impressed the players have been with the training sessions - which apparently are now shorter, more intense, and ball work focused.

There are overlaps with Pulis and others of his ilk. Training at Stoke was all shape, where to stand, and 11 v 11 every day. There was virtually no ball work. Michael Owen said it was brutal and made him retire. Others have said similar.

Footballers learn to play football because they want to play with the ball. It's a basic thing. So more ball work is always going to be well received and beneficial on the pitch.

I also think you can trust players a lot more than the Pep micro-managers do. They pre-load them with an unfathomable amount of instructions for a mad number of scenarios on the pitch. It's gone beyond set pieces, kick off, attacking down the flanks etc. It's who to pass to, where they have to stand, at what point, after we've recycled the ball in the second third... fuck off.

Those instructions and tactics have to be effective too otherwise they don't work.

Not just that, they demand a certain sort of player as well, one that is maybe out of fashion. Wee little robot lads when these days even the best technicians are 6ft and built like a brick shithouse. I think one of the key reasons the league is getting more physical is just that the best players are simply more physical. Look at how we were able to physically dominate teams in the Europa last year, even when the player's brains and Ten Hag/Amorim were doing their best to derail us.

I honestly think a lot of it is down to clarity vs, flexibility. If your idea is clear, even if it's complex, then it can work, but you have to be aware of when it won't work. If you're flexible, great, but some point players get overloaded with ideas there too if they're changing from game to game. The best managers have both, which is why I genuinely believed Amorim could have succeeded with us if he'd switched it up earlier. Not thrown his idea out of the window like Ten Hag, just changed shape to match the league whilst he builds up some credit. Fergie had both. 8 out of 10 games, you knew what you'd be getting, 4-4-2/4-2-3-1, players in their strongest positions, take the game to them. But he knew when and how to switch it up, both with personnel and tactics (he's been done dirty on tactics in recent years IMO, Pep lovers use it as a stick to beat him).

If we use the 3 games he took charge of after Ole got sacked, Carrick seems to be more the flexible type as he's played 4 different systems in the 4 United games he's managed in total. His battle will be having a bit of clarity after Arsenal, so the players know where they stand in the run in. One game a week should be a big help here too as we should always have the back 6 from the derby available as a foundation (although I'd swap Dalot for Maz in every game and Maguire for De Ligt in most games). Target is still Europa for me, but as long as everyone keeps beating everyone, top 4 is on.

[Jason]

6 points of 2nd as it stands, which is mental considering the season we have had.

Could really do with Chelsea, Liverpool dropping some points, but we are in a good position. Need to put Spurs away next weekend at home, but reckon it will be tough game after their come back vs city

[Fuck the Glazers]

6 points of 2nd as it stands, which is mental considering the season we have had.

Could really do with Chelsea, Liverpool dropping some points, but we are in a good position. Need to put Spurs away next weekend at home, but reckon it will be tough game after their come back vs city

I just checked and United haven't beaten Tottenham in the last 8 games. Lost 5, drawn 3. That's outrageous tbh.

It will be a difficult game but I think we'll do em. They're fucking idiots. They booed their team off at half time, then cheered them off at full time. There's something embarrassing about north london clubs.

Anyway, the real question for me is do we finish 2nd or 1st.

[Jason]

6 points of 2nd as it stands, which is mental considering the season we have had.

Could really do with Chelsea, Liverpool dropping some points, but we are in a good position. Need to put Spurs away next weekend at home, but reckon it will be tough game after their come back vs city

I just checked and United haven't beaten Tottenham in the last 8 games. Lost 5, drawn 3. That's outrageous tbh.

It will be a difficult game but I think we'll do em. They're fucking idiots. They booed their team off at half time, then cheered them off at full time. There's something embarrassing about north london clubs.

Anyway, the real question for me is do we finish 2nd or 1st.

I did have some false hope that Leeds could have done something to continue arsenal's spiral, but ended up the opposite for Corner FC.

Arsenal have a couple of easy games before they face spurs and chelsea. If they drop anything in next 2, and we continue winning could be interesting. Obviously a long long shot.

[nineteenninetynine]

The Premier League is a steaming dog turd this season. Even bloody Amorim had us in with a shout at European qualification and he “got” United as much as Jozef Fritzl got parenthood. It’s there if we want it and can keep the momentum up we’ve generated.

I’m all giddy and full of kebab this evening, so it might be early onset stomach rot but I think we finish top 4.