Actually I might've been too hard on the players there. Probably not and, given the performances this season they deserve it, but I don't know if I should be quite so harsh when you look at what and where they were asked to play. What was the point of any of them? What were they there to do? All the pairings were poor and about half of them out of position. If you're not going to try and outwork/hustle Liverpool by pressing them, then you hit the ball long, yes? So Fellaini up top or, if they play a high line, play over the top for pacey strikers to run on to? Nope, he plays midfield and Rashford on the right. Even if injuries mean we don't have a right sided midfielder, change the formation to adapt. Y'know, like it's your job or something. Rashford on the right would look a bad idea on FM, let alone in real life.
I know I've said it before, many times, but this is exactly what I feared after Fergie. Not because he was so great (though he was) but because he was the only one holding everything together. Since the Glazers moved in the money has moved out and at the expense of the team. Football has changed at the top but United are still in the 90's, with the board thinking the reason they can't see the competition is because they're so far behind them. If the board turn around they'll see them way out in front. Not just Barca, Real and Bayern, either. Juve, Altletico, PSG, Dortmond and Napoli are all easily way ahead. That's not including the English teams which are ahead of us, nor Benfica, Porto, Sporting, and another half dozen teams across Europe which would all fancy their chances and with good reason atm.
By the end, Fergie was like Oz, hiding behind the curtain fooling everyone in a weak league because they're so rarely challenged. 2009/10 was the last season I thought we could win the league and it really is the last time we should've and we didn't even win it that year!
That he won another two after that is little short of a miracle. Or it would be, if the only other challengers hadn't thrown it away.
Now we have a league which is (hopefully) going to be between Leicester and Spurs and, while it will come across as disrespectful, that's how weak this current season is and United are struggling for European qualifications, let alone CL. In a Fergie season I honestly think we'd be top and I say that as a comment on the league, not on Fergie's ability. I've not seen the stats, but I wouldn't mind betting this is one of, if not, the lowest amount of points the leaders have had after this many games.
I'll end with another thing which has become apparent to me over this season. United need to decide what kind of team they want to be. If you want to be at the top table, then you modernise and forget the romance. Big managers for a season or two, big stars for big money. There is no reason for failure and everyone is vulnerable. Or we're the team which gives managers time, give youth a chance and allows people to make mistakes and gives them time to rectify them. Of course there other ways of being, but these seem to be the two which are at odds currently.
I think it's obvious which one the board/Woodward wants, but if that's the case, then he's the first that needs to be sacked because he's failed miserably.
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Don't expect 20,000 empty seats that night.
Considering the importance of the fixture, you'd have thought that the players would've shown up rather than send their lookalikes.
