News: The 2018/19 Season Preview, Discussion & Review Thread [R]

Yeah that's pretty decent. Cable companies are starting to feel the impact of people cutting the cord and are reeling. We had a cable package plus Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon prime. Cable alone was costing like $110 a month. Now YTTV costs just $40 and I added espn+ and HBO now. Ends up being like $55 compared to $110 before and basically havent lost anything .

My only annoyance so far is that all our TV's have Roku and I find their apps unrealiable. I might invest in a Nvidia Shield for our main tv even though it would be overkill, I prefer Android TV to rokus setup.

 

With that cable package. Do you have Beinsports. FOX sports 1 and 2, all Espn channels, NBc sports, etc?

I have Verizon and to get bein sports you have to pay extra. Maybe even for another 1 or 2 of those channels.

 

Fred is too adventurous and too new. I think thats just too much to ask too soon. Also Spurs ppay with 4 central mids with Kane dripping in. We'd be seriously outnumbered in the middle of the field.



And you oversell the ball winning we'd have in that trio.

 

Fred/Herrera/Pogba is plenty enough ball winning. Furthermore, Matic isn't a ball winner, he's a drop off and scratch his ass, give away the ball, ruin attacks and get in the way specialist.

 

We've got Arsenal in the 4th Round of the FA Cup at the Emirates.

The complete draw

www.bbc.com/sport/football/46777424

 

Tough tie, but sandwiched between Brighton and Burnley respectively, should be another test for Ole.

 

Dont really care about th FAC - so good draw for me as should be both an interesting & meaningful watch, plus a good challenge to judge the players and staff.

 

Agreed. The FA Cup is a nice ride but not a priority.

 

I think you're overrating what Matic offers us in the midfield...which is nothing. Playing Fred is a risk defensively, no doubt, but his energy in midfield and ability going forward far outweighs anything Matic adds to the team...which again is nothing. I'd rather have Herrera be the first outlet for the back 4 than Matic especially with how much Spurs press.

 

Im not saying anything about Matic.

But I dont trust Fred yet.

 

I agree totally. But I'd rather play with the offensive upside of Fred and his guaranteed injury than the same old bullshit we've gotten out of Matic for over a year. He just doesn't give us anything and he's at his worst when under pressure which Spurs will do. His giveaways will lead to Spurs counters where they are very dangerous.

 

Will we see the next stage of United's evolution under Ole?

www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/man-utd-ole-solskjaer-dubai-15644686

It's intriguing, if nothing else, to see how much better Ole and Co can actually make this team once they have had some time to really implement their ways and system into the team.
Things could not have worked out better in terms of the scheduling, with 5 matches that for all intent and purposes were "warmup" games, followed by a week off that allowed for the Dubai trip, prior to the first game under Ole vs Spurs.

 

United are working on a plan for their upcoming big games - McTominay

www.telegraph.co.uk/football/2019/01/09/man-utd-have-working-plan-beat-liverpool-spurs-arsenal-psg-says/

 

Exciting in attack, flawed at the back: @stighefootball breaks down Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s Manchester United 🔴https://t.co/ntFaUJeals pic.twitter.com/MF8SPhgtIN

— B/R Football (@brfootball) January 11, 2019

 

Very succinctly put but we have to add shaky defending on set pieces. If, somehow, we ever got our act together on set piece defending our defensive record would be noticeably improved. I don't have time to go over each of the match stats but I think we've given up three goals from set pieces so far during the Ole era. Those set pieces conceded did affect any of the outcomes but it is an ongoing concern when we play smaller clubs.

 

Amazing turnaround(s);

Arsenal went unbeaten 22 games this season, Manchester United having their worst Premier League season ever

Points:
Arsenal 41
Man Utd 41

— Troll Football (@TrollFootball) January 13, 2019

 

That's a pretty favorable league slate for the coming weeks. We're coming.
But as previously noted though, we need some players to step up (or some to get fit) to give us the depth required.
At the pace we are now playing under Ole, we can't afford to rely on the same 11 players every week. Some of the guys were dead on their feet and Ole needs to have viable options to spell some of our regulars (especially in midfield and up top).
Looking at Fred, Sanchez, Lukaku, even AP if he's still here in February in particular.

 

United's counter attacking game is back.

www.skysports.com/football/news/11667/11606793/manchester-united-counter-attack-thriving-under-ole-gunnar-solskjaer

Not so much in the 2nd half, but in the opening period that was textbook United play from the SAF days, as pointed out by GNev. It was beautiful to see and this was the perfect game to bring it back, against a good Spurs team.
Given the personnel available to us, there was a reason that we were begging Mourinho to adopt such a style. It's tailor made for the likes of Pogs and his quick thinking, plus his ability to drop long, pinpoint passes to the likes of Lingard, Rashford or Martial with their blistering pace upfront.
And as mentioned in the post above, I want to see how guys like Sanchez, AP or Fred play in such a system. They've shown elsewhere that they have the will, plus the capability of doing well in that type of environment. They need to shake the cobwebs and get to work, because they will be needed.

 

I think he needs time. But in my opinion, I've seen improvement. I believe asked to keep it simpler than he has been thus far and surrounded by a capable, confident team, we will see better from him than we have thus far.

 

The fear factor has left United - Carragher

www.skysports.com/football/news/29327/11607600/ole-gunnar-solskjaer-has-removed-fear-factor-at-man-utd-says-jamie-carragher

Even Carragher gets on the act, but it's pretty obvious how the whole atmosphere at the club has changed, and some of the guys not playing scared anymore is a big part of that.
Starkest example is Lindelof: granted he did show progress while Mourinho was still there, but the Bambi on ice from last year and earlier this season is well and truly gone. So cool and self assured again yesterday.
The team may well come back to earth at some point this season, but the mood around the club will more than likely not be as putrid and foul as it had become not so long ago.

 

Could be a rough month for Spurs without Son and Kane. Good opportunity for us to try to surpass Arsenal and catch up to them.

 

The honeymoon period for Emery and Sarri appears to be over. Both are good managers but the initial boost seems to be wearing off. If Chelsea doesn't get Higuain this month and if Arsenal doesn't bolster that back line (they won't), both are going to tail off the back half of the season. We just need to keep chipping away.

 

Arsenal can be counted on to collapse but Chelsea may hang on.

 

We are 7 points off from Spurs, with Son gone and the injuries thy currently have I can see them slipping down the table.