Leicester than zero? - Premier League 2018/19

[Jah Womble]

Brighton lead - and Utd join this weekend's apparent iffy-defending club.

...aaaand it's two.

[Toby Gymshorts]

Fucking hell.

[SouthdownRebel]

Woohoo! Had them on toast at the Amex last season, enjoying a second slice today.

[SouthdownRebel]

Note to self: don't speak too soon

[Mr Cogito]

I wouldn't be surprised if Mata doesn't reappear for the second half. He's not playing well, but in a way that will be sorely grieving his boss.

[Jah Womble]

Not a convincing pen, but way-to-go Brighton...

[Mr Cogito]

And maybe Bailly will join him on the naughty step?

[SouthdownRebel]

I think Jose will want to replace the entire back four right now, they've been awful.

[The Awesome Berbaslug!!!]

I bet he blames shaw, even though the only goal he was involved in was lukakus

[Janik]

Shaw and the board, for not signing the entirely new team he demands each summer. Oh, and Martial as well.

[SouthdownRebel]

Soft pen at the end there, but overall a great start to the home season. We bought a lot of players in the summer, but I like that Hughton hasn't started by throwing in 3 or 4 of them at once and disrupting the team. Montoya and Balogun both impressive today. As for United, same old, same old. Mourinho will no doubt make excuses but the simple fact is his back four were dreadful in the first half.

[Toby Gymshorts]

Well, that's me out of the predictor game at work.

I can't say I'm massively unhappy, like.

[Sporting]

Well, Man Utd have found a reliable penalty taker!

[nmrfox]

Paul Ince with his London accent and his describing of Manchester United as "we" stands out a tad on MotD2.

[Patrick Thistle]

Also he doesn't look well. Obviously he's gained some weight but he's not carrying it well for a man his age.

[The Awesome Berbaslug!!!]

yeah but look at his fucking hairline. He still has the hairline of a fucking 11 year old.

[Janik]

So who did Mourinho settle on as his scapegoat, then? It can't have been his fault that his expensive collection of defenders (each signed for £~30m or equivalent with Football transfer inflation) was an apparent shambles, now could it? I mean, organising a team is not the manager's job or anything...

[ursus arctos]

José Mourinho said he could not give an honest assessment of his team’s performance after Manchester United slumped to a shambolic 3-2 defeat against Brighton & Hove Albion at the Amex Stadium. United’s manager refused to share any thoughts about his players, claiming he has been criticised by the media for speaking too openly in the past about individuals who have displeased him.

“When I am critical with my players you just don’t accept it, so please do not ask me to go in this direction because it is not good for me,” Mourinho said.

“I will be very happy to analyse my players’ performances when they were very good. When I cannot do that, don’t push me to the other side because I will not go to the other side.

“If I was in your position, I think this game today would give me quite a lot of material to write about. But don’t expect me to speak with you about it because you and your colleagues were really critical of me when in previous seasons I was probably too honest and too open in my analysing and I was too honest and too open in analysing about players’ performances.

.

[Sits]

So can we consider the endgame has begun?

[3 Colours Red]

yeah but look at his fucking hairline. He still has the hairline of a fucking 11 year old.

That doesn't really mean much these days. A good surgeon and a bit of money...

That lazy eye thing he had going for a while seems to have cleared up though.

[Sam]

So can we consider the endgame has begun?

I've been trying not to get optimistic for over a year now (well, ever since he was appointed really), but I think so. As I saw someone saying on Twitter earlier, if the argument with Pogba continues that could swing it for the board. They understand bankable assets, and Pogba is the club's most bankable asset. If they start to get the impression they can keep either him or Mourinho but not both, then Mourinho's on his way, you'd think.

Of course with Manchester United's board they could equally read the above and reason that Pogba's the one they can get cold hard cash for, so he's the one who's on his way.

[Jah Womble]

Paul Ince with his London accent and his describing of Manchester United as "we" stands out a tad on MotD2.

It wouldn't stand out at all where I live...

[Kevin S]

I've been trying not to get optimistic for over a year now (well, ever since he was appointed really), but I think so. As I saw someone saying on Twitter earlier, if the argument with Pogba continues that could swing it for the board. They understand bankable assets, and Pogba is the club's most bankable asset. If they start to get the impression they can keep either him or Mourinho but not both, then Mourinho's on his way, you'd think.

Of course with Manchester United's board they could equally read the above and reason that Pogba's the one they can get cold hard cash for, so he's the one who's on his way.

Zidane's available - you'd think him being in charge of a team with Pogba in it would be their Commercial Revenue Manager's wet dream.

[JM Footzee]

That lazy eye thing he had going for a while seems to have cleared up though.

There was a moment when they cut to him when he wasn't speaking and he was blinking quite aggressively with watery eyes. They cut away quickly. I'm not sure if that's a symptom of a lazy eye...

[EIM]

I see Guardiola has resorted to Tiki Whacka. Billion pound hoofs from the back up to the centre forward. Sad to see for all their investment and riches they're just George Graham's Arsenal on PEDs. A shame for their fans, who were very understanding of the plight of Manchester United in my pub yesterday afternoon. "Chris," they said. "We may be winning, but there's no glory in it. I'd rather we played like you - honestly, and without cheating - than won every week."

I appreciated their words, and understood their thinking, but doubted their full sincerity.

As for Manchester United people will think this is a disaster, but let's strip away hyperbole. The situation at the club is not as bad as people are making out. Aside from the owners, Ed Woodward, the manager, the defence, most of the midfield, and the wingers, United are fine. This is nothing another 6 years transition, a takeover, an overhaul of the club's direction, and another half a billion pounds can't solve. And failing that, we'll just appoint a Director of Football who can be ignored by the board instead.

I look forward to the rest of the season immensely.