 Y&Z PERSPECTIVES

Y & Z United Perspectives

by Kevin, Justyn & Wayne Tabone

New season, new expectations! But then again there’s always expectations in anything associated with Man Utd. Domestically, there is huge competition within the Tabone clan to come out as winners of the Man Utd App Match Predictor and the Fantasy Premier League Tabone League! Let the games begin!

Once again, notwithstanding there was evident improvement, Manchester United failed to land a trophy last season. That penalty shootout was, is and will remain so painful in our memories. What is your rating from 0 to 10, 0 being lowest and 10 being highest, for last season and why?

Wayne: The team has improved both the quality of the football played and also the players’ mentality. I think the overall performance merits a 7. If we would have won a trophy last season, then it would have went up to 7.5 or even 8. The beginning of the season was atrocious but as the season wore on, the team got into a rhythm and won match after match, even breaking the record of undefeated away matches. This gave us the momentum to reach second in the Premier League. The obvious downers were losing tragically against Villarreal, losing to Leicester city 3-1 in the the quarter finals of the FA Cup and bottling the EFL cup against Manchester City 2-0. We also have to improve when playing against the big 6 clubs - losing 3, getting 5 draws and getting 2 wins meant that we lost too many points from these matches - 19 out of the 30 points.

Justyn: Manchester United is all about winning trophies and unfortunately we fell short once again. When comparing this season with past seasons, Ole has only been able to match Mourinho from the post-Sir Alex Ferguson era. In my opinion, Manchester United were very inconsistent throughout the whole season and even during the matches. I would give a rating of 7 for last season. Reaching the final in the Europa League was expected from Manchester United however, finishing second place is most definitely an achievement. In my opinion, the team needs to improve their consistency in matches where it is expected of them to get the 3 points.

Kevin: The trophy was the only thing missing from my targets and expectations. At the start of the season, I classified my expectations into 2 categories – primary & secondary. My primary was to improve from the previous season. In my eyes this was achieved – 2nd from 3rd in the league and qualified for the final in one of the cups. Champions League was a disappointment, especially after such a strong start. I would say the loss away to İstanbul Başakşehir was the lowest point of the season. The result was a disappointment, but the manner of the loss was even more so. My secondary target was winning a trophy, an achievement which I feel would have helped the confidence of the players for the years to come a great deal. Having said all this, I would still give the season an 8 out of 10 score.

This transfer market is looking to be one of the busiest Manchester United have had for some time and there are quality players lined up to wear the famous red shirt next season. If you were John Murtough, apart from Sancho and Varane, which other players would you like to see joining our team for the coming season?

Wayne: It is very unlikely for the club to do two big deals and another big signing. But if this happens, I think that Declan Rice would be the perfect person for the role needed in the club. He is a disciplined midfielder and so can play alongside Paul Pogba. He is not only technically gifted, but he is also excellent in moving the ball up field, he is very young and for his age he is a very mature player. He is also a great player to have in the dressing room, as he has a very lively character.

Justyn: Manchester United are heading in the right direction with these signings in my opinion. The right-wing problem has been around since Antonio Valencia was converted to a right back. Moreover, Manchester United have needed another centre back to partner Maguire, and Varane is the perfect fit for United. Having said this, I believe that there needs to be investment in the midfield area as well. I believe that Fred and McTominay are two decent players, however I do not think they should start together every game. Their quality on the ball is not the best and during games they have lacked to break the lines to help the attack. I believe that a player like Camavinga can help in solving this problem. At a valuation of around 30 million Euros, this transfer would be considered as quite a bargain for an 18 year old. Also, he has the required skill set to not only break up the play but to also move the ball forward to the forward line.

Kevin: I can’t see us signing many more players apart from those 2 mentioned. This will also depend on the players sold as well. If we were to sell say a midfield player, I would use the money and spend it on 2 players. Kieran Trippier for four reasons – a. hoping that this signing would have a similar effect on Wan Bissaka that Telles had on Shaw b. Trippier could play on both left and right sides of the pitch c. a very good set-piece taker and d. he could play as a full back as well as a wing-back. The other player would be a direct replacement for the midfield player that will be sold. I’ve said and written this so many times that I’m beginning to look desperate to buy this player – Rúben Neves. I am such an admirer of the player.

The away goals rule will be scrapped from all UEFA club competitions from the start of the 2021-22 season. Do you agree with this decision and why?

Wayne: I think that this was a bad decision, this is because the away goals rule was to make the away team more aggressive even though they are playing on the other team’s patch. But if this had to happen my suggestion would be that the games played should be in a mutual ground, therefore the away goals rule would not apply. This could also mean that it would be one leg, just like the finals.

Justyn: I believe that UEFA have got this decision wrong. The away goal rule provides an entertaining spectacle to us fans. This is because, the away goal rule incentivises the away team to get goals as they give an advantage to them in the tie. By removing this rule, I believe that we will see more away teams, especially underdogs, to have a defensive game plan and hope for smash and grab victory or get a draw. Obviously, there are some drawbacks to this rule, where one might argue that it is unfair that some ties are decided by the amount of away goals. However, in my opinion, the pros far outweigh the cons and as the saying goes, UEFA shouldn’t fix something which is not broken.

Kevin: Bollocks I say! Who the hell is in charge of making decisions on the game we so much love! With all the changes that have happened these last few years, it’s not even possible to say that I play the same game that we see on TV! Don’t get me started on changes or I would need a whole edition of this magazine! Diving, play-acting, yellow cards, tackles, VAR, the list goes on and on and on. Back to the question! So now we’re led to believe that there is no difference between a team playing in front of his own supporters and the team playing away! The atmosphere alone merits giving the away side that scores an advantage.