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Thankfully Galway got the job done even though losing would have been the same to them unless they got thumped.

Commentators said a neutral venue for semi final? I'm not sure how it works. A welcome boost. Has been a tight championship with exception of Leitrim who will be decent next year.

If Mayo beat Galway by less than 7 points ,Sligo are out and Mayo will play Galway in the semifinal

The way it is for the U20 Connacht group stage and I guess it's the same for U17

"If three teams finish on the same number of points, results between those three teams, and not scoring difference, will decide the placings"

On that basis any win over Galway would send Mayo into the semi final.

 

I have you now, yes. Thanks.

Sorry - I'm a bit confused here. Are we talking about U17? If we are, how Sligo do against Leitrim obviously hugely important but nobody has mentioned it above.

Bad and all as United are they're just 3 points behind last year's winners who spent almost half a billion in the summer. 

Liverpool's worst run of form since the 1950s and we're still ahead of a team that had definitely turned a corner a few months ago after a rare win at Anfield 

Welcome back Seanie !

This is aging well. 

A bizarre conclusion to a bizarre era.

To be fair to Amorim - he got a lot of toxic pricks out the door and there has been some (painfully slow) improvement. A lot of that is having a competent goalkeeper perhaps but I do fell the passing has been better in the last 4 to 6 weeks and the team look a little bit more like they know what they're doing. However it often feels like once a step forward is made a step back comes immediately. How he set the team up against Wolves was a total disgrace. Playing Fernandes centre of midfield all season is inexplicable. He gives the ball away so much and just hasn't got the awareness of danger to play there. He has great qualities obviously but a gaping hole in the centre of midfield is unsustainable. His handling of Mainoo has ben a total disgrace. He's clearly the best central midfielder at the club. I lost faith in him a while back and the way he handled himself in the last interview left himself open to this.

However, it must also be said that the guys running the club are a bunch of idiots. There's no evidence that they have improved things one iota since they have arrived. They don't seem to have a clue what they are doing and definitely don't seem to understand Manchester United. 

So it's back to square one (?) with the prospect of taking over at United looking less and less appealing to prospective candidates. Maybe it's not square one but certainly still a good bit away in terms of overall quality. I hope the next manager is actually given time. With the way the club is being run it's hard to be hopeful.

Bad and all as United are they're just 3 points behind last year's winners who spent almost half a billion in the summer. 

Well done to the winners and thanks to Oakleaflad for organising again. See ye in August!

There has been bad luck - missed penalties, goalkeeping calamities and Saturdays absolutely bizarre VAR shambles - but my overriding feeling is that it's not so much the much talked about "system" but the team selections that are the real problem. Clearly none of us have the full story but it's hard to understand:

The constant tinkering with the back 3 personnel. Every game and during the game changes are made that seem too frequent and not logical. With one game a week nobody needs resting unless they are injured.

Mainoo has to be in the team and is in my opinion the best central midfielder. Not perfect but he adds a spark. Really inexplicable how he is being treated. 

Fernandes g/a record over every season he has been at the club is amazing. When he plays central midfield the game passes him by largely. He's not able to play the position. Needs to be in a freer role where he can influence in attacking area where he's up there with the best.

Most of the wing backs are miles off but the likes of Dalot, Dorgu and Shaw (I know he has played predominantly at left centre back) play every week and are crap and get picked the next week. Dalot and Shaw are nearly always involved somehow in the goals conceded. They will cost another manager his job soon if he keeps picking them.

Goalkeeper - get the new lad in. Bayindir is a decent backup but nothing more.

I want Amorim to get a chance because he seems a tough nut and that's what's needed. But he's not going to be around much longer unless he starts winning games. And i'm also sick of seeing that poor lad who needs a haircut. 

Ya, you just cannot keep giving away cheap goals. Especially when you're not finding it easy to score at the other end.

I just think the club has to stop firing managers. Amorim probably needs to stop feeding the media though. He's giving them too much. Probably as he's a genuine, passionate person but I don't think the interviews are helping. He says something - media latch on to it - I think it then makes him more reluctant to go against what he said. Just tell them the bare minimum.

Stating the obvious the say yesterday's result was disappointing. As usual with United the reactions are massively exaggerated. In my view United were not that bad yesterday overall but playing against good teams you get punished for weakness/mistakes and so it was again yesterday.

The goalkeeping soap opera has masked the fact that Luke Shaw has been playing terribly for some time now. He's slow and ponderous on the ball, defensively very poor and looks slow. He basically looks completely disinterested. I struggle to understand ow he has conned manager after manager but there are guys like that who can make all the right noises but in truth are phoning it in. You have to do your job and he was badly at fault for all 3 goals. The goalkeeper is miles off as well (thought he was in the totally wrong position for Haaland's first and very lucky to get away with dreadful control in first half).

United have played some good opponents and lets be honest - are not a top 6 team in this league. Are steps being taken to improve things? This is where I'm getting concerned. I like a manager to be stubborn because at times you need to stick to your guns for things to bed in. Unfortunately I see a few fundamental areas that look easy fixes and it appears Amorim is not going to do the obvious thing.

1) Goalkeeper. The new lad is only in the door but why buy him if you're not going to play him? Bsyindir is only marginally better than Onana and destabilises the back line. Play Lammens.
2) Centre of midfield. Fernandes cannot play this position. He loses his man and doesn't have the positional mind in a defensive sense to protect the defense. I thought when Mainoo came on it was again abundantly clear that he is the best centre midfielder at the club by a distance. I also thought Ugarte had a decent game yesterday in difficult circumstances. These two are the partnership he has to run with.
3) "Number 9". I thought the decision to start Sesko yesterday was a mistake. I'll give him time but I'm very worried already he's not up to it. That aside yesterday was the day to play Bruno as deep lying or false 9. Amad and Mbuemo more than capable of getting in behind as the latter did and Bruno has in the past shown an ability to drift in there. Regarding Sesko - whether he's not good enough or the team don't know how to feed a number 9 he has not looked good. Prioritise this guy in lesser games or else he's going to be another flop before he gets a chance.
4) Shaw. He has to go. His performances are dreadful. I'd prefer Maguire to get more game time in the centre and play Yoro or DeLigt at LCB until Martinez comes back (not sure how far away he is but a fully fit Martinez is badly needed).

Less obviously fixable are the wing backs. Mazraoui good defensively but not dynamic enough. Perhaps with a few games he'll be better....maybe he can do better. Dorgu - great athlete but not as good as you'd like defensively and end product substandard. Dalot is a poor defender. Decent athlete and decent going forward. Amad - wasted as a wing back and due to his size will be a target. Probably has been the best of them though. In the system he uses (which I think is overstated) these are key players. I think all these options are pretty flawed.

When do waivers open 

Looks like first round of claims process on Thursday for the A competition.

Was a really quick draft considering it was 19 rounds.

Lammens confirmed I see.

Serious pressure on the young lad. Needs to get plenty of support but no doubt the muppets will be out in force after the first mistake. Very highly rated seemingly but honestly don't know much about him. Got to be an upgrade on whats there though.

It's definitely a bigger risk than taking Emi Martinez who is proven in the Premier league. 

Lammens confirmed I see.

A good and deserved win Saturday and all the better for having to dig it out. Felt United meant business from the off and kept the momentum going more or less throughout the game. This needs to be the minimum standard - not just when the b acks are to the wall. We'll see on that. The obvious problems reared their heads again with the two goals conceded - goalkeeping error (I make it 4 of the 5 goals conceded by United this season are goalkeeping errors) and Dalot's inability to understand basic defending (he very nearly caused another goal by dropping too deep - goal was disallowed because Burnley player was just offside by a whisker).

Talk about the penalty above kinda makes me laugh. Fairly clearcut. Some of the arguments against it would mean the first half one on Mount should have remained as a penalty. I can see why the Mount one was overturned but if it wasn't Walker could have no complaints....he was fortunate.

The goalkeeping led defensive crises and inability to save penalties have caused a shit storm but the stats tell you it has been a reasonable star to the league anyway. Highest xG, most touches in opponents box, most shots. Fernandes who everyone seems to hate/think is shit - highest number of chances created as has been the case for the last 3 full seasons (and he was second by 1 the previous season).

Looks like United will get at least one goalkeeper and Sancho and Antony out the door today which is essential. Talk of Onana going to Fenerbahce too which would be great. Honestly feel the central midfield issue is one Amorim is overthinking. I genuinely think the question is who to play alongside Mainoo. I don't think it is Bruno. I think if you feel you need legs and a defensive mindset in there (I'm not certain it's as bad as everyone thinks) Mazraoui could do a job though United need to keep Dalot off the pitch. He has his moments in attack but he's defensively clueless.