Goldbridge: Why Man Utd Still Face the Same Old Problems

On The United Stand podcast, Mark Goldbridge expressed his exasperation with Manchester United’s 1-1 draw against Chelsea, a result that felt all too familiar. Despite managerial changes and promises of improvement, Goldbridge pointed out that the team’s performances remain worryingly stagnant. His analysis touched on the deeper issues plaguing the club and posed crucial questions about the future under new management.

Same Old Issues Persist

Reflecting on the match, Goldbridge’s frustration was palpable. “I’m confused,” he admitted. “I thought Ten Hag was the problem… [but] I’ve just watched 90 minutes of the same old [stuff].” This encapsulated the sentiment of many fans who expected a different display following Erik ten Hag’s departure. Goldbridge stressed that even with the shift in management, “nothing changes,” pointing out the familiar failings: “bad passes, Hollywood balls, [and] crap shots.”

His commentary highlighted that the problems were not solely tactical but ingrained within the players. “It’s not just about liking the manager,” he said. The implication was that the club’s malaise ran deeper than coaching.

No Bounce from Managerial Changes

One of the main themes Goldbridge explored was the lack of a positive response from the team after Ten Hag’s exit. “Where’s the glow up?” he questioned. “You’re meant to bounce… you’ve had a bath, you’ve had a shower, you’re free and clean. Show us what you can do.” The expectation of a new-manager bounce, a temporary uplift in performances, was nowhere to be found. Instead, he observed, “You do exactly what you were doing last week… and the week before that.”

Goldbridge warned that this failure to rise to the occasion, even against a struggling Chelsea, was concerning: “Chelsea fans are going to go, ‘We can’t play that bad again,’” he said, noting how the London side’s below-par performance still yielded only a draw against United. “If we’d have caught a decent Arsenal, Brighton, [or] Villa team, they’d have beaten us three or four [nil].”

Misplaced Passes and Ego Battles

Goldbridge was also critical of the way United players engaged in risky and poorly timed plays. “The volume of Hollywood passes… it’s chaotic,” he remarked, defining them as attempts at long, risky passes that rarely bore fruit. He highlighted that this chaotic approach reflected a lack of cohesion: “Our press is chaotic, our build-up play is chaotic, our chance creation is chaotic.”

This lack of synchronicity was attributed to players not understanding or appreciating each other’s game. “They don’t like each other’s game… they’re not in sync,” he asserted. Goldbridge used examples from the match to illustrate this, such as misplaced passes between Bruno Fernandes and teammates that led to lost opportunities. “When Casemiro gets it and Rasmus is making a run… it’s too late because you’re not appreciating his game.”

A Daunting Future for Amarim

Looking ahead, Goldbridge had concerns about new manager Ruben Amorim’s task. “Amarim’s going to need longer than two years,” he remarked, exaggerating that “if [he] had a kid the day he starts at Manchester United, they’ll be at university by the time we win a Premier League.” This statement underscored the enormity of the challenge facing the incoming coach. Goldbridge noted, “Amorim didn’t buy these players,” implying that significant squad changes would be necessary to support the new style of play.

Despite singling out a few decent performances from players like Martinez and De Ligt, Goldbridge remained unconvinced that a quick fix was possible. “There’s a fundamental problem with the attitude and consistency of that team,” he concluded, summarising the uphill battle Amorim faces as he attempts to reshape a team that has struggled to shed its “same old” approach.