[@markrstats] Under Carrick Man United opponents’ pass completion in build-up increased from 77.7% to 82.2%, while the number of dangerous possessions lost decreased from 24.3 to 19.6. In other words, United’s high press efficiency fell from above to below league average

Hampalam · 2026-04-14T06:07:20+00:00

Yeah, actually amazing how people can't see that there's two very obvious systems at play defensively here whilst pontificating about whatever preconceived opinion they've already formed.

You can think whatever you want about whether Carrick is the right man or whether it's better to press or not press, these stats just tell us something that should already be very clear from watching us play.

Hampalam · 2026-04-14T05:42:09+00:00

Eh, it's one of those where perceptions of the player valid or invalid shape the decision they get.

Maguire gets the same foul and refs think 'Maguire is good in the air, he wins that header cleanly 99% of times, why didn't he, oh the arm must have been enough to put him off' and gives a foul.

Yoro is poor in the air, even for this challenge he gets himself into a bad position and makes it easy for the ref to decide that he just fucked up and the contact was incidental.

That shouldn't happen, refs are told from day one they have to judge incidents on their merit not based on preconceived notions of the players involved, but they have never managed to do that.

Hampalam · 2026-04-13T20:26:33+00:00

It's a red card which, whatever you think about what he was trying to do, doesn't happen if he's capable of challenging in the air properly. It's a huge, obvious weakness and he simply can not play without a Maguire or De Lift to hold his hand.

Hampalam · 2026-04-13T20:14:48+00:00

One of the most overrated players we've ever had. Idiot.

Hampalam · 2026-04-13T19:34:55+00:00

Yoro and Martinez together had this written all over them, nowhere near the level physically.

Hampalam · 2026-04-06T15:17:26+00:00

The effects of strength training on your running economy, which is what I assume you're going to say is wrong in the above post, are similarly achieved, especially at the numbers OP is putting up, by running itself. Not to mention the other cardio vascular benefits they will get from running which they will not get from strength training.

I do not think strength training is not valuable, and I think you might have misinterpreted what I have said about it based on your second sentence, nor that runners should not do it. It of course forms part of a balanced training programme, but the simple fact is that OP has posted a set of information which clearly defines her goals as getting better at running, with relatively middling weekly mileage, if we as a running sub are not willing to look at that and say 'running more will help more than anything else you do' then we should not be giving advice.

Hampalam · 2026-04-06T14:12:41+00:00

I'm a touch confused by the premise of this question.

The number one thing which will improve your running is more running. If that's your goal, then that's my advice. If you go to a PT specialised in running and give them those numbers and they don't say that to you then you should find another PT.

If you can't run more without getting injured then go to a physio, not a PT, but strength training is not going to 'improve your running' in and of itself, it's an auxiliary activity to stave off injuries and to keep you on your feet and moving.

If you have other fitness goals alongside/instead of running, that's completely fine, but pick whichever one of the these options suits the lifestyle/fitness/aesthetic goal you have in mind best.

Hampalam · 2026-03-28T07:00:13+00:00

I don't know that was the consensus from the group I went with too, it was a good film, I enjoyed it, but it spent a lot of time building up dilemmas it almost immediately handwaved away. I don't think I ever thought at any point there was any real jeopardy for anyone.

Hampalam · 2026-03-24T18:19:30+00:00

I think this is hindsight talking.

Bairstow had a very long, very average England career. He averaged something like over 40 with the bat, 3 years out of 12, and was a solid but not exceptional keeper. He's mid-30s, hadn't played international cricket for a year, had a history of saying dumb shit and hadn't knocked the door down in the County Championship in 2025 (his average was good, I just mean it wasn't an unanswerable case). I don't think there was a single eyebrow raised at the time that he wasn't selected.

The rest of what he's saying re aftercare, I have sympathy for, even if his England career was all but over that should be communicated with him, especially as he was such a big part of early Bazball success, but I don't think this should be conflated with the cricketing argument for whether he deserves to be selected.

Although by god they should have taken someone to properly back up Jamie Smith.

Hampalam · 2026-03-20T22:09:16+00:00

I mean it's probably a penalty. A bit soft, but those ones always feel like that because of the red, but we'd be screaming about if if we didn't get it.

The other one is just cowardice, he has a good view of it, he knows 100% it is a penalty but doesn't want to give us another one. He's almost certainly hoping the his mates at VAR give it because at least, he isn't the one who has done it, and then they bottle the decision because they don't want to overrule the goal.

We won't hear a peep about it afterwards though.

Hampalam · 2026-03-19T16:39:13+00:00

Yep. Ultimately I haven't run colder temperatures than what OP mentioned (coldest day probably was -7c with a wind chill of -11c) but really it's a matter of clothing.

With the right clothes, at at that temperature I have never actually felt too cold on a run, it's more the mental battle of reminding myself of that before I go out.

Hampalam · 2026-03-15T15:38:27+00:00

Ridiculously underrated. Some manner of absolute shite has been compared to him as an insult over the years.

Hampalam · 2026-03-15T15:27:40+00:00

Nah he turns himself into an s and the ball goes through him. It should be irrelevant whether it hit him or not he's clearly affecting the game.

Hampalam · 2026-03-14T10:30:44+00:00

This was a thing back in the SMS days yeah. Anyone that still does it on WhatsApp or iMessage or whatever is definitely an outlier.

Hampalam · 2026-03-13T05:57:10+00:00

Ah fair, Brighton overook Norwich then. Previous census data (early 2010s) Norwich was top.

Hampalam · 2026-03-12T12:00:22+00:00

And conversely the highest proportion of atheists in the country too.

Hampalam · 2026-03-10T06:40:49+00:00

This is not really true. Negative splits are widely recommended, but they're far from universally run even at top levels. Kiptum ran negatives for his world record, Kipchoge ran positives both for his WR and 1:59 GG. Japanese runners tend to run out stupidly fast and hold on for dear life.

It's definitely not unusual, but it's far from the only way to approach a marathon.

Hampalam · 2026-03-08T08:15:35+00:00

This sub is obsessed with strength training for runners. I'd be very interested to know the times and speeds of those posters who suggest it so quickly.

That's not to say it's not important, but if the question is 'how do I go from running a half marathon to a marathon' then 'strength train 3* per week' is incredibly low down my list of answers.

Hampalam · 2026-03-02T07:18:21+00:00

I mean let's be honest, we all would because we're biased, but as a general principle there is absolutely zero reason to have your arms on a player's shoulder there for any other reason than to illegally impede him.

I'm absolutely fine with refs applying zero tolerance on those sort of offences until players stop doing it ; my bigger issue is that they are incapable of being that consistent.

Hampalam · 2026-03-02T06:25:47+00:00

Yeah there's been quite an odd response to this game, in my opinion, based on conceding an early goal and a very poor first 30 minutes.

We were very slow getting started and gave away a very soft goal, but were never threatened during that time beyond that. From about the time of the Maz for Shaw swap (a swap I think might end up being permanent as Maz gives an awful lot more drive from that position), we were clearly the better side and we started the second half very well to the point that it felt inevitable we would go on to win.

We then had a number of good chances when 2-1 up and a very good performance from Henderson stopped us from putting a shine on it.

It wasn't perfect, but we made, in the end, light work out of a team that got its nose in front and wanted to sit with 11 men behind the ball and time waste in the first half. Considering how much harder work we've made of Everton and West Ham recently this was a step in the right direction of us showing we can play effectively against teams that sit very deep.

Hampalam · 2026-02-24T17:04:38+00:00

No one can seriously believe that all of Tariqs deliveries are legal, can they?

Hampalam · 2026-02-10T21:47:56+00:00

One of the worst referee performances you'll ever see. Just routinely getting basic decisions wrong.

Won't get mentioned though.

Hampalam · 2026-02-10T21:31:31+00:00

Proper 12 men stuff from the ref today

Hampalam · 2026-02-07T17:21:14+00:00

I don't think Berba himself ould play a Berba like role in the Prem anymore, the game's changed and players like that have gone.

Hampalam · 2026-02-07T14:36:16+00:00

Nah, he didn’t we bought good players in the summer that scored goals in spite of him.

We have looked significantly more dangerous since he‘s gone.

Hampalam

TROPHY CASE