United (A) | PL | Post Match Thread

[daztrueblue91]

For me, the title is over and has been for weeks

But if Arsenal slip up

The title was done and dusted after the Chelsea game. Even if Arsenal do slip up, we don’t have the ability to go on the huge winning runs from previous years to take advantage.

However, sides worse than us have gone on to win the CL.

 

[wolviedinho]

Pep really needs to start tweaking the team again. The balance is not right and today again. Bringing Rico in from the cold.

We are not the same high level team anymore. The injuries can be used as an excuse but as I said at the start. Once someone gets injured we go like for like with poorer players all looking around scratching their heads.

Change how we set up so we are hard to beat as currently we are easy to score against.

Haaland terrible all month so drop and go back to false 9. Keep the middle tight in a defensive crises.

Tweaks needed not the same thing all the time.

I don’t understand why we can’t play counter. We play badly at possession unless the best 11 is out.

Something needs to change as this is now two seasons.

 

[St.Pauli support]

Aké - Max - Khuz - Rico...

My God, how lucky were rags to play that defence?

Nico - Josko - Dias - Nunes... and nothing happens.

We never found our stability, so many silly mistakes.
I hoped we would find ourselves after the break, but no.
Not today. Could have been 10.

I'm not even angry, it's been so poor.

Still no PL win in 2026 - it's clearly a psychological factor.
Wolves was thought to be easy - now becomes massive.

If we start with that shite attitude in Bodo it will become embarrassing again - they will fight their cup final.
The last thing we need are 2 play-off matches in Feb.
We are under huge pressure. Fuck.

 

[urban genie]

Bernardo's take.

2-0 Man City


Manchester City

Manchester City's Bernardo Silva, speaking to Sky Sports: "They deserved to win today.

"They had more energy and intention. It always felt like they were close to score and we were never there.

"We gave them what they want. They took the game to where they are good and we are not so good.

"Since I arrived here in England we have always been a very controlled team. There was a lot of things missing from us. Definitely a bad day for us.

On should Diogo Dalot be sent off: "After a day like today, I don't think we have any excuses. It was a really bad performance from us.

"I saw the challenge, it is what it is. This season the 50-50 decisions all go against us. They all go for our rivals. At the end of the day this was not the reason. I watched the clip it is a red card."

On gap between Man City and Arsenal: "It is a big gap, we won't lie and say it isn't a big gap it is. We will fight until the end."

His piss poor free kick gifted them the first after we had started to get a bit on top and gave them a second wind.

He is correct today we were not the city we normally are, we were shite

 

[BlueMerlin]

Let’s not forget another appalling VAR decision against City though… we lost I know, but it is curious how blatant VAR decisions go against us. That’s can’t be coincidence.

 

[Mr Ed (The Stables)]

I'll take a top four finish right now, that was a tough watch, with crazy tactics from Pep. Got what we deserved which was nothing.

 

[birchwoodgingerste]

No desire and ake at centre back was a pep master stroke don t get me started on them subs taking all the the threat of not a great idea!

 

[BlueNomad]

That 3 for Haaland is vey very generous

Big softie for centre forwards who don’t get a single ball to fight for in the box. The 3 was for his inability to win any duel outside it…and the fact that I wanted Lewis to be a 2 all by himself!

;-)

 

[malg]

In the first half both foden and Lewis were jumping out of tackles, inexcusable in any game let alone a fucking derby

Foden is not a tackler. Never has been. He's not a warrior. I get a lot of stick in the family as I don't rate him as much as others do. He's good, but he's not in any way, shape or form the world class player that some think he is. That's my opinion anyway.

However, today isn't a day to give opinions on a lot of players as we've just been totally outplayed in a Derby and emotions are raw.

 

[ancoats]

That makes no sense

Teams ebb and flow through the season. We see it every season and no one ever learns anything. Arsenal have a huge advantage. We may not even finish 2nd but we may also recover particularly when its obvious that our problems are injury/illness related.

When the pressure mounts and come easter time with a 3 premier league games a week anything could happen

 

[IcriedwhenTueartleft]

Haaland is carrying knocks and needs a rest to recover from them

Needs dropped and a wake up call, abysmal the last few games. Bullied by a 5 foot 8 defender today.

 

[TheThirdDeano]

Bernardo's take.

2-0 Man City


Manchester City

Manchester City's Bernardo Silva, speaking to Sky Sports: "They deserved to win today.

"They had more energy and intention. It always felt like they were close to score and we were never there.

"We gave them what they want. They took the game to where they are good and we are not so good.

"Since I arrived here in England we have always been a very controlled team. There was a lot of things missing from us. Definitely a bad day for us.

On should Diogo Dalot be sent off: "After a day like today, I don't think we have any excuses. It was a really bad performance from us.

"I saw the challenge, it is what it is. This season the 50-50 decisions all go against us. They all go for our rivals. At the end of the day this was not the reason. I watched the clip it is a red card."

On gap between Man City and Arsenal: "It is a big gap, we won't lie and say it isn't a big gap it is. We will fight until the end."

Good to see them admit the reality, but I have yet to see the team pull their socks up and action that attitude.

Here’s hoping! Still time, but it’s disappearing fast

 

[Dannyblue52]

Haaland should have been hooked at h/t an put Semenyo down the middle Horrible , painful watch that

Bernardo's take.

2-0 Man City


Manchester City

Manchester City's Bernardo Silva, speaking to Sky Sports: "They deserved to win today.

"They had more energy and intention. It always felt like they were close to score and we were never there.

"We gave them what they want. They took the game to where they are good and we are not so good.

"Since I arrived here in England we have always been a very controlled team. There was a lot of things missing from us. Definitely a bad day for us.

On should Diogo Dalot be sent off: "After a day like today, I don't think we have any excuses. It was a really bad performance from us.

"I saw the challenge, it is what it is. This season the 50-50 decisions all go against us. They all go for our rivals. At the end of the day this was not the reason. I watched the clip it is a red card."

On gap between Man City and Arsenal: "It is a big gap, we won't lie and say it isn't a big gap it is. We will fight until the end."

Love Bernardo. Says it right. We were shit!

 

[CC1]

He will go mate

Well you can’t be wrong because he will go sometime - but not now

 

[Gordyola]

Anyone still deluding themselves that we are in a title race, don't do it to yourselves. We will lose 5 or 6 more games before the season ends.

That was the first defeat in PL in 13 Get the defenders back and move on

 

[eyalluvitt]

Still not won a league game this year, worrying

 

[malg]

Feel for Rico he was hung out to dry by Pep
We dont see him all season, not even minutes off the bench, then suddenly he appears and he plays him in his weakest position, everyone knew before the game what would happen apart from the greatest manager ever and his side kicks
To expect him to come out of the cold and play in a makeshift defence with two other kids and an old man was totally unrealistic and baffles the life out of me that they could make such an elementary mistake

Pep could have played Khus at RB Max and Ake and RAN I know its two left footers but he plays 2 right footers on occasion

Lets stop the Rico bashing it was down to Pep

I wouldn't bash him for his performance as you never know where Pep is going to play him. I'm sure full back isn't his preferred position.

However the goal was unforgivable and he deserves all the stick he's getting for that. Absolutely shocking from a professional footballer.

The attempted tackle from Cherki in the lead up to that goal was also fucking unforgivable

 

[Blue and true]

Try and not let it ruin your weekend mate

I was exaggerating, slightly. Losing the early kick off always stings.

 

[skillman]

The squad we have is geared towards transition football.

Haaland, Cherki, Semenyo, Doku, Reijnders and Marmoush would all benefit from attacking in transition rather than against low blocks.

While our defence would be a lot more comfortable playing deeper.

While our midfield (Nico G, Bernie and Rodri) would all much prefer playing deeper and having the game in front of them than constantly chasing back.

Yet we have a manager who does the complete opposite and it shows in how poor our performances actually are.

The style of play we use does not play to the strengths of the majority - if not all - of our players yet it’s persisted with. Absolutely infuriating really.

Even today, the rags were desperate to play that way and we played right into their hands. If we sat back and used the pace on the counter to hit them; they would’ve been stuck because they’re poor against low blocks too. Yet we didn’t and got embarrassed as a result.

It’s really, really poor from Pep. Borderline neglectful.

 

[Norbert D]

Feel for Rico he was hung out to dry by Pep
We dont see him all season, not even minutes off the bench, then suddenly he appears and he plays him in his weakest position, everyone knew before the game what would happen apart from the greatest manager ever and his side kicks
To expect him to come out of the cold and play in a makeshift defence with two other kids and an old man was totally unrealistic and baffles the life out of me that they could make such an elementary mistake

Pep could have played Khus at RB Max and Ake and RAN I know its two left footers but he plays 2 right footers on occasion

Lets stop the Rico bashing it was down to Pep

Is the correct answer.