First half/ second half

Project said:
United had no shots on target in the second half.
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There been a concerted effort to 'big up' Man U's second half performance to the point where most of them believe they were unlucky not to get a point. The truth is they weren't that much better, just different, and apart from the offside goal didn't really create anything of note. Everything they launched at us our defence coped with without much concern and we could have/should have put it to bed with at least one more.
 
Simply a matter of fitness.
They put in so much work from the off that they're bound to run out of steam eventually, and thats usually after about an hour and ten minutes. As fitness levels rise then this period should extend to the full 90.
 
Fuzzy80 said:
Could be far too early for this type of thread and in no way complaining, but are we looking a lot better first half then second half?

Obviously there was the derby, but very noticable in the West Ham game too.

Is it potentially the case of just simply the high intensity not being able to be maintained, in game management, the opposition making changes etc.

Do any fellow blues feel this is the case or simply that by default you always play one half better then the other and just coincidental the last 2 have been first half.

I think for me I notice it more as always considered we played better after half time in most games, whereas I like the idea of getting the game won early.
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amazingly I was having exactly the same thought after Pep mentioned it in an interview.

I checked the stats and across the board our passes, shots, tackles all are less( obviously ) for the 2nd half but we slip down the league table when compared with other teams, it seems like we either A. really slack off because knackered. B we already dont the work and are protecting a lead or we're sitting off the opposition. But yes was shocking how much we tire 2nd half. Testament to how hard they do work though.
 
Purely a mental and physical fitness issue at the moment, IMO. It will come with games, and once it does...Jesus Christ.
 
You have to give opposition managers some credit and have changed it. They have not faced peps football before and are adapting. Against West Ham we had our full backs playing centre mid. The manager changed it at half time to be fair and they were better.

Your concern does not take into account the fact that the opposition manager changes it at half time to cope with this new style of footie. In uniteds case put two big men upfront and kin hoof it!
 
Once we get more clinical in final third first half of that much intensity will do and tbh we had very good counter attacking opportunities agsinst scum and could have scored a couple in second half to

Its bit like cricket where first half is like power play in which the team goes all out and in the second half its about keeping disciplines and wait for opposition to commit mistakes i.e. leaving spaces and being open to counter attack
 
What was interesting the Untied and West Ham games was, when WH and United improved it was only briefly and could not be sustained and we looked more like adding to our lead towards the end than either of those teams did to get an equalizer - we hit the post in both games for example. I am sure this has a lot to do with our forst half performances and the work we force the opposition to do in the first half
 
Gabriel said:
Wasn't the case in Bucharest, but at least the opposition there attempted to go toe-to-toe with us, albeit disastrously for them. Think it's a combination of us tiring, other managers responding tactically, and us not having had a fully fit bench of the same quality as has started.

If we took more of our chances in games, however, the discussion would be ended.
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It goes right across all MCFC teams, women included - we create chance after chance and there doesn't appear to be the clinical finish on the end of the move. The goals we get seem harder than the one we let go. It might be me, but for a good while now every chance that goes begging I think that MANUre, The Arse, Dippers CFC and Haringey would have put that away!

How many of us used to think many seasons ago that 'one of these days somebody is gonna get an almighty thumping'? These days we have the wherewithal to do just that. Perhaps tonight!
 
Listening to Pep's comments after recent games I get the impression that he's looking for more intelligent decision making on the counter attack, particularly from Aguero and Iheanacho.
However, we couldn't have argued if Stoke had been awarded a penalty in the first half, whilst United's surprising goal provided impetus for their second half performance.
Perhaps Sane and Gundogen will give us more stamina for the overall 90 minutes.
 
SWP's back said:
We ran 8km more than United as well.

And despite the second half revisionism going on, we had 54% in the second half and more chances than United.
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I mean, our dominance will be much greater and more consistent once all the pieces are settled and balanced. Also, the current MU team is not very strong (yet). Barcelona will be a better benchmark.
 
Stats I seen show us being top of the passing/tackling/shots for the first 45 but near close to the bottom of the table when measured for the 2nd half. This Season.

Last Season... (And it is only after 4 games this year so maybe not a good comparison) we were spreading the work load across the whole 90 mins more, IE close to the top of the table of for both halves.

Something has changed this year and tbh it would be a no brainer to assume Pep has put more emphasis on work rate but the players are not yet up to fitness. IE they run and work so bloody hard in the first half that they are pooped by the 2nd.

More fitness required! Even more than last year.
 
tramazi said:
Stats I seen show us being top of the passing/tackling/shots for the first 45 but near close to the bottom of the table when measured for the 2nd half. This Season.
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Have you got a link to that as I don't believe it for a minute.
 
The main explanation for this is the tactics employed by the opposition. First half it was clear that Mourinho decided to surrender possession and retain his team shape, in the hope of catching us on the break. Second half it was plan b, abandon all attempts to out football us and launch the ball forward hoping to use their height advantage. This was a hugely high risk strategy because it exposed his defence to numerous counters, and although we perhaps weren't as pleasing on the eye in the second half we could and should have been more clinical when we had the opportunity. I got the distinct impression that Pep was really disappointed with this aspect of our performance, and if we had been more clinical we could well have been talking about how we handed out a real drubbing. My guess is that Pep will be working hard this week on making those counter attacks pay and this will go a long way towards addressing the concerns some have about the second half displays.
 
City_Sean said:
I've absolutely no idea how people have come to the conclusion that United bossed the second half, we had more passes, possession and shots.
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"People" have come to that conclusion, because the media bigged it up, and convinced them it was true, however anyone who has watched the game again, knows they didn't.

I hadn't seen it till last night, so watched having heard the media hype over their second half, but without being influenced by it. My conclusion above, is that we dominated the last 35 minutes, and could and should have scored a couple more, whilst in reality they had few if any shots on our goal, were they better than in the first half, well yes, but they were completely over run in the first half. Mourinho changed things, and so did Pep, he made us more resilient, but just as dominant in my view.
 
SWP's back said:
Have you got a link to that as I don't believe it for a minute.
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yeah sure, let me know if I got it wrong. I dont usually trust stats because there are so many things at play.
https://www.whoscored.com/Regions/2...amStatistics/England-Premier-League-2015-2016

for example 2016/17
passes_2016.jpg


2015/16
passes_2015.jpg


Same for tackles and assists and shots etc.... Maybe it is because wed have only played four games!
 
Dave Ewing's Back 'eader said:
It goes right across all MCFC teams, women included - we create chance after chance and there doesn't appear to be the clinical finish on the end of the move. The goals we get seem harder than the one we let go. It might be me, but for a good while now every chance that goes begging I think that MANUre, The Arse, Dippers CFC and Haringey would have put that away!

How many of us used to think many seasons ago that 'one of these days somebody is gonna get an almighty thumping'? These days we have the wherewithal to do just that. Perhaps tonight!
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Too often the final ball is what lets us down. Compare Nolito's setting up of Sterling against West Ham and Sterling's inability to find Silva against that lot, when in a similar position in the first half. That's not criticism of the player, simply highlighting how the precision and weighting of the final ball can affect the shooter's chances.

Another problem is that that it's all rather comfortable for the players domestically, as chances will always keep presenting themselves given the nature of the English game, and of course the idea that the 'three points' means most. That kind of thinking masks other realities; should de Bruyne be disappointed that he didn't grab a hat trick on Saturday? Haven't heard that asked.

That level of generosity at home , however, does not occur in the latter stages of the CL, and I agree that that's why Guardiola needs to encourage more ruthlessness in front of goal, throughout the club.
 
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