Sadly, our style was/is tailor made for the way United play.
Our tactics in the first half were also inexcusable, either Pep got it completely wrong and was made to look like an amateur by OGS or the players just didn’t do as they were instructed.
We’ve been highly successful in stopping the counter attack as our whole team pushes up high and doesn’t allow much space between our CBs and MF. If the long ball goes right over the top we usually have Walker’s speed to mop up or Eddy in a high starting position.
In the first half yesterday we pressed high up but the defence just backed off, meaning that once they beat the initial press, a simple long ball meant that their front four was straight at our defence.
In the second half we were more aggressive in defence and didn’t really give them much of a sniff but the damage had already been done by then.
I also think that the lack of legs in MF and lack of aggression at the back is affecting our attack. I think we seem to be scared of taking risks and losing possession as we know we are vulnerable at the turnover of possession. Therefore we play much slower with the ball and allow their players to regroup so we don’t get caught out.
Or perhaps things might be different if they were awarded the same number of penalties as every other team.They're not as bad team as we think they are and as the table would make you to think. xG table , for some time now, shows that they should have been in top 4. They need to find a way to break lesser teams and they'll be up there. If they scored some missed penalties they would be in 30s so far.
If only that were true. His arrogance knows no boundaries.It reminded me of the days in the third tier when the likes of Bury , Stockport and Macclesfield and other minnows came to Maine Rd., for their cup final , we under estimated them on occasions and their fans and players celebrating like they had won the World Cup , the Rags will be dining out on this until their players fail to turn up against thier next opponents ,Big Duncs Everton and Pearsons Watford. We had an off day our players were jaded , they played to their maximum and deservedly took the points , most teams raise their game for a cup final.
Sincerely hope we get them in the Caraboa cup semi-final or final, absolutely no chance Pep will let our players take them for granted again.
Or perhaps things might be different if they were awarded the same number of penalties as every other team.
Silva’s challenge was stupid, was a def pen unfortunatelyI don't particularly care how many penalties some club is awarded as long as they were penalties. I definitely haven't seen all their penalties but those I did, they were solid ones and I've seen one or two in one of their games they drew (not sure which one it was) that were stonewall and not awarded. They don't camp in opposition boxes, that's for sure, but when they come there, they have players who runs fast into it, are not allergic to fall down when tackled and that's good receipt to get a penalty. All in all, probably not many clubs would get as many of them, but I don't feel their penalties are too bad this season, Liverpool are far bigger culprit.
Especially with Poch sniffing round their arse for a job.On the bright side (if there is one) it keeps OGS at the wheel longer.
They may have won the battle on Saturday, but come the end of the season we will win the war.
Still 8 points behind us.
Happy to draw them in the Cup.
If only that were true. His arrogance knows no boundaries.