mcigo said:OB1 said:Not read all the posts on here but Elano had the best passing stats of any player in the game (89% completion) and made more passes per minute than any other player in the game.
because most of them were backwards
Agreed we looked better, but not sure how much of that as down to him. The team in general looked more fired up and we had little choice but to really go for it. I don't know, maybe I'm perhaps being a touch harsh, his movement off the ball offered another avenue, but I was just a bit disappointed with what he did with the ball once he had it.moomba said:Didn't think he had a great game but we looked so much better when he came on.
Is trying a bit too hard at the moment imo, needs a run of games and he'll be fine.
masterwig said:He was awful I thought. Gave the ball away far too often and what the fuck was that free-kick he booted into the North Stand?
Failsworth_Blue said:He didn't give the ball away far too often, where are people getting this idea from? He gave the ball away 5 times which in 45 minutes of football against a team set out to defend for most of that time is pretty good going
mcigo said:OB1 said:Not read all the posts on here but Elano had the best passing stats of any player in the game (89% completion) and made more passes per minute than any other player in the game.
because most of them were backwards
Don't read too much into that stat, my friend. How many of those were passes back or sideways into the (congested) middle of the park? I'm not having a pop at him for keeping possession but the ball that were really meant to hurt them were poor today.Failsworth_Blue said:He didn't give the ball away far too often, where are people getting this idea from? He gave the ball away 5 times which in 45 minutes of football against a team set out to defend for most of that time is pretty good going
Wooderbeen said:Don't read too much into that stat, my friend. How many of those were passes back or sideways into the (congested) middle of the park? I'm not having a pop at him for keeping possession but the ball that were really meant to hurt them were poor today.Failsworth_Blue said:He didn't give the ball away far too often, where are people getting this idea from? He gave the ball away 5 times which in 45 minutes of football against a team set out to defend for most of that time is pretty good going
Completely fair point. That said, I got really annoyed with not only Elano, but everyone, when we would hit them on the break, get the balls out wide, only to then check back inside to where all the congestion was. United did a good job of getting men behind the ball, but we also did a piss poor job of stretching them. We ran it out of defence using the channels, but as soon as we got in their final third we knocked it inside and tried to run straight through arguably the best central defensive partnership in Europe! I'm a Hughes supported but can only assume that was a misjudged tactical instruction by our manager.Failsworth_Blue said:Wooderbeen said:Don't read too much into that stat, my friend. How many of those were passes back or sideways into the (congested) middle of the park? I'm not having a pop at him for keeping possession but the ball that were really meant to hurt them were poor today.
As i've already said mate it was difficult for Elano and any other City player in the second half because of the amount of players United got behind the ball, they defended in numbers and with our lack of movement up front especially from Benjani it was difficult for any player to do much with the ball
Wooderbeen said:Completely fair point. That said, I got really annoyed with not only Elano, but everyone, when we would hit them on the break, get the balls out wide, only to then check back inside to where all the congestion was. United did a good job of getting men behind the ball, but we also did a piss poor job of stretching them. We ran it out of defence using the channels, but as soon as we got in their final third we knocked it inside and tried to run straight through arguably the best central defensive partnership in Europe! I'm a Hughes supported but can only assume that was a misjudged tactical instruction by our manager.Failsworth_Blue said:As i've already said mate it was difficult for Elano and any other City player in the second half because of the amount of players United got behind the ball, they defended in numbers and with our lack of movement up front especially from Benjani it was difficult for any player to do much with the ball
My point exactly. Half decent crosses from out wide serves to push their centre backs into their six yard box. It's not just about Benjani scoring with his head or even a loose ball landing at his feet, both of which could happen; even if/when Ferdinand and Vidic win the header, it's only going to go as far as the edge of the eighteen, but with them two pushed back it creates more space for our lads to attack the second ball.Failsworth_Blue said:I agree especially when you consider both United's full backs were on yellow cards. We should have been attacking them on the outside and getting crosses in the box, the one cross we actually got right from the corner at the end caused them a lot of trouble and i just wished we'd have done more of the same throughout the second half rather than trying to pass through them because that's extremely difficult
you must have watched a differant game to me,GoForGlory said:CLASS. He was great, he could hold up the ball and pass it - what we needed from the first minute of this game. Don't know if Hughes has a personal vendetta or if he just figured that Vass's physicality would be better suited for this game (hope the latter, I'd like to think they've put their differences behind them but I don't know).
Nicky D said:Was majorly disappointed with Elano.
No urgency when he came on whatsoever, either to rescue the game or prove a point to MH.
We needed him to come on and make something happen, to support Garrido by making some overlapping runs or to seek to pass incisively.
The game was there for the taking, his taking, yet sadly Elano came up desperately short.
Very disappointing.
The Fat el Hombre said:Nicky D said:Was majorly disappointed with Elano.
No urgency when he came on whatsoever, either to rescue the game or prove a point to MH.
We needed him to come on and make something happen, to support Garrido by making some overlapping runs or to seek to pass incisively.
The game was there for the taking, his taking, yet sadly Elano came up desperately short.
Very disappointing.
Yea I agree with this. And seriously, wtf was that free kick all about?