Our inability to set up properly for big games

[Dax777]

I think you make some valid points and the players have to take some responsibility......however what about Spurs, Liverpool, Arsenal etc etc.... The same players and/or tactics let us down.... However Pellegrini refuses to change either !

Bu

I think you make some valid points and the players have to take some responsibility......however what about Spurs, Liverpool, Arsenal etc etc.... The same players and/or tactics let us down.... However Pellegrini refuses to change either !

Against Liverpool, we were out coached and beat straight up. But let's be factual here, the system and tactics have not been the same. Folks here just say that to have a stick to beat Pellars with.

Let's examine if you will:
Against Tothenham, we did exactly what folks often claim Pellars doesn't do. We started with 2 DMs, Dihno and Nando. Yaya at AM, with Sterling and DeBryune wide. We were dominant and up 1-0 comfortably. Then DeBryune made a silly error, after lines man missed the offside and they equalize.
2nd half our domination and chance creation continued. But they get a freekick, cross it in and Alderwierld beats Nando man for man. We continue strongly, asee were playing better and looked better. Then Erikson hits the 90 corner that bounces out perfectly for Kane. Suddenly it 3-1 and we are shocked to be this down. Again, none of the first 3 goals was a function of bad tactics or great football from Tothenham. Yes they dominated the last 15 minutes. Our players were dejected and chasing. But that game was one of our best footballing performances this season. Even though every one seems to have forgotten. Tactics were right, players preformed well, but results just went against us.

Liverpool, I'll give you, and anyone who asks. Yes we were outplayed. Yes we were out coached. Yes they showed superior effort and tactical nuance. But even that game varied significantly, from a tactical standpoint than any of the other lost game. But even after a tactical change waa made at halftime ( debunking another myth that Pellars never changes tactics till too late btw) we didn't look any better. Suggesting, tactics might not have saved us in that game. But let's even ignore that fact, and put that game on Pellars

But the tactics was different here than against Spurs. Again debunking the hard to shake fallacy that Pellars never changes.

At Arsenal, we did play porly, but the tactics there was similar to what we had yesterday. Delph was deployed wide to help, nullify the Ozil threat. I'll give you this though, Delph for all the accolad he gets here (myself included here) often does a poor job when deployed tactically.

Whether it's making a terrible choice if giving Barkley a straight line to our goal, or ball watching as Mahrez hustle past him yesterday. I can actually agree, that Pellars has been culpable in trusting him. And thus, may deserve some vlamw for it.

But let's be factual here, very few are here moaning about the Delph choices. Mostly, its the tired same ol same ol. Whine about playing Yaya, whine about play MD etc.

And while I personally agree about not playing MD, I find it laughable, that some whine about playing Delph out of position at Left mid, while in the same breathe pinning for playing Sagna out of position at CB.

Talk about consistently inconsistent fans :(

 

[simon23]

its not just his inability that bothers me...its the fact that we all know (as do the opposition) of what he is going to do....you can bet your life that the next 7 days spurs will be looking at attacking our weaknesses that are on display week after week cause most of the time MP sets up the same way (even with different players).....

Will MP and the team look at the significant threats that spurs possess and look at ways of stopping those.....I seriously doubt it...we all know the spaces for instance that Errikson will want to get into (those huge ones infant of our back 4)...will MP do anything to stop this? If it was me I would spend a large proportion of time drilling fernando and ferna in filling those areas and to be making sure that one of them at least is always sat infant of our back 4.

Id also play clichy at fullback and sanga centre half with Otto (think Kompany would be a risk) MDM legs have gone and will be run ragged by spurs attack

we need to be more compact

 

[Armaan]

United have got 4 points from Cheslea and Liverpool away, we will probably get 1

The manager is clearly at fault, the players look like they don't fancy it and teams like Liverpool, Arsenal, West Ham etc seem to play us like its a cup final.

The reason for 'cup final' like atmosphere is because Ciry give these sides a sniff by usually letting one(at least) daft goal in. We are then struggling to break teams down who have something to hold on to

No imagine Barcelona, Bayern etc turning up at these grounds - they'd be 2 nil up in the first 30mins and that would be that

We make hard work of already difficult fixtures, that's why we don't get results

United have done the double of Liverpool this season. I think teams now know we have a fragile bunch out there these days who don't fancy it when the going gets tough. Play us with intensity and desire and we'll roll over like a set of bowling pins.

 

[kunaguero10]

We don't set up properly for ANY matches, it's just that we can get away with it in the smaller games

 

[Lancet Fluke]

Take the last game for example: High line vs Vardy. Folks fail to point out Vardy didn't score. So what's the point of whinning about something that didn't change the outcome.

The worrying thing is that pellegrini probably thinks the same thing. And to think you had the balls to use this as any kind of defence for the manager's tactics and then go on to tell others that they should retire from tactical analysis.

 

[Dax777]

The worrying thing is that pellegrini probably thinks the same thing. And to think you had the balls to use this as any kind of defence for the manager's tactics and then go on to tell others that they should retire from tactical analysis.

Again, like most who whine about tactics, you've said nothing at all.

Say something that can be put under the light of analysis.

Yes, I said it. Vardy's speed did not change the scoreline. Set pieces did. So why complain about the irrelevant?

I can explain the necessity of a high line, but clearly you are not interested. Of more interest to you, is to have someone to blame. Well, go right ahead. It's all Pellars fault.

Why don't some of you guys suspend your support for the next couple of months. You can come back when Pep gets here. You'd have your wish then. Even though, based on what you whine about now, I'm certain you be whinning then too.

 

[Dewey6]

Bu



But let's be factual here, very few are here moaning about the Delph choices. Mostly, its the tired same ol same ol. Whine about playing Yaya, whine about play MD etc.

And while I personally agree about not playing MD, I find it laughable, that some whine about playing Delph out of position at Left mid, while in the same breathe pinning for playing Sagna out of position at CB.

Talk about consistently inconsistent fans :(

I suppose I was one wishing for those positional selections but I thought the obvious need for energy and movement at the back was enough to risk Sagna at CB. I'd have been happier with Fernando along side Ferna with Silva central and I'd have played Iheanacho. I thought Clichy was an obvious choice for this one too. It's frustrating to see Pelle placing so much faith in Toure and Demichelis when most can see the obvious issues those two generally present. In saying that, I actually thought Toure was linking quite well in the attacking third so there seemed to be some confusion over whether he was actually playing forward or remaining a holding mid. Either way it left us somewhat vulnerable and this was exacerbated by Ferna having arguably his worst game and committing himself forward along with the rest of them.

You'd have to assume that if Pep wasn't coming next year, we'd have been in for a CB during the January window but stayed out of the market as Pep probably wouldn't want to adopt another defender that he had no say in. Disappointing though given the dire position we are in defensively.

Tactically speaking, I thought we signed Sterling to provide those runs in behind with pace. I haven't seen him do that and with the slow build up play we are employing, that simply wont work anyway. He is far less effective trying to dribble past players which he seems to have to do to create something for us.

 

[BlueAnorak]

I'd like to see how Guardiola would do with the players Pellegrini had at his disposal yesterday.
yes, we'd all do things a bit differently, but the overwhelming reason for the poor performances is down to the missing players.

Well he wouldn't have the players we currently have, but if he did, he'd play to the strengths of the players we have who are fit and available and he'd have taken away the weapons of the opposition, so:
No high line defending (Vardy major strength taken away), Possibly Sagna at CH (Depends if he thought MDS was fit enough to start 2 games in 3 days). Clichy at LB (Mahrez strength when on RW considered). 3 DMs (Delph, Fernando and Fernandinho). YaYa on the bench (he played the previous game). Sit deep defend and hit on the break. (Aguero, Kelchi, Sterling). Silva as a pass master to play in front of the back 3 and set the whippets up fo rthe canter up field.
hell he'd probably play this formation every game coz it's the only way we are going to get anywhere in teh CL.

 

[BlueAnorak]

Yes, I said it. Vardy's speed did not change the scoreline. Set pieces did. So why complain about the irrelevant?

You clearly missed the three one-on-one saves Joe made v Vardy (the other was vs Drinkwater). Thank goodness joe is so good at them it would have been a humiliation if he wasn't good at them.

 

[BlueAnorak]

Worse still is the porous analysis. Leicester, counter attacks. We play possession. So by nature of the game, we will control possession. Unless folks are asking we hold the possession in our half, I really don't get the point of the whinning :?

Pellers always tries to play possession in the Prem but not always we don't. Or did you miss the Sevilla (A) game? You play to your strengths to the players who are fit.