United (H) | PL | Post Match Thread

[heslops barnet]

I'm coming from he's a shit captain and why would the players who voted for him think otherwise? He was not a long term captain. He was voted captain after he was inches from moving to Bayern. I happen to think that's a bit odd, simple as. JMO...

Pity he didn’t go to Munich, decent fee offered if I remember

 

[CityFil]

Substitutions: Most people in the ground wanted Pep to change things because so many of our players looked knackered.

Many around me were calling for Pep to sub Doku and Nunes around the 70 minute mark.
I know Stones was by the touchline ready to come on at one stage, but not sure who he was planned to replace. Assumed it would be Nunes.

 

[supercity88]

If you look at the patterns of play involving us you can tell a lot about our problems. There are regularly upwards of 20 players in the opposition third for large periods of the game. Even if you are absolutely on form with your passing that is extremely congested. It certainly allows no space for forward runs of any sort (the kind that the Viking loves). It also means that our defending, such as it is, consists of sprinting back 50 yards chasing balls over the top as the oppo break in groups. Probably not ideal for a midfield containing several players either getting on a bit, or carrying knocks.

That's how we've played under Pep the majority of the time. Rodri the metronome always offering a pass, spreading play and switching and all the attacking players with the freedom to pass and move and create overlaps. Then when we lost the ball, Rodri would read the outball more often than not and mop up anything or ensure the opposition didn't break. Our attacking players would hunt incessantly to win the ball back quickly. It's been the basis of every Pep side since his Barca B days.

We don't have Rodri, but equally no one is pressing with any cohesion. When we do press it's isolated and therefore ineffective. Players don't seem to know who their man is and are a second off getting close enough which makes it so easy for the opposition to play through us which makes it a scramble defensively to get back into possession. If you're on it with the press and they find a way through it still requires a brilliant ball to get at us or some brilliant play. We've often conceded from a few chances, but usually we're both dominant with the ball (and patient) and also incessant with our pressing.

We're now incredibly sloppy with the ball, causing ourselves problems and the press is non-existent. Haaland and/or Foden jumped a couple of times but then the rags played it out to Mazraoui and Doku was too slow getting to him, he'd therefore find Fernandes and suddenly there was space to get at us and we're scampering in a panic. It's only because they're shite that we weren't battered.

 

[blue by birth]

Yes that’s it.

I had to look it up..bloody memory going...oh the joys of getting old lol

 

[applecentral]

Think I would rather eat your turkey butties to be honest.

He uses his balls to spread the butter, to save his hands getting greasy.

 

[kaz7]

Substitutions: Most people in the ground wanted Pep to change things because so many of our players looked knackered.

He did change it , took off kev and phil, cue collapse . He really cant win

 

[Citi-leaks]

The warning signs were there with Fernandes going through 1v1, and Amad having a header pushed round the post. They were looking more likely to score in that last quarter. Martinez played the same ball for Hojlund, (when Diaz was lucky not to give a penalty) that he did for Amad's winner.

You saw how wide their players were on both sides of the pitch. Pep's 5 second rule of winning the ball back is much harder when the opposition are hugging the touchlines, and you have players over 30 trying to cover all this ground. I noticed this a lot yesterday that they always had an out ball, even when Haaland, Foden, Bernado or De Bruyne pressed in packs, they always seemed to have someone out on the touchline ready to take the ball. This is a subtle tweak from Amorim that allows them not to concede possession so easily. Think they had 50% possession yesterday and the same at the Emirates. They were getting 35% under Ten Hag.

Amad was running at Nunes every chance he had, and you saw Pep specifically telling Kovacic to stay on Amad and double up on him. You can't see Kovacic anywhere near Amad for the penalty or the goal. And he was clearly the main threat to losing that game.

 

[Citi-leaks]

Thomas Frank.

Aye aye, Dan Ashworth's in.

 

[give it to gordon]

Substitutions: Most people in the ground wanted Pep to change things because so many of our players looked knackered.

Do our subs make a difference ?

 

[AndyP68]

When your luck is out, your luck is out.

Time to grin bear it because as fans we can do little more than get behind the team and wait for the storm to pass, which it will soon hopefully.

When fit, he majority of the squad is still good enough, but reinforcements are needed. Those that aren't cutting it will know that they aren't.