United (H) | PL | Post Match Thread

I've felt a bit spoilt in what I expect from us after so much dominance - 4 in a row, CL, several cups. Then last season struggling to come to terms with not being like that. The drop in performance. A pre season CWC where we looked great then we didn't. Wolves then Spurs. A reality check maybe. At this stage I just wanted to enjoy watching us play football again.

A bit of a break. Then a derby. And what a game that was. 3 - 0. Some great goals. Some nearly goals. I enjoyed football again. Nothing else matters at this point - that's for future games and Pep. For today I am very happy and that's what it's all about really.
 
FogBlueInSanFran said:
We won the match, kept a clean sheet and had a multi-goal lead most of that second half.

Personally, I’d say you’re looking at the smaller picture.
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Too many people continue to focus on the negative.

The amount of people fretting before this game and predicting calamity was embarrassing.

No one should pretend that City do not need to improve but there is plenty of scope for that.

What we did see was:
  • A magnificent performance from Erling Haaland
  • Phil Foden looking like his true self
  • Jeremy Doku causing problems and delivering end product
  • A fine debut from one of the world’s best goalkeepers
  • City defending very effectively and successfully playing a different kind of game (but don’t be fooled into thinking they have abandoned their core way of playing: their opponents today are actually very good at winning the ball)
  • A rusty Rodri, so plenty more to come there.
  • A talented player who needs to get used to the Premier League (Reijnders)
  • An excellent tactical approach (I was worried Pep was letting the Rags play the ball wide too easily but he was right that it was more important to out number them in central midfield).
We are four games in. That is simply too soon to conclude much about the rest of the season. When we get to ten league games, the picture will be clearer.
 
OB1 said:
Too many people continue to focus on the negative.

The amount of people fretting before this game and predicting calamity was embarrassing.

No one should pretend that City do not need to improve but there is plenty of scope for that.

What we did see was:
  • A magnificent performance from Erling Haaland
  • Phil Foden looking like his true self
  • Jeremy Doku causing problems and delivering end product
  • A fine debut from one of the world’s best goalkeepers
  • City defending very effectively and successfully playing a different kind of game (but don’t be fooled into thinking they have abandoned their core way of playing: their opponents today are actually very good at winning the ball)
  • A rusty Rodri, so plenty more to come there.
  • A talented player who needs to get used to the Premier League (Reijnders)
  • An excellent tactical approach (I was worried Pep was letting the Rags play the ball wide too easily but he was right that it was more important to out number them in central midfield).
We are four games in. That is simply too soon to conclude much about the rest of the season. When we get to ten league games, the picture will be clearer.
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Great post OB. TBF I was one of those who was concerned our tactical stubbornness, newness of personnel and rust would get us a draw today and that’s what I predicted. But . . . I was super-encouraged by EH’s pre-match bluntness about needing to play better which fired me up too. The whole team took putting a quality performance in an important match (for the fans especially) seriously, and their lap around the ground afterwards also showed how much they appreciated the home support (which was excellent to my eyes and ears from 5,500 miles away) despite a lot of our pre-match worry and disappointment with the two losses.

I don’t expect a win vs Arsenal but I wouldn’t even were we 4-0-0 with a GD of +16 — it’s a brutal fixture (I know Napoli is first). But the confidence lift in the players and how galvaniz(s)ed they were today gives me as a fan a ton of encouragement that we’ll put in an intense, entertaining performance whatever the outcome.
 
OB1 said:
Too many people continue to focus on the negative.

The amount of people fretting before this game and predicting calamity was embarrassing.

No one should pretend that City do not need to improve but there is plenty of scope for that.

What we did see was:
  • A magnificent performance from Erling Haaland
  • Phil Foden looking like his true self
  • Jeremy Doku causing problems and delivering end product
  • A fine debut from one of the world’s best goalkeepers
  • City defending very effectively and successfully playing a different kind of game (but don’t be fooled into thinking they have abandoned their core way of playing: their opponents today are actually very good at winning the ball)
  • A rusty Rodri, so plenty more to come there.
  • A talented player who needs to get used to the Premier League (Reijnders)
  • An excellent tactical approach (I was worried Pep was letting the Rags play the ball wide too easily but he was right that it was more important to out number them in central midfield).
We are four games in. That is simply too soon to conclude much about the rest of the season. When we get to ten league games, the picture will be clearer.
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spot on
and an extra like for using bullet points
 
Stelea said:
He isn’t wrong. At HT we were ahead in the possession by 10% and in the end we ended 10% down. If this is the tactic doing forward then fine, but the drop off is tangible
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It was deliberate. We defended deeper and let them have the ball more. And it worked. Last season we kept pouring forward at 1-0 and they mugged us. Pep is totally changing the style to stop teams breaking on us.
 
citysince88 said:
I hate derby day.

An odd performance, some really good moments. Some really poor play at times too.

Hopefully we can start finding some good consistency.
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Normally I might agree but I absolutely loved the way we went about it today. I don't believe Pep was overly concerned with possession today. With the Donnarumma wall set up we weren't going to concede and simply relied on the fact that we have far too much offensive talent to contain if given space. Let's not kid ourselves. Should have been 5 nil.
It's crazy. Teams went to the low block because trying to outscore us was suicide. So they more or less opted for a slow death. Suddenly one, then two, then everyone decided to press us and go at us with speed. I believe we were somewhat stunned. Instead of blowing their doors off we kept trying to play more and more ball possession at a slower and slower pace. This has played right into the hands of a whole variety of inferior teams. Injuries have not helped. Today we just shut down any counter play and attacked with pace whenever possible. We need to restore some order and unleashing Foden and Doku in space and Haaland in behind is the way to do so. That slow tapping it around the back forever was doing us no favors. Pausing and ignoring runners became too commonplace. I'm praying this gives Pep the impetus to get back to our explosive best forcing these teams to reap what they sow.
 
bobbyowenquiff said:
It was deliberate. We defended deeper and let them have the ball more. And it worked. Last season we kept pouring forward at 1-0 and they mugged us. Pep is totally changing the style to stop teams breaking on us.
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1 hundred!
 
The most hopeful aspects of this performance were: Foden and Doku. Foden has been struggling but I thought he was superb. Doku also played at a very high level. Is he getting better for club and country? Khusanov played very well. He is going to be a success.
 
Great fun that. We were nowhere near our best yet still cantered home to illustrate how absolutely shite that lot are - lovely.

Haaland, Foden and Doku shone. Khusanov and O'Reilly also did well, and the new Keeper made the big save when required. Phil is our X Factor player - we will go as far as he takes us now, he adds the magic dust in the final third.

Thought Rodri played like he had someone else's boots on and was frankly awful. Reijnders again well under par - he always seems rushed and unaware of what's around him - and Bernardo rather weak but it didn't matter. We are a ways away from where we've been in the recent past yet still a million miles ahead of that pile of shite. Blessed be the silence from their fanbase as they realise they've gone down another blind alley.
 
Great win ,but performance was not great , We had less possession and better team would have punished nus today ,even at the end with 3-0 up ,Rags had 3 great chances to score (Drohu ,Mbeumo and Casemiro) .

Kovacic should start over Rjeinders if he is fit
 
Lee the Blue said:
Great fun that. We were nowhere near our best yet still cantered home to illustrate how absolutely shite that lot are - lovely.

Haaland, Foden and Doku shone. Khusanov and O'Reilly also did well, and the new Keeper made the big save when required. Phil is our X Factor player - we will go as far as he takes us now, he adds the magic dust in the final third.

Thought Rodri played like he had someone else's boots on and was frankly awful. Reijnders again well under par - he always seems rushed and unaware of what's around him - and Bernardo rather weak but it didn't matter. We are a ways away from where we've been in the recent past yet still a million miles ahead of that pile of shite. Blessed be the silence from their fanbase as they realise they've gone down another blind alley.
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I watched the game again and I think awful is a harsh way to judge Rodri's performance. If you say Rodri was awful, what would you say about Reijnders?
 
manimanc said:
Oh do one mate with your raincloud.

It's been a shite day as it is, don't need you to piss on our parade.

You bring nothing to the table.

We just beat the red mardarses, you should be breakdancing.

Football ain't for you.
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It’s infuriating, but not surprising. The amount of great win, but…. comments is just sad as fuck. Again though, not surprising.
Anyway, let’s laugh at scruffy Jim.
IMG_1885.jpeg
 
bobbyowenquiff said:
It was deliberate. We defended deeper and let them have the ball more. And it worked. Last season we kept pouring forward at 1-0 and they mugged us. Pep is totally changing the style to stop teams breaking on us.
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Yep, hopefully it is a permenant tactical option for us from now on.

I've always said united are at the most ineffectual when they have plenty of possession, they are at their most dangerous when the opposition have all the possession but allow united the chance to attack on the break.
 
JewelZee said:
Normally I might agree but I absolutely loved the way we went about it today. I don't believe Pep was overly concerned with possession today. With the Donnarumma wall set up we weren't going to concede and simply relied on the fact that we have far too much offensive talent to contain if given space. Let's not kid ourselves. Should have been 5 nil.
It's crazy. Teams went to the low block because trying to outscore us was suicide. So they more or less opted for a slow death. Suddenly one, then two, then everyone decided to press us and go at us with speed. I believe we were somewhat stunned. Instead of blowing their doors off we kept trying to play more and more ball possession at a slower and slower pace. This has played right into the hands of a whole variety of inferior teams. Injuries have not helped. Today we just shut down any counter play and attacked with pace whenever possible. We need to restore some order and unleashing Foden and Doku in space and Haaland in behind is the way to do so. That slow tapping it around the back forever was doing us no favors. Pausing and ignoring runners became too commonplace. I'm praying this gives Pep the impetus to get back to our explosive best forcing these teams to reap what they sow.
Click to expand...
Its funny I was just telling a mate that the roles sort of reversed from when we used to get countered time and again by the Rags (the Demichelis game comes to mind). It seemed like we were setup more to counter and the Rags had no choice but to play slow possession football with low output.
 
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