United (H) Post Match Thread

[york away to this!]

All part of the drama for the amazon documentary. This entire season is pre-written, what surprises do they have for us on tuesday I wonder?...

 

[blue banks]

All part of the drama for the amazon documentary. This entire season is pre-written, what surprises do they have for us on tuesday I wonder?...

Was thinking about this yesterday - it’s gonna make some viewing, especially what will transpire on Tuesday. Good point.

 

[tolmie's hairdoo]

One continued area of concern for me is the type of goal we have conceded of late, certainly since Vinny came back?

That clipped inswinging cross between our two centre backs has found Vinny and Otamendi wanting, which is a surprise because it should be a question of aerial prowess and not raw pace doing us over the top.

That suggests a positional or communication issue between the pair.

I do feel we have missed Stones and his ability to pass through into the midfield, rather than Vinny being pressed more effectively and passing more regularly to the full back positions?

The ball seems to be kicked longer a lot more by Eddy of late, which might be as a result of all this?

Defending set pieces so high doesn't give our keeper much of chance if someone connects.

 

[Graceyboy]

One continued area of concern for me is the type of goal we have conceded of late, certainly since Vinny came back?

That clipped inswinging cross between our two centre backs has found Vinny and Otamendi wanting, which is a surprise because it should be a question of aerial prowess and not raw pace doing us over the top.

That suggests a positional or communication issue between the pair.

I do feel we have missed Stones and his ability to pass through into the midfield, rather than Vinny being pressed more effectively and passing more regularly to the full back positions?

The ball seems to be kicked longer a lot more by Eddy of late, which might be as a result of all this?

Defending set pieces so high doesn't give our keeper much of chance if someone connects.

Completely agree Tolmie. However, I also think the Old Nico has returned after the international week. He's been very poor in the key games also. How can we allow players to just stroll into key areas without noticing the danger and picking them up? Id give Stones and Laporte the Centre back rolls on Tuesday.

 

[BLUEMATT23]

It should be a positive that this defeat would normally allow United to read far too much into it, in terms of not needing as much improvement as their previous displays have suggested?

Mourinho refused to be anything but non-plussed, however, even so far as being 'nice' with regards his comments both beforehand and afterwards.

He knows better than anybody this was a freak result in the context of where the two teams currently stand and our second-string should have had the game out of sight before half-time.

Mourinho always has a motive, so it's either he's checked-out at United (would be a surprise), he's not getting his own way, or he's just trying to lull us into a false sense of security?

Thankfully, we also have someone in the other dugout who has seen it all before.

He had ample ammunition to vent with the Pogba comments on the eve of the game, yet he's hugging Vinny, he's all pally with Pep.

Coming off the back of the tunnel bust-up at United, the nature of their comeback win, it just seems all a little odd.

i hated the Pep / Pogba embrace.

 

[pavelsrnicek]

One if the many annoying things about Saturday is the narrative, which might benefit ironically next season, is that united are back and they’ve learned how to beat us.

United were no more than the support act, the entire tragedy was City being brilliant everywhere bar the two boxes, in 20 minutes before halftime we should have scored 2 possibly 4 more. Twenty minutes after half time we conceded 4 from 3 efforts.

All talk of a weakened team is a red herring. The fluid front 3 did united in old trafford and for 45 minutes ripped them to shreds. They played a back 4 and two holding midfielders and couldn’t remotely cope with our movement. If we can replicate that regularly then only poor finishing from us can stop us destroying sides.

 

[Churchlawtonblue]

One continued area of concern for me is the type of goal we have conceded of late, certainly since Vinny came back?

That clipped inswinging cross between our two centre backs has found Vinny and Otamendi wanting, which is a surprise because it should be a question of aerial prowess and not raw pace doing us over the top.

That suggests a positional or communication issue between the pair.

I do feel we have missed Stones and his ability to pass through into the midfield, rather than Vinny being pressed more effectively and passing more regularly to the full back positions?

The ball seems to be kicked longer a lot more by Eddy of late, which might be as a result of all this?

Defending set pieces so high doesn't give our keeper much of chance if someone connects.

Good analysis. Definitely right about Edersons distribution.

 

[Ancient Citizen]

"Typical City" is a bloody myth, along with gypsy's curses and the magic that's supposed to reside in the badges of such as the rags' and the scousers' badges, the "United way" and Arsenal always being the "best passing team"in the PL. It's all superstitious nonsense which, if anything, serves to shut our crowd up when the team needs them most. Hands up all those who actually believe last Wednesday's result was because European success is in Liverpool's genes? Or Saturday's because "Mourinho always finds a way"? Or because it's typical City? Absolute rubbish which comforts rags and others in their belief that some malign force makes sure we'll never be any good.

Well said. There are no underlying sinister forces lurking, Gremlin like, to ensure City will always be the tremulous
underdogs, forever worrying about this bollox needs consigning to 'Istory.'
Liverpool have already been chased down and overtaken by City, to lose the Premier League title, in a manner
that was far more gut wrenching to them, than the recent 3-0 was to us.
The Rags have also seen the title snatched from them in what was, and almost certainly will remain, the most
exciting finish in history, imagine how that must feel.
We have stumbled against two good teams, because these teams pulled their tripes out against us, were beneficiaries
of bad refereeing, and are where they are in the league because they don't have, what we have in spades, and that
is consistency. Liverpool followed up their 4-3 against us with a beating from then bottom of the table Swansea,
something the Dippers around me conveniently erased from memory, and followed up the win last week with a toothless
display against Everton, the Rags have lost to Huddersfield and Newcastle, amongst others.
We have lost, just, only twice, which is why we are ensconced at the top of the league, and no amount of crowing from
Rags and Dipper fans will alter the fact that this league will be going to Manchester City, the Rags may win the FA cup, the Dippers
had better win the CL, or all the screaming, vandalism, 'Special European night' bullshit will be just that.
So no more 'Typical City,' those days are well behind us.
If you were offered the scenario we have now, including the two losses, at the start of the season, would you take it?
Of course you fucking would, we all would, so let's get the job finished and bring on the piss ups.

 

[inbetween]

One continued area of concern for me is the type of goal we have conceded of late, certainly since Vinny came back?

That clipped inswinging cross between our two centre backs has found Vinny and Otamendi wanting, which is a surprise because it should be a question of aerial prowess and not raw pace doing us over the top.

That suggests a positional or communication issue between the pair.

I do feel we have missed Stones and his ability to pass through into the midfield, rather than Vinny being pressed more effectively and passing more regularly to the full back positions?

The ball seems to be kicked longer a lot more by Eddy of late, which might be as a result of all this?

Defending set pieces so high doesn't give our keeper much of chance if someone connects.

We are vulnerable because we lose our shape when the heat is on. When we win the ball back we need to hold it to calm things down but we take big risks trying to get it forwards quick although that is also why we have scored so many... It will always be an achilles heal when we play the way we do.

I thought we defended exactly as expected but because we stopped defending by keeping the ball from the front, we lost control of the game from the back and the mistakes crept in. We just aren't a team that can defend and absorb attacks because as with Liverpool all it takes is a bit of pressing and good movement and it goes to total pot.

That is why we HAVE to keep the ball and make sure the players are on to take the sting out. The best example of this was at Everton where they got their goal but we didn't give them a sniff of the ball and the game died out.

We should of come out in the second half to pass United to death but we were setup to press for the 3rd but they had figured us out. Without KDB or anyone in the centre Mourinho figured to give Pogba a bit more freedom and well we soon found out that we couldn't deal with him roaming through the middle.

After that they could change their shape to defend and it was us with the ball and the second half of the Liverpool game all over again. We could of played for another hour in those games and not scored. Pep will say we should of done the damage and I agree but with a little discipline and control we would never of conceded the goals in any of the last 2 games.

 

[waspish]

If Saturday was a 100m race it would be the equivalent of someone taking a 30m lead before doing a hamstring and pulling up 5m short.

Someone else may have crossed the line first, but no one is under any doubts about who is better, and the difference in quality.

Mourinho can't brag about winning because the first half will have been one of the most humiliating moments of his life as a manager. He was standing there helpless as his side got cut apart at will, and even though he ended up on the winning side, the abyss that was the gulf in quality between us in that first half will have left an impression.

He knows they have got an almighty gap to close just to make next season competitive.

He knows his methods of managing will always give us the advantage.