United post-match thread

[SWP's back]

Surely then it would have made more sense to have played a strong team yesterday, then rested players at the weekend

No. that would make no sense when the league is the priority and the league cup is 4th on a list of 4.

 

[purplenose]

You think City fans who prefer to focus on the league, Cl and FA cup than a derby match in the league cup are "rags in blue". Why do you think Pep chose to rest players then? Is it not because we actually DO have bigger fish to fry? And if that's the case why does that make us rags? I mean don't get me wrong, if I could choose I'd love to beat United every time. I'd also love to win every trophy. However that's not feasible. No team in the history of the english league has done the quadruple and given the physical intensity of the league now and the competitiveness I would find it absolutely remarkable if one team was ever going to win the treble again. All in all I think it's obvious why Pep rested players and I think it's naive and foolish of people to think we should have prioritised this match over any league match simply because the opponents are United. If that makes me a 'rag in blue' then so be it.

I agree with you in terms of winning the treble or the quadrouble, a near impossibility these days, infact I will go even further in saying I would be very surprised if a Premier league side wins both the title and the champions league in the same season.

My comments regarding Rags in blue is simply the kind of attitudes that Blues would traditionally rip into the rags about are becoming increasingly in evidence amongst our support in my opinion, an arrogance that I personally dont like but hey thats my problem....the price of success perhaps.

 

[simon23]

I read what you typed. If I just use my eyes and forget that Pep is our manager then last 6 games I see the same predictable football from last season. I'm sure that Pep will turn it around but I think you're vastly overstating the change in style and movement.

well i can clearly see a change in the style of the way we are playing...the vertical movement between the lines by a lot of players show me that.

 

[simon23]

Well you would both have been very wrong.

50-50 nothing more

 

[simon23]

If Pellegrini had played as weak a team as that in a Manchester Derby he'd be getting death threats by now.

MP got shit cause he played in one singular way and never ever changed despite it exposing weakness in numerous different areas of our squad including the centre halves, fullbacks and in particular in central midfield with yaya. .......Pep has taken numerous of the same players and instantly made them better (though I cant imagine he is very happy with Ottomendi at present cause he is still diving in all the time despite one public warning about it)

 

[SWP's back]

Why are contesting the derby and having runs in other comps mutually exclusive? Some people talk like this is gospel. Anyone remember when last night's opponents won the treble? (Not that we are contemplating that, but it does go to show).

And while we are at it, it's not a binary choice between resting nobody or forfeiting the match FFS. When it comes to rotation, there are several numbers between 0 and 9.

And finally, the usual smug smart-arses who claim only they understand football can fcuk off. Surely even those arrogant bastards might understand why opinion is divided if they actually paused for thought.

Yes United are the only English team to manage that treble however;

In the League Cup they beat Forest in the 4th round with a weakened team and lost in the 1/4 final 3-1 to Spurs with a weakened team.

You see they were able to win the FA Cup as it starts off with its own weekends and thus never clogs the midweeks in the same way as the League Cup and I'd certainly be disappointed if we played this reserve side in a derby in the 3rd or 4th round when they'd be no need to.

People that do understand football know why managers rest players for certain games in certain periods and we play 7 games in 21 days. Also the side that he put out was certainly not "binary", they had enough about them to win last night.

 

[SWP's back]

Hart decision was incorrect

Which keeper has cost his side more points and conceded more through personal individual error.

 

[Chippy_boy]

Give over mate, you know you meant starting 11 and are just backtracking.

As Millwall said, 2 potential starters and a couple of late subs.

Beating WBA at weekend is far more important imo, and resting players last night gives us a far better chance.

No, I didn't mean starting 11 actually. Obviously we didn't play 5 or 6 of our A team in the starting 11. I am not that stupid (I've only been following us for 49 years.)

And we should be able to beat WBA with whatever team we field.

 

[SWP's back]

The rags won the treble, not the quadruple i.e. the league cup. The prem league is far more competitive now than then. We play a system that relies on pressing thus working harder off the ball and more testing in terms of fitness over the course of a season. We've had a high number of games recently, two a week, due to the CL group stages. Resting players is an absolute must plus we have a few injuries. It's important we blood youngsters otherwise none of them will step up and would you rather do that in the league cup or in a league game?

If last night's opponents were Chelsea or Spurs I imagine people would feel very different. Yes we lost to a rival and no city fan likes that BUT criticising Pep for thinking about the bigger picture is wrong and misguided.

Let's see who has the better season come May. I'm pretty confident we won't be looking back on this game with hurt.

Funny you mention Spurs, they did exactly the same as us and lost to Liverpool and none of their fans give a toss judging by the two I work with.

 

[SWP's back]

No-one likes to lose a derby but this one is all about context,pep said before the game it is the least important one and the weekend and barca are bigger games and the team he put out reflected it,let the full first rag team bask in the glory of beating our b team and kids,it matters not in the grand scheme of things

Absolutely Kazzer.