Manchester United Team Talk/Gossip/Rumours Thread - See Mod Warning in OP, 09/11

Vic Vinegar · 09-12-2014 04:17AM

Blatter wrote: »

If LVG goes with 3-5-2 v Liverpool on Sunday I will tear my hair out. Thus far it has been an utterly disastrous formation for us. Our two wins with it were very lucky. The team is just not comfortable with it, almost all of the players to a man look like a fish out of water in it.

If Rafael and Shaw are back, we'll go back to a back four, i'm sure of it. Maybe.

Blatter · 09-12-2014 04:24AM

Bombleswizzum wrote: »

If Rafael and Shaw are back, we'll go back to a back four, i'm sure of it. Maybe.

Even if they're not, we should still go back to the back 4. The 3-5-2 is shocking with this team. Absolutely toothless in attack with it and constantly inviting pressure.

Giggsy11 · 09-12-2014 05:27AM

Since the QPR game (counting from here as our new signings played in this game)

Played: 12
Won 8
Lost: 2
Draw: 2

Points: 26/36 (2.16 PPG)
Goals scored: 24
Goals conceded: 12

Results are improving, hopefully out injury record improves as we need all our players back fit for busy Christmas period.

Giggsy11 · 09-12-2014 06:25AM

edgecutter wrote: »

Just remember the fixture list we had after WBA and all the pool fans saying they would pull away from us

Tbh they did

Mitch Connor · 09-12-2014 08:21AM

Performances need to improve, a lot, quickly. We won't continue to get away with this as we have done vs Southampton and Arsenal especially.

Desperately missing full backs, fit defenders and Di Maria.

kstand · 09-12-2014 08:28AM

Mitch Connor wrote: »

Performances need to improve, a lot, quickly. We won't continue to get away with this as we have done vs Southampton and Arsenal especially.

Desperately missing full backs, fit defenders and Di Maria.

Not to talk of how poor and laboured midfield has been - last night in particular, utterly shocking. How long is it going to take for people to get whatever blinkers off and realise that feillaini and Mata are not central midfielders. Feillaini will "put himself about", but he slows the game down and he creates nothing and his work rate is also questionable - its no coincidence we are struggling to create chances. He can be effective up front holding the ball up behind a striker, but he's not a midfielder yet there are plenty on this forum who cant see that.
I think things will improve when Di Maria, Jones and Shaw come back in. Though we are woefully short for cover on the right flank right now - Toni got plenty of chances to take on players last night and refused every time bar once I think. A new pacy right winger is a must ay some point soon.

The Moldy Gowl · 09-12-2014 09:14AM

I think the 3 5 2 works when we know the team are gonna attack us like arsenal. It does have it's merits, just not when you have youth teamers playing in a massive away match.

But we need di Maria playing so we can counter. I thought the system worked at arsenal but the players were nervous last night.

beno619 · 09-12-2014 09:49AM

kstand wrote:

Not to talk of how poor and laboured midfield has been - last night in particular, utterly shocking. How long is it going to take for people to get whatever blinkers off and realise that feillaini and Mata are not central midfielders. Feillaini will "put himself about", but he slows the game down and he creates nothing and his work rate is also questionable - its no coincidence we are struggling to create chances. He can be effective up front holding the ball up behind a striker, but he's not a midfielder yet there are plenty on this forum who cant see that.

I think he just had a sh!te game last night nothing more nothing less.

I think the system is the blame for poor performances last night.

advertsfox · 09-12-2014 09:54AM

Ronald Koeman said for great words last night for the people who are faulting our performance, it wasn't pretty but as LVG said before he wants us playing the entire 90 minutes, not 60. Anyway, Koeman basically said "yes Manchester may have made more mistakes tonight, but so did we - we didn't take advantage of them mistakes, where the (Man Utd) players did and this is why they won. We didn't loose to Manchester United, we lost ourselves".

Good honest answer, it wasn't pretty for us but as a Southampton fan - it wasn't pretty either. FIFA stats, lots of shows but never tested us.

kstand · 09-12-2014 10:08AM

beno619 wrote: »

I think he just had a sh!te game last night nothing more nothing less.

I think the system is the blame for poor performances last night.

Feillaini "puts himself about" as someone else posted and it looks like he's doing his job but he slows the game down something chronic, cant play a killer pass and is not creative in the slightest - its no coincidence we are struggling to create chances with him in the midfield.
LVG has got very lucky in recent weeks - I always felt it would end in tears with him, but I'll give him the benefit of the doubt for now as we have so many injuries.

bucketybuck · 09-12-2014 10:10AM

beno619 wrote: »

I think the system is the blame for poor performances last night.

Like Neville said, this United squad have plenty of free time these days to work on that system, it shouldn't be used as an excuse for the pathetic performance in midfield and attack. The defense gets a pass because of the constant disruption but the likes of Mata, Felliani and Rooney have no excuses, they were just utterly rubbish.

Mitch Connor · 09-12-2014 10:11AM

beno619 wrote: »

I think he just had a sh!te game last night nothing more nothing less.

I think the system is the blame for poor performances last night.

I think basically most the team played terribly. Made poor decisions, poor passes and poor control - I don't think the system was the reason for all those mistakes. I think too much is made of the system.

As for Fellaini - I have been caustious in my praise of him as I didn't think he was doing everything we need of a CM. He was putting himself about and getting into the box late, well, but I felt his passing was letting himself and us down. However, I'm also not going to hammer him for last night either. He was terrible, imo. Possibly the worst out there in the first half - but I'm not going to write him off again because of it. Same as yourself, I think he just had a very bad game last night. He can, and will do better.

Such a bad performance last night. Could have taken Mata off in the first half for all the good he was doing. Not entirely his fault as our overall use of possession was terrible but good lord, it was shocking last night!

Backstreet Moyes · 09-12-2014 10:41AM

What's peoples opinions tonight do we want a Liverpool win or them not to qualify. It doesn't bother me either way i wouldn't mind them going through i want out rivals to have as many tough games as possible.

Hococop · 09-12-2014 10:45AM

Nuts102 wrote: »

What's peoples opinions tonight do we want a Liverpool win or them not to qualify. It doesn't bother me either way i wouldn't mind them going through i want out rivals to have as many tough games as possible.

Europa would be a good result keeps them with extra games

Will I Amnt · 09-12-2014 10:46AM

Hococop wrote: »

Europa would be a good result keeps them with extra games

This is the ideal scenario.

Backstreet Moyes · 09-12-2014 10:48AM

While i can agree Fellaini is not a defence split type passer he was without a doubt put an end to the myth he is a poor passer.

Beside last night he showed the last few games that he is very capable of playing quick and accurate passing.

What Fellaini offers is a genuine threat we have missed for years when we get a set piece.
He also offers steel in the middle we have missed for years we are not getting walked through.

You don't need every cm to be creative if your playing 3 in the centre. Most teams need a good hacker in midfield and that's what Fellaini is. But the performance last night was awful from him;

Backstreet Moyes · 09-12-2014 10:50AM

Hococop wrote: »

Europa would be a good result keeps them with extra games

To be honest if i was Liverpool fan with the way the league started i would be happy enough going into the Europa. Top 4 looks a way off and the Europa now offers a Champions league place. It would probably be more ideal for us they should have more game just the thought of listening to them if they won it.

wadacrack · 09-12-2014 10:52AM

Mata is just not delivering..37m is looking like way too much money and dont let the stats fool you not the same player as teh one at Valencia

sky88 · 09-12-2014 10:53AM

Nuts102 wrote: »

To be honest if i was Liverpool fan with the way the league started i would be happy enough going into the Europa. Top 4 looks a way off and the Europa now offers a Champions league place. It would probably be more ideal for us they should have more game just the thought of listening to them if they won it.

this is what i would want if i was a Liverpool fan shudder. it seems like it could be a better way to get back in think Everton and Spurs should be doing this as well which would benefit us as i dont think its a coincidence teams play crap after Euorpa league

Julez · 09-12-2014 10:53AM

Mitch Connor wrote: »

Performances need to improve, a lot, quickly. We won't continue to get away with this as we have done vs Southampton and Arsenal especially.

To be fair, you're right.

I know it annoyed the hell out of me last year when Moyes kept saying "luck", but we've definitely been luckier this past while than last year!

TheDoctor · 09-12-2014 10:55AM

With third place now in the bag, which midtable club do we want to see finish behind us in fourth?

bangkok · 09-12-2014 11:00AM

have to say last night was one of the worst united performances I've seen in years. shocking bad. fellaini in my eyes, will never be a united player. Awful last night. the pass that lead to the Southampton goal you wouldn't see it on a sunday morning pub league match.

Smalling will be a huge loss, looked liked he was starting to come into form and judging by last night he tore his groin and will be out for 4-6 weeks.

Rojo looks like a disaster waiting to happen or maybe he just needs a settled back 4 around him wont be too hard on him but he needs to step up his game.

Mata.....Mata, well he is very likeable but I don't think its ever going to work out at united for him. He is not a united player, too slow and cannot play on the wing. We already have rooney for the no10 role. if Valencia or Athletico came in with a 25-30m bid I would sell him.

Best thing about last night was the 3 points, forget about the performance and move onto sundays massive game where we can end liverpools bid for a top 4 position

Mantis Toboggan · 09-12-2014 11:08AM

Great result but another woeful performance. Probably our worst performance of the season except for the Leicester and mk dons game.

3 at the back hasn't worked, didn't work last night and probably won't work in the future. That needs to be scrapped before it starts costing us points.

Mata: this guy should not be on the field unless we are guaranteed to have at least 60% possession.

Smalling injured again.... Played well while he was on but the lad is made from glass, patience is surely wearing thin with him. Seems to be a never ending story, not just with him but also with Jones, Evans and Rafael.

RVP was fantastic, won every duel, looked sharp and 2 crucial goals. Possibly his best performance for 2 seasons.
Carrick also played well, brings a composure which we don't have without.

If we can beat Liverpool Sunday it will have been a great week.

homerjay2005 · 09-12-2014 11:13AM

its absolutely excellent to be in 3rd after the horrific start to the season and the injury lists we have had. the injuries have stopped us having any momentum though of course 5 wins in a row dispels that.

the performances are horrific though, standard of football awful but you know what, we will take it until the team settles down. this 3 at the back stuff has to stop though, it doesnt do us any favours at all.

our away support was sensational last night, we have the best fans in the league.

The Moldy Gowl · 09-12-2014 11:17AM

Nuts102 wrote: »

What's peoples opinions tonight do we want a Liverpool win or them not to qualify. It doesn't bother me either way i wouldn't mind them going through i want out rivals to have as many tough games as possible.

Liverpool were never going to be our rivals this year with the quality we brought in/left go compared to them.

ElChe32 · 09-12-2014 11:20AM

Just had a wee gawk into the scouse forum...suggestions like "Shane Long could do a job for us" "Robbie Keane" "Defoe" "John Walters"...jaysus panic is setting in big time there. Need to stuff them on Sunday!

bucketybuck · 09-12-2014 11:24AM

While Van Persie did work hard, last night showed again why we struggle creatively. We simply cannot play through the middle.

We persist with Rooney and Van Persie up front and they both do the exact same thing when the ball is played into them. When the ball hits their feet with their back to goal, they immediately play the ball out to either the left or right wing. No intricate one-twos with a midfielder or each other, no lay off to an oncoming player, every time it goes out wide. Just watch any game, you will see the same move over and over. Ball gets worked forward to Van Persie, he immediately sweeps it wide. Ball goes to Rooney, he immediately goes wide.

The problem is of course that this means the ball is always ending up with the creative black holes that are Young and Valencia, and so the ball either gets kicked away or passed back to where we started. No doubt this is all a legacy of years of wing play at Manchester United but by god it has become easy to defend against.

United simply cannot play through the middle. Its why I don't like Rooney as a number 10 and its why I am so disappointed with Mata, they are the reason we don't see any creative runs, passes, dribbles or vision in that middle third. The only person to actually get the ball and run through the middle last night was Evans, a central defender.

TheDoctor · 09-12-2014 11:24AM

How the "mighty" have fallen

homerjay2005 · 09-12-2014 11:24AM

ElChe32 wrote: »

Just had a wee gawk into the scouse forum...suggestions like "Shane Long could do a job for us" "Robbie Keane" "Defoe" "John Walters"...jaysus panic is setting in big time there. Need to stuff them on Sunday!

thats called "The Ricky Lambert effect".

their new signings last summer, have been by and large, absolutely shambolic. all they needed to do was sign one top class striker, and 2 or 3 other top class players, but they somehow mananged to actually weaken their squad by buying absolute tripe.

beating them is a must this Sunday.

kstand · 09-12-2014 11:31AM

bucketybuck wrote: »

While Van Persie did work hard, last night showed again why we struggle creatively. We simply cannot play through the middle.

We persist with Rooney and Van Persie up front and they both do the exact same thing when the ball is played into them. When the ball hits their feet with their back to goal, they immediately play the ball out to either the left or right wing. No intricate one-twos with a midfielder or each other, no lay off to an oncoming player, every time it goes out wide. Just watch any game, you will see the same move over and over. Ball gets worked forward to Van Persie, he immediately sweeps it wide. Ball goes to Rooney, he immediately goes wide.

The problem is of course that this means the ball is always ending up with the creative black holes that are Young and Valencia, and so the ball either gets kicked away or passed back to where we started. No doubt this is all a legacy of years of wing play at Manchester United but by god it has become easy to defend against.

United simply cannot play through the middle. Its why I don't like Rooney as a number 10 and its why I am so disappointed with Mata, they are the reason we don't see any creative runs, passes, dribbles or vision in that middle third. The only person to actually get the ball and run through the middle last night was Evans, a central defender.

The funny thing is that if he had been able to play Feillaini up where Rooney was and Rooney in front of a midfield trio with Herrara and Carrick, we would have had lots more joy and an outlet to knock balls up to in Feillaini.

Manchester United Team Talk/Gossip/Rumours Thread - See Mod Warning in OP, 09/11

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