12 Nov 2018 08:33:01
Given it a few hours to let the rage die down.

Do our players not work on fitness? I assume the only reason we can't press the ball is that the team would be shagged after 10 minutes.

Yesterday, I watched a United team; in a derby, that had every man behind the ball? 35 yards from our goal. We were never going to lay a glove on City.

What did annoy me was that Rashford had the beating of the City CBs most of the time. He made intelligent runs between them when we tried to break and the right ball is never played. Part of the reason is that we dropped so deep that the midfield was too large. Trying to play intricate through balls from 35 yards will not work. Also, the players we have trying to make these passes. We need a player who all our game runs through. Yesterday, David Silva played on the left of a midfield three. Yet he set the pace of the game. Popped up everywhere, with deft touches and passes. Probing our defence.

We are a mile away from them. Its not even player talent. Its desire, workrate and commitment to the cause. It is also on Jose to take the shackles off. We are losing playing defensive football. i'd rather lose and have a bit of a go, have something about us. Make other teams worry about us instead of us worrying about them.


1.) 12 Nov 2018
12 Nov 2018 09:45:37
James - The way the game has evolved with better playing surfaces, the outlaw of forceful tackles combined with a lot of the physicality removed from the game means strength and power can no longer out muscle skill, technique and mobility.

Our dozy giants simply fell asleep from two crosses into the box (an area they are supposed to excel) and were passed dizzy, out thought and out manoeuvred by a superior football team.

The fact Jose turned to Lukaku to lead the line, a player without a goal in months, a player devoid of confidence with a questionable first touch just demonstrates that he's still reliant on strength and power but without giving it a platform to succeed. We're a dirty, seedy, grubby little halfway house.

Fellaini's role was bizarre why he wasn't deployed further up the field to allow us to play over their press at least trying to utilise his strength and height was criminal especially with the likes of Mata, Fred, Sanchez, Pereira in the squad. Fellaini either shields the back 4 from long balls or we play direct into his chest, letting him burst into the box and playing crosses or diagonal balls to the back post. To play him as a holding midfielder and expect him to track runners and manipulate the ball starting our attacks was madness especially when paired with the equally immobile and cumbersome Matic. Predictably we got exactly what we deserved. (This is no criticism of Fellaini by the way merely the use of him) .

We are caught in purgatory without identity or soul.

I think it's time to decide what kind of team we want to be. If we are to persist with Fellaini and Lukaku then let's play to their strengths. Let's get the ball into Fellaini, compete for he second balls, flick ons and knocks downs and play our football in the oppositions half. Let's get the ball out wide and put crosses into the box for Lukaku and get Fellaini joining him. Let's create havoc, chaos and panic. It might be about as subtle as a brick but that brick is capable of causing a bit of damage especially if there is some quality to back it up! If we have to play direct football then let's not apologise but do it properly and do it well.

If we want to play intricate football with combinations and fluidity then we have Mata, Fred, Pereira, Pogba, Sanchez, Lingard. If Jose doesn't think these players are good enough to play a passing, fluid style of football then Matic, Fellaini and Lukaku certainly aren't. Staying in the game and hoping for dead ball situations simply isn't good enough.

Without an identity how can we possibly hope to move forward and how do we identify the right players that can improve the team?!

It's time to choose one way or the other because what was served up yesterday simply won't suffice.


2.) 12 Nov 2018
12 Nov 2018 10:37:14
I don't think our players don't work on fitness, I think they are a bunch of outright lazy players who'd rather glide and jog on the pitch rather than sprint back or sprint forward.

The fact that none of our players identify tiny pockets of space while defending or even playing out of defence tells the intelligence that these players have. It was somewhere in the second half, Herrera tried to press one of Silva or Fernandinho and none of the defenders followed him to squeeze the space that the player could play the pass into. That's the basic essence of pressing, even my non-experienced brain knows that.

And as far as Rashford had the beating of the 2 City defenders then I think that's a lie. Rashford is still a kid, the way he plays is a sign that he is not progressing. He's that kid in the park, who will dribble and dribble and have no end result. Unfortunately, you can't be a one trick pony in football today (him knocking the ball past defenders and beating them in a foot race) .

Our players don't look comfortable on the ball, they don't know who to pass the ball to, they think about the next pass a couple of seconds after they get the ball, ideally, when you play at the highest level, it should be the other way around.

Bringing Lukaku on was a mistake, I remember a few years ago there was a discussion about him being a top-class forward and his jump from Everton to a big club would be the platform he needs to perform, week-in-week-out. And while we may argue that Jose's system doesn't suit him, I don't think Jose's system has got anyting to do with his atrocious first-touch. The fact that he has never presses the defenders or even attempts to close them down is blasphemy in my mind.

Jose ain't going to change his midfield. Matic will play, Fellaini, when fit, will most probably start. Fred is out, Pereira can't get look in and we have zero fluidity while going forward.

United's in a mix of something really wrong, while the manager is not helping the cause by rubbish post match talks, it's the players willingness to play football that really scares me.


3.) 12 Nov 2018
12 Nov 2018 13:33:02
Top post DLIB. Agree with everything you have said mate.


4.) 12 Nov 2018
12 Nov 2018 13:39:29
The fact of the matter is you work harder off the ball than you do on it. That's why more often than not teams with more possession tend to be the teams winning things come May.

City work incredibly hard off the ball, however, they only have to do that for 30-35% of the match, whereas, their opponents have to work hard for 65-70% of the match. That is why they look fitter, they don't have to work as hard over 90 minutes.

We have a team built for size and power, we don't have good mobility, and as such spend most of 90 minutes chasing shadows. We need more skill, and mobility if we are to compete with the top teams.