02 Sep 2019 14:45:02
We've been seeing United produce same disappointing performance match after match for the last 5 years. But what hurts more is the sheer incompetence of the club and coaching staff to realize some things which even the average fan can see.
Our set pieces are one of those. Arrival of Maguire finally brought some hope, and we seem to be a bit better when defending corners now as Maguire is actually winning aerial balls. But on the offence we still don't have any plan. It's OK for a team like City ( they are still better than us ) to not concentrate on set pieces offensively as they create too many chances per match but for us this should be one of the main things to focus on. We don't create much when we dominate possession. So maybe getting a goal from a set piece and then sitting back and playing on counter can be a good option until we get some better players.
I thought Maguire would bring something new but it's still the same old. Firstly we don't have even a single player who can provide good pin point crosses into the box. If we have a look at other premier league or even championship clubs, they all have at least 1 player capable of doing that. Secondly on every set piece our main goal threat Maguire is at the back post so far away from the goal that there is no chance of him scoring directly. His job is just to win the aerial duel somehow and head the ball back in to the middle just hoping that someone will get to it. Instead of using him through the middle to create problems team is using him as an assist provider, which can be a good option if we have other players capable of winning the ball but we don't have any.

1.) 02 Sep 2019
02 Sep 2019 15:25:57
Crosses are almost pointless for our team. Against Palace Young came on and completed 5 accurate crosses and we didn't score from any of them.

Who in our squad do you expect to score regular headed goals?

Crosses are notoriously inaccurate and more often than not give possession away. That's why many too coaches have moved away from that style of attack. If a player has a 25% success rate with crosses he is deemed one of the best in the world. Which means your giving the ball away at least 75% of the time.

I agree we need to be cuter with our set pieces. If we can get an extra 10 goals a season from set plays that could be the difference between top four or not.

2.) 02 Sep 2019
02 Sep 2019 16:08:46
We need someone who can take a setpiece.

3.) 02 Sep 2019
02 Sep 2019 16:13:58
Liverpool don't seem to have a problem scoring from crosses and neither do city. I don't recall either of these teams playing with a shaquille o’neal stature of player.

The reason why we don't score from crosses is that the delivery coming in is awful and our forwards don't make enough good runs to score in the box.

4.) 02 Sep 2019
02 Sep 2019 17:55:18
How many headers did Liverpool and City score last season?

5.) 02 Sep 2019
02 Sep 2019 18:59:15
Crosses do not have to be high you know! Liverpool and City score loads from crosses - not necessarily headers.

6.) 02 Sep 2019
02 Sep 2019 20:30:32
There was some quality crosses across the face of goal on Saturday and not once was our striker anywhere near, really wound me up!

7.) 02 Sep 2019
02 Sep 2019 21:36:50
I don't have the stats and can't be bothered to look them up but just using my eyeballs i have seen aguero and sterling score at least 50 goals under pep just from tap ins from low crosses.

With liverpool alexander arnold and robertson both got double figures in assists and a lot of them were from crosses.

You are allowed to work the ball into more promising crossing positions instead of the hit and hope crosses we seem to be putting in under mumerous managers.

8.) 02 Sep 2019
02 Sep 2019 22:38:44
Dsg great point. I would say that at least a third of their goals from from crosses. Albeit mainly lure crosses but do you know what they have? Players ruining into the box from all sorts of positions.
Martial can't be arsed half the time to make runs where he might get into a ball one in 10.
Rashford is not a natural striker in that way.
I know ole is working with them so maybe that will improve. Martial in particular looks more dangerous but you ciuld oick out half a dozen times in 3 games where he should have been making a run across his man but didn't. Our various imitation no 10s don't get into the box enough.
Everybody wants three ball to feet. No ruining off the ball. Rashford on saturday had loads of the ball running with it etc
I want my cf in the box finishing moves not trying to be involved Ebert minute.
Wasnt it rvn that scored a hat trick and only touched the ball 13 times in 90 mins.
Stop fannying around free kicks and corners and get into the box where goals are scored stop holdback on the edges for pull backs. let midfield runners do that.
Get into the box. in fact i'm considering changing my user name to getintothebleedinboxyamuppets because i say it about 10 times watching every game.

9.) 03 Sep 2019
03 Sep 2019 05:48:21
Great points Ken and DSG.
Our current forwards lack the instinct of a top goalscorer.

10.) 03 Sep 2019
03 Sep 2019 10:51:18
So I've looked at the stats for this season.

So far City have played 14 accurate crosses and scored none from them.

Liverpool have played 16 accurate crosses and score none from them.

We have played 18 accurate crosses and scored once from them.

So currently we play more crosses and have scored more from them than both City and Liverpool.

However, from 48 accurate crosses between all three teams only one goal has been scored. Hardly the best way to score goals. A 1 in 50 chance. When each team is averaging maybe 3-4 crosses each per game then each side on the current rate will score 2-3 goals each this season from crosses.

11.) 03 Sep 2019
03 Sep 2019 11:54:32
Shappy the stats physio, always has a way to massage them to fit his view.

12.) 03 Sep 2019
03 Sep 2019 20:18:09
Absolute nonsense shappy😂😂😂😂😂😂.