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27 Apr 2015 08:20:51
Couple more musings on yesterday's game,

I see the criticism of McNair has started. From being one of our best players last week against Chelsea, some are now saying he'll never make it here. How do we know that?

He's 19 or 20, playing his first season in the first team, in a position that he's still only started learning, with a tactical philosophy he's never trained at before, in a stop-start season. This was only his second start in months, and we expected what, exactly? Kids his age are always going to be a little more inconsistent in their performances.

It may well be that he doesn't make it at Utd, but are we really going to write him off after a few dodgy performances over a season? He doesn't just get to play for the Utd first-team by accident. I'm sure there were many other reserve players all us armchair experts expected to be called upon earlier in the season during our injury crisis, before McNair, but an experienced, international manager saw something in him.

Sydney will call me biased because he's an Ulsterman, but I've genuinely liked what I've seen from him this season. There have been mistakes during his very steep learning curve, but there have also been some really pleasing displays which makes me think he has a future at the club.

The other point was just a little quibble over the 'bad day at the office' comments. There seems to be a general consensus that it 'was just one of those days'. I was guilty of it last season, in an attempt to try and downplay the pressure mounting on Moyes, so I'm not getting at anyone. Just a general observation that we seem to be a bit more ready to write off defeats these days. Since when did a 2-0 loss to a mid-table team just become, 'one of those things'? I remember hating losing any game, and thinking any loss, to any team, was an absolute travesty. Now, there seems to be a collective shrug of the shoulders.

Just remembered one last thing - the away support yesterday was absolutely immense as always, but I was disgusted with the usual few brainless morons who chanted during the minute's silence.

Apologies for the random ramblings, but I'm lying wide awake after my last nightshift, and my mind's all over the place at the minute.

Agree4 Disagree0

27 Apr 2015 09:22:36
Stevie,

I don't think people are saying it is a 'bad day at the office' to downplay any pressure or anything like that, the aim as far as I am still aware is top 4, it would be nice if we could get 2nd or 3rd but not a necessity, it was always going to be an up and down season and fortunately over the last couple of months there has been a lot more ups and downs. The results against City, Liverpool and Everton meant we had a 'little bit in hand' and while it would be great to just win all of our games and finish 2nd it was never going to be that easy (I still think if we win the rest of our games we will finish 2nd as City will not win all 4).

It is horrible when we lose, I hated yesterday, but it is not a travesty, like it was never a travesty to lose a game under Sir Alex, we lost 5-0 to Newcastle and Chelsea, 4-1 to Spurs (in a title winning season) if I remember correctly, it is horrible at the time, but it is how you bounce back from a defeat like that that is important. Last week we were unlucky in defeat and played well, yesterday we were unlucky but played badly, it was not a good performance, but we have allowed ourselves a chance to have a bad game with the previous results. The players will hopefully show up next Saturday for a big performance as we play before City and Arsenal and a win will take us 2nd and put a bit of pressure on.

I agree about McNair, he definitely has something, he can bring the ball out of the back with confidence which I believe is the reason LVG chose him over some of the other players in the reserves. His positional awareness is OK at time but other times he lacks in this area and this could be his downfall, but as a young player he can learn. I wouldn't mind him being a backup to Smalling, Jones, Rojo and a new signing next season and getting games in cup matches and covering for injuries.

27 Apr 2015 09:58:09
Stevie if I or Beast wrote your comment we would be getting slated. Glad to see I am not the only one misunderstading the 'bad day at the office' attitude.

Also I agree about the supporters during the minutes silence, shameful.

27 Apr 2015 10:14:51
Obviously meant Spurs not Everton, bad start to the day!

JMB,

I think the difference is that Stevie's post is pretty balanced and he does not come across like he is just moaning and has been waiting for a bad result to make a point like some of yours and Beast's posts. If your posts were like that then there would be nothing to 'get slated' about.

27 Apr 2015 10:21:53
my main gripe about the last 2 games is the amount of times we went wide and just tried to cross , with next to no players in the box.
chelsea and everton set up to make us play a certain way and we continued to play into there hands .

4th place looks nailed on to me tho

27 Apr 2015 12:12:55
jred,

I agree with everything in that post, there has been a lot to learn from the last 2 games and hopefully we will.

27 Apr 2015 14:34:48
GDS, it's not about finishing 2nd, 3rd or 4th to me, really. I would have taken anywhere in the top 4 at the start of the season, so at the minute things are as they should be (though I fancy it might still get a little bit squeaky bum near the finishing line).

It's just that normally Utd fans would be spitting feathers after a defeat, especially against one of our rivals. Yet last week we patted ourselves on the back for giving Chelsea a go, and this week we let out a resigned sigh over a loss to Everton. Now, I know why that's the case, considering where we've come from recently, and like I said, I've been as guilty as anyone. It just doesn't seem right and I'm annoyed at myself a little for becoming so accepting of losing.

Jred, I agree on the crossing - it was starting to look like Moyes against Fulham recently. I wouldn't mind - I love playing with wingers - except we don't have two wingers who can cross a ball, and we never have enough players in the box anyway, because our build-up play is so slow.

One more thing - Di Maria. Been so disappointed with his efforts lately. He just doesn't look interested. I'll always stick with my 'give a foreign player one full season to acclimatise' rule, and between his off-field trauma and his being shuffled around the team position-wise, I can understand his poor form to a degree (and before people start throwing assist statistics at me, I would suggest using your eyes rather than relying on bare stas). It's the 'can't really be bothered' attitude that he seems to be portraying that really concerns me. If he's not happy, and we can't make him happy, then we need to cut him loose. And I say that as someone who consistently banged the drum for his coming here, and who thought, on his day, he's capable of being one of the best in the world. I still do, and I hope he sorts himself out.

27 Apr 2015 15:02:25
99
i think and hope we will see a better di maria next season.
the tactics seem a bit odd of late imo we seem to play nothing through the middle and just look to work the ball out wide.
i think we will get 4 this season but to be honest i'm not sure if finishing above liverpool is that great an achievement this season.
but many seem to be happy with that, i honestly think we are better than that and should be aiming higher.

27 Apr 2015 15:23:35
Yeah, I was hoping for top 4 at the start of the season, on the understanding that Spurs, and Liverpool especially, would kick on this season. As it is, a threat from those two has failed to materialise, and I'm left feeling like we're underachieving a little.

27 Apr 2015 18:13:29
I think McNair has been fairly solid considering his age, the experience he is up against and certainly think any negativity at this stage from fans might be unwarranted and possibly detrimental to his development. Others have already stated the omission from the last two games was carrick and to me his injury highlights the obvious weak spot to be addressed.Blind played well in the centre but i still prefer him at left back in this moment. Shaw played well last two games but needs work on positioning and doesn't have the same effect attacking wise as blind in that position (blind will advance further forward when playing it out whilst shaw hangs back a bit plus blind supports young better albeit shaw showed improvement in this area in last game compared to Chelsea). Shaw is very young though and I am confident he will improve (but needs games). i'm not really sure what to make of di maria as I find myself often wondering why he makes the decisions he does, that said he has the shirt so he gets my support and hope he acclimatizes. I still think we have progressed this season and am hoping this result is the grounding required to kick on for the rest of the season. With regard to our lineup next year I haven't a clue but my instinct is rvp will still be here.

27 Apr 2015 18:38:14
i see blind as a squad player

27 Apr 2015 21:18:22
Jred long term I agree and see shaw there but at present think blind offers more. Obviously that's the quandary lvg has to decide as shaw will need games to develop his positioning and decision making. Ultimately then blind will become more of a utility squad player in my opinion (and a good one at that)

28 Apr 2015 06:19:30
Book

No chance Blind is first option. With our overlapping style of play where the full backs are getting forward, shaw's pace offers us defensive protection if we lose possession where Blind will be left for dead when teams run at you and end up pulling our centre backs out to the wide areas and open up the middle.

A healthy shaw is always for me first choice.

28 Apr 2015 07:42:54
Fair play gcu, respect your opinion mate but I just think differently. Whoever is picked I support them as I know from your posts you do too.







 

 

 
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