Manchester United banter 74648

 

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03 Feb 2017 19:12:02
Having had time to read all the posts I think everybody makes valid points in their own right.

After getting over the disappointment of Wednesdays result and my predictable over reaction to it, I can't help finding myself agreeing more and more with a post from Betty yesterday when he said 'football is all about putting the ball in the back of the net, put that right and we'll be OK! ' State the f. obvious I thought when I first read it but he's right!

I'm as guilty as anybody about over reacting to every bad result, over analysing every bad performance or poor result and scrutinising every player but Betty was right again when he said that we've been dominating most games and creating plenty of chances. (A change of tactics or players won't necessarily improve this) .
The main problem has been we haven't been anywhere near good enough at converting big chances into goals.

Since the Chelsea debacle I think we've played some good football, looked pretty solid defensively and created some fantastic chances and we rarely look like getting beat. If we'd been more efficient and ruthless in front of goal most of those 9 draws would be victories and we'd be much further up the table. It's fine margins.

In relation to Pogba I think he was a fantastic signing. I agree he has been disappointing in some games and not settled as fast as we'd all have liked or even expected but the lad oozes class in my opinion. I've lost count of the number of times he has hit the post or missed presentable chances but at least he is effecting the game. Even on his off days he still effects the game by either creating chances or getting himself into goal scoring positions. If he'd been a bit luckier or a touch more clinical we'd all probably be saying what a good season he's having. It's those fine margins again.
Let's be honest would we really all prefer to be watching Fellaini, Morgan, Bastien, Fletcher, Cleverly, Anderson the list goes on, who have all been brought in over the years to replace Keane and Scholes. Surely we can all agree he's a class above all those. (Maybe with the exception of Bastien at his best) . If we dropped Pogba where's the alternative?

In relation to Zlatan maybe I have been a touch harsh! I still don't think he gives us enough in terms of his pace, movement or intensity but at 35 he wasn't brought in to do that role. I'd have liked to have seen him rotated more with Rashford, to keep him fresh and to allow Rashford to continue his development in his most effective position but this hasn't happened. Jose obviously trusts him and it's no coincidence that our winning streak coincided with his run of goals. I actually think that the fate of our season probably rests on his shoulders. It's plainly obvious that if fit, he will play every minute of every remaining league game. If he can bag another 10-12 league goals (tall order) we'll have a great chance of finishing in the top 4. I don't expect him to get much help as Jose continually rotates our wide players which is probably a reason why we haven't seen much consistency from the players fighting for those positions.

This brings me right back to the beginning, all the analysis regarding formations, players, tactics won't change the one thing we've failed to do this season; put away our chances. It's the fine margins after all. Maybe some shooting practice might help.

Agree3 Disagree2

03 Feb 2017 20:08:27
The formation and tactics might influence it though. One up front doesn't help particularly when he is impersonating a traffic bollard. If Ibra plays then let's play pace off him, it that means losing a wide player or one of Carrick, Pogba, Herrera. Personally, much as I have championed Carrick, I would play 442 with Pogba and Herrera (assuming Pogba pulls his finger out) and add in a pacey Nmbr 10 to play off Ibra (or even Rooney)

03 Feb 2017 20:22:50
I think 4-4-2 solves moat of our problems.
The cup ganes haven't been a worry for us generally.
It's the game against the lower half that hurts us. And the times when we've won, most of the times we played ultra attacking the last minutes and have shifted a winger to ST.
We need 4-4-2 against the teams that will sit back.
Against Leicester I would like us to a faster back 4 as they are a counterattacking team and do have some speedy players and we always struggle with the faster players. Vardy, Musa.

03 Feb 2017 20:35:27
Well said Danny! :)

A change of players, tactics or formations may change things for the better. Then again, they may not.

I don't think we need to try to re-invent the wheel. Just a bit a fine tuning. Personally, I think the one thing we do need (other than finishing those chances) is to get someone making runs in behind the opposition's defence, rather than dropping deep looking for the ball. I really don't care whether it if Miki, Martial or Rashford. Or any two or all three of them!
They are a capable of those runs and getting into goalscoring positions. We are too reliant on Zlatan for the goals, and we need more goal threat from elsewhere.
Irrespective of team selections and formations, they are all capable of putting the ball in the net. They just need to start doing it.

03 Feb 2017 20:47:47
AJH I totally agree that the amount of chances we create is influenced by the formation and tactics but I also think Betty was spot on in the fact that we are not struggling to create chances merely missing a lot of the opportunities that we have created. Having said that I do agree that we could play 4-4-2 especially at Old Trafford. If we played Rashford up with Zlatan and utilised his pace running the channels and stretching teams maybe that would give us more of an attacking intent and open space up for other players. I certainly think we can be more attacking and don't necessarily think we need a holding midfield player in every game.

What would make the biggest difference is if we could be more clinical!

I don't think we're that far away from having a really good team.

03 Feb 2017 21:13:55
With the exception of Arsenal and Chelsea playing each other, every team above us has winnable games this weekend. Sunday is probably our most important game of the season. We have improved dramatically since Chelsea but we are still in 6th, yet only 5 pts off second. I think to stand a chance of top 4 now we are going to have to get 3 pts at 2 out of the 3 City, Spurs and Arsenal games and win all our remaining home games.

03 Feb 2017 21:16:22
Totally agree Betty we definitely need runners in behind I believe this would make a massive difference. Miki, Rashford and Martial should all be capable of making theses runs and putting the ball in the net. I do think a slight change in tactics is needed to achieve this as I believe our wide players often play far to deep and spend a lot of their time in defensive positions covering the full backs which oftens means their far to deep and slow to get up in support of and beyond Zlatan. I think Jose can still be a touch pragmatic in this respect and maybe it's just a change of emphasis rather than any great tactical switch which could make all the difference!

03 Feb 2017 21:28:16
Danny, Betty, get a room boys.

03 Feb 2017 21:29:29
Danny, I'm only guessing here but I think this is why players like Shaw and Martial are out of favour with Jose. I think he wants his wife players and full backs to be able to get up and down the pitch - to get forwards when needed and get back to defend. This is not unusual for modern players, but with Martial and Shaw seemingly having issues with their attitudes in training, it may explain the situation.

03 Feb 2017 21:42:10
AJH sorry mate your right, I can't help finding myself agreeing with everything he says though 👏
All makes perfect sense to me 👍.

03 Feb 2017 22:10:07
My heart sank then Danny! What did you mean by that - "everything HE says"? Thought I was on a winner here : (

AJH is Just jealous because Daley Blind is spoken for😀.

03 Feb 2017 22:48:32
Everybody going on about only being 5 points off second. That would be fine if we were in third. As it is, we have two teams to get past to even finish in 4th.

03 Feb 2017 23:02:39
Sorry Betty I'm relatively new to the site, certainly when it comes to posting anyway I just assumed you were a bloke? How bad am I?

Anyway you appeal to my softer and more moderate side I was ranging after Wednesday thank you for offering me some perspective!

03 Feb 2017 23:44:47
Oh, you are a very bad boy Danny😈😈 lol.

04 Feb 2017 00:41:46
Biggest problem is our play is too narrow. No wingers and the full backs don't attack. So the play is narrow and predictable. If we have balls coming in from wide areas, then the chances will be more frequent and easier to convert.
It's easy to say we don't put the ball in the back of the net. It's obvious and we said that 2 months ago. Bit it is the quality and frequency of chances that need to imorove and if we don't have attack minded full backs, then we won't improve.







 

 

 
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