Firstly would just like to congratulate city and thought they were excellent yesterday. Haven't seen us dominated like that for 90 mins in a long long time at Old Trafford and yes I don't count the Moyes era. They play football the right way and I believe they can go the full season unbeaten as long as they keep De Bruyne and Silva fit.
However our tactics...oh my god what was that?
Absolutely no game plan whatsoever. After 10 mins the crowd was dead and you could feel the tension from the off and that stemmed from our style of play. The constant hoofing was embarassing especially from Rojo. Sorry but it's not what a supposed top team should be doing no matter who you're against.
Secondly I think it's fair to say the martial and rashford either side of Lukaku doesn't work. Many were crying out for it but it's clear we become too narrow. They are more impact players the both of them at the moment.
Thirdly I have noticed in recent games from Watford onwards how easily it is to bypass our midfield. I said after the Watford game it was worrying how many times their midfielders had clear runs at our defence. We don't even attempt to make a tackle until the player is on the edge of our own box. Happened at Arsenal so often they created an absolute barrel load of chances and yesterday we finally got punished for it. The gap between our two holding midfielders and lingard was huge and one of de bruyne or Fernandinho time and time again just filled it. How could Jose not see this?
It's clear on every single one of our big games that there is still a lot wrong with this team. For me for a start we need a strong CM and start playing 3 in the middle in the big games.
However Jose more than anyone is too account for yesterday's loss. His tactics, his hoofball, his lack of change in system and his substitutions were diabolical yesterday
Recent tactics
posted on 11/12/17
We've gotten into ta strange habit recently where our midfielders sit very, very deep - almost on top of the CB's when we haven't got the ball.
It means the opposition can retain possession very high up the pitch without much pressure on the ball. We end up getting boxed in and then just hoofing it upfield because it's impossible to play it out when everyone is under pressure.
We need to get three men in CM - Matic, Pogba and Herrera, with Matic sitting and the other two able to go and engage the opposition midfielders. I know Pogba was out so not possible against City but I think that's the way we need to go. Otherwise we cede too much possession to the opposition deep into our own half.
posted on 11/12/17
Yep,we sit incredibly deep.
So deep infact that it's,strangley,not giving the defence to breath and have a CB carry out the ball because there's no central midfielder infront of him.Yesterday that midfielder would be besides him or even behind.
We had no smooth transitions yesterday.The distance between Lingard and our midfied seemed quite large and it got worse between Lingard and Lukaku.Who was usually the sole person in City's half.
But City's gameplan had a big say it that.Once again we cant seem to get our heads around teams with a constant press,though that's easier said than done.
posted on 11/12/17
Set up wise City pressing made us look like this:
-------------------------DDG
Valencia----Smalling---Rojo--Young
--------------Matic----Herrara
Martial---------------------------------Rashford
------------------Lingard----------------------
------------------Lukaku----------------------
posted on 11/12/17
Liverpool fan in peace ..
I dont understand the hoofball stuff ye play ...
Theres some nippy little players in that united squad ...
posted on 11/12/17
comment by THE FROG BROTHERS (U13008)
posted 3 minutes ago
Liverpool fan in peace ..
I dont understand the hoofball stuff ye play ...
Theres some nippy little players in that united squad ...
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With a manger too scared to let his team express themselves.
Jose is a handbrake for players like martial and rashford.
posted on 11/12/17
Never thought I'd say this....
But good article Python I agree with much of what you say.
posted on 11/12/17
Comment Deleted by Site Moderator
posted on 12/12/17
comment by Dunc (U11713)
posted 7 hours, 13 minutes ago
i dont think the tactics were that bad.
city were always going to have more possession of the ball, that was a given.
the fact is, they created very little despite having the majority of the ball, and we gifted them both goals.
sure, the defending wasnt great for ours either, but it was individual errors that cost us.
had lukaku taken his chance, people would have been happy.
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This is playground reasoning, Dunc.
They didn't create little, they created loads. Their front men, Jesus, Sane and Sterling, all had a terrible day in the final third. Kept choosing the wrong options, misplacing the final ball or miscontrolling the ball in promising positions. Even Silva and at times De Bruyne we more error prone than usual.
You can't really say it was down to good defending either, they created countless openings they just didn't capitalise on.
Shots or clear chances are totally misleading if you just take them in isolation.
Also, what's with the moaning about individual errors when you scored from one of the worst mistakes of the game and one of your biggest other chances came from an awful mistake too.
People would've been happy if Lukaku had taken his chance not because of your football, but because maybe 9 times out of 10 you lose a game like Sunday's, and they know it.
posted on 17/12/17
Firstly would just like to congratulate city and thought they were excellent yesterday. Haven't seen us dominated like that for 90 mins in a long long time at Old Trafford and yes I don't count the Moyes era.
.....
Statistically that was one of our best games in our last 4 league games We are getting dominated most games so Man City doing it wasn't a suprise.
posted on 17/12/17
They didn't create little, they created loads. Their front men, Jesus, Sane and Sterling, all had a terrible day in the final third. Kept choosing the wrong options, misplacing the final ball or miscontrolling the ball in promising positions. Even Silva and at times De Bruyne we more error prone than usual.
.......
Does that mean LVG was a genius then as we used to keep tons of possession and have tons of touches in the opposition box. I don't remember a LVG side having that much possession and territory and creating so little.