Manchester United 2:2 Arsenal

iHicksy · Dec 5, 2018

Cee90 said:
Well that’s not the same is it?

I used Juventus as an example due to the fact that they are a much better team than us, one of the best in the world in fact. The teams you’ve mentioned there are not.

My point was that I feel we can beat better teams than us, as illogical as that may be, whereas I don’t think we’ll be seeing Arsenal beat some of the best teams in the world like Juventus.

But that doesn't really make sense does it? That was a one off, a fluke. It might hold water if we'd beaten Chelsea, Spurs and city this season and then lost/drawn with the rest. However the reality is we did the following;

We lost 3-0 to spurs
We drew 2-2 with Chelsea
We lost 1-0 to Juve
We beat Juve 2-1
We lost 3-1 to Man city

and then we've lost/drawn with the majority of clubs with not even a quarter of our budget or size.

We got a really, really lucky result vs Juventus because they missed chance after chance. Including open goals. It's an absolute fluke, an outlier. We can't beat teams better than us. It was literally once this season. We haven't beaten a single other "big" club.

Dolf · Dec 5, 2018

Hoping for this:

Dalot - Matic - Rojo - Shaw ——
Lingard - Fred - Herrera - Pogba
————- Lukaku — Martial ——

TheGame · Dec 5, 2018

DDG

Dalot
Smallling
Bailly
Rojo

Fred
Pogba
Herrara

Pereira
Lukaku
Martial

red4ever 79 · Dec 5, 2018

TheGame said:
DDG

Dalot
Smallling
Bailly
Rojo

Fred
Pogba
Herrara

Pereira
Lukaku
Martial

Smalling has a hairline fracture in his foot. Wont see him for a number of weeks now. Bailly is also out with a back injury

edit. I take that back. He is apparantly at the team hotel

No Idea For Nickname · Dec 5, 2018

No Matic and Felli? How dare you @TheGame ?

DRM · Dec 5, 2018

we're going to get mullered arent we

yamo123x · Dec 5, 2018

Would like to see Bailly and Pereira given a chance, cant be any worse than mctominay...

.

red4ever 79 · Dec 5, 2018

If I switch that TV on tonight and see Valencia starting ahead of Dalot and Matic, Fellaini starting instead of Pogba and Fred, I will lose my hat

RedDevilRoshi · Dec 5, 2018

What I want to see:

DDG

Dalot
Smalling
Bailly
Rojo

Fred
Herrera
Pogba

Mata
Rashford
Martial

What I expect to see:

DDG

Valencia
Smalling
Rojo
Darmian

Fellaini
Matic
Pogba

Lingard
Lukaku
Rashford

Bwuk · Dec 5, 2018

red4ever 79 said:
If I switch that TV on tonight and see Valencia starting ahead of Dalot and Matic, Fellaini starting instead of Pogba and Fred, I will lose my hat

Get ready to buy a new hat then.

RedSky · Dec 5, 2018

It's funny how with these updates fans and even the media are forgetting Phil Jones :lol:

red4ever 79 · Dec 5, 2018

Bwuk said:
Get ready to buy a new hat then.

I feel you bro. Tonight is a night where you cannot fail to get 11 out of 11 in the line up prediction thread.
De Gea
Valencia, Smalling, Rojo, Shaw
Matic, Fellaini, Pogba
Lingard, Lukaku, Martial

EwanI Ted · Dec 5, 2018

RedorDead21 said:
This is nonsense.....they don't want to follow his instructions.....his instructions have been proven to work for decades....his inability to convince players to do it is the issue. They might be unhappy playing in his style but It's probably more not willing to put 100% effort in for someone they dislike. His instructions are not that complex. Heard all this same stuff re LVG and his instructions...."Never our Fault" could be the tagline for united players.

Im looking at someone like Rashford or Lingard on the pitch, and Im not seeing a lack of effort there. Rather their play just seems totally aimless. Mourinho is known for not drilling his team in attacking areas & letting them figure it out, which is the exception rather than the rule in modern coaching, and that method just seems not to work with this group of players. Doesnt matter if that worked way back when, what matters is the squad he has right now.

Darkhorsez · Dec 5, 2018

iHicksy said:
But that doesn't really make sense does it? That was a one off, a fluke. It might hold water if we'd beaten Chelsea, Spurs and city this season and then lost/drawn with the rest. However the reality is we did the following;

We lost 3-0 to spurs
We drew 2-2 with Chelsea
We lost 1-0 to Juve
We beat Juve 2-1
We lost 3-1 to Man city

and then we've lost/drawn with the majority of clubs with not even a quarter of our budget or size.

We got a really, really lucky result vs Juventus because they missed chance after chance. Including open goals. It's an absolute fluke, an outlier. We can't beat teams better than us. It was literally once this season. We haven't beaten a single other "big" club.

To be fair, as much luck as we had against Juventus, we were unlucky not get the result away to Chelsea

breakout67 · Dec 5, 2018

EwanI Ted said:
Im looking at someone like Rashford or Lingard on the pitch, and Im not seeing a lack of effort there. Rather their play just seems totally aimless. Mourinho is known for not drilling his team in attacking areas & letting them figure it out, which is the exception rather than the rule in modern coaching, and that method just seems not to work with this group of players. Doesnt matter if that worked way back when, what matters is the squad he has right now.

This is blatantly a fabrication. Henry said that Pep Guardiola gives his attacker freedom in the final third and is obsessive about them not leaving their positions just like most managers off the ball.

Pretty much every top manger allows their attackers to adapt and be creative in their attacking patterns. It is necessary at the top level so as to not becoming so predictable.

If anything our major problem is that our defending is atrocious, both when it comes to pressing from the front and when defending our box.

Sied · Dec 5, 2018

KiD MoYeS said:
Pointless game for us, even if we win I can see us dropping points to Fulham at the weekend and getting battered by the bin dippers the following week. Only thing is if we get hammered tonight he will surely have to be sacked?

People have been saying that for months, and will probably continue to say it for months.

Infra-red · Dec 5, 2018

DRM said:
we're going to get mullered arent we

Hard to imagine a scenario in which they don't score at least two or three goals against us - only five teams in the entire league have a worse defensive record than we do and the last time Aubameyang had a shot on target saved was in August - his conversion rate this season is absolutely ludicrous.

I predict a comfortable Arsenal victory.

Buster15 · Dec 5, 2018

12OunceEpilogue said:
The problem is you don't win leagues by turning up every now and again to upset the form book/run of play like we did vs Juventus and City last year. You could possibly win a cup this way, but you'll find yourself struggling in the table when every game, regardless of quality of opponent, is a complete toss-up.

The most damning aspect of Jose is that we are the best part of three years into his tenure and there is not a scintilla of an idea what we'll get week after week. Draws, losses and wins are equally possible against any opponent, there's no pattern to our play, no consistency in our team selections, players in good form are benched, players in dire form start games. For a manager known as a cold calculator and pragmatist it's absolutely shocking how little apparent method there is to the madness going on at the club.

We could win tonight, we could play out the most boring 0-0 in history or we could get annihilated. It's ridiculous to go into games without any idea what will happen, apart from knowing Matic will play.

I understand. My post was slightly toung in cheak as so many United supporters have written us off already.

We will see soon. I am as apprehensive as anyone as I hate Arsenal with a passion.

EwanI Ted · Dec 5, 2018

breakout67 said:
This is blatantly a fabrication. Henry said that Pep Guardiola gives his attacker freedom in the final third and is obsessive about them not leaving their positions just like most managers off the ball.

Pretty much every top manger allows their attackers to adapt and be creative in their attacking patterns. It is necessary at the top level so as to not becoming so predictable.

If anything our major problem is that our defending is atrocious, both when it comes to pressing from the front and when defending our box.

Hazard made this point when Conte was all the rage.

“In tactics and training we do more with Conte. We work a lot of tactical positions and we know exactly what we have to do on the pitch, where I have to go and where the defenders have to go. We know exactly what to do. With Mourinho, he put in a system but we didn’t work lots. We know what to do because we play football, but maybe the automatisms were a little bit different.”

Besides, you only need look at what's happening on the pitch, our attacking play has been sporadic throughout Mourinho's time.

Rozay · Dec 5, 2018

I work a second job on Monday and Wednesday evenings and they all know the procedure since I’ve been there for 3 years. I don’t work when United are playing. Day taken off, I don’t even need to notify anymore.

Today will be the first day ever where I am not taking the day off. I’m done with these. I need a period of detachment from the game. The Southampton match and the lethargy of the second half in particular really triggered me, and I’m not putting myself through this shit for a while. I’m fed up.

Buster15 · Dec 5, 2018

EwanI Ted said:
I dont think the players are deliberately underperforming, most of them anyway. I just think they're unhappy and unclear about what they're being asked to do, which is causing them to underperform.

Are you sure about that.
Mourinho says he has told them to start quickly and challenge for the first ball.
That being the case how is that unclear.

Drifter · Dec 5, 2018

An heroic performance tonight. 1-1

shamans · Dec 5, 2018

Jose to knick it in ET due to Fellaini hand ball and then talk about how he deserves respect

LuisNaniencia · Dec 5, 2018

Bah, football trainings cancelled so I'm actually going to have to watch this.

EwanI Ted · Dec 5, 2018

Buster15 said:
Are you sure about that.
Mourinho says he has told them to start quickly and challenge for the first ball.
That being the case how is that unclear.

You imagine football is that simple at the highest level?

red_de_pologne · Dec 5, 2018

will he play the virus? I can't be bothered with predictions anymore, I surrender my 198th position in predictions

redshaw · Dec 5, 2018

Arsenal will go 2-0 up and we'll hit them with a goal rush. 2-1 win for Arsenal.

Pace Abuser · Dec 5, 2018

Just lose so the screw can be further turned on Jose.

Sassy Colin · Dec 5, 2018

pauldyson1uk said:
I hate to predict a defeat, but in all honesty I cant see us getting anything out of this game, only more ridicule and piss taking from opposition fans.

Funnily enough, most people, who did not already know, when they find out I support United say "oh". Not a surprised oh, with the tone going up at the end, but an "oh" with the voice going down at the end. They seem to feel sorry for us having Mourinho as our manager.

Kapardin · Dec 5, 2018

redshaw said:
Arsenal will go 2-0 up and we'll hit them with a goal rush. 2-1 win for Arsenal.

If we sit down and squat hard, we might hatch a goal. :lol:

Sassy Colin · Dec 5, 2018

So who reckons he will play Rojo with Smalling, who hasn't played for a year, rather than Bailly, who he, apparently, hates. Or will it be MickyT?

Sassy Colin · Dec 5, 2018

Sied said:
People have been saying that for months, and will probably continue to say it for months.

We haven't been hammered yet though, it's just that we've drawn against a whole load of teams we should be beating, whilst playing lack lustre,shit on a stick brand of football.

RedEM10 · Dec 5, 2018

I'm seeing lineups with Smalling, Bailly etc.... Are these all not injured? Thought we had Rojo and maybe Jones available as centre backs?

crossy1686 · Dec 5, 2018

Not looking forward to this one and last time I felt like we had no business beating Arsenal, Rashford announced himself. Would take a repeat.

ClaytonBlackmoorLeftPeg · Dec 5, 2018

Rozay said:
I work a second job on Monday and Wednesday evenings and they all know the procedure since I’ve been there for 3 years. I don’t work when United are playing. Day taken off, I don’t even need to notify anymore.

Today will be the first day ever where I am not taking the day off. I’m done with these. I need a period of detachment from the game. The Southampton match and the lethargy of the second half in particular really triggered me, and I’m not putting myself through this shit for a while. I’m fed up.

You should probably give the forum some time off as well!

No Idea For Nickname · Dec 5, 2018

Jose will surprise us all tonight. We'll be be happy, and it will kick start our treble winning season.
Everything will be all right girls and boys.
And all people who say "oh" to @Sassy Colin will say "woow" with eyes wide open, a jealousy in their voice..

No Idea For Nickname · Dec 5, 2018

Maybe I should stop drinking?

Canagel · Dec 5, 2018

Emmet said:
I'm seeing lineups with Smalling, Bailly etc.... Are these all not injured? Thought we had Rojo and maybe Jones available as centre backs?

I do hope they're ready and fit . If they weren't and we lost with a makeshift defence Jose will have his excuse ready . I doubt Bailly was injured on Saturday. he travelled just was just left out of the squad

klsv · Dec 5, 2018

No leaks about the line-up yet? Guess the team Luckhurst received looked so unrealistic he didn't dare to put his name under it.

Rozay · Dec 5, 2018

ClaytonBlackmoorLeftPeg said:
You should probably give the forum some time off as well!

I have tbh. Not complete cold-turkey of course, but reduced intake for sure.

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