Manchester United 2:1 Chelsea

diplomat · Feb 22, 2018

breakout67 said:
So their form is based on the exact point where they didn't capitulate against any half decent attack? Why not talk about the last 15 minutes of the Sevilla game where we were quite good for our form as well then?

Chelsea in the last 3 games have played two shambolic teams and one team that has Chelsea as their bogey team. Even then they were poor at the back throughout the whole game and had to rely on Willian to bail them out.

Both Chelsea and United are dysfunctional teams; both of their defences are error prone and their attack is very individualistic. Both are incidentally classical defensive managers and so will generally have the same outlook on this match.

Chelsea had more attempts at the goal than Barcelona.

I honestly don't remember Barca being extremely dangerous in Chelsea's half, except the incident with Suarez just before the goal and the goal itself. Had Willian had a bit of luck, Chelsea could have got a very positive result against one of the definite favourites in the CL, whilst we got totally outplayed by Sevilla, who have scored the least amount of goals in the top 10 of La Liga.

haram · Feb 22, 2018

breakout67 said:
How are people saying Chelsea are picking up form? Are some fans so reactionary that they completely erase from their memory anything other than the last game?

Chelsea have the exact same form as us in the last 5 games.

They've forgotten the Watford and Bournemouth games. Imagine if we had lost 3-0 to Bournemouth.

bosnian_red · Feb 22, 2018

breakout67 said:
How are people saying Chelsea are picking up form? Are some fans so reactionary that they completely erase from their memory anything other than the last game?

Chelsea have the exact same form as us in the last 5 games.

Being unlucky to get a draw against Barcelona in an otherwise good performance generally does a lot more for confidence then being a bit lucky to draw 0-0 with Sevilla in which nobody really performed well... Not a huge difference in the form, but their general mood is probably better then ours is, given how quickly things can change with one performance. We'll see if that was just everyone caring about the champions league a lot more then the premier league (what I think it is), and in the end it probably won't be a huge difference come the actual game.

Infra-red · Feb 22, 2018

breakout67 said:
So their form is based on the exact point where they didn't capitulate against any half decent attack? Why not talk about the last 15 minutes of the Sevilla game where we were quite good for our form as well then?

Chelsea in the last 3 games have played two shambolic teams and one team that has Chelsea as their bogey team. Even then they were poor at the back throughout the whole game and had to rely on Willian to bail them out.

Chelsea played very and stifled Barca reducing them to just a few chances whilst also looking really dangerous going forward. You'd have to go back to Everton away on New Year's Day to find a performance of similar quality from us.

breakout67 said:
Both Chelsea and United are dysfunctional teams; both of their defences are error prone and their attack is very individualistic. Both are incidentally classical defensive managers and so will generally have the same outlook on this match.

I don't disagree with any of that.

breakout67 · Feb 22, 2018

diplomat said:
Chelsea had more attempts at the goal than Barcelona.

I honestly don't remember Barca being extremely dangerous in Chelsea's half, except the incident with Suarez just before the goal and the goal itself. Had Willian had a bit of luck, Chelsea could have got a very positive result against one of the definite favourites in the CL, whilst we got totally outplayed by Sevilla, who have scored the least amount of goals in the top 10 of La Liga.

The reality is that they didn't get a positive result, and that was because they were a nervous wreck at the back for the whole game. Long before the Barcelona goal, the Chelsea back line were dithering at the back trying to pass it out and were losing the ball.

Furthermore, them having more attempts on goal was because of Willian playing out of his skin (and some poor defending from Barcelona). The fact is that Conte did exactly what Mourinho is criticized for, keep it tight at the back and let the attackers cause havoc without support from the midfield.

Sevilla have the 3rd best home record of the spanish teams; most teams have learnt of their quality when going there.

Offside · Feb 22, 2018

Our current run of form is as dull as we have ever been. Even during the latter days under Moyes we were turning teams over playing better football. We need a result to get out of this rut.

Ban · Feb 22, 2018

As it was said here, how things change in 2, 3 weeks. Chelsea looked horrible recently but were pretty good vs Barcelona. At least for a part of the game. Saying all that they lost to Bournemouth and Watford recently so I hope we can beat them. I expect a good game, a strong attitude at last, show some guts. And it's Conte ffs, Jose will want to win it hard.

diplomat · Feb 22, 2018

breakout67 said:
The reality is that they didn't get a positive result, and that was because they were a nervous wreck at the back for the whole game. Long before the Barcelona goal, the Chelsea back line were dithering at the back trying to pass it out and were losing the ball.

Furthermore, them having more attempts on goal was because of Willian playing out of his skin (and some poor defending from Barcelona). The fact is that Conte did exactly what Mourinho is criticized for, keep it tight at the back and let the attackers cause havoc without support from the midfield.

Sevilla have the 3rd best home record of the spanish teams; most teams have learnt of their quality when going there.

I don't agree with any of that but whatever. We'll see who is proven wrong on Sunday and who plays negative, but I suspect it will be us, as usual.

Ban · Feb 22, 2018

Offside said:
Our current run of form is as dull as we have ever been. Even during the latter days under Moyes we were turning teams over playing better football. We need a result to get out of this rut.

That didn't happen tbh.

RedDevil@84 · Feb 22, 2018

Offside said:
Our current run of form is as dull as we have ever been. Even during the latter days under Moyes we were turning teams over playing better football. We need a result to get out of this rut.

After the SAF revisionism, we now have Moyes revisionism

breakout67 · Feb 22, 2018

diplomat said:
I don't agree with any of that but whatever. We'll see who is proven wrong on Sunday and who plays negative, but I suspect it will be us, as usual.

My original point was that Chelsea being in better form is reactionary, so your idea is that the next game between the two teams will prove their form. So you've basically proved that it is a reactionary opinion. Not to mention that you seem to think Chelsea were some phenomenal team against Barcelona so they are in better form...so form changes from game to game for you?

diplomat · Feb 22, 2018

breakout67 said:
My original point was that Chelsea being in better form is reactionary, so your idea is that the next game between the two teams will prove their form. So you've basically proved that it is a reactionary opinion. Not to mention that you seem to think Chelsea were some phenomenal team against Barcelona so they are in better form...so form changes from game to game for you?

Chelsea are still the current champions and have a much bigger winning mentality in the last few years than us.

I expected Barcelona to destroy them and win 2/3-0 so yes, I consider their performance to be very good, considering the circumstances and expectations. Everything else is just your opinion and you are entitled to it, but I strongly disagree. I'd also be extremely surprised if we start positive and attack from the first whistle.

breakout67 · Feb 22, 2018

diplomat said:
Chelsea are still the current champions and have a much bigger winning mentality in the last few years than us.

I expected Barcelona to destroy them and win 2/3-0 so yes, I consider their performance to be very good, considering the circumstances and expectations. Everything else is just your opinion and you are entitled to it, but I strongly disagree. I'd also be extremely surprised if we start positive and attack from the first whistle.

We both want the team to win so let's hope that we put out a good performance and result against Chelsea.

sunama · Feb 22, 2018

Ban said:
Come on Jose, it's Conte, you must beat him.

Jose would love to beat Conte more than any of us want to see CFC beaten.
There is genuine dislike and when you add the fact that Jose was sacked twice by CFC, Jose will do his absolute best to get 3 points.

Our problem is that Pogba is in really bad form. The guy seems to lack energy these days.
And Matic is tired (playing so many games will do that to you).
Herrera is injured.

Given all of the above, Jose will need to concoct a plan to beat Conte, using leftfield tactics.

I think the game itself will be boring and highly tactical. I'm fine with that, as long as we win.

Ban · Feb 22, 2018

sunama said:
Jose would love to beat Conte more than any of us want to see CFC beaten.
There is genuine dislike and when you add the fact that Jose was sacked twice by CFC, Jose will do his absolute best to get 3 points.

Our problem is that Pogba is in really bad form. The guy seems to lack energy these days.
And Matic is tired (playing so many games will do that to you).
Herrera is injured.

Given all of the above, Jose will need to concoct a plan to beat Conte, using leftfield tactics.

I think the game itself will be boring and highly tactical. I'm fine with that, as long as we win.

Yeah, with all those problems I can see a tumescent, boring game. Boring 1:0 win will be more than good enough.

sunama · Feb 22, 2018

Rajma said:
Lose this one and considering Pogba debacle it will most likely snowball from here.

I think you are hoping for this drama to occur. I doubt it will, though.
Jose is a winner and we are going to win many trophies under him. Last season we won 2 and there will be more to follow.
I think some people would rather sack managers than win trophies.

sunama · Feb 22, 2018

roonster09 said:
0-0 is a bad result for home team.

Agreed.
CFC beat us at Stamford Bridge, so we owe it to them, to beat them at OT.

Offside · Feb 22, 2018

Ban said:
That didn't happen tbh.

I remember games where we spanked Newcastle, Villa, West Brom, Palace late on under Moyes. We were obviously still complete shite but at the moment we can’t beat anyone with much conviction. We have honestly played shite in every game bar 2 or 3 in the last 3 months. I mean actual dog shit performances. We need to sort ourselves out.

Ban · Feb 22, 2018

Offside said:
I remember games where we spanked Newcastle, Villa, West Brom, Palace late on under Moyes. We were obviously still complete shite but at the moment we can’t beat anyone with much conviction. We have honestly played shite in every game bar 2 or 3 in the last 3 months. I mean actual dog shit performances. We need to sort ourselves out.

However it's bad now it's not as bad as it was back then. You can't really compare it.

Irrational. · Feb 22, 2018

Fully expecting us to go back to our 4-2-3-1 formation for this one:

DDG

Valencia, Bailly, Smalling, Young

Pogba, Matic

Lingard, Mata, Sanchez

Lukaku

Not expecting a great game but hope we manage to squeeze out a 1-0 win.

DeGea · Feb 22, 2018

We need to be in their faces from the 1st minute. But not lose our cool. The big games are all about temperament. Don't mess it up like in the first minute against Spurs. Chelsea can't play if we hassle them.

Offside · Feb 22, 2018

Ban said:
However it's bad now it's not as bad as it was back then. You can't really compare it.

Well it's not ad bad in terms of the season but these past couple months have contained some of the worst post-SAF performances. Could argue that Spurs game was the worst.

AngliaRed · Feb 22, 2018

This has got 1-0 written all over it! You can toss a coin on who wins. I expect a dull, negative game unfortunately.

diplomat · Feb 22, 2018

breakout67 said:
We both want the team to win so let's hope that we put out a good performance and result against Chelsea.

Agree on that one, but I can't force myself to be positive anymore. I used to think it will all suddenly change and most stuff happening are just a coincidence - my mindset has changed now and Jose will need to deliver against the top teams in the next 2/3 months to prove me wrong.

I seriously dread the games against Chelsea and Liverpool. A loss to either of those teams will seriously hinder the team's confidence and chances of securing a strong top 4 finish. It would be a disgrace to not finish 2nd after occupying this position for literally the whole season so far.

Spirit of Solskjaer · Feb 22, 2018

A win here, Moyes outsmarts Klopp, smiles all round and everything is fine again.

(more likely this place still stays in full meltdown mode though)

Djemba-Djemba · Feb 22, 2018

Very, very important game this one.

Badly need a win. A win here and everything starts to look a lot better.

RDCR07 · Feb 22, 2018

Djemba-Djemba said:
Very, very important game this one.

Badly need a win. A win here and everything starts to look a lot better.

No a win here would be a step in the right direction but dont worry we will find a way to feck up after this as well. Story of United over the past 5 years - one step forward, two steps back.

Still ill · Feb 22, 2018

diplomat said:
Agree on that one, but I can't force myself to be positive anymore. I used to think it will all suddenly change and most stuff happening are just a coincidence - my mindset has changed now and Jose will need to deliver against the top teams in the next 2/3 months to prove me wrong.

I seriously dread the games against Chelsea and Liverpool. A loss to either of those teams will seriously hinder the team's confidence and chances of securing a strong top 4 finish. It would be a disgrace to not finish 2nd after occupying this position for literally the whole season so far.

You, my friend, across multiple threads, are like a like a ray of sunshine.

diplomat · Feb 22, 2018

Still ill said:
You, my friend, across multiple threads, are like a like a ray of sunshine.

The performances since the loss to Tottenham have seriously damaged me and have destroyed almost all my trust towards Jose, especially when seeing how horrible and difficult our schedule is in the coming 2 months.

I was very positive before, even if I felt doubts here and there or wasn't satisfied with the style, with some results but I had a general feeling that things will suddenly turnaround for the better at the most important points of the season. It seems it's the opposite and when the moment arises for us to show some balls, we crumble as a team. That's why I fear the next few games - they can make or break Mourinho's whole tenure at Manchester United as manager.

I appreciate that you are not attacking me because of my opinions but rather make a bit of fun with it, unlike some immature posters on the Caf, who don't take different points of view and different emotions very lightly.

Still ill · Feb 22, 2018

diplomat said:
The performances since the loss to Tottenham have seriously damaged me and have destroyed almost all my trust towards Jose, especially when seeing how horrible and difficult our schedule is in the coming 2 months.

I was very positive before, even if I felt doubts here and there or wasn't satisfied with the style, with some results but I had a general feeling that things will suddenly turnaround for the better at the most important points of the season. It seems it's the opposite and when the moment arises for us to show some balls, we crumble as a team. That's why I fear the next few games - they can make or break Mourinho's whole tenure at Manchester United as manager.

This is football, buddy. And you're a United supporter. Imagine you supported a normal team, where life mostly consists of shite punctuated by the odd day in the sun. It'll all be ok. Trust me.

diplomat · Feb 22, 2018

Still ill said:
This is football, buddy. And you're a United supporter. Imagine you supported a normal team, where life mostly consists of shite punctuated by the odd day in the sun. It'll all be ok. Trust me.

Oh, I can definitely imagine that. After all, I'm Bulgarian and have to support my national team.

Still ill · Feb 22, 2018

diplomat said:
Oh, I can definitely imagine that. After all, I'm Bulgarian and have to support my national team.

I'll see your Bulgarians and raise you a Republic of Ireland. We all have our cross to bear. 2-0 victory on Sunday, a goal and an assist for Pog, a bit of a dab, God's in his Heaven, all's right with the world.

diplomat · Feb 22, 2018

Still ill said:
I'll see your Bulgarians and raise you a Republic of Ireland. We all have our cross to bear. 2-0 victory on Sunday, a goal and an assist for Pog, a bit of a dab, God's in his Heaven, all's right with the world.

Let's hope you are right, it's going to be a massive game and the biggest result of the season if we win it!

goin4glory · Feb 22, 2018

No Smalling and Lukaku please.

minoo-utd · Feb 22, 2018

DDG
Valencia-Bailly-Smalling-Shaw
----------Matic-Carrick----------
----- Pogba -----
Lingard----------------------Aexis
----------------Martial---------------

buckooo1978 · Feb 22, 2018

huge game this for the battle for 2nd place and top 4. Win and it will put a little gap between us and Chelsea again

----------------------De Gea--------------------
TV---------Lindelof-----Bailly------Shaw
-----------------------Matic----------------------
------------McTominay--Pogba-----------
Sanchez-------Lukaku------------martial

would love to see this but expect to see Lingard, Smalling and a 0-0

Android1974 · Feb 22, 2018

el3mel said:
Simply must win.

DDG
Bailly - Smalling - Lindelof
Valencia - Pogba - Matic - Young
Lingard
Lukaku - Sánchez

I know we still have Darmian to play centerback if really needed, but I was kind of hoping Mourinho wouldn't be able to play 3 at the back because of injuries. (Hope you don't mind I've corrected some players positions.)

Android1974 · Feb 22, 2018

Many teams with both Carrick and Matić, which I don't think is right. Really hated it against Huddersfield and it wasn't intended, it was only due to Pogba's sudden “sickness”.

Android1974 · Feb 22, 2018

Jaap said:
De Gea
Valencia - Lindelöf - Bailly - Shaw
Matić
McTominay - Pogba
Alexis - Lukaku - Martial

I think there's zero chances that Smalling doesn't start this one.

Regarding the front line, all I can say is: we can keep dreaming about it.

Android1974 · Feb 22, 2018

Just a reminder that the last time we played 3 at the back was December the 5th.

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