Middlesbrough 1:3 Manchester United

Randall Flagg · Mar 19, 2017

Mihai said:
We got 3 points, job done, no injuries, that's all I care at this moment.

To be fair im usually if the same opinion

I'm over it now and just happy with the win

glazed · Mar 19, 2017

That was extremely boring.

Vaibhav Raj · Mar 19, 2017

mav_9me said:
Tell me one thing. Did they look more likely to score or less likely to score after the sub? Even before the goal.

I agree Mata being subbed is correct. But instead bring Martial or Mikhi on to help keep the ball.

They were always going to look more likely to score irrespective of the sub. Haven't you watched our games for the past few seasons? Surely you must have seen enough football games to know that a team starting to pile pressure out of nowhere against an opposition sat comfortably in lead in the last few minutes is a very common phenomenon. Nearly 90% of matches end with winning team defending long balls. My point is you don't need momentum to start playing hoofball and hit the ball into the penalty area from anywhere on the pitch. Boro always had lion's share of possession throughout the game and passed and passed and passed the all around in not so threatening area. They just changed their game and started to hit long balls in last few minutes, again, like every team does. That added with the player they brought late on was always goung to push our knackered midfielders and defenders back. Mourinho knew that was coming. We were always going to end the match on the backfoot. Our manager just chose to react fast and save us from a potential embarrassment and from dropping few valuable points. He subbed Mata right around the time Boro were about to start going long and I like to believe that was because he could forsee it.

Perhaps people would have been more appreciative of that substitution had he brought on Rojo for Mata after we had conceded a goal. He was just smart enough to do it beforehand and make sure we don't end up conceding two goals under any circumstance. Martial/Mkhi would have been of no help at all in a match where ball was always going to travel all the way into our box and then back out all the way back to their defenders. Martial barely got to touch the ball in his little cameo.

No Idea For Nickname · Mar 19, 2017

GifLord said:

love it!

It will be like those Liverpool fans gifs: "Every time I watch it, I see something new"

Android1974 · Mar 19, 2017

niMic said:
It's not everyone that can go to Camp Nou and heroically defend a 2-1 lead.

Most people cannot even defend a 4-0 lead there, so.

Android1974 · Mar 19, 2017

GifLord said:
Valencia 1-3

Perhaps Valencia knew from training that Valdés could be vulnerable in those situations, the way he accelerates after losing the ball at the 94 minute is just incredible.

sincher · Mar 19, 2017

sammsky1 said:
How about congratulating him?

Meh, if you like.

Marcelinho87 · Mar 19, 2017

Treble_Winning said:
Why do you hate Valdés, care to explain?

Because he was here for a payday and expected everything handing to him on a plate.

Even Rooney has played reserve football to gain fitness something which Valdes refused to do.

salford_ · Mar 19, 2017

Treble_Winning said:
Would we rather win efficiently or lose beautifully? I can't think of anyone who would choose the latter. A win is a win. Against relegation contenders so it was a potential banana skin. A good three points, and we are above Arsenal now. If Liverpool drop points today we are well placed for top four AND winning the Europa league. Top four + two trophies including. A European one. In his first season. Won't be a bad result.

i am sure you have given the league leaders grief for that lately

Mihai · Mar 19, 2017

Randall Flagg said:
To be fair im usually if the same opinion

I'm over it now and just happy with the win

Song to my ears

Grunge · Mar 20, 2017

PogbaUnited said:
Because that is not the spirit of Manchester United. We shouldn't be a pragmatic club because Mourinho is a coward and a pragmatic human being.

Please provide your definition the "Spirit of Manchester United" ... and how that does not include, on occasion and when necessary, successfully picking a winning team from a fatigued & depleted squad that;
a) has played far more games than most (read all) the season
b) has more games left to play that any other team in the league
c} has several injuries & suspensions to significant, key players
d) has been forced to play the early Sunday game, in the brutal & inhospitable North East of England having played twice this week and as recently as Thursday night
and e) has to play against a team desperate to put on a great & fierce performance at home for oh so many reasons ...

And while you're at it, how you have the audacity to call one of the world's most successful managers, now quite rightly chosen to be at the at the helm of the club I have loved for almost 60 years, a "coward"?

Are you saying he's a coward because he's being "pragmatic", and pragmatic is somehow horrible & wrong? Especially in light of
a) through e) ?

,,, Or are you just kidding ... trying to wind me/us up?

redsunited said:
You are right. That is the perfect time to bring a defensive midfielder to kill the game, but we didn't have any midfielders in the bench. Only defenders and wingers.

More to my points above ... and plenty of sound reason for pragmatic management, given 3 points are vitally important to the "Spirit" of MUFC okay!

edcunited1878 said:
Smalling had a miskick on Boro's goal, yes. But Jones had a crap flying clearance that went high but barely to the edge of his box. Bailly got beat in the aerial duel, then Smalling couldn't get his feet from under him and really should have flicked his left boot, not right. Smalling defended strongly and did his part. Just because players make individual errors, don't forget their overall contribution to the game. And if you're going to single out Smalling, Bailly and Jones didn't cover themselves on glory either for the Boro goal.

Plenty of examples of fatigue & mistakes on the pitch today ... front to back! Can't fault Smalling alone for his brain fart any more than the forwards for not taking their chances in the early stages of the game ... again!

witchtrials said:
Not sure what you're talking about mate, I'm quite happy. Just trying to understand that post calling Valencia an idiot for messing up a chance that he scored

Most of us "got you" but not everyone on here understands tongue in cheek sarcasm ... those comments about Valencia were about as bizarre as any I've read on here for a while!

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