Hard to get excited for the new season with how we have appeared during this pre-season and the underwhelming transfer business. Luckily having EtH weighs up a bit.
Manchester United vs Lens (Sat 5th August, 12:45 UK time)
- Thread starter Samid
- Start date
Credit to Lens. Look so well drilled. Every player positionally disciplined. Can see why they ran PSG so close.
It's about progressing the ball up the pitch. Being higher up is better for breaking the midfield line with a pass.
That improves your territory and is the basis of progressive football.
Needed a much better pass there from Antony.
Really poor half.
I cast my mind back to the LVG days where we battered everyone in pre season and still had a stinker of a season. Pre season is primarily about fitness at the end of the day.
I love how there's such a swing from posters in how we will do this season.
Why didn’t Antony shoot with his left there?!
Terrible decision.
Terrible decision.
Antony : where good chances go to die.
I bet you are fun at parties. Look at how we started last season, we have won most pre season games for years. This year we actually played some good teams.
One thing never changes here during match day - the moaning !!
Some Lens players look really old - not that they're playing that way, mind
The second time it's happened in pre season though.
All well and good going through hypothetical situations, but it's happened twice now and will be something strikers will be watching with interest.
Onana will be an upgrade on many respects to De Gea for sure, however it appears as if he will also come with a few issues that need to be addressed quickly.
Ten Hag needs to bollock a few of these at half time and remind them the season starts next week.
99/100 his position wouldn't be relevant because Dalot wouldn't make such a stupid error and then you add on variables of him hitting it first time AND getting it almost inch perfect under the crossbar?
Sure, if Onana is 1 meter further back he saves ir, but why would he try and predict Dalot's error and the chance that they hit a first time perfect shot from so far out?
Also, Players rarely get shots on target from those distances let alone score them.
Getting into the 18 yard box still seems to make our attackers become clueless
we've had more than enough opportunities to score today - looked shaky defending though
That was a horrible pass by Antony to Bruno. He had so much space to aim at and completely overhit it. Needs to improve that
Why the feck does Antony play that ball to the right side?
We are looking quite average.
Poor.
Also not seeing the point of spending big money on Mason Mount.
Also not seeing the point of spending big money on Mason Mount.
Think I'd prefer nauseating Rawk levels of positivity over the utter misery and depression that this forum emits every time we play
System needs fixing otherwise Casemiro will be spent by November.
I am not saying Onana should change his style. A yard or two here and there makes difference between goal and save in such scenarios. Likes of Neuer play from front foot but keep the safe distance from the goal. Imagine the GK putting pressure on defenders and midfielders that one mistake and it can be goal.
I am bit exaggerating here I know, but Onana needs to be careful that's all. Nothing wrong in asking GK to know where he should stand to avoid embarassment.
Grim half watching it live. Lads are unbelievably rusty considering the season starts next week.
Criminal open goal miss by Mount, fans are audibly frustrated bat him today
Criminal open goal miss by Mount, fans are audibly frustrated bat him today
That Lens player who scored looked like he wished he was back in France than to score this fantastic looking goal to only be met with silence.
No connection between our defence and midfield. Either passed back to GK or long balled. Bizarre.
Absolutely spot on.
Bit of a shit half. Hopefully our players clear their heads and start performing.
Really need to batter Wolves next week and not start on the back foot like last season.
Really need to batter Wolves next week and not start on the back foot like last season.
Antony always shoots unless it’s the right time to shoot and then he passes
Bruno aside that was pitiful.
I’ve got no issue with forwards having speculative efforts from the half way line. The more the merrier. What I do have a problem with is unforced errors by the back line that catch everyone out of position.
We didn’t have a poor pre season last year
Bellingham was offside.
Tiniest bit of quality from Anthony when he makes the right decision and we score there. The rate of him making the right decision then executing it correctly happens about 1 in 20 times he’s in that position. There’s City players who do it nearly every single time.
We don't look good...
Dalot Mount Varane Martinez Antony all poor.
Rashford isn't really a striker...
Dalot Mount Varane Martinez Antony all poor.
Rashford isn't really a striker...
The 4 guys upfront are becoming a problem - they simply aren't good enough in front of goal. Garnacho by far the best of them - but even he fails too often to test the goalkeeper in good positions
Tell that to the manager who is absolutely fuming
Mount's not been up to much, need to get him more involved, Bruno and Casemiro are a 2-man midfield at the minute.