Manchester United vs Lens (Sat 5th August, 12:45 UK time)

Our only two sources of chance creation with this style appears to be:

1. Long ball over the top.
2. Press opposition into mistake in their own half and win ball high up the pitch.

This is not a sustainable way to play at all.

I have been saying it for the last 5 seasons but it has never been more pressing than it is now. We need two central midfielders who can be positionally disciplined and can pass and control tempo desperately. Playing Mount, Bruno and Casemiro as a three looks suicidal.
 
Drainy said:
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.
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The goalkeeper doesn't push everyone up the pitch though, certainly not in that situation.

The back line had the ball, no need for Onana to then push that high as the back line are in possession and so dictating the shape of play.
 
We are not following the principles. I am struggling to see what we are trying to do

But on a serious note we cannot leave Casimero in there by himself, Amrabat might be needed more than we thought
 
tidraKS said:
Everyone except Bruno and Garnacho is concerning (including Onana, Martinez, Varane, Casemiro, Rashford, Shaw)
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How is Onana concerning ffs. Just don't say the goal was his fault, I really hope you don't think that. People thinking that being his fault would be the actual concerning thing about our fans.
 
It’s been a poor pre-season really. Let’s hope that it’s as irrelevant as people say.
 
I must be watching the wrong game. These pundits think we have done well and look sharp....
 
Can mount play on the right wing? Have to wonder if Antony doesn’t perform this season he might end up there.
 
FrantikChicken said:
We’re already in full meltdown and the season hasn’t even started. Gotta love the caf :lol:
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To be fair the last time our pre-season went this badly the manager was sacked by Christmas. The obvious positives is that we've got time to fix things.
 
Until our passing improves, and I mean to a level worthy of a top team, we are not winning top honours. Every pre season I hope that this is something that's worked on but I'm left somewhat overwhelmed. The ayersjust make too many (unforced) passing errors particularly in the final third.
 
pcaming said:
Eth needs to show his worth, another attempt at implementing his style of play is failing.

Anthony is a complete waste of money, Casemiro and half the defence are struggling with the game, and we cannot score to save a life.

I have seen nothing positive this preseason.
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Arsenal was the positive. Its all been downhill since then though we've looked worse each game.
 
Man United the better side in that half, some really pleasing football on the eye. Lots of good chances created simply not clinical with those chances once again. Mount miss was something else.

Lens goal via lapse in concentration from Dalot, some finish in fairness and apart from that United defended well.

So tomorrow will be Uniteds 2nd string team in action in Dublin?
 
Champ said:
Again, if Onana was just inside his box which is probably where he should have been the first time shot doesn't even happen.

The first time shot happened because the striker knew Onana was too high.
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Trolling as usual.
 
crossy1686 said:
You don’t know he would have saved it so this discussion is based on what you think might have happened if he was stood somewhere else. I’m saying it doesn’t happen if the defender doesn’t play a shit pass. He had multiple passing options on, he could have played it back to Onana which was probably the right pass ironically.
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Yeah, that was the right pass, and yes he would have saved it comfortably had he been 5 yards further back as he wouldn't have been retreating.

But that's a moot point anyhow as the first time shot wouldn't have happened had he been five yards further back.
 
It's only pre season but tbh we look a bit crap. But Lens were second in L1 last season with only 1 pt behind PSG and they seem to want it more so it's understandable imo. For most of Lens players this is surely a big chance for them to promote themselves to the bigger club.
 
Either Mount or Bruno must come back deeper to give Casemiro a outlet. This is quite amateur-ish in how we've set up in midfield.
 
I know we spent close to 200m on Sancho and Antony but they don't seem like united wide men. I don't get excited when they get the ball like I do with garnacho, or previously with rashford out there or Ronaldo, Giggs, kanchelskis etc.

I'd love them to contribute differently like how Beckham did, some way, but I don't see much changing. Would love to be absolutely wrong on that
 
We look shit tbh. The last game of pre-season tends to be the game of readiness.
 
We'll be ok this season for a top 5 finish, no one expects catching city which will only take another 5 years cause our progress will be as slow as the glazers selling. Have some positivity for goodness sake :wenger:
 
This is pretty worrying. No control whatsoever, we play like a transition team to a maximum extent. Bruno, Garnacho and Martinez have been impressive, Dalot, Antony and Rashford the weakest links. I do not understand the fascination with Dalot, such a mediocre player.
 
Wow anyone blamin Onana for that goal is an idiot dalot missed a 2 yard pass and 100 percent to blame also the god dam negativity in here ffs we could have scored a few ourselves fs, and already the complaining about Mount being a flop and season hasnt even started we have a new GK and are playing a much higher line and its gonna take a few weeks to click and as usual in here pepople already writing this season off go and support some other team because im sick to death of coming on here and seeing the same idiots posting garbage.
 
El Jefe said:
The people that think adding Højlund to this team will all of a sudden make our attack tick are in dreamland.

The personnel there just isn't good enough for starting quality and I include Rashford the striker in this. Obviously the LW version is good enough.
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Jesus :lol:
 
Maybe an unpopular opinion, but I don't like our midfield. I think they are too wasteful, too much gung-ho. IMO Mainoo would've been a regular in that midfield.
 
kps88 said:
We look like how we were when Eriksen got injured last season. Unless we get Bruno to sit deep like we did on occasion last season, we have no one who can properly control a game and pass the ball around in midfield. I can't see this system working without someone like that alongside Casemiro.
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Mickson said:
Maybe an unpopular opinion, but I don't like our midfield. I think they are too wasteful, too much gung-ho. IMO Mainoo would've been a regular in that midfield.
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The new no.7 is the weak link in the midfield three. It’s a really weird one. We all saw that a buildup phase midfielder was what we lack and the manager decided that he’d prefer another attacking midfielder instead…
 
Champ said:
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.
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Then you look at the cause, which is both rb's making identkit mistakes that compromise everything aggressive vertical build-up is supposed to be.
 
Pass it around at the back, no decent movement and then launch the long ball. This looks more like an Ole team than an E.T.H. team.
 
saivet said:
How have we been? Any stand outs, positive or negative?
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Defensively awful and very shaky. DM seems non existent.

Bruno and Garnacho have been great. Garnacho dominating that left side. Right side has been very tame, Antony done nothing.

Mount missed an open goal from about 3yds.

Onana was lobbed from the centre circle after Dalot had a stroke.

Overall, not great.
 
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