No miracle. The better team won

[uranushk1]

"The better team won", one sentence enough to conclude this match in Old Trafford. Of course I'm disappointed for losing this match, but not too sad about it, as most of us know that we have already lost the league even before this match kicked off. Credit to Arsenal, they have done well, throughout the whole season and they deserved what they got. As for United, the failure and insult will be the catalyst for us to bounce back next season, we all believe in it.

This defeat also clear one thing up: In the second half of the season we have been playing brilliantly and that led some people believe that we have no need to change a single thing in this summer. However this dream is borken by Arsenal beating us convincingly in Old Trafford -- and that's when they were without their best midfielder and two first-choice forwards. No excuse, we were just not good enough, even after we returned to our "normal performance" in the second half of this season.

No team has a divine right to win the league every season. We can't sit there and hope the league title will just fall back into our own hands next time. We must do the right transfer in this summer, and then every player perform their best in next season. I'm confident Fergie will learn from this season's failure and correct the mistakes we have made in this season.

 

[Livvie]

Originally posted by uranushk1:
<strong> I'm confident Fergie will learn from this season's failure and correct the mistakes we have made in this season.</strong><hr></blockquote>

Pity we didn't learn from the season's mistakes actually before the end of this season.

 

[Neil Thomson]

Originally posted by Livvie20:
<strong>

Pity we didn't learn from the season's mistakes actually before the end of this season.</strong><hr></blockquote>
To repeat the liverpool defeat was plain stupid and incompetent. Tactically we were shit. It seems these french managers are passing round a recipe to beat United.

1. Take 11 men and stick them behind the ball.
2. Cook the opposition for 45minutes until they look totally frustrated and tired
3. Attack the space they leave by pressing up too far in their desperation, and the mistakes they make due to tiredness and loss of morale
4. Defend until the 90minutes is up safe in the knowledge that they can't break down a well organised defense.

Boro have done similar this season too, to great effect. People have worked us out, but SAF has not responded. Even if we'd bought Zidane rather than Veron, we would have lost last night. As Keano said 'Good players don't necessarily make a good team' - thats the job of managers and coaches.

 

[uranushk1]

Originally posted by Neil Thomson:
<strong>
To repeat the liverpool defeat was plain stupid and incompetent. Tactically we were shit. It seems these french managers are passing round a recipe to beat United.

1. Take 11 men and stick them behind the ball.
2. Cook the opposition for 45minutes until they look totally frustrated and tired
3. Attack the space they leave by pressing up too far in their desperation, and the mistakes they make due to tiredness and loss of morale
4. Defend until the 90minutes is up safe in the knowledge that they can't break down a well organised defense.

Boro have done similar this season too, to great effect. People have worked us out, but SAF has not responded. Even if we'd bought Zidane rather than Veron, we would have lost last night. As Keano said 'Good players don't necessarily make a good team' - thats the job of managers and coaches.</strong><hr></blockquote>

Do you think it's due to the lack of a technical sound assistant, so Fergie has made so many tactical mistakes this season?

 

[Niall]

Originally posted by Neil Thomson:
<strong>
To repeat the liverpool defeat was plain stupid and incompetent. Tactically we were shit. It seems these french managers are passing round a recipe to beat United.

1. Take 11 men and stick them behind the ball.
2. Cook the opposition for 45minutes until they look totally frustrated and tired
3. Attack the space they leave by pressing up too far in their desperation, and the mistakes they make due to tiredness and loss of morale
4. Defend until the 90minutes is up safe in the knowledge that they can't break down a well organised defense.

Boro have done similar this season too, to great effect. People have worked us out, but SAF has not responded. Even if we'd bought Zidane rather than Veron, we would have lost last night. As Keano said 'Good players don't necessarily make a good team' - thats the job of managers and coaches.</strong><hr></blockquote>

So how the f@ck do you counter that?!?! Sit back in your own half with 11 men and make faces at the opposition across the half way line?? <img src="graemlins/houllier.gif" border="0" alt="[Houllier]" />

We're not the only side that has struggled against such tactics - see Liverpool's defeat of Barcelona in the Uefa cup last season, Bayern's defeat of both us and Real en route to winning it last year. Exactly the same.

A well organised, ultra tight defence with 11 men behind the ball can be nigh on impossible to break down no matter how many giggs, rivaldos or figos you've got.....

 

[Neil Thomson]

Originally posted by Niall:
<strong>

So how the f@ck do you counter that?!?! Sit back in your own half with 11 men and make faces at the opposition across the half way line?? <img src="graemlins/houllier.gif" border="0" alt="[Houllier]" />

We're not the only side that has struggled against such tactics - see Liverpool's defeat of Barcelona in the Uefa cup last season, Bayern's defeat of both us and Real en route to winning it last year. Exactly the same.

A well organised, ultra tight defence with 11 men behind the ball can be nigh on impossible to break down no matter how many giggs, rivaldos or figos you've got.....</strong><hr></blockquote>
You have to draw them out, play possession football but in your own half, the front players have to try and drag markers with them, and you need pace up front to exploit those spaces, and fast one touch diagonal balls forward into that space. Last night we were at a disadvantage though because Arsenal would have been happy with a 0-0 draw.

 

[uranushk1]

Originally posted by Niall:
<strong>
A well organised, ultra tight defence with 11 men behind the ball can be nigh on impossible to break down no matter how many giggs, rivaldos or figos you've got.....</strong><hr></blockquote>

That of course will make things difficult for us, but not impossible to break down, except if you think we will never beat Liverpool again if they continue to use this tactic (which I'm sure they will!)