We would need to change so many players, and we can't. Or use academy players.
Our lack of possession
- Thread starter KeanoMagicHat
- Start date
The Europa League final is a good example.
Not all the time. We scored loads of goals where teams sat back. I remember us beating sheff United I think it was 3-0 during covid and empty stadiums and Martial got an hat trick by him and Rashford passing it through there defence. We scored some really nice goals under Ole. We actually scored 5 in a few games under him aswell. Have we even scored 4 under ETH?
39% possession against burnley 
We’re not bothered. It was a good example of it in summer when we went for Mount from Chelsea instead of Kovacic
Didnt he state that he wanted to be dominating games here at United? I mean that and his chasing of De Jong, transfer of Onana must mean he wants to be better in possession.
We just have no movement on the ball. When a player’s got the ball yesterday there was absolutely no one who ran off the ball to make themselves available. It was the complete opposite to how City play, and I’m not even sure its what Ten Hag wants. The players are just down on morale and many of them are hiding.
We just have no movement on the ball. When a player’s got the ball yesterday there was absolutely no one who ran off the ball to make themselves available. It was the complete opposite to how City play, and I’m not even sure its what Ten Hag wants. The players are just down on morale and many of them are hiding.
We clearly don't work on it. It would be second nature to them if it was something that was done regularly in training. They would do it without thinking.
I think you revert to basic human instincts when pressured and out of your normal, which for United is just throw everything out of the pram and pass it to the main men in the team i.e Rashford/Bruno.
Im not sure what it is with Ten Hag’s lazy starts or if thats a thing but we havent played quick football as in his best periods last season yet.
Spot on
Exactly, also if it was trained you'd see quite a few doing it with a few not doing it etc. Not the entire team never doing it game after game. No he doesn't train possession or movement off the ball, I'm not sure about pressing either.
Genuinely feel he's one of our worst managers post SAF in a lot of ways to be honest.
I rather watch Van Gaal at this stage. At least we still have the majority possession under him even though our play was tumescent. Right now our play are tumescent AND no possession. Also we always do very well against big teams under VG instead of being hanmered almost every away big games like nowadays. Did ETH even coach attacking patterns/movements ? Its always give the ball to Rashford and pray while other players stand still like fecking terracotta statues. Also add random jammy Casemiro goals to his repetoire.
Maybe last season was a fluke as Liverpool, Spurs and Chelsea all dropped off allowing Utd to finish as high as we did. We still got caned with a few results though. We seem further from being a good team than ever. Even with injuries we still had more internationals on than Burnley and the fact they have struggled all season so far, yet still were the better team, bossing possession, just couldnt find the net.
Our possession is non existant compared to most of the teams we play. In fact its hard to see any style and say we play a certain style. Even with injuries other teams can still hold the ball in lengthy patches, we dont seem to be able to string 6 passes together outside our own half.
Our possession is non existant compared to most of the teams we play. In fact its hard to see any style and say we play a certain style. Even with injuries other teams can still hold the ball in lengthy patches, we dont seem to be able to string 6 passes together outside our own half.
I'm not quite sure what the answer is, but part of the issue also stems from how the opposition play. Both Brighton and Burnley are happy with posession for posession's sake. As in, if their back 5 keep the ball for minutes at a time, they don't care. It rocks up the posession stats for sure, but there's no easy way for us (or any team) to get the ball back.
It's kind of a sad part of how football is evolving imo: posession not for creating chances but as a defensive tactic, or at best a trap. Pep's influence run rampant, because it's very effective. Teams - especially the 'big' team under pressure - will want to go hunting the ball, then get pulled out of position, and concede chances: see Brighton against us.
As boring as it is, in those situations the Mourinho tactic of just dropping back into your own half and compressing the lines is far more advantageous imo.
When we have the ball, we're constantly looking for immediacy, which is also problematic, but at least we could in theory control that.
It's kind of a sad part of how football is evolving imo: posession not for creating chances but as a defensive tactic, or at best a trap. Pep's influence run rampant, because it's very effective. Teams - especially the 'big' team under pressure - will want to go hunting the ball, then get pulled out of position, and concede chances: see Brighton against us.
As boring as it is, in those situations the Mourinho tactic of just dropping back into your own half and compressing the lines is far more advantageous imo.
When we have the ball, we're constantly looking for immediacy, which is also problematic, but at least we could in theory control that.
Yeah definitely. The key in that situation is getting the first goal.
We have a ball playing keeper but we struggle to put 5 passes together and relinquish possession far too easily so it becomes a hindrance.
Ill explain what I mean we give the ball back to the keeper often but we can’t play out so what happens is we pass it around the back 4 and keeper and lock ourselves in our own quarter of the field causing zero threat, the opposition must be delighted.
It’s hilariously bad. Fans have been calling for a keeper that can play out from the back……now it just highlights how shit we are in possession.
Its one big farce in all honesty.
Ill explain what I mean we give the ball back to the keeper often but we can’t play out so what happens is we pass it around the back 4 and keeper and lock ourselves in our own quarter of the field causing zero threat, the opposition must be delighted.
It’s hilariously bad. Fans have been calling for a keeper that can play out from the back……now it just highlights how shit we are in possession.
Its one big farce in all honesty.
Amrabat and Mount instead of McTominay and Rashford would improve possession.
I don’t care about possession stats.
Just stop fecking give the ball away easily like its an all you can eat buffet.
Just stop fecking give the ball away easily like its an all you can eat buffet.
It's a really strange approach from the manager in my view. If the idea is to play in a similar way to what Liverpool did, we're nowhere near it in terms of the pressing effort and I don't feel we really have the personnel to be playing that consistently high energy brand of football. We might be winning the ball high more often but we aren't using it well, giving it away immediately and aren't then counterpressing to win the ball back quickly again when we do turn it over so that's a non-starter.
The other 'style' choice that seems apparent is wanting to get the ball forward as quickly as possible via incisive passes or a long ball into the channel. Ultimately this approach needs the ball to stick with forwards who can hold the ball up really well and have the vision and intelligence to play the right passes at the right time. Again, we don't seem to do any of this very well which leads to constant turnovers and pressure.
For me with the squad we've built, controlling possession would appear to be the most sensible approach. Taking more care of the ball would take pressure off the defense and keeper, require less off the ball work from the team and lessen the risk of losing it and being sliced through with ease.
I think we'd actually see a lot more from some of our more creative players with a bit more sustained possession. There's nothing to stop us mixing it up and using a more direct approach or countering quickly when the opportunity arises or it is required but relying on this as our main approach at the moment is high risk with little reward to be frank.
The other 'style' choice that seems apparent is wanting to get the ball forward as quickly as possible via incisive passes or a long ball into the channel. Ultimately this approach needs the ball to stick with forwards who can hold the ball up really well and have the vision and intelligence to play the right passes at the right time. Again, we don't seem to do any of this very well which leads to constant turnovers and pressure.
For me with the squad we've built, controlling possession would appear to be the most sensible approach. Taking more care of the ball would take pressure off the defense and keeper, require less off the ball work from the team and lessen the risk of losing it and being sliced through with ease.
I think we'd actually see a lot more from some of our more creative players with a bit more sustained possession. There's nothing to stop us mixing it up and using a more direct approach or countering quickly when the opportunity arises or it is required but relying on this as our main approach at the moment is high risk with little reward to be frank.
I think coach makes a big difference, Pep has transform City football. We can only hope Erik can do the same in a few years time. I also players does make a difference as well, I think Mainoo will be alot better than McTominay. Even though Antony isn't one of the best RW, he does hold the ball well. Greaslish is 100% better at holding the ball than Rashford. City has very good players that hardly lose balls, that's why they always dominate team.
The scary thing is Onana holding onto the ball unchallenged in his own box will be making up a big chunk of the possession stats. Take him out and the percentages would be diabolical.
The outfield players need to get a grip! no manager/coach can tell them how to make every single pass, they need to take responsibility.
The outfield players need to get a grip! no manager/coach can tell them how to make every single pass, they need to take responsibility.
The over riding problem is that our players are unable to pass the ball accurately and with the correct weight. It's been a problem since Fergie's latter days, and has led to us losing ground on other, better coached teams. Even teams such as Brighton and Newcastle, who've come from nowhere with journeymen players, can hold the ball longer than us because their passing and movement is far superior. On too many occasions we're too hurried in our play and need to calm down.
https://fbref.com/en/comps/9/2022-2023/possession/2022-2023-Premier-League-Stats
Looking at the stats last season United were 6th, behind City, Liverpool (both with settled managers) Brighton, Arsenal then Chelsea (surprising)
So last season United had enough of the ball overall, but the style is forever giving it away and winning it back...what I think we as fans would like to see is more control of the game and to be less reliant on winning it back all the time.
Looking at the stats last season United were 6th, behind City, Liverpool (both with settled managers) Brighton, Arsenal then Chelsea (surprising)
So last season United had enough of the ball overall, but the style is forever giving it away and winning it back...what I think we as fans would like to see is more control of the game and to be less reliant on winning it back all the time.
48% possession average for the season thus far. Brutal. Hopefully we start seeing better possession play when most of the team is fit.
People can debate about it all they want, but we're going to go nowhere until we get much better in possession play.
It's not sustainable long term for success of winning important trophies, ignoring this issue or looking at with rose tinted glasses will just see us extend our major trophy drought for another 5 years and face an even bigger up hill task of catching up with more and more top sides
It's not just about the final figure, it's how we can't fend off any kind of resistance. When opponents go a goal down and naturally start urging forward they almost always push us back. Even if we don't play possession football this shouldn't happen. I'm not sure we'd even sustain with an extra man, it's that hopeless.
Lack if possesion comes from lack of energy and degree of technical skill in the squad.
We are missing both.
We are missing both.
You'd think people who believe this would ask themselves how we managed to finish third and then second, or score the second most goals in the league in the latter case. Perhaps we were not entirely clueless.
There are two major calls eth needs to decide on come next summer and that is whether or not to let bruno and rashford go.
two great individuals on their day but can you afford having a player like bruno who's first thought is the killer pass and creates a dilemma that when he plays centrally we are likely to struggle win the midfield battle and unable to control the tempo of the game.
In rashford case it's a similar issue psg had with mbappe and neymar in terms of a lack of off the ball effort with pressing and chasing back which you can only afford in rare circumstances depending on how special the player is and don't think rashford is at the level of mbappe or neymar pre Saudi move
two great individuals on their day but can you afford having a player like bruno who's first thought is the killer pass and creates a dilemma that when he plays centrally we are likely to struggle win the midfield battle and unable to control the tempo of the game.
In rashford case it's a similar issue psg had with mbappe and neymar in terms of a lack of off the ball effort with pressing and chasing back which you can only afford in rare circumstances depending on how special the player is and don't think rashford is at the level of mbappe or neymar pre Saudi move
We had 38% possession against Burnley, fecking Burnley. That is embarrassing.
Ah yes famous mention of league positions without context, same amount of points as 4th, 2nd when both Liverpool and Chelsea had ultra shit seasons, in both seasons MILES away from even challenging for top spot, hell not even at one point being into race for it. Also, regarding goals scoring and clueless, i said when we couldnt counter attack not in overall, you would think people would...
I know what you wrote. To write what you did about a team that scores the second-most goals in the league, quite a large proportion of them on the counters, is just self-evidently ridiculous. As in fundamentally contradicted by basic facts. There's your context.