PL L FA Premier League

Manchester United 1:2 Swansea City

Post-match discussion


Sat, 16 August 2014

Nani was one of our better players in the 2nd half. Fellaini could have been sent off. Also, we bring him on to use his height. He's absolute rubbish at winning headers.

He's not actually that tall. If he cut his hair he is only 5' 6"
 
If we started the match with the same formation/tactics as we did the second half we would have had a far better chance of winning it. Players and particular at the back looked all over the shop there in the first half playing that 3-5-2 system.
 
Hopefully this spurs us on to sign some additions.

I'm still not worried, our rivals are going to take points off each other early on and we can pick up some momentum still.

Fletcher was awful - passed backwards almost always and when he did pass it forward it was a terrible decision.
Blackett impressed me, so did Jones and Smalling, there's still some flaws in there - for example Smalling's passing needs to improve as does Jones' positioning but they played well given the situation.
Januzaj's final ball needs to better otherwise he seems to be improved from last season and gotten bigger and taller too!
Nani still underwhelming.
Fellaini needs to watch his elbows otherwise he didn't do badly to be fair.

We really missed Welbeck IMO.
 
I expected a renewed impetus due to the good pre-season, but it's the same as last season. Feel like we could have Messi and Ronaldo upfront and they'd still look lost. We have good forward players that look like they don't know what to do once they get to the penalty area.
 
Super frustrating. We were well on top and I thought we'd grab the winner. But then Fellani came on for Herrera and we quickly conceded a goal and it all turned to shit. Feel so deflated.
 
We have an average team, no wonder we'll struggle all season long if our players don't stay fit and we don't sign reinforcements. First match of the season and already a home defeat :wenger: Even Moyes did better
 
Disaster. No positives today except Januszaj and Blackett.
Any signings now will look like desperation. But maybe they are that.

Moyes' tactics were not our major problem. Our major problem is a screwed up squad, exposed by far more injuries than we should be getting. Moyes' failing was not doing anything to improve the squad in his time.

We need those injured players back. We need Rojo in at the very least.

Bedding in a new system with youth players filling in is going to be a rough ride.
 
Dreadful defending, lack of depth or class in a so many areas. We need quality addition in so many areas. Was buzzing before the match, will just have to wait till the next matchday.
 
Should have had a pen at the end. We played shit but controlled the whole game and had more chances, just defensive mistakes cost us.

Herrera played well, no idea why he got subbed off, we lost control after that. Fellaini is shit still, so nothing new there. Young played ok but then made the costly mistake when pushed back to left back for their goal.
 
Another match and more proof that left CB is the least of our issues.

Blackett one of few players to do well

Shame about holding midfield not tracking Ki and Sigurdsson from midfield and Ashley Young showing he's no more left back cover than Valencia is right back cover
 
No one touch passing. Too slow and zombie passing was back with a bang.

Need new signings. Atleast four players, 2 defenders and 2 midfielders.
 
The fact the likes of Fellaini and Nani are still at the club is a joke. We have not got rid of enough deadwood, we got rid of Vidic who is one of a few players I would have 100% kept!!
 
Didn't agree with taking Herrera off instead of Fletcher, that basically killed our passing game with two brutes (Fellaini and Fletcher) in midfield instead of the passer and the brute.

Mike Dean let a lot of stuff go which allowed Swansea to commit foul after foul without any consequence.

Rooney's passing is terrible sometimes.

Chicharito shouldn't be starting any games, if he's not happy being the super sub, then ship him off.

Nani isn't interested anymore.

Herrera was very good, no idea why he was subbed.

We need better players, fast. Other than the trio of Mata, Rooney, and Herrera, the rest of the players are squad players, not genuine first teamers.

Really disappointing loss. There's no fire when he concede a goal anyone, no urge to get one back, seriously disappointing to see that.
 
Seems like RAWK was right.
We need some better players desperately. Trouble is, after that, the prices have gone up even more.

It's clear to see, our first team isn't good enough. It's been obvious for a few seasons. Get Vidal and Cuadrado/Di Maria and things will transform. But we need top class players, not young potential.
 
We pissed around all summer preparing, monitoring bids for players when it was so obvious that we had to get the players in early....one thing for sure Woody has to make sure he does not fail in the transfer market between now and the end of August.
 
Our squad wasn't ready and that was compounded by injuries. If LVG doesn't know by now we need another top midfielder, he never will.
 
We looked frighteningly vulnerable to counter attacks. Given we are a possession team, that is the last area we need to be weak in, as it's the most obvious way to attack a team that bosses possession and presses high up the pitch. The counter attack is the first port of call for any team that is going to get forced deep and we will do that to most teams. You have to be able to deal with quick counters if you are going to control the possession.
 
Losing Herrera killed us, Shaw being out of the team through injury certainly didn't help. Having a fully fit squad will help us enormously. Swansea's goals were both hugely against the run of play. We need at least three signings, a winger, a wing-back/full back and a central midfield player. I don't care how much it'll cost us but it showed today, if we want any chance of top 4 we need more players and to filter out the rubbish and dross.
 
Meh... It's a bigger change in formation in a league that has a different intensity than he's used to. I reckon Louis will get to grips with it, make the right modifications, and hopefully a couple of signings. We also have key personnel injured. Just a bit rubbish to see us not take the momentum we got from our goal and making it count, as well as giving away such clear chances, just like last season. Blackett showed his inexperience with the back-passing of that ball for their quick free-kick.

Moyes used a far more similar system to Fergie's for his opener, and had residual mojo flowing through the club he picked up the keys to. Louis has a different challenge on his hands, and with no Evra, Vidic, Rio or Giggs. I'm not going to be too doom and gloom about this, really.
 
Disappointing but I think many got carried away with pre-season, the formation is not one we are used to and we we switched it didn't do a great deal but make us more predictable.

I thought Rooney led well from the front and Jones was good in defense, but beyond that not many shone in the second half, I thought Nani and Adnan both held onto the ball too long at times and Mata just didn't get into the game.

By the end we were playing hoofball to the mop and that is not something I expected to see under LvG, in truth though I think it will take us until Christmas to find any sort of real form with the injuries and lack of additions.
 
One of the worst performances I can remember, and that's saying sth after last season.

It's all well and good with settling and and not clicking yet. But today was brutal. First signs were there against Valencia but today really...jesus christ.
 
First of many home defeats unless the thick shits running this club see the obvious holes staring them in the face.
I mean if you lose 4 defenders, the logical reaction would be to bring in 4 defenders, not 1.
If your weakest position for 5 seasons is central midfield, the logical reaction would be to bring in a few central midfielders, not 1.

Nothing new was learnt today to be honest, continuing to persist with Fellaini, Young, Nani, continuing to fool ourselves that Smalling and Jones can carry our defence. Continuing to fool ourselves that Darren Fletcher isn't (unfortunately) past it. These things were obvious through the whole of last season but nothing was done to mend it.
 
2nd goal killed us, HT to there was an improvement

those signings need to come in, some square pegs in round holes out there, and apparent that squad is in a little bit of a state
 
did you guys really expect us to start playing like bayern from the first game... disappointing loss but the season is long
 
Cleverley was invisible again. We NEED Welbeck or else our entire style of play will fall down. RVP will make about zero % difference because he doesn't make the type of runs we need which is why he looked poor and drifted in and out of games. Nani is still the most frustrating player we have. It can only get better.
 
That old familiar feeling from last year, eh? so disappointed with that performance.

I'd be happy if Fellaini and Nani never played for us again.

They should have shipped Nani out well before today. As far as Fellaini is concerned, had he been sent on for Fletcher instead of Herrera, I think we might have seen a different result.

As it stands, we are woefully lacking in the talent department, and it's going to require some investment to get us back to competing for the league. Hopefully this is a wake up call to the the manager and executive vice-chairman that we need to makes some immediate moves on the transfer front.
 
What is worse now clubs will know we are desperate for players and will add a few more millions to the fee...hope Woody is proud of himself!
 
Didn't agree with taking Herrera off instead of Fletcher, that basically killed our passing game with two brutes (Fellaini and Fletcher) in midfield instead of the passer and the brute.

Mike Dean let a lot of stuff go which allowed Swansea to commit foul after foul without any consequence.

Rooney's passing is terrible sometimes.

Chicharito shouldn't be starting any games, if he's not happy being the super sub, then ship him off.

Nani isn't interested anymore.

Herrera was very good, no idea why he was subbed.

We need better players, fast. Other than the trio of Mata, Rooney, and Herrera, the rest of the players are squad players, not genuine first teamers.

Really disappointing loss. There's no fire when he concede a goal anyone, no urge to get one back, seriously disappointing to see that.
Mata dropped back to midfield, Fellaini went up top.
 
Honestly straight up lvg made the wrong decision. Half time he made the right choices but it was clear that mata just wasn't in the match at all. Herrara was doing well. Kagawa should have been the one coming on and for mata. Completely the wrong choice. That pretty much lost us the game. It was a smash and grab result but it was clear that the wrong tactical change was made straight after a very good half time one.
 
As I said in the match day thread, that was depressing but not surprising. The squad is a total mess, the lack of quality in defence and midfield is frightening.

If we sign nobody else before the window closes, which seems likely, we'll be finishing 5th or lower again. Van Gaal is great but he's not a miracle worker. The only positive is that without a lame duck manager to hide behind the players and the board, Glazers/Woodward, will be exposed to the vitriol.

At least this should shut up all those telling people to calm down and that there is still 2 weeks in the window left. There might be, but the season started today, we went into woefully inadequate and we've lost. Again.
 
Young at left back, do we really expect to win a game with Ashley Young at left back?
 
Shouldn't have taken Herrera off, it was crystal clear that he'd stick to the oppo's box and wait there and there was nobody to pick up the ball from defenders and since they were shitting it, we've ended up with ultimate hoofball.

As much as I like Blackett, he's played a part in two goals, small in the first one but big one in the second one. He's young, inexperienced, but fecking hell, why would you give Bony the ball so fast to let him fast-kick off with that free kick ? Idiotic behaviour but again, it comes down to inexperience.

Front trio was tragic today and that's including Rooney, he's scored a goal but looked like a pub player yet again. His first touch is atrocious but that's nothing new. Hernandez shouldn't even be discussed, Mata was horribly uninvolved and looked just poor.

Overall, everybody was shit. Enough football for me today.
 
I don't care if we have to bid £100 million each for Di Maria, and Vidal; we need them. Our squad quality wise, currently resembles that of a mid table team. And without any more signings that I where we are going to end up. I said this yesterday, Sir Alex was a miracle worker because he knew the premier league and the teams in it. Van Gaal doesn't.
 

Player Ratings

5.1 Total Average Rating

Highest Rated Player

Lowest Rated Player

Compiled from 458 ratings.

Score Predictions

710,6,26
  • Man Utd win
  • Swansea win
  • Draw

Detailed Results

  • 27% Man Utd 3:0 Swansea
  • 23% Man Utd 2:0 Swansea
  • 18% Man Utd 3:1 Swansea
  • 10% Man Utd 2:1 Swansea
  • 8% Man Utd 4:0 Swansea
  • 4% Man Utd 4:1 Swansea
  • 2% Man Utd 5:0 Swansea
  • 2% Man Utd 1:0 Swansea
  • 1% Man Utd 0:0 Swansea
  • 1% Man Utd 1:1 Swansea
  • 1% Man Utd 3:2 Swansea
  • 0% Man Utd 2:2 Swansea
  • 0% Man Utd 0:5 Swansea
  • 0% Man Utd 5:1 Swansea
  • 0% Man Utd 5:3 Swansea
  • 0% Man Utd 4:2 Swansea
  • 0% Man Utd 1:2 Swansea
  • 0% Man Utd 5:2 Swansea
  • 0% Man Utd 0:1 Swansea
  • 0% Man Utd 3:3 Swansea
Compiled from 742 predictions.
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Match Stats

  1. Man Utd
  2. Swansea
Possession
60% 40%
Shots
14 5
Shots on Target
5 4
Corners
4 0
Fouls
14 20

Referee

Mike Dean