[McGrathsipan]

Busy busy schedule ahead.

Sat 14th Man City (H)
Wed 18th Palace (A)
Sun 22nd Arsenal (A)
23rd/24th League cup semi final 1st leg
28th Jan Reading (H)
Jan 31st/Feb 1st League cup semi final 2nd leg
Feb 4th Palace (H)

Could be playing City or Arsebal three times

 

[Gator Nate]

Not too shabby. Should have had a few more goals, but their keeper was not half bad and Fred was just unlucky.

ETH did a great job of squad and game management.

Garnacho was outstanding, Maguire and Fred had good games. Heaton is more reassuring than Dubravka.

Antony only frustrated me a little. He pulled out of a few chances where I thought he should should have been more aggressive.

I was more under the impression Dalot was pulled off more as a precaution than a sure injury.

Rashford is fire!

 

[always_hoping]

Could be playing City or Arsebal three times

City yes but not Arsenal as they are out of the league cup. Drawing Newcastle will be tough also.

 

[Daengophile]

I'm getting quite bored of scoring 3 each game.

Can't we up it to 4 sometimes?

ETH has used the squad effectively - some risk in doing so - but that has paid off handsomely for sure. We're in a good place

The coaches seem to be..... Coaching!

The players are improving

Everyone wants to be playing

There's competition for places

There's a good chance of winning something

And Pep has a squeaky bum

 

[Real Name]

What happened to real Fred.

The one from yesterday and few weeks back has crisp accurate passing and doesnt lose possesion.

 

[croadyman]

What happened to real Fred.

The one from yesterday and few weeks back has crisp accurate passing and doesnt lose possesion.

Yeah and nearly scored from free kick too

 

[troylocker]

Sloppy passing at times, but job done. Allways nice to score 3 and keep a clean sheet.

 

[justsomebloke]

Was Maguire bad? He was our lowest rated player on Google rating (don’t know how it works)

Got himself into embarrassing trouble on a couple of occasions when he ventured forward, misplaced a couple of passes - but otherwise and on the whole, he was okay. Wasn't much tested defensively, had a large number of good incisive forward passes.

 

[RaddyRed]

Delighted with that last night (which shows how far we had fallen in recent years).

Type of game in the last couple of seasons which would have probably gone to extra time after we failed to score, whereas now we look like a big side now who's weakened team is also playing well.

As for concerns about the likes of Casemiro and Rashford playing 30 mins. When you think about it, it's 30 mins running about 4 days before our next game, hardly the end of the world. Keeps them ticking over.

 

[captaincantona]

Positives:
- another win
- Antony has a sweet left foot
- Garnacho playing well
- chances created first half
- Martinez dusting off the cobwebs
- Pellistri showing why he is worth keeping around
- Fred decent
- semi final

Negatives:
- Antony has no right foot…it literally doesn’t exist and it really limits his ability to beat his man. Very predictable.
- Elanga compounded what he has shown over the course of this season. He is a lower tier of player in every sense. His movement and first touch are way way off the required level. He has had his chance and we need to explore other players potential. He should not be given minutes ahead of Pellistri/Garnacho.
- McT compounded what he has shown over the course of his career with United. He is not the tier of player required and unless he is moved into a more defensive role I don’t see how he can be kept on the books in one of our midfield spots. We need to replace him - with Iqbal and Mainoo seemingly a long way off - we need quality back up.
- Maguire should not stay beyond this season. He just doesn’t fit. No need to expand on it.
-Dalot injured
-We are really screwed if anything happens to Rashford.

 

[Maticmaker]

Except for the goals, this was more of a workman like display, rather than a polished performance, but it got the job 'done'

Antony is looking more and more like a one-trick left-footed pony...but what a trick. However his right leg is clearly for standing on only.
Garnacho looking more and more like he will improve on his positional play and add a continuing and real threat to opponents.
Rashford looking more and more like hes back to his best.

Foot note: liked the way Heaton sought to get things moving quickly once in possession, fast and powerful throw-outs a feature of this.

 

[sugar_kane]

What happened to real Fred.

The one from yesterday and few weeks back has crisp accurate passing and doesnt lose possesion.

Was surprising to see him get hooked yesterday, thought he looked very sharp (which is normally the opposite of what you get with Fred)

Would have much rather seen Scott go off, but I guess he needed the minutes more.

 

[justsomebloke]

Was surprising to see him get hooked yesterday, thought he looked very sharp (which is normally the opposite of what you get with Fred)

Would have much rather seen Scott go off, but I guess he needed the minutes more.

I thought the same. He was Mr. Everything out there, taking corners and free kicks, making key passes, doing the dirty work - in short, dominating the game.

 

[Artorias]

Amazing how you can spend 160m on two players yet Garnacho and Pellistri look much better. Garnacho has been brilliant every game, hopefully Pellistri can get some playing time. He looked decent in the World Cup as well.

Thought we were good first 30 minutes, controlled it and attacked at will with Garnacho outstanding. Went a bit scrappy and second half Charlton had a good go forcing ETH to put his better midfield on.
Pellistri was brilliant in his cameo. Definitely first team standard. Nice touch, good passing also fast and skilful.

Agree. Let's hope that ETH starts to playing Pellistri more.

 

[Hughes35]

I don't think we were great but a win is a win. No dramas, some youth got a game, Rashford keeps flying high so all good.

Huge game this weekend.

 

[bond19821982]

Was surprising to see him get hooked yesterday, thought he looked very sharp (which is normally the opposite of what you get with Fred)

Would have much rather seen Scott go off, but I guess he needed the minutes more.

He is starting against City?

 

[SATA]

So lads, who have we got in the semis? Who’s left after this round?

 

[bosskeano]

Pellestri is light years ahead of Elanga so that should sort out who to loan and who to keep if minutes are needed

 

[Member 125288]

So lads, who have we got in the semis? Who’s left after this round?

Newcastle, Southampton or Citeh, Forest or Wolves.

 

[lex talionis]

I’ve read some moaning about our performance yesterday, but I was impressed. Heaton belonged. Garnacho was sensational. Mainoo has a bright future. Pellistri…sign him up!

 

[croadyman]

Pellestri is light years ahead of Elanga so that should sort out who to loan and who to keep if minutes are needed

You would think so but still not sure he dislodges him on Saturday

 

[justsomebloke]

Pellestri is light years ahead of Elanga so that should sort out who to loan and who to keep if minutes are needed

What, on the basis of one brief cameo against a League One team in a state of dissolution?

 

[bosskeano]

What, on the basis of one brief cameo against a League One team in a state of dissolution?

no...the kid played for his country in a World Cup PLUS his cameo is better than anything Elanga has done since his promotion to the first team

 

[justsomebloke]

no...the kid played for his country in a World Cup PLUS his cameo is better than anything Elanga has done since his promotion to the first team

It doesn't matter how much better it is. It's a 10-15 minute cameo. Which is too little to infer anything whatsoever, particularly as a basis of comparison with a player who's played as much as Elanga has.

 

[ryansgirl]

Delighted for Marcus. The lad has put up with so much rubbishing - as opposed to fair criticism in the real sense - over the last few years from some supporters.

Just looking at those two goals showed the difference - he isn`t over-thinking when he has an opportunity and times his shot the way a confident player of class does. Good on you Marcus, I`m so glad to see you doing what made everybody sit up and take notice of you in the first place.