[Drifter]

No consistency

 

[redmanx]

To be honest I am very impressed with the way we played. How often do we go to Stamford Bridge and dominate most half of the game. We have dominate possession (before Varane injury), have more shots on goals, and got a convincing result there. If not for Mctominay stupidity we should have won the game too.

I think we are on the right track, we will definitely finish top 4 this season. ETH is the man for us.

ETH has sorted out both the egos and the football and brought in some superb players like Eriksen, Martinez and Casemiro,

To be honest I am very impressed with the way we played. How often do we go to Stamford Bridge and dominate most half of the game. We have dominate possession (before Varane injury), have more shots on goals, and got a convincing result there. If not for Mctominay stupidity we should have won the game too.

I think we are on the right track, we will definitely finish top 4 this season. ETH is the man for us.

ETH has sorted out both the egos and the football and brought in some superb players like Eriksen, Martinez and Casemiro while reigniting others like Shaw, Varane, Dalot, Rashford and Bruno. Theres still work to be done and more players to sign, like a striker who can grab us 20 + goals in the Prem. McTominay and Fred should be released and more reliable players found to replace them in the squad, and another central defender, or two, as back up to Varane and Martinez; Lindelof is ok, but Maguire is a liability. Im confident we can finish in the top 4 and do well in the FA Cup!

 

[Gator Nate]

No consistency

And that was the real issue with that pen... Tim Howard was one of the studio commentators for NBC on Saturday. He rightly said you could pull ten instances of that from every game over the weekend and it is NEVER called for a pen. And frankly, when it's slowed down, it looks more like a dive than a push. I'm not faulting McT on that one.

 

[Still ill]

And that was the real issue with that pen... Tim Howard was one of the studio commentators for NBC on Saturday. He rightly said you could pull ten instances of that from every game over the weekend and it is NEVER called for a pen. And frankly, when it's slowed down, it looks more like a dive than a push. I'm not faulting McT on that one.

Absolutely, consistency is the problem but it SHOULD be a penalty. The problem is with the ones not given, not the one given.

 

[Still ill]

Apologies if already posted…

Brilliant stuff. Incredible how Martinez and Casemiro get it, have connected so quickly with fans when we've floated for so long without a proper bond between players and fans. And they've established that not through their continental flair but through the traditionally 'British' qualities of getting stuck in, showing fire, passion etc. Rather than, say, posting limp apologies on social media. Love them both.

 

[Carolina Red]

This video is fantastic … and ties in that photo.

Watch to the end… Martinez

I love it

 

[cyberman]

On another note go to the end to our goal. The Co commentator thinks Kepa saves it and you can hear his heart break in real time

 

[croadyman]

Tbf two worldclass strikers will win you 90% of games. Greedy much

Yeah just give us a loan striker in January then go all in for our top target next summer

 

[Foxbatt]

I feel that we are over passing in the final third. There were many opportunities to either take a shot or a cross but it comes back across.

 

[DSG]

Such a delight watching Casemiro. Equalizer aside, what a player! I think the casual fan misses how important that DM position is, and how having a world class player there makes such a huge difference. His play allowed us to control and dictate tempo, forced an early sub and formation change by Chelsea. Jorginho is quality, but Casemiro made him look average, even sub par.

We were all calling for a real DM for 2-3 seasons, neither Ole nor Ralf thought it was important enough to address.

We absolutely deserved 3 points. We need a top level striker.

 

[Nevilles.Wear.Prada]

Such a delight watching Casemiro. Equalizer aside, what a player! I think the casual fan misses how important that DM position is, and how having a world class player there makes such a huge difference. His play allowed us to control and dictate tempo, forced an early sub and formation change by Chelsea. Jorginho is quality, but Casemiro made him look average, even sub par.

We were all calling for a real DM for 2-3 seasons, neither Ole nor Ralf thought it was important enough to address.

We absolutely deserved 3 points. We need a top level striker.

At least been calling for a quality DMC for a decade.

 

[Berbasbullet]

On another note go to the end to our goal. The Co commentator thinks Kepa saves it and you can hear his heart break in real time

Even said we "pinched a point", quite funny that.

 

[DSG]

At least been calling for a quality DMC for a decade.

Not really. Carrick was a regular until 16/17, then Matic came in and was good in his first couple seasons. We’ve never had a world class DM like Casemiro that I can remember. Keane was more a CM, but was nasty enough to be a DM. Hargreaves? He was legitimately excellent until he was injured.

 

[mitchmouse]

It could in theory but won't because of Varane's injuries. Sadly it's a case of when he gets injured, not if. It's a damn shame as he's such a good player. Lindelof's showing signs of an Erik upgrade like Shaw and Dalot so here's hoping it continues.

It was a blatant penalty. Just because other refs don't give it doesn't mean the one that gets it right should be criticised. To use the old cliche, what if that had been at the other end and a Chelsea defender rugby tackled Rashford a few minutes from the end at 0-0. I doubt many would've been happy to say it was ok as they're rarely given!

We simply have to bring in a proven scorer in January, even if it means paying the United tax or a January tax. It could mean the difference between CL and EL next season and all the issues that brings in trying to sign players if it's the Europa.

Don't think I said it wasn't a penalty but if one gives it, so should others - games the following day showed this doesn't happen

 

[croadyman]

On another note go to the end to our goal. The Co commentator thinks Kepa saves it and you can hear his heart break in real time

Yeah his pain is utterly glorious

 

[croadyman]

Even said we "pinched a point", quite funny that.

Yeah must have been asleep for first 35 mins

 

[lex talionis]

Not really. Carrick was a regular until 16/17, then Matic came in and was good in his first couple seasons. We’ve never had a world class DM like Casemiro that I can remember. Keane was more a CM, but was nasty enough to be a DM. Hargreaves? He was legitimately excellent until he was injured.

I beg to differ. Carrick was at the end of his career and Matic was at the end of his career. They both had a few outstanding performances in them, but during the time period that we're talking about neither were able to string 3-4 outstanding performances together.

Carrick in particular was a brilliant servant of the club, and props to the United legend on the back of today's news, but we've needed a CDM in his prime for almost a decade now.

Earlier today another poster questioned me as to whether Casemiro is past his prime, and I suppose we'll have to await the verdict at the end of the season, but if Casemiro is past his prime it's not by much. Whether he is or not, Casemiro's prime is at a level few have ever matched.

We've struggled in this position for about a decade now, without question.

 

[DSG]

I beg to differ. Carrick was at the end of his career and Matic was at the end of his career. They both had a few outstanding performances in them, but during the time period that we're talking about neither were able to string 3-4 outstanding performances together.

Carrick in particular was a brilliant servant of the club, and props to the United legend on the back of today's news, but we've needed a CDM in his prime for almost a decade now.

Earlier today another poster questioned me as to whether Casemiro is past his prime, and I suppose we'll have to await the verdict at the end of the season, but if Casemiro is past his prime it's not by much. Whether he is or not, Casemiro's prime is at a level few have ever matched.

We've struggled in this position for about a decade now, without question.

2012 Carrick wasn’t good? 2013, 2014, 2015? He was getting international call ups well into 2015. He made the 2012/13 PL team of the season.

Agree that we haven’t had a CDM of Casemiro’s quality for many years. I think Casemiro’s better overall than both Matic or Carrick, but Matic was pretty damn good his first couple of seasons and Carrick was good until 2015.

I think, though, we are all in agreement that it’s been several years since we’ve had a decent CDM option.

 

[bosskeano]

 

[lex talionis]

2012 Carrick wasn’t good? 2013, 2014, 2015? He was getting international call ups well into 2015. He made the 2012/13 PL team of the season.

Agree that we haven’t had a CDM of Casemiro’s quality for many years. I think Casemiro’s better overall than both Matic or Carrick, but Matic was pretty damn good his first couple of seasons and Carrick was good until 2015.

I think, though, we are all in agreement that it’s been several years since we’ve had a decent CDM option.

Carrick is a United legend in my book and criminally underrated by England managers. But even I won't go as far as saying the Carrick of the mid teens was anywhere near the Casemiro of the last six seasons. We'll call it last nine seasons instead of decade.

Matic had the occasional great performance for us, but even in his first season at Old Trafford we needed a younger, more dynamic CDM than Matic was able to give us consistently.