[R'hllor]

When Pulis plays CBs as RB/LB people here going full out on him...

 

[NextSeason]

Jose got his tactics and team selection horribly wrong, like he thought they were playing a Big Northern hoof-ball team. I'm gonna take liberties and suggest his selection of Jones-Smalling-Rojo was him being too scared to fully do what he wants to try - And that is a 3 at the back, (esp. when Bailly comes back - to give us more options as the games pile up)
Having those 3 selected in this games's back 4 setup, was a complete fudge. Either play a proper left-sided full back, or go for it and have the back 3 with 2 proper wing-backs. This was just an absolute tactical mess.


He needed or seemed to want breaking wing play but he had as his full-backs Darmian and Rojo for better defensive solidity; big mistake vs how Hull played.
Terrible choices; might aswell have played Fosu-Mensah and Shaw as full backs as it would have provided a better outlet and pitch progression. Shows just how vital Valencia has been to build our attacks.

Hull played well against Chelsea since the new manager has encouraged them to play more adventurous with quick interplay.

Momentum is being lost. Need a good pick-me up against Wolves. Expect a better performance and Mikhi to come back.

Will be tough that.. considering we're playing Wigan.

 

[Isotope]

Yes, we've slowed down. But our midfield doesn't need major surgery, it just doesn't.

Fergie's thought us that midfield isn't that important to win the league. Having top striker(s) and defence are.

 

[Tapori]

Will be tough that.. considering we're playing Wigan.

Aye, my mistake; much like our performance.

Was checking the Scouse fixtures following Mourinho's cheeky dig back to Jurgen Kloppite. "Normally the stadium is windy and it's difficult."
The boy Redmond will be very dangerous at Wembley.

-
I'm very concerned that he hasn't found the right rotation for our midfield. The trio can't play all 3 of these games in 6 days surely? Fellaini will be used in midfield

 

[Cantona_Forever]

Wow. Surprised too many people lost their heads over our performance. It's clear we played just enough to go to Wembley, not trying to beat Hull. We couldn't cope with Hull best player though. Jon Moss was really dangerous last night, especially in the first half.

 

[stu_1992]

I guess getting to Wembley was all that mattered, but would have naturally felt better with a win. Couldn't watch the game but sounds like a lot here were very disappointed with how we played. Odd interviews from Mourinho afterwards too.

 

[OohAahMartial]

Just watched the game, and I probably shouldn't post yet until I've calmed down but wtf.

Woeful.
Abject.
Disgraceful.


From Jose's ridiculous teamsheet with Rojo as LB (I mean who doesn't know he's terrible there?) with Shaw on the bench and not even brought on as a sub (bye bye Shaw - Jose obviously doesn't rate him). Darmian as RB with no Valencia on the bench meaning both full back positions can't attack. No Martial even on the bench and Lingard on the right. Collectively added up to a foregone conclusion that our wings would suck. Jose gets paid for this? And what's with the subs? ie. Not making any until so ridiculously late. Clearly Jose was content to lose as long as he won the tie. Should refund fans tickets then. TFM on the bench but not played despite our midfield making Hull look like Barcelona and Carrick looking like he's 45. Rooney brought on who has no concept of tracking back and whose cross field pass to Valencia wasn't an option.

Centre backs whose only pass was backwards or hoof with Smalling as clueless as ever. Rojo who seemed to determined to turn his brain off and foul any way he could even if that penalty was a joke. Pogba flattered by a goal when otherwise looked worse than Hull's midfielders with no sense as to what to do and trying to solve every problem by running through a congested midfield. Sissokoesque. And Ibra was an invisible training cone played for no good reason at all when we were set up to play deep.

Going 1-0 down and barely caring? 2-1 and wasting time? After two draws? This team is like a deflated balloon and soon we will be sinking away from the top 5 even more. We can't afford a second period of draws and defeats. Jose can't afford it either. He should recall that LVG was sacked straight after winning the FA Cup for finishing one place higher in the league than we are.

Through to the Final with red faces.

 

[Dr Pavel]

Hull played surprisingly good football.

 

[DomesticTadpole]

Will be tough that.. considering we're playing Wigan.

Maybe he meant a pick-me up is Wolves knocking out Liverpool. That would do it for me.

 

[Pogue Mahone]

The hysteria on here is insane. We're in a cup final. The two goal lead was always going to make it a cagey performance and ludicrous refereeing decisions didn't help. Stop being such entitled brats. Job done. We move on.

 

[zeekey]

Typical United Thursday night away performance. Thought we improved in the second half and quite comfortable after the equaliser. Rojo hit the bar to make sure someone did in a game. That's it really. Next one.

 

[acrebo]

People need to take yesterday's performance and result with a pinch of perspective.

It wasn't great but it was also our first defeat in 18 games, in a fixture which Jose knew he could afford to make some changes. The team he fielded didn't play well but also didn't look, on paper, like one that would be going down >2-0 against Hull.

Also, as poor as we were, they got ahead through a poor penalty decision and only created a couple chances through the second half, both of which came after our equaliser and hitting of the woodwork.

A frustrating game but they happen sometimes. The players will know that standards have dropped recently so the timing is near perfect to have a kick up the ass and refocus for the upcoming run of fixtures.

 

[Ballache]

Every unbeaten streak comes to an end eventually, hopefully this was it and we react positively. Very shit performance yesterday but we're going to Wembley

 

[trevor newnham]

By the same token that when we have a poor game like that, we're absolute cr*p and when we were on that run we areBarcelona-in-the-making.mI refuse to go overboard. Yes, we were bad last night, Rashford was the only one who played to his top form, and John Moss was hopeless, but we are going to Wembley in tge Milk Cup, or League Cup or the Vanerama Trophy or whatever its bloody called now, so bothered. I might be if we now go on a run of disappointing games. But at the moment, Im content to wait and see how the season eventually pans out.

 

[Rado_N]

Christ there are some hysterical crybabies on here.

Why is it every time we have a poor performance people start banging on about how much money players make? Footballers are paid what they are because they're what generates a multi-billion pound worldwide industry. Get fecking used to it and shut up moaning you sound like children.

Shit performance that has little consequence and will hopefully give them a bit of kick. On to Sunday.

 

[Annihilate Now!]

We're in the final, I couldn't give a flying shit about anything else.

Our lot needed a kick up the ass, so losing a game should do something at least... and this was the best game to lose (by one goal).

 

[DomesticTadpole]

We're in the final, I couldn't give a flying shit about anything else.

Our lot needed a kick up the ass, so losing a game should do something at least... and this was the best game to lose (by one goal).

The reaction of the players after the game showed they realised it was a bad performance. They are in a final which is great, but they know they will have to start performing again.

 

[Michael Edge]

Shocking performance, horrendous game but I am thankful that we got that kind of performance out of our system in a game we could afford to, lucky to get through granted but at least it cost us no points or a cup exit, as Carrick said, shake it off and move on, not happy we got beat but at least we haven't lost anything, give those that played last night a rest this weekend make changes for Wigan then we move into a good run of fixtures in the league.

People going over the top on here makes me laugh, bad performance, were in a final, move on. Away fans were class last night again, gutted not to be in the middle of it all.

 

[Sunny Jim]

I just watched the highlights....the story of the season in one game - terrible decision by Moss to give that peno (), hit the woodwork again.

 

[Robertd0803]

A performance that at best could be described as doing just about enough to get through, much like most of our Europa League performances. (Its also this worry that I have for the latter stages of the Europa league that we have forgotten how to play 2 legs of a football match.)

The penalty for Hull was one of the worst all season and that's really saying something considering its been one of the worst seasons for referees I can remember. And then its topped by Smalling being fouled with no penalty and red card given.

Hull gave it a go, to be fair not like they had anything to lose so why not. Rather this outcome than dropping points against them at Old Trafford next time we play them.

I knew we were in for a long night when I saw the defence and strike force. Rashford and Lingard isn't the ideal pairing either side of Zlatan and not sure having both Miki/Mata on the bench made sense.

And Rojo hitting the bar continues the season long issue of the goalposts and crossbar being against us as well.

 

[Zoo]

If you had to pick a game to end the unbeaten run, it'd be 2-1 in the second leg of a cup tie that we're already 2 goals up in.

In some ways, it's good that the pressure has eased.

Agree with this.

 

[Hawks2008]

If we win the final does that make it a mkhi mouse cup?

 

[Charlie Foley]

Well done Mr Silva though. 2 wins 2 losses. Losses vs Chelsea and United, one which they avenged. He might me decent one to watch.

WHAT DOES HE KNOW ABOUT THE PREMIER LEAGUE

 

[Giggsy92]

I'm impressed with Hull, thought they looked decent in Phelan's last few matches and they've been impressive since Silva took over. Never thought they'd be in with a chance of staying up after the pre-season they had.

 

[noodlehair]

Carrick's post match interview - It really annoyed me. He looked like he'd just been told he had a week to live and kept going on about how devastated he was at how poorly we'd played. A problem that would have been easily solved by not playing like a bunch of bellends. The fact we turned up for the part of the game where we were 1-0 down suggests very much that it was an attitude problem, so as captain of the team who played with a piss poor attitude, don't come out whining about it as if it was out of your or any of the player's control. I'm pretty bored of this sort of nonsense from him. Was he our best player? Was he actively doing anything to try and get the team to play better? Or was he so anonymous that I wouldn't have known he was even playing had I not seen the team sheet?

Pogba - He's been terrible since the West Ham game, and that's a big reason why the team's performances have suffered. I don't expect the world's best player, but for a world record fee, you shouldn't just be swanning through games like a hungover version of Ballotelli.

Smalling - A throwback to his days as a non league player

Hoof clearances - It's not so bad when we're under pressure and there's no safe passing option, but when there's literally four players up the pitch you can easily pass the ball to...if you're incapable of even being brave or calm enough to try and find one of them, you're not good enough.

Reffy the ref - One of the strangest most biased refereeing performances I can remember. At one point Rojo fouled a Hull player on the touchline while the ball was about half a metre off the pitch (I say foul, it wasn't really much of a foul). According to the rules you can't give a freekick if the ball is out of play. Not only was a freekick given, but it was taken about 3 metres away from the touchline, practically on the edge of our area, which is where the referee TOLD Hull to take it from. I can understand not seeing things or getting things you see wrong, but when you're inventing things that didn't happen and deliberately ignoring the rules in order to invent decisions, genuine questions NEED to be asked about your integrity. Because either you don't have any, or you're too incompetent to be refereeing a football game at any serious level.

I would go on to the positives, but to be honest, apart from Rashford looking quite lively, there weren't any. Our second best player was probably either Zlatan who was poor, or De Gea due to the fact he didn't really have a chance to do anything shite. We've played consistently badly for a month and seem to wake up whenever we go behind in a game, which suggests either a lack of desire, or arrogance. The team need a kick up the backside and hopefully this was it, though I reckon it wont happen until we lose an important game.

 

[Jaxdan]

Shit show. From our side and from Moss. Hard to feel good about 'moving on' after losing to an undermanned Hull side with mid table Championship level talent. Better in this instance than what's upcoming, but the inconsistent play and mix-match starting XI constantly is crap. Very hollow feeling singing "We're going to Wembley" after this one for me.

 

[Hugh Jass]

Brilliant. Hes dead right though.

 

[.Phil1968]

My 10th birthday was May 12th 1979...... ruined! Still waiting to score a last minute v Arse-anal and get my payback (Giggs doesn't count).

Jesus remember that too those last 5 minutes and bloody Liam Brady

 

[top1whoisman]

Any info re: the amount of away fans yesterday, what was the allocation?

Edit: Never mind, 3,844.

 

[manichester]

We started the game sitting back and just trying to hold on to what we had, every time we do this we struggle. We paly our best football when we pass the ball quickly and have ago at the opposition, this was a throwback to the days of creating mininimal chances.

 

[BeforeKeanetherewasRobson]

Jesus remember that too those last 5 minutes and bloody Liam Brady

"The 5 minute Final"?

Had a mega strop, Mum cancelled my party... I couldn't have given a monkey's ... Don't think I talked to anyone for a day or more.

 

[Dante]

It is NEVER a good thing to end an unbeaten run.

The two most frequently used phrases in this thread are: 'complacent' and 'kick up the arse'. The winning run papered over the cracks. Now the players have nowhere to hide. That run of scoring late after lacking intensity for 80 minutes had to come to an end, and this was the least painful scenario for it to happen.

 

[red_john]

The players didn't show any effort. They got complacent and thought the game would just pass bye without Hull putting us under some kind of pressure. Thankfully it didn't cost us. We have done this in a few games this season, poor effort from the lads.

 

[marlowe78]

They thought we could get through this without having to strain ourselves. I wonder how they would've felt if Hull equalized and they had to run around for 30 minutes of extra time.

 

[mitchmouse]

Worst performance since we lost to chelsea. Very dull game against a pretty poor Hull said. The only thing worse was the excuse for a referee