[LeftyBlaster]

Phew 5th

 

[Frank Grimes]

Chris Smalling is not a footballer, can't wait to see the back of him.

 

[wr8_utd]

All though all those defenders on the pitch look negative, we have to remember the lads are tied after all these fixtures and also the congested fixtures we have coming up. So if it gets us 3 points and keeps the players a bit more fresher I don't see why not.

Bringing on defenders for attackers and inviting more pressure on tired legs and minds does not help us with freshness at all. We took off Mata and resorted to pumping it long to Rashford who could win nothing at all in the air. It was not just cowardly and negative, it was foolish tactics.

 

[Steven7290]

Tbh it was a negative approach by Jose but fully understandable. Boro has been pumping balls to their big men all game plus the fact that we always manage to choke when the results actually matter. To ensure we get our of 6th is vital and you can see that from Jose's response as well

 

[Utdstar01]

Kicking off in the tunnel apparently.

 

[Sandikan]

4 centre backs for that long in the game! I don't think I've ever seen that before!

And then Darmian was ready to come on too!

The bizarre thing is we've scored 3 with a lot of the first choice attack out! The attack who have failed to beat tonnes of mediocrities at home. Funny old game.

That feeling when Valencia netted though! Just the pure mix of relief and surprise

 

[SqueakyWeasel]

Thankfully Valdes slipped,we were hanging on there near the end and asking for trouble.

Whats happening with Bailly in the tunnel ?

My stream switched to the SKY coverage … someone fill me in!

 

[lopiop]

Smalling had a chance to clear with his left, but didnt trust his left. Was quite funny cos usually defenders feck up when they choose to use their stronger foot in awkward situations.

 

[pseudo_canadian]

5th place!

 

[Mike09]

We are more clinical without Zlatan and Pogba lol

 

[Garethw]

fecking hell. I'm getting too old for this

 

[Get In Scholesy]

Not even going to talk about the tactics. Aside from an aging Carrick we had no capable midfielders. We played 4 games in 10 days, riddled with injuries and suspensions and we did what we had to do to get 3 points and move up out of 6th place in the League.


Not a fecking complaint.

 

[Big Andy]

Win that leaves sour taste in mouth after that cowardice approach from Jose, awful.

You bellend...

 

[Billy Blaggs]

Glad to see the caf targets score. It shows its a squad.
Great win as I thought it would be a draw.

 

[kotha]

From the BBC

19:26
More ugly scenes. It has just kicked off again in the tunnel. Michael Carrick was in the thick of it, but I can't accurately describe what started it or what went on.

There's a good chance we may hear more about this

Wonder what's happening there!

 

[Ainu]

I was fuming at our last 20 minutes, but that moment of comedy from Valdez got me smiling again. What a howler.

 

[Randall Flagg]

• Happy with the 3 points
• Too negative from Mou, could have cost us.
• Lingard, Fellaini, Valencia had good games besides their goals. Mata also good.
• Good movement from Rash but much better finishing is required.

UP TO 5th!!

Sums it up nicely

 

[Trizy]

Meh.. a wins and win.

 

[Sandikan]

Kicking off in the tunnel apparently.

Having seen the way Gestede at best "Nuzzled" and at worsy "Suarezed" Bailly I'm not suprised

 

[M Bison]

I'm in the minority but totally understand the Rojo substitution.

Boro had just brought Gestede on and were obviously going to start throwing more balls into the box. Also traore is difficult to defend against so Rojo was to give more support to Young.

The problem was the poor defending for their goal which made it feel less comfortable a win than it should have been.

Delighted with the win, was expecting a disappointing result given the number of players we had missing and Boro straight off the back of removing their manager.

Pleased for Tony too, they all count!

 

[Problem-free Philosophy]

Got the result and that was the main thing today.

It was disappointing to see the switch in tactics simply because we looked far more vulnerable after the switch than we did before it. Came very close to throwing that away.

 

[macbanan]

Mourinho really goes all or nothing in choosing possession defense or dropping deep and cramming the back with defenders.
Guess with Herrera, Pogba and Ibra gone he must have felt possession defense would have been too risky. Anyway, 5th!

 

[MadMike]

Fellaini: "We had loads of defenders on today..." (laughs)

 

[bosnian_red]

Good win actually. Created plenty surprisingly given no ibra, pogba, herrera, miki or martial in the starting 11. Or blind even. Could be the win to finally get us on a good run in the league again.

 

[Utdstar01]

I think Mourinho could afford to do that with his previous teams but our team doesn't quite have the resilience required yet.

 

[whatwha]

Was very worried we could draw this with our negative tactics in the last 30 minutes. Thanks Valdes!

 

[Werd.]

Bailly looked like he wanted to kill someone there. Wonder what happened.

 

[PogbaUnited]

Apparently we have no dignity in Manchester United since this defensive and cowardly approach is even possible to think about.

I knew Mourinho was a coward, but not this big. I really hope Woodward and the board call Mourinho and say that's the absolutely last time he even thinks about having 2 DM and 7 defenders on the pitch at the same time.

I would rather have played the offensive football and lost 4-2 than this shite, I just saw.

I am and has never been the type "to win at any cost". You have some standards, you have to fulfill.

If this cowardly approach continues, then I can't wait for the day, Mourinho is gone.

 

[Jazz]

3 points is all that matters. Valdes has made my week. Unbelievable mistake

 

[Handré1990]

Some on here needs to get a grip. 3 games in less than 6 days. Since January 1s we've played a game every 4th day on average. We're now 5th with a game in hand (two after pool play). I'm happy as feck!

Shit game, with a couple of great goals and some mental subs. Like Fergie all over again.

All of this with 2/3 of our regular mf players out along with our top scorer and fecking Mkhi.

Perspective

 

[sunama]

Needed the 3 points but taking Mata off for Rojo around 65mins to defend for the rest of the game? Really?

Spineless tactics that could have fecked our CL quests up completely

Hopefully this answers your comment:

...he probably saw all that pressure incoming with tired defenders and midfielders and actually limited the damage to just one goal by bringing on an extra defender. We would be sat here discussing a draw now had Mata stayed on the pitch oor had been subbed for a player who isn't tall enough to connect with headers. That's the good thing about being a world class manager. You see things that the average posters on redcafe will not.

 

[Bubz27]

What actually happened with Bailly? Looked like Gestede grabbed him to bite him or something.

Then Gibson looks like Bailly has done something

 

[shield]

Good to have that win. Strange tactics. Think we played all the defenders available to us. Should have subbed on Romero as well..

 

[welshmanc75]

Would've bitten your hand off for a 3-1 this morning so delighted with the 3 points. Would happily see City beat Liverpool later and leave us 3pts behind with 2 games in hand.

Hopefully SAF has a word with Jose and ensure some our players are 'injured' for the forthcoming international break and get them a rest

 

[Hugh Jass]

Unless you are winning four nil away from home, the other team will attack. At about sixty five minutes they changed tactics and started pouring men forward and sending cross after cross into the box. Mourinho did the correct thing in bringing on a defender.

If it was at home I would be disappointed with the subs, but not away from home. I said at the start of the match it would be a tricky tie. We were never going to beat them four nil and dominate them like posters thought. Look at PSG and Barcelona in their Champions league tie. When you are away from home be it in Europe or the league, it is always tough.

 

[royboy16]

Mourinho does make me chuckle, just fecking off into the sunset down the tunnel celebrating.

That little jig and jump celebration made me laugh

 

[Catt]

Too much uncertainty going on. Us not being 6th and @Lucky McLuckerson not doing the post match thread.

 

[M Bison]

You bellend...

 

[Catt]

Good win btw.

 

[SirAF]

Rojo for Mata and six (seven?) at the back will dominate the post match discussion, and rightly so, if it's a sign of things to come, as that can't be acceptable here. If it was done to mitigate fatigue and lack of first choice players, then I can accept it.

You live and die by results in this game, and we got the three points. Top four looking good again.

I think that much is obvious.