Smalling is terrible. He scares me every time he plays. Jones kept falling on his arse and Bailly had a bad game. Our midfielders and wing backs were fine. Lingard and Mata were fine. Rashford kept fecking it up when it mattered.
PL W FA Premier League
Middlesbrough 1:3 Manchester United
Post-match discussion
Sun, 19 March 2017
Of all the people on that pitch, Bailly would be at the top of my list of who NOT to try that with
thank you.
Exactly my thoughts, the 3 points is all that matters. Much better than the draw which would of happened earlier in the season.
But people will always find something to moan about.
Wait what? Strange strange times.
Smalling and Jones are just about ok when they play in a back four but when you ask them to know what to do in a back 3/5 they haven't got the footballing nouse. Look at the difference in the technical ability of the 3 centre backs that Chelsea play compared to ours today. It's no wonder they didn't look comfortable.
Good god is he in here as well. Jose was not happy the way the defenders were dropping back. I think he had to throw someone else on because he could not trust them and I bet he now realises some of them are a bit cowardly. If they had not started dropping back he likely wouldn't have made that change or left it later. Think fatigue hit in as well.
mmmm yeah
Well, we were a bit too respectful to Boro in the whole match, but at least we were looking settled and comfortable for 65 minutes. We held our shape, we closed down their wide men, and we looked comfortable going forward. Mourinho wanted us to not concede first and foremost, and we were doing enough even if it wasn't a good job, whilst Mata, Lingard, and Rashford did a decent job of testing the Boro defence with good movement and pace. The first goal was crucial for us settling, as usual, and once Fellaini scored that, we were looking comfortable and unlikely to lose.
The second half rolls in, and we continue with the same approach: doing barely enough to keep Boro out and getting 3 points. However, once Rojo came in, the whole team looked lost. No one was sure of the area they would cover, and there was lots of panic whenever Boro approach our final third. If Mourinho was going to bring in Rojo, at least he should have prepared the team for that whether in the training ground or via instructions passed on by Rojo.
At that point, Boro grew in confidence as they kept pumping balls into the box and continued the pressure on us. However, as the match wore on, we seemed to settle into our shape, and Boro became sloppier in the final third. The 3rd goal was huge for us as it pretty much finished off the match, but I think we would have seen the game off anyways as our team got settled into their newfound shape.
One thing I noticed is how, whenever we had possession, we continuously aimed to clear the ball rather than keep the ball and slow the pace down. There were way too many long balls played to Rashford and Fellaini, and we could have easily played possession football to see the game off. Having said that, we do seem quite panicky whenever we have to defend leads towards the end of the match, which probably explains why we haven't killed the game off via possession for the last 3 years.
The second half rolls in, and we continue with the same approach: doing barely enough to keep Boro out and getting 3 points. However, once Rojo came in, the whole team looked lost. No one was sure of the area they would cover, and there was lots of panic whenever Boro approach our final third. If Mourinho was going to bring in Rojo, at least he should have prepared the team for that whether in the training ground or via instructions passed on by Rojo.
At that point, Boro grew in confidence as they kept pumping balls into the box and continued the pressure on us. However, as the match wore on, we seemed to settle into our shape, and Boro became sloppier in the final third. The 3rd goal was huge for us as it pretty much finished off the match, but I think we would have seen the game off anyways as our team got settled into their newfound shape.
One thing I noticed is how, whenever we had possession, we continuously aimed to clear the ball rather than keep the ball and slow the pace down. There were way too many long balls played to Rashford and Fellaini, and we could have easily played possession football to see the game off. Having said that, we do seem quite panicky whenever we have to defend leads towards the end of the match, which probably explains why we haven't killed the game off via possession for the last 3 years.
From that angle it looks like he is trying to, but if you watch the other angles he's grabbing Bailly by the neck and saying something in his ear most likely to the effect of "see you in the tunnel after the game",
3 points
Up from sixth
Team is fatigued from playing so many games in a short space of time
Missing Ibrahimovic, Pogba and Herrera aswell
I'd take this result right now even if it meant playing 10-0-0
Up from sixth
Team is fatigued from playing so many games in a short space of time
Missing Ibrahimovic, Pogba and Herrera aswell
I'd take this result right now even if it meant playing 10-0-0
Don't understand all the negative posts, 3 points in the bag and they are moaning about defenders on the pitch.
You are brilliant @Wumminator!
Was expecting some comments from you about Jose's tactics but you've expertly left that to people to jump on to.
Was expecting some comments from you about Jose's tactics but you've expertly left that to people to jump on to.
It's ridiculous. Tedious trip to Russia. Played on a horrendous pitch. Played 10men for the better part of an hour against the best team this season. Another roughhouse match less than 3days ago against the russian team. Feck tactics and style of play today, I just want the 3points. Would have taken a 1-0 win before the game. Don't care how it went, I'm just delighted.
This!
There are negatives but at least unnecessarily throwing the three points away at the end isn't one of them. That's progress!
I agree. If you had said 1-3 before the match I would have dismissed you given everything. We are missing players, playing away from home, after playing a match on Thursday and so on. Its a very good result.
It was really good in parts and really bad in parts. We need to sort out our defence in the summer. Jones and Smalling just aren't up to it.
Gooood.
Middlesbrough are the drizzling shits, we were ugly but got the job done. The negative sub to go back 6 invited unessicary pressure in those last 20 minutes, and it was extra difficult as we had no out ball that stuck.
Most of them were saying we will draw and now we've won they've found something to moan about.
How bitter would it have been after another draw?
mmmm yeah
It's about fecking time. Sick of being below the shite cnuts.
Go support Arsenal mate, you don't get United.
So bloody nice not to finish with a draw. Quite a few of our players not on international duty I think, so lots of rest now.
There are many words to describe that win, but comfortable is not one of them.
Sitting back in the second half in the way we did was suicidal. A team better than Boro (who have the lowest number of goals in the league all season) would've surely punished us. We were handling them just fine, bringing a fourth CB instead of consolidating the win gave Boro all the impetus.
Hopefully Jose learns from this.
Finally, Smalling and Jones are not United standard defenders. All they do is emanate nervousness and rashness from the back.
Banned? Good, what a tool.
the international break comes at a good time.
I sure hope we are not going to get some of our players injured.
We were very good for 65 minutes. Played some excellent attacking football.
Last half hour it got messy and we scraped it out, showed good character and git an important 3 points. Well done lads.
A bitter v dipper draw later would be a cherry on top.
Last half hour it got messy and we scraped it out, showed good character and git an important 3 points. Well done lads.
A bitter v dipper draw later would be a cherry on top.
I think people are failing to realise that we've played 4 games in 10 days with the majority of our attack either banned, injured or just coming back from injury and playing defenders over these eases the risk of longer term injuries and burnout. We have an abundance of defenders, who should in essence be good enough to soak up these matches when we're ahead, and in my eyes it makes sense to get through busier periods of matches like these with the fittest players you have available to you.
We won, we're no longer 6th and we can look forward to hopefully having our attack back after the internationals.
We won, we're no longer 6th and we can look forward to hopefully having our attack back after the internationals.
Middlesbrough are a very poor side, their defence has to be one of the worst we played against. The amount of times Rashford and Mata got behind them was embarrassing for them.
Not sure why we had such a negative mindset against them. But a win is a win, 3 points is the most important thing right now.
Not sure why we had such a negative mindset against them. But a win is a win, 3 points is the most important thing right now.
It will never change, some people are never happy.
Im made up, we managed a hard fought win with a makeshift side after playing a ridiculous amount of games on the bounce.
Thank god for the international break.
Not sure about the fatigue thing though. Other than Valencia, nobody has really played all that much this season.
Everyone on the pitch today should have been pretty fresh outside of Antonio (and maybe Mata). Yet it was Valencia chasing down the 93rd minute clearance to their goal keeper and getting the match winning goal.
Lingard to me looked as good as he has all season long. Really took his chance today and made some blistering runs in the second half. Rashford was sharp and alert in the second half but his decision making and finishing let him down. Looks out of confidence and didnt contribute enough in the second half.
Everyone on the pitch today should have been pretty fresh outside of Antonio (and maybe Mata). Yet it was Valencia chasing down the 93rd minute clearance to their goal keeper and getting the match winning goal.
Lingard to me looked as good as he has all season long. Really took his chance today and made some blistering runs in the second half. Rashford was sharp and alert in the second half but his decision making and finishing let him down. Looks out of confidence and didnt contribute enough in the second half.
This is absolute rubbish.
It's quite amazing the amount of people who can't see the difference between Mourinho doing what it takes to win games and Klopp for example who sticks to his tactics and loses.
Also it seems like some people are surprised Mourinho parks the bus as if he's never done this in the past. Are people so deluded they think Fergie never won matches like this when playing badly with a depleted squad?
Also it seems like some people are surprised Mourinho parks the bus as if he's never done this in the past. Are people so deluded they think Fergie never won matches like this when playing badly with a depleted squad?
4 games in 9 & half days. 3 of them away. 7,500km round trip thrown in there as well and people are complaining?
It will never change, some people are never happy.
Im made up, we managed a hard fought win with a makeshift side after playing a ridiculous amount of games on the bounce.
Thank god for the international break.
I agree.
Man of the Match
Runners-up
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27%
Antonio Valencia
-
8%
Marouane Fellaini
-
4%
Marcus Rashford
-
3%
Juan Mata
-
2%
Ashley Young
-
1%
David de Gea
-
1%
Michael Carrick
Player Ratings
Total Average Rating
Highest Rated Player
Lowest Rated Player
Compiled from 502 ratings.
Score Predictions
309,41,103
- Man Utd win
- Middlesbrough win
- Draw
Detailed Results
- 23% Middlesbrough 0:2 Man Utd
- 20% Middlesbrough 0:1 Man Utd
- 15% Middlesbrough 1:2 Man Utd
- 13% Middlesbrough 1:1 Man Utd
- 9% Middlesbrough 0:0 Man Utd
- 5% Middlesbrough 0:3 Man Utd
- 3% Middlesbrough 1:3 Man Utd
- 3% Middlesbrough 1:0 Man Utd
- 2% Middlesbrough 2:0 Man Utd
- 2% Middlesbrough 2:1 Man Utd
- 2% Middlesbrough 0:5 Man Utd
- 1% Middlesbrough 5:0 Man Utd
- 1% Middlesbrough 2:2 Man Utd
- 1% Middlesbrough 3:0 Man Utd
- 1% Middlesbrough 1:4 Man Utd
- 1% Middlesbrough 0:4 Man Utd
- 1% Middlesbrough 3:1 Man Utd
- 0% Middlesbrough 3:2 Man Utd
- 0% Middlesbrough 2:4 Man Utd
- 0% Middlesbrough 1:5 Man Utd
Match Stats
- Middlesbrough
- Man Utd
- Possession
- 64% 36%
- Shots
- 10 14
- Shots on Target
- 3 6
- Corners
- 8 3
- Fouls
- 9 8
Referee
Jonathan Moss
Man Utd Lineup
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replaced by Marcos Rojo
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replaced by Anthony Martial
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replaced by Matteo Darmian
