[Bastian]

It's thin because everyone is injured. We have Amad, Mainoo, Mount, Shaw, Malacia and Hojlund. That's a lot of talent not to see at this point of the season.

I am thinking mostly in terms of the forward line, if we're chasing a game. We have Garnacho who can do something (Pellistri has been quite promising in his cameos, but it seems Erik is allergic to chancing things with young players). Of the injured players you mentioned, three of them are first XI players.

 

[mu4c_20le]

They sat back after 4 minutes and let us have the ball....not sure what they were expecting

Watching MOTD……..Man Utd bla-bla-bla Man Utd bla-bla-bla Man Utd bla-bla-bla

Wow MOTD, i'm not even sure they mentioned who Man Utd were playing..

Just watched MOTD. Apparently Forest weren’t playing this weekend.

The good news is that the goals United scored were all about United, and the ones they conceded were all about United.

Seemingly the team they played had some referee complaints but they don’t count because they were against United.

Accurate.

Don't forget the segment on Man Utd fans complaining about their owners because they aren't fecking entitled enough as it is.

Yeah I don’t often join the bandwagon of moaning about our coverage but that was particularly dour coverage

Calling Rashford out for fecking diving would have been a good start.

Just zoomed through the game and have a few questions...

14th minute: how does Casimiro not get a card for that challenge on Brennan? we didn't even get a freekick

78th: how come no card for the foul on MGW as we was going through?

83rd: push on Boly as he was preparing to jump and head the incoming ball to his location. No penalty?

Not to mention the Joe's card being the wrong colour as Fertwatness was never going to reach the ball first, or Rashfords dive on Danilo's naive leg (my issue there is the ref giving it straight away whereas I dont think he could see it so should have gone to far at least).... and a few other strange decisions. Sad thing is quite a few were literally 'game changing'. I think Danilo was unlucky with his knee due to planting his foot so as not to foul Rashford. Unfortunately not smart enough...

Hopefully only playing against 11 next week and that the result are ONLY due to our own mistakes/good play.

 

[Stig]

Do the players hate each other or just hate the club?

Their lives or their jobs I think.

 

[Snow]

Apart from the first 5 minutes (obviously) it was quite a good performance to be honest. Bruno was excellent and Rashford was better than he has been for a while.

The first 5 minutes weren't even bad. We played through Forest and had a shot on goal that was saved for the corner. It was really only the moment they headed the corner away until they scored the 2nd goal that we looked bad until the final minutes where everyone was gassed and the players tried to see the game out the difficult way.

 

[DJ_21]

Just seen a report that said forest are thinking about putting a complaint in over Stuart Atwell performance. Why is it just our games everyone thinks the refs are bad and when we win it is. Nothing got said about last weeks officials when we was denied a clear penalty for an handball.

 

[tjb]

I am thinking mostly in terms of the forward line, if we're chasing a game. We have Garnacho who can do something (Pellistri has been quite promising in his cameos, but it seems Erik is allergic to chancing things with young players). Of the injured players you mentioned, three of them are first XI players.

The honest truth is we can get away with it if Amad and Pellistri progress. Ideally Sancho and Garnacho should be that depth. However, the issue is not in terms of depth, it's the fact that, until Rasmus comes in, we have two forward starting positions that are essentially ineffective. Ideally, we would cut our losses, sell Sancho and Antony and get someone ready made that can take that position. Unfortunately, I don't think we are ready to accept a relatively low bid for them quite yet.

 

[tjb]

Ah really? Well it is subjective to a degree. I didn't say he was very good but he caught my eyes with positive things on a few occasions, more often than with negative ones. And he did play in an unfamiliar role. I am usually quite critical of him (think he is the incarnation of meh into a player) but today I thought fair play to him. What part of his game did you consider as weak today?

I actually agree with you. I thought he was ok. I thought Dalot inverted quite well. As a team, I think we are still figuring out how to close the gaps in the wide areas caused by the inversion of the full backs. So as a result, Dalot looks worse than he was.

 

[Get In Scholesy]

Aye, I had a look on youtube at the highlights and the comments on there would suggest that Utd were battered and very lucky to score 3 goals, rather than the other way around.

Forrest did feck all, scored 2 shit goals out of shit mistakes and after that had maybe 1 other decent chance on goal. Utd totally dominated the majority of the game, aside from the last 10 mins plus the 4 hours of stoppage time. Definitely need more of a dominant presence up top and better decision making on the final third.

I fecking love a comeback win, but it's these sorts of games that should really give some of these lads on the pitch a wake up call, that they really need to work hard and focus every minute from the first whistle or they will get punished.

Absolutely agree mate.

As for youtube and social media, we live in an era of quick reactions and revisionism, as if a few minute youtube video of specifically chosen highlights can provide proper context about anything. Gets on my tits, but I have learned to phase the noise out… most of the time.

 

[FerociousCorgis]

Honestly this game is impossible to read anything into overall. We came in, fecked up so bad the first 4 minutes and then forest were like "holy shit we are up 2-0 already what do we do?" They just bunkered and allowed us to cave them in pressure wise. They finally started to come out of shell towards the end of first half and almost scored. So I'm not really reading into anything with how we played since they pretty much had 10 men deep at all times.

2nd half was just meandering along until the card for a draw and then holy feck we almost shit the bed after going up 3-2. Not feeling super strong for arsenal and our injuries are piling up

 

[croadyman]

I felt quite bad about the penalty we got away with against Wolves,however after all the media furore bring on the piss boiling after today's penalty decision. Probably means we won't get another until the OTT outrage has died down a bit.

 

[lex talionis]

4 minutes of shit, 86 minutes plus of us battering Forest. It was an ugly performance but we got the deserved win.

The two lessons learned us that we need to be awake from the first whistle. And we need a CF to put his boots on.

 

[Beans]

Do the players hate each other or just hate the club?

The culture must be like tepid soup, as lively as support group in a morgue.

 

[amolbhatia50k]

Just seen a report that said forest are thinking about putting a complaint in over Stuart Atwell performance. Why is it just our games everyone thinks the refs are bad and when we win it is. Nothing got said about last weeks officials when we was denied a clear penalty for an handball.

Because a precedent has been set now. Both decisions yesterday were correct. You cannot bring an attacker running on to a ball through on goal down and just get a yellow for it - otherwise everyone will do it and take that minor punishment. The penalty was a clear as they come. People in the media see drama whenever we get decisions and others use that to their advantage.

 

[Kopral Jono]

A well below par performance but an important win with two beautifully worked goals that highlight our potential. Bruno excellent, Rashford electric, Martial a crocked snail.

 

[Tarrou]

first game I've seen this season

I thought we looked really lacklustre overall but just about deserved the win

worrying times if this is our level

 

[Ibi Dreams]

Just seen a report that said forest are thinking about putting a complaint in over Stuart Atwell performance. Why is it just our games everyone thinks the refs are bad and when we win it is. Nothing got said about last weeks officials when we was denied a clear penalty for an handball.

It's bizarre. Neither of those decisions were clearly wrong, the penalty was maybe a bit soft but there are literally decisions that are just as wrong or more in every single game

 

[Care_de_Bobo]

The absolute gall of Forest and their fans to complain about Rashford diving after he actually got fouled when Gibbs-White went down numerous times when they were leading whenever someone so much as breathed on him.

They'd be fuming if they didn't get the Rashford penalty themselves, of course, or if one of our players escaped with a yellow for bringing down one of their players running through on goal.

They really shouldn't be feeling hard done by, because they didn't exactly have to do much to be two goals up and as soon as they were they reverted to cowardly tactics. Acting as if the red and the penalty changed the game when we had already completed two thirds of the comeback is a bit of a reach.

 

[MalaysianRed7]

The blind hatred for United is back, and I love it. The most stonewall of red cards and penalties you will ever see, and there is still uproar against the ref for giving them. It is absolutely embarrassing. I would suggest, with zero bias, that the ref’s worst decision yesterday was giving a foul to Forest for two of their players colliding with each other.

As for our performance, it was actually quite a complete one. It might not seem that way considering that we conceded 2 within the first 4 minutes, but we actually even started pretty positively with a shot on target after around 50 seconds. I just didn’t like how we retreated after taking the lead - we’re at home, the opposition were down to 10 and the opposition was Forest. We need to show much better game management than that by using our superior technical ability to keep the ball, as City and Arsenal did against Newcastle and Palace respectively.

Special mention for Bruno as well. He single handedly dragged us by the scruff of the neck back into the game. Anyone who says that he isn’t a good captain simply has a personal issue with him. De Bruyne thinks that he is the best creative midfielder in the league; I think that Bruno is the best creative midfielder in the world.

 

[quadrant]

I just didn’t like how we retreated after taking the lead - we’re at home, the opposition were down to 10 and the opposition was Forest. We need to show much better game management than that by using our superior technical ability to keep the ball, as City and Arsenal did against Newcastle and Palace respectively.

This is just a question of confidence. A team high on confidence that had managed that comeback would be thinking about getting 4. A team lower on confidence is automatically worried about conceding, so we ended up trying to hold on to what we have.

 

[MalaysianRed7]

This is just a question of confidence. A team high on confidence that had managed that comeback would be thinking about getting 4. A team lower on confidence is automatically worried about conceding, so we ended up trying to hold on to what we have.

I agree, and hopefully Ten Hag can instil that confidence into the players as well. It hasn’t been the most accomplished start to the season, but we have created the most big chances and amassed the most XG out of any team in the league so far. There are positive things to build on and indeed take confidence from, especially with the entrance of a highly rated young striker into the team from next week onwards.

 

[Bestietom]

We are weak in some areas still. We just cant give away goals like this especially against the top teams. If we do it next week against Arsenal, we will be in for a hiding.
We need Amrabat and Todibo ASAP. Get Hoylund into team also.

 

[justsomebloke]

Ah really? Well it is subjective to a degree. I didn't say he was very good but he caught my eyes with positive things on a few occasions, more often than with negative ones. And he did play in an unfamiliar role. I am usually quite critical of him (think he is the incarnation of meh into a player) but today I thought fair play to him. What part of his game did you consider as weak today?

I actually agree with you. I thought he was ok. I thought Dalot inverted quite well. As a team, I think we are still figuring out how to close the gaps in the wide areas caused by the inversion of the full backs. So as a result, Dalot looks worse than he was.

Not arguing he had an atrocious game or anything, but I think he and Martial stood out as the ones offering the least. There were a few ugly defensive lapses. On the ball he was not really that much involved, and when he was there were about as many bad involvements as good ones. If we had other options, I don't think he'd have made much of a case for starting in the next one.

 

[justsomebloke]

Bottom line for me is this: Wolves were one weak half, one atrocious one. Spurs were one good half, one weak. Yesterday were two good halves. Which means we're moving in the right direction, at least.

 

[tenpoless]

Our preseason was crap. None of the players looked match fit 3 games in..

 

[Bestietom]

We had a natural left back on the bench who should have been used imo

 

[TrustInJanuzaj]

Don’t really get the negativity. Thought we played well from minute 5 up to minute 80 pulling off a great comeback in the process. Was it all perfect, obviously not, but I wasn’t expecting this place to remain all doom and gloom. Clear signs we are getting better and looking more up to speed.

 

[cyril C]

They sat back after 4 minutes and let us have the ball....not sure what they were expecting

Don't you think it all comes down to pre-season? None of the players were match fit on 1st game, even on the 3rd game, less than half the squad are anywhere near match fitness. Martial is the only player with my sympathy because he is often injured and just return running. What happen to the rest of the squad in terms of game preparation?

 

[RedorDead21]

Any kind of result next week and we’ve had a solid start. A defeat and we’ve not progressed at all from last seasons start. Fine margins. A poor transfer window due to limited funds overall and it shows in our displays/lineups and bench.

 

[justsomebloke]

Don’t really get the negativity. Thought we played well from minute 5 up to minute 80 pulling off a great comeback in the process. Was it all perfect, obviously not, but I wasn’t expecting this place to remain all doom and gloom. Clear signs we are getting better and looking more up to speed.

I agree.

Those first two goals is perhaps best seen as a separate part of the story. One due to bad decisions and organisation on a ball loss high on the pitch following an offensive setpiece, the other a badly executed defensive play on a corner. Both of which have been recurring issues, so you can't put it down to bad luck. But they can't define the performance in the game as a whole either.

For the rest of the game (or at least until the 80-minute mark, as you say), Forest almost entirely ceded the initiative, dropping very low. The key here is how we handled that, in a situation of being down by two, and I think there are a lot of positives there. We scored three times against a deep, well-organised defence, which pretty much amounts to ripping them apart. They threw everything they had at thwarting us in a type of game that is supposed to be our biggest weakness, and they couldn't.
For once, we also matched our xG (2.9, Opta). It's noticeable also that almost every shot we had that didn't miss the goal or were blocked had a higher Post Shot xG than xG, meaning they were better than average efforts.

Individually, I thought the match was a step in the right direction for most of the players. Bruno was epic. Rashford had key involvements on all three goals. Casemiro looked a lot more like his usual self than in the first two games. Martial on the other hand was decidedly rusty - couldn't get his feet to play along. Not too surprising I guess, after having missed the whole pre-season.

 

[sglowrider]

 

[DomesticTadpole]

Don't you think it all comes down to pre-season? None of the players were match fit on 1st game, even on the 3rd game, less than half the squad are anywhere near match fitness. Martial is the only player with my sympathy because he is often injured and just return running. What happen to the rest of the squad in terms of game preparation?

This is what happens when there is international football during the summer, players coming back in dribs and drabs, half and half teams so nobody getting proper match fitness. Think a lot of teams are having issues and don't looks quite right.

 

[justsomebloke]

This is what happens when there is international football during the summer, players coming back in dribs and drabs, half and half teams so nobody getting proper match fitness. Think a lot of teams are having issues and don't looks quite right.

Except there hasn't been international football during the summer.

 

[RaddyRed]

Except there hasn't been international football during the summer.

There were qualifying games still happening in Europe on the 20th June. A lot of teams reported back early July.

 

[Himannv]

I think we controlled the game for most part as Forest seemed to prefer sitting back and trying to do us on the counter. We can start games a lot better than this though. I feel like we're still finding our feet at the moment and the next game will be a very tough one.

So many players are out injured right now it's crazy. Hope we start getting some of them back soon.

 

[M Bison]

This is what happens when there is international football during the summer, players coming back in dribs and drabs, half and half teams so nobody getting proper match fitness. Think a lot of teams are having issues and don't looks quite right.

but then all/teams teams would look unfit, and they don’t to me?

 

[DomesticTadpole]

but then all/teams teams would look unfit, and they don’t to me?

Then it is the people in charge of fitness or that the players don't put enough effort in. I do actually hate these long tours, wish they would play in Europe. More time on fitness than spent travelling.

 

[The Urban Goose]

Other than the two stupid goals in the first four minutes (Rashford letting Awoniyi get 15 metres away from him before waking the feck up was shameful), the match went exactly how it should've save for the added jeopardy of the two goal head start. Forest sat back until they were losing and only then actually tried to string a few passes together.

They're a good team at home but for some reason their manager is pathetically cowardly away. If they played away like they do at home they could've Wolves-d us.

Hopefully this will ignite our season now.

 

[justsomebloke]

There were qualifying games still happening in Europe on the 20th June. A lot of teams reported back early July.

Okay. If that's summer international football, then every summer has international football.

 

[Dannn411]

Casemiro and Varane are done as top level players and need to be replaced this summer. Varane can't play more than 5 games without injury and Casemiro looks like he's running through treacle. Makes missing out on KMJ more infuriating.

 

[pascell]

Casemiro and Varane are done as top level players and need to be replaced this summer. Varane can't play more than 5 games without injury and Casemiro looks like he's running through treacle. Makes missing out on KMJ more infuriating.

Tried to make this point when the links with Bayern emerged, got told CB isn't a priority