[SNes]

Just looked the same as last season. our defensive 10 are far too far away from our lone forward.

 

[TheReligion]

Terrible performance, not to sure how people see positives from that. Even without Ronaldo we didn't look like we could win at any point.

Ronaldo left United years ago fella

 

[bond19821982]

Happy with the performance. Lukaku should think before doing stupid things.
A left back like Rose will do wonders to this team.

Fellaini changed the game - they had no idea how to handle him

 

[prtk0811]

Yeah. Only reason we dominated at the end was Madrid's lack of fitness

Could apply to us as well . and we were missing our best defenders courtesy of uefa as always.

 

[Womp]

People keep mentioning difference in quality , but shoots down that we need to implement posession based total football because we should play counter attacking .

No we don't. Mourinho has set up some of the best ever counter-attacking teams and they didn't play posession football. There is absolutely no chance we can play posession football against a team that is greatly superior to us in just about every position on the pitch.

Their midfield would play us off the park if we allowed them.

 

[Ibi Dreams]

First time I've seen Matic play for us and I liked what I saw. Seemed pretty decent going forward as well as good defensively.

Overall it's not the worst result ever, I think you could see that both teams genuinely wanted to win and Madrid understandably outclassed us at times. We could have nicked another goal, they could have scored more, it doesn't really tell us much. A bit disappointed in Pogba who was pretty anonymous, though to be fair they pinned us back so well in the first half that any player would have struggled

 

[TheReligion]

Does he think the team is good enough to produce?

I think I agree with him.

The likes of Martial, Rashford and Mkhitaryan needs to deliver. It's much like last season when Ibrahimovic bagged the goals. There needs to be a more even spread and the other forwards need to step up.

They are obviously talented enough.

 

[prtk0811]

Its simple , More posession more chances high press more control. Lvg set up the foundation, This was a huge year to buid it on and mourinho is breaking it.

 

[Manny]

Does he think the team is good enough to produce?

Scholes said Chelsea is well within reach, and Rashford, Martial and Lingard have had two seasons here and have to start making their positions their own.

I agree. The spine is in place now and they have to step up, 'no excuses'.

 

[2cents]

Showed a bit of spirit to get back in the game. But I think we're in for another long, dull season, and another fight for 4th.

 

[marjen]

We were outclassed for 60 minutes. Isco is such a good player you could argue he should be starting ahead of Bale with Ron/Benzema.

They were clearly tiring towards the end and they struggled to contain Fellaini/Rashford and our direct approach.

All in all, on the balance of chances we weren't miles away. In terms of quality of performance that was a lesson.

We need better players and not least to get more comfortable on the ball as a team. We really are lacking in the creative department.

 

[bosnian_red]

I thought Madrid played well within themselves. However, I took lots of positives from United's performance. We are seriously lacking in wide position on the right.

Severely lacking in both wide positions. We have dreams of Martial getting back to his best and making the left wing his own but fecks knows if he'll get the chance to. Other then that, we play Lingard who is shit and Rashford who is a striker out there and none of them really provide anything. Mkhitaryan is a class #10 who plays on the right but ideally we need an actual winger there, just like we need an actual winger on the left.

 

[Sarni]

It was a fairly decent performance. Obviously Real were the better team and deserved to win but I enjoyed the last 30 minutes and I think we were quite decent before too, even if they had us pinned down for large chunks of the game. We are still behind Europe elite teams but I see improvement.

We do need to improve our offense though. I don't know if we need change of personnel or just have the same players in better form but we need to get better.

 

[Ainu]

It's hard to take anything from this game in terms of how we will play as we'll not be facing this calibre of opposition too often. Today was more about showing some fight and I think we at least did that. Quality wise, we're not really close to them. While that may be disappointing considering the money we've spent, it was also completely expected. We're still a work in progress.

Pogba's individual performace really disappointed me though, all the more because he's showing exactly the same failings as last season. I can't deny I'm very concerned about that. I'm not at all convinced he'll ever turn into the consistently dominant midfield force we're all hoping him to become.

 

[Robin Your Persie]

Eased off ?

We're talking about a team who slaughtered the best defense in the world 4-1 in the CL final. We were the one who became better in the last 30 minutes that's it.

United never get credit for coming back into a game it's always because the other team 'eases off'

 

[spontaneus1]

Exactly. Let them play ffs.

Feck me, If there's any team we should play defensive against it is Madrid.

 

[Eddy_JukeZ]

We were outclassed for 60 minutes. Isco is such a good player you could argue he should be starting ahead of Bale with Ron/Benzema.

They were clearly tiring towards the end and they struggled to contain Fellaini/Rashford and our direct approach.

All in all, on the balance of chances we weren't miles away. In terms of quality of performance that was a lesson.

We need better players and not least to get more comfortable on the ball as a team. We really are lacking in the creative department.

He will be. He's a better player than Bale imo.

 

[Clique]

Repeating the question asked in the Martial thread...

Was Martial present during the award ceremony? Don't think he was in the dugout during the final minutes either. Can someone confirm?

 

[prtk0811]

Buying riyad mahrez wont be a bad desision at all.

 

[JG3001]

Last season Jose started Smalling ahead of Jones all season, except for that one period where he was injured and Jones and Rojo got a good partnership going. Indeed, the only time Smalling wasn't in the starting line-up when fit is when he had been injured and the two that we were using had built up a good partnership by the time he got back (the Jones-Rojo partnership for a month in the middle of the season, and the Bailly-Rojo partnership later on).

Bloody hell id forgotten about Rojo ha, best defender last season.

I respect your opinion but for me Smalling has just got away with looking decent from the LVG period, which, for me, just covered up his obvious weaknesses through our boring possession tactics.

Don't get me wrong, He's not as awful as some make out but at the same time, he's not a 1st team player by any stretch of the imagination.

If Jones wasn't such a sick note he'd be rated far higher. Rojo was universally hated by our fans at one point, and now he is arguably our best defender.

I wouldn't be sorry to see him go. Jonny Evans is better, there's some controversy for you to argue.

 

[Catt]

I think I agree with him.

The likes of Martial, Rashford and Mkhitaryan needs to deliver. It's much like last season when Ibrahimovic bagged the goals. There needs to be a more even spread and the other forwards need to step up.

They are obviously talented enough.

I just wondered what Scholes was saying as I can't see that myself. Does he believe the players are good enough and ready to step up?

 

[prtk0811]

What did bale do? nothing

 

[marjen]

He will be. He's a better player than Bale imo.

Totally agree. I think player politics have kept Bale in the starting XI but Real as a team looks so much better with Isco in it.

 

[elnorte]

Assist for Isco

 

[TsuWave]

Change.

read it as chance, my bad

 

[EyeInTheSky]

If your granny had balls....

Yep, I also notice our 3 sitters we missed don't get a mention. Talk about seeing what you want to see.

 

[Mr Anderson]

Matic was very impressive. Smalling done well too, aided by someone as competent as Matic in front of him.

First half was a mess after 15 minutes. A lot of silly mistakes all over the park. Ball retention and passing was just very poor.

Second half big improvement and we looked more stable. A little shaken here and there (around Bale chance and their 2nd) but more solid for sure. Pogs decision making still cagey but showed heart when tracking back. Mihki very poor until late on. Fellaini done well up the pitch when he came on in fairness

All in all, a good test and happy enough with the second half. Hopefully Jose learned a lot from it. Sunday more important

 

[sully1]

United need a whole new left side and that left side is at the club. Today proved why Martial and Shaw should be starting most games this season.

Mikhi and Lingarad were disgustingly awful. wing duties should only be shared between Rashford/Martial/Mata

On a side note, Valencia gets exposed against the top teams and he's guilty of ball watching.

 

[Catt]

Scholes said Chelsea is well within reach, and Rashford, Martial and Lingard have had two seasons here and have to start making their positions their own.

I agree. The spine is in place now and they have to step up, 'no excuses'.

Thanks. Not sure about Lingard but the other two and Miki has to deliver and be more consistent.

 

[#07]

I just wondered what Scholes was saying as I can't see that myself. Does he believe the players are good enough and ready to step up?

Well, for a start, that 1v1 that Rashford squandered he should've scored. He's scored harder chances. That was just bottling it. At some stage players who say they can do it for United have to actually do it. We can't keep talking about 'potential.'

 

[sammsky1]

I think I agree with him.

The likes of Martial, Rashford and Mkhitaryan needs to deliver. It's much like last season when Ibrahimovic bagged the goals. There needs to be a more even spread and the other forwards need to step up.

They are obviously talented enough.

Not sure they are consistant enough.

With regard Martial and Rashford, players like Lukaku and Morata had to gain significant experience in less pressured environments at their age, so they could secure their big responsibility moves aged 23/24.

Mhkitariyan does not look he will make the grade at top level.

Hope Im wrong.

 

[AXVnee7]

United never get credit for coming back into a game it's always because the other team 'eases off'

Right before we scored they hit the bar and it might've been 3-0. We got lucky but Madrid were very much still in gear. We did well to get back into the game.

 

[Florida Man]

Regarding missed chances, keep in mind that Madrid had two relatively easy shots go off the bar, so it evens out ultimately. The better team won, and considering the opposition, I can't complain too much. Just need to be more clinical in the final third.

 

[Pogue Mahone]

I just wondered what Scholes was saying as I can't see that myself. Does he believe the players are good enough and ready to step up?

I know I do. It's not as though they haven't all given us plenty of reason to believe in the past (albeit at a different club with Mikhi)

 

[EyeInTheSky]

Its simple , More posession more chances high press more control. Lvg set up the foundation, This was a huge year to buid it on and mourinho is breaking it.

 

[sammsky1]

Isco is going to become some player. Reminded me of Scholes tonight.

 

[Ramshock]

I think my main worry is, apart from the influence of Matic, that game was so like many last season.

We really are going into the season just hoping things click up front, it might, but it just so easily might not.

Real Madrid dont count in your reckoning then? Are West Ham going to have the same control over the game on sunday?

 

[davidmichael]

If we're going to play a 4-3-3 then we need a quality attacking left back and a quality left sided forward as Darmian and Lingard aren't the level needed to take on Real, I missed the build up so can anyone tell me why Martial didn't play ? Was he injured or dropped ?

 

[Djemba-Djemba]

Was interesting how we were clearly the crowd favourite tonight though.

Seems like most of the locals were Utd fans.

 

[Ramshock]

Terrible performance, not to sure how people see positives from that. Even without Ronaldo we didn't look like we could win at any point.

You need to give up football, or football forums.