[Offside]

1) Valencia gets the ball with an ocean of space in the final third.

2) He waits till he's marked.

3) He then tries to run the ball to the bye line to deliver a cross when he's closely marked.

4) Rinse & repeat!

Valencia is very happy with winning a corner than putting in a quick cross for his team to score.

There's a reason SAF preferred Rafael to Valencia in the RB position. From what I have seen in the last 2 seasons, Valencia costs us at least 2 points per each game we have not won.

.

SAF played him RW instead which completely contradicts your point. You have a point but it's the left-side the real problem.

 

[OneUnited24]

Too small a sample. Looking at the opponents and how some of those matches went (second game sudden last 15 minute collapse from swansea) I am doubting whether we truly have become this sudden attacking force with largely the same players in attack. We shall see. We looked okay in the first three games last season as well.

Against Swansea, the second they opened up the game to try and get the equalizer in the final 10 we scored our second. They probably should have reverted back to a defensive shape because we got 2 more goals in quick fire.

TBH i think Lukaku is a upgrade on Ibra, his movement and willingness to stretch defences has really changed our game. Martial and Rashford have improved. And Mata/Mikh give us good options. Again not perfect but i feel like we've improved attacking wise. There were games last season i felt we couldnt score even if we played to 180 min but this season i'm more confident.

But still early days...

 

[ManUtd1999]

The saddest part about this result: it's predictable!

We just can't beat these teams any more, and that costs us points. Even when we somehow managed to score two goals, we still couldn't win. And even then we needed a MTOM performance by De Gea to salvage this one point!

 

[SirScholes]

Tough away game out of the way early on, roll on next team

 

[Ramshock]

Stoke were good. put in a good shift. We were wasteful and made two bad errors for their goals.

That and Jose didnt change things when he saw Stoke constantly had a man over on the wings

 

[Mister_Stubbs]

So thats it? a handful of games, unbeaten top of the league but we didn't beat stoke so its all over, jog on for gods sake

feck that, I'm a fat bastard.. ain't jogging nowhere.

But yes, it was well over the top.. I knew this thread would be full of them. I don't for one minute think that a draw away to Stoke, who have already beaten Arsenal and will take points from others at home will damage our titles chances to much.

 

[iammemphis]

We need to find a way to accommodate Rashford and Martial in the same team with Mkhi, Lukaku and Pogba.

 

[Ramshock]

The saddest part about this result: it's predictable!

We just can't beat these teams any more, and that costs us points. Even when we somehow managed to score two goals, we still couldn't win. And even then we needed a MTOM performance by De Gea to salvage this one point!

Yep forget about the saves Butland made

 

[Ash_G]

Result is disappointing as feels like it's our own making through some lax defending and lack of clinicalness up top.

Attacking wise feels like there's still work to do. Felt like the players were often a bit isolated and we needed to get some of the attackers closer together.

Thought Mikhi, despite getting an assist struggled again on the right, feels like where he needs to play a wider role esp in the league that he struggles for impact. It's a bit of tough one at the moment. I thought it was the right decision to bring in Herrera but attack just didn't click but it's hard to think of the best combo. Rashford/Martial both are doing well but Mikhi/Mata offer a maturity they don't. At the moment though I think I'm leaning towards seeing Martial and Rashford next time we play this way.

But still, not a disaster and hopefully serves as a reminder to the players to stay focused as we were getting a lot of hype.

 

[CM]

Annoying that they've got a result against us again without having to play particularly well.

The defending wasn't good obviously and has cost us but I'm not sure why Mourinho felt the need to make the changes he did either - Mata and Blind would've sufficed for this game. It's actually a shame Fellaini wasn't available off the bench, he would've been a much better option than Lingard late on.

 

[Offside]

The saddest part about this result: it's predictable!

We just can't beat these teams any more, and that costs us points. Even when we somehow managed to score two goals, we still couldn't win. And even then we needed a MTOM performance by De Gea to salvage this one point!

Come off it. We hardly salvaged a point. What a load of shite.

 

[Paul the Wolf]

See the schoolgirl extremists are out in force - going from extreme over-rating one week to extreme over-criticising the next.

However, under-par performances from Mkhi and Herrera, both CBs seemed half asleep at times.
Lukaku and Rashford were a threat and Martial looked lively when he came on.
DDG with one brilliant save but counted for little as they scored from the corner.
Always a difficult match and thought Stoke played quite well.
Anyway still top and hope to get back to winning ways in the next match.

 

[Kevin]

Same 4 teams who were in the league last season.

Sample is too small. Nothing is concluded either way after four games and I'm seeing similar symptoms of last season's attack so I believe we will soon see an evening out of our 'goals galore'. Might be a bit better than last season, nothing more.

 

[TimScoreboard]

We stared edgy and looked awkward down the right, but once we settled, the goals apart; which were poor, we dominated without ever really hitting our stride. One of those games stoke has a habit of bringing out of us.

 

[breakout67]

We have some class A morons on this forum. They are talking about full backs, wide players and attackers when we scored two goals. Nevermind the school boy defending that gifted stoke two goals.

Did they think we should have beat Stoke 5 or 6 nil???

I swear some on here wouldnt be happy unless we play some tippy-tappy football with 100 touches before a goal. Oh wait these feckers were probably moaning when LVG was playing like that.

 

[Reynoldo]

We need to find a way to accommodate Rashford and Martial in the same team with Mkhi, Lukaku and Pogba.

Go back to 4231 with Rashers-Mkhi-Martial behind Lukaku

 

[AndyMUFC]

Wasn't great but still should've won it after coming from behind to lead. It might be Stoke but this side should not be conceding goals from corners. The defending was the issue today.

It's a tough place to go so a point isn't the end of the world but it's a shame we didn't keep up the momentum after the international break.

 

[Walters_19_MuFc]

Excuse me, I need some alone time to enjoy that thought.

Haha, cannot wait.

Might go into a dark room and listen to the famous theme tune.

 

[Ramshock]

Sample is too small. Nothing is concluded either way after four games and I'm seeing similar symptoms of last season's attack.

You need glasses then. Our game speed is much improved on last year

 

[Litch]

What did people think, we'd win every game? Some people on here are absolute jokers.

 

[DevilRed]

Would be nice to get some better delivery from our wing players. That would make a world of difference and might have netted us even more than the 2 goals we scored today.

 

[OverratedOpinion]

Come off it. We hardly salvaged a point. What a load of shite.

I swear reading some of these comments you would think we just got battered 6-0 in a game that relegated us.

 

[Feed Me]

Is that a good point? I'm indecided...

Everton at home and Saints away in next two league games - both in poor form.

 

[hn4manunited]

We played our weakest so far this season. Against a solid team like Stoke, the mistakes we made in central of our defense is the difference. The mistakes by Bailly and Jones would not be taken lightly by Jose the way he cares about details.

To be fair, Stoke is a pretty solid team. They have always been a solid team defensively and hard to beat especially via set pieces and in the air. They have built nicely with the addition of pace upfront and have added some attacking threats.

 

[Globule]

feck that, I'm a fat bastard.. ain't jogging nowhere.

But yes, it was well over the top.. I knew this thread would be full of them. I don't for one minute think that a draw away to Stoke, who have already beaten Arsenal and will take points from others at home will damage our titles chances to much.

Sure they've taken points off Arsenal, but Arsenal aren't going to be troubling the troubling the engravers this season anyway. I wouldn't use Arsenal's results as a gauge for anything if we want to be challenging.

But It's not the result, more the performance that was most frustrating today. It felt far too reminiscent of so many matches over the past 4 years.

 

[Ramshock]

Sample is too small. Nothing is concluded either way after four games and I'm seeing similar symptoms of last season's attack so I believe we will soon see an evening out of our 'goals galore'. Might be a bit better than last season, nothing more.

Alright Nostradamus I will make you a £100/€100 bet that we will score more league goals this season.

 

[OldTrevil]

Only watched the second half, quite frustrating but stoke has been a hard place for us lately. Jones shouldn't loose balance like that when marking, we can only blame ourselves not winning that. On a positive we are still top and we have another game very soon to get back to winning ways.

 

[TheReligion]

What did people think, we'd win every game? Some people on here are absolute jokers.

This.
They need fecking off the forum the whining little rats

 

[donkeyfish]

Not impressive, but not a disaster either

Four decent opportunities for Stoke with two goals, all from individual errors that could be avoided. That'll happen at times, especially with Bailly since he's young.

Two goals and decent control for parts of the game, although far from spectacular.

 

[FromTheBench]

The saddest part about this result: it's predictable!

We just can't beat these teams any more, and that costs us points. Even when we somehow managed to score two goals, we still couldn't win. And even then we needed a MTOM performance by De Gea to salvage this one point!

De.Gea made one great save but other than that he had shit all to do.

 

[yamo123x]

No idea why Mata didn't start, Herrera was just an extra body. Also Rojo can't come back soon enough.

Pathetic post.
What exactly did Mata do when he came on?? Few sideways passes and that's that.
Rojo? Wtf???

 

[InfiniteBoredom]

I dont think Pogba works in this much vaunted 4-3-3 the way we set up. He needs space to do his thing. Would much rather let him play deep and utilise his passing ability.

We are not that much better in attack compared to last season, but did create enough chances and 2 goals away should have been sufficient for the win. Defense was bad today, none of our defenders played well.

 

[minoo-utd]

We must regroup so quickly.

 

[ManUtd1999]

Come off it. We hardly salvaged a point. What a load of shite.

That's not what I meant. I meant we scored two goals, and that still wasn't enough. And even then, De Gea had to give a good game (MOTM according to this site). A draw was the fair result. We didn't deserve to lose this game, but I wasn't confident that we will get the point until the last whistle.

 

[Kevin]

You need glasses then. Our game speed is much improved on last year

I might need to order some glasses you're right. I'm thinking with a rosé tint.

 

[Ramshock]

Stoke will comfortably make the top 10. Thats Sparkys best squad he has had there.

 

[pascell]

Tough game away after an international break, they always up their game when we're in town. Fair result in the end as our defending was sub standard at best.

This is Shaws best chance of cementing a spot in the first XI, if he fails to do that then there's something badly wrong. We really lacked someone on the left bombing forward also.

 

[Ramshock]

I might need to order some glasses you're right. I'm thinking with a rosé tint.

No bet then? pity

 

[AshRK]

City's win makes this result even more frustrating. It's sad that they have been crap for first 3 games when compared to us and yet are equal on points. I will again say it, if we really want to Win the title we have to win these kind of games.

 

[Varun]

A mistake each from our CBs, 2 goals conceded to throw away 2 points. Very disappointing.

 

[DomesticTadpole]

Think Jose got it wrong. We should have played Mata instead of Herrera today. We showed them too much respect. Pogba needs to be a bit deeper to have more influence in the game. He goes missing when he's out high up the pitch.

As was mentioned above, I think he thought Stoke would offer more in midfield and they didn't. Maybe he should have played Mata, make sure we are ahead and then when Mata comes off at his usual 65 minute, bring Herrera on. Either that give Matic a rest, we didn't need both in this game. There will be games when we will. Nothing they did could account for the awful defending and Lukaku missing sitters or again the awful crossing and corners or freekicks.