[Esquire]

So are Sunderland. Our vastly superior attack should have been enough to tip the balance. The fact it didn't shows that there are deeper issues.

There is no doubt there are deeper lying issues but just because you have firepower at the front doesn't necessarily mean that would tip the balance. Rooney is completely misfiring and RVP is off the pace. Mata was pretty good today but he can't do it alone with our midfielders constantly being pushed back and can't make the quick pass.

 

[dave2528]

Who would you have played in place of them? No one can seem to answer this

The players we failed to bring in/replace them with this summer?

 

[Hed Zitin]

Just a big load of crap out there.

So predictable. So slow. So boring. So average.

Sunderland looked like a team that had just got out of a relegation battle last season. WTF does that say about us?

 

[simonhch]

When you consider the players we had out there, and the lack of protection from midfield, the back three did exceptionally well. That's a real positive. Jones and Blackett especially, were outstanding in the second half.

Rooney's performance was sub par, RVP didn't look fully fit. Mata played well and was our likeliest source of a goal.

Wing backs were poor.

Fletcher and Cleverley were just abject. Fletcher will provide some squad depth for cup games etc, over the course of the season but Cleverley looked like a lost cause today.

This will take time, let's be patient. After what we sat through last season, let's not flip out after two games.

We have, potentially, Evans, Smalling, Shaw, Rojo, Herrera, Carrick and Di Maria to come into this team. Which changes it completely. Plus, there may still be another signing or two to come.

Patience.

Oh, and can we get rid of the newbies in the match day thread? It's the worst idea ever. Match day threads can be hysterical enough, but it's almost intolerable in there now. Such a shame after creating such a great new format.

 

[vivaronaldo]

Just too slow...... No urgency , far too much sideways Passing....... Lacking 3 or 4 genuine players

 

[Jev]

We still don't know how to create a goalscoring opportunity. But this is our level, seven out of our 11 starters would be more suited to Sunderland than United: The entire back-three, the two full-backs and the two midfielders.

We should have had a penalty, though, was a foul on both RvP and Young.

 

[Parma Dewol]

I just can't believe how bad Cleverley and Fletcher were today. Cleverley you can understand, but I expected more from Fletcher. That was one of the worst centre-midfield pairings I've seen in a long time.

We weren't great all-round - Jones and Blackett were arguably our only positives - but I do believe a good central midfielder would have made a huge difference today.

 

[dev1l]

considering the injury list, i thought a draw away at sunderland with someone like Atkinson refereeing the match is a good result

 

[Wumminator]

Showed promising signs second half. Our injuries are beyond a joke. We can not and should not start the second game of the season with perhaps five players who'd be in our first choice team.

Blackett was great. Good on ya lad.

 

[Dante]

Rojo will displace Blackett and I don't think he should. Blackett has been one of our better players so far.

If Rojo is as good on the ball as they say, I'd fancy him in the middle of the defence, spotting danger early and stepping into midfield whenever needed.

 

[bosnian_red]

We played miles better when Januzaj went into midfield and Welbeck went up top for Van Persie. Awful before then. Cleverley is actually not a premier league footballer. I know people say shit like that and really exaggerate, but currently, he is awful. A few years ago he looked pretty good but he has gone so far down hill that its ridiculous. Fletcher also looked shite again. I was hoping his play during pre season could be a sign that he's getting back but unfortunately I don't think so.

Rooney was invisible today, though more so because the people behind him were useless. Valencia did well in the first half I thought but second half didn't take his man on once. Young is the same as always it seems, though nowhere near the most infuriating player. Just not good enough.
Van Persie looked shite. Don't think he's anywhere close to what he was in his first season for us, and I don't think it's him not being fit. The injuries are taking their toll IMO. Mata ineffective again.

In defence, Blackett looks decent but still raw. Likes to hoof it forward too often and defensively hasn't looked that great, Keane should get a loan to the championship as he isn't good enough either, at least not yet. Jones was really good though.

Things will hopefully get better from here on in though. Di Maria coming, Rojo available for selection, Shaw should be back after the International break, same with Rafael and Evans, hopefully Herrera as well. Carrick still has another month to go I think but we desperately need him. Hell the way it's going I think Fellaini would be an improvement on our current midfield. Didn't think I'd ever say that

 

[Mystry]

We need full backs and we need CMs. If we do get Di Maria then it screws up the solution of how to play Rooney, RVP and Mata at the same time and that is great, if it means we go back to a back four. Only playing with four defenders may mean we can go back to playing with centre backs in the full back position which is far more preferential to what we had today. The team has got enough problems as it is without creating even more by playing Young and Valencia in positions they are not capable of playing. They weren't the only reason we were shite today but they were a big reason and we can't do anything about the midfield without signings. Fletcher and Cleverley were all we got as depressing as that is.

 

[RetroStu]

We need to accept that its going to take a few years to get the squad where it should be for a club as big as us, just too many average to awful players and it will take a few seasons to replace them.

 

[Getsme]

Look at the positives, if he wasn’t 100% sure that we needed a new midfield then he is now. I think the wool was pulled over his eyes slightly in pre-season by players such as Fletcher, Young and Valencia (not so much Cleverly as he was shite)

Even for us, we have an unusual amount of injuries, the players we have coming back will have a big impact on the squad, Evans, Carrick, Herrera, Shaw, Rafael and to a certain extent RVP will all walk into the side
Then we have Rojo and all going well Di Maria, we desperately need another midfielder of top quality as well as another CB or two. If you think about it, that's 7 starters who were missing today (If Di Maria signs)
Selling the above flops should help fund a few more players, I trust LVG, although he’s had a terrible start to his United career, it has to be said that the injuries have had a major part to play in that.

 

[OneUnited24]

Fletch and Cleverly make a horrible central midfield pair. If we get Di Maria, we could sit deep and ADM, Rooney and our fullbacks can hit teams on the counter. This formation does not allow possession based game--not with these players.

See this formation should give us possession but we cant hold onto the ball long enough to make it count. We had so many stray passes Sunderland could pounce and get 1 on 1 vs our defense.

We really need Carrick back and pray we buy Khedira and or Vidal

 

[saivet]

- Rooney RVP Mata are closer to our three biggest problems than our three best players
- Welbeck needs to start
- I wouldn't mind selling all of our central midfielders
- Three managers seem to think because Valencia and Young can't attack they are good defensively

I think the issue lies with Rooney and RVP. They are just too similar. Rooney's had good partnerships with Welbeck, Hernandez and Tevez. All strikers very different to him, good movement. I just think the partnership is incompatible. You have to drop one of those strikers imo. Whatever combination we go for I don't think RVP and Rooney will click.

 

[Will Singh]

Who would you have played in place of them? No one can seem to answer this

The original comment was over 3 managers not just this game but I agree today we have no one else

 

[Oo0AahCantona]

I'm in meltdown mode. 63m pounds on di maria fee agreed.

 

[prateik]

Go back to 4-3-3.. please.
And pick 1 striker... or if we are playing 2, then leave the #10 out.

 

[Godfather]

- Rooney RVP Mata are closer to our three biggest problems than our three best players
- Welbeck needs to start
- I wouldn't mind selling all of our central midfielders
- Three managers seem to think because Valencia and Young can't attack they are good defensively

Totally agree with you first point and sth that should probably be discussed in a seperate thread.

We change the freaking system to play them all. And especially Mata just don't deserve to at this moment in time. Accomodating your whole game to players that are so badly out of form or not clicking with each other at all just doesn't work.

 

[An Irish Red]

We have no tempo and no urgency. Too many of our players are content to go through a match constantly strolling around and giving responsibility to the man closest to them.

That was a gutless performance, it really was.

 

[zing]

- Rooney RVP Mata are closer to our three biggest problems than our three best players

A little exaggerated, but that is a relevant point.

 

[Jev]

Oh, and Smalling cracks me up when he has the ball. So, so terrible you just have to laugh.

 

[MelvinYeo]

Valencia did very well defensively and he's done a job at RB before.

He's cost us points last year when Moyes kept insisting on taking Rafael who is a bigger threat anyway IMO off for Valencia. Off the top of my head I can only remember Everton home where Oviedo sneaked in to score the winner.

 

[Livewire1974]

We are in a full blown crisis right now. Young and Cleverley need to be shipped out ASAP.

 

[Djemba-Djemba]

I still thought Young was terrible but yeah he did seem to be actually trying to make something happen. His crossing was, as usual awful, but at least he was running with the ball and at least just attempting to do something! Rather than Valencia who did absolutely nothing in that 2nd half.

We're a mess, we're boring and slow and we seem cursed to be constantly injury prone. It's going to take a lot of work for us to even challenge for the top 4. But most people knew that before the game.

The positives to take are that when the injuries ease and the 2 or 3 new players we buy this week are settled in we should improve. And as rotten as we were today we at least picked up a point. I know in a way being content with a point after that performance shows how far we've fallen, but beggers can't be choosers.

Things will get better.

 

[Deleted member 78215]

After today's performance, I think the following should be our team:

DDG
Rafael - Smalling - Rojo - Shaw
Vidal - Herrera
Mata
Di Maria - Welbeck - Januzaj
​

Speeeeeeeeed!

DISCLAIMER: VIDAL NEEDS TO JOIN.

 

[Wumminator]

Would anyone else have Da Gea and Welbeck as the first names on the team sheet? He's fecking special is Danny.

 

[footballgirl07]

Blackett, Jones and Keane played well. Cleverley wasn't that bad and he did get stuck in more than I thought he would do. Young and Valencia can't WB's as neither know how to defend or positional sense. Plus neither offer much in the opposite direction. Rooney didn't get involved in the game. Fletcher had probably his worse game ever and with Mata, on the ball he's good. Off it, he doesn't help the team out much. Adding Danny's pace up top did help. Januzaj playing CM didn't work for either him or the team. I wish we could be cut some slack with the injuries though.

 

[JohnDoe]

So are Sunderland. Our vastly superior attack should have been enough to tip the balance. The fact it didn't shows that there are deeper issues.

Rooney, RvP and Mata are terrible together. They have no pace, no penetration, and none of them can beat a man. I'm increasingly beginning to think that only one, or perhaps two, of RvP, Rooney and Mata can play at the same time. The other attacking slots need to go to pacey, dynamic players (like Di Maria) who are capable of beating a man.

And can we please, for heaven's sake sort out our fecking central midfield? We desperately need someone like Vidal in there, it's as clear as day and has been for a long, long time now.

 

[RetroStu]

Totally agree with you first point and sth that should probably be discussed in a seperate thread.

We change the freaking system to play them all. And especially Mata just don't deserve to at this moment in time. Accomodating your whole game to players that are so badly out of form or not clicking with each other at all just doesn't work.

They are getting awful service though, RVP barely touched the ball. If we had good wingers and good centre mids behind them, Rooney, Mata and RVP have the quality to create and score.

 

[Badunk]

 

[.Phil1968]

Well he did say it would be a hard few weeks at the start.Our defence looked better in the 2nd half but Young and especially Valencia were atrocious, Cleverley and Fletcher awful and no one until Janujaz came on to run at Sunderland. However players will be back soon hopefully and there MUST be additions to the midfield being considered.

 

[Slevs]

Absolutely sick to my stomach with that shambles of a performance.

 

[Ixion]

I wonder if Young and Cleverly have been told they can leave the club already so they don't care at the moment. Doesn't explain the previous 24 months of course. Valencia I'll never understand, I have consistantly said he isn't good enough for United even during his best period a couple of years ago, One Trick Tony.

 

[Wumminator]

I thought Young was one of our better players.

 

[Mister_Stubbs]

I know we have a lot of injuries at the moment but that isn't an excuse for those fit who aren't taking responsibility on the pitch.

 

[Godfather]

They are getting awful service though, RVP barely touched the ball. If we had good wingers and good centre mids behind them, Rooney, Mata and RVP have the quality to create and score.

Of course the service is bad as well. But even when they have the ball and are near the box they have feck all idea. Especially Mata is incredibly dissapointing. They should do much better.

But yeah, they have not a lot of service, but I just don't think that with 3 players that lack so much pace that anything is going to work.

 

[Dylan94]

I thought Young was one of our better players.

 

[Sixpence]

Bang on Yorkie, bang on lad.

 

[JohnDoe]

Bang on Yorkie, bang on lad.

What did he say?

 

[Will Singh]

After today's performance, I think the following should be our team:

DDG
Rafael - Smalling - Rojo - Shaw
Vidal - Herrera
Mata
Di Maria - Welbeck - Januzaj
​

Speeeeeeeeed!

DISCLAIMER: VIDAL NEEDS TO JOIN.

I agree with you, we should have never made Rooney captain, should have been DDG or 1 of our defenders as Rooney has know got a season ticket to play every match his fit!