[Adam-Utd]

Don't see why we can't use just 1 main striker and have pace out wide to keep the width. Use a midfield of Mata, Blind and Herrera and we will control most games, with pace in the outlet too. Frustrating as this game was there for the taking today, but we just didn't go for it enough. Swansea by 60 mins were coasting and didn't seem interested.

 

[steve zizou]

These defeats are hard to take because the team actually gave it a go. Did Swansea really deserve to win that game? This is a Swansea side famous for their controlled possession game, yet they were kept camping in their own half for most of the 2nd half. I guess we would have preferred it if we payed badly but won. Actually we were moaning back then too.

 

[Alex Styles]

No risk approach is back firing. How long can you pass the ball around the box?? Possesion is nothing without penetration.

Im sure Shelvey would have been fined by Van Gaal for taking this hopeful shot.

Actually I saw plenty of risk today. That's why we got caught out in the end for the 2nd goal.

 

[shabz]

I can't help but think what would be if we held on to Welbeck or Hernandez this season. We are seriously lacking some movement up front, RVP makes that same open body run in between two defenders 5 times a game, Rooney loves to come to the ball, It is all too easy for opposition defenders to mark us out the game, we do not stretch it at all. All our possession is side to side allowing the opposition to get behind the ball. The team surely aren't being taught this in training, so why are we allowing it to happen. Herrera and Rooney looked like the only effective players from our attacking P.O.V. I believe we need to really alter our formation next game and inject some width into our game from the offset, so we don't get our fullbacks caught out due having to push so high up the pitch regularly.

 

[Raw]

I can't help but think what would be if we held on to Welbeck or Hernandez this season. We are seriously lacking some movement up front, RVP makes that same open body run in between two defenders 5 times a game, Rooney loves to come to the ball, It is all too easy for opposition defenders to mark us out the game, we do not stretch it at all. All our possession is side to side allowing the opposition to get behind the ball. The team surely aren't being taught this in training, so why are we allowing it to happen. Herrera and Rooney looked like the only effective players from our attacking P.O.V. I believe we need to really alter our formation next game and inject some width into our game from the offset, so we don't get our fullbacks caught out due having to push so high up the pitch regularly.

Somehow I think no matter what striker we put up front, they'll turn to shit.

 

[holyland red]

am I one of the few who is surprisingly relaxed about today?

Yeah we lost, but we're going for top 4 not the league.

Win the next game, back on track.

Surprisingly we've only lost 5 league games so far. Has felt like more, but maybe that's reading stuff on here.

Mid March to Mid April is going to be critical. We could really struggle with the run of games. City at home, followed by Chelsea and Everton away back to back is madness.

I'm relaxed about the entire season. We're so shite I have no expectations whatsoever. Other than the disappointment of seeing DDG go in the summer I don't really care. Fighting for 4th hardly excites me. Making the numbers in the CL might be important for the Glazers, but honestly I don't mind if they sign a sponsorship deal with Colgate instead. This team wouldn't make past the CL qualifiers if we were to finish 4th anyway.

 

[DomesticTadpole]

I'm relaxed about the entire season. We're so shite I have no expectations whatsoever. Other than the disappointment of seeing DDG go in the summer I don't really care. Fighting for 4th hardly excites me. Making the numbers in the CL might be important for the Glazers, but honestly I don't mind if they sign a sponsorship deal with Colgate instead. This team wouldn't make past the CL qualifiers if we were to finish 4th anyway.

I'm depressed now.

 

[Yorkeontop]

I think we were ok. Its hard to say we played well because we lost but I reckon with a bit more perspective - a night's sleep usually helps - I'd be encouraged by our performance. The defending though...

 

[DomesticTadpole]

I think we were ok. Its hard to say we played well because we lost but I reckon with a bit more perspective - a night's sleep usually helps - I'd be encouraged by our performance. The defending though...

I think the defending in previous games came home to roost today. The luck with our defence was never going to last indefinitely.

 

[Hostekule]

I'm depressed now.

What if we call the suicide lines in Manchester expressing how we're suicidal because of United's poor football. If enough of us do it we can make the tabloids write stories about it. Then LvG will hear about it, and THEN. MAYBE. Will he stop being so stubborn and decide on a way to play, and not this "Allardyce football" wrapped in "philosophy talk style of football". After all he loves the fahns!

 

[DomesticTadpole]

What if we call the suicide lines in Manchester expressing how we're suicidal because of United's poor football. If enough of us do it we can make the tabloids write stories about it. Then LvG will hear about it, and THEN. MAYBE. Will he stop being so stubborn and decide on a way to play, and not this "Allardyce football" wrapped in "philosophy talk style of football". After all he loves the fahns!

We'll be a soundbite on Talksport as well.

 

[simonhch]

I can't be angry at the coaching staff after today. I thought we played really well, dominated the game completely, especially in the second half. One slack moment of defending and one massive deflection and extreme luck cost us the game. Swansea got a free one today, we have to take it on the chin and move on.

Although I fully expecting the mewling quims on here to be having a meltdown for the next week.

 

[DomesticTadpole]

I can't be angry at the coaching staff after today. I thought we played really well, dominated the game completely, especially in the second half. One slack moment of defending and one massive deflection and extreme luck cost us the game. Swansea got a free one today, we have to take it on the chin and move on.

Although I fully expecting the mewling quims on here to be having a meltdown for the next week.

Maybe our luck ran out today, but playing RvP who has now picked up another injury has proved to be a bad decision. Rooney up front with Mata behind is how I would have gone. Wasting a substitution because McNair, not for the first time, was out of his depth. Brainless Jones instead of Smalling. Those are coaching mistakes. We should have won, yes, 3 chances on target, 10 off does not make good reading. 10 corners, none of them a threat. That is the players, but the manager also has to take responsibility for changing a defence that didn't need changing.

 

[simonhch]

Maybe our luck ran out today, but playing RvP who has now picked up another injury has proved to be a bad decision. Rooney up front with Mata behind is how I would have gone. Wasting a substitution because McNair, not for the first time, was out of his depth. Brainless Jones instead of Smalling. Those are coaching mistakes. We should have won, yes, 3 chances on target, 10 off does not make good reading. 10 corners, none of them a threat. That is the players, but the manager also has to take responsibility for changing a defence that didn't need changing.

Maybe Tony V was tired. And Jones has been playing well when fit. People seize on anything our defenders do to have a crack at them. It's a merry go round. One week Smalling, next Jones, then Rojo. It's always Evans' turn of course. Perhaps with good reason.

If anything I'd say the biggest factor in our stuttering form right now is the lack of Carrick. Blind is an excellent footballer, but Carrick has a much better defensive reading of the game, and the passing ability to stay deep.

 

[Zoo]

Swansea have done the double over us for the first time in their history. Yet they didn't have to do anything spectacular to get those 6 points, we've just given them away cheaply and it could be critical for our CL aspirations this season.

 

[Irrational.]

I missed the match as I was at work. Anyone care to summarise? Positives? Negatives? How did the performance compare to the Preston game? LVG to blame, or was it the team?

Seems like we're really going to struggle with making top four, never mind top three.

 

[Gerald G]

The most damaging result of the season. So disappointing.

 

[DomesticTadpole]

The most damaging result of the season. So disappointing.

If we get mullered by Liverpool. I think that might cause a few fallouts.

 

[SonnyTheHaloPro]

I missed the match as I was at work. Anyone care to summarise? Positives? Negatives? How did the performance compare to the Preston game? LVG to blame, or was it the team?

Seems like we're really going to struggle with making top four, never mind top three.

There was absolutely no positives at all for me, sorry.

We had a lot of possession but trust me, we didn't dominate anything. We created hardly any chances and Fabianki had no real saves to make the entire match. On minute we are around their box passing it around and then its back to the keeper who lumps it up to Fellaini for no apparent reason.

 

[DomesticTadpole]

There was absolutely no positives at all for me, sorry.

We had a lot of possession but trust me, we didn't dominate anything. We created hardly any chances and Fabianki had no real saves to make the entire match. On minute we are around their box passing it around and then its back to the keeper who lumps it up to Fellaini for no apparent reason.

We scored a nice goal, then promptly conceded one.

 

[SonnyTheHaloPro]

I can't be angry at the coaching staff after today. I thought we played really well, dominated the game completely, especially in the second half. One slack moment of defending and one massive deflection and extreme luck cost us the game. Swansea got a free one today, we have to take it on the chin and move on.

Although I fully expecting the mewling quims on here to be having a meltdown for the next week.

How on earth did we dominate the game?

 

[simonhch]

How on earth did we dominate the game?

Are you kidding? How on earth did we not?

 

[DomesticTadpole]

How on earth did we dominate the game?

We did in a way, if you go by the attempts on goal, corners, possession etc. However the idea of football is to put the ball in the net more often than the other side. Which we didn't.

 

[DomesticTadpole]

Are you kidding? How on earth did we not?

Goals.

 

[SonnyTheHaloPro]

Are you kidding? How on earth did we not?

Well we lost the game for starters, created no big chances and very few half chances even. We didn't threaten at all or consistently within 90 minutes for you to make such a statement.

Unless by dominated you mean pointless passing which according to the "philosophy" tires the opposition out enough to make chances, then yeah we dominated.

 

[Gerald G]

If we get mullered by Liverpool. I think that might cause a few fallouts.

Yeah but we've got 3 games before that including away to Newcastle and at home to Spurs. It'll be interesting to see how the table looks by the Liverpool game.

We've really got to beat some of these big teams.

Our away form has been garbage this whole season so I don't know whether that will change anytime soon.

Edit: Oh and the FA cup game vs Arsenal. If Arsenal knock us out it might begin from there.

 

[Irrational.]

There was absolutely no positives at all for me, sorry.

We had a lot of possession but trust me, we didn't dominate anything. We created hardly any chances and Fabianki had no real saves to make the entire match. On minute we are around their box passing it around and then its back to the keeper who lumps it up to Fellaini for no apparent reason.

Sounds familiar mate. Seems like the story of our season.

I'm losing more and more faith in LVG and his philosophy by the day. Any manager that can't seem to accommodate/ get a decent game out of world class players like Di Maria and render players like Januzaj/ Mata ineffective whilst being tactically outwitted by the likes of Garry fecking Monk doesn't really fulfill the criteria for a United manager I'm afraid.

 

[Alex Styles]

Well I've been saying play the 4-5-1 from the start. I'm guessing this will be van Gaals next experiment. Today, even though from what people are saying we palyed the diamond formation, I thought at times it looked more like a 3-5-2 with Smashley and Tony as wingbacks. Anyway, play one striker, play Rooney as a 10 and two CM. The worst thing today though was conceding the first goal. Simply UNACCEPTABLE!

 

[DomesticTadpole]

Yeah but we've got 3 games before that including away to Newcastle and at home to Spurs. It'll be interesting to see how the table looks by the Liverpool game.

We've really got to beat some of these big teams.

Our away form has been garbage this whole season so I don't know whether that will change anytime soon.

Of course this court hearing in Spain is the time of the Newcastle game, I think someone said. So that will be Herrera missing for that. Unfortunately.

 

[Gerald G]

Sounds familiar mate. Seems like the story of our season.

I'm losing more and more faith in LVG and his philosophy by the day. Any manager that can't seem to accommodate get a decent game out of world class players like Di Maria and render players like Januzaj/ Mata ineffective whilst being tactically outwitted by the likes of Garry fecking Monk doesn't really fulfill the criteria for a United manager I'm afraid.

To be fair I thought this away performance was well improved and it seemed like we were going to get the goal then they scored against the run of play and we didn't do much after that.

Final pass was lacking and not clinical. van Persie very poor. If we had a proper striker we would have won that game in my opinion.

Still not good enough though.

 

[Asger]

Well I've been saying play the 4-5-1 from the start. I'm guessing this will be van Gaals next experiment. Today, even though from what people are saying we palyed the diamond formation, I thought at times it looked more like a 3-5-2 with Smashley and Tony as wingbacks. Anyway, play one striker, play Rooney as a 10 and two CM. The worst thing today though was conceding the first goal. Simply UNACCEPTABLE!

Why not Mata as 10 and Rooney the one striker? What more does Rooney offer to the team than Mata as 10?

 

[Gerald G]

Of course this court hearing in Spain is the time of the Newcastle game, I think someone said. So that will be Herrera missing for that. Unfortunately.

Surely not? They can't do that, can they?

 

[DomesticTadpole]

Surely not? They can't do that, can they?

Someone said it was round then, I think he only has to testify for around 30 minutes, so hopefully around for the Arsenal game and that this trial is going to take ages. As there will be a lot of interviews. The cup game being on the Monday might actually be a blessing.

 

[simonhch]

There was absolutely no positives at all for me, sorry.

We had a lot of possession but trust me, we didn't dominate anything. We created hardly any chances and Fabianki had no real saves to make the entire match. On minute we are around their box passing it around and then its back to the keeper who lumps it up to Fellaini for no apparent reason.

Gosh, you're a right drama queen.

We were desperately unlucky to lose that game. It happens. The 17/3 shot vs on target stat is the most telling.

 

[mattsville]

Frustrating match, I think we lined up as most would have wanted after how we finished the preston game, we had a decent shape and attacking threat to us from the off but we were dodgy at the back, particularly McNair's positioning which affected other parts of his game and defending set pieces where again we just can't seem to win the first header. RVP was extremely poor, that really cost us a lot of our good attacking opportunities. Di Maria was also poor, one good cross in the first half aside his distribution of all ranges was poxy. We pinned them in their half for about 20 minutes second half and it got more threatening when Young came on then they scored out of nothing, I think we felt a bit sorry for ourselves coupled with the fact that RVP was injured and we had used all our subs so we just fizzled out then, but again we should have had the option of another sub to get RVP off, the change at HT was not enforced as far as I am aware, taking risks playing McNair at RB when you have Rafael and even Valencia or Smalling who at least offer positional competence would have afforded us the extra sub in the final quarter of the game, but again, the whole season just seems like one big experimentation from one week to the next, we have somehow lost a game that we should have won, that is the frustrating part even though, some poor individual performances aside it was a more familiar looking Manchester United with a mission and more likely to win the game in the second half.

 

[Wednesday at Stoke]

There was actually a total seize on the Swansea goal today, unlike anything we've seen since Fergie left except may be for a few minutes in the first half at White Hart Lane. Blind was playing in the box, it was that dominant but the freaking goal just never came and in turn the bald fecker scored at the other end. That's the most disappointing part of it, losing games we should win and winning games we have no business winning like the one at St. Mary's.

 

[Gannicus]

We dominated, but the absence of a scoring punch by our strikers let us down. Swansea did almost nothing and stole the win.

Fourth is still on but we now need to deal with midtable clubs and we need to beat either Liverpool and Tottenham, and probably both, when we meet then again.

 

[POF]

Very frustrating result. It was vital to win that and build momentum and what makes it more frustrating is that it was such a winnable game. First half was poor. Second half much better until the Gomis goal.

Having 3 forwards stood next to each other with zero movement is just ridiculous. I feel for Herrera, Blind and Di Maria. They have absolutely no options to play forward centrally so everything goes wide. The goal came from Fellaini dropping deep and linking the play. It rarely happened again and isn't Fellaini's game.

Rooney was just as poor as RVP and Falcao in previous games. He has more mobility but gives the ball away far more than either of the other 2. McNair had another disastrous game. Rafael and Smalling in the back 4 would be a major improvement.

With each passing week it is getting harder and harder to see what the plan is. United have a tough run in and need to be playing better than this.

 

[WR10]

Van Persie should have put away the chances to give us the win. He didn't, they scored more.

 

[sunama]

I just saw Match of the Day and Savage was picking out the long-ball tactics.
I think we should've bought Crouch in January to ensure we made top 4.
I know that some may not like the long ball tactic, but if that is our most effective method of scoring, then we need to buy taller players to increase the chances of scoring from those long balls. We cannot rely on Fellaini by himself.