[James Peril]

Spurs were on a great run going into this game and we finished off their top four dream, full stop. Job fukking done to get the win desperately needed and put Spurs in the rear view mirror.

At this point in the season it’s all and only about the results. No one knows how we’ll perform v Atletico. We just need the result.

Spurs is literally ahead of United if they win their two games in hand, let’s calm down a little bit. If Spurs are out of it, so is United I would say.

 

[croadyman]

Pleased with result but as we saw today Arsenal are still right in the box seat

 

[redmanx]

Great result. Look really dodgy defensively but look half decent going forward. Sancho, Fred, Ronnie the stand out players for me. Fred seems to have improved now he’s been moved forward a bit. Maguire just really unlucky with the OG, could happen to any player that. We’ve seen it happen to Keane before. Happy overall with the result. Still loads for a new manager to sort out though.

Im glad I took a spare pair of shorts with me!

 

[redmanx]

Nah we were pretty poor. Pogba was awful too just kept giving the ball away. We missed Bruno’s energy and final ball.

Pogba has reverted to form, or lack of it, a few half decent performances then nothing, but hes been like this ever since he returned so it shouldnt come as a surprise.

 

[ayushreddevil9]

There's a way to go yet. Arsenal have Leicester tomorrow and Liverpool Wednesday night. A single point from those games and we're right in the mixer.

And we have liverpool and chelsea left? Not sure what your point is.

 

[Widow]

@ayushreddevil9

really? I thought I made it as simple as I could.

 

[lex talionis]

Spurs is literally ahead of United if they win their two games in hand, let’s calm down a little bit. If Spurs are out of it, so is United I would say.

Don’t you worry. I am calm. Fourth place is done and dusted…for Arsenal. I would just like us to see out the season well.

 

[newgiz]

Alright, I am a bit late here. However, I did want to bring up specifically the performance of 2 individuals. One for his brilliant performance , and the other for his non-performance.

So obviously its quite easy to figure out who was the outstanding player in that match. The break seems to have done a lot of good for Ronaldo. He looked much much more sharper than what he has looked for many games. If he stays this sharp, all we need to do is provide him the service so that he can do what he does best, i.e. score goals.

Now coming to the individual who infuriated me the most, its Pogba. I saw someone comment his name as Jogba, that name is quite accurate. I know this isn't the first time, but I don't understand why he constantly dwells on the ball. Even when he has time and space, he waits for someone to close him down and then tries a fancy flick and loses possession in dangerous places. And this is when there are runners ahead in space. For all the talent he allegedly has, his lack of composure and any consistency in passing is annoying and infuriating. I hope that we don't give him a new contract. Thanks for your service (or lack of) and goodbye.

Now I haven't mentioned Maguire, but that is purely because there's nothing more to be said with regards to him that hasn't already been said. A team like Everton or Burnley could do with him, so we should try and offload him. He could probably do well in Italy as well where the pace is slower.

 

[redmanx]

Alright, I am a bit late here. However, I did want to bring up specifically the performance of 2 individuals. One for his brilliant performance , and the other for his non-performance.

So obviously its quite easy to figure out who was the outstanding player in that match. The break seems to have done a lot of good for Ronaldo. He looked much much more sharper than what he has looked for many games. If he stays this sharp, all we need to do is provide him the service so that he can do what he does best, i.e. score goals.

Now coming to the individual who infuriated me the most, its Pogba. I saw someone comment his name as Jogba, that name is quite accurate. I know this isn't the first time, but I don't understand why he constantly dwells on the ball. Even when he has time and space, he waits for someone to close him down and then tries a fancy flick and loses possession in dangerous places. And this is when there are runners ahead in space. For all the talent he allegedly has, his lack of composure and any consistency in passing is annoying and infuriating. I hope that we don't give him a new contract. Thanks for your service (or lack of) and goodbye.

Now I haven't mentioned Maguire, but that is purely because there's nothing more to be said with regards to him that hasn't already been said. A team like Everton or Burnley could do with him, so we should try and offload him. He could probably do well in Italy as well where the pace is slower.

Theres no denying Pogba has talent, its attitude, consistency, maturity and responsibility he lacks and at his age now he will never develop any. I have absolutely nothing against him on a personal level, I do not know him, but I think ever since his return from Juventus he has been basically doing enough to satisfy the owners while taking the pee with with an oversized pay check which matches his oversized ego. Despite what his admirers on this forum may think, his performances in the main these last 5 years or so have been, at best, adequate. One swallow doesnt make a summer, and a dozen or so decent performances over 5 years dont make Pogba a great player and certainly not a Manchester United player.

 

[GloryHunter07]

Hope Maguire screamed at Romeros face after the game.

I had this thought too!

 

[Craig Ward]

Bit of what we've come to expect from us lately.

Some good moments, some great, some piss poor defending, individual errors, sloppy with the ball, nervy as hell.

But we got there in the end.

Magic from Ronaldo, 3 superb goals. Literally dragged us from another mundane performance to a win.

Positives:
Ronaldo - break has done him good. The man is superb - give him chances he scores. End of
Fred - Full of energy, great on the ball, drove forward well. Works well with Matic and playing a bit higher up
Sancho - Starting to look a threat in very game. Growing in confidence. Can be a bit cute with the ball when deep but starting to come into his own
FB's - A year or so ago it was unthinkable that Shaw and AWB wouldnt be starters. AWB looks like he's never kicked a ball in his life these days. Dalot and Telles proving that competition for places is vital.

Negatives.
Rashford - Lost his confidence completely. So frustrating to see him playing so within himself. His strengths are his directeness, his pace, his finishing. Looks a shell of himself. If you wanna whinge about your future and playing time - earn your place and work hard. Simple.
Pogba - Slow on the ball, lazy tracking. Didnt influence anything. Bit of a passer by all game.

A big aspect of this game for me was central midfield. We arent blessed with quality there and have struggled for years to find the right combination there.

Matic and Fred done well. Fred in particular was superb. But the combination seemed to work for me. If Mctominey plays, Fred doesnt push on like he does and we're back to our usual style. Fred was a much more attacking player for Shakthar and his strengths we're driving forward with the ball. We've not really seen that for us as we are shoe-shorned into playing him deeper as we have no other options. Matic is our ONLY deep lying midfielder.

Mctominey at best does ok there, Pogba is useless deep and when Fred and McTominey play deep together, it's almost as if theyre both there to do one persons job which leaves the rest of midfield lacking.

I'm derailing from the match performance, but central midfield is so vital and the one area we've really been lacking for years.

I'll take the win all day, but it was much the same old. Kane and Son we're poor and we still let them have chances.

 

[justsomebloke]

That’s actually what I’m saying. He’s now at the point where even when he plays well, he’s finding ways to cost us. We could call bad luck on it, but the Mount Rushmore of defenders in the league (VvD, Dias, Silva and Varane) don’t see that happen to them, because their positioning is much better. The problem is that he’s having such a shocking season that good games like this are few and far between, and yet he still scored an own goal.

Hehe, yes, it did feel like poetic injustice, didn't it.

 

[Hansi Fick]

From the highlights it sure looks like Ronaldo and Sancho have begun to establish a very good rapport.

 

[UnitedSofa]

Pleased with result but as we saw today Arsenal are still right in the box seat

Don’t you worry. I am calm. Fourth place is done and dusted…for Arsenal. I would just like us to see out the season well.

Arsenal still got to play their games in hand, Spurs, Chelsea and Liverpool. They also still have to play us.

Chelsea and Liverpool they'll likely drop points and if we beat them, we have a fantastic chance at gaining 4th or even 3rd.

4th isn't done and dusted. We just need an almost perfect run in these last 8 games.

 

[Offside]

Arsenal still got to play their games in hand, Spurs, Chelsea and Liverpool. They also still have to play us.

Chelsea and Liverpool they'll likely drop points and if we beat them, we have a fantastic chance at gaining 4th or even 3rd.

4th isn't done and dusted. We just need an almost perfect run in these last 8 games.

We are also due a spanking from Liverpool and Chelsea and we still look way off going on a decent winning run.

 

[UnitedSofa]

We are also due a spanking from Liverpool and Chelsea and we still look way off going on a decent winning run.

Chelsea barely beat Newcastle, the off field issues may be affecting them. We'll see.

Liverpool, I have no hope for haha

 

[DSG]

In the last few weeks, there has been a lot of discussion about Ronaldo being past it, etc.

I never saw it that way. He was always going to come good. Wasn’t it Van Nistlerooy who said for a striker, goals were like ketchup… nothing for a while, then it all comes out at once? Ronaldo was getting the chances, just a bit unlucky in his finishing at times. Also, it seemed he lacked confidence, which is saying something for the most confident man on the planet…

My biggest worry is that defensively we looked a bit leaky. Let’s hope we can use this momentumin the Atletico match today and kick on to somehow get to 4th in the table.

 

[Teja]

From the highlights it sure looks like Ronaldo and Sancho have begun to establish a very good rapport.

Yeah I noticed this too. If we can get Bruno working with the two of them together we'll be lot better as a team.

 

[lex talionis]

Arsenal still got to play their games in hand, Spurs, Chelsea and Liverpool. They also still have to play us.

Chelsea and Liverpool they'll likely drop points and if we beat them, we have a fantastic chance at gaining 4th or even 3rd.

4th isn't done and dusted. We just need an almost perfect run in these last 8 games.

A perfect run might just do it, but there's no reason to believe we're capable of a perfect or almost perfect run. We've got the following:

Leicester City
Everton
Norwich City
Liverpool
Arsenal
Brentford
Brighton
Chelsea
Palace

You did say "almost perfect", so let's assume Liverpool defeat us. Were we to run the table otherwise that gives us 24 points from a possible 27, landing on 74 points at season's end. Not bad, considering all things. But taking 24 from 27 points would be an unexpectedly strong finish.

I should analyze Arsenal's remaining fixtures to how heavy of a lift their remaining 13 fixtures are, but based on their current form they can be expected to defeat the clubs they're supposed to beat, such as Villa this weekend. And if Gerrard does United a solid, things could get nervy for Arsenal. Doubt could creep in.