Is that Martial gone?
Preseason Tour Game 4: Man Utd v Liverpool (ICC, Saturday 28th July 22:05 BST)
- Thread starter Damien
- Start date
The criticism of Liverpool from last season was that they let in too many goals, Keita and Fabinho will help shore up their midfield (defensive) depth and alongside Allison should help to improve this problem. Klopp relies on 'team defence' and quick, high energy recovery of the football and therefore squad depth is important for this intensity to last all season. I get your point, however I think its very difficult to apply the gap in points from last season to this one. Man City may not be as consistent while Liverpool maybe but then again (hopefully) Salah won't be as prolific. They have however bought Shaqiri who will contribute.
Nah Pep isn't my go to, I was merely making the point that managers have taken the league by storm after you made the point the game has changed and that doesn't happen anymore.
Pros
Sanchez continued to look sharper in pre-season.
Andreas had yet another good game. Technically good in the first half and mentally strong in the second.
Demetri looked fairly decent at times going forward.
Majority of major players missing
Cons
Defensively still shaky. Not limited to this game only, or the youth involved.
Despite only being pre-season, tactical setup looks very reminiscent of last seasons approach of conceding the ball, irregular pressing, inviting pressure and struggling to retain the ball.
TFM, Axel need more loan time to develop.
I understand some of the more emotive arguments from the "knee jerking" crowd. I think the sentiment being that factors such as "they're kids", "it's pre-season", and "fitness levels" are perhaps somewhat negated when you observe that the likes of City, Dortmund and co, have played pre-season games with equal fitness levels to us with higher quantities of youth players involved, and yet have look fluid throughout.
The take home from this pre-season is that the style of play isn't going to change. We're just going to have better players playing that style of football. It needs to be accepted that we're not going to aggressively press high, we're not going to ball retain or dominate possession (against top six). We're going to work on grinding out results and sharpening our offensive transitions.
Sanchez continued to look sharper in pre-season.
Andreas had yet another good game. Technically good in the first half and mentally strong in the second.
Demetri looked fairly decent at times going forward.
Majority of major players missing
Cons
Defensively still shaky. Not limited to this game only, or the youth involved.
Despite only being pre-season, tactical setup looks very reminiscent of last seasons approach of conceding the ball, irregular pressing, inviting pressure and struggling to retain the ball.
TFM, Axel need more loan time to develop.
I understand some of the more emotive arguments from the "knee jerking" crowd. I think the sentiment being that factors such as "they're kids", "it's pre-season", and "fitness levels" are perhaps somewhat negated when you observe that the likes of City, Dortmund and co, have played pre-season games with equal fitness levels to us with higher quantities of youth players involved, and yet have look fluid throughout.
The take home from this pre-season is that the style of play isn't going to change. We're just going to have better players playing that style of football. It needs to be accepted that we're not going to aggressively press high, we're not going to ball retain or dominate possession (against top six). We're going to work on grinding out results and sharpening our offensive transitions.
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Exactly.Jesus, catch on fella. You can't use trophies to determine who is the better manager right now. You can use them to say who's been the better manager over their respective careers, but not right now at this very moment. That is exactly the point I was making.
Based on what exactly? They have won nothing since he took over. They have been to 3 finals and lost. They turn up against the big teams and lose to teams they shouldn’t lose to. That’s how Liverpool have been for years now.
No, the guys complaining about people complaining do.
Quite a lot of the gap was overhauled in January with there purchases and including younger players more regularly like Arnold and the not so young Robertson. They did actually do well second half of the season. Persoanlly dont think they will be consistant enough defensively next year with still young players as there beest options or consistantly good enough in the not so big games, but at the moment the difference between ourselves, Spurs, Liverpool and Chelsea is marginal and I like what Emery is doing at Arsenal so far with the money available to him
So I'm sure you can provide an example then yes?
OK mate. Look forward to Pereira being a shining light in our season. Someone linked me to montage of Andreas from the friendly the other day and neither of us could decide whether it a parody or not. We’ve been devoid of midfield passing for so long that people are creaming themselves over anyway just knocking a pass somewhat forward, regardless of whether pass is well weighted, whether it actually arrives in the right place for the receiver to continue the momentum of the attack.
Genuinely, if we have a strong start to the season and start well in the league and Europe, feel free to come and give me all the shit you want. I’m not so arsed about the results in pre-season, but we are entering the manager’s third season and we are completely incoherent as a side. I have no idea whatsoever what Mourinho wants to do at United and I say that as someone who admired him for years and always wanted him post-Ferguson. All of the other top sides, I can tell you their strategy. I have no idea what ours is. We are mediocre defensively and bailed out by a top shot stopper. In attack, we have not shown any coherent gameplan for two seasons, other than hope for some talented players to pull something out of the bag. Let’s not even get onto our transfer strategy, which is fecking basket case. We can sign another twenty centre backs and it wouldn’t solve our hideous transitions, which allows teams to get into our final third with ease and expose defenders.
I’ll be at the Leicester game in two weeks and I will be singing for the full 90 minutes, but I wish that was with hope and expectation rather than fear.
I think the moaners should get to hand out the ''Top Red'' tags.
Just to see what it looks like.
But if you assign one, you register yourself as a moaner.
Could be done the other way too, and should sort things out fairly quickly,
.
Just to see what it looks like.
But if you assign one, you register yourself as a moaner.
Could be done the other way too, and should sort things out fairly quickly,
.I have already admitted this on the forum that I'm not a fan of his. I will support him this coming season though, like I have always done.
How do you know that about Fabinho and Keita, transfer value doesnt guarantee this.
Liverpool in the 2nd half of the 17/18 season performed worse than City, Spurs and United. So there goes your theory.
Do you need a link to this thread?You dont sound very supportive if im honest but fair enough.
I dont get this argument. Whats the point of a forum if you cant respond to a post?
the season hasn't started yet
I'm not sure what positives can be taken out of this match; Maybe an energetic Sanchez? And perhaps a sign that 3-5-2 will be our favoured system next season?. I'm not sure fitness is really relevent given that a significant proportion of players will not sight the first team after they leave the US of A.
Well if there are apparently so many examples of people saying your not a "Top Red" if you complain it can't be that difficult to provide an example or two.
the season hasn't started yet
you would think it was already over listening to the bright sparks on hereThe match pretty much went how I imagined really. We're stuck playing in a five back due to a lack of forwards, the midfielders bar Pereira aren't really up to scratch and neither Mata nor Alexis are focal points. I don't think anyone played particularly badly, maybe Mitchell got outplayed a bit but he was up against Salah so what can you expect. I was really happy with Axel and especially Pereira of course. We defended well in the first half and as Jose just said in his post match interview, we were dead by the 70th minute.
For those who are worried based on the performance we really have to think that during the season most of these players won't play and the system won't be the same.
As for worries I'm very worried about the first 4/5 matches because we have such a bare bones squad, hopefully by the time Leicester or Brighton comes we will have more players ready, ideally we will have signings come in but it looks less and less likely as the weeks go on.
I'm so, so happy with Pereira though. He can be a quality midfielder for us if he keeps it up.
For those who are worried based on the performance we really have to think that during the season most of these players won't play and the system won't be the same.
As for worries I'm very worried about the first 4/5 matches because we have such a bare bones squad, hopefully by the time Leicester or Brighton comes we will have more players ready, ideally we will have signings come in but it looks less and less likely as the weeks go on.
I'm so, so happy with Pereira though. He can be a quality midfielder for us if he keeps it up.
Periera has been a standout including this game. He looks ready to make the step up to the top level.
Would agree with this, though Demetri was totally lost defensively most of the game and fairly decent though not a massive compliment if also probably being generous
Well, I don't get that people who vent their frustrations about the football on show get jumped by posters that only clap and cheer on their team, even when on the internet and losing a game by 4-1.
Are you always happy with every match?
Let's not pretend you wouldn't be calling us shit and laughing at Klopp had you won.
End of the day it's about the performance the fitness and gaining rhythm. The results mean nothing other than the boost any one person chooses to take from it.
Grant is 3rd choice. Smalling didn't play. Herrera, Mata and Sanchez were a mix of okay against Liverpool's side that was pretty strong for most of the match with VVD, Fabinho, Mane, Salah, Milner, etc. This is a truly poor quality traveling pre-season party for United for obvious reasons.
There isn't one
I never mentioned anything about their transfer fees did I? And nothing is guaranteed in football. I was merely forming an opinion, rightly or wrongly as you pointed out, based on the quality of these players' performances in their previous leagues. I also see the logic of these purchases from the Liverpool perspective based on the point I made about a knackered Liverpool in the second half of the season.
City are currently 2-0 down Vs Bayern.
Arsenal beat PSG 5-1
I don't understand the outrage over a friendly. Other than the fact we lost to Liverpool. Anomalous results can happen in a pre-season game. Will mean jack shit if we start the season running once the rest of the big guns are back +/- a couple of first team signings.
Arsenal beat PSG 5-1
I don't understand the outrage over a friendly. Other than the fact we lost to Liverpool. Anomalous results can happen in a pre-season game. Will mean jack shit if we start the season running once the rest of the big guns are back +/- a couple of first team signings.
Couldn't give a t*ss about the performance or the result in what amounts to a glorified open training match. Only thing I'm really worried about is that our top players will have very little game time to get properly match fit before the start of the season,
On a separate note, can we go back to doing summer tours of the Far East and whatnot? Or is this ICC hype machine throwing such ridiculous money at us that we’d be stupid to turn it down?
I’d rather us go out to Japan and run through the local team cannon fodder and get everyone confident and on some semblance of momentum, rather than play our European and Domestic rivals in friendlies because people lose their shit if we don’t win them (or get carried away if we do) as they use it as a barometer for the upcoming season.
I’d rather us go out to Japan and run through the local team cannon fodder and get everyone confident and on some semblance of momentum, rather than play our European and Domestic rivals in friendlies because people lose their shit if we don’t win them (or get carried away if we do) as they use it as a barometer for the upcoming season.
Vato its a fecking pre season game mate, we have to put up with this reactionary shite throughout the season. These are supposedly decently intelligent people as in they can type words on a screen so surely they can see we barely had one or maybe two starters in that team and most of our first team still arent back yet. Theres a time for letting people whinge and theres a time for calling out bullshit.
You totally miss the point don't you?
Liar....you will definately be swearing for more than 10 of those 90 I reckon. In all seriousness I think Pereira has been good, not amazing but good and deserves chances as back up more than others that have already had them.
I personally only wanted Mourinho as he was the only option really. I hoped he would adapt to the club and really prove himself an all time great as he has had the shaky spell before hand. But the philosophy he seems to be showing, the whinging, the signing of players he has already worked with.....he isnt adapting at all for me and also isnt showing the super confident arrogant manager he was up until Madrid, more the stubborn, prickly one he has become since.
I see a melt down and a move back to Serie A where he is still revered happening over the next twelve months personally
Yes you are right, I forgot about the lad! I think he'll chip in with some important goals this season.
I assumed you werent a regular watcher of Ligue 1 or the Bundesliga, fair points!
Still, nobody is going to be happy losing 4-1, especially against your biggest rival. Let them vent if they want! How is that such a problem for the rest? You can engage in conversation with likeminded people in those threads and ignore the others, no? I really don't see the big problem.