There is absolutely no justification in calling for Mourinho's head

[haram]

so actually Klopp was the coward even though his team spent the entire game on the front foot. You should be Mourinho's PR manager.

Tbf, Klopp could have taken a midfielder off and put on a forward. He knew we only had two midfielders. He was scared to open the game up for a two vs two in midfield. He flooded the midfield. There wasn't much Mourinho could have done. If Herrera presses their midfield, we get outnumbered and they walk through us. That game was gonna end in a draw because Liverpool were passing in front of us and Klopp knew it was gonna end that way.

Mourinho did play defensive though. If we had at least Fellaini fit we could have pressed more and pushed up the pitch. Like Mourinho said, he was waiting for Klopp to take a CM off so we could match them in there. It didn't happen, so the game ended in a draw. We'll smoke them at Old Trafford if we have Matic, Pogba and Fellaini fit.

When other teams play Liverpool, they match them in midfield and play direct.

 

[Escobar]

Only idiots are calling for his head at this stage. Having said that, he doesnt help his cause with some of his comments and with his strange approach to certain games

 

[Lougie86]

I think too much is read into the comments Jose makes. Yes, sure some of them are not needed or overly controversial call it what you will but he has made these comments throughout his entire managerial career and it doesn't seem to have held him back.

Right from the start at Porto he has been controversial with the press and media comments all the way through Chelsea, Inter, Real, back to Chelsea and with us.

I think that the majority of fans just notice it now because he is United manager and therefore we pay attention a lot more to what he says.

He's improving the team and I'm still confident of a successful season once we get a few of our injured players back.

Christmas/New Year period will be crucial but if we can get the majority of the squad back fit I think by mid January we will be closer to City.

 

[Craig Ward]

Tbf, Klopp could have taken a midfielder off and put on a forward. He knew we only had two midfielders. He was scared to open the game up for a two vs two in midfield. He flooded the midfield. There wasn't much Mourinho could have done. If Herrera presses their midfield, we get outnumbered and they walk through us. That game was gonna end in a draw because Liverpool were passing in front of us and Klopp knew it was gonna end that way.

Mourinho did play defensive though. If we had at least Fellaini fit we could have pressed more and pushed up the pitch. Like Mourinho said, he was waiting for Klopp to take a CM off so we could match them in there. It didn't happen, so the game ended in a draw. We'll smoke them at Old Trafford if we have Matic, Pogba and Fellaini fit.

When other teams play Liverpool, they match them in midfield and play direct.

Irks me looking at the way that game played out, think Jose was clever in his comments.

Our attacking play should have been better, any team that attacks Liverpool's defence gets goals. I really do think we was over cautious and he has deflected blame on to Klopp quite well. But that is Jose's style, he will never change.

Liverpool hold nothing for us to fear, irrelevant what subs Klopp made we should have got at them and attacked, we would have got goals for sure

 

[zonaldefending]

Tbf, Klopp could have taken a midfielder off and put on a forward. He knew we only had two midfielders. He was scared to open the game up for a two vs two in midfield. He flooded the midfield. There wasn't much Mourinho could have done. If Herrera presses their midfield, we get outnumbered and they walk through us. That game was gonna end in a draw because Liverpool were passing in front of us and Klopp knew it was gonna end that way.

Mourinho did play defensive though. If we had at least Fellaini fit we could have pressed more and pushed up the pitch. Like Mourinho said, he was waiting for Klopp to take a CM off so we could match them in there. It didn't happen, so the game ended in a draw. We'll smoke them at Old Trafford if we have Matic, Pogba and Fellaini fit.

When other teams play Liverpool, they match them in midfield and play direct.

Why would any manager take a midfielder off and put on an attacker if their team has a 3v2 advantage in the midfield and is dominating the ball? That would make absolutely no sense whatsoever.

 

[AshRK]

Jeez people still are stuck with the Liverpool game. Ffs get over it.

 

[GiddyUp]

Only idiots are calling for his head at this stage. Having said that, he doesnt help his cause with some of his comments and with his strange approach to certain games

He is just doing what he always does and I can't knock him for that. The cancer of shite football has been on this club for about 8 seasons now and a world class performance from this team is an exception and not the norm.
The thing that annoys me is when the money comes in to the conversation. He is the Manchester United manager, the cash will always be there. Liverpool and Arsenal are well able to splash out 75 mil on a player, Pochettino seems a little bit more stubborn in his transfer business which is noble but will bite him in the ass in a season or two. Pep is on course to spend 500 million heading in to his 3rd season for City and Chelsea can spend what they want when they want. We are currently sitting exactly where we need to be despite the team chemistry being disrupted with Pogba out so to call for the head of the manager after a few average games which aside from Huddersfield is par for the course for United.
I'm delighted we have Mourinho and he is doing exactly what we need him to do. The rumbling about PSG is all media bullshit and Jose is the one person who won't kiss their ass by telling those shitehawk football journos what they want to hear.

 

[Escobar]

He is just doing what he always does and I can't knock him for that. The cancer of shite football has been on this club for about 8 seasons now and a world class performance from this team is an exception and not the norm.
The thing that annoys me is when the money comes in to the conversation. He is the Manchester United manager, the cash will always be there. Liverpool and Arsenal are well able to splash out 75 mil on a player, Pochettino seems a little bit more stubborn in his transfer business which is noble but will bite him in the ass in a season or two. Pep is on course to spend 500 million heading in to his 3rd season for City and Chelsea can spend what they want when they want. We are currently sitting exactly where we need to be despite the team chemistry being disrupted with Pogba out so to call for the head of the manager after a few average games which aside from Huddersfield is par for the course for United.
I'm delighted we have Mourinho and he is doing exactly what we need him to do. The rumbling about PSG is all media bullshit and Jose is the one person who won't kiss their ass by telling those shitehawk football journos what they want to hear.

Just because he‘s „doing what he always does“ does not mean it‘s a good thing or it cant be criticized. He should learn from the past and it would help him a lot to have the fans fully on his side

 

[Lougie86]

He is just doing what he always does and I can't knock him for that. The cancer of shite football has been on this club for about 8 seasons now and a world class performance from this team is an exception and not the norm.
The thing that annoys me is when the money comes in to the conversation. He is the Manchester United manager, the cash will always be there. Liverpool and Arsenal are well able to splash out 75 mil on a player, Pochettino seems a little bit more stubborn in his transfer business which is noble but will bite him in the ass in a season or two. Pep is on course to spend 500 million heading in to his 3rd season for City and Chelsea can spend what they want when they want. We are currently sitting exactly where we need to be despite the team chemistry being disrupted with Pogba out so to call for the head of the manager after a few average games which aside from Huddersfield is par for the course for United.
I'm delighted we have Mourinho and he is doing exactly what we need him to do. The rumbling about PSG is all media bullshit and Jose is the one person who won't kiss their ass by telling those shitehawk football journos what they want to hear.

Agree with this, good post. Far too much hyperbole and panic from fans this season due to a few sub-par performances and 1 really poor result. Not helped by City starting the season with some champagne football (at times).

The whole situation isn't helped these days by 24 hour news coverage of anything and everything that happens in football.

 

[GiddyUp]

Just because he‘s „doing what he always does“ does not mean it‘s a good thing or it cant be criticized. He should learn from the past and it would help him a lot to have the fans fully on his side

He always learns from the past and that's why the guy always wins silverware. You will never get all the supporters on your side no matter what you do, just look at the amount of Liverpool fans looking for Klopp to go yet when they win a couple of games 3-0 he is the fecking best. Fans are fickle and to call for his head after a couple of expected results minus the Huddersfield game is dumb.
In my 30 years supporting this club I've seen other fans call for the head of nearly every single player that stepped out at OT and also witnessed fans back Moyes blindly despite the evidence in front of them. feck the fans, myself included, and let Mourinho do what he always does. Set up not to lose and win trophies. If that's not good enough for a football fan then off to Spurs with you and enjoy Pochettino and Co for another season or two before the squad is broken up and trophy less and there players dispersed amongst the usual clubs.
As regards criticism, nobody is saying you can't be critical but have some perspective. We are exactly where we want to be but there is a shortage of WC wingers and strikers at the moment in the sport. City have climbed to the top on a fecking mountain of cash and it's finally clicking for them, would I love all those goals, of course I would but the 1-0 against Spurs gave me more joy than any 6-0 against a mid table club and the 0-1 loss against Chelsea made me more angry than the Huddersfield game.

 

[GiddyUp]

Agree with this, good post. Far too much hyperbole and panic from fans this season due to a few sub-par performances and 1 really poor result. Not helped by City starting the season with some champagne football (at times).

The whole situation isn't helped these days by 24 hour news coverage of anything and everything that happens in football.

Very true. It's the reason why I don't read or listen to most of the bullshit in football media. Imagine any other industry that peddles so much false speculation that football journalists do regarding transfer business. It would crumble. They treat this sport like WWE, looking for shit that just isn't there then talking crap about something that I have played and watched all my life. It's all bollox. There is nothing that Jaime Redknapp, Henry, Robbie Earle, Martin Samuel or Neil Custis can tell me about the match I just watched that I couldn't of picked up myself. There are exceptions of course, proper students of the game but most of the time it's cliched bullshit. It's a simple game played professionally by simple people to entertain the tribes.

 

[Foxbatt]

It is interesting that there are some football reporters who thinks that Jose got it spot on against Liverpool and that he is slated unfairly and Klopp is getting an easy ride on the match.

 

[desmondisback]

Only idiots are calling for his head at this stage. Having said that, he doesnt help his cause with some of his comments and with his strange approach to certain games

I'm calling for his head and I'm not an idiot.

I think he's an elastoplast , quick fix, stop gap manager who doesn't fit our identity at all. The best way in life is to realise when you have made a mistake and stop throwing good money after bad. It would be awkward for him to go but that doesn't mean its wrong. The moment I realised this was when I saw us start hoofing it to Fellaini in desperation v Chelsea. That was my light bulb moment. Yours might come later , but when it comes , you will want his head too and wonder why we just delayed the inevitable.

The inevitable moment will come when Jose goes (or is sacked ) and we have to figure out how to re capture some of the half decent good football this club has played , with a new manager committed to football not anti football. The SAF years are probably unrepeatable in our lifetimes , but we can at least aspire to have our moments again. I see Jose as taking us further away from this and if you play shite football the bottom line is you have to get results otherwise you don't even have self respect.

Mind you , he will probably save you the trouble and feck off to Paris in 2018 before he gets sacked. Oh the nonsense of it all........

 

[Foxbatt]

I'm calling for his head and I'm not an idiot.

I think he's an elastoplast , quick fix, stop gap manager who doesn't fit our identity at all. The best way in life is to realise when you have made a mistake and stop throwing good money after bad. It would be awkward for him to go but that doesn't mean its wrong. The moment I realised this was when I saw us start hoofing it to Fellaini in desperation v Chelsea. That was my light bulb moment. Yours might come later , but when it comes , you will want his head too and wonder why we just delayed the inevitable.

The inevitable moment will come when Jose goes (or is sacked ) and we have to figure out how to re capture some of the half decent good football this club has played , with a new manager committed to football not anti football. The SAF years are probably unrepeatable in our lifetimes , but we can at least aspire to have our moments again. I see Jose as taking us further away from this and if you play shite football the bottom line is you have to get results otherwise you don't even have self respect.

Mind you , he will probably save you the trouble and feck off to Paris in 2018 before he gets sacked. Oh the nonsense of it all........

Hang on a bit. I remember Bruce, or Pally playing CF and hoofing into the opposition penalty box when SAF was here. I have seen Rio up there too when we are chasing a game and trying to score in the last few minutes.
This is the biggest footballing myth around that Fergie always played attacking football. No many a times we have parked the bus and especially defended for our lives the last minutes of many a game with Fergie around too when we are under the cosh.

 

[prtk0811]

Why would any manager take a midfielder off and put on an attacker if their team has a 3v2 advantage in the midfield and is dominating the ball? That would make absolutely no sense whatsoever.

Then You should stop accusing united of trying to park the bus, Klopp had most of the ball but most of the posession was useless with back ward and sideward passes with zero penetration. You had 3v2 and 4v2 in second half with united having only 2 cdms fit one of which can not play long passes. He can not afford to open up with a 4231 with lack of balance against a 433.

 

[desmondisback]

Hang on a bit. I remember Bruce, or Pally playing CF and hoofing into the opposition penalty box when SAF was here. I have seen Rio up there too when we are chasing a game and trying to score in the last few minutes.
This is the biggest footballing myth around that Fergie always played attacking football. No many a times we have parked the bus and especially defended for our lives the last minutes of many a game with Fergie around too when we are under the cosh.

Whilst this is true , there is one big difference. Fergie didn't employ this tactic as a default. His philosophy was different. Jose wants to park the bus from the very start. Fergie would not do this. There are times when a team needs to try desperate tactics and I'm all for mixing it up a bit and everyone knows that even great teams have to know how to dig in and defend and hold on. But Fergie didn't try and breed this into his players and often the situations you describe evolved out of the way a game was going. The hoof it to Fellaini thing came as part of a package for me. It was the last straw in a string of games where inept football had been played for long periods.

Some of the most significant goals in United's history under SAF came from a hoof, a hopeful cross or desperate tactics. Bruce's late winner v Sheffield Weds , even Teddy's equaliser at the Nou Camp and throwing Schmeichel up. But what I remember from the early Fergie years is a video clip of him shouting at Dennis Irwin from the sideline (I think 92-93? some members might correct me? ). If I remember it right , I think Irwin was quite possibly doing a bit of hoofing at the time. Fergie shouted " Dennis , Dennis....keep playing football!! "

It's not something I ever remember Jose shouting or imagine he ever shouts. And there's the difference.

 

[Foxbatt]

The hoofing is not a tactic and I do not think even Big Sam employs it. It is supposed to be crosses for the head of Fellaini. He gets the knock down and the players around him play.
The players are the ones who are hoofing it up and I for one do not believe that a top manager like Jose or for that matter any manager is going to tell his players to just hoof it even when not under pressure.
Then you have to consider the players involved. During SAF's time we have much better players than any other team in the PL. We can out pass any other team. Now we are piss poor in the quality of the players. Most of them were left overs from the previous managers.
You are trying to compare a defence consisting of Bruce, Palmister/ Stam, Ronnie Jonson, Rio and Vidic, to Smalling, Bailly/Jones. Then we have a midfield of Roy Keane, Beckham, Giggs, and Scholes. Up front Cantona, Hughes, Yorke and Cole, with Teddy and Ole. Most players in those teams would walk into most top teams in the World.
What do we have here now? How many would get into a top team? DeGea and maybe Pogba? If Jose attacks with team against top teams by opening up they will kill us.

 

[prtk0811]

Whilst this is true , there is one big difference. Fergie didn't employ this tactic as a default. His philosophy was different. Jose wants to park the bus from the very start

Where was the bus parking i wonder when we faced chelsea twice last season or liverpool or arsenal or city at home or against tottenham at home or away or city in the league cup?

This non sense has to stop. We have been too unlucky with injuries in the same area or to the most important players and lack of balance in the middle have forced us to play cautiously right now.

 

[Water Melon]

No need to call for Mou's head yet, but it is too early to talk about extending Jose's contract. We'll see where we are come end of May.

 

[desmondisback]

Where was the bus parking i wonder when we faced chelsea twice last season or liverpool or arsenal or city at home or against tottenham at home or away or city in the league cup?

This non sense has to stop. We have been too unlucky with injuries in the same area or to the most important players and lack of balance in the middle have forced us to play cautiously right now.

I really don't get the impression from Mourinho that his tactics would change whoever he has available to him. He's just a fundamentally anti football manager. Do you deny this?

 

[Foxbatt]

what is anti football?

 

[prtk0811]

I really don't get the impression from Mourinho that his tactics would change whoever he has available to him. He's just a fundamentally anti football manager. Do you deny this?

Even if Mourinho plays attacking , people dont acknowledge it, like against chelsea last season. It really depends on the squad you have on hand which decides the tactics on the day and against what philosophy you are playing against.

In the search for proper defensive midfeilders and cms we brought in so many players in the middle but none was a best option for us until we signed matic this year who could provide the quality carrick provided all these years and could play in mid 2. So we have had a lack of attacking midfeilders and proper wingers in the team who could join in attack and provide more numbers going forward in 5-6 attackers in final third but so many defensive minded midfeilders restrict out fluid movements in the middle where we could put enough numbers in the box while attacking third which is not exactly mourinho;s fault, while the likes of city always attack with 5 or 6 in the final third as they have more attacking midfeilders and proper wingers with a posession based approach.

LAck of ball playing defenders too in our case does not help either where we had injuries or new players. If we give mourinho some time to build on this team further we'll exactly know what sort of football mourinho will prefer later on.

Only mourinho plays defensive is not true, conte poch too play defensive in big games with their squad and defend with 6or 7 players while klopp's and pep's philosophy uses sidepassing and back passing and useless posession to defend with the ball under high pressure. There are no open games between top 6 right now but the blame of being defensive only falls on mourinho although the fact is injuries and lack of balance and lack of quality on the ball has really played its part on how we have looked under mourinho.

I dont count useless posession as attacking football either which is the case in many games against liv or city.

With zlatan and pogba and rojo back i dont expect us to go defensive in any game in terms of parking the bus cliche.

 

[haram]

Why would any manager take a midfielder off and put on an attacker if their team has a 3v2 advantage in the midfield and is dominating the ball? That would make absolutely no sense whatsoever.

Entice the opposition midfield to come out? Get an extra body in forward positions? There is nothing really wrong woth what Klopp did, but if he really wanted to go for it he could have gone with two in midfield like us. He knew the game as heading for a draw because of the way the midfields was set up and did nothing to change it. Mourinho couldn't really change the midfield as both Pogba and Fellaini are injured.

 

[prtk0811]

Entice the opposition midfield to come out? Get an extra body in forward positions? There is nothing really wrong woth what Klopp did, but if he really wanted to go for it he could have gone with two in midfield like us. He knew the game as heading for a draw because of the way the midfields was set up and did nothing to change it. Mourinho couldn't really change the midfield as both Pogba and Fellaini are injured.

But i hope we soon have freaking ball playing defenders soon now who are confident on the ball like rojo and lindelof to step up too while also need shaw to step up. The long punts really limits our posession stats.

 

[haram]

But i hope we soon have freaking ball playing defenders soon now who are confident on the ball like rojo and lindelof to step up too while also need shaw to step up. The long punts really limits our posession stats.

Pogba would have helped driving out of midfield as well. It's unfortunate that we had to play away games at Liverpool and Chelsea during his injury.

 

[redIndianDevil]

But i hope we soon have freaking ball playing defenders soon now who are confident on the ball like rojo and lindelof to step up too while also need shaw to step up. The long punts really limits our posession stats.

LOL what makes you think Lindelof and Rojo are going to be anything closer to a ball playing defender? The likes of Smalling, Jones and Bailly are good enough on the ball, the shite long punts are by choice. Mourinho wants them to go directly for Lukaku or Fellaini.

 

[prtk0811]

LOL what makes you think Lindelof and Rojo are going to be anything closer to a ball playing defender? The likes of Smalling, Jones and Bailly are good enough on the ball, the shite long punts are by choice. Mourinho wants them to go directly for Lukaku or Fellaini.

Lindelof and rojo are ball playing defenders who could pick a pass from the back unlike smalling and jones who's just okay at that. Shaw is also good on the ball unlike young.

Not entirely by choice when you dont have the tools, if you have the tools yet playing that way than thats called by choice.

 

[redIndianDevil]

Tbf, Klopp could have taken a midfielder off and put on a forward. He knew we only had two midfielders. He was scared to open the game up for a two vs two in midfield. He flooded the midfield. There wasn't much Mourinho could have done. If Herrera presses their midfield, we get outnumbered and they walk through us. That game was gonna end in a draw because Liverpool were passing in front of us and Klopp knew it was gonna end that way.

Mourinho did play defensive though. If we had at least Fellaini fit we could have pressed more and pushed up the pitch. Like Mourinho said, he was waiting for Klopp to take a CM off so we could match them in there. It didn't happen, so the game ended in a draw. We'll smoke them at Old Trafford if we have Matic, Pogba and Fellaini fit.

When other teams play Liverpool, they match them in midfield and play direct.

Looks like you seem to have absolutely swallowed the swivel Mourinho came out to deflect horrendous park the bus strategy he employed. Liverpool had us pegged back, why the feck would Klopp relinquish control in midfield when this was what kept us pegged back? Again the problem is not the result, I'd gladly take a draw at Anfield but the way it was achieved was quite bad. Not one of our players wanted to even pass the ball, are we that poor?

 

[redIndianDevil]

Lindelof and rojo are ball playing defenders who could pick a pass from the back unlike smalling and jones who's just okay at that. Shaw is also good on the ball unlike young.

Not entirely by choice when you dont have the tools, if you have the tools yet playing that way than thats called by choice.

My point is that Smalling and Jones do have that skill. LvG wanted our defenders to bring the ball out from the back themselves and Smalling was our best defender under him, Bailly is also very good on the ball but is now punting it long aimlessly. Our manager wants our defenders to hit it long. Don't be surprised when Rojo comes back and he keeps hitting it long aimlessly too.

 

[redIndianDevil]

What is this identity though? If there's any identity we have, it's that on an average day, we play entertaining football, we win things and try to encourage young players while also splashing out on the occasional expensive signing.

On a more concrete note, I've seen allusions to having attacking wingers running down the touch line and midfielders making late runs into the box for the cross is a part of the identity we should be looking to build, but I disagree with that. Tactical systems come and go and as far as wingers go, I don't really think modern wingers really fit the hug touchline - receive ball - beat man and cross it in mould. So we obviously adapt to that. Having said that, I'll also somewhat contradict myself and say that we're *not* a team that wants to play a highly tactical possession based football. For one, we don't really have the players for it and even if we did I think most United plans prefer one / two-touch lightning quick counter attack goals than a goal after stringing together 200 passes and finding a 1v1 with the keeper. If I were to compare it to clubs, we should be the Real Madrid compared to City's Barcelona for example. Now we are a long way away from the current RM team and City are a long way away from peak Barcelona but I think that's the direction both clubs are heading.

Given all of this, if we eventually start playing like Mourinho's RM side, I would personally call it fitting the identity of the club quite well.

Nobody wants LvG's passive possession football, but is it so hard to expect us to play like Tottenham or Chelsea? Both of those teams are solid defensively, good at possession and bloody good at counter attacking too. And as for the "we don't have the players" excuse, whose fault is that? Did our owners not spend enough money? Mourinho got 7 out of 8 of his transfer targets he personally picked out.

 

[prtk0811]

Looks like you seem to have absolutely swallowed the swivel Mourinho came out to deflect horrendous park the bus strategy he employed. Liverpool had us pegged back, why the feck would Klopp relinquish control in midfield when this was what kept us pegged back? Again the problem is not the result, I'd gladly take a draw at Anfield but the way it was achieved was quite bad. Not one of our players wanted to even pass the ball, are we that poor?

How do you expect to win the midfeild battle against a 3 v 2 and 4v2 outnumbeing and against a philosophy which relies in small technical tiki taka in the middle with the sole aim of sheilding the ball and circulating it sideways or backwards. Liverpool play out from the back and unless you have the capability of doing so you can not force them on the defensive because of their high press and more numbers and triangles in numerical advantage, so we played a counter attacking football with mkh's job to link up and get in beind their midfeild with the ball but he failed completely in high press and link up.

If other teams keep so much of the ball and press high, than you have to do the exact same thing against them to put them on defensive for which you need ball playing midfeilders or play counter attacking , we chose countr atacking and failed although we should have tested their defense more there is no dount about it.

 

[prtk0811]

My point is that Smalling and Jones do have that skill. LvG wanted our defenders to bring the ball out from the back themselves and Smalling was our best defender under him, Bailly is also very good on the ball but is now punting it long aimlessly. Our manager wants our defenders to hit it long. Don't be surprised when Rojo comes back and he keeps hitting it long aimlessly too.

Smalling never brought the ball out from the back, Daley blind or rojo did.

 

[redIndianDevil]

How do you expect to win the midfeild battle against a 3 v 2 and 4v2 outnumbeing and against a philosophy which relies in small technical tiki taka in the middle with the sole aim of sheilding the ball and circulating it sideways or backwards. Liverpool play out from the back and unless you have the capability of doing so you can not force them on the defensive because of their high press and more numbers and triangles in numerical advantage, so we played a counter attacking football with mkh's job to link up and get in beind their midfeild with the ball but he failed completely in high press and link up.

If other teams keep so much of the ball and press high, than you have to do the exact same thing against them to put them on defensive for which you need ball playing midfeilders or play counter attacking , we chose countr atacking and failed although we should have tested their defense more there is no dount about it.

You know positions in a football pitch is not rigid right? Just because a team lines up as 4-2-3-1 doesn't mean there will only be 2 midfielders throughout the match, a simple tactical tweak of a number 10, in this case Mkhitaryan, dropping into the midfield makes it 3 vs 3 midfield and guess what apart from Lukaku our entire team was trying to flood the midfield by parking a bus. The problem in that match was that our players simply didn't have the coaching or the skill to play against a high pressing side and resorted to safe hoofballs which resulted in waves and waves of Liverpool attack(luckily we were able to keep them from scoring). Mourinho instead of acknowledging the his team's deficiency in playing against a high pressing side chose to deflect the attention claiming that Liverpool played it defensive too(they had injuries and were woefully out of form too) and just like sheep people have swallowed the lies too.

 

[redIndianDevil]

Smalling never brought the ball out from the back, Daley blind or rojo did.

Again bringing the ball out from the back doesn't literally mean a defender dribbling the ball solo from defence to midfield, it's about finding incisive passes to midfielders without the opposition winning the ball and Smalling was pretty good at that under LvG.

 

[prtk0811]

Nobody wants LvG's passive possession football, but is it so hard to expect us to play like Tottenham or Chelsea? Both of those teams are solid defensively, good at possession and bloody good at counter attacking too. And as for the "we don't have the players" excuse, whose fault is that? Did our owners not spend enough money? Mourinho got 7 out of 8 of his transfer targets he personally picked out.

In chelsea david luiz plays out from the back, Azpi can pick passes which he has done a lot this season for morata, fabreags is a better passer than the likes of herrera for instance, kante is midfeild control is very good and also plays good passes, alonso and moses as wingbacks can cross or join attacking areas, hazard can retain the ball under very high pressure and create and morata can do it as well. They are all ball players with better balance.

Tottenham on the other hand do not attack with enough numbers at all but still have doo ball players in the back and playmakers like erikson and son who knows a good pass unlike mkh who sulks in high pressure or mata who's too slow on the wing and can not play big games on rw

Our ball playing players are pogba matic zlatan mkh( who goes missing) mata ( very limited in every position) lindelof rojo shaw bailly . How many played against liverpool?

You know positions in a football pitch is not rigid right? Just because a team lines up as 4-2-3-1 doesn't mean there will only be 2 midfielders throughout the match, a simple tactical tweak of a number 10, in this case Mkhitaryan, dropping into the midfield makes it 3 vs 3 midfield and guess what apart from Lukaku our entire team was trying to flood the midfield by parking a bus. The problem in that match was that our players simply didn't have the coaching or the skill to play against a high pressing side and resorted to safe hoofballs which resulted in waves and waves of Liverpool attack(luckily we were able to keep them from scoring). Mourinho instead of acknowledging the his team's deficiency in playing against a high pressing side chose to deflect the attention claiming that Liverpool played it defensive too(they had injuries and were woefully out of form too) and just like sheep people have swallowed the lies too.

And we have been moaning about mkh all the time for going missing on and off the ball have you not noticed?

It's not his teams deficiency when we have all the players fit, but only when there are injuries. This will be different with pogba zlatan and rojo back sure of it. Hope luke shaw steps up too.

 

[haram]

Looks like you seem to have absolutely swallowed the swivel Mourinho came out to deflect horrendous park the bus strategy he employed. Liverpool had us pegged back, why the feck would Klopp relinquish control in midfield when this was what kept us pegged back? Again the problem is not the result, I'd gladly take a draw at Anfield but the way it was achieved was quite bad. Not one of our players wanted to even pass the ball, are we that poor?

We could have played better, yeah. It was just difficult to press considering the match up in midfield.

 

[prtk0811]

Again bringing the ball out from the back doesn't literally mean a defender dribbling the ball solo from defence to midfield, it's about finding incisive passes to midfielders without the opposition winning the ball and Smalling was pretty good at that under LvG.

Smalling is very jittery with the ball at his feet, he has been dropped from the england squad for very same reason.

 

[redIndianDevil]

In chelsea david luiz plays out from the back, Azpi can pick passes which he has done a lot this season for morata, fabreags is a better passer than the likes of herrera for instance, kante is midfeild control is very good and also plays good passes, alonso and moses as wingbacks can cross or join attacking areas, hazard can retain the ball under very high pressure and create and morata can do it as well. They are all ball players with better balance.

Tottenham on the other hand do not attack with enough numbers at all but still have doo ball players in the back and playmakers like erikson and son who knows a good pass unlike mkh who sulks in high pressure or mata who's too slow on the wing and can not play big games on rw


And we have been moaning about mkh all the time for going missing on and off the ball have you not noticed?

It's not his teams deficiency when we have all the players fit, but only when there are injuries.

Were only Chelsea and Tottenham allowed to buy all these superior players? Didn't Mourinho spend close to 300m on transfers?

 

[prtk0811]

Were only Chelsea and Tottenham allowed to buy all these superior players? Didn't Mourinho spend close to 300m on transfers?

Same pointless question again. 2 of out players costed 180 m one of which was out and one lacked service and missed a chance, matic could do little that day as he was pressed very agressively and dint have any good movement in from of him to make a killer pass, lukaku started dropping deep because of lack of the ball and clogged the pitch instead of streching it.

BAilly missed that game too.

I'd like to see the football of city or liv with kdb silva and gundogan all missing and bernardo silva sulking. or liverpools with 3 midfeilders missing.

 

[Class of 63]

Some of the most significant goals in United's history under SAF came from a hoof, a hopeful cross or desperate tactics. Bruce's late winner v Sheffield Weds , even Teddy's equaliser at the Nou Camp and throwing Schmeichel up. But what I remember from the early Fergie years is a video clip of him shouting at Dennis Irwin from the sideline (I think 92-93? some members might correct me? ). If I remember it right , I think Irwin was quite possibly doing a bit of hoofing at the time. Fergie shouted " Dennis , Dennis....keep playing football!! "

It's not something I ever remember Jose shouting or imagine he ever shouts. And there's the difference.

Spooky, just reading through the thread and was just going to mention that, don't think it was aimed directly at Denis, more a message for him to pass on to the team as the crowd were getting impatient.

And as for significant goals, the 2nd goal in the Champions League semi verses Juventus was from a 65/70 yard hopeful pass from Gary Neville up the line to David Beckham who nodded it back to Cole to set-up Dwight Yorke, and the winning goal by Andrew Cole came from a monstrous 90 yard punt up the field from Schmeichel.