I'm surprised he hasn't been given a run out when Rafa has been injured. Even before his personal leave.
U21s: United vs. West Ham
- Thread starter gooDevil
- Start date
I'm surprised he hasn't been given a run out when Rafa has been injured. Even before his personal leave.
I would have liked to see this. I have some faith in Varela and Michael Keane both being ready to have a game in the first team and not let us down. Not so sure about the rest.
Shit what did they just say about postponed matches?
I think we were just missing a striker again. Like the other week with Rashford up front we just had no one getting in behind the back four to play through and cause trouble. Good performance other than that.
Rothwell looked like he picked up an injury, hope it isn't to serious.
Main thing I took from the match is that it is possible to score a 31-yarder from inside the 18-yard box. Fascinating stuff.
I think we were just missing a striker again. Like the other week with Rashford up front we just had no one getting in behind the back four to play through and cause trouble. Good performance other than that.
Rothwell looked like he picked up an injury, hope it isn't to serious.
Main thing I took from the match is that it is possible to score a 31-yarder from inside the 18-yard box. Fascinating stuff.
Well basically most of the team played well. Keane's goal was good as well. He made a great turn just inside the box before slotting home through the defender's legs. Pereira's goal was a bit like Young's against Arsenal in the 8-2 victory.
Throughout the second half West Ham more or less just chased us around trying to get hold of the ball. It's was only when our passing got a bit sloppy they really got it. Then they proceeded to launch a long pass forward to no one in particular. Amos had a very quiet night.
Lingard played up top which meant we didn't really have anyone in the box whenever we got down the flanks as he came deep a lot to get involved. I wouldn't say anyone had a bad game actually. All of the team looked composed on the ball and mostly passed it around well with good movement all over the pitch. But we could have done with a proper striker.
I don't know about MUTV online, but on MUTV itself, the game will be rebroadcast immediately after it finishes, and perhaps again later that night, but, apart from a few highlights in the following days, that's it. There are sometimes streams of u21 games, and it's possible to record such games with Sopcast, but probably not very reliably.
I'd say we sorely lacked someone with the required care for the final ball. Up until that point we passed it about quite well overall. Then the players would confuse each other with a really short pass that wasnt needed or play a final ball with the wrong weight. Doesn't help that we had a lot of players who's standout quality is their shot, so they were all looking to take a touch and shoot around the edge of the box. Pereira's goal came from that I guess, but if we had a bit more variation to our approach it would open up the space to shoot more often.
I think we had the players to make the final pass but we lacked people taking runs in behind to either receive the ball or stretch the defence making more room in front of it. It was mostly Janko who did this as Lingard came deep most of the time.
Barclays U21 Premier League
Old Trafford
Monday 10 February, 19:00 GMT
MANCHESTER UTD 2
(M.Keane 33, Pereira 42)
WEST HAM 1
(Fanimo 41)
10/02/2014 20:42, Report by Adam Marshall
1 of 2Next
U21s: United 2 West Ham 1
Manchester United's Under-21s enjoyed a run-out at Old Trafford by securing a 2-1 victory against West Ham.
Michael Keane rifled home to open the scoring and, seconds after Matthias Fanimo's well-struck equaliser, a third wonderful strike by Andreas Pereira was enough to earn the points and ensure Warren Joyce's side leapfrog the Hammers in the table.
Despite lacking an orthodox striker due to James Wilson's absence through illness, the Reds looked a threat from the outset with Joe Rothwell having a shot blocked. Pereira drifted a free-kick off target and Davide Petrucci worked Raphael Spiegel, following a beautiful piece of skill, before Elliot Lee headed wide for the visitors.
The match burst into life when Guillermo Varela and Saidy Janko were involved in the build-up that led to Keane receiving the ball inside the box. The centre-back twisted superbly to find enough space to bury a low drive his twin brother, striker Will, would have been proud of.
Jesse Lingard forced a save out of Spiegel but the Londoners levelled four minutes before the break when Kyle Knoyle's cross was touched back by Lee for Fanimo to unleash an unstoppable left-footed drive past Ben Amos.
The Reds' response was immediate and emphatic. Straight from the restart, Lingard's run was halted but Pereira bent a stunning finish into the net from the edge of the box, a mere 46 seconds after the equaliser. Only the bar denied Rothwell a third before half time after another positive run and cross by Janko.
Pereira and Reece James, who fired well over from a decent shooting opportunity, had efforts but the second period was understandably a little more subdued after the pulsating end to the first 45 minutes. Substitute Blair Turgott delayed his shot for too long and was crowded out at the other end but United dictated much of the play.
Despite an injury forcing Rothwell off the field, the best chances continued to fall to the home side with Lingard screwing wide as the game entered the closing stages. Leo Chambers spurned one chance to snatch a point when blazing into the empty East Stand after Petrucci was unable to clear a near-post corner.
Late on, Petrucci released Lingard for a drive that flashed past the near post as United deservedly took the three points ahead of a break with the next two Reserves-level fixtures, due for Thursday and next Monday, being postponed.
United: Amos; Varela, Love, M.Keane, James; Janko, Pearson, Petrucci, A.Pereira (Rowley 85), Rothwell (Grimshaw 73); Lingard. Subs not used: Gollini, McNair, Willock.
Old Trafford
Monday 10 February, 19:00 GMT
MANCHESTER UTD 2
(M.Keane 33, Pereira 42)
WEST HAM 1
(Fanimo 41)
10/02/2014 20:42, Report by Adam Marshall
1 of 2Next
U21s: United 2 West Ham 1
Manchester United's Under-21s enjoyed a run-out at Old Trafford by securing a 2-1 victory against West Ham.
Michael Keane rifled home to open the scoring and, seconds after Matthias Fanimo's well-struck equaliser, a third wonderful strike by Andreas Pereira was enough to earn the points and ensure Warren Joyce's side leapfrog the Hammers in the table.
Despite lacking an orthodox striker due to James Wilson's absence through illness, the Reds looked a threat from the outset with Joe Rothwell having a shot blocked. Pereira drifted a free-kick off target and Davide Petrucci worked Raphael Spiegel, following a beautiful piece of skill, before Elliot Lee headed wide for the visitors.
The match burst into life when Guillermo Varela and Saidy Janko were involved in the build-up that led to Keane receiving the ball inside the box. The centre-back twisted superbly to find enough space to bury a low drive his twin brother, striker Will, would have been proud of.
Jesse Lingard forced a save out of Spiegel but the Londoners levelled four minutes before the break when Kyle Knoyle's cross was touched back by Lee for Fanimo to unleash an unstoppable left-footed drive past Ben Amos.
The Reds' response was immediate and emphatic. Straight from the restart, Lingard's run was halted but Pereira bent a stunning finish into the net from the edge of the box, a mere 46 seconds after the equaliser. Only the bar denied Rothwell a third before half time after another positive run and cross by Janko.
Pereira and Reece James, who fired well over from a decent shooting opportunity, had efforts but the second period was understandably a little more subdued after the pulsating end to the first 45 minutes. Substitute Blair Turgott delayed his shot for too long and was crowded out at the other end but United dictated much of the play.
Despite an injury forcing Rothwell off the field, the best chances continued to fall to the home side with Lingard screwing wide as the game entered the closing stages. Leo Chambers spurned one chance to snatch a point when blazing into the empty East Stand after Petrucci was unable to clear a near-post corner.
Late on, Petrucci released Lingard for a drive that flashed past the near post as United deservedly took the three points ahead of a break with the next two Reserves-level fixtures, due for Thursday and next Monday, being postponed.
United: Amos; Varela, Love, M.Keane, James; Janko, Pearson, Petrucci, A.Pereira (Rowley 85), Rothwell (Grimshaw 73); Lingard. Subs not used: Gollini, McNair, Willock.
With the lack of options in the centre of the park in the first team, don't see why we haven't given one of the youngsters a shot.
Once we are out of contention for the fourth spot, which we probably already are, I see no harm in giving one or two of these players a chance.
Pereira is ready. His development is not 100% complete, but the notion that because a young player still has flaws they cannot step up to the first team. Adnan is not 'finished' yet either. I think Andreas is sensible enough on the ball, and can look after himself well enough to play first-team football. He also has a mature game and I believe after a few months with the first team he will develop rapidly.
If we promoted him to the first team in the summer I think he would be able to handle it. For someone who just turned 18 last month, he is already standing out at U21 level. I'm not saying he should have played his last reserve game or anything, but I think his involvement can be fast-tracked.
If we promoted him to the first team in the summer I think he would be able to handle it. For someone who just turned 18 last month, he is already standing out at U21 level. I'm not saying he should have played his last reserve game or anything, but I think his involvement can be fast-tracked.
Pereira is coming on nicely but he's not ready to feature in midfield for the first team. He might eventually take a positional step backwards but at the moment he still needs to work on continuously influencing matches rather than in patches.
Petrucci's really the only one who might be ready to be given a go in the first team midfield. Rothwell's still a bit frail but hopefully he'll be ready for a few cup appearances and/or a loan next season (though at the rate he's improving these days he might skip the scenic loan route).
Petrucci's really the only one who might be ready to be given a go in the first team midfield. Rothwell's still a bit frail but hopefully he'll be ready for a few cup appearances and/or a loan next season (though at the rate he's improving these days he might skip the scenic loan route).
Last edited:
Last season we mostly had Tunnicliffe, Petrucci and Thorpe in central midfield, IIRC.
Thorpe was in there more to help his game as a CB than anything, I think, not really a viable option. Tunnicliffe would probably have been most likely to get a shot, he's combative and could have perhaps helped tighten up our defense. Coaches probably figure they already have someone like him in Cleverley who is more developed.
Likewise I suspect Petrucci was never seen as more creative than Anderson, who was deemed too careless with the ball to get into a Moyes midfield.
Thorpe was in there more to help his game as a CB than anything, I think, not really a viable option. Tunnicliffe would probably have been most likely to get a shot, he's combative and could have perhaps helped tighten up our defense. Coaches probably figure they already have someone like him in Cleverley who is more developed.
Likewise I suspect Petrucci was never seen as more creative than Anderson, who was deemed too careless with the ball to get into a Moyes midfield.
I just get the impression he could surprise us. He goes looking for the ball and is a lot more involved in the game these days too. I think there is something in his self-confidence that gives me the impression that he could do it now. I agree that he will likely become an 8 for us rather than a 10 though. But yea, I think the step up would make him step up too.
It was good to see him working so hard last night as well which he hasnt always done. Thats one thing which Warren Joyce is great for is instilling a high work rate in his players with the best example probably being Welbeck who was overly laid back when he came up from the under 18s but you could hear Joyce screaming at him all game long and now hes one of the hardest working players we have, Januzaj is another example who was used to being able to coast through games because he was so talented when he first moved up to the under 21s but his work rate doubled by the end of the season
To be honest, the contrast between the first-team and the 21s is stark, which is testimony to some of the issues at hand. While the first-team is trying to cross their way to the Champions League, the 21 try to pass on the ground and keep possession. Any good club should have a reserve and academy that mirrors the first-team in style throughout the structure, with a clear club identity.
Clubs like Ajax or Barcelona play exactly the same from the first-team down to their under 10s, we are just a mess right now.
As for Andreas, technically he is good enough for the first team. In fact, if he stepped up tomorrow, I would suggest he would be our most technically gifted central midfielder (assuming that's where he plays). If the work-rate is coming along now, the ingredients are slowly falling into place for him to contribute for the first-team. He's not uneccesarily flashy either. He tries things, as you want your creative players to, but he can retain possession well if the extravagant is not on.
Id imagine that was at the heart of his falling out with Morrison as well
Yeah the not turning up for training probably wouldnt go down too well with Joyce
For some reason I haven't found the attendance figures for this match anywhere, so if anyone on here can help me with that I'll be very grateful.
I know it's an old bump, but I like keeping stats for the matches I've been to, and I haven't written down any attendance in my notes for this game.
EDIT: Oh, and if anyone knows who was the captain (my guess from the lineup: Reece James. Or maybe Michael Keane?) or have any information about yellow cards: I'd like to have that as well. But the attendance is more important for me right now!
I know it's an old bump, but I like keeping stats for the matches I've been to, and I haven't written down any attendance in my notes for this game.
EDIT: Oh, and if anyone knows who was the captain (my guess from the lineup: Reece James. Or maybe Michael Keane?) or have any information about yellow cards: I'd like to have that as well. But the attendance is more important for me right now!
Last edited: