[GioF]

When we sit back and don’t allow space in behind both Maguire and Lindelof look more than competent. It’s the games we have space in behind and teams hit us on the counter he looks disastrous.
Looked sloppy at times today and then other moments he defended well. But make no mistake about it...he is NOT good enough for Manchester United.

 

[BenitoSTARR]

Absolutely top class today playing both the high line and then dropping deeper when needed. Excellent back four today. How anyone can moan about him slipping over when a certain other United defender gets his free mistake every game I don’t know.

ENJOY THE WIN!

 

[SwedishFish]

Rotation ? We're hopefully making legit upgrade in the summer.

He was good today, indeed ! Decision making spot on. Can he be consistent about it ? This is when bit of objectivity can help in answering this question.

Do you think the same players will play every game all season long?

Do you think Lindelöf and Bailly won't play ever again if we sign a new CB?

Do you think certain CBs are better suited against certain teams?

And I think we should get a new CB but I'll leave my reservation on who this new mystery CB will replace until we see how he does with Maguire.

Sure, he's not been at his best against teams like Burnley etc, we know this, aerial duels against big physical strikers/CBs is something he tends to struggle with.
However, he tends to do well in these types of games. Credit when its due to him and Maguire, today they we're brilliant and along with the midfield the biggest reason Henderson didn't get too pushed.

 

[golden_blunder]

Solid today

 

[Van Piorsing]

Do you think the same players will play every game all season long?

Do you think Lindelöf and Bailly won't play ever again if we sign a new CB?

In all honesty Bailly can never make it in United as his intervals from football are quite bloated. As far as I remember he doesn't have even 10 appearances in the league this season. This definitely makes Victor our starter, but imagine if we had fit set of defenders in the club. Not sure if he would play much, though he still got time to show consistency.

That being said Victor does possess disaster aura about him. I've seen enough in last 3 years.

 

[Ekeke]

Sterling fluffed his lines. He had chances against him

 

[Robbie Boy]

Good performance.

 

[Sylar]

Yet another clean sheet in yet another game where it was predicted he would get a mauling. Still, we can't praise his performance without getting a few digs in, hey? Tiresome.

And you know it will be the same people as per usual

 

[MAME DIOUF 32]

He's a lot better in this kind of game where the team is mostly defending and it's not just him against a forward with a load of space behind him. Very good game.

 

[Foxbatt]

But the games where other teams defend deep it's not our defense that has been the issue. We don't score in those games.

 

[A-man]

Good game and with some crucial blocks. 5 clean sheets in his last 8 PL matches, not too bad.

On a side note. If United starts the match with the ball, Bruno always passes Lindeof who hits a long ball for Rashford. I can only remember it being succesful one time. A friend and I have been arguing about the point with this. I like it. Even if it is small chance Rashford will win it, it instantly moves up the game to the opponents part of the pitch and we can apply pressure. This early in the match they are not organised or prepared. It is also how they do it in ice hockey, just hit the pick and apply pressure. My friend hates it. But today it was successful and we won that penalty by applying this ice hockey tactics.

 

[Pogue Mahone]

Yet another clean sheet in yet another game where it was predicted he would get a mauling. Still, we can't praise his performance without getting a few digs in, hey? Tiresome.

And you know it will be the same people as per usual

Sterling fluffed his lines. He had chances against him

Hehe.

Can’t be a coincidence that all our CB’s look better and more composed with Henderson in nets. Bailly’s been the main beneficiary as he’s been starting more games that Henderson plays but now we’ve finally gone with a different keeper in a PL game it’s Lindelof’s turn.

 

[Red00012]

Loved the way he outwitted Sterling twice by attempting a clearance and just leaving it go and then just falling down the 2nd time. Class act

 

[Red Royal]

Good game at City, but times like when he slipped and allowed Sterling(I think) need to be cut out.

 

[A-man]

Good game at City, but times like when he slipped and allowed Sterling(I think) need to be cut out.

If you’re a player who slips every game you have something to work on. Lindelof has slipped maybe 2 times in 100 games so nothing to worry about.

 

[MikeKing]

If you’re a player who slips every game you have something to work on. Lindelof has slipped maybe 2 times in 100 games so nothing to worry about.

He has nothing to work on at all. The perfect defender.

 

[MikeKing]

A friend and I have been arguing about the point with this.

Lindelof hoofs it, you love it I hate it, but stop pretending you have friends.

 

[MadDogg]

He was poor those two times in the second half that created good opportunities for Sterling. If Sterling had actually scored one or both of those this thread would be very different.

Other than those two times he did do well though.

 

[ayushreddevil9]

He has nothing to work on at all. The perfect defender.

 

[RedDevil@84]

Good game at City, but times like when he slipped and allowed Sterling(I think) need to be cut out.

That's a bit too much to ask. Unless he is someone who slips in every game.
As a defender (be it Lindelof or Maguire), you can't expect zero mistakes ever. It is an unrealistic expectation.

 

[A-man]

He has nothing to work on at all. The perfect defender.

I understand it’s a sad day for you, when United got another clean sheet with Lindelof. Maybe you can find joy somewhere else.

 

[Eugenius]

I understand it’s a sad day for you, when United got another clean sheet with Lindelof. Maybe you can find joy somewhere else.

If I read the Bailly thread, the same posters in this thread are giving him grief after we've won games 4-0.

 

[LovelyLittlePanda]

He was magnificent on the ball. Had some smart passes when pressured that only Pogba could have made consistently. Would have been a contender for MotM were it not that for that clumsy slip in our a box when a cross came in.

I don't get the fanboy war between him and Bailly. It's necessary to have 3 good CB's if we want to win anything.

 

[romufc]

He was magnificent on the ball. Had some smart passes when pressured that only Pogba could have made consistently. Would have been a contender for MotM were it not that for that clumsy slip in our a box when a cross came in.

I don't get the fanboy war between him and Bailly. It's necessary to have 3 good CB's if we want to win anything.

Bailly can't even stay fit for more than 3 games. How can you have a CB who you cannot rely on?

 

[golden_blunder]

Sterling has a mental block playing United for some reason. We’re lucky Aguero wasn’t playing, he’d have gobbled up the chances bambi on ice gave up.

Lindelof had a good game yesterday, as did the whole defence. It still concerns me the chances we coughed up

 

[Man-United]

Class game from him yesterday. Big game player.

 

[LovelyLittlePanda]

I don't get the fanboy war between him and Bailly.

Exhibit A:

Bailly can't even stay fit for more than 3 games. How can you have a CB who you cannot rely on?

This is the Lindelof thread

 

[simmee]

Lindelof hoofs it, you love it I hate it, but stop pretending you have friends.

Imagine being as bitter as you are after a derby win

 

[A-man]

When we sit back and don’t allow space in behind both Maguire and Lindelof look more than competent. It’s the games we have space in behind and teams hit us on the counter he looks disastrous.

With all respect, this sounds like one of those lazy statements coming from some theoretical thinkings around stereotypes. In what game with counters did he look disastrous? We have conceded very few goals on counters, less than most teams in the PL, maybe even least of all.

 

[Andycoleno9]

He was top class.

 

[ivaldo]

With all respect, this sounds like one of those lazy statements coming from some theoretical thinkings around stereotypes. In what game with counters did he look disastrous? We have conceded very few goals on counters, less than most teams in the PL, maybe even least I of all.

We also played very, very high against City at times. Neville couldn't shut up about it.

 

[A-man]

We also played very, very high against City at times. Neville couldn't shut up about it.

I think our “new setup” with more intense press and higher line works pretty well. It was also very effective vs Chelsea, who never got the opportunity to hit crosses in to our box.

 

[Juanito]

Was it cruyff that said that all goals are preceeded by a mistake from someone I think?
It fits well here. Lindelof is a bit soft in duels and letting attackers in front of him, but to only concede two "almost chances" against an opposition that is on a 21 game winning streak is pretty solid.

 

[ivaldo]

I think our “new setup” with more intense press and higher line works pretty well. It was also very effective vs Chelsea, who never got the opportunity to hit crosses in to our box.

It's certainly something we needed to work on. I've said for a while that we've been exposing our CBs far too frequently. And that's the case for whoever we play with at the back.

 

[Red & White]

Played well and has made some decent blocks of late. Pleased for him to be showing some good form.

 

[Ekeke]

Was it cruyff that said that all goals are preceeded by a mistake from someone I think?
It fits well here. Lindelof is a bit soft in duels and letting attackers in front of him, but to only concede two "almost chances" against an opposition that is on a 21 game winning streak is pretty solid.

But that is to take a player relying on fullbacks, a goalkeeper and his midfield in isolation

He has great help from the fullbacks and Maguire is far more active doing most of the defending, and Henderson has a good presence and came for crosses which is something we dont usually have from our keeper

Who else has that help? Not many.

I would say no team in the premier league has that amount of help as 2 great fullbacks, a CB who will take charge and deal with most things so he doesnt have to and for this specific match a goalkeeper who you can be confident in dealing with crosses and physicality.

So when you are protected that much and then there are 2 mistakes that could have ended up in the back of the net if the player was sharp then its not that impressive. Put a lot of other players in that same position and they'd have done the same or better.

Now on the ball he's done better this season than in the past. He's added some good long passes for the attackers to his game and continued to play a few good passes up into midfield. And he's happy to run the ball into space past some attackers. In that area I think he's in the top 5-10 CBs in the league same with Maguire. But I would also say that at times Bailly has looked just as good at it.

 

[A-man]

But that is to take a player relying on fullbacks, a goalkeeper and his midfield in isolation

He has great help from the fullbacks and Maguire is far more active doing most of the defending, and Henderson has a good presence and came for crosses which is something we dont usually have from our keeper

Who else has that help? Not many.

I would say no team in the premier league has that amount of help as 2 great fullbacks, a CB who will take charge and deal with most things so he doesnt have to and for this specific match a goalkeeper who you can be confident in dealing with crosses and physicality.

So when you are protected that much and then there are 2 mistakes that could have ended up in the back of the net if the player was sharp then its not that impressive. Put a lot of other players in that same position and they'd have done the same or better.

Now on the ball he's done better this season than in the past. He's added some good long passes for the attackers to his game and continued to play a few good passes up into midfield. And he's happy to run the ball into space past some attackers. In that area I think he's in the top 5-10 CBs in the league same with Maguire. But I would also say that at times Bailly has looked just as good at it.

Maguire far more active and doing most of the defending is not accurate. In what sense? Are you talking about the stats or observations? If you go only by stats, they have pretty similar defensive stats this season, except Maguire has more more interceptions (0.8 more per game). He also challenges and wins more defensive aerials, but the difference is not as big as I one might think. Lindelof on the other hand is better at closing down open space.
I would also say he is more protecting Maguire, than the other way around, as its Maguire’s role to push and Lindelof to fall down and protect the space behind the other defenders.

 

[Ekeke]

Maguire far more active and doing most of the defending is not accurate. In what sense? Are you talking about the stats or observations? If you go only by stats, they have pretty similar defensive stats this season, except Maguire has more more interceptions (0.8 more per game). He also challenges and wins more defensive aerials, but the difference is not as big as I one might think. Lindelof on the other hand is better at closing down open space.
I would also say he is more protecting Maguire, than the other way around, as its Maguire’s role to push and Lindelof to fall down and protect the space behind the other defenders.

He takes care of the ball in the air, makes lots of interceptions, more duels. He's the one that confronts danger while Lindelof moves towards his own goal. You can both see it when you watch very clearly and by reviewing the stats.

 

[Halftrack]

He takes care of the ball in the air, makes lots of interceptions, more duels. He's the one that confronts danger while Lindelof moves towards his own goal. You can both see it when you watch very clearly and by reviewing the stats.

I mean, it's been fairly obvious from the first game they were paired up that Maguire is instructed to move up to challenge while Lindelöf's job is to drop down and cover. Yeah, it's probably because Lindelöf would win less duels than Harry if he moved up to challenge, but likewise Harry's got the mobility of a WWI tank, so he'd do a worse job trying to cover.

 

[Ekeke]

I mean, it's been fairly obvious from the first game they were paired up that Maguire is instructed to move up to challenge while Lindelöf's job is to drop down and cover. Yeah, it's probably because Lindelöf would win less duels than Harry if he moved up to challenge, but likewise Harry's got the mobility of a WWI tank, so he'd do a worse job trying to cover.

If its team instructions Bailly, Jones, Rojo, Tuanzabe etc would all do it when they play next to Maguire. They dont.

He just doesnt like to confront the ball, so its good for him that we have the best RB at it, a good CB at it in Maguire - not the best, but better than Lindelof at least and Shaw who is very solid defensively, and with Henderson at least we have a keeper who also wants to come out and deal with the ball

So Lindelof is in the perfect situation for himself which is someone else will deal with it. In that scenario a lot of players would do better because theres not many actions where you can mess up. The more responsibility you take on yourself to deal with situations the more likely that at some point you're going to get it wrong. And sometimes AWB, or Maguire or someone else does get it wrong. But when you arent getting yourself in the action and you still get it wrong a couple of times its not very impressive. A lot of players should be able to do that