So, after the debacle against Sevilla, how do we get back to winning ways over the weekend against Brighton and what kind of team/performance would you like to see?
With Jose as manager it probably won’t happen but I’d go something like the team below and get them to play with much more intensity than Tuesday. I think the fans need to see that in order to be able to get properly behind the team. It was also put us in a bit more of a positive mood before the international break which comes at a decent time I feel for the side.
De Gea
Valencia
Bailly
Smalling
Young
McTominay
Pogba
Mata
Lingard
Lukaku
Sanchez
Go after Brighton from the start and push them right back. I’ve included Sanchez purely because he at least looked like he was trying the other night and also because if we get him firing it makes us better. I know the midfield looks a bit lightweight but, this is Brighton at home with all due respect, and we should be winning this comfortably. You can swap Lingard and Mata in that team too at times if you like.
Keep Rashford and Martial back for later on in the game when hopefully spaces will open up and they can exploit it.
We’ve all had our say in midweek. It was terrible and I feel Jose is just about entering the last-chance saloon now. There’s no excuse between now and the rest of the season, looking at our fixtures, why we can’t attack the games a bit more and play at a higher tempo as, in reality, the only game where we won’t be favourites is the City game. Win back some of the fans Jose, bring a bit more positivity back, and finish well this season and you’d be in a much better position going into next year.
Brighton in the Cup
posted on 15/3/18
*mighty liverpool couldnt beat them (sorry)
posted on 15/3/18
For me it wasn't the defeat as such. It was the manner in which we approached the game.
We were just building a nice, confidence-building, run and we go negative and killed the momentum. That's what got me.
posted on 15/3/18
We were just building a nice, confidence-building, run and we go negative and killed the momentum. That's what got me.
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This.
That and how, despite me suspecting he would play Fellaini just sucked the will to live from me when he actually did it.
posted on 15/3/18
comment by Vidicschin (U3584)
posted 4 minutes ago
We were just building a nice, confidence-building, run and we go negative and killed the momentum. That's what got me.
..............
This.
That and how, despite me suspecting he would play Fellaini just sucked the will to live from me when he actually did it.
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VC.
I've gone past the point of criticising Fellaini now as well. You know what you're going to get with him and he regularly provides that. Selecting him in a two with Matic is purely down to Jose. No one else.
If you have to play him make him an advanced player in a three or use him as a late impact sub if we're chasing the game and going long.
posted on 15/3/18
If you have to play him make him an advanced player in a three or use him as a late impact sub if we're chasing the game and going long.
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The Groot conundrum is very similar in outcome to the Gerrard Lampard one.
Every one can see Groot is not a midfielder but three separate managers play him there any way.
Just as everyone could see Gerrard and Lampard didn't work as a pairing but three separate mangers did it anyway.
It is egotism, it has to be.
posted on 15/3/18
comment by Vidicschin (U3584)
posted 2 minutes ago
If you have to play him make him an advanced player in a three or use him as a late impact sub if we're chasing the game and going long.
.......................
The Groot conundrum is very similar in outcome to the Gerrard Lampard one.
Every one can see Groot is not a midfielder but three separate managers play him there any way.
Just as everyone could see Gerrard and Lampard didn't work as a pairing but three separate mangers did it anyway.
It is egotism, it has to be.
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Gerrard and Lampard would have worked well IMO if they had someone like Carrick, Hargreaves etc behind and worked it as a three. Taking it in turns to move forward and attack with insurance behind. Anyway that's an argument for 2006!
I don't mind Fellaini, and he's had some decent games for us, but for me he occupies a half and half position which doesn't work for me. He's neither the traditional DM, not a CM who dictates the play, and not an AM/No10 who creates chances and scores goals.
If you do play him you need runners off him to take advantage of the flick ons/chest controls that he does. It certainly doesn't work with him and Matic.
Pogba is also a conundrum to solve. For me you either realise that you need to play two midfielders with him and free him up a little or decide to try something else and move him on. Based on what we have a Matic, Herrera, Pogba midfield seems the obvious solution but Pogba does need to step it up in terms of game intelligence.
posted on 15/3/18
For me you either realise that you need to play two midfielders with him and free him up a little or decide to try something else and move him on.
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To be fair we should never be playing with two midfielders anyway.
Especially as the four forward players have this uncanny ability to not be able to stop teams playing it out from the back because our idiot manager has them retreating back towards the half way line.
posted on 15/3/18
comment by Vidicschin (U3584)
posted 12 minutes ago
For me you either realise that you need to play two midfielders with him and free him up a little or decide to try something else and move him on.
............
To be fair we should never be playing with two midfielders anyway.
Especially as the four forward players have this uncanny ability to not be able to stop teams playing it out from the back because our idiot manager has them retreating back towards the half way line.
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Agreed. Unless we had Giggs and Beckham out wide!
The answer to a lot of our issues is so seemingly obvious which is what makes it so frustrating!
posted on 15/3/18
The answer to a lot of our issues is so seemingly obvious which is what makes it so frustrating!
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I will never understand why we retreat to the half way line and let teams bring it out from defence unchallenged.
posted on 15/3/18
this season theyve lost 1 CL game, even the mighty liverpool lost to them.
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No they didn't.
Sevilla are a decent team but you need to stop with these excuses. If we didn't take such a cowardly approach to the tie we would probably be in the quarter final draw tomorrow.