There's a lot of talk about what team Ole will play tonight and who he'll select in goal. However, for me, something that's just as crucial is how to start the game.
Far too often we've gone into big games and not settled into them immediately which makes it harder and also gives the opposition a foothold.
With all due respect to them we should be beating West Ham tonight so we need to lay down an early marker in the match that we intend to make it as difficult a game as possible for them right from the off. We can be far too passive at times IMO.
Let's hope we can start fast and then get into a comfortable position in the match. It's then we can think of conserving energy which is easier when you're not chasing a game.
Fast start
posted on 22/7/20
comment by Dunne was under Unger and I was over Dunne (U6037)
posted 1 minute ago
comment by manusince52 (U9692)
posted 12 minutes ago
comment by United we win (U19958)
posted 42 seconds ago
Draw is an awful result
----------------------------------------------------------------------
I thought two draws was enough
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Ironically, 2 draws guarantees top 4 but one win might not!!!
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Even one draw could do it!
posted on 22/7/20
comment by Diafol Coch 77 - A Reputable Poster (U2462)
posted 11 minutes ago
comment by Red Russian (U4715)
posted 3 minutes ago
comment by manusince52 (U9692)
posted 1 hour, 5 minutes ago
I never like the phrase "should be beating". It's a bad enough when it's a championship team, but but worse when it's against a PL team just off a thumping win and half our team jiggered.
I think à draw is the most likely one result.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Agreed. This is a potential banana skin. Against a team that can play with freedom after reaching safety. A team that traditionally raises its game against us and relishes tripping us up. A team that's in decent form and much better rested than we are. Managed by someone who still harbours a grudge that he wasn't treated well by our club.
There are lots of examples of big games where we slipped up against 'teams we ought to beat'. Remember how LVG lost the crunch match against West Ham that resulted in failing to qualify for the CL? Or how Fergie's team failed to beat Moyes' Everton, thus handing the advantage in the title race to City? Or how we failed to beat West Ham on the final day of the season to pip Blackburn to the league title?
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Yeah but we should be beating West Ham though...
----------------------------------------------------------------------
100%
It's like after the Southampton and Chelsea games we have forgotten the run that we were on. If we can't take 4 points out of our next 2 games we really shouldn't be thinking about being in the CL.
posted on 22/7/20
Let's not mess around you defeatist morons, let's go for the win! 😊
Let's hammer West Ham!
posted on 22/7/20
Worth remembering that one win is enough for you if Chelsea fail to win again. So you've got that permutation going for you by winning this match rather than drawing.
posted on 22/7/20
comment by The_Dungeon_Master (U4830)
posted 8 minutes ago
Worth remembering that one win is enough for you if Chelsea fail to win again. So you've got that permutation going for you by winning this match rather than drawing.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
True, seeing Chelsea win tonight would actually suprise me quite a bit.
Liverpool a far better team and have had a whole week break
posted on 22/7/20
Hopefully we win by a big margin to setup the Leicester City game with Leicester City chasing goals.
posted on 22/7/20
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/av/football/53496489
Next year is our year as we are to start next list of names like last time.
posted on 22/7/20
Comment Deleted by Site Moderator
posted on 22/7/20
comment by United we win (U19958)
posted 48 minutes ago
If we draw today we will lose against Leicester imho as all the momentum will have gone
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Depends on the context. If West Ham play incredibly well, score a couple of random worldies for which our defence can't be faulted but, despite aggressive disciplined defending we play confidently, control the game and come back with two well constructed goals, I think morale and confidence will be pretty good.
posted on 22/7/20
comment by Clockwork Red (U4892)
posted 7 hours, 44 minutes ago
Starting games slowly just seems to be a United thing and has been for years.
"United just haven't got going yet."
"United just aren't at the races here."
"United just looking a bit off the pace in these early stages."
Listen to a game on the radio and you can almost play bingo with phrases like this in the first half. Unfortunately, we don't finish games particularly well either, or at least when we're trying to defend a slender lead.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
"Typical slow, laboured start from Man United. No urgency, no whizz, no will. Not sure what they’re being told to do but a CL club controls this game and that isn’t happening so far."
Today's variation on the theme, from the BBC