[Sandikan]

If there's one thing I can't stand, its dropping points at home to non title challengers.

Newcastle was painful, and this was more of the same. As this wasn't the West Ham that have rampaged around the top teams and beaten them, they had all their key players out today.

And they still almost won it!

 

[Fully Fledged]

Yet we have the 5th best goal difference, so we are obviously more effective than most.

No we just don't concede.I think any one will admit that.

 

[Sandikan]

• I said let him have this season implying these are his players
• Wilson scored in the championship
• He also has completely revamped the defense and midfield which allows us to compete again.Defenses wins you championships, attacks win you games. The foundation is there we lack the finishing touch.
• Mourinho has struggled, koeman has struggled, spurs are not setting the world alight, the bestsquad in the league has same points as us.
• Wilson was let go for this reason, to get game time and develop his game. He is currently not better than martial.If you are gonna cry every time he scores on loan then you should quit watching him. If he scores 15 and comes back a better player then in the long term its the best decision. Even in short term sitting behind rooney on bench isnt the best idea.

agree with a lot of your points, but not sure why you're using Koeman as an example. He's managing a piddler of a team.
And maybe have a closer look at Tottenham. Win today, and they'd have been in real touching distance of us! They're doing a similar job to us, hard to beat, but arguably with more goalscoring with Kane.

 

[Manny]

3:01 for his remarks about chances. Sounds like he doesn't have much faith in our ability to finish.

63% possession and 21 shots does say a lot...

 

[Silverman]

Newcastle was painful, and this was more of the same. As this wasn't the West Ham that have rampaged around the top teams and beaten them, they had all their key players out today.

And they still almost won it!

I was pissed at that Newcastle result. I'm less pissed today but still pissed mainly because we aren't that expectant are scoring anymore sadly. I still thought we'd win comfortably though.

 

[DomesticTadpole]

3:01 for his remarks about chances. Sounds like he doesn't have much faith in our ability to finish.

63% possession and 21 shots does say a lot...

So that will give our lack of confidence attackers even less confidence.

 

[Pexbo]

Plenty of solid, satisfactory performances this season. Plenty of toothless draws and more 0-0 results than I can remember in - well forever. Give van Gaal a season with his players? These ARE his feckin players. He's spent a fortune and we've an attack with less teeth than a 95 year old , dependent on a promising 20 year old and a superannuated scouser whose best years seem a long way behind him. Meanwhile, he's let another promising, quick, strong youngster go on loan to a club where he's slotted straight in and scored a superb goal this afternoon, running at and taking on defenders.

He's spent £140m net on 11 first team players in two years (starting position: 7th):

Depay, Darmian, Schneiderlin, Schweinsteiger, Romero, Martial, Herrera, Shaw, Rojo, Di Maria, Blind.

We've also let go since he has arrived:

Anderson, Zaha, Fletcher, Welbeck, Kagawa, Evra, Giggs, Ferdinand, Buttner, Hernandez, Van Persie, Nani, Cleverley, Evans (and Di Maria).

...and to be honest, we were right to let every single one of them go.

Our rivals have also spent big money, only on settled squads. City have spent £170m net in that time with nothing like the turnover of players.

 

[Maradona10]

agree with a lot of your points, but not sure why you're using Koeman as an example. He's managing a piddler of a team.
And maybe have a closer look at Tottenham. Win today, and they'd have been in real touching distance of us! They're doing a similar job to us, hard to beat, but arguably with more goalscoring with Kane.

IF we'd won today, we'd be top. That is all ifs and buts. My point is everyone is being different levels of shit from us to city to tottenham to southampton to chelsea despite the relative quality of players they have. Well everyone is shit apart from leicester.

 

[amolbhatia50k]

We had shots! Get in!

It's progress.

 

[Fully Fledged]

It's progress.

Now we just need to get a few of them on target.

 

[TheCorkman]

Christ, some people here are just coming in here with a predetermined agenda. That performance today was really good. 19 shots was more than satisfactory, a huge improvements from almost every other game. 1 shot on target was the problem. Our chances were nicely worked also today - some nice passing on the edge of the box and good a few bits of good wingplay, where we simply didn't have enough runners in the box (i.e. Fellaini lumbering around the edge of the box and Mata moving like a snail). We were without doubt more fluid than when Rooney plays. He looked content stealing his sons sweets so hopefully he might get enticed to the retiring idea. Martial missed a sitter , Fellaini missed an open goal and Lingard blasted an easy opportunity over. Those were clear, disgraceful misses. Not just half chances. That has been our problem this season generally, making chances. Today was a far far far better game.

 

[Maradona10]

VAN GAAL : Goals are coming

Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal says "the goals are coming" for his side despite another goalless draw.

United drew 0-0 with West Ham, a fifth such scoreline in their past nine games in all competitions.

The result means the Red Devils drop to fourth in the Premier League, failing to capitalise on rivals Manchester City's 2-0 defeat at Stoke.

"We've created enough chances to score so that was not the problem," Van Gaal told BBC Sport.
The hosts were lucky to escape with a point after seeing the visitors hit the woodwork twice at Old Trafford and although they are unbeaten at home so far this campaign, Van Gaal's side have scored just nine times in seven games.

Midfielder Marouane Fellaini missed their best chance, shooting straight at West Ham goalkeeper Adrian from inside the six-yard box, before the side were booed off the pitch by their own supporters.

"The most important thing is you dominate, create and you finish. Football is about scoring goals. The first two basic aspects of football we have done," Van Gaal added.

"When you don't finish from a metre in front of an empty goal, you cannot say anything anymore. You have to finish and that's the only problem we have. We played very well especially in the second half - but you have to finish.

"We've created enough chances to score so that was not the problem. When you create enough chances you don't have to complain. The goals are coming. That is my strong belief."

The problem Manchester United face up front is highlighted by the fact that Wayne Rooney and Memphis Depay have scored just two goals each in the league this term, while Anthony Martial has three.

The club's highest scorer is Juan Mata, who has found the back of the net four times in the top flight.

"The question is would Barcelona striker Luis Suarez or Manchester City striker Sergio Aguero score if they were here?" Van Gaal said. "That is also a question mark. You never know. I think they would though."

Asked whether he understood the fans' reaction at full-time, Van Gaal said: "No I don't. They have seen a fighting spirit until the end, seen we created chances and seen we attacked with a lot of players.

"So you cannot always demand that we score goals because there's also a little bit of luck. The fans have the right to show their opinion."

United face a trip to Wolfsburg in the Champions League on Tuesday, knowing they must match PSV Eindhoven's result against CSKA Moscow to make it through to the knockout stages.

 

[amolbhatia50k]

Now we just need to get a few of them on target.

And get those many shots on target on a regular basis. Can't say I'm optimistic. We don't have many goalscorers, nor does this high tempo thing ever tend to be anything more than a fleeting feeling. We used it against Everton and then returned back to our pedestrian pace ever since.

 

[amolbhatia50k]

VAN GAAL : Goals are coming

Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal says "the goals are coming" for his side despite another goalless draw.

Don't think there's much wrong with that. But he simply has to keep us playing at this tempo. It's much more enjoyable and it's the only way to an can get to the next level.

 

[DomesticTadpole]

And get those many shots on target on a regular basis. Can't say I'm optimistic. We don't have many goalscorers, nor does this high tempo thing ever tend to be anything more than a fleeting feeling. We used it against Everton and then returned back to our pedestrian pace ever since.

There always seems to be something happens that spooks him back in conservatism.

 

[Fully Fledged]

Christ, some people here are just coming in here with a predetermined agenda. That performance today was really good. 19 shots was more than satisfactory, a huge improvements from almost every other game. 1 shot on target was the problem. Our chances were nicely worked also today - some nice passing on the edge of the box and good a few bits of good wingplay, where we simply didn't have enough runners in the box (i.e. Fellaini lumbering around the edge of the box and Mata moving like a snail). We were without doubt more fluid than when Rooney plays. He looked content stealing his sons sweets so hopefully he might get enticed to the retiring idea. Martial missed a sitter , Fellaini missed an open goal and Lingard blasted an easy opportunity over. Those were clear, disgraceful misses. Not just half chances. That has been our problem this season generally, making chances. Today was a far far far better game.

At the end of the day it was another game where we failed to score a goal. Yes there was more chances but we still hardly troubled the Goalkeeper.

 

[DomesticTadpole]

At the end of the day it was another game where we failed to score a goal. Yes there was more chances but we still hardly troubled the Goalkeeper.

Wasn't there only one chance where you could say it was a good save. Most of the others we off target.

 

[markorm]

The players look like they've had any hint of urgency bred out of them.

 

[nevillestache]

Any point watching Match of the Day or should I stick a long film on?

 

[TheCorkman]

At the end of the day it was another game where we failed to score a goal. Yes there was more chances but we still hardly troubled the Goalkeeper.

I agree, but before today we barely made chances. At least now we actually made proper ones. Creating chances is where we've been awful this season in particular. Don't get me wrong, the Newcastle /psv / boro/ Palace matches were absolutely disgraceful, but I'm just talking about today. I don't think the players or manager deserved to be booed earlier.

 

[DomesticTadpole]

Any point watching Match of the Day or should I stick a long film on?

Might be worth it just to watch City and Chelsea. You could fast forward through us.

 

[Unlikely lad]

I really disagree with most people on here.

I never expected us to win the league this season; we've got a very young team (especially up front), and we've also got quite a few players out, but we're still only a point off Arsenal and leave with City.

I understand that people are frustrated by the stuff we've been playing lately, but I genuinely think it will get better with time. We did create quite a few chances today, against a team that has already beaten Arsenal, Liverpool and Chelsea this season.

Still, I've been disappointed with Mata's and BFS' performances lately, they really should be doing better or be taken off the team until they do.

 

[Fully Fledged]

Wasn't there only one chance where you could say it was a good save. Most of the others we off target.

Yeah what you have to look at is who was MoM today DDG was voted MoM by the CAF. That shows that DDG help keep our unbeaten run going.

 

[nevillestache]

Might be worth it just to watch City and Chelsea. You could fast forward through us.

Praise the Sky+ Lord.

 

[MrSingh2002]

And we sold Hernandez and RVP because......

LVG must take the blame for letting strikers leave before we have secured their replacements. Regardless of whether they were ideal or not they were a necessity as squad members. I said it then and I say it now. He fecked up.

 

[DomesticTadpole]

And we sold Hernandez and RVP because......

LVG must take the blame for letting strikers leave before we have secured their replacements. Regardless of whether they were ideal or not they were a necessity as squad members. I said it then and I say it now. He fecked up.

Obviously he is not a great bloke to have as a friend. Just ask Valdes and RvP.

 

[Raw]

Might be worth it just to watch City and Chelsea. You could fast forward through us.

No need, we're last.

 

[DomesticTadpole]

No need, we're last.

That's alright then.

 

[Lawman]

So that will give our lack of confidence attackers even less confidence.

So if he lies he gets panned and if he tells the truth he gets panned. We had plenty chances today the fault is with the players imo. Mata is a waste of a number and Linderguard is a mile of the quality we need atm.

 

[MrSingh2002]

Obviously he is not a great bloke to have as a friend. Just ask Valdes and RvP.

Yeah he's clearly ruthless and hopefully Rooney feels that in the summer. However we would need two forwards in before that can happen.

 

[Jerch]

And we sold Hernandez and RVP because......

LVG must take the blame for letting strikers leave before we have secured their replacements. Regardless of whether they were ideal or not they were a necessity as squad members. I said it then and I say it now. He fecked up.

As I said before, I think Hernandez didn't wanted to be a second choice anymore. He wanted game time and we couldn't give him as much as he would want so a move was a reasonable.
RVP was on his way down and he still is. He has troubles to be in the Olympiacos first team and I don't buy a theory that he is on the bench only because of their manager. He also was on quite big salary which was surely to big to keep him as a second choice.

In his dealings with attackers you can see why is LVG always more rated when he is gone then when he is at the club. He always think about future and not the present, he gives youth players a chance because he know the club will benefit from it in the future, he sell past it players who would be good enough as a second choice because he want to give those minutes to youngster who can improve rather than to past it players who will only decline.

We are at the point when we have a young talented group of players in attack who will only improve an when we have a spot for one or two WC players. Players we sold are not good enough, maybe they would be good enough for this season but they are not good enough for what we expect in the long term.

 

[Sandikan]

IF we'd won today, we'd be top. That is all ifs and buts. My point is everyone is being different levels of shit from us to city to tottenham to southampton to chelsea despite the relative quality of players they have. Well everyone is shit apart from leicester.

top bar Leicester, but take your points!

 

[BringNaniBack]

I literally have no idea what game half of you were watching. People moaning about Lingard, slating Fellaini etc its ridiculous, they were 2 of our better players today. I know another game without us scoring is not acceptable but if anything we actually played a lot better today than we have done in recent weeks. People have a right to complain but some of it is a bit over the top when just looking at this specific game. West Ham are a very decent side this season so it wasn't going to be easy anyway. We looked a lot more fluid going forward but yes our finishing was poor and that is worrying.

Im not a fan of anything LVG is doing but today was an improvement in performance IMO, just a shame about the result. If we get one of our fullbacks back fit and get Herrera back in his side then things will look a lot better.

 

[DomesticTadpole]

I literally have no idea what game half of you were watching. People moaning about Lingard, slating Fellaini etc its ridiculous, they were 2 of our better players today. I know another game without us scoring is not acceptable but if anything we actually played a lot better today than we have done in recent weeks. West Ham are a very decent side this season so it wasn't going to be easy anyway. We looked a lot more fluid going forward but yes our finishing was poor and that is worrying.

Im not a fan of anything LVG is doing but today was an improvement in performance IMO, just a shame about the result. If we get one of our fullbacks back fit and get Herrera back in his side then things will look a lot better.

No chance of Valencia/Rojo or Shaw being fit soon. Does that mean Jones at Rb when fit? I would prefer him at CB with Smalling.

 

[RedPed]

top bar Leicester, but take your points!

It's been really weird this season. I don't see Leicester going anywhere just yet and I think the top four is in for a big shakeup this year. Don't think we'll be in it, Chelsea will definitely NOT be in it. Think it will from Leicester, Arsenal, Liverpool, Spurs and City.

 

[RaptorSlo]

Was is just me, who thought Reid blocked the shot from Martial with hand in first half?

 

[Sandikan]

It's been really weird this season. I don't see Leicester going anywhere just yet and I think the top four is in for a big shakeup this year. Don't think we'll be in it, Chelsea will definitely NOT be in it. Think it will from Leicester, Arsenal, Liverpool, Spurs and City.

you don't think we'll be in it?
I think Chelsea have guaranteed we will be, and it'll be from Spurs/Liverpool for 4th place.

No way Leicester are staying even top 4.
Should be noted that they're only 3 points ahead, not 10, and they do start playing a hard run of teams now.

 

[Red Dreams]

our problem is midfield...still.

we could have conceeded sure...we did not score. But we did not dominate midfield.

we need some good quality signings there in addition to the obvious strikers and wingers.

 

[DomesticTadpole]

you don't think we'll be in it?
I think Chelsea have guaranteed we will be, and it'll be from Spurs/Liverpool for 4th place.

No way Leicester are staying even top 4.
Should be noted that they're only 3 points ahead, not 10, and they do start playing a hard run of teams now.

Maybe that point at Leicester was creditable, but we could have had more as we could against City if we had gone for it.

 

[Sandikan]

And we sold Hernandez and RVP because......

LVG must take the blame for letting strikers leave before we have secured their replacements. Regardless of whether they were ideal or not they were a necessity as squad members. I said it then and I say it now. He fecked up.

I think you know really.

VP was getting the comments Rooney is this year. It was time to go.

Hernandez's motivation for us had long gone. He was on borrowed time.

Made sense shipping both. What didn't make sense, was leaving us with just Rooney and Martial.

Games like today are another obvious showing why.