[DomesticTadpole]

The M.E.N. gave Herrera 6 and basically said he did sod all, but gave Memphis 7. Is that person drunk?

 

[Red-Jeff]

We scored 3 against a Newcastle team that hadn't scored in their previous 4 games. How many goals should we need to score to ensure that we get 3 points against a team so dire?

It's not a matter of "we need this number of goals", it's a matter of "we had great chances that top players should be putting away but didn't."

 

[ivaldo]

I'm surprisingly upbeat after that game, I'm still convinced there is real potential in this side.

 

[manufanatic]

We're not getting Varane

If I win the billion dollar lottery in the states I will fund the transfer if needed

 

[goin4glory]

Morgan is valuable and played his game but he needs a creative midfielder that is strong in possession unlike Herrera and Mata who sometimes get pushed of the ball. Bastain from 5 years ago would be perfect or scholes.

I agree we need to partner him correctly but also think Herrera can do that job if he was given the opportunity.

 

[Offside]

I'm surprisingly upbeat after that game, I'm still convinced there is real potential in this side.

Can't beat a bottom 3 team.

 

[manufanatic]

The only good thing about this game that I compelled me to post here. Finally a game I can talk about because there was events in the game.

 

[Alex99]

It's not a matter of "we need this number of goals", it's a matter of "we had great chances that top players should be putting away but didn't."

Those chances should have been the difference between us winning 3-0 and 5-0, not winning and drawing. Great chances are missed all of the time, but in a game where you've already scored 3 against a team battling relegation, you shouldn't be ruing two that went begging.

 

[ghagua]

No fecking protection for the defenders unless we are playing ultra defensive with 2 defensive midfielders. Miss those days when our wingers were 2 way players.

 

[ivaldo]

Can't beat a bottom 3 team.

We can we just didn't beat this one

 

[Red-Jeff]

Those chances should have been the difference between us winning 3-0 and 5-0, not winning and drawing. Great chances are missed all of the time, but in a game where you've already scored 3 against a team battling relegation, you shouldn't be ruing two that went begging.

I think you missed my post earlier in which I stated the defense is largely at fault here but the attack does have to shoulder some of the blame. No matter what the situation in terms of goals already scored, prem players should be putting those chances away. We didn't and it cost us because we would have won if we had.

 

[manufanatic]

I agree we need to partner him correctly but also think Herrera can do that job if he was given the opportunity.

I believe there is a reason why LVG sometimes sits him and I see it myself. He loses the ball a little to much for me and LVG IMO and sometimes he loses his fitness in the second half. He is a valuable player but I know so many supporters love him but I think he is really a squad player like young. He isn't really Manchester United quality in the midfield. Is he really a huge upgrade from cleverly? I know I will be slated for that opinion but it what I see. Maybe in the future under a different tactics he will be better more dependable

 

[WyoManU]

Many, many bottom 3 teams...

 

[Acole9]

A thoroughly entertaining game but to not win considering we took the lead on every occasion is very poor. To be fair Newcastle were good and deserved a draw but to not beat a team in the bottom three is just not good enough.

 

[diarm]

We've played 8 games against the bottom 6 sides this season, and taken 11 points. That's horrendous.

 

[KikiDaKats]

This game has shown me for the fraud I am.
I thought I wanted exciting football, I dont. I just want to win.

Like most fans. Nothing wrong with that.

 

[goin4glory]

I believe there is a reason why LVG sometimes sits him and I see it myself. He loses the ball a little to much for me and LVG IMO and sometimes he loses his fitness in the second half. He is a valuable player but I know so many supporters love him but I think he is really a squad player like young. He isn't really Manchester United quality in the midfield. Is he really a huge upgrade from cleverly? I know I will be slated for that opinion but it what I see. Maybe in the future under a different tactics he will be better more dependable

I'm not against us targeting a potential replacement/competition (Andre Gomes) or a world class starter (Pogba) for the squad. The squad is in a transition atm where LVG keeps shifting tactics/systems/formations and no one really seems to be benefiting Ander included. He's certainly an upgrade on Cleverly.

 

[caid]

I believe there is a reason why LVG sometimes sits him and I see it myself. He loses the ball a little to much for me and LVG IMO and sometimes he loses his fitness in the second half. He is a valuable player but I know so many supporters love him but I think he is really a squad player like young. He isn't really Manchester United quality in the midfield. Is he really a huge upgrade from cleverly? I know I will be slated for that opinion but it what I see. Maybe in the future under a different tactics he will be better more dependable

Starting to agree with you tbh.
He's had a poor season, last was quite a bit better.
The cleverly comparison is harsh but i see what your saying all the same.

 

[Reynoldo]

On the plus side because of my tormenting feelings after watching the game I decided to take my mind off it by doing some work and I fixed a coding problem that had been bugging me for a few days so its not all bad. Actually that is a positive for this match, usually I'm so bored watching United that I find my mind wondering off and trying to solve problems during the game.

Back to the football, I'm still of the opinion that while the defending was horrific its still down to those missed chances. You just can't miss those when the players and their confidence is in such a fragile state.

 

[KikiDaKats]

No fecking protection for the defenders unless we are playing ultra defensive with 2 defensive midfielders. Miss those days when our wingers were 2 way players.

Is that not a problem with personnel not being good at their job.

 

[manufanatic]

Starting to agree with you tbh.
He's had a poor season, last was quite a bit better.
The cleverly comparison is harsh but i see what your saying all the same.

Personally I'm not saying tom was united quality either and sometimes we see greatness in Herrera but sometimes we see a average midfielder. Carrick from 4 years ago is a level so far above Herrera in the premiership. Maybe in la liga Herrera would be better but the epl needs strong midfielders if you want to win the league. I look threw this team wonder if any of them would get a game in our 2008 team. Maybe martial but Rooney in 2016 would sit the bench. Everywhere else no chance.

 

[Dirty Schwein]

Mike Smalling became Chris Smalling

 

[manufanatic]

I'm not against us targeting a potential replacement/competition (Andre Gomes) or a world class starter (Pogba) for the squad. The squad is in a transition atm where LVG keeps shifting tactics/systems/formations and no one really seems to be benefiting Ander included. He's certainly an upgrade on Cleverly.

Yes he is but on average his rating would be similar to toms play at United. I can say his upside his greater then tom and its possible it's our tactics but he concerns me in the midfield often. I wish Bastian would have came 5 years ago.

 

[Walters_19_MuFc]

So gutted. Feels like a loss.

Newcastle started off the better team. For once we were losing possession stats. I'd led to believe that it was tactical that we sat back tonight, because we had the players to counter, with Lingard and Martial on the wing. Anyway, once we scored the first goal, it settles us. Again, we were able to soak up the pressure and try and hit Newcastle on the counter, which is exactly where our second goal come from, with a super bit of play from Rooney and Lingard.

Think Newcastle scoring just before half time was a killer. It gave them the confidence going into the second half, and to be fair, we rode our luck a few times. Having said that, we had a few chances to kill the game but didn't take them.

Newcastle levelled up with a pen. I personally didn't think it was a pen. It was 50/50, and normally in those situations the ref will stop and have a word with the players. Having said that, Smalling gave the ref a decision to make. Didn't have to defend so aggressively. It's something that's been highlighted on MOTD with Smalling, so I guess Mike Dean was paying extra attention, although everyone in the ground could've seen what was going on.

After it got to 2-2, it was anyone's game. If anything, Newcastle probably looked the most dangerous. With another counter we were able tp take advantage with a great finish by Rooney. At 3-2, I was still saying to myself we need another goal because it was just one of those games, as we all found out. Again, we had chances to kill of the game and make it 4-2, but couldn't and we all know what happened after.

Would have been a great game for the neutrals, which wouldn't have been expected, seeing as both teams have struggled to score of late. However, for us fans, especially as we conceded last minute, it was gutting.

There are positives going into the Liverpool game, though. I mean, if we play how we played today going forward, we should create chances. We could have had at least six goals tonight, which is a big difference to what we've been seeing lately. Think Lingard coming in was a plus. Hoping he's not injured. Rooney continuing his run and scoring a fantastic goal. If we take that into the Liverpool game, I'm confident we'll win.

 

[C'est Moi Cantona]

At least this explains why LvG plays his defensive sideways passing crap most of the time.

 

[skidmark]

This was always going to be a really tough game and it could have been worse. NUFC are in the bottom three but have actually been playing really well recently - they were very unlucky to lose to Arsenal away last week. I thought it was good to see Rooney playing well again, and we showed attacking intent again. A large majority on here have been asking for attacking football again, and tonight we got it - OK, so the result wasn't right, but at least it wasn't boring.

 

[manufanatic]

The M.E.N. gave Herrera 6 and basically said he did sod all, but gave Memphis 7. Is that person drunk?

Normally avg play for our midfield has scholes ever got a 6 rating?

 

[DomesticTadpole]

Normally avg play for our midfield has scholes ever got a 6 rating?

How the heck did Memphis get 7? Tell me that one. He's bone idle.

 

[yamo123x]

Many of you are missing the point here.

LVG decision to dismantle the squad and not replace them is a massive reason for our problems. We are playing many players out of position, blind and young are not defenders, Damian is not a left back, mata not a right winger etc etc. We looked so vulnerable tonight in wide areas.

We have no leaders, no one to put in a crunching tackle and many of the players we have are brittle and weak, we have all seen this tonight. For a club like united to compete on all fronts and have such a thin squad is unacceptable.

LVG needs to go we need a new direction and we need many new players.

On a positive martial and Rooney in particular were excellent tonight.

 

[Alock1]

At least this explains why LvG plays his defensive sideways passing crap most of the time.

Objectively this is technically better than a 0-0 draw so it doesn't really explain anything.. if we were often scraping boring wins then sure but we draw/lose far more often.

 

[yamo123x]

Better tonight too
Without mata in the team

 

[manufanatic]

How the heck did Memphis get 7? Tell me that one. He's bone idle.

He did one thing that led to Rooney goal other then that no much and his defense was all over the place but he is young we had growing pains with Ronaldo. Hopefully he will develop like Ronaldo did. Maybe that's why I understand LVG out is he the right man for martial and Memphis to learn from?

 

[sammsky1]

We've played 8 games against the bottom 6 sides this season, and taken 11 points. That's horrendous.

That form may well cost us our top 4 place

 

[manufanatic]

Better tonight too
Without mata in the team

Shh don't say that lol.

 

[stu_1992]

Unfortunately did not see the game because of work, was following the score though and I was left very frustrated when I saw that full time result. From looking at highlights it looks like the game was there for the taking, we had the chances. But I guess so did Newcastle as De Gea had to pull out a few big saves. It's a massive concern that we can't defend in the rare games where we do attack. It's sounds like the Wolfsburg game all over again (though we obviously lost that game).

At least Rroney looked decent, him anywhere near his best would do a lot for us for the rest of the season. It's obviously difficult to say if he is though.

 

[acrebo]

How the heck did Memphis get 7? Tell me that one. He's bone idle.

He was infuriating defensively again but he created Rooney's goal with his run and shot and should have had an assist for his cross to Fellaini.

He was decent going forwards.

 

[ghagua]

Is that not a problem with personnel not being good at their job.

Did is say otherwise?

 

[sammsky1]

This game has shown me for the fraud I am.
I thought I wanted exciting football, I dont. I just want to win.

Thanks for your honesty. Many confused or disengenious posters on here tonight not being so honest!

Right now, our team is not evolved enough to play entertaining winning football. Abromovich has spent a decade chasing this particular dragon and seen how hard it is. It took SAF 7 years before he was able to produce it consistently.

So it is a choice: win ugly or entertain and lose points. A key problem is many of our entitled fans (and ex players) have created such a stink that the media has been allowed to create a huge story. And that story adds yet another level of pressure this nascent squad could do without.

Our fans really need to wise up. It's not 1999 or 2008 and SAF is gone. It takes time to rebuild an empire, but this constant volley of snide remarks from people whose sole role is to 'support' the club is confusing the manager and the team.

 

[C'est Moi Cantona]

Objectively this is technically better than a 0-0 draw so it doesn't really explain anything.. if we were often scraping boring wins then sure but we draw/lose far more often.

He isn't a risk taker, tonight could easily have ended in a loss, and he would have been far happier if this had ended 0-0 and minimal risk had been taken.

It is clear now we can't out play teams, and that our oh so wonderful defensive is actually nothing of the sort, he knows this so plays to what he believes to be our strengths, and what he is most comfortable doing.

 

[diarm]

That form may well cost us our top 4 place

You could well be right. I think a side with top 4 ambitions should be expecting 20 out of 24 points in those 8 games. I'd consider 16/24 to be a pretty poor showing but it would have us inside the current top 4. 11 points isn't even top half of the table form in a normal year.