He's generally been one of our more consistent performers in big matches since joining the club.
Fellaini back injury
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He's generally been one of our more consistent performers in big matches since joining the club.
He has and so far, he did not do too well. So with this season's form, he yet has to be tested
Surely with a new manager, the world's most expensive midfielder and all the investment we can now expect to get more than 40% of the ball in ANY game, however tough?
If we expect City to boss it in midfield then I for one am very dissapointed.
If we expect City to boss it in midfield then I for one am very dissapointed.
We are not aiming for dominating possession and City will be obsessed with doing just that. Simply buying players and changing coaches doesn't mean possession %s will go up, and nor should it. The score-sheet at the end is what matters, not other incidental statistics.
It means we have a certain degree of control of a game, so yes it matters. Not the be all and end all (LvG) but still.
No more the days of being dominated at places like Anfield/City/Emirates but relying on DDG and a moment of brilliance from whoever.
To run a game, dictate the tempo, matters.
Control can be expressed in different ways though. Keeping the ball is just one way. Rendering the opposition's attack impotent while being able to create chances whenever you do get the ball is another. Mourinho largely prefers the latter method so expecting otherwise is just a recipe for disappointment.
Fellaini has been very good at that destroyer role which is key for this strategy so far this season, so I hope he's fit in time. However, maybe Herrera or Schneiderlin can step up and show us their quality.
I remember united getting their tactics so wrong against city in the 2011/12 season, when we look at that lineup that day
2011/12 season
United 1 6 city
United's midfield and attack that game
Nani fletcher anderson young
rooney welbeck
City's midfield and attack that game
Milner Barry Toure Silva
Aguero Balotelli
We played into city's hands and we get crushed by the numbers in which city could dominate the game, not saying playing the team we have played so far this season will see us get crushed 6-1, but the way city set their teams up, we do not want to be outnumbered in midfield, seeing Pogba and Fellaini get frustrated seeing one of them sent off, most likely fellaini if he can't get a foot old in the game, so for fellaini and Pogba's own protection we need another anchoring the midfield so we have more freedom to press city from the middle. So the question is? will mourinho sacrifice say rooney for another midfielder? to give Pogba and fellaini more freedom so they don't get sent off, with carrick morgan or herrera holding. Jose wants has many tall players in this team. So I do wonder if this is the game to try 433, so we are more solid in midfield and city can't dictate play in midfield, because united perhaps are more powerful in midfield if Pogba is allowed off the leash with us not being exposed. If we play the exact same team with fellaini and pogba in midfield, with rooney and zlaten upfront, I do worry if city will outnumber us 2 to 1, he has to switch tactics up for this game, or we could be having problems
Exactly. I would prefer us to play a direct attacking style of football. That leads to losing the ball so possession stats go down.
The most important part of football is scoring more goals than the other team. You get no league points for possession stats.
100% Fellaini starts.
Pogba and Fellaini is a lot more solid in a 4-2-3-1 than Fletcher and Anderson.
I'm more interested to see who Mourinho deploys wide right. I think it will be Mkhi, but wouldn't be shocked if he puts Lingard on as a starter or substitute to do a job there.
I think trying to outnumber a Pep team in midfield is always going to be a losing proposition. If we play 4-3-3 and try to dominate in the middle he'll just have his full-backs push in and flood the midfield. City's entire training regime and strategy is centered on making sure they dominate the possession in every game. You're not going to beat a Pep team at it.
Look at the 2015 CL semifinal 1st leg between Barcelona and Pep's Bayern for example. Barcelona are masters of keeping the ball but they still lost the possession stakes 45-55%. However they had almost twice as many shots and scored all 3 goals in the encounter. As long as we can transition fluently from defense to attack and move the ball quickly up the pitch, we have no need to dominate the center of the park. Let City pass it around aimlessly there.
I get your point but this match is not a good sample as the game was 2-1 up until Evans got a red
Go 4-3-3. Play Fellaini-Schneiderlin-Pogba with Mkhitaryan and Lingard on either flanks and let them try flooding the midfield.
Its solid by a million miles no question, still think a slight change in tactics is needed so we can out number them, it would be awesome if someone is anchoring the midfield letting Pogba off the leash knowing he can press city, who are one of the smallest teams in the PL, him and fellaini could literally be like Ura-kai playing hobbits in midfield.
Look at Real Madrid's set up against Bayern in the 2014 CL semi finals, their 433 let them not only to counter and dominate the game, chelsea did against Barca in the CL semi finals, Pep has not quiet been so dominating since his Barca days, yes he won the domestic league with Bayern, but when it came to the big games in europe pep was found out, hell he was found wanting against Bayern during that 7-0 aggregate score. So its important has we found out against Barcelona in the CL final in 2011, don't play an attacking game and play to their strengths, still does not mean we let Pogba and Fellaini to do all the man power
We were still open in a 2 man midfield, and its a good example has we had a red card, that could happen for fellaini, so I think this could be the time to get that extra player to anchor the midfield so we not so outnumbered in midfield. Not to mention rooney is not in top form, so its food for thought for Jose
@Oneunited26
For better or worse I think what's most likely is Rooney dropping deeper out of possession into the midfield.
For better or worse I think what's most likely is Rooney dropping deeper out of possession into the midfield.
Probably, just its important we don't have fellaini frustrated he gets sent off, when this could be a huge chance to get 3 pts, when Jose gets that first big win over a rival he has that knack of snowballing his teams into a winning machine, look at how he used the community shield to get that 3 game winning streak
Chelsea did not dominate the midfield against Barca in 2011, they did exactly the opposite. They surrendered the midfield and set up the barricades 20-30m from their goal line, and then every time they got the ball they quickly got it up the pitch to the likes of Drogba. I'm not saying we will get dominated scoreline wise, just that trying to win the possession stakes is futile. As you say, we shouldn't play to their strengths. Fellaini will help shield the defense while Pogba can safely take the ball, prevent City from pressing it off us, and make incisive passes to our forward players.
Yep.
in 2009 I am talking about, Chelsea could have quiet easily got to that final, one of the only times pep's barca teams looked Vulnerable and were very lucky at stamford bridge how many times Chelsea got to their defense. Bayern crushed Barca during that 7-0 mauling over 2 legs, and Real Madrid countering his Bayern side time after time in that CL semi final. So teams can beat them without resorting to defensive football, the only time teams had to change their style was Barca because of how special that side was, since then his teams are beatable
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Barca's 7-0 loss was under Tito Villanova not pep.
5-0 against Real aggregated is the only humiliating loss for him I think.
You can control the match while conceding possession. Bayern vs Inter is the best example of it with Bayern having near 70% of possession, but Inter being in total control. Yep, you might say that it was because of Van Gaal, but something similar happened to them with Pep in charge when Real lead by Ancelotti humiliated them in München despite that Bayern won the possession.
Mourinho's style is counter attacking. We will lose the possession against City, but who cares about it as long as we will win the match.
Is 2am here I'm fecking knackered. But there's no way I'm missing this one. Can you follow vodka shots with coffee.
East coast? Same here. I just wanna sleep but can't and this game is on too early
Coffee is always good.
East coast? Same here. I just wanna sleep but can't and this game is on too early
My dog just had a screaming fit. After multiple shut the feck up. I let him out. Explosive diarrhea. Thank God I let him out. I'm up now. Got some coffee had a cig. First shot done and ready for the game. Oh but my car ate the lady two slices of pizza. Well the cheese. Can you eat after a cat?
So's vodka
Pogba and my Granny would be a lot more solid than Fletcher and Anderson!
This.
Cat ate the last I?
The cat ate the cheese. This tablet and it's spell correct