Got the line up and tactics completely wrong. Players aren't blameless either, just a terrible half of football for us. Not the end of the world though!
Louis Van Gaal | 2015-16 Performance Thread
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In the latest episode of the United Hour Podcast, Nik (@Rood) is joined by CEO Duncan Drasdo and Financial Director Andy Green from the Manchester United Supporters Trust for a special episode on all things behind the scenes at Old Trafford including a brief history of MUST and their aims today, views on INEOS and Sir Jim Ratcliffe so far, and the Old Trafford regeneration.
Very stupid not to go with 3 midfielders in a tough away match.
This is not a freak game, it's been a tactical disaster.
Squad depth biting us in the arse today, naive setup too, a big difference to the pragmatism we showed when we rocked up here last time. Rooney and Carrick shouldn't start for us anymore and he needs to start making big decisions like that.
How long did you have to wait with this shit. It's blip, saying that as a fan i still have hope we can get something out of this game.
One thing is certain, LVG is doing a great job at United.
Got his tactics wrong today, and shouldn't have started blind. They have been allowed to play and are a better team than us when that is allowed to happen.
For me it's just one of those games that you lose badly now and again. Ferguson had them too. I think LVG has got most of the team selections right this season so I'm not going to criticise him too much.
Carrick is a nightmare for these games because he's so slow that any midfielders with decent stamina are going to ruin him.
Rooney is playing like himself as usual so we're down to at least 10 men currently. This is the biggest issue I have with LVG currently. If he dropped Rooney, I would be much more accepting of this sort of result but this is just obvious.
Carrick is a nightmare for these games because he's so slow that any midfielders with decent stamina are going to ruin him.
Rooney is playing like himself as usual so we're down to at least 10 men currently. This is the biggest issue I have with LVG currently. If he dropped Rooney, I would be much more accepting of this sort of result but this is just obvious.
We are too slow with him, at least for this game we are getting found out. Let's see how he sets up in the second half.
We have had a bad half, it happens. But he needs to sort this out at half time so that we come away with at least some respect left when this game is done.
Van Gaal's midfield selection borders on reckless. There's not enough mobility in Carrick and Schweinsteiger to cope with Arsenal's pace.
Arsenal pressed us high and we couldn't cope, and they get spare men in behind every time we got forward because we don't have the speed to track back.
Van Gaal got this badly wrong.
Arsenal pressed us high and we couldn't cope, and they get spare men in behind every time we got forward because we don't have the speed to track back.
Van Gaal got this badly wrong.
Shit happens, right. But you still got to try and change things, do something, make something happen. We played as we were leading the game. It was unbelievable.
Tactics were a big problem, no doubt. However we also look tired, stunned and caught cold while Arsenal started with unusual intensity. It's a freak game in that it doesn't necessarily say much about our overall progress. A one off we'll just need to learn from and then move on quickly.
Agreed. And besides, sometimes you need a good spanking to correct flaws for the rest of the season.
It is his fault we have a thin squad when we are in more competitions. How can he not expect us to get injuries or players to get tired?
OK, by thin I mean in defence
OK, by thin I mean in defence
Souness is right Carrick, Schweinsteiger and Rooney are having a mare, they are useless today. And it's not the first time for Carrick and Rooney, Rooney in particular has nothing to do in our team.
You can't be serious?
Where is the great job? Spent a fortune. Still miles off Europe's best. Play crap football. Have no squad depth. And now tactically destroyed by Arsene Wenger. 3-0 down and still sits in his seat and changes nothing.Or is the great job being top of the league for a week?
Wrong attitude really. This isn't that surprising, because even our good defensive record is what Mourinho might describe as 'false'. Our defence has looked vulnerable quite a lot this season, but we've had the protection of the midfield, which has decided to have a collective brainfart against one of the league's best teams.
Loss = win?
Aye. Normally in this scenario I'd say you should keep faith with the same players and let them put things right in the next game. Rooney has been awful all season though and benching him has been a long time in coming.
Incredibly naïve team selection (Ashley young at left back) and approach.
Seems like LVG still hasn't understood how to get us to play well away from home. It comes down to his philosophy of not ceding possession. However, against a team like the gooners, sometimes you HAVE to give up possession and sit back for 15 minutes to absorb the pressure and frustrate them whilst hitting on the counter. Its a tried and trusted way of beating them time and time again. Ironically because wenger also doesn't change his approach to these games.
Fergie had it down to a science.
Seems like LVG still hasn't understood how to get us to play well away from home. It comes down to his philosophy of not ceding possession. However, against a team like the gooners, sometimes you HAVE to give up possession and sit back for 15 minutes to absorb the pressure and frustrate them whilst hitting on the counter. Its a tried and trusted way of beating them time and time again. Ironically because wenger also doesn't change his approach to these games.
Fergie had it down to a science.
You can't be serious?
Or is the great job being top of the league for a week?
7th > 4th > first as this game began.
At worst we're gonna finish third this season. He's doing fine.
Let's hope.
Finishing third is seen as a success? Deary me, the standards have really dropped. He's spent a fortune and so moving up one spot is a success?
One bad result and LVG haters are out immediately. What if you would at least wait for the end of the match.You can't be serious?
Or is the great job being top of the league for a week?
And about good job, if you can't see results and how we improved you need glasses or brains maybe.
We could've have kept Rafael, and played him rb and Darmian lb today. Instead, an injury to only one player means we're playing with two former wingers at fullback. It's the one decision I find hard to get behind, selling Rafa.
It would be progress. Not the same thing as success for me.
He's doing a great great job bluffing.
It'll be alright though he'll crack some sort of a joke or something after the match and that'll be enough for the blind to get over todays result.
Shure this sort of stuff always happens, we were setting the world alight prior to today, we'll be grand.
That's right yeah.....
I said *at worst* we'll finish 3rd. It's more likely we'll be one of (if not the main) challengers to City this year. This one game doesn't change that.
You asked if LVG was doing a good job. 7th > 4th > title challenge would certainly be just that, unless you didn't quite understand how bad we were when he took over.
Well when the entire team melts down the manager needs to take a share of the blame. Still can't see us making a title run deep into this season. Questions will be asked at the end of it if we are 4th again.
OFC hes the manager, he should have set us up better than he did today. Playing 2 30 something year olds against Asnl was as bad as Moyes playing Fellaini as a DMFer.
BUT this season we have been great defensively so when you concede 3 in 20 minutes solely blaming the manager seems a bit short sighted. How about the players take some of the blame?
I'm by no way a LvG fan, but this game feels a lot more like a "shit happens" game where everything from manager to players failed.
Not a defining game by any way for me.
Not a defining game by any way for me.
I don't think it's fair to blame todays result on the manager it was mostly down to awful individual performances from the players especially Darmian and Memphis.
He should be sacked on the spot for bringing Fellaini on.
I share that opinion (while being a LvG fan). That first 20 minutes was just appalling and something i dont see happening again this season
Team selection was wrong, tactics were wrong and his inability to react to how things were going wrong in the first half was not acceptable. He has to take as much blame as some of the players.
I think he made a huge mistake tactically by having such a slow pair in midfield against Arsenal. Second mistake was playing Rooney almost as a second striker.
How does Rooney escape being subbed is beyond me?
How does Rooney escape being subbed is beyond me?
May be the midweek game had something to do..
What's Giggs doing? Surely he would have told LVG the best way to play against Arsenal.
This is just a freak game. We've been poor, but a loss was kind of expected given the midweek game and Arsenal's determination to set things right.
Our squad is ridiculously thin though.
Our squad is ridiculously thin though.