Manchester United vs. Southampton

Real Madrid will press us hard and we'll just keep booting it away all game, only for them to keep coming back.
 
Welbeck did all right in flashes, but you're right; he's not a midfielder.

He was all over the place positionally he wasn't shit on the ball but he never really offered a threat and looked lost out there. Looks a complete waste wide in a 4 Kagawa (who looked decent tonight) looks like he's not suited to wide either. some tough decisions ahead for Fergie to find a formation or make some sacrifices with some players.
 
We won, City drew, Chelsea somehow managed to draw, and well the others aren't really of any danger, mather of fact I think we can completely rule Chelsea out by now.
 
Probably the worst performance of the season in that second half, the big hitters were quiet and we just couldn't cope with the pressure. But I don't buy into this 'if it was a better team we would do this and that'....

Different team = different game. We've played better than that against better teams but credit to Southampton, they had a gameplan and they almost got that point.
 
We won, City drew, Chelsea somehow managed to draw, and well the others aren't really of any danger, mather of fact I think we can completely rule Chelsea out by now.

That's just something I've never been able to do in the last few years, although to repeatedly pick Torres ahead of Ba is starting to change my mind.
 
Yes, I'm the one missing the point while you continue to ignore every single point being made. Cleverley was the OBVIOUS choice. So what if you called the same decision as what SAF made? That doesn't make it the right decision. Nani changed feck all and we continued to be forced back. You bring Cleverley on INSTEAD and there's a good chance he takes control of that game, gives us more possession and energy around the center which ultimately calms the game and every play surrounding him.

You're trying to argue the choice to bring on Nani for our best player and it's a pretty shit argument when we've just witnessed that it did nothing what so ever for us. But hey, you continue to try to act like you're some tactical genius and I know feck all.

I addressed exactly that point:

Putting Cleverley in for Anderson wouldn't make a blind bit of difference because the game has barely been played in the centre. You need to make a change to win the battle in the area's it is being played before addressing the area you would like it to be played. That is basic tactics.


A like for like change of Cleverley for Anderson wouldn't have achieved anything because they were by passing the long ball, if they got the ball down it then went wide to the fullbacks and back in the box. As I said, you need to win the areas the ball is active before you bring on players to play where you want them to play and the ball is currently not active.

It's the equivalent of wanting to score a goal and despite rarely having the ball, swapping one striker who isn't getting a sniff for another who won't get a sniff.
 
Nice of you to be positive!I'm a little pissed at the display, so it cheers me up seeing someone positive about this..

:) I try.

The fact that we've always had performances like these in horrible midweek fixtures. The difference is now we have Internet forums and streaming sites so that every minute of every game is analysed and discussed.

I remember sitting in my lounge listening to 5-Live or refreshing teletext to see us squeak past some lowly mid-table side. It's not a new phenomenon and we will always have days like today.

The difference is that this season we keep doing enough to win!
 
SAF giving Southampton credit and said in the end we were lucky to come away with a win,also said that the pitch was to blame for our state of play.
 
I addressed exactly that point:




A like for like change of Cleverley for Anderson wouldn't have achieved anything because they were by passing the long ball, if they got the ball down it then went wide to the fullbacks and back in the box. As I said, you need to win the areas the ball is active before you bring on players to play where you want them to play and the ball is currently not active.

It's the equivalent of wanting to score a goal and despite rarely having the ball, swapping one striker who isn't getting a sniff for another who won't get a sniff.

Firstly, at no stage did I even saying Cleverley for Anderson (though that's the clear change that should of happened). Nani didn't come on for Anderson, Nani came on for Kagawa, which is the change I'm actually arguing about.

I'm shocked you're failing to understand the point I'm making and acting like Cleverley couldn't of made a difference to our entire game. It doesn't matter where or how they play the ball. Cleverley being introduced adds energy into the midfield, energy that he's capable of taking to any area of the pitch. When we got the ball back here, half the time we were struggling to find options, space and eventually lumped it up top, which gave them possession back. It doesn't matter what tactics Southampton applied when they had the ball, that doesn't effect us when WE have the ball. Cleverley being on the field gives us more options, more movement, more energy, more space and possibly better use of the ball when we have it, which means us keeping more possession rather than losing it back so often as we did.