[Mister Ed]

I'm dealing with it by telling you to stop abusing the wrong player.
The man did his best to get fit again, van Gaal saw fit to let him play these games (given all our injuries).

What the hell do you want him to do, throw himself on the sword?

I want him to apply himself and start playing beter, feck sake, is it sinking in yet ?

 

[vivaronaldo]

Don't have players to play 3-5-2

Scrap the f&$$en thing

 

[pascell]

I fail to see how this system is going to work? I was on the game today and i'm fuming with the lack of creative ideas, aggression, urgency and passing skill this team has. Having 3 CB's is killing us because our defenders cannot go 1 v 1 against the opposition strikers, we could also do with the extra man in midfield too. We're simply not going to get top 4 if we have to rely on Fletcher and Anderson to control the game from midfield. Why we're also considering selling Welbeck is completely beyond me, he offers pace and a different attacking threat which we need, I think he'd be awesome linking up with Di Maria too!

 

[DanNistelrooy]

Fed up seeing players shoe horned into 352. Play it when Rafael/Shaw/Herrera/Carrick are fit so we don't have Young and others playing out of position

 

[AngeloHenriquez]

He talks about formations being interchangeable in his philosophy, understand this.. Play with 4 at the back until you get actual wing backs and proper center backs, learn quickly...
DDG
Jones Evans Blackett James
Fletcher Di Maria Carrick
Rooney RVP Mata

 

[manichester]

DDG, Jones, Blackett and Di Maria were the only players that did themselves no harm. The rest need to take a long hard look at what they are trying to achieve.

 

[Dominos]

How did Van Persie and Mata last so long? I can take a poor result if it was clear we did everything we could to win the game... Leaving Januzaj and Welbeck on the bench for so long is just criminal, we were crying out for something different.

Still can't believe how a professional football team can be so poor on the ball, never mind a Manchester United team. I'd estimate around 80% of the chances we concede are gifted to the opposition by our own sloppy play on the ball. It's tragic, it really is.

Also, ref is a twat, we were poor but that's no excuse for the ref costing us 3 points.

 

[markorm]

I don't know envy about tactics, but footballers is footballers no, so we have 3 at the back instead of four. Get over it and play.

What I saw today was terrible, terrible ball control. No movement off the ball, constant back passing. No fight for the 50/50 balls - part from di Maria at times.

One time after a corner, we were pressing, the ball came back out, to Evans I think, who was last man back. He waited, and waited, and waited until he was put under pressure, and he passed it back to de Gea!

Valencia bumbling along with no care in the world being dispossessed from behind!

This is basic footballing skill, don't care about formations and three a the fecking back, basic footballing ability and we seem to have lost it.

 

[revel911]

Don't have players to play 3-5-2

Scrap the f&$$en thing

and we don't have fullbacks to play 4 in teh back .... which is why we are screwed until we get some healthy people and players from our transfers.

 

[antsmithmk]

I would prefer us to play 4-2-3-1 but we have to give LVG the chance to apply his 'philosophy'... Keep the faith

 

[antsmithmk]

and we don't have fullbacks to play 4 in teh back .... which is why we are screwed until we get some healthy people and players from our transfers.

We won't be buying any fullbacks?

 

[shamans]

You guys weren't listening to me when I told you it's not Moyes' fault; everyone just blamed him for his players. Now, everyone is just blaming Van Gaal and his tactics.

Tactics failing is another thing. What we are seeing is lack of effort from the bloody players. All of this is down to the players as far as I'm concerned.

 

[Cole9]

I suppose the only positive is we kept a clean sheet.

 

[legball]

Again, the problem is not 3-5-2 - It clearly isn't. The problem is that, our players [most of them] know only one way of playing which is wing play. It doesn't matter what formation we play, under LVG, we won't rely on wing play. He wants the team to play from the back and create through the middle, he also expects a lot of movement and interchanging of positions. Most of our players are alien to this, and at any slight hint of problem, they'll resort to what they have known for a long time [see Evans and Blackett hoofing it, Rooney speading it to Valencia at every opportunity etc]. I have always said it, passing and movement have not been our main strength for the past 5-6 years now [see that slow motion, zombie thread under Ferguson], and whether we play 3-5-2 or 4-3-3 the problem still remains. Once our players get to grips with quick passing and movement, then we'll see a different team.

 

[Glanville95]

It'll get better, it has too.

We have to ditch this 3-5-2 though. It really does hinder the team and our passing game further. As many have said, it's traditionally a counter-attacking system opposed to a dictating, possession-orientated system and there isn't a link between defence and midfield to midfield and attack. It just completely bypasses our midfield.

We have to stop trying to shoehorn our key players into this one system. If we had a midfielder capable of dropping into defence and distributing the ball from deep and connecting with the attacking players we would see a stark distance. Ideally that would be a new signing or Carrick out of our current crop if he is capable of regaining his 2012/13 form, but I doubt that.

 

[fallengt]

I ain't sure we're much better with full team. Apart Herrera, Rojo who can offer something that current players cannot, what do you expect from the rest?Neither of Rafael/ Shaw are wingback, they're both "solid" in defense but are they much better attacker than Young and Valencia?

Get rid of this 3-5-2, it isn't working. LvG doesn't have the right men for this system, I don't think our players can adapt to it either. He's just making his job harder than it should be.

 

[Waltraute]

I want him to apply himself and start playing beter, feck sake, is it sinking in yet ?

Steady on.

You honestly think he's not applying himself and shirking? I think he's doing his best given the circumstances. Better we just agree to disagree.

 

[red_devil83]

I think we all learned a valuable truth today: Angel Di Maria is better than Tom Cleverly.

 

[DomesticTadpole]

Forgot Brucie. Another great skipper who led by example. Put the fear of the Almighty in the opposition as well as his own team mates. Eric too, but in a more subdued and Gallic fashion. As for keeping up with Robbo during a lad's night out, Rooney would be under the table before 9 o'clock.

The way Bruce and Pallister used to argue with each other and Schmeichel as well. Our defence doesn't talk to each other nevermind argue.

 

[Waltraute]

The way Bruce and Pallister used to argue with each other and Schmeichel as well. Our defence doesn't talk to each other nevermind argue.

Those were the days.

There is no communication today. Not talking about bollockings even; every player seems to be in a zone of his own.

 

[Amir]

Again, the problem is not 3-5-2 - It clearly isn't. The problem is that, our players [most of them] know only one way of playing which is wing play. It doesn't matter what formation we play, under LVG, we won't rely on wing play. He wants the team to play from the back and create through the middle, he also expects a lot of movement and interchanging of positions. Most of our players are alien to this, and at any slight hint of problem, they'll resort to what they have known for a long time [see Evans and Blackett hoofing it, Rooney speading it to Valencia at every opportunity etc]. I have always said it, passing and movement have not been our main strength for the past 5-6 years now [see that slow motion, zombie thread under Ferguson], and whether we play 3-5-2 or 4-3-3 the problem still remains. Once our players get to grips with quick passing and movement, then we'll see a different team.

This. The 3-5-2 is the simplistic excuse, it's not the reason.

We saw late in the game how the players kind of ditched how they were supposed to be playing and went all out with the old style, playing through the wing, especially Valencia. It looked a little better, but it was utterly pointless and is created nothing but a bunch of crosses. That was with 3-5-2.

We have to get past that, and it will take time. The players will feel more comfortable with a system they know, but the football will still be similar. It's only a formation.

 

[Indired]

I would prefer us to play 4-2-3-1 but we have to give LVG the chance to apply his 'philosophy'... Keep the faith

One dude applied his "philosophy" last year and we know where it ended. To me its not the manager or the formation thats at fault , its about the players standing up like men and taking responsibility for the shite they put up on the field...
We now have a bunch of uninspiring characters walking around in red shirts , counting on the fans to support them for whatever they do ..

 

[Amir]

One dude applied his "philosophy" last year and we know where it ended. To me its not the manager or the formation thats at fault , its about the players standing up like men and taking responsibility for the shite they put up on the field...
We now have a bunch of uninspiring characters walking around in red shirts , counting on the fans to support them for whatever they do ..

We're not playing crap football because we don't want it enough. There may be some motivational issues, but even if they were 100% motivated, they still wouldn't produce good stuff.

 

[Raw]

Christ I missed it, how bad were we? How was Di Maria?

 

[Sixpence]

He talks about formations being interchangeable in his philosophy, understand this.. Play with 4 at the back until you get actual wing backs and proper center backs, learn quickly...
DDG
Jones Evans Blackett James
Fletcher Di Maria Carrick
Rooney RVP Mata

This.

 

[Arruda]

Christ I missed it, how bad were we? How was Di Maria?

Bad. Good.

 

[Raw]

Bad. Good.

Thanks, at least Di Maria isn't getting poisoned by the shiteness of this team.

 

[Waltraute]

Thanks, at least Di Maria isn't getting poisoned by the shiteness of this team.

di Maria is our hope. He will lift them all, I'm sure.
So brilliant today!

 

[Tibs]

4-2-3-1 is our way forward

Not this 3-5-2 shit

 

[The United Irishman]

A lot of criticism being thrown at Rooney, Young, Evans, and some others etc. For me Mata is the biggest disappointment he's supposed to be making the team tick and the creative spark but he looks anything but. His first touch has been just as bad as Rooney's and keeps getting caught in possession, there are no leaders on the pitch and the team looks terribly disjointed.

Confidence is incredibly low and it seems our players have no faith or trust in each other when in possession with the ball. Everything is backwards and sideways. (did anyone see the back pass back to DDG from the halfway line from Valencia when he wasn't even under pressure ten minutes from time?) Build up play is too slow and predictable, misplaced passing is raging through the team like an incurable disease.

Set plays are amateur. (There seems to be no longer a physical element to our team)

I do believe that LVG will turn this around but he needs his own team on the pitch and at the moment he's being forced to play some players he's not fond of or just don't have the intelligence to fit his system and philosophy. It's going to get much worse before it gets better and the international break couldn't have come much quicker to be honest.

 

[MancFanFromManc]

We'll get relegated at this rate.

People will scoff, but that's what happened when we didn't recover from Busby standing down...

 

[Waltraute]

People will scoff, but that's what happened when we didn't recover from Busby standing down...

Were're not going to go through all that again.

 

[MancFanFromManc]

352 being blamed for everything, but it's sound in theory as it enables our so called best three players to all play, and in their preferred positions. Unfortunately they, (Rooney, RVP AND Mata) were all poor today. Who is to blame for that??

 

[ecantona7]

I'm dealing with it by telling you to stop abusing the wrong player.
The man did his best to get fit again, van Gaal saw fit to let him play these games (given all our injuries).

What the hell do you want him to do, throw himself on the sword?

play better?

 

[Sassy Colin]

Well, well, well, what a lot of unhappy people! Mind you, I only read the first page and a half, perhaps it gets better?

We have 10 players out injured, including all our new signings bar Di Maria, once everyone is back fit things will improve dramatically. LvG has said it will take 2-3 months for things to gel, he is supremely confident in his own abilities and I believe we will get there.

The only thing that worries me is lack of depth in the squad, which is why I'd prefer if we could keep the likes of Chico, Welbeck, Nani because they can all come on and change the game and are good understudies in case of injuries.

Whilst Fletcher, Young, Valencia would be better off than staying, we'll struggle to find any takers for them.

 

[surf]

People will scoff, but that's what happened when we didn't recover from Busby standing down...

Times have changed. Money buys success and United have the money.

 

[lysglimt]

Valencia hit his nearest man. It hardly reaches the box when he hits the cross. So that excuse is meaningless.

If you are a winger and see 7 defenders and 1 attacker in the box - how do you try to pick him out ? You can't!

 

[NinjaZombie]

Yep. Captain of Manchester United, captain of England, and he plays for 90 minutes with his mouth shut. I really thought that he was the obvious choice, but I suppose those who remonstrated against his appointment may have been on to something. Charlton ought to take him to one side and give him a few tips on how to really lead a team on the field.

I've always said he blows hot and cold too often in a season to be seen as a leader. The best captains are the consistent ones like Keane, Vidic or even Beckham. However it's only been 3 games, and everyone's been crap so far so let's judge him after a few months on the job.

 

[Red_toad]

You guys weren't listening to me when I told you it's not Moyes' fault; everyone just blamed him for his players. Now, everyone is just blaming Van Gaal and his tactics.

Tactics failing is another thing. What we are seeing is lack of effort from the bloody players. All of this is down to the players as far as I'm concerned.

Yep Mata strolled through the game, To be honest none of our front 3 put in enough effort & bar Di Maria none of our midfielders looked really bothered about making themselves available to receive the ball.
Feck do we miss the give it to Scholes confidence our players had when he was around. How we really need a midfielder who makes himself available to receive a pass & can retain posession when under pressure. Fletcher really isn't the player we need to base our midfield on. I honestly don't know if Blind is that player, but i see no experienced player in our squad who is up to that role at this moment in time.

 

[Sassy Colin]

If you are a winger and see 7 defenders and 1 attacker in the box - how do you try to pick him out ? You can't!

So he shouldn't make the pass then!