PL D FA Premier League

Manchester United 0:0 Chelsea

Post-match discussion


Sat, 24 October 2020

Was a tight game, which really should be expected in big games such as this one.

In hindsight, Ole may have set up to be more adventurous, but given the goals we have conceded since the start of the season, making sure we stayed solid as a unit was important.

Whilst we didn't get the win we'd have wanted, we can take some positives from the game such as:

A clean sheet
Looked defensively solid as a unit
Fred and McTominay continue to impress
Created some chances that, on another day, could probably win us the game.

We have Arsenal next, who will play the same system, so Ole will probably start off a bit more adventurous.
 
Don't think Ole really knows what he's doing - team selection and tactics were a complete mess. Result is not too bad, though.
 
I get the impression Ole thinks he is born in SAFs image.
SAF would not have let his team take a negative step or thoughts in the game today and would have won comfortably.
 
We are a miserable lot in here, aren't we?

The James selection was odd, but aside from that it was a good lineup against a Chelsea side that was scoring goals for fun.

Ole made subs early in the second half when it became apparent Chelsea were looking to settle for a draw, and there was some desperate defending/goalkeeping to keep it at 0-0.

On the other side, De Gea did not have a save to make.

It wasn't a balls to the wall performance, but the weather played a huge part as well.

Not a great result, but these big games can be drab affair at times.

On to Leipzig!
 
Negative line up and we go at what we came for. Winning these games are the type that can kick start your season.....
 
Not at all. I’m just as annnoyed

Cavani couldn't wait to a have a hearty chat with T Silva outside the field. Lindelof had to fist pump every Chelsea players, from goalkeeper to their bench players.

And the Manager looked like meeting his idol when he saw Lampard.

This against a side that humiliated them in SF last season. Impressive fighting mentality.
 
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As the fans are usually on Daniel James back you would think an empty OT would benefit him.

I don't think that Manchester United benefits him. He would be much more appreciated in a smaller team where he could use his pace to counterattack. He can also cross the ball, but we are playing on the gound and don't have any presence in the box either. He is a bit pointless for us.
 
I thought starting James was a mistake and then to me when Ole made his subs I felt he should have left Mata on and brought Rashford and James off, leaving Bruno and Mata where they were with Pogba going to the left.

I also thought he waited too long to get Mason on, he created 2 chances immediately. The Fred and McTominay has to play to help protect Maglof, but the complete lack of passing quality through the lines from that double pivot is an issue, it creates such a disconnect between the front and back of the team.
 
I don't think that Manchester United benefits him. He would be much more appreciated in a smaller team where he could use his pace to counterattack. He can also cross the ball, but we are playing on the gound and don't have any presence in the box either. He is a bit pointless for us.
Agree. It was too big a move for him. He would have benefited more going to Leeds last season. Had a full season with them and get promoted with them.
 
Ole got the selection wrong. I understand Pogba not starting weeks ago due to fitness but he's clearly fit now. Should be starting.
James belongs in the reserves at best. Simply not good enough to be starting a games against any PL side let alone Chelsea. Greenwood would have been the more logical selection.
Mata is still past it. Yeah, he can have a good game every now and again but he should not be a regular. I understand him starting today because Martial is suspended but I think we'd have been better off starting Telles on the LW with Greenwood on the RW and Rashford up the middle. Or better yet, play with two strikers from the get go.
No Donny is weird. It's like Fred all over again.
AWB was inconsistent. Fred and McTominay were average.
Lindelof played well. Maguire lucky not to get his foul called for a penalty.

Disappointing due to how well we played against PSG.
 
Bloody hell some overreaction on here, it was a draw, and I can't see what much more that could have been done! Chelsea came for a clean sheet, they didn't threaten anything be from set pieces.
This was a tricky game as Chelsea have changed the system to prior games, ok we could have maybe done more but there keeper made 2 saves the others may well have not. That's football sometimes.
This.. clean sheet was good we could have done better but DDG didn't need to save one shot. We are seriously lacking a wide player though.. Daniel James is tried and tested and the result is clear he is nowhere near good enough.. Leipzig next then we get another chance taking Arsenal to the cleaners..
 
Ole got the selection wrong. I understand Pogba not starting weeks ago due to fitness but he's clearly fit now. Should be starting.
James belongs in the reserves at best. Simply not good enough to be starting a games against any PL side let alone Chelsea. Greenwood would have been the more logical selection.
Mata is still past it. Yeah, he can have a good game every now and again but he should not be a regular. I understand him starting today because Martial is suspended but I think we'd have been better off starting Telles on the LW with Greenwood on the RW and Rashford up the middle. Or better yet, play with two strikers from the get go.
No Donny is weird. It's like Fred all over again.
AWB was inconsistent. Fred and McTominay were average.
Lindelof played well. Maguire lucky not to get his foul called for a penalty.

Disappointing due to how well we played against PSG.
He said he was rewarding players for how they performed against Newcastle, without thinking if those same players would be effective in the same way against Chelsea. Think he also presumed that Chelsea with their attacking prowess would have a go, but they didn't. Most of the goals against Newcastle didn't come until late on.
 
This.. clean sheet was good we could have done better but DDG didn't need to save one shot. We are seriously lacking a wide player though.. Daniel James is tried and tested and the result is clear he is nowhere near good enough.. Leipzig next then we get another chance taking Arsenal to the cleaners..
Haven't we found Arsenal a bit of a struggle recently. Could see another draw.
 
I think we should have won this game, but the starting line-up did us no favors.

We looked the better team.
 
Chelsea were set up defensively and played well. They were always going to be hard to break down. Erring on the side of caution and protecting our defence was the right move after recent weeks too. Bringing Pogba and Cavani on didn't help but it was the right idea so i cant blame anyone too much really or be too annoyed about the result. It was a pretty terrible match and I wasn't in a good mood after but that was more due to how dull it was than the result.
Agree with most that Mata was one of the better players.
 
Think we got the team wrong in hind sight but understand why we set up as we did. Missed Tony M tonight but we did ok 1point vs Chelsea not too bad but think the game was there to be won. Continues the momentum. We are a good team we can’t lose sight of that
 
Chelsea were set up defensively and played well. They were always going to be hard to break down. Erring on the side of caution and protecting our defence was the right move after recent weeks too. Bringing Pogba and Cavani on didn't help but it was the right idea so i cant blame anyone too much really or be too annoyed about the result. It was a pretty terrible match and I wasn't in a good mood after but that was more due to how dull it was than the result.
Agree with most that Mata was one of the better players.

Yeah.

I think playing James was an error though.

I mean he was ok against Newcastle but Chelsea is a different thing and we have better options... Pogba, Cavani, Greenwood, Van de Beek, Telles. James hasn't played really well for us for about a year so it just feels wrong to pick him and it showed unfortunately.
 
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Ole got the selection wrong. I understand Pogba not starting weeks ago due to fitness but he's clearly fit now. Should be starting.
James belongs in the reserves at best. Simply not good enough to be starting a games against any PL side let alone Chelsea. Greenwood would have been the more logical selection.
Mata is still past it. Yeah, he can have a good game every now and again but he should not be a regular. I understand him starting today because Martial is suspended but I think we'd have been better off starting Telles on the LW with Greenwood on the RW and Rashford up the middle. Or better yet, play with two strikers from the get go.
No Donny is weird. It's like Fred all over again.
AWB was inconsistent. Fred and McTominay were average.
Lindelof played well. Maguire lucky not to get his foul called for a penalty.

Disappointing due to how well we played against PSG.

James was the only mistake from the starting XI really... Greenwood or whoever would have offered us another threat as opposed to nothing at. Mata justified his start by playing fairly well and pretty much all our good stuff came through the combination of him and Bruno.

Also if you consider our last two home games were effectively lost in the first half, it sort of makes sense to start with a solid base and then win the game from there... Which we could have done if we got our changes in the second half right, but we didn't.
 
Was surprised to see both James and Mata starting, James I think needs a loan, as the pressure of playing for Manchester United seems to much for him. Mata I always feel is an ideal player against a team playing a low block, not a game like today.
Ideal game for Telles, with Shaw as the LCB, as Reece James is one of Chelsea's best attacking outlets, so Shaw and Telles on the left would have nullified any threat. Would have needed only one of Fred or McTominay with playing three at the back, in midfield, VDB would have started for me.
 
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James was the only mistake from the starting XI really... Greenwood or whoever would have offered us another threat as opposed to nothing at. Mata justified his start by playing fairly well and pretty much all our good stuff came through the combination of him and Bruno.

Also if you consider our last two home games were effectively lost in the first half, it sort of makes sense to start with a solid base and then win the game from there... Which we could have done if we got our changes in the second half right, but we didn't.

It think it was probably a worthwhile experiment re Pogba even if it didn't work out. We'll probably be feeling out a first team for a couple of months before we know how to make best use of VDB, Pogba and a couple others.
 
Cavani couldn't wait to a have a hearty chat with T Silva outside the field. Lindelof had to fist pump every Chelsea players, from goalkeeper to their bench players.

And the Manager looked like meeting his idol when he saw Lampard.

This against a side that humiliated them in SF last season. Impressive fighting mentality.
I am generally not in favour of this but sadly it's the way of the world nowadays. It's not just United players, it's widespread. Sadly gone are the days of Keane and viera bristling in the tunnel looking forward to breaking each other on the pitch. The game has changed.
 
Except James Ole didn't get the selection wrong. It was a very though game with heavy rain and putting Fred and Mctominay (who both put in a shift) in the middle was a good move and putting Pogba as an impact sub was great move as well. Bruno as influential as always.
 
All these comments about how there keeper saved the day, please do not forget that we are very lucky to be at 0-0 as Maguire should have conceded a penalty.
It was a terrible game of football. Much worse than the 0-0 draw against Fulham under Moyes.
 
It think it was probably a worthwhile experiment re Pogba even if it didn't work out. We'll probably be feeling out a first team for a couple of months before we know how to make best use of VDB, Pogba and a couple others.

Pogba was fine, just should have come on for a midfielder... I know he wanted to keep the solid base, but it was worth the risk. Would have helped us keep shape.

Greenwood probably should have come on before Cavani too, who didn't really offer much outside that initial chance then the one at the end. You'd hope with 30 minutes Mason would bring more.
 
Ole still needs to find best combo in midfield to play alongside Bruno. I wouldn't mind seeing VDB play midweek and let Bruno get his feet up.

That has to be the smart management.
Otherwise Van Beek will really question why he's here.

If he's not getting near it even with Pogba, Martial and Greenwood not starting, you do start to wonder what the plan was.
 
All these comments about how there keeper saved the day, please do not forget that we are very lucky to be at 0-0 as Maguire should have conceded a penalty.
It was a terrible game of football. Much worse than the 0-0 draw against Fulham under Moyes.

The Maguire decision is one they tend to ignore if the ref on the pitch gives nothing. I definitely agree it should have been a penalty, but I wasn't surprised they chose not to give it in the VAR room. Rashford could have had a penalty too, although admittedly his claim was weaker.

The game was tough to watch, but the approach almost paid off at the end but for their goalkeeper. Really frustating watching us drop all these points though with City and Liverpool stuttering all over the place. :mad:
 
All these comments about how there keeper saved the day, please do not forget that we are very lucky to be at 0-0 as Maguire should have conceded a penalty.
It was a terrible game of football. Much worse than the 0-0 draw against Fulham under Moyes.

Surely you've seen that meme of Moyes celebrating what appears on the screen to be an equaliser against Fulham a million times to remember that was a 2-2 not 0-0?
(It was actually going 2-1 up)
 
Not the most entertaining match we've played to be honest. I'll take the point.
 
Well that was boring match.

The game showed the ambitions of the two managers, hoping for a top 4 finish and a cup win.
On the bounce of two wins, one against PSG which I didn't give us a chance of getting anything out of , the players confidence should have been on a high, so it makes no sense why we didn't go for it especially at OT.

I don't get what Ole has seen that everyone as missed when it comes to James. I remember him saying after the Newcastle game that James and Mata had taken their chance, which I , in regards to James, thought he was taking the piss. James has no awareness of whats around him when with the ball and offers nothing . Mata at his age will give you a few good games in the season so has to be used sparingly, he should have been on the bench, whilst James should not have made the team.
 
Giggsy recommended James and speaks highly of him. May be another player we’ve spoiled. DVB must be proper pissed off with watching most of the games. Started slow as usual and lacked ideas. Weather didn’t help. Chelsea’s crowded Bruno and roughed up Rashford whenever they could. Poor game.
 
Not the worst result. And not bad getting a clean sheet. I don't fault the midfield selection, and Lindelof and Maguire did well, especially the former. Thought Shaw did well tonight, in and out of possession.

Fred was a bit leggy I thought, many misplaced passes, and he does indeed take quite a few touches when he doesn't need to. But what he offers defensively and in terms of energy is plenty, in these type of games. McTominay looks like he's going from strength to strength.

I sympathise to a degree with Ole selecting James. He's done pretty terribly in recent matches, and he's not one for deep defenses, but even though Chelsea pushed up, he was up against Reece James and Azpilicueta, and had no chance. Nothing came off for him. To play against more positive sides he will have to add quite a few things to his game, not least better decision making (quite selfish without good reason). I think he was in the team tonight as an Ighalo-type placeholder. Greenwood not quite fit enough yet, and neither was Cavani. And Ole clearly favoured this formation despite having limited options on the wings.

He's protecting Tuanzebe and not rushing Cavani nor Greenwood. To me, that's good management. I would have liked to have seen VdB in there though.

It was an OK result and both teams looked stifled.
 
Ole at the wheel ended up parking the bus. Maguire should have costed us the game, lindelof was MODM, James was crap. VDB had probably killed Ole's cat
 
Groundhog Day.

Supporting United is largely a joyless existence.

We should have put Chelsea to the sword today but paid the price for a cowardly team selection.

A good manager would have this team challenging for the title this season.
 
Oles biggest failure has been an inability to rotate the squad. Everytime we win a game he tries to keep the same starting 11 until they're broken.

He won't improve on top 3 finishes with that attitude he shows. Our squad is better now so its not as though he cant rotate. He just doesn't have the guts to.
 

Player Ratings

6.0 Total Average Rating

Highest Rated Player

Lowest Rated Player

Compiled from 286 ratings.

Score Predictions

204,34,45
  • Man Utd win
  • Chelsea win
  • Draw

Detailed Results

  • 25% Man Utd 2:1 Chelsea
  • 18% Man Utd 3:1 Chelsea
  • 11% Man Utd 2:0 Chelsea
  • 8% Man Utd 1:1 Chelsea
  • 7% Man Utd 2:2 Chelsea
  • 6% Man Utd 3:2 Chelsea
  • 5% Man Utd 1:2 Chelsea
  • 5% Man Utd 3:0 Chelsea
  • 4% Man Utd 1:0 Chelsea
  • 3% Man Utd 1:3 Chelsea
  • 2% Man Utd 0:2 Chelsea
  • 2% Man Utd 4:1 Chelsea
  • 1% Man Utd 4:2 Chelsea
  • 1% Man Utd 0:5 Chelsea
  • 1% Man Utd 0:0 Chelsea
  • 0% Man Utd 2:3 Chelsea
  • 0% Man Utd 5:0 Chelsea
  • 0% Man Utd 0:3 Chelsea
  • 0% Man Utd 0:4 Chelsea
  • 0% Man Utd 3:3 Chelsea
Compiled from 283 predictions.
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Match Stats

  1. Man Utd
  2. Chelsea
Possession
50% 50%
Shots
14 6
Shots on Target
4 1
Corners
9 6
Fouls
8 6

Referee

Martin Atkinson