[Baxter]

We were pretty dire in the 1st half though but getting something out of that game away from home was good

I almost agree, first half we didn't created enough but yeah we kept possesion very well and we were in total control. In second half we had 3-4 really good chances and we should win it.

Yeah the first half was pretty shite but we were still the better side. I can't help but think and I don't really like repeating it, that if we had a more mobile and physical striker than Rooney we would create more. He just seems very easy to defend againsy.

 

[Tyrion]

One thing I've noticed in our games which I can't understand is the gap between the front 3 and the back 7. If you're playing possession football you need to have combinations and play quick, sharp passes to move the ball forward and have off the ball movement to create space. Our team is stretched too far and our midfielders often have no choice but to pass it sideways or backwards as they have no options. Whenever we move it forward our forwards move away from the ball. This is why we end up pumping the ball up to Fellaini and Rooney has barely got a touch of the ball in some games (though he's been rubbish when he has got it).

We need to get our forward players dropping deep and our midfielders moving into the space they create. Move their defence around and pass the ball through them. Currently it's as if we're having the midfield and defence playing keep ball and waiting for the opposition to give us a chance as opposed to creating one.

Tl;dr We're boring as hell.

 

[Sunny Jim]

Not quite! we got one

Haha, true

 

[Devil may care]

First half was poor, second half was better, I thought LvG made the right substitutions and we deserved a point and could have nicked the 3 near the end. Overall not good to watch but ugly away nights in the CL in a place like Russia are part and parcel of things, we've been here before under Fergie.

 

[tom33]

Relatively happy with the point, but they were bog ordinary. From an attacking point of view, we were utterly clueless for the first hour or so. I don't understand why Rojo didn't push on and make it more difficult for them to double team Martial.

 

[The Man Himself]

Bad goal to concede and bit unfortunate after penalty was saved. Dire first half performance, lot better and decisive in 2nd half. It is obvious that to start getting long runs of victories and comfortable victories, we have some way to go. Pleased with how Martial is always in thick of things during a game. This time unfortunately negatively early on for their goal, but made amends.

 

[Inigo Montoya]

One thing I've noticed in our games which I can't understand is the gap between the front 3 and the back 7. If you're playing possession football you need to have combinations and play quick, sharp passes to move the ball forward and have off the ball movement to create space. Our team is stretched too far and our midfielders often have no choice but to pass it sideways or backwards as they have no options. Whenever we move it forward our forwards move away from the ball. This is why we end up pumping the ball up to Fellaini and Rooney has barely got a touch of the ball in some games (though he's been rubbish when he has got it).

We need to get our forward players dropping deep and our midfielders moving into the space they create. Move their defence around and pass the ball through them. Currently it's as if we're having the midfield and defence playing keep ball and waiting for the opposition to give us a chance as opposed to creating one.

Tl;dr We're boring as hell.

Maybe that's the biggest problem

 

[LARulz]

Will take a point but that performance was shocking. Also 20 seconds left on the clock, we're on the break and then Valencia stops and passes it back instead of whipping the ball in. That's why I get so frustrated with the way we currently play most of the time

 

[Angelinho]

Same old story under LVG's tenure: lots of slow aimless possession, very few chances to show for it., yet manage to achieve the minimum required.

 

[MrJames]

So much pessimism on here. A point away in Europe has always been a good result. First half we looked comfortable before the goal, but then they sat back and could counter. Team didn't give up and got back into it.
And Owen Hargreaves is an utter tosspot.

 

[711]

I don't know why Schweinsteiger was subbed, hopefully it was tactical and LVG has worked out we are so much better without him. Yeah, he knows his positions and he passes well, but then he stands still. Almost every time, he stands still.
I don't care how big a name he is there should be no room for anyone that passes and stands still, and the performance showed that.

 

[Gandalf Greyhame]

One team from Manchester plays like shit in Europe, the other has exciting attacking players who score injury time winners.
How the roles have reversed.

 

[Tyrion]

Maybe that's the biggest problem

I'm not counting the goalkeeper. Them staying in position makes sense.

 

[Jazz]

Our aim is to get out of the group. A point will do for the moment. Obviously would have preferred the win - but no complaints. Live to fight another day and now on to the next game at the weekend. Sometimes you just have to be practical.

 

[Jazz]

So much pessimism on here. A point away in Europe has always been a good result. First half we looked comfortable before the goal, but then they sat back and could counter. Team didn't give up and got back into it.
And Owen Hargreaves is an utter tosspot.

This.

 

[Snow]

We lack attacking options. Lingard is starting and it isn't really surprising anyone. I do wonder if Rooney will ever get dropped. If Depay would find some form it would probably do it but the fact is that Rooney isn't really facing any competition due to shortage of players in the front 4 positions. I'd rather have seen Rooney and Martial in switched positions. Rooney offers nothing centrally and it's fine that his energy goes "to waste" chasing full backs down the left flank.

I prefer Blind to Jones.

Valencia is still an alright option to have.

De Gea is still great.

Martial is still an exceptional talent. His close control is probably one of the best in the league. He's always surprising me.

 

[Shimo]

CSKA were rubbish and we accommodated them to no end. We upped the pace and we scored, we slowed not too to long after and looked toothless once again.

I know we are in a new era but, goodness sake wish we'd show a bit more of the United people used to know, the ones that went for the win till the very last second.

Annoyed as heck because after we scored, we really could have got at them and just didn't.

 

[Aussie_Red_Devil]

Was gettibg drunk at a bar with some fellow Aussies we met here in Greece so i wasn't really taking much notice. Though i did fall over when Martial scored but othet then that the game seemed boring and didn't really catch my attention.

But can't complain to much about getting s point away in Moscow

 

[Paul the Wolf]

Poor first half, better second half, decent result in the end. Win our two home games and we will be through.
Valencia Martial Schneiderlin best of the bunch

 

[Jazz]

On a positive note - what a header from Martial
And Phil Jones was not bad at all - much to my surprise he looks like he's improving!

 

[Man of Steel]

That's a new one

Haha. I nearly typed 'spunk coaxed out of them'

 

[Moriarty]

Quick question for the Irish lads. Is Paul Doyle, who writes for the Irish Times and the Guardian, a Liverpool fan? If he isn't he comes across as a bit of an ABU.

 

[Siorac]

Quick question for the Irish lads. Is Paul Doyle, who writes for the Irish Times and the Guardian, a Liverpool fan? If he isn't he comes across as a bit of an ABU.

I think he's a Chelsea fan but I'm not sure. He's a tosspot though, always has been.

 

[YouOnlyLiveTwice]

They should have had a penalty before our goal so i would consider us Lucky getting a Draw today, away match in Russia is never easy.

 

[DomesticTadpole]

Liam from Widness has just rung MUTV to say that we should be passing to Rooney more. Christ.

 

[Moriarty]

I think he's a Chelsea fan but I'm not sure. He's a tosspot though, always has been.

He made some sly comments tonight. When Blind came on, he wrote "to gales of Muscovite laughter". Then Martial scored so I mailed him "are those Muscovites still laughing now you effing bellend?" Didn't get published though.

 

[Moriarty]

Liam from Widness has just rung MUTV to say that we should be passing to Rooney more. Christ.

Are you sure he didn't say bypassing Rooney more?

 

[Siorac]

He made some sly comments tonight. When Blind came on, he wrote "to gales of Muscovite laughter". Then Martial scored so I mailed him "are those Muscovites still laughing now you effing bellend?" Didn't get published though.

Did you really expect them to publish that?

 

[Amethyst]

Liam from Widness has just rung MUTV to say that we should be passing to Rooney more. Christ.

Obviously not a fan of our possession style then.

 

[RoyoftheRavers]

Decent point. Could've won it and probably should've won it - there was a period in the second half where we were fairly dominant but didn't made it count for two goals.

They were very lucky to score their goal because Martial was foolish to have his hand there initially and De Gea almost got the saved penalty out of the danger zone. Moscow is always a tough place to go so I wouldn't worry too much about the intensity going forward at times tonight. Sunday is where we want to see the intensity.

 

[Trizy]

Boring as feck.

 

[JackXX]

Tricky away fixture and a decent result in the end. Unfortunate we gave away the pen. Other than that we were in total control.

 

[Oo0AahCantona]

Its a shame, because i get how we are trying to play and the reasons for that, but we lack the players to really make it happen. we're trying to control the tempo of games like Barca/bayern/spain but to do it well, every player in your team needs to be adept at quick close quarter passing, with an abundance of penetration in the final third. it feels like half the players we put out on a weekly basis dont really have it in their skillset, although still being decent players.

 

[DomesticTadpole]

Are you sure he didn't say bypassing Rooney more?

No. This lad was really sticking up for Wayne. There has to come a time when that stops.

 

[caid]

Good result, terrible performance.
I haven't moaned about the possession football or tactics before tonight and i know tonight was as bad as it gets really but i'm just not a fan tbh.
I dont care how much possession we had, CSKA were the much better team in the first half.
They created chances, we didn't create shit.

I just hate watching us turn back when theres a good opportunity to break. Sure it requires a risky, difficult to pull off pass to get it rolling but if it doesn't come off we still have loads of players back to cover a lot of the time.
Just so many times a good opportunity to move the ball forward is pissed away to protect possession so we can spend 10 mins passing around the center circle before we give it to a winger hoping he beats creates a goal from nothing.

I don't know,
I think van gaal creates a good foundation for a team but im becoming increasingly skeptical that he can polish it off and turn it into something special.

 

[SalfordRed1960]

The weakness of our CBs was very evident today. They really do not have a clue when they have the ball at their feet. Poor Mike, when ever he crossed the half way line he panicked and ended up making stupid passes. Jones thinks he is Scholes, but largely just gives the ball back to the opposition.

I know people are bashing Rooney again, but it is hard to defend him, absolutely shite, and that is being positive.

CSKA let us have the ball and we had nobody willing to move in the first half, Martial just hogged the sideline and was very poor first half. Rooney stood holding hands with who ever got near him, Lingard did lots of running, bu this positional play was poor. Herrera with no one to pass to just kept giving the ball away.

No guarantee we will get a win at OT against these as the players can't think for themselves. That is why the result is so shit.

 

[SqueakyWeasel]

LvG seems to be obsessed with himself and his fecking ego rather than playing exciting attacking football. Why buy creative imaginative players and then tell them they must play in straight-jackets leading to slow possession football at the cost of penetration.

How anyone thinks this is setting things up for any future manager is beyond me? I watched him do it at Bayern and he was cast out and then everyone said Jupp reaped the benefits but that's just crap!

He seems to be obsessed with second guessing opposing managers by playing his best players out of position as if that will trouble them more than playing people where they are most efficient. He never plays the same squad or formation twice in a row even if it's available and was successful last time out – he's cutting off his (busted) nose to spite his face.

SAF played his best team every match whenever he could. We ALL knew who the players on the team sheet would be week-in week-out … including the opposing manager but that doesn't matter if you want the team to take the credit not the manager.

Those talented players were set up predictably but were allowed to express themselves unpredictably on the pitch because, after all, that is why they were purchased in the first place. Added to that, with a consistent set-up anyone could easily see if any particular player was letting the side down or not pulling his weight (Rooney haters).

European away games were structured differently admittedly but even SAF's defensive set-ups were pretty much attacking-based.

Scholes is getting crap on this board for his punditry but I think he's hurting as much as we are and he's asking the right questions … "you have to ask is this how they are told to set up and play?"

Rio mentioned, "sheepishly" under questioning from GL, before the game that Müller had been quoted saying that LvG at Bayern frowned on creativity and punished anyone who went off song (even if they happened to score when doing so). To return back to my first sentence LvG smacks of a man obsessed with himself and his own ego … the ability to take the plaudits for turning this mess around is patently more important to him that actually turning it around!

 

[MrSingh2002]

I definately wouldn't start Rooney against City. Not after that shite 10 games into the season.

 

[Hed Zitin]

Boring football, but a point away from home is the standard CL way to get through the group.

Valencia was great.

 

[Rich_H_1989]

Well firstly let's pick up on the positives because there were some for sure.

Positives:

There were a couple of good performances tonight! Martial looked a threat and kept going despite being doubled up on. Lingard looked lively as well and Herrera pulled the strings. Overall as well a point away in Russia is an OK result. I would like to add though that actually this is a pretty average CSKA side so on the balance I'd have hoped for more. Schneiderlin was another positive for me as he looked good on the ball and dominated midfield! He snuffed out a number of attacks and I thought was key in us controlling the game.

Negatives:

It was another pretty dull attacking performance. It was the same sequence on bloody repeat with very little variation. There was such a lack of movement at times and that wasn't helped by Rooney. Which brings me to another huge negative... Rooney once again was carried. Never looked a threat, never looked to get in behind really yet can't be trusted to play the ball to him for him then to play others in. Plus his continued inclusion means marital ends up out wide where he's not getting as many opportunities. I know he's captain so LVG won't drop him but that shouldn't mean we as fans have to accept that.

The substitutions were so negative tonight and once again LVG gets away with it because we got a decent result. Neither really had an affect on the game though to be fair Rojo needed to go off as he was terrible. But chasing a game those aren't the changes you make and LVG needs to be criticised for that.

The defense didn't convince but then with Jones and Rojo that's hardly surprising is it? Jones did OK but you know he's got a mistake in him and his distribution is awful. And as a result of playing Jones you then end up moving Smalling to the left where he doesn't look as comfortable in possession which was previously a positive of our game.