[Ban]

For those of you who are interested, here is the tunnel cam inside MCFC.
We see the players arriving for duty, going out to the start the match, returning at half time (2-0), going back out for the 2nd half, then returning at full time.
What's itneresting is that their seems to be very little chatter (from both teams' players). Most of the players seem to be walking in single file.

Love how Lingard shoots the ball in anger at HT. And they cut it just before our players come in at FT.

 

[redmanx]

Smalling, Pogba, and Sanchez were the most criticized players before HT.

All of them were incredible during the 2nd half.

Sanchez is class and will come good, Pogba too, if he puts his mind to it, but Smalling is a liability and needs to be moved out, he's never been consistent, except for consistently inconsistent.

 

[Denis' cuff]

Interesting look at the game. Still forumalting my own thoughts on it. Keen to listen to this week's Botham line as Danny Higginbotham tends to offer good chat on tactics.

Cheers for that, pal. A bit weird being brought up listening to BBC and Sky but all the more refreshing for that. No Abu narratives from the usual culprits, just objective observations. Whoever thought we’d be tuning in to US analysis of our game because the uk versions were incapable of it.

 

[redmanx]

The euphoria of this game !! The euphoria of this fecking game !! Holy shite !!!

I'll be buzzing for weeks !!

This was like the great days under SAF! Ive been ready to knock certain players commitment to the cause but in the second half they all showed that they have the character to be United players; why cant they always do that?

 

[redmanx]

You realise those microphones have a cough/mute button where the supposed "impartial" commentator screams his head off? You seriously think Gary Neville didnt go mental when Smalling netted the winner? If he's sounding lackluster, its probably because he cant come across like he's the happiest man in the stadium.

Gary Neville is red to the core, it must be so tough to have to keep quiet on air in games like this when all he really wants to do is scream his love for Manchester United! lol.

 

[Brightonian]

Love this.

***information from the mothership, broodsister***
***share it, Shewiththefarreachingtentacles***
***the object of the human sport is to place the sphere into the far-away netframe, not the close-by netframe as we thought***
***then I must correct our course, broodsister. It should take about 120 of their Earth seconds***
***we must continue to disguise our presence, sister: I will direct one of our spherenettings via the flesh of a human. Perhaps the one named MikeorChris, who has a lot of flesh***

 

[Ramshock]

Ta for posting. Great how he points up the contribution of Lingard, Sanchez and Smalling.

Thats what I thought too.

 

[Walters_19_MuFc]

Was just watching the highlights again.

Shortly after Pogba fouled Otamendi, did anyone see Delph shouting across to, what seemed to be to our bench, "f**king speak to him!", which I guess was referrring to Pogba?

What a cheeky cnut he is! Really despise him.

@GifLord could you get a clip of this, please? It would have been in the 81st minute.

Cheers.

EDIT:

Nevermind. Found it.

 

[el3mel]

 

[Ramshock]

Kevin Palmer from the Sunday World gave Sanchez a rating of 5 vs City. Three assists and he gets a 5.

 

[Walters_19_MuFc]

Kevin Palmer from the Sunday World gave Sanchez a rating of 5 vs City. Three assists and he gets a 5.

2 assists. Nevertheless, 5 is ridiculous.

 

[Ramshock]

2 assists. Nevertheless, 5 is ridiculous.

Oh yeah Herrera.

 

[breakout67]

***information from the mothership, broodsister***
***share it, Shewiththefarreachingtentacles***
***the object of the human sport is to place the sphere into the far-away netframe, not the close-by netframe as we thought***
***then I must correct our course, broodsister. It should take about 120 of their Earth seconds***
***we must continue to disguise our presence, sister: I will direct one of our spherenettings via the flesh of a human. Perhaps the one named MikeorChris, who has a lot of flesh***

What the feck did I just read?

 

[#07]

 

[Vilev]

Well, even with Tevez,Ronaldo and Rooney we won quite a number 1-0 IIRC

We scored 80+ goals in Prem, comfortably over 2 goals a game, as you can count. Now there was only one "bad" season in terms of scoring, the last Ronaldo one. Basically both him and Tevez were almost out of the team, Berbatov disrupted our attacking settings, so yeah, when we topped Benitez's Liverpool we did it mostly on the back of defence. Overall that was a good season, PL title and CL final as well, but that was almost the only one under Fergie where we were not spectacular in attack.

 

[Vilev]

I saw no change in how we defended in the 20 minutes you claim we were on top to the next 10 or so after.

The change was huge in 50-70 period we intercepted ball in the middle of the pitch many times, we actually had possession in their half, our CBs were some yards from the box when we started to defend.
After we went 2-3 our CBs were almost box-bounded, even when City had the ball on their half they did not push forward, essentially moving the whole team back. Pogba and Ander dropped to the 10-yards before the box are, near central circle only forwards sometimes mounted any sort of pressure.
The difference in settings are huge.

It's absolutely not luck, look at Sterling's poor finishing against De Gea when we beat Liverpool 3-0 under LVG.

The fact that you could not even name a game from this year and in fact had to go what, 3 years back is enough proof that it was luck indeed.
In both these instances, then and here.

You'd have us believe it was entirely coincidence.

Of course. Coincidences happen, esp in 3 years span. If Sterling would miss this kind of sitters every second weekend, that would not be a coincidence, he would not have 16 goals either.

You also can't say that a player who missed the target was unlucky not to score and 'beat the keeper', well if he'd put it too close to the keeper it would have been saved too. It's all part of the game

You can, when it's like that Gundogan strike in the 2nd half, keeper way beaten and the ball is literally couple of inches wide. No player can control these inches, so it's down to luck. And luck is a part of the game.

 

[Akshay]

The fact that you could not even name a game from this year and in fact had to go what, 3 years back is enough proof that it was luck indeed.
In both these instances, then and here.
Of course. Coincidences happen, esp in 3 years span. If Sterling would miss this kind of sitters every second weekend, that would not be a coincidence, he would not have 16 goals either.
You can, when it's like that Gundogan strike in the 2nd half, keeper way beaten and the ball is literally couple of inches wide. No player can control these inches, so it's down to luck. And luck is a part of the game.

This is starting to get a bit ridiculous. You want to claim that finishing ability in a given game is entirely down to luck, but not other aspects of performance. Do you care to explain that? So passing, defending, positioning, tackling, all of these things aren't down to luck but the ability to miss chance after chance in a given game, that's definitely luck and not just part of a poor performance? How does that make any sense?

 

[Fluctuation0161]

Noticed they didn't show the United players come back after Full Time.

I noticed that. Bitters.

 

[Skåre Willoch]

Still buzzing.

 

[VancouverUtdFan]

 

[breakout67]

Messi Lingard

 

[redflair]

I think Lukaku's had an excellent first season with us and I've got no complaints about his goalscoring exploits or his ability to assist others.

But boy in this game, and a few others, the lack of intensity is startling - and I think it's a part of his game where he can massively improve.

The lackadaisical, lacklustre start in these kind if games is simply not acceptable. Yo've got to be right up for these games and show that you mean business.

Of course, some of you will say, it's the rest of the team's fault for not feeding him, being too far away, giving him high balls, but that's no excuse for simple wastefulness.

No need to defend him, please (from his supporters) as I know he's had a good season. I recognise that. But I'd like to see some better hold-up play from him, particuarly in big games, in the future.

 

[Eli Zee]

The change was huge in 50-70 period we intercepted ball in the middle of the pitch many times, we actually had possession in their half, our CBs were some yards from the box when we started to defend.
After we went 2-3 our CBs were almost box-bounded, even when City had the ball on their half they did not push forward, essentially moving the whole team back. Pogba and Ander dropped to the 10-yards before the box are, near central circle only forwards sometimes mounted any sort of pressure.
The difference in settings are huge.
The fact that you could not even name a game from this year and in fact had to go what, 3 years back is enough proof that it was luck indeed.
In both these instances, then and here.
Of course. Coincidences happen, esp in 3 years span. If Sterling would miss this kind of sitters every second weekend, that would not be a coincidence, he would not have 16 goals either.
You can, when it's like that Gundogan strike in the 2nd half, keeper way beaten and the ball is literally couple of inches wide. No player can control these inches, so it's down to luck. And luck is a part of the game.

Players literally control where they shoot the ball. It’s not luck. The players accuracy wasn’t good enough. That’s it. Close but no cigar.


It’s luck when it takes an odd deflection or when a player closes his eyes and kicks, hoping for the best (does that ever really happen?).

 

[el3mel]

I think Lukaku's had an excellent first season with us and I've got no complaints about his goalscoring exploits or his ability to assist others.

But boy in this game, and a few others, the lack of intensity is startling - and I think it's a part of his game where he can massively improve.

The lackadaisical, lacklustre start in these kind if games is simply not acceptable. Yo've got to be right up for these games and show that you mean business.

Of course, some of you will say, it's the rest of the team's fault for not feeding him, being too far away, giving him high balls, but that's no excuse for simple wastefulness.

No need to defend him, please (from his supporters) as I know he's had a good season. I recognise that. But I'd like to see some better hold-up play from him, particuarly in big games, in the future.

He was ill.

Explains why he was a bit off his game against City.

 

[El Zoido]

If he was so I’ll, why not start Rashford up top? He scored the winner there the season before last and he’s a big game player.

 

[ravelston]

We scored 80+ goals in Prem, comfortably over 2 goals a game, as you can count. Now there was only one "bad" season in terms of scoring, the last Ronaldo one. Basically both him and Tevez were almost out of the team, Berbatov disrupted our attacking settings, so yeah, when we topped Benitez's Liverpool we did it mostly on the back of defence. Overall that was a good season, PL title and CL final as well, but that was almost the only one under Fergie where we were not spectacular in attack.

We scored more than 80 goals in 6 of SAF's 21 Prem seasons. Less than 2 goals a game in 10 of them and less than 70 goals 4 times. 99-00 was the first time we scored more than 80 goals and we only did it once more before 06-07. 63 in 32 games puts the current team on track to be right in the middle of the pack when compared to SAF's teams.

 

[MuranoLover]

Illness explains what happened , I thought there is some problem because it was written on his face that he does not feel OK

 

[Swift Football]

I think Lukaku's had an excellent first season with us and I've got no complaints about his goalscoring exploits or his ability to assist others.

But boy in this game, and a few others, the lack of intensity is startling - and I think it's a part of his game where he can massively improve.

The lackadaisical, lacklustre start in these kind if games is simply not acceptable. Yo've got to be right up for these games and show that you mean business.

Of course, some of you will say, it's the rest of the team's fault for not feeding him, being too far away, giving him high balls, but that's no excuse for simple wastefulness.

No need to defend him, please (from his supporters) as I know he's had a good season. I recognise that. But I'd like to see some better hold-up play from him, particuarly in big games, in the future.

He was quite poor indeed. No doubt he needs to improve some aspects of his game.

If he was so I’ll, why not start Rashford up top? He scored the winner there the season before last and he’s a big game player.

Maybe because Ill Lukaku >> fit Rashford.

 

[redflair]

He was ill.

Ok, fair enough. But I bet there's a decent amount of the Caf a bit under the weather at the moment, but still no excuse.

Either the manager's fault or his. Put us totally on the back foot from the outset. Took us for mugs, really.

 

[cyril C]

I don't know why people keep saying they should have been 5 up. All the chances they missed were to score their 3rd. They never even had one single attempt at scoring a fourth goal, let alone a fifth.

Sterling missed 2 chances in 1st half. Then there was a Gundogan shot hit the top left corner right before our 1st goal. But otherwise yes, the argument should not be on whether City should have scored 5 goals or not, it should be on why City conceded 3 goals (or 2 goals within 2 min). 2 games in a row.

 

[Lawman]

Ok, fair enough. But I bet there's a decent amount of the Caf a bit under the weather at the moment, but still no excuse.

Either the manager's fault or his. Put us totally on the back foot from the outset. Took us for mugs, really.

Or put himself forward for the cause where others take the easy option.

 

[Akshay]

Ok, fair enough. But I bet there's a decent amount of the Caf a bit under the weather at the moment, but still no excuse.

Either the manager's fault or his. Put us totally on the back foot from the outset. Took us for mugs, really.

Is this serious? There's obviously a difference between being under the weather in a regular job and being so sick you're throwing up after the game as a professional athlete.

Lukaku's game is very different to Rashford's. Just because they can both play as striker doesn't mean you can substitute one for another with no major tactical changes required. Sometimes you just have to suck it up, to feel compelled to assign blame to someone or the other is rather odd.

 

[redflair]

Is this serious? There's obviously a difference between being under the weather in a regular job and being so sick you're throwing up after the game as a professional athlete.

Lukaku's game is very different to Rashford's. Just because they can both play as striker doesn't mean you can substitute one for another with no major tactical changes required. Sometimes you just have to suck it up, to feel compelled to assign blame to someone or the other is rather odd.

Yes, it's serious. Just my view on a striker that simply shouldn't have been on the pitch in the first half. But each to their own, and I respect people who take a different view.

 

[redflair]

Or put himself forward for the cause where others take the easy option.

Doesn't need to really put himself forward for the cause, he's the manager's automatic pick right now, come rain, shine or sickness.