14 Sep 2014 19:30:05
Everyone ranting and raving about this player and that - but I think the most important element of our game today was the formation. Playing 5 at the back just hasn't been working for us (the only time we've looked half decent this season before today was the second half of the opener when we switched to 4-4-2). With any luck LVG will stick with playing 4-4-2 in the future.

It was great to see Rafael back (he's infinitely better than Valencia, IMO) and Di Maria was fantastic. Evans was a little worrying again - but I think when we have a fully fit squad our first choice back four will be Rafael, Jones, Rojo and Shaw - so that's not a long term issue. I still think we're lacking decisiveness and creativity in the final third - but that will come with time. Fair play to Mata too - as I think most pundits had him down as being surplus to requirements after we signed Falcao.

It would have been nice to see Falcao get a goal and was interesting to see him dropping so deep to get on the ball in the twenty five minutes he was on the pitch. I think he'll be a fantastic signing and expect him to score plenty of goals this season.

Roll on Leicester. Hopefully we can get another convincing victory and ride the momentum into the West Ham and Everton Games.

1.) 14 Sep 2014
Red, I'm not entirely Sue what formation we were playing. Ok, 4 at the back but as for the rest? Mata was often furthest forward, Blind seemed comfortable going up and down, it seemed really fluid. Much more pace and urgency and pressing much higher up the pitch.

2.) 14 Sep 2014
Couldn't agree more R7. So much better on the ball today, Rooney coming deep didn't matter and actually created space for our pacier players to move into, it worked well.

Evans looked lost, his passes were a yard short almost every time, Blackett looked very composed, Rojo & Rafael were exactly what we were missing and Herrera added the BBM aspect we needed.

Only disappointments on a good showing were RVP & Evans.

3.) 14 Sep 2014
AJH - If I had to give the formation a name it would have been a 4-4-2 diamond or a 4-1-2-1-2. I agree that ultimately it's inconsequential. What does matter, I think, is that we stick with playing 4 at the back.

4.) 14 Sep 2014
It was really good to see Raphael back actually.

5.) 15 Sep 2014
It was very similar to england the other week with the 2 strikers splitting and the acm, mata/sterling making it a 3 up top.
It worked for england it worked for us, very fluid