15 Sep 2016 20:10:56
What have we learnt from tonight's game? Not to play the fringe players, as no one will buy them.

I was looking forward to this game tonight. A chance to see some of the squad players and if they want to break into the first team, but i have to say I am shocked. I really wanted Memphis, Schneiderlin and Darmian to state a claim, but they just don't have it. They are either to eager, on the verge of desperate or just a noticeable drop in quality from the first team. I ain't even mentioning Rojo because he shouldn't be there.

As for Pogba, what is his role? What does 89+m buy you? Either Mourinho doesn't know or Pogba is the greatest salesman of all time?


1.) 15 Sep 2016
15 Sep 2016 21:17:08
I thought schneiderlin did his defensive duties perfectly fine today, shows why we only need one holding midfielder whether its him carrick or fellaini. He needs to work on his passing as its a bit too safe for my liking.

You could quite obviously see the quality difference in the full backs, will be good to have them back on sunday.

As for pogba it looks like he's trying too hard to impress at the minute, which is understandable given his price tag.

Once we settle on a formation and a way of playing i am sure we will get plenty of good results.


2.) 15 Sep 2016
15 Sep 2016 21:20:24
We already know we have squad players who are not good enough. Why a surprise when playing them and we get beat?

Jose has had 1 transfer window and been at the club 11 weeks or so. Yes he's been backed financially but we all know we are players short. Out of the first team last year there was only De Gea, Shaw, Martial and Rashford who'd walk into any other Prem team.

Pogba will come good. I do think he's suited better to 433 but he will adapt. And Jose not a fixed 4231 proponent having played both 433 and diamond also.

Relax its only the Europa League!


3.) 15 Sep 2016
15 Sep 2016 21:32:33
I don't agree with your first part, a lot of the players that played are first team players (or a very good case could be made) .

Rojo was a disaster and always has been, I think 99% of us can agree on that.

Pre-Season most people would have had Smalling, Darmian, Rashford, Schneiderlin in their team. Mata and Herrera as well (I wouldn't but a lot would) .

The squad is very good. The tactics, rustiness, familiarity etc are the problem, shaking LVG's negativity and Mourinho shaking off whatever mid-career crisis of confidence he is going through as well are important. Players like Valencia, Rooney, Blind, Fellaini are not exactly a major upgrade on what was out there tonight, they certainly weren't a few weeks ago anyway. It seems anybody that doesn't play we say will do better, but they don't seem to when given the chance, (Jred says this all the time) .

I think most people's first 11 would contain a good mix of the players that played on Saturday and the one that played today.

Players are not performing going forward, defensively we look ok, just midfielders not supporting, striker not having chances, wingers not getting the ball in effective areas - we have seen the same type of performance a lot, players change, performance of the team rarely does.

We look like an International team still, strangers, no trust, extra touches and above all else the mindset is to not get beat, which is Anti-Football and Anti-Utd - we used to go out to win games, where has that pedigree, that mindset gone? Nicking goals for 1-0 shouldn't be us and we can;t even do that over the past 3-4 years.


4.) 16 Sep 2016
16 Sep 2016 00:05:30
Beast, When was the last time we had a tricky fast winger terrorising defences? Giggs and Ronaldo. We have never replaced them properly.
Mane should have been main priority.


5.) 16 Sep 2016
16 Sep 2016 01:16:32
Schmid - I'll hold my hands up on Mane, never wanted him and he looks fantastic now.

In terms of recent wingers, it's a 'tricky' one because LVG didn't allow it to happen. ADM could have been effective, Martial looked great last season, I think the major problem is our central midfield not being able to support the main striker or the wingers, they always end up checking backwards because we have one man in the box and our build up play is so slow. There are zero relationships in the team, a full back and winger need to be on the same wave length, it just doesn't happen but that should come.

Martial looks just like Hazard looked before JM left, although tonight he did have a bit more to his game. That concerns me. We know JM can get good stuff from wingers, but we just look as bad as last year at the minute, nothing happening going forward, few chances created, early days, but I haven't noticed any improvement since a poor pre-season. We should be match fit now, so there should be some improvement, patterns etc, what do they do in training?

What worries me most is that the 3 in midfield tonight are the ones with energy, yet we looked more lethargic than ever. We even had pace up top and left him more isolated than Falcao and RVP combined. Europa League or not, we look very off the pace and lack ideas still.


6.) 16 Sep 2016
16 Sep 2016 02:11:46
I think Rojo should not start a game for us unless we have nobody.
Darmian is a better LB than RB.
TFM should have played RB.
Carrick needs to play this Sunday.