29 Apr 2018 23:25:25
Good evening everyone, not long since joined so I thought I'd give you my views on how I see things at the moment.

Firstly I must start by saying nothing feels better than a last minute winner! It erases the previous 90 minutes play and sends everybody home happy. I must also add that I'm delighted with the result.

Now onto the performance.

I watched Utd toil and underwhelm against a very poor WBA and if I'm brutally honest this wasn't much better.

It was another slow, last lustre affair lacking any real pace, intensity or movement.

I was ecstatic when we signed Sanchez but having watched him week in week out for the past few months I'm not sure he's the player I thought he was. Playing from the left he's often far too deep, too narrow and takes up positions which should be occupied by Pogba. Sanchez likes the ball to feet, to play quick one twos or look to play a ball over the top or in behind. The problem when we play 4-3-3 we have nobody making penetrating runs. Sanchez drops deep, takes up Pogba's space in midfield and invariably is unable to play a forward pass. All too often he only has Lukaku to aim for, he gives the ball away or is far too deep to effect the game and plays a short sideways pass.

I think Sanchez is a fantastic player but I'm yet to be convinced that he's actually improved our team. He may have stifled the development of both Martial and Rashford and blunted the effectiveness of Pogba. Time will ultimately judge how effective he is in a Utd shirt.

What's abundantly clear is we lack width and are devoid of any kind of consistent delivery from wide areas.

I'm not sure there is enough attacking intent or goals in the team for us to be able to bridge the gap with City.

Some may snigger but the only conceivable way I can see us challenging City under Jose is to improve our defence. I say this because Jose is a pragmatic and defensive coach. We are never going to play with the attaching verve of City or the thunderous intensity of Liverpool so we need to understand where we can improve. Although our defence is adequate we still have a tendency to concede sloppy goals and this must stop. I only see any title challenge under Jose coming from shut outs, clean sheets, getting in front and staying in front, clinical, efficient performances built on a solid and reliable defence churning out results most weeks 1 or 2 nill. Any title challenge under Jose will be defined more in the goals against column rather than the goals scored.


1.) 30 Apr 2018
30 Apr 2018 00:11:59
That is a great post mate. Can’t argue with any of that if lm honest. Perhaps the only thing is about Sanchez. I think we will see the best of him next year with a summer off to get fit and have a rest. True he has unbalanced the team abit but he’s a big game player and his quality will shine through. Great point about us showing up he defence and winning the league that way. Never really thought of it that way but I think you maybe right.


2.) 30 Apr 2018
30 Apr 2018 01:59:56
Excellent summary that 👍.


3.) 30 Apr 2018
30 Apr 2018 08:23:10
Totally agree with everything there mate. I’m putting down the lack luster performances in recent weeks to the season being over for us. I feel as though if we were chasing top 4 or a title our performances would be different.


4.) 30 Apr 2018
30 Apr 2018 08:36:11
Thanks guys,

Park - I hope you right about Sanchez, no doubting his quality mate. I think he needs to play higher up the pitch and when he does drop deep then we need midfield runners ahead of him. Something to work on in the summer.


5.) 30 Apr 2018
30 Apr 2018 10:22:33
Good post DL but I see it a little different we may concede a few less but last season we conceded less than the champions Chelsea and this year we are around the same conceded as city the difference in the large points gap to Chelsea last year and city this year is we have scored thirty odd goals less than these teams .
It's hard not to see city putting a large points total up next season because of the attitude lots of teams take when playing them, to surpass them I think we have to try and match them and that's going to mean winning lots of games and finding lots more goals .


6.) 30 Apr 2018
30 Apr 2018 10:28:58
Wise words DLIB-scary comparison could be that we'll end up playing football the george graham way-aaaahhhhh-get the holy water quick!


7.) 30 Apr 2018
30 Apr 2018 10:55:38
It was another game where the commentators were tearing apart the tactics. Why are the balls not passed out to Young and Valencia, even when they have acres of space? Why did we only show any urgency from the 88th minute onwards? There's something awfully wrong when tactics are picked apart.

I agree with Sanchez. Martial was excellent when he came on yesterday and was getting better and better before being dropped for Sanchez. I don't understand why he doesn't play Sanchez in a more effective role.


8.) 30 Apr 2018
30 Apr 2018 11:53:27
That's my point Slate, the way we play I just don't see us scoring that many more goals next season and certainly not getting anywhere near City.

Although our defensive record has been decent I think it's an area we can improve and if we can cut out those sloppy goals we could conceivably get those extra wins we need to bridge the gap.

I just don't see us playing attacking, expansive football under Mourinho. He's been here two seasons and we have to accept that his style is simply not going to change. I'm trying to see where we can pick up the extra points we're going to need to challenge for the title and I just don't think we'll get there by Jose playing a more expansive game and trying to outscore our opponent's.

We've conceded two sloppy goals against Huddersfield, Stoke, Watford and Leicester this season and that's not to mention goals we've conceded but managed to come from behind and win. That's 9 points we've lost and conceded 8 goals in 4 games against bang average teams. If we'd have taken those easily winnable points we'd be in a much better position to challenge City.

Like I've said I think any title win under Jose will be predominantly based around clean sheets, a formidable defence and churning out 1 or 2 nill wins every week.

This in an area I think we need to concentrate in the summer. I think we definitely need two new full backs and a commanding first choice CB. I think if Jose is going to bring us the title we need a settled first choice back 4 that plays every week and the names just rattle off the tongue. Conversely get this right and it might just help our attacking play as well.

That's just the way I see things moving forward under Jose.


9.) 30 Apr 2018
30 Apr 2018 18:16:12
Again DL your making good points and yr examples of where sloppy goals conceded have cost points I can't argue with but we failed to score against pool, Newcastle, spurs, west Bromwich, Southampton and Chelsea and it duznt matter how great the defense is there's not many points on offer if we don't score . You can get away with that most seasons but u can't when your wanting to surpass this city team they win relentlessly .
I totally agree being more expansive isn't Jose's preferred way but city are taking that choice out of his hands if we want to beat them to the title and draws won't do it. I'm all for upgrading the fullback positions but that's to aid the attack more than there defensive record. I'd upgrade any position when the arrival is better than what's already there.


10.) 30 Apr 2018
30 Apr 2018 19:21:43
Slate - Fair point mate we really need to be scoring against the likes of Newcastle, WBA and Southampton, I'd forgotten about those games and that's another straight forward 9 points dropped especially the home games! We need to improve at both ends mate!


11.) 30 Apr 2018
30 Apr 2018 20:36:16
Yeah I'm pretty much with u scope for improvement both ends.