Manchester United Banter Archive December 12 2018

 

Use our rumours form to send us manchester united transfer rumours.


12 Dec 2018 20:59:24
I have spent the first half watching Lukaku closely and, for the life of me, I don't think I saw a single positive contribution. Poor touch, terrible lay-offs, misplaced passes, beaten to every header, failure to control any ball passed up to him, and slow to react. Clueless. The rest of the team were not good, but Lukaku was the worst of them all.

Believable6 Unbelievable1

12 Dec 2018 22:08:50
As much as he has been poor this season i don't see what he can do when all the other players are so detatched from him, mata pereira were meant to be the wingers tonight yet spent most of the time picking the ball off of the back 4.

Agree2 Disagree0

12 Dec 2018 22:14:02
Well the second string did ok, likes of Pogba and RedRom need a run out now and then 👀.

Agree0 Disagree0

12 Dec 2018 23:40:46
The game was a dead rubber but the apathy of the performance was frightening.

I don't care what anybody says when you have no recognisable system or style of play it's difficult for any player to excel.

Pereira was trialled as a deep lying midfielder, he's then plucked from obscurity and shunted out on the left wing. What do we expect him to do?

Can anybody tell me what Jose wants from Pogba, Fred even Fellaini. What is their role in the team?

Fellaini is not a defensive midfielder. He can't run or tackle, his mobility is no existent and his passing ability limited. Unless he's further up the pitch getting on the end of crosses or the ball is played directly into his chest so he can hold it up he's a waste of a player. Would Pep, Klopp, Potch, Sarri or Emary have Fellaini as their defensive midfielder? Use him correctly or not at all.

Fred was largely deployed in a midfield axis for Shakhtar, he has energy, mobility and is good on the ball. He's better from deeper positions where he can play forward passes or dribble from deep breaking the lines. For Utd he's been used to the right of a midfield 3. He's being asked to play further forward on the half turn. When he receives the ball he has no options as Lingard or Mata often drift inside occupying the same space and doing the same job. If the full back doesn't overlap we have no width. He looks bewildered and lost. Why not swap Fred and Fellaini around? Let Fred build the play, allowing Fellaini to get further up the pitch and get into the box where he's a threat.

Pogba has been done to death, we all know his strengths and weaknesses but do any of us really know what Jose wants from him? I certainly don't and he's another that looks confused and disillusioned.

Rojo was selected at left back for no reason other than to give him minutes. He was predictably replaced and it was another wasted selection. How can you expect a player to perform when he knows he's 3rd choice left back and has predominantly been played at CB anyway. If he's not good enough then simply don't play him and certainly not at left back. Give a young lad a chance that's hungry and committed.

Against Valencia we had no width, no pace and no mobility. It was a collection of individuals playing without any defined roles, structure or purpose. They were given a platform to fail not excel and they obliged accordingly.

Our squad is being mismanaged and half of them now appear demotivated and disinterested.

In essence we had a deep lying midfielder that can't pass, set the tempo or build the play. Wide players with no pace that prefer to come inside and receive the ball to feet with no options ahead of them and full backs that didn't attack or provide any width. We had a CF that thrives from crosses yet we played with no width and nobody that can cross a ball. It was a wasted opportunity to build on the Fulham performance and we now head into the weekend with no momentum.

The game didn't matter and it showed. Let's hope Sunday is different!

Agree5 Disagree1

12 Dec 2018 23:58:26
Lukaku reminds me of the time that souness brought on George weahs cousin.

Agree1 Disagree0

12 Dec 2018 23:47:55
I agree, he's very poor imo. The amount of times he loses the ball for a £75 million player is staggering. How many attacks break down because of him? I think if we had a striker who could control the ball or make better runs, the midfield would find it easier.

Agree2 Disagree0

13 Dec 2018 01:05:49
Excellent post as usual, DLIB.

Agree3 Disagree1

13 Dec 2018 01:36:08
With that many midfielders on we needed a forward who could hold the ball or good enough to join in the play at least! Lukaku useless again pogba can’t do it unless he has senior players he respects!

Agree1 Disagree0

13 Dec 2018 07:15:43
We need in a manager who can use the squad correctly. However whilst the bean counter waits to save a few million its doing untold damage to the club.

Agree2 Disagree0

12 Dec 2018 18:19:35
Most will know that Garner and Greenwood have been involved with the squad for tonight, maybe one will make the bench, even get on. However, look up Shola Shoretire, 14 years and 10 months, who made his debut in our U19 win tonight. Apparently extremely highly thought of and I believe the youngest ever to play at that level. Keep your eye out for him.

Believable1 Unbelievable0

12 Dec 2018 19:02:19
And the other fella fish (first name escapes me) is only 15. That current under 19’s side is excellent, I love watching Gomes.

Agree0 Disagree0

12 Dec 2018 19:23:00
Good shout red man. The u18s and u19s have done quite well this year. Hopefully a couple in there that will excel.

Agree2 Disagree0

12 Dec 2018 20:20:21
Nice to see a Neville back in the team too haha.

Agree1 Disagree0

12 Dec 2018 12:27:04
Big game this Sunday guys. How do you think we are going to lineup and what do you think the outcome will be? Can see us perhaps going for 3 at the back and looking to go long like we did last season to by pass the Liverpool press. Have no issue with this if it gets a result. Of course we would like to rock up at Anfield and try to play them off the park but unfortunately we aren’t good enough at the moment. Would take a one nil scrappy win any day of the week.

Would like to see Dalot and shaw and wingbacks but think we will see young playing instead of shaw. Cbs of bailly, lindelof and Rojo but most likely it will be jones smalling and one other. De Gea needs a big game he’s struggled of late. Head doesn’t seem right since the World Cup. Still incredible but he’s having a bit of a dip in form. Understandable as he has been exemplary for 3/ 4 years. Midfield 3 of Matic Herrera and pogba. Probably see fellaini for pogba. Front two of Lukaku and rashford. But can make a case for either martial (if fit) and Lingard as well.

This Liverpool side is very strong. It’s diffc as united fans to have our two biggest rivals as top dogs this season. But we must go to Anfield and fight tooth and nail. The players need to press and make life as difficult as possible for this Liverpool side. Don’t give them an inch of space and time of the ball. Play them at their own game. Teams that have done that this year have made it tough for them. Both Chelsea and city did so and PSG in the champions league. Napoli tried to do it last night. In derby games form goes out the window. Jose is reknowned for these ‘one off’ games so let’s see if he can prove that he can still do it when it matters most. This game is about pride. I don’t want to go into work on Monday and have to listen to ‘this year is our year’ rubbish. The reality is this Liverpool side could win the league. We cannot rely on our rivals to stop them. We need to take this matter into our own hands. At the moment I’ll be honest I’m a bit deflated and not buzzing for the game. But come Sunday morning I know I will be bouncing off the walls and ceilings hoping for a win. We are still the biggest club and most successful club in england. Let’s get onto the Anfield pitch on Sunday and knock the scousers back down to Earth.

Believable9 Unbelievable7

12 Dec 2018 20:28:32
Park, another good post. can't understand the thumbs down with no comment left?

Agree0 Disagree3

12 Dec 2018 22:52:53
Cheers Cantona. Must be Liverpool fans 😂.

Agree1 Disagree1

12 Dec 2018 08:05:55
Hi all,
Thanks to the Eds as always.
Quick one for the Eds, was Pogba a Jose signing or a 'club' signing? Papers reporting today that he wasn't a Jose signing - this sort of opinion just confuses me so any clarity would be appreciated.
Hope everyone is well in the build up to the best time of year.

Believable0 Unbelievable0

{Ed001's Note - the club do not make signings without the approval of the manager. This reminds me of the final days of Brendan Rodgers at Liverpool, when his friends in the media kept making up bull about the transfer committee calling the shots. Just like then, they conveniently ignore the fact that he has final say on incomings. If there is a disagreement, you end up in the situation you were in during last summer, when no consensus could be reached no signing arrives for the centre back position.}

12 Dec 2018 09:06:57
Didn’t Jose try to bring Pogba to Chelsea prior to this? Jose has spent his entire career trying to protect his own reputation by throwing people under the bus that he parked.

Agree5 Disagree3

12 Dec 2018 15:33:46
I assume the deal was in the pipelines before jose mourinho came into the position but as ed001 said the move would have required mourinhos approval for it to go ahead.

Especiallly considering he had just got into the job, his authority was probanly at its highest when he first came in, everyone was optmistic that we had the right manager in.

Also when you come in and the midfield options are an ageing carrick, fellaini, herrera and an ageing wayne rooney, mourinho was never going to say no to paul pogba.

Agree0 Disagree0

12 Dec 2018 16:45:22
Why then were chelsea also targetting Pogba when Jose seemed to be there DSG. He wanted Pogba at chelsea then at Utd, just because he did not know what to do with pogba doesn't mean he never wanted him.

Agree0 Disagree0