I disagree strongly with that statement. Look at our squad. Look at City's. We have the same number of points with two games to go. How do you think we have managed to do that?
It didn't work, but 'struggling to fathom'? We are a naturally wide team who make the pitch big. City do all their damage through the middle so we tried to make this difficult for them. Higher up than usual because with City's power and pace the last thing we needed was for them to build up a head of steam. It has worked to stifle games in the past but didn't work last night. The only bit I struggle with in a game that was need discipline was Nani's inclusion over Valencia. Especially in light of Nani being, IMO, a better impact player. Our substitutions did little to influence the game.
But every season there are games like that?
I agree with the part about City's strengths...but three things
I don't think before this season there have been too many occasions when I've looked at how we've set and scratched my head wondering why. Park and Giggs have been really poor of late. Why play your most off form players in the biggest match of the season? It was quite easy to predict that we'd have a tough time stringing passes together when those two are in bad form up against a quality side and with a 38 year old Scholes as well which overall leads to a lack of physicality and legs against a very physically dominant side. All of this considering Rooney was alone up front with little support against Kompany and Lescott. It makes no sense whatsoever.
THIS.
Exactly. It's one thing not going to take them on completely and being a little conservative in how you set up. It's another to choose personnel that was always going to struggle to create chances. We chose players that were off form. We chose an old and physically frail team. It was very poor.
No doubt about it. The man is a freak of nature. But in some games this season and all very important he's made some bizarre tactical choices. Noone is perfect.
Also, I don't know if the stats back it up but City come across as a team that's very hard to get the better off when they're a goal ahead. It's a dangerous tactic to set up so defensively with the wrong players to boot because if they score how do you get back in the game when you've been doing feck all with the ball all game? At least if you set up positively and concede it's much easier to get the next goal because you're used to attacking. I just didn't see how we were going to score once they did.
Bit of an understatement.
Agree on both counts. But to be fair, I think most of us know noone else would have gotten this team so far this season but the tactical mistakes do warrant criticism at the same time. Especially in such crucial games as well.
Indeed, it's a catch 22 I guess. Without him we wouldn't have been in a title derby last night, but his tactics in the game itself were quite frankly, awful.
Sorry but that's total nonsense.
I agree that the criticism of tactics in certain games warrants criticism. It's just that we have to temper that criticism, because this is a bit of a transitional phase for the team.
I guess it's not really a catch 22 situation in the sense that without him even if someone did employ better tactics in those select games there's no way our points total would be the same. Despite those howlers he's simply the best.
He was going for a draw, despite him saying other wise.
Even so, Valencia defends well. If you want a solid midfield, Valencia is your man. Id have thought he would play him but instruct him not to commit himself forward too much.
It looks bad, but it just needs a few breaks to go our way.
I don't buy that. Our squad Is fine in comparison to city's except in centre midfield. Fergie has dropped far more bollocks this season than ever before.
With shit tonnes of injuries to disrupt consistency, as well.
The center of midfield is the dropped bollock. Everything evolves around that. It's the heart of the team and when the heart isn't pumping blood to the rest of the body, it will die. A lot of Fergie's attempted tactics - including last night - meant to try and mask the weakness in the center. But when a 38 year old Scholes is a sure starter and Park is probably the best third midfielder you've got, there's a limit to what you can do there.
I don't agree at all tbh. In basically every position other than central defence (where you've had Vidic out for most of it and therefore lost your best defender) and wingers (because they have one and he's actually quite poor imo) they come out on top.
He would have made more of a difference instilling 2 midfielders at the start of the season. He has done brilliantly at times this season, but there is no doubt he has left us woefully short in the middle.
Sorry but the mentality and attitude has not always been right this season.
