[Esquire]

We'll switch to 4-3-3 in the second half I think.

Agreed. At this rate we will lose anyway

 

[shaggy]

I think you're letting this match cloud your judgement.

I'm really not. Blackett, Keane, Valencia, Young, Cleverley, Fletcher. These would have a fight getting in the Sunderland team.

 

[Dobba]

Hopefully this is the last time Cleverley and Fletcher are on the pitch at the same time until the end of season lap of Old Trafford.

 

[ColvaleGoa]

I dont like 3-5-2 ! or is it Clevz-Fletch partnership making it look bad? Anyway that was dire football again.

 

[KYcinco]

Don't forget Cleverley is a LVG type of player

 

[Dylan94]

Worse than the Djemba Djemba era. Thats how bad that was.

Djemba Djemba would currently walk into this midfield though.

 

[Triple.Threat]

I reckon Sunderland's tactics are 'let Cleverley and Fletcher have the ball'.

Yep and they will lose position and helps us with the attack. I can't see the point of having them around.

 

[#07]

So much fear, so little ambition. Every player taking 3-4 touches before passing it 5-10 yards.

The team look mentally scarred. Nobody has taken responsibility, nobody is driving us forward.

United have the look of 11 men who'd rather not be blamed for f'n up, than try to do something out of the ordinary. Sad to see a United team look so without belief.

 

[revel911]

Well that has to be one of the worst half of football I have seen by United. If we don't improve in the second half, we will lose this match

Huh? Could have been better, but saying that was one of the worst hands you have seen clearly shows you didn't watch football last year

 

[Getsme]

Terrible half, its clear that we are a long way off being comfortable playing 3-5-3

 

[Red Dreams]

Fletcher has been poor. Cleverley is getting better...which is not saying much. Jones and Blackett have been very good.

The problem is obviously they are out muscling our midfield.

We need Carvalho or Vidal in there.

 

[Borys]

Has anyone expected something different? Are people really surprised?

It’s so easy to play against us. They aren’t even pressing us hard, we have acres of space and do nothing with it.

 

[bosnian_red]

Fletcher and cleverley have been awful out there. Shit touches and shit passing. Rvp not done much but can't get the ball in good positions. Valencia been solid. Overall a really poor half though. Bring on Kagawa for cleverley.

 

[WR10]

Literally been playing with 9 players today Cleverly and Fletcher... how are they on a pitch for United?

 

[DevilRed]

I know we've got a lot of injuries and are really stretched in terms of personnel, but we just look absolutely wide open at the back. Doesn't help that we are getting used to a new formation which to be honest, just doesn't look like it works. We need to go back to a four man defence and play with wingers. Hopefully the addition of Di Maria will expediate this.

 

[saivet]

Smalling injured is NOT bad news.

We now have Blackett and Keane are playing CB. These guys have next to no PL experience.

 

[The Red Thinker]

A draw would be a great result today.

Jesus get a grip man. Too many drama queens here.

 

[pseudo_canadian]

How is there zero confidence in the players? I just don't get it.

 

[pcaming]

the injuries are really what is killing us, luke shaw, rafael and herrerra are clearly missing. I believe the defensive issues are more due to inexperience rather than a shear lack in quality (this is not to say they are the best quality as a clarification).

I think this game like the last we will benefit from the introduction of our new #11, if we can't hold them out we can at least keep them under pressure....and hope we've added a little more composure from last week.

 

[M16Red]

We someone to commit players - None of our players on that patch do it

 

[Lance Uppercut]

Can thank Fergie for that.

Fergie injured a bunch of our players?

 

[Butty19]

Get Welbeck on for either RVP or Mata.

 

[Juansar_07]

We are basically playing.....
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We are easily in the top 3 worst midfield in PL(and maybe even Defense).

 

[UnofficialDevil]

Djemba Djemba would currently walk into this midfield though.

Easily, so would Kleberson!

 

[The Hacker]

Doesn't this just show how fletcher, cleverly and young are totally useless on and off he ball?

I feel sorry for Rooney, RVP and mata. They jst seem so disconnected from the rest of them.

Midfield overhaul needed.

 

[Sandikan]

this is hard to watch.
And now Smalling injured as well? It's a ridiculous jinx we have on defenders.

Cleverley is playing utter muck, Fletcher just mediocre, Mata is hardly getting into the game, hard to watch.

If we can somehow sneak a win out of this it'll be so sweet.

 

[charleysurf]

Sunderland 4/1 to win on Bet365. Incredibly generous odds.

 

[Esquire]

Piss poor sums that half up. The only outfielders that been anything other than all over the place have been the front three and Blackett at times. Rooney and van Persie must be wondering what the hell's going on. Cleverley and Fletcher's touches have been shocking; playing like the ball is a bomb about to go off. We've got to be better in the second half.

I'd bring Kagawa on and get him to start helping Mata to provide service for the front two.

It's evident that Smalling may have the technical skills to play in the middle of the back 3 but he just doesn't have the balls. Jones may be better. Let's hope so.

 

[Rafalus]

When we lost last time against Swansea we will buy Di Maria, when we lost today, we will buy Vidal?

 

[Ole's_toe_poke]

It isn't about formations. Our players are simply too slow on the ball. It takes them 1 or 2 seconds to make a pass which is very easy to defend against.

There is no quick passes or movements that catch the opposition out of position. We pass to Rooney or Van Persie and no one makes a run beyond the striker to give an option so instead they are forced to just pass back.

 

[Dargonk]

So our current CB situation is Jones, Rojo and kids, with Evans and now smalling already injured. And a few people were saying we didn't need to sign a CB. I'd say we need another quickly.

 

[Black Adder]

RVP and Fletcher must be taken off, both have been terrible this half.

 

[upilbau]

Kagawa for fletcher or cleverley please

 

[Getsme]

Yes but it's looking pretty bad right now

Indeed, that doesn't mean we have to buy players due to others being injured.

 

[acnumber9]

NO, the midfield need to actually pass to THEM not just hof it in their general direction when they have three men around them!

Hears an idea as a forward. If you have three defenders around you then move somewhere you don't. The midfield can't pass to stationary players with their back to goal when there's defenders surrounding them.

 

[CrashDavis]

You know the scary thing is what Sunderland decide to do in the second half... have a feeling Poyet will fire them up for the win. We've been pitiful really.

 

[Sanchez7]

I think LVG will take clevz off at HT.

A lot better than fletcher has been

 

[dave2528]

Frankly, I'm not at all surprised at the results so far. We are a completely dysfunctional squad; having to play some individuals who, quite honestly, didn't deserve another season on our books.

 

[Sandikan]

Fletcher and Cleverley have to be amongst the worst midfield paring in the premier league. Too awful for words.

It's still better than Rodwell and Cattermole. Those two are garbage.

 

[space]

We are basically playing.....
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We are easily in the top 3 worst midfield in PL(and maybe wvwn Defense).

lmao yes

 

[DevilRed]

Cleverley...just shocking really. He used to show so much promise and ability. Its almost like he is a completely different player now. Absolutely no confidence to complete a pass and just looks lost out there. Fletcher not much better.

 

[Ekeke]

Our central midfield is diabolical. Sunderland have a better central midfield than we do. Sunderland.

On last season's form, Carrick isn't much better than the two out there.

We have Ander to come back in, but we clearly need another midfielder to help him and to cover him if he's injured