[van Persie]

Average and boring.

 

[Devil may care]

A stalemate, one nice moment from Mata at the end, couple of decent runs with no final ball from Valencia and that is it as far as what we have offered in attack.

Blind has been our best defensive player for me, just so effortless at mopping up any potential danger.

 

[ivaldo]

ok, 45 minutes and 1 chance created. We don't have to nullify Soton. We're playing at home, should be the other way around.

Give over, this is the Premier League against a very credible team, the leagues best defense, we have no god given right to shit on teams anymore at home, no team does, you can use yesterday in the first half against newcastle as a prime example. I just mentioned 3 chances and you only acknowledged one of them?

 

[Lawman]

terrible first half

Really? I thought we have played well, we are lacking an attacking outlet with Shaw as he is a full back rather than a wing back. But I think we have played well just lacking a goal but I am sure it will come. Southampton are no mugs and we are dominating play.

 

[Will Singh]

Seriously, what's the difference between the shit we've been serving out this season and the shite we saw last season?

We have a philosophy this season

 

[Mr.Plow]

He is the only one trying to pass forward

What's the point though if one of his passes forward is an instant give away? Fair enough if there's a couple of inches in it but nobody's even looked like getting on the end of his hopeful passes. I'd rather a bit of sideways passes and controlled pressure than complete desperation.

 

[OneUnited24]

Garbage, with the injuries i could understand this 352 rubbish but now its just annoying.

We've been at our best when we play 442 (diamond) why not keep with it?

 

[Randall Flagg]

352 reduces the 90 minutes to about 40 because our way of playing it stifles creativity so much...hoping for a better second

You are gonna have to explain this one to me

 

[wr8_utd]

Why can't we just swap Adm and Rooney? Adm can pick out players better from deeper and Rooney is clearly more influential around the box. And Di Maria really needs to stop shooting bloody hell.

 

[An Irish Red]

We're controlling the game but we aren't clicking in the final third. Rooney has been really poor which isn't helping us.

 

[JPRouve]

Rooney is our problem today, he is useless in possession and unfortunately the ball always end up in his feet.

 

[Getsme]

Well they are getting attacked by 2-3 people at the most that's easy to deal with for almost any defense.

Yep, yep, yep.

 

[SqueakyWeasel]

I don't think I am. I think everyone agrees with me when I say Rooney's been stinking in midfield and should be swapped with ADM.

You mean everyone on here that is not watching the game but typing! You are a typical Rooney hater … the first to complain then the first to scream his name when he scores! He's playing the position our manager thinks is best … I don't personally agree either and also think he and AdM should be swapped if you check back through this thread I said it way earlier than you but this is where we are so grow up you big kid, watch the game and stop trying to pick fights hidden behind your keyboard!

 

[Freak]

Anyone else think the players don't believe in this ridiculous formation just as much as the fans?

 

[FreakyJim]

almost fell asleep

at least we're solid at the back, I can see us getting a hard fought 0-0

 

[Mister_Stubbs]

Typically boring, slow, predictable first half at Old Trafford.

 

[sewey89]

Get Valdes on.

fecks Sake.

 

[WyoManU]

More of the same. Broken record again and again and again. I wouldn't say we've been bad, but can't think of a decent chance on target. Playing at home against a team competing for the CL spot and unable to create anything. We have a lot of big names who produce nowhere near enough to justify their paychecks or reputations. We have so few players with any true poise and ability. Our passing, other than around the back three and to DDG, is sub par. Not even entertaining. We are miles off competing for anything with this team.

 

[bishblaize]

Solid performance But Southampton showed why they've got the best defence in the league.

 

[Dargonk]

He has never been one to score from range or to score brilliant goals. That's why we need him in MF, so he can assist.

The amount he tries it, you would think he regularly scored from range. At least it shows he has plenty of confidence in himself even if it isn't working right now.

 

[Feed Me]

RvP and Mata look sharp, Rooney needs to vary his passing instead of looking for the obvious booming crossfield pass every time and Di Maria has been nothing short of awful.

All possession, no punch from United. At a loss as to how such a talented collection of players can look so hopeless in the creativity stakes.

Also, it's no coincidence that our most dangerous moments have been when someone has picked the ball up and injected pace into our play and dribbled with the ball.

It's painful to watch this style, because the final ball needs to be far better and at present it's woeful.

 

[Hernandez - BFA]

Try watching the game then.

...I am. It's all well and good when you say that AFTER Mata produces maybe the best chance we have on goal.
I personally just think that Fellaini would be more effective in this type of match.

 

[Rooney in Paris]

Worst half in the history of Manchester United.





This week.

I thought it was ok, let's not forget Southampton are a good team and have been doing well recently, and we've totally annihilated any potential threat by them. It's a pretty closed tactical battle and on our side we'd need our match winners to be performing better, Di Maria notably, but so far it just hasn't come together. I'm convinced we'll create more chances in the second.

 

[Godfather]

What I don't get is that it would make much more sense to actually try and create sth and probably lose the ball than trying to play the ball without any intent around our midfield and then lose the ball

 

[pseudo_canadian]

Di Maria is such a fantastic player. Need to get him on the ball more and more involved in the build up.

I don't actually think we're playing poorly, just lack the final killer instinct.

 

[Enigma_87]

Rooney has been shit.

If AdM and Rooney swap positions early in the second I can see a tremendous improvement. Both have been extremely shit.

 

[Van Piorsing]

Valencia is incredible as RWB. Deserving an assist.

Fantastic 1st half from him.

 

[Walrus]

Very Nani like half from Di Maria

 

[simonhch]

Southampton playing with everyone behind the ball. With the best defensive record in the country, it's hardly surprising we've failed to conjour much.

I think we need to see more from Mata. Nice cameo at the end there but he's been largely anonymous the rest of the half. Di Maria has disappointed, but much of that is a result of him trying speculative stuff. In a game like this that might make the difference.

 

[Red Dreams]

Decent half. Final ball a bit off, but we're dominating and defending well with the little they get, but they also have the best defence in the league by a distance so it was never going to be easy.

The goal will come.

two very good sides. very good football match.

 

[Hoof the ball]

Are you lot watching a different game? The amount of tackles we've won, passes we've successfully made (until final ball), pressure we've placed on Southampton all over the pitch, has been fantastic. You negative bunch.

 

[RedDevil-85]

Di Maria upfront and Rooney in midfield hasnt worked and i dont know why he did it.Both playing out of position when there is no need for it.

Hope we do alot better in the 2nd half,thats needed if we are to get the points here.

 

[buckooo1978]

3-5-2 and we barely fashion a chance....

what a fecking surprise

 

[gregwar]

rooney isn't a midfielder. i hope to f**k the experiment ends with a proper midfield signing soon.

solid enough performance, final ball has been awful though. get that sorted and we'll be fine.

 

[Pyro19]

You are gonna have to explain this one to me

I think he means that we change back to a back 4 in the second half so essentially waste a half playing 3-5-2 and boring football.

 

[Offside]

We're controlling the game but we aren't clicking in the final third. Rooney has been really poor which isn't helping us.

Exactly. There is no penetration. When Rooney gets the ball instead of giving it to the front 2 he trys some silly cross-field pass to Valencia. Nothing has happened for Di Maria but he is trying things.

 

[Kostur]

Think ADM and Rooney've been pretty poor thus far, many strange decisions/shit passes by them, other than that it's the usual 352 shit. We look good with possession and so on but it's 0 shots on target and very little going on in front.

 

[...aka Las Cortinas]

Van Gaal is pissing me off playing this formation. No wonder we have had so many draws with this non-penetrative absolute dogshit formation.

Rooney has been abysmal, Mata and Carrick look 50/50 whether they will actually pass it to another red shirt or not. Di Maria has been horrible.

On the plus side we have pressed them well and defended well, with Blind reading them really well. Southampton have had no time to do anything.

Second half we need to go to a flat back 4 and start looking to hurt them. That was shit, as every game with this formation is.

Pretty much agree with that, although I think Mata has played well.

 

[Isotope]

Although we've played nicer football, but results have been shit so far, since the afro-man got injured. We've turned into Arsenal.

 

[Sensei]

You'd think we were losing 5-0 and being completely outplayed listening to you guys

lol by seriously we have ourselves to blame if we draw this match. No need for an extra centre half, throw in Herrera and go diamond...