[Borys]

Switch Di Maria with Rooney. Or take Di Maria off for Herrera and play rooney up top.

This is something I don't understand. I hope we will not be trying to transform Rooney into a full-time midfielder and play Di Maria in the Robben role. They should switch definietely.

Is Rooney allergic to short passing?

 

[23rd]

I wonder why Di Maria playing so selfish today..

 

[Scrumpet]

Playing pretty well I think. Keep it up and we'll win.

 

[charleysurf]

Our creative outlets Mata and Di Maria poor.

Mata and Rooney playing good, I think

 

[Hed Zitin]

We just don't look like beginning to attempt to score.

Mata is the only one doing anything.

 

[U99ted]

It's been a good first half, we've definitely been the better side. The defense has looked solid, and there's been some good moves from the likes of Valencia and Mata. We should be able to break them down in the second half and win this.

 

[ManUtd1999]

Di Maria is getting bad to worse

When was his last good game? (And I know that he had an injury with us)

 

[Gannicus]

I can't believe what I've just witnessed.

American viewers are being treated to "analysis" that claims United have been brilliant.

 

[ivaldo]

Let's not pretend Soton have been good today either. We've both been largely crap. LvG needs to get rid of this Rooney in midfield shit. It doesn't work.

Because we've nullifed them, kept the ball brilliantly and pressed well. Let's no pretend the things we have done well hasn't existed.

 

[buckooo1978]

Playing pretty well I think. Keep it up and we'll win.

1 shot on target

 

[Rooney in Paris]

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

He's really not, our best chances have come through him. He's not having an exceptional game, don't get me wrong, but he's far from "our problem" and people go way over the top with him.

 

[OneUnited24]

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

Ok this season we've been bad but by no way near how bad we were last season.

I wish people would stop saying that - i mean did you watch us last season? This season, for one, we can hold onto the ball for more than 5 minutes. A task we failed to manage last season

 

[All 3 United]

Let's not lose sight of the fact that we have been the better team.

 

[BootsyCollins]

Were boring. Thats it.
We might play good in LVG´s eyes, with possesion, but we are so extremely boring to watch when we play this way.
The 3backline looks better now then before, but that is probably because Smalling and blind is kinda good on the ball and Evans is not there.
Still, would love us to switch to :
------------------DeGea----------------
Valencia---Smalling---Jones----Shaw
-----------Carrick---Blind-------------
-----Mata-----Rooney----Di Maria----
-----------------RVP--------------------

Or if he insist on the same formation, at least switch Di Maria and Rooney.

 

[MAME DIOUF 32]

If we're going to play three centre backs we need the wing backs to threaten. Shaw isn't doing that. Smalling is a terrible libero as well.

Changes needed!

 

[JohnDoe]

Di Maria needs to play in his best position. Switch to Diamond Gaal.

 

[Getsme]

The problem is, we aren't playing bad, we're keeping the ball, playing well at the back and passing has been good.
I liken it to having a wank when you want to have sex, no penetration and kinda boring.

 

[Rado_N]

Anyone with one of them stat apps got Rooney's pass completion % so far?

 

[Kag]

A continuation of this formation will cost the club top four and Van Gaal his job.

This is getting silly now, because for while we concede less goals we just can't score them. I don't remember there being a shot on target so far.

 

[pseudo_canadian]

Get Valdes on.

fecks Sake.

Valdes on, RVP off. He's got a match-winner in him, I can feel it.

 

[2 Neville's]

Hope we come out in the diamond in the second half.

 

[Natener]

Prodding, threatening, just falling short a little with the final ball. I don't see anything much from Southampton so far. If they play the second half as they did the first then it's just a matter of time we break them down, provided we up the quality of the final ball.

 

[Papii Grande]

I think Blind is not being used right, Carrick is too deep, we need his passing, Rooneys better in forward areas, so is Mata, while Di Maria needs players to beat rather than being playmaker or striker.

I would keep the shape, but make changes like;

DDG
jones smalling blackett
Valencia Carrick Blind Shaw
Di Maria -- Rooney/Mata
RVP
​

Keep the pressure up, but move Blind to midfield to free up Carrick who can do the killer passes.
Rooney and Mata are confused in their roles, defensively both are baffled, they seem themselves when running forward rather than going through the motions while trying to play between the lines.

Rooney or Mata have to be sacrificed, theirs no balance with both.
We know Fellaini will replace Blind soon and Herrera will come on for either Di Maria or Mata.
But i think we can win this if Blind joins carrick in midfield.

 

[Scrumpet]

1 shot on target

Well we only need another 1.

 

[Offside]

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...

This.

 

[J-Stander]

Southampton will come out firing again early second half. Probably our biggest chance of conceding as they've been shite going forward otherwise.

 

[WR10]

We're going to go down 1-0 and Van Gaal will remember we are built for diamonds. Once we switch into the diamond the team will have Old Trafford roaring

 

[Enigma_87]

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?

Haven't said otherwise. It's just not working for us this half, we need to make a change. We didn't have a clear cut chance this half apart from RvP blocked shot. It's not enough to win the game which is or main job.

 

[Freak]

Managers these days seem to want to be too clever. Playing weird formations and players out of position.

 

[stu_1992]

We've been the better team, but it's a fairly shite match. I'd definitely swap Rooney and Di Maria's positions. Di Maria has been wasteful imo.

 

[RedSRM]

Don't get his obsession with Rooney in midfield. He should be playing as a forward and Di Maria should be on the left of midfield. Also, why set the team up like this when you have Herrera and Fellaini on the bench?
If decision making had been a little better I think we could've been ahead. Waste of a half. For me Blind should be a DM and Herrera should be playing CM.

 

[arnie_ni]

Dominating here. Final pass poor.

Blind and carrick are immense, keep us ticking over. Blind LCB makes a big difference on the ball.

Formation is actually a 3 4 1 2 today, not 5 2 1 2 which makes a big difference.

 

[Swagawa]

Didn't Ancelotti recently say Di Maria lacked discipline and that was one of the reasons they let him go?

The same manager that has suggested Bale was correct to ignore an easy cutback option. Twice.

Managers will say whatever they want to benefit their club.

 

[LeftyBlaster]

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!

what?

Jeez. All I've done is state the fact that Rooney's been extremely wasteful and poor with his passing so far. I'm sorry if you typed it way earlier than I did. So what exactly have i done wrong here to qualify me as a kid and as a typical Rooney hater?

 

[Striker10]

No width sums up our problem. I don't think Jones or shaw have crossed the ball once. Valencia has done alright in parts but I don't understand the cut back. Just play it across the 6 yard area at pace!! Will need to really step it up second half.

 

[HabeasC]

Very Nani like half from Di Maria

It wasn't so long ago that we were all saying that Nani was better than Di Maria

 

[JohnDoe]

Di Maria has played like an expensive Nani.

 

[Mark_GrumpyLion]

On the bright side, the defence looks way better without Jonny ticking time bomb Evans

Could not have said it better myself.

 

[tob]

Rooney has been shit.

I've been cooking dinner while watching so I may not have the whole picture here. But from what I've seen, Rooney and Mata are the ones that are creating something. And Valencia.

 

[The Stain]

Same old really. Possession without penetration. As someone pointed out, we are playing at home, there's no need to play Di Maria up front. We aren't going to get any counterattacking opportunities in our half. They sit deep so we should continue to press high.

--------- Jones ---- Smalling ------------
Valencia ----- Blind ------------ Shaw
------Carrick -------- Di Maria ----------
--------------- Mata ---------------------
-------- Rooney --- RvP ----------------

Then get Herrera on if we still can't create.