[Cassidy]

One of the things that really gets overlooked with the whole "we don't have defenders who can bring the ball out" is that if Pogba is struggling to pick passes because of lack of movement up top, how do we expect the CBs to cope?

Plenty of times Lindelof had the ball and was looking for a pass and it seemed like there was no movement at all.

 

[Irwin99]

I've been very critical of him but that was a giant performance. Easily his best game for us. Read the game very well and got in some good tackles.

 

[snk123]

Lost Ronaldo once in the whole game. Fantastic performance.

 

[Jojo <3 Mou]

He was really solid today. I believe in his ability and am really hoping that he makes it here.

May this be the start of something beautiful.

Hej Victor!

 

[ErranMorad]

Wonder how he’d be stepping up into a DM role

Not very good. Neither is his positional awareness is not very good nor is his passing.

 

[tomaldinho1]

I'm tending to agree with this tbh. He had a really good game tonight, but everything still looked like a last gasp block or an uncoordinated tackle. He worked his arse off but looked like an average player playing out of his skin rather than a top player cruising. Basically, the complete opposite of top defenders at their best such as Ferdinand, Ramos, Chiellini etc.

Yh but he was left exposed way too much - his all round game was decent and he bailed us out a few times but the frequency with which an opposition player can get at our CBs is frightening. Thinking back they had at least 3 or 4 counters where it was 3 on 3 and probably should have killed the game off. That's on top of bossing possession and carving us open a few times down the flanks.

 

[Eckers99]

The standout performer tonight, by a distance. Impressive.

 

[golden_blunder]

I still have no confidence in his positioning, or ability to go and head a ball. Ok tonight in general but was still at fault for the goal. Not good enough imho

 

[Oldham]

that's more like it.
Was immense tonight. Keep it up Victor...

 

[Sayros]

Outside of an early game mistake, he was pretty damn rock solid tonight. Got himself to every ball within his area, and stopped quite a few chances. This was probably his best performance that I've seen, one of the two bright spots along with De Gea.

 

[Negan]

Our best player tonight.

 

[A-man]

He didnt read the game well in the first 20 mins when Juventus players ran in behind him 3 times, or on the goal where he positioned himself in the worst position possible.

He grew into the game though. But reading the game is not his strength. Its also been evident from all the goals this season where an opponent had made a run and got to the ball before he could cut it out.

Nobody did, they couldnt cope with Juve shifting positions. Fullbacks, centrebacks and midfield had no clue who was chasing whom. Especially problem between Lindelof and Matic, but they seemed to have figured it out after about 20 minutes. It is not one person who needs to position himself, it is the whole team and they struggled with that at the beginning.

About reading the game, that is definitely one of his strengths. I think most people saw that.

 

[Cantona'sCollar]

His best game for us.

 

[Ekeke]

Nobody did, they couldnt cope with Juve shifting positions. Fullbacks, centrebacks and midfield had no clue who was chasing whom. Especially problem between Lindelof and Matic, but they seemed to have figured it out after about 20 minutes. It is not one person who needs to position himself, it is the whole team and they struggled with that at the beginning.

About reading the game, that is definitely one of his strengths. I think most people saw that.

He makes the most tackles of our CBs this season. Thats the one thing defensively he does more than our other CBs.

Meanwhile he's been culpable for not reading the game a bunch of times leading to goals conceded.

 

[UnofficialDevil]

His best game for us and probably our best player after De Gea

 

[Zoo]

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[SCP]

Majority of these players need a new manager to see how they perform on a good football model. Not saying he or others are prime vintage Manchester United but can any rational United fan think why players like Fellaini standout on this team while Pogba struggles? Martial? Rashford? Sanchez?

Does anyone think Juventus wouldn't want Pogba back instead having Betancur? Ok maybe Lindelof or Bailly aren't all that but if the entire team doesn't perform and on top of that your manager constantly rotates players because doesn't get results which has even worse effect because those players don't feel confident.

How many times the CB's are rotated? Wingers? Midfielders? Is this only a individual problem? Ok some players are not good enough for this level but still...

He looks more confident playing for Sweden and probably will never be that good to be a starter for United but a lot of players are underperforming to say the least.

 

[ash_86]

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Have to agree. He was chasing Dybala across the pith the first half but seem to get his things together on the second.

 

[Class of 63]

Never doubted him, easily best of a bad bunch last night

 

[Rozay]

Was a fully grown man last night.

 

[Kevin_]

Good game, still not sold.

 

[A-man]

Yes he'll definitely fair better against continental sides than premier league sides because he reads the game well and his time in Portugal as a youngster was a big factor in this. Sadly because we are so shite all round we won't see him against said teams much longer, instead fighting for a mid mid table spot in the league.

I think he played well last season in CL as well.

 

[::sonny::]

Our best player tonight.

This

 

[ivaldo]

Nah I get that. But if I bring this up after a bad performance people say it's kneejerk.

My observation is based off all his time here and the bit I watched at Benfica of him.

There's no way Bonucci or Chiellini concede that goal tonight. They headed everything that went in their box and that's because their positioning was almost perfect everytime and they reacted to danger extremely well. That is something Lindelof does not do.

The only reason that cross got beyond him was because of the deflection. He was left between a bit of a rock and a hard place, really. Matic made absolutely no attempt to track Dybala into the box, which made us wide open to a cut back. There was a lot of player mistakes leading up to him being in that situation.

 

[Stacks]

Him and Pogba held it down and looked like they belonged

 

[gajender]

Overall good performance last night may be there is a player in there after all but would need lot of patience and the right manager to make it at United.

 

[Kostov]

Good game from Lindelof last night, and he was solid against Chelsea in my opinion. I give him much grief very often, but credit where it's due.

 

[11101]

Played well. He's a good defender against decent teams, it's the Burnleys of the world who fire long balls and crosses at him all day that worry me.

 

[Red_Aaron]

Credit where its due, he had a good game last night and generally speaking the smalling partnership is improving the more they play together
Still not convinced by him though, last night is the anomaly at the moment, he still looks scared to death too often

 

[Revan]

I still have no confidence in his positioning, or ability to go and head a ball. Ok tonight in general but was still at fault for the goal. Not good enough imho

Kind of feel the same. Actually, he was great tonight, bar the first 20-25 minutes, when he was at fault for the goal. On second half he was immense, Juve were attacking only on that side, and he was very calm and defended everything.

Still think that there is a very good player hidden somewhere there, but at the same time, he is full of Phil Jones-like errors with his positioning and switching of. At this stage should be a backup and learn, rather than be first choice. Unfortunately, we don't have better defenders (bar Smalling, and well, Bailly when he is not on lunatic stage).

 

[royboy16]

Played really well for us last night,probably his best game so far for us too.

 

[Red_Ramirez]

He hasn't impressed me since he joined 15/16 months ago

Last night against Juve though he was probably our best player

 

[11101]

Kind of feel the same. Actually, he was great tonight, bar the first 20-25 minutes, when he was at fault for the goal. On second half he was immense, Juve were attacking only on that side, and he was very calm and defended everything.

Still think that there is a very good player hidden somewhere there, but at the same time, he is full of Phil Jones-like errors with his positioning and switching of. At this stage should be a backup and learn, rather than be first choice. Unfortunately, we don't have better defenders (bar Smalling, and well, Bailly when he is not on lunatic stage).

Genuinely curious why you think Lindelof was at fault for that goal. Matic definitely, Martial possibly, maybe even Smalling, but Lindelof? Maybe, maybe he could have stuck a leg out but it's very risky to do that where he was.

 

[meamth]

Genuinely curious why you think Lindelof was at fault for that goal. Matic definitely, Martial possibly, maybe even Smalling, but Lindelof? Maybe, maybe he could have stuck a leg out but it's very risky to do that where he was.

You're right, Smalling clearly panicked and didn't know how to react with the cross. De Gea did his fair save, someone needs to track down Dybala's run from just outside of the box.

I'm pretty sure that's a midfielder's role.

EDIT:
No there was no save from De Gea. My bad.

 

[Relfy]

By far his best performance for us and hopefully this serves as a springboard to really kick on. He should have the belief he belongs at this level after that performance. He was caught out a few times in the first half, but the midfield was allowing runners past them which left Lindelof and Smalling stretched and too much space between them. Hard to cover every player who coasted through the middle of the park without being picked up.

 

[Pogue Mahone]

Very good last night and clearly not at fault for the goal. People who don’t want to back down after writing off a player are infuriating. Will clutch at any old straw to avoid changing their opinion.

Of course, it was just one game. Here’s hoping he gets a run of them to prove it wasn’t a one off.

 

[KM]

Very good last night and clearly not at fault for the goal. People who don’t want to back down after writing off a player are infuriating. Will clutch at any old straw to avoid changing their opinion.

Of course, it was just one game. Here’s hoping he gets a run of them to prove it wasn’t a one off.

The ball took two deflections when it reached Dybala, it's incredible how that is being chalked down as Lindelof's mistake. It was a very lucky break for Juve(which they deserved).

 

[BrianMcClair'sBarnet]

Give him a new contract !
That's how it works with us,no ?

 

[Revan]

Genuinely curious why you think Lindelof was at fault for that goal. Matic definitely, Martial possibly, maybe even Smalling, but Lindelof? Maybe, maybe he could have stuck a leg out but it's very risky to do that where he was.

Smalling wasn't at fault, without him leaving his position Cuadrado scores unchallenged. Lindelof was more or less doing nothing during that action, and yes, Matic was at fault too.

 

[Adam-Utd]

If anybody is at fault it was Martial/Shaw.

They got mixed up with their markers, and Martial didn't follow Ronaldo at the right speed. If he bust a gut to get there before Ronaldo crossed it he could have blocked it.