[ScarleyUtd]

We had the same midfield set up as liverpool today. McFred not being able to make any forward pass, constantly passing back to he defence or de gea to push the ball forward and constantly being shaken off by wijnaldum and thiago, yet never shaking them off is the reason we didn't control the game. unbalanced midfield is simply masking the fact that their both substandard

I agree with this. They're just not good enough for first 11 unfortunately.

 

[Dr. Dwayne]

Not if Rashford releases it at the point he should.

No, that point was too early.

 

[Majima]

We were far from great, but I think piss poor is harsh. Piss poor first half, good but irritatingly unambitious 2nd half.

Ole seems to have taken the Fergie approach of “draw with your rivals & beat the teams beneath you” since the Spurs game. Fair play it’s working

The defence was the only positive about the match. Shaw especially was Herculean out there today. Everything ahead I felt was on the floor standards wise. McT/Fred recovered from a genuine 1/10 first 25' mins to a 5/10 by the end. But it's clear to see we need more quality in the midfield if we're to seriously threaten the top teams. Both can't play together realistically. We need to find a way to play Pogba and Bruno closer together in these matches, and/or get Van de Beek involved.

Back then it was only a top 4, I don't think that strategy can work with 6 teams now involved. This season so far we've took 3 points from a possible 15, scoring only 1 goal. We need to offer more than this if we seriously want to win the league imo.

 

[city-puma]

Pogba playing on the right flank was not the reason why fred and mctominay consistently lost the ball and were scared of making a proper pass. They are also the reason we struggle to play out from the back as they don't have the off ball movement or quick feet to evade pressure, and therefore depend on maguire's decent passing or a long ball from de gea. Playing 433 woudn't have changed anything given both players being unable to handle pressure. It's a consistent theme. Blame rashford all you want, but he has to create service from himself unless bruno comes deep to make that pass. You can blame the set up all you want, but their inability to do the basics under any pressure consistently expose the team. One player coming in can change a lot of things, look at bruno. "Don't blame pereira because the set up is bad". Working hard doesn't make you class, what i saw today and have consistently seen is that we have a class team with a midtable midfield.

I need to emphasize here that I do NOT blame anyone for today’s game!
I think we played very well except the first half that we could be better a little bit.
The reason we lost the first half midfield battle is because they used the left channel (our right) and long ball to skip our midfield and we were outnumbered in the mid third for the second balls.
The reason we couldn’t construct efficient counter attack is because we lack options (one more player) to string passes in order escape their number superior in the midfield. You can imagine the scenario if Greenwood is on the right side and he can also present in defense like pogba.

 

[Adnan]

We were unlucky not to win the game because we created the best chances in the game. The Fernandes and Pogba chances should've been goals IMO. Rashford also had great opportunities which he sadly fluffed. But we were comfortable and all credit to Ole for setting us up well for the game.

 

[tjb]

The defence was the only positive about the match. Shaw especially was Herculean out there today. Everything ahead I felt was on the floor standards wise. McT/Fred recovered from a genuine 1/10 first 25' mins to a 5/10 by the end. But it's clear to see we need more quality in the midfield if we're to seriously threaten the top teams. Both can't play together realistically. We need to find a way to play Pogba and Bruno closer together in these matches, and/or get Van de Beek involved.

Back then it was only a top 4, I don't think that strategy can work with 6 teams now involved. This season so far we've took 3 points from a possible 15, scoring only 1 goal. We need to offer more than this if we seriously want to win the league imo.

I agree, it's something we really need to test. Van de Beek in, as Matic lack of pace means we would be exposed defensively. Our midfield has looked good with Ole before, at the end of last season during that run, so clearly its not a set up issue.

 

[alexthelion]

Is it a better result for them than us? especially with all their players out, yes, if you’d asked most Utd fans would they of been happy with a point? I think most would say yes... but I’m just narked we didn’t take advantage of the fact that they were there for the taking.
But I suppose a point at Anfield, were Liverpool haven’t lost in God knows how in how long is a point gained I guess.....

Is it a better result for them than us? especially with all their players out, yes, if you’d asked most Utd fans would they of been happy with a point? I think most would say yes... but I’m just narked we didn’t take advantage of the fact that they were there for the taking.
But I suppose a point at Anfield, were Liverpool haven’t lost in God knows how in how long is a point gained I guess.....

No way will they be happy with a draw, it keeps them behind us.

 

[Giggsy13]

The Ole outers right on cue. The only way this insufferable group of supporters leaves is if we win the rest of our games this season.

 

[VidaRed]

I disagree.

I bet your arse cavani would have scored if that pass was made.

 

[city-puma]

No, that point was too early.

I think it’s a good choice not to split pass to cavani, because it will send him wide and cavani is not pacy enough to overcome the opposition two.
if pogba could burst forward quicker to support on the right side (not sure if it’s possible), so that we can have three on three. It will be more interesting situation.

 

[R'hllor]

Brace yourself. You'll have people coming after you now, saying what are you talking about, we played amazing, the tactics was spot on etc.

I dont give a flying feck what a bunch of livescore watchers think about our performance tonight.

 

[wolvored]

Just put some of this on another thread but we do have a lack of quality against the better teams. Liverpool were like shadows first half and luckily couldnt keep it up second. After the break when we could see it was obvious liverpool had tired we should have changed the midfield. Fred or McTom off for VDB or both off for VDB and Matic. Ole also leaves the last sub too late. 70-75 mins we should have bought Greenwood on. His fresh legs would have been a boon at that time. Giving him 5-6 mins isnt going to achieve anything.

 

[Sean_RedDevil]

We will never reach the next level or will win trophies under Solskjaer with this playing-style and mentality against top sides.

 

[Foxbatt]

We need an upgrade on a DM. Someone who can play a lot better than either Fred or Scot. I know that Ole did mention about decision making and I hope he was making it about Rashford. Those are the kind of decisions that would cost a lot at the end of the season. I remember Rio saying that SAF warned Scholes and Rooney that he would drop them if they did not pass to RVP. Ole should give Rashford a good talking to.
I do know that we should have won this game and that we didn't win it was entirely due to the players concerned and not the manager. I thought he got it right and no point in going all attack and concede goals. We got a point and we are still on top of the league. What is most important that we do not drop anymore points in the following games and we win all those.

 

[Foxbatt]

We will never reach the next level or will win trophies under Solskjaer with this playing-style and mentality against top sides.

I never had an issue with Ole not winning against top sides as long as we do not lose. It was the dropping of points against the weaker and smaller teams that was the issue with him earlier on.

 

[Eplel]

We will never reach the next level or will win trophies under Solskjaer with this playing-style and mentality against top sides.

We'll at this moment it's the closest we've been to a title challenge since Fergie retired, so let's just calm down and wait.

I have my complaints from Solksjaer too, but let's not go for low blows, and focus on what works.

 

[simonhch]

I'm dumbfounded. I thought you was a decent unbiased poster. How can you possibly say the tactics were spot on? I agree the back four was solid, everything else ahead though was a complete and utter car crash of a performance.

Liverpool were there for the taking with their makeshift defence, and we never troubled them at all really. We allowed Henderson and Thiago all the time in the world who ran rings around us all match. I think we had something like 50~% passing accuracy in the first half from 30~% possession. 0 shots on target too.

Pogba and Bruno were way too far apart throughout, it's no wonder we couldn't create anything. I don't think they played more than 5 passes to each-other between them. The strikers had scraps to work with, Bruno and Pogba got no help and were swarmed every time they got the ball.

We starved our own main players of any support, instead of making them worry about us instead.

Yet you seriously believe our tactics today were spot on?

I'll be frank, I do. Despite so much being made of Liverpool playing Henderson and Fabinho at the back, the fact remains that they are still a great team with a phenomenal record at home. Setting up to play for a draw and nick a goal on the counter was always going to be the game plan. We limited them to no real clear cut chances, and carved out the best two opportunities on the day. On a couple of occasions, a better final pass would've released our forwards into dangerous positions. I thought we were very comfortable throughout. It wasn't brilliant football, but it was exactly the sort of committed, disciplined performance Fergie would've put out at Anfield, and did many times. All that was lacking was that killer finish.

Championships are built on performances like this. Not being naive, and not gifting your rivals three points at home. We've played some really good football this season, once we got our fitness up, and I would expect to see us do so again against Fulham and bag those three points.

 

[alexthelion]

With you in this!

Me as well.

 

[Cantonagotmehere]

The posters criticising Ole or the team after that seriously just need to piss off and go and clog up some other forum somewhere. You’ve got just about as much chance having a decent conversation about United on the clubs official Facebook posts as you have on here now.

I’ve sat through years and years of tumescent dross at Anfield, not least so under SAF. We’re never going to go there and dominate the game, it just doesn’t happen.

To have posters come on here and whinge when we just arguably outplayed (if the objective of a football match is to create goals/chances to score goals) the best Liverpool side in my living history at their own ground, after 6/7 years of humiliation and garbage is just beyond laughable.

Right on.

 

[Grande]

Yea. Agreed. We had the better chances. If not for Allison! Ugh

Double ugh

 

[Majima]

I dont give a flying feck what a bunch of livescore watchers think about our performance tonight.

Yeah it was a jokey comment.

I agree, it's something we really need to test. Van de Beek in, as Matic lack of pace means we would be exposed defensively. Our midfield has looked good with Ole before, at the end of last season during that run, so clearly its not a set up issue.

I think we tried to be a bit too clever today. Playing Fred, McT in a pivot with Pogba on the wing was like trying to have our cake and eat it.

 

[Random Task]

We will never reach the next level or will win trophies under Solskjaer with this playing-style and mentality against top sides.

The most important thing today was to avoid defeat first and foremost, and that was best-achieved by sitting deep and waiting patiently for a chance to break away. There is a lot to be said for pragmatism under the right circumstances, and Ole proved that right today after very nearly coming away with 3 points.

Question for those doubting Ole's strategy today:

When was the last time a side went to Anfield and played attacking and won the game?

 

[buckooo1978]

might have just been the second half opening up a little but Cavani really made a difference when he came on. I also would have picked McTominay for this but similarly I wonder how the game would have played out with Matic's better passing and composure. He's not great at times against high pressing sides but he might have added more given his big game experience.

Their experience may have made more of a difference in the first half adding that bit more composure in possession.

 

[Denis' cuff]

T

The Ole outers right on cue. The only way this insufferable group of supporters leaves is if we win the rest of our games this season.

they're not supporters

 

[Jonty]

Coulda, woulda, shoulda! We got what we went for. Two scoreless draws with the two top seeds yet we are still top of the league

 

[groovyalbert]

Shoulda woulda coulda.

Bad first half, better team in the second. Should have taken at least one of our chances.

We've improved a lot in the past year, they've gone backwards.

Either way, fair play Ole. Closing the gap.

 

[groovyalbert]

Coulda, woulda, shoulda! We got what we went for. Two scoreless draws with the two top seeds yet we are still top of the league

I genuinely didn't see this

 

[Jonty]

I genuinely didn't see this

 

[The Oracle]

Well it's now the early hour of Monday morning, and I'm still annoyed that we didn't go for it against Liverpool.

They had two makeshift centre-backs, and we played like pussycats in the first half.

Second half we stepped it up a bit, but my gosh Bruno, Rashford, and Martial were woeful.

 

[giggslover]

Sorry, but absolutely no problem with getting a point against Liverpool.

If you think we are a better team than them, or even City, we aren't. Just aren't, at least at the moment.

But if you think we can challenge for the title by beating who we're supposed to beat, dropping as few points as possible to other top clubs and taking advantage of their slip ups, then we'll see where we finish at end of the season, whether the title or at least getting a champions league spot.

Playing for a point in this scenario, we've been doing it all season and its gotten us to the top so far.

 

[groovyalbert]

Well it's now the early hour of Monday morning, and I'm still annoyed that we didn't go for it against Liverpool.

They had two makeshift centre-backs, and we played like pussycats in the first half.

Second half we stepped it up a bit, but my gosh Bruno, Rashford, and Martial were woeful.

2 makeshift CBs, but let's be honest. Fabinho is probably still one of the best CBs in the league.

 

[DRJosh]

The margins are slim between the top 3-4 teams. I was expecting a 0-0 draw and relieved we came away with a point.

I think the title winner this season will be whichever team that delivers consistent performances against sides outside the top 4. No point beating Liverpool and meekly loosing or drawing with Fulham in the next game. All about perspective. We are looking decent now. All about the maintaining the stamina and momentum to grind out results till the last game. The odd draw is not an issue nor is our current perceived inability to beat top sides.

 

[croadyman]

The trouble is we didn't create quite enough in that second half and it unfortunately means that misses result in us dropping points, we needed to be that more clinical with the few chances we had but still not there yet

 

[The Oracle]

2 makeshift CBs, but let's be honest. Fabinho is probably still one of the best CBs in the league.

To be honest Fabinho is a really good footballer, and could easily pass off as a centre-back.

I think I'm just so disappointed with the performances of Bruno, Martial, and Rashford.
Of all the games for them to all have an off-day. Unbelievable.

 

[croadyman]

To be honest Fabinho is a really good footballer, and could easily pass off as a centre-back.

I think I'm just so disappointed with the performances of Bruno, Martial, and Rashford.
Of all the games for them to all have an off-day. Unbelievable.

Yeah but not surprised because we haven't played really well at Anfield since maybe Juanfield in 2015 which I know is far too long

 

[groovyalbert]

To be honest Fabinho is a really good footballer, and could easily pass off as a centre-back.

I think I'm just so disappointed with the performances of Bruno, Martial, and Rashford.
Of all the games for them to all have an off-day. Unbelievable.

Yeah they were all pretty flat. Pogba was our most consistent threat, and Cavani looked a level above leading the line when he came on.

Rashford looks short on confidence, Bruno may be suffering from the amount of game time the past year, but I thought Martial was decent.

 

[croadyman]

Yeah they were all pretty flat. Pogba was our most consistent threat, and Cavani looked a level above leading the line when he came on.

Rashford looks short on confidence, Bruno may be suffering from the amount of game time the past year, but I thought Martial was decent.

Yeah surprised that Eddy didn't start but still feel he would have had a lack of service but maybe I would have been proved completely wrong

 

[Freak]

Decent point but I thought we had enough chances to win it if we were more clinical. Our defence was good but our forwards were disappointing

 

[Tarrou]

reflecting on the game a bit more today I don't think we played well

but we still had the better chances and didn't give up many good chances either

we've become really difficult to beat these days, and the mentality is strong

I think we still have a long way to go to become the best team in the league again, but it bodes well that Ole has got the team in this mental state

 

[Stacks]

Actually thought we should of won after having the 2 best chances. Liverpool were there for the taking