[Godfather]

That's cryptonite football against us. Just sit deep. We know feck all to do in these situations as our coaching stuff are a bunch of amateurs.

 

[always_hoping]

A habit of switching off on set pieces costing United goals again and Villarreal did very little outside of that goal. Going to take something special for United to score against that well drilled 10 man defence and hoping not to concede another goal.

 

[paulscholes18]

A shit first half away from home usually means an early 2nd half goal.

 

[AgentSmith]

The full backs have to bomb on more behind. Game’s so congested in the middle that Bruno and Cavani are being marked out of the game, need to create space for them.

 

[OmarUnited4ever]

Of course they would score from a set piece and sit deep and defend all game..quite simple

 

[Bwuk]

Villarreal aren’t going to play through us. Next to zero chance it happens but I’d take Rashford off. Get Donny or Amad on.

 

[Dargonk]

Poor game of football so far. Villareal have set up to just sit deep and time waste, and with them nicking a goal this is only going to get worse in the second half.

We need to start being more adventurous. Rashford and Greenwoods dribbles showed that they can at least get into dangerous positions.

 

[Champ]

We seem to love carrying Rashford. But he scored 20 goals so it's ok.

Yeah imagine a team carrying someone who's scored over 20 goals

 

[Shark]

I’m usually quite optimistic. But no. It’s over I think, far too smart defensively. They aren’t Villa or Brighton or regular pl teams we come out and destroy in the 2nd half, way too savvy. Played it to a tee. After a nervy 10 mins from them they settled and it’s gone exactly how they prepared

 

[KranjskaKlobasa]

Rashy out, Donny in, Pogba to the left and try to dominate tight spaces. Also grandpa Mata could prove usefulin the last 10 minutes or so

 

[Knux]

Need to challenge their back 4 especially fullbacks much more in second half. They barely hanging on out there ffs! Should be dominating these feckers

 

[Hughie77]

How the feck can we be losing to this absolutely wank team. They literally play for set pieces. Booting the ball off defenders to earn corners. Ten men behind the ball, rubbish counters.

Agree, I cannot believe that were so sloppy at set piece, there playing the ref well, getting the fouls slowing game down, they brought the bus and the driver and parked it, and we fell into the trap of set piece defending.

 

[OnlyTwoDaSilvas]

Rashford finally came alive at the end. Why did it take him so long?

Their defensive shape is very good. Need an early goal, or they're going to just sap all the time out of the 2nd half.

 

[Shiva87]

We haven't created anything of note in that half.

Hope we bring out our second half boots from this season as another 45 mins of that is just not acceptable

 

[ivaldo]

Awful start. Villareal looks much better coached than us. Also feel like they are mentally more up for it. Strange given that Unai Emery bottled it with Arsenal mostly, but doing great here.

You think? They look like they're a Big Sam team, sitting in as deep as they can and playing for set pieces. They don't want to compete in a football match .

 

[Murder on Zidane's Floor]

Lindelof what a soft dick!

He's a bum. Total loser. People on this forum could bully him.

 

[Adam-Utd]

We aren't applying any pressure. We are just keeping the ball. Villareal can do this all day.

while i agree it’ll soon start to hurt them being so defensive, you can’t keep it up forever. we need to be moving the ball a lot faster though, it’s just so pedestrian.

I thought with pogba being in there it might help but if anything he’s making it slower looking for the long ball.

 

[Oranges038]

That half was awful.

Too many touches, too slow to move the ball, running down blind allies, players just standing still.

 

[TsuWave]

Greenwood who plays in his position as been one of the better performers. We need to sort out the rest though

Sancho doesn’t have a set position. He plays as often from the left as he does from the right. Again, we have a player that’s reportedly playing injured because we don’t have better options.

Also, I’m probably Greenwood’s biggest fan, but Sancho is the better player of the two currently, even if Greenwood is playing well today.

 

[TheLiverBird]

Villareal are making ton of mistakes at the back they look like they're just barely hanging out there.

Just equalize and I'm pretty sure it'll be a straightforward win from there.

No Cup Final, especially a European Cup Final, is a straight forward win

That’s setting yourself up to look silly

 

[Tony Babangida]

They are defending well but we will get chances, got to put them away as we won’t get many.

 

[Garethw]

Gutting. I just can’t see us getting back into this.

 

[Trophy Room]

Thought this might happen when Harry got injured and with all the pre game hype.

 

[Pickle85]

They're so compact and really making it hard to break them down. I hate hate HATE the aimless side to side ball retention in front of eight Villarreal players. If we're recycling the ball we need to do it quicker and with more purpose. At the moment they have all the time in the world to reset and adjust.

 

[JPRouve]

We start playing in second halves, there is no reason to freak out until the 70-75 minutes.

 

[RedBanker]

Really strange post

If you can't understand the role of coaching staff to fire up the team for big games.....

 

[ArjenIsM3]

Villarreal are very average but unfortunately we are dogshit with our non existing set piece coaching as per usual.

Their defensive organisation has been good though. Their bus is one Mou would be proud of.

 

[DavidDeSchmikes]

Too slow and static/ Playing into their hands

 

[ash_86]

Lindelof is a puss and Bailly passes worse than Chris smalling. Pair them together and it makes sense why we're down. Mental.

 

[Bobcat]

So where's this progression? same timid bollox as so often this season. No pace, no width, poor passing. Poor defensively for the goal and I'm not sure about DDG's postioning either (would like to see it from behind the goal)

A brave GK goes out and collects that. Yes you will get poleaxed, but you wont concede

 

[pascell]

Greenwood has been our best player, looks like the most lethal. Rashford has been hot garbage and Cavani looks shot shy.

 

[Still ill]

Nothing going right at the moment, every 50 50 going the wrong way. But we're dominant, they've caused us zero problems outside the goal. Patience, a bit more composure, one run, one ball, everything changes. I'm still optimistic.

 

[Irrational.]

How the feck can we be losing to this absolutely wank team. They literally play for set pieces. Booting the ball off defenders to earn corners. Ten men behind the ball, rubbish counters.

They wouldn’t look out of place managed by Sean Dyche or Sam Allardyce. I think they’ll tire, plus they have a dodgy keeper. We should win this in the next 45 minutes, even Emery’s magic can’t save them.

 

[Real Madras]

Rashford can fecking piss off with his Poundland Ronaldo routine. He's a disgrace.

Haha Poundland Ronaldo routine had me on the floor. Having said that, you’re absolutely right. He’s been so poor this half. You can sense the nerves in the boy. He just needs to relax.

 

[Poborsky's hair]

I’m willing to up it to 1-4

let's hope you're right...

 

[rron10]

Lads had 1 week rest but still playing like snails.

 

[Adam-Utd]

Lindelof what a soft dick!

any surprise? they’ve basically got lindelof evolved in pau torres. he’s who we expected when we spent 40m that’s for sure

 

[Champ]

Poor game of football so far. Villareal have set up to just sit deep and time waste, and with them nicking a goal this is only going to get worse in the second half.

We need to start being more adventurous. Rashford and Greenwoods dribbles showed that they can at least get into dangerous positions.

Yup, direct running, patience and quick movement of the ball is in order the second half. They will panic when under pressure.

 

[BeforeKeanetherewasRobson]

Ten minutes and Dan James on. No idea if it'll work but if he can run at them and get them turning, could break their shape, give some room for Bruno, etc

 

[Gandalf Greyhame]

We are walking around on the pitch, a goal behind. I simply cannot believe how that lack of urgency is being tolerated. Bruno and Cavani are dropping into our third to get the ball and they are losing it with the defence.