[Random Task]

You know it's a bad day when Souness is the only pundit speaking sense.

It was a blatant foul on Bruno.

 

[Devil may care]

Set pieces have been a threat but that's the second goal we've conceded from a shot outside the box, we leave too much space centrally. Ole should make a change at half time as Matic and Martial look off the pace and Fred is all over the shop with his passing.

 

[Ranchero]

Matic and Martial off at very least. Awful decision by Ole in the starting line up making so many changes from the side that devoured Leeds. There is no logic to this line up

 

[Womp]

Plays a DM with no legs against a team that is known for it's high intensity pressing. We are still so slow and predictable with our passing. Still so clueless wirh movement off the ball.

Another season of the same excuses, then

 

[Gandalf Greyhame]

I don't know how people manage to blame specific players when no one has been good and the issue is clearly a collective one.

I don't think the issue is collective. We have been wasteful with the chances we created, albeit from set pieces. Certain players like Fred, Matic and Lindelof are making telegraphed hospital passes when we immediately lose possession and have to defend. Martial consistently stands and waits for the ball to feet instead of running towards it and a Southampton defender gets in early and intercepts - I counted at least 3 instances of that happening, there were more earlier.

All of these kill our tempo and flow, and it's the first time our players have had to deal with a vociferous away stadium in ages. We need to get the basics right across the board for 5-10 minutes and we'll be back with confidence into the game.

 

[red_de_pologne]

with this team selection today there's no hiding for Ole.

Can you imagine any other manager having Paul Pogba, Donny Van de Beek, and playing a midfield of Fred and Matic

 

[Lash]

Jaysis I can’t believe that goal was given. The foul gets worse the more I see it. So obvious.

What does me is if the game had been officiated like that throughout, I could understand, but he'd given fouls already for similar.

 

[The Purley King]

At people singling out Martial

He is a lazy player. No effort at all.
Not to say others have been poor (they have) but he stands out for a shit attitude and next to zero effort

 

[bond19821982]

No amount of quality players will help us if we don't know how to beat a press and that's on our coaching team.

 

[Someone]

I full think we can turn this around, but we need to stop these stupid mistakes. Bruno took so much time on the ball where he really shouldn't even if it was a foul, before that a serious of comical mistakes, that needs to stop.

Martial had zero impact on the game, James honestly for all his missed chances last week, did a great job getting the ball and help creating chances, martial is just not in the game.

Matic was also a liability at times.

I'd put Sancho and McTominay at half time. Southampton are shite and we can win this with just a bit of focus.

 

[Berbasbullet]

Keane is absolutely right. Stephens nicks it off Bruno from the side rather than behind. If Bruno shifted his body across, it would've 100% been a foul.

I’m on the fence, Stephens has to wrap his leg around from behind/the side, making contact with Bruno’s left side/his back before touching the ball.

As long as it’s consistent I don’t mind it not being a foul.

 

[RedPed]

We've seen that exact first half so many times over the last two years that you can't really blame it on luck anymore.

Thankfully we've been pretty good at 2nd half comebacks, though.

It's performances like this though that keep giving people ammunition to keep casting shade over Solskjaer and the team. We should be putting in performances like Leeds week in, week out now, especially against the likes of Southampton. If we're seriously going to challenge we can't be dropping points against the Saints already especially when we have such a good run of games at the start of the season compared to the others.

 

[SAFMUTD]

Everyone asking Ole to make halftime subs, have you been living under a rock for the past 3 years? He doesn't make subs until the 70+ minute.

All we can hope is Bruno does his magic.

 

[Sean_RedDevil]

We had 2 off the line clearance and 2 free header in 6 yard box. They scored of wicked deflection. Still a lot of time is left in the game

Two problems.

We are behind in 50% of our matches and that is a major problem.

We shouldn't struggle against this Southampton team.....they have lost 3 of their 4 best players.

 

[Ranchero]

You know it's a bad day when Souness is the only pundit speaking sense.

It was a blatant foul on Bruno.

Absolutely. But we have to get on with it. It is done

 

[SirAnderson]

Face/Off live on SkySports now.

Starring Roy Travolta/Nicolas Sourness.

 

[Ronaldo's ego]

Chill people, one bad half. We should still turn this around.

 

[Stadjer]

In training? He's been an absolute donkey whenever he plays.

He hasnt. Besides that, so has Matic so what does it matter?

 

[PoTMS]

Who would have thought our midfield is still a major issue. I can't believe we could possibly be witnessing another season where these are our options.

We could very easily turn this around in the second half, certainly wouldn't be surprised.

Even if we do, this is simply not a good enough midfield to win anything of note. We can't carry so many deficiencies in our squad and management team and expect to challenge for the top titles.

 

[mu4c_20le]

Bruno was poor for the goal, he should have used his body to protect the ball better.

Sack ole, sell bruno

 

[Nick7]

What does me is if the game had been officiated like that throughout, I could understand, but he'd given fouls already for similar.

We got a free kick for pretty much the exact same a couple of minutes later. Absolute joke.

 

[JB08]

Martial has been completely and utterly absent from the game. I can’t see why we would want to play him in the second half when we have Sancho available, and Greenwood to play central.

 

[DomesticTadpole]

Ole must make 2 subs at half time, not his usual useless 80-minute sub. Sancho and a midfield player on.

He waffles on about SAF, well SAF would have no worries about damaging somebodies ego and hauling them off at HT. He has to show guts, not I will wait for them to put it right. That is absolving yourself of any blame in which team you picked. Leeds were the perfect side for us. I just wish we had Cavani.

 

[Hoof the ball]

It's the same thing, isn't it?

Regardless of how much quality the opposition have, if they're coached well to perform a high press, the triune Fred, Matic and McTominay inevitably cannot handle it, and consequently our forwards cannot get hold of the ball. It's been this way for years now, and of all the positions that go without recruitment, it's this one that's most frustrating.

Chelsea have Jorginho, Kovacic, and Mount who can play in a midfield and are technical enough to play in small spaces and deal with a heavy press.

City have Rodri, Gundogan, Fernandinho who can do it

Liverpool with Thiago, Fabinho.

How do we not have someone capable of playing CM or DM who is both technical and press-resistant? Not one.

 

[jackal&hyde]

He is a lazy player. No effort at all.
Not to say others have been poor (they have) but he stands out for a shit attitude and next to zero effort

The agenda is real.

 

[Lentwood]

I don't know how people manage to blame specific players when no one has been good and the issue is clearly a collective one.

I don't see it as a collective issue really. We're a largely above average side with a poor CF and two mediocre CMs.

Clearly, if you're week in two critical positions its going to hurt the collective

 

[Walters_19_MuFc]

Sancho on for Matic.

Fred has been poor but he provides the energy we will need going into the second half.

 

[RedOldBoy]

Martial motionless again? Listening to radio5 and he’s barely been mentioned (same for greenwood to be fair)

Yep, and I am expecting Sancho on for one of them in the 2nd half, hoping it is sooner rather later.

 

[Red Daz]

Penny for Varane’s thoughts

 

[OmarUnited4ever]

Sloppy & nothing is coming off..

They need to come out of the gate second half firing on all cylinders....

 

[Infra-red]

Looks like a team full of strangers. There is something fundamentally wrong here.

 

[Dobba]

He hasnt. Besides that, so has Matic so what does it matter?

Matic looked infinitely better in pre-season than VDB. That's how much of a donkey he's been in a United shirt so far.

 

[Redlyn]

This is actually a game where I'd probably blame Ole (I'm usually defending him)

Martial, Fred, matic in the same game is absolute rank.

Fred should have been hooked after 20mins, martial could easily go at HT

He has been poor but with that sort of rashness good think you are not the coach.

 

[sport2793]

Cannot understand why Solskjaer wants to keep so many incompetent players like Martial, Matic, Fred.
They should be sold and with teh money, buy better players.

No one wants to buy the players mentioned.

 

[acnumber9]

At people singling out Martial

The only laughing smilies should be reserved for that ‘performance’.

 

[T00lsh3d]

I really don’t get the heat for him. He’s had next to no service whatsoever at all. He’s not been good enough when he has gotten the ball but feck me. Some people are delusional. No CF in world football does any better with what we’ve served up today. It’s been dross.

What?

 

[2 man midfield]

BBC making a big deal about how Southampton deserve to be ahead, and talk about their fluke own goal being an "amazing finish". Load of nonsense.

BBC are ridiculously amateurish with anything related to football. They’re well aware they have to cater to everyone including the entry level fans due to the nature of what they are. So most of their content, reporting, analysis etc is usually along the lines of ‘what a goal’, ‘great save’ etc.

 

[MrBest]

Bad first half, a team selection i think could have been better, but still 45 mins to go. We scored 4 in that time last week.

 

[rooney2009]

We don’t deserve to be losing this
Martial is not match fit but needs game time
We will win this
Take Matic off and put Pogba in the middle and bring Sancho on

 

[Wheato]

Matic off, Donny on.

Martial off - Sancho on.

Mason down the middle.