[abailey123]

What a poor first half. We’re so vulnerable on the counter. Thank Christ Moreno is injured

 

[Adam-Utd]

It's not really a 4-3-3, Bruno and Pogba are totally detached from McTominay.

it’s not a 433. it’s a 4231 until we get the ball then pogba goes and stands up front

 

[SuperiorXI]

Really really poor. Missing 75% of our starting defence has clearly affected us really badly. Their LW has had Dalot on toast time and time again.

 

[NinjaZombie]

I think Scott McTominay looks a decent defensive midfielder only when the ball comes to him. Problem is, he's often not anywhere near the ball because his positioning and reading of the game is not good enough.

 

[M Bison]

That was such a depressing half, feels like the end of the road and underlines the need for a change.

The glazers and Woodward have been slated for years, but the team out there tonight is as good as any and we can’t string a couple of passes together.

Time to go Ole, thanks for clearing the decks after the LvG and Mourinho reigns but it’s time we made a change to get to the next level.

 

[RoadTrip]

Wow, I'm usually an optimist but geez so hard to watch this. We have one of the best squads post Fergie and this is currently the best we can do...hurts to see.

That glaring hole in midfield that anyone could see wasn’t resolved in the window. It’s so bad that the quality everywhere else just can’t resolve it because we can’t control games and can’t keep teams at bay. It’s a colossal mess in central midfield.

 

[tyunited]

Bar Sancho the rest of the attacking players have done sweet feck all

 

[redshaw]

Can't wait for Europa.

We have a chance without these mustard boys in it.

 

[Strelok]

Telles and Dalot are so shite defensively. We're playing with one man midfield aka McT doesn't help either. Sub Ronaldo off he doesn't do a shit and bring on another fecking mid before we lose this game.

 

[Ollie Derbyshire]

Missed the first 30 but by the sounds of it were lucky to still be 0-0, midfield is so open its criminal, I have no idea what we do on the training ground, absolute joke.

 

[AFC NimbleThumb]

Matic on, Mason off and protect that fecking back 4

This fanbase is lost.

 

[RDCR07]

Ronaldo is already regretting coming back. Sorry buddy but you won’t win anything at this club with Ole at the helm.

 

[acnumber9]

Our defensive organisation is a complete mess. Consistently open all the time. As negative as it is to play 2 holding players, we simply don’t have a DM of sufficient quality to not do it. It’s excruciating that we didn’t resolve this in the transfer window.

You say that like it’s any different when we play two defensive midfielders. It isn’t.

 

[Rightnr]

Ole's at the wheel, alright. Passion, desire and fight FC.

 

[#07]

You can see why Ole sets up defensively. Villarreal have had us on toast. We are very lucky that they don't have competent attackers.

The back four looks shaky. Danjuma has Dalot on toast. Telles isn't doing all that much better. It's just Villarreal are choosing to attack less down his side.

Thank God for Dave rolling back the years.

For all that we're still in it. If we can just test their defence more...

PS) We really miss Rashford. Some of the balls in behind have been good. However, neither Greenwood or Sancho have the pace to get away from their man over distance.

 

[Highfather_24]

So 4-3-3 is not the magic solution to our midfield problems? Shocked!

 

[Ivor Ballokov]

Atrocious. No idea what we're actually attempting tactically

 

[Acole9]

De Gea keeping us in this. Been a pretty frustrating watch so far.

 

[AmanNits04]

Sancho is the only one who looks like he is doing something atleast. God we miss Rashford. We just don't have the pace to get in behind anymore. Get Lingard or someone one now, can't be worse than this playing wise.

 

[Ronaldo's ego]

If they were competent up top this could’ve easily been another Spurs disaster half, even with 11 men.

 

[R'hllor]

We gonna win this and then deluded fecks will pretend that this performance didnt happen.

 

[Asger]

McTom is clearly no DM! Only De Gea been good sofar.

 

[kiristao]

Inspite of that front 5 on the pitch, we are only putting in hopefully crosses into the box. I know Villarreal are defending deep but not having created a single half decent chance with some quick passing and movement in 45 mins is a clear sign of poor coaching.

 

[Dve]

Cavani for Ronaldo, please. We need someone who can press from front and contribute in the build-up play. It´s been a while since I´ve seen Ronaldo doing that, for Juventus, Portugal or United.

 

[MIC_FIN]

Dave really is MVP

Fecking bereft of feeding balls to Ronnie's feet.

Greenwood should be beating that offside trap shite.

 

[cyberman]

Yeah, let's play for a 0-0 at home in a game we need to win....

It’s not playing for a 0-0. It’s playing for stopping the inevitable goals we concede in the second half if we don’t change it.
Our RB is too scared to get forward because of how exposed he is and the balance is off. Get Matic in, give us a base to attack from

 

[bosskeano]

Telles and Dalot are so poor defensively and sadly they offer very little going forward. When you have two fullbacks who can't defend or help in the attack then you're asking for problems.

Pogba and Bruno both drifting around completely leaves Scott exposed to the counter and having to deal with two guys. Pogba has to be disciplined and that isn't a coaching issue, it's a player issue.

 

[BarstoolProphet]

Remember when we were so bad that DDG was constantly our man of the match? Thought I'd never see those times again.

Sad but true. It's just sad now, we are getting thouroughly outplayed. Both fullbacks are among the worst I've ever seen defensively and they aren't even close to outweighing that with an offensive output.

We started like we had a point to prove but unfortunately that only lasted for about 100 seconds before they settled.

 

[Jim Beam]

Wow, I'm usually an optimist but geez so hard to watch this. We have one of the best squads post Fergie and this is currently the best we can do...hurts to see.

Same, I try not to jump on throat and look for the positives mostly, but that was a horrific first half.

 

[Cloud7]

At least De Gea looks back to his best this season. Good signs for us once the rest of the team gets sorted out one way or another.

 

[Dinghy]

Telles and Dalot are laughably bad. Knew we would be terrible defensively with this line-up, but fecking hell that was on another level. Our build-up play is also beyond shit, it's our back four passing it slowly around for a few seconds before the hollywood shit pass. Midfield is nowhere to be seen, Sancho is trying to play some one-two's but got no one to combine with.

 

[Fredo]

Shit first half, the forward players just don't know what to do, a lot of individual mistakes it's unbelievable. McTominay, a lot of times he could be one yard ahead to receive the ball from Varane/Lindelof and he just hides behind the attacker, he's just hopping around ushering with his hands here and there. I dont understand who Ole puts him there, the anchor between defense and attack refuses to take a good position to receive the ball and relieve the defense, for 45 minutes straight, what the hell?

Dalot was okay, smart defensive play on the counter (although their pass was shit) and good recovery from Lindelof. Sancho had probably the most lively half since he started for us, some little flashes. Overall we are shit and I support Ole but he better change something at half-time.

 

[Chicharo]

ZERO created chances, we look clueless. They easily could've scored 3-4

 

[Gandalf Greyhame]

We can't press, we can't patiently build an opening, we can't defend and we look clueless in possession.

Comprehensively outplayed. This is worrying.

 

[BEST No7]

That was absolute shite... the ease that villareal just go through us is a fecking joke and we're the complete opposite. Shambles of a half!!

 

[Siorac]

‘Positives’ implies there was more than one.

Hey, he made several very good saves!

 

[Ollie Derbyshire]

Telles and Dalot are so shite defensively. We're playing with one man midfield aka McT doesn't help either. Sub Ronaldo off he doesn't do a shit and bring on another fecking mid before we lose this game.

if we could actually control the game and move the ball accurately with pace we might be able to give him something to do.

 

[Denis79]

Team is unbalanced, need to take off either Pogba or Sancho and strengthen the central midfield.

 

[Ekeke]

Lets be honest, Emery is getting more out of his team than Ole is.

 

[RoadTrip]

I think Scott McTominay looks a decent defensive midfielder only when the ball comes to him. Problem is, he's often not anywhere near the ball because his positioning and reading of the game is not good enough.

People see his energy and work rate and mistake that to be qualities of a DM though. Yes, top quality DMs often have that in their locker but what makes them great is the know-how of where to be and when.McTominay is good, but not of the quality and knowledge to play that DM role by himself.