Manchester United 4:1 Melbourne Defeat (Fri 15th July, 11:05 UK time)

Trex

Full Member
Joined
Sep 18, 2019
Messages
3,043
Location
Nigeria
--------------De Gea--------------
Laird-Bailly-Fish-Malacia
-------Hannibal-Savage----
Pellistri----Donny----Garnacho
-----------Rashford------------------

I think the second half team will be that.
I'll rather Iqbal in midfield and Hannibal at 10.
 

RedDevilRoshi

Full Member
Joined
Sep 28, 2017
Messages
13,268
All our best play has come down the right when so often in the past it’s just been all down the left.

Sancho has been very good again.
 

OmarUnited4ever

Full Member
Joined
Jan 1, 2021
Messages
3,438
Looked clunky at the early stages but slowly improved.

Still a lot of work required and better midfielders than McFred to help the team maintain better possession style
 
Joined
Oct 30, 2016
Messages
5,700
It was only Elanga there, to be fair. Rashford should do better.

I think the pattern EtH wants to see is quite obvious now. He wants a tricky creative RW to make chances on the right flank, and a pacey goal threat to stretch the play on the left flank.

The first half showed we still need to work on how we switch the play to the LW more quickly. But it'll come.
Agreed. Also loving the overlaps from spare midfielders and full backs down the flank and then trying the cutback. It’s how Pep’s teams score 80% of their goals.
 

goalscholes

New Member
Joined
Nov 3, 2021
Messages
904
Good practise and experience for TH against low blocks, this. Nice to see the interplay between Dalot and Sancho, hopefully a nice partnership growing. Martial looks like he would get goals in a Ten Hag team.

It's amazing how it has switched, and the left side of midfield suddenly feels much more of an issue. Elanga has good tactical discipline, movement and work rate, but isn't threatening enough for a side looking to finish top 4.
 

tenpoless

No 6-pack, just 2Pac
Joined
Oct 20, 2014
Messages
16,330
Location
Ole's ipad
Supports
4-4-2 classic
To be fair after winning 4-0 against Liverpool, to be 2-1 up at HT vs PSG is impressive.
 

fps

Full Member
Joined
Dec 22, 2018
Messages
5,504
Tony is doing it to me again... He has everything (except heading).

Watch him turn to shit by October.
I'm hopeful every year. Now with proper coaching I'm hopeful he can be a very effective CF. And yet.
 

DWelbz19

Correctly predicted Portugal to win Euro 2016
Joined
Oct 31, 2012
Messages
34,030
By the looks of it so far this pre season, I think we may need a left winger instead of a right winger. :lol: :lol:
We could possibly end up back with Sancho on the left and Eriksen on the right at times. It really depends if Eriksen will only be used as a CM/10 or will play wide playmaker again
 

JeffFromHK

Full Member
Joined
Oct 31, 2021
Messages
1,093
Our attacks bar Martial refused to make runs when we are on the edge of the opponents' boxes.

Eric needs to fix that.
 

christinaa

Gossip Girl
Joined
Sep 19, 2012
Messages
11,543
Supports
There's only one United!
Eth can see now that Maguire is so slow
 

Smores

Full Member
Joined
May 18, 2011
Messages
25,528
Plenty of the players are moving off the ball and guessing where the gaps are going to be rather than just standing in them. Big improvement that.

Not good signs from Shaw, hoped we'd see the energetic version of him in pre season but looks lethargic. If there's one player of ours id say had been on PEDs in year's gone it would be him, the difference is insane.
 

flameinthesun

Full Member
Joined
Jun 17, 2014
Messages
2,053
Location
London
Shaw must be better with the competition he has now.
Think its an athleticism thing, he's got the technical ability and defensively good but he just doesn't have the ability to run up and down that wing, conversely dalot can run all day. Here's hoping Malacia pushes for a starting spot as he has an engine on him. Still think apart from Sancho we are missing a tricky winger, definitely could do with Antony.
 

Champ

Refuses to acknowledge existence of Ukraine
Joined
Jun 17, 2017
Messages
9,888
I didn't realise this.... I'm sold, although maybe he failed as a striker rather than shined as a midfielder?!
Apparently was useful as a striker, but converted to midfield due to his ability on the ball.

I think every kid wants to be a striker growing up though!! :lol:
 

Rustyspider13

Full Member
Joined
Oct 17, 2020
Messages
2,332
Victory playing FIFA with their 8 players in the box looking for counters is exactly what we needed in pre-season. The team needs to get used to creating chances against these defenses. Sancho's technical ability has already created the chances and if we get some of that in midfield the chances will come easier. Martial also seems to have found his dribbling boots.

The negatives are easily identifiable. It's clear that McT can't provide that and Fred while attempts the forward passes is successful too few times. Maguire and Lindelof can't play together in a high line, Martinez's aggression will make him first choice quite easily. Elanga has also disappointed, maybe he got too used to playing on the right under Rangnick but he seems clueless on the left.

Hope to see Hannibal, Iqbal and Malacia in action in the second half.
 

TheReligion

Abusive
Joined
Nov 22, 2006
Messages
51,465
Location
Manchester

Champ

Refuses to acknowledge existence of Ukraine
Joined
Jun 17, 2017
Messages
9,888
Elanga meant that pass for Martial, absolutely quality awareness from the young man.
 

pawanraj

Full Member
Joined
Apr 16, 2008
Messages
437
Location
.
McTominay doing his best John Cena impression?
Hilarious how we’ve been a left channel based side for the last 8 seasons but now it’s all down the right. Love it.
We've been a left channel based side for a lot longer than 8 seasons. Post Cristiano, Evra, Giggs, Nani did a lot of attacking down the left...
 

McGrathsipan

Dawn’s less famous husband
Joined
Jun 25, 2009
Messages
24,698
Location
Dublin
these pricks with 9 men defending in the box...

its a friendly FFS have a bit of fun
 

MDFC Manager

Full Member
Joined
Dec 26, 2005
Messages
24,303
Tony is doing it to me again... He has everything (except heading).

Watch him turn to shit by October.
He's excellent aerially too. Can be the ideal modern lone frontman when he wants too. The last bit being the biggest problem.
 

stoinz

Full Member
Joined
Feb 6, 2014
Messages
589
Hope to see Zidane , Hannibal, Pellistris, Malacia and Garnacho in the second half.
 

Paxi

Dagestani MMA Boiled Egg Expert
Joined
Mar 4, 2017
Messages
27,678
I’m sure Erik will be absolutely pissed at this.
 

the_cliff

Full Member
Joined
Sep 4, 2013
Messages
5,563
We could possibly end up back with Sancho on the left and Eriksen on the right at times. It really depends if Eriksen will only be used as a CM/10 or will play wide playmaker again
Yeah that could work. I'm just saying you can see why ETH wants another attacker, preferably one that is good at one v ones and can create space from the dribble. Rashford/Elanga doesn't do it for me. Of course he could still choose to go for a rw and play Sancho lw.