[RORY65]

He was hurt at the start of the season but what’s the excuse now? He seems fit enough when he plays.

The reports were it was a back issue that we would have to manage for a while, even when he was fit again, to avoid a potential stress fracture.

He has also scored 0 league goals so he has no justification to be a guaranteed starter, the issue is that the other 2 options to play there (Martial and, at a stretch, Rashford) both look way off it.

 

[Big Ben Foster]

Which one? It feels like I've aged a decade this half

Can't recall exactly, but we had a few half-assed chances in their penalty area early on. That said, at this point just getting into the attacking third feels like about as good of a chance as we're going to get.

 

[James35]

We lose this, I see us losing the next three games that follow.

 

[mu4c_20le]

Antony is 21

When he first signed for Ajax

 

[Hester_manc]

Martial and Amrabat are so poor, and I cant believe that we have players like them in the squad. They belong in the Championship.

 

[Escobar]

Not even half of the team is playing well. It is pretty bad how many poor players we have

 

[Lemon Moon]

Dude will be 24 in a couple of months. One google man. 10 seconds.

He means shirt number haha

 

[Yagami]

Antony and Garnacho have been very poor and Bruno's link-up play is just below par.

I feel a bit for them because they're not players who excel at dribbling. Yet they're nearly always isolated out wide; expected to beat an opposition player or two every time. We need to create some passing triangles instead of just packing the box in the hope they do beat their man and put a cross in.

 

[Cathy Ferguson]

Solanke has 8 PL goals. More than our strikers combined.

 

[r0663664]

Has Mctominay made a forward pass?

General play has been good but still lacking that killer instinct in the final 3rd. All of Bournemouth chances came from our mistakes.
Tighten up and a couple of smarter decisions in the final third and we should win this easily.

U sure? Bournemouth could be 3-0 up. I won't be surprised that they score 1 or 2 more while we struggle to put in 1.

 

[peridigm]

The ease with which these players lose their composure and start sulking and stop playing as a team. The manager will pay with his job but they did the same thing to the previous manager. The dressing room is beyond broken and has needed some addition by subtraction for a long time. Doesn’t help that 75% the crowd only makes noise when they feel they’re sufficiently entertained either.

The team lacks leaders.

 

[Heinzesight]

We lose this, I see us losing the next three games that follow.

That’s the spirit!

Reverse jinx?

 

[Andycoleno9]

What is up with Mejbri? Not even on the bench. Injured?

 

[mu4c_20le]

He means shirt number haha

 

[lex talionis]

Nail, meet head.

Shouldn't the saying go head, meet nail? Yes, either way the nail and the head meet, but it's the head that is pounded into the nail, in that sense driving the point home, which is the point of the metaphor.

 

[sglowrider]

Do you know how greenwood is playing?

Played 13 matches with a total of 7 goal contributions. Better than Martial, Rashsy combined.

 

[Delano]

that’s on the manager

Yep. It's how he wants to play and it's a complete liability for us currently.

 

[Bobski]

If he scans properly while the ball is in the air, the Bournemouth midfielder doesn't get there ahead of him. Literally just needed to take a couple of steps forward and take the ball on his chest.

Except the ball was played 3-4 yards to his Right (as he faced) with a presser steaming into it. He could have been sharper but it is a nightmare pass.

 

[MileStolar]

McTom has had 4 less touches of the ball than Martial, and the least of our team

Hey the less times he touches it the less balls he gives away

 

[The Dane]

Bayern getting humiliated by Frankfurt will further reduce our chances of getting a result on Tuesday, so no reason not to go all in here and then save players on Tuesday.

 

[Rajma]

You can tell we’re such a poor side by our painfully average base level.

 

[#07]

The ease with which these players lose their composure and start sulking and stop playing as a team. The manager will pay with his job but they did the same thing to the previous manager. The dressing room is beyond broken and has needed some addition by subtraction for a long time. Doesn’t help that 75% the crowd only makes noise when they feel they’re sufficiently entertained either.

Easy to blame the crowd. It's a s-t day. They've gone out to support and they've seen United dilly dally about for a half, while looking about as threatening as teddy bear. If the players took some shots and gave them something to get behind there'd be more atmosphere. Nobody goes to Old Trafford to be quiet deliberately. When the fans are freezing their arses off, worried that we might go 2-0 down to Bournemouth, its no surprise a worried hush sets in.

 

[rollingstoned1]

Good to see boos ringing or before HT there.

 

[Andycoleno9]

We lose this, I see us losing the next three games that follow.

Bayern, Liverpool, WH, Villa are our next 4 games. Win or lose today, those games will be tough.

 

[RORY65]

A lot of the same issues we've seen for ages, we have no control over the game. Sometimes we will win because we have better individuals than most sides but it makes it incredibly random whether we will (apart from away to good sides where it's pretty much guaranteed we will lose).

The 2nd half in midweek was much more polished and controlled, maybe the first time you could say we have properly controlled a half all season, but the 1st half today was back to the same issues.

 

[James35]

Antony is 21

Antony will be 24 in February.

 

[3KDré]

Single pivot only works if you've players as capable of playing deep as they are high. Neither McTom not Bruno are that. Get Mainoo on the pitch. We're way too open for counter.

 

[Dannn411]

I fear for us against Liverpool next week playing with only 1 midfielder. Every team cuts through us likehot knife through butter. This is footballing suicide.

 

[AndySmith1990]

The ease with which these players lose their composure and start sulking and stop playing as a team. The manager will pay with his job but they did the same thing to the previous manager. The dressing room is beyond broken and has needed some addition by subtraction for a long time. Doesn’t help that 75% the crowd only makes noise when they feel they’re sufficiently entertained either.

The crowd can make whatever noise they like, they've paid money to watch this shit. The players should be motivated regardless

 

[flameinthesun]

This midfield is just so poor across the board. Desperately need Case, Eriksen and mount back.

 

[Sly]

Going to bet on an United win. Cmon McTominay do your magic

 

[Gabriel Djemba-Bebe]

Thanks Bruno. @Gabriel Djemba-Bebe this is where he loses the ball

Bet you got a semi on seeing him lose possession in our own half.

 

[gerdm07]

I would really like to see Amrabat and Mainoo in midfield. Knowing ETH, though, it won't happen unless it's a really odd situation.

 

[Stadjer]

The ease with which these players lose their composure and start sulking and stop playing as a team. The manager will pay with his job but they did the same thing to the previous manager. The dressing room is beyond broken and has needed some addition by subtraction for a long time. Doesn’t help that 75% the crowd only makes noise when they feel they’re sufficiently entertained either.

To be fair... the crowd also shouts to shoot when a player has a little bit of space and is about 30m away from the opponent their goal.

 

[lex talionis]

ETH cannot allow his slackers to come back onto the pitch in the second half.

 

[BrilliantOrange]

Come on lads!!

 

[DavelinaJolie]

Whilst McTom isn't doing anything, I worry about what would happen if he was taken off. Leaving Martial on his own fighting for changes in the box with some of the awful deliveries being put in will yield jack.

 

[Pyro19]

Stats don't lie. Bournemouth managed just 27% possession and 135 passes in that half. Their goal and other chance that came off the post came from United foolishly giving the ball away

In this case they do. They've hit the post and had 3 good opportunities to score due to a midfield disasterclass.

They've made all the better chances

 

[Andycoleno9]

No subs. Yeah, Erik, that is the way.

 

[#07]

Except the ball was played 3-4 yards to his Right (as he faced) with a presser steaming into it. He could have been sharper but it is a nightmare pass.

Its not a great ball, I agree. But it didn't actually have to lead to much. In fairness to McTominay, three or four defensive players shouldn't be taken out by a simple interception. McTominay has the right to lose out on a 50/50 there and not expect the ball to end up in our net seconds later. It was like the entire left side of our team froze. Even Shaw's 'attempt' to cut out the cross was half hearted. Nobody reacted. Bruno, Amrabat and Reguilon looked like they'd been covered in cement. Statues.