hi.If anyone thinks that was a good performance over a very mediocre side over two legs, they're living in cloud cuckoo land.
hi.If anyone thinks that was a good performance over a very mediocre side over two legs, they're living in cloud cuckoo land.
If anyone thinks Lyon are mediocre they're living in cloud cuckoo land.If anyone thinks that was a good performance over a very mediocre side over two legs, they're living in cloud cuckoo land.
I thought going forward Lyon were poor, but nonetheless were well organised behind the ball.If anyone thinks Lyon are mediocre they're living in cloud cuckoo land.
But that was a poor performance tonight, yeah. I thought we were better in France.
I thought their wonder-boys, Benzema and Ben Arfa, both looked like the real deal. It took an exceptional performance from every one of our back four to keep them out. Against a defence any worse than ours (and there aren't many of those ) I would fancy them to score.I thought going forward Lyon were poor, but nonetheless were well organised behind the ball.
I think we were a couple of good decisions away from a 4-0 win, the last 20 minutes there were times when players made the wrong decisions around the area.
Ben Arfa sure can dribble past players, but his finishing was woeful and his overall performane showed little maturity. Benzema looks the real deal, Ben Arfa not so much.I thought their wonder-boys, Benzema and Ben Arfa, both looked like the real deal. It took an exceptional performance from every one of our back four to keep them out. Against a defence any worse than ours I would fancy them to score.
They were creaky at the back though, yeah, we definitely should have scored more.
Benzema looks like the real deal alright, but Ben Arfa for me flatters to deceive every time I see him. He would suit Serie A/La Liga far better than the Premiership, his end product is still pretty inconsistent outside the french league.I thought their wonder-boys, Benzema and Ben Arfa, both looked like the real deal. It took an exceptional performance from every one of our back four to keep them out. Against a defence any worse than ours I would fancy them to score.
They were creaky at the back though, yeah, we definitely should have scored more.
Mate you are so way off the mark, Lyon are a well organised side with some excellent players, you may think the French league is shite but that does not mean Lyon are mugs. Far from it.If anyone thinks that was a good performance over a very mediocre side over two legs, they're living in cloud cuckoo land.
End product was poor, agreed. But I don't think he gave the ball away once, all night. In stark contrast to our own twinkle-toed tricksters.Benzema looks like the real deal alright, but Ben Arfa for me flatters to deceive every time I see him. He would suit Serie A/La Liga far better than the Premiership, his end product is still pretty inconsistent outside the french league.
Exactlytbh i'm quite sick and tired of this argument.
quite apart from the fact that players win you games, not formations,it is obvious that in European competition you come up against different styles, requiring different solutions; you simply must have that quality within your squad to vary your playing style.
these are professional players we are talking about. the way the game is micromanaged these days, it is also obvious that they must have the wherewithal to cope with the roles assigned them.
today's performance was average at best in the second half. we lacked composure, failed to keep possession and played too hurriedly. a better side might have punished us, and we need to address that. admittedly this was mitigated by two or three of our most important players having rather poor nights.
well done the back four. i was really proud of them. quick in the tackle, closing the space. Benzema hardly had a sniff. a great performance from them.
i was surprised Scholesy wasn't introduced to calm things down centrally. but we squeaked it.
I never said they were mugs, but I watch a lot of Ligue 1 and they are not playing great this season and have a lot of very mediocre players. Should have put them to bed a lot easier.Mate you are so way off the mark, Lyon are a well organised side with some excellent players, you may think the French league is shite but that does not mean Lyon are mugs. Far from it.
- We've dropped points in 7 of 24 games against teams outside the top 4 (Everton being fourth when I write this).we should batter them like we do with most prem teams outside the top 4.
I think a large part of that is that Anderson still tires after 60 minutes or so (it actually seemed to be a bit earlier this time). As good as he is, he still can't play that hectic style of his for an entire 90 minutes.I thought first half our midfield was unbelievable and rooney and ronaldo a bit wasteful. Second half don't know what happened, we played a totally different game. So I think the formation was fine, first half al lyon could do was desperately defend. On a better day rooney and ronaldo woul have buried a few
I agree, good first half but very poor second.It was a ok performance not a good one. Infact it showed that we needed another presence upfront. We had too many men in the middle, we should have started 442.
a) DongOur current CL system stresses on ball possession and having players capable of covering multiple roles so that it can swiftly change in 4 - 3 - 3 when attacking to 4 - 5 - 1 when defending. To be able to play such system you have to have
a) a goal poacher who can play as a lone striker and turn chances into goal
b) an attacking midfielder who has the stamina AND the Killer instinct to move up and down the pitch and prove lethal at every occasion
Do we have that?
At the risk of sounding like rubber-man...tbh i'm quite sick and tired of this argument.
quite apart from the fact that players win you games, not formations,it is obvious that in European competition you come up against different styles, requiring different solutions; you simply must have that quality within your squad to vary your playing style.
these are professional players we are talking about. the way the game is micromanaged these days, it is also obvious that they must have the wherewithal to cope with the roles assigned them.
today's performance was average at best in the second half. we lacked composure, failed to keep possession and played too hurriedly. a better side might have punished us, and we need to address that. admittedly this was mitigated by two or three of our most important players having rather poor nights.
well done the back four. i was really proud of them. quick in the tackle, closing the space. Benzema hardly had a sniff. a great performance from them.
i was surprised Scholesy wasn't introduced to calm things down centrally. but we squeaked it.
Nothing to do with the quality of the opposition then?This formations doesn't win you games match is a bit of an ignorant and easy answer to be honest. Of course they don't alone, but they certainly help. Games our won by a number of factors, and formations are a big one of those factors. Every man and his dog can tell you Rooney plays better with a strike partner, are you telling me we have just as good a chance as winning if we play one up front as we do with two? Especially when that one is Rooney. Because I don't think we do. Infact our dire perfromances year after year in Europe are a stark and disappointing contrast to our dominance in the League and serve as a clear suggestion that the formation does infact affect our game.
There are atleast 6 games a season against top notch opponents in the Premiership, we do quite well, we never manage more then 2 in the Champions league.Nothing to do with the quality of the opposition then?
Nothing to do with the quality of the opposition then?
We've also had embarrasing draws and defeats to Sunderland, Wolves, Bolton, Middesbro and West feckin Ham. That's football.Of course it is in a lot of instances. But since 99 off the top of my head we have had embarassing draws or defeats against the likes of Porto, Leverkusen, Stuttgart, Basel, Zagreb, Kiev, Lille, PSV, Anderlecht, Panithinaikos, Nantes Maccabi feckin Haifa for gods sakes.
nah.This formations doesn't win you games match is a bit of an ignorant and easy answer to be honest. Of course they don't alone, but they certainly help. Games our won by a number of factors, and formations are a big one of those factors. Every man and his dog can tell you Rooney plays better with a strike partner, are you telling me we have just as good a chance as winning if we play one up front as we do with two? Especially when that one is Rooney. Because I don't think we do. Infact our dire perfromances year after year in Europe are a stark and disappointing contrast to our dominance in the League and serve as a clear suggestion that the formation does infact affect our game.
You;re on a roll, mate. That's the second top-class post I've read from you this morning. Nice worknah.
how players interpret their roles in the side determines games. if you put out a 4-2-3-1 and the 3 don't really try to move up to help the lone striker, you end up with an isolated and ineffective attacker. on the other hand, if they do, you end up with 4-0 versus Arse and 7-1 vs Roma.
so you see that 4-3-3 as played by Barca is quite a bit more attractive than, say, the 4-3-3 played by Chelski, while that played by Chelski is more defensively sound than that played by Barca. on paper, it is the same formation, but how the players understand their roles is very different.
and we have started improving in Europe. we've won all but two of our games this season. reached the semis last. and we are still a very young team, coming into its own after a protracted period of transition. this pointing to our past failures is a bit misleading.
and, of course, European competition poses very different challenges to league competition, not least of which are different styles you come up against.
We are good enough to impose our style on the opposition, we did in the first half, I can't figure out why Fergie thought it a smart idea to sit back in the second.and, of course, European competition poses very different challenges to league competition, not least of which are different styles you come up against.
There will likely be games to come when we need to score a lot of goals to progress. Then you'll see a different set-up entirely. Until then, our European future is better served by playing this way. We control matches, concede few chances and, whilst not being completely free-flowing in attack, are always likely to score a goal or two.This formations doesn't win you games match is a bit of an ignorant and easy answer to be honest. Of course they don't alone, but they certainly help. Games our won by a number of factors, and formations are a big one of those factors. Every man and his dog can tell you Rooney plays better with a strike partner, are you telling me we have just as good a chance as winning if we play one up front as we do with two? Especially when that one is Rooney. Because I don't think we do. Infact our dire perfromances year after year in Europe are a stark and disappointing contrast to our dominance in the League and serve as a clear suggestion that the formation does infact affect our game.
I doubt he asked the players to sit back. Perhaps the full-backs were reigned in a little. Sometimes matches just go that way. The players know if we don't concede we go through, and this affects things.We are good enough to impose our style on the opposition, we did in the first half, I can't figure out why Fergie thought it a smart idea to sit back in the second.
Agree. Good postnah.
how players interpret their roles in the side determines games. if you put out a 4-2-3-1 and the 3 don't really try to move up to help the lone striker, you end up with an isolated and ineffective attacker. on the other hand, if they do, you end up with 4-0 versus Arse and 7-1 vs Roma.
so you see that 4-3-3 as played by Barca is quite a bit more attractive than, say, the 4-3-3 played by Chelski, while that played by Chelski is more defensively sound than that played by Barca. on paper, it is the same formation, but how the players understand their roles is very different.
and we have started improving in Europe. we've won all but two of our games this season. reached the semis last. and we are still a very young team, coming into its own after a protracted period of transition. this pointing to our past failures is a bit misleading.
and, of course, European competition poses very different challenges to league competition, not least of which are different styles you come up against.