46 shots, 2 scored - both from penalties

[Champ]

Meanwhile, Lukaku scores again....

 

[Strelok]

Agenda filled knee-jerk fans mate.
They have been waiting with their swords for this moment since lock down.

Sadly this will not be put to bed, anytime we fail to win a game or he miss a chance they will come out with their spears untill they get their wish and we are back another few years of rebuild.

Thanks God that teams are not run by such morons.

Even Citeh, with their supposedly endless oil money has to live with Jesus and fecking I-can't-score-even-taps-in Raheem Sterling.

And here we are talking about replacing one of the most prolific strikers in the world after two bad performances. Pure madness.

 

[Thepinhead]

Our attackers are quite young almost all of them. It is to be expected that they are still inconsistent. I'd worry more about the defense. They are our most experienced players but some are as inconsistent as our 18 year old attacker.

 

[Lentwood]

Two games is not an adequately-sized Dataset to determine anything

 

[Morpheus 7]

It's two games, with two motm performances from the opposition keepers. Scoring goals since the lockdown hasn't been a issue. It's frustrating but it's two games. We just weren't clinical and it's cost us. End of

 

[Tom Cato]

26 shots against Copenhagen, 20 shots against Sevilla. And yet all we could muster was two goals from penalties.

Overall, I think it's a good thing we're creating so much. So what's going wrong and how do we fix it?

I don't think you can "fix" a lot other than to tell them to take smarter shots, lob the ball over a rushing goaltender, pocket the corner, very basic things they know anyway.

The Sevilla game to me was actually a really refreshing experience.

They came 4th in La Liga this year and were unbeaten for 19 consecutive games having allowed 11 goals in that time before they played us. And we completely dominated the game.

The takeaway from all of this isn't the loss, or the "three semi-finals exit", it's that we made them look silly at times, and it's compeltely our own fault down to a individual level of our strikers that we did not put at least 3 or 4 out of 8 "should be a goal" scoring chances back in the net. Sevila had one 4-0 loss v Barca but other than that they play draw or lose with 1 goal vs the other "big guns" in Real or Atletico. This is not a bad football team.

We lost over glaring mistakes in the defense, and for once, a lack of finishing from Martial and Greenwood primarily who's both had amazing seasons overall. Knowing all of that, I'm ok with losing, becuase the future is bright indeed.

 

[Adam-Utd]

Bad finishing isn't bad luck.

I get what you’re saying, but you still rely on the keeper doing his job too. Not every shot is perfect and as long as you hit the target you’ve got a chance, but the last 2 keepers did their jobs perfectly.

in that sense we were unlucky, Greenwood’s chance he dinked it over the keeper but the CB got in the way and blocked it. On another day the Cb gives up and it’s a goal.

 

[keithsingleton]

26 shots against Copenhagen, 20 shots against Sevilla. And yet all we could muster was two goals from penalties.

Overall, I think it's a good thing we're creating so much. So what's going wrong and how do we fix it?

Can we dream about getting Kane even though that tight cnut levy will have him over priced.

 

[sp_107]

Wondering if we had Lukaku that would made any difference?

A front 3 of Martial ---Lukaku ----Greenwood/Rasford ?

 

[Strelok]

Wondering if we had Lukaku that would made any difference?

A front 3 of Martial ---Lukaku ----Greenwood/Rasford ?

Sure thing, a lot of 'difference' if you have an okay memory.

One match where he scored two against fecking Shakhtar, after the score was 3-0 and suddenly he becomes our missing world class striker. Like he has never ever played here fps.

 

[Redlyn]

I get what you’re saying, but you still rely on the keeper doing his job too. Not every shot is perfect and as long as you hit the target you’ve got a chance, but the last 2 keepers did their jobs perfectly.

in that sense we were unlucky, Greenwood’s chance he dinked it over the keeper but the CB got in the way and blocked it. On another day the Cb gives up and it’s a goal.

So what you are saying is that the CB and keeper did their job. Hitting the target is not enough. Really over the 2 games I didn't see any blinders where I thought the keeper was playing the game of their life. It was pretty standard goalkeeping. We needed better finishing.

 

[Strelok]

So what you are saying is that the CB and keeper did their job. Hitting the target is not enough. Really over the 2 games I didn't see any blinders where I thought the keeper was playing the game of their life. It was pretty standard goalkeeping. We needed better finishing.

You have a serious problem with your eyes I guess. At least for the match against Copenhagen.

 

[Adam-Utd]

So what you are saying is that the CB and keeper did their job. Hitting the target is not enough. Really over the 2 games I didn't see any blinders where I thought the keeper was playing the game of their life. It was pretty standard goalkeeping. We needed better finishing.

While the strikers can always do “better” quite often a shot doesn’t need to be perfection to go in. You often see balls go through their legs or a keeper getting their angles wrong.

the last 2 games especially the keepers have been pretty near perfect, it’s just how it is.

I’d be much more worried if we weren’t creating any chances put it that way.

 

[11101]

I don't think you can "fix" a lot other than to tell them to take smarter shots, lob the ball over a rushing goaltender, pocket the corner, very basic things they know anyway.

The Sevilla game to me was actually a really refreshing experience.

They came 4th in La Liga this year and were unbeaten for 19 consecutive games having allowed 11 goals in that time before they played us. And we completely dominated the game.

The takeaway from all of this isn't the loss, or the "three semi-finals exit", it's that we made them look silly at times, and it's compeltely our own fault down to a individual level of our strikers that we did not put at least 3 or 4 out of 8 "should be a goal" scoring chances back in the net. Sevila had one 4-0 loss v Barca but other than that they play draw or lose with 1 goal vs the other "big guns" in Real or Atletico. This is not a bad football team.

We lost over glaring mistakes in the defense, and for once, a lack of finishing from Martial and Greenwood primarily who's both had amazing seasons overall. Knowing all of that, I'm ok with losing, becuase the future is bright indeed.

My thoughts exactly. Finishing has been a problem, we have started trying to walk the ball in the net again. We finish one of those early chances and we are under less pressure and the defensive mistakes dont happen either.

 

[horsechoker]

Meanwhile, Lukaku scores again....

Notice how Lukaku started scoring once the game was wrapped up. I think he failed to score a big chance before that when the game was much closer. That game summed Lukaku up well

 

[Bestietom]

We simply aren't ruthless enough.

Compare this to Sevilla's stats yesterday: 3 shots on target, two goals. We're missing a world class finisher, and someone that won't simply blast the ball straight at the keeper. A lot of our shots on target yesterday were literally straight at the keeper.

Sevilla don't have a world class finisher, but they take their chances. We need to learn to take these chances if we are to start winning trophies again. 3 semi-finals and nothing to show for it.

 

[Redlyn]

While the strikers can always do “better” quite often a shot doesn’t need to be perfection to go in. You often see balls go through their legs or a keeper getting their angles wrong.

the last 2 games especially the keepers have been pretty near perfect, it’s just how it is.

I’d be much more worried if we weren’t creating any chances put it that way.

Yes, fully agreed with that. It feels hopeless when you are not creating chances but having lots of chances and generally good forwards you get the feeling on another day you could score 5.

 

[Champ]

Notice how Lukaku started scoring once the game was wrapped up. I think he failed to score a big chance before that when the game was much closer. That game summed Lukaku up well

Yet our current strikers didn't score at all.
Just saying.

 

[Chief123]

Fans forget you don’t score every shot at goal in football.

Amazing how our strike force is an issue now but it wasn’t when we just recently broke the record for winning 4 games in a row by a margin of 3 goals. When we were banging 3-5 goals every game it was never a problem. Short sightedness.

 

[AltiUn]

Per WhoScored, in 2019/20 United has by far the highest out-of-the-box shot percentage (at 45%), and thus the lowest shot percentage in the box (at 55%) out of all the PL top six teams and the four EL semi-finalists.

Team	Shot percentage in 6 yeards box	Shot percentage in 18 yards box	Shot percentage outside the box
Manchester United	6%	49%	45%
Liverpool	7%	63%	30%
Manchester City	10%	58%	32%
Chelsea	8%	58%	34%
Leicester	9%	54%	37%
Tottenham	7%	53%	40%
Inter	8%	56%	36%
Sevilla	9%	62%	30%
Shakhtar Donetsk	8%	51%	41%

So we either intentionally took shots of higher difficulty, or were forced to do so since we couldn't create high quality chances, and we reckoned the remedy to this is to simply take more shots. Maybe that's why we weren't able to convert our shots into goals after all.

Be nice to see what our stats for this are like after we signed Fernandes and got Pogba back into the team, because otherwise we could be looking to fix a problem we've already solved.

 

[Chief123]

Everyone’s remembering Lukaku now but didn’t mention his name when Martial was scoring every game on a hot streak!

 

[OleTheGreat]

i still am not convinced with our all round play although we are making huge inroads towards the opponent box. We seem to have taken Sevilla lightly even though we set up our best XI. We have been pretty much playing our best Xi every game since the restart and it has taken a toll on the players. They were visibly tiring and couldn't string together a few passes in the final 30 odd mins of the game. I thought our game management was pretty awful because i think Ole was gearing up to play the extra 30 mins of ET. He waited until Sevilla scored to bring out the subs and i think that was awful. I know we have a good defense but it turned out to be a bad mistake by Lindelof, Maguire and Bissaka in the end. We finally had no time to do anything about the result in the time left. Regardless of the best chances we had throughout the game, it end up with Sevilla finishing their chances and that's how football works.

 

[VeevaVee]

We've certainly been good at tricking people into thinking the keepers are world class for a game. Just a lot of poor shots from what I saw.

 

[VeevaVee]

Meanwhile, Lukaku scores again....

He fecked up loads chances for us while he was here, and certainly not just excusable ones, including plenty that would've won us games.

 

[Champ]

He fecked up loads chances for us while he was here, and certainly not just excusable ones, including plenty that would've won us games.

Indeed.
But he's a goalscorer who has scored for fun this season in a competition where we have struggled to for the last three games.

 

[Orange Tree]

With Lukaku upfront we won't create as many chances to have 46 shots to begin with, ridiculous. And how many goals did Lukaku have again with United?

And the amazing proper striker Ibrahimovic, Martial pretty much equaled his goal tally for a season in EPL.

 

[Offside]

Yeah we didn’t bring our scoring boots to Germany. Shame.

 

[LDUred]

Sack Ole, sign and then sell Giggs.

 

[He'sRaldo]

I disagree with people blame on attackers being not clinical alone, the keeper has to be given massive credit here.

I think it’s because we lack variety to create chances. We are focusing too much creating our chances from through ball since our only creative players are from midfield Bruno & Pogba and unfortunately the keeper read all these that he knew he needed to come outside from his area to close down our attackers.

We don’t have the width to create chances either from wingers or attacking full backs. Which is why Ole is targeting wingers to give us more option to score goals. Ole has been saying he prefers his attackers to score tap in and top quality wingers will be able to dribble beat players, make good delivery to score tap in.

You're right, but do we need new wingers?

I think all we need to do is teach Rashford and Greenwood to do a quick cutback with their weaker foot when they get to the byline. Usually they stop and try and take it onto their stronger foot, killing all the momentum. Rashford especially avoids using his left foot a lot.

Once we teach them to do that, it will be a high quality of chance we can create, especially if players like Pogba and Bruno can get into the box as well to take a shot.

 

[UNITED ACADEMY]

You're right, but do we need new wingers?

I think all we need to do is teach Rashford and Greenwood to do a quick cutback with their weaker foot when they get to the byline. Usually they stop and try and take it onto their stronger foot, killing all the momentum. Rashford especially avoids using his left foot a lot.

Once we teach them to do that, it will be a high quality of chance we can create, especially if players like Pogba and Bruno can arrive for the chance in the box.

Still need ones imo to provide different option in the squad. In fact, we should go with two if possible not just one to provide solid competition.

 

[cyril C]

Meanwhile, Lukaku scores again....

British media stated that Lukaku demonstrated what we are missing.

I strongly disagree although I still puzzle as why Ole found Lukaku incompatible in his tactics. Let me quickly point out what I have observed in the game first, before talking about other aspects of Lukaku.

Lukaku had his 1st shot on target at 70th minute, when Inter was sitting at 1 goal lead. It was a weak pass to the keeper. Lukaku scored a hat-trick (incl assist) after Inter was leading 2-0.

In fact, this has been a typical Lukaku IMO. Seldom score the 1st goal, but give you a hat trick after scoreline is already 2-0. So on paper, he is prolific, scores a bundle, but hardly useful when it matters.

I am sure Lukaku is a useful point man, can hold up the ball and assist when needed. But he is not Ibrahim, let alone Benzema or Lewandoski, he doesn't get involved in the 1st goal, he only involved after the game is won.

 

[Isotope]

It would be nice to do something different or bring in new player earlier than 87 min. Instead of just stubbornly hoping something would miraculously change by keep doing the same thing.

Maybe like SAF used to do when chasing games. Brought in more attacker for defender, instead of stupidly subbing like for like with few minutes to go, on losing side.

 

[Nickosaur]

Might have already been suggested, but maybe moving greenwood into the centre could have yielded better results? Yet to see him get proper minutes as a striker.

More as a plan B, martial has been class recently but not quite taking his chances like he was earlier in the season.

 

[Hamadovich86]

I'm not too concerned about the lack of goals over the past couple of games, especially in a knockout tournament setting. We dont have options off the bench, impact players who can offer something different.

 

[Sb_16]

Sack everyone. Burn everything to the round. Do us a favor Ed and put these fans put of their misery.

 

[Champ]

British media stated that Lukaku demonstrated what we are missing.

I strongly disagree although I still puzzle as why Ole found Lukaku incompatible in his tactics. Let me quickly point out what I have observed in the game first, before talking about other aspects of Lukaku.

Lukaku had his 1st shot on target at 70th minute, when Inter was sitting at 1 goal lead. It was a weak pass to the keeper. Lukaku scored a hat-trick (incl assist) after Inter was leading 2-0.

In fact, this has been a typical Lukaku IMO. Seldom score the 1st goal, but give you a hat trick after scoreline is already 2-0. So on paper, he is prolific, scores a bundle, but hardly useful when it matters.

I am sure Lukaku is a useful point man, can hold up the ball and assist when needed. But he is not Ibrahim, let alone Benzema or Lewandoski, he doesn't get involved in the 1st goal, he only involved after the game is won.

I love this.
The game is never won until the final whistle.

Do the goals Lukaku scores not count because he didn't score the first goal?

 

[OrcaFat]

Any slightest hint that we would be better off with Lukaku still here should be snuffed out instantly. He was dire.

We do need competition for places up front and a sharp clinical CF would be welcome (in addition to Sancho, if we can get him), but of course they don’t grow on trees.

 

[Von Mistelroum]

Said this for ages but I think we need a striker. Martial and Rashford are not strikers or at least not main strikers. I only think we need one of the two in the team.

 

[bsCallout]

Pressure.
Confidence.
Form.
Luck.
Tiredness.
Youth.

All of the above.

I think it may well be par for the course when you have a young front line. We've seen Rashford snatch at things, Martial unlucky and Greenwood perhaps showing a lack of experience to get in the box sometimes.

It seems like the sort of thing where it would only take one of them to score a good goal and all of a sudden we are scoring plenty.

I'd have liked to see the Ighalo sub utilised more often so we have that stay in the box & poach type player. I don't want that type player in our starting 11, like the people shouting Lukaku et al. It isn't how I want us to play 90% of the time.

The ability to make and use that sub is important though. That becomes easier with Sancho in the team. Greenwood and or Ighalo can come on and we still have plenty of creativity.

 

[Dr Foo]

We have no trusted efficient cold blooded plan B that can aid our current front 5 if we need goals or rotation. Sancho would help but we still need more depth (actually all over the pitch). That and our mentality as a still maturing team, hopefully we learn to manage games better at both ends of the pitch. Our cup runs in Europa and FA have already shown these patterns: labouring to one goal wins in the quarter finals and letting in soft goals in the semis.