Some context for this thread, before being accused of celebrating a win over a newly promoted side: while Luton are a 'small team', they have taken points off plenty of bigger teams this season and rarely roll over.
On topic, I understand that emotions take over in matchday threads and so on, and I will very often criticise our players mentality and tendency to collapse - but today, of all days, I just dont think any of that criticism is fair. This match needs to be considered without the recent history of collapses, especially from 2 goal leads.
The reason for a separate thread though, is that I cant ever remember watching a match that so clearly demonstrates how a referee can dictate the tempo and flow of a game better than the worlds best number 10. I talk about this so often, and people get far too caught up in 'big calls'.
That was a horror show of refereeing, which will go under the radar because there was no big call in terms of a penalty, red card, or Var intervention.
If anybody has the means to make a compilation of every ball played in to a Luton forward, versus every ball played in to a united forward, especially hojlund, please do. You wont see a more blatant example of referee impact on a game than in this contrast. Hojlund finished the game looking like an extra from 1917 - physically battered, fouled, hauled to the ground and challenged late for the entire game, and I don't believe he earned a single free kick. By contrast, Luton earned a free kick almost every time a forward went down. If youve ever played football you will understand the impact that has on a game. It essentially means every time you try to play to your striker, you end up defending the ball coming right back at you. Its exhausting. And it means that every time you defend their striker, you end up facing a free kick.
The difference in standard of what led to fouls for one team and not for another, clearly led to a difference in physicality and tackles. You could see the United players checking themselves in the second half in particular, and while shaw went off for injury - he would undoubtebly have been substituted too. We removed three players at half time, just because they were on yellows- thats how clear it was to the manager that a red card was inevitable. This of course led to upheaval, and lindelof playing out of position.
In terms of the stats we got 7 free kicks in the match. Luton got 21. That is an enormous difference, not evidenced by the game at all. It is an obscene imbalance.
The Mainoo booking perhaps typified it- an excellent challenge, ending up in a free kick in a very dangeous area, and another player on a yellow, just because the luton players and crowd controlled the ref.
We had to dig so deep in a match where any momentum was made impossible by the referee. Despite this, we have plenty of positives:
Positives:
Hojlund- thats as good a forward performance as Ive seen at united in years. Completely battered without getting anything from the ref and was more than capable, as well as scoring 2 goals
We did have some really lovely intricate play at times and some terrible misses aside, we attacked well despite how people might have emotionally reacted to the narrow scoreline.
Defending: We defended the box brilliantly
Work rate: almost every player looked like they were giving absolutely everything to hold onto that win. Any notion that ten hag doesnt have them playing for him is laughable.
Resilience: thats 3 very tough away games won in a row.
Anyway, in summary, I would hope that the relief of the win doesnt mean people forget this as an example of just how bad officiating can be, without a 'headline decision.' As I said in the matchday thread, I would prefer concede a terrible penalty in the opening minute that face 90 minutes like that.
Delighted with players, and think in the context of todays game, criticism of players or our style is unfounded.
On topic, I understand that emotions take over in matchday threads and so on, and I will very often criticise our players mentality and tendency to collapse - but today, of all days, I just dont think any of that criticism is fair. This match needs to be considered without the recent history of collapses, especially from 2 goal leads.
The reason for a separate thread though, is that I cant ever remember watching a match that so clearly demonstrates how a referee can dictate the tempo and flow of a game better than the worlds best number 10. I talk about this so often, and people get far too caught up in 'big calls'.
That was a horror show of refereeing, which will go under the radar because there was no big call in terms of a penalty, red card, or Var intervention.
If anybody has the means to make a compilation of every ball played in to a Luton forward, versus every ball played in to a united forward, especially hojlund, please do. You wont see a more blatant example of referee impact on a game than in this contrast. Hojlund finished the game looking like an extra from 1917 - physically battered, fouled, hauled to the ground and challenged late for the entire game, and I don't believe he earned a single free kick. By contrast, Luton earned a free kick almost every time a forward went down. If youve ever played football you will understand the impact that has on a game. It essentially means every time you try to play to your striker, you end up defending the ball coming right back at you. Its exhausting. And it means that every time you defend their striker, you end up facing a free kick.
The difference in standard of what led to fouls for one team and not for another, clearly led to a difference in physicality and tackles. You could see the United players checking themselves in the second half in particular, and while shaw went off for injury - he would undoubtebly have been substituted too. We removed three players at half time, just because they were on yellows- thats how clear it was to the manager that a red card was inevitable. This of course led to upheaval, and lindelof playing out of position.
In terms of the stats we got 7 free kicks in the match. Luton got 21. That is an enormous difference, not evidenced by the game at all. It is an obscene imbalance.
The Mainoo booking perhaps typified it- an excellent challenge, ending up in a free kick in a very dangeous area, and another player on a yellow, just because the luton players and crowd controlled the ref.
We had to dig so deep in a match where any momentum was made impossible by the referee. Despite this, we have plenty of positives:
Positives:
Hojlund- thats as good a forward performance as Ive seen at united in years. Completely battered without getting anything from the ref and was more than capable, as well as scoring 2 goals
We did have some really lovely intricate play at times and some terrible misses aside, we attacked well despite how people might have emotionally reacted to the narrow scoreline.
Defending: We defended the box brilliantly
Work rate: almost every player looked like they were giving absolutely everything to hold onto that win. Any notion that ten hag doesnt have them playing for him is laughable.
Resilience: thats 3 very tough away games won in a row.
Anyway, in summary, I would hope that the relief of the win doesnt mean people forget this as an example of just how bad officiating can be, without a 'headline decision.' As I said in the matchday thread, I would prefer concede a terrible penalty in the opening minute that face 90 minutes like that.
Delighted with players, and think in the context of todays game, criticism of players or our style is unfounded.