[Ham]

I get it now.

Now that cleverley is all but gone, we need a new hate figure. Evans is that man. Its alright, hes been there before.

When you're supposedly our best defender and nearly giving a goal away from a bad pass two games in a row, you're gonna get hate. He hasn't played great apart from that

 

[kouroux]

Our defenders have been poor with the ball but to be fair to them notice how Fletcher hasn't managed to get free once to get the ball off them and play through midfield. He's been diabolically shit. I miss Carrick.

Very true, too scared and too static.

 

[Leg-End]

I've seen tanker ships turn faster than Evans.

 

[sharpiesdance]

Fecking hell, even the Scouser on BT says we should have had a penalty - no idea what the ref thought it was!

 

[oncehorowitz]

first time we've seen one of our central midfielders runs the ball for over 20 yards in about 5 years. And he's actually a winger.

last time it was probroly Anderson who has not turned to shit yet.

 

[JackXX]

Fletcher is doing nothing. Not picking anyone up. Lazy tracking back. Not picking the ball up from our defenders. Not showing for a pass. fecking awful.

 

[OGkush]

why the long balls?
why aren't we passing the ball more...damn...I hope after the break we'll see the 4-3-3 formation...
with all the players bar Carrick more or less coming back to fitness and Blind coming in I'd like to see

----------De Gea---------
Rafael Jones Rojo Shaw
-----------Blind-----------
-----Herrera--Mata-------
Di Maria-----------Januzaj
-------Rooney/RvP--------

I don't know how to fit all of Rooney/Mata/RvP in but honestly I don't think we should sacrifice the formation to conform to playing all 3 of them if it isn't working.
I guess Rooney could slot in Mata's place and RvP go upfront, whichever way you put at it though Rooney as our captain IS going to play...so it's down to RvP and Mata, and neither have been exactly breathtaking so far.

 

[R'hllor]

Happy with Fletch hiding then?

What you talking about i am not happy,but we dont have better choice at the moment.I believe with Anderson things would be even worse.

 

[100]

It is fecking hilarious to see commentators and pundits pussyfooting around that penalty - if it was the other way it'd be a stonewall.

 

[Micha]

Next game, let's just not play with a defense at all. De Gea did a great job first half, Di Maria had some good moments. The rest is just depressing as usual. Rooney, Mata, RvP, I just can't get my head around how useless these world-class players have become.

Even the magic dreamteam of Young-Valencia can't produce. How surprising.

 

[blazinRe'D']

horrid performance so far, defense looks so penetrable , they have zilch confidence in themselves , we need to wake up already , a loss here will seriously kill any sort of reputation we have of a top team

 

[Will Absolute]

Di Maria looks like a diamond in a steaming pile of horse manure.

 

[luke511]

Playing 5-3-2 & long ball vs Burnley is making me all ...

 

[Dazzmondo]

Blackett, Evans, Young, Fletcher, Mata and RVP have all underperformed in the 1st half. Hope to see improvement. Young offering nothing going forward because they know he's not going to use his left (he was doing this in pre-season so no idea why he has reverted back). Valencia has been decent imo, looking pretty dangerous going forward (the delivery is the problem). Fletcher looking poor again. Hate to say it, but Blackett has been a complete liability at the back today. Evans hasn't been much better. Both need to wake up because the're leaving Jones and De Gea with a lot of work to do. Also, that push on Young was a definite penalty, but I'm sure plenty of people will say it was a dive, basically because it involved Young

 

[GRon]

To be fair, he played two pretty decent through balls for Mata but Mata just didn't have the pace to get on them.

RvP and Rooney are not working as a partnership.

 

[Gibb11]

Were playing horrible football. I don't understand why were playing this way, we can't keep possession except for the back 5 then we play hoof ball. We cant even get fletcher on the ball. When theres a rare occasion di maria can actually get onto the ball hes managed to create some good opportunities to further us up the pitch, which is exactly what we hoped he could do. As usual no urgency but perhaps thats the way were supposed to play, we have sometime an opportunity to cut into midfield but were playing safe ball to the back to often, then eventually the defenders run of options ... hoof. People who are moaning about Rooney and Van Persie seriously? their not even getting scraps!

 

[Anduin]

Just switch to four at the back, this 3-5-2 is doing my head in. Not working, no one knows where he should play. Take off Young and switch to

De Gea
Valencia - Jones - Evans - Blackett
Fletcher
Rooney - Mata
Januzaj - RvP - Di Maria​

 

[Soroush]

What a sickening half, Mata and RVP have been shit, Evans is a joke. I'm starting to panic, this is a must win game.

 

[Rolandofgilead]

We're lacking confidence all over the field and it doesn't help that burley are pressing high up the pitch and keeping the pressure on.

 

[Cantonas Dad]

That was a definite penalty.

Correct this was push not a shoulder charge, diabolical reffing

 

[#07]

Di Maria has been the only player to inject any pace into the side. Our key failing going forward is the amount of time we give Burnley to get everyone behind the ball. We have to be faster and more composed in the build up.

I'm pleased after a shaky start that our defence has settled a bit. Can't help think we'd look better with Shaw, Rojo and Rafa in that back 5 though.

 

[Lennon7]

Nice bit of insight from Jake there: "if it looks like a penalty *confident pause and nods*, it's a penalty"

 

[Mciahel Goodman]

Our centre backs need to stop being such puddles. It's possible to find team mates forward with passes.

What irritates me is we don't have anyone like Ferdinand who could play the ball out of defense. Instead we have Evans who can't do anything at the moment, and Blackett who just hoofs it forward whenever he gets a chance.

 

[sharpiesdance]

Very true, too scared and too static.

Any worry Carrick had when he got injured that he might not back into the team must have well and truly disappeared!

 

[PSingh]

Before any type of runner in attack, our football would be better if our player would release the ball quicker but that would also involved better movement and understanding. Having Fletcher in midfield makes this impossible and Young/Valencia... Let's not even go there.

Agree 100%. Not really sure the role fletcher is playing. He's not really broken up burnleys play. I think Carrick would make a massive difference to the way we play.

 

[devilish]

This formation is not working, simple.

THIS

 

[Balloonlesss]

We're regressing, this is a shambles.

LvG's 3 at the back will not work in the perm, the attacking players have no confidence with the defence and that is showing.

Moyes is a better manager.

 

[Ish]

de gea has been good. saved us on two or three occasions. looks alert.
valencia, young, fletcher have been awful. as usual.
evans and van persie have been very poor, but both are just coming back into the team and will need some time.
mata has been very bad as well. doesn't seem at the races at all.

rooney and jones have been quite good. closest things to leaders we have on the pitch.
blackett has mixed the good with the bad. that'll happen. he's 20.

di maria looks class. can't wait to see himself and herrera link up with an inform mata.

i'd like to see young off for kagawa at half time. move to a 4-3-3 with rooney and adnan either side of rvp upfront.

Kagawa not on bench mate. Finalizing his move back to the BvB

 

[ivaldo]

Fletcher is absolutely abysmal in midfield.

Doesn't appear to collect passes from the Defence (hence the long balls) , doesn't run too much and just strolls around , doesn't have very much pace , doesn't have very much strength , cannot tackle the ball off his man , cannot make incisive passes.

His days as a United starter are finished after this 2 week break when both Blind and Herrera are fit to play.

Spot on, our defenders are getting flack for playing it long but its because Fletcher isn't doing his job, as the anchorman in midfield pretty much everything should start with him.

 

[RetroStu]

I believe in Van Gaal so don't take this the wrong way but Fergie would have this team complete with players like DiMaria and Mata, destroying teams like Burnley.

 

[revel911]

RVP and Ronney are too close to each other - they seem to be getting in each others way.

3-5-2 needs to be dropped ASAP!!!! FFS van gaal, I thought he's meant to be a tactical guru???

And do what? That's the problem .... we can't drop it till we get a LB in. If Rojo's permit came or Shaw was helathy, we likely be playing a different system.

 

[Dylan94]

People are saying that we should switch to 4-4-2 or 4-3-3. But LVG said he is sticking with this system and unfortunately the only way it's going to get better is the players playing it in competitive games. When it works though it will really work. We just have to suffer this next few months unfortunately.

 

[manufanatic]

3 positives

No injuries in the first half
Our 7 looks the part
No goals let in

 

[Jev]

Fecking hell, even the Scouser on BT says we should have had a penalty - no idea what the ref thought it was!

To be honest, it's the punishment for being known as a diver - you'll find it harder to get penalties in the future. It was a penalty but in some ways it's fair that he didn't get it.

 

[astound]

Just think LVG's ego is too big for him to give up on 3-5-2. He'll want to show that he can make it work.

 

[Dobba]

We're regressing, this is a shambles.

LvG's 3 at the back will not work in the perm, the attacking players have no confidence with the defence and that is showing.

Moyes is a better manager.

 

[Werewolf]

We need a player like Scholes to drop deep and collect the ball from the defense. The back 3 has no idea what to do with the ball apart from hoofing it upfront. Absolutely no link between the defense and the midfield.

 

[Idxomer]

"Cleverly is better than Fletcher".

Fact.

 

[Golo]

We need to get Januzaj on and somebody for Fletcher, heck sub Fletcher for a CB and put Jones in midfield if we have no actual midfield options.

 

[naija_chinex]

Van Gaal said Burnley would look to play a lot of long balls, but we have played more long balls than they have so far.

This formation isn't going to get us anywhere while Van Persie and Rooney both strike, they are both too slow. Welbeck and Rooney is the way to go, Van Gaal should drop either RVP or Mata (Rooney taking his position).

 

[red_devil83]

It must be instruction from LvG that Young and Valencia go so far with the ball but then turn and give it back inside. I wish they'd just take a man on. Cause a bit of panic for the oppo for a change.

 

[Getsme]

Fecking hell, even the Scouser on BT says we should have had a penalty - no idea what the ref thought it was!

He saw who it was.