Agree with this. Will be nervy but we should have enough to go through.
Can we get a result at Leipzig?
- Thread starter Schmeichel's Cartwheel
- Start date
-
In the latest episode of the United Hour Podcast, Nik and Imran hold a long overdue conversation about United's awful league form with 1 win in 7. They discuss a disappointing draw at Bournemouth, a not so disappointing draw against Liverpool and a crushing defeat at Chelsea - Is time nearly over for Erik Ten Hag?
Then in a special second half of the pod, Nik welcomes Natalie ( https://twitter.com/natalie_17) to discuss the fortunes of Manchester United Women as they booked a place in the FA Cup Final after a historic first ever win vs. Chelsea.
Well the only comparable games would be Sevilla & Leicester, and we’re 1-1.
Definitely. We have the better squad so I think we are favourites.
Games in Germany have never been easy for us (well apart from 0-5 against Leverkusen under Moyes for some strange reason) but might be different without crowd.
Need to sort out our set piece defending.
I am confident we can at least get a draw. However if we can’t at least get a point against PSG + Leipzig then there’s no point reaching the next round anyway as at least 6-7 other teams are better than PSG and Leipzig (and I am not even counting the 3 PL teams among them as we can’t meet them in the next round anyway).
Need to sort out our set piece defending.
I am confident we can at least get a draw. However if we can’t at least get a point against PSG + Leipzig then there’s no point reaching the next round anyway as at least 6-7 other teams are better than PSG and Leipzig (and I am not even counting the 3 PL teams among them as we can’t meet them in the next round anyway).
We should be able to just get them from running in behind. Assuming Nagelsmann keeps the same system, Rashford's runs in behind will be vital.
Depends if Nagelsmann will set them up the same or if he learned his lesson in the first tie. I think he'll have them play completely different and we will struggle. The loss against that dogshite turkish team might end up sending us to the EL.
We bottled it - we needed to beat Istanbul in this Group of Death, so-called because it included last season's semi-finalists and finalists and us, a big name with much history. And we just needed a point today. We failed in both games.
We'll probably lose it without being overplayed. Leipzig will be desperate to make up for the 0-5 and will go into the game knowing anything less than a win means Europa League. We'll go into it thinking all we need is a draw. And this difference will show on the pitch, they'll be first to second balls and they'll put the ball in the net when it matters..
Sigh.. I was looking forward to this campaign - Europa after this will be such a dampener on the whole club and potentially damage our season irreparably with player confidence levels sapped. On the flip side, if we manage to qualify given where we're now, it could be a great uplift and these defeats (Istanbul, PSG) will suddenly become very good / important lessons to take with us for Ole and the team. Sadly, I think it'll be the former.
We'll probably lose it without being overplayed. Leipzig will be desperate to make up for the 0-5 and will go into the game knowing anything less than a win means Europa League. We'll go into it thinking all we need is a draw. And this difference will show on the pitch, they'll be first to second balls and they'll put the ball in the net when it matters..
Sigh.. I was looking forward to this campaign - Europa after this will be such a dampener on the whole club and potentially damage our season irreparably with player confidence levels sapped. On the flip side, if we manage to qualify given where we're now, it could be a great uplift and these defeats (Istanbul, PSG) will suddenly become very good / important lessons to take with us for Ole and the team. Sadly, I think it'll be the former.
After calming down a little I think we can go there and get something. If Ole sets up to sit back and hope for the best we deserve to be in the EL
Getting flashbacks of Basel and Wolfsburg away.
Wolfsburg for sure. Does feel like that year a lot. There'll be a lot of false dawns this season.
They need to win so may leave themselves open to the counter and it’s away from home, the two things giving me slight confidence.
We lose this though and then go into a dreaded home game v City, Ole will be shitting himself.
RB Leipzig home record this season in Germany and champions league
P7 W7 D0 L0 F18 A4
They were champions league semi finalists of last season and currently 2nd in the German league just a few points off the best in Europe Bayern Munich.
I didn't want United to be in this position needing a result in Germany against a side that are a much tougher nut to crack at home but it is what it is now.
P7 W7 D0 L0 F18 A4
They were champions league semi finalists of last season and currently 2nd in the German league just a few points off the best in Europe Bayern Munich.
I didn't want United to be in this position needing a result in Germany against a side that are a much tougher nut to crack at home but it is what it is now.
Last edited:
Would be gone beforehand.
A team we've already thumped 5-0? Of course. Upamecano is suspended as well, should be fine.
Of course we can, but it’s a lottery whether we will or not because we have no consistency and that is on the coach.
The problem is not that we can’t win this or that game, the problem is that it will always be more of a lottery than it should be when you don’t have a top coach in charge.
The problem is not that we can’t win this or that game, the problem is that it will always be more of a lottery than it should be when you don’t have a top coach in charge.
Europa League is our level, i just hope we don't got out to Stevie G's Rangers
I actually think they are really similar to Southampton in that they are a first half team. Weather the storm and they are there for the taking once gassed. Saw them in last years knock stage and it was the same. We can do this.
Should have been through tonight but couple things didn't go in our favour.
Should have been through tonight but couple things didn't go in our favour.
On paper, we have the better first 11 and squad. They just have a quality manager. As I stated before, the first scoreline was very deceptive. Leipzig played much better football, we just had a gameplan that works against that type of football. I don’t believe we will be lucky this time, if we don’t produce better football than our first meeting. With that said, I still believe our first gameplan will work again. Leipzeg doesn’t have the quality upfront to be clinical and cause us much harm. It will take them multiple opportunities to score, which by then we should be able to counter and win.
Maybe, especially if Moyes also schools him beforehand.
They aren't anything special in fact they are average. So yes.
If we can win 5-0 when they play ‘much’ better football - you can forgive me for not being worried
Like the manager not taking off Fred at HT and Martial shitting the bed.
If Ole does go, I expect Keane and Neville to come out with the view that the United players threw Ole 'under the bus'.
Its all on Ed and the leeching parasitic wankers that own the club for not acting fast enough or backing us in terms of football if we don’t qualify
Would you say the last 7 years are all on the owners and the club hierarchy?
We need to be clinical. I wouldn't be surprised if we create five chances, miss them all then Leipzig score from a set piece
If we score first were good.
If we score first were good.
Nah present team is a CL squad. At worst we're below the tier A teams and above the lower ones like Istanbul. I'd rather we forfeit participating in the Europa league than have thursday games drain the team
We only needed a point against Leicester last year but we ended up winning the game to be fair.
"Playing for a draw" doesn't exist honestly. Even if you're a shit team, over 90 minutes you're going to get chances on the counter and set pieces.
I think we'll lose because we're not clinical enough, games like Sevilla and PSG show that no matter how well we play and how many chances we have at key moments then the players will find a way to bottle it. And when we're bottling it at the top end, we're good to ship a scrappy soft goal at the defensive end too.
In a game like this momentum and home advantage can play a huge part (even with no fans I think it's a factor). Our players will go into the game feeling like they've blown it tonight and against Istanbul, and will have fear of the consequences of crashing out when we were in such a good position. Leipzig will be looking at the last game as an opportunity for them and they don't have the same pressure to qualify as we do.
Maybe I'm just negative because I have flashbacks of Basel under Fergie and Wolfsburg under Van Gaal with this exact scenario. The players were pathetic in both those games.
the way, I analyze a game is much different, so I don’t expect anyone to understand. Leipzig brand of football was much more attractive in that game, whereas we mainly relied upon counter and individual quality. Leipzig performance was a good team effort, that showcase a good footballing philosophy. United performance was a good counter attacking display, that was highlighted through good finishing and taking advantage of a team’s fragile mentality. If I was nagelsman, an approach that may work is to work with a double pivot or five in the back(similiar to the one lampard used), as I know already that United won’t control the game and they will be reactive in their approach.If we can win 5-0 when they play ‘much’ better football - you can forgive me for not being worried
A point is achievable, but Ole has to commit to not making any more mistakes.
Agreed
Well as we know, by all accounts SAF and Sir Bobby wanted Moyes and we were were still at the top of the game so club trusted their choice.
LvG was hired based on his trophy winning past At the highest level and then guided Holland to the World Cup semis in 2014, so he looked like he still had a lot to give after the Moyes shambles.
Got us the FA Cup at least but rightly sacked after truly tumescent football.
Jose was and still was one of the greatest managers of all time when we hired him and to be fair he got us second, won two trophies and lost another final...went wrong though and as always with Jose his ego gets the better of him. Rightly sacked.
Ole as care taker was great but the eagerness based purely on fan euphoria it seems, to give the job full time was premature. This is the biggest failure of past 7 years that I put on Ed and co personally. Keeping him in the job still is even more baffling for me, he has no pedigree and the job is way too big for him, had he not been a club legend I feel they would have sacked him by now though.
Anyway apologies for long answer to a question your weren’t actually asking me!
Yes, I don't think "playing for a draw" really exists, except for when late in the game it's a mutually accepted result and teams play out to a draw, for instance the recent Chelsea-Spurs 0-0.
We will however go into the game thinking all we need is a draw and that'll make all the difference - second to loose balls, not treating chances preciously and taking it. Yes, we did it against Leicester which gives me some hope but they're bigger bottlers and were on poor form. We also failed to beat Sevilla when we were the better team.
It's easier to take it when we're outplayed but we should not be losing games we should be winning, if we want to start winning titles again. Ole and the team are talking about the chances, Fred's red, etc which are really excuses but behind the scenes, I hope they realise they bottled it and must take away a lot of learning from this experience to improve as a group.
Haha, I actually agree with most, if not all, of what you said. But I doubt the poster I asked has a similar opinion.
Well they have to win, so that’s exactly how they will play.
Wish I had your optimism.
Even the Chelsea Spurs game had chances right at the end for both teams.
The Blackburn game under Fergie where we passed the ball around for 15 minutes at the end is a better example of both teams settling for a draw at the end. However setting out for a 0-0 at the start of the game just doesn't happen.
We only needed a draw tonight also but I don't think we played passively like you're fearing we will do against Leipzig. I think we'll be compact, run a lot like we did tonight and try punish them in transition, which I think is the correct plan. I think if we lose it will be because
1. We can struggle against teams who press very intensely as we lose the ball in dangerous areas, and sometimes struggle to beat the initial press and so the counters and transitions don't present themselves.
2. We bottle big chances in big moments
3. We concede scrappy goals even in games where we've defended well individually or not conceded that many chances overall.
Squeaky Bum Time!
Doing things the hard way is better than ending up in the Europa League. End of the day you often have to beat the best in the Champions League.I expected us to lose today and get a result against Leipzig. However losing unnecessary 1-3 is disappointing as we will finish 2nd even if we qualify and will then most probably get Bayern or Barca next
we did not play compact. We attacked them and were too open. We should have gone with a 4 man midfield and two up front. I hope now that Fred is suspended we go with a 4 man midfield and two up front. The more we defend and the more compact we are the more pressure it gets on them to score and the more open their defence becomes. I do not want AWB and Telles to go beyond the centre line. They should practice playing the ball behind their defence line from the centre line. We have the pace to hurt them if they do so.