Do teams play better against us than against other teams?

[demongod]

just look at the way we play. Teams know that we are going to sit deep , once they gain confidence, our pressing play is too shiet to get the ball back easily and we counter at a snail pace when the chances come.

 

[Class of 63]

Is there no correlation between trying harder and playing better?
Are you suggesting that they don't do the same against Liverpool city etc?
Our standards and work rate have dropped whilst it is the opposite for most other teams.
It's the same as the excuses about opposition goalkeepers having world class performances against us when De gea has being doing the same for years.

Not at all, if you can't trap a bag of cement your touch isn't going to improve just because you've run harder, and for longer.

 

[Neil_Buchanan]

I believe they do. We are the biggest name in the league and because of our style of play and lack of confidence we are beatable. You’re only beating city or Liverpool if they have an off day, turn up against united and you’ll probably get something.

 

[MackRobinson]

Small time and cringeworthy

 

[OldSchoolManc]

Under SAF, United had an aura where ‘some’ teams felt like they were going to lose before a ball was kicked. We’ve not had it since, we are now seen as beatable if you put enough effort in. It’s like they’re a predator and they can smell blood.
I’m afraid that City and to some extent Liverpool, now have that aura. There are certain teams (I’m thinking Huddersfield, Cardiff, Sunderland last season, Brighton and Southampton), that aren’t going to bust a gut vs City and Liverpool at the moment.

 

[Neil_Buchanan]

Even if it’s only subconscious, teams like Swansea would turn up at Old Trafford knowing that they hadn’t won there in 40 something years. That they’ve played United a few times in the past and always struggled. Then all those records were broke under Moyes and van Gaal, every time we lost the commentators were telling how this was West Brom’s first win at old Trafford in twenty years, we lost some of our ‘aura’.
Now teams like West Ham turn up knowing that we are beatable, that they beat us recently and that Brighton beat us last week and they are better than Brighton so they can get something from the game and claim a famous scalp too.
Now I’m not saying teams don’t turn up against city and I don’t want a stats based argument about running distance etc, I’m just claiming that we’ve lost that part of our reputation. Nobody’s scared of us anymore.

 

[roonster09]

It's not they try harder against us, smaller clubs will always try harder against bigger teams. We lack intensity in our game which makes it easier for smaller clubs to play the game, apart from that we are not even aggressively attacking team.

For example, we gave too much respect for West Ham, Brighton pressed us and made us look like bunch of retirement players. When we play with intensity like for example against Burnley, they can't cope.

 

[Bubz27]

I doubt Fulham will make it as easy for us as they did for Cardiff yesterday.

 

[FootballHQ]

More than seemingly every other team in the league? West Ham were hopeless and lost every game before playing us. Until we decided to let them be great?

They drew with Chelsea 0-0 the week before....

Do you also realise you beat Watford the game after they beat Spurs....

 

[FootballHQ]

Under SAF, United had an aura where ‘some’ teams felt like they were going to lose before a ball was kicked. We’ve not had it since, we are now seen as beatable if you put enough effort in. It’s like they’re a predator and they can smell blood.
I’m afraid that City and to some extent Liverpool, now have that aura. There are certain teams (I’m thinking Huddersfield, Cardiff, Sunderland last season, Brighton and Southampton), that aren’t going to bust a gut vs City and Liverpool at the moment.

Would also add Chelsea to that list.