[Ashley R1+O]

He is easily the biggest disappointment this year from all the signings, and my expectations for him weren't even that high. He is 29 and should be trusted enough to lead this side today, and he is invisible and probably the worst of the bunch. And it's not the first time. How he escapes any criticism every time while the same players are criticised is beyond me.

Since your expectations of him were not that high, has he really "disappointed"? Or been the "biggest disappointment"? I personally probably thought the same as you and I think he's been just barely a pass.

It is tough to adapt to a new league and you can see even some of the best players in this league took a couple of years to adapt. I understand your point about that he is 29 but the onus is on him to adapt. I still think he's probably a little bit slight and lacks a little bit of aggression. I think he might flourish next year if we give him a chance, but I can see where you are coming from regarding the whole investment in general.

For some reason all of our players have been pretty bung when playing in the #10 role. I thought it was mainly a Pogba-Zlatan combination of space thing, maybe it is just situational to our offence in general.

 

[Cliche Guevara]

Very disappointing performance today.
While Rashford is a teenager and Martial is still learning his trade, Miki was our only experienced attacker in his prime and he did very little.
When Mata/Ibra aren't there, Mikki needs to take complete command of our attack and pull the strings.

I'm becoming increasingly frustrating with Jose and the team on days like today. We don't seem to be able to counter-attack or break with pace. One way or another Mhki needs to be a big part of that. We needed him to help win the game today and he fell well short.

 

[Attila]

He's actually 28

 

[Donsangre]

He wasn't. Fellaini, Lingard, Bailly and Rojo were all better.

You have mentioned 3 defending player out of 4. Thay meant that we were better at defending againts west brom. That doesnt make sense. We controlled the ball 72% of the time
Which leaves very little to do for the defending players, hence they make less mistakes and in your eyes they play better game. Attackers always try to squeeze in and thus can loose the ball more often, leaving an impression of a bad play. One has to look at a game from a completely different perspective to understand all of this. He took Mickey out because Micki couldnt break the bus.

I'm becoming increasingly frustrating with Jose and the team on days like today. We don't seem to be able to counter-attack or break with pace. One way or another Mhki needs to be a big part of that. We needed him to help win the game today and he fell well short.

Ive just watched the first half again. We lacked aggression. Kept the ball at the back too much. Fellaini and Carrick couldn't get the ball to Micki, who barely got any ball. N10 should get the ball almost at every attack. We kept passing wide. We didnt have anyone who could pass in the middle (obviously, missing either Herrera or Pogba is a big deal, but missing both is a tragedy). Neither Carrick, nor Fellaini wanted to take higher risk ans pass the ball to Mick, instead they passed on wide, safe, leaving an impression that they had a good game, while they actually played safe and we drew. This forced Micki to drop back and get the ball, then he hits the wall and things start over. Very boorring.

 

[Hernandez - BFA]

He bottled it. Didn't step up today.

 

[Donsangre]

He bottled it. Didn't step up today.

You are correct, he had a chance and he bottled it. In a game like this, you have to score.

 

[Lawman]

He bottled it. Didn't step up today.

Bottled it? Strange term for not playing well in one game. He had an off game I've seen enough to be happy with him. Now everyone who misses a chance or plays mediocre in a game you are going to label them as this also?

 

[Hernandez - BFA]

Bottled it? Strange term for not playing well in one game. He had an off game I've seen enough to be happy with him. Now everyone who misses a chance or plays mediocre in a game you are going to label them as this also?

He bottled the clearest chance of the game. That's what I meant. He should really be scoring those.

 

[shield]

That was a very poor performance. He was supposed to be the most skilled player in this team. All of us were expecting on him to do something to break the defence and he fell short. A player of his quality should have been able to do much more. He failed to stand out in a team filled with squad players and was outshone by Lingard.

He was rightly substituted because, among all our forwards, he seemed to be doing the least. According to me, skill wise, he is our best player, so it was absolutely his responsibility to get the attack going. Go the feeling that he looked tired. His movement was lacking and was caught flat footed a number of times. He was even gifted a rare opening and he made a mess of it.

Season looks a write off for him. Top 4 looks impossible now so he won't get a chance to redeem himself if the PL. Must play well in the Europa now.

 

[Garethw]

I'm getting a Kagawa vibe from him.

Awesome in the Bundesliga but underwhelming in the premier league.

 

[RMD83]

I'm getting a Kagawa vibe from him.

Awesome in the Bundesliga but underwhelming in the premier league.

Christ that's a tad over the top. He had a poor game yesterday but he has played very well in more than enough games to say he's been underwhelming. I would be amazed if he wasn't a big part of jose's plans for next season.

 

[Zoo]

The injuries and time needed to get back into his rhythm afterwards is what concerns me.

 

[Garethw]

Christ that's a tad over the top. He had a poor game yesterday but he has played very well in more than enough games to say he's been underwhelming. I would be amazed if he wasn't a big part of jose's plans for next season.

He's far too inconsistent to build a team around mate. When he's on form he's fantastic, but games like yesterday seem to happen more often than not.

 

[izec]

Give him time. I expect next season to perform good in 9/10 games. He is too inconsistent this season.

Same for Pogba

 

[peridigm]

I'm getting a Kagawa vibe from him.

Awesome in the Bundesliga but underwhelming in the premier league.

To be fair to Kagawa, he got very little time in his strongest position. Then we bought Mata which pretty much sealed his fate.

Mkhitaryan had a bad game but I feel he should have stayed on as he is one of the few capable of producing an individual effort we so much needed.

The big question is what does Jose do with Mkhitaryan now that Mata is out for the season. Move him to RW and bring Rooney back into the starting lineup or stick with Lingard as Mata replacement? Does he bring Carrick back in as a DM along side Herrera and move Pogba forward pushing Mkhi out wide?

I vote to stay with Mkhi/Lingard. He and Mkhi are dynamic enough and have the best chance at creating chances. We just need someone to put them away.

 

[Garethw]

To be fair to Kagawa, he got very little time in his strongest position. Then we bought Mata which pretty much sealed his fate.

Mkhitaryan had a bad game but I feel he should have stayed on as he is one of the few capable of producing an individual effort we so much needed.

The big question is what does Jose do with Mkhitaryan now that Mata is out for the season. Move him to RW and bring Rooney back into the starting lineup or stick with Lingard as Mata replacement? Does he bring Carrick back in as a DM along side Herrera and move Pogba forward pushing Mkhi out wide?

I vote to stay with Mkhi/Lingard. He and Mkhi are dynamic enough and have the best chance at creating chances. We just need someone to put them away.

I think that Mkhi has been at his best when played at RW for us.

I'd probably (grudgingly) stick Fellaini next to Herrera and push Pogba up. Carrick is finished imo.

Pogba looks the most likely player after Ibra to score goals so I'd put him in a position with very little defensive responsibility and just tell him to attack and create.

Selling both Sneiderlin and Bastien without bringing a replacement in is looking like an epic mistake now.

 

[Name Changed]

He bottled it. Didn't step up today.

Bottled it? Don't be silly. They were all shite.

 

[Alabaster Codify7]

I think that Mkhi has been at his best when played at RW for us.

I'd probably (grudgingly) stick Fellaini next to Herrera and push Pogba up. Carrick is finished imo.

Pogba looks the most likely player after Ibra to score goals so I'd put him in a position with very little defensive responsibility and just tell him to attack and create.

Selling both Sneiderlin and Bastien without bringing a replacement in is looking like an epic mistake now.

I don't usually buy into this way of thinking, but I must say, one of the most disappointing things in Mourinho for me this season has been the way he's misused or rather, miscalculated, our midfield options.

Jose prefers playing three in midfield to allow Pogba freedom to try and do what he's supposed to do. We are in the deep end of the season and he has FOUR midfielders. One of whom is a 35yr old man who is clearly done and, as Jose has alluded to, is incapable of playing regularly. So that's 4 midfielders to fill 3 slots while playing 2-3 times a week at times. The fourth man is Marouane Fellaini. Let that sink in. Then you bear in mind Herrera is always picking up cards due to his style and Pogba was showing signs of fatigue. Poor squad management.

 

[Garethw]

I don't usually buy into this way of thinking, but I must say, one of the most disappointing things in Mourinho for me this season has been the way he's misused or rather, miscalculated, our midfield options.

Jose prefers playing three in midfield to allow Pogba freedom to try and do what he's supposed to do. We are in the deep end of the season and he has FOUR midfielders. One of whom is a 35yr old man who is clearly done and, as Jose has alluded to, is incapable of playing regularly. So that's 4 midfielders to fill 3 slots while playing 2-3 times a week at times. The fourth man is Marouane Fellaini. Let that sink in. Then you bear in mind Herrera is always picking up cards due to his style and Pogba was showing signs of fatigue. Poor squad management.

Agreed mate.

 

[Name Changed]

I don't usually buy into this way of thinking, but I must say, one of the most disappointing things in Mourinho for me this season has been the way he's misused or rather, miscalculated, our midfield options.

Jose prefers playing three in midfield to allow Pogba freedom to try and do what he's supposed to do. We are in the deep end of the season and he has FOUR midfielders. One of whom is a 35yr old man who is clearly done and, as Jose has alluded to, is incapable of playing regularly. So that's 4 midfielders to fill 3 slots while playing 2-3 times a week at times. The fourth man is Marouane Fellaini. Let that sink in. Then you bear in mind Herrera is always picking up cards due to his style and Pogba was showing signs of fatigue. Poor squad management.

It was madness letting them go, especially with so many games coming up.

 

[RedMaestro]

It was madness letting them go, especially with so many games coming up.

Mourinho probably feared that these interested clubs were the only chances of him getting "rid" of them - maybe no one would want them later on? He'd be stuck with them for another season. He simply "gambled" in my opinion...

 

[AndyJ1985]

It was madness letting them go, especially with so many games coming up.

Madness to let go of an out of shape and injury prone has-been? Don't think so.

 

[OL29]

I don't usually buy into this way of thinking, but I must say, one of the most disappointing things in Mourinho for me this season has been the way he's misused or rather, miscalculated, our midfield options.

Jose prefers playing three in midfield to allow Pogba freedom to try and do what he's supposed to do. We are in the deep end of the season and he has FOUR midfielders. One of whom is a 35yr old man who is clearly done and, as Jose has alluded to, is incapable of playing regularly. So that's 4 midfielders to fill 3 slots while playing 2-3 times a week at times. The fourth man is Marouane Fellaini. Let that sink in. Then you bear in mind Herrera is always picking up cards due to his style and Pogba was showing signs of fatigue. Poor squad management.

Yeah this is my biggest issue with Jose too, it was abundantly clear that we were overworking our midfielders so why isolate and ultimately dispose of our back up without bringing in adequate replacements? You'd atleast expect him to try and use someone like Blind or TFM as a rotation option to lighten the burden on Herrera and Pogba.

Hopefully he addresses this issue in the summer but it's a bit dissapointing that an experienced manager like Mourinho would be that naive.

 

[cyberman]

Midfield isn't the problem, they protect the defence and supply the attack well enough.
Sometimes its ok to say Mkhi had a bad game. If the attackers did their job then the pressure on our midfield wouldn't be so severe.

 

[RedChip]

That was a very poor performance. He was supposed to be the most skilled player in this team. All of us were expecting on him to do something to break the defence and he fell short. A player of his quality should have been able to do much more. He failed to stand out in a team filled with squad players and was outshone by Lingard.

He was rightly substituted because, among all our forwards, he seemed to be doing the least. According to me, skill wise, he is our best player, so it was absolutely his responsibility to get the attack going. Go the feeling that he looked tired. His movement was lacking and was caught flat footed a number of times. He was even gifted a rare opening and he made a mess of it.

Season looks a write off for him. Top 4 looks impossible now so he won't get a chance to redeem himself if the PL. Must play well in the Europa now.

He was dissapointing but, yeah, I thought he looked jaded and playing within himself. He travelled and played for Armenia last week, didn't he?

 

[sashiko]

He looks crap whenever a team parks the bus. In tight areas or with his back to goal he often gives away possession and looks really uncomfortable receiving the ball. He's at his best running into space but that's not something you are often afforded here.

who looks specially talented against the bus? They park it just for the purpose to make attackers feel uncomfortable. I disagree that Henrick felt uncomfortable receiving the ball. What I agree with is that he felt uncomfortable with further development. But that's beyond his control. We need to know what role he was assigned to in the given particular game and squad. He is probably the only guy who had to change positions about every game trying to cope with different people.

Tactics against the bus are known. Did anybody see MU changing tactics due to the bus? If the players don't simply know what to do or those who are on the pitch can't do that why are you guys waste your time ?

 

[El Jefe]

I'm a massive fan of his but he's so lucky Pogba has been in the spotlight because his performances have been average at best.

He had a very good period before his injury but he can score no more than a 6 based on the season as a whole but all this has gone under the radar of oppo fans and the media who are intent on pushing the Pogba waste of money narrative.

I expect way more from him next season. He's 28 and should be a consistent performer week in week out.

 

[kundalini]

This season Mkhitaryan has been marginally better than Lingard; both come up with a moment of quality every so often then disappear for significant spells due to their lack of strength and pace. Mkhitaryan has superior technical ability than Lingard but nowhere near that of say Nani.

I'm not a fan of buying Dortmund players. The system they use is so different to the football United play. We rarely press high up the pitch and I'm struggling to recall the last counter-attack we launched. Mkhitaryan, and indeed Kagawa, would probably look much better playing for Liverpool under Klopp than for United, though I'm not sure either would perform as well as they did for Dortmund.

 

[sunama]

He's actually 28

...and that's the peak age for a footballer. He should be playing the best football of his life, right now and I feel he is falling well short.

In the absence of Mata and Ibra, he should've been running the show, pulling the strings, while Lingard, Martial and Rashford around him dance to his tune.
IMO, he doesn't believe that he is a class above Rashford and Martial, which age-wise he definitely is.
In contrast, the likes of Messi, Ronaldo, Ibra - all believe that they are a class above the attackers who are alongside them.

I do hope Jose works on Miki a little and gives him the confidence to use his flair/skill to run a game as the main playmaker.

 

[sunama]

This season Mkhitaryan has been marginally better than Lingard;

Agreed.

I'm not a fan of buying Dortmund players.

Neither am I.
Has a Dortmund player ever done well at MUFC? Is it a 100% failure rate?

 

[Womp]

Wasn't the consensus that he was always inconsistent as feck? I remember a few Dortmund fans saying he could be absolutely brilliant but equally as useless depending on how happy he is or some shite.

 

[VorZakone]

Wasn't the consensus that he was always inconsistent as feck? I remember a few Dortmund fans saying he could be absolutely brilliant but equally as useless depending on how happy he is or some shite.

His best season was last season where he was pretty consistent with great statistical output. 14/15 was shit and 13/14 was decent. In a nutshell: Tuchel worked wonders with him.

 

[Attila]

...and that's the peak age for a footballer. He should be playing the best football of his life, right now and I feel he is falling well short.

In the absence of Mata and Ibra, he should've been running the show, pulling the strings, while Lingard, Martial and Rashford around him dance to his tune.
IMO, he doesn't believe that he is a class above Rashford and Martial, which age-wise he definitely is.
In contrast, the likes of Messi, Ronaldo, Ibra - all believe that they are a class above the attackers who are alongside them.

I do hope Jose works on Miki a little and gives him the confidence to use his flair/skill to run a game as the main playmaker.

It's a new league for him. Next season will be better I think

 

[pocco]

I see Dortmund as the Liverpool of Germany. They have developed a system which is awkward to play against and have brought players in to fit that system. In the same way that most say these Liverpool players aren't actually that great individually, the same applies to Dortmund.

Even the likes of Gotze and Sahin failed to live upto previous expectation when they moved on, and they were supposed to be the cream of the crop.

 

[Offside]

I get a strong vibe of when he gets settled he will be incredible. The inconsistency seems to be him just settling down, which will take a while when you consider his awful start to life here. The English league is hard to adapt to.

 

[MadMike]

He had a shit game, but the level of criticism in here is absolutely mental

 

[pocco]

He had a shit game, but the level of criticism in here is absolutely mental

It's not just one game for me though. I think there have been three or four games where he's looked like he's good enough to be a mainstay in our attack, the rest of the season he's ranged from poor to tidy in possession without really excelling.

 

[Name Changed]

Madness to let go of an out of shape and injury prone has-been? Don't think so.

Yeah really out of shape and injury prone. Was fit for the last 4-6 months.

 

[Boycott]

I get a strong vibe of when he gets settled he will be incredible. The inconsistency seems to be him just settling down, which will take a while when you consider his awful start to life here. The English league is hard to adapt to.

Agree. He has a great blend of technical excellence and athleticism. His finishing has been off but so has everyone else.

 

[Donsangre]

This season Mkhitaryan has been marginally better than Lingard; both come up with a moment of quality every so often then disappear for significant spells due to their lack of strength and pace. Mkhitaryan has superior technical ability than Lingard but nowhere near that of say Nani.

I'm not a fan of buying Dortmund players. The system they use is so different to the football United play. We rarely press high up the pitch and I'm struggling to recall the last counter-attack we launched. Mkhitaryan, and indeed Kagawa, would probably look much better playing for Liverpool under Klopp than for United, though I'm not sure either would perform as well as they did for Dortmund.

lol, dude. You are funny, they are probably one of the fastest in the team. When you hit a wall, there is nowhere to speedup, isnt there? I think what we lacked in that game was Pogba and Herrera, a creative center to get the balls to Micki, thats all. He had to drop to get the ball and was getting caught in between, forced to pass back a lot or play quick passes with slow responders. I can go on and on. Just watch the game more carefully and try to analyze it as a whole next time plz. Do not expect him to crack throu the middle dribbling againts 4 players and scoring. No one can do it against a bus, not even messy ( well may be occasionally)