This is the issue isn't it. People have spent so long moaning about defensive Jose they're unable to now take any accusations of defensiveness without it being an insult. Move on people.
So that makes Martial, Rashford and Bruno defensive players? You're not even following your own logic here. You've quoted a post from @DWelbz19 who said you're conflating quality and defensive numbers, then proceeded to do just that. You're literally comparing a FB with a Striker in a discussion about defensive numbers. So Martial is a defensive player now, too?
Maybe you're right. However we spent 130m on two defenders who produced just 3 assists in the EPL. Alexander-Trent produced 12, Robinson produced 7 while Aurier had produced 5 assists. To their credit they are the only 2 United defenders who produced an assists whatsoever. Lindelof the ball playing defender and the new Maldini Luke Shaw had produced 0 assists this year.
What I am saying is that our defence is build solely for defending (3 assists this season, 2 less then Aurier). Our team is also pretty defensive minded oriented. There something really wrong when you consider that our entire squad had produced just 9 assists more then Liverpool's full backs.
Every other team is defensive in comparison to that.
That's something I can agree upon Under Sir Alex's later days even when we were accused of Zombie football we attacked with numbers and our defenders regularly were in one on one situations, our current defense simply doesn't give that kind of confidence where we can attack with impunity.
This.
If that were the case, they wouldn't bother getting forward. Shaw and AWB both maintain high positions up the pitch when we we are in possession, and that isn't for the purpose of defending. Again, you're conflating this with quality. Liverpool play with 2 incredibly attacking fullbacks, and all their attacking play goes through them. Conversely, Bruno already has more assists than all but one Liverpool midfielder, in what, 6 PL games? This isn't because we've suddenly changed our approach, but because Bruno is a significantly better player than Lingard or Andreas.
That doesn't mean Liverpool's midfielders are defensive either. Teams / managers / players have different styles of football. Liverpool attacking full backs is a tactic and they deploy that tactic with Henderson and Fabinho sitting deeper and filling those holes when they attack. That doesn't mean they are defensive players either. It is how the team is set up.
4th best defensive record in the league? That'll shut them up!
I mean we literally just played Jose and we controlled the game at their stadium, attempting to play on the front foot and dominate possession. I know you were a big fan of Jose when he was here but we clearly play with a different approach now. We may set up quite conservatively against the very best teams, but in general there has been a pretty noticeable shift.
Is having the 4th best defensive record in the league deemed "good"? The first choice back 4 cost £190m!
So we shouldn't spend the money? or we should? I am confused here.
Nice leap. Let's keep it simple then.
That's a sad indictment of our defense if it's worse than Leicester's considering the vast amount of money we've spent on our back 4 and keeper.
Doesn't need to shut them up.. I was asking why if we are so bad at the back (according to some) is our record 4th best in the league. What's the correlation? Fair question surely..
Yeah I'm confused too. It's as though people don't really know what they want isn't it?
Just look at the player performance threads on our back 5.
We are 3rd best defence... 10 more goals than Liverpool (top)
Headed goals are added as goals not as assists while taking free kicks is still part and parcel of an attacking minded player. We don't let AWB give free kicks don't we?
Before Bruno came in, only Martial and Rashford could realistically be expected to score a goal. We played Lingard/Pereira, Dan James, Fred, Scott, AWB, Shaw, CB's and keeper. That's 9/11 players expected to contribute more defensively than attacking.
I am not bashing anyone here. All I am doing is to try to answer the OP's question. We've got 4 defenders who are pretty much defensive minded. On top of that we play with McT, Fred and James who are sound defensive wise but offers little when going forward (apart in quick counters were James can be lethal)
Not really. Manchester United players are still being judged in comparison with the best, as they should be if we're still a club with any aspirations. And having a joint 4th best defensive record in the league (behind Leicester and Sheffield United) is not really a huge accomplishment, especially after spending €145 mil (transfermarkt) on 2 new defenders this summer.
You have a point even though some are arguing with you. We would need to improve our CB and DM for the defense to improve
It's not an abomination, but it certainly isn't an argument that warrants opening this thread.
I agree. Sounds like we should be proud of having the 4th best defensive record
Mata is useless for a press.. we are evolving towards a pressing team.. Hence Mata is not useful there...
Course it is. And that's because if you read the Caf you'd believe the players we have in defence are an abomination.. that's the point.
