Is our squad too tall?

[Pogue Mahone]

Evidently not. We won 62% of our aerial challenges against Villa. Football is a game played in three dimensions and it must be quite intimidating for opposition central midfielders to have to compete for every bouncing ball against man mountains like Matic and Pogba.

I can’t remember who it was but there was someone on here who has convinced we’d always be shit so long as our team was full of tall players. Does anyone else still think our squad is too tall?

 

[JPRouve]

Under Mourinho, I thought that we weren't agile enough. Players like McTominay and Pogba have the incredible ability to be massive and agile which is a great combination. Players like Fellaini, Smalling, Lukaku or Matic are relatively stiff which isn't a good thing if you try to play with a lot of movements, misdirections and intricate plays. One or two is fine but not half of the team.

 

[Bilbo]

Evidently not. We won 62% of our aerial challenges against Villa. Football is a game played in three dimensions and it must be quite intimidating for opposition central midfielders to have to compete for every bouncing ball against man mountains like Matic and Pogba.

I can’t remember who it was but there was someone on here who has convinced we’d always be shit so long as our team was full of tall players. Does anyone else still think our squad is too tall?

As long as you've got your tall guys in the right place, and you're small guys in the right place, you're fine

 

[UNITED ACADEMY]

I never go check RAWK. However, Red Cafe Imo is the only forum with the most random thread compared to Arsenal, Spurs & Chelsea and this is one of them. There are also multiple thread with the same title in here.

Tall or no, don’t really matter anyway since our tall players like Pogba & Maguire are very good with their feet and we are sucks in scoring header from set pieces this season.

 

[Foxbatt]

I never go check RAWK. However, Red Cafe Imo is the only forum with the most random thread compared to Arsenal, Spurs & Chelsea and this is one of them. There are also multiple thread with the same title in here.

Tall or no, don’t really matter anyway since our tall players like Pogba & Maguire are very good with their feet and we are sucks in scoring header from set pieces this season.

True. We are terrible in using our height advantage. A team that has Maguire, Lindelof, Matic, Pogba should score a lot more goals from set pieces. I really don't understand why we don't practice near post flicks?

 

[CM]

Under Mourinho, I thought that we weren't agile enough. Players like McTominay and Pogba have the incredible ability to be massive and agile which is a great combination. Players like Fellaini, Smalling, Lukaku or Matic are relatively stiff which isn't a good thing if you try to play with a lot of movements, misdirections and intricate plays. One or two is fine but not half of the team.

Bang on. Pogba is ridiculously supple for a big man.

It was land of the giants with Mourinho but it wasn't just a height issue, a lot of the guys he favoured were also quite stocky so it came at the expense of athleticism and good movement. Guys like Lukaku and Fellaini were so static compared to our current attacking options, it really makes a world of difference.

 

[TheNewEra]

This season I believe we've had 3 goals scored by defenders, the maximum during the non-SAF era was 5 goals scored, in SAFs final season defenders scored 14 goals I think it was.

the positive news is this season Uniteds forwards have scored their second best tally post-SAF.

Although our midfield hasn't scored as many as I believe 15-16, the overall goal tally is better in the league than before.

 

[Scarecrow]

Great title

 

[horsechoker]

Manchester United player seen leaving training

 

[Betson]

Have not checked the stats so maybe I am wrong here , but for such a tall team we don’t seem to score that many headers , from corners etc.

 

[Dr. Dwayne]

Pogba is ridiculously supple

Ooh, that's dirty!

 

[adexkola]

Have not checked the stats so maybe I am wrong here , but for such a tall team we don’t seem to score that many headers , from corners etc.

I will say this

 

[Dante]

There's quite a large group of people who fetishise the Barcelona team of the late 2000s. I can understand the admiration, and to each their own. But it does get to the point sometimes when they react as though any deviation from that paradigm is a heinous crime against football.

It's okay to be a tall team.

 

[SinNombre]

If Pogue or any other regular wants to make a random thread, I am very curious to hear the Caf's take on the longevity of the current Liverpool squad.

It is a squad built for short-term success and they have had 2 years of it already; based on key personnel ages, I expect them to fall off within 3 years without signifcant investment.

Thread analyzing the longevity of our competitors would be very interesting, and one I haven't seen here.

 

[711]

I never go check RAWK. However, Red Cafe Imo is the only forum with the most random thread compared to Arsenal, Spurs & Chelsea and this is one of them. There are also multiple thread with the same title in here.

Tall or no, don’t really matter anyway since our tall players like Pogba & Maguire are very good with their feet and we are sucks in scoring header from set pieces this season.

We've lacked set-piece coaching for so many years now it just baffles me. Maybe I'm easily baffled, who knows.

 

[Annihilate Now!]

Not cool to be a height supremacist these days.

 

[Ole'sattheWheel]

Nout wrong with having a team of big athletic lads like we do imo. It would be a problem if we had a team full of Matic/Maguires but our tall attackers are built more like sprinters than big heavy Shawcross types.

Rashford, Pogba, Martial are all above 6ft and Bruno & Greenwood are thereabouts. Instead of being gangly and awkward they're all light-footed and nimble in tight spaces/can turn quickly etc. I'd rather big quick agile lads like that than the opposite i.e. Mata (although I do rate his quality he's just getting on abit now).

 

[Red_toad]

After Angel left, the squad average height increased 3 inches

 

[Harry190]

Who said we were too tall? Surely, a manlet.

 

[Charlie Foley]

Who said we were too tall? Surely, a manlet.

Probably. Says he’s 5’11 on his Tinder profile. Everyone knows he isn’t

 

[roonster09]

can’t remember who it was but there was someone on here who has convinced we’d always be shit so long as our team was full of tall players.

https://www.redcafe.net/threads/mourinho-explained.443262/page-2#post-23366897

That was @Treble

 

[The United]

True. We are terrible in using our height advantage. A team that has Maguire, Lindelof, Matic, Pogba should score a lot more goals from set pieces. I really don't understand why we don't practice near post flicks?

Lindelof? I mean I can probably head the ball better than him.

But overall, we should be scoring more in the set pieces I agree. It looks to be better now with Bruno doing the delivery though. Usually the ball would either hit the first man or way over the top.

 

[Number32]

We've lacked set-piece coaching for so many years now it just baffles me. Maybe I'm easily baffled, who knows.

Just hire a coach from Burnley or Sheffield.

 

[Class of 63]

After Angel left, the squad average height increased 3 inches

When Pogba leaves my height will increase 3 inches, when i'm laying down!

 

[Web of Bissaka]

Under Mourinho, I thought that we weren't agile enough. Players like McTominay and Pogba have the incredible ability to be massive and agile which is a great combination. Players like Fellaini, Smalling, Lukaku or Matic are relatively stiff which isn't a good thing if you try to play with a lot of movements, misdirections and intricate plays. One or two is fine but not half of the team.

Smalling is agile.
Just not good enough when on the ball, but good off it. It's also why he tend to score or always threaten to score during our set-piece.

Yeah, the three of them (+ McT and Pogba) are freakishly agile. Also Zlatan.

You're right the football starting Mou's 2nd season to 3rd is a lot more "stiffy" and drop in entertainment (less movements, misdirect- and intricate plays) with the addition of Lukaku and Matic becoming starters. McT of that two seasons are also a lot more stiffy when he perform, had not yet express his agility which he only started doing during the Ole caretaker months.

 

[Web of Bissaka]

Manchester United player seen leaving training

They all should just get cars with roofs open.

Either that or just get a driver while they lay down on the seats.

 

[Paul the Wolf]

More to the point, is our squad living on the ceiling?

 

[Sandikan]

True. We are terrible in using our height advantage. A team that has Maguire, Lindelof, Matic, Pogba should score a lot more goals from set pieces. I really don't understand why we don't practice near post flicks?

Lindelof? He has almost zero goal threat, and certainly performs under his height defensively.

Maguire was a superb goal threat though, and we need to make better use of that.