Lack of urgency

[DomesticTadpole]

It's bizarre that our midfielders first instinct is to look for a backpass, and if no one is available then they try something of note. It should be the other way around. All that passing at the back, we finally work it into midfield, but our midfielders don't have the bollocks to turn or pass to the nearest midfielder. So, more often than not they pass it back and we start our famous probing again.

Yet that is supposedly what Herrera gets criticised for, looking forward, always wanting to go forward and create chances. Sometimes you have to take risks.

 

[Stookie]

Sounds daft but I think we've missed Fellaini, he was coming into form.

 

[DomesticTadpole]

Sounds daft but I think we've missed Fellaini, he was coming into form.

You would think that, but even he gets bullied for such a big lad.

 

[Raoul]

Sounds daft but I think we've missed Fellaini, he was coming into form.

It doesn't sound daft at all. He's been one of our better performances this year. We miss his physicality as well as the fact that he would free Rooney up from being stuck in midfield.

 

[Dargonk]

I'm not sure how people are putting this down to players being out. It is clearly something that is being instructed to the players. Instead of trying to push the ball forward quickly, and trying to force a chance late on. We simply just remain knocking it about and trying to create the perfect chance instead of a bunch of half chances. It is basically a case right now of being happy with the point, and we won't take the extra risks to convert it into a win for fear of getting hit on the counter.

 

[NinjaZombie]

It all comes from the defence and their lack of ability on the ball. Always passing the responsibility on to someone else. It's shocking to see them passing between themselves when attacking players an midfielders are running about making space just to be Ignored. Seems to happen every time evans plays.

Definitely. I agree with this. It's getting quite annoying. 3 centre backs, and not a single one of them did anything right in the build up play.

 

[Kounan]

We are missing to many players.

As I said in another thread, Rooney is not a midfielder, he just isn't. He does as best as he can, but he is at least a class or 2 behind what is required (I am talking about CM position).

Carrick is tired, but we have no one who can play instead of him.

Now imagine Blind coming on for Carrick (new pair of fresh legs, plus someone who does really well under pressure), Herrera from start, Fellaini as an option in the box later on, di Maria who can run through their line and taking them out of position.

Mata would have some one to play with, our full backs would have more space, Rooney could play more forward....

So more speed, more options to attack, fresher players.... It usually makes a huge difference.

 

[DomesticTadpole]

I'm not sure how people are putting this down to players being out. It is clearly something that is being instructed to the players. Instead of trying to push the ball forward quickly, and trying to force a chance late on. We simply just remain knocking it about and trying to create the perfect chance instead of a bunch of half chances. It is basically a case right now of being happy with the point, and we won't take the extra risks to convert it into a win for fear of getting hit on the counter.

I don't think it is instructions though, LvG said after the game that we are not moving the ball quick enough.

 

[Señor]

I'm not sure how people are putting this down to players being out. It is clearly something that is being instructed to the players. Instead of trying to push the ball forward quickly, and trying to force a chance late on. We simply just remain knocking it about and trying to create the perfect chance instead of a bunch of half chances. It is basically a case right now of being happy with the point, and we won't take the extra risks to convert it into a win for fear of getting hit on the counter.

Not sure how either. It's not exactly like its something new. It's been a recurrent theme throughout the season even when we've had a lot of our best players fit.

 

[sajeev]

I don't think it is instructions though, LvG said after the game that we are not moving the ball quick enough.

he keeps saying things which sound right, but the same things keep repeating. almost as if what he says for our consumption is different to what he says to the team

 

[Rednotdead]

he keeps saying things which sound right, but the same things keep repeating. almost as if what he says for our consumption is different to what he says to the team

Exactly. If he sees something wrong it's his job to put it right, not just let it continue ad infinitum while moaning about it.

 

[Striker10]

We're not moving the ball quick enough. You need to balance possession against chance creation and if your a midfielder or forward you don't know what the defense are up to. I sware to God start of the second half for about a minute the defense were just passing it among themselves and they probably wonder why they create so few chances. If we were playing a great passing team then you could understand it but we're not. So I hope LVG deals with certain players in the summer and improves the squad further. It comes down to the players. If they watch themselves and don't know what the problem is, then God help them. At the minute certain players are playing to not lose rather then to win games. Where's the leadership on the pitch? Who's getting at players to improve? Just don't see any anger or ambition on the pitch half the time.

 

[Blodssvik]

Not moving the ball fast enough doesn't necessarily mean he wants to get it forward quicker. He wants to move the ball quicker from CB to CB to CB to CB to Rooney and then try the lottery with a long ball into space.

 

[Sunny Jim]

SOS Fergie

Joking aside...last two season has shown how great Fergie was.

 

[Insanity]

How pathetic was it to see us not even sending enough people in the box for the last second corner? We are happy to accept the result, at the time, around the hour mark.

 

[Rednotdead]

Joking aside...last two season has shown how great Fergie was.

The thing is. Fergie wouldn't have accepted a performance like that and the players knew it.

Van Gaal is just philosophical about it.

 

[Cina]

The thing is. Fergie wouldn't have accepted a performance like that and the players knew it.

Van Gaal is just philosophical about it.

Huh? I doubt LvG will accept it either, somehow. I suspect there will be a few bollockings from him too.

 

[Señor]

Huh? I doubt LvG will accept it either, somehow. I suspect there will be a few bollockings from him too.

He won't accept it but he's not really doing anything about it. We've seen a carbon copy of that performance about ten times this season.

 

[ottosec]

The win at all cost mentality is gone since Fergie left.

 

[Gannicus]

The problem is a lack of speed in the last third. Our wide players are laboring to deliver the perfect cross and our strikers can't escape their defenders.

 

[JoaquinJoaquin]

The win at all cost mentality is gone since Fergie left.

And that is a worrying aspect. You seen the reaction Jose give when Chelsea dropped points the other week, he was absolutely devastated and angry. We just seem to be willing to shrug our shoulders and move on, "go again" culture. That might change once we have a full squad and a few more world class additions, but right now that is a worry for us.

 

[Nick 0208 Ldn]

Huh? I doubt LvG will accept it either, somehow. I suspect there will be a few bollockings from him too.

Will one of those involve him standing in front of a mirror?

I hope he recognises that this is as much a learning experience for him as it is one for the players.

 

[Eugenius]

It's a lack of pace and the formation.

With the 352 we really need to walk the ball into the net and get the final pass perfect because you can't really throw people forward and the you can't get overloads on a flank without a full back overlapping a winger.

Moreover, I think having a back four makes it much easier to pass the ball out of defence. The centre backs can split, the full backs can push up and Carrick has more licence to take the ball of the centre backs.

What basically happens now is that teams let the CBs have the ball then mark all our midfielders tightly, so you end up with a flat line of 3 CBs faffing around, until they end up hoofing it down the pitch. It's what happens when you sacrifice an attacking player for an extra defender.

 

[Mark_GrumpyLion]

I think our formation and the lack of players to introduce pace to the side are some of the reasons why we look so slow and sleepy. It's a shame since I think that that really kills the away games for us. I don't think we completely lost that win at all cost mentality, not yet. And I think we can regain it, especially when (and if) we an get our players back and fit.

 

[noodlehair]

It's hard to play out from the back with any urgency or tempo when your manager insists on only playing one midfielder in every single game.

Our tactics and line up completely contradict each other.

 

[fergieisold]

I actually thought that in the second half we managed to get more control when we slowed the tempo down and attempted some patient build up. However we didn't do it well enough with seemingly no clue about when to start turning the screw a little.

 

[Antisocial]

Whether our best players are injured or not, the players on the pitch not showing the hunger to make every second count to push for the win is very odd to see from a Manchester United side.

 

[Nick 0208 Ldn]

I'd have to question to what extent this is about personnel, after all does not the fact that Stoke possessed such urgency point the finger toward preparation/tactics?

LVG doesn't seem to go in for the hustling and harrying of opponents either. Jones for one would've been of greater use today acting the terrier in midfield, as with the exception of Falcao none of our players were a damned pain in the neck like theirs were .

 

[Stack]

I'm sure the players are trying hard, but we just don't have the pace to get in behind the defenders or swiftly counter-attack. Our football's slow, and there's nothing we can do to change that until Di Maria comes back, or we sign a few quick players.

The goal Rooney scored from the ball Falcao slid across the goal came from a super fast counter attack.

 

[nick2004]

We were just missing Di Maria.

Di Maria, Blind, Rojo, Fellaini. And Hereira just came back and he is not fully fit.

 

[Clas Sified]

The goal Rooney scored from the ball Falcao slid across the goal came from a super fast counter attack.

Right, point conceded, but that was a one-in-a-million. Normally, we don't have the pace to initiate a fast counter ala Ronaldo's goal against the arse a few years back in the Champions League semis.

 

[Oneunited26]

Its called we don't have our best players on the pitch.

Only a few games ago many thought we had the best attack in the PL of mata rooney VP and falcao, so all of a sudden we do not have everyone fit

We could field DDG Young jones smalling Evans shaw Carrick rooney mata VP falcao

So it's a weak excuse to say we could not win the game

 

[Utd7]

This team doesn't have that killer instinct.

 

[Stack]

Right, point conceded, but that was a one-in-a-million. Normally, we don't have the pace to initiate a fast counter ala Ronaldo's goal against the arse a few years back in the Champions League semis.

Well that goal shows we do have the pace available, so the problem lies elsewhere I think.
Stoke for example had 10 and 11 men behind the ball very quickly and also they had 10 and 11 men in their own half often. Its hard to break that down without drawing them forward which in turn requires either making the pitch bigger (which we try and do) or attacking via other avenues.

 

[World Game]

Lack of urgency? If anything we were being too hasty to score, rushing things, resorting to balls over the top or crosses causing many misplaced passes and losses of possession. I don't think we've won a single game this season where we've gone behind at one point. When things go badly some players just have a tendency to go back to the "old united" way.

 

[Asger]

Carrick is too slow with his build up. We are missing both Herrera and blind in midfield.

Not just him, Rooney is also often slow with his build up.

 

[Cutch]

It's a lack of pace and the formation.

With the 352 we really need to walk the ball into the net and get the final pass perfect because you can't really throw people forward and the you can't get overloads on a flank without a full back overlapping a winger.

Moreover, I think having a back four makes it much easier to pass the ball out of defence. The centre backs can split, the full backs can push up and Carrick has more licence to take the ball of the centre backs.

What basically happens now is that teams let the CBs have the ball then mark all our midfielders tightly, so you end up with a flat line of 3 CBs faffing around, until they end up hoofing it down the pitch. It's what happens when you sacrifice an attacking player for an extra defender.

Agree with this.

 

[thejtrain]

There's a simple solution - just feckin' play Herrera when he's fit. He's class and he is the only one in the team that understands the need for urgency.

 

[Raoul]

Only a few games ago many thought we had the best attack in the PL of mata rooney VP and falcao, so all of a sudden we do not have everyone fit

We could field DDG Young jones smalling Evans shaw Carrick rooney mata VP falcao

So it's a weak excuse to say we could not win the game

I don't recall saying that. The point that is being made is we have not had a full squad to choose from all year, at a time when a new manager is attempting to implement a new system. The constant swapping of players within a new system is hurting us.

 

[roykeane19]

Mentality isnt there yet for title winning team, back in SAF last season we played some shit football with cleverley, giggs, anderson in midfield, yet when we would go one goal down, the team would wake up, and fairly quickly score a goal back , and eventually we`d outscore the other team, despite being outplayed in most matches

But players had a win at all costs mentality, that seems to have just vanished as soon as SAF stepped down, and its what you need for a team that wants to win titles