[Hernandez - BFA]

Love the guy - I just feel so much more assured with him in the team.

 

[elmo]

Thought he was pretty average for his standards yesterday but considering his long lay off it was understandable.

Still the best performance at left back we’ve seen this season so far, he’s so far ahead of everyone else in his position that it’s quite ridiculous.

 

[JeffFromHK]

He (and Mainoo) brought composure when the ball was in our possession, a quality that most senior members of our squad (including our "star players" like Rashford, Bruno and Casemiro) lack

 

[Alemar]

Got an assist.

 

[Danny]

Got an assist.

He's class. Makes a massive difference to our attacking play

 

[criticalanalysis]

Got an assist but was absolutely horrendous in the second half apart from two ball carries.

I'll give him a break as it was his second game after a long lay off but it's the same mistakes. Diving in lazily, pressing high and losing his man and just generally unaware of play that comes down his side.

 

[Irwin99]

Good first half.

Nervous when he plays two games in a week. Almost expecting him to break down again.

 

[Lyng]

He was awful apart from the assist. Defensively he was such a liability yesterday. But that is usually the case for Shaw after long time away, he will come good again.

 

[Jeppers7]

It’s great to have him back. AWB at right back and him left back is such an upgrade.

 

[Mike Smalling]

His ability on the ball is on another level to the rest of the backline, and arguably much of our midfield as well. Might not have been his greatest performance, but he will definitely add a lot to our game that we've been missing.

 

[Rossa]

His defending is really strange. He gives away so much space down his side. It basically happens every match. It's as if he doesn't trust his one on one defending, so he keeps a certain distance not to get skinned. Obviously, the result is that the space is there to either cross or for the opposition to pass between them. I don't think I've ever seen any other fullback defend like he does. He had a brilliant defensive run against Torreira where Shaw looked properly fast, but next time he can just switch off and let them run into space.

He's one of those players that when we control matches and attack, he's borderline brilliant. Great at carrying the ball, brilliant passing, good timing etc. When we are being pressed, however, he struggles.

 

[Leftback99]

He's better defensively as a CB than he is as a LB.

 

[macheda14]

He's better defensively as a CB than he is as a LB.

Shock horror

 

[Sylar]

His defending is really strange. He gives away so much space down his side. It basically happens every match. It's as if he doesn't trust his one on one defending, so he keeps a certain distance not to get skinned. Obviously, the result is that the space is there to either cross or for the opposition to pass between them. I don't think I've ever seen any other fullback defend like he does. He had a brilliant defensive run against Torreira where Shaw looked properly fast, but next time he can just switch off and let them run into space.

He's one of those players that when we control matches and attack, he's borderline brilliant. Great at carrying the ball, brilliant passing, good timing etc. When we are being pressed, however, he struggles.

Yeah, we saw a big example last season when he was against Saka. It was like he was afraid to try and challenge so kept backing and backing. He also had this thing where he leaves a weird distance between somebody who crosses, so he cant stop a cross but hes far enough, if it hits his hand, its a penalty, otherwise hes taken himself out from even defending the cross properly. He needs to either sit back completely or try and stop the cross.

Got an assist but was absolutely horrendous in the second half apart from two ball carries.

I'll give him a break as it was his second game after a long lay off but it's the same mistakes. Diving in lazily, pressing high and losing his man and just generally unaware of play that comes down his side.

I expected his second half to go like that. usually happens for most players when they return especially for us.

 

[FrankDrebin]

Whether we have someone playing at LB/RB or if one of our wingers comes back to do defensive work, we always give the opposition wide player ample time to put a cross in.

 

[Leftback99]

He's better defensively as a CB than he is as a LB.

Ten Hag must agree.

 

[A-man]

He had a good match or two as CB last season when Martinez was on the booze and Lindelof was injured , but let’s end this experiment now. He’s one of the best full backs in the world and personally I think he’s the most important players in the squad when at his right position. So so in defence but offered nothing in possession tonight and that’s what we needed from out back line.

 

[SNes]

He give the ball away that cost us tonight

 

[tomaldinho1]

He's better defensively as a CB than he is as a LB.

Not sure - he’s probably still best at LB for me. Was solid today.

 

[Danny]

He give the ball away that cost us tonight

No he didn't, Garnacho wasn't strong enough in his duel.

 

[Marwood]

No he didn't, Garnacho wasn't strong enough in his duel.

Nah that was a rubbish pass. Was never on.

 

[sammyhol]

If you are going to play Shaw at LCB… it should never be at the cost of playing a right footer at LB.

At least play Reguilon there to give us some natural width.

How the manager can see it as more important to have a left footed LCB over a left footed LB I will never know.

 

[Danny]

Nah that was a rubbish pass. Was never on.

Would rather try that pass than just hopelessly hoof the ball up anyway but I still feel Garnacho has to be stronger there and get his body in.

 

[Leftback99]

He had a good match or two as CB last season when Martinez was on the booze and Lindelof was injured , but let’s end this experiment now. He’s one of the best full backs in the world and personally I think he’s the most important players in the squad when at his right position. So so in defence but offered nothing in possession tonight and that’s what we needed from out back line.

You've said the same in the Maguire thread. What did Schar and Lascelles do in possession that was so good tonight? We shouldn't be 'needing' our centre backs to be anything special in possesion, it's not why Newcastle absolutely dominated us.

He was pretty good tonight. Unfortunately we need two of him.

 

[Lash]

Nah that was a rubbish pass. Was never on.

Yep, sold it short as well, so gave every opportunity for the defender. There were more phases post that though, hard to put any blame on him for the result considering how often he kept us in it.

 

[KjaAnd]

If you are going to play Shaw at LCB… it should never be at the cost of playing a right footer at LB.

At least play Reguilon there to give us some natural width.

How the manager can see it as more important to have a left footed LCB over a left footed LB I will never know.

Yeah, it’s completely idiotic to move one of our most important players out of his preferred position in order to play a wrong-footed player in his place. What’s the thinking here??

 

[George Owen]

If you are going to play Shaw at LCB… it should never be at the cost of playing a right footer at LB.

At least play Reguilon there to give us some natural width.

How the manager can see it as more important to have a left footed LCB over a left footed LB I will never know.

I think Ten Hag did it to prevent Almiron from doing a Robben. It kinda worked, in the sense that Dalot effectively prevented Almiron from being at his very best, but at the cost of losing any attacking build up from that wing.

Hope the bald guy learned his lesson. Playing not to lose is not the way. We should always play to win. We were much better with Reguilon on.

Would rather try that pass than just hopelessly hoof the ball up anyway but I still feel Garnacho has to be stronger there and get his body in.

Not the moment to try that pass. Hoof the ball to the sidelines and let the team get back in shape.

Not gonna blame the loss on Shaw though. Newcastle had many more chances to score.

 

[sammyhol]

Yeah, it’s completely idiotic to move one of our most important players out of his preferred position in order to play a wrong-footed player in his place. What’s the thinking here??

It reminds me so much of Guardiola in big European games for city in the earlier years…

Whether it’s ego, or overthinking it, or obsession with stats and spreadsheets I don’t know.

I honestly think with certain managers it’s like they try and justify their own existence but doing something unorthodox that somehow pays off.

When in reality, if we just played fit players in their natural positions, in a sensible, recognisable structure, we’d likely be 2 places higher in the league and comfortably through in the CL.

 

[Rozay]

Class. Wish we had one more for the midfield.

 

[#07]

One of a handful who can hold their heads up high after tonight's abysmal defeat at Newcastle.

 

[BorisManUtd]

He was solid for most of the game though Newcastle's goal came after his bad pass. Not that it was Shaw's fault we lost. 1-0 was a good result actually.

 

[A-man]

You've said the same in the Maguire thread. What did Schar and Lascelles do in possession that was so good tonight? We shouldn't be 'needing' our centre backs to be anything special in possesion, it's not why Newcastle absolutely dominated us.

He was pretty good tonight. Unfortunately we need two of him.

It’s not at all the same as for Maguire. Shaw was somewhat ok defensively but we need him as FB, he’s extremely important to us in that position. He’s more important to the attack than our forwards. Plus we have several others who are better as CBs. Again he did ok defensively but did not achieve anything in possession. Could be Varane/Lindelof/Martinez would end up in the same way but our possession at the back was totally gone tonight.

Edit: not criticising his performance but the choice to put him as CB when we need him as FB and when we have CBs fit with clean sheets two PL matches in a row.

and yes I do think it would have helped if we could have kept possession from the back.

 

[Bwuk]

Class. Wish we had one more for the midfield.

With what we have available a midfield of him, Mainoo & Bruno would probably be our strongest.

 

[NoPace]

With what we have available a midfield of him, Mainoo & Bruno would probably be our strongest.

The players we have who look comfortable in possession are Bruno, Mainoo, Shaw, Lisandro, Onana and Antony (frustrating as he is, he helps us actually get the ball into the other team's half). Garnacho and Hojlund look promising as attackers. In theory it should be easy to build around those 9 with an RCB and a #6/#8 who can pass, but we seem to have had no ideas other than De Jong and Kim.

 

[gajender]

The players we have who look comfortable in possession are Bruno, Mainoo, Shaw, Lisandro, Onana and Antony (frustrating as he is, he helps us actually get the ball into the other team's half). Garnacho and Hojlund look promising as attackers. In theory it should be easy to build around those 9 with an RCB and a #6/#8 who can pass, but we seem to have had no ideas other than De Jong and Kim.

You can't be serious this is a joke right .

 

[Frank Grimes]

Ten Hag is weakening 2 positions by not playing him as a full back. Nonsensical.

 

[GueRed]

Had a decent game but his poor pass set up the move for Newcastle's goal.

 

[KranjskaKlobasa]

Good performance at both LB and CB positions. As a senior player he needs to show his mature side, as he was quite lucky that the ref did not caution him for the second ball kick after the whistle.

 

[Raven]

He's excellent.

 

[Hulme91]

Such a classy footballer, it's no small thing for a left back to be able to slot in at CB.... in a back 4.... and look like an absolute natural.