Manchester United dropped 15 points against bottom 7 teams, more than any top 5 sides.

[Sterling Archer]

What's incredible is that if we had beaten those teams we would be looking at the Watford game as an opportunity to better the Premier League points total record. And we would still be second to City.

 

[Judas]

What's incredible is that if we had beaten those teams we would be looking at the Watford game as an opportunity to better the Premier League points total record. And we would still be second to City.

Think thats the hardest and oddest pill to swallow for me about this season, even with us bettering some dodgy performances, we'd still not have caught City.

 

[Snow]

We are really hard to beat when we score the first goal. I'm pretty sure we won every match that we did score first.

We're not very good at coming back when the opponent scores first. We won 4 times this season when the opponent scored first (Palace, Chelsea, City and Spurs in the Cup). 13 times we didn't win (3 2-2 draws and 10 losses).

 

[elmo]

I can't think of a single player from the other top clubs that does this, with the exception maybe of Kane. It definitely comes down to our style of play/mentality on these occasions.

Salah, De Bryune, Aguero, Hazard.

These players just absolutely do the job against the smaller clubs. The last player we had that did this was probably Robin.

 

[mitchmouse]

we also lost to all three sides who were promoted the season before...

 

[C3Pique]

IMO the issues stem from our back 4. Against smaller teams who sit back you need good attacking production from your FBs and forward passes from your CBs, neither of which our squad has in great quality. Plus conceding so many goals from set pieces suggests our CBs arent commanding enough.

Alderwerield, Sandro and a RB are a must to resolve these problems.

 

[SadlerMUFC]

Yet had we won all those games we still would be in 2nd place. As much as it pains me to say this, hats off to City for an extraordinary season...

 

[Bocca9978]

Salah, De Bryune, Aguero, Hazard.

These players just absolutely do the job against the smaller clubs. The last player we had that did this was probably Robin.

If we had players that did it against the smaller teams, other clubs would say they are shit for only doing it against smaller teams.
Can’t win.

I can’t see us dropping so many point vs the lower clubs next season.

 

[elmo]

If we had players that did it against the smaller teams, other clubs would say they are shit for only doing it against smaller teams.
Can’t win.

I can’t see us dropping so many point vs the lower clubs next season.

And we’ll be laughing at them while getting wins. Don’t give a shit about any banter they have when they’re losing to us on the pitch.

 

[DomesticTadpole]

Yet had we won all those games we still would be in 2nd place. As much as it pains me to say this, hats off to City for an extraordinary season...

Yes possibly, but City had not been under any pressure most of the season. If we were right behind them it would have been interesting to see how they react to pressure.

 

[Adam-Utd]

A big reason for this is we don't kill off games.

City will score 2 quickly and knock the confidence out of them.

We keep it at 1-0 and give them hope, the crowd gets up and they manage to score when they throw everybody forward.

I remember this specifically against Leicester away, we had 4-5 chances to put the game to bed and we didn't.

Our home record against the lower teams was the most worrying though, it shows our attacking tactics aren't working, we need more width and better wide players in 1v1 situations.

 

[Xeno]

A combination of us beating the smaller teams, and City not having so many 95th minute winners early on in the season.

 

[Lentwood]

I think because we are such a horrible, laboured, average plodder of a side we are just as likely to drop points against almost anybody

There are two schools of thought. Either you think Jose is responsible for us being a laboured, average, plodder of a side or you think we are a laboured, average, plodder of a side who Jose happens to be setting up magnificently well to nick points we wouldn't otherwise get

I happen to think it's the latter, but either way it's bloody painful to watch

 

[Marcky411]

Agreed about the set pieces bit.

In the last two seasons City have come to Old Trafford. They scored from one long ball. Then two set pieces this season where the giant David Silva scores past us. That’s appalling.

If City came to old Trafford and opened us up with free flowing football then you can accept that even though it is hard. But conceding from set pieces against them is ridiculous.

You are quite correct, we should be doing better at set pieces, they always seem to score against us from set pieces even back in Fergie's days.
City have been coming to OT and have opened us up showing all our frailties to the world, playing great football at the same time. They have past our midfielders as if they weren't there, the only difference is that they haven't taken their opportunities to really make it embarrassing. The only time we got back into games against City is when they have taken their foot off the gas. If you analyse the away game at City when we won 3-2, if Sterling had taken half his 100% chances we would've gone in at half time trailing by 5 or 6-0.

Under Jose and LvG we have become embarrassing if you compare us as a team and the style of play we are putting out week in week out. We are not even close to playing any style of football that is befitting for a Utd team, grinding out results week in week out and losing to relegation fodder I don't consider Utd worthy. The sad part about it, is that I can't see it improving no matter who we bring in, we are playing the Jose way.

 

[Marcky411]

Smalling is average. Quite disappointed with Lindelof. The boy does not instill calm at the back. Each time the team attacks it is matic who covers the front of our box, literally stays close to the line whereas ideally he should be manning front half of our half. We invite teams so close to our box it demands back four to distribute balls cleverly to start any effective counter attack. Instead we see Pogba drop deep to retrieve the ball. He needs to be somewhere near the front half of our half to start any kind of effective counter attack. Same with Rashford. Matic is acting last line of defence shows his lack of confidence in CB. Everything is cascading effect of that.

First get an excellent pair as CB and free up Matic to intercept attack near the front half of our half. If they go pass Matic & Co. then CB should intercept and distribute the ball in midfield. This then will lead to counter attack which can reach to their box before they even recover to their position. You do this 5 times and then opponent will think twice before going all out attack on us.

Now, how to break them when they sit back is to get a proper no. 10 and a RW who can cross.

I do agree that we need a true leader at the back, but our CD's aren't as bad as everyone thinks, they are no ball playing CD's but defence wise they have gone toe to toe with the best in the past and have stood their ground(there is not defence so solid it can't make mistakes).
I agree Matic is sitting to deep, but I am not convinced it is due to our CD but more his lack if pace, if he pushes forward he will be completely overrun by most midfielders with any kind of pace, he is just to slow. The sad part about it is considering his age it will only get worse.

 

[Smores]

It's just reflective of our biggest issue in that we lack width. Simple as that. All our players want to thread balls through rather than switch the play, get to the byline and get it in.

Saying that we've not been good at handling deep defences for a long long time. Always passed around them slowly.

 

[Gaurav Malik]

The quality is present in the team just need a push to be the same aggressive team as we were.

 

[Revaulx]

I think because we are such a horrible, laboured, average plodder of a side we are just as likely to drop points against almost anybody

There are two schools of thought. Either you think Jose is responsible for us being a laboured, average, plodder of a side or you think we are a laboured, average, plodder of a side who Jose happens to be setting up magnificently well to nick points we wouldn't otherwise get

I happen to think it's the latter, but either way it's bloody painful to watch

It’s this possibility that’s keeping me firmly in the pro-Jose camp for now. I suppose we will find out after this transfer window.

 

[Trizy]

If we strengthen our glaring weaknesses (RB, LB & RW) we'll instantly be a better attacking team. More players attacking, namely the wing backs, drags players out wide to try close them down thus creating space for other attacking players. Compare this to our non-existent full backs in these games doing nothing but side passing and afraid to get forward.

Basically it will help to create more chances against a bus parking team, which has been a weakness for us in recent seasons.

 

[LawCharltonBest]

There's a stat every season post-SAF that makes people think "oh if we improve that, we'll really challenge"

Brilliant away record, but terrible at home.
Then it was terrible away record, but brilliant at home.
Then that we kept dropping points against the big boys.
Now we keep dropping points against the little boys.

The truth is we just aren't good enough to win the title, and at the end of every season a stat will just happen to stand out.

 

[JohnnyKills]

This has been my problem with this season. Didn’t we lose to the bottom three sides?
Amazing for a team that sets up to defend!

That's the problem though isn't it. When you start with a defensive mindset you need to be clinical, because you won't get as many chances as a more attacking team. And you're always vulnerable to the sort of sucker punch we saw against WBA.

Mourinho has had problems putting away the weaker sides in both of his seasons here. If he can't change his mentality to be more ambitious and creative, we can't progress further under him.

 

[Brightonian]

This seems like a good problem to have, because it should be easy to solve. If we were struggling to beat any of the top 6, it would just suggest we weren't good enough. Whereas dropping points in our easiest games is a matter of concentration and motivation, which Jose should be able to sort out if he's anywhere near the manager he's reputed to be.

 

[Di Maria's angel]

Your numbers are slightly wrong. If I've calculated correctly, we picked up 29 points from a possible 42 against the bottom 7 (of the final table)

It wasn't so bad in the first half of the season:

Record vs top 6: Won 2, drew 1, lost 2 - Pts 7/15
Record vs 7-13: Won 6, drew 1 - Pts 19/21
Record vs 14-20: Won 5, drew 1, lost 1 - Pts 16/21

2nd half:

Record vs top 6: Won 4, lost 1 - Pts 12/15
Record vs 7-13: Won 4, drew 2, lost 1 - Pts 14/21
Record vs 14-20: Won 4, drew 1, lost 2 - Pts 13/21

Our performances against the mid-table teams dropped over the course of the season, too. I think the comfort of being clear of Liverpool/Spurs and our record against our rivals meant that we dropped off a little against everyone else, especially when the league was gone.

 

[MuFc_1992]

We wouldn't have won the league this season even if we had messi and ronaldo leading the line for us.

 

[sunama]

we also lost to all three sides who were promoted the season before...

Our players quite clearly, are not interested in battling these lesser sides.
The worrying thing is that even now, Jose has not addressed this issue, so it may continue into next season.

 

[Smores]

That's the problem though isn't it. When you start with a defensive mindset you need to be clinical, because you won't get as many chances as a more attacking team. And you're always vulnerable to the sort of sucker punch we saw against WBA.

Mourinho has had problems putting away the weaker sides in both of his seasons here. If he can't change his mentality to be more ambitious and creative, we can't progress further under him.

We do not start with a defensive mindset against the weaker teams thats absolute nonsense.

It's nothing to do with how attacking we are and everything with our mental strength (not at the right pace or focused) and tactics such as width.

 

[Vanya]

The smaller teams have always been Jose's Achilles heel. His brand of football has always struggled against teams that sit back and defend.

I dont think that will change next season either unless he makes significant changes to the attack and midfield. We have an imbalanced side with too much focus on creating through the left or if that fails, then trying to barge through the middle. Theres no threat on the right side or a threat of running beyond the defence.

Because theres no threat on the right, the opposition defence doesnt get stretched enough. By the time Valencia arrives into position, the opposition defence reorganizes itself. The lack of a playmaker and the lack of passes being played over the top helps the opposition sit back. Instead of being forced to come out to press the playmaker which leaves gaps in their defense, they can sit back and stay compact.

We need a Fabregas sort of CM who is a weapon from deep positions and can find runners.

And we need a genuine pacey right winger that can beat defenders consistently. A Douglas Costa or Bale (in his prime).

If we strengthen these two positions we will have a much better chance of beating the smaller teams.

Lets not forget that City have struggled to break teams down too and scored quite a few goals in the last 10 minutes or even last minutes of a game. One also needs luck and constant positivity and calmness in ones play. Not just hoofball by sticking Fellaini up front. That cannot be a solution going forward.

 

[Reiver]

It's quite a depressing record. Seems we're the game raising cnuts now...

 

[mitchmouse]

Our players quite clearly, are not interested in battling these lesser sides.
The worrying thing is that even now, Jose has not addressed this issue, so it may continue into next season.

he needs to get tough this summer and show some peoole the door