Manchester United vs. Norwich City

kouroux

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There doesn't seem to be any real urgency. There also seems to be a few sloppy passes and extremely ambitious ones where we seem hopeful the ball will go through 3 Norwich players.
That's the key, maybe the players believe that eventually they will win and they might be right but ultimately for us the fans who have been used to watch great football in general since the start of the season, it can be frustrating
 

Cina

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Norwich will tire. We'll have a goal after 70 minutes
 

wr8_utd

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City are struggling as well from what I'm reading.

Both United and City have come off boil a bit in the last few games.
 

Kelvin

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1-0 will do everytime.

International break can't come soon enough for us, we need players back and more energy in the team.
i would have thought this match would have been a chance to rack up our goal differences..... :(
 

acrebo

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As the 'pundit' said - if every game was only 45 minutes long then Norwich would be 3rd. They generally tire and crumble in the 2nd half of games.

We do look tired and flat though. Not good to see Anderson walking aimlessly after 20 minutes.
 

savais

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when there is no tempo to our passing, and our off the ball movement is non-existent, the only thing that can create opportunities is for men to beat their markers and create 2 on 1s, but the only 2 players capable of taking men on are nani and rooney.
 

Aint gota Kalou

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Our trouble lies in our play in the final third tbh. the midfield's been okay. its the final ball thats missing. rooney needs to step up. park, sorry to say, looks poor atm. giggs should come on imo
I just don't think we're picking out our attacking players quick enough, meaning that when they do get the ball Norwich have all their players back to defend. Fletcher especially has a tendency to look round and slow our play down, it's not really the sort of game he excels in for me.
 

Varun

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Midfield been okay? Fletcher and Anderson have been very poor.

We miss the Ando-Cleverley partnership.
When i say the midfield's okay, i mean its not as if we're struggling to dominate the game possession wise. our midfield's done a good job at that.

most of the game is being played in the final third where we've been poor. i wont just blame ando and fletch for that. the likes of rooney and park have had very average games. thats where we need to improve. the final ball and our play in the final third.

cleverley wont magically make them all play better,. its just an easy way out to point to a missing player as the reason why we're struggling to score and create chances against norwich at home.
 

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I thought Park did quite well, but we need someone a little more daring to come on - Giggs for me, he will slice the defence open a lot more. Anderson seems out of ideas today, they have shackled Nani the best they can, but they will tire and he will keep coming at them.
 

D J Dog Toffee

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they give us some nervous moment in defence during the first 20 minutes....our defence still don't look convincing.

and never expect us to struggle to break them down.
Yeah, but we seemed to have settled since then and since then we have had plenty of solid possession. Hopefully, it's just a matter of time and that one ball to come off. A few have tried (Park, Anderson & Rooney) but their defense have always got that important boot in.
 

kps88

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When i say the midfield's okay, i mean its not as if we're struggling to dominate the game possession wise. our midfield's done a good job at that.

most of the game is being played in the final third where we've been poor. i wont just blame ando and fletch for that. the likes of rooney and park have had very average games. thats where we need to improve. the final ball and our play in the final third.

cleverley wont magically make them all play better,. its just an easy way out to point to a missing player as the reason why we're struggling to score and create chances against norwich at home.
That's because Norwich have been happy to let Fletcher and Anderson have the ball on the half way line.
 

wr8_utd

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When i say the midfield's okay, i mean its not as if we're struggling to dominate the game possession wise. our midfield's done a good job at that.

most of the game is being played in the final third where we've been poor. i wont just blame ando and fletch for that. the likes of rooney and park have had very average games. thats where we need to improve. the final ball and our play in the final third.

cleverley wont magically make them all play better,. its just an easy way out to point to a missing player as the reason why we're struggling to score and create chances against norwich at home.
With Cleverley missing our tempo isn't as high as it usually is. And add to that the fact that we've taken out Young's pace and put in Park who's continuing from where he left off midweek.
 

Enigma_87

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City are struggling as well from what I'm reading.

Both United and City have come off boil a bit in the last few games.
Lost Aguero due injury.

We're pretty shite - no urgency whatsoever. Hate seeing Evra diving into the fullback every friekin time...
 

Shimo

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What a frustrating half. Hope we decide to play better in the second.
 

Varun

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I just don't think we're picking out our attacking players quick enough, meaning that when they do get the ball Norwich have all their players back to defend. Fletcher especially has a tendency to look round and slow our play down, it's not really the sort of game he excels in for me.
Norwich have players behind the ball most of the time. the game's been played in their half. what we need is to be more incisive with the ball in the final third and do better with the final ball. fletch isnt really great at it but we arent spoilt for choice in that position either.
 

Snow

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Norwich have apparently been very good in the 1st half this season for what it's worth.
 

prateik

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How fecking hot is it?
Google search says 27°C
how is that boiling hot :/
 

Jonno

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They are defending well as a unit, and we are struggling to break them down. Evra and Nani have got behind them once or twice but they have defended very well. We need to keep at them and bring some intelligence in Giggs on and maybe Welbeck later on if we are still struggling
 

Varun

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With Cleverley missing our tempo isn't as high as it usually is. And add to that the fact that we've taken out Young's pace and put in Park who's continuing from where he left off midweek.
Park's been poor. Young's injured though i guess, didnt even make the subs bench. the tempo is what irks me too, its far too slow at the moment. but there are players like rooney nani ando in there. they should be doing better than they have so far.

cleverley would have been better than fletch. agreed. but, i dont think that can be cited as an excuse for our poor performance. thats all. we should be dominating them with what we have on the pitch. the problem, imo, lies with our final ball. not with the way our midfield has played in the middle of the pitch. hence my point.