[DomesticTadpole]

Our issue is ball retention. We’ve been way worse at a lot of things over recent years than we are now but I can’t recall a United team so poor in possession. Giving it away just constantly again and again. So many times completely unforced errors.

Makes things a lot harder when you lack such basics in control and accuracy.

Wouldn't you think their would be drills done in training, over and over again to improve their ball control and passing. I hope they are doing this and not just concentrating on the things they are good at. If we do not improve passing accuracy then we will go absolutely nowhere, especially in Europe where it will get shown up.

 

[laughtersassassin]

We have had a lot of brilliant goals ruined this season because of our inability to see a result out.

Getting very very annoying

 

[DomesticTadpole]

I was quite confident we'd win (I expected a 3-0) and maybe we could have if Maguire and James had scored, but that's football. I'm very disappointed by the result and even more by the performance. I'd say the result flatters us a little.

Milan did very well. They played with energy, and we're able to maintain it to the dying moments of the game.

We were very slow in the build up, too susceptible to their pressing and lacked creativity going forward. The lack of a good center forward has hurt us this season, and Rashford's absence meant there was no threat from the wings.

The substitutions were poor. Bringing on defenders with a few minutes go, to defend a one goal lead is just inviting pressure and playing with fire, and we've been burnt by this too often.

The only positives I can think of is Bruno being capable of moments of magic no matter how bad we've been overall, and Amad scoring. Beautiful and not the kind of goal you'd expect from him. Seems talented and smart, the way he timed the run and played the header. Hope to see more of and from him.

We've been better away from home and are very unpredictable so I haven't given up yet, but this first leg was really poor.

Not sure what he could have done with the subs. We are picking up injuries at precisely the wrong time of the season. For once it isn't the defence that is decimated, but midfield options and even more worryingly the forwards.

 

[Steve Bruce]

DDG saves that at the end.

I would have saved that. Terrible goalkeeping. It was literally above him. He only had to stand up straight and put his hand up but instead he was slow to react & tried to save face by being acrobatic.

The best keepers are the ones that keep it simple or make it look simple.

 

[wolvored]

Ugh, decent chance we'll be the only English side in the CL/EL who don't progress.

I said this to my mate earlier when we were discussing the match. If we do then you have to say are we progressing really

 

[Denis' cuff]

I would have saved that. Terrible goalkeeping. It was literally above him. He only had to stand up straight and put his hand up but instead he was slow to react & tried to save face by being acrobatic.

The best keepers are the ones that keep it simple or make it look simple.

.... and don’t chuck it in the back of the net every couple of games or shit themselves if challenged by an opposing forward

 

[Bertie Wooster]

Absolutely gutted by the avoidable last minute equaliser. But not surprised we conceded from a set piece.

Nor am I surprised that the tough draw we got ended with a tight draw in the first leg. Never understood all this 'great tie to get'. I'd much preferred to have got easier opposition like Tottenham and Arsenal did - and they've got the job mostly done in the first leg. Meanwhile, unsurprisingly given who we drew, we've got a tough second leg to face before a tough FA Cup Q/F.

Drawing AC Milan reduced our chances of getting through to the next round of both cups. And our increasing injuries is just adding to the problem.

 

[Steve Bruce]

.... and don’t chuck it in the back of the net every couple of games or shit themselves if challenged by an opposing forward

I don't know what keeper your referring to, but none of Uniteds keeper fit that description.

 

[Denis' cuff]

I don't know what keeper your referring to, but none of Uniteds keeper fit that description.

 

[DomesticTadpole]

Absolutely gutted by the avoidable last minute equaliser. But not surprised we conceded from a set piece.

Nor am I surprised that the tough draw we got ended with a tight draw in the first leg. Never understood all this 'great tie to get'. I'd much preferred to have got easier opposition like Tottenham and Arsenal did - and they've got the job mostly done in the first leg. Meanwhile, unsurprisingly given who we drew, we've got a tough second leg to face before a tough FA Cup Q/F.

Drawing AC Milan reduced our chances of getting through to the next round of both cups. And our increasing injuries is just adding to the problem.

They wanted the good old glamour tie, brings back memories etc etc. Except both side are ravaged by injuries and there is no crowd, so it's nothing like the good old days.

 

[Bertie Wooster]

They wanted the good old glamour tie, brings back memories etc etc. Except both side are ravaged by injuries and there is no crowd, so it's nothing like the good old days.

Yep.
And, even so, there's a time and place for a 'glamour tie'. And that could have been saved for the S/F or Final. With us battling for a top 4 place, still being in two cup competitions, and struggling with injuries - the last thing we really needed at this stage were tough draws against AC Milan and Leicester when we could have had it much easier instead.

 

[GDaly95]

Is Kessie always that good? He looked fantastic

 

[Maticmaker]

Last night Ole and his back room boys got caught out to some degree, the expected old 'Rossoneri' didn't turn up, instead a new look team with a lot of bright young things with a lot to prove turned up and for the most part they did.

Throughout the game, except for a few minutes after we scored, It looked like we had prepared for playing a team mainly made up of some former great, but 'ageing' players; however, we were wrong footed from the off and kept off balance throughout. The speed and movement of the Milan youngsters made up for their lack of experience.
It was perhaps ironic that our goal was scored by one of our own 'young things' Amad, who took his chance well.

Have a feeling Henderson will get over his 'soft goal' and bounce back.

With the injuries picked up, the next few games, some of our most important left to play, all now look much more difficult. It's only just less than 72 hours after we destroyed City... "funny old game this football...init!"

 

[Reapersoul20]

De Gea conceded many goals like that in recent seasons, in addition to the numerous howlers he's made as well. And it's not in de Gea's repertoire to even dream of a throw/distribution like Henderson provided to Shaw against City, so I will take Henderson over current de Gea every time.

Let's see how long that lasts.

 

[Jaqen H'ghar]

Not sure what he could have done with the subs. We are picking up injuries at precisely the wrong time of the season. For once it isn't the defence that is decimated, but midfield options and even more worryingly the forwards.

Good point, and hindsight probably played a part in my comment, but I think we would have been better off with no subs made.

I understand the need for frash legs, but since we couldn't make like for like subs or stack the midfield we could have just continued as we were for the remaining 10 min.

Of course we may still have conceded, but I'm just not comfortable with defensive subs that invite pressure when our defense is so suspect.

 

[pocco]

Is it just me that thought Meite was equally impressive as Kessie? Even more natural on the ball. Took the piss out of our players with some great footwork at times and was dogged defensively. I'm sure the commentators kept mistaking the two. Or maybe it was me

 

[Bertie Wooster]

Good point, and hindsight probably played a part in my comment, but I think we would have been better off with no subs made.

I understand the need for frash legs, but since we couldn't make like for like subs or stack the midfield we could have just continued as we were for the remaining 10 min.

Of course we may still have conceded, but I'm just not comfortable with defensive subs that invite pressure when our defense is so suspect.

Yeah, I was thinking the same - and not with hindsight, but at the time.

As soon as I saw the triple sub I feared the worst. It weakened our team, pretty much ruled out a 2nd for us, and just confirmed we'd be under pressure trying to cling on to a 1 goal lead for the last 15-20 minutes.

Yes, we almost achieved that. But it wasn't a surprise when it arrived - and we're always vulnerable from a set piece so a one goal lead is always a worry.

In an ideal world we'd have had better attacking options to bring off the bench as more like for like subs. In lieu of those, I didn't like making a triple sub taking off key players.

 

[gerdm07]

MotM Daniel James

I'm pretty sure there was a period when James lost the ball about 8 times in a row. Thankfully, he regrouped and started playing a little better.

 

[gerdm07]

We'd need new coaches for that. It should be clear to everyone by now that front foot football is not what Carrick/McKenna/Solskjaer want to do - they are much more comfortable with the counterattack (with a bit of sporadic pressing here and there).

Nothing wrong with that necessarily, but it's what we are. Don't expect possession football or intricate passing from the likes of Bailly, AWB, McTominay, Fred and James sitting in two banks of four in a Solskjaer-coached team!

Ole and company have played attacking football when the conditions are right. One condition is you have to have a good midfield. With any 2 of Fred, Matic and McT we have a decent midfield at best. When Pogba is included we are above average.

 

[Cantonagotmehere]

Yea

You know what I meant. 2 attacking players off, 2 defensive ones on. Jose Gunnar Solskjær

Fair point for sure.

 

[George the Cat]

It's almost like clockwork. After a great result we go into the next game with a shocking mentality

Thats it, if we play well in a game you can bet we’re going to put a terrible performance in the next game.

 

[Cantonagotmehere]

Until we dropped off and made defensive changes for no reason, they were treading water, and we were barely out of second gear. We'll start closer to our starting XI and they'll be overwhelmed.

It looked like Fred was up top trying to hold the ball up at one point. I knew we were doomed....

I truly do not care about this tournament and would rather focus all on the league for 2nd and FA Cup run, but I sure want to play well vs teams like AC Milan. What a bummer....

 

[Jaqen H'ghar]

Yeah, I was thinking the same - and not with hindsight, but at the time.

As soon as I saw the triple sub I feared the worst. It weakened our team, pretty much ruled out a 2nd for us, and just confirmed we'd be under pressure trying to cling on to a 1 goal lead for the last 15-20 minutes.

Yes, we almost achieved that. But it wasn't a surprise when it arrived - and we're always vulnerable from a set piece so a one goal lead is always a worry.

In an ideal world we'd have had better attacking options to bring off the bench as more like for like subs. In lieu of those, I didn't like making a triple sub taking off key players.

It did feel like we were going to concede. I said as much to my son who was watching with me seconds before the goal. I meant hindsight in that if we had managed to hold on not much would have been made of the subs. It always seems to backfire though, like recently with that late Tuanzebe sub.

I agree regarding having attacking subs. Someone with pace could have been devastating, or at least being able to retain the ball and waste time far from our goal.

 

[Red&Black]

Is Kessie always that good? He looked fantastic

as a milan fan... yes. particularly for the past 1.5yrs. will earn a beautiful extension shortly (already being worked on)

 

[DatIrishFella]

Any regular watchers of AC Milan? Do they always keep up that intensity? It was very impressive, was expecting them to blow their wad in the 2nd but they just kept going.

 

[RedIan]

i love to win every game but in the present covid climate it would not bother me one jot if we get knocked out of this next week. Last years run in uefa cost us the bad start to this season.
I’d be happy to play the kids and see how they do in the return leg.

 

[DSG]

I suppose you could blame Henderson — probably should have saved it. I actually blame Maguire and James for missing tap ins. We have to be more composed in front of goal. It’s a disease that his filtered down from Martial throughout the side.

One of the reasons we bought Maguire was his aerial prowess on set pieces in front of goal. He’s been underwhelming in that part of his game since joining. I literally expect to get a head on most corners that come in, but always to be off target. Missing an absolute sitter just makes it worse.

I think next week at the San Siro will be an interesting tie.

 

[Isotope]

But didnt Ole say we will be the fittest and furthest running team every match when he took over? It seems he cant even practice what he preaches

He forgot that we don't have Barca's or Bayern's medical team.

 

[croadyman]

Ole and company have played attacking football when the conditions are right. One condition is you have to have a good midfield. With any 2 of Fred, Matic and McT we have a decent midfield at best. When Pogba is included we are above average.

Personally feel the midfield without Pogba when we aren't playing someone who just opens up and gives us space is frankly dire. We need better quality in there no matter what happens with him this summer and if he goes then don't need one midfielder we suddenly need two

 

[wrepdrep]

Any regular watchers of AC Milan? Do they always keep up that intensity? It was very impressive, was expecting them to blow their wad in the 2nd but they just kept going.

Always? No.
It depends on the result, which players are available and the conditions they are in.
Intensity is dropped once the team is in a comfortable lead against smaller teams.

Players like Saelemaekers, Krunic, Calabria, Kessie, Calhanoglu, Hernandez, Rebic and Castillejo can run all day.
But the team can look very sluggish at times when Zlatan is playing.

 

[padzilla]

Once again we were comprehensively outplayed in midfield by being far too reactive rather than make things happen.
Having the double pivot as defensive midfielders means we sit far too deep for most of the game.
We really need a solid defensive midfielder who can play there by themselves to allow the other two midfielders to play higher up the pitch a little.
Neither Fred or McT can play there by themselves and it shows by the amount of times we concede possession or make constant sideway passes instead of pinning the opposition down and keeping them on the back foot.
Two squad players are starting almost every game, and playing out of position, because both of them are needed to do what should be the job of person.
A distinctly average Milan side were allowed the freedom of the pitch as a result.
That said, both James and Maguire should be ashamed of the chances they missed which, thanks to allowing them a free header from a late corner and poor positioning from Henderson, enabled Milan to snatch a late point.

 

[croadyman]

Once again we were comprehensively outplayed in midfield by being far too reactive rather than make things happen.
Having the double pivot as defensive midfielders means we sit far too deep for most of the game.
We really need a solid defensive midfielder who can play there by themselves to allow the other two midfielders to play higher up the pitch a little.
Neither Fred or McT can play there by themselves and it shows by the amount of times we concede possession or make constant sideway passes instead of pinning the opposition down and keeping them on the back foot.
Two squad players are starting almost every game, and playing out of position, because both of them are needed to do what should be the job of person.
A distinctly average Milan side were allowed the freedom of the pitch as a result.
That said, both James and Maguire should be ashamed of the chances they missed which, thanks to allowing them a free header from a late corner and poor positioning from Henderson, enabled Milan to snatch a late point.

You have absolutely nailed it there