[tenpoless]

Highlights of the game:
1. Pogba
2. Your sister good team

 

[No Idea For Nickname]

I learned so teo new words today,
one English: Dunce.
one Italian: Coglione.
Spurs lost.
We won.
Great day.

 

[Suedesi]

Not afraid to admit I celebrated that Pogba goal much as the one which briefly saw us at the top of the league, knowing our luck with draws it will be Villarreal/Roma/Arsenal tomorrow

If we can't beat Villareal/Roma/Arsenal wtf?

 

[lysglimt]

The 2 best teams apart from ourselves have been knocked out - by us. Why should we fear anyone else ? But I think we deserve a bit of luck so I would prefer to avoid Roma or Arsenal.

Not sure who I would prefer - but I have watched Granada play Molde and that certainly didn't scare me. Molde could have beat team them over 2 legs. Both Granada and Villareal have been performing poorly in Spain over the last few weeks as well.

So if I were to rank them from least to most favourable draw
Arsenal (because I don't want to play an english team)
Roma
Villareal
Ajax
Granada
Zagreb/Slavia Praha - can't really decide. Both impressed yesterday but should be the weakest sides

So of course we will end up with Roma or Arsenal

 

[Dargonk]

On to the next round.

 

[dal]

Honestly, I was surprised at how good Milan are. I didn’t expect them to play this well over two legs.

 

[largelyworried]

Good performance in a different kind of way. Not fluid or electric, this was a more measured game. It was like an old school European tie, with both teams fairly cagey and balanced before a couple of key personnel changes tipped the balance in one team's favour. It always looked like a single goal would win it, and being able to bring on a player with Pogba's quality was why we were the winners.

Defensively I thought we did really well. They definitely stretched us at times but we didnt give them many real sights of goal. Henderson was excellent again, really proactive. While the McTominay / Fred pairing is looking a little stale creatively, there's no doubt it can do a job defensively.

Up front Im still concerned about our attack. James is looking lively, but there are question marks over the others. Greenwood's link up play is excellent at the moment but he seems to spend a lot less time in goalscoring positions. I think that's just part of his overall development, but for this season its giving us a problem. Rashford just doesn't look fit, I think he's carrying a knock. Bruno needs a rest, his sharpness has gone. You can see him still trying to deliver those early high risk balls into space for runners, but he's consistently getting the weight or pace of the ball wrong, or being a fraction too slow and getting blocked. He has to play against Leicester, but then I'd rest him against Brighton at home, or least start him on the bench. But Pogba coming back is a huge boost for us.

Looking at the teams left in the draw, who is there to be afraid of? Arsenal are probably the biggest obstacle, a tie with them could go either way. They're very inconsistent but can pull out a good performance in isolation. Roma are ok but aren't having a great season, they have a poor defence. Ajax are good but not the same team that shocked some of the CL big boys a couple of seasons back. The rest are pretty meh. We should be looking to win this.

 

[TrustInJanuzaj]

I hope we manage to an an easier draw now and Arsenal draw Roma. If Arsenal get through I’d rather meet them over two legs in the semi as I just don’t fancy us against them in a one off game.

 

[Relfy]

Professional away performance. Managed the game much better second half. Loved McT making that last ditch block and then running up the pitch with the ball to see the game out - he's improving all the time. On to the next round.

 

[Maticmaker]

Another gritty and at times so frustrating performance, highlighted by a piece of magic from Pogba and one of his best displays since coming to United from Lindelof.
Finding a way to win, we are getting quite good at that now!

 

[Eire Red United]

Honestly, I was surprised at how good Milan are. I didn’t expect them to play this well over two legs.

That Kessie lad in midfield is a very decent player.

 

[redmanx]

I learned so teo new words today,
one English: Dunce.
one Italian: Coglione.
Spurs lost.
We won.
Great day.

And a foul mouthed Italian went into melt down lol!

 

[redmanx]

Good performance in a different kind of way. Not fluid or electric, this was a more measured game. It was like an old school European tie, with both teams fairly cagey and balanced before a couple of key personnel changes tipped the balance in one team's favour. It always looked like a single goal would win it, and being able to bring on a player with Pogba's quality was why we were the winners.

Defensively I thought we did really well. They definitely stretched us at times but we didnt give them many real sights of goal. Henderson was excellent again, really proactive. While the McTominay / Fred pairing is looking a little stale creatively, there's no doubt it can do a job defensively.

Up front Im still concerned about our attack. James is looking lively, but there are question marks over the others. Greenwood's link up play is excellent at the moment but he seems to spend a lot less time in goalscoring positions. I think that's just part of his overall development, but for this season its giving us a problem. Rashford just doesn't look fit, I think he's carrying a knock. Bruno needs a rest, his sharpness has gone. You can see him still trying to deliver those early high risk balls into space for runners, but he's consistently getting the weight or pace of the ball wrong, or being a fraction too slow and getting blocked. He has to play against Leicester, but then I'd rest him against Brighton at home, or least start him on the bench. But Pogba coming back is a huge boost for us.

Looking at the teams left in the draw, who is there to be afraid of? Arsenal are probably the biggest obstacle, a tie with them could go either way. They're very inconsistent but can pull out a good performance in isolation. Roma are ok but aren't having a great season, they have a poor defence. Ajax are good but not the same team that shocked some of the CL big boys a couple of seasons back. The rest are pretty meh. We should be looking to win this.

I think we have an excellent chance of winning this, and though Im by no means a fan of Paul Pogba, he will be essential to our success, if he can keep playing to a good standard. Our defence still worries me but Shaw goes from strength to strength and Maguire is doing a very good job; Ive been impressed by the way he has started to shout at other players; not quite like Roy Keanne perhaps, but all too often its needed. Bruno does look weary and again Pogba will need to keep his game at a high level to allow Bruno to be rested. We still desperately need an out and out striker, and a place in the Champions League next season is vital if we have any hope of attracting one. Who knows, with Spurs "tottering" as we approach the climax of the season their top 4 chances look slim and if they cant get into the CL next season maybe Harry Kane will want out? If so, we have to break the bank to get him!

 

[Buster15]

Lindelof and Maguire look very solid when Henderson at the back !!
Poor at the first half which we may be a 10 men team at first half (Rashford look so uncomfortable)
Hopefully our injury team come back with fitness !!

And it is great to see Tottenham Hotspur lost at the Croatia at the same day!!!!

That is a very good point about the centre backs looking more assured in front of Henderson.
Yes he has made the odd mistake, but I really like him as our keeper.

 

[CasaStreets]

That is a very good point about the centre backs looking more assured in front of Henderson.
Yes he has made the odd mistake, but I really like him as our keeper.

I like him but he was a very lucky boy in the first half with the very make-able save he "pushed wide" but actually just hit his elbow and luckily deflected wide.

I am very far from trusting his shot stopping.

 

[Buster15]

Professional away performance. Managed the game much better second half. Loved McT making that last ditch block and then running up the pitch with the ball to see the game out - he's improving all the time. On to the next round.

Yes.
I really like his confidence. He has a few limitations. But he more than makes up for them by his sheer strength of character.

 

[90 + 5min]

I think some (including myself) were a little disappointed that having started so well in the first 10 minutes, playing really fast and with our FBs pushed right up the pitch and creating plenty of chances, we seemed to just give up when it didn't lead to a quick goal, and willingly slow our tempo and sit further back.

That said I thought overall we were good enough. Not our best performance but you have to take into account how good Milan were - lots of top sides would also have struggled to be dominant or score a load against such a rigorous, tight performance.

Fair enough. Bu t as I said, people need to think football in other way. Deeper and more out of box. First half, even if we didn't score, we were good. There are people calling me deluded and whatever but once again it ended just as it looked like it would.

Because it was fecking terrible. Milan had 56% possession, they had more shots, they looked like the more dangerous teams - and all that with the onus being on us to score because they were ahead on aggregate. We looked disjointed, out of ideas, kept giving the ball away in midfield...

Pogba's goal changed the game, thankfully. Knocked the stuffing out of Milan and gave us a bit of confidence.

Terrible? You look at football in black and white spectrum. You need to start looking little more different and even from psychological side. There are so many elements that explains a game or season. We were good in first half, not great, but good. Misstake here and there but that is part of the game.

 

[Siorac]

Fair enough. Bu t as I said, people need to think football in other way. Deeper and more out of box. First half, even if we didn't score, we were good. There are people calling me deluded and whatever but once again it ended just as it looked like it would.


Terrible? You look at football in black and white spectrum. You need to start looking little more different and even from psychological side. There are so many elements that explains a game or season. We were good in first half, not great, but good. Misstake here and there but that is part of the game.

Even Shaw admitted we were terrible in the first half. There's really no need to dress it up as anything else. It certainly wasn't 'good' by any reasonable definition of the word. Psychology has nothing to do with it: that can merely explain why were shite but shite we were during those 45 minutes. It happens and it's honestly weird that you're trying to claim otherwise.