[GoonerGirly]

Considering the results and plaudits they've been getting I was expecting more from them, considering we are far from the finished article, our most important player was missing, and we were at their ground. We matched them for 89 minutes. I expected them to control us better.

Tbh I feel that you guys are always one of our toughest opponents and for a long time we’ve had a mental block with you. I’m not surprised you’re the only team to beat us so far and I would have been happy with a draw here. Kind of like our win vs Liverpool earlier in the season, even though Liverpool weren’t in great form I still expected to drop points. They’ve thrashed us so frequently in recent years.

But I’d have to disagree that you matched us for 89 minutes - you matched us for about 70. Last 20 minutes you seemed happy with the draw and only one team looked like scoring. We also had one of our most important players in Jesus missing, but thankfully Nketiah has exceeded most people’s expectations so far.

 

[croadyman]

Tbh I feel that you guys are always one of our toughest opponents and for a long time we’ve had a mental block with you. I’m not surprised you’re the only team to beat us so far and I would have been happy with a draw here. Kind of like our win vs Liverpool earlier in the season, even though Liverpool weren’t in great form I still expected to drop points. They’ve thrashed us so frequently in recent years.

But I’d have to disagree that you matched us for 89 minutes - you matched us for about 70. Last 20 minutes you seemed happy with the draw and only one team looked like scoring. We also had one of our most important players in Jesus missing, but thankfully Nketiah has exceeded most people’s expectations so far.

Yeah last 20 mins was like a tidal wave,however fully expected that considering our flood defence wasn't there to stop the water

 

[11101]

Sorry, but are you taking the piss here or what? That is exactly what I have repeatedly and explicitly been clear is NOT what I'm saying. xG, eye test, touch map, shots - they all tell the same story.

Yet they needed a keeper error and a deflection to get ahead of us. The eye test suggested evenly matched sides playing different tactics. That's where everybody is questioning you.

 

[Pogue Mahone]

Yet they needed a keeper error and a deflection to get ahead of us. The eye test suggested evenly matched sides playing different tactics. That's where everybody is questioning you.

Come on, dude. The eye test saw Arsenal absolutely dominate us for the last 20 minutes. And it wasn’t rope a dope, comfortable deep defending. They were creating a host of chances and we were in full on panic mode. Typified by De Gea’s ridiculous punch.

I think a lot of people on here are underestimating how well we performed in the first half (including the guy you’re replying to) but there’s no way that was an evenly matched game for 90 minutes. Which is no great shame on us, for reasons already discussed.

 

[justsomebloke]

Yet they needed a keeper error and a deflection to get ahead of us. The eye test suggested evenly matched sides playing different tactics. That's where everybody is questioning you.

I actually don't recall having seen anyone other than you suggest this was "evenly matched" in the sense we're talking about here, though obviously I haven't read the whole thread. Also slightly curious about allowing the opponent to have the ball a lot in in your own box and create a lot more and better scoring chances than yourself as simply a tactical approach. Novel, very novel.

 

[11101]

Come on, dude. The eye test saw Arsenal absolutely dominate us for the last 20 minutes. And it wasn’t rope a dope, comfortable deep defending. They were creating a host of chances and we were in full on panic mode. Typified by De Gea’s ridiculous punch.

I think a lot of people on here are underestimating how well we performed in the first half (including the guy you’re replying to) but there’s no way that was an evenly matched game for 90 minutes. Which is no great shame on us, for reasons already discussed.

Don't nitpick. 89 minutes, 70 minutes, whatever it was, for the majority of the game we matched them even with a bunch of mitigating factors. That's the opposite of what's being claimed up the thread with all the stats.

 

[Wing Attack Plan R]

His game management is a bit sus atm, ngl.

True

 

[Waynne]

I'm not sure if that's praise for us or criticism for Arsenal.

Definitely seems like its high praise for us but yeah it could also be a bit of both.

 

[TMDaines]

Found this little detail of how Arteta likes the wingers to be fed the ball interesting:

 

[A-man]

Considering the results and plaudits they've been getting I was expecting more from them, considering we are far from the finished article, our most important player was missing, and we were at their ground. We matched them for 89 minutes. I expected them to control us better.

I thought we were depressingly far away from their level.

 

[croadyman]

I thought we were depressingly far away from their level.

Will keep saying it we are 2 and a half years behind them in terms of team development

 

[Pogue Mahone]

Found this little detail of how Arteta likes the wingers to be fed the ball interesting:

God I hate stuff like that. They cherry pick isolated incidents and try to pretend they’ve identified some sort of systematic issue. If I could be arsed I’m absolutely certain I could find footage of Arsenal wide players receiving a pass with a defender up their arse and United wide players receiving a pass on the half turn.

At least you spared us the most annoying fan generated bollox of all. A still image with loads of coloured arrows about where a player should have passed the ball. If only he could freeze time and carefully analyse all his passing options. That shit can get in the sea.

 

[A-man]

Will keep saying it we are 2 and a half years behind them in terms of team development

It certainly looked like it.

 

[croadyman]

It certainly looked like it.

Yeah and it took them to stoppage time so we should definitely be optimistic about future

 

[Tigersam]

It was a good game on Sunday, but Arsenal have been lucky this season with being able to keep a settled team (apart from Jesus of course).

Trossard looked good for £21 million.

What I don't understand about Man Utd - and other teams too - when a player is obviously not able to meet the physical demands of top flight football, why are they still offered massive contracts extending for years. Martial is whom I'm mainly thinking of, but Phil Jones is right up there too. There have been others: Sturridge and Andi Carroll spring to mind.

I really think 'player power' has gone too far these days. If I couldn't do my job for physical reasons, I would be given six months max to sort it out. How come these footballers can sit doing nothing - or play one game a month - and still get millions of quids?

 

[croadyman]

It was a good game on Sunday, but Arsenal have been lucky this season with being able to keep a settled team (apart from Jesus of course).

Trossard looked good for £21 million.

What I don't understand about Man Utd - and other teams too - when a player is obviously not able to meet the physical demands of top flight football, why are they still offered massive contracts extending for years. Martial is whom I'm mainly thinking of, but Phil Jones is right up there too. There have been others: Sturridge and Andi Carroll spring to mind.

I really think 'player power' has gone too far these days. If I couldn't do my job for physical reasons, I would be given six months max to sort it out. How come these footballers can sit doing nothing - or play one game a month - and still get millions of quids?

Because we had clueless buerks like Judge dealing with contracts but thankfully has now gone so could see improvement

 

[Tigersam]

Because we had clueless buerks like Judge dealing with contracts but thankfully has now gone so could see improvement

It will be interesting to see how the £200,000 per week salary cap works out. Ideally it will mean United atrract hungry up-and-coming new players. But on the otherhand, Marcus Rashford, if he continues to play like he is, will be looking for £500,000 a week at somewhere like Newcastle.

 

[A-man]

Yeah and it took them to stoppage time so we should definitely be optimistic about future

If you only look at the goals maybe. One individually brilliant goal and one lucky header after a goalkeepers mistake kept us in the match. But of course, we have to give ETH some more time and see if he can develop the team.

 

[croadyman]

It will be interesting to see how the £200,000 per week salary cap works out. Ideally it will mean United atrract hungry up-and-coming new players. But on the otherhand, Marcus Rashford, if he continues to play like he is, will be looking for £500,000 a week at somewhere like Newcastle.

Still yet to be convinced that salary cap happens

 

[croadyman]

If you only look at the goals maybe. One individually brilliant goal and one lucky header after a goalkeepers mistake kept us in the match. But of course, we have to give ETH some more time and see if he can develop the team.

Like I said in the "What do we still need" Thread this squad is still lacking 7 players which are starter GK,CM,ST and backup CB,RB,CDM & ST. You could even argue 8 if you include AM too.

 

[A-man]

Like I said in the "What do we still need" Thread this squad is still lacking 7 players which are starter GK,CM,ST and backup CB,RB,CDM & ST. You could even argue 8 if you include AM too.

Looking player by player, I would say Arsenal are lacking several players, too. But we are very dependant on a few players and we’ve been lucky so far. Don’t want to think what would happen if/when Rashford or Casemiro gets injured.

 

[croadyman]

Looking player by player, I would say Arsenal are lacking several players, too. But we are very dependant on a few players and we’ve been lucky so far. Don’t want to think what would happen if/when Rashford or Casemiro gets injured.

Yeah they have coped unbelievably well without Jesus,however it wouldn't be so easy to sustain injury to Odegaard/Saka/Partey

 

[cyril C]

Looking player by player, I would say Arsenal are lacking several players, too. But we are very dependant on a few players and we’ve been lucky so far. Don’t want to think what would happen if/when Rashford or Casemiro gets injured.

What would have happened to Arsenal if Ode or Saka injured? Jesus to Arsenal is like Martial to us, useful but not critical. Rashford and Casemiro to us are critical.

But then what is happening to City, when their 1st choice CB are missing.

 

[A-man]

What would have happened to Arsenal if Ode or Saka injured? Jesus to Arsenal is like Martial to us, useful but not critical. Rashford and Casemiro to us are critical.

But then what is happening to City, when their 1st choice CB are missing.

Squad wise we are better or same as everybody else except City imo, but to be able to fight in the top we are very dependant on Rashford and Casemiro. Without Rashford, we don’t score goals, without Casemiro the defence is leaking. I shohld maybe add DDG to that list as well, as he has saved us many times this season. For the rest, we can live with an injury and we can rotate, but play without any of those 3 and we are in trouble.

 

[RopersReturn]

Casemiro’s absence was as anticipated the ultimate drawback, exposing significant defensive frailties. There was no way on earth, McTominay was going to fill that void and also meant Erikson had to double up and work harder. I also thought we missed Dalot more than ever at rb, and so if we can come away with anything from this game then it undoubtedly proves that we have to find a second defensive central midfielder soon.

 

[croadyman]

Casemiro’s absence was as anticipated the ultimate drawback, exposing significant defensive frailties. There was no way on earth, McTominay was going to fill that void and also meant Erikson had to double up and work harder. I also thought we missed Dalot more than ever at rb, and so if we can come away with anything from this game then it undoubtedly proves that we have to find a second defensive central midfielder soon.

He is that jewel in midfield and think the only reason I would have risked him against Palace is if we had an able deputy,sadly we didn't as proven by this game

 

[The Brown Bull]

Yet they needed a keeper error and a deflection to get ahead of us. The eye test suggested evenly matched sides playing different tactics. That's where everybody is questioning you.

Ah come off it. We were well outplayed for most of the 2nd half. No shame in it away from home against top of the league.

 

[RopersReturn]

He is that jewel in midfield and think the only reason I would have risked him against Palace is if we had an able deputy,sadly we didn't as proven by this game

Absolutely.

 

[Annihilate Now!]

Weghorst has put in a couple of lovely through balls so far.

 

[ayushreddevil9]

Weghorst has put in a couple of lovely through balls so far.

The game still going on?

 

[cesc's_mullet]

Considering the results and plaudits they've been getting I was expecting more from them, considering we are far from the finished article, our most important player was missing, and we were at their ground. We matched them for 89 minutes. I expected them to control us better.

You must have been watching some other game. We completely controlled the second half and only one team was going to come out as winners. This was evidenced by every stat, the "eye-test," and the xG.

We had the season high for touches in your box. Four times the shots and three times the corners.

I'd be interested to know whether you think that United dominated Arsenal at Old Trafford?

 

[Red in STL]

Considering the results and plaudits they've been getting I was expecting more from them, considering we are far from the finished article, our most important player was missing, and we were at their ground. We matched them for 89 minutes. I expected them to control us better.

We didn't match them for 89mins, they were running rings round us most of the second half, we were hanging on from 2-2

 

[croadyman]

We didn't match them for 89mins, they were running rings round us most of the second half, we were hanging on from 2-2

Yeah we were right in the game until that last 20 mins then just got totally peppered