[Offside]

The best thing we did last night was take our chance when we got it. That’s exactly the way we’re going to get through this tie. I was also pleased with the urgency shown in the second half. Other than that, very sloppy and playing into their hands for the most part. Lucky they didn’t get one more.

 

[Nytram Shakes]

It was just how bad our midfield was at passing and how little our attackers moved that disturbed me most.

that midfield 3 cost 200 million and struggled to link two passes together in forward direction

As for the attackers it’s as if they haven’t heard the term movement off the ball.

I would also add while Maguire has rightly singled out for his horrendous form, Varane was again awful last night.

 

[Skåre Willoch]

Ugly win, but a win. I'll keep taking ugly wins until a new manager comes in

Go on then. What's the news?

We didn't win.

 

[Gehrman]

We didn't win.

Can a draw be a win?

 

[Skåre Willoch]

Every time I watch the goal I think, "oh thats a terrible pass, the defender is going to easily poke that away," and then.... he doesn't. I don't know how he f'd that up. And then the keeper has to be disappointed with that. The shot isn't hit with that much pace, and it isn't really in the corner.

Is it just because Elanga took it so early? Its a very weird goal, but I celebrated like a maniac.

It's not even that surprising, really. Oblak has been an actual liability this season.

Just get some shots in. From literally anywhere. Oblak has saved less than half of the shots he's faced in the league this season. Shoot 20 times = score 10+ goals. Profit!

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[mctrials23]

Yeah Oblak has fallen off a cliff this season it seems. His positioning for the goal last night was awful. Thank god eh.

 

[Corridor of Uncertainty]

Apologies to admin if not allowed in post match

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[Bilbo]

I would also add while Maguire has rightly singled out for his horrendous form, Varane was again awful last night.

I think its a little harsh to criticise our defence last night. We held Atletico at arms length quite well apart from a couple of moments. Not enough to praise them, but also not enough to criticise.

 

[Relevated]

Sorry I have to be honest here, they did not look like scoring at any point of the game apart from 2 or 3 moments.

 

[foolsgold]

As long as we're still in the competition we have a chance, stranger things have happened.

 

[Withnail]

Sorry I have to be honest here, they did not look like scoring at any point of the game apart from 2 or 3 moments.

Which was more often than we looked like scoring. They created the better chances.

 

[Glorio]

It's like we drank the Kool Aid that promised that Prem teams where the fastest, most frantic and physically robust teams in Europe, and assumed we'd have time and space versus AM, only to be shell shocked at how well they excel in exactly those areas.

 

[Glorio]

It was just how bad our midfield was at passing and how little our attackers moved that disturbed me most.

that midfield 3 cost 200 million and struggled to link two passes together in forward direction

As for the attackers it’s as if they haven’t heard the term movement off the ball.

I would also add while Maguire has rightly singled out for his horrendous form, Varane was again awful last night.

May I humbly point out how good Varane looks even while being taken to the cleaners?

Boy looks like he's on the cover of a GQ magazine whether he's getting nutmegged and turned around like a broken faucet, or whether he's bossing the opposition.

 

[redIndianDevil]

The one time we actually managed to beat the press by passing, we scored a goal. That's what we should improve on, against a team like Man. City this Atletico team wouldn't have pressed so hard or high up the pitch.

We still have the same problems against teams who press, our players don't make space and create passing chances against the press and we end up hoofing it.

 

[Dante]

It's like we drank the Kool Aid that promised that Prem teams where the fastest, most frantic and physically robust teams in Europe, and assumed we'd have time and space versus AM, only to be shell shocked at how well they excel in exactly those areas.

Manchester United don't play like a Prem team. We have some of the worst running and pressing stats in the league. That's the problem and that's why we've been so poor.

 

[justsomebloke]

This was a match that really highlighted where we are and where we aren't. Big game, big hostile crowd, an opponent that is notoriously difficult to play against. And how did they respond? They didn't show up, not for the first half at least. They looked surprised by the intensity, not only were they not ready, they didn't look like they'd understood the necessity of adjusting or what that implied. Rangnick was spot on in his post-match comments. Lindelof's performance kind of makes the same point, in its way. There was danger down our right flank frequently, unsurprisingly he wasn't able to add much in the attacking third and his attempts to nevertheless do so created some dangerous overloads. But still, he looked like arguably our best player in the first half, because at least he showed up. Got stuck in, had some key defensive interventions. If the rest of the team had had the same mindset, it would have been a very different half.

What's wrong with these guys? How can you not understand that when you're facing that kind of game from that kind of opponent, you don't dawdle on the ball and just stand around disconsolately if you lose it. And they didn't, in the second half. So why did they in the first? Rangnick sounds genuinely baffled, and I don't blame him.

 

[Eurotrash]

The one time we actually managed to beat the press by passing, we scored a goal. That's what we should improve on, against a team like Man. City this Atletico team wouldn't have pressed so hard or high up the pitch.

We still have the same problems against teams who press, our players don't make space and create passing chances against the press and we end up hoofing it.

Beating the press is one part of it. Equally important is having our forwards making good runs, like Elanga did for the goal and on a couple more occasions. Good runs where few and far between in the game.

 

[justsomebloke]

Sorry I have to be honest here, they did not look like scoring at any point of the game apart from 2 or 3 moments.

Which was more often than we looked like scoring. They created the better chances.

Agreed. In fact, we did not look like scoring at any point of the game, except the one time we did.

Anyway, they are a quintessential 1-0 team. I'm guessing Simeone was pretty happy with how his gameplan worked in the first half, and reasonably content with how it worked in the second, our goal aside. I'm also guessing that Rangnick is extremely unhappy with the execution of the gameplan in the first half (well, he said so), and reasonably content with how it worked in the second.

I don't watch La Liga, but the commentators were saying that what we were seeing was an Atletico team performing at a higher level, closer to their usual identity, than they've been seeing for most of this season. By all appearances then, they did a considerably better job than United in approaching their top level. But there's a sunny side to that, which is that the game nevertheless ended 1-1, in Madrid, without that result seeming grossly unjust or unlucky. Which may just mean that we are a better team than they are, and that if we can perform as close to our top level as they do to theirs, we'll take them in the return fixture.

 

[Superden]

the game was certainly not as one sided as being made out this morning (on the radio), part of that is down to athleti not being a very good side anymore. i avoided the caf last night as i imagine it would have been a horrow show of self-loathing and frustration.

reading barney ronays report on the chelsea - lille game, something was made very clear, tuchel plays with 7 defensive players and 3 attackers. yes they all run around like maniacs (which is why lukaku has a mare), but essentially its defence first. in our 433 we play a 5 and 5 split with Pogba and Fernandes more attacking than defensive. therin lies the problem, and i would say cause of most of our issues. yesterdays game was crying out for some midfield control which we just dont have.

 

[Nytram Shakes]

May I humbly point out how good Varane looks even while being taken to the cleaners?

Boy looks like he's on the cover of a GQ magazine whether he's getting nutmegged and turned around like a broken faucet, or whether he's bossing the opposition.

yes he does score points for being dashing, espically alongside Maguire

 

[redIndianDevil]

Beating the press is one part of it. Equally important is having our forwards making good runs, like Elanga did for the goal and on a couple more occasions. Good runs where few and far between in the game.

It's all linked. Beating the press actually needs players making intelligent runs. It's not like our forwards have forgotten making runs, it's just that they are always chasing lost causes and long balls most of the time.

 

[redIndianDevil]

the game was certainly not as one sided as being made out this morning (on the radio), part of that is down to athleti not being a very good side anymore. i avoided the caf last night as i imagine it would have been a horrow show of self-loathing and frustration.

reading barney ronays report on the chelsea - lille game, something was made very clear, tuchel plays with 7 defensive players and 3 attackers. yes they all run around like maniacs (which is why lukaku has a mare), but essentially its defence first. in our 433 we play a 5 and 5 split with Pogba and Fernandes more attacking than defensive. therin lies the problem, and i would say cause of most of our issues. yesterdays game was crying out for some midfield control which we just dont have.

Seven defensive players is not an apt comparison, Chelsea's wingbacks/fullbacks are attackers mostly.

 

[RuudTom83]

In the moment it always feels 10x worst than it actually is, DDG had a quieter game than he is used to, United have a lot of the ball, it was just 'creating chances' that was difficult last night. Which is something than can be worked on for the second leg.

United wont have any easy opposition for the next month in the league so the second leg on paper might be one of the easier games in the run.

 

[UTD_Since_1978]

Poor performance overall but a good result, bit lucky what with Atletico hitting the bar twice.

 

[Maticmaker]

Great result, poor performance...
United defence all over the shop first half an hour, how it stayed at 1-0 cant begin to explain.
I also thought Pogba and Bruno struggled, two supposedly midfield players, who didn't occupy midfield.
As soon as Pogba received the ball he had at least two men around him, sometimes three; two distracted him whilst one pinched the ball off him. This situation happened time and again in the first half, but nobody, including Pogba tried to do anything about it... a bit different in second half Fred stayed a bit closer and Sancho dived in once or twice to help out, but by then Paul had put on his 'sulky face' and got withdrawn.

What a difference Matic made in the centre of the field, soon as he got the ball he strode forward with it and turned every opposition defender to face his own goal, got our front players moving and allowed Bruno to find some space... pity Matic isn't ten years younger.
Telles and of course Elanga put a different complexion on things and for a briefed period I thought we might nick a 1-2 scoreline.

 

[UTD_Since_1978]

Lucky result but it happens. Odd feeling of seeing an opponent actually score a good goal against us, rather than a giveaway from us.

Still could've been defended better though, don't you agree?

 

[youngrell]

I hope it's another decade after the 2nd leg until we play these again.

 

[SirScholes]

My observations on the game:

First off, this is exactly how I thought the game would pan out! Did anyone really think we'd put in a decent performance against a seasoned CL side? We've been playing like this all season (except against leeds) so its not entirely unexpected that we would play as we did last night.

I thought we started off really nervous, epitomised by Maguire in the 2nd minute needlessly putting the ball out for a corner. I mean this is the captain of Manchester United shitting his pants in a CL knock out game! Lord knows what he would do if we were in a final (not that we have any chance of getting there!). I felt him together with Pobga, Rashford and Shaw were extremely poor in the 1st half (i'd add bruno too but atleast he got the assist). In many ways this just reaffirmed what needs to happen at the club, if we are to stand any chance of progressing and actually start winning things, the likes or magire, shaw, rashford, pogba need to go!

Ralf got this tactics wrong, shouldn't have had Fred and Pobga as the 2 holding midfields, neither of them can handle the press or play defensive, hopefully Mctominay is back for the 2nd leg. I think we have a chance of progressing but honestly it still feels the tie is quite finely balanced. This game also shows how far we are from winning the CL and I hope it puts to bed any notion that we can somehow fluke our way to winning it because we are so far behind the top teams!

I thought ralf was spot on
What did you want him to do with the midfield?
I saw someone say matic, but can only last 20 minutes so what do you do when Fred Pogba matic are on and you want to make a change?

 

[Drainy]

Still could've been defended better though, don't you agree?

You can say that about any goal. The defence were off balance but usually you don't get punished from that position without a lot of quality

 

[Ayoba]

I thought ralf was spot on
What did you want him to do with the midfield?
I saw someone say matic, but can only last 20 minutes so what do you do when Fred Pogba matic are on and you want to make a change?

Really? Even after that 1st half performance?

 

[HailtotheKing]

Also, Madrid will have 3 or 4 key players back for this one, so it should be a much better team. On the flip side, we can’t play as badly again, surely?

 

[Berbasbullet]

I haven’t gone through this thread, but we all happy with the 1-1 right? Excellent result in my book.

 

[HailtotheKing]

Yeah, I’m sure I read somewhere that we ran 5km less than them. I think that was just in the first half. Shocking stat of true. We are undoubtedly lazy though

Manchester United don't play like a Prem team. We have some of the worst running and pressing stats in the league. That's the problem and that's why we've been so poor.

Yeah there was a stat going around that we ran 5km less than them in the first half. Not sure if true but shocking stat if so. We’re definitely lazy. I remember when Ole first came in here, saying he was gonna make us the hardest running team in the Prem. That didn’t last long did it?

 

[SirScholes]

Really? Even after that 1st half performance?

Not sure what else you were expecting, stay in the game and try to grab a goal

they got a good early goal then parked the bus

 

[ManchesterManchester]

I haven’t gone through this thread, but we all happy with the 1-1 right? Excellent result in my book.

Happy with the 1-1 result but very disappointed in the performance as could easily and probably should have been 3-1 to Athletico. They had 2 moments hitting the post and we scored from
our only chance.

We just simply have to create more chances and do better with the ball.

 

[captaincantona]

Athletico were shit...3 actual chances at home in 90 minutes against a really really awestruck slow and poor Utd side.

 

[Giggsy13]

It’s incredible that some expected us to go out and smash Atletico away against a manager who has his players well drilled and are experienced In Europe. This was a decent away result and we have chance now to close them out at home. The moaning by some of you here is ridiculous.

 

[captaincantona]

It’s incredible that some expected us to go out and smash Atletico away against a manager who has his players well drilled and are experienced In Europe. This was a decent away result and we have chance now to close them out at home. The moaning by some of you here is ridiculous.

Have you watched them this season? Are you aware of how poor they have been? It’s like saying you should expect to get smashed by Barca at the Nou Camp because they used to be amazing...

in the CL this season they have lost at home twice and drawn once. In the last few months they have lost at home to Levante who are pretty much relegated, scraped a win against Getafe, and away lost to Barca who are struggling and Sociadad who we know are not up to much.

Make no mistake, this was an opportunity. Play the team not the reputation. Athletico are shite and I would expect to smash than at home if we were in any way a decent side. (We are not)

 

[Giggsy13]

Have you watched them this season? Are you aware of how poor they have been? It’s like saying you should expect to get smashed by Barca at the Nou Camp because they used to be amazing...

in the CL this season they have lost at home twice and drawn once. In the last few months they have lost at home to Levante who are pretty much relegated, scraped a win against Getafe, and away lost to Barca who are struggling and Sociadad who we know are not up to much.

Make no mistake, this was an opportunity. Play the team not the reputation. Athletico are shite and I would expect to smash than at home if we were in any way a decent side. (We are not)

Atletico man for man still have a better and more balanced squad than us. They’ve struggled but have a style of play that troubles soft teams like ours. 1-1 away is a good result and we have a chance now to finish them off at home. What else do you fecking want?

 

[lex talionis]

Mates, if there ever a choice between looking at a match as a glass full or half empty, this is it. Go for half full.

We got battered in the first half, held our own in the second half, and snatched the away draw. We can smash these fukks back at OT.