[Hughes35]

W

I disagree with #3

Which part ?

 

[Tincanalley]

W

Which part ?

Zirkzee played well, including the header that put Dalot in to assist our second. Don’t see anything wrong with that call

 

[Hughes35]

Zirkzee played well, including the header that put Dalot in to assist our second. Don’t see anything wrong with that call

I thought he was dreadful to be honest.

 

[McTerminator]

I thought he was dreadful to be honest.

Zirkzee will never hit massive heights but he’s a useful option off the bench and a progressive player.

On the basis he came on for the injured Cunha I would say he did well.

 

[Quinton's_Fortune]

I thought he was dreadful to be honest.

Not having that. Came on, worked hard, was involved in the best move of the game and contributed in the build up to Mbuemo's goal.

One of the few players that has probably got better over the last year (albeit from rock bottom).

Happy for him to make a go of it this season and see if it can work out for him at the club based on his character/mentality and the skill set he has shown - Even if it means he ends up a squad player.

 

[NLunited]

I thought Zirkzee looked a bit rusty, I would not say he had a good game, but wouldn’t call it dreadful either.

He lost the ball too easily a few times. He didn’t have his usual dribbles, but did offer some nice link up play.

 

[Castia]

We just need that confidence to be putting our chances away. When we look back on our 3 league games we could easily have 9 points.

 

[Hughie77]

It's a win. And again should have been more.

 

[Member 130078]

That game against Burnley pretty much summed up where we are right now under Amorim: signs of a functioning system in the numbers and patterns, but still far too fragile in both boxes.


We dominated the first half. With Cunha dropping into false 9 and Mount buzzing around in midfield, we pinned Burnley deep and kept them under constant pressure. Mbeumo, Bruno and Amad found good positions between the lines, and De Ligt/Yoro stepped in confidently from the back. The numbers don’t lie: 26 shots to 6, 62% possession, xG 3.54 to 1.29. On another day, we bags a couple, Dalot’s deliveries are converted, and we’re out of sight by half time. Instead we went in only one up, and that fragility came back to bite us.

Cunha’s injury changed the flow. Zirkzee came on and immediately we lost the same mobility and link-up play. Burnley smelled it, grew into the game, and punished our defensive lapses. Their first goal was schoolboy stuff – too much space out wide, no aggression on the crosser, and then ball-watching in the middle as someone taps it in. The second was worse: another set-piece shambles, Bayındır flapping, Mainoo caught in no-man’s land, and suddenly a game we had completely controlled is 2–2.

This is the story of Amorim’s United so far. Structurally, you can see the 3-4-3 becoming a 3-2-5 in possession, with the wing-backs stretching the play and Bruno/Mount in the half-spaces. It generates volume: we’re actually top two in the league for xG this season (6.69 across three matches). But defensively, the synchronisation isn’t there. Three centre-backs too often leave responsibility to each other, we allow cheap crosses, and set-piece organisation is non-existent. That’s why even against a side like Burnley, who created almost nothing from open play, we still gifted them a way back.

Individual performances tell the same tale. Mbeumo was excellent again and looks like a genuine difference-maker. Bruno ran the show first half and kept demanding the ball. Mount gave us energy. De Ligt and Yoro were strong stepping out. But Mainoo looked lost, Zirkzee was miles off the pace, and Bayındır once again cost us confidence at the back. You just can’t challenge seriously with that kind of weakness in goal.

In the end it took a late penalty – Bruno cool as ever – to get the points. And let’s be clear: we deserved the win. Burnley didn’t do enough to earn a draw, and the underlying stats say we should have been comfortable. But supporters are right to be worried, because until we cut out the soft goals and actually convert our dominance into clear scorelines, every game will feel like this: nerve-shredding, chaotic, and harder than it should be.

So yeah, three points in the bag. But the performance was both encouraging and alarming at the same time. Encouraging because the system is creating, the xG is there, and players like Mbeumo, Bruno and Mount are showing chemistry. Alarming because we still look brittle, goalkeeper is a huge issue, and the squad doesn’t yet have the profiles to execute this system cleanly. If Amorim gets time, you can see how it could evolve into something powerful. Right now though, it’s still the same old United problem: we make everything so much harder than it needs to be.

 

[Berbasbullet]

That game against Burnley pretty much summed up where we are right now under Amorim: signs of a functioning system in the numbers and patterns, but still far too fragile in both boxes.


We dominated the first half. With Cunha dropping into false 9 and Mount buzzing around in midfield, we pinned Burnley deep and kept them under constant pressure. Mbeumo, Bruno and Amad found good positions between the lines, and De Ligt/Yoro stepped in confidently from the back. The numbers don’t lie: 26 shots to 6, 62% possession, xG 3.54 to 1.29. On another day, Sesko bags a couple, Dalot’s deliveries are converted, and we’re out of sight by half time. Instead we went in only one up, and that fragility came back to bite us.

Cunha’s injury changed the flow. Zirkzee came on and immediately we lost the same mobility and link-up play. Burnley smelled it, grew into the game, and punished our defensive lapses. Their first goal was schoolboy stuff – too much space out wide, no aggression on the crosser, and then ball-watching in the middle as someone taps it in. The second was worse: another set-piece shambles, Bayındır flapping, Mainoo caught in no-man’s land, and suddenly a game we had completely controlled is 2–2.

This is the story of Amorim’s United so far. Structurally, you can see the 3-4-3 becoming a 3-2-5 in possession, with the wing-backs stretching the play and Bruno/Mount in the half-spaces. It generates volume: we’re actually top two in the league for xG this season (6.69 across three matches). But defensively, the synchronisation isn’t there. Three centre-backs too often leave responsibility to each other, we allow cheap crosses, and set-piece organisation is non-existent. That’s why even against a side like Burnley, who created almost nothing from open play, we still gifted them a way back.

Individual performances tell the same tale. Mbeumo was excellent again and looks like a genuine difference-maker. Bruno ran the show first half and kept demanding the ball. Mount gave us energy. De Ligt and Yoro were strong stepping out. But Mainoo looked lost, Zirkzee was miles off the pace, and Bayındır once again cost us confidence at the back. You just can’t challenge seriously with that kind of weakness in goal.

In the end it took a late penalty – Bruno cool as ever – to get the points. And let’s be clear: we deserved the win. Burnley didn’t do enough to earn a draw, and the underlying stats say we should have been comfortable. But supporters are right to be worried, because until we cut out the soft goals and actually convert our dominance into clear scorelines, every game will feel like this: nerve-shredding, chaotic, and harder than it should be.

So yeah, three points in the bag. But the performance was both encouraging and alarming at the same time. Encouraging because the system is creating, the xG is there, and players like Mbeumo, Bruno and Mount are showing chemistry. Alarming because we still look brittle, goalkeeper is a huge issue, and the squad doesn’t yet have the profiles to execute this system cleanly. If Amorim gets time, you can see how it could evolve into something powerful. Right now though, it’s still the same old United problem: we make everything so much harder than it needs to be.

Good post, completely agree, lots to be positive about but our own fragility almost cost us.

We need leaders in the team, maybe Martinez coming back will help this?

 

[BazzaBear]

On another day, Sesko bags a couple, Dalot’s deliveries are converted, and we’re out of sight by half time. Instead we went in only one up, and that fragility came back to bite us.

It's a good post, and I agree with it all. But Sesko bagging a couple by half time would have been very impressive given he only came on in the 72nd minute.

 

[gerdm07]

Two pretty poor goals to concede. The first goal, poor as a team, got caught out in transition, and then Shaw/Casemeiro not switched on. Yoro struggling, having to pick up two players at once. Need more intensity from the back line to see the danger early when we get caught out like that.

The second goal yea, Bayinder should do better, simple as that. But other than that, we played the offside trap pretty well the whole game, and were not being ran through or looking as vulnerable half as much as what a lot of people were saying post match. Kobbie showed dominance near the end of the game winning his duels which is promising.

Really enjoying watching the aggression Bruno and De Ligt were playing with. At points it started to feel there was a spine through the middle with those two cutting about and actually putting foot in. That's Fulham and Burnley now Bruno is showing typical captain qualities in the english sense of the word. There was a moment where we lost the ball and Bruno went in smashed someone and was giving it to Amad about not doing the job himself which I like to see.

Casemeiro is showing a signs he's now hitting form, although he only seems to be trusted to last for 70mins, which is actually good news for Kobbie.

Some great partnerships forming:
Mbeumo-Diallo
Bruno-Casemeiro
Bruno-Casemiero-Mount
Onana-Bench

We need more like this through the team. Bruno and Casemiero are almost telepathic. I think Cunha is also in that group with Bruno-Casemeiro-Mount.

Cunha and Amad could really do with a goal. I think goals are just around the corner for this team and then you will see Sesko starting. That will take a massive amount of pressure off the team.

Wouldn't surprise me to see Mazroui come into the team sooner rather than later and see Shaw/Yoro fight for LCB. One of the few things Ten Hag rightfully observed was 'Mazroui always finds an option'. He's a great assessor of his passing options and opens up the right side for us to play and interchange with the Right Wing Back. Would be quite a big call to break up the early Shaw-De Ligt-Yoro backline though. Amorim will probably play it safe against Citeh.

Dalot showed the kind of bravery needed at Wing Back even if not very successful taking on his man. Dorgu needs to take note.

Diallo is starting to heat up just at the right time, He has to put that chance away from that Mbeumo pass.

Expect vs Citeh a side somewhat like this considering the injuries:

------------------Bayinder
-----Maz-------De Ligt------Shaw/Yoro
----------Casemeiro--Mainoo
Diallo-----------------------------------Dorgu
-------------------------------Fernandes
Mbeumo------Zirikzee

Still too early to start Sesko I think, but he's coming along fine. Zirkzee another that could do with a goal.

I don't see anything special about the Bruno-Casemiro partnership.

 

[bosskeano]

why not let Maz play in the middle....he's done it plenty of times in the past and he's more bloody mobile than Cas or Mainoo