[Alabaster Codify7]

Horrible performance really - we allowed a bog-standard team to boss us around in the 2nd half at OT. Celta were really, really average and we made them look far better than they are. Okay, it's a cup semi-final and shizz happens, but still.

Losing Bailly is a nightmare. No faith in Smalling at all, although just hoping his previous alliance with Blind means they still have a decent connection. I don't want Jones anywhere near that CB pairing.

Sick of us playing for 1-0 wins at home and dropping a bollock. Anyway, onto the final - its a European final, after all, but if we drop one there this season has been nothing short of a disaster.

 

[Ashley R1+O]

Holy shit I turned it on literally as they were lining up the set piece they scored from. Then that ending, ridiculous. Glad we're in the final! Shame Zlatan couldn't make it.

 

[Earthquake]

Holy shit I turned it on literally as they were lining up the set piece they scored from. Then that ending, ridiculous. Glad we're in the final! Shame Zlatan couldn't make it.

So it's your fault!

 

[Kostur]

Where the f did you get that ?

The clue is in the username.

 

[Akshay]

Another pathetic display from Manchester United. We made it unnecessarily hard for us when could have tried to play football against a pretty mediocre opposition. Unbelievable to see us counter with two or three players at best. Left full back having acres of empty space in front of him but still turning back like a coward before the half-way line. Defending for our dear life for most of the game only to present their striker with an open goal in the last few seconds; which thankfully he missed.

Cannot get my head around the tactics. Jose is a fecking coward.

Jose said post match he wanted the players to get forward more and not play with such a low block. I think it's not simply a matter of tactics, it's also the mentality the team has developed in the post Fergie era. We also saw plenty of such displays under LVG. It will take time to change.

 

[Robertd0803]

Should be thrilled to be in final but this should have been wrapped up after the first leg comfortably. Bailly getting sent off is a balls.

Well we are in the final, after doing things the hard way as usual so now we have to win it. Doesn't matter how we just have to win.

 

[red_devil83]

Can I just point out that John Guidetti looks like a shit John Hartson

 

[mark_a]

What was up with Herrera's goal? We all went nuts in the ground. It looked like Pogba was fouled in the box but it was waved on. I just re-watched on the internet & it definitely looks like a foul on Pogba. Was it offside? Anyone?

 

[AXVnee7]

What was up with Herrera's goal? We all went nuts in the ground. It looked like Pogba was fouled in the box but it was waved on. I just re-watched on the internet & it definitely looks like a foul on Pogba. Was it offside? Anyone?

I think Pogba actually clipped the defenders leg which is why the foul was called.

 

[mark_a]

I think Pogba actually clipped the defenders leg which is why the foul was called.

Doesn't look clearcut at all to me Pogba get's the ball

 

[Stacks]

No idea how Jose can be pleased with this performance and the one at arsenal. we were piss poor and although we had lots of control they missed the three best chances on the night. No guarantee at all that we will be any better against Ajax. If this sort of performance goes on, I would not be at all surprised if next season was Jose's last - and I say that as a fan of his. It was dull at best last night and at this rate we need to buy six, seven or eight players in the summer and clear out almost as many - neither of which I am saying will, or even should happen. But when you keep doing the same thing and getting the same result, while expecting a different one, well that's known as madness. What's that the 15th 1-1 draw at trafford this season? fecking awful. and the hundredth time this season, I ask: what is the point of Jesse Lingaard?

that's not possible

 

[Shinehead Dred]

Yeah, let's compare one of the greatest Bayern teams with the likes Matheus,Khan etc., To the CV team with aspas and gudietti.

We were terrible in the final in 99 , I agree. But we're brilliant throughout the season. But this season has been the same old negative shit irrespective of the opposition, except for a handful of games.

So inshort your analogy is deeply flawed. Because you are comparing a performance in the final against a great team to a performance in semifinal @HOME against a mid table Spanish side

But were you embarrassed about the way we won in 99? Did you experience extreme shame when we lifted the trophy? Did you want to award the cup to Bayern cos we were poor in that game? No? I didn't.

What comparisons am I making other than history books do not remember how good or bad the actual match was? If you're reading deeper into my comments than that that's on you mate.

 

[AXVnee7]

Doesn't look clearcut at all to me Pogba get's the ball

That's not the best angle. You need to see it face on, it's the left leg that catches him.

 

[EyeInTheSky]

People are acting like JM asked the team to fall back and defend. Ignoring the fact that Celta only turned up in the last 20 minutes of the second leg of a semi-final our players were told not to sit back by JM.


have a look/listen to the last part of the interview where Jose says exactly this but the players obviously felt the pressure and started to sit back more.

 

[DomesticTadpole]

People are acting like JM asked the team to fall back and defend. Ignoring the fact that Celta only turned up in the last 20 minutes of the second leg of a semi-final our players were told not to sit back by JM.


have a look/listen to the last part of the interview where Jose says exactly this but the players obviously felt the pressure and started to sit back more.[/QUOTE]
Which happens. The fact that some fans don't seem to realise that players do not always do what was asked by the manager.

 

[SambaBoy]

Terrible performance. Why did we let them dictate the tempo and happily sit back? You could see they were going to score about 20mins before it happened?

With our attacking players, get on the front foot, control the game and put it to bed as early as possible, which in fairness we tried/did in the first leg but our tactics were so negative last night. A better team than Celta would have punished us no doubt. They score early, and it's hard to switch from negative to positive in a game and we probably would have lost.

There's no way we should be drawing 1-1 at home to teams like that. All that said, it's a relief to be in the final.

 

[Achilles McCool]

Not just disrespectful but whiney and reeking of spoilt entitlement. You could see how much it meant to them by their actions after the final whistle, tears and slumped shoulders. Celta were bloody good last night and played slick football.
The anti Jose brigade will be out in force today. Get a grip!

Exacty this!
Celta treated this as their "Cup Final" and the reaction of their players after the game speaks volumes. United didn't look great, but we survived and we're in the final! Let's remember that getting to the final of any competition doesn't happen that often. We should be dancing in the streets!

 

[The Brown Bull]

We are so shit its unbelievable.

 

[DomesticTadpole]

We are so shit its unbelievable.

I'd rather be shit than Everton.

 

[jackofalltrades]

Not seen so many people cry in a football ground since 1999 !

Celta went for it and played well. They had around 67% possession, more shots in general and more on target although many of them were harmless, and more corners than we did. We defended resolutely and put a great effort in too. Rest Rashford or give him mere cameo roles till the final.

 

[EyeInTheSky]

not sure what happened with your quote mate but yeah I fully agree. Some people do not stop to think that the players don't always do what there told and that can't be helped on every minute of the game.

your team concedes a goal "I told them not to concede ffs" it doesn't work like that lol

Moving forward these players that can't execute the general or specific instructions from the manager at an acceptable frequency will be shipped out. The only thing would criticise Jose for is that he showed too much loyalty and was too patient with certain players. I hope that he gets his mean streak back and clears house next season for both our sakes and his.

The next transfer window is going to be vital for us. I personally think there need to be at least 3-4 high impact purchases to challenge for the league never mind the champions league if we make it.

 

[McUnited]

Point 1
Getting to the final is great. Congratulations to the team.

Point 2
I've found that over the last part of SAF's reign and for pretty much all games since then I switch off and get easily distracted because our play is, to put it bluntly, boring. I've even fallen asleep a few times. I wonder if anyone else has recently?

I remember being enthralled by the cavalier style of the team in the 90s, where the emphasis was on attack and entertainment. Now, we are happy to concede around 65% possession to a team that I suspect few have seen play, or could name any players from. Which other major European team would approach this match in a similar way?

Are there members here who are happy to accept a strategy of 'defence before attack', or 'defend in order to attack' against average teams, and against all top sides? I'm reminded of those table-tennis players who are happy to absorb attack after attack before striking at the opportune moment. It's a valid philosophy, of course, but it doesn't lend itself to dominating the opposition, and that's what I think many fans desire from a team that prides itself on it's exciting history.

I hope the pedestrian approach of our current playing is just a product of Mourinho's pragmatism and not a sign of things to come. Though this raises another question - how have we spent so much and yet are so average?

 

[Siorac]

I'll help you with a minor one mate - we won.

Well, technically, it was a draw...

 

[Ixion]

The team has shown itself to be terrible at handling the pressure of a game the longer it goes on in the past few years. Moyes' team barely scored a goal beyond the 80th minute and LVG and Mourinho's team have proven the longer a game goes and we need a goal the chances dry up and the players don't know what to do. Yeah Mourinho does go defensive sometimes but the players don't have a clue how to kill a game off, they run out of ideas.

 

[Rusholme Ruffian]

Well, technically, it was a draw...

Touche - let me phrase it differently: We're through to a European Final!

 

[The Brown Bull]

I'd rather be shit than Everton.

I'd rather be shit than Everton.

Everton?

 

[Cantonagotmehere]

I'll help you with a minor one mate - we won.

↑
Hard to find any positives from last night.
I'll help you with a minor one mate - we won.


hahahahahha, perfect mate!

 

[DomesticTadpole]

Everton?

It was a dig at Koeman and him not being impressed with us while Everton are bang average.

 

[The Brown Bull]

It was a dig at Koeman and him not being impressed with us while Everton are bang average.

Everton have been bang average since the 80s.

 

[DomesticTadpole]

Everton have been bang average since the 80s.

So hopefully Koeman will go to Barca one day and make them bang average as well. Give everyone else a better chance.

 

[Thisistheone]

That was bloody hard work at times but so what, absolutely delighted to be in the final.

Something massive to look forward to. 90 minutes to make this season a very good one and then, a big summer. Onwards and upwards!

 

[MichaelRed]

His palms are sweaty, knees weak arms are heavy. He missed an open goal already, John Guidetti

 

[ayushreddevil9]

His palms are sweaty, knees weak arms are heavy. He missed an open goal already, John Guidetti

Someone already posted this. This is a serious case of copyright infringement.

EDIT: My bad, its a bit different. Well done!

 

[noodlehair]

United got away with it tonight.

I'm hoping he's employing these tactics due to not trusting some of his players. What is the point in buying attacking talent and play them so deep?Once he's had a few transfer windows and still persists with similar tactics I'm going to wear @noodlehair angry hat.

I also wonder if last years' Chelsea experience has an effect on his psyche on approaching games in such a negative manner?

I can understand him not trusting his players if they had shown him that they can't be trusted...but the fact is that these players, without these tactics, were already on course for a Europa League final, and in contention for top four.

Deploying these tactics has had no positive impact on that at all. It didn't work earlier in the season, and it isn't doing so now.. If you took out the occasions where Jose has done this, we'd probably have enough points to at the very least still be in the hunt for 4th, if not comfortably already sitting there. We would still most likely be in a Europa league final too...he's done the same thing in the home leg of the last three rounds, twice it's let the opposition back in the game and nearly meant us going out, and the other time it took two very good saves from our keeper late on to prevent extra time...all of these were games where the players had demonstrated they were comfortably better than the opposition.

He did the same thing at Chelsea and that's the problem. He hasn't learnt a thing because it didn't really work there either. If anything it led to him losing his job.

This is the problem when you are coming out and having a go at players in public every week and demanding everything from them, whilst not giving them anywhere to hide. It's fine, in fact I think it's what we needed, but if you're doing this you HAVE to be right and HAVE to be getting things right yourself. Otherwise you just look like a bully and an idiot to them.

For example, he comes out and embarrasses Jones and Smalling into rushing back from injury because we have so many games, ok fair enough...but then immediately after doing this he declares all except two of our remaining games utterly meaningless, and plays Jones and Smalling in the meaningless ones. He's saying to them "I need you to give everything for me" and then when they do, it's "actually I don't give a feck about this game"...it's confusing and self contradictory.

It's like Mockney said, a lot of what he's done this season has been good. He's spent the first two thirds of the season undoubtedly improving things. The last couple of months though it's almost like he's on a mission to undo his own good work at times. Particularly with this negative approach in and towards games.

 

[Keeps It tidy]

Exacty this!
Celta treated this as their "Cup Final" and the reaction of their players after the game speaks volumes. United didn't look great, but we survived and we're in the final! Let's remember that getting to the final of any competition doesn't happen that often. We should be dancing in the streets!

It was a semi final so it almost was.

 

[SirScholes]

Mourinho needs to win the Europa League, as much at a personal level as United need to as a club. He seems devoid of confidence, been a while (in Mourinho's relative terms) since he celebrated something important. He seemed genuinely scared at times (or perhaps I am seeing things?), something I don't really associate him much. His "negativity" used to be more pragmatic than fearful, I'd say.

I reckon if you pull it through you will look a lot better next season. It will be a major major trophy for him.

I'm far more excited about it than the CL final, with this in mind, but if I was a United fan I'd be bricking it. Not sure you can be regarded as favourites after what I saw today, and Ajax not needing to win it as much as you might work in their favour, your players seemed incredibly nervous today.

I agree with this a lot but did you see ajax yesterday? Equally awful

 

[criticalanalysis]

He can't. Our players are just not good at it as they mispass and lose the ball a lot. The only player who seems to have a vision is Pogba, Mikhi is good but losses the ball a lot, so our attackers destroy any chance of building a counter.

Counters have never been just having pacey players upfront as some people believe. Our front row lacks vision heavily and can't make fast transition from defense to offense.

I can agree with some of that but Mourinho has to take some blame. He needs to release the shackles and motivate the team to attack with verve.

I mean sure, the players should take responsibility for dropping deep and going into their shells but half of that come from Mourinho's risk adverse nature.

When you are tentative in your tactics and approach, it spreads to the players. The general resignment of tiredness, not able to play in a certain way, conceding top 4, being underdogs etc leads to the same mentality in the players.

It's great he's got the team united in playing defensive football and in the long run that can be a good thing but we need a bit more.

Ironically I think we will see that in the final. He's going to do a Old Trafford Chelsea style performance on Ajax imo. Press and bully them physically on the front foot because sitting back and inviting pressure is absolutely not the thing to do against a team with so many gifted attacking players.

The problem is, that should be our mentality in most games. We should be able to submit opponents with our technique, speed and athleticism. Right now it's all spent on defensive shapes i.e less overlapping and more tracking back.

 

[el3mel]

I can agree with some of that but Mourinho has to take some blame. He needs to release the shackles and motivate the team to attack with verve.

I mean sure, the players should take responsibility for dropping deep and going into their shells but half of that come from Mourinho's risk adverse nature.

When you are tentative in your tactics and approach, it spreads to the players. The general resignment of tiredness, not able to play in a certain way, conceding top 4, being underdogs etc leads to the same mentality in the players.

It's great he's got the team united in playing defensive football and in the long run that can be a good thing but we need a bit more.

Ironically I think we will see that in the final. He's going to do a Old Trafford Chelsea style performance on Ajax imo. Press and bully them physically on the front foot because sitting back and inviting pressure is absolutely not the thing to do against a team with so many gifted attacking players.

The problem is, that should be our mentality in most games. We should be able to submit opponents with our technique, speed and athleticism. Right now it's all spent on defensive shapes i.e less overlapping and more tracking back.

I don't disagree on this, but I was commenting on our inability to perform quick lightning counter attacks, which I think it's because are not really counter attackers even if they got pace, they lack vision and mispass a lot so any counter is killed before it even begins. That makes us looks even worse when we try to take a defensive approach.

The rest about out preferred mentality, yeah agree.

 

[criticalanalysis]

I don't disagree on this, but I was commenting on our inability to perform quick lightning counter attacks, which I think it's because are not really counter attackers even if they got pace, they lack vision and mispass a lot so any counter is killed before it even begins. That makes us looks even worse when we try to take a defensive approach.

The rest about out preferred mentality, yeah agree.

I think the mentality is half the reason why there's no 'vision' or 'poor' passes.

When we get the ball, players should be commiting to get on the ball (to receive or to make a run) and/or the opposition i.e by making them aware of their presence e.g an overlap/ball carrying as an individual threat (note I didn't say dribbling).

Right now it's 2-3 attackers getting that freedom and your Herreras, Carricks, Lingards, Mikis, full backs wary that if they make that run, they might be caught out on the defensive side.

Obviously we shouldn't be gungho Klopp style pressing and attacking with everyone but we sit because we're scared of what if and that comes top down imo.

 

[el3mel]

I think the mentality is half the reason why there's no 'vision' or 'poor' passes.

When we get the ball, players should be commiting to get on the ball (to receive or to make a run) and/or the opposition i.e by making them aware of their presence e.g an overlap/ball carrying as an individual threat (note I didn't say dribbling).

Right now it's 2-3 attackers getting that freedom and your Herreras, Carricks, Lingards, Mikis, full backs wary that if they make that run, they might be caught out on the defensive side.

Obviously we shouldn't be gungho Klopp style pressing and attacking with everyone but we sit because we're scared of what if and that comes top down imo.

It's a good point but I think it's also in the quality of our players, too. From our squad the ones who have great vision for the field and can view the positions of other players are Pogba, Mikhi and Mata, but Mata was injuried and Mikhi is weak physically plus has a huge drop of form recently, so that affected our counters heavily. Pacey players like Rashford and Martial who can dribble come in second step in the counter attacking after receiving the ball from that player who has enough vision to read the positions of those pacey players countering.

We lack in the first part at the moment due to Mata injury and Mikhi being out of form. The pacey players are there but need players to supply them with good balls.

If Mata caught form before the final he'll be very valuable in it.