[Revan]

It was a loss. Disappointing but not "concerning".

Of course, it isn't concerning. We would have won today basically against any other team in the league.

If we can play like this (or like in the last 6 matches) for every match, we would win the league. It is more likely to win if you play attacking football, than defensive football.

 

[Cassidy]

1. I'm disappointed we didn't have a more effective plan for breaking down the Chelsea bus, LVG must of known it was coming

2. Chelsea have a style of play. We have a style of play, mocking them for their style when they just beat us smacks of sour grapes

3. Our strength in depth is a real concern

4. Happy for Shaw, he needed a good performance

5. No shame to losing to the best team in the league at SB. They didn't run us off the field and had to work for their points

6. Feeling very confident about the direction the team is taking

1. We had some good chances, we were just not clinical enough (Rooney really should have score that early chance)

2. I think Chelsea were lucky to win, don't think it sour grapes either

3. What an odd comment, considering how many players we had out and the quality we had on the bench (Di Maria) yet we still had a good game

4. Agreed

5. Agreed

6. Yes, I actually can see us challenging for the title next season

 

[Keeps It tidy]

Well, I quite enjoyed Inter's victory against Bayern on 2011 for example, which was quite similar to this. So yeah, it is possible that I would have enjoyed it.

Nah that Inter side played much better Football than this.

 

[pierrethesnack]

Cant go to wings now

Has anyone been to this place? What's it like?

 

[JackXX]

What a predictably shitty annoying Chelsea result. We didn't deserve anything less than a draw I just wish we didn't have those injuries. Thought De Gea wasn't great with the goal from that angle. Never mind even with the loss we dominated the game and it's something to build on.

 

[MZX7]

How does this Chelsea team have any fans? What do they like to watch? The commercials at half-time?

 

[duffer]

How does this Chelsea team have any fans? What do they like to watch? The commercials at half-time?

If United played crap football, would you stop supporting them?

 

[Revan]

Nah that Inter side played much better Football than this.

The final was an ultra defensive match from them. Here are the stats:

Bayern Munich Internazionale
Goals scored 0 2
Total shots 21 11
Shots on target 6 7
Ball possession 68% 32%
Corner kicks 6 2
Fouls committed 16 13
Offsides 0 0
Yellow cards 2 1
Red cards 0 0​

 

[Igor Drefljak]

I was disappointed when we didn't try to get Mourinho, but to be honest, with them kind of tactics, it's not something I'd really want to watch.

Don't get me wrong, the results are what matters, and I'd rather have played boring and won today, but I can't really remember many top of the table teams, at home, playing so defensive the whole match....30% possession is depressing.

As for the game. I thought for most parts of it, we played very well. Yes we didn't break them down enough, but we had a few chances, we just failed to take them. On another day, without a few injuries, we'd have had Rooney up front, and I think we would have been more successful.

Their goal came from what should have been a free kick. Not much of an excuse as they still had quite a bit to do, but could have been avoided.

Against any other team, that performance would have won.

 

[MZX7]

If United played crap football, would you stop supporting them?

I'd watch any team with interest as long as they are even attempting to play 'football'!

 

[ItsEssexRob]

My strongest feeling at the end of this game was generally being glad that I'm a United fan not a Chelsea fan.* They Mourinho'd us perfectly - Van Gaal probably saw it coming but still couldn't do that much about it, and whilst a bit of luck could have seen a different result (we certainly had more attacks and more shots than Mourinho would have liked), you have to say they did what they planned to do and got the reward for it.

Call it sour grapes if you like, I promise it's not. I expected a loss here and take my hat off to them for how brilliant they are at doing this. Because we didn't need to win this game, I don't feel too put out by the defeat, especially with lots of important players missing for us. But I'd always choose to support a team who try to do what we tried to do than a team whose big wins against big teams will so often see them willingly conceding 70%+ possession and mostly just defending for 90 minutes. However well executed it is, it can't be much fun to watch.

I can't help but also feel like there's a link between the way Mourinho's Chelsea do this against big PL rivals and the way they have gone out of the CL disappointingly in the last two seasons. They have no positive game plan against big teams. PSG were, on paper, the weaker side both this year and last year. Under a positive manager like Guardiola, Ancelotti or even Van Gaal they'd have gone out aggressively and walked it both times. Instead they did a sort of semi-Mourinho, neither exactly parking the bus nor setting out to attack and win, and were fortunate to scrape through the tie last season, and lost it this year. Similarly they had no real idea how to play against Atletico in the semi last year, a team who don't try to dominate possession and thus play into Mourinho's hands, and again they looked strategy-less and out of their depth.

On paper, that team should be able to play an expansive, attacking game and be a good match for anyone in the world. But under Mourinho they will never be comfortable doing that, and if I was a Chelsea fan I'd be worried about how they're going to make progress against the big boys in Europe unless Mourinho dramatically changes his tack.


*Obviously this is only the case because we didn't really need to win this game. If this had cost us our top four position I would be deeply envious of the Chelsea fans!

Of course its sour grapes. The very fact the entire post was about us and not about your team playing well is telling. Im also bemused at people suddenly talking about 'expecting a loss' the Chelsea vs United thread was the most bullish ive seen in years!

 

[SalfordRed1960]

Oh and Terry was excellent today. Thought he was the games MOTM... the wanker.

Still think he gets away with too many tackles from behind. But he did do well today.

 

[duffer]

I'd watch any team with interest as long as they are even attempting to play 'football'!

Is that a yes?

 

[Rykker_4united]

We played extremely well and would have beat probably any team. Credit to Chelsea, they got exactly what they wanted out of it.

 

[Gerald G]

Encouraging performance. Just wish we had a defensive midfielder fit. It messed up our whole midfield and attack having to play Herrera as a DM and Rooney in midfield.

Smalling, McNair and Shaw all good. Shaw MOTM.

Oh well with more signings in the summer I think we'll be challenging next season.

 

[DomesticTadpole]

If United played crap football, would you stop supporting them?

I think a lot would lose interest. Funny enough. I know you want your team to win, which is fair enough, but surely he can come up with a better way of doing it? Or doesn't he know how to?

 

[MZX7]

Is that a yes?

I think you're deliberately being dense to extract some joy out of a conversation that clearly isn't making any sense anymore.

 

[duffer]

I think a lot would lose interest. Funny enough. I know you want your team to win, which is fair enough, but surely he can come up with a better way of doing it? Or doesn't he know how to?

That's pretty honest. Fair enough.

I'm a thick and thin man myself.

 

[Get In Scholesy]

If anything, today just shows how 'thin' this squad really is. We really have no adequate cover for Carrick and no penetration without Rooney. We are still a few players away. I don't necessarily want to say the performance was good, because i feel like we played into Mourinhos plans, but it was a game where we weren't threatened much - so thats a positive.

Still lots of work to do now to secure our top 3 finish.

 

[C'est Moi Cantona]

It's hard not to be proud about our possession stats, but people will laugh at us over getting too excited about it given the result.

 

[SalfordRed1960]

Well, LVG said (in his opinion) that this was the best he has seen us play.
I'm not sure about that, but LVG knows far more than I do about football.

I would agree with LVG in that this was the first game with 90 minutes of controlled football, in other games there have been periods where we have gone to sleep, taken the foot off the pedal. We just didn't have that one bit of creativity to beat a stubborn defence.

 

[ThanksBoss26]

Fair play to Chelsea. They'll deservedly win the league and the consistency they have in defence is a huge factor in that, which again showed today. I hope we can get a settled back four next season because that always helps.

Some positive signs for us. I genuinely think we can challenge next season.

 

[DomesticTadpole]

That's pretty honest. Fair enough.

I'm a thick and thin man myself.

I am the same, except a female version. It's just we have a tradition of playing a certain way, you will have witnessed the fallout when someone veers from it. We haven't always been great this season, but he now has us playing attractive football.

 

[duffer]

I am the same, except a female version. It's just we have a tradition of playing a certain way, you will have witnessed the fallout when someone veers from it. We haven't always been great this season, but he now has us playing attractive football.

I grew up watching Frank Sinclair and David Hopkin strutting their stuff at Stamford Bridge. A few years of ruthless pragmatism is nothing to be sniffed at as far as I'm concerned.

 

[pierrethesnack]

That's pretty honest. Fair enough.

I'm a thick and thin man myself.

I will always support United, but at the end of the day I watch football for entertainment. If the team I follow play in a fashion that I don't enjoy, I'll watch fewer games.

It's not just a about success, really. The happiness of winning a title is in total much more short lived than the agony/annoying feeling of watching your team play destructive football through the entire season. But that's just me.

Edit: But of course, there has to be a balance. Playing attractive football year in and year out without winning anything is not something I'd want.

 

[Cassidy]

I am the same, except a female version. It's just we have a tradition of playing a certain way, you will have witnessed the fallout when someone veers from it. We haven't always been great this season, but he now has us playing attractive football.

Indeed, we went on a run earlier in the season (before xmas run of games I think), playing not so attractive football and getting "lucky wins" but this place was still very doom gloom in a way.

 

[Silverman]

Get a win at Everton and this result will be long forgotten...Our wins against Spurs, Liverpool and City allowed us to lose to Chelsea.

 

[Oo0AahCantona]

1-0 and mourinho go together like ham and cheese in a panini.

 

[Ainu]

If anything, today just shows how 'thin' this squad really is. We really have no adequate cover for Carrick and no penetration without Rooney. We are still a few players away. I don't necessarily want to say the performance was good, because i feel like we played into Mourinhos plans, but it was a game where we weren't threatened much - so thats a positive.

Still lots of work to do now to secure our top 3 finish.

We do, but he was injured as well. Even if he is not the same player, Blind in there would've helped a lot. Imagine Chelsea had Matic out and whoever is next in line for that role as well. It would be difficult to deal with for any side, and we handled it pretty well I thought. But obviously, our squad needs to improve next season if we want to take that next step, both in first XI quality and in depth. But I'd say we're just one good transfer window away from a genuine title challenge.

 

[DomesticTadpole]

I grew up watching Frank Sinclair and David Hopkin strutting their stuff at Stamford Bridge. A few years of ruthless pragmatism is nothing to be sniffed at as far as I'm concerned.

You deserve a medal for that.

 

[Catt]

We were decent enough and it's hard to be positive about the season coming up. Got to hand it to Mourinho though, the way he sets them up is not easy on the eye but they get results. It 's about as entertaining as watching paint dry. That said I wouldn't want United playing that way against our rivals.

 

[SalfordRed1960]

1. I'm disappointed we didn't have a more effective plan for breaking down the Chelsea bus, LVG must of known it was coming

2. Chelsea have a style of play. We have a style of play, mocking them for their style when they just beat us smacks of sour grapes

3. Our strength in depth is a real concern

4. Happy for Shaw, he needed a good performance

5. No shame to losing to the best team in the league at SB. They didn't run us off the field and had to work for their points

6. Feeling very confident about the direction the team is taking

I would have said we did have a plan, particularly at the beginning we targeted Ivanovic because Oscar was not offering support. So the overlaps of Shaw with Young worked well. If Rooney had put away that early chance who knows what might have been. The only disappointment for me was that once Oscar came back and helped Young, and with Zouma having Fellani in his pocket, LVG didn't change shape. I know he wants players to work it out, but today I think they needed a bit of help. After about the 30 minute mark we never really saw Young.

 

[Nozzy]

If Mourinho is honest with his own private assessment of that game, I think he may lose a bit of sleep tonight. His team did a number on us but they are getting older, in some key positions - I see parallels with City developing, particularly at centre back. Neither can they count on Costa to be available 40-50 games next season. With a shrewd summer transfer window, we could be clear winners next season.

 

[Moriarty]

I would agree with LVG in that this was the first game with 90 minutes of controlled football, in other games there have been periods where we have gone to sleep, taken the foot off the pedal. We just didn't have that one bit of creativity to beat a stubborn defence.

And that without Carrick and Blind in the side and with Rooney filling in in midfield. One other thing was lacking and that was a bit of luck in front of goal. I thought Falcao did his job well today but luck, again, was not on his side.

 

[Suedesi]

I'm really happy we didn't get Mourinho.

yup

 

[DomesticTadpole]

yup

I agree, I know he is a winner, but I would rather win with dignity and style.

 

[pacifictheme]

There is no comparison between our team out there today and that Barcelona side.

History will show a 1 nil win. And probably a Chelsea league title.

 

[Sandikan]

Get a win at Everton and this result will be long forgotten...Our wins against Spurs, Liverpool and City allowed us to lose to Chelsea.

This.
Today was our safety net game.

 

[SalfordRed1960]

And that without Carrick and Blind in the side and with Rooney filling in in midfield. One other thing was lacking and that was a bit of luck in front of goal. I thought Falcao did his job well today but luck, again, was not on his side.

I agree. I am a fan of Falcao and am really surprised at the negativity towards him.

The fact we played as well as, if not better, than in previous games, but against a team that only intended to defend and counter (LVG's pet hate), I am confident that if Rooney was injured and we had Carrick/Blind as DM, we would not be toothless up front.

 

[Yorkeontop]

I havent watched a lot of Chelsea this season but I think its inappropriate to suggest today is all they've been doing. Jose coaches winning, that is all that matters to him. He does it better than anybody alive, no frills, no romance, just what needs to be done and that is win! Respect.