[Paul_Scholes18]

Some nice goals scored. Still we struggled to break them down in the first half which was annoying.

Hopefully we can win the cup. Villa should be the easiest game, but City might suit us better.

 

[He'sRaldo]

We won so I expect this thread to have 2 pages at most.

Not too far off.

 

[Paolo Di Canio]

We won so I expect this thread to have 2 pages at most.

1 and a half

 

[Fanatic 00237]

I don’t know why people like to moan so much on here. I felt this game actually looked like a blueprint of how to beat lorry parking teams. Patience in passing, attacking through accurate passing, taking the few chances when they come, not getting frustrated by lack of chances, then punishing the defending team when they eventually start tiring and losing concentration because no team can be completely disciplined in defence for 90 full minutes. And I think we executed that plan today perfectly. I particularly appreciated the fact that the lads didn’t allow themselves to get frustrated by the very low defensive pack they were facing.

Also good strong lineup by Ole for this one. I’m not sure a much weakened United side would have succeeded in breaking them down.

Happy with the performance and delighted with the result. On to the next.

 

[Señor Alec Thompson]

I enjoyed the game despite the result. We obviously set up to be compact and hard to break down, in the first half it worked but once the first went it it was over.

Its a shame, if we could have kept it at 0-0 a little longer maybe frustration would have started to disrupt your play.

It was nice that united seemed to take the game seriously too. Sometimes it can be deflating for lower league teams, you get a big draw and end up watching a premier league b team.

Also your players put in the effort and were trying to make things happen even if it didn't quite work in the first half. Against spurs their lads seemed to think they could just knock it about with minimal effort and would beat us - no need to try.

I know some of you expected more goals but we didn't concede against spurs or palace. We were never going to attack and leave ourselves open.

 

[Devil may care]

tumescent first half but Rashford sparked us into life in the second, job done in the end and they never really looked like scoring. This game did highlight our problems once more though, I mean it took us an hour to break down a side from League 2, no wonder we are struggling to open up PL teams.

 

[dave1956]

I believe Greenwood showed how to break down a mass defence by his cross for the second goal. Got round the full back and crossed the ball back behind the defence so that the defenders dealing with the cross were facing their own goal.. Very difficult type of ball to play against, and in this case it worked defender had to clear the ball and put it into his own goal.

 

[Ian Reus]

Decent game. Matic Will hopefully find some form.

What form? His p45?

Yeah I hope so too.

 

[oz insomniac]

Only saw the second half and that was quite decent , although too much sideways passing. One thing that stood out like dogs b**ls was the ongoing inability of the most experienced full back to cross the friggin ball properly.

Does he practice the basic requirement of a so called wing back, how frustrating to watch the same problem week after week.

 

[Denis' cuff]

Understand the frustration but he isn’t a fb tbf. Therein lies a greater problem; that we have never addressed the fullback problem and it still remains a problem years later.

 

[Wednesday at Stoke]

Considering the dearth of midfield options, it would be great if Matic can give 20 solid minutes with composure at end of games when keeping a lead.

 

[NewGlory]

Wouldn’t mind De Gea picking up a knock over Christmas.

What a trash thing to say, even as a joke. We are talking a human's health here

 

[reddevil702]

Wouldn’t mind De Gea picking up a knock over Christmas.

You do realize the quality of competition against has a lot to do with it. While Romero is a great backup, he’s just that and not good enough to be a full time #1 for United.

 

[VJ1762]

I enjoyed the game despite the result. We obviously set up to be compact and hard to break down, in the first half it worked but once the first went it it was over.

Its a shame, if we could have kept it at 0-0 a little longer maybe frustration would have started to disrupt your play.

It was nice that united seemed to take the game seriously too. Sometimes it can be deflating for lower league teams, you get a big draw and end up watching a premier league b team.

Also your players put in the effort and were trying to make things happen even if it didn't quite work in the first half. Against spurs their lads seemed to think they could just knock it about with minimal effort and would beat us - no need to try.

I know some of you expected more goals but we didn't concede against spurs or palace. We were never going to attack and leave ourselves open.

You gave a very good account of yourself, tbh. If it had been 0-0 in regulation, I honestly think you would have a greater chance of progressing in the cup. We just s**k at breaking teams down. Hope you guys do well in the league.

 

[VJ1762]

Wouldn’t mind De Gea picking up a knock over Christmas.

Delete this post.

 

[utdalltheway]

Wouldn’t mind De Gea picking up a knock over Christmas.

Why, do you want Romero’s stats to go down?

 

[L1n0]

I don’t know why people like to moan so much on here. I felt this game actually looked like a blueprint of how to beat lorry parking teams. Patience in passing, attacking through accurate passing, taking the few chances when they come, not getting frustrated by lack of chances, [...]

However, have to be said that opener came after counter, later goals is just a history.

Glad to see progress, opsI used this overhated phrase

 

[Red00012]

What was going on in the away end in the 2nd half does anyone know ?

 

[Inigo Montoya]

Greenwood’s cross for the second

Doesn’t matter what foot does it? How may times over the next few years we’ll be saying that?

 

[Zlatattack]

I only watched highlights, but it seemed like a good win. Liked the build up play for the third goal, but I think it needs to be much quicker to be affective against a premier league team where the defenders will be much closer to our players and press them.

Also i noticed during that build up play nobody tried to run at them through the middle. I understand it was the most congested area, hence less chance of success but there were a couple of chances there to thread a ball straight into the penalty spot or even run into it, drawing in defenders. I don't think we tend to go down the middle very often, we need someone with quick feet to give it a try every now and then.

 

[Zlatattack]

Also i know it's only a league 2 team, but i like how our attack linked up today. Hopefully given time they'll get even better. We have 4 quick players who get goals and are happy to go wide or cut in, can play either side. They just need to get some consistency.

 

[Red71]

I don’t know why people like to moan so much on here. I felt this game actually looked like a blueprint of how to beat lorry parking teams. Patience in passing, attacking through accurate passing, taking the few chances when they come, not getting frustrated by lack of chances, then punishing the defending team when they eventually start tiring and losing concentration because no team can be completely disciplined in defence for 90 full minutes. And I think we executed that plan today perfectly. I particularly appreciated the fact that the lads didn’t allow themselves to get frustrated by the very low defensive pack they were facing.

Also good strong lineup by Ole for this one. I’m not sure a much weakened United side would have succeeded in breaking them down.

Happy with the performance and delighted with the result. On to the next.

This for me completely. That’s how I see it too.

I’m too tight to get BT and not sophisticated enough to set up a stream so I have to rely on the “match day experience” of the CAF. Feck me though, it was depressing reading. If we’re not 8 nil up after 15 minutes, we’re shite, can only play on the counter, what do we practice in training....blah blah blah. It’s fecking tedious.

I actually caught the first half last night after midnight on MUTV and it was Colchester with 10 men camped outside and inside the box. You don’t break that down easily and have to work your balls off to wear that sort of team down. You tire them out which enables you to score later on. I don’t understand why posters on here don’t get that.

It’s proper put me off the Match day thread....who needs all that negativity. Just enjoy the ride ffs....

 

[Alabaster Codify7]

Dogshit first half, solid second half. Took our chances well, job done. Onto the next game.

 

[NewGlory]

I only watched highlights, but it seemed like a good win. Liked the build up play for the third goal, but I think it needs to be much quicker to be affective against a premier league team where the defenders will be much closer to our players and press them.

Also i noticed during that build up play nobody tried to run at them through the middle. I understand it was the most congested area, hence less chance of success but there were a couple of chances there to thread a ball straight into the penalty spot or even run into it, drawing in defenders. I don't think we tend to go down the middle very often, we need someone with quick feet to give it a try every now and then.

My thoughts on it as well. Same for the first goal. There's no way Rashy could have ran over the defense of an EPL team the way he did in the first goal. It was just total amateur hour - how they let him score the first goal, and first goal forced them to open up the parked bus, so this game doesnt mean we now are good at breaking down defenses

 

[Ikon]

Something really infectious about this lot of kids coming through. Greenwood, Garner, Williams, ect. Look forward to seeing how they all develop because I believe this could be potentially a very gifted group joining the first team. Feel Williams is a real gem though, hardly puts a foot wrong, aggressive going forward and bleeds courage and determination on the pitch. Plays 5 years ahead of his age. Greenwood, technically being the best of the bunch, will only get better as he matures and will be a frightening striker in the future, very over used saying, but the comparison to RVP is legit.

Yes absolutely.
I'm feeling a connection to the way the squad is shaping up now, that I haven't felt for a few years with players such as Fellaini, Darmian, Lukaku etc...
Genuinely surprised when Greenwood doesn't get on the scoresheet, which speaks volumes about how highly I rate this 17 year old lad...

 

[Zlatattack]

My thoughts on it as well. Same for the first goal. There's no way Rashy could have ran over the defense of an EPL team the way he did in the first goal. It was just total amateur hour - how they let him score the first goal, and first goal forced them to open up the parked bus, so this game doesnt mean we now are good at breaking down defenses

Yeah, but I didn't want to come across as negative. Afterall we did nearly get get kicked out of the league cup by a school boy.

 

[soralapio]

Professional performance from United, I thought. Colchester were obviously playing in their cup final, so it was never going to be an automatic 4-0 romp as some expected. United played with patience, wore them out and then banged in some absolute worldies. Delighted to see Axel get a game, delighted to see Rashford and Martial get some more goals (although I probably would have rested them instead). Job well done!

 

[NewGlory]

I actually caught the first half last night after midnight on MUTV and it was Colchester with 10 men camped outside and inside the box. You don’t break that down easily and have to work your balls off to wear that sort of team down. You tire them out which enables you to score later on. I don’t understand why posters on here don’t get that.

It’s proper put me off the Match day thread....who needs all that negativity. Just enjoy the ride ffs....

Why would a team get more tired parking a bus than the attacking team circling them and moving the ball around them? It's a very weak argument. Won't happen against a good EPL team, especially.

In reality, to break down a bus-parking team your attack needs to be great at playing in tight spaces and dribbling and moving the ball with precise, one-touch short passes. They better be great at tap-ins, as well. Which are all the things our attack struggles at. Most of the time they try to cross in and strike from a fairly far distance.

But it will hopefully improve. You now see Rashy trying to dribble more (except he does it alone and without proper support eventually losing the ball or getting penalty if he gets lucky) and Greenwood is good at striking while surrounded by defenders, occasionally Martial shows some tight-space skills as well. Alas, James is still horrible at it, with no signs of improvement

 

[#07]

At some stage an explanation will emerge as to how a team coached by Michael Carrick simply refuses to pass through the lines. He was one of the best at that, why can't he teach it to others?

The performance was, by and large, awful. Van Gaal like with the sideways passing. If I was a United forward I would be deeply frustrated by the amount of times there's a chance for a through ball that never comes.

The team needs to have more guts, more willingness to risk. Happy with the result and the goals, nothing else.

 

[TMDaines]

What a trash thing to say, even as a joke. We are talking a human's health here

Missing a game through a minor injury is no danger to a human's health, calm down.

 

[Offside]

What a trash thing to say, even as a joke. We are talking a human's health here

 

[Maticmaker]

Fully understand the problems we faced in the first half, but it was still achingly painful to watch especially on a cold night. I thought Matic had a good game and his long range passes from left field across to Young on the right were excellent, with the ball almost arriving precisely at Youngs feet each time. We didn't make the most of that and allowed Colchester to react and get back in shape quickly.
As other posters have pointed out it was always going to be a case of wearing their defence, all 10 men, out and then constantly moving the ball about, quite often for no other reason than to tire them out.

Anyway the tactics worked and we caught them out in the second half; got through easily in the end. Now its City in the semi, wonder if Pep will adjust his 'masterplan' after their experience against us at the Etihad? The one criticism City fans seem to have of Pep is that he only has a plan 'A', he believes that is good enough and won't change.
That theory is likely to be tested then in the Semi, bring it on!

 

[NewGlory]

Missing a game through a minor injury is no danger to a human's health, calm down.

Lovely. So there's a minor injury that goalkeepers miss matches for that is no big deal, now? What kind of injury is that exactly, since you seem to be in the business of praying for specific injuries on players?

And while you are at it - what kind of injury is it when you wish for injuring our own players, get called out on it and still continue with the same shitty line instead of recognizing a misfired joke?

 

[OleTheGreat]

Colchester were really really rubbish throughout the game. I thought we were allowed a lot of time and space. We were wasteful in the first half like Ole pointed out because we kept passing from side to side and couldn't really make in roads but we came out in the second half and went for it with more precision passing and making darting runs into the box. My guess is,we went and watched the highlights of the first half from the El Clasico game :P anyways, 3 goals and a semi final slot against City. Job done. Time to get Watford out of the way, next.

 

[Dante]

We were more clinical in the second half, but we played better football in the first half.

 

[20LegendSolskjaer]

Pereira was pretty anonymous so you must have watched a different game. They played with a back 6 and a bank of 4 in front and we were still getting through them every now and then, the breakthrough came when they attempted to break ranks the first time and we hit them on the counter in the space they vacated. Then when they had to come out and play football, we hit them again twice more.

We understandably took players off for rest and then a bit of intensity came out of our game but it was still very much a one sided affair where we didn’t need to bust a gut to score any more.

You’re being negative for negative sake, but I suppose that’s in vogue on here these days.

Well said! Thought the first half was not as bad as people think we were probing trying to find a way, Rash missed a really good chance and one before that with Pereria looping a ball over the top only for Rash's touch to let him down. That counter attack was brilliant, must of counted what 3/4 passes before Rash scored, then after that it was a very comfortable watch. Brandon getting in Harriot's head as soon as he came on was a highlight for me, shows the kid has some attitude about him which is exciting to see!

 

[::sonny::]

Interesting to see that this team is unable to create chances even against a league 2 side for 45 min, and the only way to score is in counter attack

Reasons: Immense lack of quality in possession, the ball distribution and transmission is really pathetic and academical

 

[NewGlory]

Interesting to see that this team is unable to create chances even against a league 2 side for 45 min, and the only way to score is in counter attack

Reasons: Immense lack of quality in possession, the ball distribution and transmission is really pathetic and academical

True as it may be, I think the bigger problem is lack of quality/ability from our attacking players to play in tight spaces when in the opposition's box. Quick short passes, one touch quality on the ball, dribbling and tap-ins are unacceptably hard and foreign for our attackers

 

[ostentatious]

Interesting to see that this team is unable to create chances even against a league 2 side for 45 min, and the only way to score is in counter attack

Did United not create any chance in the first half yesterday?

 

[sunama]

I gotta say, this was one of the first games that I was truly impressed with how we played.
We didn't get out of 2nd gear in the 1st half and toyed with them.
Then in the 2nd half, we briefly went into 3rd gear - punished them - then settled back into 2nd gear.
It was a controlled and routine demolition of a minnow (the kind of team that we would previously struggle to break down).

If we can dismiss lesser teams (in the relaxed and confident manner we did yesterday), while still beating the big teams (like we normally do), we can absolutely compete for the league.
[This is probably the first, completely positive post I have made this season ]