[MadDogg]

While I'm happy about the result I do want to ask: what's the deal with the quick free-kick rule?

Is there any consistency to it or can I go to bed knowing that refs seem to do whatever the feck they feel like when it comes to it.

I believe that teams can take the free kick as fast as they want unless the referee has to step in for some reason. Obviously that is the case if he is giving a card or a warning to the player, and also more often if he has to get the defenders back the 10 metres because they are getting in the way. If the referee does step in for whatever reason, then the attacking team can't take it until the referee blows the whistle.

Not sure if there are any actual rules that I'm missing, but I believe that's the gist of it.

 

[Ducklegs]

...and what about the 2nd half?

Just as bad till the double change.

To be two goals down to this Palace spoke volumes about the attitude and application of some of our players.

 

[JG3001]

Outside of the last minute goal elation, I feel a bit... flat. Weird, but hey ho.

So much wrong with that performance and the result only serves to paper over the cracks.

Even the attitude. Between minutes 80 and 90, after the equaliser, we just pissed about. 87 minutes in and Sorloth and Benteke were simply still beating everybody in the air while we struggled to string a couple of passes together.

Lukaku's attitude is tremendous, and Mata made a difference. But the rest were absolutely horrible, in just about every aspect.

I find it very disingenuous that lots of people are now assessing their merits as a supporter based on what is effectively a last minute winner. The groupthink would be hugely different without an individual wonderstrike from Matic.

The major plus point is that Champions League football should be just about secure. In part because Chelsea make us look a little like City by comparison.

I think you have managed to reflect what I say in my general rants about the team, but without the vast amounts of moaning/cynicism. I agree 100 %.

I’m not saying people can’t be happy with the result, but they need to acknowledge these poor 60 min performances are not one offs, quite the opposite in fact.

 

[SqueakyWeasel]

Just seen Andy Gray's analysis of the first goal … cowardly by Lindeloff

 

[VancouverUtdFan]

Nostalgia ...can someone say Fergie Time?


Feck me that felt as satisfying as the first time having sex. Let’s fecking go boyyyys!!

 

[Reiver]

Can't believe we got anything from that. Don't like to be negative, especially after a win, but we were pretty poor for the majority of that match.
I've defended Pogba on here plenty of times but he's below par at the moment. Sanchez is even worse.
The centre back combo of Lindelof and Smalling might actually be my least favourite ever. Unless De Gea is in world class form I feel Liverpool are certain to score against us.
I was pleased with Lukaku. He continues to put in some shift and bagged himself a goal.
Mata was good when he came on. Struggling to think of anything else positive. Except for Matic's goal, get in!

 

[Nanotron]

Outside of the last minute goal elation, I feel a bit... flat. Weird, but hey ho.

So much wrong with that performance and the result only serves to paper over the cracks.

Even the attitude. Between minutes 80 and 90, after the equaliser, we just pissed about. 87 minutes in and Sorloth and Benteke were simply still beating everybody in the air while we struggled to string a couple of passes together.

Lukaku's attitude is tremendous, and Mata made a difference. But the rest were absolutely horrible, in just about every aspect.

I find it very disingenuous that lots of people are now assessing their merits as a supporter based on what is effectively a last minute winner. The groupthink would be hugely different without an individual wonderstrike from Matic.

The major plus point is that Champions League football should be just about secure. In part because Chelsea make us look a little like City by comparison.

As ever, its hard to disagree with anything you write bar Smalling of course.
Echos my sentiments.

 

[Class of 63]

Like they just said on Sky, Sanchez would be getting dropped if he wasn't named Alexis Sanchez.

As for Pogba, we don't have any other options in midfield. Two class new midfielders needed in the summer.

Sanchez is a strange one, he's got all the ability in the World, but at the minute he's playing like an academy graduate thrown in the deep-end who knows he's not going to get many more chances and is just trying too hard to impress, Pogba played as though he didn't really care until he had the ball at his feet with the space to run into in the second-half when Palace tired, which he did well.

At the minute it looks as though we signed Sanchez just to say we signed a player Manchester City wanted without a clear idea how we're going to fit him and Pogba(who both do their best work from the left) into the same team.

Could always play the fit again Carrick alongside Matic short-term, and revert back to 4-2-3-1

Agree about needing two midfielders in the Summer, possibly even three

 

[Irish_Red]

Outside of the last minute goal elation, I feel a bit... flat. Weird, but hey ho.

So much wrong with that performance and the result only serves to paper over the cracks.

Even the attitude. Between minutes 80 and 90, after the equaliser, we just pissed about. 87 minutes in and Sorloth and Benteke were simply still beating everybody in the air while we struggled to string a couple of passes together.

Lukaku's attitude is tremendous, and Mata made a difference. But the rest were absolutely horrible, in just about every aspect.

I find it very disingenuous that lots of people are now assessing their merits as a supporter based on what is effectively a last minute winner. The groupthink would be hugely different without an individual wonderstrike from Matic.

The major plus point is that Champions League football should be just about secure. In part because Chelsea make us look a little like City by comparison.

Quote of the thread. Perfectly sums up my feelings after this much.

Great to get the win but, putting aside our innate bias and love for United and seeing the game as a neutral, we really look extremely poor as a team.

Some excellent individuals but the lack of a game plan or any sense of urgency, purpose or belief is astounding.

 

[Android1974]

Funny Mourinho explaining what he calls the “fake/crazy rightback”.

 

[Android1974]

Mourinho refused to specifically say what he told his players in the dressing room to elicit the remarkable turnaround but was scathing of their defending for Van Aanholt's strike.
"I cannot tell you half of the things I told [them]," Mourinho said. "I can only tell you the other half and that was about the tactical position in the first-half.
"Alexis was on the left and in the second half he was behind Lukaku. We gambled with two against two at the back with Matic protecting in front of them. Rashford on the left side. Half the message I can’t tell you because lots of ‘beep beep beep’ on television and the other half was tactical information.

 

[TMDaines]

Just watched that on about an hour’s delay, so I’m out of the loop of the hive mind tonight, but here’s a collection of thoughts.

I thought it was another dire performance overall. We look so poor away from home. Thankfully our next four are at home and five of our next six.

Sanchez put in his worst performance so far. His move has coincided with our worst period under Mourinho and he should no longer be in the XI. He’s not meshed with anyone so far and as an individual he is terribly out of form. His use of the ball and decision making was appalling tonight. He’s made our squad even more unbalanced and is an even narrower inside left than our other two, when we need width. This ain’t Udinese, this ain’t Arsenal, he needs to earn his place. We’ve got better alternatives right now.

I have stuck up for Pogba in recent weeks. I’ve not seen the player badly out of form that others have, but someone struggling with a bit of illness and under undue media focus. Forget that tonight, he was crap. To see our two dynamic, attack minded stars being our weakest links is a real concern as we were chasing the game for 79 minutes.

The manager has his work cut out to address the above, but while I was disappointed Rashford didn’t start tonight when I expected him to, it was good to see Mou be decisive to get us back in the game. Credit where it was due.

One final thing: we’re so fecking naive. That second goal was an embarrassment. It was like Leicester away all over again. What are our group of players doing standing around appealing for a ball crossing the goal line?! This ain’t fecking cricket. Lingard was caught out of position twice appealing for non-handballs. Mou would have eviscerated him if Palace had scored.

If you enjoyed that tonight, God bless you. I’m looking forward to not having to watch United on TV for a month.

 

[wolvored]

Last 30-35 mins more like it, but we should be starting like this as well. First hour absolute dogshit again. Mou grow a pair and pick the team and tactics as if were already a goal down before kick off. If we can go 2-3 up, then revert back to defence mode in 2nd half

 

[MrBest]

First 55 mins we were pathetic, disjointed and a bunch of over paid waste men. The 20 mins that followed we were more direct, attacked more, pressed more and look like we had more desire. The last 15 again we tried to do more, Was a close one and that feeling at the end was incredible. I have missed that. I hope this won gives us the confidence boost we need!

I want to shout out a few things,firstly mata is so underrated. He changed our play, He's more dynamic and more direct. Secondly, lukaku has improved so much to the player we bought. His on the ball movement is more technical and he is chasing everything. He has a lomg way to go but I now see a player who can get 35 this year but also score a lot of goals in the next 5 years.

 

[Chipper]

I'm buzzing! Started drinking with 10 minutes to go and haven't stopped since. Screw the ins and outs.

 

[Android1974]

Last 30-35 mins more like it, but we should be starting like this as well. First hour absolute dogshit again. Mou grow a pair and pick the team and tactics as if were already a goal down before kick off. If we can go 2-3 up, then revert back to defence mode in 2nd half

But that what he usually does (4-2-3-1) and people complain a lot, wanting the 4-3-3 we were getting trashed with.

 

[Alexit]

I feel like this game, bad as it was, could be a turning point for us now. Immense result that. I would not be surprised if we got to the UCL final now.

Don't get carried away! It was only Palace away! I'm sure Liverpool said the same thing a few years ago.

Come on United!

 

[Web of Bissaka]

Putting all the clear negatives aside, that was an exciting game it has been a while we won at the final minutes.

"Can Manchester United score? They always score."

 

[noodlehair]

- I've no problem with Sanchez's attitude and sure he will come good, but sometimes a player is playing so badly you just have to sub them off. Every attack was breaking down with him. He was trying impossible passes and even when he tried to keep it simple he seemed to try too hard to over complicate it (and succeed in doing so)

- Pogba in the mythical midfield three seems to, entirely predictably, not bring about any great improvement from Pogba, and makes the team as a whole look much worse. Not that Pogba was awful tonight (apart from when he nearly cost us the game because he was too lazy to run after a ball), but he does not do enough goals/chance creation wise, to justify changing the team around for his benefit. He is supposed to be there to help the team, not the other way around.

- Why do we keep playing Young over Shaw? I've been critical of Shaw, but he's done well of late and I've never seen Young play well in a back four...where as we know Shaw can. Best you can say about Young as a fullback is he's better than Blind or Darmian...but then a cardboard cut ot of Young probaly would be too.

- I liked the composure Lukaku showed for his goal. Exactly the sort of thing we usually lack in these situations.

- I liked that we actually looked like we gave a feck...eventually...sort of.

- I was about to yell at Matic for being dumb enough to waste one of our last chances on trying a 30 yard half volley.

- Something about Palace's panicky style of play made me think it might end 3-2 even at 2-0. I dunno, they just seemed to be frantically throwing their bodies about the pitch in the hope it worked.

 

[Freak]

I love it when we feck teams who raise their game against us.

 

[Okey]

Hard to know what to say after such an exhilarating win. Almost like Fergie's United...but in result only! Why wait until you'e 2 nil down against a Palace team missing half their first team. Why go 2 down to them at all?! Clearly we're better than that, as we showed in the end. So why can't we start a game with some tempo and intensity? And sustain it for most of the game. It's embarrassing to see a United team playing like strangers who just met up for a game. Struggling to string 5 or more passes together. It's Liverpool next. Surely we have to play better. The players can! Loose the shackles Jose. Whip up your boys. Let's have a proper go from the first minute please...

 

[Web of Bissaka]

- I liked that we actually looked like we gave a feck...eventually...sort of.

- I was about to yell at Matic for being dumb enough to waste one of our last chances on trying a 30 yard half volley.

Same for both.

I was like the heck is Matic trying to f. kin do.. and then he score his shooting is usually terrible.

 

[NikSab]

Spurs barely won here and City should have lost if not for a pen miss. Get a grip guys. We were poor, but isn't tonight the signs of things that we have shot ourselves in the foot and yet managed to win the race? I can understand the anger about our performance, but why not keep it for the rest of the week and enjoy our most Fergie like win after he has left?

 

[AngliaRed]

Lingard at RB was surprisingly effective! Good use of the suns tonight.

 

[haram]

When teams sit deep, Mata on the right is always the answer.

 

[bosnian_red]

When teams sit deep, Mata on the right is always the answer.

Also I'd say definitely needs one of Rashford or Martial on the left for the width and directness which none of the others offer. Games like this we often look awful unless one of them are on the pitch.

 

[haram]

Also I'd say definitely needs one of Rashford or Martial on the left for the width and directness which none of the others offer. Games like this we often look awful unless one of them are on the pitch.

Yeah keeping width to stretch the defence is also useful.

 

[Giggs86]

Lost my voice when that went in. What a fecking game. Only a league game vs Palace but feck me I haven't enjoyed a win like that since god knows when. For the first time it felt like a Fergie team of old, getting knocked down but getting up and fighting until we win.

 

[Cantonagotmehere]

Old style Utd game, replete with rage, bewilderment, then a comeback and it all turns.

So much wrong with that performance but they steadied after the Smalling goal and deserved to win in the end.

Pogba in 2 against Pogba in a 3 shown up for what it is tonight, embarrassing first half in a 3, played like it mattered in the second. All on him to become a proper player instead of a sideshow.

1st, what a win! Have not had that feeling in a while. Rashford needs more minutes for sure and Smalling was the man of the match for me.

Not sure the last time I've seen Jose that animated and the team sure needed it. Loved it.

I am such a positive fan but I can't figure out Pogba right now. I am a huge fan, but it sure looked like his lack of hustle lead to the 1st goal and over all he lacked the energy he used to have. I know he will turn it around but he really is frustrating now even with his better 2 half performance.

 

[Z1L3]

Regardless of today's performance, these last two wins could be a turning point for this team.

 

[Sky1981]

Thread of 2 halves most of the times.

Our fans are so divided on jose here when one shows up the other is hidding under the rock.

Both sides.

 

[marukomu]

Nostalgia ...can someone say Fergie Time?


Feck me that felt as satisfying as the first time having sex. Let’s fecking go boyyyys!!

How many did you have?

 

[VancouverUtdFan]

How many did you have?

 

[marukomu]

Nice to wake up to. The time difference makes watching some of these night games difficult.

 

[Cantonagotmehere]

Mou only put Shaw on to show the caf how fat he is.

Hahahahhaa

 

[Bearded One]

Lots of moaning going on here. I think we are on a journey from LVG and Moyes days and so I'm patient enough to cut them some slack. Also I'm proud of the fact that we won having previously gone down twice. Lukaku is showing us what he can do. What's not to like? In summer we will make a few additions and then we'd be ready to challenge for the title. Take a chill pill guys!

 

[sglowrider]

Both Sanchez and Lukaku seem to be the only guys who urged and vocalised their opinions in egging them forward -- as opposed to the image/celebrity-driven Pogba and Lingard who are all smiles and fun.

 

[cyril C]

When was the last time we came back to win after 0:2 ? Get the feck in

Game (can't remember home or away) against Spurs? We lost 2 and CR/Rooney crawled our way back to win.

 

[manunited1919]

Just on my way back from the match. The guy next to me screamed NO NO NO as Matic was about to hit it ...... and then we all went mental!

You don’t have any videos to post, do you?

 

[automaticflare]

Lost my voice when that went in. What a fecking game. Only a league game vs Palace but feck me I haven't enjoyed a win like that since god knows when. For the first time it felt like a Fergie team of old, getting knocked down but getting up and fighting until we win.

Martial in FA cup semi v Everton
Lingard in final v palace
Zlatan v southampton in carlingford cup final