[MrBest]

Greenwood needs to start ahead of lingard, stick martial in the 10.one word today, complacency. Ole is tactically naive against lower league teams. The players are not up for it. We should of beaten Everton at home. You cannot keep blaiming VAR, without it the goal would of still happened. More dropped points, we could have been 2 points behind Chelsea right now.

 

[noodlehair]

Corners - This has gotten to the point where you have to genuinely ask whether we are a professional football team or a bunch of jokers. It's no good saying "we have a poor squad" when we can't even figure out how to defend or take a corner. A Sunday League team can practice corners. We have a team of players and coaching staff who are PAID to be as good at football as they can be. It is literally their job, and for one reason or another are clearly deliberately not doing that, over something as basic as practicing a corner kick. Seriously, this is Arsenal levels of unprofessionalism.

Maguire - This myth that he is good on the ball needs to be dispelled immediately. The first half in particular today was absolutely painful. Maguire gets the ball, the entire game has to stop and wait while he walks a few paces, walks a few more, walks a few more, then either passes it out left to Shaw, which he could have done the whole time, or boots it straight to absolutely no one. Fred is standing there open, the whole time. Has no one told Maguire that our midfielders are better at passing than him? Why is no one on the bench telling him. How are we supposed to break teams down when our centreback flat out refuses to release the ball until 5 seconds AFTER the opposition are in their defensive shape?

Martial - He's pointless too often, unfortunately. Where was he for most of this game? He was never inthe box. Even when we had 5 people in the box, somehow he isn't one of them. Isn't he supposed to be our striker? Where does he go?

Trying to score by shooting the ball into opposition players - Weirdly this doesn't work. Do our players realise this? Must have been some kind of record for most shots from impossible situations in one game. We even boot it into our own players if no opposition ones are in the way.

Why questons:
- Why did Lindelof try to score another own goal near the end?
- Why did Lindelof waste one of our last chances to attack by booting the ball pointlessly in the air?
- Why did Maguire waste our last chance to attack by walking into and then across his own area with the ball?
- Why did Maguire spend about 5 minutes just stood still outside the corner of the Everton box? What on earth is he going to do there?
- Why does McTiminay roll around on the floor holding his leg so often?
- Why did Ferguson sub someone on in order to sub them off again a few minutes later, and then even more bizarrely after the game claim it was "just to waste a bit of time"?
- Why do we always seem to end up constantly defending, against a team who are trying to defend/time waste?

 

[Ban]

If we had a more useful player than Lingard we would have won.

 

[Berbaclass]

It was a foul and 99.9% is given as one.

Didn't say otherwise.

 

[Catt]

Spot on Catt. I knew we'd get shafted when I saw that Michael Oliver was the ref, with Craig Pawson VAR. Pawson was the VAR when Martial got dragged down in the penalty area against Crystal Palace with nothing given. Oliver has years of previous against us.

It doesn't help when we waste three glorious chances in the first ten minutes and have Martial and Lingard on our team. Good job we had Greenwood to bail us out again.

So frustrating! I'm not a huge fan of Solskjær the manager, but we see good bits of play and I feel we've not had much luck on our side this seadon. A few of the results deserved a better outcome for United.

 

[nainaisson]

Greenwood has to start and Rashford has to play as No.10 until Pogba comes back. Everyone else we've tried in that position is either too old (Mata) or too crap (Lingard, Pereira).

 

[Inigo Montoya]

So frustrating! I'm not a huge fan of Solskjær the manager, but we see good bits of play and I feel we've not had much luck on our side this seadon. A few of the results deserved a better outcome for United.

We’ve got to stop blaming this and that for insipid performances when we conversely take the plaudits for good ones.

Seven draws when at least 4 of them should have been comfortable wins. It’s because we weren’t good enough end of...

 

[Full bodied red]

Didn't say otherwise.

I think the only ones not confused by VAR decisions are the ones who don't understand the decisions.

Can I add that it was a foul not 99.9% of the time, but 99.999999% of the time.

 

[mattsville]

Was a good performance bar Lindelof and Lingard who were crap, everton did little to score a goal, 2nd half we dominated them but did not have a game changer until Greenwood came on, we are moving in the right direction but need more clinical finishing to make the most of our chances.

 

[Backrow Singer]

Greenwood has to start and Rashford has to play as No.10 until Pogba comes back. Everyone else we've tried in that position is either too old (Mata) or too crap (Lingard, Pereira).

Too old? Is there an age limit?

 

[nainaisson]

Too old? Is there an age limit?

When the forwards press in the current system and you have tiny midget legs in addition to being old, yes.

 

[Fitchett]

So frustrating! I'm not a huge fan of Solskjær the manager, but we see good bits of play and I feel we've not had much luck on our side this seadon. A few of the results deserved a better outcome for United.

Yes, it's a frustrating season, up and down. Personally, I am confident that Solskjaer is on the right track. He has changed a lot, undoing the mistakes of the last six years. I'd say we have about 8/9 players he is happy with now. So until we sign a few more quality players and some youngsters develop, he has no choice but to get the best out of a limited squad. But, I am still happy that he is our manager.

 

[montpelier]

Progress is slow, but it's of the right kind. We do look fairly terrible at times, but that is inconsistency from young players and being short in MF.

Everton goal today does occasionally get allowed, and I can see why VAR didn't want to do anything. And there is the Oliver factor too.

I thought a draw was fair today.

Very good signings still needed.

 

[leontas]

I said before the City game I was more worried about our game with Everton than with City. We really don’t have a plan against the weaker teams that are happy to sit back. We’re missing creativity, we’re too slow in the buildup and we have limited movement/ no players to spot the movement of players.

There were many times in the first half where our central defenders were looking for a forward pass, couldn’t find any, so just kept passing it from side to side. Think that just about sums up our game today.

 

[Okey]

Ah well...Ole did promise ups and downs and the team are clearly delivering. Didn't have our shooting boots on today. I thought the performance was par for our season so far. Fair play to Everton. Big Dunc is getting a tune out of the players. Our next 3 games are ones we're supposed to win, which is a big worry. Hopefully Pogba returns and helps with unlocking these tight games...

 

[SadlerMUFC]

We need a striker ASAP. Martial is just too lazy and maybe some competition for his starting place is just what he needs. I don't know how many times today our wingers were racing down the flank and he is just jogging to catch up. He should be busting a gut to try and get on the end of a cross. He was absolutely horrible today. I know that Lingard is the guy who takes a lot of the crititcism around here as proven by the fact that the Caf had him ranked as the lowest level player today, but Martial was absolutely horrid.

De Gea was also horrible. That goal, regardless of the foul, should be easily dealt with. He needs to go up strong with two hands and be brave. Not turn his head and take his eye off the ball. And if he needs to jump with his knee up, then so be it. He's a veteran now and he still can't take command of his 6 yard box. He might make the odd wordly save but at this point I would give Romero a few starts as he's more than earned it with his clean sheets in Europa

De Gea: 2 clean sheets in 16 EPL matches
Romero: 4 clean sheets in 4 Europa matches

 

[Fitchett]

We need a striker ASAP. Martial is just too lazy and maybe some competition for his starting place is just what he needs. I don't know how many times today our wingers were racing down the flank and he is just jogging to catch up. He should be busting a gut to try and get on the end of a cross. He was absolutely horrible today. I know that Lingard is the guy who takes a lot of the crititcism around here as proven by the fact that the Caf had him ranked as the lowest level player today, but Martial was absolutely horrid.

De Gea was also horrible. That goal, regardless of the foul, should be easily dealt with. He needs to go up strong with two hands and be brave. Not turn his head and take his eye off the ball. And if he needs to jump with his knee up, then so be it. He's a veteran now and he still can't take command of his 6 yard box. He might make the odd wordly save but at this point I would give Romero a few starts as he's more than earned it with his clean sheets in Europa

De Gea: 2 clean sheets in 16 EPL matches
Romero: 4 clean sheets in 4 Europa matches

This

 

[Josep Dowling]

Rashford was greedy and made idiotic decision making. Martial was useless.

One of them should have been subbed off at least - to at least bring an effective player on to make an impact or to at least make a statement that if they don’t perform they will get dropped.

Who do you bring on? We haven’t got any options on the bench which is the big issue.The squad was too thin from the beginning of the season.

 

[Bastian]

That Everton team out there today is really average. The goal they scored should have been disallowed too. But I thought we were pretty terrible in every aspect of the game. Defended badly, especially set pieces, passing was super sloppy, movement terrible and the attacking game in the first half amounted to Maguire lumping the ball forward for some invisible run.

Back to playing defensive teams who want to counter and we are as before, completely powerless.

Think Ole needs to add a coach who can actually do something about this. This is not exclusively a selection issue.

 

[Dve]

United have had some terrible games this season, but I actually don´t think this was one of them, and for sure better than against Aston Villa and Sheffield United. 24 attempts and 66,5% possession underlines this. Second half there was one team on the field, and bare Lingard (I´m sad to say), no one really had a bad game. Greenwood, what a talent! Bissaka was excellent, Lindeløf, Martial, Fred, McTominay, Rashford og James good as well.

 

[Sultan]

I would point my fingers on the full-backs. Just not up to standard in the attacking third. The simplest way to unlock tight and compact defence is with width. Desperately need a fit and rejuvenated Pogba back ASAP for that special defence-splitting pass.

 

[United58]

I was out for the day and missed the match, how did we play?

 

[Josep Dowling]

It was a foul and 99.9% is given as one.

If De Gea had been more committed to collecting the ball, I’m sure the punch in the face would have been given as a foul. The problem was he no where the ball when he was fouled. I don’t know what he was trying to do, he turned away from the ball.

 

[DVG7]

Find the positivity folks. Prior to the Tottenham away game, if I said that in the next 3 premier league games and 1 Europa league game we can come away with 10 points out of 12 every Single person on this forum would have tore my hand to shreds. It’s been a decent December all things considered, with plenty of positives on the field.

 

[sincher]

I thought we played pretty well and deserved to win the game. Poor finishing and an unlucky goal conceded cost us.

Our midfield was very good again which was good to see.

 

[JohnnyKills]

We need a striker ASAP. Martial is just too lazy and maybe some competition for his starting place is just what he needs. I don't know how many times today our wingers were racing down the flank and he is just jogging to catch up. He should be busting a gut to try and get on the end of a cross. He was absolutely horrible today. I know that Lingard is the guy who takes a lot of the crititcism around here as proven by the fact that the Caf had him ranked as the lowest level player today, but Martial was absolutely horrid.

De Gea was also horrible. That goal, regardless of the foul, should be easily dealt with. He needs to go up strong with two hands and be brave. Not turn his head and take his eye off the ball. And if he needs to jump with his knee up, then so be it. He's a veteran now and he still can't take command of his 6 yard box. He might make the odd wordly save but at this point I would give Romero a few starts as he's more than earned it with his clean sheets in Europa

De Gea: 2 clean sheets in 16 EPL matches
Romero: 4 clean sheets in 4 Europa matches

Agree about Martial. He just coasts through games most of the time.

 

[Skåre Willoch]

I would point my fingers on the full-backs. Just not up to standard in the attacking third. The simplest way to unlock tight and compact defence is with width. Desperately need a fit and rejuvenated Pogba back ASAP for that special defence-splitting pass.

Agreed. As good as AWB is defensively, he is bad offensively. Luke Shaw doesn't do anything at all, and is meh in both ends of the field. At least one of them has to offer a lot more going forward! I'd give Williams the start next game, and look to replace Shaw in June.

 

[Inigo Montoya]

Agree about Martial. He just coasts through games most of the time.

Hugely skilful, so casual

 

[RedDevil@84]

We are a typical mid-table team. Game raising c**ts and all that.

 

[diarm]

I feel like I'm coming across all Blue Moon here but the fact that none of the headlines in any of the big press outlets even mention the VAR controversies in that game is shocking.

If Calvert-Lewin scores the goal Greenwood scored and we drew the game with Maguire elbowing Pickford out of the way for a goal and Lindelof manhandling Moise Kean off a cross in the final minutes without VAR even checking it, every paper and sports channel in England would be having conniptions over what a disgrace it was that United got anything from the game.

We weren't great - De Gea needs to be stronger for crosses, Shaw needs to clear the fecking ball properly (or just play the simple 12 yard pass to the unmarked player in the middle) and our attackers need to step up and take more responsibility in the less glamorous matches as well as the high profile ones. But we deserved to win that match, and only for abject officiating we did.

 

[Tom Cato]

I like the part where our bench players who everyone hates with the exception of Greenwood is suddenly the right call for a winnable tactic if the results don't go our way.

 

[RedDevil@84]

I feel like I'm coming across all Blue Moon here but the fact that none of the headlines in any of the big press outlets even mention the VAR controversies in that game is shocking.

It has been like that for ages. Nothing new. Papers don't point out things against United. It is not the favorite narrative.

Having said that, we must not be relying on VAR to help us to win.

 

[simplyared]

Having only seen the 2nd half, which I believe was far better than the 1st, I thought it was quite a good performance. We were pressing them for most of the of the 50 mins without creating any clear cut chances. Wan Bissaka has almost everything required to become world class. I say almost because his final ball into the box is just not good enough. Must be drilled on the training ground to get it sorted!

 

[Sandikan]

Just back from the game, pretty disappointing. Especially after such a bright start, if only Lingard had scored after 15seconds! Then Rashford and James chances from either wing, and a Rashy free kick too.

After that it was so bitty, and the classic game of struggling to breakdown any sort of deeper defence.
Aside from hoping to launch Rashy or James down the wings, or hope Martial gets it close enough to dribble his way in, we had so little threat.

Having seen the still from their goal now (far end from my seat), how has the VAR guy not judged that as a foul? Didn't Lovren get a slight nudge the other week, when he wasn't even going to head it!

Oh well, it's where we are right now. Still very much a work in progress, not that many were getting too hyped after the last few wins.

 

[Fitchett]

It has been like that for ages. Nothing new. Papers don't point out things against United. It is not the favorite narrative.

Having said that, we must not be relying on VAR to help us to win.

Exactly, it's easy for referees not to give us anything, because they know it won't be highlighted by the media. But, if we do get any less than clear cut decisions going our way, they know that they will be heavily scrutinised by the media, with a bias given to any angles unfavourable to us.

 

[JohnnyKills]

We are a typical mid-table team. Game raising c**ts and all that.

Don't see it that way personally. We're just really good at counter-attacking but we don't have the creativity to break down sides that sit deep.

 

[Maticmaker]

Let's give some credit to Everton, because up to the time they scored, we were 'roasting' them, especially on the turn; but we couldn't hit the target. Their goal against the run of play gave them belief and thereafter they tightened up and rode their luck even more. The ref let Davies get away with a sending off for what should have been a second yellow, but otherwise we didn't take our chances and didn't raise our game until Mason appeared. Thought Fred had a second good PL game in a row, maybe he and McTominay can make some kind of partnership in midfield?

 

[El Zoido]

I really don’t think we’re that far off, this place goes in to complete meltdown if we ever don’t win. I’d be worried if we were playing like Arsenal.

Our team is young and lacks experience, errors need to be ironed out and we need to find a way to unlock a few defence. We’re not a calamity team though, for the most part we’re fairly good. Guys stick with it, we’ll get there.

 

[Josh 76]

I would point my fingers on the full-backs. Just not up to standard in the attacking third. The simplest way to unlock tight and compact defence is with width. Desperately need a fit and rejuvenated Pogba back ASAP for that special defence-splitting pass.

Agree.
Thats how Liverpool do it.

 

[Hernandez - BFA]

Who do you bring on? We haven’t got any options on the bench which is the big issue.The squad was too thin from the beginning of the season.

I know, but bring on Pereira or Williams on for one of them to play on the wing and shift Greenwood in the middle. I'd rather one of those players who clearly play for the shirt be playing and put a shift in for the last 10-15 minutes than those two today.