[DRJosh]

Karl-Johan Johnsson needs to take the gloves from Robin Olsen in the Swedish NT. He played a blinder.

I was conflicted between feeling proud and angry at him saving literally everything. If it wasn't for the fact that Bruno takes his PK with such ferocious horse kick power I felt he could've saved that too.

MOTM for me. Forget any United player, they don't deserve it.

Agreed! It was not the most convincing penalty from Bruno (partly because their keeper cleverly waited before committing) but it did the job.

 

[ChaddyP]

Honestly I think we played fantastic. Created a tun of chances. Luck VAR and good goal keeping was on their side. But we still got the win in the end.

 

[The Brown Bull]

Not great, but we're through. Their goalie was having the best performance of his career, no way he'll every top this. 4 shots hit the post as well.

We could've, and should've scored 4 or 5 goals. København could've/should've had a couple as well.

Positives:

• Martial MOM. The boy can dribble!
• Greenwood unlucky, The boy can shoot!
• Bruno good at times. Such a cool head from the penalty spot.
• Pogba good.
• Mata was a very good sub, good tactical decision by Ole.
• Lindelöf saved Williams' arse several times. Underrated player.
• Bailly and Fred both played fairly well, with some obvious mistakes.
• We're through to the semi final. We're going for it, as we should.
• 180 minutes left of the season, let's finish it with a trophy!

Negatives:

• AWB must do better. He's Valencia Mk2 at this point.
• Rashford needs some competition (JadON?) for his spot, or some rest. He looks clueless at times, and looks nothing like his peak this season. Has to step up.
• No minutes for Ighalo is strange.
• Finishing. We simply have to convert some of the chances in this game. Unlucky, sure, but also not good enough.
• Williams is struggling defensively. Has to improve (and I reckon he will).
• Letting this game go to 120 minutes did us no favors going forward.

Agreed! It was not the most convincing penalty from Bruno (partly because their keeper cleverly waited before committing) but it did the job.

It was a good penalty. Keeper went the right way but still couldn't save it.
It won the game.
Convincing enough in my book.

 

[Gopher Brown]

I’m amazed at some of the comments here. Were people even watching the game? We were very slow to get going, but I thought we played well for three quarters of the game and we made a load of chances which, if our strikers had gone and inch to the left or right, or shot a bit sooner, we’d have converted.

I was far less happy with the performance against Palace the other week, and we won that 2-0.

My only real concerns are with Bruno’s lack of stamina and I thought Greenwood and Rashford should have played wider.

 

[rollingstoned1]

And the award for the worst take goes to...

Absolute shocker that.

 

[Strelok]

Funny thing is, United only played at an average level for the first 25 minutes. Most people would call this "settling into the game", but for united fans at redcafe it makes the whole match 'dreadful/unbearable to watch".
You have the ones bashing Ole's tactics even though it worked and has been working since the restart consistently well. They will tell you "maybe if we played with panache it would bearable to watch", while watching our team pepper the opposition with chance after chance, totally dominating and controlling the game. There was a time when we couldn't score goals at all, now if we get anything less than three without absolutely dominating the game, we are rubbish. My biggest confusion is how the reaction to games when we were actually poor and now haven't changed. In fact, when we don't win these days you get almost triple the amount of pages on the post match thread. People coming out of the woodwork to bash Ole about being tactically deficient despite constantly proving otherwise both in big and small games. Despite being successful in the market over the last two windows, if we sign Sancho for 120m, we were rinsed for money; but if Dortmund hold out longer than we hoped for, Ed is incompetent at doing his job. Fans need to back this team and the people running it. They are all doing a really good job at the moment, and failing to realize this due to past transgressions or the fault of others would be a shame.

Good post Sir.

 

[Stobzilla]

Yeah back then I was watching every united game, I never understood the love for M. C. on this forum. To be honest from my experience and many, many hours of discussing football over the world I don't think many people outside the UK did.

Cool, here are a few people who were born outside of the UK who disagree with you and have no association to Manchester United:

- Pep Guardiola "I'm a big fan of Michael Carrick. He's one of the best holding midfielders i've ever seen IN MY LIFE BY FAR. He's the leve of Xabi Alonso, Sergio Busquets in Barcelona and Bayern Munich"
- Arsene Wenger "Carrick is a quality passer and he could play for Barcelona, he would be perfectly suited to their game. i think he's an underrated player in England."
- Xavi "Gives United balance, passes well, has a good shot ... is a complete player"
- Xabi Alonso "I've always seen myself in him, he could play in the Spain National Team ... Carrick was always in the right position"

Now, call me a square, but even if it was just them (spoiler, it isn't) then I would still take their opinions.

 

[Isotope]

Which Shit show? We were more than decant this evening. Was a cracking game and I enjoyed watching it.

Need a lucky penalty on extra time to beat this "nobody". Just the way we played, if you're not worried about this team for next season, well, we have different opinion then.

 

[Strelok]

Need a lucky penalty on extra time to beat this "nobody". Just the way we played, if you're not worried about this team for next season, well, we have different opinion then.

I'm not really worried because yesterday match was not how we usually play recently. I don't know it's fitness, the heat, tactical instructions or else but we barely did any pressing yesterday. The players didn't run much especially in the 1st half. And Fred was no holding mid so we resorted to quite a few long balls. Williams was still pretty inexperienced, there was at least one occasion Rashford make a through pass to him to run down in the final third but he didn't read and didn't make the move. Rashford was not himself either, he looked like he's playing with a knock or smth. After a sprint he usually checked his legs.

And talking about luck, we're not just unlucky tbh. You hit the post once it's unlucky. But you hit the post three times in a match we call it sht happen.

 

[Isotope]

I'm not really worried because yesterday match was not how we usually play recently. I don't now it's fitness, the heat, tactical instructions or else but we barely did any press yesterday. The players didn't run much especially in the 1st half. And Fred was no holding mid so we resorted to quite a few long balls. Williams was still pretty inexperienced, there was at least one occasion Rashford make the through pass to him to run down in the final third but he didn't read and didn't make the move. Rashford was not himself either, he looked like he's playing with a knock or smth. After a sprint he usually checked his legs.

They might have reasons, but it wasn't a top team show. And this was against a relatively low key opposition. I don't know why some were satisfied with that kind of performance.

 

[YzWayne]

Yeah back then I was watching every united game, I never understood the love for M. C. on this forum. To be honest from my experience and many, many hours of discussing football over the world I don't think many people outside the UK did.

Guess I am one of those few people outside UK who feels M.C is underrated. His vision and passing in tight spaces was so good that it can unlock teams that sat back. Matic is good but he does not has the intellgience of M.C.

 

[Strelok]

They might have reasons, but it wasn't a top team show. And this was against a relatively low key opposition. I don't know why some were satisfied with that kind of performance.

I'm not satisfied either but I'm not worried. If we played our full XI, barely made a chance and had to rely on a penalty to win then I'd be worried. If Greenwood's shot went in in the 2nd half imo we'd have a much easier match and the score would look much better. Even Barca or Real have matches like this, sometime you just can't score then things look a lot harder than they should.

 

[YzWayne]

I'm not satisfied either but I'm not worried. If we played our full XI, barely made a chance and had to rely on a penalty to win then I'd be worry. If Greenwood's shot went in in the 2nd half imo we'd have a much easier match and the score would look much better. Even Barca or Real have matches like this, sometime you just can't score then things look a lot harder than they should.

I guess some felt that a top team has to bash lower tier teams day in day out in order to compete for titles and trophies. They do not understand the art of grinding out wins during a bad day in the office.

 

[Isotope]

I'm not satisfied either but I'm not worried. If we played our full XI, barely made a chance and had to rely on a penalty to win then I'd be worried. If Greenwood's shot went in in the 2nd half imo we'd have a much easier match and the score would look much better. Even Barca or Real have matches like this, sometime you just can't score then things look a lot harder than they should.

Bar Shaw (and DDG, but he's a Gk), it was our best XI.

 

[Halftrack]

Need a lucky penalty on extra time to beat this "nobody". Just the way we played, if you're not worried about this team for next season, well, we have different opinion then.

Stop embarrassing yourself.

 

[Strelok]

Bar Shaw (and DDG, but he's a Gk), it was our best XI.

You forgot Matic. He is a key player in our midfield. Missing him was much worse than Shaw. Fred is just no holding mid. And DDG is important to how we play as well. You can see many times we tried to build from the back but Romero, knowing he's no good with his passing decided just to hit it long.

Our problem stays the same. One first XI player missing and the drop in quality is just too obvious.

 

[rollingstoned1]

I agree with this, a prime Carrick sat in front of this defence would be an upgrade on Matic, I say that as a big fan of Matic.

Also don’t forget some of the dross carrick has next to him outside of Scholes and pre illness Fletcher? Cleverley, Jones, Anderson, Gibson, and more I’m sure I’m forgetting.

you shut out Matic's passing options on his left side and you basically have him stymied. and some people have the gall to say he is twice the player Carrick is.

 

[AbusementPark]

They might have reasons, but it wasn't a top team show. And this was against a relatively low key opposition. I don't know why some were satisfied with that kind of performance.

We showed good attacking intent and controlled the game. The keeper played a blinder and pulled off multiple good saves. We broke them down quite a few times which was difficult due to them defending in numbers.

Then with the temperature being over 30 degrees is mental. Trying to play our normal high pressing game in that high is unsustainable and we could have tired put very quickly.

I think ole had his tactics correct and didn't go for the high press in the 1st half due to this but we stepped it up in the 2nd half and it showed with the amount of chances we created.

Overall not saying it was a fantastic performance but it was decent enough in trying conditions and a deserved victory.

Think back to the Liverpool Spurs champs league final, this was meant to be a exciting attacking game due to the form and attacking intent of both team but alas in the heat they played one of the most boring games ever.

 

[cyril C]

Felt like a pre-season game to me, lack of match fitness. Every touch too heavy, only Greenword managed to score but ruled offside.

I hope this is just a matter of match fitness, because form like this won't even pass Villa, let alone Inter, Seville or Wolves.

 

[flash F.C.]

missed sancho, sign their RB please, we go on!!

That's Varela... David Moyes first signing!

 

[Fracture90]

One thing that really irks me is our players constantly holding on the ball for too long and passing it only when there's no other option. It allows for opposition defense to take their position and takes away any chance of us having any decent quickness in moving the ball around. Not to mention that more often than not, the pass they ultimate send is useless because it's always behind the player.

 

[Devil77]

Are you just looking at the scoreline to come to that conclusion of a really poor match or did you actually watch the game? I watched and saw the opposing keeper make 13 saves and saw us hit the post 3 times. Total domination. Could have easily been 6 or 7 goals for us today. Sometimes they just don't go in, but to say we were poor in a match that we totally dominated and their keeper was man of the match after a world class performance is a bit of a stretch...

Nope! I watched the whole thing. Agree that their keeper made some outstanding saves. But most of them came after we had scored and/or in extra time. For the regular 90, I don’t think we played well. We looked rusty and most likely to score from individual brilliance.

 

[Roane]

One thing that really irks me is our players constantly holding on the ball for too long and passing it only when there's no other option. It allows for opposition defense to take their position and takes away any chance of us having any decent quickness in moving the ball around. Not to mention that more often than not, the pass they ultimate send is useless because it's always behind the player.

This is also my pet hate.

Often though the problem is lack of movement up front. Most of our front players like to receive and run with the ball rather than one company pockets of space and make runs into it.

I think this is why we see players like Mata be ineffective too. What I mean is the Mata types don't rely on pace they make the ball do the work with quick one twos and running into tight spaces to receive the ball and move it on

 

[Heardy]

There's 3 posts left post, right post and the crossbar. So to hit all of them at both ends it would be 6 not 4.

I assumed it was left and right post of each goal.

 

[Annihilate Now!]

There's 3 posts left post, right post and the crossbar. So to hit all of them at both ends it would be 6 not 4.

I assumed it was left and right post of each goal.

I'm in the 4 posts 2 crossbars camp.

 

[Heardy]

I'm in the 4 posts 2 crossbars camp.

I agree with that but if someone refers to “all 4 posts” - surely that has to be each upright?

Its a meaningless point though.

 

[Judas]

Their keeper had a blinder. We didn't play great, and we really have to mix it up as teams have quickly worked out how to frustrate us. We need to play with more pace, hopefully we see that in the next game.

Rashford doesn't look fit to me.

 

[Borys]

Cool, here are a few people who were born outside of the UK who disagree with you and have no association to Manchester United:

- Pep Guardiola "I'm a big fan of Michael Carrick. He's one of the best holding midfielders i've ever seen IN MY LIFE BY FAR. He's the leve of Xabi Alonso, Sergio Busquets in Barcelona and Bayern Munich"
- Arsene Wenger "Carrick is a quality passer and he could play for Barcelona, he would be perfectly suited to their game. i think he's an underrated player in England."
- Xavi "Gives United balance, passes well, has a good shot ... is a complete player"
- Xabi Alonso "I've always seen myself in him, he could play in the Spain National Team ... Carrick was always in the right position"

Now, call me a square, but even if it was just them (spoiler, it isn't) then I would still take their opinions.

Honest question, do you think there was a long queue of top clubs for Michael Carrick?

 

[Borys]

Guess I am one of those few people outside UK who feels M.C is underrated. His vision and passing in tight spaces was so good that it can unlock teams that sat back. Matic is good but he does not has the intellgience of M.C.

I don't disagree with that, however "Can" is the keg world. Problem with Carrick is that he used to choose safe options most of the time. Whether it was his game or he was told to do so remains unknown, but my point is he had very little impact on our play.

 

[Berbasbullet]

I don't disagree with that, however "Can" is the keg world. Problem with Carrick is that he used to choose safe options most of the time. Whether it was his game or he was told to do so remains unknown, but my point is he had very little impact on our play.

No he didn’t, that is such a myth, did you even watch him play? His passing between the lines was top class and he utilised that’s an awful lot.

Don’t forget he was basically a one man midfielder at times in his career as we had some absolute dross around him at times (par Scholes when he had the legs and pre Illness fletcher).

 

[Bilbo]

Funny thing is, United only played at an average level for the first 25 minutes. Most people would call this "settling into the game", but for united fans at redcafe it makes the whole match 'dreadful/unbearable to watch".
You have the ones bashing Ole's tactics even though it worked and has been working since the restart consistently well. They will tell you "maybe if we played with panache it would bearable to watch", while watching our team pepper the opposition with chance after chance, totally dominating and controlling the game. There was a time when we couldn't score goals at all, now if we get anything less than three without absolutely dominating the game, we are rubbish. My biggest confusion is how the reaction to games when we were actually poor and now haven't changed. In fact, when we don't win these days you get almost triple the amount of pages on the post match thread. People coming out of the woodwork to bash Ole about being tactically deficient despite constantly proving otherwise both in big and small games. Despite being successful in the market over the last two windows, if we sign Sancho for 120m, we were rinsed for money; but if Dortmund hold out longer than we hoped for, Ed is incompetent at doing his job. Fans need to back this team and the people running it. They are all doing a really good job at the moment, and failing to realize this due to past transgressions or the fault of others would be a shame.

A pretty accurate take on the Cafe these days.

 

[Web of Bissaka]

Again we're shit and couldn't dominate against a shit team.

Job done, clean sheet and advanced.

Kudos to Copenhagen for preparing this game very very well. Efforts for trying.

 

[sammsky1]

Need a lucky penalty on extra time to beat this "nobody". Just the way we played, if you're not worried about this team for next season, well, we have different opinion then.

My expectations are more realistic than yours.

I don’t think we are capable of winning every game 3-0 by playing attacking and Criticism free football every time, So I dont rant ‘Ole out’ every time that happens.

we just made our third semi final of the year and finished 3rd. I’d say this squad has delivered the absolute maximum of its capability and I’m delighted with them all.

Yeah, we have different opinions.

 

[Cardboard elk]

Again we're shit and couldn't dominate against a shit team.

Job done, clean sheet and advanced.

Kudos to Copenhagen for preparing this game very very well. Efforts for trying.

14 shots on goal, 0 on goal for Copen...
Did not dominate?

Again we're shit, after loosing ONE game in 24 games?

Manchester United fan syndrome

 

[sammsky1]

Agreed! It was not the most convincing penalty from Bruno (partly because their keeper cleverly waited before committing) but it did the job.

Now a penalty has to be ‘convincing me as well, else it will be criticised my the night red cafe moan brigade? Am I right?

 

[Skåre Willoch]

Again we're shit and couldn't dominate against a shit team.

Job done, clean sheet and advanced.

Kudos to Copenhagen for preparing this game very very well. Efforts for trying.

But we did dominate them, though. Shame their goalie was a dominatrix as well.

But yes, kudos to København. Great effort.

 

[sammsky1]

Honestly I think we played fantastic. Created a tun of chances. Luck VAR and good goal keeping was on their side. But we still got the win in the end.

I agree with you! Also the game was really fun to watch! Some great football, it made he very tense, especially approaching 90 minutes when I thought we’d get sucker punched, and then some great play from Martial and Bruno in extra time to comfortably win the game. It was fun

 

[mitchmouse]

It was a good penalty. Keeper went the right way but still couldn't save it.
It won the game.
Convincing enough in my book.

nothing wrong with the pen at all - keeper (who was having a blinder) didn't get close to keeping it out

 

[onemanarmy]

My expectations are more realistic than yours.

I don’t think we are capable of winning every game 3-0 by playing attacking and Cristian free football every time, and ranting Ole out every time that happens.

we just made our third semi final of the year and finished 3rd. I’d say this squad has delivered the absolute maximum of its capability and I’m delighted with them all.

Yeah, we have different opinions.

What's that than?

 

[SirScholes]

Great game to watch, not sure what you lot on here are talking about.

I agree with this
End to end good stuff