[MikeSmalling]

City were the better team and deserved to win. No two ways about it. Much better effort in the 2nd half but couldn't equalize. Season is still very young and we'll be fine.

I'm most disappointed in Pogba. He seemed invisible for much of the game and when he was involved in the play I found the effort lacking. I can't count how many headers and 50/50 balls he lost to Silva, etc. Maybe he's still not fully fit but I expect more from him.

 

[Klopper76]

Bravo's going to be under a fair bit of pressure in the coming weeks.

I thought City bossed the first half and the subs Mourinho made needed to happen after City's first goal. United showed fight in the second half but Guardiola won the tactical battle over the full 90 minutes. City were incredibly wasteful in the second half. They should have done more with their counter attacks but allowed United to stay in the game. Rashford should be starting for United.

KDB MOTM for me. Great game to watch from a neutrals perspective.

 

[MDFC Manager]

I expect a strong response from a Mourinho team. I still have full confidence in him and the team but he just set it up wrong today. City are very very good lets give the plastics credit when its due.

Yes, they are. They could very easily have given us a proper bollocking today.

Which in a way is great for us - loads of scope for improvement

 

[Rajma]

I don't know why we reverted to the hoofing in the last 10-15 minutes. It was perfect moment for us to get crosses in from out wide which would have been much more dangerous and it would have made us less exposed to the counter attacks. Mou should have instructed players to keep their cool rather than opt for an easiest but least effective option. I'm surprised to be honest.

 

[Random Task]

Herrera deserves a mention I feel.

If anyone is going to displace Wayne Rooney then it should be him. Based on that second half display, he at least deserves a start next weekend.

 

[DevilRed]

Can't fault Jose for trying an attacking lineup to start the game though. You can see the logic behind playing lingard and mikhi as they were freshest and played the least international football. Sadly it backfired and both were so far from being ready to play such a high intensity game.

Credit to citeh for overrunning us in the first half though. Blind just not good enough against the top teams.

Would have liked to see our best lineup against their best lineup. They were better today though. feck off with international week.

 

[Jazz]

1) Jose made the wrong decisions today in terms of formation and personnel.
2) City were great, I expect them to fight it out with Chelsea for the league
3) We forget about it - or the players and staff need to put it at the back of their minds and move on
4) Play Pogba where he's most effective
5) I'm gutted

Edit (6) - Herrera was good - I'm probably forgetting but never seen him that composed for us - deserves a start if we go 4-3-3

 

[Mr Pigeon]

City under Guardiola are far more dislikeable. The time wasting and theatrics were ridiculous. Nolito, Bravo and Otamendi the biggest actors.

Yep, we need Team Jose shirts and those cnuts can make some Team Pep shirts. Liverpool will make shirts supporting Team Hipster Glasses or something.

 

[SuperiorXI]

City deserved to win, however 2-1 is the correct score I think. If we had equalized, it would have been an amazing result after the battering they gave us in the first half. In the second half we were the better team.

 

[C3Pique]

Only 4 games gone , Bravo will cost them points this season and we should get better than that. TBH feel better after 90 minutes than I did after 40.

 

[Mister_Stubbs]

We focused to much on what City might do from the get go, team selection and tactics all wrong. First half among the worst I've ever seen from a United side. Second half better, we showed fight and desire that will make this result a little easier to take. On the whole I really don't believe there is much between the two sides, City of course are a very good side but defensively they look weak and that super keeper, what's all the fuss about? Can't dwell to much on this result it's a long season and we are more than capable of putting up more than a fight for the title and these will have games where they aren't at the races.

On our players, Eric Bailley man of the match but showed how raw he still is. Luke Shaw after a nervy start looked good again. Paul Pogba needs to show more with the tag "worlds most expensive player". Marcus Rashford is a start, if we didn't already know.

As for Mark Clattenblue, he must have been reading Bluemoon all week and thought to himself "I best show them that there is no FA conspiracy against them".. I of course joke but he was very poor today, missed blatant things ie the Otamendi and Bravo reckless tackles, Rooney should been booked much sooner etc etc

 

[siw2007]

Always tough taking a defeat in a derby, but on the balance of the game, can't begrudge that City were the better team over 90 minutes.

In the first half, City absolutely battered us. Our high press didn't work and City flowed through us. Our two wide were a liability on the ball. Only really Pogba and Rooney looked like they had any composure on the ball. We were fortunate to get back in the game but should got the equaliser before half time as ibrahimovic missed two great chances.

Great restart as Herrera and Rashord made a big difference. Our press was much better too as City struggled to play. But Pep putting on Fernando to counter our new found verve made it really difficult for us. We resigned to long balls up front but couldn't unsettle them. We were perhaps marginally better this half but didn't do enough to score.

Guardiola tactically got the better of Mourinho today. But It's a long season and we should look forward.

 

[forevrared]

Shit game to lose, although the way we started it's no less than we deserved. Even in the 1-6 game, we didn't look so ill-prepared. Mkhitaryan was woeful. Blind was at fault for both goals. Lingard should have earned himself a nice vacation from the first team. Ibrahimovic missed 2 sitters to close out the first half. Rooney is still a player without a real role in the side.

That said, I still can't believe Clattenberg gave nothing for Bravo's lunge over the ball. One of the most blatant red cards you'll see all season and at even with a spineless referee you'd have expected a penalty and yellow. It goes without saying but that would've been a massive turning point and we most likely would have won the game handily from there.

 

[RedElf]

Mou got his selection wrong, he'll learn and move on.

 

[Macern]

Must be said that De Bruyne had a 10/10 game

 

[Annihilate Now!]

We missed Smalling big time today. Games like this show why he should be our first choice CB.

Starting two wingers who weren't game ready was just a too bigger mistake... it seemed that way before the game and proved to be the case. Aside from that though, we were just a bit too sloppy with our play, our decision making was dreadful and we feared City way too much.

Pogba needs to do more in these games, as does Zlatan.

 

[Sam M]

Of course, another spineless referee in the PL, who would have expected that? But in the end it was United who benefitted the most.

Second half looked half decent, but City was quite satisfied with the lead and the first half was a tactical error from Mourinho, so we don't really know what the real difference in strength is.

Much better 2nd half than anything we saw last season, probably because the manager is much better.

 

[prateik]

If we are playing Pogba, we need 3 in midfield... and that doesnt include Rooney.

 

[pixel]

Thank you yet again Mark Clattenburg for this result. Robbed.

What are you on about? They won fair and square.

 

[All 3 United]

Gutted to have lost, especially given the fact they should have been down to 10 men. It beggars belief that the officials can't get a studs up decision right like that.

First half was very poor, I lost count how many times Lingard gave the ball away and that was the main reason for there maintained pressure on our goal.

Still the second half was better and at least Jose made the changes at half time. Plus it wasn't boring like every game last season!

 

[okLaptop1]

Hopefully other teams give Bravo the same treatment they gave our Dave when he first he joined, they'll definitely drop points.

 

[Mr Pigeon]

he couldn't just go flying at City because you need to earn that right.

You make it sound like there's an initiation process involving paddles

 

[AR87]

Thought we were the better side after we went down 0-2 but City also set back to create space on the counter more frequently in the 2nd half. Lost the game in the first half because we were outnumbered in midfield and KDB was constantly between the lines. Once Herrera came in the space closed up and I didn't think City were threatening at all in possession after that, with most of their chances created on counters or set pieces in the 2nd half.

We lost the game because we were outnumbered in midfield for entire first half and Fellaini/Pogba weren't sure if they should follow runners back or pass them back to the CBs who also looked confused as to what should happen. First goal was a clear result of that as Pogba let KDB by him and Blind hesitated to step up.

Bailly and Blind were fantastic in the 2nd half, especially Bailly who gave everything and looked like he was going to pass out last 10 minutes. Other than the great diagonal run and near post shot that hit the post by KDB the extra midfielder clearly made them more comfortable, allowed them to keep everything in front of them and be more aggressive stepping up and not allowing City players to turn and run at them.

Pogba was poor today but his role needs to be clear. He's not a holding player. Needs to be freed up to play box-to-box more frequently and I think his defensive contribution is much better in that role as well. A 3 with him Fellaini and Herrera has good balance and it would be nice to see a front 3 of Zlatan and 2 of Rashford, Rooney, Martial, Mkhi, Mata or Lingard.

Random thought is that when we were battering the box at the end we had too many bodies in there with nobody on the edge of the box for rebounds. Feel like that was a minor issue to note, but important nonetheless.

Last thought on the game was that it was unfair in Lingard and Mkhi to be thrust into the starting XI for the derby. Thought it should have been one or the other to start this game, but not both and that cost us as they contributed very little in possession.

Annoying loss, but I don't think it's a horrific result. Mourinho fecked up the first half and we couldn't pull back the equalizer despite making the correct adjustments. It happens. Fair play to City.

 

[Red Dreams]

well. That has fecked my weekend.

Still we will learn from this defeat.

Saw Fergie shaking his head....hmmm.

 

[FlawlessThaw]

I was only half joking but against City of course. Bit like how he used Pepe there for Madrid in games against Barcelona.

Yeah beats me what we do when they have 70% of the ball and an early goal. We have to chase them or they'll just play it around the back all day.

All in all, I don't feel too bad but I fear my false positivity is driven by Bravo's performance in the 2nd half.

Fergie had no answer to Guardiola's tactics in those exact circumstances either. I think someone like Kante probably is more effective against Guardiola's teams than any player that we have.

 

[amolbhatia50k]

One of the rare occasions when I feel the the brunt of the defeat deserves to be on the chin of the manager. I saw two teams today with two managers considered the best of their generation, and really with not much between the two teams on paper.

However, one played the other off the park, had imagination, had adventure, had intelligence and looked genuinely like they had a plan. The other seem to be ad-hoc, conservative, a tad brainless and frankly, even a bit archaic in their set up. Pep's team came and played quality football and swamped us with their pressing and Mourinho really didn't have an answer.

Also, what on earth was up with how defensive we were in the first half? It's a trend with Mourinho in big games these days. We need to grow a pair. You can't spend 150 million and play football like that. Poor.

 

[okLaptop1]

What are you on about? They won fair and square.

I guess he means the penalty we should have gotten. Balanced out by the one they should have had though.

 

[Man-United]

What are you on about? They won fair and square.

Not for me. We should have had a stonewall pen and at 2-2 and 11 vs 10. But i'm just bitter probably because of that.

 

[rooney2009]

We started poorly but can't really play 2 midfielders against City,We improved in 2nd half and fought well.I thought 2nd Rooney,Bailey,Valencia and even Blind were very good in the 2nd half

 

[Sb_16]

De Gea: Dealt with what he could very well. Aerially magnificent, footwork superb
Valencia: Standard performance
Blind and Bailly: Avoidable mistakes
Shaw: Needs to improve in attack
Fellaini: Another fine performance on what was asked of him
Pogba: Not good, boderline unacceptable for the most expensive player
Lingard: Invisible
Mkhitaryan: Losing balls right left and center
Rooney: King of long balls, he's still wrongfully our playmaker
Ibrahimovic: Heard he's not a big game player, performance reinforces this despite the goal. Wasteful
Rashford: Impact on introduction but then the play was forced on the other side
Herrera: Covered the defense well, nice turns to get away from troubles
Martial: Poor, when has he played well on the right, Mourinho

Mourinho: What was the game plan again?

Back to the drawing board. The team needs tinkering.

City were superb in the first half. Fine display of passing and pressing.

 

[Sam M]

I expect a strong response from a Mourinho team. I still have full confidence in him and the team but he just set it up wrong today. City are very very good lets give the plastics credit when its due.

Best post in the thread.

I expect Smalling to slot in and Fellaini - Pogba - Herrera to be the default trio for big games.

 

[Stormsurfer21]

Deserve failure when we start Lingard, Rooney and Fellaini over Martial, Rashford and Schneiderlin.

Schneiderlin? Fellaini was one of our better players today.

 

[OneUnited24]

Mou got his selection wrong, he'll learn and move on.

I felt like it was the right selection but the players let him down. Particularly Mik and Lingard, both were probably asked to push the City FBs back and stop them attacking but both kept losing possession. We looked a lot better when we went to a 433.

That said City were just better

 

[)_(]

I'm not as disappointed as I'd normally be. It was a very enjoyable game overall, a draw would've been fairer in my mind. What cost us was starting Lingard and Mkhitaryan who have hardly featured, just a bad decision by Mourinho. Second half was much better but unfortunately we couldn't capitalise on it.

 

[Mart1974]

At least there was a response from Utd to goingb behind and being outplayed. Last 3 years we would have shiped another 3 goals by full time.

Think the keeper was lucky to stay on the pitch.

 

[Theonas]

That's rubbish. He played against a five man midfield with only Fellaini at the heart of the midfield and we were dominated in the first half because of it.

When he added Herrera then we had more control of the ball.

Guardiola immediately replied by bringing on Fernando and wrestled back some of the control.

And who among us did not know Pep will play with a five man midfield? For one to be outwitted, they need to be surprised by some master plan that they could not see coming. We all knew what City were going to try to do so I am sure José knew as well. He is simply a reactive manager who will always be at the mercy of teams who play front foot football. On some days, his teams will defend well enough or the opponent will be wasteful. On others, it will be like today.

 

[TheNewEra]

Lingards performance made Bravo look good.

 

[DevilRed]

Rooney can do a job on the wings in the big matches. Just like the old days with ronaldo.

Clearly we need more pace to counter though. Rashford, martial and mikhi will hopefully end up being our first choice lineup eventually. Rooney is really the problem now. Not good enough to take us to the next level, not shit enough to be dropped.

 

[anant]

Despite the result, we have at the very least exposed chinks in their armour- Bravo, and that should make things tougher for City in the long run.
Bravo and Stones in one team is a disaster waiting to happen

 

[Gibb11]

I think we suffered with the space between the midfield or if it was our midfield and defence, Fellaini was told to go very forward so early so any counter attack City caught us to many times Pogba didn't really get enough possesion and he seems a bit lost as a centre midfield player and im worried about this in the big games, Herrera helped him and helped our team.