[VeevaVee]

We started wrong, as people are already saying.

Much better in the second half when City opened up but still struggled.

would've probably deserved an equaliser but I can't say that City didn't deserve to win either. They certainly look a force in the making.

 

[Bobcat]

Disappointed with the result, but that was a great game of football.

To bad we did not show up at all in the first half

 

[Offside]

I suppose it's so early in the season it can be forgotten about very quickly. But, we should at least be getting the draw even if it is the 4th game. Losing it a bit of a blow. However, hopefully we get to see how Jose gets us to bounce back. Need a win next week.

 

[worcesterred]

The two goals we conceded are absolutely annoying and have no place in Non-League football, let alone the pinnacle of English football. I feel City are further ahead of the schedule than United are right now, which isn't much of a surprise, but there's 34 games of the season left. City win this battle but we'll lick our wounds and come back stronger.

 

[PitchFork]

Good game. Frustrating to lose but good to see the effort put in. City were impressive, they recycled the ball well and had it out quickly on the counter with two or three quick one-touch passes. For all the talk of United playing the counter game City showed us how to do it. So all due respect to them, and KDB mostly. That said, they were fortunate to get the two first half goals. Defence could have been better for both of them. City exploited our lack of concentration and made the most out of it. I think had Blind dealt with KDB we could have gone in at half time equal and had a much better go in the second half.

Mkhitaryan was very disappointing. I know it was his first real test but he didn't show anything that convinces me he could be a starter. I will be surprised if he reaches the heights some people seem to think he is at already. Maybe he was just terrified by the occasion. Fair enough, but that tells me there is a good chance he isn't United material. He hasn't got the pace to play on the wing, maybe as a no.10; technically Mata is better though, but Mk has more pace. Bailly was brilliant. Hopefully he keeps on growing into his role. Fellaini also, proving his doubters (like me) very wrong, so far! But what happened to Pogba? He showed glimpses of quality but I feel like the game passed him by like a bad dream or a K hole. Did Mourinho get his tactics wrong? Or did the Pog not feel in the mood today?

Gutted and frustrating to watch Ibra struggle today. Could see the embarrassment in his face. He could have won that game for us by two or three goal and he knows it. Still, many many games to go. Not at all worried. If anything this will be a good wake up call to the fans, the squad and Mourinho.

 

[Red Dreams]

Starting with Mikhi and Lingard cost us the match more than even the tactics.

Rashford for Lindgard. Herrera for Mikhi and we would have won the match.

EDIT: Rooney played well. ..and he should have got that penalty withat goalie off.

Numpty Clatenburg.

 

[Cityfaninpeace]

Easy for us in the first half. Bravo awful and gifted you a chance. Second half very stressful but very good dominating performance by us for large parts of the match. Think pep got his tactics spot on in the first half. Mou made changes and good subs which brought you back into it.

 

[Esquire]

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.

I agree. He played well as effectively the holding mid with Pog and the Wig pushed all the way up front. Morgan deserves a chance too.

 

[Flames73]

Pogba tries to do everything by himself. You can dribble past 1 or 2 but no way you can gk through 3 in the PL.

Ibra had a great goal but after that he tried to volley every single ball that came his way.

Herrera is a lovely player.

Starting Mkhi was the wrong call.

First goal was just mistakes.

Rashford is very good.

Martial still invisible.

Rooney was decent, he had fire.

Fellaini have been consistently good.

Lost in the first half. Was always going to be a tough match. We tried, but it wasn't enough.

 

[Roosney]

Gutted and proud at the same time, after the first 20 mins I was sure this was another 1-6 beating but pretty much changed the game after half time.
De Bruyne MOTD.
On another day we could have had two penalty kicks.

 

[Massive Spanner]

Starting with Mikhi and Lingard cost us the match more than even the tactics.

Rashford for Lindgard. Herrera for Mikhi and we would hae won the match.

Hindsight is a great thing. Nobody was bemoaning the selection before the game.

Can't always get it right.

At least he had the balls to make 2 substitutions at half time that helped us a lot.

 

[Rajeev]

Normally I don't rant but this defeat left a bitter taste in my mouth. I feel like Mourinho completely got it wrong with Lingard and Mkhi, Lingard looked like he was still on his summer break. And we were outrun in our midfield by City both in the first and in the second. I don't understand why we have so many slow players in the playing 11. Ibra is okay, because of his height advantage. but Rooney and Fellaini. Both are extremely slow passers of the ball compared to City's quick passers, and I simply don't understand what is the obsession with Rooney and every manager. Does he have written on his contract that he must play every game? and Fellaini was just a red card waiting to happen. I wish Schneiderlin had started instead of Fellaini. Fellaini is too crocked and can't pass a ball and makes too many fouls. And what was Pogba doing all game? He's a good skillful player but unless we have good wingers in the field and a proper No. 10 he simply has no one to pass the ball to. Herrera made a big difference when he came on. He passed well and ran across the field trying to get the ball. Ibra and Rooney just don't have the legs to force a mistake off Bravo. I feel like if we had a striker who can run we could have closed down Bravo better and City would have been in a lot of trouble.

And last but not the least, Martial should be in LW and Rashford should have been in RW. I know Rashford can sometimes cut inside but he's way better in RW just like Martial is better on the left.

 

[Borden]

We should have had a penalty

Probably, but because of that first half we deserved feck all from the game anyway, so I'm not too annoyed.

 

[SqueakyWeasel]

If Fellaini was on the pitch remind me when? It's like playing with only 9 outfield players! We watched him jogging up and down close behind the action all game - big, flappy armed twat of a player. Not impressed when Peps teams always win by flooding midfield. You really can't afford a player to go missing!

 

[Sam M]

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.

Some good points here. I believe (and hope) JM will be more progressive in these big games once fitness levels are 100% and the team is at full cohension, as opposed to playing post internationals, with at least 2 players not physically ready, against the world's best manager at organising a synchronised defence and attack in record time.

 

[VorZakone]

To be fair, I can't say City stole a win here. United just not good enough in the first half leaving yourself with a tough task in the second half.

 

[dove]

Guys, chill out. Our players just completely shat themselves in the first half, especially Mikhi and Lingard. Why? Probably after 3 years of failure they are still not confident in their ability. We had a much better second half though and I think we deserved a draw. It was not our day, it happens. Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose. We are only 4 games into the season.

 

[wr8_utd]

Jose is apparently the master planner. How he failed to come up with a plan for KDB is a bit mystifying.

 

[Esquire]

Easy for us in the first half. Bravo awful and gifted you a chance. Second half very stressful but very good dominating performance by us for large parts of the match. Think pep got his tactics spot on in the first half. Mou made changes and good subs which brought you back into it.

I wouldn't say you guys dominated the game. Second half I think we were slightly better but you guys killed us in the first half. We were utterly helpless in the first 20 minutes. Lingard was freezing badly and Miki had a very poor game. Didn't think Jose should have started him in such a big game. He was clearly overwhelmed by the speed of the game.

 

[Red Dreams]

Hindsight is a great thing. Nobody was bemoaning the selection before the game.

Can't always get it right.

At least he had the balls to make 2 substitutions at half time that helped us a lot.

I was very surprised by Lingard's selection. Mikhi was obviously not fit after that injury. Still Jose would have known I suppose.

 

[Esquire]

Guys, chill out. Our players just completely shat themselves in the first half, especially Mikhi and Lingard. Why? Probably after 3 years of failure they are still not confident in their ability. We had a much better second half though and I think we deserved a draw. It was not our day, it happens. Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose. We are only 4 games into the season.

Yep. Perplexed why Lingard froze so badly as he played some big games last year. Miki is not used to the league yet and maybe he should not have started such a big game.

 

[Theonas]

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

Don't I! No but it's true. Wenger, Martinez, Pellegrini and even Fergie in those famed games against the best European teams show that you can't just decide to attack and it will work. There is a reason Pep was sought after by virtually everyone. He can get his teams to play front foot football and still look totally in charge. That's the most difficult thing to do in the game. There was the argument before that even he could only do that because he had the best teams. It's too early to say but he is showing that it was not as simple as that.

 

[Cooksen]

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

This.

Every team will now see a weakness and will go for it.

Pep might reget ditching hart.

 

[Florida Man]

We had our chances to draw and even win the game, but the scoreline is fair. We got our tactics wrong from the start and started off nervy. Soon as we get a solid first XI and get better chemistry, we'll challenge for the league. City played well and looked sharp. De Bruyne is a force, needless to be said.

And for all you Moyes reincarnates wanking on about City are so good and will walk the league, it's only the 4th match. Chill...

 

[Ash_G]

Got our tactics completely wrong in the first half matched with simply not showing the intensity City did. We needed to sit 2 midfielders close together with one just ahead of them.

Second half for me was also disappointing from our point of view and in reality City could and should have punished us. Whilst we started it really well we quickly went long ball and I just don't understand why. When we actually got it down on the ground and played we were making things happen and with how they had set their team up once we actually gone some momentum going there was space. Yes we should use the long ball where we can but we went for it way, way too much.

I mean if we'd played it on the ground more we might have drawn more fouls closer to their box at the very least let alone just having more effective attacks.

Personally I think whilst they probably have the edge players wise I think its much closer than the game suggested with this more being Peps approach being better than Mou's today, coupled with some poor performances from the players he brought in.

On the flip side their GK looks suspect and whilst it may be short term teething problems other teams will be encouraged by it like they were with De Gea and that may well help us.

Sooner or later though Mou is going to have to address Rooney and Ibra. They're just too slow as a front pairing. In most games it might not be an issue but in big games it will be.

 

[Freak]

Jose is apparently the master planner. How he failed to come up with a plan for KDB is a bit mystifying.

He had a plan. how could he have predicted blind would feck up and lingard and Micky would decide how to forget to play football?

 

[dove]

Yep. Perplexed why Lingard froze so badly as he played some big games last year. Miki is not used to the league yet and maybe he should not have started such a big game.

Yeah, I was really surprised by Lingard's performance as he used to step up his game in big matches.

 

[Triple.Threat]

can't win these games if Miki, Lingard, Blind, Pogba and Rooney all decided to have a mare. Ibra had two great chances towards the end of the first half and usually you would bet on him to score.

 

[Frank Grimes]

Total average rating of 5.6?( I was 6) I love how a result skews peoples opinions.

 

[Hugh Jass]

I had seen enough matches of City this season to make a good prediction they would come out and dominate the match from the start. When i saw we were playing a 4-2-3-1, i said that is the wrong formation to play. Let them pass it around and dominate possession and then we hit them on a counter attack. We should have went with Herrera/Carrick and Fellani and Pogba from the start.

Get rid of Lingarrd, hes not good enough. He doesnt have the mentality. And put Smalling in for Blind.

If you were to compare player for player us to city, i would wager we have about 7/8 better players. What city had was not tactics but a will to win. In the first half they were winning all the 50/50 balls. They wanted it more. So what you do is you let them have it and then hit them on the counter or a set piece.

Look its only one game and we will learn. And we will make the top four. But i was pretty pissed to see our lame effort in the first half. I had been saying for ages Blind was prone to mistakes and was eaten alive for it on another thread. Just play Smalling and Bailly.

 

[OJKernow]

City looked very good for the first 20 mins or so, and we looked very nervous and unsure. Poor touches, 5-10 yard passes going wayward, poor decision making.

Thought Miki and Pogba were very poor today, Pogba showed no positional awareness or discipline in the first half and it cost us the midfield battle. But it happens, he's still finding his feet in the team.

Rashford and Herrera both looked class when they came on and changed the game. Both have to start the next game for me.

If the whole 90 had been the same as the first 20 I'd be fuming, but we did show fight and spirit in the second half at least, as much as it hurts to lose a derby there's still lots of football left to be played this season.

 

[ash_86]

Not buying Kante cost us the match

 

[wr8_utd]

He had a plan. how could he have predicted blind would feck up and lingard and Micky would decide how to forget to play football?

The entire game. KDB had the freedom to do whatever he wanted.

 

[Attila]

That first 40 minutes was a disgrace. Think it was a poor decision to go 4231 and to pick Lingard over martial or rashford

City title favourites

 

[Nobby style]

Grim first half, disappointed with Pogba, Rooney not adding much (how many times are we going to keep saying that and managers never drop him?!... unbelievable!).

Bravo tackle decision pathetic..... studs up (Rooney had top of boot in front not studs), not in control and anywhere else on the pitch, it's a red. For those who say "he touched the ball", that's irrelevant - sure Clattenburg AND his linesman will say will be told to say they didn't have clear view.

Overall City deserved the win (chokes)

 

[Red Devil 26]

For someone as sure of himself as Mourinho appears to be, he didn't have a clue what he wanted from this team today

 

[JTW95]

Hindsight is a great thing. Nobody was bemoaning the selection before the game.

Can't always get it right.

At least he had the balls to make 2 substitutions at half time that helped us a lot.

Very true. I even said it was a good line up before the match but it turned out to be a disaster.

I suppose the positives are that we managed to stay in the game when we could have been 3 or 4 down at half time. We also fought till the end. Just didn't have the end product today.

I am still confident about our chances this season and can't wait to see what this team can accomplish.

 

[Ramshock]

Pogba needs to improve his positional game drastically. Once he does that he should be at the top fo the game.

 

[Kag]

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.

I can't agree with that at all. Mourinho knew that City would play the likes of Silva and De Bruyne in pockets of space behind the defence. They've played the same formation all season.

We should have set up accordingly to combat them.

 

[SalfordRed1960]

Pogba tries to do everything by himself. You can dribble past 1 or 2 but no way you can gk through 3 in the PL.

Ibra had a great goal but after that he tried to volley every single ball that came his way.

Herrera is a lovely player.

Starting Mkhi was the wrong call.

First goal was just mistakes.

Rashford is very good.

Martial still invisible.

Rooney was decent, he had fire.

Fellaini have been consistently good.

Lost in the first half. Was always going to be a tough match. We tried, but it wasn't enough.

Pretty much this. On the day they wanted it more, they won most duels, KDB was exceptional as was Silva. Had a go and got beat by a good side, not much else to it. I would add that Lingard was clearly not ready for a match, and Shaw was struggling, so maybe he was not fully over his injury.