I was just wondering, is there an argument that an XI of players who didn’t start/weren’t even involved on Sunday beat that side he put out, even ignoring the injured Paul Pogba?
———————-Romero
————Jones—-Bailly-—Rojo
Valencia———————————Dalot
————————Pereira
———————Fred-Mata
——————Alexis-Lukaku
Whilst still a bit ropey and admittedly not much better looking, I really don’t think that side does any worse vs City on Sunday, and from our entire squad a much better XI and system could have been picked and implemented than what José gave us, with or whiteout Pogba. That’s one of my main issues with Mourinho, and why I don’t have any sympathy with him and this view that there’s been a perceived lack of investement. There’s been a lack of investment in regards to chasing the European elite, but he should still be getting so much more out of what we have.
I’d rather have played that midfield given above with the backline and forwardline JM picked, had a proper go and been dispatched 5-2 or something, than only have 1 shot on target from a penalty - that only came from a needless brain fart from their keeper - and lose in the depressing manner we did.
The midfield he played still makes me angry. What on Earth was the plan in playing 3 6’+ donkeys against that City side? Sure bypassing the midfield by going long is an option when we have the ball, but we didn’t have the ball for about 2/3rds of the match, and that midfield wasn’t at all equipped to cope off the ball vs City, especially when you consider the current form and potential levels of fatigue in both sets of players.
As soon as Pogba was ruled out, Fred had to play - that makes the comment having to play Fellaini from the start and therefore not having him as an option from the bench even more laughable, what the hell does he want, TWO Fellainis??? He had £100m worth of midfielders in Fred and Mata on the bench.
Sunday was just indicative of what’s happened to City and United over the past 2 and a bit years. City have become a side that dictates a football match, we barely even play football at times now, football just kind of happens to us.