[Rood]

None of them were great chances, none easy to finish. Haaland has some easier chances and did terrible.

Our chances were as good as theirs - a lot of over negative reactions to a loss in a close game

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[Hammondo]

Our chances were as good as theirs - a lot of over negative reactions to a loss in a close game

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That includes the pen though I believe. We also had more chances, just not as good individually.

 

[TheRedDevil2019]

Game was lost before a ball had even been kicked.

Rashford should have started out wide, Weghorst centrally and Garnacho as the front three.

Mctominay brought on for Eriksen at HT, he was never involved. (Probably Eriksens worst performance in United colours.)

De Gea's distribution was dreadful too. Only half our side turned up with a solid performance imo.

 

[Rood]

That includes the pen though I believe. We also had more chances, just not as good individually.

Even without the pen it's basically even on quality of chances

Their goals are very low % chances, 9/10 times they don't go in - credit to Gundogan on the first strike but the 2nd was jammy

 

[Hammondo]

Even without the pen it's basically even on quality of chances

Their goals are very low % chances, 9/10 times they don't go in - credit to Gundogan on the first strike but the 2nd was jammy

Yea their goals were very low chances, no doubt.

 

[Josh 76]

Game was lost before a ball had even been kicked.

Rashford should have started out wide, Weghorst centrally and Garnacho as the front three.

Mctominay brought on for Eriksen at HT, he was never involved. (Probably Eriksens worst performance in United colours.)

De Gea's distribution was dreadful too. Only half our side turned up with a solid performance imo.

If Weghorst had started, there would have been a riot. ETH played the best possible team. Garnacho wouldn’t have had the same impact if he started. He never does.

At the start of the game, everyone would have taken 1-1 at HT with the team that started. I Agree about Erikson. He should have been taken off at HT.

 

[Bristol_Red_87]

It'll be great to think that in 2, maybe 3 Year's time, we could go toe to toe with City.

For now, we have to be pragmatic. And that's exactly what ETH's plan encompassed yesterday.

We had to swallow our pride and accept the role as plucky underdogs. It's a bitter pill to swallow, but it's true for every other side that's come up against City this season.

We lined up similarly to that of the side that faced City at OT and it was almost as effective, largely stifling Rodri and KBD. We probably showed them even more respect that day, but our shape made us incredibly difficult to play against. In the summer sun on a huge Wembley pitch City found more gaps, but that was to be expected IMO.

It's clear that there are upgrades needed, most notably on the likes of DDG, Fred and in the forward line.

I have a little sympathy for De Gea on the second goal. He was unsighted and wouldn't have seen it til it was past Casemiro, who also didn't cover himself in glory by allowing it to bounce past him.

But his distribution was once again severely lacking. You can't keep giving a team like City cheap possession. You could argue his team mates didn't help him out in terms of creating an angle for a pass etc, but his insistence on hoofing the ball up to Rashford and Sancho was absolutely bizzare.

Fred is a trier, but he's an absolute liability and you never know which version you're getting. I'm sure ETH would have loved to have hauled him off in the second half but we just didn't have the options off the bench..

Forward line speaks for itself, but as much as a high class striker will clearly help us put away the teams we dominate, it's not necessarily going to turn the tide against this lot. We need to be able to control games, at least for long periods against the better sides.

 

[Hughie77]

Look we played an established side that's destroyed teams this season. They didn't do that yesterday, ETH did the best with the tools he had, a decent or top striker yesterday result could have been different.

Imo we played very well the best Striker in the world didn't do much had 1 shot saved and that was it.. KDB Was kept pretty quiet so was Grealish and Silva both of those were getting frustrated and both should have been booked?

Eth needs to now be backed in summer window leave him get shot of who he wants to and leave him bring in who he needs. January window was not what he wanted but did the best he could get .disappointed with result but not the way we played by a long way .

 

[Marwood]

There's no shame in losing and ETH couldn't have done more considering his options.

But as a club will we ever stop messing about?

City weren't great yesterday. We didn't need to be brilliant to beat them. Various United teams of the past would have beaten them. Not even our best teams would be needed. Fergies last team, which I don't think was great, could have beaten them.

We could, if we were run properly even over the last 3 seasons(never mind 10), have stopped their treble.

But for whatever reason we keep making terrible, obviously terrible, decisions.

 

[rpitchfo]

De gea - bad, I can’t believe how bad his distribution was, we gave up possession by going long aimlessly.

Bassaka, my man of the match, kept jack quiet.

Varane, fine,

Lindelof, fine

Shaw, generally fine

Cas, fine

Fred, headless chicken

Bruno, fine after the first 20 minutes.

Eriksen, worst player today.

Sancho, too weak, offers nothing

Rashford, so lazy off the ball, the difference between his and haalands workrate is light years.

Garnacho, did a good job when he came on.

Didn’t think city were great but they did enough, a few players are just a level above.

Glad we weren’t embarrassed and made it somewhat competitive.

 

[Hughie77]

If Weghorst had started, there would have been a riot. ETH played the best possible team. Garnacho wouldn’t have had the same impact if he started. He never does.

At the start of the game, everyone would have taken 1-1 at HT with the team that started. I Agree about Erikson. He should have been taken off at HT.

Agree Garnacho couldn't start it was the best 11 he could have started with, with what was available. Eriksen was not at his best but EtH trusts him along side Casimero and kept him on as long as possible. Garnacho next season could well be a starter ?

 

[Champ]

The better team won yesterday, but we aren't as far behind them.

The alarming thing from yesterday though was Casemiro not able to track back by the end, he looked knackered and out on his feet.

Garnacho is an absolute talent and will be a major asset next season, especially of we can get an elite striker up there.

Actually thought we played some great football to break the lines and around the edge of their box, just a shame we don't have a cutting edge, but that's the story of the season.

 

[Hammondo]

We are not far away. Back the manager is ne we can win the title in a year or two I think.
The priorities are a goalscorer (Kane please, he is exactly what we need), a goalkeeper and a midfielder.

That is very unrealistic.

 

[noodlehair]

I think that will become a dilemma for ETH next year when the likes of Sancho prove ineffective on the left and there's pressure to have Garnacho start each game. Now you're in quandary of what to do with Sancho and Rashford.

I thought he should have started yesterday. I know there's the impact sub argument but when Rashford is through the middle anyway its a no brainer for me. You don't have to play an 18 year old every week but its a cup final and he was easily the best available option...and it was made more problematic where we already had no one on the opposite wing with Antony out.

Apart from just generally being a good player Garnacho will run in behind and take on defenders directly which creates more room for Rashford. Sancho, I mean I wouldn't say I've given up on him but he's just not the type of player to do this. He'd have been perfectly fine doing whatever on earth it was Fernandes was supposed to be doing on the right (apparently going wherever the feck he wanted except on the right).

 

[DomesticTadpole]

They're not in 4th gear, they're tired.

I agree. Of course they were trying it's a cup final. It has been a long tiring and for some injury hit season with a shallow in quality squad.

 

[AngliaRed]

Lost to 2 full volleys from outside the box. A good keeper would of at least went for the 1st and DDG almost saved the 2nd. It came through a sea of players also but you want your keeper to do better.

Varane kept the most lethal striker in PL history quiet for 90mins and we should of at least took it to extra time.

Erikson looked lost and 2 seconds behind the game which I thought would be the case.

Sancho looks scared of the ball and scared of working hard.

As much as it hurt, we didnt do as bad as the “experts” predicted.

Would it of been any differant with Martinez, Sabitzer and Anthony starting, maybe but doubtful.

Hopefully we have a big summer, 2-3 big name signings and clear out the likes of Maguire, Bailly, Williams, Jones, Martial and Weghurst.

 

[DomesticTadpole]

Let's be realistic here:

They have a better team
They have a better squad
Their players aren't as tired as ours
They have less injuries than us

We always knew we would need a bit of luck to get something from the game - and strangely enough we almost got it. But it's rather obvious that we will need 6-7 new players if we are going to match City both in terms of quality and quantity.

Think some are having a real problem accepting that. Most of us know it and it needs to change, not just for us, for the other top teams as well. Until it does they will dominate.

 

[DomesticTadpole]

De gea - bad, I can’t believe how bad his distribution was, we gave up possession by going long aimlessly.

Bassaka, my man of the match, kept jack quiet.

Varane, fine,

Lindelof, fine

Shaw, generally fine

Cas, fine

Fred, headless chicken

Bruno, fine after the first 20 minutes.

Eriksen, worst player today.

Sancho, too weak, offers nothing

Rashford, so lazy off the ball, the difference between his and haalands workrate is light years.

Garnacho, did a good job when he came on.

Didn’t think city were great but they did enough, a few players are just a level above.

Glad we weren’t embarrassed and made it somewhat competitive.

What City do for large sections of the game is keep the ball, it helps their energy level for most of the game and lessens the oppositions. We either have to get players who can do the same or if we want to be quicker in transition make sure we have players who are accurate passer and don't lose the ball unnecessarily.

 

[Hackman2210]

Lost to a team that’s state funded with the best striker in the world and probably the best manager in the world. Bitter pill to swallow but at the start of the season we all would have taken 3rd place with 2 cup finals.

ETH needs to be backed in the summer - players out Maguire, Fred, Sancho possibly Eriksen who doesn’t look to have the legs for the prem anymore.

Kim, Mount, caicedo and a striker please. With Amad, and greenwood back we can be dangerous again next season.

 

[POF]

United did really well. They were well set up, kept City to half chances and were well in the game throughout.

When you are clearly second best when it comes to attacking quality you need everything to go your way. Conceding from the kick off and a second that any competent keeper would have saved was too big a hurdle to overcome.

City had Alvarez and Mahrez sitting on the bench who didn't even get on. United sent on Weghorst and McTominay to chase the game.

The club needs to back ETH in the summer. He's done an absolutely amazing job and the future looks really bright. But he can't keep defying the odds. They need to get players in so they have a more balanced midfield and an attacking threat going forward.

A keeper who doesn't regularly throw one in would help too.

 

[DomesticTadpole]

By the way stop fretting about what happened yesterday, it is what happens with the club in the future that will show if we are going to move further in the right direction.

 

[IRN-BRUno]

Neither side were at their best, in some ways that makes it a little more disappointing we were unable to take advantage. Don't think there was much to separate the teams, they scored from a great strike that 9 times out of 10 goes miles wide and one that should have been saved, on another day they aren't quite as fortunate and Rashford's effort just goes under the bar or Garnacho scores.

 

[Red in STL]

I said - pull up the stats. To me it seemed he had a good game, I’ll be honest and admit I’m wrong if his numbers were bad.

The eye test tells you he had a poor game

 

[RedfromIreland]

Look we played an established side that's destroyed teams this season. They didn't do that yesterday, ETH did the best with the tools he had, a decent or top striker yesterday result could have been different.

Imo we played very well the best Striker in the world didn't do much had 1 shot saved and that was it.. KDB Was kept pretty quiet so was Grealish and Silva both of those were getting frustrated and both should have been booked?

Eth needs to now be backed in summer window leave him get shot of who he wants to and leave him bring in who he needs. January window was not what he wanted but did the best he could get .disappointed with result but not the way we played by a long way .

Good summary. After Garnancho came on he changed the game and with a bit of luck could have had a couple of goals.
I actually thought City players looked shattered last 15 minutes.

 

[united_99]

I do think City were comfortable. If we had scored a 2nd they would have most likely scored a 3rd. They weren’t in 2nd gear or anything, but it felt they could have stepped up a level whereas we already gave everything (I mean look who came on for them, casually bringing on 100 mil worth of defenders in the last 5 minutes).

 

[Tincanalley]

Lost to oil cheating bastards.

Hope we dont become one ourselves.

Best post of the day

 

[freddie the red]

Ownership model aside, and we all know city would be flitting between the lower reaches of the prem and the championship if left to exist organically, what we saw yesterday clearly demonstrates the magnitude of the job EtH has on his hands.
Sad to say but what they had on the pitch and on the bench, for whatever reason, is night and day in comparison to what we can currently field.
I'm not a fan of this tikki takka, carousel, recycling the ball type of football but you have to say that all of their players are comfortable in possession. They are technically, tactically and mentally superior (individually and collectively) to our lot and it showed in spades yesterday.
Whilst disappointed not to have won the FA Cup again (we've lost in the final a record 9 times now and in 4 times out of the last 5 appearances) it was almost a relief that they didn't feel the need to exert themselves. They could easily have gone through several more gears if necessary whilst we could hardly string 2 or 3 decent passes together.
There are big question marks against most of our lot and huge decisions to be made in the coming year or two if we are to genuinely and consistently return to competing at the highest reaches of the PL and Champion's League.
I think we have a nucleus to start from but even that is suspect when you consider two of them, Varane and Casemiro, had their best years elsewhere and will need replacing sooner rather than later.
Several players I'd be happy to never see in a United squad again and some of our so called "better" ones are hardly even good enough for city's bench.
Accepting that Guardiola is six or seven years into his city career and Erik's only just started you have to hope that there is a really good coach/manager in there and that he'll be given the time and proper resources to move the club forward.
I'm also hoping he is able/allowed to show the same minerals with several of the current lot as he did with Ronaldo.
Disappointed in yesterday but, onwards and upwards!

 

[Bobski]

It was a missed opportunity, City were pretty poor by their standards yesterday. Don't think Utd were great either but cup finals are rarely flowing.

 

[Quagmire Maguire]

Were you actually in the stadium? Because I was and the United fans didn't stop cheering for United throughout the match.

Yep, was also there for the semi final against Brighton. Fans were much better for that game.

United fan zone before the game was also dead.

Probably because we all expected a drubbing but it would be nice if us fans could become the 12th man more often. I attended Liverpool United and unfortunately was in with the Liverpool fans and they are relentless. Just wish we could be. Anyway it's a moot point. The better team won. Bring on the summer transfers!

 

[RedOrange]

It was a missed opportunity, City were pretty poor by their standards yesterday. Don't think Utd were great either but cup finals are rarely flowing.

You don't think United's tactical setup had something to do with City looking poor?

 

[MyBloodIsRed]

DDG’s distribution was atrocious

 

[Crimson King]

You don't think United's tactical setup had something to do with City looking poor?

That would be giving credit to United, something the 'fans' on here refuse to do.

 

[NZT-One]

Let's be realistic here:

They have a better team
They have a better squad
Their players aren't as tired as ours
They have less injuries than us

We always knew we would need a bit of luck to get something from the game - and strangely enough we almost got it. But it's rather obvious that we will need 6-7 new players if we are going to match City both in terms of quality and quantity.

Think it is important to note that it probably isn't just adding x or y new players but ETH also has to improve the team on may levels. Be that the overall technical level, the organisation, a suitable game plan and so on. Throwing more and more players in certainly pushes in the right direction, but at the end of the day you can only field 11 players so, to top ManCity, we have to maximize the output on a collective level just as well. Just as ManCity is doing - they are evolving year after year, they play a similar (even with slight adaptations from season to season) but their recruitment fits the needs of the manager (and/or sports people in charge).

We wasted valuable time with side steps, now we have to go forward to catch up. Much work to do.

 

[trevor newnham]

let's face it. at half time 4-0 down against Brentford, if someone had said that we would win the League Cup, finish third in the League, lose by the odd goal against apparently the greatest side ever to grace this planet, I would have had a mild coronary laughing. But we did. We need a few new players, we know that, EtH knows that. If we can get those - striker, upgrade in midfield, goalkeeper who can distribute the ball - we will be there or thereabouts. The greatest striker the world has ever seen didn't have a sniff, the best left winger in the world was kept quiet by someone who was apparently on his way out of the club last season. We are so nearly there. Frigging back the team or f**k off.

 

[Crimson King]

Think it is important to note that it probably isn't just adding x or y new players but ETH also has to improve the team on may levels. Be that the overall technical level, the organisation, a suitable game plan and so on. Throwing more and more players in certainly pushes in the right direction, but at the end of the day you can only field 11 players so, to top ManCity, we have to maximize the output on a collective level just as well. Just as ManCity is doing - they are evolving year after year, they play a similar (even with slight adaptations from season to season) but their recruitment fits the needs of the manager (and/or sports people in charge).

We wasted valuable time with side steps, now we have to go forward to catch up. Much work to do.

While all that's true to a certain extent, I would argue that City give Pep the best tools possible to work with. He's very good at extracting every drop of potential from those players, but they're normally some of the best players in the world in their respective positions. Quality in depth also allows him to be creative when he needs to be, especially as they have a core group there now who have been playing together under pep for a fair bit of time and know his methods.

Raising the floor of this squad for EtH is just as important as raising the ceiling if he's going to be truly successful for us, but just allowing time and patience will also be valuable.

 

[Bobski]

You don't think United's tactical setup had something to do with City looking poor?

Of course it was a factor but I am trying to think of exceptional team performances in FA Cup finals and not many are coming to mind. Heavy pitch at Wembley, the strange atmosphere, tends to be a bit of a leveller. Utd-Brighton was scrappy as well, neither team were near their best.

 

[cletus7]

If I remember correctly, they had the league wrapped up at the time they were playing Brighton so it was just a game to keep in shape more than a competitive one. I wouldn’t use that as a measure.

The point you’re missing is that City played about the same in that game as this one. They didn’t bring their vintage A-game yesterday.. far from it. There’s no excuse for getting beat in the tunnel. Didn’t happen against Barca and shouldn’t have happened against City!

 

[redmanx]

Not seen any city fans yet but those two goals came out of nowhere. We put up a good performance.

Yes, all the while our players were focussed and concentrating but, as happens far too often they switch off o,r as in the first goal, never switch on. Ive lost count of the early goals we conceded in both halves over the season. The match lasts a minimum of 90 minutes and requires focus for all that time but some of our players are too often wondering about their next car or photo shoot or what ever and forget they have a match to play.

 

[justsomebloke]

Our chances were as good as theirs - a lot of over negative reactions to a loss in a close game

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Agreed. City looked, all things considered, the stronger team but it was tight, and could have gone either way. We had clearly set up to shut them down, and to a large extent we did. The back 4 had a really good game, Varane especially. They didn't really create any big chances. Even their two goals weren't really that - I don't want to take anything away from Gündogan for his two marvellous finishes, but put him in those situations ten times, how many of them does he score on? We at least gave ourselves the chance of a result with how we played.

For most of the game we didn't have much of an attacking presence though. You could argue with the selection - Sancho, Eriksen and Bruno in the forward line behind Rashford seems odd, in a game where we could not expect to have much sustained possession or spend much time in established attacking posture. But I think much of the explanation for that is the defensive needs which obviously had priority. Eriksen had the job of man-marking Rodri, which is presumably why he played as 10 (and which he did pretty well, I think). I suppose ETH figured it was a better use of Bruno to leave him in a freer position, out on the right, instead of saddling him with primary defensive responsibilities in the midfield. Which makes sense, but what I struggle with is the selection of Sancho, a player whose contribution is almost wholly in and around the oppo box, rather than in transition. Why not Garnacho?

 

[justsomebloke]

Game was lost before a ball had even been kicked.

Rashford should have started out wide, Weghorst centrally and Garnacho as the front three.

Mctominay brought on for Eriksen at HT, he was never involved. (Probably Eriksens worst performance in United colours.)

De Gea's distribution was dreadful too. Only half our side turned up with a solid performance imo.

Weghorst? Really? As someone else wrote there would have been a riot, and rightly so. The bigger question is why not Garnacho instead of Sancho, given that we were obviously going to rely on transitions for our offence.

I don't think Eriksen had as bad a game as most here seem to think. It looked to me like his primary job was to man-mark Rodri out of the game, which he did fairly well. Obviously this limited his offensive contributions.