[SwansonsTache]

On the basis of how often Newcastle opened our defence up and outnumbered us on the counter I'd suggest only at home against the bottom half.

That can be sorted by dropping the #10 for an additional midfielder. The important thing is keeping the trio of Lukaku, Martial and Rashford on at the same time.

 

[Foxbatt]

Actually Ghaghua is right. Mata is someone who is a luxury. He was very poor in the first half. His problem is that when we have two midfield players, he cannot defend. He cannot defend because he is too slow. The opposing team always ignore him when they have the ball as they know he cannot catch up with them.
A good example was the Rashford miss pass to Martial in the first half. If Rashford had passed decently Martial was away. He passed it behind him but still the ball was 70-30 in Mata's favour. But the Newcastle player got to it first.

 

[edgar allan]

That can be sorted by dropping the #10 for an additional midfielder. The important thing is keeping the trio of Lukaku, Martial and Rashford on at the same time.

Hey, I'd love them to play every week but there is not a chance of Jose doing that.
It was a great game today and I loved our attacking play but we made Newcastle look like a top attacking team in the first half. Getting the balance right is the difficult thing.

 

[Tincanalley]

Very good point. The difference in what Jose is able to get from Pogba from last season to this is significant, and Matic is the biggest reason why.

@RRCE & @GM K - hear, hear.

 

[Devil may care]

Much needed performance, especially after going 1-0 down, anyone doubting how important Pogba is must surely see by now the difference in creativity and tempo in the team's play with him in the side.

 

[lewwoo]

Surely first on match of the day.

 

[buckooo1978]

enjoyable game but until Pogba intervened we looked very average and uninspiring

Rashford and Martial are young and will continue to develop - I feel we can't rely on them to create consistently and really at their age you'd want a more senior player on the left or right with them rotating again

thing is we need more from Mata and Mhiki when he plays- number 10 is our creative hub and Mata was a passenger for the first half - Mhiki hasnt played well for over 6 weeks and we need more from him and Mata if we arent going to be fighting with Spurs, Liverpool and Arsenal for 3rd and 4th

A nice comparison is the 08 team where we could rely on Rooney, Ronaldo, Scholes, Giggs, Tevez with players like Nani, Evra, Carrick, Larrson, Saha making big contributions

We need to be thinking about 2 quality attacking full backs and someone on the right and 10.... add 4 quality players there and we go toe to toe with City

What a lift having Pogba and Zlatan back - 2 leaders

 

[Andersons Dietician]

Actually Ghaghua is right. Mata is someone who is a luxury. He was very poor in the first half. His problem is that when we have two midfield players, he cannot defend. He cannot defend because he is too slow. The opposing team always ignore him when they have the ball as they know he cannot catch up with them.
A good example was the Rashford miss pass to Martial in the first half. If Rashford had passed decently Martial was away. He passed it behind him but still the ball was 70-30 in Mata's favour. But the Newcastle player got to it first.

Feel the same, that moment perfectly sums up Mata’s Physical weaknesses and he isn’t as influential on a game to counteract that. He’s not great in the 10 position and he’s not good enough out on the right. He’s a good player but he’s just not the guy.

 

[DarkXaero]

This Mata criticism is really strange, I thought he was very good today, a far better #10 performance than anything Mkhitaryan has offered us in months. He kept the ball well, played the right passes, and was involved in two of our goals.

 

[catmandeu]

Very happy with the selection and very happy with the performance. It is something to give lindelof confidence by playing him today after his error against huddersfield. We should try to keep this formation in upcoming games and build on it to have a positive response in the manchester derby. If we could add a left back, a no 10, and back up to our full back options, we are pretty much a settled team.

 

[Charlie Foley]

A nice comparison is the 08 team where we could rely on Rooney, Ronaldo, Scholes, Giggs, Tevez with players like Nani, Evra, Carrick, Larrson, Saha making big contributions

Think you're mixing up seasons. Larsson didn't play for us in 2008, and Saha scored 5 goals in total that season and was injured a lot.

 

[Peanut Butter]

Good win. 5-0 v Brighton please.

 

[Foxbatt]

This Mata criticism is really strange, I thought he was very good today, a far better #10 performance than anything Mkhitaryan has offered us in months. He kept the ball well, played the right passes, and was involved in two of our goals.

In the second half he played well as did every other player. It is when we do not have the ball that the problems surface. He is never winning any of the 70/30 tackles let alone the 50/50. The opposing teams ignore him when they have the ball as they never he is never going to catch them. When we have the ball he is better as he has the vision and the ability to pick a pass.
But this is a team game and where he plays he needs to lend a hand to the midfield and defend too. Now when Mikhi is playing like in the last few games he is terrible too. But when he plays well he is much better than Mata.
So Mata is a luxury we cannot afford to carry in big games especially.

 

[Turamb]

This Mata criticism is really strange, I thought he was very good today, a far better #10 performance than anything Mkhitaryan has offered us in months. He kept the ball well, played the right passes, and was involved in two of our goals.

Agreed, Mata is very important for the creativity of the team, especially against teams out to defend, and even more so with Mkhi out of form

 

[Charlie Foley]

Mata covered serious ground today. More than anyone else while he was on the pitch.

 

[Charlie Foley]

Also I don't really understand the "he played worse when we played worse" criticism of a player. Isn't that true of almost every player? Except someone like Roy Keane.

I just feel people look at that backwards. "He's not as good when we're not as good." Could just as easily say "we're not as good when he's not as good." Which applies to most players!

 

[SuperiorXI]

Surely first on match of the day.

Nah, I bet City will be.

 

[DarkXaero]

In the second half he played well as did every other player. It is when we do not have the ball that the problems surface. He is never winning any of the 70/30 tackles let alone the 50/50. The opposing teams ignore him when they have the ball as they never he is never going to catch them. When we have the ball he is better as he has the vision and the ability to pick a pass.
But this is a team game and where he plays he needs to lend a hand to the midfield and defend too. Now when Mikhi is playing like in the last few games he is terrible too. But when he plays well he is much better than Mata.
So Mata is a luxury we cannot afford to carry in big games especially.

Our whole team didnt really play well for the first 30 minutes. Mata wasn't very involved in the early period of the game but players sometimes need time to grow into the game. I don't buy this talk that the team needs to be a goal up for Mata to play well. Of course every number 10 in the world will play better when they have more space.

Also I dont agree that good form Mkhi is much better than Mata. Mata has scored far more important games for us than Mkhi. To say that Mata is a luxury in big games that we cannot afford is strange when Mata has actually scored in big games for us. The only thing Mkhi has over Mata is pace. Mata has better ball retention, decision making, and finishing.

 

[RedPed]

More of the same please! And see, Jose, you don't need to worry about having to bring on a game changer for the last 20 minutes, if they do the business in the first 70!

As many have already said......MARTIAL - LUKAKU - RASHFORD!!

Please...it's not rocket science. But after Newcastle scored, we were great to watch. Good to see that swagger back that we had at the start of the season. Don't care what anybody says, Martial is loads better than Rashers. Martial needs to start ahead of him, every time (if they're not all going to play).

I would just change the back two with Rojo and Bailly and we're set for the big games coming up. Not too worried about the Arsenal/City games now.

 

[Foxbatt]

Scoring in the Europa Cup final is not a scoring in a big match? Now one thing Mata certainly does not have is ball retention. He is one player who always lose the ball when get tackled. He has vision and technical ability. I am not saying that Mikhi is better than him but he surely is more quicker and therefore more useful to play in a midfield that has Pogba in it.

 

[deafepl]

I heard an interesting stat today. United is joint best in the PL this season at scoring from crosses.

Interesting, I think the height of our XI player is a key to score a goal from crosses. To be honest, we could've scored a lot of goal more from crosses if we had proper wingback.

 

[lewwoo]

Nah, I bet City will be.

Yeah I wouldn't be surprised. We will be second from last again

 

[Jim Beam]

Coming from a goal down, very attacking display, brilliant Pogba performance, Lukaku scoring, Martial & Rashford starting and putting very good performance, seeing Zlatan and Rojo again after that fecked up an injury, seeing FSW getting trashed... Is there anything (other than match thread) that wasn't enjoyable today?

We were a little shaky at the back, but that was a great performance. Maybe my favourite this season.

The new club record of 39 games without defeat at Old Trafford with a first conceded goal from open play at home since April 4th, 2017 against Everton. Fortress again.

 

[Organic Potatoes]

Quite a fun lineup, apart from defense.

 

[Tincanalley]

A great result, and top entertainment factor. Third goal was a peach. Don't know if anyone noticed, but Fellaini played well when he came on.

 

[Hansa]

The new club record of 39 games without defeat at Old Trafford with a first conceded goal from open play at home since April 4th, 2017 against Everton. Fortress again.

Aye, 6 league wins and 19 goals scored so far vs 8 league wins and 26 goals scored in total last year (bloody hell, was it really THAT bad?).

 

[AngliaRed]

Agree with the comments about pogbas greatness and the class of Martial etc.. but some of the space and vision from Mata was world class. Definitely our 2nd best player! Really good performance as a No.10! Ten times more effective than Mikis been the past 2 months.

 

[Catt]

I am so so so infuriated!!!!!

Angry as hell!!!!

I watched till the Gayle goal, fell asleep and woke up at 90 mins. Goddammit.

Tell me it isn't so

 

[Acole9]

A really enjoyable match, we didn't properly get going until we got the first goal, I felt we was plodding along before then. Delighted to see a few of the injured players back for us today, they have been missed.

 

[markorm]

Pogba was the difference.

The man is unbelievable. His composure on the ball, hold up play, pure midfield dominance, his linking between the back and front, the vision he has and the precision of his passes, he has to be one of the best footballers in the modern game. He's like a whole football team on his own. No wonder the team perfoms better with him in it, he's just fecking ridiculously good and I never realised just how good.

I wouldn't swap him for any footballer about right now. Plus he gives the whole team a swagger we lost when he disappeared.

 

[Parry Gallister]

Nah, I bet City will be.

Neither, north-cockney derby

 

[Mihai]

More of the same please! And see, Jose, you don't need to worry about having to bring on a game changer for the last 20 minutes, if they do the business in the first 70!

As many have already said......MARTIAL - LUKAKU - RASHFORD!!

Please...it's not rocket science. But after Newcastle scored, we were great to watch. Good to see that swagger back that we had at the start of the season. Don't care what anybody says, Martial is loads better than Rashers. Martial needs to start ahead of him, every time (if they're not all going to play).

I would just change the back two with Rojo and Bailly and we're set for the big games coming up. Not too worried about the Arsenal/City games now.

We've started with both Rashford and Martial because we had a striker on the bench. Wouldn't happen otherwise.

 

[moodyred]

Mata: I thought he provided alot of movement on the pitch, helping to free up others and also linking up well. Clocked the longest distance.

Pogba: we missed him.

Lindelof: he is the first United defender that defends with his hands behind his back each time the balls comes into the 6 yard box. It is awkward and makes his less agile. Is it really necessary?

 

[yo@Kirk]

So good today and little doubt it will get better as injured players return to full match fitness. Get top tier successors to Mata, Valencia, and Young on board by the start of next season and United will again be favored in whatever competition we are involved in.

 

[meamth]

how is 1st half poor? We made the comeback at half time, that was one of the best bits. What are you guys smoking?

 

[Cantonagotmehere]

First half wasn't forgettable, that's when we started our comeback and capped it with a lead. How was that forgettabl

Some people.....

 

[Cantonagotmehere]

Apologies to all the Death-eaters posting on here, but I enjoyed that!

I know all the compliments will go to Pogba and Zlatan. Deservedly so but goodness me, Nemanja Matic is such an incredible footballer. He is top class. His touches, passes, ball control, movement, and overall football brain is brilliant.

Easy to miss the fact that he's the one who makes Pogba tick and not the other way round and when Pogba ticks, this United team ticks.

Yes. He was awesome. I love watching him play, makes it look so easy. We need to save his legs when possible.

 

[Cantonagotmehere]

Actually Ghaghua is right. Mata is someone who is a luxury. He was very poor in the first half. His problem is that when we have two midfield players, he cannot defend. He cannot defend because he is too slow. The opposing team always ignore him when they have the ball as they know he cannot catch up with them.
A good example was the Rashford miss pass to Martial in the first half. If Rashford had passed decently Martial was away. He passed it behind him but still the ball was 70-30 in Mata's favour. But the Newcastle player got to it first.

Mata was not poor in the 1st half.

I'd play Mata at home whenever United play teams outside the top 6 for sure. When United will for sure control the game he is very important. And he's such a great dude.

 

[Icemav]

Pogba is just so much better than everybody else. What a difference he makes. The problem is when he gets injured we have nobody even close to replacing him.

A special shout out to Ashley Young for an unbelievable cross after being forced onto his weaker foot... not sure why he bothers cutting inside for his right when his left can produce magic like that. Him and Pogba retrieved that first half for us.

We were a bit exposed at times but I enjoy the team setting up to win (which is what Newcastle also did) and you always give yourself a chance to score goals and get big results like today.

On the subject of Mata, he was solid and Miki shouldn't be within a million miles of this team at present. He had a chance to step up in Pogba's absence and didn't. He has been awful. And despite Mata's turtle pace he at least gives consistency and ball retention (though I was equally frustrated that he couldnt retrieve that loose pass from Rashford). Neither are long term solutions I believe but Miki is a team killer at the moment so the decision of who to start is simple. Dybala in the summer would be nice ;-)

 

[ManRant]

We all know what you like to do when you're given money, you fat shit:

1. Buy a burger
2. Try and sell Xabi Alonso to fund a purchase for Gareth Barry
3. Ryan Babel, Josemi, Nunez, Bellamy, Pennant, Kromkamp, Glen the son of John (Copyright P), Alberto Aquilani, Robbie Keane, Albert Riera, Dossena, Degen, Momo Sissoko, Squirtle, Voronin, Yossi Benayoun, El Zhar, Morientes

He's not to be trusted with money.

RaMaKu?

Back on topic. I think we're slowly getting back to our early season best, and its no surprise it coincides with the return of our talisman Pogba.

Lufordial.