[Ixion]

We have a pretty big weakness for getting hit on the counter attack. It's not even a surprise when we dominate for ages and the other team breaks and sticks their only chance away.

 

[DomesticTadpole]

He had a poor game tonight but that doesnt say he's been a bad player so far

Darmian has been great this season.

 

[Fergus' son]

No need for meltdown (not that you'll pay attention).

 

[HBFSTR00]

Blind is much smarter at going forward and is better at supporting our attack when he is forward (he had a horrible cross though)

He's been playing cb all games so far, why suddenly play him left back if Rojo can do the job there.

 

[Rampant-red]

I can't believe we lost this one, we should've at least come away with a draw. Psv are an average team that caught us on the
counter attack apart from that they were of no threat to us.

It may sound a bit of a daft thing to say because we've just lost but I actually thought we played alright, tonight was the first time this season where we made use out in the wide areas with the pace we have. We just really lack that killer instinct in the final third of the pitch and I think that is unfortunately going to be a common theme for us during the season because of the limited number of strikers we have at our disposal.

.you know it was one of those nights. We were playing well,, dreadful injury to our player . We scored. We never go heads over Lukes injury .. then you know what.... we fell apart.

Subs were wrong .....
Young had a nightmare ....

We needed a leader and this is the problem. .WE DON'T HAVE ONE ,.... sorry but we don't . You will only win in situations with a true leader and regretfully we don't have a warrior of a leader ,,,, aka ,, Keano

Please God Luke will be ok ..

 

[ivaldo]

Games can't be taken in isolation when they follow a pattern.

Except this game was nothing like the previous ones. You seem incapable of commenting on the game without bringing in preconceived notions. Anyone and their gran could have told you it was individual errors and shocking finishing from our players that lost us that game. No matter what happened today you were going to blame LVG.

 

[Kag]

We have a pretty big weakness for getting hit on the counter attack. It's not even a surprise when we dominate for ages and the other team breaks and sticks their only chance away.

Most likely a product of our game plan. Our defenders and midfielders split heavily and a poor pass in the wrong area can leave us exposed.

It just reinforces the need for precision in our own half, something I think we're getting better at all the time.

 

[acnumber9]

Except this game was nothing like the previous ones. You seem incapable of commenting on the game without bringing in preconceived notions. Anyone and their gran could have told you it was individual errors and shocking finishing from our players that lost us that game. No matter what happened today you were going to blame LVG.

I haven't blamed for anything other than leaving us with not enough attacking options. It was like other games though. We dominated possession and lost the game. And when we behind we looked to lump the ball up to Fellaini. I thought we were playing well enough until the manager changed it and made things worse. My notion is no more preconceived than yours. You'd have been defending Van Gaal no matter what.

 

[GeneralGattuso]

We played well and the result was unlucky but serious questions need to be asked of LVG - it was his choice to go into this season with a paperthin squad and now we are getting some injuries the bench looks decidedly weak, no one to come on and change a game. Ultimately "unlucky" will soon become "a serious lack of goals" if something isn't done.

Mata was worse than useless tonight - why Hererra was taken off and not him, baffles my mind. Darmian had a shocker (losing his man for the 1st and gifting the 2nd). Fellaini was a poor sub and Young was awful for 45mins, decent for about 10 and then useless and taken off. But we had no real options on the bench. Either LVG is unable to change a game with his subs or he has few good options, neither of those look good for him.

Martial and Depay were the big wins for the night, Shaw would have been too (what an AWFUL decision by the ref). Smalling was solid once again but I fear what might happen if he gets injured.

 

[JustAFan]

Just proves we are one more major transfer window away from being anywhere near a top team

 

[Sylar]

For tonight, result became secondary after the injury. Hope Luke Shaw recovers.

The loss was disappointing because I thought the subs killed our momentum. The Wolfsburg match becomes big (it kinda was, cos we need to win all our home matches)

 

[Sarni]

We will find it very difficul to make it past the group stages. CSKA and Wolfsburg will not be any easier than PSV and if we lose to both away from home we are basically out.

 

[Offside]

No need for meltdown (not that you'll pay attention).

This place is by far the worst forum on the internet for overreactions and meltdowns. Some of the shite spouted in here.

 

[Ibi Dreams]

It's easy to say in hindsight that bringing on fellaini was a bad decision, but he's often been very effective as a sub and gives us more options for finding the net. It didn't work, possibly because he wasn't fit to play as was mentioned by the commentator. I don't think it was necessarily a bad choice

 

[Todd]

We suck, that's pretty much all that has to be said. We're just not a top team anymore.

 

[ivaldo]

I haven't blamed for anything other than leaving us with not enough attacking options. It was like other games though. We dominated possession and lost the game. And when we behind we looked to lump the ball up to Fellaini. I thought we were playing well enough until the manager changed it and made things worse. My notion is no more preconceived than yours. You'd have been defending Van Gaal no matter what.

Ive criticised Van Gaal plenty, you only have to look at the Valencia thread for evidence of that. Van Gaal should'nt have had to make subs to save us that game (subs that have saved us in the past) the players should've finished that game and so the blame should fall squarely on their shoulders. You've bypassed all that and gone straight for Van Gaal again. He set that starting XI up to near perfection and they have failed to deliver.

 

[paulscholes18]

How come LVG switched Mata, Young and Memphis around at Half Time, Memphis was having a very good games on the left, was a whisker away from making it 2-0

 

[RaptorSlo]

Darmian had a shocker (losing his man for the 1st and gifting the 2nd).

Could Darmian do anything more for first goal though? He he handlocked with his opponent. But he got outmuscled. Sometimes there's just a stronger guy out there and if everything falls right for him, you can't do anything about it.

 

[Unlikely lad]

It's easy to say in hindsight that bringing on fellaini was a bad decision, but he's often been very effective as a sub and gives us more options for finding the net. It didn't work, possibly because he wasn't fit to play as was mentioned by the commentator. I don't think it was necessarily a bad choice

Taking Herrera off for him was the bad decision.

 

[dwd]

How come LVG switched Mata, Young and Memphis around at Half Time, Memphis was having a very good games on the left, was a whisker away from making it 2-0

Probably because Young tracks back more and we had lost Shaw.

 

[acrebo]

We will find it very difficul to make it past the group stages. CSKA and Wolfsburg will not be any easier than PSV and if we lose to both away from home we are basically out.

I'd agree if we were in anyway outplayed by PSV, but we've been beaten by a smash n grab performance which didn't merit 1 point, let alone 3.

If Wolsburg and CSKA are a similar test to PSV, and I think both teams will attack us more and leave space at the back to exploit, then we'll pick up the points we need.

 

[Henk de Rode]

Just not good enough. I'm a LvG 'fanboy' but I think he has to go now.

 

[Americano]

I'm going to read excerpts from Gerrard's autobiography to cheer myself up.

 

[dwd]

We have a pretty big weakness for getting hit on the counter attack. It's not even a surprise when we dominate for ages and the other team breaks and sticks their only chance away.

That's been happening for a good four or five years now though.

 

[Tincanalley]

This place is by far the worst forum on the internet for overreactions and meltdowns. Some of the shite spouted in here.

I could not agree more. This x 1000. I don't want to read 'we suck' anymore.

 

[BennyBlanco]

I'm going to read excerpts from Gerrard's autobiography to cheer myself up.

Only thing thats made me crack even a half simle tonight, cheers.

 

[Tincanalley]

I'm going to read excerpts from Gerrard's autobiography to cheer myself up.

Great plan. *Grim smile*

 

[Fergus' son]

Just not good enough. I'm a LvG 'fanboy' but I think he has to go now.

 

[acnumber9]

Ive criticised Van Gaal plenty, you only have to look at the Valencia thread for evidence of that. Van Gaal should'nt have had to make subs to save us that game (subs that have saved us in the past) the players should've finished that game and so the blame should fall squarely on their shoulders. You've bypassed all that and gone straight for Van Gaal again. He set that starting XI up to near perfection and they have failed to deliver.

Obviously he didn't set it up perfectly if the players were incapable of holding a lead or finishing a game off. Again. You're talking like we missed a host of sitters. It's indicative of how uncreated we've been that this game stands out as a game where we played well and creatively. This should be the bare minimum.

 

[Asger]

How come LVG switched Mata, Young and Memphis around at Half Time, Memphis was having a very good games on the left, was a whisker away from making it 2-0

Probably because Young was poor on the right and he is our star player! We should have just take him off for Carrick and used Herrera on the right.

 

[Fergus' son]

This place is by far the worst forum on the internet for overreactions and meltdowns. Some of the shite spouted in here.

It's dreadful in here these last couple years. Still a great forum and I do enjoy it but it really is a horrible place to be after a bad result.

 

[Schweinsteiger]

I'm finding it very hard to digest some of these games we've been playing since Van Gaal took over. Supposedly in control for all of our games yet somehow we manage to lose.

In a sense - I find it really really unlucky. Eindhoven gave nothing. Their goals were a result of our mistakes. Costly costly mistakes. It seems every time we lose the ball a goal will be scored. It just seems that way at the moment. This was almost a carbon copy result of the Swansea game.

To lose 2-1 tonight is a disgrace. PSV aren't a good team.

 

[Raw]

I'd agree if we were in anyway outplayed by PSV, but we've been beaten by a smash n grab performance which didn't merit 1 point, let alone 3.

If Wolsburg and CSKA are a similar test to PSV, and I think both teams will attack us more and leave space at the back to exploit, then we'll pick up the points we need.

With regards to our group, I don't think it would matter too much if we finished 2nd.

With the way the Champions League groups have been seeded, we could get a big team regardless of finishing 1st or 2nd. Obviously we really should be finishing 1st in this group, but it's not the end of the world if we finish 2nd.

 

[Adisa]

Thought that was one of our better performances. (closes door)

 

[Moriarty]

We will find it very difficul to make it past the group stages. CSKA and Wolfsburg will not be any easier than PSV and if we lose to both away from home we are basically out.

I think we'll qualify. We were comfortably the better team until Shaw's injury. Apart from the shock that must have caused, we had no attacking outlet on the left side afterwards and Van Gaal had to reshuffle his deck. Schweini ran the midfield virtually single-handed when he could have done with Schneiderlin behind him if he was going to play higher up.

I still think we mucked things up by not bringing in a centre half and another striker in the summer. We've got cover at left back in Blind but we can't play him there without weakening the middle of the defence. I don't think Rojo is the answer and Jones isn't either, although I think he would have useful against PSV.

 

[ivaldo]

Obviously he didn't set it up perfectly if the players were incapable of holding a lead or finishing a game off. Again. You're talking like we missed a host of sitters. It's indicative of how uncreated we've been that this game stands out as a game where we played well and creatively. This should be the bare minimum.

Unfortunately Van Gaal hasn't master (ed mind control yet. All he can do is pick the right players and give them the right tools based on the job at hand, he can't play the game for them.

 

[acnumber9]

Unfortunately Van Gaal hasn't master (ed mind control yet. All he can do is pick the right players and give them the right tools based on the job at hand, he can't play the game for them.

No. What he can do is try and affect the game from the touch line like other managers do. Remember when he was bamboozled by Swansea changing shape? He could also stop making substitutions that kill our momentum.

 

[Asger]

We should use Wilson and Pereira instead of Young, Valencia and Fellaini.. Youth over average players!

 

[Kakeru]

Darmian has been great this season.

I don't give a shit. He had a very poor outing tonight, that's the only thing to discuss at the moment about him.

Oh, can I also say that I want to punch Rojo as well? It was fecking blatant that Blind already shouted him to keep his eyes open, but no. Rojo had to try a Hollywood clearance rather than watch his guy first.

To lose 2-1 tonight is a disgrace. PSV aren't a good team.

This. I would even say that "disgrace" is rather kind considering what has to be said about the way we performed tonight.

 

[Rich_H_1989]

Was it a bad performance? No. Was it a bad result? Yes. End of the day the time will come when people need to question LVG. It's all very well dominanting possession and maybe even creating more chances but 1) it comes down to creating the right quality and 2) it's about having players who will score vital goals.

It was LVGs decision to make Rooney his main striker when we all knew that was going to be a disaster. It was his decision not to add a proven goalscorer and let go of RVP. Ultimately not having a proven goalscorer puts pressure on everyone, pressure that eventually can lead to players making mistakes.

It was also his decision to let go of so many players so close to the deadline. So when inevitable injuries happen he can't moan. OK its partly bad luck but you need a quality squad.

We know have 5 champions league games to get roughly 10 points including a tricky away game to Russia.

But all that is really rather insignificant. It's all about perhaps our best player so far this year recovering quickly!