[Robbie Boy]

Try 8.

Probably.

 

[MelvinYeo]

- Rooney RVP Mata are closer to our three biggest problems than our three best players
- Welbeck needs to start
- I wouldn't mind selling all of our central midfielders
- Three managers seem to think because Valencia and Young can't attack they are good defensively

 

[pjaya]

Back 3 were really good second half, Blackett especially.

Yes the only positive from this game, but yea 1 point from 2 game is an improvement atm

 

[Will Singh]

We are in deep trouble and it's time to admit it, I'm not in meltdown but we need more then a couple of players.

Making Rooney captain means he won't be dropped, are best department is our attackers and they played shit. If you can't break Sunderland down you might as well play for a pub team!!!

 

[Sir Matt]

WE GOT A POINT! I guess at least we attacked a bit at the end. Last season, we would have just passed the ball around happy with the point away from home.

 

[Rykker_4united]

Rojo will displace Blackett and I don't think he should. Blackett has been one of our better players so far.

 

[RedSky]

This no quick fix here, I think people need to start facing that reality.

Indeed. I think it's best we have these type of performances now. Rather have them now than in September/October when we can't do anything to resolve them. The start of the season is a wash out, i'm not really expecting much because we need to give LvG, the squad and his signings time to gell.

 

[JohnDoe]

I'm getting increasingly worried. Seriously. Absolutely everything seems to be wrong with this team.

 

[charleysurf]

No, it doesn't. He's awful there. Like Cleverley awful. His entire MO, when in midfield, is just to spike it out to Valencia. Which is his thing when he's playing as a striker, but when he's in midfield he gets the ball more often, and it becomes even more infuriating.

Rooney can only be better than Cleverley in midfield. I just don't know if Tom is ever going to get back on track. But he continues to look a shell of a player.

 

[vibe]

We played like a lower mid-table side today. Or rather, I should say we're playing like one. Nothing's changed after 180 minutes of football.

What the feck is this strategy anyway? Every time Sunderland attacked, they looked more lethal than us. Are we trying to make a point that attacks don't need speed to be good or something? We stop dead in our tracks every time we near the opposition's box and we start passing it around their defence. I can do that. I can literally do that having never played a second of professional football in my life. I can do everything Cleverley has done this match and if I got paid 1/4th of what he gets paid for doing it, I would feel absolutely scummy because I wouldn't deserve it.

Pathetic display today.

 

[NotoriousISSY]

So scared to make a mistake that in turn, going for the safe option again and again makes us so predictable that we're making stupid mistakes anyway. Furthermore, with the ball rarely travelling forwards forcing Mata, Rooney and RVP to drop far too deep, we're not going to trouble teams.

I think that was as bad as any game I've watched purely because of the lack of balls.

 

[Sixpence]

tumescent shite. LvG needs to wake up and realise 3-5-2 doesn't work with this bunch of braindead footballers.

 

[Will Singh]

- Rooney RVP Mata are closer to our three biggest problems than our three best players
- Welbeck needs to start
- I wouldn't mind selling all of our central midfielders
- Three managers seem to think because Valencia and Young can't attack they are good defensively

Valencia and Young are the illuminati, they seem to be untouchable!

 

[arthurka]

Anyone think we defended better after Smalling left? But holy shit we cant dictate tempo in midfield for shit.. Romance aside Fletch and Cleverley need to be movies elsewhere..

 

[Loublaze]

- Rooney RVP Mata are closer to our three biggest problems than our three best players
- Welbeck needs to start
- I wouldn't mind selling all of our central midfielders
- Three managers seem to think because Valencia and Young can't attack they are good defensively

Valencia did very well defensively and he's done a job at RB before.

 

[justboy68]

We don't create chances any more. No one ever wants to shoot either apart from Januzaj.

 

[Roopea]

The first time in a long long time that I was praying that we hold on for a draw at HT.

 

[Esquire]

It's not the system, not the lack of fight or heart. Just a genuine lack of quality. In midfield and at the back we are simply mid-table.

 

[Dante]

I said this in the matchday thread: The distance between midfield and attack was too big last season. This season, it's the distance between defence and midfield that's the problem. Well, that and the lack of tempo. We desperately need Carrick (or preferably a similar player with a bit more bite).

 

[Loublaze]

Valencia and Young are the illuminati, they seem to be untouchable!

Who would you have played in place of them? No one can seem to answer this

 

[kundalini]

Michael Keane did well. Blackett was good most of the time. Thought Welbeck gave us pace, power and a willingness to press. Mata, Rooney and RVP so over-rated it's untrue. Valencia created our goal then unwilling to take on their fullback. Centre midfield embarrassing. Overall we looked awful.

 

[Danny Boi]

We need to choose between RVP and Rooney.There is no way to play both of them in the same team without the whole team being out of balance.

We need to bring in two cms aswell.I'm sorry but Cleverly and Fletcher arn't even good enough to be squad players.

 

[Red Comet]

Surely Pearson and Rothwell deserve a chance soon... as of now they are an upgrade on Cleverly and Fletcher.

 

[Adam-Utd]

Valencia and Young are the illuminati, they seem to be untouchable!

In this formation we lack any other quality fit players. I expect Rafael / Shaw to replace them when fit. Even Rojo could take his place too.

 

[Esquire]

Rooney can only be better than Cleverley in midfield. I just don't know if Tom is ever going to get back on track. But he continues to look a shell of a player.

For his sake Cleverley needs to go somewhere else. He is just not United material.

 

[Sir Matt]

Rooney so far proving it was a mistake to appoint him captain. He's been poor in both games and been as spineless as the rest of the team. We need a leader. Something Rooney certainly isn't.

 

[Dante]

It's not the system, not the lack of fight or heart. Just a genuine lack of quality. In midfield and at the back we are simply mid-table.

So are Sunderland. Our vastly superior attack should have been enough to tip the balance. The fact it didn't shows that there are deeper issues.

 

[The Black Pearl]

Leaving aside who's good enough or who isn't the lack of passion and desire in the team as a whole is shocking. It's hard to believe Rooney is a captain Fletcher and Cleverley are brutal, they look like the don't give a bollix and Young and Valencia are worse again.

Januzaj tried but he was pissing against the wind for most part as he had damn all support. Jones put in a good shift as well probably the only positive from todays game.

1 point from Swansea and Sunderland though?

 

[Man-United]

Blackett has been fantastic so far for us.

 

[Borys]

This draw was easy money for me, really nothing unexpected.

What bothers me though is that we switched to 3-5-2 because of shite wingers, but actually they both played full 90 minutes today.

In fact I think both Young and Valencia are better defensively than offensively (fair play to Tony, he managed to cross once in this game and got an assist).

I’m surprised why Rooney stayed up top and Januzaj played in midfield.

Both Fletcher and Cleverley played like they are undroppable, if you know what I mean.

 

[comlag]

It looks like our players are running in treacle half the time, there is no bounce and verve in the running. We had a few counters in the 2nd half and no one knew what to do. Welbeck best player when he came on.

Midfield dreadful but we already know that. It would be a crime if we don't sign at least one CM to partner Herrera. I would take our youth team central mid over this shite.

 

[Loublaze]

We don't only need Vidal, we need Khedira too or another CM with more quality than Fletch, Clev and Fellaini.

 

[OneUnited24]

I dont know where the other Cleverley defenders will be when it hits them but i officially have given up on Cleverley. I always hoped he would work in LvGs system but hes so limited its unreal.

Its funny but in a 352 i honestly thought it would mask our players failures but instead it highlights them even further. The system is supposed to give us an extra man in midfield but that doesnt work because Cleverly and Fletchers positioning is so bad they either stick too close to the defenders or push so far forward our strikers have to drop deep. Sigh second rate against Swansea and second rate against Sunderland... Unless we get some quality in the middle of the park its going to be another long ass season

 

[#07]

The bit at the end where nobody would shoot typified us: 5 yard pass after 5 yard pass, nobody remotely willing to try anything hard.

United have become a side full of players more afraid of messing up than dropping points. Everyone just kept it simple, there was no adventure from anyone. Sad, just sad.

 

[Agent Red]

Rojo will displace Blackett and I don't think he should. Blackett has been one of our better players so far.

True, but he still looks a bit shaky and I worry about us putting so much pressure on these young shoulders when things are so difficult at the moment. They should have the chance to phase into the team rather than being at the centre of a United defence which is (rightly) getting slated. I'd like to see Blackett continue to get minutes, but regular starting level is a tall ask at the moment.

 

[Dylan94]

Apart from De Gea, Januzaj and Blackety if it were me I'd quite happily sell the whole team that played today.

 

[Everest Red]

Fletch and Cleverly make a horrible central midfield pair. If we get Di Maria, we could sit deep and ADM, Rooney and our fullbacks can hit teams on the counter. This formation does not allow possession based game--not with these players.

 

[vibe]

For his sake Cleverley needs to go somewhere else. He is just not United material.

He's Championship material, though I doubt Fulham would want to bench any of their players for him.

I wish I were kidding.

 

[Kayo]

Feel sorry for the fans travelling to watch that shite.

 

[Dante]

Nobody has the confidence to be direct anymore. For all the stick that Young gets, at least he's willing to cross the ball into the mix. Almost everyone else takes the safe option of the sideways pass.

 

[Amadaeus]

- Rooney RVP Mata are closer to our three biggest problems than our three best players
- Welbeck needs to start
- I wouldn't mind selling all of our central midfielders
- Three managers seem to think because Valencia and Young can't attack they are good defensively

You need to make a thread on these three point. I wholeheartdly agree. In particular that Rooney, Mata and Rvp seems close to be our biggest problem than our three best player.