He just seemed to give the ball away for fun. The worst was when he seemed to back heel it from the sideline into the path of a Liverpool player outside the box. Maybe he does have a lot more composure in him than he showed tonight. I hope so for his sake.
Reserves vs Liverpool this evening
- Thread starter PS18
- Start date
Please.
Man but there are some youtubes to prove you wrong!
I thought it was Tosic with the backheel?
He definately did one.
That was a different one.
Go on then. Name me 15 strikers who are 6'0 or over who have better technique than Macheda.
I'm sure you'll be able to do that with ease with not a single questionable inclusion on said list, as Macheda is such an average player apparently.
We will see in 5 years time.
If it takes you that long to name 15 players who are the same size or taller than Macheda but have better technique than him, he's clearly not average.
I do hope all the feckwits who populate the matchday forum don't start ruining the reserve/academy discusions with their crap posts!
Still no sign of Petrucci?
Bang goes the last safe haven on the caf!
Disappointing result last night. The Liverpool lads just looked that bit bigger and stronger. Given the amount of chances we created we could easily have won the game. Macheda's back-heel should have counted and on another day, Welbeck would have finished at least one of those headed chances.
He's been discussed a lot in recent weeks but I thought Eikrem was arguably the most accomplished player on the pitch. I'm not sure who he reminds me of more, a young David Beckham or a young Darren Fletcher. Either way he's a class act and no mistake.
King looks really promising too and Welbeck had his usual moments of brilliance. I think the only thing missing was a bit more muscle in midfield and we'll be a better side when James gets back from international duty. When one or other of the Da Silvas starts playing again we'll also look a lot more potent going forwards.
well done, feck off back to a modric thread
The last bastion of normality hopefully a mod will ban the cnuts
Agreed.
Bang goes the last safe haven on the caf!
Disappointing result last night. The Liverpool lads just looked that bit bigger and stronger. Given the amount of chances we created we could easily have won the game. Macheda's back-heel should have counted and on another day, Welbeck would have finished at least one of those headed chances.
IMO he is some kind of hybrid of the two.
True.
Eikrem was good in the last half hour or so but I thought he was dreadful before that. Wasn't up for the battle at all.
Bang goes the last safe haven on the caf!
Disappointing result last night. The Liverpool lads just looked that bit bigger and stronger. Given the amount of chances we created we could easily have won the game. Macheda's back-heel should have counted and on another day, Welbeck would have finished at least one of those headed chances.
He's been discussed a lot in recent weeks but I thought Eikrem was arguably the most accomplished player on the pitch. I'm not sure who he reminds me of more, a young David Beckham or a young Darren Fletcher. Either way he's a class act and no mistake.
King looks really promising too and Welbeck had his usual moments of brilliance. I think the only thing missing was a bit more muscle in midfield and we'll be a better side when James gets back from international duty. When one or other of the Da Silvas starts playing again we'll also look a lot more potent going forwards.
Bit harsh. It wasn't so much not up for the battle as getting completely out-muscled. He looked like a slender wee boy playing against grown men. Which was kind of what he was.
He still looked classy on the ball though. Even when he was losing the physical battle.
IMO the reserves just had one of those nights when things don't go your way. They will learn loads from it.
I don't think his passing was qute good enough to make up for the fact that he's not the biggest. If he's always going to be out-muscled then he's really got to be almost perfect with his passing if he's going to catch Fergie's eye.
agreed. I only saw the first 60mins but literally every bounce of the ball went their way. I think our team is far better than theres, as you said it was just one of those nights.
What did you make of Corrie Evans, looking more and more like hes destined to play as a defender.
its easy to complain about Eikrem but I was still impressed, he'd stand out even more in the first team imo.
The size thing is irrelevant, the lad has grown like fook over the last year and I believe hes expected to be well over 6ft!
Because hes so creative hes gona always give the ball away compared to his teammates. We missed Matt James in a big way last night. I reckon if he was playing we would have won.
He's not always going to be out-muscled though, is he? He's grown something like 3 inches in the last year, no wonder he's looking a bit slight at the moment.
His passing is one of his greatest strengths IMO. It was a wee bit off in the first half when our whole team looked rattled but the quality of his passing shone through by the end of the game.
I thought Kiko's general play was as good as we'd seen. He did well I thought. He deserved a goal certainly
The example you give - yes he could have passed it but for me as a striker it's passing the buck. I don't blame him really. Strikers want goals.
If kiko had of scored, who would have complained?
There was one part where kiko was through, saw the defender was catching him and tried to backheel it across.
It's not like he always ignores his team mates
I wouldn't be surprised if he returns to the academy and later in the season get's a chance in the reserves. He's missed a lot of football and with norwood and brady getting chances I think we're mixing it up a little.
Ekeke kikos technique is hit and miss. Rossi had great technique. If you super imposed his ability onto kiko and added a touch more pace, he's be incredible.
Hi's technique yesterday was very good but it's the consistancy at the minute I reckon.
Hi's technique yesterday was very good but it's the consistancy at the minute I reckon.
Which comes from being a bit raw and inexperienced. He's capable of fantastic technique and at his age, was Ruud's technique any better? I doubt it. He's clearly not average.
Even when his radar was off in the first half he was trying to spread the play and looking to get the ball down and play. It wasn't easy as Liverpool were closing the ball down very quickly and there was little space to work in and our movement was pretty poor.
When it opened up after the sending off he had a bit more time and space to work in and was the one player that looked consistently like he would creat anything. He's still very much a work in progress, but the talent is evident.
Scholesy wouldn't have been put off by the fact they were twice his size, he would have kicked feck out of them. I wouldn't have minded a bit of aggression from Eikrem.
Fletch was once a bit of a lightweight pansy who only got aggressive when he finally filled out a bit. Eikrem reminds me of him a lot.
That's a good thing, by the way.
who saw ruud at 18? I didn't. We tried to buy ruud when he was 22 - I doubt at 18 Ruud was that bad
Kiko can be average and he can be good - that's consistancy which I pointed out and you pointed out - which means we agree on that.
Don't think there's any issue with Macheda's technique at all, surprised people keep banging on about it. For his age, his physique and the type of player he is, it's more than adequate (at worst).
I dunno, I didn't watch the reserves back then but I was under the impression he was a good, solid all round midfielder at that level.
It was a weird performance in many ways.
I think what most a lot of people miss was our formation. Ole clearly played 433 or even 424 on occasions. From corners and free kicks that Liverpool had, he was yelling at Welbeck and King to stay out wide on the half way line and Macheda to push up too.
That meant that that Liverpool's defenders stayed back of course....but we only had Tosic, Evans and Eikrem helping the defence and trying to make breakaways.
Given those tactics it was always going to be a very tough battle in midfield. I thought Corry did well defensively as normal but his passing and creativity were way off. The forwards needed much better service.
Eikrem was head and shoulders our best player on the pitch and the only player who really looked like opening something up. His range of passing was Beckhamesque as pointed out by Pogue in one of his posts. There was one pass that was outstanding and if Paul Scholes had executed it everyone would have been raving.
As far as the defence is concerned.....Joe Dudgeon has been ill for a couple of weeks and lost a bit of weight. He wasn't match fit and he had a poor game by his high standards. Anyone judging him on this performance alone should see him regularly before making generalisations. David Gray had a good game and you know what you will get with him every game. 100% commitment! Chester and De Laet had a couple of 'moments'....one of which led to their goal. Zieler was at fault as well and I wish he would come off his line more often and more positively.
In terms of the other four......Tosic is brilliant on the ball but then gives it away. He should be taking the mick out of defenders at this level! Very disappointing.
Josh King looks a real player and he was impressive last night without getting any real chances on goal. He is strong and direct, a real handful for defenders. Given his age he looks a cracking prospect. Lets hope he stays clear of injury.
Macheda......in the last four games I have watched him in....he has done very little in the first half and then comes into the game more in the second. The Italian u-21 coach (Mancini) said that he needs to grow up in terms of maturity on the pitch and attitude in general. It is possibly a good shout. He didn't do that much to impress and on that performance doesn't deserve a place in the League Cup next week. He needs to work much harder.
Danny Welbeck is clearly one of the most gifted footballers at the club. But once again he had a poor game.....taking way too many touches and then losing it or giving the ball away. I can't remember him playing one first time ball last night. A few people next to me in the crowd actually screamed at him "why are you slowing the game down?". It was a fair indication of how he was playing......getting the ball......taking 5/6 touches...beating two or three players....then going backwards and giving a pass back to where we started. Very frustrating!
I think in hindsight.....we had 7/8 players trying at least to play as a team and 2/3 others trying to play as individuals. When those 2/3 individuals are all up front, then it makes it harder for the midfield to create and makes it very unattractive forward play to watch.
I think for once this season Ole got his tactics wrong with Eikrem the only true midfielder on the pitch. I know James was away with England.....but Norwood was on the bench and should have come on at some point. I don't know where Sam Hewson was?
Maybe the real lessons learned will be by Solskjaer as much as any of the players.
I think what most a lot of people miss was our formation. Ole clearly played 433 or even 424 on occasions. From corners and free kicks that Liverpool had, he was yelling at Welbeck and King to stay out wide on the half way line and Macheda to push up too.
That meant that that Liverpool's defenders stayed back of course....but we only had Tosic, Evans and Eikrem helping the defence and trying to make breakaways.
Given those tactics it was always going to be a very tough battle in midfield. I thought Corry did well defensively as normal but his passing and creativity were way off. The forwards needed much better service.
Eikrem was head and shoulders our best player on the pitch and the only player who really looked like opening something up. His range of passing was Beckhamesque as pointed out by Pogue in one of his posts. There was one pass that was outstanding and if Paul Scholes had executed it everyone would have been raving.
As far as the defence is concerned.....Joe Dudgeon has been ill for a couple of weeks and lost a bit of weight. He wasn't match fit and he had a poor game by his high standards. Anyone judging him on this performance alone should see him regularly before making generalisations. David Gray had a good game and you know what you will get with him every game. 100% commitment! Chester and De Laet had a couple of 'moments'....one of which led to their goal. Zieler was at fault as well and I wish he would come off his line more often and more positively.
In terms of the other four......Tosic is brilliant on the ball but then gives it away. He should be taking the mick out of defenders at this level! Very disappointing.
Josh King looks a real player and he was impressive last night without getting any real chances on goal. He is strong and direct, a real handful for defenders. Given his age he looks a cracking prospect. Lets hope he stays clear of injury.
Macheda......in the last four games I have watched him in....he has done very little in the first half and then comes into the game more in the second. The Italian u-21 coach (Mancini) said that he needs to grow up in terms of maturity on the pitch and attitude in general. It is possibly a good shout. He didn't do that much to impress and on that performance doesn't deserve a place in the League Cup next week. He needs to work much harder.
Danny Welbeck is clearly one of the most gifted footballers at the club. But once again he had a poor game.....taking way too many touches and then losing it or giving the ball away. I can't remember him playing one first time ball last night. A few people next to me in the crowd actually screamed at him "why are you slowing the game down?". It was a fair indication of how he was playing......getting the ball......taking 5/6 touches...beating two or three players....then going backwards and giving a pass back to where we started. Very frustrating!
I think in hindsight.....we had 7/8 players trying at least to play as a team and 2/3 others trying to play as individuals. When those 2/3 individuals are all up front, then it makes it harder for the midfield to create and makes it very unattractive forward play to watch.
I think for once this season Ole got his tactics wrong with Eikrem the only true midfielder on the pitch. I know James was away with England.....but Norwood was on the bench and should have come on at some point. I don't know where Sam Hewson was?
Maybe the real lessons learned will be by Solskjaer as much as any of the players.
Petrucci
To the question about Petrucci......
This has come up in one post or another every few days for the last few months. I have given the same answer each time.
He is expected back sometime in October if he recovers as expected.
As it is only mid-September........then he isn't fit yet!
To the question about Petrucci......
This has come up in one post or another every few days for the last few months. I have given the same answer each time.
He is expected back sometime in October if he recovers as expected.
As it is only mid-September........then he isn't fit yet!
Whats his injury?
Good to have you back mujac and a fair summing up of the game, interesting that we were looking to play with 3 upfront.
I think King has looked excellent in every game he's played this season, his hold up play and touch under pressure was excellent against 2 tall, physical defenders. On current form he warrants a place in the team against Wolves more than either Welbeck or Macheda.
I think King has looked excellent in every game he's played this season, his hold up play and touch under pressure was excellent against 2 tall, physical defenders. On current form he warrants a place in the team against Wolves more than either Welbeck or Macheda.
He has had growing pains for over six months.
You can never tell when they will start and stop.
At first it affected the muscles in his groin and now it is with his hip. As I understand it.....the muscles/tendons/ligaments grow at a different rate than the bone.
So if he shoots up two inches in height.....his tendons can't cope and it damages muscles and tissues when he runs or over stretches etc
This is clearly NOT a medical overview but an generalisation about what happens and why it take so long to recover as I understand it.
Josh King had similar problems last year (as well as an ankle injury too).
Before that both Luke Steels and Phil Bardsley actually had to wear a back brace to help them. Apparently it can be quite serious.
Fletcher wasn't aggressive as a kid but was much stronger than Eikrem. Fletch could run the show though and his range of passing was very classy.
I don't understand people on the main forum saying he can't pass.....he has always been able to do it.
People always see what they want to see.
Give Magnus time though.
Thanks. And don't get me wrong I like Eikrem, I've always said he's a good player and needs time and patience but I just felt for such a small lad he may well need a bit of extra aggression to make up for his physique. I don't think it was a coincidence though that when he picked it up and his passing started to hit the mark the team looked a lot, lot better.
Luckily we all know that you haven't got a damn clue.