Herrera did well in all honesty. having fellaini in his place will make any side drop a level
Rooney testimonial vs Everton
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In the latest episode of the United Hour Podcast, Nik and Imran hold a long overdue conversation about United's awful league form with 1 win in 7. They discuss a disappointing draw at Bournemouth, a not so disappointing draw against Liverpool and a crushing defeat at Chelsea - Is time nearly over for Erik Ten Hag?
Then in a special second half of the pod, Nik welcomes Natalie ( https://twitter.com/natalie_17) to discuss the fortunes of Manchester United Women as they booked a place in the FA Cup Final after a historic first ever win vs. Chelsea.
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very please with Herrera. and to think some wanted him gone.
van Gaal was the problem.
It was a testimonial to get fitness levels improved. Not a match we should analyse.
I haven't seen any of the game tonight but that maybe a bit too early to judge considering it was a testimonial.
@Coops73 'Ibrahimovic' isn't an experiment. Its a well thought out transfer to increase the collective confidence of the squad. Even if he scores 10-15 goals this season, I think it would be great for the club. The biggest character we had in the team before Zlatan was Rooney, and we all know how that's gone for the last 3 years. No one was really able to pull the team together to fight out of 'slumps'. Zlatan is just the man to do that kind of stuff. I don't think Zlatan and Rooney will be a regular pairing for us. They may start the first few games together, but their age will probably lead to a job share type of arrangement towards the middle and end of the season. If it does not work, fair enough. But there is no denying the winning attitude that Zlatan brings to our club.
We have options with Ibra. He can be a target man which is something we lacked before. Get balls into the box and he will score. Simple as that really.
Harry Kane isn't quick yet scores loads of goals in the PL. it's not all about pace pace pace.
Van Gaal complicated the game.
Harry Kane isn't quick yet scores loads of goals in the PL. it's not all about pace pace pace.
Van Gaal complicated the game.
The lads had a good run around. Had a few chances but it's still only preseason looks good.
Only caught the second half as I was busy floating in the ocean but we looked shit and the players seemed to resort to van Gaal keep-ball once they ran out of ideas.*
*disclaimer: it was really hard to see anything due to the sun and there was no audio on the beach bar TV...but we still looked a bit shit.
*disclaimer: it was really hard to see anything due to the sun and there was no audio on the beach bar TV...but we still looked a bit shit.
Boring game played in a typical testimonial fashion but at least all the proceeds are going to very worthy causes and that's the real winner here.
How was the game guys? Sorry I'm just at a dinner so haven't scanned the pages. Any summary will do!
His commentating does my head in, everybody/player/manager/club are either "brilliant" or "terrific", it is so irritating. Ferdinand has surprised me, I think he has shown promise whenever I have seen him as a pundit. Hargreaves seems very intelligent so why on earth does he seem to have about ten words in his vocabulary? "brilliant/terrific/Germany/Bayern" - being the four most used
You in Barbados?
Thinly veiled I'm on holiday post. Won't lie, am jealous.
Not sure if you read my chain of posts but I did not mention Martial at all. He is indeed a special player with alot of potential and has our left side on lockdown.
My main concern was with Lingard on our right and I would like Mahrez to replace him. Mkhi has looked more effective through the middle so he can alternate with Mata for the CAM spot. Rash,Zlatan and Rooney for the striker spot and Mahrez on our right.
Alot of the above players can play in numerous positions so there is plenty of scope for rotationand positional flexibility.
Today was the 4th pre season game.Lads it's a testimonial match and the players have only had 2 pre season matches. Doom and gloom in here
Just a friendly and a testemonial at that. If I was analysing and hazarding a guess to the season ahead I would say:
* The players we have that have been crap for the last couple of years will mainly still be crap, one or two may flourish
* Bailly is going to make a couple of major ricks this season BUT is also going to be a fantastic defender for us
* Blind wont play much at all as a centre back since he cant actually defend.....am I the only person that thinks this?
* Ibrahimovic will hit the ground running......Miki will take quite a while to settle
* Luke Shaw may well get close to the form he showed before injury last year a lot quicker than people expected
* Rashford and Martial may struggle to replicate and build on excellent first seasons yet Lingaard and/or Depay may actually do the opposite
* Pogba actually will play as one of the two central midfielders, not as a number 10 but with a certain amount of freedom and I have a feeling his partner is going to change quite a few times during the season until the right fit is found and it wont be Carrick or Schneiderlin it will end up being Fellaini, Herrera or Mensah and whichever one it is will be one of the surprise flourishing players (cant believe I am saying that with Fellaini in the same sentence)
* This season the top four will be in no particular order but Arsenal, us, City, Chelsea, Leicester will have another good season but Spurs and West Ham wont be as successful as last year and it will be Liverpool and Arsenal fighting for fourth and very close for the top spot between the three other clubs
* The players we have that have been crap for the last couple of years will mainly still be crap, one or two may flourish
* Bailly is going to make a couple of major ricks this season BUT is also going to be a fantastic defender for us
* Blind wont play much at all as a centre back since he cant actually defend.....am I the only person that thinks this?
* Ibrahimovic will hit the ground running......Miki will take quite a while to settle
* Luke Shaw may well get close to the form he showed before injury last year a lot quicker than people expected
* Rashford and Martial may struggle to replicate and build on excellent first seasons yet Lingaard and/or Depay may actually do the opposite
* Pogba actually will play as one of the two central midfielders, not as a number 10 but with a certain amount of freedom and I have a feeling his partner is going to change quite a few times during the season until the right fit is found and it wont be Carrick or Schneiderlin it will end up being Fellaini, Herrera or Mensah and whichever one it is will be one of the surprise flourishing players (cant believe I am saying that with Fellaini in the same sentence)
* This season the top four will be in no particular order but Arsenal, us, City, Chelsea, Leicester will have another good season but Spurs and West Ham wont be as successful as last year and it will be Liverpool and Arsenal fighting for fourth and very close for the top spot between the three other clubs
This was the highlight of the game
You can't draw any conclusions from a game where there are so many changes so early
I agree with most of your predictions about our players. Also:-
* Rashford only played 11 games so it's not like he has had a full season of success to replicate. I believe we need fresh legs in our attacking third to stretch the opposition defences. Putting in Rashford is a great option and, although he lacks some ball control IMO, he is very effective in what he does - and most of all unpredictable.
* Martial looks like he will take longer to find form this season. I hope I'm wrong.
* DDG is still amazing.
* Jones & Rojo are so poor and will be sold or loaned out hopefully.
Lingard in front of goal = rabbit in front of headlights...
I would be happy to see Herrera leave.
It was what it was.
The result, even the performance doesn't matter really. getting game time in legs was the most important thing about tonight. The real test will be at Wembley on sunday and even that doesn't really matter. Everything is in preparation to Bournemouth on sunday week.
The reason these match day threads are so utterly dire are because of so many over-reactions by so many. You guys need to chill and understand that a lot of the mistakes in pre-season are good things, they allow us to learn and build from them. Just relax and look forward to the start of the season.
The result, even the performance doesn't matter really. getting game time in legs was the most important thing about tonight. The real test will be at Wembley on sunday and even that doesn't really matter. Everything is in preparation to Bournemouth on sunday week.
The reason these match day threads are so utterly dire are because of so many over-reactions by so many. You guys need to chill and understand that a lot of the mistakes in pre-season are good things, they allow us to learn and build from them. Just relax and look forward to the start of the season.
A problem I noticed from this incredibly uninspiring match was that Lingard, Rooney and Ibrahimovic kept getting in each other's way. It would be even worse with Pogba and Mhkitaryan in the side as well. That's something which will need to be worked on, as there has to be a balance between fluidity and giving each other space.
I know it was a friendly but I still suffered fron van Gaal syndrome and fell asleep. Incredibly boring match
I Didn't miss anything then
Lucky you, enjoy!
I think you mean, dabbit in front of headlights
Hopefully the reception and atmosphere inspires the team, especially the younger players, to put in the work needed to become legends at the club.
Blind is actually a good defender, which he demonstrated repeatedly last year.
Also, its impossible to extrapolate performances in friendlies to project how a player or even the club will fare during the regular season.
Fellaini cannot play in a 2 man midfield against tactically organised teams. He's just not good enough on the ball. Teams will press him and he just doesn't respond well to that.
I thought Schneiderlin played fairly well when he came on though. I think the starting 11 will only be 1 or 2 players different to the starting lineup we'll see vs Bournemouth.
I thought Schneiderlin played fairly well when he came on though. I think the starting 11 will only be 1 or 2 players different to the starting lineup we'll see vs Bournemouth.
We were rubbish in the 2nd half but we were okay in the 1st, though nothing special. Zlatan and Rooney had some nice link up play. If you have the time you could give that a watch.
The Pogba deal may already be too late, but it looks like Mou is leaning for that starting lineup except Pogba in for Lingard.
We look to slow in the build-up, I hope somehow we get Rashford in there. I think he and Ibra toguether could really click.
Yeah the Pogba deal will be too late but I expect a player of his quality to be on the bench. Plus he needs minutes so if it's done in time, I think he'll come off the bench.
I think the team is a little undercooked - in terms of match sharpness. I just wish we managed to fit in another friendly after the City one was cancelled but it's obviously too late for that.
The Leicester game will be tough but we should see a rise in terms of intensity.
Poverty.
Bit of a boring game. I felt we dominated the game in the first half, but we still seem very Van Gaalish. By that, I mean having a lot of possession, and not really creating many chances.
We often get into good positions out wide, and instead of forcing the issue and creating attacking overloads, we come back and start again. Everything has to be intricate and down the middle, which very rarely came off.
I do feel there were a few positives to take out of the game, though.
Felt the partnership between Rooney and Ibra looked promising, considering it's their second game together (not full games). Because they both have the ability to drop off into pockets and get on the ball, it allows them to interchange, without any disruption to our flow in the final third.
However, it also means that sometimes we are left with no one up top - no one to occupy the back four. A few times, they both dropped for the ball, which is fine, I guess, but that then means our wingers - and even full backs, need to be running in behind. There were a couple times when it happened (Martial when Coleman caught him up and Lingard one, which got intercepted, if I remember correctly) but it needs to happen a lot more.
Hopefully it's something that Jose is working on, because this is what we're going to get from Ibrahimovic, in terms of the dropping off, so a plan should have been in place.
Having said all of that, yesterday was about Rooney, and I felt he got a really good turnout, which was well and truly deserved. He's been a great servant for the club, and a great player to watch over the years.
We often get into good positions out wide, and instead of forcing the issue and creating attacking overloads, we come back and start again. Everything has to be intricate and down the middle, which very rarely came off.
I do feel there were a few positives to take out of the game, though.
Felt the partnership between Rooney and Ibra looked promising, considering it's their second game together (not full games). Because they both have the ability to drop off into pockets and get on the ball, it allows them to interchange, without any disruption to our flow in the final third.
However, it also means that sometimes we are left with no one up top - no one to occupy the back four. A few times, they both dropped for the ball, which is fine, I guess, but that then means our wingers - and even full backs, need to be running in behind. There were a couple times when it happened (Martial when Coleman caught him up and Lingard one, which got intercepted, if I remember correctly) but it needs to happen a lot more.
Hopefully it's something that Jose is working on, because this is what we're going to get from Ibrahimovic, in terms of the dropping off, so a plan should have been in place.
Having said all of that, yesterday was about Rooney, and I felt he got a really good turnout, which was well and truly deserved. He's been a great servant for the club, and a great player to watch over the years.
This game was so boring, I really expected to see Van Gall or Moyes in the dugout.
We better get our act together, first silverware option starts Sunday. No more exuses.
We better get our act together, first silverware option starts Sunday. No more exuses.
It was pretty much a non event. But it's more minutes in the legs for a few and all for a top cause.
Anyone who thinks that our lack of penatration and chance creation is going to be solved over 4 friendly games after 2 and a half years of creating very little is mental IMO.
Yes we have a new manager with a different attitude but this is going to take some time.
Positives were around Shaw, Zlatan and more minutes in a United shirt for Bailly and Miki. Thought Valencia looked lively....but his final ball still makes me want to launch my tele out the fecking window (Gala game was the first time in a while I thought he showed consistent end product).
The game was still played at 2/3 pace mind. Everton were good defensively (bar stones who looked like Titus Bramble reincarnated). There were times Zlatan had the ball and was looking for an option with nobody moving, other times we did manage to get in behind... I'd like to see more of the latter obviously.
The Charity Shield will be much more like full pace, space will be abundant and it's a proper game in that sides won't be changed wholesale at half time. It's still a glorified friendly mind. It holds little to no significance in the grand scheme. Bournemouth is the game I will start to judge this side on...with a view to seeing a marked (not necessarily major) improvement in goals scored, chances created and football played after 10 or so games. Then we kick on from there.
Anyone who thinks that our lack of penatration and chance creation is going to be solved over 4 friendly games after 2 and a half years of creating very little is mental IMO.
Yes we have a new manager with a different attitude but this is going to take some time.
Positives were around Shaw, Zlatan and more minutes in a United shirt for Bailly and Miki. Thought Valencia looked lively....but his final ball still makes me want to launch my tele out the fecking window (Gala game was the first time in a while I thought he showed consistent end product).
The game was still played at 2/3 pace mind. Everton were good defensively (bar stones who looked like Titus Bramble reincarnated). There were times Zlatan had the ball and was looking for an option with nobody moving, other times we did manage to get in behind... I'd like to see more of the latter obviously.
The Charity Shield will be much more like full pace, space will be abundant and it's a proper game in that sides won't be changed wholesale at half time. It's still a glorified friendly mind. It holds little to no significance in the grand scheme. Bournemouth is the game I will start to judge this side on...with a view to seeing a marked (not necessarily major) improvement in goals scored, chances created and football played after 10 or so games. Then we kick on from there.
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