If we had a goalkeeper willing to come off his line, we wouldn't have to be so damn deep
Seeing Out/Killing Off Games
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We desperately need a Xavi, Veratti, Thiago, Scholes type I think more than any other position if we had someone who can control the game we'd be lethal
Completely agree! Remember when fergie used to send Scholes on to keep the ball.
So so happy
So true. We give mid table teams far too much in midfield. Who is out there though?
This. Literally everyone looks a bit nervy when defending a one goal lead
We actually didn't do that much wrong in terms of actually seeing the game out. Yes we could do with more control in midfield, but the problem is that by the last 10-15 minutes of the game, we should have been out of sight, and that's on the attackers for not taking the multiple chances that were made available.
This is really huge. I'd much rather Henderson for that reason. He's willing to do it.
We need a proper DM to sit in front of the defence, especially when we are defending a lead late on. Matic is the best DM, but is too old and slow to play consistantly. Fred and McTom are 5/10 players overall and if we are to improve these need to be changed. Pogba wont be here after this season, but VDB can maybe step up. Possession play must be improved.
Yeah, Rashford, James & Pogba weren't smart enough in that last minutes, they had so much space and the chance to go wide towards the corner area. I used to remember how Rooney & Giggs used to do things going wide to waste time. Either way, not big deal now, we won.
There was a hunger to score one more, to put it completely out of reach. I get that, but experience will lead to maturity in seeing out the last few minutes.
Big problem. We basically panic and need luck every time. The squad lacks composure and IQ and the coaching staff don't know what to do too.
Happy new year
We have players who can keep the ball. Pogba can but he simply didn't today. Matic can too but normally united do not keep the ball but try to score even in the last minute. Bailly was brilliant and so was AWB today part from the lapse for their goal.
TBF over the last 3 seasons the title has been won by teams playing champagne football and blowing everyone away.
We've been rubbish at seeing out games the last few years. So many unnecessary dropped points.
Liverpool had this problem before they bought VVD, they would let in 3 goals, but their answer was.....score 5.
I think that's what we'll need to do until we can sort this problem out. Take a lot more of our chances and kill off teams early. 2/3 goals by half time. Demoralise them into submission
Liverpool had this problem before they bought VVD, they would let in 3 goals, but their answer was.....score 5.
I think that's what we'll need to do until we can sort this problem out. Take a lot more of our chances and kill off teams early. 2/3 goals by half time. Demoralise them into submission
It's pretty obvious that we will look dodgy with a 1 goal margin. No other club in the PL can shut up shot effectively. Even Tottenham who have a brilliant defensive record since the West Ham game have conceded quite a few late goals.
It is unrealistic to expect that we can easily close out a game against Villa who are an excellent team and have been playing really well. Also, I do feel given the churn in the first eleven and the fatigue, we did pretty well in the end to hold on to the lead. Yes they had some glorious chances but so did we.
The only gripe I have is that on our last attack we should have simply moved the ball to the corner flag and tried to kill time instead of trying to find the killer ball and giving it away for another attack which then almost produced a goal if not for Bailly flinging himself to block the shot.
It is unrealistic to expect that we can easily close out a game against Villa who are an excellent team and have been playing really well. Also, I do feel given the churn in the first eleven and the fatigue, we did pretty well in the end to hold on to the lead. Yes they had some glorious chances but so did we.
The only gripe I have is that on our last attack we should have simply moved the ball to the corner flag and tried to kill time instead of trying to find the killer ball and giving it away for another attack which then almost produced a goal if not for Bailly flinging himself to block the shot.
United need to play keep ball a bit more when in the later minutes.
Game management is a big thing, today for instance Pogba risking it late on set Villa having a counter attack.
Keep ball needs to really be a thing to make sure United weather the storm a bit better.
Game management is a big thing, today for instance Pogba risking it late on set Villa having a counter attack.
Keep ball needs to really be a thing to make sure United weather the storm a bit better.
Your last point is bang on. Villa chasing a goal are going to be difficult but when Pogba has the ball in the final third with literally 15 seconds left, and 15 seconds later Bailly is making a last ditch block to stop an equaliser, there is the problem. Very rare you see us take the ball to the corner.
That’s why I found it strange James came on. He’s exactly that problem - far too eager just to do something even when he himself knows it will probably come to nothing. He twice could have just held the ball up but did a crap shot then a crap cross just for the sake of it. We need intelligent and patient players who know how to manage a lead.
Totally agree with that bolded paragraph. Pogba should have taken the ball towards the corner flag and just keep hold of it there. I’m glad Ole picked up on it in his post match interview that it’s an area of our game that we need to work on.
Last season Liverpool racked up a ton of 'playing shite' victories when everyone else was losing or drawing their games, hence why they ended up so far ahead. They weren't as good as the season before in all honesty but they had no challengers.
Even City before them used to be able to grind out a 1 or 2-0 win whilst not looking likely to win despite dominating possession.
Every title winning team wins games playing poorly.
Defenders like Tuanzebe and Bailly are perfect for seeing out games like this one. They're both brilliant against sustained pressure, throwing themselves around to make blocks and bully opposition attackers. I feel a lot more comfortable in the last 10 minutes of games with either of those two on the pitch.
Maguire and Lindelof are good defenders in their own right. But they're not the type to put their bodies on the line with that kind of intensity.
Maguire and Lindelof are good defenders in their own right. But they're not the type to put their bodies on the line with that kind of intensity.
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I do think it’s something they need to work on in training. Perhaps more so discussion and going over clips than in a practical sense. Although it wasn’t fecking rocket science not to give the ball away, yet...
How come some many people think the problem lies with DM? Do Chelsea have quality DM? And Spurs? It is a team thing.
I'm gonna do something I rarely do and just go
What's funny?I'm gonna do something I rarely do and just go
They didn't do that all 38 games and that's the point. Some games have to be grinded.
I think a big part is the opposition having belief they can grab a late goal and “smell” our panic on late corners etc. Especially at home, we had a confidence to close games out that never gave opponents any hope.
Yes there is a problem I think. When we get hit by an urgent wave of attack, we look very ragged. Sometimes we skip down the other end and score. But often we look desperate.
The cause is a lack of quality in CM. It rarely happened when we had Carrick and Scholes (shock), but our current crop can get really rattled under pressure. The defenders struggle for an outball and the CMs give the ball away or fall over / get robbed. It’s not a terrible situation as the league table will testify, but it gets worse when we’re tired and is one of the things that needs addressing going forward.
The cause is a lack of quality in CM. It rarely happened when we had Carrick and Scholes (shock), but our current crop can get really rattled under pressure. The defenders struggle for an outball and the CMs give the ball away or fall over / get robbed. It’s not a terrible situation as the league table will testify, but it gets worse when we’re tired and is one of the things that needs addressing going forward.
I think it’s just a mentality you need to develop with experience, games like last night will help. We were really good at it under Jose, or at least it felt like it, but we’ve shipped out a lot of those players who had that know how - Young, Valencia etc. I’m assuming it’s one of the reasons Matic was brought on last night.
It was utterly baffling. I think there were 94:40 on the clock and Wolves had a few players blocking his path. It wasn't like there was an open path to try and score.
Instead, 30 seconds later Davies was lashing at a chance - luckily on his wrong foot with Bailly half a metre in front of him.
Watching it back it's bloody lucky he didn't have the composure or vision to notice they had a man totally free out left who would have come in and had a superb chance to score.
In fairness not many players are very good at holding it in the corner.
Refs seem to allow jostling that would be a foul elsewhere to take place, and most players only manage to hold it in the corner for 3 seconds.
There were times we were very entertaining at keeping the ball in the corner. I remember Ronaldo used to take it down there and do about 200 stopovers until the player got so frustrated they just took him out. One time James Morrison of Boro got an instant red card and Fabregas did it another time I think.
That’s the mentality we need to put on the other team - that they have no chance of even getting the ball of us and up the pitch never mind equalising. These days we look so shaky teams look like they fancy they can score.
If Pogba had tried to take it to the corner flag and been tackled then Villa went up the other end on the attack it would have been annoying but just one of those things. It's the fact he didn't even try to do that, absolute madness to be crossing the ball when there's 20 seconds left. He had a very good game all in all but he almost blew it all right at the death. Very odd.
Yeah it's definitely something we need to work on as it will bite us in the ass in a crucial game.
Case in point was the Sheffield game where we kept pumping it long in the last few minutes as if we were chasing the game when we in fact had the lead. We were awarded two free kicks and they were lumped forward as well. Absolute madness
Case in point was the Sheffield game where we kept pumping it long in the last few minutes as if we were chasing the game when we in fact had the lead. We were awarded two free kicks and they were lumped forward as well. Absolute madness
We can’t keep ending games like this. There’s going to be a horrible late equaliser at some point that kills us.
Rashford simply cant run the ball into the corner or keep hold of it ever.
Already has. Leicester game
We are seeing them off, 8 win in 10 away from home. Top of the league. Longest unbeaten streak in top 6 leagues, 6 points dropped in 13 games