[Frank Grimes]

News just in! Valencia stuck in the pitch after forgetting how to move forwards

Been one of our better players tonight.

 

[Man-United]

The only difference between Van Gaal and Moyes is that this season we've been a bit more lucky. Same dire football, nothing is changing.

Moyes never spent £150M like van Gaal did though to play this crap.

 

[hobbers]

I don't understand Louis' thinking at all here. Just idiocy on every level.

3 at the back with McNair, on the same side as Valencia and Fellaini. But tell Fellaini to sprint up the pitch every time we're in possession to receive the long ball. That leaves McNair with no one to pass to other than Valencia, who's in his typical ultra ultra retarded sluggish coward mode, who just passes it right back with Southampton players stampeding all around him, because they know how weak he is on the ball.

Mata has been completely anonymous. If you want to play a long ball game with Fellaini he should be playing behind Rooney and RVP, with Herrera alongside Carrick. That is just so, so obvious. As it is there's no physicality or pace in our attack, especially with Valencia refusing to go beyond the half way line, and he's yet to pass the ball forwards or even try to take on a man.

We can get away with Fellaini and Valencia's brain-dead sluggishness at Old Trafford, and there's enough space at OT for Mata to actually get some room on the ball, but away in this sort of stadium none of these 3 players should be starting, ever.

 

[rampo]

Paddy McMare and Marouane Fellaini must have hit the bottle together before the game. The quality of our passing in general is horrendous but these two took it to completely new depths. The cheap, ridiculously unnecessary give away from Fellaini for their goal is just jaw dropping. What on earth goes through his thick head there?

Incredible that we are still level on 1-1.

Frankly, we have much more to worry about than some unknown guy hitting the bottle !!

 

[Borys]

You need good game organization against a team that presses like Southampton today. That's why I think the switch to 3-5-2 (which never really worked for us really) was a wrong idea IMO.

It's so easy to play against us right now. One thing for sure, we will not hit you on the break. We might create something now that Herrera is on the pitch though.

 

[OnlyTwoDaSilvas]

Di Maria would have made no difference to our performance in this first half whatsoever.

Probably not, but it would at least give us an outlet to make this sitting deep and playing direct actually make sense. We'd have a counter attacking option. I don't understand what this system intends to do when they get the ball. It just seems to be 4 passes and then kick it long.

 

[onlyoneunited]

What's worrying is our shape is all over the place, even before the changes we have been getting pulled all over the place.

Fellaini, for all his improvement in the past few games, looks like he's off the pace so much its like he's been out with an injury for the past 6 months! I would honestly say 80% of their attacks have been through him either passing poorly or failing to make a challenge. He's even looking at the Southampton player as he makes the pass the leads to their goal.

That said 433 or 442 should fix this, Fellaini will get some support and therefore should improve, we'll be a bit more solid at the back (relatively speaking), a bit more discipline in their positions and hopefully through this some actuall shots on goal.

 

[RetroStu]

What really embarrasses me is that whenever a team presses us, it really shows the cowards in our team, the players who just panic and constantly pass the ball backwards or anywhere they can as they don't want the ball. A mixture of being pussies and having limited ability.

 

[legball]

Everyone will focus on the defence and 3-5-2 but what exactly does Mata do? He's supposed to be the creative hub but he often flatters to deceive. Fellaini and Carrick have both been poor, Carrick more especially is overrated here, he's supposed to organize things but he's gone missing again..The amount of times we pass the ball backwards is criminal, and it's been happening for the past 3 games. The problem is clearly not RVP or the strikers, we are not creating chances and today, we added one more problem to that which is an inability to keep the ball. We were very poor in that half.

 

[Jed I. Knight]

What a shit shower of a half that was. We should be thanking our lucky stars and Jose Fonte that the game isn't lost already. The only reasonable explanation can only be that Southampton have been almost as poor, not to be able to take advantage of how shitty we've been.

This shape and formation without any pace from midfield and up is just absolutely inexplicable and inexcusable from Van Gaal. We have nothing to offer in attack.

 

[SalfordRed1960]

i said we are going to win 3-1

it's on!

That's more like it. Our domination will come through

 

[JPRouve]

The 3-5-2 is a specialist formation, if you don't know how to play it, don't try.

 

[Trizy]

The only difference between Van Gaal and Moyes is that this season we've been a bit more lucky. Same dire football, nothing is changing.

Lucky? our season has been the complete opposite of lucky. At least last season we were creating anything and looked shite all over, this season we've had shite teams scoring worldies, injuries beyond belief and some of the worst decisions made.

 

[Vida5Nick]

Oh dear, you don't really mean that? He's been poor but it's only been one half. He's played well in his last 3 games that I can remember

I mean that 100%. Should not have been signed at all. Hes only here because dithering dave brought him in.

 

[vibe]

Even if we get a point out of this, it'd be undeserved. Granted, I want 3 and I'd take them even if the ref gives us 5 non-existent penalties, but Southampton deserve everything tonight; at least that's what the first 45 minutes show.

They've made us look mid table and then some.

 

[dichinero]

However bad Fellaini has been this half, and how invisible Mata's been, we can't really take off another player for at least another 30 minutes now can we? We're bound to get another injury before the match is over.

Agreed that Mata has been invisible but is surely better than being playing for the Soton which Fellaini seems to be doing.

 

[Browniee]

Long 45 minutes up ahead

 

[manufanatic]

Been one of our better players tonight.

This

 

[Bojan11]

We created our own problems, being slow in possession, giving the ball away under no pressure and being scared to close and tackle. Southampton are really nothing special, we should be winning this comfortably.

This.

Southampton gifted us the ball many times. And we like no sorry, you have it back.

Their goal was great example. Southampton player passes to Fellaini and he gives it away.

 

[KEOGH]

Paddy McMare and Marouane Fellaini must have hit the bottle together before the game. The quality of our passing in general is horrendous but these two took it to completely new depths. The cheap, ridiculously unnecessary give away from Fellaini for their goal is just jaw dropping. What on earth goes through his thick head there?

Incredible that we are still level on 1-1.

Not only the pass from fellaini but the poxy attempt to head clear when he got back...Mata also very poor in the goal, davis ran past him as if he wasn't there!......hold on was he even there? Is mata playing?

 

[RedRavi]

Comical watching their goal. Yes, Fellaini fecked up but how is it even possible for them to get through when the defence is socompact?

fellaini's fecked up about 7 times so far

 

[mitchmouse]

I am guessing but seeing how quickly Evans got ready to come on, Smalling was carrying that injury before the game and therefore should not have been in the starting line-up

 

[redshanks]

Di Maria would have made no difference to our performance in this first half whatsoever.

yes he would have, on the break we have no one to partner with rooney, valencia and ashley r too back, mata and rvp no pace, fellaini is playing like an amateur.

 

[Adisa]

Angry with the formation. Fuming. what males me upset is it wasnt forced. We have two cit CBs

 

[Empire]

Are the defenders of the 352 formation finally going to shut up now?

I don't care what anyone says some of the decisions van gal makes and has made these past few months have been very baffling.

Yeah because the formation causes players to misplace so many simple passes. That's the first thing that needs to be sorted, the problem we have had for ages, passing well when pressed.

 

[zumba8]

Horrible 1st half from us. It is just incredible how our fb just dont do sh*t.

 

[ManUtd1999]

So, Fellaini is becoming the scapegoat here? Very predictable.

 

[Sied]

That was actually a fantastic finish from Pelle. Didn't realise how good it was at the time.

 

[bosnian_red]

Even if we get a point out of this, it'd be undeserved. Granted, I want 3 and I'd take them even if the ref gives us 5 non-existent penalties, but Southampton deserve everything tonight; at least that's what the first 45 minutes show.

They've made us look mid table and then some.

What the feck have they done? If they were playing well then wed be losing. We've been shite on the ball but when they have it, they haven't been creating anything.

 

[Jayvin]

If I were him I would go 4-3-3 but putting Carrick holding and Fellaini + Herrera ahead and then Rojo LB so Evans LCB with Young LW and Mata RW, the formation is fine but they are misplacing passes perhaps with a change in formation there might be more short options.

Who will play RCB then?

 

[Redlyn]

Smalling and Rojo are doing well as a CB partnership – let's change it to a back three.
Fellaini has been doing well at the right of the midfield – have him at the center of it or at the base, and have him suck.
Herrera had good games – to the bench.
Rooney and Mata have been playing well in their positions – play with shit tactics and take them out of the game.

Terrible terrible half of football.

A manager overthinking his “philosophy” and doing away with it. Trying act too smart and coming out looking like a buffoon.

Better change it in the second half or we will get hammered here.

agree with all that. He so bent on this Away filosphy dont see him changing this clusterfeck of a setup in the second. We are getting murdered in this match.

 

[matt23]

Fellaini-genuinely just put in one of the worst 45 minutes I can ever remember seeing from a United player. I wouldn't mind so much if he didn't loose every single 50/50 challenge.

Southampton were pretty naff as well to be fair. We could easily still win this 1-4

 

[Sassy Colin]

fecks sake, who let the newbiles out tonight, bunch of fecking drama queens

 

[Marcosdeto]

That's more like it. Our domination will come through

Fellaini to score one and mata the other

watch this space*







*i will delete this post if needed

 

[Roosney]

Rancid eye raping half of football.

Haha, well put. Had my first two cigarette half time since Moyes was in start. Deep breath, deep breath indeed.

 

[spontaneus1]

This thread is a disgrace...

 

[saivet]

When every defender makes stupid brainfarts, we won't look comfortable in any formation. I don't think back 4 would change anything today. We have one player, who is doing something for our attacking game and a set of shit defenders today. Players need to wake up and sort this shit out.

It's not just the brain farts. Whenever one of our CBs gets on the ball, they have little options and we look under pressure.

 

[Eckers99]

Utterly shocking. Like Moyes bad. I don't know if I've ever seen us pass the ball so poorly. And I've been watching them since the mid 80s. If we get top 4 this must be a dreadfully bad league.

 

[77Hill]

We seem to be doing much better at half-time. Let's hope we can keep this up when the 2nd half starts.

2-1 United (Rooney, 88 minutes)

 

[Danillaco]

What on earth has happened to Evans...he was such a dam prospect not too many years ago....

He married a beauty. Now he's just too tired to train and play.