We are not press resistant

[Dominos]

What do you suggest though? Its not a "coaching" issue, it's the quality of the personnel at our disposal.

Until we have two midfield players who can comfortably take and move the ball under pressure, we won't be a top side.

Being quick on the transition and decent defensively will only ever get us so far

Why have we signed VDB instead of a midfielder who Ole will actually play and improve the team?

 

[2 man midfield]

Said it in the post match thread - just too many players who aren’t good enough technically. It’s no coincidence that AWB and Fred were among our worst players today.

 

[Chip]

It's very hard to be press resistant when our two central midfielders can barely hit a 3 yard pass.

 

[cyberman]

Southampton barely pressed today? If we were that bad at it then out away record wouldnt be as ridiculous as it is

 

[arthurka]

This should answer the question of Matic and Fred are good enough to start for Utd week in week out. We are in a dire need of a good DCM. While we should go all out for a new RB AWB us just not good enough.

 

[KennyBurner]

It's very hard to be press resistant when our two central midfielders can barely hit a 3 yard pass.

This is not even true. Both matic and fred are very good passing the ball statistically. The problem is our passing tempo in defense. Its way too slow and casual.

Also a lack of commitment from said defense when there is intense pressure. They quit and regress to hoofing the ball because they dont trust one another. DeGea the main culprit here.

 

[shabz]

We play too narrow when we have inside forwards in the game. Those inward runs make it difficult for us to get out of tight spots, our full backs were very poor today which was coupled with some very slow build up play when going forward.

Last week with James in the side we had on a genuine winger and that stretched Leeds. Something to ponder for Ole.

 

[DeGea]

I think the issue today was we didn't do the bloody pressing when we are the ones who should be imposing ourselves on the game. Unlike against Leeds, we were too pedestrian today. I am sure Southampton also cannot cope if we press them. Hard.

 

[Henandez14]

In the Leeds game we built up through Shaw and AWB while leaving McFred to win back possession and offer an outlet to our fullbacks when they were in possession (I thought McTomminay did this very well) and it worked a treat even against Leeds press. This allowed Bruno to push high up and support Greenwood, with Pogba linking the midfield and attack. I thought we had stumbled upon a title winning system. So of course I was very baffled when Ole picked Matic ahead of McTominnay even more so when Matic kept dropping between our cb pairing effectively leaving Fred to play midfield alone( with Bruno pushing forward of course) It was very easy for them to block off passing lanes to fred and our wide players (Pogba and Mason) all because Matic stubbornly refused to get ahead of the ball when we were in possession. Anyway I think Ole missed a trick in not bringing McTominnay on for Matic.

 

[MadDogg]

We were press resistant against Leeds, no? It's significantly harder to resist the press when we have one player in midfield and Matic playing behind the CBs because he's too much of a coward to take the ball under any degree of pressure. If we had a fit Mctominay start today alongside Fred we would've won comfortably.

Agreed. I'm not even a fan of McTominay and do think he is probably the weakest position of our starting 11, but we would have looked a lot better with him in there instead of Matic.

A huge part, probably the biggest part, of being press resistant as a team is always having passing options to give it to. The single most important part of the team that contributes to that is the midfielders, always moving and making themselves available to pass to. When one of the midfielders spends the entire time sitting in the defence, leaving a huge gaping hole in the middle of the field with one player trying to do all the work, it's going to be a huge issue. It doesn't matter if it were Xavi, Scholes or Keane, one player in midfield is going to find it incredibly difficult.

It's actually one of my biggest issues with Scott as he is quite poor at making himself available, but at least he is in the midfield providing a number.

 

[ivaldo]

Agreed. I'm not even a fan of McTominay and do think he is probably the weakest position of our starting 11, but we would have looked a lot better with him in there instead of Matic.

A huge part, probably the biggest part, of being press resistant as a team is always having passing options to give it to. The single most important part of the team that contributes to that is the midfielders, always moving and making themselves available to pass to. When one of the midfielders spends the entire time sitting in the defence, leaving a huge gaping hole in the middle of the field with one player trying to do all the work, it's going to be a huge issue. It doesn't matter if it were Xavi, Scholes or Keane, one player in midfield is going to find it incredibly difficult.

It's actually one of my biggest issues with Scott as he is quite poor at making himself available, but at least he is in the midfield providing a number.

Bingo.

 

[Adisa]

Southampton did not high press today. They only engaged us when we approached their box.
We are just a poor team in possession.

 

[Devil may care]

No shit Sherlock.

 

[Lentwood]

Why have we signed VDB instead of a midfielder who Ole will actually play and improve the team?

Not every signing you make will work out. Most clubs in our position (i.e. looking for elite talent) get it right about 50% of the time if they're doing well.

We're not paying because we signed players like vdB. We're paying for years of bad signings going back over a decade

 

[Valencia Shin Crosses]

You don’t beat the press all that well with a midfield two of Fred, Matic or McTominay. Or with Wan-Bissaka at right back (in spite of his other qualities).

Best short term option is to tell Bruno to drop fecking deeper in our build up instead of playing as a forward.

Or you have Pogba play as a DM but without a proper partner next to him that set up will always have issues

 

[Oranges038]

This is not even true. Both matic and fred are very good passing the ball statistically. The problem is our passing tempo in defense. Its way too slow and casual.

Also a lack of commitment from said defense when there is intense pressure. They quit and regress to hoofing the ball
because they dont trust one another. DeGea the main culprit here.

The tempo is what gets me too.

When they are playing out too often they take 3/4/5 touches to play a simple pass. It should be 1 or 2, 3 touches at most. When you take anymore than that any chance you had of creating an opportunity to break through a press is gone.

 

[Swedish_Plumber]

You're taught fairly early on in rugby not to shovel shit (with regards to passing), not sure if it’s the same in football (definitely doesn’t seem the case at United sometimes).
Many times yesterday we were passing shit balls to each other and expecting some sort of momentum from it. All it did was entice the saints players to press harder and win the ball in dangerous areas of the pitch.
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, we need a player who’s able to pivot around the press, or someone like scholes who always has time on the ball.

 

[croadyman]

Honestly, it's 3 years into the current regime and we still can't play out from the back and we can't pass the ball like a top side. There's some on here who will claim it's kneejerk when really it's the same old problems year after year.

Oh yeah whenever you voice criticism of the team or manager out comes the feck off and support City, plastic jibes from the top reds which just gets more tiring and predictable every time you say something negative

 

[croadyman]

Mid and AWB are poor in possession at times. We need new midfielders but we can't afford to do it all in one window.

Yeah should have bought the tempo CM or proper DM last summer but nope bought a £35m bench warmer instead

 

[croadyman]

The problem is not our midfielders but our defenders not releasing balls quicker. Maguire today was taking forever to turn and pass with the ball. Lindelof doesn’t trust De Gea and he has good reason too. Shaw refuses to use his right foot which makes passing inward harder for him.
Matic is press resistant while Fred is sloppy on the ball. That’s about it.

Problem is not our midfielders hello I think Ole could actually be on the CAF

 

[croadyman]

This should answer the question of Matic and Fred are good enough to start for Utd week in week out. We are in a dire need of a good DCM. While we should go all out for a new RB AWB us just not good enough.

Sadly can't see us getting either but IF by some miracle the penny does drop this week, do you prefer RB or DM

 

[arthurka]

Sadly can't see us getting either but IF by some miracle the penny does drop this week, do you prefer RB or DM

DM without a question.

 

[croadyman]

DM without a question.

Correct call (prays for miracle)