The old Man Utd Thread

[oli]

Ronaldo wasn't!

He lost possesion at almost every turn, the first goal came from his mistake again.

He does have the look of a man who can't be bothered at the moment

[Trigg]

I thought Ronaldo played well if I'm honest, looked a threat when he played up top with Rooney. Ronaldo losing the ball wasn't the reason we conceded the first goal, the team just isn't defending well as a unit at the minute. Throw some silly individual mistakes (Jonny Evans was the culprit last night) and you'll concede.

Fatbob, I think it was too open personally, was a very naive performance from us and we should no better than to be that open. The commentary mentioned it a few times but it was played as if the tie would be settled that very night. We got better in the second half and looked a lot better at the back until we let the one in at the end.

I'm quietly confident we can get a result at their place though, you just never know with Utd.

[Trigg]

He does have the look of a man who can't be bothered at the moment

He looked bothered on Sunday when he took the game by the scruff of the neck and got us back into it with his goal, or when Macheda scored and he was celebrating with all the lads. Or what about when he ran the ball 70 yards to the corner flag in the dying minutes?

Course he cares, he's an easy target at the moment for fans and it leaves a sour taste in my mouth if I'm honest

(not just from the posters on here, more so on the Caf where he's getting vilified)

[fatbob]

Fatbob, I think it was too open personally, was a very naive performance from us and we should no better than to be that open. The commentary mentioned it a few times but it was played as if the tie would be settled that very night. We got better in the second half and looked a lot better at the back until we let the one in at the end.

Interesting, as loathe as I am to listen too much to ITV commentry, it brings up a valid point, maybe the players were a little too eager to 'get back into form', trying to force the attack and then leaving gaps and loosing discapline.

I guess form is just one of those things that clicks or doesn't.

I still think a lot of the critacism (defensive woes aside) is a bit unfair, and a bit insulting to Porto, who again I think played a blinder.

Hopefully Fergie will have something up his sleeve for next Wednesday, a week is a long time in football.

[oli]

Just been looking at the physioroom.com and we seem to have a few players due back soon but not in time for the next leg, they're suggesting (to be back in full training):

Rafael - 11th April

Ferdinand - 11th April (although Fergie said he won't play on Saturday)

Berbatov, Wes Brown - 19th April

Hargreaves - 16th May

With Evans and Anderson with groin and thigh strain respectively but no set return to date

[Nate Dogg III]

a week is a long time in football.

Thanks for that Lawro.

[fatbob]

Andy Grey actually.

[Trigg]

Interesting, as loathe as I am to listen too much to ITV commentry, it brings up a valid point, maybe the players were a little too eager to 'get back into form', trying to force the attack and then leaving gaps and loosing discapline.

I guess form is just one of those things that clicks or doesn't.

I still think a lot of the critacism (defensive woes aside) is a bit unfair, and a bit insulting to Porto, who again I think played a blinder.

Hopefully Fergie will have something up his sleeve for next Wednesday, a week is a long time in football.

We did play into Porto's counter attacking play style at times and they could use the ball very well when they got with the front three all looking capable of scoring at any moment. Plus the central midfielder (forget his name, young Brazilian lad) was bloody everywhere! Had a cracking game he did.

Next Wednesday should be an interesting game none the less, although we do have a small matter of Sunderland this week. Who played well the last time we met and we struggled to score only for super Vidic to score in the last moments. We need a postive result and performance which should give us a bit of confidence going into the away tie with Porto. A clean sheet would be nice too!

[fatbob]

we do have a small matter of Sunderland this week. Who played well the last time we met

By played well I assume you mean parked the 13:51 to Bromsgrove?

I expect they will probably have a go at us this time, I would.

[Trigg]

By played well I assume you mean parked the 13:51 to Bromsgrove?

I expect they will probably have a go at us this time, I would.

They still did well, even if it was a very defensive performance.

[bowser123]

It's easy to lay into the defenders, especially when pretty much every goal of late has been as a result of comedy defending. What I want to know is why the midfield seems allergic to getting stuck in or tracking back. Everybody from a neutral perspective were purring

over the open nature of the game, likening it to basketball on ITV.

That shit didn't impress me, what the team needed was somebody to step up and stop the opposition having free reign to just run at the defenders. Many a time in the past you'd see the likes of Keane or Ince making a heavy tackle which drew a positive reaction from fans and teammates. The team doesn't have a leader to me or somebody who can influence this side of the game and it's a big flaw.

I'm not suggesting they recreate Barcelona and go that heavily defensive minded, but surely the manager should be able to see what's happening and put a stop to it. I thought the manager had learnt the gungho pile forward approach doesn't work in Europe after the way he approached Europe of late. These teams can not only break but have a forward who will punish indiscretions that doesn't happen domestically.

Fergus can talk all he wants about poor defending and how it started back at Blackburn, thing is he's not helping a nervous backline by not giving them any protection.

Hargreaves - 16th May

His career as a topflight footballer playing on a consistent basis is over. Sadly that was the case before he joined Utd, yet the club somehow failed to spot fucking tendonitis.

[oli]

His career as a topflight footballer playing on a consistent basis is over. Sadly that was the case before he joined Utd, yet the club somehow failed to spot fucking tendonitis.

I think that's a little harsh, I'm sure Hargreaves will be playing again next season

[Reynard]

I think that's a little harsh, I'm sure Hargreaves will be playing again next season

consistent

[fatbob]

I hope so, I like him as a player, but I have a bad feeling about his long term chances too.

A shame for England too, he was starting to proove useful before he got injured.

[Trigg]

It's easy to lay into the defenders, especially when pretty much every goal of late has been as a result of comedy defending. What I want to know is why the midfield seems allergic to getting stuck in or tracking back. Everybody from a neutral perspective were purring

over the open nature of the game, likening it to basketball on ITV.

That shit didn't impress me, what the team needed was somebody to step up and stop the opposition having free reign to just run at the defenders. Many a time in the past you'd see the likes of Keane or Ince making a heavy tackle which drew a positive reaction from fans and teammates. The team doesn't have a leader to me or somebody who can influence this side of the game and it's a big flaw.

I'm not suggesting they recreate Barcelona and go that heavily defensive minded, but surely the manager should be able to see what's happening and put a stop to it. I thought the manager had learnt the gungho pile forward approach doesn't work in Europe after the way he approached Europe of late. These teams can not only break but have a forward who will punish indiscretions that doesn't happen domestically.

Fergus can talk all he wants about poor defending and how it started back at Blackburn, thing is he's not helping a nervous backline by not giving them any protection.

His career as a topflight footballer playing on a consistent basis is over. Sadly that was the case before he joined Utd, yet the club somehow failed to spot fucking tendonitis.

I agree, the midfield didn't really show up last night. Was wide open time after time, bizarrely Sir Alex changed it to a 4-4-2 with Fletcher out wide. Strange one that.

Hargreaves would have been perfect for last night had he been fit, I'm still hoping he'll come back stronger after the ops and become and important player for us.

[fatbob]

Scholes, Fletcher and Carrick should have been more than enough for the job though!

Like I said earlier, people were looking a little too eager to show that they were back on form and free-scoring... combined with a little tiredness meaning they weren't as qucik to get back and close gaps.

[bowser123]

I think that's a little harsh, I'm sure Hargreaves will be playing again next season

Oh he'll be back, I don't doubt that, playing two out of every 5 games or something if lucky. I'm sure he was signed to be played less often than somebody at the end of his game like Giggs.

Seriously, look that shit up, particularly jumpers knee. The condition is enflamed by stuff like jumping, turning swiftly, impact challenges. Basically the sort of stuff that Hargreaves must do to be a top player as he wasn't really one for meaty challenges and aggression like Keane, he was more about the sheer amount of ground he covered and harrying he does.

[Majora]

I think Porto are going to suck us in and hit us on the counter attack next week.

I don't know how to feel about last night. I didn't think the 4-3-3 we started with was working at all. We looked much better when we moved to 4-4-2. However, I'm just baffled how we let Porto get 3 on 3 with us at the back to score the second when, frankly, we should have had at least 6 players back (back 4 and Carrick and Fletcher) at that stage in the game. There's no shame in dragging everyone behind the ball in the 89th minute.

Our defence does look shaky right now but our midfield is looking very porous, which it wasn't during our clean sheet run.

[bowser123]

Scholes, Fletcher and Carrick should have been more than enough for the job though!

Which is why I was blaming the manager. I think they're all experienced and knowledgeable enough to follow orders from the manager. You've got to remember we are not talking the last 15 minutes against Villa when pushing forward was necessary. I applauded Fergus when I heard him talking post that league game that a draw wasn't good enough, we must push for a win etc etc.

The thing is, they seemed to adopt that exact same approach last night too from the off which I don't get. Personally I don't really accept the tiredness angle as we were like that from the start. These players have been rested all season for this exact moment in the season and whilst it's unfortunate to have two games so close it's hardly unheard of.

Park needs to be mentioned, too. He's a lovely player and tries his heart out, but his best work is clearly done helping cover for the full back and his constant harrying... didn't understand how he was deployed last night, he didn't seem to do that sort of work to me.

The wanting to get back on form thing and trying to hard- like I say, where was the manager or assistant telling them that this isn't actually needed, why aren't they helping a shaky defence against opposition that clearly like to run directly at the central defenders.

Took the biscuit when in the post match interview he was saying he knew Porto would come and attack, they'd done that against Athletico.

[Liamness]

Hulk just got so much space to run inside, not quite at the centre back and not quite at the full back. Carrick and Fletch could've done more to boss that space, that no man's land, because it created a lot of uncertainty with our back four doing all the work and therefore getting pulled all over the place. Hence for the last goal, a player was unmarked at the far post.

Porto, on the other hand, usually had three midfielders in front of the back four, and at times the entire back four were inside their own box. Because of their height, it was like they had four centre backs at times. They married defensive stability (relatively speaking given they were playing us away) with counter attacking very well, but I feel if our midfield had been more organised in defence, they might have looked quite ordinary.

[DC Lemon]

Tiredness clearly isn't an issue. That was non-stop action last night, the majority of which was towards the Porto goal in the second half. There's just a lack of hunger and focus at the moment, just as it was lacking in the Villa match until it got to the point of needing to score or throwing the league away. They're victims of their own success and believers in their own hype.

It's to be expected from a squad that thought it could stroll its way to a quintuple a month ago. Some of the passing in the first half was sloppy beyond belief and inexcusable, and it might work out better for them having their backs to the wall and needing to go over there to win rather than having the luxury of settling for a draw. However, any hope of a quintuple is over now. Again the focus will be spread over three different competitions next week: two away matches and a battle with Everton at Wembley. Even with the best form in the world, something has to give there.

In better news, Sir Alex has managed to wind up Benitez again, as was surely the intention of his little remark at the weekend. That worked out well last time.

[Majora]

I'd just put the reserves out against Everton. Fuck the FA Cup at this point.

[fatbob]

At least one of our back four took some initiative last night.

[Guest]

I'm not bothered if we don't beat Porto this year anyway. No-one's gonna beat Barca. Currently 4-0 against Bayern at half time!

Be good to play them in the final though, wouldn't it?

[fatbob]

Yeah, i'd love to play them in the final, its what the final should have been last year.

[phresh]

I have to say that I though Scholes was poor last night, and has been well below par for a lot of the season. It was no coincidence that his return to form 2 seasons ago saw us win the title (and again last season). The problem it causes now is that Carrick has to sit back when Scholes plays and go forward when Fletcher plays and I think it has affected the cosistency within midfield.

I think some players are starting to look a little tired too, Evra sort of ebbes and flows through games brilliant at one point lacklustre the next. Like most people i'd love to see Fabio given a go (and I expect he might soon), especially with the form he has been in for the reserves. By no means am I singling him out but I feel he looks like a player who needs a rest.

On the upside one player who definitely isn't tired is Rooney, he could end up being the driving force that tows the team over the finish line.

[Majora]

Don't you think it's a bit risky trolling before you've even played?

EDIT: @ Disciple

LOL!

[phresh]

[ckny]

Have that you cunts.

[Trigg]

LOL!

LOL +1