Match Day Thread Celta Vigo v Manchester United | Europa League | Semi-Final | First Leg

Simply not true.
Liverpool have lived the last few seasons by finishing their chances, they have a very poor defence and almost missing midfield.
We on the other hand have the second best defence in the league, a midfield that have controlled most games and created many chances yet an attack that are 7th in the goal scoring table.
One more goal in each of those 17 games would only put us 4th in the goal scoring league but 1st in the actual points league by 18 points.
The attack has been our major downfall this season and it's not because they haven't had chances.

 

We know where Liverpool have failed. Hence my comment about their fans delusions to try and excuse it by saying for years things like "we're creating chances we just need to finish them". Ofcourse that wasnt the only excuse they'd come out with. Some would even say things like "one more goal in each of those 17 games would only put us 4th in the goal scoring league but 1st in the actual points league by 18 points." Are you listening to yourself Diego or is that astro talking (below the belt I know ) or they talk about "form tables" and bollox like that.

As for the rest... second best defence in the league in terms of goals conceded but NOT points dropped. And simply saying we've created many chances doesnt make it so I'm afraid. The half baked chances we've created have rarely been as open, defence splitting or clear cut as the likes of Spurs, Chelsea and dare I say even Liverpool for that matter. We've been slow and played in front of the opposition defence and as a result for large parts of the season trying to thread the ball through the eye of a needle... and failing in those 17 league games.

 

Have you watched the matches drawn at OT when a clear win had been deserved? The number of clear cut chances or of defence splitting passes were running into double figures. Of course the strikers and maybe even JM have to take responsibility. But when even the most rabid anti United pundits and papers say that United have been very unlucky in not winning at least half of these OT draws (not the last Swansea one), you would have to take notice. And that's not denying that the strike force needs improving and adding to.


Credit to or condemnation of the manager for attempting to fight on all fronts when most would have given up. We will know in the next few weeks. He will live or die by his results.

I will not view his season as successful even if he wins 2 trophies and gets into CL. That is because United has to WIN the league title. That should be the measure of success for United. Not top 4, not Europa, not league cup.

 

What they've said is we've dominated teams but not done enough in that final third. Most pundits in post match analysis have said we've lacked pace up front, cutting edge and poor passing which has failed to create enough chances as well as our finishing. It's a number of contributing factors. The trouble is when you only create one or two clear chances in a game and your strikers don't finish them, then their poor finishing becomes the focus. As soon as you increase the chances created those misses are still there but you end up scoring that extra goal you need to win. That in turn breeds confidence in our forwards. Rashford is a good example of that.

I said on the Various Forwards my only criticism of Mourhino is that he's failed to address our football in that final third. He's often had it forced upon him by injuries or suspensions to Ibrah but other than that, he continues to have my backing. I'm confident he'll come good.

I would class two trophies and CL qualification as a success. I couldn't mark not winning the league as failure tbh.

 

When it happens once or twice it's bad luck. When it happens 10 times in a season it's not luck any more, it's a failure to take chances and close out matches. Our home form this season is worse than Burnley's, and that is not because of luck.

Talking about what we 'deserved' just sounds like Liverpool fans bleating about how many times they hit the post or won the passing under Brenton. What you deserve counts for **** all, what you achieve is what matters, and we have achieved very little in the league this season.

 

It doesn't have to be a black and white thing. Just because it is not a success in my view does not mean it is a failure. It is a progress towards success

 

In some of those games we didn't create many chances but in most we did. We very definitely did.
In wouldn't say anyone is saying it's unfair or unlucky because the chances have been there, which the forwards have failed to take, as Swarbs said it's happens too often to be deemed bad luck or unfair. It's piss poor forward play.

The most baffling thing in all this is that the one person who has taken his chances is the person deemed somehow culpable for it. Very weird.

It's the rest of the forwards who are to blame, not him. He shouldn't have been nailed on starter every game, that was an error on Mourinho's part, but the man scored goals.
Now the burden of goals in on their shoulders for the remainder of the season, which doesn't bode well to be honest.

Thankfully Mata is back, who can at least be relied on to convert his chances.

 

Fuk you lot ...

 

Thanks Roofie.

Hope you enjoyed the win today.

 

Thanks Chief , getting down to the nitty gritty now ( I know how much you enjoy my clichés ) . Were not out of the woods but we can see a clearing through the trees ( ahem ) . When most people are watching the title race with a handful of games left , I love the relegation battle .... not so much this season .