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

The game is on Tomorrow, 8:05pm kick-off, Eric Bailly, Paul Pogba, Phil Jones and Chris Smalling trained ahead of the game.

 

You're ****ed then

 

So all our defensive players were given a run out by Mourinho. I wonder what the game plan is there

Might stick my neck out and go for a 0-0 draw.

 

Grow up.

 

He's crap

 

No He's not.

 

The RS are starting to come back on our board after disappearing thinking they have thrown it away. They are already celebrating the Top 4, the only "trophy" they've focussed on. And despite having a free run unlike the chavs have not secured it yet

 

So there we are, two pulsating European games in successive nights. In both games the winning team took the initiative with decisive, attacking football and effectively killed of their respective second legs................ to a lesser degree the European football audience will be watching our game tonight, no doubt hoping for much of the same, but what can we offer. Will we go for it like RM and Juve and try to kill the tie with away goals or will we put on yet another tedious, scrappy bore draw. I'm hoping that with a few key players returning from injury we can put on a decent show without having to go through another, nervy home tie to just come out on top.

 

Hi are you on weed? Real playing away at Bernabeu Stadium?

Re your hopes for tonight. No way Jose! with JM we should expect some cautious match with may be a 1-0 or a 1-1 if we are lucky to take back to OT.

 

No they're not.

 

Wouldn't it be refreshing if he proved us wrong though? Attack being the first line of defence anyone? We've a **** load of forward and very few fit defenders so we might as well!

Sadly, I think it's a vain hope and that we will play to not lose, which once again is making the assumption that the opposition will be incapable of scoring at Old Trafford. Instead of suggesting he'll rest players and field a weakened side (and essentially give up in the league) at Arsenal on Sunday ahead of the second leg, why not win this game? Kill the tie off?

It really does bother me as the season goes on that he still hasn't, or refuses to, grasp the general mentality of United and its supporters. I accept that getting into the CL one way or another must be a hell of a pressure but attempting to win tonight and thus give them **** all chance in the second leg has to be the way to go.

 

Many do not understand JM's mentality and hope in vain that he will change and go for all out attack. He is first and foremost a pragmatist. That is why he has won so many leagues and other cups. He works out the odds.

If he goes out for all out attack, yes he could kill the tie off. But by playing a more open game he could also be 3 or 4-0 down and out of the tie if Celta hit form. So rather than take that chance, he will ensure that we still in the tie back at OT. Whether he will achieve that will be quite interesting to see tonight. A scoring draw like 1-1 or 2-2 might be a good result. But a 0-0 wouldn't be as in real terms it is equivalent to a 1-0 defeat meaning we have to win the OT match. Any draw will eliminate us or to penalties (0-0).

 

That's just taking it to the opposite extreme which I clearly wasn't suggesting.

I didn't mention abandoning defending to the point we would conceded four goals to a mid table Spanish side, because that's bound to happen like, I was merely suggesting we be more on the offensive than is being suggested. Play to our strengths, not weaknesses.

 

I see he's playing the old mind games in Fergusonesque fashion. "We've no chance of top 4 now, so we have to win the EL". Whatever

 

Yes, we would need to score tonight.

It seems to me that one of the reasons we've gone far into cup comps is that we are difficult to beat. In the league, that is not going to get you far if you are not scoring goals and winning. But in Cups, you cannot be dumped out unless you lose. And that has so far served JM well. The problem with this strategy is that all the away matches have to be won or really tight. And we have to score. If we concede today without scoring, I think we would be in trouble.

 

Aspas is gonna get you!

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I think Mourhino's biggest crime (loose use of the word) is not so much his defensive mindset but instead just how poor he's been in making our attacking players more effective going forward.

High possession, good pressing and winning the ball back, AND yes moving the ball forward... have all been there. It's not that he hasnt been attacking. The problem has been that he just hasn't got the best out of our attacking players like Martial, Mkhytarian, Mata and I'd even say Rashford and Pogba. And that includes the movement, link up play, runners and poor passing in that final third.

We failed to open up defences and create clear cut chances. It's improved since Zlatan's been out and we've had a proper forward line, and I hope we see it tonight. But I fear the problems Mourhino has failed to address are still there and may be evident again tonight.

 

United can't string 3 passes together so far. Shocking.