We simply haven't seen this happening time after time now that AVB has got his team sorted out. didn't happen against v Lazio, didn't happen v Reading, didn't happen v Carlisle, didn't happen v QPR Let's see if happens tomorrow and sunday Utd are a very special team, they are the dominant team in the Prem era and have completely dominated us in that time, the siege was not AVB's fault one bit yes it would have helped if we had Ade, but we don't, AVB got it brilliantly right against Utd I wished we had bought another striker like Carroll, Long in the summer and sold Defoe, but we didn't and so far it looks like a good call the way we went, in keeping Defoe at least
I have lost count of the number if times I have watched our defence under siege. It's still happening. Against West Brom, amongst others. We were lucky in the second half on Saturday. With a bit more luck, Utd would have at least got a draw.
Had you said Norwich, then I'd have agreed with you. West Brom were totally outplayed for an hour and then caused some problems by hoofing it to Lukaku, whose physicality troubled our centre-backs occasionally. They had a couple of set-pieces right at the death that were totally unnecessarily given away and that's how they scored their equaliser. Livermore pulled down someone that had already lost the ball, the defence didn't properly clear the resultant free-kick and nobody picked up Morrison.
I haven't lost count of the number of games we've been under siege under AVB, because it's only been two teams at most, Utd and Norwich didn't happen against v Lazio, didn't happen v Reading, didn't happen v Carlisle, didn't happen v QPR since AVB has got his act together it's only happened once at OT, so there's nothing to worry about on that score for me, ATM. We were absolutely fantastic at OT and any criticism of AVB seems to be totally unwarranted to me
You're not supposed to take any notice of that because we eventually won! .. please log in to view this image
I'm just at a bit of a loss as to why anyone would want to confuse any of the three following truths: - Result at Old Trafford - excellent. - 1st half performance at Old Trafford - excellent. - 2nd half performance at Old Trafford - poor. Now none of the above implies either that AVB is a genius or that AVB does not know what he's doing. But to say that the performance at Old Trafford was without fault (as GHoddle10 seems to be implying) seems very strange to me. If giving RVP several easy chances, letting the other team hit the woodwork and never keeping possession is the sign of a good performance then I'm a bit lost. We were lucky that Man Utd were so wasteful on Saturday. I'm not slating AVB, I'm not slating Spurs. Like every single person on this forum (weird lurkers from other clubs aside) I was thrilled with the result, with the team AND with/for AVB. But to say that the tactics/performance was perfect or that it was the best win in the Prem era? Seems a bit of an odd assessment to me.
West Brom sprang to mind because they put us under terrific pressure in the last minutes, but yes, Norwich as well. Sure we outplayed West Brom for an hour, but that's of little use if you give it all away in the other 30 mins. I'm fully prepared to give AVB a fair chance, but there's something wrong here. We have to learn that the second half tactics against Utd, especially, will eventually bite us on the arse.
Completely agree. The performance does not make AVB a tactical genius and neither does it prove the players have suddenly grown the mental balls we have been craving for for many years.
Yep but people were talking about second half seiges, not first half. AVB admitted he got that one wrong, and rightly so and he corrected it - so it didn't happen against QPR as I correctly said.
Well we massively disagree, I stand by assertions and absolutely refute any criticisms of AVB and think it was our best result of the Prem era as a stand alone game we were not poor in the second half - we held on against a United onslaught to claim a famous, fantastic, historic victory
There was nothing wrong with our tactics in the second half, if we continue with them, and keep claiming amazing victories, it won't bite us in the arse, in fact we'll win the title for the first time in over 50 years since AVB got his act together, only Utd have laid seige to us in the second half, and that was completely to be expected from a team on a winning roll that would be 8 from 8 but for our heroics, and a team that hasn't lost at home in the Prem in 2012, and routinely demolishes teams with the superb attacking play they put together in the second half. Utd have won 7 out of the last 8 games - yet AFAIK, SAF rates their performance in the second half against us as their best of the season
