Match Day Thread Leicester v United

Just kicked off.

Casemiro and Ronaldo on bench are probably the news.

No doubt we'll see both at some stage.

Enjoy!

 

Decent enough first half, some good link ups going forward and a well made (and taken) goal.
Not happy with both full backs being on yellows though, they do both like to fly in and must curb it a bit now.

 

Bit concerned we haven't scored a second. We should have.

I'd either hook Rashford and put Ronaldo on, or hook Elanga, move Rashford wider, and bring Ronaldo on.

Either way, Ronaldo needs to be through the middle.

 

We really should have scored more than one. Against a team that gives you so many opportunities you’ve got take some of them. Rashford had little intensity and was rather lackadaisical and kept losing the ball. This was a game that should have been killed off well before the end of the game. We would have been punished for the complacency by a more clinical team.

 

I'll take the result but really we should've killed the game off in the first half.

We were far too slapdash when we got forward and wasted too many chances.

Eriksen was spot on in the post match interview. We were aggressive and sharp right up to the goal but then became too casual.

I didn't get the subs - Elanga was causing them untold grief down the right and they lost their shape trying to second guess his runs, which left space in midfield and up front for us to exploit.

Rashford apart from the assist was poor. He should've been hooked off for Ronaldo.

We gave away possession far too much in the second half.

We're a work in progress no doubt about it. The clean sheet and win, up to 5th is good, but if we play like that against Arsenal we're going to lose.

Oh... and Ronaldo. Anyone watching how we started attacking after he came on really need too appreciate we are a much better side with him in it.

 

Changes to be made for Sunday are 100% definitely Ronaldo for Rashford and Casemiro for McTominay.

I'd probably even throw Antony right in ahead of Elanga.

Happy with the points definitely but we need to be more clinical and cutting.

 

The good news is Ten Hag's managed Antony and knows exactly what he'll want from him.

I have to say I thought McTominay played well. It's almost like he's developing now that he's finally being coached, which has been missing for the past 2/3 years.

 

Thought we played well, just dithered over the final ball after getting into good positions.

when we move the ball forward quickly we look great. Back 4 look good. Would like to see casemiro start ahead in mcT. Would also like to see Ronnie start at the front and drop rashford in the next game.

 

We beat a team with very poor confidence tonight. A win was great but really expected. The test will come on Sunday against a side full of confidence. The result of course will be important but the performance and effort and intensity will be as crucial.

 

I am starting to look at McT in a different way, when he first came into the team i thought he might develop into a B-B midfielder then he turned to ****. In the last 3 games i have seen signs that he could turn that way again.

Was a bit concerned about the bench tonight, we had both full backs on yellow cards and literally **** all on the bench to change things and get them out of the firing line.

 

Ooooft Diego, snap! See my post above.

 

I have watched some youtube compilations of Anthony (yes i know ) the thing that impressed me was the shear quantity of clips showing him producing incredible skill/footwork consistently, he likes to use the back of his feet a lot either controlling the ball or passing it and is very good at it.

 

Just read it after i posted

 

I think the boy's got skills. But from what I've seen of him I just hope he's given time and ppl don't get on his back like they did with Ronaldo when he first arrived in 03. Just let him be himself and play his natural game.

 

Looking at the results across all teams so far this season, I don't think that we can take any wins for granted - especially for a team in transition. And if it comes with a clean sheet, I would celebrate every single one of them. Over the last few years, we lost games from the back. But if we can get consistent performances from the back line, gel the midfield with the new players, we will be in much better shape by the end of the year.

With the transfer window now closed, Ronaldo should in a position to be a starter for specific games, especially with Antony coming into the midfield and with his ego now effectively clipped. I'd surely like to see him start on Sunday against Arsenal and I expect him to be fired up for it.

 

We sold Garner who was in that mould and kept McT, so ten Hag definitely sees something in him.

No way he gets in a midfield ahead of Casemiro, Erikson, Fernandes, or even Fred though.

He's bottom of that queue best case if we want to push for top two or three.

We need to up the impetus going forward, and Casemeiro does that.

 

"He'll never win those aerial duels though.... oh"

 

First tentative steps. Every win build a bit of confidence. Arsenal will be a good test of where we are.

Our obsession with DeJong has to stop. We now know we were wrong to put all our eggs in that particular basket, especially as we declared he was our top top No 1 target. DeJong never wanted to leave Barcelona and therefore didn’t want to come to Utd. How did the club not know this? This was embarrassing and the club completely messed it up. We are still declaring our obsession with a player who’s declared that he doesn’t want to leave Barcelona. Just ****ing believe the player.

 

He might change his mind by January!

Let's see how they treat him.

As it goes, Eriksen is playing that role perfectly, with Fred to step in as and when.
He's not really that much needed right now, maybe Eriksen in that role was always the 'Plan B'.

It's refreshing that Ten Hag does not feel the need to start with that two defensive midfield 'pivot', or whatever the **** it was.

Helps to have a secure centre half partnership behind.

 

FFS let go of him. We look like the ****ing teenager in love with a girl, feeling that’s not reciprocated. Time to move on.