Match Day Thread Manchester United v Brighton

So possibly playing three centre halves, with Dalot and Shaw as wing backs, and McTominay sat in a corner of the dressing room somewhere with Martinez as middle of a back three, could possibly have been better?

Not sure this is Ten Hag's MO, but a back four with Maguire at centre half and Dalot a conventional full back always sounds weak as **** to me.

You've then got Fred, Eriksen and Sancho in a three behind Bruno and (preferably) Ronaldo.

 

Then introduce Garnacho to the left side. He is at least two grades better than Rashford. No need persisting with players and hoping they will turn the corner.

 

Any comment on dalot assisting your goal with his elbow being allowed?

Or mctiminay not getting a red?

 

Didn't watch so don't care much about such trivialities.

How was your dry pitch?

 

Well watered according to fulham admin

 

Hello fellow relegation battling friends

 

Errrm we conceded 2 goals at home mate.

 

Shaw and Dalot were so far forward for most of the game that Maguire and Martinez (who I thought was excellent) were overwhelmed, the reason being they were stuck on congested flanks thinking they were only there for link up play - if you look at the Brighton heat map you will see where the problems came from. Errrrrm

 

I thought this game was a guaranteed start for him, Sancho on the right and Rashford through the middle and Garnacho on the left but obviously not this time around.

 

Oh yeh the heat map. I'll just look at that instead of watching the game.

You said you couldn't see the need for De Jong and then proceeded to bang on about our lack of attack. Our main problem is that we are conceding goals mate and as much as McTominay is poor and Fred is good in a free role, neither are capable of shielding the defence or controlling the midfield.

Until we sort this out our defence is on open season against every team we play. And fwiw a CM's role (especially if you've seen De Jong play instead of just looking at his heat map) when it comes to controlling the midfield will add to our attack or provide cover when the fullbacks go forward

If you genuinely believe we don't need a proper CM then I really think you've lost the plot.

 

Bringing on Garnacho so late just stifled momentum.

And he should've started with De Beek btw. He's been good in preseason so fck knows why he didn't.

 

I find it always helps to read other people's posts before being so dismissive - check back, my quote was - "We need a combative midfield player and a proven striker" - Happy now - obvs not.

 

So we did need De Jong then?

I'm not looking for an argument but the way I see it (and I said this at the end of last season when we were talking about what people's expectations were) was that progress for me started with our Home games. Making OT a fortress again. EVERYTHING we do will build from there and that is what we should be looking to address.

I don't really care if we play well and win 1-0 or draw 0-0. The point being we have to end the mindset that teams can come and apply a bit of pressure and completely bypass our midfield and score at will. Before Brighton scored today they had 2 good chances to score. That CAN'T happen. When we had the likes of Keane or Carrick it didn't and teams feared coming here. We need to get that back. Top priority imo. All the rest comes second.

 

Well let's all chill and wait and see, they don't hand the trophy out in August as I recall

 

I'm really not bothered about trophies. I did however mention performance and progress. But hey I'm sure McFred will be just fine.

It's funny though that when problems were being pointed out a few weeks into the transfer window, the same thing was being said. Hey it's only been a couple of weeks.... 2 months later and here we are.

 

Without wishing to jump in on another conversation but, well duh.

Yeah, obvs we do.

Blaming imaginary people doesn’t really solve anything, in my humble opinion, but backing the new manager in securing his primary target does.

Admittedly, this hasn't actually happened, yet.

But reverting back to the old Woodward idea of presenting the manager with a player he doesn't necessarily want won't work either.

Hopefully(!!) there is an alternative to de Jong lined up. Although I genuinely doubt it.

The idea of McTominay being a first team starter depresses me to be absolutely honest and I didn't expect it at all.

I'm less concerned by the striker thing, bar the idea of Rashford being considered one.

 

I'm not the one saying De Jong wasn't needed. I just picked up on GF saying it. It doesn't have to be De Jong either but a CM was needed today.

We literally had Eriksen going from a false 9 in the Ist half to a CM role in the 2nd.

I'm giving Ten Hag the benefit of doubt here and if he wants De Jong and it's that important to him then the club should pay the alleged £17m wages he's hanging on for, if that's the only sticking point.

I read earlier that La Liga are refusing to register the megastars Barca have bought and the deadline is this week.

So maybe we're playing a game of chicken knowing that to balance the books De Jong has to be sold. And that's the only benefit of doubt I'm giving our club here.

But after that, if they still haven't sorted the pay situation out with De Jong and TH wants him then just pay it.

 

I cant believe McTominay is still playing for you, hes not even good enough to get in the scotland midfield, he plays in defence for them. Callum McGregor is 10 times the player.

Eriksen looks like another poor signing, just like Ronaldo - a big name at the wrong end of their careers. Man United need to adapt their transfer strategy, they can no longer cherry pick the best players whenever, if Man United buy a player who is the finished article, that means they are not good enough for the top teams in Europe because if they were they wouldnt be signing for Man U.

If you ever want to get back you will have to build it, you should be in the market with the likes of Salzburg for young talent, the only way you will get any top players again is if you find them first, and all your massive resources should be focused on that endeavour now. Seems like a bunch of clowns are running you who couldnt judge a player to save themselves.

 

We have the most "proven striker" in Europe

 

This post is the only thing that is sensible in this thread. If anyone told any of us back in April that the line up for this game, I don’t think anyone would have believed it.

Roy Keane summed it perfectly:
“All those players that were leaving like Mata and Matic and all the other ones that have left, they knew they had a problem with Martial not having been fancied in the past, Cristiano coming to the end, Cavani leaving, obviously the situation with Greenwood not in the club anymore. All these things have been known for a long time, it’s not as if it’s just hit them now.’”

The club knew of everything that it needed to do as early as January when we brought no one in, and yet here we are with an arguably weaker squad. This is an utter failure if epic proportions!