Watford v Man Utd, Sunday September 18th 12:00 (!)

[ColB]

Which isn't what he was tasked to do with the France team.

Basically he's good going forward, shocking going backwards. That means that any side with a decent midfield and/or playing counter attacking football effectively will have an absolute field day, especially if someone like Herrera or Carrick is alongside him. The sensible thing to do would be to play Blind as a holding midfielder.

 

[G-Dragon]

 

[sl1k]

The team is not set up to play to the strengths of key individual players ala Pogba. He for example, needs someone to hold position covering the space behind him and be a good distributer of the ball. The only players who fit that mould are Carrick and Blind, who've not played there.

Then there's Zlatan, who thrives when there are midfielders running beyond him playing cute one-two passes. Rooney's first touch is shite and his footballing brain far too slow.

Our attacks become far too simplistic and thus predictable. They let our fullbacks get on the ball and mark our wingers out the game, having to beat 2-3 players to create space.

 

[Bilo]

Which isn't what he was tasked to do with the France team.

Correct me if I'm wrong as it's been a while, but for most of the games in the euros France played a 4-2-3-1. Kanté next to Pogba in the middle. Now you've seen enough of Kanté to know he's not a deep lying playmaker, he's a runner. A ball winning midfielder who pops up anywhere on the pitch. He did come deep occasionally, but from what I remember Pogba came deep a lot.

In addition, Pogba wasn't shit in the euros. He just wasn't as good as he can be.

 

[ColB]

Rooney is a mid-table Premiership quality player at best these days, and I say that as someone who has been a fan of his ability in the past. On paper United have an 11 that stacks up against anybody's really.

De Gea

Valencia
Smalling
Bailly
Shaw

Blind
Pogba
Mata

Mkhitaryan
Rashford

Ibrahimovic

 

[Nilsson]

Crazy how we've started every game poorly so far, we've literally wasted the first 30 minutes in every game.

 

[Super_horns]

Great 1st half and we really held on under pressure with Prodl excellent.

Did wonder why Zuniga was coming on - but got my answer!

Cool penalty at the end from Troy..

Thank goodness Ighalo's miss didn't matter!

Rooney and Pogba just moaned all game!!

 

[Liam_SWFC]

As much as United were poor, got to give Watford credit they were fantastic, this system they are using with the wing backs seems to be working great for them, is it the same style Mazzari used at Napoli?

It looked like a typical Manchester United performance from last season when Van Gaal was in charge, everyone can see Rooney is past it in his normal position but playing him in a midfield 3 is mental. He needs dropping but we all know that no manager ever does it, needs to find a system to fit his best players in. Fellaini has never been a Manchester United player. Pressure on for Jose now.

 

[Bilo]

is it the same style Mazzari used at Napoli?

It is, but to begin with they looked very susceptible down the flanks as teams over here exploit that space more with crosses than they did in Serie A.

Got it right today though.

 

[Super_horns]

Janmaat and Holebas look like very good wing backs - the latter hardly played last season and former just joined.

The other one came on replacing a midfielder and scored!

At West Ham we were exposed badly early on before going to 442.

Today we just defended very well although they did target Amrabat during the 2nd half once he came on.

 

[Livercool]

Am I surprised by this result? The answer is no.

'Couldn't win the league even if they were in Kazahkstan'chester United' have once again shown the extent of their delusion during another justified hammering by a team their 'fans' think they should be beating. The only thing that shocked me about the result is the fact that Watford didn't net a few more considering how weak 'Might as well be sat in the stand'chester United are as a team.

But I guess that's what you'd expect if you shape a team of money greedy Sunday league players who are only there for the sake of publicity. It feels that 'Joke across the land'chester United's only goal is to run a fashion brand, rather than a football club, which is ironic considering being one of their 'fans' is the least fashionable thing to be.

My question to 'Don't understand'chester United 'fans' is this: Which ridiculous signing do you think your 'club' will make next in order to keep your levels of delusions up? Do you think they'll need to spend more than £100 million this time to keep you thinking you could actually win the league?

 

[Bilo]

'Couldn't win the league even if they were in Kazahkstan'chester United'

Best so far.

 

[smat]

Danny Murphy and Trevor Sinclair were saying on MOTD2 last night that Rooney is the best passer in the league and should play as United's #4.

 

[Bilo]

Isn't #4 a centre back, in the classic 4-4-2 numeration?

Great call, will work splendid.

 

[merseyboyred]

Danny Murphy and Trevor Sinclair were saying on MOTD2 last night that Rooney is the best passer in the league and should play as United's #4.

I am all for this.

 

[smat]

Isn't #4 a centre back, in the classic 4-4-2 numeration?

Great call, will work splendid.

No no no. I don't know how they do it in Sweden, but this is just wrong.

1
2 5 6 3
7 4 8 11
9 10

 

[JimJams]

Hold on there Smat!
Taken from Wiki:


In a traditional 4–4–2 system in the UK, the squad numbers 1–11 would usually have been occupied in this manner:

• 1 Goalkeeper
• 2 Right back
• 3 Left back
• 4 Central midfielder (more defensive)
• 5 Centre back
• 6 Centre back
• 7 Right winger
• 8 Central midfielder (more attacking)
• 9 Centre forward (usually a target player)
• 10 Striker (usually a fast poacher)
• 11 Left winger

However, in a more modern 4–2–3–1 system, they will be arranged like this:

• 1 Goalkeeper
• 2 Right back
• 3 Left back
• 4 Centre back
• 5 Centre back
• 6 Central midfielder (more defensive)
• 7 Right winger
• 8 Central midfielder (deep-lying playmaker)
• 9 Striker
• 10 Attacking midfielder (advanced playmaker/enganche)
• 11 Left winger

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Squad_number_(association_football)#Great_Britain

 

[sl1k]

That whole Rooney segment was a farce. He'd fuck up a simple control-and-pass, they're like 'this is so unlike Rooney, you don't often see that from him'. He does it every week and he did it all game. Then, they're like he's immobile now, stick him at holding mid and he'll be pinging them passes all day long. Erm, thanks but no thanks and fuck you very much. Wouldn't be surprised if they did suggest him at cb, of course the city and 'pool twats want him to stay in the team!!

 

[Stevencc]

1
2-4-5-3
6-8
7-10-11
9
​

Rooney should be number 97, anyway.

 

[Bilo]

No no no. I don't know how they do it in Sweden, but this is just wrong.

1
2 5 6 3
7 4 8 11
9 10

Hold on there Smat!
Taken from Wiki:


In a traditional 4–4–2 system in the UK, the squad numbers 1–11 would usually have been occupied in this manner:

• 1 Goalkeeper
• 2 Right back
• 3 Left back
• 4 Central midfielder (more defensive)
• 5 Centre back
• 6 Centre back
• 7 Right winger
• 8 Central midfielder (more attacking)
• 9 Centre forward (usually a target player)
• 10 Striker (usually a fast poacher)
• 11 Left winger

However, in a more modern 4–2–3–1 system, they will be arranged like this:

• 1 Goalkeeper
• 2 Right back
• 3 Left back
• 4 Centre back
• 5 Centre back
• 6 Central midfielder (more defensive)
• 7 Right winger
• 8 Central midfielder (deep-lying playmaker)
• 9 Striker
• 10 Attacking midfielder (advanced playmaker/enganche)
• 11 Left winger

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Squad_number_(association_football)#Great_Britain

Next thing you know you'll try to convince me the nr 9 is a winger.

 

[ColB]

Danny Murphy and Trevor Sinclair were saying on MOTD2 last night that Rooney is the best passer in the league and should play as United's #4.

Best passer in the league? Lmao. The amount if time he pings a ball out of play is shocking. Sure, now and again he'll hit a nice pass, but he's not even the best passer of a football in Manchester.

 

[JimJams]

That's not particularly scathing when arguably the best passer in the league is actually in Manchester.

 

[GodsGift]

Rooney's passing is probably his biggest flaw in his new position, if it isn't his lack of pace. He seems to have been allowed a bit of freedom in the "Pirlo role" yet all he seems to do is pass it from side-to-side and slow the game down. Failing that, drilling 40/50-yard passes out of play in a futile attempt at being the next Paul Scholes. If he's going to have to play that role he's going to have to learn to play incisive through-ball passes, something a certain Michael Carrick seemed to have mastered a couple of seasons ago - yet now finds himself on the bench...

 

[ColB]

That's not particularly scathing when arguably the best passer in the league is actually in Manchester.

But my point is if he's not the best passer of a football in Manchester, how is he the best passer in the league?

He wouldn't even be in the top 10.

 

[Luc@]

Every time I see Paul playing in a 4-2-3-1 I feel depressed; you have one of the best wide midfielders in the world and you waste him by forcing him to play in a such defensive role. I thought Mourinho was smarter than this.