Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Dec 9, 2014 8:34:25 GMT
I greeted the final whistle last night with hysteric laughter :lol:
I spent all last night trying to think of a worse performance where we've still won and I couldn't come up with one. We had literally 2 of 11 performing anything like they can in van Persie and De Gea, the 9 in between were all dogshit and yet somehow, we pulled it off.
On the plus side it was like watching Robin two years ago, he held onto the ball well, brought others into play and looked so much sharper than at any point this season.
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Dec 9, 2014 8:39:46 GMT
Yeah RVP was a breath of fresh air, good to see him looking so good. Not many better strikers in the world when he's on top form.
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Dec 9, 2014 8:41:12 GMT
I'd have said 3 out of 11 and added Young to that who I thought defended well again and put in some good crosses...if only people were attacking the ball!
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Dec 9, 2014 8:43:32 GMT
Good crosses? All I saw was him clear everyone in the box half a dozen times. He defended ok as he has done since he came in but his attacking play is still as bad as ever.
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Dec 9, 2014 8:45:16 GMT
Na he put in a few decent crosses into good areas and there was just nobody attacking the ball.
In terms of playing that bad and winning, the only game that sticks in my memory for obvious reasons is Liverpool in 07' with O'Shea's late winner. We were dreadful that day as well and scored pretty much our only chance of the game.
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Dec 9, 2014 8:50:20 GMT
I thought about that but I'm not even sure that was as bad as last night. I got to a point where I genuinely started thinking van Gaal had set it as a challenge, see how many times you can stupidly lose the ball without being punished for it.
Ah well, we move on. 5 wins on the bounce and it still doesn't really feel like we're on a run because the performances aren't quite with it yet.
Hope we see 4 at the back on Sunday.
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Dec 9, 2014 8:56:17 GMT
Yeah it's the first time he's said we were lucky and were second best in a game. He also made some comment about what he told the players at half time, I saw a slight and I mean slight improvement in the second half.
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Dec 9, 2014 9:07:01 GMT
We were probably a bit more secure in the second half but nothing changed from an attacking point of view. I couldn't understand what he was trying to do to be honest. We couldn't hold onto the ball long enough to actually build any attacks because Fellaini, Mata and Herrera were never close enough to each other to string a few passes together and we didn't have the pace the break on them.
When Herrera came on I assumed (and we probably all did) that he was ditching the back three so we could get Carrick on the ball with players around him so we could start to dominate possession. But all we did by moving Carrick back was starve ourselves of the ball even more because Fellaini ended up in the position he's completely woeful in.
I'm sure van Gaal will have learnt a lot from it though and I doubt we'll see us be that bad again this season, even in games where we get beat.
|
|
|
|
Post by Nemanja79 on Dec 9, 2014 9:58:35 GMT
I thought they all were heavily on Valium last night, well, until Herrera came on at least. I don't remember this schoolboy performance not even under Moyes, but what's obvious difference is the winning mentality installed into players' brains compared to last season "we played well but were unlucky" state of mind.
3rd place, just wow.
|
|
|
|
Post by Hammy on Dec 9, 2014 14:49:21 GMT
I really am trying to like VG but with him for every good thing he does he goes and fucks it up by trying to be too clever.
I was amazed when I seen the starting line up knowing it was back to 3-5-2. If I see him playing this system once more I won't be watching the game. Why can't he see we are absolute dogshit playing this system?
Playing with a flat back 4 players like McNair and Blackett were excelling. Put them in a 3-5-2 and they fall to pieces. Then putting Fellaini at the base of the diamond was a fucking joke.
Instead of going to a flat back 4 he brings off McNair and puts Carrick in a back 3. Incredible. Rooney, Mata and Herrera were running around like headless chickens because no one knows how to play a 3-5-2.
RVP won the game on his own last night. VG deserves fuck all credit. Up to third. Brilliant but it's about time VG realises he's playing in the premier league where trying to be a tactical genius will get you no where.
|
|
|
|
Post by Splendid Spy on Dec 9, 2014 15:12:38 GMT
Exactly Hammy. I feel the system we are employing at the moment is too negative. We might be hogging possessions but there's just not enough of movement up front. Players are sitting too deep passing around and once we get the opportunity to go forward, the players get dispossessed or have their passes intercepted. That's the reason why we aren't getting lots of shots on target in the last few games... the Arsenal game as well. We are riding our luck at the moment. Everyone can see that.
I might be a little negative here but I feel it's sooner rather than later our winning streak will come to an end. Hopefully it's not against the fools.
|
|
|
|
Post by Hammy on Dec 9, 2014 16:08:58 GMT
It's certainly more negative than most of SAFs games Eric. I've always been a lover of the 4-4-2. Fair enough it was probably too predictable near the end of SAFs rule and we didn't have a plan B something's had to change.
VGs approach is a lot more cautious, a more measured form of play. He's changed the system to try and suit his philosophy which is fair enough but does his philosophy suit United? That's the big question.
He has world class players at his disposal but as Gary Neville put it we're playing like a pub team. Yes we have had a lot of injuries but with the depth we have we should be able to ride the storm but for me continually playing Fellaini instead of Herrera shows the intent VG has. As for the 3-5-2. You really have to be an idiot to keep playing this system when it's so obvious it doesn't suit us. Never once have we looked comfortable playing it but still he persists.
A midfield 3 of Carrick, Herrera and Di Maria with RVP, Rooney and Mata in attack and I'd be comfortable playing anyone but VG has Di Maria playing out wide where he's not at all effective, Mata and Herrera are lucky to get a game, Rooney playing in CM and god knows what other formation.
Come on VG. Play your best players in their best positions and leave trying to be a tactical genius until you have a more solid base.
|
|
|
|
Post by Njords Saga on Dec 9, 2014 20:53:33 GMT
I guess the learning curve is steep since this kind of switch is new to most of the players. They need to spend more time trying to build understanding of positional role when LVG starts to tinker. Cos one thing that he won't do and that is not change the system game to game. lol. Well anyways 5 on the trot, let's see how good we'll be when actually playing well.
|
|
