Chelsea v Man Utd - 23/10/16 16:00

Atkinson. Well that's just pissed all over it.

look usual post match crap. enough of it. it starts now and only a quick glance at the fixture list will show time for this shit is over. its the fixtures its the referees its everything


www.manutd.com/en/Fixtures-And-Results/United-Fixtures-And-Results.aspx?pageNo=2

No reason why we shouldn't be top of the tree on christmas day otherwise serious questions will have to be asked.

only problem is the europa league and nobody frankly cares about it.

Season after season, manager after manager just when you think we are making a step forward we take two back. Not good enough.

Negative from the off, conceding a goal in the first 30 seconds is never a great way to start. Smalling had a stinker and the rest of the team weren't much better, some of the defending today was simple school boy stuff. As you said in the chat this isn't a one off and we've seen it with other managers, defend brilliantly one match and then just completely fall apart in the next. I'm at a loss but clearly there's deep problems.

Mourinho is supposed to be the master of these big games but he's got 1 point from three so far, needs a rethink and sharpish.

League wise today's result hasn't made a huge dent in the grand scheme of things given the way others teams matches have gone this weekend, on paper we have a kind run of fixtures now and need to pick up the points.

I think that the loss is way too heavy. If wehadn't given them those two stupid goals, because that's what they were, espeically the first, the game would have been completely different. We were far from dominated, we only lacked that bit of class and quality upfront, which has been our problem for many seasons now. Lingard, Rashford, Martial, Pogba, Depay are all very young, and some of them will become excellent players, I've no doubt about it. But this team is crying out for leaders, for experience and that x-factor we have lacked for way too long.

We have or have had players able to bring it to us, but for some reasons something is going wrong on that front (ex. Di Maria, Depay, Mkhitaryan to name a few). What I know is that I have seen improvement since Mourinho came, we are fighting harder, we are becoming a more solid unit but the machine is not yet complete. Mourinho has already done some massive job, that may not be apprent to all, but I actually strongly believe he is going in the right direction.

Imo, what we need now is to accept that we won't become a major force overnight and that the next dynasty and stability we are all looking for will take time to adjust. Right now I think that the team is evolving in the right direction, sadly there are many (too many) players who do not fit Mourinho's requirements because they were brought in the last 3 dramatic years. But the players who fit his scheme and "philosophy" are doing extremely well (Herrera, Pogba, Valencia, Lingard, Rashford, Bailly, Smalling even Fellaini and Mata). I think that Mou could do with a couple of changes in January. But certainly no major signings. In fact I believe we need a couple of players like Valencia and Herrera attitude wise: willing to do what it takes to carry the team forward and release space and energy for our talent to get the best out of opportunities. Spending another 150M won't do any good. What we need now is experience and stability. The talent is there, we have to nurture it, but we lack players to surround all that talented new generation, while getting rid of the players who will not fit in with Mou's requirements and style.

Terrible first half tactics. How you can play Fellaini with his back to goal I'll never know. He's shit enough going forward. When Chelski had the ball Rashford and Lingard were almost full backs so it was nearly impossible to counter.
I don't agree with Matt that the squad only needs tweaking. The only half decent consistent CB we have is Bailly who ironically I thought wouldn't make the grade. Smalling and Blind are accidents waiting to happen. They always make mistakes during games and normally it costs us. Rojo should never have been signed in the first place. For me Valencia has to be replaced by a proper RB. Another who loses his marker to often and even though he put in a few good balls today it's no where near enough.
Martial is another who I'm starting to think won't make it at United. He has obvious talent and is still young but in too many games he looks like he couldn't give a fuck and his back tracking is almost non existent. He should take a leaf out of Rashfords book who even though he could be having an average game always gives 100%. The same as Lingard.
I hope that today didn't show us at the level we're really at because if that's the case then we really are in trouble.