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Manchester United 3 Liverpool 2 (Jan 24 2021)


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Dave Usher

 

Not exactly surprising was it? Even when we’re in a good run we never get anything at Old Trafford so this result was entirely predictable. We played pretty well for the most part, better than we usually do here anyway, but it wasn’t enough because we made too many mistakes.

 

For some inexplicable reason I felt good about our chances when I woke up on Sunday. I’ve been on such a massive downer of late and my faith in the team (specifically the forwards) has been shaken to it’s core, yet I had a feeling we’d do well in this one. 

 

I don’t know why that was but I suspect it’s probably because it was the cup, which meant less pressure, and that expectations were pretty low and that also means less pressure. United were expected to win this because they’re top of the table and our form has been awful since the turn of the year. So in some ways this was a free hit for us.

 

Even when I saw the team I thought we might come through the tie, although I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t worried about Rashford up against young Rhys Williams. Sadio not starting also weakened us but the flip side to that is it’s good being able to call on someone like that from the bench when the game becomes more stretched.

 

So all in all I still felt quite hopeful. And the way we started the game was great. We were on the front foot, positive and we looked more like us.

 

We had a chance in the first minute when some nice play got Trent in down the side and his low cross was scrambled away. Great start, something to build on, and we did build on it. We even managed to finally score a goal when Bobby’s brilliant through ball was superbly finished by Mo. At fucking last.

 

I actually thought we were superb right up until the moment they scored. After that we definitely lost some confidence for a while. It was a shitty goal to concede but the warning signs had been there. It was obvious what United were doing and I thought it was naive that we allowed it to continue without fixing it.

 

When our full backs went forward they just left Rashford and Greenwood upfield in the space they vacated. Every single time. And when they got the ball back they found those two early and they were able to get a run at Williams or Fabinho. It was just to easy for them. 

 

Greenwood had already broke clear once only to greedily try and score himself when he had two players available for cutbacks. Williams did a good job there in blocking off the angle for the cutback to Van Der Beek but Greenwood only ever really looked like he wanted to score himself, and he was never beating Alisson from that angle. That said, it was a warning that we never heeded.

 

Their goal was just far too easy. We lost the ball on the edge of their box when Pogba made a sliding challenge and won the ball. Normally it wouldn’t be a problem but too often in this game we were just wide open.

 

We’re usually pretty good at ‘protecting our attacks’ but when you take Henderson and Fabinho out of the midfield it probably shouldn’t be too surprising that we’re more vulnerable as they’re as good as anybody out there at that side of the game. 

 

I also think maybe the lack of goals has become such a mental thing that maybe the midfield were over-committing in attack and not thinking about preventing the counter attack. Milner spent more time in the opposition box in this game than Wijnaldum has all season for example.

 

We didn’t just get caught once, it looked like it was going to happen virtually every time we lost possession. And while it’s easy to point the finger at Williams for this I don’t see it as being his fault at all. The second goal was a mistake, that’s on him, but how wide open we looked to counter attacks was not his fault. He was the victim of that crime, not the perpetrator.

 

 

This is just a teaser, click here to view the full report

 

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Oh no, Dave. You've gone and done it. 

You're not allowed to criticise Thiago. He was shite but as I said previously and you have also mentioned, he should be better with proper CB's behind him. 

 

Spot on about Williams - poor lad has been well and truly fucked into the deep end. Awful man management/club management - whatever your personal preference is. 

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8 minutes ago, ZonkoVille77 said:

Oh no, Dave. You've gone and done it. 

You're not allowed to criticise Thiago. He was shite but as I said previously and you have also mentioned, he should be better with proper CB's behind him. 

 

Spot on about Williams - poor lad has been well and truly fucked into the deep end. Awful man management/club management - whatever your personal preference is. 

You're allowed to criticize Thiago, Zonko. It's just you look like an idiot when you say a Champions League winning central midfielder only last season is a "luxury player" after watching him play for 5 games in a fundamentally broken team.

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3 minutes ago, 3 Stacks said:

You're allowed to criticize Thiago, Zonko. It's just you look like an idiot when you say a Champions League winning central midfielder only last season is a "luxury player" after watching him play for 5 games in a fundamentally broken team.

 

When you've a team like us struggling to defend and struggling to score, yes a playmaker like Thiago is a huge luxury. A Ferrari engine in a Lada. When the team has a real defence in place with 2 CB's, and a forward line that scores, you THEN supplement it with playmakers like Thiago. It's common sense. 

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7 minutes ago, ZonkoVille77 said:

 

When you've a team like us struggling to defend and struggling to score, yes a playmaker like Thiago is a huge luxury. A Ferrari engine in a Lada. When the team has a real defence in place with 2 CB's, and a forward line that scores, you THEN supplement it with playmakers like Thiago. It's common sense. 

But he's not simply a playmaker. He wins the ball more than players like Wijnaldum and Henderson. That's where you make no sense. But yes, at this moment in time, it's not the best idea to put him in a lone #6 role, where he needs to plug the absolute gapping holes that are appearing all over the pitch in every game. He shouldn't have to be running back and covering positions for large parts of the game.

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4 minutes ago, 3 Stacks said:

But he's not simply a playmaker. He wins the ball more than players like Wijnaldum and Henderson. That's where you make no sense. But yes, at this moment in time, it's not the best idea to put him in a lone #6 role, where he needs to plug the absolute gapping holes that are appearing all over the pitch in every game. He shouldn't have to be running back and covering positions for large parts of the game.

 

Finally you get it. 

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What's depressing is our record in the cup against this lot. What is it, 1 win since 1923 and that was when Crouchie scored in 2005? Fuck me, we even managed to lose 2-1 to these cunts when winning 1-0 in the 90th minute in 1999.

 

Thought we played a lot better but you got the feeling at 2-2 the ref was going to have a big say on the final score. Well, I did because I thought he gave us fuck all yet again while united players were throwing themselves to the ground with gay abandon and getting free kicks all over te pitch.

 

Some might blame Fab for the foul but Pawson is giving that against van Dijk, Gomes, Matip or even Degsy if he was still here but not giving it us down the other end. Even if he had, Trent would just have put it into the stretford end.

 

 

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1 minute ago, VERBAL DIARRHEA said:

Thiago will be fine with two behind him and the fullbacks bombing on. And two proper cb’s behind him. 

 

Maybe that's the plan.  It's a completely different system then one we've ever seen from us and will mean fucking firmino off for a proper number nine so its miles off from being seen. 

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Top top proper perspective on Williams and keeping his head up analysis there, Dave. 

 

Someone mentioned that in the first few minutes the ball went out for our throw and Luke Shaw threw the ball in entirely the wrong direction. No yellow card and that was the minute the poster knew we'd get fuck all from Pawson. Mine was the Pogba holding and fouling on Salah that resulted in a misplaced pass to TAA and went out for a throw. Nothing given yet it was truly disgraceful. I don't think Pawson was terrible, but I did think he gave them at least the 5% that means there are few game-changing, blatantly contentious decisions, but added together, they just grind our players down. Which is all it takes. 

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I like Thiago, he definitely has a lot to offer but he hasn't had the impact I'd hoped for but that's probably on me for expecting some sort of midfield messiah to instantly improve us. He's prone to diving in and giving away silly free kicks too which is frustrating.

 

Although in his defence he probably watches the opposition and thinks its fine. It's like we are playing with one of those petty whistle happy European refs every game at the moment where you're urging the players to adapt and stay on their feet. The opposition have got an old fashioned ale house fucker who lets everything go only its the same fella.

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2 hours ago, VERBAL DIARRHEA said:

Thiago will be fine with two behind him and the fullbacks bombing on. And two proper cb’s behind him. 

We'll see the best of Thiago when we've got a proper lineup, instead of this patchwork of a side. At full strength he will be magnificent just like his debut against Chelsea. 

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Spot on about Thiago,I have been underwhelmed by him since arriving but like you,I think he is in the wrong position.I would have Phillips at CB with Matip against Spurs (not like we will have alot of defending to do) and if Hendo is back,get Thiago further forward with Fabinho DM.We would rip them to shreds.

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Thiago isnt playing in the team of champions he signed for. Still expected a touch more but it just doesnt compare. Add to that his assault from the blue thugs and here we are.

 

Footballs fucking nuts. Players like Shaw, Pogba and DeGea would have gone from United for peanuts as they were so shite for long long periods. Now you'd think they were BallonD'or contenders whilst the best front 3 of World football are derided and dismissed on the back of a 5-6 game run    

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