Missing person...

[Christianlfc]

Yeah there was one man of the match.

 

It was carlos tevez.

[Rashid]

Completely agree mate. We can't expect Torres and Gerrard to bail us out of everything. I think we missed Alonso a lot today, his extra quality with his passing could have made a massive difference.

 

Although I agree to a point, I thought Mascherano was superb today and we had Alonso in many other United games and he didn't help us to win. The crying for injured players is bcoming tiresome. Had we had Alonso and Agger we would still have probably lost given that the difference between the two sides was in attacking areas and not in centre midfield.

[Zippy]

That is very very harsh when you consider the service that he got. He would have been man marked and then some by United, it was up to Kewell, Benayoun and Kuyt to make that space for him to support him etc. He is absoute quality but that quality can be shut down unless of course the rest of the team take up the mantle. Cristiano Ronaldo as very poor today but he has Rooney, Tevez etc ready to help if he has a bad game.

 

The problem is the same as when Rafa got here, no wide players of quality and no player between defence and attack who can create.

 

Agree with that. We now have a striker who matches up to his rivals but until we get similar quality on the flanks and the second striker role then we will struggle to win the league.

[Karl_b]

Although I agree to a point, I thought Mascherano was superb today and we had Alonso in many other United games and he didn't help us to win. The crying for injured players is bcoming tiresome. Had we had Alonso and Agger we would still have probably lost given that the difference between the two sides was in attacking areas and not in centre midfield.

 

Mascherano was very good but he doesn't offer the same guile and creativity that Alonso does.

 

Anyway, it's less tiresome than calling for new signings.

 

[insert smilie]

[Section_31]

Fergusson knows how to play us, it's as simple as that. He used to mark Macca out of the game back in the day, same with Owen, same with Torres and Crouch later on. They were doubling up on him and Hargreaves was at his him too.

[Son of L8]

Masher's passing was just as bad as everyone else's, though. He gave away some absolutely shocking balls. Whether Xabi's passing boots would have made a difference today who knows, but we desperately needed someone with a bit of composure on the ball.

[Captain]

Amazing thread.

[King Emlyn]

Pathetic

[mcflynn]

Masher's passing was just as bad as everyone else's, though. He gave away some absolutely shocking balls. Whether Xabi's passing boots would have made a difference today who knows, but we desperately needed someone with a bit of composure on the ball.

 

Yeh I agree mascher's passing wasn't up to scratch. But he had a decent game nonetheless.

[andymc]

what a shit thread, torres has a bad game and people slag him off

[hamstrung]

He was tired because he hasn't been rotated enough

[Kurt]

Kurt, this is so unlike you, poor thread mate.

 

I know it was knee jerk... I even wrote so...

 

I was just so dissapointed in his performance today. It`s our main players who`ll win us these games. He had an absolute stinker, and what surprised me the most was that when he was trying to take on players, it looked like he had no belief what so ever he`d succeed. He should be brimming with confidence.

 

Off course he is allowed a bad match, and while im sure the usual suspects will be ripped to pieces, we must be allowed to be dissapointed when one of our most important and best player put in such a lacklustre performance against our main rivals, in such an important match.

[philyhamann]

0 service, can't remember one decent pass to him, just about every time he got the ball he was surrounded by 2 or 3 black shirts with no option to pass. Didn't help that they didn't need to mark his strike partner, since he usually just gave the ball back to them.

[Kurt]

0 service, can't remember one decent pass to him, just about every time he got the ball he was surrounded by 2 or 3 black shirts with no option to pass. Didn't help that they didn't need to mark his strike partner, since he usually just gave the ball back to them.

 

Well, that`s my issue with Torres today. He as well gave the ball back to them.His touch and control was so poor. It was equally poor when he was under no pressure. His control and sistribution was`nt any better than Kuyt`s. So when I said i was so dissappointed with Torres it was connected with high expectation and hope.

[Red Mist]

United's superstar's Rooney and Ronaldo did sooo much better, didn't they? This is Torres' first game of such intensity in English football, up against a very good defence, no need to slaughter him because he had a tough old afternoon. There were worst players than him on the pitch.

[Kurt]

United's superstar's Rooney and Ronaldo did sooo much better, didn't they? This is Torres' first game of such intensity in English football, up against a very good defence, no need to slaughter him because he had a tough old afternoon. There were worst players than him on the pitch.

 

First, I dont think i slaughtered Torres. I was hugely dissapointed. Secondly had United lost today, im sure every Utd fans around the world would be dissapointed. I hate United, so I dont give damn about Rooney and Ronaldo. It`s not like I called him a shithouse cunt is it? I pointed out that I cant remember the last time i`ve been so dissappointed by a performance by a Liverpool player ( due to having high hopes and expectations ) and I still am.

 

Im not saying get rid. If you read my signature you`ll see Torres is one of my favourite players. But I guess, we are not allowed critisize certain players? Had I said the same about Yossi, Riise or Kuyt, im sure no one would have raised an eyebrow.

[Hermes]

Didn't exactly get much help from his strike partner did he?

 

He didn't have one. If you mean Kuyt, he spent the game tackling defenders and midfielders which is the job Rafa picks him to do. The problem today was that our tactics were designed to avoid defeat, not to win the game. One man forward and Gerrard playing far to deep.

[StevieH]

He didn't have one. If you mean Kuyt, he spent the game tackling defenders and midfielders which is the job Rafa picks him to do. The problem today was that our tactics were designed to avoid defeat, not to win the game. One man forward and Gerrard playing far to deep.

 

Exactly and that is precisely the reason why we have such an awful record against the top 4 teams since Rafa took over - negative tactics.

[jsjazz]

Come on, he picked two forwards and 3 attacking midfielders, only Mascher as a defensive midfielder, how much more attacking could the lineup be? They tried, wasn't their day, weren't good enough to break down the Man U defense. Man U incidentally played two defensive midfielders, and how much tracking back did Rooney and Tevez do?

It's just plain wrong to say we were defensive, they were more defensive throughout the game.

[Rashid]

Hermes / SteveH - It wasn't negative tactics today, it was a lack of quality in the attacking players that play behind Torres.

[Hermes]

Hermes / SteveH - It wasn't negative tactics today, it was a lack of quality in the attacking players that play behind Torres.

 

Which was everybody, by at least 20 yds. How many times did he receive the ball and beat his man or make space to cross or play somebody in only to find that the somebody was not there. Rafa refused to commit men forward.

[philyhamann]

Well, that`s my issue with Torres today. He as well gave the ball back to them.His touch and control was so poor. It was equally poor when he was under no pressure. His control and sistribution was`nt any better than Kuyt`s. So when I said i was so dissappointed with Torres it was connected with high expectation and hope.

 

What do you expect him to do? The only thing he could do was

 

a) Pass it to Kuyt

 

b) Try to beat the three players closing you down

[Kopite]

Hermes / SteveH - It wasn't negative tactics today, it was a lack of quality in the attacking players that play behind Torres.

 

It's more fundamental than that. We missed a footballing centre half. Witness the space Man Utd afforded to Hyppia and Carragher. They knew there is no way either would harm them. A footablling defender would have made them commit men forward to stop him, instead they just put 11 behind the ball when we had it.

 

Oh for a Hansen.

[StevieH]

Hermes / SteveH - It wasn't negative tactics today, it was a lack of quality in the attacking players that play behind Torres.

 

We didn't create any real chances Rashid. You don't have to be Platini or Maradona to cross a ball.

[StevieH]

Hermes / SteveH - It wasn't negative tactics today, it was a lack of quality in the attacking players that play behind Torres.

 

We didn't create any real chances Rashid. You don't have to be Platini or Maradona to cross a ball.