Man Utd Thread:

[magpie seanie]

Listen it was 90 minutes of my life i wont get back.. but it served a purpose, stepping stone possibly to the next round, this wasnt a group match or a league game, knockout footballl where no one remembers the losers...

What do fans want? winners or losers who play with flair? Its a hard pill to swallow but Utd are not the team of yesterday!

I know what you are saying, but it's not mutually exclusive. Did Hamann enjoyed sticking the boot in last night, and I thought it was crazy considering United are ahead of Liverpool all season. He did, however, make one good point. There's nothing wrong with being solid and hard to break down. That's a skill in itself, and it's one I wish Liverpool were better at. However when you have the ball, you have to be creative. Man United can call on Pogba, Mata, Rashford, Lindegard, Martial, Lukaku, Sanchez etc. Surely they can be more adventurous when they have the ball?

They can't be with this coach. He won't allow it.

[AZOffaly]

I know. That's sort of what I'm saying. I think if Mourinho trusted his players more, they'd be a lot more expansive with the ball. He actually reminds me of Jimmy McGuinness and what he did with the likes of Michael Murphy.

[magpie seanie]

This is the way he has always been. It's why I cannot stand him and opposed him since it was first mooted that he could become United manager. It's why Bobby Charlton and Alex Ferguson didn't want him as United manager but were ultimately overruled by people who only give a shit about money.

[Hound]

I know. That's sort of what I'm saying. I think if Mourinho trusted his players more, they'd be a lot more expansive with the ball. He actually reminds me of Jimmy McGuinness and what he did with the likes of Michael Murphy.

While that was definitely the case last night, you could argue the flair players you mentioned earlier haven't shown enough in the last month or so to allow him to give them more rope in an away European tie.

[AZOffaly]

I know. That's sort of what I'm saying. I think if Mourinho trusted his players more, they'd be a lot more expansive with the ball. He actually reminds me of Jimmy McGuinness and what he did with the likes of Michael Murphy.

While that was definitely the case last night, you could argue the flair players you mentioned earlier haven't shown enough in the last month or so to allow him to give them more rope in an away European tie.

When has he let them off the leash though? Everything seems to be stodgy with him.

[Cunny Funt]

Dour away draws also happened in Fergusons time and its probably best to wait to see how the 2nd leg goes. What some seem to forget last night was Uniteds first champions league knock out tie for 4 years and they have lost their last two away games in the knock outs which includes a 2-0 defeat to the might of Olympiacos. They are not the flamboyant side of old that regularly reached the latter stages of this competition.  What you have now is a side that are still in transition not just from Fergusons retirement but a side still cleaning up the mess that VanGaal and Moyes left behind. Joses style of play was well known before he arrived, his teams are mostly functional and dour matches are more common under his management though it should be noted the football played under VanGaal was even worse and with less progress made.

[J70]

Listen it was 90 minutes of my life i wont get back.. but it served a purpose, stepping stone possibly to the next round, this wasnt a group match or a league game, knockout footballl where no one remembers the losers...

What do fans want? winners or losers who play with flair? Its a hard pill to swallow but Utd are not the team of yesterday!

Is the point not that with United's riches and standing that they should be able to have both?

Ferguson's teams ebbed and flowed in terms of at the attractiveness of the football (I thought the days of Kanchelskis and Giggs flying up the wings were the best, personally) and played pragmatic football when necessary, but they rarely hit the consistent dourness of this Mourinho team (this is the man who criticized Big Sam for "19th century football" a few years back). If Sevilla was a once-off, no one would be saying anything.

I remember Liverpool being celebrated for grinding out a 0-0 away to Juve in 2005, but that was with a team missing vital players and with Djimi Traore, Igor Biscan and Antonio f**king Nunez in the line-up and up against Del Piero, Ibrahimovic, Cannavaro, Nedved, Buffon and the rest. Plus, football has changed since then and 0-0s away from home are no longer a prized result with the capability of most decent teams now to score a goal or two away.

[Maroon Manc]

It hasn't been like this all season, there's been some poor performance against the smaller clubs but there's been plenty of times United have been good to watch which is been ignored.

Mourinho though will always be cautious against the top teams which I have no problem with.

United are just not very cohesive though but if he can fix that then we might have a great end to the season.

The back 4 still can't be trusted, both fullbacks are 30 + wingers and Shaw hasn't returned to his form prior the injury. As for the centre halfs, its non stop injuries with Bailly, Jones & Rojo.

Win the FA CUP and improve our league performances and I'll be happy with the end of the season.

[gawa316]

Listen it was 90 minutes of my life i wont get back.. but it served a purpose, stepping stone possibly to the next round, this wasnt a group match or a league game, knockout footballl where no one remembers the losers...

What do fans want? winners or losers who play with flair? Its a hard pill to swallow but Utd are not the team of yesterday!

I remember Liverpool being celebrated for grinding out a 0-0 away to Juve in 2005, but that was with a team missing vital players and with Djimi Traore, Igor Biscan and Antonio f**king Nunez in the line-up and up against Del Piero, Ibrahimovic, Cannavaro, Nedved, Buffon and the rest. Plus, football has changed since then and 0-0s away from home are no longer a prized result with the capability of most decent teams now to score a goal or two away.

And who could forget Brondby and Dan f**king Eggen after a creditable nil, nil away from home!!!

[Geoff Tipps]

It hasn't been like this all season, there's been some poor performance against the smaller clubs but there's been plenty of times United have been good to watch which is been ignored.

Mourinho though will always be cautious against the top teams which I have no problem with.

United are just not very cohesive though but if he can fix that then we might have a great end to the season.

The back 4 still can't be trusted, both fullbacks are 30 + wingers and Shaw hasn't returned to his form prior the injury. As for the centre halfs, its non stop injuries with Bailly, Jones & Rojo.

Win the FA CUP and improve our league performances and I'll be happy with the end of the season.

Sevilla are not a top team though.

[Milltown Row2]

Look their score difference this year is better, so I wonder why is it that people are hung up on this? Utd are sitting well behind City, wont catch them, they are in 2 cup competitions and with City out of the FA cup they will at least give it a go, though both Chelsea and Spurs are big favs based on their attacking football qualities !

If its winning then Jose knows how to do that, his record speaks for itself.. flair only comes when Utd score early and the other team folds!

[Syferus]

It hasn't been like this all season, there's been some poor performance against the smaller clubs but there's been plenty of times United have been good to watch which is been ignored.

Mourinho though will always be cautious against the top teams which I have no problem with.

United are just not very cohesive though but if he can fix that then we might have a great end to the season.

The back 4 still can't be trusted, both fullbacks are 30 + wingers and Shaw hasn't returned to his form prior the injury. As for the centre halfs, its non stop injuries with Bailly, Jones & Rojo.

Win the FA CUP and improve our league performances and I'll be happy with the end of the season.

Sevilla are not a top team though.

They made the European Cup last 16 from Spain, and have multiple Europa League wins in recent years. You're hardly talking about scrubs from Eastern Europe.

[J70]

Didn't Mourinho coin the term "park the bus"?

[Oldhacker]

Mourinho built a great team at Porto on relatively limited resources. In all his subsequent appointments, he has demanded and been given the opportunity to bring in highly paid players for huge fees rather than develop home grown talent. His approach is no longer working and the groans in the background at  Old Trafford are likely to steadily increase.

[Maroon Manc]

Mourinho built a great team at Porto on relatively limited resources. In all his subsequent appointments, he has demanded and been given the opportunity to bring in highly paid players for huge fees rather than develop home grown talent. His approach is no longer working and the groans in the background at  Old Trafford are likely to steadily increase.

McTominay would disagree, got no complaints about his use of the younger players. He's been good with Gomes and some of the other really promising youngsters like Chong. There isn't a top manager about who would turn down the opportunity to spend big money, their all the same.

The groans will soon disappear should United have a successful end to the season