Man Utd Thread:

[Captain Obvious]

Mourinho is a busted flush as a manager.

Was and still is a better manager than Luciano Spalletti

Still is? Very doubtful.

To most it's not doubtful at all. Very doubtful if Spalletti is even a better manager than Van Gaal with his sideways possession football.

To most it is doubtful.

Mourinho has spent the most money of any manager in European football this season and his team have laboured to 6th position. He was sacked at Chelsea last season after leaving them hovering above the relegation zone, they're now 10 clear at the top of the table little over a season later.

Mourinho is very much a busted flush.

As for Spalletti, we're currently 2nd in the table after losing our best player last season to the dominant force in Italian football. Things have taken a turn for the worse lately but as of now we are still in the hunt in all three competitions and I think he has certainly made progress with fairly moderate spending.

The most equals the thoughts in your own head?

You ignored the fact the Chelsea under Mourinho won the league just two years ago and their best players then are still their best players now.

Mourinho didn't spend a penny on players the club did and they are responsible for paying more than what the players are worth. The best signing was a free signing by the way.

On Spalletti he wasn't good enough the first time there and won't be much better on his return. Bringing him back was the president playing safe with a known option and lacking the ambition with a better manager. Mourinho would win a league title within two years with that Roma team however he has a bigger and more rewarding challenge on his hands by rebuilding Manchester United from the bottom up.

Kante is one of the most important Chelsea players I'd say now.

Yes very impressive as he was with Leicester City last season however their most important players 2014/15 and this season has arguably been Hazard and Costa.

I better leave bomber destro alone as it looks like I hit a nerve over his love for Spalletti and hate for Mourinho.

[Il Bomber Destro]

Mourinho is a busted flush as a manager.

Was and still is a better manager than Luciano Spalletti

Still is? Very doubtful.

To most it's not doubtful at all. Very doubtful if Spalletti is even a better manager than Van Gaal with his sideways possession football.

To most it is doubtful.

Mourinho has spent the most money of any manager in European football this season and his team have laboured to 6th position. He was sacked at Chelsea last season after leaving them hovering above the relegation zone, they're now 10 clear at the top of the table little over a season later.

Mourinho is very much a busted flush.

As for Spalletti, we're currently 2nd in the table after losing our best player last season to the dominant force in Italian football. Things have taken a turn for the worse lately but as of now we are still in the hunt in all three competitions and I think he has certainly made progress with fairly moderate spending.

The most equals the thoughts in your own head?

You ignored the fact the Chelsea under Mourinho won the league just two years ago and their best players then are still their best players now.

Mourinho didn't spend a penny on players the club did and they are responsible for paying more than what the players are worth. The best signing was a free signing by the way.

On Spalletti he wasn't good enough the first time there and won't be much better on his return. Bringing him back was the president playing safe with a known option and lacking the ambition with a better manager. Mourinho would win a league title within two years with that Roma team however he has a bigger and more rewarding challenge on his hands by rebuilding Manchester United from the bottom up.

Kante is one of the most important Chelsea players I'd say now.

Yes very impressive as he was with Leicester City last season however their most important players 2014/15 and this season has arguably been Hazard and Costa.

I better leave bomber destro alone as it looks like I hit a nerve over his love for Spalletti and hate for Mourinho.

I accept your concession and acknowledge your inability to contest the facts as the reason for it.

[magpie seanie]

Il Bomber - for the final time your are completely wrong to say that Hazard was "systematically fouled every time he was getting on the ball"......it is simply untrue. I do not know how many times he was on the ball but in the first half he was fouled 5 times (including Herrera's first booking) and dispossessed cleanly 4 or 5 times. He must have been on the ball at least 10-15 more times but perhaps even more. So your claim is completely bullshit. Please stop saying things like this unless you are willing to back them up with facts like I have. There were 8 free kicks awarded to Chelsea in the first half, 14 in the entire game. Hazard must have been on the ball 40 or more times. You're talking nonsense.

[magpie seanie]

Peoples opinions never cease to amaze me. I'm having an argument via email with a journalist whose entire article is based on Mourinho's negativity of setting up his team last night with 6 at the back. 6! Sorry, didn't happen.

The back 4 plus herrera and Jones? Jones was quite a cautious play alright I thought but the formation was basically 4-2-3-1 wasn't it? A fairly conventional approach. And united weren't parking the bus in the early going anyway.

That's how I saw it. I'd see the point if people were saying Jones was part of a back 5 but anything beyond that is just rubbish. It certainly wasn't a park the bus job like the embarrassing Liverpool game early in the season.

[Il Bomber Destro]

Il Bomber - for the final time your are completely wrong to say that Hazard was "systematically fouled every time he was getting on the ball"......it is simply untrue. I do not know how many times he was on the ball but in the first half he was fouled 5 times (including Herrera's first booking) and dispossessed cleanly 4 or 5 times. He must have been on the ball at least 10-15 more times but perhaps even more. So your claim is completely bullshit. Please stop saying things like this unless you are willing to back them up with facts like I have. There were 8 free kicks awarded to Chelsea in the first half, 14 in the entire game. Hazard must have been on the ball 40 or more times. You're talking nonsense.

There's one person talking nonsense here alright and it ain't me. Your blinkered view of things in stunning and it's you who is talking nonsense

The fact that you are refusing to acknowledge Herrera, after witnessing his captain being called over and warned about his team's systematic foulding of Hazard, then goes and makes ridiculous challenge where he was a mile off winning the ball of Hazard seconds after the warning when he's already on a yellow card really is stunning.

Your man was on a yellow card and chose to make that challenge, in a nothing area of the pitch, nowhere near getting the ball. He did this in the context of United players repeatedly fouling Hazard when he got on the ball and having just had their captain called over and spoken to about this. But you fail to acknowledge the sheer stupidity of what Herrera did.

There's no doubting Herrera fouled him, there's no doubting Herrera was already deservedly on a yellow card when he fouled him and picked up a second yellow and there's no doubting that Oliver had brought over captain Chris Smalling about 10 seconds before the second red and addressed the systematic fouling of Hazard by United players.

Darmian had committed a foul on Hazard from behind , Jones had committed two fouls, the first up near the Chelsea box where he had 5 or 6 different nibbles getting nowhere near the ball before the foul was blown, the second another ill disciplined tackle right through the back of him, Herrera himself had been rightly booked for a cynical off the ball check leading with a shoulder into the chest (certain yellow card), he also had another kick out at Hazard which Oliver played advantage on (44 secs in video below) and then finally commits his third foul on Hazard after. So by the 34 minute Hazard had 6 fouls committed on him - that's pretty systematic if you ask me.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=50elwihDAvs

If you want to argue something as clear cut as Herrera's footballing lobotomy then knock yourself out but it just shows a special type of blinkered view you possess.

Generally if you want to tackle the ball you don't try and do it when the guy has his back to you and is as good at protecting it as Hazard is. The indiscipline of Jones and Herrera in their tackling was telling and United can have little complaint when Oliver had forewarned them that they had used up all their goodwill in that regard.

I really can't fathom how you ire is not directed at the bampot who went and committed a needless foul when already on a yellow card seconds after the United captain had been brought over and talked to about his team's fouling.

[stew]

Il Bomber - for the final time your are completely wrong to say that Hazard was "systematically fouled every time he was getting on the ball"......it is simply untrue. I do not know how many times he was on the ball but in the first half he was fouled 5 times (including Herrera's first booking) and dispossessed cleanly 4 or 5 times. He must have been on the ball at least 10-15 more times but perhaps even more. So your claim is completely bullshit. Please stop saying things like this unless you are willing to back them up with facts like I have. There were 8 free kicks awarded to Chelsea in the first half, 14 in the entire game. Hazard must have been on the ball 40 or more times. You're talking nonsense.

There's one person talking nonsense here alright and it ain't me. Your blinkered view of things in stunning and it's you who is talking nonsense

The fact that you are refusing to acknowledge Herrera, after witnessing his captain being called over and warned about his team's systematic foulding of Hazard, then goes and makes ridiculous challenge where he was a mile off winning the ball of Hazard seconds after the warning when he's already on a yellow card really is stunning.

Your man was on a yellow card and chose to make that challenge, in a nothing area of the pitch, nowhere near getting the ball. He did this in the context of United players repeatedly fouling Hazard when he got on the ball and having just had their captain called over and spoken to about this. But you fail to acknowledge the sheer stupidity of what Herrera did.

There's no doubting Herrera fouled him, there's no doubting Herrera was already deservedly on a yellow card when he fouled him and picked up a second yellow and there's no doubting that Oliver had brought over captain Chris Smalling about 10 seconds before the second red and addressed the systematic fouling of Hazard by United players.

Darmian had committed a foul on Hazard from behind , Jones had committed two fouls, the first up near the Chelsea box where he had 5 or 6 different nibbles getting nowhere near the ball before the foul was blown, the second another ill disciplined tackle right through the back of him, Herrera himself had been rightly booked for a cynical off the ball check leading with a shoulder into the chest (certain yellow card), he also had another kick out at Hazard which Oliver played advantage on (44 secs in video below) and then finally commits his third foul on Hazard after. So by the 34 minute Hazard had 6 fouls committed on him - that's pretty systematic if you ask me.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=50elwihDAvs

If you want to argue something as clear cut as Herrera's footballing lobotomy then knock yourself out but it just shows a special type of blinkered view you possess.

Generally if you want to tackle the ball you don't try and do it when the guy has his back to you and is as good at protecting it as Hazard is. The indiscipline of Jones and Herrera in their tackling was telling and United can have little complaint when Oliver had forewarned them that they had used up all their goodwill in that regard.

I really can't fathom how you ire is not directed at the bampot who went and committed a needless foul when already on a yellow card seconds after the United captain had been brought over and talked to about his team's fouling.

Seanie is right in that Hazard was not systematically fouled every time he got on the ball, you are right that he was targeted but not as to the extent of the fou;ling, it was not even in the vicinity of every time he touched the ball.

You dont tackle the ball, you tackle the man with the ball.

Oliver was atrocious but Chelsea fully deserved to win.

Conte is a dickhead but a good manager if you support those hoors!

[Maroon Manc]

So what if Hazard was fouled a lot by United, a player like him is always going to be fouled more than anyone else given he takes players on and is good at it. Herrera didn't deserve to be sent of for those 2 fouls especially considering they were his only 2 fouls.

You can't take anyone seriously who turns up on here giving out about United yet when the decisions go against us are nowhere to be seen.

I thought Rojo would get a ban although I can see why he's got away with it.

[The Stallion]

I can't see why he got away with it. He deserved a ban.

It's exactly the type of reckless foul I pointed out he has a penchant for a while back, only to be told on here that he is an angelic figure who rarely fouls.

I have no anti-Utd agenda by the way, in fact some on here have actually erroneously accused me of being a Utd fan.

[NAG1]

I can't see why he got away with it. He deserved a ban.

It's exactly the type of reckless foul I pointed out he has a penchant for a while back, only to be told on here that he is an angelic figure who rarely fouls.

I have no anti-Utd agenda by the way, in fact some on here have actually erroneously accused me of being a Utd fan.

He is no angelic figure and he loves a tackle and as a fan I like to see that, wont condone the stamp should have been banned for that.

But have to say I really enjoyed his tussle with Costa, he was at him constantly as well as playing one of his better games.

[OgraAnDun]

So what if Hazard was fouled a lot by United, a player like him is always going to be fouled more than anyone else given he takes players on and is good at it. Herrera didn't deserve to be sent of for those 2 fouls especially considering they were his only 2 fouls.

You can't take anyone seriously who turns up on here giving out about United yet when the decisions go against us are nowhere to be seen.

I thought Rojo would get a ban although I can see why he's got away with it.

There are two WUMs on this thread that have been having the time of their life over the past couple of pages. Similar story to Irish Rugby Thread a while ago.

[NAG1]

and the Liverpool thread

[screenexile]

As much as it pains me to agree with Bomber... until the sending off Hazard was targeted and systematically fouled. There were at least 4 fouls and an advantage before Herrera kicked him which happened after 35 minutes!

As has already been mentioned the referee has discretion to hand out a card for what he deems targeting a player which he did.

The fact that Hazard wasn't fouled much after this incident is a moot point. The referee was correct in the first instance and the fact United players didn't foul Hazard much shows the referee giving good protection to players as is his job!!!

[seafoid]

Mourinho is out of mojo. Both Chelsea last year and Man U this year under him have been mediocre.

[NAG1]

As much as it pains me to agree with Bomber... until the sending off Hazard was targeted and systematically fouled. There were at least 4 fouls and an advantage before Herrera kicked him which happened after 35 minutes!

As has already been mentioned the referee has discretion to hand out a card for what he deems targeting a player which he did.

The fact that Hazard wasn't fouled much after this incident is a moot point. The referee was correct in the first instance and the fact United players didn't foul Hazard much shows the referee giving good protection to players as is his job!!!

No it shows that there was more space for Hazard to operate in after the red card and less players able to close the space down for him and the other Chelsea attackers.

[screenexile]

As much as it pains me to agree with Bomber... until the sending off Hazard was targeted and systematically fouled. There were at least 4 fouls and an advantage before Herrera kicked him which happened after 35 minutes!

As has already been mentioned the referee has discretion to hand out a card for what he deems targeting a player which he did.

The fact that Hazard wasn't fouled much after this incident is a moot point. The referee was correct in the first instance and the fact United players didn't foul Hazard much shows the referee giving good protection to players as is his job!!!

No it shows that there was more space for Hazard to operate in after the red card and less players able to close the space down for him and the other Chelsea attackers.

Either way he wasn't fouled as much after the red card so job done!