Man Utd Thread:

[NAG1]

Think the long ball stuff is a tactic from Klopp to hide the fact that they were happy to run with a point.

By no means United's best performance with loads of the team under performing big time, that being said had enough clear cut chances to win two matches. Miki was careless with at least two and poor touches cost him an easy finish.

Liverpool's high press was not a surprise, Herrera ended up carrying the midfield. Only thing that would concern me is the lack of attacking balance with the full backs. I was worried about it last week and it seemed to be the case, Valencia was great again but that is the only flank the team attack down and makes it a bit predictable.

All in all not a good performance but the desire to get the equaliser was definitely impressive.

[magpie seanie]

It was one of those days where everything seemed to go wrong but still United dug a point out. I see very little of any teams bar United but I'd seen Liverpool against City on New Years Eve. Was sitting beside a Liverpool fan and had a good chat with him. Liverpool's pressing is pretty amazing it has to be said. It was the reason I was really worried about the game when most people seemed to think United would win. Pogba, for all his ability and recent good form, is still very inexperienced and raw and Liverpool did a right number on him in the first half. The penalty was a little unfortunate (there's no doubt they're nearly always given when hands are up there and make contact with the ball but it was completely accidental, he hadn't a clue where he was) but he was going around like a headless chicken and something like that was liable to happen. As MM says, he'll improve from it and he had a better second half.

Thought Mourinho's substitutions all worked. He's really doing his job right now, showing the intelligence we've seen from him in the past. Rooney I thought livened things up. Martial, after a bright opening was getting shut down and even though Mata didn't play very well he linked up a lot of play. I completely agreed with Fellaini coming in. It was time to try something else....Liverpool's workrate was tremendous and really stifling United's ability to create chances. I just wonder will they fade in the latter stages of the season....they do a serious amount of running.

Need to get back winning now. No reason why United can't - they won't be playing a team that is so ideally designed to shut them down again in the league.

Valencia again deserves special mention. What a top professional.

Lots of officiating errors again....probably both goals had offsides in the build ups. Two potential red cards though I think yellows were correct for both.

[AZOffaly]

As a Liverpool fan, I wasn't unhappy with the draw. Before the game I fully expected United to win this because Liverpool's intensity had dropped off recently, and the creativity takes a nosedive when the 3 midfielders are in midfield, as opposed to 2 midfielders and Lallana. I didn't expect the diamond formation though, so fair play to Klopp for that one, Lallana basically occupied Carrick all first half and took him out of the game. The pressing by Origi and Firmino was very good, and I know Maroon Manc praises Rojo and Jones above, but I felt Liverpool had identified them as weak links on the ball, and it was noticeable that when either of them had it, the pressure ratcheted up, and Liverpool really tried to take it off them. The goal came from that as Jones was robbed by Firmino.

United always looked dangerous, but I still felt Liverpool were relatively comfortable playing the ball in front of them. Lovren makes mistakes, but when he is facing the ball, he is generally good and solid. His issues, when they happen, are normally when a striker gets a run across him from a diagonal ball or cross. He's a bit flat footed in those situations, but attacking the ball he is strong.

I didn't think Valencia or Darmian, or Martial and Micky Ryan did enough to get to the end line and cross, which is where Liverpool would be weakest. I thought Henderson did well, as did Wijnaldum, but I was disappointed with Can a bit. He was better than recently, but still very ponderous on the ball at the moment. Really looks like he is struggling with confidence, and against Swansea I expect he'll be on the bench with Lallana going to the advanced position, and Coutinho coming into a front 3 again.

Pogba had a bit of a mare, but he's still dangerous. He suffers a bit from the Can 'I want 3 touches' affliction, but he does make good runs from midfield. Ibrahimovic is a very good lad for bringing the wide men into it, and linking up with one twos. He has no pace, which may be why Lovren and Klavan were reasonably comfortable as they didn't mind getting good and tight with him because they weren't afraid he'd spin them and go.

Fellaini caused problems when he came on, and to be honest I don't think United would have gotten a draw if he didn't. Liverpool could still have nicked it, but unfortunately it was Wijnaldum instead of Coutinho or Firmino who was the overlap on the last break.

All in all a decent point for Liverpool. Ground lost to Chelsea, but they have to come to Anfield soon, and it maintains the gap to United, with City losing as well. I was relatively happy.

[Keyser soze]

People saying Jones played well.... wtf...was at fault for the goal and had a few other lucky escapes as well. Pogba kept trying to beat 2 or 3 men every time he had the ball, musta been robbed near double figures....slow learner that fella. 

Rooney wtf.....his second touch is a tackle every time, how he is brought on before Rashford in any situation, position or formation is beyond belief. Rojo, Valencia, Mkhitaryan, and Herrera were all excellent. Thought Martial was decent too.

Utd definitely created the clearer chances but if you don't take em u don't deserve to win so probably a fair result. 

[screenexile]

The death of "The United Way"

http://www.irishtimes.com/sport/soccer/ken-early-mourinho-reverts-to-type-with-fellaini-substitution-1.2938121

[AZOffaly]

People saying Jones played well.... wtf...was at fault for the goal and had a few other lucky escapes as well. Pogba kept trying to beat 2 or 3 men every time he had the ball, musta been robbed near double figures....slow learner that fella. 

Rooney wtf.....his second touch is a tackle every time, how he is brought on before Rashford in any situation, position or formation is beyond belief. Rojo, Valencia, Mkhitaryan, and Herrera were all excellent. Thought Martial was decent too.

Utd definitely created the clearer chances but if you don't take em u don't deserve to win so probably a fair result.

I'm pretty sure Trent Alexander Arnold was delighted when Martial's number went up on the board. I know he improved as the game went on (what a learning experience for a young lad!) but he had a torrid time in the first have with Martial. Rooney was a change of shape, and while he made a mistake later on, he wasn't as isolated after that.

[NAG1]

The death of "The United Way"

http://www.irishtimes.com/sport/soccer/ken-early-mourinho-reverts-to-type-with-fellaini-substitution-1.2938121

What a load of tripe, JM is a winning coach as was AF. In AF's time when a late equaliser/winner was needed it was all hands to the pump and throw the kitchen sink at it and see what happens. To say that this is the death of the United way is lazy journalism as it finest.

[magpie seanie]

The death of "The United Way"

http://www.irishtimes.com/sport/soccer/ken-early-mourinho-reverts-to-type-with-fellaini-substitution-1.2938121

What a load of tripe, JM is a winning coach as was AF. In AF's time when a late equaliser/winner was needed it was all hands to the pump and throw the kitchen sink at it and see what happens. To say that this is the death of the United way is lazy journalism as it finest.

You beat me to it. Pathetic article really. Liverpool deserve some credit to be fair for their boundless energy. I'd be one of Mourinho's biggest critics but the article is bull. The team is playing better stuff than for a while but had to change things or would have lost that game.

[Milltown Row2]

Who remembers the headerss from Big Steve Bruce against Wednesday? Pumped up balls in the last minutes?? All teams do it, be very foolish not to

[AZOffaly]

Who remembers the headerss from Big Steve Bruce against Wednesday? Pumped up balls in the last minutes?? All teams do it, be very foolish not to

Those headers against Wednesday when Ferguson went mad were from Corners I thought? Or crosses at least. The balls yesterday weren't crosses. They were long balls up, to try unsettle Liverpool and get on the second balls breaking off them. I didn't see much wrong with it, it was an obvious thing to do. 

[seafoid]

The death of "The United Way"

http://www.irishtimes.com/sport/soccer/ken-early-mourinho-reverts-to-type-with-fellaini-substitution-1.2938121

What a load of tripe, JM is a winning coach as was AF. In AF's time when a late equaliser/winner was needed it was all hands to the pump and throw the kitchen sink at it and see what happens. To say that this is the death of the United way is lazy journalism as it finest.

You beat me to it. Pathetic article really. Liverpool deserve some credit to be fair for their boundless energy. I'd be one of Mourinho's biggest critics but the article is bull. The team is playing better stuff than for a while but had to change things or would have lost that game.

Mourinho is a narcissist and a provocateur. Not very Man Utd.

[AZOffaly]

Sure Fergie made provoking people, from refs to media to opposing players and managers, an art form. The days of Busby, who was a gentleman, are long gone. Shanks started the mind games thing at Liverpool, although most of his spiels were about pumping up his own players. Paisley was much more understated, but Ferguson took the Shankly approach and applied it to the opposition as well. Mourinho seems to be a similar character to me in that sense.

[Bord na Mona man]

Who remembers the headerss from Big Steve Bruce against Wednesday? Pumped up balls in the last minutes?? All teams do it, be very foolish not to

Those headers against Wednesday when Ferguson went mad were from Corners I thought? Or crosses at least. The balls yesterday weren't crosses. They were long balls up, to try unsettle Liverpool and get on the second balls breaking off them. I didn't see much wrong with it, it was an obvious thing to do.

The first one was from a corner and the second one was from a Gary Pallister cross. The clue being the assister. Often Ferguson would push up a centre half when it was kitchen sink time. What did Ken Earley expect, neat triangles in the centre circle as the clocked turned red?

[AZOffaly]

Who remembers the headerss from Big Steve Bruce against Wednesday? Pumped up balls in the last minutes?? All teams do it, be very foolish not to

Those headers against Wednesday when Ferguson went mad were from Corners I thought? Or crosses at least. The balls yesterday weren't crosses. They were long balls up, to try unsettle Liverpool and get on the second balls breaking off them. I didn't see much wrong with it, it was an obvious thing to do.

The first one was from a corner and the second one was from a Gary Pallister cross. The clue being the assister. Often Ferguson would push up a centre half when it was kitchen sink time. What did Ken Earley expect, neat triangles in the centre circle as the clocked turned red?

Hmm. The Pallister cross was as a result of a Giggs corner being half cleared, and the subsequent cross being over hit. Pallister retrieved it and crossed again. It deflected up in the air and Bruce headed it in.

I'm not arguing the point, because you are right. All managers do it. But in those instances, the crosses themselves came directly or indirectly from corners, not from long balls from back to front.

[Boycey]

Who remembers the headerss from Big Steve Bruce against Wednesday? Pumped up balls in the last minutes?? All teams do it, be very foolish not to

Those headers against Wednesday when Ferguson went mad were from Corners I thought? Or crosses at least. The balls yesterday weren't crosses. They were long balls up, to try unsettle Liverpool and get on the second balls breaking off them. I didn't see much wrong with it, it was an obvious thing to do.

The first one was from a corner and the second one was from a Gary Pallister cross. The clue being the assister. Often Ferguson would push up a centre half when it was kitchen sink time. What did Ken Earley expect, neat triangles in the centre circle as the clocked turned red?

Hmm. The Pallister cross was as a result of a Giggs corner being half cleared, and the subsequent cross being over hit. Pallister retrieved it and crossed again. It deflected up in the air and Bruce headed it in.

I'm not arguing the point, because you are right. All managers do it. But in those instances, the crosses themselves came directly or indirectly from corners, not from long balls from back to front.

I can't grasp the point you're trying to make AZ, forgive me if I'm being dense it is a Monday morning....