Manchester United post match 4-1

[chris_lcfc_85]

1 minute ago, Kendal Fox said:

You can say that again!!! Granted, we all have to play the same teams twice, but the arrangement of fixtures CAN have a heck of an impact one way or another, particularly in the opening 6 games. So we've played 3 big clubs in quick succession, yet Man City and Tottenham have only played 1 each, the rest being crap teams which they SHOULD be beating.

Call me petty, but it really bothers me the way the fixtures are arranged. Talk about us being thrown in the deep end.

 

Our away fixtures for the first couple of months are ridiculous and made worse given how bad we look away currently

[steflcfc]

Losing Kante is a massive blow to us, certain players like Drinky Mahrez Vardy/Slimini are now having to perform more defensive duties so our midfield when we try to break are too deep.

and the 20 yard balls over the top are now 50 yard hopeless punts.

 

We need another style of play away from home as teams are too switched on to the counter.

 

Im still to be convinced about all of our new signings, and we should have strengthened in other areas of the pitch.

 

Some of our fringe players just arnt up to the grade we require or are consistent enough to be in a top 10 team with champions league expectations.

 

the players need to focus on league games also and can't be pre occupied every weekend when we have a CL game following else we will find ourselfs in trouble come Christmas 

 

[chris_lcfc_85]

Just now, steflcfc said:

Losing Kante is a massive blow to us, certain players like Drinky Mahrez Vardy/Slimini are now having to perform more defensive duties so our midfield when we try to break are too deep.

and the 20 yard balls over the top are now 50 yard hopeless punts.

 

We need another style of play away from home as teams are too switched on to the counter.

 

Im still to be convinced about all of our new signings, and we should have strengthened in other areas of the pitch.

 

Some of our fringe players just arnt up to the grade we require or are consistent enough to be in a top 10 team with champions league expectations.

 

the players need to focus on league games also and can't be pre occupied every weekend when we have a CL game following else we will find ourselfs in trouble come Christmas 

 

There's no doubt at all we miss Kante massively but we simply cant keep using that as the excuse. We won games before he signed and we won games before he played. We just need to find different ways to play now and rotate more

[Guest Col city fan]

3 minutes ago, chris_lcfc_85 said:

There's no doubt at all we miss Kante massively but we simply cant keep using that as the excuse. We won games before he signed and we won games before he played. We just need to find different ways to play now and rotate more

To be fair, Kante himself is having an absolute stinker today. 

[foxes_rule1978]

Neville hit the nail on the head, today wasn't Leicester we tried to play sexy football... too many passes not the burst of energy and pace that won us the league. We saw it against Brugge but went missing today

[inckley fox]

8 minutes ago, dannythefox said:

The bigger team have worked us out. Simpson is a target every game now as soon as he's up against pace he's in trouble. Also Huth and Morgan could only go so long before they started leaking goals time for some young blood at the back.

 

It looks like Simpson has a lot of work to do on his fitness. On the first game of the season I looked at him, and his performance, and said 'he looks like he's a month away from being in shape for top flight football'. Six weeks later, he still looks like he's a month away. I'm sure the totally pointless 120 minutes he and several others played midweek hasn't helped either. I don't know whether Amartey is an option at RB, or Albrighton (he's the obvious first choice if we go 3-5-2, which we might need to before long, even if it poses a problem for Gray's inclusion), but Simpson needs to do more to earn his place.

10 minutes ago, chris_lcfc_85 said:

Again, i never said Schlupp was good and would agree that Drinkwater was decent yet again, however for people to single out Schlupp is harsh

 

I wouldn't single out anyone either way, other than Gray. Personally I thought they were dreadful to a man, including Drinkwater, even if he was a touch better than, say, Amartey or Albrighton. His pass completion rate must have been miserable, he just seemed to be constantly looking for the killer ball instead of helping us to carve their defence open.

[Pete Campbell]

It wasn't Drinkwater's best display but he wasn't not alone in that. I think him and Amartey were exposed by the formation, especially without Okazaki.

[Guest Col city fan]

4 minutes ago, inckley fox said:

 

It looks like Simpson has a lot of work to do on his fitness. On the first game of the season I looked at him, and his performance, and said 'he looks like he's a month away from being in shape for top flight football'. Six weeks later, he still looks like he's a month away. I'm sure the totally pointless 120 minutes he and several others played midweek hasn't helped either. I don't know whether Amartey is an option at RB, or Albrighton (he's the obvious first choice if we go 3-5-2, which we might need to before long, even if it poses a problem for Gray's inclusion), but Simpson needs to do more to earn his place.

 

I wouldn't single out anyone either way, other than Gray. Personally I thought they were dreadful to a man, including Drinkwater, even if he was a touch better than, say, Amartey or Albrighton. His pass completion rate must have been miserable, he just seemed to be constantly looking for the killer ball instead of helping us to carve their defence open.

I think that Drinkwater knows he has to do the job of two men. And he's playing constantly. His role is to win the ball, keep it, set up attacks and every fookin thing else! He's shattered I think. Amartey is so shite that Drinkwater must know if he don't make that bursting run back, we're fooked.

It's criminal that the club didn't strengthen the midfield in the summer. Let's hope Mendy is the answer.

[Kendal Fox]

15 minutes ago, chris_lcfc_85 said:

Our away fixtures for the first couple of months are ridiculous and made worse given how bad we look away currently

Ok, I'm gonna have a bitch and a moan - Just how are Tottenham allowed to play Stoke, Sunderland and Boro in a row and nobody thinks that is EXTREMELY jammy??.2 of those teams were in trouble last season and the other just promoted and not expected to do well..Hmmm. The game before that little run of privilege was against Liverpool, which they drew, but the game before that was against Palace FFS!? As for Man City so far this season -  Only played a big club in Man Utd so far and 5 crap teams??!

Ok, yes, they have to play the big clubs at some stage, but they both have very winnable matches dotted around the tougher games all the way into the new year. The momentum they'll potentialy have built by that stage could see them both all but cementing top 3 spots shortly after that... Fvckin joke...

[ian_marshall]

8 minutes ago, dannythefox said:

The bigger team have worked us out. Simpson is a target every game now as soon as he's up against pace he's in trouble. Also Huth and Morgan could only go so long before they started leaking goals time for some young blood at the back.

The problem with Simpson has always been that he doesn't get tight enough to his man. I think he's scared that he'll get caught for pace in a one v one race, but all this actually does instead is allows the winger to build up speed meaning that he then ends up back pedaling against a winger who's going at him full pelt. If the player is slow then he just gives them too much time and space on the ball to pick out a cross. This has needed addressing at a coaching level for some time, so either he is ignoring the advice or it hasn't been mentioned to him, but either way it'll continue to prove a problem as we move forward which is a real shame as he's not a bad full back.

[st albans fox]

1 minute ago, Col city fan said:

I think that Drinkwater knows he has to do the job of two men. And he's playing constantly. His role is to win the ball, keep it, set up attacks and every fookin thing else! He's shattered I think. Amartey is so shite that Drinkwater must know if he don't make that bursting run back, we're fooked.

It's criminal that the club didn't strengthen the midfield in the summer. Let's hope Mendy is the answer.

Well he won't be until after the international break and even then, has to get his match fitness back which will take a few appearances. 

 

Can we go two at home to soton?  I'm not sure we can. Vardy and slimani are surely only an option at home against the poorer sides. 

 

We ran 1km less than Man U today and they are currently not a side that have high stats in that area. Are we simply pacing ourselves through this busy period ?  At this level, that leads to results like today and Liverpool. (And hull)

[foxinsocks]

I think simpson is playing well.... amarty is a work in progress.  When he plays the coaches can spot his issues and sort them out.  He has had just a few games for us.  Today he was competing with mata herrera pogba.... please be patient

Yes we shoukd have strengthened mid field. King is a nice guy but to light weight at this level

[Number 6]

10 minutes ago, Col city fan said:

Amartey is so shite 

Ridiculous.

 

He's no Cambiasso eh?

[Pete Campbell]

Mendy won't be the answer

[chris_lcfc_85]

Just now, Pete Campbell said:

Mendy won't be the answer

he cant do any worse though!

[GaelicFox]

1 hour ago, Keith Wellers Tights said:

I hope English is your second language Sir

My lord ! 

 

kieth you have been around here long enough to know the English amongst the yokels isn't that hot 

 

innit ! 

[Heymister2015]

The result was obvious when you go to old Trafford with a gaping hole in the middle! Think for 60 mins play vardy on the left! Slimani up top and then go 4-4-2 last half an hour 

[Mark]

Mendy looked far from match fit even after pre season, dread to think how long it's going to take him to get upto speed now.

[ZeGuy]

Long time lurker but I felt I had to register, when I read today's comments.

 

How people are versatile and prompt to eith encense or burn a player is beyond me. The same people who said Okazaki should be benched lat week, want him now on the starting XI again. It's so easy to shoot at Vardy or Mahrez. You simply fail to understand how important Kanté was in the 4-4-2 system. Okazaki is a workhorse but does not deserve to start anymore. Sorry but 5 or 7 goals in 43 games is ridiculous for a striker even in Ranieri's system. Slimani has shown in one game everything that Okazaki can't.

 

Players like Mahrez were fed by Kanté and the defense, which was absolutely awful today, is not different from last year. The only difference is that it's way more exposed than last year. Why? Because Kante was tightening things up. You never conceded that much of corners to begin with. You CBs were always slow, now it's more visible because there is no sentinel to protect them. Vardy and Slimany are a great duo, but they must be given opportunities. Albrighton's crosses were shite today. Same goes for Fuchs who was defensively more than correct otherwise.

 

Amartey is a fraud and your biggest problem. He simply can't fill Kanté's shoes and never will. He's only good against third -rate teams like Burnley. As soon as the opposition's quality levels up, he's nowhere to be seen anymore. God, it was a pain to see him today. no tackles, no interceptions, only lateral passes and always panicking as soon as he got the ball. I blame Ranieri to have played Drinky the whole game against Chelsea although it was clear that the game wasn't a priority and ManU was in sight for the next week-end. I still don't understand why Kaputska never ever got a chance until now. Why Schlupp today for God's sake and not Kaputska or Musa?

 

Gray scored a screamer today (god, that goal was beautiful) and people wants him now on the right wing. They forgot that he's no playmaker and more a "super sub". Form is temporary, class is permanent. Mahrez might have had a bad start but people should consider how much balls he's becoming in comparison with the two last seasons.

 

Until Mendy (or any worthy DM) comes back the 4-4-2 is dead. But if you're willing to play a 4-5-1 (4-3-3 in offensive phases) well I'm curious to see who's going to be the spear who's going to occupy the midfield.

 

Come at Foxes.

[inckley fox]

16 minutes ago, Col city fan said:

I think that Drinkwater knows he has to do the job of two men. And he's playing constantly. His role is to win the ball, keep it, set up attacks and every fookin thing else! He's shattered I think. Amartey is so shite that Drinkwater must know if he don't make that bursting run back, we're fooked.

It's criminal that the club didn't strengthen the midfield in the summer. Let's hope Mendy is the answer.

Amartey is a very, very promising young defensive midfielder who, given time, will be an asset in a three-man unit. I just don't think he's necessarily the answer right now, because he isn't the sort of player who can cover the amount of ground that Kante had to against the better sides.

 

So the error is at a tactical level - that we've assumed we'll be able to play the same way with Amartey (or King, or maybe even Mendy) as we did with Kante. The guy was either going to have to be replaced or the system changed. Our record with a Kante-less 4-4-2 over the past two-and-a-bit years is awful, but we've done fine with three in the middle (albeit with two players, in James and Cambiasso, who are no longer available).

 

4-4-2 is still an option, even if it's not the best option against top sides, and hopefully we'll do good business in January and be able to revert to it on a regular basis. I don't see how we can be sure that our woes are down to last season being a 'freak', or other teams 'sussing' us - people had plenty of time to suss us when we had Kante in the side and never did. But right now it's that system which is exposing the extent to which Kante and Leicester was a match made in heaven, and how you have to work a lot harder than we have to replace him.

 

And I take your point on Drinkwater. I thought he was little better than the rest today, but he was getting through a lot of work. In a 4-4-2 both CMs need to do that, and I'm not sure we have another individual who can match his work-rate in that part of the field, save for a fully fit James (which is a contradiction in terms).

[lgfualol]

Col in hating CM shocker

[Innovindil]

If mendy is the answer with his awful defensive stats then I hate to think what the question is. 

[Wymsey]

Regarding Mendy, rather convinced the club panic-buyed here as they couldn't get the one they really wanted (the one who plays for a Portuguese team, now linked in coming in January).

[biggs]

I thought Drinkwater  was exceptional today for the most part with so little help around him. If players aren't playing well off the ball he's not going to have many options going forward. 

 

Vardy was not chasing anyone down and with no pressure on their backs United were free to play the ball out from the back. He's at his best when he's seeing the ball but also when he shows some desire in challenging the opposition backs to move the ball quickly. Okazaki and him have shown how this works to our favour

 

Back line was half asleep today and looked slow. Fuchs was okay.

 

Better second half and what a goal from Gray. Proves no player deserves a spot if under performing as we have one or two decent replacements up front and midfield. Not so much defensively.

 

Move on and hopefully CR will figure this out.

[foxinsox]

48 minutes ago, Col city fan said:

To be fair, Kante himself is having an absolute stinker today. 

Indeed. He seems wasted at Chelsea, they do not understand his game.

 

Buy him back in Jan if we are still in the CL.