Man U 2-,Leicester 1 post match thread.

[RowlattsFox]

I think there was an element of United letting us have the ball for long periods. It’s a mourinho tactic  and he believed we couldn’t hurt them and in general he was right apart from the Maddison chance. But with the ball we appeared to be more in control of it then we did last season and we tried to look forward. Not enough bodies in the box though. 

 

Also thought we put in some good set pieces but we only have Maguire who is any threat. 

[RumbleFox]

Also, and this is aimed at the mods, can I just say that whoever was taking photos of some random women and posting her photos without her consent on the pre-match thread was totally out of order.  I reported the posts but nothing was done which is odd seeing as I got a ban for once quoting Ricky Gervais' Extras.  Some weird morals on here sometimes.  X

[Webbo]

Just now, RumbleFox said:

Also, and this is aimed at the mods, can I just say that whoever was taking photos of some random women and posting her photos without her consent on the pre-match thread was totally out of order.  I reported the posts but nothing was done which is odd seeing as I got a ban for once quoting Ricky Gervais' Extras.  Some weird morals on here sometimes.  X

I deleted the post you reported.

[Gerard]

11 hours ago, ealingfox said:

We looked alright tbf. Lacked a bit of conviction going forward but plenty to be happy about. Not really sure about the RB decision given the players that were available. Pereira looks pretty decent and he should have started there with Albrighton further up in hindsight.

 

It doesn't say a lot for Albrighton's future at the club when the manager picks the right back to play in your position and Amartey in the right back's position.

[RumbleFox]

1 minute ago, Webbo said:

I deleted the post you reported.

There are a lot still there?  Thought it was really out of order to be honest, and borderline illegal.  Thanks for deleting, I understand MODing this site must be a nightmare.  X

[fleckneymike]

Well I thoroughly enjoyed that defeat. For the first time in nearly two seasons we looked like we actually had a plan and a style of play. How far this plan and style will get us, I don’t know. But if we can continue to play that way it’ll be an enjoyable season. 

[ithuriel]

33 minutes ago, reynard said:

I'm not sure we really learn't anything about the coming season from last night that we didn't already know.

1 We're miles off the top 6

2 We don't start games on the front foot

3 We generally move the ball too slowly

4 We have quite a decent amount of possession but don't do enough with it on the whole.

5 We seem capable of playing one decent half but not two.

6 We don't have enough goal scorers on the pitch and that has got increasingly the case with the loss of Mahrez.

7 Our midfield looks too lightweight

8 If Vardy gets injured we are going to struggle badly

 

The match against Wolves will tell us more. It is a game we badly need to win and anyone who thinks they will be easy is in for a nasty surprise. They are a  very decent side full of confidence and could easily beat us.

 

I'm still far from convinced by Puel. I don't believe he can motivate the team but the next few games will be key to his future at the club.

 

Some positives from last night but United were there for the taking and we didn't really do enough to win. Some of our play was decent but once we conceded the early goal I didn't really feel we were ever likely to get anything from the match as I think they would have just upped their level if required. Unfortunately we allowed united to win when they were probably playing at about 60% of their best level.

Some players did well though and some of the passing was good. Plenty of positives to work on but at this level you can't be a work in progress for very long or you will be cut off in the lower part of the league table. At least our goal difference is only -1.

Very well summarised at how I feel, Puel has to show now that he can deliver, lose the remaining games this month and we are in trouble.

[Webbo]

Just now, RumbleFox said:

There are a lot still there?  Thought it was really out of order to be honest, and borderline illegal.  Thanks for deleting, I understand MODing this site must be a nightmare.  X

What page, I'll delete them now.

 

[RumbleFox]

Just now, Webbo said:

What page, I'll delete them now.

 

A few pics still on there, not sure, towards the end of the thread.  

[ARTY_FOX]

1 hour ago, FrankieADZ said:

its Sky, he scored a penalty, you just know they were clutching at straws with it tbh, he didnt boss it at all, from what I remember be scored the penalty then moaned on and off about not getting fouls

 

at times youd think it was LCFC playing at home and Utd being away, and given the amount of noise from the Utd crowd last night it could have been a home match for us...

The thing that really really annoys me is we were brilliant yesterday. A couple of great saves by de gea (who’s the best goal keeper in the world imo) stopped us from essentially winning the game. At times we were camped in their half with them struggling to get out of it. 

 

We we moved the ball wonderfully with some great link up play. Some of the summer purchases looked really classy in what you’d think would be a difficult game. 

 

Disappointed maddison was taken off but if we’re going to play that way for the rest of the season we’ll finish above 7th. The only thing now is to take that performance into the rest of the games. I don’t think I’ve been so happy with a loss before. 

[Corky]

6 minutes ago, fleckneymike said:

Well I thoroughly enjoyed that defeat. For the first time in nearly two seasons we looked like we actually had a plan and a style of play. How far this plan and style will get us, I don’t know. But if we can continue to play that way it’ll be an enjoyable season. 

I've a feeling that Puel will implement the style changes but another manager will make better use of it.

[Gerard]

Loads of positives from last night. 

 

Stats wise we had more possession, more shots and a better goal expectation. I don't want to get all Spurs like because stats are meaningless without context but we looked better on the eye and won some of the more important stats. 

 

I'd rather have lost last night and performed like that than shithoused a draw whilst making them look like world beaters. I remember us drawing away at Huddersfield and Bournemouth last season under Shakey and making them both look like Barcelona. Both reasonably decent points in isolation but the trend was worrying when they both battered us for 90 mins.

 

The performance was more important than the result as it sets our stall out for the rest of the season, now we need to swarm the lesser side in the division starting with Wolves next week and turn our performance into points. Our defence looks like it will be great with the attacking threat of Chilwell and Pereira and a host of very good centre halves to pick from. There's not a lot wrong with this team and hopefully Puel is getting his team and squad shaping up the way he wants it. 

[Leicester_Loyal]

We had the ball for a long period of the game, but didn't really feel that we were threatening with it at all. I don't think we created enough chances either. It's hard to judge us after an away game at Old Trafford with only 7 or so of our actual starting 11 playing. We'll have a much better judgement after next weekend, which will be a good test of how good we really are.

[Webbo]

10 minutes ago, RumbleFox said:

A few pics still on there, not sure, towards the end of the thread.  

I think they're all gone now.

[Suzie the Fox]

4 minutes ago, Corky said:

I've a feeling that Puel will implement the style changes but another manager will make better use of it.

I hope not. Not because i have a love in with Puel, but i would like to see us giving managers a chance to prove themselves. Consistency is the key. Sadly if we go on a losing streak i think you will be right. 

[foxy boxing]

it's good that we are having more possession but we need to do more with it other than play it around. we all knew that when we heard Amartey would be playing that he would be the weak link in defence. lots of positives from the game but we need to see much much more from this team.

[Fightforever]

57 minutes ago, The Doctor said:

We're the only game played so far  looking at the table before the first games have even been played is proper ridiculous

good news is that we're only 3 points off the title

[Bluetintedspecs]

4 minutes ago, Suzie the Fox said:

I hope not. Not because i have a love in with Puel, but i would like to see us giving managers a chance to prove themselves. Consistency is the key. Sadly if we go on a losing streak i think you will be right. 

Agree Suzie, I also feel we need a period of stability and a chance for Puel to continue his evolution.

[Finnaldo]

First game is often your best chance of beating a top six team, but Mourinho has never lost an opener and given the performance you can’t but fault on the team. A clear game plan with a desire to drive forward, and we could have had them on a couple of occasions. Still some glaring issues that will have to be picked up. We lacked a clinical edge today and I hope that Iheanacho (who had a fairly decent game) can get a goal by match day 4. For the stand out players: 

 

Amartey: total brain fart in the first minute of the new season. In some ways you feel bad for the lad happening so early as we’re growing into a new formation. Made a couple mistakes as well but like with any howler the penalty is gonna excaberate any smaller mistake. Had an average game overall.

 

Morgan: average game and we have better now. still decent back up, but you’d hope with the defenders now available it’ll be a slow phasing out at this point. We have more mobile CBs for how we play and they’ll be a lot more effective.

 

Chilwell: still needs improvement at the back, his crossing wasn’t sharp today, however he drove forward and that really helped our play today and linked up well with Gray and Maddison. 

 

Gray: still had a mistake from him, no magic today but for the first time in forever he committed to tracking back. Won some valuable tackles when they counterattacked, and I can see that commitment making the man, eventually. 

 

Maddison: looked like he still had a tweak but a fantastic debut considering it’s his first game in the big leagues away at Man U. Cool on the ball, made some decent and brave passes, I think it may have been the injury but he seemed hesitant to drive forward with the ball, but excited to see him again, looks a fantastic acquisition. 

 

Iheanacho: looked to carry on his pre-season form and despite a goal alluding him he had a good start to the season, there were some chances (specifically the one judged offside that went wide anyway) where the linkup play with Maddison, Chilwell and Gray was fantastic. However he didn’t have the strength in a couple of duels, perhaps that’s something he could work on. 

 

Overall disappointed with the result but not the team. They had some lucky bounces, probably the case in point being Shaw’s goal where he shanked it twice and somehow scored, but we have a lot of positives from a game where we dominated Man U Agnes Old Trafford for long periods, well done Claude!

[ARM1968]

2 hours ago, HesNotGudjonsonn2 said:

Isn’t that the most obvious prediction ever? Even if you have lengthy success then eventually your manager retires, a’la SAF, it ends in tears. Or, you’re manager fails and the team are doing crap, like every other manager, eventually you get sacked....it ends in tears.

 

You’re born - you die. Fuch me I AM the new Nostrildimus. 

[ian_marshall]

Some of the comments on this forum at times are embarrassing. Every team going to Old Trafford this season will expect a tough game and not many will come away with points regardless of whether or you believe United are any good or not. We played them off the park virtually all game, and on a different day would easily have come away with at least a point.

 

I've seen a couple of posts taking a pop at Puel combining yesterday's result with results at the back end of last season to suggest poor form. What a load of crap! This season starts afresh. We've played 1 game against a team that finished 2nd last season away from home in one of most notoriously difficult arena's to pick up points. Give Puel a chance. It was clear as day that we're a completely different team this season and one that isn't afraid to play football. Maybe if we lose or draw to Wolves we can reappoint Craig Shakespeare and revert back to Morgan hoofing the ball down the park in the vain hope that Vardy might eventually get on the end of an aimless ball. 

 

As for the other's, Amartey admittedly was at fault for the penalty. Yes, it was a silly one to give away but he'll learn from that experience and it'll make him a better player.

 

Silva whilst looking off the pace first half seemed to grow into the game and I thought he was just starting to pull the strings in midfield before he picked up his injury. 

 

Iheanacho seems to be coming in for some stick too. I can only assume those criticising weren't at the game, as he made countless runs off the shoulder of the last man (which you wouldn't see on TV) only for our midfield not to spot the run causing him to check back and drop deep. Give him and the midfield time to work together and understand each other's game and he'll score goals for fun. 

 

Overall it was a very encouraging performance, and I thought our fitness levels looked much improved compared to the last couple of seasons. I'm very excited at the prospect of watching Maddison and Ricardo this season, both looked excellent yesterday. Yes, we need to find more end product and personally I'd like to see us take up a more advanced position in the final third as I thought we were a little deep at times, however play like that week in week out and we'll pick up way more points than we'll lose. As for the doom-monger's on this forum (whilst admittedly early door's) if anyone actually thinks we're strong relegation candidates based on that performance and that we'll genuinely be one of the three worst teams this season then I've either completely lost the plot or we're in for the greatest PL season of all time! 

Edited 11 August 2018 by ian_marshall

[Bluearmyfox28]

The negativity on here is unbelievable. People saying we didn’t create chances, we had 4 great opportunities which on another night would of been converted.

 

You had Iheancaho’s strike that just went wide, he would usually finish them. Maddison had a great opportunity which De Gea pulled off a great save. Gray had the strike from Vards cross which if he would of got a better connection would of been a goal. Vards had that volley before his goal which he should of done a lot better with. That’s 4 great opportunities before we even scored. 

 

People are forgetting we played at old Trafford one of the hardest places in English football to go to, yet we dominated the game for huge periods & I honestly think if it wasn’t for Bailly having one of the best games in his Man U career so far we would off came away with the 3 points. Personally I’m buzzing for next Saturday & if we can carry on with the consistency of last nights performance I think we are up for an exciting season. UP THE FOXES!!! 

[The Guvnor]

4 hours ago, Koke said:

 

He has become consumed by his own Ego. The mans a miserable washed up tool.

[WigstonWanderer]

Surprised at the negativity both here and in the second half of the match thread, particularly the criticism of Chilwell who I thought was outstanding. Not sure what people expected.

 

- Manu away first match of the season

- Several players who had never played a competitive match together

- A young relatively inexperienced team with bundles of potential

- Some players only recently returned from the WC or from injuries

 

Good start (despite the result) to a new style, but obviously a work in progress.

[Leicester_Loyal]

Jose deflects the attention away from his players and onto himself and other sources. He's been doing it for 15 years, yet people are still continually surprised and believe he's being truthful with stuff he says. Pogba has had months and criticism, as have other players, but atm all the talk if about Jose, the board and the spending. It's mind games, it's what Jose does, it's what he's good at, them vs. the world.