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Match Day

CONFIRMED LINE-UP: Newcastle vs United

February 11, 2018

De Gea, Valencia, Jones, Smalling, Young, Matić, Pogba, Martial, Lingard, Sánchez, Lukaku.

Scott Patterson

Scott is the editor of RoM and has a season ticket at Old Trafford. He started The Republik of Mancunia in March 2006. Follow @R_o_M on Twitter or @R_o_M7 on Instagram.

Sanchez: I chose United because they’re the biggest club

Newcastle United 1-0 Manchester United: The Talking Points

143 Comments

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WeAreUtdd February 11, 2018

This was our own doing

We had chances to bury the game and we didnt
One stupid mistake and surprise we concede

Now im officially off

Have fun

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Hendrix knightsmith February 11, 2018

I really can't understand how we are 16 points behind city.

Truly pathetic.

Newcastle's first home win since October !

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gra mar February 11, 2018

What's not to understand. Look at how we play!
Our players don't just speak different languages, they play different languages!

Hendrix knightsmith February 11, 2018

Gra Mar,

Had a choice of going to Old Trafford or getting another car. Chose the car !

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Hendrix knightsmith February 11, 2018

Gra Mar,

I was being sarcastic about the 16 point gap

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Mark Reid February 11, 2018

Here’s my take on Pogba never liked him,has the occasional good game no where near the game changer he was touted to be,do I think he can be useful,Yes if he’s played on the left,When has he once bailed us out of a tight game with his brilliance.

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iam_ayooyewumi February 11, 2018

The players do f*ck all in training. Mourinho hasn't introduced anything creative into this squad since he came. No style,No guile. He still living in 2005 where all he needs lump the ball from Cech(degea) to Drogba(lukaku) and chest it down to lampard(lingard) who shoots at goal and either scores or the goal keeper paries the ball to another attack who then scores a rebound. Modern mangers have all evolved to the demand of the game created by Pep when he was at Barcelona.Managers like simeone, the mad man at Liverpool, even pochetino uses the modern style of pressing and running to get the ball back on time more than your opponent.

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Ezzerguru February 11, 2018

Gra mar
I was firmly in the Jose camp when we got him and still want to believe that he can eventually take Utd where we need to be. But I unequivocally agree with you that this set of players should be playing a lot better and that it’s down to how Jose and how he sets up the team.

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CR February 11, 2018

Didn't see the match (happy I didn't) but I'm going to venture to say that JM probably made a mess of the team selection again. I assume we played a 4-3-3? If so:

1. Sub-optimal use of Pogba ( he should be in front of two midfielders)
2. Sub-optimal use of Lingard (he should be the 10, not an 8)
3. Sub-optimal use of either Martial or Sánchez (none of them should play to the right)

No wonder we lost when I assume at least 3 of our best players were played out of position.

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CR February 11, 2018

Here is how you get the best out of our current squad of players. Lately I've found myself being considerably less interested in Man Utd until JM starts playing like this:

Martial Sánchez
Lingard

Pogba Matic Herrera

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United24 February 11, 2018

CR
Dont get started eith

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United24 February 11, 2018

We have lost 4 games of our 5 losses with Lingard as our 10
Huddersfield, City, Spurs, Newcastle.
We have lost all three games playing front 4.
Will you, WAU and Jose please STOP these useless formations just to play all our " attacking players if you are going to drop Mata the only one of them who can pass the ball?

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iam_ayooyewumi February 11, 2018

Going forward these are my take:
1.)Bench lukaku.
2.)Replace him with Sanchez.He has the same ability has Aguero and also has dribbling skills.
3.)Play pogba behind Sanchez.
4.)Play Martial on the left
5.)Play Mata on the right until we buy a right winger.
6.)Play matic and either of carrick/hererra/scot behind pogba. I will take Carrick all day especially against small teams.
7.)Play Shaw all day instead of Young.
8.)Young should replace Valencia on the right.Atleast he can use his left leg better.
9.)I don't know what pair suits us at the back at the moment sincerely.
10.)Degea
11.)Use 433 formation for this guys.Let them train very hard on it in training

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United24 February 11, 2018

You nailed everything Iam
For #9, Lindelof can't be worse in defence than Smalling. At least he can also pass the ball to someone besides DeGea and Valencia and Jones.

Hendrix knightsmith February 11, 2018

Jose Mourinho confirms that there is no injury problem for Paul Pogba.

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Bryan_Robson February 11, 2018

We were below par again but lets face had their GK not had the match of his life we could have scored 4 or 5!

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iam_ayooyewumi February 11, 2018

Are we now loserpool or arsenal who complains and push blames to others? The truth is we are not just good as a team and this has nothing to do with what ABUs are saying let's be sincere with ourself we are just the first of the last because if others are consistent we can't be in the second position

Hendrix knightsmith February 11, 2018

Bryan,

You could say the same about some of the teams who have played against us and De Gea

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Mark Reid February 11, 2018

Hypothetical question if we somehow manage not to qualify for Europe should Jose be fired?

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Hendrix knightsmith February 11, 2018

Mark,

But who would you replace him with?

Since the departure of SAF we have had two "world class" managers and Moyes, spent a fortune, and have ended up miles off the pace in the league, don't compete in Europe any more, and get rolled over by the likes of Huddersfield, Newcastle, and Bristol City !

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Mark Reid February 11, 2018

Hendrix it’s a difficult one no doubt.

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CR February 11, 2018

United24,

How is your prediction of us winning the PL title this season working out so far? Maybe if I felt the team was on the right track to fulfill this prediction of yours I would be more inclined to refrain from posting tactical suggestions on here. As it is now though, something is clearly wrong with the team.

I see Lukaku failed to scored again today, as well. I really don't see the point of having a player like Lukaku when the team isn't playing well as a whole, as he is a type of striker who is almost totally dependent on the team providing for him and rarely create anything for himself.

"We have lost 4 games of our 5 losses with Lingard as our 10"

I would bet he either didn't play as the 10 in those matches or there was something else wrong with the tactics/formation in those games. I know what I saw in Lingard's performances against Arsenal, to name only one. You're saying Lingard is better as an 8 than as a 10?

But since signing Sánchez we seem to have gone backwards and I suspect much of it is the constant shifting around of players positions were they don't play well. (Not blaming this on Sánchez, btw).

Regarding Mata, I'm fine with starting him. Always rated him highly. But it should be done carefully.

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Mark Reid February 11, 2018

Jose does have a very stubborn streak,not that Sir Alex didn’t,I almost felt sorry for Pogba today he looked gutted sat on the bench.I think Jose is determined to make him an all round mid fielder,not sure if he will,he’s better on the left.
The madness of 4 strikers,ends up with none of em been effective.Lukaku is a good striker I just don’t see him as United material ala RVN or RVP.
Somethings off and I’m really not sure what the fix is I fear Mo may not either.Hope I’m wrong.

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TywinnLannister February 11, 2018

Bench Lukaku? This is sorcery

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Ezzerguru February 11, 2018

I coach an u15s football team and have coached pretty much the same group for the last 5 years. We’re a decent footballing side that play on the deck which goes against the grain somewhat in our league.

For me every football match that I watch is a lesson. The last few United games, particularly the Spurs game was a lesson in how not to set up your team.

In all my years of coaching, I can happily admit that in the few games where my teams have looked rubbish or got thrashed it was down to me as a coach trying out some fancy formation that they weren’t used to, or because of me not making my instructions clear. Simple as that.

I have a great set of players that didn’t suddenly become rubbish overnight. They played how I told them to play. And once I sat down and analysed those games I realised the problem was me.

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TywinnLannister February 11, 2018

We were wasteful. As simple as that.

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Hendrix knightsmith February 11, 2018

I blame the gloves

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Costas February 11, 2018

Scholes was right about Pogba flopping and how Mourinho has no clue what his best position is. And some morons actually defended Mourinho when he replied in his typical classless manner. Pathetic.

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CR February 11, 2018

Still possible to completely turn this season around and topple all other teams by winning the Champions League...looks very unlikely at the moment, but things can change fast in football.

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Zana February 11, 2018

I dont understand why Jose still insists on putting Martial on the right?! Why he didnt start with Mata when he knows we lack creativity and link up play with Alexis?

This was the exact same tactical mistake as we did against Tottenham. I am not convinced by Jose approach this season in all honesty, I would like someone to totally debunk my view but i am afriad seeing us 16 points behind the leader with all the money we spent, that is totally unbustifiable and irrational in the first place!!

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Mark Reid February 11, 2018

I m glad we got Sanchez but was he the player we needed,we were playing ok in Jan with Martial on the left,again I’m glad with got Sanchez but it feels a little that we are shoehorning him in.Or the same with any of the forwards.

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United24 February 11, 2018

CR
Lingard is another one of the attackers.
He is not a playmaker or a midfielder.
If you are going to play him, you need to drop one of the other attackers.
I never said he should play 8.
That is even worse!!!

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Mobi February 11, 2018

U24
Lol.. Lingard at CAM agaisnt city? Probably more of a CDM.. like cr says tactics were probably messed up in them games..

Last season was shit but I gave Jose the benefit of the doubt and a fresh start for this campaign because he won the European competition.. that's exactly what he'll need to do this year too to get my support back..

Good news lads.. at this rate we'll be giving city a guard of honour..

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United24 February 11, 2018

Mobi
Not true
Against City it was a front 4 of Rashford Lukaku, Lingard and Martial.
Herrera and Matic were overan in midfield, just like Pogba, Matic in subsequent games, because Lingard has no MF nous.
Certainly zero chance of him even pretending to play CDM.
Look, I'm not bashing Lingardinho.
I just want a balanced team.
He can be one of two or three forwards picked on form, and I won't argue the merits or demerits
Just don't play too many attackers without natural midfielders to complement them.

Mobi February 11, 2018

U24
Lingard is a midfielder just like lampard and Kaka.. goal scoring midfielders.. (obviously not on their level)..
Snachez and Martial are attackers yes..

Oh and Lukaku just isn't a footballer Lol!

I wanna see this in the next game..

-------------DeGea
Valencia Jones Rojo Shaw
--------Carrick Matic
-------------Mata
Lingard Sanchez Martial

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United24 February 11, 2018

Mobi,
Do you recall what got Rafa sacked at Madrid?
He fell for the attack, attack, attack and insisted in playing Bale, Benzema, Rodriguez and Ronaldo in the same side.
Modric and Kroos got over run and they were dropping stupid points.
All Zidane had to do was replace James with Casemiro.
They went unbeatean the rest of the season, won the ECL and the double the following season.
James and Morata played from the bench.

We have to resist the temptation to play 4 attacking players, PERIOD.

Not even Kroos or Modric can support such a system. Pogba is suffering partly because of it!!!

Mobi February 11, 2018

For those defending Lukaku saying he doesn't get any clear chances,
Why do players other than the STRIKER of Manchester United get clear chances?
I can think of a reason.. he's just not good enough..

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Xyth February 11, 2018

It all comes to the boss and the negativity he has instated in the team!

Had our attitude and effort been just a half the attitude and effort of Newcastle players we would have put 5 past them. But our overpaid primmadonas think that just by turning up the job is done. Where is their desire? Have they got any fire in them!

It is not that Shitty are too good. They simply have no competition at all.
If we had a more positively minded coach, we would have had at least 10 more points with the same squad, possibly more! As it is, it will be a struggle to finish in the top 4!

The only decent solution to this is unfortunate situation to get rid of Mourinho, and bring some strong character until the end of the season (dare I dream Fergie as a caretaker). I do not think we can endure another season after this with the same boring, depressing football!

MOURINHO OUT!

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CR February 11, 2018

United24,

"Lingard is another one of the attackers.
He is not a playmaker or a midfielder.
If you are going to play him, you need to drop one of the other attackers.
I never said he should play 8.
That is even worse!!!"

I personally don't see Lingard as an attacker in the sense of the word that Martial or Rashford are attackers. I mean, Lingard is an *attacking* player but his style and attributes are different from Martial's and Rashford's. For me he's shown that he shines consistently as the 10 with Pogba and two other midfielders. He runs with and without the ball, presses, works hard, creates, assists, scores ...he's a playmaker for me. A different one to Mata, who bases his play more upon passing but a playmaker nonetheless.

Mata is our back-up 10 and can also play from the right wing-ish or as the third midfielder against lesser teams. High quality player, but at the same time he's been at United for some time and we haven't really taken off with him...not really his own fault but I'm just saying I don't see how our team is set-up to allow Mata to truly flourish. He's way too good a player to be back-up so I wouldn't begrudge him if he left but I hope he stays.

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CR February 11, 2018

United24,

"Against City it was a front 4 of Rashford Lukaku, Lingard and Martial.
Herrera and Matic were overan in midfield, just like Pogba, Matic in subsequent games, because Lingard has no MF nous."

The problem in that game wasn't Lingard. The problem was that Lukaku started as the central forward in the 4-2-3-1 formation.

It's a fact that Lukaku has yet to perform in big matches and he was always going to be extra isolated against City who at the time was in super form and controlled most of the match through De Bruyne and Silva. If we'd have had Pogba, Carrick or other signing like Kanté or someone in there together with Matic and Herrera *instead of Lukaku* that match could have ended very different. It would have given Martial, Rashford (who obviously still managed to score) and Lingard extra protection and assurance.

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United24 February 12, 2018

CR
I get where we differ.
We all seem to agree that ONE of the attacking players must sit.
You want Lukaku dropped to the bench.
I suggest Lingard dropped to the bench, with Sanchez going right and Martial staying left.
We can agree to disagree now.

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Mobi February 12, 2018

U24
I agree on us not playing 4 men ahead of Pogba, but a 4 man attack can and will work if we have the right guys behind..
Madrid failed because Rafa tactically wasn't astute enough and because neither Kroos or Modric were defensive midfielders..

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gra mar February 11, 2018

I still think with the same players we could play a lot better. But the coach chooses not to.

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