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LIVE BLOG: Olympiacos vs United

February 25, 2014

Jonathan Shrager

Follow @JonathanShrager on Twitter.

CONFIRMED LINE-UP: Olympiakos vs United

PICTURE: Carrick’s wife has a pop at Keane on Twitter

319 Comments

« Older Comments

OAldiall February 26, 2014

"My teammates are in some of the
areas where I want to play. This
makes it difficult for me,” Van Persie
told NOS.
"Then I have to change my tactics to
suit my team-mates, and play
outside my zone" RVP

Basically the players are playing the way they want Moyes is not even in charge

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LoneStarRed7 February 26, 2014

Time and time again this season we have invited teams to attack us ! I am reminded of a mouse's behaviour in a house with a cat. It cautiously peeks out see if the coast is clear then carefully goes about it's foraging. But the longer the absence of the cat, the bolder the mouse becomes. And eventually, the cat is forgotten if it will not make an appearance.

Tonight was typical of that. Olympiacos started as we did, not to lose. But their manager soon realized that Moyes had reverted to type and had ordered us to "not lose". He seized the initiative and we we were done. "Luck" had nothing to do with it.

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tallestreD February 26, 2014

It was a pathetic display. No positives really. None whatsoever. The tempo in our game is so low/slow.

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Only 1 Utd February 26, 2014

Adnan Januzaj was left out of the team for Olympiakos because of Tom Cleverley, according to David Moyes.Moyes made the bizarre claim after the game, saying: :"I decided last week I would play Cleverley and it was a time to bring [Adnan] in and out at right moments so I chose not to use him."Nope, us neither.It's impossible to figure out what those words from Moyes meant, or what the two players have to do with each other since they play in completely different positions, or why Januzaj wouldn't be considered after he'd spent a month resting and was just about to get another 9 days without football.Here at TBB towers, we honestly just assumed he'd picked up a minor injury. This isn't a disaster - just a rotten performance - but some of the signs here are becoming very worrying indeed. Still, I suppose he'll learn. Januzaj is better than Cleverley. So now we know.

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Only 1 Utd February 26, 2014

Our fellow players are sometimes occupying the spaces I want to play in," he said after an NOS reporter asked him whether he was allowed to drop deep to get the ball. "And when I see that, it makes it difficult for me to come to those spaces as well. So that forces me to adjust my runs, based on the position of my fellow players."And, unfortunately, they are often playing in my zones. I think that's a shame," he elaborated.The attacker also admitted he made some mistakes of his own. "I rushed that shot [to make it 2-1 late in the game]," he said. "That's a shame because I don't get a lot of chances, so when you get one, you have to score."

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Geniusmain February 26, 2014

I don't know if you guys have noticed but all of united's best games this season has been when kagawa is on the field n especially when operating in the 10 role yet moyes benches the poor dude every single fucking game in favour of young n cleverley.

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edcunited1878 February 26, 2014

Kagawa is benched in favor of Rooney or a two-man midfield with two wide men.

Moyes will not play a 4-2-3-1 with players in their orthodox position. The closest Moyes can get is if Carrick and Fletcher or Carrick and Fellani play behind Kagawa, Mata and Adnan with RVP or Rooney up top, not both.

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adam leszczak February 26, 2014

TopRed123 says:
"Yes, who would ever have thought that the fantastic four of Moyes, Round, P.Neville, and the last guy who looks like a sex offender would struggle to manage and coach Manchester United?"

Great.

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Geniusmain February 26, 2014

@edcunited, my point is in kagawa moyes has got a player who helps bring some fluidity to the united gameplay n we create lots of chances when he is operating in the 10 role. this is jst not a mere coincidence. why doesnt he find a formation suitable to fit his best player in the team to increase our chances of winning games. heck, he cld even rotate kagawa n rooney from time to time in the 10 role depending on the opposition. though rooney might be our most important n influencial player now, he doesnt afford the united team the same creativity n fluidity kagawa brings to the 10 role. we hv played most of our best games in europe this season n kagawa has been present in all those games. the only european game he decides to drop him then we hv our worst performance yet in europe. I tnk its not a coincidence. but wat kills me is we have a clueless manager who cant even identify his best players n how to use them n kps leaving such a quality player on the bench in favour of young, cleverley n welbeck. what an absolute travesty

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edcunited1878 February 26, 2014

@Genius - I understand your point 100%. I've panned for Rooney to leave the club as I believe catering to him has made the team, overall, worse. The inclusion of Rooney on the left to accommodate Kagawa in the middle with a right sided player is the best, with Mata cup-tied.

Rooney in the midfield does nothing to change the game when it's two United center mids versus three opposition center-mids.

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Spencer Chapman February 26, 2014

I am a newbie on this Blog but have been following the threads for a long time. I had not written in as I wanted to sit through an entire United game to decide if DM is really to blame or the players. Now I have finally sat through this game and I can rant! It's clear that DM mindset is wrong from his lineup. Ultra conservative and out to contain rather than attack. no creativity in midfield. Over reliance on Rooney to drive the show but is he the creative spark? Seems to me that DM wants the game to centre around Rooney but this game plan does not work. SAF teams in the past varied their game with crosses and also short passing around the box with taking on the defenders one-on-0ne. What did we see in the game? Crossing from the wings often blindly and even then without any accuracy. Many times especially when a player was clear near the top of the box, Valencia and the widemen crossed! The only variation came when Kagawa came on when he made his short quick passes and was prepared to run at defenders. The two clear chances both involved Kagawa building up to the chance. But you can see a clear tactic has been drummed into the players to pass it to the wing and then cross despite an other option to pass it short. The players are confused and frustrated as they are playing out of their preferred positions and style. They are good players - champions but they are frustrated having to play to the manager's instructions. A manager that is now clearly clueless and fast running out of excuses!
I have been a supporter since United were relegated to Div 2! This is the worst crisis they have ever faced. In the past they had managers that were winners or at least had the players respect. Once the players faith and respect goes in the dressing room, no amount of surgery will help. Even Ronaldo will die under DM! It's so sad to see creative players die a slow death. Sayonara Shinji and may you blossom elsewhere and be happy where your skill and talents are recognised!!!! In a perverse way I hope united lose the return leg to send the last nail into DM's career at Old Trafford!!!

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Geniusmain February 26, 2014

edcunited, u n I r of the same thought then. sry I just misread ur previous comment

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Geniusmain February 26, 2014

moyes shld jst do the honourable thing n resign in order to salvage watever dignity he has left b4 it is tarnished beyond repair cos at thid rate he is proving to the whole of the footballing world jst how clueless he really is.

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Jorge Curioso II February 26, 2014

She should be having a pop at Moyes, not Keano.

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Jorge Curioso II February 26, 2014

"moyes shld jst do the honourable thing n resign"

If he had an ounce of the class that his (few remaining) defenders claim he does, he would.

As it is, even if he did have thoughts of doing the right thing, his agent has surely slapped him around a few times to get rid of the thought.

United is stuck with the plodder.

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Jorge Curioso II February 26, 2014

For those who were b*tching about Mourinho's supposed lack of fit for United, how's it going?

As of tomorrow, Mourinho's going to be top of the league and the only remaining English club in the Champions League, with a side that finished well out of the money last year in the league.

Moyes, meanwhile, has turned the champions into an exploding clown car show.

Bobby Charlton said that he didn't like Moyes' caustic style. WTF was Charlton doing hanging around with Fergie all these years, then, if caustic is such a problem.

United are in deep danger of a Liverpool-esque collapse unless Moyes is dumped in a lake stat.

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sir liam matt February 26, 2014

Adna Januzaj must be left scratching his head as to why he
wasn’t even considered for the bench because of how important he has been this season. Pogba style anyone against Blacburn.

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Mark Reid February 26, 2014

Not to worry, Moyes says we will put it right.That reassures me no end.

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Eric Nesh February 26, 2014

I personally too upset with Moyes to have enough words to describe a shameful game of football last night. Surely with all the support tha the fans have given him how can Moyes continually fuck everything up !