Home
Forum
Archives
Contact
- Advertise
Live
About
- Privacy
App
Shop

Home
Live blog

LIVE BLOG: United vs Arsenal

November 19, 2016

Richard Cann

CONFIRMED LINE-UP: United vs Arsenal

Rooney: The media wants to write my obituary but I won’t let them

121 Comments

« Older Comments

United24 November 19, 2016

Nothing justifies Fellainis inclusion as a starter for Manchester United, regardless of whether it's Moyes, LVG or Mourinho.

Every manager has a sense that they can do something special with a player, but it's as clear as daylight that Fellaini will never be the player any United or Belgian manager HOPE he will be.

There is a SIGNIFICANT difference in performance in games he starts in, at the expense of Carrick or Mata or Herrera, than those he sits out...

Log in to Reply

Ash November 19, 2016

Ifean

lvg had one of the best wingers in the world football in di maria. Imagine this team with di maria, now that would have been awesome. I still think this team needs some addition and subtraction. Not going to say Jose has been perfect but he chose to give all the players a chance to prove, some have proved him right but many have proven him wrong and we would be better off without them.

Log in to Reply

harry_dobson November 19, 2016

Honestly what on earth are you talking about Di Maria never wanted to come he didn't give even 40% effort and couldn't dislodge Young from the team.He was a complete and utter cunt who disrespected the club and used us as a stop gap till PSG could afford him.He had one good half season at Madrid they played us for mugs and cashed in as did he and Mendes
We've been getting played a lot lately and it appears the trend will continue

Log in to Reply

Mark Reid November 19, 2016

Here's a thought if Memphis is transfered(looks likely)who is good enough on the team to wear the famed #7?

Log in to Reply

United24 November 19, 2016

@ Mark
Griezmann :)

Log in to Reply

harry_dobson November 19, 2016

Mark just like most things the club has stood for in the past the iconic numbers have gone the way of the dodo and have been handed out just like any other number
Tony V is the only player to show some respect by giving it back because he felt pressure by wearing it

Log in to Reply

ifeanyiumeweni November 20, 2016

United 24 u watched the whole of last season and saw how many headed goals we conceded because we didn't have enough tall players or the way some of our players were shoved off the ball like a piece of paper in midfield. If that west ham game didn't convince u then there is nothing more I can say. That was last season though and this season as I've said before Jose addressed all the problems by bringing in physical and tall players with more quality than Fella which we lacked the previous season but if u could not see the need for Fella last season then u need to watch the whole of last season again.

Log in to Reply

harry_dobson November 20, 2016

Ifany it's just a fact under LVG Fellaini was consistent and made the team better and truth be told Jose picks him ahead of a lot of players as well which is ironic and funny because the Jose die hards defend him to the hilt till he does something they don't like, play Fellaini but that's ok their just giving constructive criticism not going after him
Fellaini is a difficult player to play against and does a lot dirty work that goes unrecognized but the experts don't get that because they've never kicked a ball in their life's but everyone else is the dope

Log in to Reply

ChiRed November 20, 2016

Well the team looked better with Rooney , shit.
One shot on goal , fuck
Top four? Son of the bitch next door
TonyV is a man, from an Ecuadorian Getto gave the #7 back, fired his agent for saying he might leave during negotiation, Captain for his Country!
Fuck

Log in to Reply

Dwayne O Linn November 20, 2016

After overcoming the initial disappointment, I don't think we are that far away. If we dissect the performance we completely dominated Arsenal. Jose is close to finding his best 11 and if bailly and stalking had of been playing giroud wasn't scoring that. Although I'll give Rojo credit he was fairly decent, maybe he has a future here as a utility defender. I'll be happy with a top 4 and a cup this season.
It's just small errors letting us down, we are pressing well, we are creating opportunities. Even though we have less points than last season, I feel more optimistic in our football and there is definitely a better plan in place and the players seem motivated. BELIEVE!

Log in to Reply

Hendrix knightsmith November 20, 2016

Dwayne,

I would be happy with top four and a cup this season, but it's looking increasingly unlikely .

We are seriously lacking fire power, and a lot of players are under par .

We also cover the least ground out of any Premier side.

We seem to use any excuse going lately, the latest being bad luck.

But whatever the reason, we're not getting the results, as the table shows.

We have spent a lot of money for little return.

We need to up our game rapidly

Log in to Reply

Dwayne O Linn November 20, 2016

Indeed Trevor, somehow, despite spending a fortune, it seems as though we are still 3/4 players away from having a complete squad.

ifeanyiumeweni November 20, 2016

Yea Harry I don't get it almost every big game we won under Lvg Fella played a crucial part. Last season we were lacking height and physical presence in our team that's y we needed Fella and our defence was too inconsistent and had players missing for large portions to really go all out attacking. In Lvg first season when we had Blind Jones Smalling and Tony we went on a run where we played 433 and beat spurs pool and city. I know Fellas ability is limited but to call him useless is plain wrong his tackling this season has not been bad either but I don't like Jose playing him in a 2 man midfield I feel he and Pogba play the same position on the left of a 3 man midfield so should never be played together.

Log in to Reply

Mark Reid November 20, 2016

Harry yea Tony V great guy,warrior comes to mind.
United 24 I hope.

Log in to Reply

harry_dobson November 20, 2016

Ifany no doubt mate his best position is left midfield but the Fellaini haters don't take into account he's being played out of position all they care about is bashing him

Log in to Reply

Mirain November 20, 2016

Let me get this straight. Are you people going on record to say we are a better team with Fellaini playing? I'm not sure I'm getting this right. Let's see.

Juan Mata
Ander Herrera
Paul Pogba
Michael Carrick
Henrikh Mhikitaryan
Morgan Schneiderlin
Marouane Fellaini

I'm thinking realistically there's like four spots in the first eleven for all these players. FOUR. So which player should be bumped out of those spots by Fellaini? I'm really curious to understand this.

Especially for big games.

Log in to Reply

CR November 20, 2016

Strangely enough this comment I made yesterday didn't get published:

Mourinho got the team selection right but the tactics wrong. What I am missing is mostly the passion and excitement. Players seem too shackled. Maybe it will come with time but I'm not sure about that. Mirian arguing that Mourinho is simply a negative manager who delivers negative football/atmosphere makes sense to me. Maybe he can turn it around. At least this was step in the right direction against one of the best teams this season.

Rashford shouldn't even be in the wing-back position as he was in the build up to their goal. He didn't do quite well enough today, but then he should either be substituted or allowed to stay on at 9. Not having to switch mindset from attacking to defending when he was probably already frustrated by his own performance. But performances as today is to be expected because of his age and having previously been played out of position. And that is also why virtually no one thinks he should be starting every game as the striker. ABU Jamie Redknapp was quick to criticize him though. That should tell us a lot.

I agree with Gary Neville that Martial has to show a lot more industry and energy though. His is too millennial in his attitude.

Valencia again shows why I've always been supporting him, though we rely too much on him. And Mata is gold. I have said that having Mata is almost like having an extra striker when you consider allt he goals he scores on top of his other play.

Rojo and Jones also did reasonable well considering they are back-up. We lost the game through not scoring more than one goal. Manchester United shouldn't be relying on keeping clean sheets. Manchester United should have the confidence of outscoring the opposition regardless of goals conceded.

@Mark Reid, spot on:

"This team lacks the killer instinct no ones fighting hard enough for victory,they seem to be a little to chilled out."

Log in to Reply

Ash November 20, 2016

There are no fellaini haters just like there were not many moyes haters. Point is both of them are/were not good enough for this club. It is not rocket science. I really feel fellaini has his role in this club but he cannot start week in week out. Like yesterday fellaini would have been perfect to come fr the bench and defend set pieces. He has his utility no doubt about that and he is far from useless but He has no business starting games ahead of Carrick or Herrera and let alone pogba. There are certain game you might get away with him starting but if you want to play beautiful attacking football then no, he cannot be starting. It's not just us fans who think like that but many ex legends of the game also say that.

Log in to Reply

Ash November 20, 2016

Cr

The team lacks mental toughness. Let us think of all the important games that we had to win and yet somehow bottled. Apart from the fa cup , our players bottled in all other important games. We had to win at Wolfsburg to progress , we bottled it . We had to beat scouse in Europa, we bottled it. We were leading 1-0 at the bridge and we bottle that also. West ham away , the game for top 4. We were leading 2-1 till 75th minute and we somehow bottle it. And now yesterday one more game where we bottle it.

Some here say I am a Jose lover, no my point is our problems run deeper than the manager. This is why I am strictly against us going even more crazy in the transfer market and trying to be even more of a failed galactico. We have to get rid of some players, we cannot just keep them for being just good because trust me we actually have bunch of above average to good players but we cannot reach great heights with this bunch. Jose needs to make ruthless decisions. If he also keeps on making the same mistakes come next October ( I believe club will keep him irrespective of what happens this season ) then he will also face similar consequences to what moyes and lvg faced.

Log in to Reply

Mirain November 20, 2016

I disagree with the whole "it's the players fault" narrative. A lot of these players have been winners elsewhere. It's not them coming with a mediocre mentality. Our problems definitely are bigger than the manager. But a big chunk of the problems are managerial. We keep having the exact same problems of managers misusing the players. From Moyes to Mourinho. And the most frustrating part is us the ignorant fans who keep proving this.

Moyes

Because of his Rooney love, he converted one of the league's best number 10s to a winger when he brought Mata in.

His insistence on playing Fellaini in midfield

But mostly his inability to bring added quality

LVG

Quite frankly the worst of the trio.

Not only disregarded Mata in his first season. He deprived the team of one of its most important assets. Ander Herrera. We all know how Herrera was never given a chance by LVG. Yet everyone and his dog was crying out for Herrera to play. Everyone said Fellaini should not play. LVG insisted on Fellaini. In midfield. As CF. As fucking number 10. Yet have Juan Mata. We have Herrera. But no let's utilize Fellaini and Rooney instead. Whose fault is that?

Mourinho

Quite frankly a big improvement on his predecessors. But it's also him that wasted our time by excluding Herrera from the lineup and giving Pogba his welcome back to England the benefit of Fellaini and Rooney. The same Herrera we have been crying for years was once again being sidelined. Then Herrera comes in and proves what we have been saying forever. It's not rocket science. That's Mourinho's fault. Had he simply started with his best lineup by now we would be in a different situation. Pogba is becoming more and more influential and developing a psychic understanding with Herrera and Mata.

A lot of us have been saying the same since August about the missing piece. Henrikh Mhikitaryan. We know his ability. For Mourinho to suggest that Lingard is better than Mhikitaryan was foolish. We all know that's a load of bullshit. But who is failing to utilize what he has for the umpteenth time? This has nothing to do with mentality. But everything to do with mismanagement.

I'm saying it now as I said over the years with Herrera, with Mata. The reason we are blunt in attack is the absence of Henrikh Mhikitaryan. I'm putting it on the line here. And I'm saying it the exact same way I said for Mata and Herrera. Give Mhikitaryan the same chance afforded to Pogba and GUARANTEED our season turns around. By the fifth match you'll all be talking different story

Log in to Reply

Ash November 20, 2016

Mismanagement has got nothing to do with some players being mentally weak. You don't lose the most important game when you are leading by 1 goal and then end up c9nceding 2 goals. Sir Alex would field a wes brown ,Gibson ,cleverly,silvestre,evans etc and we would yet never bottle it. Just because one player is dropped does not mean you go on and lose important games. There is a reason arsenal w8th even quality players bottle it year after year.

I also don't know what you are talking about pogba. he along with Valencia herrera and mata have been our best players this seas9n. Pogba is just not getting the end results. how many chances have players fluffed which was created by pogba. he has created 23 chances and yet has no assist which shows how unlucky he has been. Ifs and buts don't work in football but in case of us this season it has been a story of ifs and buts