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LIVE BLOG: United vs West Ham Utd

November 30, 2016

Richard Cann

CONFIRMED LINE-UP: United vs West Ham – League Cup

Thoughts On West Ham Game – Mkhitaryan & Martial Masterclass

20 Comments

m09538061 November 30, 2016

Why wasn't the West Ham goal keeper
sent off or at least got a yellow card?

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denislawking November 30, 2016

I guess thrusting your leg/studs at a United player doesn't warrant one?

44 mins Can't believe we are in this situation again. Playing well, creating chances, not scoring, not winning.

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Hendrix knightsmith November 30, 2016

Top notch, everyone played well.

Some of the passing was excellent !

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denislawking November 30, 2016

Absolutely - not felt this good after a match for years.

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Hendrix knightsmith November 30, 2016

Denis,

Same here, perhaps Maureen and Pogba should spend the evening down the pub a lot more .

joking aside, although we should have done better in a lot of the matches our play has been a lot more entertaining this season, if not a tad frustrating at times .

10 games unbeaten at home now, far from perfect , bit it's a start.

Let's start the same 11 against Everton

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krossman_X November 30, 2016

Craig Burnley of ESPN says United played better without Pogba. I doubt thats true as every game we have scored up to 4 goals besides this one Pogba had played in. So bullshit....but its good the team can still deliver like this without him no one player should b the difference in a team. Jose United will be great. We are getting there.

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m09538061 November 30, 2016

Funny if United beat
Hull..
We'll get Southampton or the
Shit Southampton in
the Final.

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WeAreUnitedddd December 1, 2016

don't listen to that bs

because we've dominated games exactly this way with pogba and he's even a big threat o nthe field
also as you mentioned, he's been at every game we've scored 4goals, so yeah call it BS

people need to be patient with pogba, he's almost there, the last step is going to be taken now when martial and mkitharian are reborn and zlatan is scoring more and more.

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Walata10 December 1, 2016

I actually believed we played better without Pogba

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CR December 1, 2016

The first thing that stood out for me in this match was the crowd. The atmosphere was great, and it permeated onto the pitch, where I noted much more urgency, pace and free-flowing football. I'd go as far as to say this was possibly the best match I've seen post-SAF. Not necessarily in terms of quality, but in intention.

Perhaps the biggest revelations were Martial and Mkhitaryan. Listening to us the fans clamoring for these two on each side of Ibra actually worked. Especially Martial seemed fired up, if we can get the best out of him we are a force to reckon with. But Mkhitaryan too - I think he showed he should be our first choice right forward which we all suspected he could be. Maybe Mourinho will take note of this and listen to us more on other issues as well.

But it wasn't just those two. Everyone played well. Rooney for one has definitely hit form. I think it only benefits him to be a squad player as it means he gets some extra rest, which will prolong his career. I've also said I hope Schweinsteiger can stand in for Carrick in some games. Maybe this was the beginning of that.

It doesn't matter that DDG made a mistake, that Ibra should have scored at least one more goal, that this was only the league cup against West Ham etc. If we play like this we will get either top four or win the EL this season, I'm convinced of it. Like I think it was @Mirain who said - focus on performances, not results.

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CR December 1, 2016

Pogba could come on either for Rooney in this line-up. Or for Carrick. It doesn't matter that much. What is important is we keep playing with the same intention/urgency/attitude we showed tonight. That we show the same hunger. And also that we have this line-up with Martial and Mkhitaryan as the wide forwards as the blueprint for future team selections.

If there is one midfielder out there that has the qualities of both Carrick and Herrera into one though...Then he could partner Pogba and we'd still be able to have Mata at the same time. In the meantime though, there probably isn't room for all three of Carrick, Mata and Mkhitaryan at the same time in all matches.

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WeAreUnitedddd December 1, 2016

Did anyone catch that cheeky celebration at the end of the goal number4?
That means the bigZ is flying high in confidence and it only means great news for us!

CMON UNITED!

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WeAreUnitedddd December 1, 2016

I said this in the other thread already but

Hopefully we get the same on sunday,
Although i'll take a scrappy own goal at the 96th minute!!!
That is how much we need the 3points

Peace and good night

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United24 December 1, 2016

Brilliant perfornance.
Give Mourinho his due, for once!
The team has played more pleasing football this season, which is only a third of the way, than all previous 3 combined (all competitions).

We are beginning to narrow down the first team. Pogba and Mata to come in as needed . Mikhi here to stay.

No more wholesale changes.

Limit Lingard. Limit Darmian
They both stifle our flow
Rashford should play substitute striker only.
No Fellaini anywhere near the team for anything
Left back straight swap Blind and Shaw.

Young, Memphis, Schneiderlin have probably lost their first team chance for a while

Interesting observation about defence too.
On the basis of this season so far, Rojo has been our best left side central defender, as Bailly has been the best right CD.

Who will have thought?
Wondering what happens when all fit.

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gra mar December 1, 2016

We've seen glances of a performance like this over the last few weeks.
Our passing and movement is getting sharper, players are getting to know
each other and confidence is growing.

Excellent goals and result but above all an exciting performance.
Pogba not playing may have helped. One of the problems I see is that he tries to
play everywhere and do everything and can affect the balance at times as maybe he pushes
others out of position.

Great from Mkitaryan...very clever player and very skilful. has that little bit of magic in his boots.

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Mirain December 1, 2016

Overall if Mourinho continues on this path and resists imploding as is his custom, he should be a good enough transition coach. He will leave the team hopefully with the right tactical mindset that won't need another full season of rehab. Players enjoy playing well. It can't be overstated really. They just enjoy it. That's how they build confidence. Everyone who played last night would be very happy leaving that pitch. Martial and Mhki in particular.

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Mirain December 1, 2016

My plea to Mourinho is please from the bottom of our hearts as fans; NO FELLAINI WHATSOEVER. Please just get rid of that guy. Not on the pitch. Not on the bench. If it means we have to double his salary to get him to sit at home then it will be worth it.

Secondly please don't crush Mhki's confidence. If you have ever seen him play before this season you know there's an air of hesitation and nervousness about him that is very uncharacteristic. Allow him to learn the league and build up his confidence by actually playing him. He is going to have a bad game or two very soon. It's not the end of the world. Pogba has had at least three. Zlatan maybe more.. Even Mata has had his moments. Let's not be quick to jump on his back. He needs time.

Just lose the defensive sub conscious. A lot of the little mistakes are caused by this. Mhki and Mata not only CAN play together but they SHOULD play together. The last time they did Mhki was MoM and Mata scored and was on song. We also did not concede. There should be no fear of conceding. We should instead be driven by a fear of not scoring. With Mhki and Mata in the team that fear is diminished. Pogba and Carrick and Herrera can be combined in any two man central midfield. They are good enough to do the job. No fear. Trust the attacking players fully. That's where our strength lies.

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Mirain December 1, 2016

"Pogba not playing may have helped. One of the problems I see is that he tries to play everywhere and do everything and can affect the balance at times as maybe he pushes others out of position."

But did his presence help in all our other four goal matches? Him being absent is not a problem. Herrera was just as "everywhere" as Pogba usually is. That's what Pogba brings. It's not a problem it's an advantage. The real reason for our top performance is Mhkitaryan. He is a top player. Basically there were a lot of top players in the match.

It's the same as Zlatan. It's how you move off him. He is always the deepest of the front three. The problem comes when the other two forwards fail to take advantage of this. Mhkitaryan,Mata and Lingard have been the only ones to do this consistently. They have capitalized on his positioning and movement. Pogba is the same. Obviously he is a thorn for midfield players and the opposition coach will assign one or two people to track him throughout. But he has the ability to brush past players with ease and move all over which disorients the other team's midfield. The issue is are players taking advantage? Both him and Herrera move about all over the pitch and that creates a very dynamic midfield that is hard to defend against.

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WeAreUnitedddd December 1, 2016

Or course now saudeenöy its pogba but as @ash put it, we know mourinho will play him again so no need to even argue about this
But ill say my two piece

Look i underatand your points guys BUT
In all of the other games where we have won with 4 goals or dominated the same way as yesterday, answer me on this, did pogba play? ..Now thank you and sit your ass down. Lol (please, im not trying to be disrespectful or be rude just little cheeky, ok?)

Also agree it was not because pogba was missing, but because mkithatian martial and rooney stepped up +zlatan, we got to see a reborn martial 2goals, mkitharian2assists and lovely movements, rooney of old, all of them three helping to spread the responsibility,
i'd argue and say, if pogba played we'd score even more yesterday, HAHA

You never know
Peace

Mirain December 1, 2016

Update on Andreas Pereira at Granada in La Liga. Haven't watched much of Spanish football this season but this is interesting.

http://www.skysports.com/football/news/11667/10676132/andreas-pereira8217s-granada-progress-on-loan-from-manchester-united

I can't begrudge him looking for first team football. But that team is rubbish in general. I hope it works out well for him.