[vb-san]

Originally Posted by Chetan_Rao

Someone who, ironically, would fit much better in a Liverpool-style system.

Wing-back that likes going forward, getting cover from his left center-back and holding midfielder. Both aspects United messed up yesterday, and they were playing with TWO holding midfielders! Bet he'd swap places with Robertson in a heartbeat, purely from a footballing perspective.

Absolutely! And with the way Ole setup the team, the players hardly get a chance to bring out their strengths. In one of the TV discussions, one of the panelists mentioned a pertinent point – good players sign for this big club Man U and the under Ole they transform to average player –due to lack of game-time or not getting to play by their strengths (recent ones – Sancho, Van de Beek). And that guy Fred is a real curious case, I don't think he will be in the first team of any of the current top 6.

[RJ411]

Read somewhere today that Ole wanted the players up front to press the Liverpool defenders, without any proper training/planning for that system.

Why on earth you will try something new against your arch rivals at your home.

That too against a Liverpool team who have mastered the art of pressing/counter pressing over the last 4-5 years

First goal was a direct outcome of that uncoordinated press triggered by Bruno with no support from back line. All hell broke loose after that

[Chetan_Rao]

Originally Posted by RJ411

Read somewhere today that Ole wanted the players up front to press the Liverpool defenders, without any proper training/planning for that system.

Pressing is a collective effort, a non-starter with the current United team.

They don't have the players, even if they had a plan (which they didn't either, you're right). None of their front 3 on the day (Ronaldo, Rashford, Greenwood) are known for tracking back, neither are their holding midfielders on the day (McFred combo) capable of covering out of position forwards and wingbacks (it's Shaw really, Wan-Bissaka is more a defensive minded full-back), and their centre-backs don't have the pace to cover wide areas in the defensive third (doesn't stop Maguire getting dragged out and he seldom makes it back to CB in time).

Also, pressing isn't about the first presser winning the ball back, it's about pushing your opponent with possession into spaces they don't want to be in, then overloading that part of the pitch in a coordinated manner, so you can transition to attack before the opposition can regroup after losing possession. When it doesn't work, you need centre-backs with legs and ball-playing talent who can handle 1:1 or even 2:1 situations that follow, like van Dijk can (and Maguire can't).

All United did was try running at the person in possession, vacate critical space for a Liverpool player, who usually proceeded to start a move leading up to an attempt at goal. What a circus!

[Chetan_Rao]

Manchester United getting taken apart by Watford, who'd be half a dozen up if they could finish better.

Forget the manager, just how poor is that defence even at basics? Harry Maguire, for an established international, has been shockingly poor for a while. He scores a few, even defiantly celebrated on England duty, but he's failing at his primary job of stopping goals at the other end. They'd be dead and buried without an in-form de Gea.

Post game edit: Oh Dear!

[hothatchaway]

Even an ISL team would have been better than this man United side. What shoddy defending!

[ABHI_1512]

Originally Posted by hothatchaway

Even an ISL team would have been better than this man United side. What shoddy defending!

It’s okay, Ole is counting his days and Manchester United is nowhere close to their best since a long time anyways. I am though super excited for tonight’s big one..let’s see how that pans out although my money is on Liverpool bigtime

[Chetan_Rao]

Originally Posted by ABHI_1512

... my money is on Liverpool bigtime

Ramsdale is having a great run of form. What a goalkeeper!

As many goals as we've seen recently, there have been some world-class goalkeeping performances sprinkled in.

[ABHI_1512]

Originally Posted by Chetan_Rao

Ramsdale is having a great run of form. What a goalkeeper!

As many goals as we've seen recently, there have been some world-class goalkeeping performances sprinkled in.

Agree, If not for Ramsdale, Liverpool would have killed the match by now !!

Edit: Go, going, gone !!

[hothatchaway]

Arsenal is trying to outdo Man United tonight. Defenders acting like millionaires

[Chetan_Rao]

Second half, peak Liverpool, esp. the third.

Goalkeeper to left wing to center forward to - what a touch from Jota off-balance! - left forward. Through in 3 passes, terrifying attacking play if you're a defender at the receiving end of it.

[Baddychat]

Originally Posted by Chetan_Rao

Manchester United getting taken apart by Watford, who'd be half a dozen up if they could finish better.

Forget the manager, just how poor is that defence even at basics? Harry Maguire, for an established international, has been shockingly poor for a while. He scores a few, even defiantly celebrated on England duty, but he's failing at his primary job of stopping goals at the other end. They'd be dead and buried without an in-form de Gea.

Post game edit: Oh Dear!

Completely agree with you. In football the manager gets the axe first up. It is the easy fix. For Man United they need to off load quite a few of their so called star players. Pogba, Tony Martial and the likes should be axed. Maguire's horror run started from the Leicester game and has continued ever since. He had the audacity to celebrate his goal against the mighty San Marino side in the WC qualifiers. As one who has been a lifelong United fan I strongly believe that Maguire is not United captaincy material.
When your goal keeper has been the best player on the pitch for the last few games and still you are losing by 3-4 goals every game that goes to show how bad we have been. We lost 4-1 with 2 penalty saves against a side who started 18th on the table last night.

[vb-san]

Originally Posted by Chetan_Rao

Second half, peak Liverpool, esp. the third.

That second half was a riot. Solid display and even the managers locked on the sidelines to earn two yellows

Originally Posted by Chetan_Rao

Forget the manager, just how poor is that defence even at basics? Harry Maguire, for an established international, has been shockingly poor for a while.

I feel the news will be out on Sunday afternoon / Monday morning UK time – Ole’s body language was such that he has resigned to the fate. I feel along with the manager change they need to clear out some players – say Martial, Fred etc. And probably someone better for the captain’s armband.

[joslicx]

Originally Posted by vb-san

I feel along with the manager change they need to clear out some players – say Martial, Fred etc. And probably someone better for the captain’s armband.

Managing United is an impossible job. It's hardly gonna help.
And there are hardly any alternative leadership candidates. United lack leaders. In the bygone era there would be many leaders in the team. Now there's nobody. Who would they replace Maguire with?

[kavensri]

As expected, OGS has been removed. But I do feel that the issue runs deeper than manager getting sack. Many of their players does not look like they are putting 100% effort while playing. So, something needs to be done on that front as well.

[Akash86M]

Well, yesterday's game shows Arsenal are better than Man United and deserve to be in top 5. I'm sure yesterday was a blip for united, they will be composed by Dec end - Jan.
I'm not a Ronaldo fan but I feel for the guy. He deserves better. It's time for united to off load few players and take time to build something here.
Being a Liverpool fan, I'm just hoping it's going to be a heavily rotated side against Porto.