Positives from tonight

[NewClaret]

How many times can we keep on saying that though?

We're a club of ifs and buts at the moment.

Aren't we playing well, my god the referee, VAR, cheated, we were in the UEFA Cup once, fine margins, details, when Cornet comes back, fans were great.... if Wood, Vydra, Pieters had scored.

But what if they did?

We’ll keep saying it till we get better and start winning.

We’ve not been good enough in 2021 full stop, despite actually playing better stuff than we were when picking up points. I just hope our luck turns in 2022.

But we were never going to get a result away at OT with 3-4 of our first team out. Not with Ronaldo & Cavani - two of the greatest strikers to play the game - up front. As someone else posted, their 3 subs cost £107m!!! So it’s not worth worrying about too much really.

[tarkys_ears]

Dyche one step closer to the exit.

[KRBFC]

"You"?

Shouldn't that be "We"?

Hmmm

I wasn't talking about our game, Tiger was slagging off Brentford's performances against Watford and Brighton while they had 5-6 of their first 11 missing.

[Somethingfishy]

I’m coming away wondering how on earth we’ve lost that tonight. I know they scored three and us only one but the performance was far better than the result.

We can’t keep saying that though. We have to start winning games.

Glad somebody else thinks that way Tony. I've been quite vocal and despondent about our shortcomings and general style of play. Newcastle was very much a low point.
However tonight I thought we played at a much higher tempo than usual and pressed harder and higher. Yes it left us open and Utd exploited that in the first half. I thought they looked shaky at the back when we came forward but the thing we can't escape from is our distict lack of quality and we didn't punish them or open them up as we should have. I was gobsmacked to see us three down and at that point it was never a 3-0 game and I've seen comments on the BBC coverage online that suggest the same. We knocked it about with more zip and purpose than usual. Lots of good football and build up play instead of the aimless punts into the channels we have been accustomed to seeing. Yes no end product but the effort to try and play was there.
We can't keep bemoaning our luck though. You could see why Utd have had their issues but we couldn't punish them..and that is our problem.

[Commy]

Lennon looks good when he is allowed to attack.

[Woodleyclaret]

Dales tackling was a breath of fresh air .He showed why Sean got him in and some of the commitment to the cause others particularly Jack and Dwight didn't
A good goal from Lennon and a chance to start v Leeds in a must win game.

[RVclaret]

Stephens - pretty sure he didn’t misplace one pass and also looked for forward line breaking passes a few times. Albeit United were already 3-1 up by this point of course.

McNeil - odd choice but I liked what he did on the right and I feel with Cornet, rather than JBG, on the left running onto those long raking passes, it could give us a new dimension of attack

[HunterST_BFC]

Thought Lennon was good - almost a blast from his past days. A Superb Goal also.
He covered a lot of ground with energy until pulled.
Personally I would have kept him on & pulled Guddy (sounds rude).

I actually see it as a point lost. Just not our night (again).

A patched up team with limited choice from the bench - I thought we put up a good fight.
I thought Wood was a Pen but he did not go down - VAR for Bigger teams maybe would?

Lowton and Taylor must be knackered the running they gave, pushing high then sprinting back.

Plenty of positives.
Main One...

- WE DIDN'T TRY AND CRY OUT OF PLAYING THE GAME -

(I'LL BE SHOCKED IF LEEDS GAME GOES AHEAD....)

[Jakubclaret]

I must have been watching a different game to some people, regarding the chances created apart from the Lennon goal I can’t remember these chances forcing de gea into any sort of meaningful action the chances were all off target & usually wood or somebody else straying offside, the 2nd half was only an improvement because United had already ensured the win & eased the foot off the gas.

[leelad]

1st competitive match for 18 days. Man United was a good game for us to get back into it again ahead of the big one against Leeds
Minutes in the tank for Hennessey, Lennon and Stephens.
Thought Hennessey and Lennon played well.
In the 1st half, we had a lot of the ball, and created some good chances.

It didn't feel like a 1-3 defeat. Man Utd stepped off the gas in the 2nd half knowing the game had been won.

[beddie]

Agree we did create chances which is promising but that’s it, we failed to take the majority of them, broken record scenario. It was a better performance though than I expected. I still believe a quality CM and pacey CF would turn us into a different team. I’ll dream on.

[Andreshotboots]

People comparing this performance to Newcastle, I thought it was chalk and cheese. Yes, ultimately the points haul is the same, but I thought we played reasonably well last night.

Created plenty, certainly didn't have to the bounce of the ball with Ronaldo's poor control, and OG and a wonder save dropping straight to a strikers feet leading to the goals.

In saying that, we should have got blacks in on two of those as the gaffer said.Maybe that was just down to that mental sharpness of not playing for so long..

Anyway, I'm more than confident we can do this, I've played sport long enough to know if you keep bashing at the door, sooner or later you'll get your rewards...and we will. UTC

[BleedingClaret]

Positives
Confirmation that We have a back up keeper good enough for this level
We have two more squad players that may be good enough for time on the pitch than I thought we had before the game

[Iloveyoubrady]

McNeil - odd choice but I liked what he did on the right and I feel with Cornet, rather than JBG, on the left running onto those long raking passes, it could give us a new dimension of attack

I really agree with this. He’s getting abuse from some but his deep playmaking could be really special with cornet running in behind onto those balls. Maybe a Cornet, McNeil and Lennon set up could be our best option?

[JohnMcGreal]

I actually think we played pretty well last night, all things considered. United got a bit of luck with all 3 of their goals, and we didn't deserve to be 3-0 after half an hour.

That said we didn't do enough to really worry them at the other end so no complaints about the result. I just think the performance wasn't as bad as the scoreline suggests.

If we play like that at Leeds with a few of our key players back you'd have to be confident of getting something there.

[JohnMac]

Lennon had a better game and Hennessey is reliable between the sticks. Passed the ball well at times and the players continue to put sweat on the shirt.

BUT...

Other than that we continue to flounder, ball given away time after time when not under pressure. Drive forward into space and then turn around to play it backwards. Panic if the ball is played into a danger area. Miss the ball completely when an opportunity presents itself.

Much made of injuries and Covid but this is 18 months of similar type football.

We just seem incapable now of playing poorly and nicking a result.

[Woodleyclaret]

Third goal miles offside, if Cavani standing infront of Hennesey isn't interfering I don't know what is .Var turned off again.

[RVclaret]

I really agree with this. He’s getting abuse from some but his deep playmaking could be really special with cornet running in behind onto those balls. Maybe a Cornet, McNeil and Lennon set up could be our best option?

Yeah, Cornet has excellent movement to make those angled runs and the touch/skill to beat a man when he gets one on one. Unlike JBG, who McNeil picked out with a glorious raking ball to leave him one on one with the defender, only for him to mis control it and lose possession.

Lennon definitely earned another start, not only his goal and running with the ball but also it allowed the team to press higher up too with his more intense pressing.

[EarbyClaret]

Based on their performances last night our squad players may prove to be better than their counterparts at say Leeds and Watford

We desperately need to address our lack of goal threat in the window

[Andreshotboots]

Third goal miles offside, if Cavani standing infront of Hennesey isn't interfering I don't know what is .Var turned off again.

Not sure we could argue that though as he produced a wonder save so he must have seen it.

[MACCA]

Lennon
Stephens
I was home in 45 minutes
Probably won't need to go there for a while

[Stacky_claret]

None, we were crap. Championship here we come.

I’m pretty sure this will have been a free hit in Dyches book
They are in the last 16 of the hardest league / cup in the world
Look at the 3 subs they brought on they have so many players that cost more than our squad
Despite this we should have scored 2 late on and had what can only be described as a stonewall penalty was VAR not working as there were other things as well ?
Don’t take this game as a season decider because it wasn’t and never will be anything from it would have been a bonus

[Newcastleclaret93]

Maybe we should play hennessey in midfield. Just read that he created our most chances last night with three chances. That’s actually the second most chances created by any player in the league this game week haha

[tiger76]

A few more spring to mind.

No bookings (funny that for such a physical team)
No new injuries.
90 minutes in the lads legs ahead of a crucial trip to Leeds.
And we looked a threat from set-pieces, which hasn't always been the case this season.
Our 1st goal in nearly 6 hours.