much more like it, McNeil in his free role was immense and got us playing the ball on the deck - that in turn clearly encouraged the crowd which further lifted the players. Battled really well - more performances like the second half and we will win loads of games

Played well in the second half. We looked like a different team.

That's the problem, what was he telling em to do in the first half - the same as the whole game against Everton?

I joked before the game that we should play 5-0-5 and abandon pretence we have a midfield. We ended up with 4-1-5 with Brady JBG Wood Rodriguez and McNeill on the field and actually looked a threat.

So much better.
Got Gudmundssson on, real quality on the deck. Forced Williams to defend as opposed to being a left winger the rest of the game!
Williams had one, should have had 2 yellows incidentally, cheating diver.
McNeil, also excellent 2nd half

10 minutes of the second half does constitute a fight back,I thought we was shite in both halves

We had 5 booked on second half because of the way we attacked. If we had started the match like that attack in numbers we would have lost by 4 or 5 by being hit on break like their last goal and we would have had red cards for trying to stop their quick breaks
We have not gifted players like United to compete in that way.

The second half was very good, partly because we used the ball better and played better, but also because United weren't as good and also because conditions helped us.

The wind was begind us first half - we often find it more difficult to judge balls into Barnes and Wood when it is. In the second half we were able to hold balls up into the wind, particularly against Lindehof, which gave us the chance to win the second balls and get a bit more control of the game.

Bit I thought the first half overall was fine- first fifteen minutes in particular was as effective as the second half. United then got control, moved the ball quickly and exploited the fact we were struggling to get the ball to stick up front to pin us back. But you'll always have at least twenty minutes like that against the big boys - we hung in ok and but for a defensive error (ironically, trying to play too much football) we'd have gone in 0-0.

Easy when a team is 1 nil up, we often say theres the ball break us down when infront.
Still we created zilch, De Gea did nothing other than 1 routine save.

dougcollins wrote: ↑

Sat Dec 28, 2019 9:54 pm

That's the problem, what was he telling em to do in the first half - the same as the whole game against Everton?

Probably keep it tight, force them wide and keep a strong shape. Which we did well.

Its not pretty to watch but we're playing united...

A beatable United, but we'll never know that, will we?

We did ok in the second half. No better than that. We made De Gea make one save.

Agree with taio - no better than ok. Still didn't create much.

I worry that we will only play like that when we are losing, which can often be too late.

I can understand that we can try and soak it up from the big boys and steal a goal, but we have also been playing in a similar fashion against the none big teams, Palace, Bournemouth, Everton etc.

We proved second half that we can play football and play well, we just have to have faith to take it to some teams.

We were better 2nd half as Man Utd ( like we do 1-0 ) didnt really push for a 2nd and challenged us to break them down, which we couldn't.

We didnt really create much and quality in the final 3rd wasnt great for either side

I keep saying it season on season, but this was the worst Man Utd side in 2 decades, and we caused them zero troubles.
We really do struggle v the big boys at home, although that's down to our set up, style and a midfield that creates very little or can sustain periods of pressure.

MACCA wrote: ↑

Sun Dec 29, 2019 3:13 pm

We really do struggle v the big boys at home, although that's down to our set up, style and a midfield that creates very little or can sustain periods of pressure.

It's remarkable that we are so poor against the top sides, yet ruthless against those at the bottom.

We pay the top teams too much respect.

Barry_Chuckle wrote: ↑

Sun Dec 29, 2019 3:33 pm

We pay the top teams too much respect.

Yep, we dont make it a cup final, but thsts possibly because we generally start slow, and set up for a 0-0, so become a sitting duck.

They seem to nullify us far too easy, and pick us off just as easy too.

Barry_Chuckle wrote: ↑

Sun Dec 29, 2019 3:33 pm

We pay the top teams too much respect.

They are just better than us. Every now and again we'll turn one of them over but understandably doesn't happen that often.

taio wrote: ↑

Sun Dec 29, 2019 3:40 pm

They are just better than us. Every now and again we'll turn one of them over but understandably doesn't happen that often.

Like United are much better than Bottom of the table Watford, thats Watford who we did 3-0........ difference was, Watford took the game to United when they played them, we didn't until the last 5 minutes.

Barry_Chuckle wrote: ↑

Sun Dec 29, 2019 3:43 pm

Like United are much better than Bottom of the table Watford, thats Watford who we did 3-0........ difference was, Watford took the game to United when they played them, we didn't until the last 5 minutes.

United are average and inconsistent at the moment. They were dreadful against Watford.

taio wrote: ↑

Sun Dec 29, 2019 3:46 pm

United are average and inconsistent at the moment. They were dreadful against Watford.

If you say United are average, but previously they are better than us........ you saying we're $hite

Barry_Chuckle wrote: ↑

Sun Dec 29, 2019 3:51 pm

If you say United are average, but previously they are better than us........ you saying we're $hite

United are average because they are inconsistent. One game they can be very good e.g. City and then terrible e.g. Watford. Yesterday they were average but better than us. We didn't really trouble them so they might have easily stepped things up had they needed to. We were poor first half and ok second half.