PBP: EPL - Manchester United FC vs Crystal Palace FC - Aug 24, 2019 [R]

Can't see dropped points here. Start the usual suspects, although we might want to try something different than Lingard. We don't need his vaunted pressing against Crystal Palace.

 

This is a game where, at minimum, Gomes should be available on the bench. And on the right, I'd go with either Greenwood or Dalot (probably our best crosser of the ball atm, plus he brings good energy in that spot as well) to start. Everything else can stay the same in regards to the starting XI at least.
My desired XI for this one:
----------------------------Dave
---Wan-Bissaka--Lindelöf--Maguire--Shaw
-------------McTominay--------Pogba
------------Dalot------Lingard-----Rashford
---------------------------Martial
Subs: Romero, AY, Tuanzebe, AP, Gomes, James, Greenwood
As stated, Dalot right now looks to potentially the best option we have on the right: don't want Mata or Lingard out there, James to me is best used as a sub if needed. I'd go with Greenwood but can see how Ole would prefer him off the bench. Dalot just needs to be involved more, especially if he's not hurt.
Won't say it's last chance saloon for Lingard just yet, but Ole has to keep him on a shorter leash. And if he does not have a good game, I'd throw Gomes in: Palace have big, physical guys at the back but I'd like to believe that Gomes's movement, technical ability and his confidence would cause those guys plenty of problems.
Although I want Fred to be included somehow as well, just don't know his current state of readiness. But he's someone I still have hope for, in regards to this season is concerned.
Like the look of that XI and matchday squad as a whole though.
​

 

Pereira, and bring in Fred if we go 2+ up. But we'll see Lingard...

 

AP for me as well. He needs a run of games to established himself. In fact anyone that we go with needs to have a string of games. Enough of this one game and out situations. Take someone and give them a chance 2 cement the spot

 

AP. Hes the best of some bad choices. Doesnt have the transition of Jesse but is about equal defensively, carries a distance shooting threat, better vision than Jesse, and can provide service on dead balls.

 

Interesting to note the little touch of annoyance on Ole's part when he was asked about the pk situation. Nothing has changed though, according to him and Pogba along with Rashford both are still our designated takers.

 

He has no one to blame but himself for the PK situation.

It's hard to defend Pogba's name even being in consideration at this point. To hell with what the pompous ass holes feel or think in the locker room. Ole should be sorting it out based on who makes the damn things.

He can be annoyed all day long, but he's only courting controversy. Now whoever steps up next has an extra burden:

If Rashford misses it'll be, "Well is this because the extra pressure of the rotating taker? - did he have the Pogba incident on his mind?"

If Pogba steps up and misses again it'll be, "Rashford obviously should have taken it - this was just Pogba/Ole wanting to prove doubters wrong and not thinking about what's best for the team."

Overall I give Ole 80% and Pogba 20% for the whole situation. There's no excuse for Pogba to think he should still be on penalty duty besides ego and stat padding.

 

This conversation is laughable. Two players conversed and decided on one who is professional player who takes penalties. It was a poor pk but it happens.
There should be a couple of pk takers on the team. All this talk of designated kickers is anelka level bullshit.

 

So you're both good with Pogba continuing to be in contention for taking penalties?

 

He's making 64% in the league. Pogba has a duty, if he's a leader of this team, to realize what's best for it.

He shouldn't take a penalty for this club ever again unless it's in a shootout.

Even then, I would select Rashford, Martial, Greenwood, and Mata all before him.

You really ******** up any kind of reasonable discourse when you make stupid statements like that. He's the worst penalty taker we've had in three decades. This isn't an agenda against him, it's a historical worst.

 

So he's messing up reasonable discourse by pointing out your clear and obvious bias against Pogba? Yet your clear and obvious bias against Pogba doesnt mess up any reasonable discourse?

Some impressive logic at work there.

 

I pointed out in the match thread that his overall performance against Wolves was one of his best in a United shirt.

I stick by that.

But that doesn't exempt his poor decision to step up and take a penalty.

 

Anelka level bull shit?

So every other team in pretty much the history of the game is Anelka level?

 

Greenwood has never made a penalty in the u18s or u23s, he's 0 for 2.

The one against Chelsea was the first PL penalty that Rashford has ever taken.

Mata hasn't taken a PL penalty since 2015, and has only taken 2 in his career.

 

He's ********ing up reasonable discourse? You're one of the most abrasive, overconfident, biased posters I've seen on this forum. You only speak in absolutes, and you never question your own opinion. Not to mention you copy and paste your shit on every ********ing soccer forum in existence. It'd be annoying if you're dialogue and posting style wasn't so laughable, at this point. Take a step back and put that high-powered criticism on yourself for a bit.

 

Taking pks in the Prem really only means so much tbh. Rashford's sample size when it comes to them might be more limited than Pogba's but he's 6-0 so far when it comes to Pks taken for both United and England. And a couple of them have been in pretty high pressure situations (the CL in Paris last season and in the WC during the shootout vs Colombia).
The convo for Pk takers at United should be focused exclusively around Rashford, as the main guy (given his record in them so far) followed by Pogba and Martial. The latter 2 should be seen as alternatives to Rashford, if he elects to pass up on the responsibility for whatever reason.
That's how it should be structured for now ideally and hopefully it's something that Ole will have sorted out behind closed doors (even if he were to decide to Pogba to be the main guy in that situation) . Have no problems at all with several guys being in contention but there still needs to be a certain hierarchy and it should be determined by the head coach.

 

I agree, but he used league stats (because they make Pogba look worse), so I stuck to that, partially to demonstrate it doesn't show the whole picture.

 

Its a poor decision for one of the designated penalty takers to take a penalty?

It's hilarious you think that you're fooling anyone with this crap you're peddling. It boils down to you love Rashford and hate Pogba. Anything else you say as an excuse to justify it is just noise.

 

It it were any other team we wouldn’t be talking about this Penalty bullshit. Can we all just move on?

 

I post here and on Reddit. That's it.

I frequently question and change my stance. See my post in the last thread re: Pogba and my tone towards Martial over the past 6 weeks.

Anything else?

Edit: Oh God please tell me I'm living in your head so much that you think everyone who has my opinions is me. That's sweet. What's my reddit u/ if you know where I post?

 

It boils down to Rashford had the ball.

Pogba took it off him.

Pogba missed the penalty.

And the media reacted - and their reaction was justified. We do things differently than what tradition dictates and we failed. If you can't stomach the criticism when that happens then don't support the notion.

The point I'm making now is we can either avoid it in the future, or United fans can continue to complain that Pogba is being victimized the next time he antics himself into one of these positions.

Again, I'll reiterate, since you feel like projecting how you believe I feel with regards to the players:

Pogba's overall performance against Wolves was one of his best in a united shirt. He played very much so like a midfielder and if he does that consistently he will shut me up.

I don't care if anyone believes me. I'm not bothered by the vitriol you follow me around spewing like a toddler kicking his toys about the pram. You're an indecent person.

Paint the whole picture?

Mate, you make it sound like the discrepancy is large. He's 64% in the league and 69% all competitions.

Either way he's shit or slightly less shit.