PBP: EPL - Newcastle United FC vs Manchester United FC - Feb 11, 2018 [R]

The caf has crashed.

 

We can thank Jose’s arrogance for this defeat. Tactical insanity against a side we should have demolished.

 

Pathetic from Jose.

Pathetic from Pogba (even if injured).

Pathetic marking for goal. Pathetic finishing.

F$%k this sh$t.

 

????The players don't look very good. Slow, can't pass, don't defend, no style. That isn't down to tactics, but please keep blaming the manager when the players don't show up.

 

The players aren’t showing up because they know the season ended 3 months ago. Better management might have prevented that.

 

Completely disagree.

When I’m home tonight and back on a laptop I’ll explain how Jose pissed this one away with his tactics.

But there’s no doubt our poor set piece defending continues to haunt us, as it has for a very long time.

 

Won't even get too angry over this. There's still a 3-0 thrashing on the cards against Sevilla in the week to come

 

Are you his public rep? Always making fcuking excuses for the has been outdated grey hair cnut

 

Jose says Pogba wasn't injured - "no problems".

 

Performances like today should end this bullshit charade that we are safe in the top 4.

 

So you honestly believe the manager has no impact on how well a team plays, on their morale, their defensive work rate, their style? What are they for then?

 

No. Just think it's dumb to blame the coach when the players can't pass to each other, can't defend against NEWCASTLE , won't shoot, can't cross to their own teammate. Maybe I spend too much time watching better teams, but there you can expect the players to do something (and they're not over talking to their manager before hand to get step by step instructions on how to do it). Utd? They all sit back secure in the knowledge that the fans will blame the coach.

 

The most important question of the day is did Jose ask Smalling to go upfront at the end to try and get us back in the game or just to get him out of defence?

 

Several on this forum and other irrational Kool-Aid drinkers on other forums.

 

On a good note, the defeat didn't mean anything we are still second regardless.

A deserved Newcastle win. Valencia should have had a red, and Dwight Gayle a penalty, easy.

Matic is still not getting any stick from Mourinho which I do not understand, he is terrible. The goal conceded, Young is screaming his head off to get coverage, presumably at Lukaku, but no one comes to help him out, he has his outside covered, and Matic is sitting there not challenging the header. The second ball again freaking Smalling cannot anticipate to clear and Ritchie trailing was not picked up by Lingard or Jones (though I do not think the CB should be marking the trailing player).

The game being meaningless, and Jose experimenting the two in the middle, I am fine with but if he doesn't adjust against Sevilla and Huddersfield in the FA cup then we are pretty much screwed.

The formation going forward should be a 4-3-3 with Herrera in the side to make it work, Lingard can take a back seat at this point.

Restricting Pogba tactically, you lose so much from his abilities and his weakness are magnified: getting pushed off the ball, dallying on the ball. Pogba can defend but he is not great in his defensive positioning or anticipation to put him in that two man midfield.

 

Well LVG certainly did. As did Moyes.
Do you think that Mourinho tells them to cross to the players on the opposing team instead of to teammates?
What's going on with Pogba do you think? Injured or sulking? Usually he stands out like a beacon on the field, recently not happening. I can't say that I think that Mourinho would even be capable of making him non-existent, no matter what he did.
Maybe Mourinho wants us to be cautious, and that's why we're so slow. I just think we're slow, since I've never seen this team play any other way.
(Liverpool is up 0-1 in 6 minutes. Fast break, 3 Liverpool players against 2 defenders, easy goal. They're fast, we can't (or don't, you pick) do that.

 

Funny you blame Matic, Lukaku, Smalling, Lingard, and Jones for their goal but not the guy who was primarily responsible...Pogba. It was his guy who headed in the middle of Ritchie. Not only did Pogba lose the header, he didn’t even attempt to go for it. He stood still and tracked nobody because he still doesn’t think he has any defensive responsibility. He is 99% responsible for that goal.

 

It wasn't a predominant thought here obviously.. just a few posters making reference to our status after shit Chelsea/Liverpool/Arsenal/Spurs performances

 

José Mourinho’s not blameless, either. The fact he rarely sets up with a three-man midfield, knowing that is where Pogba performs best, is odd. And how he keeps using Chris Smalling when he can see what a total liability he is. Not good enough.

— Liam Canning (@LiamPaulCanning) February 11, 2018

The players select the team and formation. How dare he blame the untouchable and perfect manager. Back the manager, give him more and more millions to spend

 

I did not see him in the replay. Post a gif. If it is Pogba then it goes back to what I said about his defensive discipline and anticipation.

I do not blame Lukaku or Jones, primarily the other ones. Jones did not lose on a header and it was not his man, and Lukaku from the looks of it, he was relieved from his set piece duties until Young start screaming.

EDIT: just saw it again, yes it was his man that he didn't mark for his header, I thought it was Matic.

 

2nd (and to a lesser extent, top 4) definitely weren't secured yet, with Pool and especially Spurs surging as of late.
Arsenal, for all intents and purposes are out of the race,the only team in the top 6 who are practically out of it. Chelsea are on the slide, but things change pretty quickly.
United could have gone some ways in getting pretty snug up in 2nd, but today simply illustrated that they could be looking at a fight for some time yet. Nothing was ever wrapped prior to this game and now the team (and Jose) need to pull their head out of their a.. End of, really.

 

Yes...there were several who made it seem that top four was a given 3 or 4 weeks ago. I don't have the time or resources to extract the exact posts but these thoughts were shared..