PBP: EPL - West Ham United FC vs Manchester United FC - May 10, 2016 [R]

Skipped the game to watch Civil War. Based on all the posts here, I'm glad I went to the movies.

 

Had we tied that game, we would have been in a better place.

I still cannot believe a manager is blamed for this type of performance.

There was no pressure on the ball from anyone bar Rashford up top. Smalling for being that big as weak as shit, he needs to hit the weight room big time. Blind you cannot ask him to defend set plays like this, and we do not have quality center backs. Rooney has no leadership in this team, nothing, needs to be shipped out. Rojo is a back up at best and needs another season in the EPL, this is not that the Portuguese league. Schneiderlin was surprisingly shocking, he definitely cannot be a 6, he is a box to box and has to be in a midfield of three with better technical players around him than Rooney.

Herrera had a shocker, but he was trying to help his team at the back and still provide something forward. Mata was good being on the wing, he opened them up multiple times, and had a nice assist.

This team has not character in the squad. We need to keep overhauling the squad, and keep purchasing better quality players.

 

We were more than rocky at the back. We could easily be down 3-0 at HT. We throughly deserved to lose.

 

That video of them goofing on the bus speaks volumes of their pre-game attitude. The game was mentally lost before it began.

 

Damn straight LvG takes the blame for this.

1. The manager sets the tempo and should inspire energy and confidence in his team. Look at someone like Klopp, Poch, Mou or Pep. LvG does none of that shit.

2. If we "cannot ask Blind to defend set plays like that" then the ********ing hell are we playing him there! As a CB. Against West Ham. Because LvG ********ed up our squad composition royally back in the summer, that's why.

3. If Rooney has no leadership, then exert some ********ing balls as the manager and either ship his ass out, or bench, until his cries. But LvG is a damn apologist who seem's to have no interest in conflict.

4. Rojo is garbage. Another LvG brilliant aquisition!

LvG is garbage. He isn't building shit. He isn't laying any ********ing foundations. We have made no progress in 2 years. None. And the only posiitves from this campaign fell into his ass because of his own damn terrible planning and misreading of the entire league.

LvG is a dinosaur that needs to be put out of his misery. This campaign has been one massive, giant turd of an under achievement. It's worse than the Moyes time.

 

Name a better CB at the club right now not named Smalling that's better than Evans.

 

That's not really the point FT. By that same logic we can lament on other players we let go and who have gotten better since.
The more apt question is how was Evans's play, not only last season (when that only the starting job was his, but he was entrusted to be one of the leaders of the team), but in the previous couple of seasons as well?
If you can be completely honest with yourself, it becomes easy to understand why he's not here anymore. The other question that then is more relevant is why Van Gaal wasn't better prepared to cope with our lack of quality CBs this season. But lamenting on Evans now because he's gone and having his best season in 3yrs with WBA, sounds very convenient and revisionist at this point. Can't have your cake and eat it too in this instance...

 

Its ********ing West Brom. He would be a disgrace if he hadn't

He selects the players and he had a chance to aquire bettwr players than Lingard, Mata, Rooney, Smalling, Blind. ROJO!!!!

I thought the same. I usually dont judge this too much, but its a shame. They should habe used that to fuel them.

 

For real. Has nobody seen The Replacements?

 

The reason why Rojo plays is to try to make up for Blind's lack of height. That's already two players out of position and I feel bad for Martial because I can only imagine how dangerous he would be if he had a proper left back behind him. I'm not surprised Rashford struggled considering he didn't have any midfield support but he had a hand in both our goals so that says something about the kid. Blind was by far the worst player on the field for us and was responsible for all three goals they scored.

 

Agreed. My 12 year old daughter "Dad, they're not taking this seriously. Shouldn't they be more angry if they wanted to win this game."

 

Imo, I would have preferred that the team took offense, and parlayed that into some kind of intense pre-game rousing locker room motivational speech, stormed onto the field, and put the game to bed before halftime.

Instead, they giggled, they laughed, they posted to their feeds or stories or whatever about the incident, and, now, come to think of it, came onto the field and actually put the game to bed before halftime.

I'd have also preferred to see some of the team elders try and focus "the lads", but there's a great shot of Carrick tweeting away...not a care in the world. It's not like they had a game coming up that mattered, or anything. I'm all for playing loose, but there's loose, and there's lackadaisical. Lackadaisical looses games. In a game that matters, I want my team to feel and play like it matters.

But, you are right, there are plenty of other things to be angry about.
Cheers.

 

How the ******** did you want them to act on the bus? Scared? Crying? Shitting themselves?

This isn't Remember the Titans, The Replacements, or some other sports movie. Seeing the bus attacked doesn't automatically become some motivational let's get dark and serious moment, like in a film..

There's enough to criticize the players about on the pitch.

 

Wow-
I did offer the disclaimer "imo". I guess my point was that there is nobody in charge of rallying the troops, and that their mental toughness/focus wasn't where it should have been.

My bad for my utter bullshit. Cheers.

 

What a shit show from start to finish. Fitting that these last few games are being decided by the many flaws of LVG.

Case in point, squad and transfer management. Rojo the undroppable and Blind were terrible.

 

Sorry @dude8 , wasn't meant as a personal attack.

I just think too often we imagine that the bus drive down to the match is some sort of 3 hour brooding, angry, focused, rage-building period of time. Yet in most of these guys' books, autobiographies, they specifically mention that the trip down is often light hearted, with people playing video games, listening to movies, chat.

Based on the books again, it seems like the serious stuff doesn't really get going until one enters the locker room, people get changed, and then they get hyped or whatnot. So to be honest, it's very possible that LVG did use the bus attack as some sort of motivation.

I do partially agree about social media stuff, but I've just come to realize that it's because I'm an old man. All these guys post to social media and whatnot non-stop, it is what it is.

 

No worries, @sdotsom. It's been a long and frustrating season. On to the next.

 

The West Ham fans who attacked United's bus will be banned for life according to the club.

http://www.espnfc.co.uk/barclays-pr...s-for-life-after-manchester-united-bus-damage

 

I would think it would be tough to identify the specific individuals, but I forget there are CCTVs everywhere in the UK. At least David Sullivan has backed off his initial comments regarding it being United's fault.

 

David Sullivan apologized to United for what happened.

http://www.skysports.com/football/n...-apologise-to-man-utd-after-team-bus-attacked

Guessing someone got in his ear telling him how stupid his original comments were...

 

Angry. Maybe they'd play less like pussy cats and more like senior footballers. Sense of urgency.

Dont apologize. Its not utter bullshit

 

You hit the nail on head, no one did their job yesterday except for Martial. They played lazy, were second to every ball, and were scared to go in for a tackle when it didn't suit them. They only fouled out of necessity, which cost us the game.