What went wrong with Man Utd? Well first off I think an inquest into one result would be a little over the top, but this thrashing has been on the horizon for a good while now. We were a ticking clock just waiting to meet a good team. Chelsea certainly exploited Utd, yet it was Basel that really shocked me when they bagged three, yet threw away six or seven glorious goal scoring opportunities. We were played off the park by a team that were torn apart by Bayern. Just look back at the last two goals today. At one point you had Danny Welbeck back covering at left back. There was no right back in sight, Anderson was nowhere to be seen, Nani and Young might as well have been at home. The final goal was just as bad – apart from this time you had Phil Jones sprint past a sensationally lazy Ashley Young, who for me doesn’t look like he wants to do any type of defending. Yet, he looks like a defender compared to Nani, who only wants to be part of an attacking team. This isn’t how you win football matches. Look at Barcelona. Each and every forward player on that field will do their up most to win the ball back – be that Messi, Villa, Sanchez. We don’t have that desire. From what I can see, Man Utd will compete – of course they will. Against a team that sits back against them they will blitz teams. Young and Nani will go forward, as will Anderson. Yet against a team who will attack them or counter them, then Utd will struggle. Young, Nani, Anderson cant defend or don’t want too. Fletcher does get about, but doesn’t have the attacking flair to make a sufficient impact game in game out. People laid the blame with Owen and Berbatov a few weeks back when they drew at Stoke. Lets lay the blame with our over rated and over selfish midfield. Where was Giggs today? Where was Park? And Evra as a captain? please be serious – Evra is no Roy Keane. We are an average team with Wayne Rooney – we are Liverpool a few years ago, over reliant on one player. We should have bought a top Centre midfield player or two – Wesley Sneijder and Kevin Boateng. Equally combatant and skillful. I also wanted Nasri, but that never seemed to be a possibility – why would Ferguson want Nasri or Silva when he could have Nani??????????????????????? All I can say is, prey we don’t meet Barca or Real or heaven forbid City in the Champions League. To begin with, let’s look at the starting line up against City. The side isn’t good enough for me. * De Gea – I have tried to keep faith, but his without doubt at fault for at least two goals. Every time the ball goes near the area, I panic a little. * Evra – The only reliable defender it seems. Yet of late I have noticed that when things are going against us, he seems to disappear. * Ferdinand – A great defender, yet this season, injuries have taken their toll. The end of the road for Rio. * Evans – The less said about him the better. I don’t rate him, never have and never will. * Smalling - Great going forward, but leaves a lot to be desired defensively. But still the best choice at full back – who else is there – Rafael and Fabio who are just the same. * Nani – Hot or cold? Where was he today – again against a defensive team he is superb, but a team who likes to get forward and then you lose him. Greedy to boot. * Anderson – Another player I don’t rate. Tom Cleverley he is not. Yes he gets about the pitch, but then so does Jamie O’Hara, does that mean he is Utd quality. * Fletcher – Can’t really say a lot. Does what he has too, would be great alongside a Cleverley. * Young – same as Nani. Defensively he was shown to be wanting today. * Rooney – we all know Rooney, only world class player at the club. * Welbeck – Still don’t know whether he will be good enough for Utd in the long run, but then he is the best partner to Rooney because Hernandez is only a player worth having when near the penalty area. At least Dany wants to get back and help out.
You do realize that Nani went off at the 60 min mark, right? Might explain why he did a less than stellar job defending on the last 2 goals.
I didnt realise Nani had even gone off, perhaps because i didnt hear his name once when he was on the pitch. He did start right or did i imagine that?
I stopped reading after this Utter horsesh!t. Pardon my English and I do appreciate the write up but to call Evra the only reliable defender we have is beyond ridiculous. First of all, wouldn't that statement require him to actually, I don't know, maybe defend??? He's been sh!te for the past 2 or 3 seasons(I didn't rate him at Monaco and I've been wary of him since the day he stepped foot at Old Trafford). You say that "When things are going against us, he seems to disappear". You know that HE IS the reason that things usually go against us because he goes missing down the left flank! Sorry but I couldn't read past that, I'm sure I'd probably agree with the rest of the list but that part on Evra really grilled my Seabass.
Why all the hate with Evra? I though he is the most consistent fullback at United as far as I can remember. Who else is available? The braz twins who cry everytime they were touch, put those 2 together & you get a decent full back, and I stress decent. Smalling just look odd at RB, Jones is interesting but not yet proven. I'm not sure what the Valencia project is, he's been terrible there IMO.
Evra is a fantastic player, all-in, but he's not a fantastic defender. His value as a defender comes from the fact that he presses high up the pitch and negates opposition wingers. However, when pegged back in his own half, he can be a clueless. Note, against City, he was utterly AWOL for at least two of their goals. He was so far up the pitch he was practically a winger. This does not display positional and tactical awareness when chasing a game. He should have been primed for the inevitable counter, if we lost possession. His crossing also leaves alot to be desired. I like him though. He's a warrior and a fighter. His attitude is spot on. He always displays confidence (bordering on arrogance at times), but it's an attitude that I like. It's a self belief. He has the mentality of a born winner who doesn't give a **** who he offends or upsets when asked his opinion. With the rest, I think you're being harsh. De Gea is 20, and hould be given some slack. He will make mistakes but I think by the end of the season he'll be an outstanding goal keeper. The same applies to Smalling and Welbeck. The group of under 23's we have at the club fills me with confidence at the moment. Anderson, Rafael, Fabio, Cleverley, Welbeck, Hernandez, Jones and Smalling all ooze potential. Grated they all leak goals as well, but they are young. They are all picking up vital experience as well. The thing with these players isn't where they are now, but where they'll be in two or three or six months time. In a couple of years time we could be looking at experienced, multiple league winners. Fergie is really investing a lot of faith in these young players, and in the fullness of time I think they'll come good; very good. I have faith, and I won't let one result (albeit a big one) shake that faith just yet.