Manchester United

What a cracking game!! It's always tough coming up against a massive club like that. But I think United will learn from this...shit you'd hope so anyway

What a result. They were 3-1 up and giving it the old "we're back" then an hour later Wayne Rooney is in front of the camera saying they let in too many sloppy goals. What odds on Van Gaal to be sacked before the end of the season? Maybe 1-1 at Leicester wasn't such a terrible result the other week.

I still dont agree with that we need another defender. Jones, Smalling, Evans, Blackett, Rojo, Blind, even Carrick can play CB. Rafael, Shaw and Valencia arent bad. Any club that loses players of Ferdinand, Evra and Vidic quality and experience will take a while to adjust. I can imagine that even in their later years when they werent playing, they would have been immense in the changing room for the others.

Fully agree with this LVG quote:
"I don't think it is the weakness of our defence, it is the weakness of our defensive organisation. We have to do that better."

The penos conceded by blackett and rafael had little to do with organisation and a lot to do with very poor tackling decisions, but I still agree with most of what you say - getting rid of 3 of your strongest backline will take time to adjust to for any side.

Just watched the highlights and the first two goals show just how much quality ManU have now added at the attacking end. Di Maria's finish, wow, and Falcao's ball to van Persie was very impressive.

As an aside the last comment in the PLP highlights clip really shows just how ridiculous the football world is these days. The guy's last comment was "ManU's title challenge is over" or something like that. This was the 5th game of the season... I mean, even if he turns out to be correct, what a ridiculous knee-jerk conclusion to come to after one game. The 'crisis baton' gets passed from team to team every week these days, it's crazy. In the press conference the other day Wenger was asked about Ozil being a scapegoat - he was incredulous. Scapegoat for what exactly? One loss since April 6 in all comps... mental.

That peno on Rafael was a bit shitty wasn't it. Can't complain about the other four though.

Ridiculous comment, heard the same Paul. Early days indeed.

The problem is that too many are going forward so you end up with only 2 players back. the other team then counters quickly and there isnt much that the 2 cbs can do because they are outnumbered 

No doubt. 

Rafael's tackle was stupid though. He'd just been out-muscled shoulder to shoulder and was too over-eager to make amends, a rookie mistake. Vardy saw him coming and goaded him into it, simples. Blackett's was naive as well, he was beaten, he needed to cut his losses and just hope they wouldn't score. 

Just immature penalties really - bringing me back to tekkers comment about the experienced defenders leaving and the younger ones needing time to adapt. Rafael doesn't have much excuse though, he's not all that young anymore.

Good to see one or two Woolwich guys still have an obsession with Utd. They don't even go on their own thread for weeks then we fall over and boom they can't resist. I actually find it funny.

The defending was not up to EPL standard and Blackett was so bad that he should not get another game. I know he had played a lot this season but in my opinion he is  not good enough. Smalling is not must better and I keep reading that Arsenal want him- you can have him but he is not good enough. Not sure what VG is going to do about defenders but one option is to put Carrick there until he sorts it out. 

Both were penalties but the push in the back on Rafael was a foul ( it was not shoulder to shoulder) Regardless, it is not much good scoring 3 and conceding 5. We lost games last year that were rubbish to watch, at least this was very entertaining.

Not that surprising a result as say Spurs,Liverpool and Everton all losing at home.

Leicester are obviously a pretty decent side as they have had results against Chelsea,Everton and Arsenal.

and to an extent, that is LVGs fault. Playing a midfield diamond means the width has to come from the fullbacks and leaves the 2 CBs exposed. Hence why having 3 CBs worked for his Dutch team.

Injuries of some extent to Jones, Shaw, Smalling, Carrick, Young, Fellaini, Lingard, Van Persie also tend to make team cohesion under a new manager tough..

Still United shortly will be able to use the old cliche once their new players have settled.....scoring more goals than the opposition will win games. I see a few 4-3 type games coming your way.

There is no way the first should have been a pen. Was a straight push by Vardy.

I'm regularly in here talking football with you guys (usually not you though), just like I'm often in other team threads as well. Just a love of football discussion rather than any obsession, I tend to just gravitate to where the discussion is. Although I'm guessing your comment is not aimed at me as none of my comments were trolling in any way. 

To be fair I think most of the trolling activity in this thread is actually directed at you personally.

It should also be noted that you've completely fabricated the second sentence that I quoted above, that's just not true.

Good call, hard to argue with that upon a second look.

Rafael was still silly to charge in so aggressively in the box though, it was always on the cards.

I think your final sentence is bang on there Paul. (two posts above, in response to Leggy)

Anyway, back to football. I suck at technology and have failed in insert a gif of the Rafael challenge and lead up play, but to be quite honest if it were an Arsenal player there I'd be pretty fucked off that was called. I think Vardy steps in to Rafael, he even looks across at him to line it up, and then the challenge in the box, Vardy's leg seems to flick out opposite to Rafael's movement, very much looking for contact and going down.

That's only 1 of 5 goals though, so there is certainly more accountability than one correct or incorrect decision. 

Have to agree with you there. Sadly Rafael still has that "revenge" tackle in his game, which regularly hurts the side.

I still reckon that this is better than Moyes being in charge. There seems to be some life going forward.

As a matter of interest  Paul, it was not directed at you.

I have no doubt that it was a penalty, just annoyed that the ref. allowed a blatant foul on Rafael 5 seconds prior to his silly revenge challenge.

I dunno. I've watched it too many times now I might not be sure what I am looking at. But it certainly looks like Rafael's left leg is coming forward past Vardy's legs as they become shoulder to shoulder in the box, but defying physics, Vardy's right foot flicks backwards. It looks like a straight up dive to me, and certainly not a foul had the incident 5 seconds earlier not been one. 

Never thought I could be so invested in discussing why Manchester United were unlucky to concede a penalty.

Same!

That is funny. 

Having watched football for many decades I thought I had seen all the stupid antics that players get up to, but I think Rooney takes the cake. The West Ham player was at least 70 metres from Utd's goal when he was scythed down. I would be happy to see him fined a weeks wages for such stupidity. That is not what captains do for a start.

There only thing that makes me happy is the result. Although very inexperienced I thought McNair had a reasonable debut.Lets hope we can get another 3 points against Everton next week.

The intent was right, the execution was wrong. 

Looked better today but there was always that chance of conceding. Thats what I'm most worried about.

Agree, but the defence was a bit better without Smalling. Arsenal still want him- that is good. Even without Rooney for three games I doubt we will be worse off and I would play Falcao up with RVP and Mata in behind.

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Agree, but the defence was a bit better without Smalling. Arsenal still want him- that is good. Even without Rooney for three games I doubt we will be worse off and I would play Falcao up with RVP and Mata in behind.

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sauce?

http://www.sportsvibe.co.uk/news/football/arsenal-planning-10million-move-for-manchester-united-defender-36699/

"Rio Ferdinand has emerged as a surprise contender to be the FA's candidate for Britain's Fifa vice-presidential position." - UK Telegraph.

"Other former players being considered are Graeme Le Saux, Paul Elliott and David James."

Rio - no braincells - Can't see him becoming the next Platini

Elliot - already resigned from a fairly easy gig by getting in trouble - Also hardy the most epic player.

La Saux - Erm reads the Guardian and other boardsheets

James - Has a bit of "Rio syndrome" with always going on to the press but seems to have calmed down a bit these days. 

Probably between La Saux and James then if this speculation is correct.

Sounds exactly like Platini.

My $ on La Saux.

Think you mean Le Saux.

Thought he was gay?

Married with kids. That was just Robbie Fowler being a hooligan because Le Saux had a University education, read the Guardian and did things like go to museums instead of being a drunken lout off the pitch.

Also their upbringing. If you have a look where Le Saux was raised and compare it with Toxteth  in Liverpool where Fowler lived it is like chalk and cheese.

Stupid is as stupid does so expect Rio to win. He could have them in "Rap"tures. Why oh why did Harry sign him? The 8th wonder of theworld. Still not often one can actually a cog wheel turn over in ones head.

Any streams to watch this game on?

De Gea won that for us. We need to put teams away but more important we need more in midfield - that team which play today was poorly balanced.

Three world class saves from De Gea got us the three points. We were far better in the first half and it should have been game over. Everton were poor, but in the second half they returned to their good football and we just stopped playing trying to hold on. RVP was a passenger and  Mata did not do himself any favours. We will get there but not sure how long it is going to take.