Manchester United

Certainly did! There were some teams in that league who thought our goal celebrations were a bit OTT.

Slider says "and being wet it was one serious slide"

As to crowd, probably nearer 9.

Oh dear....

Good result for Brizzle 

first goal was a cracker

Did UTD put out a strong team for this game? 

As infuriated as I am...

We do this once a season. Some team sees United on the team sheet, they sell out their stadium and get up for it.

Good for them, well done.

Think it happens every game of the season to be fair!

They started Pogba and subbed Lukaku on.

So no.

What's the target for the season now? Top 4 and have a go at the FA Cup? 

We're all in the same boat now with City dominating the league like this, and no other english teams being realistically good enough to win the champions league. 

Not sure how I feel about being lumped in the same boat as a team like Arsenal though! I certainly think we're a step up.

City haven't won this yet. They're not infallible (how many games have City won in the last 10 minutes?) and the Premier League has a knack for working teams out. Add to that some fixture congestion and while they're obviously probably going to win, it's definitely not set in stone yet.

Mourinho's style of play will suit us very well in Europe. I also think writing off all the English teams in Europe this year is ridiculous.

He's absolutely right though. No other English club apart from City has a realistic chance of winning the CL this year. The quality simply isn't there.

I disagree, it's the Champions League and anything can happen. If Celtic can beat Barcelona 2-1 with 20% then there's no reason why say a couple of the English teams make the semis that they can't scrape a result against one of the big players.

Three points about United right now:

1. Carabao Cup. United were below par and Bristol played well. They are not a bad team. Well done to them. I do think it is funny how some supporters place a lot on this competition but only when they are still in it. For example no one placed much importance on it when United won last season, but when United are out, they say how important the competition is. 

2. The Premier League. United are 2nd. They have many more points than last season at the same stage and are playing a better style than last year (not perfect but mostly effective). Just because City have only dropped two points all season, doesn't mean United has been poor - you could even say that on the basis of the players (both number and cost) bought in, both are doing as expected. An interesting thing to note was the number of SAF era players still in the squad now, vs how many players City would still have from that time. 

3. 2018. 2nd in the league, Sevilla in the CL as group winners. You would have taken that at the start of the season and all I can ask for for the rest of the season is consistency from the players. I think they have been greatly more at fault than Jose this season. There have been too many times where decent performances from individuals would have got us a lot further but at different times so far, different players have let us down. Mkhitaryan, Herrera, Mata, Darmian, Blind. Its a telling sign when the best players have been those that just work harder during the game - Rashford, Lingard, Jones, Young. 

And 3/5 managers are Pep, Klopp and Mourinho whom have all had relatively good success in Europe. ( I don't know about Conte's off the top of my head)

And if City do continue to run away with the Premier League they will all change focus.

Writing off the English teams this year is utterly ridiculous.

We've finished higher in the league than you 4 seasons on the trot, ever since Ferguson left, so it's a little premature for that I'd say. 

Best chance this season it seems, but time will tell.

Despite a bunch of other valid criticisms the biggest problem is that we are trying to fit certain players into a mould they simply don't suit. I think this is true for both tactics, playing style and positioning but becomes most evident when trying to sit on a 1-goal lead. Players like Smalling and Jones thrive on momentum and confidence, contrast that to someone like John Terry who thrives under the pressure in the pursuit of perfection. 

I think that's a good metaphor for the whole club. Fans of clubs like Leicester get energised by watching their plucky boys sitting in. United, from the board, to the ex-players, to the fans in the stadium, to the fans watching at home, get nervous when they do the same. It just doesn't fit the culture of the club.

I have to mention the reaction to Smalling's injury; inexcusably slow considering the opposition only had 10-men as well. The commentator straight away said, drop Matic to CB and have Smalling in the middle. Or Herrera to right back, Lindelof CB, Smalling fluffing around somewhere else.

I found this story, been a few years since I heard it. Jasper Carrot, Birmingham City at Old Trafford.

Manchester United vs Burnley Full Match & Highlights 26 December 2017

So have done a massive clean out due to needing the spare room as another child's room and am getting rid of a whole lot of tops. Here is all my old Manchester United tops if anyone wants them. Can buy me a beer for them and if not in Wellington just pay for postage. All are XL apart from the All stars v Manchester United blue shirt that is XXL. 

https://imgur.com/a/8oSao

Mate I'd love them, I've sent you a PM!

20 Legend, sent you a PM. Oska, happy for you to have the shorts and socks if you want to PM me. 

Everton vs Manchester United Full Match & Highlights 01 January 2018

Doing the rounds on twitter;

I never thought much of Lingard, basically based on his build if I'm honest. He just doesn't look like an athlete. But he's proving himself more and more. I was very impressed with his movement and how clinical he was at the emirates. He got very little ball but when he did he made it count. It will be interesting to see if he continues to push on. It's especially impressive that he has done so well when he's always had to toil behind some high quality players in the pecking order - mikhitaryan, martial, rashford etc. 

He's copped a fair whack of criticism, even here.  But he's got the right attitude and as long as his finishing stays where it is now he's definitely writing himself into this team.

Its interesting that all his good games have come as a CAM and not winger. $10 says he'll be played on the wing for England. In that respect I think he'd make a great impact player when Dele Ali goes to sleep. 

Dying to see a proper match with Rashford and Lingard playing together centrally. Last time we did this was against Chelsea (which we won) and the two were an epic combination.

I’m also another that has taken a while to warm up to Lingard. But he’s certainly been impressive over the last period and I hope it continues. One thing that impressed me is his willingness to keep trying and also the way whenever he gets the ball he drives at pace at opponents putting them on the back foot. 

Pogba and Martial cost less than Coutinho. The Pogba deal looks more like a bargain every day.

I wonder where today's transfer leaves Griezmann who seemed set on joining Barcelona.

Not sure where Greizmann would fit into the team. He has mostly been playing as a 9, 10 or 11 and those positions we are well off in. We need a 7 but not sure he is comfortable on that right hand side. I hope Mkhitaryan comes good. Lucas Moura has been mentioned and is not a bad player - but does he have the work rate?

I would expect there to be more out goings than purchases in the next two transfer windows, getting some more 'Jose' type players. Either than or some of those fringe players need to show why they deserve to be kept. Only Shaw has played well enough to work his way into the first team. Herrera, Mata, Darmian, Blind, Ibra all look out of sorts. Give Rashford time. 

In this window I'd bring back Fosu-Mensah from Palace and send Tuanzebe out on loan instead. Darmian has to go and bringing back TFM effectively replaces that spare RB position. TFM is good enough to start in Valencia's absence. 

In an ideal world we'd have all of Lukaku, Rashford and Martial starting but none of them can really play wide right. Bringing Ozil in doesn't appeal to me as we are just bringing in a player in a position that is well stocked. We need an out and out right winger in the mold of Valencia in his first three seasons. Sanchez would be nice. Lucas Moura might be the best available option given there's not many out and out right wingers out there at the moment.

Hope we stuff Stoke this weekend.

Agree that TFM would be better off at United and Darmian out the door. 

Great to think that in the past four days Sanchez has gone from "would be nice" to a real possibility. Will be interesting to see if Sanchez plays on the right (meaning fewer games for Mata / Lingard / Rashford) or he plays up front too and allows Lukaku to be rested. 

And we did stuff Stoke. Could have been more than three, but after City losing and Chelsea drawing, any win was good. 

I was putting a great deal of thought into this yesterday - it seemed so obvious he'd play as a right winger but then of course, striker is an option. I'm very excited about the prospect of Sanchez upfront.

I think he'll see minutes in both. Lukaku should still remain our first choice 9, but with Zlatan not looking like the same player since his ACL (surprise surprise), and Mou playing Rashford and Martial wide far more often than up top he could well see minutes at centre forward.

I think a Sanchez signing could be almost the end of Mata unfortunately, although Mata should still see more minutes than Mkhi has been. Didn't think at the start of the season I'd be advocating Lingard over Mata though!

Think we'll commonly see Lukaku up top with either Martial or Rashford on the left of the three in behind, Lingard in the center where he has excelled in the last few weeks, and Sanchez on the right. Unfortunately, that leaves Pogba in a midfield two with Matic and his best performances this season (by far) have been as a roaming midfielder on the left side of a central three. To play that formation you'd have to drop Lingard back into an 8 or leave one of Martial/Rashford or Lingard out.

Great to see Mourinho highly praising Luke Shaw overnight. Still think he can have a great United career.

Fired up for tonight but nervous at the same time. Burnley away is always tough. Would like to see this:

Dave; Tony V, Smalling, Jones, Shaw; Matic, Pogba, Lingard; Martial, Lukaku, Mata

That's quite attacking with Lingard playing somwhere between an 8 and a 10 in a 4-3-3 but we need that midfield 3 to allow Pogba to really play. As it's Burnley away I can see Fellaini coming in to the XI for Mata and Lingard playing on the right.

This is unbelievable.

https://www.101greatgoals.com/news/social/ornstein...

Sanchez is official! Can't believe they gave us him for Mkhi with no money exchanged, but I'm also a little worried that Mkhi will be amazing for them. Still, you make the swap 100/100 if you're either team I think, should end up as a win/win situation.