Match Threads Manchester United vs Spurs - Match Thread

[teedee]

Gutted over that performance to be honest.

That little spark of hope that this group of players with the right tactics and with some tinkering could find a second wind - was totally annihilated last night.

I mean, the effort, it just isn't there went the going gets tough. The willingness to work for each other. Gone. The passion and joy of pulling on a Spurs shirt? The result wasn't embarrassing but the performance certainly was.

We desperately need new energy in this team. Experience doesn't matter if the effort isn't there. We need to integrate Ndombele and Lo Celso, that's a must. Sessegnon, Foyth and Skipp should be given a real chance in their preferred positions. Accept that it's a learning curve and that they will make mistakes but in the longhaul it's the only way forward.

I expect Mourinho to ruthless from here on. Top coaches make tough decisions.

Yes, I think is time for some tough love.

 

[Deleted member 27995]

The state of the team is concerning.

Stale at the back for sure.

Still think last summers transfer business feel scatter shot in its approach.

This might not be popular but I would happily see all three of the players whose contracts are done next summer moved on. Rose can go with them as well.

We have two or three players who feel more like rotation/bench options than first eleven options and perhaps one or two that don't fit.

Those at board room level better be prepared to actually fork some cash out.

 

[rupsmith]

We looked really up for that West Ham game. Seems it was a one off.

The Palace 4-0 win was the real one off. We rolled up and start playing fast and direct. Just destroyed them.

 

[worcestersauce]

On the whole I think United were better than us, it happens, reality check.

 

[shoggy33]

That interview alone tells me that if he is given time and a bit of backing he will sort us out. He knows exactly what the problem is. He must now realise that whilst this squad looks good on paper it is actually pretty rotten to the core. Half the team isn't good enough, and half those who are don't care. DL needs to back him over the next 2 windows, otherwise his investment in Jose was a waste of time and money.

 

[Matthew]

i stayed away last night, didnt wanna join in on all the slagging off, but my god that was bad. wasnt expecting that ATALL, even my mrs who has no clue about football was asking where the urgency was, and asking if they realize we were 2-1 down in the 80th min and just nothing! about 70 percent of this squad can get in the bin.

 

[Gassin's finest]

The second half felt a bit like Madrid again. We came out with intent, but within 5 seconds Sissoko fucks it and from then on we weren't in control.

 

[UbeAstard]

Why does Kane take free kicks?

He’s awful at them.

He scored one once........

 

[UbeAstard]

Bypassing our midfield.

Don't think we played with one

 

['O Zio]

Got back late from the match last night so didn't post, but my thoughts:

We were really really poor for the first half hour or so. 2 or 3 good saves from Gazzanigga or squandered chances from Utd kept us in it. We could've been 2 or 3 down at by 30 mins in on another day. They were sharper and more aggressive all over the pitch. We looked like a Sunday league team who'd all had far too big a night the night before. Final 10mins of the half we started to wake up a bit and create some chances, ultimately resulting in an excellent goal from Alli. That meant we could go in at half time level and I was hoping we'd regroup and start again/come out fighting in the second half. Unfortunately the penalty virtually in the first minute put a rather swift end to that, much like the CL final one. We then reverted back to our first half hour performace where we looked really lacklustre. Final 5 mins or so we created a few chances but I think that was as much to do with Utd sitting back and us chucking the kithen sink at them as anything, rather than because we were playing well.

All in all, we were poor and Utd were probably the best I've seen them in a long time. I was watching it from the Stretford End and the Utd fans were seriously loud throughout and really up for it. I don't remember hearing a single Spurs song but then I don't really blame them cos the team looked like they couldn't be arsed either for most of it.

Ultimately though, a 2-1 away defeat to Utd isn't a poor result in the grand scheme of things, the performance was just frustrating. This could've been a chance for Jose/us to confirm that we're "back" from the rut we've been stuck in but again we fell into the same old habits and proved that we aren't.

 

[mark87]

He scored one once........

Two actually but both deflections. He shouldn't take free kicks.

 

[Gb160]

The second half felt a bit like Madrid again. We came out with intent, but within 5 seconds Sissoko fucks it and from then on we weren't in control.

Thats the bit that made me angry last night.
Performance was shit, but the first goal came from a defensive error followed by a goalkeeping error, defenders make mistakes, Gazza is only filling in, I get that.
But the penalty was just so fucking stupid to give away.

 

[Humbleone]

Be fair. It wouldn't take a genius to know that the only strength Aurier has is in attack. He's a complete numpty.

That's only one example of the top of my head. I listened to all his press conferences so far and he talks a lot of insightful stuff, just saying. Telling where the new positions are for different players for instance

 

[bat-chain]

Crazy thing is, or rather sad thing is, they still beat us because our keeper chucked one in and Sissoko did something daft.

They were better than us but we still handed them the win. As has been said it was the Champions League final in miniature.

I wish José had stuck with his initial ideas, only he knows why he restored the Winks/Sissoko pairing.

On one level it’s good Mourinho has seen that, that's all our players gave Poch for much of the season. He has now looked in to the eyes of the thing he must kill.

 

[Dzejkob]

As soon as we sort our midfield we will be good again. This is so crucial position. They support attack, they support defence, they glue the team together. And we are again playing two players that no one trusts for 100%. Fans don't trust Winks or Sissoko, manager don't trust, and the worst part: team don't trust. With Dembele everybody knew "it's Moussa, he knows what he is doing". With Sissoko or Winks no one really knows what they are doing. You can see they are trying really hard but I'm tired of them trying. I just can't wait to see someone to just do and not try. We need more cool heads there.

That is what Ndombele brought yesterday on the pitch. Nothing spectacular but you could feel he knows what he is doing. Cool head, keeping the ball, few nice turns. It is now pretty obvious that the team drag Winks when we are playing good. But Ndombele can drag the team when we are playing bad. DM should be priority for January.

 

[Sir Henry]

Sometimes you need a slap to get you back to reality. Unfortunately this is spurs, they need a proper fucking headbut before any of those morons wake up.

I really really hope Jose gets rid of at least 3/4 of them.

 

[Donki]

United simply raised their game for Jose, pressed hard, got back in defence, cut off our passing lanes and targeted Aurier that was basically the game in a nutshell. Every second phase ball fell to their players because they had at least 2 players around the ball at all tmes.

 

[Hakkz]

United simply raised their game for Jose, pressed hard, got back in defence, cut off our passing lanes and targeted Aurier that was basically the game in a nutshell. Every second phase ball fell to their players because they had at least 2 players around the ball at all tmes.

Watch them fall apart the next time they play a team outside the top.

 

[riggi]

Really a bad state of affairs when the majority of our squad could do with replacing.

 

[Meercat]

United simply raised their game for Jose...

Not just Jose. You look at Ole’s stats over the last 22 games and they are considerably worse than any post Fergie manager and the results that cost them their jobs. I think a large part of their transformation from the weekend performance to midweek was combination of raising their game to prove a point with the old boss, absolutely, and wanting to do it for the new boss. A lot of those guys like Greenwood, James, etc know a new big name manager won’t play them, just as the guys coming through under LVG weren’t played when he left, and they were fired up to save their boss and bloody the nose of the old one.