The Football Thread.

menamestom

We definitely look more like a team.  Arsenal got on top after the VAR decision but that opened up the counter attack for us.  

Arsenal played well, perhaps deserved more but went of the boil after the 3 substitutions.  

I predicted 2-1 to United, I thought we’d get something out of the game.   The manager really seems to be getting the best out of the players so definitely looks better than it did a few weeks ago.

TTony

So, is Antony the latest, high-priced one-man saviour of Man Utd?

It seems that (for all the Glazer-criticism) they manage to bring in at least a couple of expensive players every window ... they arrive in a blaze of glory and expectation, and then, errr, Fred, McGuire, Bruno, van de Beek, Sancho ...

Hattigol

guitars4you said:

Hattigol said:

Wow. Brilliant win for United. 

What a difference a season makes...

I had a bet it would be 3-1 - Got the right scoreline but the wrong way round - Your thoughts on Rashford now !!!!!!

They rode their luck a couple of times but overall looked far more solid - Great work, especially considering they played the first 67 mins or so with 10 men- I bet you can't tell me one good thing that Sancho did 

Only 2 points behind city now as well

As a neutral I thought it was a good game - Arsenal probably committed Harakiri a bit to early 

Don't be fooled by the media love-in with Rashford. He totally messed up that first one - he delayed and allowed the defender to get back in. His shot then took a horrible deflection, without which, Ramsdale had it covered.

The second one was a tap-in after a great run from Erikson. 

He isn't good enough.

But v happy with the win. Been some serious lows recently. Not getting carried away at all but nice to see some belief returning. 

guitars4you

Hattigol said:

guitars4you said:

Hattigol said:

Wow. Brilliant win for United. 

What a difference a season makes...

I had a bet it would be 3-1 - Got the right scoreline but the wrong way round - Your thoughts on Rashford now !!!!!!

They rode their luck a couple of times but overall looked far more solid - Great work, especially considering they played the first 67 mins or so with 10 men- I bet you can't tell me one good thing that Sancho did 

Only 2 points behind city now as well

As a neutral I thought it was a good game - Arsenal probably committed Harakiri a bit to early 

Don't be fooled by the media love-in with Rashford. He totally messed up that first one - he delayed and allowed the defender to get back in. His shot then took a horrible deflection, without which, Ramsdale had it covered.

The second one was a tap-in after a great run from Erikson. 

He isn't good enough.

But v happy with the win. Been some serious lows recently. Not getting carried away at all but nice to see some belief returning. 

Agree that Eriksen deserved MOM - He's like a poor mans Modric (and I mean that in a good way) - No pace as such put so much time and vision 

Just winding you up about Rashford - Don't think Southgate will have him back yet, even though there is a lack of obvious back up options for 'Arry - You can't argue with 4 wins on the trot and a fairly solid 3-1 win today - But all 3 goals were on the counter attack - Some games they will need to create goals via other means 

menamestom

I think the irony with Rashford, is his success highlights the deficiency the team still has.  He doesn’t really work as a great no.9 but on the counter attack he is very good.  He has pace and does well at one on ones.

E10H wants to control possession but we are not quite doing that so in the absence of controlling the game most of the time Rashford is a very useful player.  Surely if the midfield gel and we can control games and operate in a high press Ronaldo will start in the centre more.

Either way, good to see some previously written off players starting to look good, that’s signs of a top manager.

menamestom

guitars4you said:

Hattigol said:

guitars4you said:

Hattigol 

Agree fthat Eriksen deserved MOM - He's like a poor mans Modric (and I mean that in a good way) - No pace as such put so much time and vision 

Eriksen Has been great, gives us an added layer of creativity rather than everything being on Bruno.  I didn’t think these 2 would work together, I thought it would leave too many hopes defensively, but they are both doing pulling their weight in that department. I’m not missing Pogba one bit.  

axisus

Fab win for Man U!!! I felt that if we lost it would just seem like we weren't really getting anywhere, but this is just a great result. Looks like Rashford is finding his mojo again.

It took a decade to employ the right kind of manager, that is pretty shambolic running of a club*

*in all fairness, I think that Moyes could have been the right manager, the first big mistake was sacking him too soon.

tony99

axisus said:

Fab win for Man U!!! I felt that if we lost it would just seem like we weren't really getting anywhere, but this is just a great result. Looks like Rashford is finding his mojo again.

It took a decade to employ the right kind of manager, that is pretty shambolic running of a club*

*in all fairness, I think that Moyes could have been the right manager, the first big mistake was sacking him too soon.

The first big mistake was asking someone, anyone, (regardless of who they were) to follow Fergie.

menamestom

Lestratcaster said:

5 wins from 5 is great and all but again we need to see the real test by playing City and Liverpool. Those teams we expect to beat, with a fully fit squad to choose from.

Arsenal have done really well and looked great today but there’s far more ‘real’ tests than City and Liverpool.  Everton, Brentford, Spurs, Liverpool, Leeds, City coming up.  This far more difficult than the first 5 games, where only Fulham were a current top half team.
Great start but crazy you ‘expect’ to beat City, they are on a different level.

thecolourbox

I think he meant they expect to beat the five they had beaten at that point

menamestom

thecolourbox said:

I think he meant they expect to beat the five they had beaten at that point

Ah my bad, that makes sense now I re read it.

Apologies @Lestratcaster I misunderstood.  I expect Arsenal will be there or thereabouts come the end of the season.  

axisus

Tough picking top 4 this season!

City for the win, I'm thinking Spurs & Arsenal plus as a Man U fan I can't not stick them in (a big dollop of wishful thinking maybe). Seems unthinkable no Chelsea or Liverpool though!?!?!

I'm loving seeing Brighton flying high, but that must fade over the season

The Prem is a bloody good league!

tony99

axisus said:

Tough picking top 4 this season!

City for the win, I'm thinking Spurs & Arsenal plus as a Man U fan I can't not stick them in (a big dollop of wishful thinking maybe). Seems unthinkable no Chelsea or Liverpool though!?!?!

I'm loving seeing Brighton flying high, but that must fade over the season

The Prem is a bloody good league!

Haha is it a bloody good league because Man U have won a few, or is it a devalued league if Man City win it again?

axisus

tony99 said:

axisus said:

Tough picking top 4 this season!

City for the win, I'm thinking Spurs & Arsenal plus as a Man U fan I can't not stick them in (a big dollop of wishful thinking maybe). Seems unthinkable no Chelsea or Liverpool though!?!?!

I'm loving seeing Brighton flying high, but that must fade over the season

The Prem is a bloody good league!

Haha is it a bloody good league because Man U have won a few, or is it a devalued league if Man City win it again?

Just the overall competitiveness!

Lestratcaster

menamestom said:

thecolourbox said:

I think he meant they expect to beat the five they had beaten at that point

Ah my bad, that makes sense now I re read it.

Apologies @Lestratcaster I misunderstood.  I expect Arsenal will be there or thereabouts come the end of the season.  

No worries, yeah thecolourbox is right. Had we not beaten the 5 teams I'd have been concerned with the lack of progress.

And I don't expect us to beat City at all, I'm just interested to see how we compete against them this season with the new additions and team spirit.

Lestratcaster

Bit disappointed with the defeat yesterday but its not like we played badly and got hammered. Just defensive naivety and bad game management. We got ourselves back in the game but then were caught out on the counter trying to push for the 2nd.

I don't think it'll affect us too much, but worried with the lack of squad depth in midfield. Vieira looked alright when he came on but we need more than that if we are going to get loads of injuries. Been reading Smith Rowe pulled a hamstring in the warm down after the game.

Oh and I don't think it was a foul by Odegaard in the lead up to Martinelli's goal.

guitars4you

Lestratcaster said:

Oh and I don't think it was a foul by Odegaard in the lead up to Martinelli's goal.

Sorry but I do - he didn't get the ball before the foul or after - He caught Eriksen's leg that 'forced' him to nudge the ball away from himself, which is when Arsenal pounced 

At full speed I'd agree with you but once VAR looked at it, it became clear it was one job they got right this weekend - And I'm a Leeds fan so rarely ever come down on the side of Man U

Hattigol

Lestratcaster said:

Bit disappointed with the defeat yesterday but its not like we played badly and got hammered. Just defensive naivety and bad game management. We got ourselves back in the game but then were caught out on the counter trying to push for the 2nd.

I don't think it'll affect us too much, but worried with the lack of squad depth in midfield. Vieira looked alright when he came on but we need more than that if we are going to get loads of injuries. Been reading Smith Rowe pulled a hamstring in the warm down after the game.

Oh and I don't think it was a foul by Odegaard in the lead up to Martinelli's goal.

Last time I checked, clattering through the back of them and not playing the ball is still a foul.

Especially if even Leeds fans like @guitars4you are thinking it!

guitars4you

See Spurs, Celtic and Leeds came up as answers on University Challenge this week within the bonus questions - Glad I got all 3 correct and that was just about my limit that week as well - Think the 'clever gits' only got 1 right

guitars4you

Apparently the PL spent more on transfers in the last window than Spain, Germany, Italy combined