*OFFICIAL* Manchester United vs Chelsea Match Thread 18/04/15

No one likes losing but, it's such a £#%&!ing joy to see us trying to win a match till the very end and try play good football to

This time last year, we rolled over to £#%&!ing Bobby brown shoes and Everton after 30 odd minutes, without doing a £#%&!ing thing

It's the simple things to feel happy about.....We'll be a force next year

Originally Posted by Jammy Dodger

Some people had been saying our recent performances were because van gaal stumbled into a group of players and a formation that just happened to work, or it was because of carrick. Hopefully, the changes today will show them that wasn't the case.

For me, today shows recent performances are because months of coaching started to click. It showed the players have entered the unconscious competence stage of the learning process, and van gaal can move the team's learning onto the next stage of development.

the key for me has been having mata, herrera and carrick all in the side. yes herrera did ok today, but united need at least 1 more proper player in the midfield mix, not 1 less and I thought that really showed.

shaw did well as everyone seems to agree, but he was looking for his next pass all through the game, whereas he should know where it is going to be - what his options are. similarly with rooney in the middle, he was having to force it a bit rather than linking up in the rat-a-tat-tat the herrera/mata combo have been producing. shifting herrera also affected valencia on the right and I'm really surprised that young rarely if ever ventured over onto azpilacueta - though I suppose LVG was protecting shaw a bit...

mcnair was decent and he is easily the best of our british CB's on the ball, but we are crying out for a leader at the back who can also pick a pass. there aren't that many high profile players about that fit the bill, but surely to £#%&! there must be someone out there that can step up or even be converted?

good things to come for this United team NQAT

LVG

Originally Posted by Gruber

good things to come for this United team NQAT

LVG

A contract extension would be nice

Originally Posted by Semantic Lisp

the key for me has been having mata, herrera and carrick all in the side. yes herrera did ok today, but united need at least 1 more proper player in the midfield mix, not 1 less and I thought that really showed.

shaw did well as everyone seems to agree, but he was looking for his next pass all through the game, whereas he should know where it is going to be - what his options are. similarly with rooney in the middle, he was having to force it a bit rather than linking up in the rat-a-tat-tat the herrera/mata combo have been producing. shifting herrera also affected valencia on the right and I'm really surprised that young rarely if ever ventured over onto azpilacueta - though I suppose LVG was protecting shaw a bit...

mcnair was decent and he is easily the best of our british CB's on the ball, but we are crying out for a leader at the back who can also pick a pass. there aren't that many high profile players about that fit the bill, but surely to £#%&! there must be someone out there that can step up or even be converted?

Shaw and Rooney's passing was understandable Shaw's first game back a md against Chelsea the nerves were always gonna be there a bit and he wouldn't want to take any chance and Rooney isn't a midfielder by trade and has been playing upfront. Such play come with confidence and familiarity with the role and teammates around you.

They're English too.

for me there are defeats like yesterday and defeats like the same fixture last season.even with the 4 injuries we still played very well.
This also shows we are going in the right direction under LVG

Last season

City(h) = hammered
City(a) = hammered
Dippers(h) = hammered
Dippers(a) = narrow loss
Chelski (a) = hammered
Chelski(h) = bore draw
Arse(h) = won but the arse the better side
Arse(a) = bore draw

This season

City(h) = bossed them and 4-2 flattered city
City(a) = narrow loss along with playing with 10 men for 2/3 of the match
Dippers(h) = good performance and deserved win
Dippers(a) = best performance at anfield for years 2-1 flattered them
Chelski (h) = fought to the end and got a well earned point
Chelski (a) = narrow loss but bossed the game and unlucky.we deserved at least a point if not all 3
Arse(a) = have to admit a smash and grab raid like Southampton away but both teams got lucky at OT so that has evened itself out.

And with all the injuries,loads of ins and outs,short preseason with new manager plus new players coming in after the start of the season this is why we need(and got) a big time manager.

Let's do our buisiness early this time plus ship out the rest of the shit @#%&!s and one good preseason later bring it on.

Can't wait for next season

Originally Posted by Red Al

for me there are defeats like yesterday and defeats like the same fixture last season.even with the 4 injuries we still played very well.
This also shows we are going in the right direction under LVG

Last season

City(h) = hammered
City(a) = hammered
Dippers(h) = hammered
Dippers(a) = narrow loss
Chelski (a) = hammered
Chelski(h) = bore draw
Arse(h) = won but the arse the better side
Arse(a) = bore draw

This season

City(h) = bossed them and 4-2 flattered city
City(a) = narrow loss along with playing with 10 men for 2/3 of the match
Dippers(h) = good performance and deserved win
Dippers(a) = best performance at anfield for years 2-1 flattered them
Chelski (h) = fought to the end and got a well earned point
Chelski (a) = narrow loss but bossed the game and unlucky.we deserved at least a point if not all 3
Arse(a) = have to admit a smash and grab raid like Southampton away but both teams got lucky at OT so that has evened itself out.

And with all the injuries,loads of ins and outs,short preseason with new manager plus new players coming in after the start of the season this is why we need(and got) a big time manager.

Let's do our buisiness early this time plus ship out the rest of the shit @#%&!s and one good preseason later bring it on.

Can't wait for next season

Can't fault that . Highlights the difference between that useless Scottish @#%&! and lvg very well .

Originally Posted by Child of Darkness

Can't fault that . Highlights the difference between that useless Scottish @#%&! and lvg very well .

Bit harsh on Fergie.

Originally Posted by Crumps

Aye, has been a pretty steep learning curve for them but most seem to be there now, Young and Fellaini have had very good seasons and for me have done enough not to be sold, they will be squad players worthy of a number next season. If you would have told me that at the beginning of the season I'd have thought you absolutely bloody mental. Bringing in another first choice midfielder and Depay really would take us to the next level.

Hope any transfer business is done early so there's no repeat of the start of last season. No international tournament getting in the way either. Can see us annihilating teams next season with just 3 changes to the team that went on the run. Nice strong bench too.

All this less than a year after Moyes was in charge, night and day, night and effing day.



Can't remember who it was but accusing LVG of stumbling upon what is his preferred formation aand has been for 20 years did amuse me. State of some of walking facepalms on here at times.

Can't imagine a better man for the job. The foundations he is laying now will pay dividends for years and years to come. It will make us a hell of a lot easier for any continental coach who follows LVG too.

Don't know if mentioned before but Guardiola has followed, although not immediately, VGaal into Barca and BMunich. He may fancy the hat-trick?

Originally Posted by Amish Mash

Don't know if mentioned before but Guardiola has followed, although not immediately, VGaal into Barca and BMunich. He may fancy the hat-trick?

Not beyond the realm of possibility.

Even if it's not him the set up will make it much easier for any continental coach coming in.

1 attacking, exciting player to compliment ADM (who I actually think will push on and do very well next season) like Depay (who seems a cert)

1 midfield boss (Pogba, Pjanic, even a young hotty like Kovačić)

And a worldy CB


And we'll be laughing next season, IMO. I don't really want to let the likes of Valencia, Young, Fellaini Go - just see them replaced as first teamers, and they can then be very useful back ups.



We were mostly superb yesterday, but were never going to create much without Carrick, and young/mata being fairly anonymous.

Originally Posted by bigMikeA

1 attacking, exciting player to compliment ADM (who I actually think will push on and do very well next season) like Depay (who seems a cert)

1 midfield boss (Pogba, Pjanic, even a young hotty like Kovačić)

And a worldy CB


And we'll be laughing ext season, IMO. I don't really want to let the likes of Valencia, Young, Fellaini Go - just see them replaced as first teamers, and they can then be very useful back ups.



We were mostly superb yesterday, but were never going to create much without Carrick, and young/mata being fairly anonymous.

Mata really does need Herrera inside and Valencia outside to stay involved. Without that back up there he will more than likely still pick up goals and assists cos that's what Mata does but players with the qualities of them two are essential for him to really be effective throughout and stay in the game.

I thought we played really well yesterday, quick paced, aggressive, fully committed, having Chelsea on the back foot a lot. They had one moment of magic and then parked the bus, which is what they are good at. A draw was a fair result, but if we can keep this momentum going until the end of the season, we can qualify automatically for the Champions League.

Originally Posted by dragflick

Sparky in da hooooooouse!

Originally Posted by Amish Mash

Don't know if mentioned before but Guardiola has followed, although not immediately, VGaal into Barca and BMunich. He may fancy the hat-trick?

He definitely will, according to a recent book. Would be the logical choice as it would continue van gaal's work. Would prefer klopp as I'm not that great a fan of guardiola's football. I think it's more boring than van gaal's, but I'll probably feel differently seeing his football played by united.

Guardiola will end up at city or united after bayern I think. Assuming he never goes back to barca. Outside chance he goes to arsenal.

Very strange game. Never known such domination of the ball against a rival away from home. But ultimately we couldn't create too much so it was disappointing. Perhaps a game that exposed the limitations of Fellaini and Young, also. The way Mcnair and Smalling drove forward in possession was great to see, but easier when the opposition centre-forward is 37 years old.

Confirmation that Mourinho wasn't right for us. He can congratulate himself on that approach all he wants, but as many have said I cannot imagine United playing that way - happily - at Old Trafford despite having a healthy lead at the top of the table.

Instead this is a United team to be proud of. Very exciting to think how far it will go

Originally Posted by Crumps

Shaw and Rooney's passing was understandable Shaw's first game back a md against Chelsea the nerves were always gonna be there a bit and he wouldn't want to take any chance and Rooney isn't a midfielder by trade and has been playing upfront. Such play come with confidence and familiarity with the role and teammates around you.

They're English too.

agreed, was just saying it shows we are some way off (not that far off, possibly) the automatism LVG is looking for so that the team can really challenge - dodger was suggesting we'd reached LVG's feted 'unconscious competence' stage already I think

Originally Posted by S/Side.Red

Very strange game. Never known such domination of the ball against a rival away from home. But ultimately we couldn't create too much so it was disappointing. Perhaps a game that exposed the limitations of Fellaini and Young, also. The way Mcnair and Smalling drove forward in possession was great to see, but easier when the opposition centre-forward is 37 years old.

Confirmation that Mourinho wasn't right for us. He can congratulate himself on that approach all he wants, but as many have said I cannot imagine United playing that way - happily - at Old Trafford despite having a healthy lead at the top of the table.

Instead this is a United team to be proud of. Very exciting to think how far it will go

the space they had highlighted their limitations for me, especially smalling obviously, but it was more disappointing to see McNair rushing it the higher up the field he got tbh, because he is better than that

Originally Posted by Red Al

City(h) = bossed them and 4-2 flattered city
City(a) = narrow loss along with playing with 10 men for 2/3 of the match
Dippers(h) = good performance and deserved win
Dippers(a) = best performance at anfield for years 2-1 flattered them
Chelski (h) = fought to the end and got a well earned point
Chelski (a) = narrow loss but bossed the game and unlucky.we deserved at least a point if not all 3
Arse(a) = have to admit a smash and grab raid like Southampton away but both teams got lucky at OT so that has evened itself out.

City(h): given the runaround at the start but goals change games and we were very good once we'd equalised - speed and intent we moved the ball at was excellent

City(a): amateurish defending cost us the match; city tried to pick us off but were lucky to escape with the points. a good early blow to their confidence delivered by United even in defeat

Liverpool(h): good going forward, abysmal at the back; scored 3 times but de gea won us the points

Liverpool(a): superb, strutting, confident 1st half and 2 brilliant goals built around Fellaini as the focal point and exploiting the opponent's weaknesses at full-back; let 10 man Liverpool back into the game 2nd half and that lack of killer instinct compounded by rooney's penalty miss

Chelsea(h): very nearly lost a dull game we could have won; Fellaini changed the game

Chelsea(a): excellent possession, some good chances missed but overall very promising; a feeling that mourinho did a job on us shouldn't mask the respect for us and fear of us his tactics betrayed; right channel worryingly easily sliced wide open for the goal

Arsenal(a): a better performance than given credit for once we started to settle after being repeatedly opened up in the first half hour; clinical enough to take our chances, which is vital in these games

Originally Posted by Semantic Lisp

agreed, was just saying it shows we are some way off (not that far off, possibly) the automatism LVG is looking for so that the team can really challenge - dodger was suggesting we'd reached LVG's feted 'unconscious competence' stage already I think



the space they had highlighted their limitations for me, especially smalling obviously, but it was more disappointing to see McNair rushing it the higher up the field he got tbh, because he is better than that

J

City(h): given the runaround at the start but goals change games and we were very good once we'd equalised - speed and intent we moved the ball at was excellent

City(a): amateurish defending cost us the match; city tried to pick us off but were lucky to escape with the points. a good early blow to their confidence delivered by United even in defeat

Liverpool(h): good going forward, abysmal at the back; scored 3 times but de gea won us the points

Liverpool(a): superb, strutting, confident 1st half and 2 brilliant goals built around Fellaini as the focal point and exploiting the opponent's weaknesses at full-back; let 10 man Liverpool back into the game 2nd half and that lack of killer instinct compounded by rooney's penalty miss

Chelsea(h): very nearly lost a dull game we could have won; Fellaini changed the game

Chelsea(a): excellent possession, some good chances missed but overall very promising; a feeling that mourinho did a job on us shouldn't mask the respect for us and fear of us his tactics betrayed; right channel worryingly easily sliced wide open for the goal

Arsenal(a): a better performance than given credit for once we started to settle after being repeatedly opened up in the first half hour; clinical enough to take our chances, which is vital in these games

Agreed. A lot of hindsight justifying the result for them but couldve gone either way had the @#%&!ing ref pulled Terry up before their goal and right channel exploited again (same for the Berts goal last week) . Could've been more clinical and then Mou's strategy would've looked high risk. A late equaliser would've seen praise for LVG all round. Thin lines etc...

https://twitter.com/samuelluckhurst/status/590222142786109442

sad how much januzaj has regressed from last season. no 11 :shakehead: