Manchester United v Chelsea FA Cup Semi-Final - Official Match Thread 19/7/20 6pm

That was a £#%&!ing awful performance. I think Ole is doing a great job but he got it badly wrong today.

We clipped our own wings by not playing Rashford, Martial and Bruno in their normal positions, IMO. I don't understand why they were not substituted after we got the second goal against Palace. They all played a further 20 minutes or so. Also, can't think of any good reason why The Scottish Player didn't play. It was a perfect game for him.

To be fair to the lads, the advantage of the extra 48-hours rest for Chelsea was very much apparent and the ref didn't help matters by allowing them to kick us at will - another reason The Scottish Player would have been handy. For all that, there was nothing in the game until our keeper threw 2 goals in - both of them at the perfect time to score as well - £#%&! me. When you think about it, if it wasn't for De Gea, we might well have won the game 1-0.

In the overall scheme of things, I wouldn't read too much into it. We didn't learn anything new - De Gea is on a downward trajectory, Lindelof needs upgrading, Pogba's attitude stinks, Fred and Matic can do a job but they're not first team material.

Beat West Ham and we'll be grand.

he can't seriously not play matic, but The Scottish Player would be far preferable to fred. even allowing for chelsea's midfield sometimes being young, lightweight and defensively awful - and that wasn't the team they picked today. kovacic was allowed to get away with kicking and fouling all game.

wan-b is barely serviceable as an attacking fullback. playing him as a wing-back with three centre-backs is just nonsense. williams, understandable, but wan-b? £#%&! off. and with james ahead of him... who is just... nothing.

bad team, bad tactics, late changes.

still... blame de gea.

Originally Posted by jem

he can't seriously not play matic, but The Scottish Player would be far preferable to fred. even allowing for chelsea's midfield sometimes being young, lightweight and defensively awful - and that wasn't the team they picked today. kovacic was allowed to get away with kicking and fouling all game.

wan-b is barely serviceable as an attacking fullback. playing him as a wing-back with three centre-backs is just nonsense. williams, understandable, but wan-b? £#%&! off. and with james ahead of him... who is just... nothing.

bad team, bad tactics, late changes.

still... blame de gea.

Correct.

Originally Posted by jem

he can't seriously not play matic, but The Scottish Player would be far preferable to fred. even allowing for chelsea's midfield sometimes being young, lightweight and defensively awful - and that wasn't the team they picked today. kovacic was allowed to get away with kicking and fouling all game.

wan-b is barely serviceable as an attacking fullback. playing him as a wing-back with three centre-backs is just nonsense. williams, understandable, but wan-b? £#%&! off. and with james ahead of him... who is just... nothing.

bad team, bad tactics, late changes.

still... blame de gea.

That was pretty mad with Dalot available.

Bad game all round. Finishing the league with another two wins and hopefully going all the way in the Europa would be a decent season imo. In January it would've looked almost impossible.

However, Dan James will never ever be a Premier League quality player. He is shit. I'm still not sure what to make of AWB. He can be very good, but his positioning is generally terrible, and his ball control is Smalling-esque.
Definitely need another CB, and it's time to wave goodbye to De Gea. He's a liability now.

Other than that, I really couldn't give a shit about today's result. It didn't feel like a proper game at all, and certainly not a cup semi final.

Originally Posted by atticusgrinch

That was pretty mad with Dalot available.

Not looking good for him tbf.

Originally Posted by jem

still... blame de gea.

You keen on another season for DdG?

Originally Posted by utd99

Romero needs to start these last two games. De Gea obviously has the yips; the gamble he’ll work it out is too great to take.

Big Serg...

Originally Posted by windy waffles

Big Serg...

De Gea or Romero?

Grant please.

Maybe he’s seeing something in training to suggest AWB can play wing back; I’ve certainly seen nothing. It’s irrelevant anyway, because he didn’t even try. We were just five across the back with two in front of them. Odd tactics from a manager who was a cf and stated clearly he wants his team on the front foot, taking risk and playing entertaining football. These were Mourinho tactics.

Originally Posted by dunk

De Gea or Romero?

Grant please.

Romero’s not that bad. He’s really only had one weak game, against Wolves away. Potentially weak going down to his right.

Originally Posted by utd99

Maybe he’s seeing something in training to suggest AWB can play wing back; I’ve certainly seen nothing. It’s irrelevant anyway, because he didn’t even try. We were just five across the back with two in front of them. Odd tactics from a manager who was a cf and stated clearly he wants his team on the front foot, taking risk and playing entertaining football. These were Mourinho tactics.

Chelsea we’re far more aggressive and dominated the ball and position, forcing our fullbacks back. Should never have matched them up imo.

Originally Posted by utd99

Romero’s not that bad. He’s really only had one weak game, against Wolves away. Potentially weak going down to his right.

Forgotten him offering barely a wave at Norwich’s equaliser the other week?

Originally Posted by dunk

Not looking good for him tbf.

Agreed. Not really sure why.

Originally Posted by dunk

Forgotten him offering barely a wave at Norwich’s equaliser the other week?

To be honest, yes.

Originally Posted by atticusgrinch

Agreed. Not really sure why.

Dunno. Back end of last season Ole seemed to have taken a shine to him, another one that can’t seem to stay fit though: think I read he came back from lockdown a little on the chubby side too..

Originally Posted by dunk

Dunno. Back end of last season Ole seemed to have taken a shine to him, another one that can’t seem to stay fit though: think I read he came back from lockdown a little on the chubby side too..

His attacking game is on a different planet to AWB. Would have thought it'd be easier to teach him how to defend than it will be to teach AWB how to attack?

Originally Posted by tatty

You keen on another season for DdG?

de gea is not our biggest problem and henderson isn't the best keeper in the world.

3/5 at the back doesn't work for us, but, if wan-b is playing, he has to be one of the three. timmeh did more than him in a cameo. dalot would do more. pereira would do more. and... james? wtf, ole? wtaf?

Tbh, DdG is well on the way to becoming our biggest problem, given the lack of quality of his distribution and inability to dominate his box, that’s without him chucking goals in every other game.

You'd have to ask questions about the goalkeeping coach. This guy was the best keeper in the world for YEARS.

If it hadn’t been for Monday’s equaliser I think he’d have played something more like today’s team on Thursday. Of course that was scuppered.

Bad day at the office and De Geas stock falls yet further. Shame as it was a real opportunity to win a decent trophy.

Onto the league....

I just can’t believe Solskjaer thought that starting 11 was ever going to offer anything going forward.