Manchester United v Brentford : Official Match Thread : 5/4/23 8pm

zany brentford manager .. we controlled the game after they scored me think he's been on the rum punch the hobbit eared #@&%!

How did we have a million corners and not one of them did we look anything like scoring off?

It's becoming a bit irritating.

Cheer up. Steve Bruce scored one once

Originally Posted by puressence

zany brentford manager .. we controlled the game after they scored me think he's been on the rum punch the hobbit eared #@&%!

I don’t mind the guy in general, but he does get a bit carried away with his own team at times

He's probably not far off tbf, at least they controlled us. We offered £#%&! all and couldn't get in their half, but then they offered £#%&! all either.

First half we were decent enough up to the goal without really doing much, but it was a £#%&!ing awful game of football if we're honest.

Originally Posted by dunk

He's probably not far off tbf, at least they controlled us. We offered £#%&! all and couldn't get in their half, but then they offered £#%&! all either.

First half we were decent enough up to the goal without really doing much, but it was a £#%&!ing awful game of football if we're honest.

It felt like a typical game for this time of year. We were struggling, they’re not used to two games in a week. Pissing it down. Just one to tick off and move on from. Suspect Saturday will be the same with the unfathomably dumb early start.

Originally Posted by Dr Stranger

It felt like a typical game for this time of year. We were struggling, they’re not used to two games in a week. Pissing it down. Just one to tick off and move on from. Suspect Saturday will be the same with the unfathomably dumb early start.

Tbf I'd have taken that result before the game. I'd take the same Saturday too.

We don't score or create enough though. We've had a decent spell since the WC with us looking dangerous.. well, Rashford looking dangerous from the left, take him off the left and we're blunter than a blunt thing.

Originally Posted by dunk

He's probably not far off tbf, at least they controlled us. We offered £#%&! all and couldn't get in their half, but then they offered £#%&! all either.

First half we were decent enough up to the goal without really doing much, but it was a £#%&!ing awful game of football if we're honest.

I think this is a bit harsh. we started off in a surprisingly positive manner and we were all over them for most of the game. our finishing was generally awful and maybe our decision making in the final third similarly poor, but we restricted them to one breakaway chance (that they should have taken). the idea that they controlled us by letting us show how incompetent we are is faintly ridiculous.

I'm not sure you can call Antony's pot shots from 20+ yards poor finishing. Fred's, fair enough, but that's just standard Fred isn't it. I wouldn't have said we created an actual chance worthy of the name beyond the goal and Fred's thuder@#%&! into row 16.

They kept us at arms length for all but the goal, the keeper made no save that stretched him beyond his warm up, second half they kept us at more than arms length too.

Their best moments all came from Dave's pathetic kicking.

Originally Posted by dunk

Tbf I'd have taken that result before the game. I'd take the same Saturday too.

We don't score or create enough though. We've had a decent spell since the WC with us looking dangerous.. well, Rashford looking dangerous from the left, take him off the left and we're blunter than a blunt thing.

Oh definitely. Any kind of win will do at this stage of not playing well and having a giant hole in midfield. Finding ways to win ugly is all part of our progress imo.

I think we’re a confidence team in terms of creating. We looked good for 5 to 10 mins after we scored. A lot more direct and incisive and like we could get more, but it was never going to last and we were nervous once it dragged on.

I’m still confident there’s enough goals in this team to meet this year’s objectives. I think we’ll get top four and we’ve got our trophy - something I never thought we’d do in the summer. For a team with a Burnley striker up front, it’s not bad.

It’s mitigated when we do the basics right and defend with a bit of steel, like we did last night. Ten Hag talks a lot about standards. We saw them drop too many times in recent weeks and they were back last night. Performances will follow if we keep doing that.

I thought the concentration and determination to keep a clean sheet last night was really good.

If we’re still the same this time next year, something is wrong.

I wouldn't have said we were nervous at all tbh. Couple of loose passes from Malacia, Bruno and the obvious early second half aside, the mood in the ground was comfortable boredom and a frustration that we were taking our time and showing no urgency to attack. At no point did you get the feeling Brentford would score.

The Scottish Player and Martinez had a lot to do with that though, they snuffed most things out quickly.

Originally Posted by dunk

I'm not sure you can call Antony's pot shots from 20+ yards poor finishing. Fred's, fair enough, but that's just standard Fred isn't it. I wouldn't have said we created an actual chance worthy of the name beyond the goal and Fred's thuder@#%&! into row 16.

They kept us at arms length for all but the goal, the keeper made no save that stretched him beyond his warm up, second half they kept us at more than arms length too.

Their best moments all came from Dave's pathetic kicking.

I think we got a little stuck on what to do around 70 minutes. We seemed determined not to overly commit and that stunted our creativity a bit.

Originally Posted by dunk

I'm not sure you can call Antony's pot shots from 20+ yards poor finishing. Fred's, fair enough, but that's just standard Fred isn't it. I wouldn't have said we created an actual chance worthy of the name beyond the goal and Fred's thuder@#%&! into row 16.

They kept us at arms length for all but the goal, the keeper made no save that stretched him beyond his warm up, second half they kept us at more than arms length too.

Their best moments all came from Dave's pathetic kicking.

Pretty much this. We didn’t create much at all, and those were the only 2 good chances I can remember. So to talk about our awful finishing is pretty strange.

Originally Posted by Ethers

Pretty much this. We didn’t create much at all, and those were the only 2 good chances I can remember. So to talk about our awful finishing is pretty strange.

except the comment was both that our finishing was awful (fred and The Scottish Player both blasted over the bar and antony kept trying to put the ball in the top corner... at least, four times) and that our decision making in the final third was poor, so we "didn't create much." we were all over them in the first half and we should have had more to show for it.

I did forget about the The Scottish Player chance tbf, was a tough one though.

Antony was our only threat all night.

Sabitzer played well, but he was essentially playing Weggy's role and Rashford was playing where Bruno would, Bruno just ended up at inside left all night not really do much at all. They all did a job, it didn't work though. Sancho neat and tidy, great feet, did nowt. Antony is brilliant in tight spaces with sharp little passes and give and go's, the only player he ever has to work with is Dalot, most of the time he's got to beat 2-3 men with just Dalot for support. We've got to get better at using both sides of the pitch and getting players around him imo.

Originally Posted by dunk

I did forget about the The Scottish Player chance tbf, was a tough one though.

Antony was our only threat all night.

Sabitzer played well, but he was essentially playing Weggy's role and Rashford was playing where Bruno would, Bruno just ended up at inside left all night not really do much at all. They all did a job, it didn't work though. Sancho neat and tidy, great feet, did nowt. Antony is brilliant in tight spaces with sharp little passes and give and go's, the only player he ever has to work with is Dalot, most of the time he's got to beat 2-3 men with just Dalot for support. We've got to get better at using both sides of the pitch and getting players around him imo.

There was a moment after the goal where we had some nice tight interchanging down our right. Antony found himself in space in the corner of the box and did his usual party trick and it flew wide. But it was a proper opening as opposed to a 20 yarder where he simply cuts inside. We need more of that.

Originally Posted by jem

except the comment was both that our finishing was awful (fred and The Scottish Player both blasted over the bar and antony kept trying to put the ball in the top corner... at least, four times) and that our decision making in the final third was poor, so we "didn't create much." we were all over them in the first half and we should have had more to show for it.

That’s fair enough, and very honest of you to admit that half of your comment lacked real merit.

Originally Posted by dunk

He's probably not far off tbf, at least they controlled us. We offered £#%&! all and couldn't get in their half, but then they offered £#%&! all either.

First half we were decent enough up to the goal without really doing much, but it was a £#%&!ing awful game of football if we're honest.

We had 18 shots, hardly £#%&! all. The fact that there were only 3 on target made if feel a lot less of a spectacle for us.

Antony had 8 of those.

I think 2 were from inside the box. £#%&! all.

Originally Posted by dunk

Antony had 8 of those.

I think 2 were from inside the box. £#%&! all.

I didn't both quoting the "couldn't get in their half" bit but clearly we could if we managed 18 shots and countless other attacks that didn't end up with shots.