Why did United lack motivation yesterday against city?

Originally Posted by shenwen

smalling hasn't even proven himself as a centre back, never mind full back. What was the thinking there? Was Smalling the best option we had? Feels a bit like playing O'Shea at right back because he might win some headers :shakehead:

There was definitely a sense of packing the team with big men to counteract City, which worked well.

Originally Posted by dunk

There was definitely a sense of packing the team with big men to counteract City, which worked well.

Neville mentioned it in commentary, biggest United team he's seen.

Big boost for them as well when van persie announced as not included right before kick off, same as when it set us off to a great start on scholes's return last January (kompany sending off helped even more tho of course )

If we announced as a doubt friday could only have been a boost if he played

Originally Posted by andyroo

Yeah don't understand the rush to get stuck into Evra considering some of the other passengers. Evra was woeful going forward but was hardly consistently being caught out at the back.

It's always the same. Evra cops an incredible amount of unwarranted flack. Navas had a fairly quiet first half, with Evra marking him tightly and keeping him up the field for the most part. I don't remember him beating Evra once. The goal Navas set up second half was not Evra's fault. And as Jem points out, Evra was one of the few players who kept going yesterday, as he always does. His attitude is fantastic.

As for going forward, he misplaced only two passes all game, according to the stats. But he had Young to work with.

we kept pushing our men forward and pressing them and that was just playing into city's hands as they have shown time and time again how brutal they can be on the break

Originally Posted by MagnificentSeven

we kept pushing our men forward and pressing them and that was just playing into city's hands as they have shown time and time again how brutal they can be on the break

Pushing men forward and pressing them When the £#%&! did this happen.

We were just backing off and not applying any pressure on them

The only real positive in recent games has been our pressing high up the field but where the £#%&! did that go against city

Originally Posted by ZiggyStardust

Pushing men forward and pressing them When the £#%&! did this happen.

After it was 4-0. hth.

Originally Posted by Aman27deep

Biggest game of the season, and we didn't have it in us.

The only person who was trying 100% was Wayne Rooney and I highly commend him for that. Only thing shining in the backhole was he yesterday.

It's not a secret that even an average team when highly motivated can go out and beat a vastly superior team, and yesterday on paper it was a 1:1 squad out there for me.

City players were seemingly giving their 100% and I was waiting for us to go into the fifth or sixth gear, but I don't think yesterday we went above the second gear all match (that too only on the second half). Everytime city were breaking I was feeling like they would score. Everyone was letting the city players go past us.

The lack of motivation in players yesterday was sickening really. If you're not motivated enough to play against city as a United player - who are undoubtedly our biggest rivals, then why play football? No one was putting a tackle in and it was really sad to watch the whole match considering how we played.

Maybe Kompany was right yesterday. Indeed "it means more to us (city) than them".

Young!

the third goal the direct result of Welbeck fannying about in the City box and giving the ball away and a minute later it's 3-0.....he also gave the goal away against Swansea trying to be a smart @#%&!...at trhis rate his goals assist tally for the other team will be more than his £#%&!ing goals tally for us....then again that wouldn't be £#%&!ing hard

Originally Posted by £#%&! KFC

the third goal the direct result of Welbeck fannying about in the City box and giving the ball away and a minute later it's 3-0.....he also gave the goal away against Swansea trying to be a smart @#%&!...at trhis rate his goals assist tally for the other team will be more than his £#%&!ing goals tally for us....then again that wouldn't be £#%&!ing hard

Shut up you stupid £#%&!ing dick.

City have spent a billion - and keep adding.

We're stuck in "The money is there, but we can't get who we want" land.

Spurs keep adding. Liverpool keep adding. Arsenal have added Ozil ffs. Chelsea keep adding.

I agree - it's a lack of talent we have and a lack of belief to play the players that deserve to play.

Originally Posted by dunk

Shut up you stupid £#%&!ing dick.

he was shit you massive punkin headed @#%&!

Originally Posted by £#%&! KFC

he was shit you massive punkin headed @#%&!

Originally Posted by £#%&! KFC

the third goal the direct result of Welbeck fannying about in the City box and giving the ball away and a minute later it's 3-0.....he also gave the goal away against Swansea trying to be a smart @#%&!...at trhis rate his goals assist tally for the other team will be more than his £#%&!ing goals tally for us....then again that wouldn't be £#%&!ing hard

This having ago at Welbeck for every £#%&!ing thing is getting old. Change the record

Losing the ball in the final third of the field isn't the reason why you concede a goal
Most of the time when you are attacking you are going to give the ball back to the opposition however the opposition still have a long way to go before being able to create a chance

The reason we conceded that third goal was because we just stood off City as the passed the ball around us and then Fellaini switched off

Originally Posted by £#%&! KFC

he was shit you massive punkin headed @#%&!

You're a £#%&!ing imbecile.

Originally Posted by Tumescent Throb

hard to argue tbh - i'm beaten! :smileysdon'tworkonedit:

They do if you hit 'go advanced' before 'reply'.

I added this one to make sure.

I do think 'they wanted it more' is too simplistic - in fact, wanting it TOO much can cause a similar performance, i.e. deer in the headlights, a bit too overawed by the occasion etc.

We were timid and they £#%&!ing sensed it and went at us. Once you get pinned back like that, you can only hope for poor finishing, or it's going to be a long night.

Don't put it down to hunger, more lack of organisation, game plan, quality on and off the ball.

We didnt know wtf was going on, they swarmed us and we didnt have enough about us to do anything about it.

You can want it all you like but if they're passing circles around you you're £#%&!ed. Soak it up then when you get the ball you gotta keep it and work the space. We're £#%&!ing shit at that.

Valencia, fellaini, young, Rooney, welbeck. Really quite poor at keeping the ball and moving off it to help team mates. Hence struggle to string 4 passes together.

There is a sense too many of our players aren't just not good enough but have something to be desired in the attitude department as well. Young the most obvious exhibit, but not alone :shakehead:

A hell of a lot of the club stinks of complacency, the choice of new manager arguably included. But who cares as long as those lucrative sponsorship deals carry on rolling in, eh??

Originally Posted by magic_cantona

City have spent a billion - and keep adding.

We're stuck in "The money is there, but we can't get who we want" land.

Spurs keep adding. Liverpool keep adding. Arsenal have added Ozil ffs. Chelsea keep adding.

I agree - it's a lack of talent we have and a lack of belief to play the players that deserve to play.

Nani is out of the side because far more often than not when he has been in it he's been £#%&!. He's had two periods in his entire OT career that he's even looked like holding down a place.

Anderson even moreso has been £#%&! and even less successful at holding down a place

Januzaj obviously wasn't going to be hung out to dry at City or Anfield

And Kagawa was not a first pick under Fergie (ridiculous as that is) and has not had chance to really get a rhythm under Moyes.

if over the next 5 league games and 3 CL ties Kagawa isn't much more involved, Januzaj hasn't been given a go, Zaha is still untried and the other two wasters (Anderson and Nani) have flopped again then that's when we have got real problems

Unless despite that we win all 5 and top the CL group as well of course.