Manchester United v Leicester City : Official Match Thread : 11/5/21 6pm

That's twice we've basically had to hand a match to them this season because of an insane fixture schedule. Are things going to be marginally less ridiculous in that respect next time?

Originally Posted by jem

is jones still in our squad? must admit, I forgot about him. dunk probably hates him too.

Nah, Jonah’s alright, not even sure he’s still a footballer though tbf.

I don’t hate Matic, he’s just past it, nor do I hate De Gea, he’s just not good enough anymore. Clinging on to past glories is redundant, you end up holding on to players for years past their sell-by date, like we did with Valencia and are doing with Mata.

Originally Posted by dunk

Nah, Jonah’s alright, not even sure he’s still a footballer though tbf.

I don’t hate Matic, he’s just past it, nor do I hate De Gea, he’s just not good enough anymore. Clinging on to past glories is redundant, you end up holding on to players for years past their sell-by date, like we did with Valencia and are doing with Mata.

now you've gone too far.

obvs, matic is past his best and we should not need him. but we do and he has performed very well when called upon (more often than not being the best player on the pitch, as he was tonight). you think fred or The Scottish Player would have run that game? I don't. would be happy if we replaced all of them with a proper midfield.

de gea is world class.

Originally Posted by jem

now you've gone too far.

obvs, matic is past his best and we should not need him. but we do and he has performed very well when called upon (more often than not being the best player on the pitch, as he was tonight). you think fred or The Scottish Player would have run that game? I don't. would be happy if we replaced all of them with a proper midfield.

de gea is world class.

Matic 'ran' the game for about 20 minutes first half. We couldn't get the ball beyond that.

He's fine to come on with 20-30 minutes left. A waste of a squad place beyond that.

World Class goalkeepers don't cause the mayhem he does with his hesitation, refusal to leave his line and shocking kicking. World Class shot stopper on his day, nqat, but clear as day a goalkeeper should be more than that.

Valencia was toss for 3 years.

It’s a good job we beat Villa and Leicester shit the bed against Newcastle or we’d be in a real fight for second. Still might be if we lose Thursday.

Originally Posted by dunk

Matic 'ran' the game for about 20 minutes first half. We couldn't get the ball beyond that.

he played well for the whole game. obviously, there are limits to what one man can do on his own, surrounded by chumps. he played both midfield and centre of defence for most of the game.

in a sensible team, he would still be fine. every time he plays, he is expected to do too much. and he still delivers. even on the downhill, he is a class above fred and The Scottish Player.

I wish we had a team good enough to be able to say matic is good for the odd 30 minutes, but we just don't.

Originally Posted by jem

he played well for the whole game. obviously, there are limits to what one man can do on his own, surrounded by chumps. he played both midfield and centre of defence for most of the game.

in a sensible team, he would still be fine. every time he plays, he is expected to do too much. and he still delivers. even on the downhill, he is a class above fred and The Scottish Player.

I wish we had a team good enough to be able to say matic is good for the odd 30 minutes, but we just don't.

We've done just fine without him tbh. In fact, we're generally much better when he doesn't play, regardless of who is alongside him, and that's true going back 2 seasons.

Originally Posted by Dr Stranger

It’s a good job we beat Villa and Leicester shit the bed against Newcastle or we’d be in a real fight for second. Still might be if we lose Thursday.

Can't wait until it's confirmed so this can stop.

Originally Posted by Dr Stranger

It’s a good job we beat Villa and Leicester shit the bed against Newcastle or we’d be in a real fight for second. Still might be if we lose Thursday.

we need 4 points from liverpool, fulham and wolves. I'm going to say it won't be a "real fight". the important thing is that thursday is going to be fun now.

leicester have to play chelsea and spurs, too.

the only real reason we need to beat liverpool is keep them out of the top four.

City fans giving it the big 'un in the football group chat They don't like it when you inform them no-one cares and the most important thing is making sure Liverpool aren't in the CL..

Originally Posted by dunk

City fans giving it the big 'un in the football group chat They don't like it when you inform them no-one cares and the most important thing is making sure Liverpool aren't in the CL..

Could not think of anything worse.

Originally Posted by dunk

Turned off as soon as the final whistle went. Have no interest in the empty vessels following the City are amazing script.

I note that when they forced a game to be postponed they didn’t find themselves having to 3 games in 6 days and instead had a 10 day break at the busiest point of the season, the game of course being postponed so they didn’t have to play a weakened team

You’ll be shocked to learn that this wasn’t mentioned by the assorted imbeciles (including Rio) on BT when discussing how city would’ve handled a fixture pile up like ours. Nor that other ‘city being funded by an Arab state’ thing that allows them to buy two first teams.

A two week holiday at Christmas while everyone else is playing three games. Fresh as a daisy in January and February while we looked leggy and dropped shit points.

Originally Posted by dunk

City fans giving it the big 'un in the football group chat They don't like it when you inform them no-one cares and the most important thing is making sure Liverpool aren't in the CL..

That's your first mistake right there.

Originally Posted by ryanMUFC

Could not think of anything worse.

It’s to say who’s playing etc. The blues tend to jump all over it with unofficial shite when they think they’ve got one over on the reds

Probably already been answered but how the £#%&! did Axel get away with wearing his Apple Watch during the game?

Originally Posted by lenin

You’ll be shocked to learn that this wasn’t mentioned by the assorted imbeciles (including Rio) on BT when discussing how city would’ve handled a fixture pile up like ours. Nor that other ‘city being funded by an Arab state’ thing that allows them to buy two first teams.

A two week holiday at Christmas while everyone else is playing three games. Fresh as a daisy in January and February while we looked leggy and dropped shit points.

It wasn’t two weeks. They had a 7 off days between games. Still an advantage but the off period seems to grow every time someone brings it up.

Funny game from Matic really; he was superb for the most part - man of the match by a mile - but was at least partly to blame for both goals. Axel was obviously instructed to stay close to Iheanacho (?) so if that was his job then Matic should have tracked Tielemans run. Instead everyone got sucked to the ball. Even at that stage Bailly could have gone full blooded on the runner — he was closer to the ball than Tielemans at one point and could easily have won it — but mystifyingly opted to run parallel. What the £#%&! that was supposed to accomplish God only knows. Terrible, terrible communication, but under the circumstance maybe it’s to be expected.

Matic was also weak for the second. I get that it’s hard for a zonal defender vs a runner, but you still need to stand strong and attack it. He crumbled like a deck of cards, though in mitigation he wasn’t helped by Rashford, or Ole for making subs at a corner. Naive.

He also tired badly in the last half hour.

meh, may as well have been a friendly with the week ahead.

Boiled the correct amount of piss. Job done.

Originally Posted by utd99

Funny game from Matic really; he was superb for the most part - man of the match by a mile - but was at least partly to blame for both goals. Axel was obviously instructed to stay close to Iheanacho (?) so if that was his job then Matic should have tracked Tielemans run. Instead everyone got sucked to the ball. Even at that stage Bailly could have gone full blooded on the runner — he was closer to the ball than Tielemans at one point and could easily have won it — but mystifyingly opted to run parallel. What the £#%&! that was supposed to accomplish God only knows. Terrible, terrible communication, but under the circumstance maybe it’s to be expected.

Matic was also weak for the second. I get that it’s hard for a zonal defender vs a runner, but you still need to stand strong and attack it. He crumbled like a deck of cards, though in mitigation he wasn’t helped by Rashford, or Ole for making subs at a corner. Naive.

He also tired badly in the last half hour.

our defence was completely out of shape for the first, with both central defenders and telles going missing. I thought matic was weak on the second as well, although, as you say, not the only one at fault. if pogba had defended like that, people would be pointing it out. even if zonal defending, you have to move to the point of contact quickly. no use complaining the attacker has a run on you if you are too unaware to anticipate it. that goal was probably the only moment I would criticise him, but he spent the rest of the game covering up for the deficiencies of others (including the manager for the selection/formation).

still... captain's performance, man-of-the-match. aside from greenwood in the box, he was in a different class to everyone else. but there is only so much one man can do.