₦airaland Forum

They are faster than us. They attack us very fast whenever they have the opportunity and regroup to defend before we pass our way into their own third.

We are not trying to penetrate.

handelex:
When you play a certain way and get results, other teams will do their home work and try to figure you out. For most part of the season our midfield was very energetic but lacked creativity, they found it hard to break down low blocks but thrived on the counter, small teams just simply packed the bus against us and we struggled. Post lockdown, our midfield had changed completely with Bruno, Pogba and Matic, park the bus against such creativity and get obliterated but, there was less energy in the midfield to press, run around and cover grounds which the likes of Fred could do all day. So when we are pressed now, our midfield struggles, that's a fact and teams are beginning to figure it out as well. The coach and his staff need to work out a well balanced system that can handle the systematic press of some teams against us cos there are some teams we just can't be parking the bus against. Football is very dynamic and till you find the best balance, their will always be shortcomings.

True. The mobility of the midfield is low. Ideally, midfielders cover most ground, but in our match against Southampton, Rashford, Greenwood and Martial covered most ground when it was shown near half time.

Expert17:
Cc Elampiro

I thought your argument was that they never played together.

Expert17:
That was our game against Sheffeild United away that ended 3-3...

We went 2-0 down, before Perriera was replaced.....so I don't get your point

Not sure that was the only time they played.

However, my point is that Fred has done the DM thing before and was being considered MOTM in series of matches.

Expert17:
Fred and Perriera played as a midfield duo?

Which match abeg.

Fred is not good as a DM, no need to argue about it.....the best of Fred is when he plays alongside Mctominay or Matic.

They have been paired during McTominay and Matic injury times

Panther7:
he was hampered by injuries na it's not enough to draw conclusion

He was a better attacking left back under Gaal

Panther7:
I must say shaw's attacking play has really improved, what will you factor it down to?

Go and watch Shaw under Gaal.

Lana1:
I like this partnership between Rashford and Martial and how they're combining to win us games. This is what i've always dreamed of....forwards that score.

I reckon one of them(or both sef) will hit 20 league goals!

Glad no one is talking about attacking improvement from the fullbacks as guys here were shouting after just two games in the continuation of the season after lockdown.

pharod:
If this game doesn't show the board that our priority should be a DM and RW, I don't know what else will.
Matic calmed everywhere immediately he came on. Good game overall.

We move

When Matic was 23 years old would he have been able to play like this?

Hope we do not sell McTominay and later buy him.back for £150 million in two years? Ferguson has identified McTominay and Greenwood as two players he is most please with

Beorn:
This is simply the only solution. Fred or Tominay can't play a lone DM like Matic. They only function well when they play together

Not true. Fred did well on his own when McTominay was injured for a long time. Fred did well with even Perreira.

The issue currently is that he is low in confidence to do what he can having been made a bench player. This same thing used to happen to Nani whenever Valencia was back for injury. Some players just can't compete.

Expert17:
When you don't know anything about defending in football.....its better you stick to celebrating goals scored only.

---Maguire is our best player in the air, whether you like it or not.
When you have a partner like Lindelof and De gea, who are both shit at set-piece....you will end up doing much work at defending set-piece....

---The first goal was a fault from De Gea passing centrally to Pogba when Southampton were pressing......and also Pogba wasting time on the ball.

---The 2nd goal was Rashford and Lindelof fault.

Pogba controlled the ball poorly in favour of his marker. He did not guide it

Prectega:
80million ...

What about 100m that caused the first goal?

Expert17:
De Gea is so Stupid.

He doesn't know the basics of goalkeeping.

R8mero would have saved that ball easily

Nezzjnr:
Surely bro.... I was just uneasy prior to the buildup to that game

The guys played under pressure.... We were able to pull out a draw against this High pressing Soton side

Ole need to work on the defence during the EPL break... He should borrow the defence masterclass from Mou especially in games like this

We've never had it those easy against Soton since Moyes took over

Which pressure?

eph12:
Ole should have withdrawn Greenwood for Tom or Fred since around 60 minutes. We couldn't keep up in the midfield.

You are right. We were second best in midfield from the start. It got worse as time wore on in tbe second half. What helped us was Pogba and Matic ability to at least hold the ball for a few seconds. But they were getting really tired.

Shaw's injury was a blow as well

eph12:
Not the match I was watching o. They had x2 of our energy, all over the place in our face. We couldn't match that

I remember expert17 asking if it's energy we want or brain, abi how you take ask am sef. There has to be a balance. Plenty of energy is needed against teams like this abeg

This is our first real test since Covid19. I remember saying there will be teams that will punish out midfield. Today is the first time our midfielders were forced to play from the deep and chase for tackles. May be if we introduced a 3rd midfielder, it would have been better than substituting one.

I believe we conceded because we were playing with 10 men. William would have helped to defend that corner.

eph12:
Salah and Rashford? Nobody can argue otherwise na. Where is this coming from?

Erm now that we know the advantage, what are the disadvantages?

No disadvantage as long as we keep winning. Or may be we need another back up who can attack and involved in build up play. Ighalo is in his own in his type of game.

eph12:
So the difference in number of penalties taken between the two set of attackers is 3 or 4? Not much of a difference to me

Salah is better than Rashford. No need to drag it. The advantage we have is that our guys are younger.

eph12:
Salah has 3 penalties this season. Plus Rashford won most of his penalties

Have you checked penalties won by Salah?

eph12:
Elampiro what do you think about this analysis now https://www.goal.com/en/news/man-utd-rashford-martial-greenwood-bettering-salah-mane/vvaidaip0swt1iiz6u8mdfz7j

It is a good analysis but we now have a superb attacking force compared to months back. However, Salah and Mane are still better than our players currently. Greenwood might leapfrog them soon if he keeps performing. As Lampard noted, it is risky to over praise a young English player too early. So we pray Greenwood keeps shooting with his left and right like Ronaldo.

Narrowing down the analysis, Rashford has scored 6 penalties.

patrickmuf:
No, he wasn't at fault. As GloryIsaac rightly pointed out, it's 95% on Maguire and 5% on De Gea.

DDG 5%?

If he covered his near post, no way the ball will go in. It is 50/50 fault

Expert17:
All this one is SHALAYE.....

Bruno was at Sporting Lisbon playing with low quality players (some are worst like Lingard) but was still the main man there.... Scoring and assisting....

Person wey good don good...

Fred tried, but he's behind Bruno....

BRUNO for president

How does what happens in Sporting Lisbon affects our player of the season choice?

sylvalord:
Bruno without a doubt. He has singlehandedly turned our fortunes around. Fred tried before Bruno came but he never had the kind of impact Bruno has had in such a short time.

If you send Rashford, Matic, McTominay, back to injury and Ighalo back to China. Will Bruno still have that kind of influence?

Even at one point Martial was injured. Fred had to pair Perreira, and having Lingard/Mata in the hole, James on the side.

patrickmuf:
Fred for me, I remember when he played every game at one point, that was in December. For his endeavor, let him be rewarded...

1st Fred or Bruno
3rd McTominay
4th Martial or Rashford
5th Bissaka or Maguire

Fred should be one sha. He was our best player in the big games, and did well for a very long time.

Bruno came when the team was getting balanced and players coming from injury, as well as having Ighalo as an option. But he make the attack to play better. He raised our confidence, and being the in fans recent memory, he will be voted best

Leyqute:
Bailey is jittery jare.

It happens when you have been out for a long time and called upon to play in place of another who has been okay

patrickmuf:
He brings so much balance to our midfield...

I mean no one dares blame him for his part of culpability leading to the goal we conceded.

patrickmuf:
What stopped Matic from clearing the ball away? This your agenda will only fly when necessary...

Matic is now untouchable.