₦airaland Forum

Swissh:
With the creativity of ozil and miki I can see auba scoring 20goals before the season ends. We can still make top4.

Easy, it's Everton. Even you're done with Spurs and City, you can start dreaming.

raumdeuter:
around 2001 Leeds finished 3rd in the league and were in the CL semi.

When Bayern bought Lucio, Leverkusen finished 15th in the league.

When they bought Ballack?
When they bought Dante?
When they bought Goetze?
LEWANDOWSKI?
HUMMELS?

sinizia:
Gbam!! If Pogba can just forget about pushing forward to attack all the time in a 4231 formation, and allow Martial, Lingard, Sanchez and Ukaku to chase down opposition players while him and Matic pick up the pieces snuff out impending danger, 4231 will serve us best. Like a football columnist pointed out, against Tottenham he's stuck on deciding if he's to attack or defend thereby leaving us exposed. He needs to apply the brakes on his attacking zeal against top teams when we're being dominated. Mctominay did today exactly what Pogba needs to be doing. Against small teams, he can dominate and join in attack but against top teams, he needs to help out his partner Matic. This way we won't be spending big on another midfielder to partner Matic coz if Pogba is moved to the AM position, it means Martial would be benched and I hate that.

But we still need one or two midfielders to replace Carrick and Fellaini, though.

With Herrera and Pereira still in our books, I don't think we need anymore squad player in the middle. A proven midfielder to start in a 3 man midfield? Then, yes...

raumdeuter:
Mata, Matic from Chelsea, RVP Alexis from Arsenal Berbatov Carrick from Spurs. If am to extend it to 2002 like you did for Ballack and Lucio I will also include Rio Ferdinand, Alan Smith Leeds

When Carrick and Berbatov were signed from Spurs, were they title contenders?
In 2002, leeds were not contenders either.
Matic and Mata weren't wanted at Chelsea, Alexis was part of a player exchange so while you can argue it weakened Arsenal, you have to realize Mkhitaryan is also a good player, one that conquered Bundesliga and so far, he's been electric. Van Persie? Yes...

Compare them to Goetze, Lewandowski, Hummelstown, Dante etc

hardeycute:
I'm giving up.

There should not have been inclusion of players who have left the club whom arrival exceeds the 5yrs column except for Active players

The argument should be about how many players were signed from direct rivals for the title. Signing a player from Fulham is the same as signing a player from Dortmund when they signed Goetze, Lewy and Hummels or Leverkusen when they got Ballack and later Lucio and Ze Roberto.

sinizia:
Well, the best tactic is to find the right balance. Push attack but run back like Sanchez or Lingard to win balls back. But if keep cultivating the attitude of just defending against top teams, we've no chance of winning most of the time.

Most definitely, with the quality in our ranks, we should be approaching games against top teams with a positive mentality.

sinizia:
Mourinho should try the 442 Funlörd suggested. Martial or Rashford on LW, Lingard or Mata on RW, Pogba pushed forward while Matic mops up from DM. If we can press as hard as City, we don't have to lose possession and get caught on the counter. Pogba needs to work hard like KDB as well for this formation to work. But if Mourinho wants to continue like this, then Martial has to be benched or learn the RW role coz Sanchez is best from the LW from where he roves.

4-4-2 is easily 4-2-3-1 especially with a player like Sanchez involved.
Sanchez can comfortably play as SS/AM flanked by Martial and Mata who I'd have over Lingard for his ability to drift across the pitch and be part of our build up play. But all this depends on Pogba putting in a shift at the middle as you suggested.

Mata and his constant movement, created the first goal from the left and the second goal from the right. Terrific player.

sinizia:
This was why Guardiola went all out to buy Mendy and Walker at all cost coz in this modern times, full-backs attack relentlessly to pin oppositions back and help create outlets for the CF to score

I feel Mourinho asked the defenders not to push forward too much, at some point, I was screaming at Smalling and Rojo to push up as they had acres of space in front of them.

Sanchez is just quality, Jose has got to find a way to blend in Pogba, Sanchez, Martial and Lukaku...

After the substitution, I expected Rashford to man the RW but Mourinho shunted Martial to the right again, I don't get why.

Mata is a tidy footballer, uses his brain more. He was very well involved in our goals.

Now I just need Martial in place of McTonimay.

Good substitution, Lingard has faded a bit.
Now, let's see Martial in place of McTonimay or Mata.

I just love Mata and his link up play, I still think we'll play much better with Martial, Sanchez and Mata.

ToyinDipo:
Sanchez is very hardworking. He is worth three players, Pogba, Martial can sit it out

No, we need them. We'll be couple of levels up with those gladiators.

I was going to say Smalling and Rojo should push up into midfield, we should press them higher up the pitch...

Shouldn't this match be the best opportunity for Mourinho to blend in his best players? Why on planet earth is Pogba and Martial on the bench when in the long run they'd be in the first 11?
At Spurs you thrust your best players in albeit having a couple of them played out of position, now you are up against a fairly weaker opposition in which you've got the opportunity to have your best players play together, you drop some of them to the bench...I don't understand Mourinho's decision today.

Our off the ball movement has got to be the worst among the top 4 teams.

Lingard has been impressive but on the whole, we playing too far away from the goal.

That's a penalty all day.

diggz:
A task which seems extremely difficult to do.....

CapitalCee:
my thoughts exactly. Lingard for me is better than Mata in this team set up. leave name. in that game vs spurs only Lingard and Sanchez came out with credit..

Valencia was our best player in that game.
I have nothing against Lingard, I like the fact that he's been in amongst the goal but for him to remain in the team, he has to contribute more to our play.

odizeey:
ok. But is it the mata you guys said was so slow.

I have always preferred him to Lingard for the reason that he is more involved in our play.

eph12:
Well since its Huddersfield this should be OK but I would have preferred Mata is dropped and Mc comes in or Herrera while Pogba is pushed forward.

Definitely the way to go against the very goods sides to provide some steel and tenacity in the middle of the park.

odizeey:
if rojo and mata starts playing nonsense you will say jose na cast o. I'll replace mata wit lingard rojo with lindelhof .

Rojo is in my line up because he is a natural LCB compared to the others. I'd even prefer Blind to the others as LCB, we need naturals on all positions.
Mata on the RW effects our play better even if he is not excellent. With Lingard, apart from the goals he scores, he doesn't do enough in terms of our build up play.

Preferred lineup guys...I'd go with.
De Gea
Valencia - Jones-Rojo-Shaw
Matic-Pogba
Mata-Sanchez-Martial
Lukaku.

Conjectures again from that Barca fan.

eph12:
Mourinho has a team well above average, he shouldn't mess this up. The major missing was the fight, the zeal, determination, spirit. His team has been lacking this for some time now. What broke Jose? His team used to be able to give all on the pitch.

The result is not even what's killing here but the performance. He just needs to motivate them more and relieve Pogba from the stress of winning the middle of the pitch.

Herrera might have to take Lingard's place to bring some balance and tenacity in that midfield. Martial - Pogba - Sanchez behind Lukaku.
Sanchez should play from the right as Martial is poor there, let's see what Sanchez can offer playing from there...

Against high pressing teams and teams that move the ball fast, Matic and Pogba can't cope, Herrera should be used.

Again, Young doesn't help out in attack as much as Shaw and defensively, I don't see how he is better. He might score more but Shaw brings more balance to our play.

Jones and Smalling shouldn't be paired together, we must get a competent LCB in the summer, for now, Rojo should partner Jones, the both goals we conceded came from Smalling and Jones error.

Lingard is good when he is scoring but when he is not, he doesn't offer much. I was surprised that he was given the license to roam, why Mourinho choose to give our most technically limited player license to roam is beyond me. Martial was useless on the right, he should play from the left and Sanchez should play behind Lukaku.

Lukaku, he needs to do much more when it comes to winning aerial balls, he is too lazy to jump, he should have troubled Vertoghen more.

Valencia and De Gea played very well.

Funny seeing Chelsea and that self acclaimed Madrid fan here trolling, there's a tradition here, you only troll those you are better than or recorded good results over but look around and see idiots displaying their idiocy...

CapitalCee:
Lingard have been better than everybody there. Pogba and Matic have been rubbish. . I think Young should stop being a first team from now.

Better than who, where is the link up play from him?

Lingard the most technically limited player in our team is given a free role, Martial is played out of position to accommodate that idiotic Lingard.
Martial should play from the left, Sanchez behind Lukaku and Lingard on the right...

Pogba should receive the hairdryer treatment, he's been passive and Matic has been erratic.

Jones and Smalling are really epileptic.

Please Martial should be moved to the left please. Sanchez can play through the middle...
Mata should play from the right, if Lingard is not scoring, he doesn't offer much...

Pogba has been shit.
Young is tucking in too much.
Matic has been untidy.

Smalling is a fool.

I hope Sanchez plays through the middle and Lingard on the right wing.

Young over Shaw again? I guess we have to live with Mourinho's preference here.