Manchester United (Away)

[Pearso]

Couldn't be bothered to write a depthy analysis of the game from my perspective. All I'll say is we never even looked like scoring apart from that square ball from Mirallas to Vic, and the players didn't look like they were trying to win, particularly in the last ten minutes. Looked like they just wanted the game over with. Not sure if I'm just getting into the habit of using Heits as a scapegoat but I felt he was too easily beaten for the first goal, Distin wouldn't have been shrugged aside like that. Anyway, Europa seems to be the likely outcome of this season for mine.

[Dalziel Kane]

It's 4-30 AM and we've only just got back, and had some 'technical difficulties' earlier today with match day progress, but I thought before time we maybe wouldn't get anything out of today, and so it proved. I listened to the second half and it sounded a bit dismal. They realized they had done enough for the win and the comeback from last season never looked like repeating. Had all kinds of problems with the match day thread earlier today, but it was a disappoiting performance for us this afternoon. I hope Madrid give them a damn beating in the European Cup, or even an elimination is good enough.

 

I can't abide Manchester United or some of their players, but they showed once again, they have a decent side that can get results and I don't think we were able to compete today. At least we were largely responsible for them losing the League Championship last spring with those two late goals that enabled MCFC to go on and win the title, but today you have to feel this time they may just have done enough now to win back the championship.

 

More points lost in the European place endeavors but still quietly confident. A winnable fifth round draw in the FA cup is something in reserve.

[duncanmckenzieismagic]

If Moyes comes out and says, "We played well" I'll join the "Moyes out" club.

 

http://www.liverpooldailypost.co.uk/sport/everton-fc/everton-fc-news/2013/02/11/99623-32784485/

 

 

Fairly honest and accurate I feel

[MikeO]

http://www.liverpool...99623-32784485/

 

 

Fairly honest and accurate I feel

 

Yeah, fair enough....but if he can see the tiredness in Pienaar and Ossie (for which read ineffectiveness on the pitch) why not sub them? Give Oviedo a go on the left for example, he couldn't have been worse than Pienaar in the second half.

 

Baffles me that he goes on about how small our squad is but then chooses to limit himself to an even smaller group within it.

[Zoo]

I didn't really pay attention to the full match because it was such a gutless performance, we were totally out-played by a Manchester United team that never got out of second gear and never broke a sweat. We have no options going forward and we look really clueless going back, the European dream for me could well be over because the standard of play is on par with the likes of Aston Villa and QPR who are down in relegation.

[jofanon]

_{I'm not panicking yet but we haven't been "right" for some time.}

 

_{What's happening? What on earth has happened to Jela and Heits?}

[Zoo]

Low in confidence. I'm glad to see Moyes doing something about it though, Heitinga would not have played had it not been for Distin feeling ill in the warm-up and Jelavic himself has been on the bench for the past few games.

[Romey 1878]

For the first 10-15mins of the game we were abysmal. Our players may as well have not even been on the pitch for all the use they were. They completely stood off United and let them do exactly what they wanted; they could pass it where they wanted and turn with the ball without the slightest bit of pressure. And we were embarrassingly bad when we managed to get the ball. There was no composure whatsoever from any of our players; they'd either misplace the place (or play it too short!) or just hoof it as soon as we got it. We had a massive warning sign early on with our offside trap when Neville, our most experienced player, was two yards behind a perfectly straight line of the other three defenders and RVP raced away on goal. Fortunately he hit the post. You'd think we wouldn't let that happen again after the warning... ahem! They did eventually punish us for our poor start, but it was another goal conceded that was our own doing. Heitinga, once again, was completely and utterly done. He was caught completely cold and it's just not acceptable. From that point on though I thought we got a foothold in the game and became much the better side. I'm not saying we were brilliant (like we were earlier in the season) but we were on top and finally getting, and keeping, the ball and creating openings. But, as ever, we failed to get the goal we deserved... and were duly punished by United right before half-time. And again it was a goal we could have prevented. Jags, Heitinga and Baines all holding a good line again and then you have Neville loitering two yards behind them playing RVP onside. Again he raced away at Howard but this time he made no mistake and put United two up. This for me was as unacceptable as Heitinga's fuck up.

 

That goal obviously knocked the stuffing out of us because we didn't get going at any point in the second half. It was painful to watch because there was just nothing. United had a stroll for the second half, they barely had to stretch themselves and even so, if not for Howard they'd have put a few more past us as well. Basically, the second half was a completely write off.

 

What this game showed me is that we can compete with the likes of United all over the pitch... except in the final third. And really, that's all that matters and is why we are a million miles away from being a top 4 side. Lets be honest, even when we were playing brilliantly at the beginning of the season we weren't clinical enough in front of goal and now it's really hurting us. United showed us what's needed to be right up there, and that's taking your chances when you get them, no matter how you're playing. Until we start doing that we'll never be up there.

 

I really fear for us in our run in. I think we're going to be overtaken by quite a few teams and end up not even in the running for a Europa spot if we're not careful. We look very wary and show no signs of getting freshness back while Moyes refuses to utilise his subs bench effectively.

 

 

Howard - He pulled off some pure quality saves and he deserves a pint or two from his team mates for stopping us being on the end of a drubbing.

 

 

Neville - I thought he let the whole side down badly. His error for the second goal that killed us off was schoolboy stuff. He was looking right across the line so he should never have made that fuck up. Not to mention he hadn't learnt from earlier on either. He's not a kid; he's 36 and should know better. He was no use going forward either. I don't think he realises just how slow he is tbh. Time after time he'd have an opportunity to get the ball in and would instead try to "race" past the United player to cross it, but he'd either be dispossessed because he's slower than a snail or he'd put in his usual shit cross.

 

Jagielka - An absolute rock. He was on top of of his game and didn't we need him to be? He's hardly blessed with pace himself but he was having to cover for Heitinga's lack of pace as well as doing his own duties. He was the heart and soul of us and the rest of our players really should hang their heads in shame. He was everywhere, a rock for us. My MOTM.

 

Heitinga - Had another colossal fuck up. I have no idea what was going through his mind, if anything at all. It was like he was half asleep as the ball came and by the time he realised what was happening it was too late to recover. That being said he did prevent another certain goal (IMO) later on in the game when he poked the ball away from RVP.

 

Baines - Apart from one or two occasions he was pretty much nullified.

 

 

Pienaar - His passing was crap, again. Far too often he dropped his passes too short. It's hardly difficult to put a bit more power on the ball so it bloody reaches a team mate! I don't even think he made up for it with his work rate either. He looked lethargic. He probably needs a rest. We have Oviedo. Use him. Oviedo may not be as good as Pienaar at his best, but Pienaar is nowhere near his best right now so it's not going to lessen us.

 

Osman - Honestly may as well have not been there for large periods of the game. When United were attacking they just walked right through him, and he was mostly useless in attack too. He needs to realise that he's not going to be allowed an unlimited time on the ball to do what he wants, he needs to be quicker. He loses possession too often and too easily because of this. Also, a lot of the time he was deeper than Gibson and that's not where we want our creative player, it left him with too far to travel to influence the game. Like Pienaar he looks absolutely knackered and needs a rest. And, again, our other options may not be as good as him when he's on his game but we need to change it.

 

Gibson - Probably the worst game he's had for us since arriving. Offered no protection for the defence and didn't really get anything going with his passing like he usually does.

 

Mirallas - Our biggest threat and most positive player. He was always looking to make something happen but his final ball invariably let him down. Can't fault him for trying though. I did think he started to fade badly towards the end of the first half though, and was running on fumes for the time he was on in the second half and offered very little then.

 

 

Fellaini - So much for the big games bringing the best out of him . I don't think he really looked up for it, and coupled with being man marked by Jones the whole time he was pretty non-existent. Maybe Moyes should have changed it once he realised he was being man marked and dropped him deeper? We'll never know if that would have helped matters now though. United did a number on him and we had nobody else willing (or able) to step into the breach.

 

 

Anichebe - Gave it his best shot but United's defence was just too good for him.

[Bailey]

Yeh I agree with what you say about being overtaken for Europe. We have been handed a glorious opportunity in recent weeks to really throw our hat in the ring for that 3rd or 4th spot but we have let it slip. When I look down the league there are several teams looking better than us and I am actually getting fearful of a pasting in the derby given how we normally play at Anfield!

 

To me this game highlighted the difference between a good manager and a great manager. Bar Rooney, RVP and Vidic, Utd's squad isnt that brilliant these days but Fergie knows how to grind out results. He realised he fucked up in the Goodison match and made sure he didnt make the same mistake yesterday. He nullified our two biggest threats (the left & Fellaini) and we literally looked lost. Moyes went into that game hoping the same trick would work again but it was never going to. Moyes only needed to watch the Utd vs Soton game to realise how to play against them. You need to press high, stop them playing and dont give them a chance to get their heads up. We gave them all the time in the world in parts of that game and there were massive gaps between the midfield and the defence which Rooney and RVP love to exploit.

 

Its such a disappointment because we know how well we can play.

 

Id also echo MikeO's comments about Moyes using a smaller squad than he really has. Its been clear since Christmas that certain players don't look sharp but instead of blooding a player in here or there he has kept the same 11-13 starters on the go. Im not saying we should make wholesale changes, but bringing in Oviedo for a game to rest Pienaar or Hitz for Osman wont in any way detract from the teams performance.

[Dalziel Kane]

Most will be aware, but we haven't won at Old Trafford since 1992. Simply not a good enough statistic, and Moyes must take his share of responsibilities for being club manager for half of that duration. Why can't we get a fucking victory at venues like this. Apart from one win at Manchester City a year or two ago, the record once again away against oppositions like this is appalling.

 

Still hanging in there for the european places, and most other results this weekend didn't really go our way, and few would have imagined we could have genuinely got the three points, but at least we did beat them earlier this season and was largely responsible for them losing the league championship last year. Poor game second half that was simply going nowhere. They realized they had done enough and seemed to just focus on the Madrid game in a few days. Poor ending to a largely poor game.

[Sideliner]

in a most entertaining game last night Steve Clark the manager of WestBrom outwitted Liverpool with exellent strategy and great subs -

Liverpool dominated the first half with 23 strikes at goal while WestBrom had none -

come the last third of the game - and 3 subs later WestBrom hit Liverpool on the counter TWICE - winning 2-0 in the end despite Liverpool also missing a Suarez induced penalty -

WestBrom did not try to outplay Liverpool - they waited for their chances and hit them hard when they came - while defending for their lives for most of the game -

hats off to them for showing us how to beat Liverpool in their backyard by playing clever football - they actually beat them at home as well - 3-0 if i am not mistaken -

unfortunately i do not get the impression that we are playing clever football at the moment - we are making a huge issue of beating sides which are much weaker than us on paper -

when last have we given any descent side a drumming ? even when we were playing well at the start of the season i never felt we were firing on all cylinders

[Zoo]

when last have we given any descent side a drumming ? even when we were playing well at the start of the season i never felt we were firing on all cylinders

 

The only 'hammerings' I remember us giving out in recent history was the 7-1 against Sunderland and the 5-1 against Hull City. Sadly those games were many seasons ago, I wish we could have put a few past Aston Villa but obviously that was not going to be the case.

[pete0]

Away to Fulham, we hammered them 1 all . Scorelines wise, Swansea 3-0 last season sticks out, the most recent I can think of.

[MikeO]

Scorelines wise, Swansea 3-0 last season sticks out, the most recent I can think of.

 

This season....September.

[pete0]

This season....September.

More recent that I though, I've been brain farting all day .

[Dalziel Kane]

We haven't given a heavyweight side a good beating since I don't know when. I would have said the shite in Autumn 2006 but there has to be a more recent example ? By heavyweight I mean the expected biggest teams of this league and by beatings, victories by three clear goals or more.

 

Damn tired now in my defense

[Zoo]

We haven't given a heavyweight side a good beating since I don't know when. I would have said the shite in Autumn 2006 but there has to be a more recent example ? By heavyweight I mean the expected biggest teams of this league and by beatings, victories by three clear goals or more.

 

I think the 3-0 against Liverpool was the last game. We did lead Manchester United 2-0 back when Manuel Fernandes scored but we threw it away and lost 4-2 (due to Iain Turner having a brain-fart and handing United their first goal). After that its just been the odd 1-0 I think against the likes of Arsenal, Manchester City and Manchester United.

[Bailey]

Didnt we beat United 3-1 at home and Chelsea 2-0. Not drubbings but fairly substantial against that quality of opposition.

[Matt]

the fondue was lovely