Premier League 2020/21 Man Utd vs Chelsea Sat 24th Oct 17.30 KO

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Poor game. Neither side really went for it. You can understand Chelsea's approach, but why didn't we go for them?

James was very poor.
 
We did try to win it last 15, but you need to give Chelsea credit as well. They did defend very well.
 
Shoot said:
We did try to win it last 15, but you need to give Chelsea credit as well. They did defend very well.
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We're at home, we should be trying to win it from the first minute.

Chelsea did defend well, as did United. But I think neither team attacked with a passion.

What has VDB got to do to get a game?
 
For me it was really bad team selection. Mata and James sort of make a player between them. One has the pace the other has the intelligence but neither have both. Obviously I could not guarantee staying with 3 at the back would have been better but I really believe our players suit it better.
 
Don't think anyone can blame us of not trying to win. Chelsea didn't turn up to play. They had 1 shot on target which was the Reece James free kick cross to De Gea
 
IDFD said:
Don't think anyone can blame us of not trying to win. Chelsea didn't turn up to play. They had 1 shot on target which was the Reece James free kick cross to De Gea
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I can. 50% possession, 4 shots on target. Hardly domineering stuff. Stats aside, just watching the game you could see we never really went for it. Either by design or limitation, I don't know.
 
O-Dog said:
I can. 50% possession, 4 shots on target. Hardly domineering stuff. Stats aside, just watching the game you could see we never really went for it. Either by design or limitation, I don't know.
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I agree ODog, lifeless display from us. It's frustrating the summer window we had not adding the players needed, stuttering start to the campaign (totally predictable) whilst the big guns we hoped to be chasing are stuttering also but we're not in position to capitalise. Glazers and Woodward OUT!!
 
The way I am seeing this is, Ole (rightly or wrongly) as squad competition increases is giving some who have been with us for some time the chance to either play their way into future plans or play their way out of them as opposed to making sweeping changes.
The team that seemingly turned our season around got another crack at it today, cant say I was overly confident once I saw the starting 11.
Today surely must be the day when Ole realises James cant cut it.
Shaw just doesnt offer enough going forward, we definitely need an upgrade on him, that said I am still for us playing 3 at the back for the time being with the current squad and then Shaw becomes an asset again.
I have a suspicion Greenwood has had a talking to as reported, although it may have been general conduct and expectancy as opposed to timekeeping. The niggling injury that Ole has been talking of I have doubts about and I can otherwise not for the life of me think why he wouldnt have been a starter today. Hope he stays on the straight and narrow and becomes the world class player I tipped him to be before he got anywhere near the first team.
Fred is showing he can be a useful combative player in the right type of game but he will never be the best. His passing is too poor and he is reminiscent of Anderson if he gets a sniff at goal. Couldnt hit a donkeys arse with a banjo. It's only a matter of time before DVDB finds his regular spot in the team.
The fact that Mata can come in and on occasion do a job (Newcastle) matters not to me, he is not the way forward. I was surprised he started today.
McTominay continues to improve and I think he certainly has a good future at OT
Pogba, for me a good enough offer should see him out the door. I think he is a distraction to the rebuild.

Ole still has a lot to sort out but I expect him to do just that. He is certainly taking us forward. I suspect this season is being used as another building season. By that I mean I'm sure we will be trying our best to win trophies but I doubt he is actually under any pressure to win a trophy this season. I think the plan is longer term, 3 yrs.

It was a poor watch today, no doubt about that, but Chelsea proved to be a difficult opponent to break down, they set themselves up to be just that and of course keeping a clean sheet was very important to us.
I am still expecting a decent season, I think we will be up there and I am expecting a good CL campaign.
Remember the 90s, early 2000s, when we came up against tough opposition who were parking the bus we always found a way by sheer will. We had the characters to impose that will, there were times when we bullied our way to the win, scared the life out of opponents on occasions. Our opponents often believed we were so superior, almost invincible, beaten as they were walking onto the pitch watching Eric's raised collar, Keano's glare or even big Stam's quiet smile.
Bruno is a decent start to getting some of that battling spirit back. Pogba isnt.
 
Shoot said:
The way I am seeing this is, Ole (rightly or wrongly) as squad competition increases is giving some who have been with us for some time the chance to either play their way into future plans or play their way out of them as opposed to making sweeping changes.
The team that seemingly turned our season around got another crack at it today, cant say I was overly confident once I saw the starting 11.
Today surely must be the day when Ole realises James cant cut it.
Shaw just doesnt offer enough going forward, we definitely need an upgrade on him, that said I am still for us playing 3 at the back for the time being with the current squad and then Shaw becomes an asset again.
I have a suspicion Greenwood has had a talking to as reported, although it may have been general conduct and expectancy as opposed to timekeeping. The niggling injury that Ole has been talking of I have doubts about and I can otherwise not for the life of me think why he wouldnt have been a starter today. Hope he stays on the straight and narrow and becomes the world class player I tipped him to be before he got anywhere near the first team.
Fred is showing he can be a useful combative player in the right type of game but he will never be the best. His passing is too poor and he is reminiscent of Anderson if he gets a sniff at goal. Couldnt hit a donkeys arse with a banjo. It's only a matter of time before DVDB finds his regular spot in the team.
The fact that Mata can come in and on occasion do a job (Newcastle) matters not to me, he is not the way forward. I was surprised he started today.
McTominay continues to improve and I think he certainly has a good future at OT
Pogba, for me a good enough offer should see him out the door. I think he is a distraction to the rebuild.

Ole still has a lot to sort out but I expect him to do just that. He is certainly taking us forward. I suspect this season is being used as another building season. By that I mean I'm sure we will be trying our best to win trophies but I doubt he is actually under any pressure to win a trophy this season. I think the plan is longer term, 3 yrs.

It was a poor watch today, no doubt about that, but Chelsea proved to be a difficult opponent to break down, they set themselves up to be just that and of course keeping a clean sheet was very important to us.
I am still expecting a decent season, I think we will be up there and I am expecting a good CL campaign.
Remember the 90s, early 2000s, when we came up against tough opposition who were parking the bus we always found a way by sheer will. We had the characters to impose that will, there were times when we bullied our way to the win, scared the life out of opponents on occasions. Our opponents often believed we were so superior, almost invincible, beaten as they were walking onto the pitch watching Eric's raised collar, Keano's glare or even big Stam's quiet smile.
Bruno is a decent start to getting some of that battling spirit back. Pogba isnt.
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If Ole is doing this "let players play their way out of the team" lark then he's weak and not the man for the job imo. Shaw is a weak LB we all know that, yet he doesn't put his new LB signing on the bench even? Why sign him? Why was Donny VanDeBeek signed? He should have more minutes than he currently has, he'll be gone in the summer imo, his frustration is palpable from the bench. Must caveat all this by saying that I'm a big Ole fan and have never called for his head, but I'm finding his team selections baffling recently and if he's protesting the transfer activity by not playing the signings he got then that could be very career limiting. A top coach would make the best of what he has.
 
RemiMoses_82 said:
If Ole is doing this "let players play their way out of the team" lark then he's weak and not the man for the job imo. Shaw is a weak LB we all know that, yet he doesn't put his new LB signing on the bench even? Why sign him? Why was Donny VanDeBeek signed? He should have more minutes than he currently has, he'll be gone in the summer imo, his frustration is palpable from the bench. Must caveat all this by saying that I'm a big Ole fan and have never called for his head, but I'm finding his team selections baffling recently and if he's protesting the transfer activity by not playing the signings he got then that could be very career limiting. A top coach would make the best of what he has.
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I didnt say "play their way out of the team", I said "in or out", I suspect he is giving players there chances, finding out about them once and for all and beyond doubt.
And you are talking without knowing circumstances. I suspect there would have been a very good reason for Telles absence and DVDB will not be gone by the summer. I'm sure such a signing would have had Ole's blessing, who do you think would have made the decision to sign him? Woodward? not a chance. Ole is not protesting the signings at all.
Admittedly I wasn't happy with the starting 11 myself, I also wanted a stay with a back 3. Can only presume Ole was rewarding the team that seemingly turned the season around against Newcastle. Greenwood's to me should have been a certain starter for this.
The way things are going it will be after Christmas before we have a real indicator of how the season is going. The absence of fans is certainly having a strange effect on the game.
 
He started the same team that won against Newcastle. I don't see anything wrong with that. The radio made it sound like United were the only team looking to win, and Ole made subs to improve the attack and go for the win.
I can see why Telles didn't start, long international trip, debut a few days ago. Why rush it. Why break up a winning team.

And whoever mentioned home advantage, there are no fans.

Good result, we did enough to win though, shame.
 
I agree there is not great home advantage. Not sure about not changing a winning team as we changed it for PSG then again for Chelsea. I think there are players that may be good enough to beat Newcastle but not good enough to beat Chelsea. The challenge Ole has is to distinguish between the two.
 
Shoot said:
I didnt say "play their way out of the team", I said "in or out", I suspect he is giving players there chances, finding out about them once and for all and beyond doubt.
And you are talking without knowing circumstances. I suspect there would have been a very good reason for Telles absence and DVDB will not be gone by the summer. I'm sure such a signing would have had Ole's blessing, who do you think would have made the decision to sign him? Woodward? not a chance. Ole is not protesting the signings at all.
Admittedly I wasn't happy with the starting 11 myself, I also wanted a stay with a back 3. Can only presume Ole was rewarding the team that seemingly turned the season around against Newcastle. Greenwood's to me should have been a certain starter for this.
The way things are going it will be after Christmas before we have a real indicator of how the season is going. The absence of fans is certainly having a strange effect on the game.
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I disagree on pretty much all of that. DVB was a Woodward buy imo, low hanging fruit as he was gifted to us by ex United man VanDerSar. We've needed a RW since Valencia switched to RB circa 2013 on STILL haven't signed one. Going into the window even my dog could have told you that we needed a RW, a defensive midfielder, a CB and possibly a LB, we got an attacking midfielder, a LB that wasn't on anybodys radar, a 33 year old striker and 2 kids. I can understand Ole protesting that, but he's be wise to find a way to make it work before someone else is brought in to.
 
RemiMoses_82 said:
I disagree on pretty much all of that. DVB was a Woodward buy imo, low hanging fruit as he was gifted to us by ex United man VanDerSar. We've needed a RW since Valencia switched to RB circa 2013 on STILL haven't signed one. Going into the window even my dog could have told you that we needed a RW, a defensive midfielder, a CB and possibly a LB, we got an attacking midfielder, a LB that wasn't on anybodys radar, a 33 year old striker and 2 kids. I can understand Ole protesting that, but he's be wise to find a way to make it work before someone else is brought in to.
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And do you think we should have paid over £100 million for the RW we wanted?
 
We have found the cheaper alternative haven't we? He just doesn't sign until January.

At £40m the lad must be going in the first team.
 
Shoot said:
And do you think we should have paid over £100 million for the RW we wanted?
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Yes. Then sold our dead wood to fund buying a CB or def midfielder. Thomas Partey was available at a reasonable release clause, our lack of a transfer strategy is annoying.
 
RemiMoses_82 said:
Yes. Then sold our dead wood to fund buying a CB or def midfielder. Thomas Partey was available at a reasonable release clause, our lack of a transfer strategy is annoying.
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Nobody came in for any of the players who you consider to be deadwood
 
IDFD said:
We have found the cheaper alternative haven't we? He just doesn't sign until January.

At £40m the lad must be going in the first team.
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Well it's cheaper vs £100m+ for Sancho, but is it cost effective? We still paid £40m for a kid who had 3 senior games for Atalanta, time will tell if it was smart business. We wouldn't go £108m for Sancho but spent £40m DVB, £23m Telles, £40m Diallo, £9m Pellestri not to mention Cavani's huge wages, so combined £112m on back up and development players, I'd rather have spent that on Sancho who instantly walks into and improves the team.
 
Shoot said:
Nobody came in for any of the players who you consider to be deadwood
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There are buyers out there for Rojo, Smalling, Lingard and James, guaranteed. Problem was that we dragged our feet bringing in players so these guys were kept.
 
IDFD said:
We have found the cheaper alternative haven't we? He just doesn't sign until January.

At £40m the lad must be going in the first team.
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I am certainly hopeful but a teenager with I think a handful of games in italy has to be considered a gamble. Of course all signings are a gamble but sancho is way more proven.
 
Think Ole setup not to lose and Lampard did the same both went for caution over adventure and that’s how it played out.

We had the better chances but draw was a fair result.

Positive is a clean sheet but it highlights the lack of wide options when we are still using James and Mata in wide positions on a regular basis.

I know there’s a lot of talk about VDB not playing but it’s still early days but I am not sure where exactly he fits in I’d probably look to get him in instead of Mata and ask Bruno to play from the right. That still leaves Pogba on the bench though his performances are getting better and maybe worthy of getting his starting spot back.
 
jsp said:
That still leaves Pogba on the bench though his performances are getting better and maybe worthy of getting his starting spot back.
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I dont think he can play that deep position Ole had him in, he needs to be creative further forward
 
Shoot said:
I dont think he can play that deep position Ole had him in, he needs to be creative further forward
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Yeah I tend to agree he’s a big liability in that deeper role when we aren’t in possession.
 
I honestly dont think we could get 60m for him. Maybe 50m if we are lucky, or 30m plus a player if we can find one that helps us.
 
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