This match is beyond slow. There are 22 players all trying to get into an area 44 yds x 18 yds.

I'm amazed how often United just completely lose the midfield and thus control of the game.

Sancho has been another massive bust.

Our spacing at both ends is awful. Offensively everything is packing in with everyone on top of each other. Defensively we are in our own way and leaving people totally unmarked.

Oh great Try Hard is coming on for Martial. He'll surely score zero goals and make zero assists.

I am genuinely curious why you two watch the games.

Furlock Bones said:

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Sancho has been another massive bust.

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Dortmund has made a killing selling very expensive and very underwhelming wingers and mids to PL teams. Mhki, Sancho, Pulisic all have been busts. I would be very leery of Bellingham.

Aston94 said:

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I am genuinely curious why you two watch the games.

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You're enjoying this?!

Furlock Bones said:

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Aston94 said:

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I am genuinely curious why you two watch the games.

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You're enjoying this?!

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I take it for what it is. United are a club that has played more matches than any other club in Europe this season, it's a late season match, we are without our top scorer. We are controlling the game (65-70% possession) and have a 1-0 lead.

Is it the best game we have ever played? No, but 3 points will do.

Good lord. Antony seems to be clearly going in on goal 1v1 and cuts it back into the defender because he is on his right foot.

Antony frustrates me like no other.

Not only did Antony cut it back. But were the other United players. There should have been 2-3 other guys coming in behind him making runs.

He's the most one footed pro I have ever seen.

Bruno not having one of his better games.

That's is not a foul by Weghorst. That ball is in the air and he is in better position than the GKer. What a crock.

McFred on to see this out. Oh dear lord in heaven

3 points is 3 points!

Liverpool is losing so I think that would clinch Champions League qualification.

Check that, Liverpool tie it up.

Pool just tied it up.

Everton at 98:58. Crazy.

So need one point from last 2 matches to assure CL spot.

Sleepy Sancho needs to stay as a sub so Garnacho can gain more experience. Kid makes things happen.

Our finishing was abysmal. We need another to compliment Rashford. Had Rashford played, 2-3 more goals easy. 100% he finishes that Antony breakaway. O

Aston94 said:

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So need one point from last 2 matches to assure CL spot.

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I firmly believe y'all have two losses left in you.

Yep. That home draw was a massive result for us.

Wasn't able to watch the game but sounds like it was more of the same...which isn't surprising. This team is just grinding. A team of effectively 16 players (that's all ETH ever plays) who have played 60 games and, until this week, played a game every 3-4 days between mid-December and mid-May. That team isn't going to get better in April or May. That team is just trying to survive.

Just need one more point. Hopefully we get it Thursday so we can rest players Sunday and then pray that a little extra rest and the motivation of not handing City a treble will be enough to not get steamrolled on June 3rd.

Still, if we manage to get one more point, a 4th place finish and a League Cup trophy has to be considered a significant success given the state of the club at this point last season.

French publication reporting that United and PSG are working on a Neymar deal. Could be a loan (with or w/o option to buy). Apparently Casemiro has been trying to convince him to join.

I am underwhelmed. A loan might be somewhat tolerable but even a loan will likely carry a significant loan fee and salary chunk that United will have to play. He's not an outright forward (even if he does play there) and his best position is likely the one position where we have reasonable talent. You bring him in, you are either shifting him or Rashford to something other than their favorite position and you are stunting Garnacho's development.

I get it. It's Neymar. But...at 31 with so many other holes in the roster this screams of an Ed Woodward deal looking for shiny toys that don't actually work.

Or.......



---------------------------------------Kane-------------------------------

Rashford--------------------Neymar------------------Fernandez


-------------Eriksen---------------Casemiro-------------------------


Neymar tucked in behind Kane, Rashford providing speed and ability to stretch defense, Fernandez out wide on right where he is very effective, Eriksen and Casemiro jumping in, AND Antony and Martial sold?!?

I could live with that.

Seems really old, but okay.

Disagree. Our midfield already struggles progressing the ball and linking defense to the attack. That midfield is going to be even worse at it.

You think replacing Martial with Kane and Antony with Neymar would cause us to have more trouble progressing the ball? Really?

Sorry, but Fernandez and Neymar progressing the ball sounds a lot better to me, so yes, I do think our ball progression would be out of this world. We have too many wingers that are speed guys and if they can't run past you then they are a bit lost. That line up is a lot more progressive with the ball to me.

Get out of here!


I did a quick age check, this would be the age of that group at beginning of EPL season:

Kane--30
Rashford--25
Neymar--31
Fernandes--28
Erksen--31
Casemiro--31

In today's football they are still in prime, and could be for 2-3 years after. But we know as much as players are bought/sold that it is really a year by year proposition anymore.

I say go for it! No way that goes sideways.

This whole argument is silly. In the less than 5% likelihood chance of Neymar to United, you have to realize that he would be injured and unavailable for long periods of time, just like Martial and Pogba

Aston94 said:

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You think replacing Martial with Kane and Antony with Neymar would cause us to have more trouble progressing the ball? Really?

Sorry, but Fernandez and Neymar progressing the ball sounds a lot better to me, so yes, I do think our ball progression would be out of this world. We have too many wingers that are speed guys and if they can't run past you then they are a bit lost. That line up is a lot more progressive with the ball to me.

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No, I think shoehorning Neymar into a team doesn't solve one of our most dire problems (Kane does...so leave him out of it) and rather it amplifies one of our biggest problems. Just look at what happens anytime Eriksen doesn't play or, when he gets tired round about the 60th minute. We consistently lose all control of the midfield and thereby all control of the game. We completely lose any ability to connect the defensive third with the offensive third. Neymar doesn't solve that. In fact, he makes it worse. Because to shoehorn him into a team with Rashford, you've moved Fernandes to the right. Fernandes in the middle at least drops deep often and plays glory balls from the middle when we regain possession in the defensive third. Neymar likely isn't going to be doing even that with the frequency that Fernandes does. We have at least 3 or 4 roster holes. We need at least one good forward. We need an upgrade a goalie. We need more (and better) players like Eriksen in midfield. We need a winger to at least compete with Antony if not supplant him as starter. Left winger and attacking midfield are probably the least of our concerns.

Listen to jeff. He's watched enough Liverpool games to know what happens when you have top a heavy team that has talent in the forward positions but no (or significantly less) talent in midfield.

Sure do! That central midfield triangle in the diagram above is older than our Henderson-Thiago-Fabinho trifecta.