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Post by alt on Apr 6, 2023 8:32:14 GMT
I don't think we were that bad. We dominated for the majority but were just shite in the final third. Rashford looked threatening but other than that, Antony and Bruno with typically frustrating/predictable/annoying performances, and Sancho still looks lost.
We've really got to hope Martial stays fit - I thought he looked decent when he came on. He holds the ball up well and is the one player who's not afraid to pass forward into tight spaces (must say Martinez is also very good at it). It's so frustrating to watch players on the ball with clear passing lines available yet they don't have the ability/confidence to pass through them and revert to slowing everything down and passing back/sideways.
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Post by DedRevil on Apr 6, 2023 8:57:41 GMT
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Post by Jayrannasaurus on Apr 6, 2023 9:08:27 GMT
I don't think we were that bad. We dominated for the majority but were just shite in the final third. Rashford looked threatening but other than that, Antony and Bruno with typically frustrating/predictable/annoying performances, and Sancho still looks lost. We've really got to hope Martial stays fit - I thought he looked decent when he came on. He holds the ball up well and is the one player who's not afraid to pass forward into tight spaces (must say Martinez is also very good at it). It's so frustrating to watch players on the ball with clear passing lines available yet they don't have the ability/confidence to pass through them and revert to slowing everything down and passing back/sideways. It's eye-watering that we paid a combined £155m for these two. Antony is insanely predictable, and Sancho looks like an inverted winger without vision or pace. Agreed, Martial staying fit (an oxymoron?) is key for us, especially if we want to win any more silverware.
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Post by anti_social on Apr 6, 2023 9:25:43 GMT
Controversial opinion, but Sancho wasn’t rubbish yesterday.
I appreciate that’s not the bar we want, but small steps and all that…
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Post by viking22 on Apr 6, 2023 10:07:00 GMT
There is no way Martial is going to stay fit from now until the end of the season. Although agree that when fit he is by far our best number 9. I think Erik's careful approach of giving him some substitute appearances to build a bit of match fitness and assuming he gets through those games unscathed starting him is probably the best way to go. Even if he can only manage a handful of starts between now and the end of the season it would still make a positive difference.
Except for those rare occasions when Martial is injury free and match fit Rashford upfront is probably our best option. The service will improve once Eriksen and Garnacho return from injury. Sancho has been hugely disappointing but I'd rather play him than Wout. Keep Wout as an impact sub for his nuisance value and his defensive work. But definitely he shouldn't be starting games.
Peak Ten Hag at end of Feb our win rate was 73%. Of course that included some cup games against lower league and minor European league opposition.
In the Premier League that has fallen well below 50% over the last six games (8 points from a possible 18 the same as Chelsea and Liverpool and West Ham placing us midtable in the form guide).
But all we need to do is to get our win rate comfortably above 50% to make top 4. We know Tottenham and Newcastle will drop points and barring an epic collapse on our part and an incredible run of form on their part they aren't overtaking us. So I will take a scrappy win even accepting that occasionally if we don't kill games off we will drop points.
Key is to get Casemiro and Eriksen back in the heart of our midfield. Dump Wout and instead play Rashford (and rarely Martial if he is fit) and make use of the talent we have out wide in Garnacho and Pellistri.
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Post by Stretty on Apr 6, 2023 10:39:44 GMT
Controversial opinion, but Sancho wasn’t rubbish yesterday. I appreciate that’s not the bar we want, but small steps and all that… He was ok but that's all. Hopefully he will kick on from here.
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Post by mightyez on Apr 6, 2023 11:01:19 GMT
Controversial opinion, but Sancho wasn’t rubbish yesterday. I appreciate that’s not the bar we want, but small steps and all that… He was ok but that's all. Hopefully he will kick on from here. The issue he has is 2 fold really. On the left Rashford is best and will start, after him Garnacho is there. On the right is where he has an opportunity, he really has to kick on, if Amad comes back and is dynamite in pre season then Sancho could find himself as 5th choice winger. ETH has given him every possible chance so on that side of things he can have no complaints. I for one hope that he shows that Dortmund form and nails down the right side
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Post by Diablo Rouge on Apr 6, 2023 11:11:45 GMT
6 pages for a league matchday thread, 14 hours post match. It's Wouts fault, isn't it..
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Post by seanie on Apr 6, 2023 11:13:47 GMT
Result! and that's all that counts in these few games and hopefully something similar against the scouse on Saturday. I'm optimistic that we will finish strong this year, with Casemiro and Eriksen back soon. Martial should be an extra improvement up top and Garnacho will be back soon too. Hopefully Shaw is only out for a game or two
We should finish the last very busy 5 weeks with a full squad (fingers crossed)!
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Post by Kamilo on Apr 6, 2023 11:28:47 GMT
I don't think we were that bad. We dominated for the majority but were just shite in the final third. Rashford looked threatening but other than that, Antony and Bruno with typically frustrating/predictable/annoying performances, and Sancho still looks lost. We've really got to hope Martial stays fit - I thought he looked decent when he came on. He holds the ball up well and is the one player who's not afraid to pass forward into tight spaces (must say Martinez is also very good at it). It's so frustrating to watch players on the ball with clear passing lines available yet they don't have the ability/confidence to pass through them and revert to slowing everything down and passing back/sideways. It's eye-watering that we paid a combined £155m for these two. Antony is insanely predictable, and Sancho looks like an inverted winger without vision or pace. Agreed, Martial staying fit (an oxymoron?) is key for us, especially if we want to win any more silverware. Sancho actually looks slow somehow, it was like a different player all together at BVB or Bundesliga really is shit for athleticism. Bit of how dominant Pogba looked in Italy, came here and would get taken off the ball by people like McGinn. It’s hilarious also that Sancho was supposed to be our right wing solution, yet here we are. Should be offering Brighton Sancho for Mitoma to add actual depth from the left.
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Post by viking22 on Apr 6, 2023 12:36:00 GMT
Also ridiculous that while paying £155m for two incredibly frustrating and unproductive wingers we've at the same time spent only around £20m on strikers all of them stop gaps (Cavani, Ronaldo, Wout).
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Post by redcase on Apr 6, 2023 13:03:24 GMT
Also ridiculous that while paying £155m for two incredibly frustrating and unproductive wingers we've at the same time spent only around £20m on strikers all of them stop gaps (Cavani, Ronaldo, Wout). Antony has 7 goals and an assist in all competitions. It's not at all a bad output. Don't hold the valuation against him because that's what footballers are going for these days. It's also been all of 10 months since he joined. Agree on Sancho and the strikers bit though.
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Post by GeniusCantona on Apr 6, 2023 13:14:05 GMT
I don't think we were that bad. We dominated for the majority but were just shite in the final third. Rashford looked threatening but other than that, Antony and Bruno with typically frustrating/predictable/annoying performances, and Sancho still looks lost. We've really got to hope Martial stays fit - I thought he looked decent when he came on. He holds the ball up well and is the one player who's not afraid to pass forward into tight spaces (must say Martinez is also very good at it). It's so frustrating to watch players on the ball with clear passing lines available yet they don't have the ability/confidence to pass through them and revert to slowing everything down and passing back/sideways. This game just summed up again how the club’s failure to sign a striker has likely stunted a possible title challenge. There have been numerous moments where we if had a real finisher we could be within a shout of Arsenal and city. It’s completely deplorable and unacceptable that a club of our size only has one consistent goal scorer. It’s downright pathetic planning by Murtough and Fletcher. I would’ve said give them a tight leash under new ownership, but now I’m of the view they and basically our scouting network needs to be culled and fucked off never to be seen near the club again.
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Post by mightyez on Apr 6, 2023 13:17:02 GMT
Ten Hag, Pep, Klopp, and Arteta's first seasons in the PL after 28 games:
Pep — 28 games, 57 pts Ten Hag — 28 games, 53 pts Klopp — 28 games, 44 pts Arteta — 28 games, 41 pts
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Post by redcase on Apr 6, 2023 13:27:58 GMT
Ten Hag, Pep, Klopp, and Arteta's first seasons in the PL after 28 games: Pep — 28 games, 57 pts Ten Hag — 28 games, 53 pts Klopp — 28 games, 44 pts Arteta — 28 games, 41 pts Very important context. Pep didn't have his financially coked up club to compete against as well.
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