UEFA Champions League/Europa League ** Spoilers ** [5/6/7 November 2019]

[Kelt]

Wow, that was some goal by Spurs!

Pinball wizard!

 

[Azza]

That penalty from Jesus. Weird.

 

[nicktay2605]

VAR in the Champions League is so much better. The ref in the City game got told to look at the monitor, he took all of about ten seconds before correctly deciding it was a pen. It's absolutely daft our refs don't use the pitchside monitor.

 

[Jimbeam3678]

The **** was that Spurs?

That was a true FIFA goal

 

[Pigeon_Killer]

VAR in the Champions League is so much better. The ref in the City game got told to look at the monitor, he took all of about ten seconds before correctly deciding it was a pen. It's absolutely daft our refs don't use the pitchside monitor.

I'm convinced the FA want it to fail so they're trying their hardest to sabotage it.

 

[Kelt]

Nice goal by Son.

 

[Kelt]

Another from Son.

Game over.

 

[McBain]

Impressive stuff from Bravo, obviously didnt fancy finishing the game.

 

[Cob]

Fun fun fun in the City game.

Bravo on at half-time, and then gets sent off. Kyle Walker going in nets for the last 10 mins

 

[Sui]

That's Bravo full of confidence if Ederson is injured for some reason and can't make Sunday....

 

[Converge]

Hadn’t seen the line up for the Utd game, turned on the TV, first thing I saw... Fred. Immediate reaction was to shout “**** off Fred!” at the TV screen.
So much rage he brings me yes. Hrrrnmmmmrrrmm.

 

[Alex h]

1 nil united

 

[adam cool dude]

I miss this Martial. Glad to see him back.

 

[Converge]

Two great goals so far

 

[fez]

3 great goals. Actual one touch attacking football. Mad stuff

 

[Lord-Jaffa]

3 great goals. Actual one touch attacking football. Mad stuff

But can they do it on a cold night in Stoke?!

 

[ThestigGT999]

a good result tbh but can we carry it on in the league

But can they do it on a cold night in Stoke?!

lol

 

[fez]

a good result tbh but can we carry it on in the league

I doubt it. Our opposition were pretty poor for a lot of the game and we simply won't have that much time or space in the PL. Juan Mata always looks 10x the player when hes given time and space. As soon as he doesn't have that time and space he turns to ****. We played the ball quickly and made some nice triangles and passing moves but we tend to fall back into our turgid, safe, sideways passing normality when opposition offer any resistance or it doesn't come off in the first 20 minutes of a game.

I would love to be proved wrong but last nights team was a little too attacking a bit lacking in midfield bite and power against anyone half handy. Fred is still looking out of his depth, Mata (see above) and McTominay isn't good enough to be a one mad midfield. We need Pogba back soon and we need to try and play like yesterday against better calibre opponents.

 

[ThestigGT999]

I doubt it. Our opposition was pretty poor for a lot of the game and we simply won't have that much time or space in the PL. Juan Mata always looks 10x the player when he's given time and space. As soon as he doesn't have that time and space he turns to ****. We played the ball quickly and made some nice triangles and passing moves but we tend to fall back into our turgid, safe, sideways passing normality when opposition offer any resistance or it doesn't come off in the first 20 minutes of a game.

I would love to be proved wrong but last nights team was a little too attacking a bit lacking in midfield bite and power against anyone half handy. Fred is still looking out of his depth, Mata (see above) and McTominay isn't good enough to be one mad midfield. We need Pogba back soon and we need to try and play like yesterday against better calibre opponents.

that's all true however we should do better than we did against Bournemouth as in games where we are expected to have more possession are the games where you can play mata to get the best out of him and with Brighton coming up next, expectations are there to replicate the game plan. One of the problems seen in the midfield as mentioned is Fred he has too many missed passes/passes easily intercepted if he and the rest of the team can improve in this area we should be to create attacking opportunities.

 

[fez]

that's all true however we should do better than we did against Bournemouth as in games where we are expected to have more possession are the games where you can play mata to get the best out of him and with Brighton coming up next, expectations are there to replicate the game plan. One of the problems seen in the midfield as mentioned is Fred he has too many missed passes/passes easily intercepted if he and the rest of the team can improve in this area we should be to create attacking opportunities.

The problem is that other teams are not stupid. If we try to play against teams like this they will simply crowd the midfield and shut us down. Almost every team in the league is tactically capable of shutting down our midfield if we have McTominay, Fred and Mata in there. Even teams we would expect to beat will quickly adapt to those guys and just shut them down that little bit quicker than they would like and everything goes out of the window. The only way you can play like we did last night is when everyone believes that they will get the ball quickly and their movement will be rewarded. We have seen that time and time again this season, we very quickly stop making the runs and playing one touch football once the trust in our midfields ability to pick a pass and move the ball on quickly is gone.