Greenlizard0 Weekend Football Thread ** spoilers ** [14th - 18th April 2017]

Soldato
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Ok I looked it up, Dier, Alli and Eriksen have all played more. Milner, Kante, Hazard are the other ones amongst the top teams (Wijnaldum as well but tbh I have no idea where he's been playing)

I would call Milner a midfielder also, but I think he has played more as a full back this season (just based on match day reports, not on stats etc that's the impression)
 
Don
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Ok I looked it up, Dier, Alli and Eriksen have all played more. Milner, Kante, Hazard are the other ones amongst the top teams (Wijnaldum as well but tbh I have no idea where he's been playing)
You have no idea where Wijnaldum's playing so didn't include him but included Dier who's been playing in defense, Milner who's played all season at LB, 3 number 10's/attacking midfielders :p

So Kante - he's not exactly a ball playing midfielder. Fwiw, Pogba actually plays the 3rd most passes per 90 mins in the league, slightly behind Herrera and a fair way behind Henderson. As I initially got at though, he's played pretty much every game so he would have played more passes than Henderson for instance, who's missed several games.
 
Soldato
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I really think Herrera should be captain next season. He's at the heart of everything this season and seems like obvious captain material.

I know what you mean but he is a MASSIVE bell. Just like as a CFC fan, I can say Fabregas is.

United the better team today and fully deserved the win, yes it was a handball and it did impact the game heavily but United were more determined and played with real drive.

To be honest, I'm worried, very worried. I expect to lose away to Everton and West Brom away is no easy match. Oh God, the prospect of Spurs potentially doing the double.

Shami - it's nice to see you post with an air of positivity. Been a while eh.
 
Soldato
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Great result for United today. I thought every player was good, though for me Herrera and Rashford stood out. Rashford has so much potential and although he's not been great this year he's still now scored the most PL goals of any teenager.

Herrera is criminally underrated, he's right up there with the best CMs in the league, he was brilliant on both sides of the ball today.
 
Caporegime
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How the hell does multi quote work on this new forum, you don't just click multi quote then quote on the second post?

You have no idea where Wijnaldum's playing so didn't include him but included Dier who's been playing in defense, Milner who's played all season at LB, 3 number 10's/attacking midfielders :p

So Kante - he's not exactly a ball playing midfielder. Fwiw, Pogba actually plays the 3rd most passes per 90 mins in the league, slightly behind Herrera and a fair way behind Henderson. As I initially got at though, he's played pretty much every game so he would have played more passes than Henderson for instance, who's missed several games.

As I said I don't watch much of other teams, I thought Dier had been playing more in midfield.

I know what you mean but he is a MASSIVE bell. Just like as a CFC fan, I can say Fabregas is.

Shami - it's nice to see you post with an air of positivity. Been a while eh.

Keane was quite a *******, didn't stop him being a great captain. I still think Herrera is given an unnecessarily harsh rep, he's nowhere near as bad as the likes of Costa and Rojo who were both grade A ***** today.

Yeah there's really not been a lot to be positive about this season.

Tbh this result is fairly irrelevant if we go back to being bog average against Anderlecht and our remaining league fixtures. We need to build on this and end the season on a high, could really be a big boost to confidence for next season as well as to any potential targets show that we're on the right track.
 
Soldato
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You've got to give Mourinho some credit today. Was he resting players for Anderlecht or was it a touch of genius to droo Ibra and play 2 pacey players up front? Not many managers do it against Chelsea, they usually play 5 in MF and 1 up top.

Football fans can be VERY fickle, a lot of United fans calling in on Talksport and asking for Ibra to be dropped permanently. Yes, you press more without him and can get behind defences but I do wonder where United would be this season if he wasn't in the team :/
 
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Caporegime
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I think it was probably a little of both tbh. I think he put a team out to frustrate Chelsea as well as rest some players for Anderlecht (as he likely acknowledges that it's our best chance of CL football)
 
Don
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Tbf, I don't think your set up would have been much different had Zlatan played anyway. We heard all this nonsense when he got the job about how he'd be different at Utd and play more attacking football but wherever he's been it's the same - he'll try to attack in the smaller games but then when it comes to the crunch he reverts to what he knows best. Utd set-up today was no different to how he set-up against Liverpool - spoil the game and hope to pinch a win on the break or from a set-play. He's a better Tony Pulis with better players.
 
Soldato
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Tbf, I don't think your set up would have been much different had Zlatan played anyway. We heard all this nonsense when he got the job about how he'd be different at Utd and play more attacking football but wherever he's been it's the same - he'll try to attack in the smaller games but then when it comes to the crunch he reverts to what he knows best. Utd set-up today was no different to how he set-up against Liverpool - spoil the game and hope to pinch a win on the break or from a set-play. He's a better Tony Pulis with better players.

Or with the help of a decision from the officials. I'm admittedly bitter, but regardless, they were the better team.
 
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Caporegime
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Did we get help from the officials? Costa was lucky not to be sent off. Even if you strike off the first goal Chelsea didn't even manage a shot. Normally I would have said it's a handball for the first goal but by the rules people keep linking it isn't.
 
Man of Honour
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Rashford and Lingard were there to get in behind the defence. If a team sits back, Zlatan is a better bet as there's no space and the team can play off him.

Rashford looked incredible though, if he can play like that consistently he'll be some player.

There's also the small matter of Jose finally getting one over on Chelsea in an important game - that will help.

All in all a very positive day, but we can just as easily mess up a game against a weak team so more consistency is required long term.
 
Caporegime
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What's been linked?

http://www.thefa.com/football-rules.../football-11-11/law-12---fouls-and-misconducthttp://www.thefa.com/football-rules.../football-11-11/law-12---fouls-and-misconduct

Handling the ball involves a deliberate act of a player making contact with the ball with the hand or arm.

The following must be considered:
  • the movement of the hand towards the ball (not the ball towards the hand)
  • the distance between the opponent and the ball (unexpected ball)
  • the position of the hand does not necessarily mean that there is an infringement
  • touching the ball with an object held in the hand (clothing, shinguard, etc.) is an infringement
  • hitting the ball with a thrown object (boot, shinguard, etc.) is an infringement
The goalkeeper has the same restrictions on handling the ball as any other player outside the penalty area. Inside their penalty area, the goalkeeper cannot be guilty of a handling offence incurring a direct free kick or any related sanction but can be guilty of handling offences that incur an indirect free kick.
 
Don
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Thought as much. The actual laws haven't changed but how ref's interpret the law has. Years ago we used to see defenders face up shots with their arms spread, handle the ball and get away with it because there was no movement towards the ball. That led to the intepretation changing and the question of whether the defender's arm was in a natural position. This from everyone's favourite celebrity ref explains it:
So the question of intent is now, did the offender deliberately place his arms in an unnatural position to increase the chances of the ball hitting him?
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/fo...xplained-Newcastle-got-lucky-Fox-penalty.html

So the question regarding the Herrera incident was whether he spread his arms as he did to deliberately increase the likelyhood of him blocking the ball.
 
Soldato
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I know what you mean but he is a MASSIVE bell. Just like as a CFC fan, I can say Fabregas is.
.

yet in the 83 minutes after the "handball" the travelling team didnt make De Gea save once (and only one block)

If a team feels that hard done by, usually that would **** them off enough to do something about it......, they certainly had enough time to do it

Cahill's near own goal, Lingard, Rashford and Young all had decent chances, Chelsea couldnt have complained if they had lost 5-0 today

Laughs - you have one of the biggest bell's in the league with Costa, Herrera isnt anywhere near that level - look to your own team first before commenting on others (and Fab doesnt even come close either)

Tbh this result is fairly irrelevant if we go back to being bog average against Anderlecht and our remaining league fixtures. We need to build on this and end the season on a high, could really be a big boost to confidence for next season as well as to any potential targets show that we're on the right track.

We have got two away league fixtures coming up (Burnley and City) where we have generally performed a lot better - and the City one is the one that really matters given they are a direct rival for the top 4. IF we dont manage to get at least 4, but preferably 6, points the rest of the campaign doesnt matter imo.

Today should prove to the team that the belief is genuine and we are capable of beating anyone in our run-in , today was probably the most difficult game left (1st win vs Chelsea in 12, beat City at the Etihad last season and usually do reasonably well at The Lane also in years gone by)
 
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Soldato
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Football fans can be VERY fickle, a lot of United fans calling in on Talksport and asking for Ibra to be dropped permanently. Yes, you press more without him and can get behind defences but I do wonder where United would be this season if he wasn't in the team :/

Barining in mind we would have bought another striker last summer, its impossible to say

Ibra has missed a lot of decent chances - which of course never gets mentioned - which have also cost points
 
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