Ratings and Reactions: Man Utd 3-0 Villa

[coda]

Ian Darke did the commentary on ESPN here in the States. He pointed out that for a lot of our players, it was their first ever visit to Old Trafford -- Bennett, Westwood, Lowton, Baker, Benteke, Vlaar. El Ahmady too when he came on. I guess the first visit to Old Trafford is bound to be a little overwhelming.

 

We've had this mindset for too long. Old Trafford should be just another ground to these professional players. An awful Blackburn side won there last season.

[Papillon]

Yeah I agree with that sentiment, our young players have also struggled away to the best teams all season. Not against Liverpool, but that is easily because they do not have the firepower to scare a team before the game is played. Man City and Chelsea can too, and Arsenal on their day given some form.

 

And if we had played El Ahmadi instead of N'Zogbia, it wouldn't have made a single difference IMO. El Ahmadi has been lacklustre all season and he only came on when United were already celebrating the title. That second half counted for nothing, just like it did when we "outplayed" Everton at home in the second match in the second half. They were 3-0 up back then as well and didn't really need to do anymore.

[Papillon]

 

Ian Darke did the commentary on ESPN here in the States. He pointed out that for a lot of our players, it was their first ever visit to Old Trafford -- Bennett, Westwood, Lowton, Baker, Benteke, Vlaar. El Ahmady too when he came on. I guess the first visit to Old Trafford is bound to be a little overwhelming.

 

We've had this mindset for too long. Old Trafford should be just another ground to these professional players. An awful Blackburn side won there last season.

 

 

Yes, one team. How many games do Man United lose at home to teams under 15th in the table? Accidents do happen every once in a while, but Blackburn beat them on New Years Eve I think, which is more likely given the program and the resting of certain key players.

[VillanousOne]

 

i would genuinely rather we parked the bus for 90 mins than this gung ho 'waaahaaay lets ave a go lads' shit that never ever **** works

Were you saying the same thing when we went there last season and lost 4-0 with 1 shot on target?

 

I hated the way we played under McCleish, but the dour goaless draws towards the end of the season kept us in this division and at this stage that is all that matters, playing spineless attacking football like headless chickens will be why we get relegated.

[Shankslad]

Benteke again AWOL v a big club. It's not gone unnoticed

He has had big games against United in the other game and Liverpool.

Not really , and Liverpool are not a big club

We used to be but somebody dismantled it!!!

I was worried after the first 15 mins that Villa heads would drop and a rout was on the cards but thankfully I think Villa showed spirit in the 2nd half. Okay Utd may have eased off a little, content with their lead but there was a bit of passion showing from Villa/

As for the offsides - when anyone plays at Old Trafford they won't get the borderline decisions, they tend to go Utd's way more often than not

All in all this result was not really unexpected, after all UTD are rhe runaway league leaders (and now champions) so Villa needn't be disheartened by it.

Edited April 22, 2013 by Shankslad

[KennyPowers]

And if we had played El Ahmadi instead of N'Zogbia, it wouldn't have made a single difference IMO. 

 

Just having an extra body in the middle would have reduced the space Rooney had, it might have stopped him pinging balls around like he did in the build-up to their first and second goals. 

[coda]

 

 

Ian Darke did the commentary on ESPN here in the States. He pointed out that for a lot of our players, it was their first ever visit to Old Trafford -- Bennett, Westwood, Lowton, Baker, Benteke, Vlaar. El Ahmady too when he came on. I guess the first visit to Old Trafford is bound to be a little overwhelming.

 

We've had this mindset for too long. Old Trafford should be just another ground to these professional players. An awful Blackburn side won there last season.

 

 

Yes, one team. How many games do Man United lose at home to teams under 15th in the table? Accidents do happen every once in a while, but Blackburn beat them on New Years Eve I think, which is more likely given the program and the resting of certain key players.

 

 

Alright forget Blackburn, I stand by the rest of my post.

 

Gary Neville said he liked playing us as we usually gave up the three points with minimum fuss. It's a pathetic state of affairs.

[ciggiesnbeer]

We showed our belly in surrender and they were kind enough to stop at 3.

 

Pathetic. Hate ManU all you want (and I do) but their team never gives up like we did.

[8pints]

I thought we played well after a shell-shocked fifteen minutes but were not creative in the attacking midfield role or solid enough down the left wing.

 

Weimann and Agbonlahor create the vast majority of wide options and the full-backs don't push on anywhere near enough. They cut in and pass it in to the centre too much and often instantly take the fizz out of the move. But then only Benteke consistently gets in to the box

 

Talking of Gabby and Andi their decision making was poor tonight. I firmly believe it could have been an extremely high scoring game from both sides if their decisions had been better.

 

After the second goal Man U sat back, they always do and try to stay comfortable. If we had have got a goal, chances are they would have upped the pace and once again it could have been a very different game.

 

Basically -

 

-----------ST---------

LAM---HERE--RAM

--------CM--CM------

HERE--CB--CB--RB

-------------GK--------

 

We need to vastly improve and I think we'd see a huge improvement. We need a half El Ahmadi, half N'Zogbia type of player.

Edited April 22, 2013 by 8pints

[TRO]

Offside, but bad defending in any case. Beaten by a team light years ahead in finances. Positives, the attack looked ok, Weimann has been a big plus this season. Negatives, the defence just never gives the attack any chance to have a go, yet again gifting the opposition with pathetic defending.  

 wasn't united light years ahead us in finances in 1980/81 and 1982.

[14K_away]

I dont see this result as worth the whinge, hard to blame anyone for RVP's second though Guzan should have stopped the first, but face it which club were likely to have stopped manure tonight , given the circumstances, given their current form ? just lucky that they did not decide to go for some other sort of record, but we did not roll over and spread our legs so they were content with the 3.

 

Does anyone seriously think that the result would have been different if we went 4-3-3 or 4-4-2 ? really do you?, the strongest part of our team is out front so you may as well play them (in this sitution) , I liked the startup though I really dont like delph .. is it just me ? first time I saw El Ahmadi do anything useful, liked his approach today.

 

Why is anyone whinging about Benteke ?, should have scored today but I dont want to think where we might have been without him.

I want to love nzogbia but far too mercurial for us at the moment.

 

Strangely perhaps, I feel more confident after this result of staying up, again I think if this were not a championship winning night for an in-form -in-form manure then we might have stood a chance.

 

Looking forward to next season in the top flight though of course most of our assets will be sold and will be in the same boat next year... what can you do

 

 

 

 

[Delphinho123]

I thought we played well after a shell-shocked fifteen minutes but were not creative in the attacking midfield role or solid enough down the left wing.

 

Weimann and Agbonlahor create the vast majority of wide options and the full-backs don't push on anywhere near enough. They cut in and pass it in to the centre too much and often instantly take the fizz out of the move. But then only Benteke consistently gets in to the box

 

Talking of Gabby and Andi their decision making was poor tonight. I firmly believe it could have been an extremely high scoring game from both sides if their decisions had been better.

 

After the second goal Man U sat back, they always do and try to stay comfortable. If we had have got a goal, chances are they would have upped the pace and once again it could have been a very different game.

 

Basically -

 

-----------ST---------

LAM---HERE--RAM

--------CM--CM------

HERE--CB--CB--RB

-------------GK--------

 

We need to vastly improve and I think we'd see a huge improvement. We need a half El Ahmadi, half N'Zogbia type of player.

 

Didn't read much of your post, just looked at the formation part of it.

 

The two positions you highlighted have been our problem all season. Absolutely no quality in either position. Clark in for Bennett against Sunderland please.

I'd also give Ireland a chance in there. I don't rate him, but he has to better than N'Zogbia, Holman etc. and I don't think he did too badly their earlier on in the season.

 

Maybe KEA, don't really know.

[Kingfisher]

 

Offside, but bad defending in any case. Beaten by a team light years ahead in finances. Positives, the attack looked ok, Weimann has been a big plus this season. Negatives, the defence just never gives the attack any chance to have a go, yet again gifting the opposition with pathetic defending.  

 wasn't united light years ahead us in finances in 1980/81 and 1982.

 

Before my time Tro.

 

But certainly not in the early 90's, ahead of course, but not light years as I recall. The rich poor gap has widened considerably in those intervening years. 

[TRO]

Ian Darke did the commentary on ESPN here in the States. He pointed out that for a lot of our players, it was their first ever visit to Old Trafford -- Bennett, Westwood, Lowton, Baker, Benteke, Vlaar. El Ahmady too when he came on. I guess the first visit to Old Trafford is bound to be a little overwhelming. I was annoyed at the subs initially but they seemed to work, at least for damage limitation. Or maybe it was just United taking their foot off the gas.

 

We'd need to have a bus in order to park it. We have a SmartCar. And we're not sure where the parking garage is.

 

Didn't expect to get anything from United anyway, so now it's on to next week's crucial match v. Sunderland.

 

I remember Andy Gray's first game against United at Villa Park.... They didn't know what hit them....He was 19 years old

He was 21 when we hit The great Liverpool team for 5 before half time.

 

we simply make too many excuses for failure.

 

we have to snap out of it. or else this great club will slip in to decline.

 

The whole place needs to get back to only accepting belief and a winning mentality.

[The Fun Factory]

Yes Yewunited have probably been the biggest and therefore richest club in England since Busby, but the first the prem league and now champions league mean that Villa are miles and miles away from Man U. If you look at David Conn's excellent Guardian article, you will get the picture. Nearly £100 million alone in gate and  matchday income in 2011-2012, and £ 104 mil in broadcasting dosh.  Villa stats are £ 20 mil and £47 mil in comparsion. I mean they have just signed a £120 million deal for AON to sponsor their training ground for christs sake! For every title, for every year in the champions league, Aston Villa go further and further back- even though we come from the second city in England.

[TRO]

 

 

Offside, but bad defending in any case. Beaten by a team light years ahead in finances. Positives, the attack looked ok, Weimann has been a big plus this season. Negatives, the defence just never gives the attack any chance to have a go, yet again gifting the opposition with pathetic defending.  

 wasn't united light years ahead us in finances in 1980/81 and 1982.

 

Before my time Tro.

 

But certainly not in the early 90's, ahead of course, but not light years as I recall. The rich poor gap has widened considerably in those intervening years. 

 

 

If you said to me 25 years ago you can have Ferguson or all united's money.

 

I would have taken Ferguson

 

Thats why united are where they are  "Alex Ferguson"

 

25 years before him football wilderness( relatively speaking of course) with all their money.

[TRO]

 

 

 

Ian Darke did the commentary on ESPN here in the States. He pointed out that for a lot of our players, it was their first ever visit to Old Trafford -- Bennett, Westwood, Lowton, Baker, Benteke, Vlaar. El Ahmady too when he came on. I guess the first visit to Old Trafford is bound to be a little overwhelming.

 

We've had this mindset for too long. Old Trafford should be just another ground to these professional players. An awful Blackburn side won there last season.

 

 

Yes, one team. How many games do Man United lose at home to teams under 15th in the table? Accidents do happen every once in a while, but Blackburn beat them on New Years Eve I think, which is more likely given the program and the resting of certain key players.

 

 

Alright forget Blackburn, I stand by the rest of my post.

 

Gary Neville said he liked playing us as we usually gave up the three points with minimum fuss. It's a pathetic state of affairs.

 

Its kinda how I see it too.

 

Having seen the

Teales, the grays and the lochheads, you kinda get to know when a player does'nt intend to come second best.

[TRO]

when, before the game, you would sensibly back your last quid on a united win.... during the game there was a certain inevitability about it all that was kind sickening.

[lmarsha_926]

They won 4-0 last season and had 18 shots on target and 61% possesion

 

This year they won 3-0, had 4 shots on target and 51% possession plus they are twice the side they where last year.

 

Also on another day all of those goals could of been given offside

[ciggiesnbeer]

 

 

 

 

Ian Darke did the commentary on ESPN here in the States. He pointed out that for a lot of our players, it was their first ever visit to Old Trafford -- Bennett, Westwood, Lowton, Baker, Benteke, Vlaar. El Ahmady too when he came on. I guess the first visit to Old Trafford is bound to be a little overwhelming.

 

We've had this mindset for too long. Old Trafford should be just another ground to these professional players. An awful Blackburn side won there last season.

 

 

Yes, one team. How many games do Man United lose at home to teams under 15th in the table? Accidents do happen every once in a while, but Blackburn beat them on New Years Eve I think, which is more likely given the program and the resting of certain key players.

 

 

Alright forget Blackburn, I stand by the rest of my post.

 

Gary Neville said he liked playing us as we usually gave up the three points with minimum fuss. It's a pathetic state of affairs.

 

Its kinda how I see it too.

 

Having seen the

Teales, the grays and the lochheads, you kinda get to know when a player does'nt intend to come second best.

 

 

Yup. We play like losers who expect to lose.