Match Day Thread Manchester United v Leeds United

What used to be one of the stand-out games in the pre PL history of the game. Think back to those boggy, muddy pitches, the brawls, the goals and the roar of the partisan crowds. But not today, this is about attack vs attack and who scores more than they concede. A win puts us right up there in contention - our old stomping ground of being there or thereabouts at Christmas. They owe us a good performance and hopefully this will be it.

Not sure about James being in the starting eleven though ..................

 

Just grabbed 25/1 on a 4-2 scoreline. Be rude not to.

 

Pogba, Greenwood, Cavani, Van De Beek ALL on the bench.

**** line up. The end.

 

We could be turned over with this line up

 

Lets get this right Smithy. When we lose I was bang on, if we win it was clearly a reverse jinx.

Good day sir!

 

Ok, I refer you back to my comments after our last game (and the one before etc.).

Are we going to change the tone?

I reckon we're in a title race. Win at Leicester at the weekend and we're definitely in a title race!

I think we should buy a centre half in January, that's it.

 

Right. OGS can never win (we should have kept a clean sheet! ) and we fans cannot lose

 

Credit where's it's due, we won and that was as much down to them being terrible as us being good.

As has already been said, we SHOULD be winning these games.

As much as it's good to get a win, it's nice to see a good performance with it. The defence is still dodgy though and that's largely down to the central defence.

 

Of course we should especially at home. Make no mistake the start made the whole game like we all predicted. McTominay had the most significant role and MOM deservedly.

2 minds about central defence. Do you introduce more uncertainty by getting a new face or let the CBs establish a better understanding.

 

I haven’t watched the game but I’m certainly more excited by the final scores. Must be a cracking game of football!

Good one, Ole!

 

I think it's gone beyond that. Their confidence is shot and we either overcome that through coaching or get in a new QUALITY cb who is the leader in that defence. The coaching seems non-existent or a lost cause. So I think the second option is best. A good strong character in that defence will provide certainty imo.

 

like Keane said so we should. We should always be in the conversation.

But it is interesting that the press or media do not see us as such. No credit to United to thrash a team that pushed teams like the RS and the chavs to the limit. If we didn’t take our chances early the boot could have easily been on the other foot. They all talk about Leeds weaknesses and frailties. Forgetting conveniently that the same team had put 5 put Newcastle this week. Giving no credit to the manager or the players.

The pundits and some United fans have always had it for solskjaer. They don’t think he deserves to be United manager ...”just because of his player hero past” as they put it. They will not put us as a possible contenders unless we’ve got on equal points with the leaders yet they still consider Spurs as serious challengers.

 

Got Leicester in the league next.

Away

 

That should be a very good match.

 

Great last 7 days.

Mourinho’s Spurs considered real challengers lost and in a week could end up in 6th position after being first. His anti football got spanked.

Arsenal lost and seemed mired in the **** of their own making. Chelsea lost ground midweek.

And we beat Leeds at OT. A place where we have been stumbling. They are a team who play at 100 mph and are able to smash any unprepared team. For many of us old enough there are fewer teams we hate to lose to. For me only smashing the RS will top this. Can you imagine losing to a Leeds team at OT and the gloating of their fans? They would have dine out on this for years.

Still buzzing. So I’ll savour this too rare moment if you don’t mind. Those who are not churlish will accept that this was a great day for Solskjaer. Yes Leeds had weaknesses but their strengths had to countered and he worked out the best way to do it.

And Pogba wasn’t needed (Which would enrage his ****ing agent) Ole didn’t play despite his good performance against Sheffield. He will deploy him against teams where he’ll be more effective. Despite Van Gaal having the cheek to criticise him for changing systems according to the opposition.

 

Interesting - only Liverpool and City have picked up more points in the PL since Ole took charge at OT. Hopefully it is time for some to look at the bigger picture and give him the credit he clearly deserves.

 

Let's keep things in perspective.

As I've personally maintained, the squad should be performing at the high level that we are now starting to see. It is a squad full of talents and these results should not surprise us. It certainly doesn't surprise me that we are picking up these key points as it is more shocking when we don't. It costs a lot to put this team together and keep them together, and rightly so we should be competing for titles and not simply vying for fourth place.

Consistency!
If we can see more of that, the team will challenge at the very top. This is the manager's job and he knows it.

I also mentioned earlier in the season after losing couple of matches due to our poor setup that we would go on a long nice run, but historically whenever we hit a snag in mid season, we tend to struggle to win games that should be won. This has been the pattern for the last two years. My hope is that we can perhaps use January window to ensure that this doesn't happen this time around as there really should be no reason to drop further down the table given how dreadful the competition is this year.

On team setup...
I still prefer Fred and McTominay in the midfield. I feel that they compensate one another very well. McTominay, for one, should make the team when fit, in my opinion. As for Pogba, I don't give a sh* about the player because you never know where his head is. We would be better served if we can take money for him in January and use van Der Beek in his place. And no more starting Matic in the midfield. Keep him to the bench. Lastly, Martial is an enigma as always, hopefully Cavani can keep him on his toes.

Onward and forward... Leicester next!

 

For all the narrative of inconsistency pushed by the media, we are believe it or not the best form premiership team of the last five rounds. Over 10 matches? Still us. That’s some inconsistency. And that’s not glossing over the appalling start we made to the season.

Don’t get me wrong. This is only one recent good home result. But the clamour in some circles for Solskjaer to be sacked only a few days ago was simply ridiculous. But then some have already made up their minds that a manager like Pochetino would be better for United.

I can only repeat what I said a weeks ago. I and most fans will know when the time is right for a new manager. It certainly isn’t now.


The next 2 matches will tell us more. Leicester is a top 3 team atm and wolves at home would provide a good indication of where we are at.

 

I've watched Skysports and listened to the radio at various times throughout the day. No credit given to United or the win yesterday. And yet if we'd lost against Leeds you can guarantee would've had a field day. I even heard one presenter lauding Leeds for always playing the way they do and never compromising. Like it was Custer's last stand ffs! Oh and what a travesty it was that Henderson didn't win Sports Personality

And ppl genuinely argue there isn't an anti-United bias in the football media.

 

In the topic of the game, why have we stopped putting a man on the far post for corners? In as many games, we have conceded very similar goals that are fairly rudimentary and could have been avoided by simply placing a man on the far post.