Match Thread: Man Utd vs. Portsmouth [All pre/during/post match discussion in here]

K4t

Good to get the 3 points but our lack of finishing and penetration was very disappointing.

We Need Berbatov immediately!

It has been quite clear from the two opening games of the season that we are dearly missing a clinical finisher and target man upfront. Tevez and Rooney just aren't the players to fill that role and their finishing has not been good enough last season and nothing has changed. Around midfield, the two are superb, interlinking well and tackling hard. But that's not getting us goals!

Tonight against Portsmouth, I saw on numerous occasions, Tevez moving forward with the ball and then turning around and passing it backwards across the halfway line to O'Shea or Rio/Vidic. Why? Because Rooney was behind him and we had no target man sitting on the Portsmouth back four. It was ridiculous.

We need Berbatov to be that player who stays upfront and gives us that outlet to pass the ball forward to someone who can hold up the ball or even turn the defence and go himself, instead of passing the ball backwards or sideways every time we go on the attack.

I guarantee we won't get lucky again and again against better teams like we did tonight.

Sign Berbatov now Fergie, before it's too bloody late. Agree, after seeing us just about escape with the win tonight against a team Chelsea battered 4-0 last weekend?

Mitch Connor

I'm still not convinced that Berbatov is either clinical or a target man. Big guy and a decent finisher, but he is certainly no ruud van nistlerooy (clinical target man)

Necronomicon

K4t wrote: »

Agree, after seeing us just about escape with the win tonight against a team Chelsea battered 4-0 last weekend?

It's not as black and white as that, when you consider Chelsea were playing at the Bridge and the amount of absentees from the United squad.

Skud

Tauren wrote: »

I'm still not convinced that Berbatov is either clinical or a target man. Big guy and a decent finisher, but he is certainly no ruud van nistlerooy (clinical target man)

obv fergie doesnt want to go down that route though. He would have gone for huntelaar by now. I dont think we need a target man as much as someone that rooney can play off. Obv berbatov has the skill and class to be a utd player. Everyone was doubting rooney - tevez partnership first day. Manucho is more of a target man than berb would be. Saha if he stays is too. All 3 can lead the line, even berb can swap with rooney who drops off. Think he's thinking of getting someone more for that role, someone who he feels would get the best out of rooney.

EDIT: btw pompy looked alot better than they did in the charity shield, had we a fit strikeforce + midfield we could have gotten 4 too. They were dire vs chelsea. Looked more like a top 5-6 club tonight than any of those games, still think they weakened their squad too much though to catch everton or villa or spurs (looking a big if atm) coming 5th.

Boggles

Scholes is still at a different level to any midfielder in the league, a masterclass in passing and controlling midfield. Pure genius.

Rooney unlucky not to score, Tevez as usual superb, as I said before it is no wonder he plans to retire at 28, he is tireless.

Evra looked to pick up a knock in the last 15, hope it's not serious. Brown got forward and put some decent balls into the box, badly need a striker in there to capitalise. Ferdinand and Vidic, solid as ever.

Anderson looked tired in the first half then oddly got a burst of Tevez in the 2nd before been taken off.

For Pompey, Crouch and Defoe need time. They couldn't have had a harder 2 games to begin with in fairness, Kaboul as he did with Spurs looks dodgy, they badly need a playmaker in midfield, maybe Harry should pick the team instead of letting the players dictate formation.

All in all, a good night for United, Nice rest now til we head to Anfield and pick up our usual 3.

Mr Alan wrote: »

ref is a sham.

The Ref was from Limerick?



.

ROCKMAN

K4t wrote: »

after seeing us just about escape with the win tonight against a team Chelsea battered 4-0 last weekend?[/QUO

Chelsea where at home big big different , Results of the big 4 last season away to portsmouth 1-1 ,0-0 , 1-1 , 0-0 . Shows how good these 3 points are with a far from full strength team.

Nalz

Boggles wrote: »

The Ref was from Limerick
.

lol