Aston Villa vs Manchester United Match Thread 20/12/'14 K/O 3pm Setanta 1

besty

United's attack is far too static. No real movement from Falcao/RvP and nothing breaking from midfield. Di Maria is the man to link MF and attack.

Lord TSC

Jaysus, our counter attacks are nonexistant.

dubmick

Ashley Young playing very well

Liam O

Falcao just isn't getting the ball when he moves into good positions. The fact that the ball winds up at Young or Valencia's feet at every attack is as usual, a problem.

70% possession, we need to do something with it!

nullzero

United falling apart here. Villa will score more on the break. United can't make the correct decision going forward, like arsenal at their worst.

Vlaar v RVP, crunch!

Danye

Mata - A shadow of the player he was at Chelsea. Getting caught on the ball and giving it away all to often.

OdgeXD

Everytime Fletcher gets on the ball any momentum we have going dies

Lord TSC

OdgeXD wrote: »

Everytime Fletcher gets on the ball any momentum we have going dies

Has been useless going forward and defending. Needs to come off ASAP.

Our midfield is all wrong, Fletcher being a huge problem

nullzero

We're making a bad villa side look like a top class counter attacking powerhouse.

sky88

Bring on mcnair carrick into midfield

Rayne Wooney

Blackett for Fletch and move Carrick into midfield

Danye

nullzero wrote: »

We're making a bad villa side look like a top class counter attacking powerhouse.

Agreed. Although Villa are up for this, as they would be but throw in their defeat to WBA last week, there was always going to be a response from them.

Quandary

This isn't working. Our midfield is non existent. we need to do to a 4 4 3 with Raf coming on for Valencia and Carrick pushing up into midfield.

Blind Fellaini and Herrera all out isn't helping

MisterAnarchy

Some of the Utd players out there look like they havent broke into sweat yet .
Utd have only managed 4 shots,2 on target against the worst Villa team in 20 years.

nullzero

Danye wrote: »

Agreed. Although Villa are up for this, as they would be but throw in their defeat to WBA last week, there was always going to be a response from them.

Let's be honest, villa have been abysmal this season and this shouldn't be happening considering the progress we've made recently. We look complete inept in front of goal, with three of the best strikers in the league in our side we've created nothing bar a sneaky cross/shot from ashley young.

Hank Scorpio

Mata and Fletcher been very poor so far, Herrera missing a huge blow. I'd like to see Di Maria on for Mata and Carrick moved into midfield

Johner

Vlaar is class.

We're so static.. Missing Di Maria badly, Fellaini would also be great instead of Fletcher

westernfrenzy

Quandary wrote: »

This isn't working. Our midfield is non existent. we need to do to a 4 4 3 with Raf coming on for Valencia and Carrick pushing up into midfield.

Blind Fellaini and Herrera all out isn't helping

Something's telling me that 4-4-3 isn't allowed.

Nolars

Carrick needs to move up instead of fletcher for 2nd half.

Quandary

westernfrenzy wrote: »

Something's telling me that 4-4-3 isn't allowed.

4 3 3 it'll have to be so!

MisterAnarchy

The hairdryer treatment will be needed at half time.

Cantona's Collars

That's been a bit poo,way too pedestrian in our play.

Strumms

Fletcher unfortunately isn't up to it any more. Carrick needs to come into midfield alright and we need Di Maria on the pitch. Ohhh and an almighty bollocking from LVG at halftime. That was nowhere near good enough we don't look up for it.

nullzero

Bad first half, started well and got steadily worse after villa scored. Big changes needed to salvage anything from this game.

LostBoy101

Fletcher isn't offering much going forward. When he receives the ball he just passes it sideways to Young and Valencia while we should be aiming breaking balls to RVP and Falcao.

Rayne Wooney

Really sick of 5 at the back

Complacency is what it looks like. Nobody looking like they'd give it all to get it.

gosplan

Big 45 minutes in the title race coming up

py2006

They can't keep playing poorly and win. This looks like dropped Points.

PhlegmyMoses

Nothing worse than when a team set up to defend gets the first goal. War of attrition.

theoneeyedman

Strumms wrote: »

Fletcher unfortunately isn't up to it any more. Carrick needs to come into midfield alright and we need Di Maria on the pitch. Ohhh and an almighty bollocking from LVG at halftime. That was nowhere near good enough we don't look up for it.

Fletcher was never up to it IMHO, his reputation increased exponentially when he missed all that time out sick. A midfield 3 of him, Rooney and Mata isn't mobile enough, and I'd doubt bringing Carrick in will improve things from a man u point of view

Frankie Lee

MisterAnarchy wrote: »

Utd have only managed 4 shots,2 on target against the worst Villa team in 20 years.

It is not as bad as the team from the last 4 years. Not having Cleverley available helps a lot too.

Harry Palmr

gosplan wrote: »

Big 45 minutes in the title race coming up

True, West Ham Utd need to consolidate their lead.

nullzero

Frankie Lee wrote: »

It is not as bad as the team from the last 4 years. Not having Cleverley available helps a lot too.

No cleverly is probably benefiting both sides today to be fair.

Diabhal Beag

If anybody else is watching the NBC commentary: Who's the boy saying Villa are impressive when they're forced out of play for United throw-ins? It's melting my brain here.

Pro. F

Real lack of spark from United. Relying so much on Valencia and Young (when he's on the left anyway) is just never likely to work.

nullzero

gosplan wrote: »

Big 45 minutes in the title race coming up

Uniteds title push looks likely to be over before it starts on today's evidence. Not that we were ever realistically challenging for the title anyway, this sort of underwhelming performance was in the post for a while.

Cantona's Collars

theoneeyedman wrote: »

Fletcher was never up to it IMHO, his reputation increased exponentially when he missed all that time out sick. A midfield 3 of him, Rooney and Mata isn't mobile enough, and I'd doubt bringing Carrick in will improve things from a man u point of view

He played ok when called on last season but in fairness it wasn't hard to look good in that midfield.

adox

Serious lack of pace in Utds play again.

I hope Di Maria is fit enough for a run out centrally in the second half.

Also Fletcher has been a disaster in midfield. Carrick needs to replace him and either move to a back four or bring one of the Young lads on to make up the back three.

Di Maria could be the winning or losing of this game.

Mantis Toboggan

Unlucky to be behind since we largely controlled the first half. We haven't created much. Young is about the only player to have offered anything going forward. Mata, Fletcher and Valencia have offered nothing. Need to move both Carrick and Rooney further forward!

edgecutter

I said earlier I was worried about Fletcher and I was right. He is too laboured and looks done at this level.

Mars Bar

Blackett coming in

Cantona's Collars

Blackett on and Carrick moved to midfield.

Billy86

theoneeyedman wrote: »

Fletcher was never up to it IMHO, his reputation increased exponentially when he missed all that time out sick. A midfield 3 of him, Rooney and Mata isn't mobile enough, and I'd doubt bringing Carrick in will improve things from a man u point of view

That's nonsense - he is a complete shell of the player he used to be, but from around the time we signed Hargreaves up until a few months before the illness was announced (I'm guessing the club were not sure what it was and thought he could play through it) he was a very good midfielder. Not amazing or anything, but very, very solid.

Mantis Toboggan

Where is Herrera?

shamrock55

I have utd in an accum, so there is no way they are gonna win:rolleyes: