Stoke vs Manchester United Match Thread 1/1/2015 k/o 12.45 Sky.

Cantona's Collars

RobbingBandit wrote: »

Noticed a couple of United players being very jumpy, Carrick is like a deer in headlights when getting challenged.

He's always been like that when challenged.

Harry Palmr

I'm assuming that Stoke will never fill in the corners as that gale seems to suit them

Donnielighto

If rooney played with intelligence he'd be so much better

LostBoy101

We are really missing Di Maria and Herrera today.

Mars Bar

The ref should be having a word with Begovic there

Headshot

Stoke players are really nasty pieces of work

Mantis Toboggan

Good to see smalling back.

Donnielighto

Headshot wrote: »

Stoke players are really nasty pieces of work

And fans too.

glued

Carrick and Rooney have been terrible. Mata can't get involved either.

Liam O

Take off Evans or Smalling for Herrera if he's fit enough for 45 is what I'd be doing here.

Liam O

glued wrote: »

Carrick and Rooney have been terrible. Mata can't get involved either.

too much distance between them all.

glued

glued wrote: »

Carrick and Rooney have been terrible. Mata can't get involved either.

Mata's playing well not sure what game your watching

Gits_bone

How can Utd play so ugly when they have Mata, Rooney, Falcao and RVP as the front 4? It's just long balls up?

monkey9

Timmyctc wrote: »

Wes Brown was higher than a midtable defender. He Bosses a young Lionel Messi/Thierry Henry out of two games in 08 en route to us winning the CL.

Was he ever a regular in the team? I don't recall him being that. Maybe he got a run here and there, but he wasn't first name on the team sheet material and it was not surprise to see him sign for Sunderland eventually.

It's not a slight on Man U, a club like that should have better than the likes of Jones, Smalling and definitely Evans and I've no doubt Van Gaal is working on it.

Timmyctc

glued wrote: »

Carrick and Rooney have been terrible. Mata can't get involved either.

Carrick and Mata have been quite good. I'm not sure what game you're watching

tayto lover

Jones looks a bit panicky.

Great stuff from smalling

Dayum

Evans is having a nightmare...

Business as usual so...

Timmyctc

monkey9 wrote: »

Was he ever a regular in the team? I don't recall him being that. Maybe he got a run here and there, but he wasn't first name on the team sheet material and it was not surprise to see him sign for Sunderland eventually.

It's not a slight on Man U, a club like that should have better than the likes of Jones, Smalling and definitely Evans and I've no doubt Van Gaal is working on it.

He was consistently in the team 06-08 made about 90 apps in two seasons for us and was fantastic in the CL/PL winning season

dmc17

Great ball Shaw! :rolleyes:

tayto lover

Very even game.
I'd fancy Utd in the second-half with the wind holding up the ball.

Gits_bone

Smalling has been immense. Evans is a mistake in every sense of the word.

LuckyGent88

I'd take that score line at half time considering the start we made.

Our defending does not fill me with much confidence though.

Donnielighto

tayto lover wrote: »

Jones looks a bit panicky.

Ah that's just the way he looks, he's a bit unfortunate.

ben.schlomo

Carricks been excellent on the cover for Utd, Shaw is an awful footballer, more goals in this for both teams, playing into the wind will suit Utd and stoke will have chances from Utds porous defending. Mata has been largely anonymous for me, just not done a lot.

miralize

Rooney is such a bad midfielder in the final third. Good at getting around the pitch, mostly ok at his beloved hollywood passes but runs out of ideas when close to goal (as a midfielder).

keeponhurling

Wes brown started off great, Fergie and fans really rated him, but injuries didn't help.

Evans has had a good run in the team recently, but doubt he has done enough to convince LVG.
He nearly let Diouf in for two goals there in the first half

Mantis Toboggan

Gits_bone wrote: »

Smalling has been immense. Evans is a mistake in every sense of the word.

If only smalling would stay fit. He's our best defender.

newballsplease

Utd need to spend another €100million to sort the defence out.

Lucas Hood

Wind is with us second half. Should make them over the top balls a bit easier.

Will I Amnt

I've never seen a defensive unit so uncomfortable with the ball at their feet. Every pass looks hard work, it's so contrived, the body shape to play a 10 yard pass looks like they are afraid of their life to get it wrong even with nobody near them.
I'd sell Jonny Evans on that performance alone...

edgecutter

Don't see the point in three at the back especially if you need Evans to play. Bloody accident waiting to happen.

Timmyctc

Lucas Hood wrote: »

Wind is with us second half. Should make them over the top balls a bit easier.

Wind was with us this half. Thats why the balls werent working. Too much pace.

pmasterson95

Shawcross returning would help. Better than 30m on a 30 year old brazilian. Shawcross slot straight in.

Timmyctc

As bad as everyone is making Evans out to be, it was the other two CBs who left their men for the first goal

phenom

Timmyctc wrote: »

He was consistently in the team 06-08 made about 90 apps in two seasons for us and was fantastic in the CL/PL winning season

Wes brown is another defender that was plagued with injuries during his career at united . Due to them and vidic signing he was never going to be a first team central defender. He did play at the first half of that season if I remember correctly. He was a decent fringe player for us.

Mantis Toboggan

No excuse for not playing four at the back. Both Shaw and Rafael are fit. Will probably take a few defeats for him to climb down off the tree.

PhlegmyMoses

miralize wrote: »

Rooney is such a bad midfielder in the final third. Good at getting around the pitch, mostly ok at his beloved hollywood passes but runs out of ideas when close to goal (as a midfielder).

Agreed. He is not a midfielder. Should be up top.

Liam O

Was I watching a different Smalling to everyone in that half? The left sided CB in a back 3 shouldn't be the busiest both going forward and defending...

Fudge You

newballsplease wrote: »

Utd need to spend another €100million to sort the defence out.

Yeah, just throw money at every problem. That'll fix all

Gits_bone

Timmyctc wrote: »

As bad as everyone is making Evans out to be, it was the other two CBs who left their men for the first goal

Shaw was on Crouch?

Liam O

Gits_bone wrote: »

Shaw was on Crouch?

Yeah, I'm sure that was the plan...

Timmyctc

Gits_bone wrote: »

Shaw was on Crouch?

Oh sorry, thought it was Smalling meant to be on him. My Moustache. Jones still left Shawcross.

monkey9

Timmyctc wrote: »

He was consistently in the team 06-08 made about 90 apps in two seasons for us and was fantastic in the CL/PL winning season

Yeah fair enough. I knew there'd be some statistic where he got a run like that. I'm not saying Brown was bad, he's a decent Premier League centre back and that's how I feel about Smalling and Jones and to a lesser extent, Evans.

I just don't consider them Man U quality at all.

bur

This Henry Sky ad makes me want to puke.

Billy86

Timmyctc wrote: »

Oh sorry, thought it was Smalling meant to be on him. My Moustache. Jones still left Shawcross.

Gits_bone

That Henry ad on Sky is sick and cringey.

Gits_bone

Liam O wrote: »

Yeah, I'm sure that was the plan...

Well LVG has form. Rafael on Drogba.

Lucas Hood

Timmyctc wrote: »

Wind was with us this half. Thats why the balls werent working. Too much pace.

You know what i meant. The wind was hindering us in first half it shouldn't do as much in the second.

Cantona's Collars

Lucas Hood wrote: »

You know what i meant. The wind was hindering us in first half it shouldn't do as much in the second.

At least Rooney's diagonal balls should hold up in the wind.:rolleyes:

Why can't he play the through ball when the strikers are making runs?