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This THREAD Is NOT for the blind who are happily lead by the blind. If that’s you’re choice, that’s fine, it’s entirely up to you. If you are prepared to follow this thread and give a little thought to each point and each clip, you must surely see the light.
I heard Klopp say yesterday he wasn’t happy with his team’s “Rythm”. I also watched a half of City v Burnley. City’s “rythm” was brilliant. One and two touch passing, and lots and lots of them. Very few difficult passes and hardly any silly shots. Just more passes instead.
We are an incredible 37 points behind Liverpool and 17 behind City. If we want to get closer next season we HAVE to improve our “Rythm”. Many more short passes are required, less long ones, less difficult ones that aren’t really on, plus we need to take LESS shots from distance.
You need to DEPART now if you want to blindly think any given player played brilliantly in a given game, without really studying what that player did in that game. There’s no need to attack my reasoning, nor me. My reasoning is sound, AND LIKE YOU, I want the very best for Utd.
I hope the blind being lead by the blind have now left. Here goes, and there’s footage to explain it. Bruno was certainly ONE of our biggest culprits for breaking up OUR play and stopping us getting any “Rythm” going. Please stop now if you don’t like it, lots of clips coming up.
The first couple of minutes he tries this pass. It’s too difficult. It’s very early in the game, he can be excused this one. He should really just hold the ball a second and find a simpler pass. As ONE OFF he’d be excused, when it’s so often though, this has to be included.
Most of these will be about passes that are too difficult, but here he gets a simple chance to put Shaw in behind their lines. It’s a simple pass this between the two defenders, but he hesitates and the chance is gone.
Still only 7 minutes in and he now fires this one at Dan James at head height. What is James expected to do with it ? If he doesn’t head it and turns and runs, his defender is red hot favourite to get it. It’s a terrible pass.
This isn’t about Rythm of play, but also needs improving. Utd’s first 3 corners on the right are all taken by Bruno and all are headed clear by a near post defender. Not that I always agree with commentators, but @GNev2 can be heard saying “his corners have been poor so far”.
A hopeful long ball from the right back spot. Ask yourself “what is the best possible outcome from this”. It’s just very poor. AWB gives it him and is then out of shot, he’s still there though. There’s nothing on here, just give it him back and start again. The best teams would.
I deliberately start this one with the screen on “still”. There’s virtually no chance of a long ball being of any value at all. Martial is aware of that and he’s occupying the defenders while pointing at Rashford for Bruno to pass to there, but he goes long again. Very poor.
Bruno gets a shot off here, it’s a decent hit with his weaker left foot. The angle is difficult though and it’s unlikely from that angle, and that distance, that he will REALLY test the keeper. Definitely should try to drive it across the 6 yard box.
I’ve mentioned this before and people come back with “it’s ok, they’re great when they go in”. It’s NOT OK. Look at the grass cuts. He’s not even in the second one outside the box. He won’t score more than ONCE a season from that distance. It’s got to stop. Apologises to Martial.
Seconds into the second half and he tries to force it again. It may just be worth a try this one, make your own mind up. To me, it’s too difficult, he should hold it, wait for support and try to build an attack and/or pressure.
3 minutes into the half, and I know people might say that I’m picking on him. If so many weren’t going wrong, it wouldn’t warrant a mention this. To be honest, I’ve looked a few times and actually think it’s meant for Dan James, if so though, it’s not accurate enough.
Still in the first few minutes of the half. Even if Martial asks for this back, it’s up to him to play the right ball. There’s very little chance of this working, too many defenders. If he takes a touch Martial has moved the defenders and AWB will be in a good position.
On the last shot, some will argue “he doesn’t know what will happen next” (about AWB becoming available) and I know he doesn’t. When the only other option is a silly ball, top players take a touch. They know the other players move and your situation changes.
Many fans will say “at least he tries things”. It’s not got a chance, it’s a silly decision and not very well executed. We’ve got to start getting MORE passes together and building the play. Playing like this will NOT put us into a challenging position any time soon.
Lovely link up play here between Bruno and Martial. It’s not bad shot at the end and he’s probably right to have a go here. It’s his third shot, it’s the only one OFF target but it’s close, it still may be his best effort. The other two were comfortably saved.
This isn’t a particularly bad idea, trying to hit the feet of your striker around the edge of the box. If this was a player from the top two clubs though, this would go to AWB on the wing,99 times out of 100. On the odd occasion it didn’t, expect a rollicking in German or Spanish
The fact that this one didn’t just get pushed in front of AWB is astonishing.
And one final shot in the very last seconds. Matic puts him into a great position with time to look up. He decides to shoot from distance again. There are players forward, Ighalo cant believe it. It’s not good enough.
That’s virtually the end. It’s mainly about poor decision making, in both passing and shooting.
He could do without other sloppy things creeping into his game. I’ll finish with a few of those. Here a sloppy touch let’s the ball free, he just manages to rescue a throw in though.
He could do without other sloppy things creeping into his game. I’ll finish with a few of those. Here a sloppy touch let’s the ball free, he just manages to rescue a throw in though.
If this comes off it looks clever, and I know he’s not aware of a player tracking back who actually intercepts it. He’s got time to control it though and needs to get his game going, just control it and try to pass it to someone you can see.
Here’s similarly looking tricky attempt at a pass. He must be aware that the last one didn’t come off. He does well at first here, but then it’s sloppy in the end.
This is the 94th minute and he looks tired, fair enough maybe, but it’s an extremely poor attempt at a pass. Would it not be easier just to simply kill the ball dead, instead of attempting a volleyed cross field pass ?
Finally , Matic, who’s only been on 15 minutes to be fair, try’s to get a quick attack going. He wants the ball back off Bruno, but he just plays a sloppy ball back to Baily. If you watch Bruno and Matic instead of the ball, you will see there’s an exchange of words at the end.
Anyone who’s gone all the way through that, apologies that it’s so long, but then again, that’s a reflection of how many poor things he did in the game. Obviously he did some good things, and occasionally very good, plus his work ethic is exemplary. So it’s not all bad.
We desperately need to simplify our game. I know when some say it’s a “fact”, others respond with “no it’s not, it’s your opinion”. So I won’t say it’s a fact, but if we keep playing like that, as sure as eggs are eggs, we won’t be challenging any time soon.
Already a few have said I’ve got an agenda. My only agenda is that I want our football club to start playing better. A twitter thread isn’t going to help. Not one bit. I suppose I’m just fed up hearing how great our players are when we so often can’t string any passes together.
Some have said it’s down to coaching, and I think they’re right. Bruno has great ability, his short passing game is superb. The Hollywood balls and the ridiculous shots need to stop. The whole team would play better.
C’Mon UNITED !!!
C’Mon UNITED !!!
