Today’s Football 2019/20 Season

[Deleted member 38674]

I mean obviously there’s more to it than that but in general that’s how you look to play. You certainly don’t try to play through the press and mess about at the back like we do anyway!

I genuinely think that the way Solskjaer set up today, 5-4-1, is the absolute best way to play against them. It limits their effectiveness and gives you the best chance of success by some distance. It's also very similar to how we set up against them in the 5-2 defeat under MS.

5 at the back, which gives Mane and Salah much less space to work in. You also have the extra man to pack the midfield, which limits space in between the lines, which is where Firmino drops (didn't get much of a sniff today). It also allows you to push your full backs wider, which limits the space on the flanks for Alexander-Arnold and Robertson (both didn't do much today). So you almost nullify a few of their biggest attacking threats. That's about as good as you can hope for, from a tactical point of view.

Then it boils down to winning your individual battles on the pitch, namely against the likes of Henderson, Chamberlain and Wijnaldum who are tigrish, and your own players not making mistakes. United made one today on the set piece, we made one with the early Origi goal. Against any top, top side, the 1st goal is so important as it changes everything. If you can keep it 0-0 for long enough and take your chances either on the counter-attack or from set-pieces, then you've always got a chance of nicking something.

 

[Wat Tyler]

City aren’t a million miles off where they were last year though. Prior to this weekends fixtures, I think they’d only lost one more than they had at this stage last season.

It’s not been a poor performance from City, it’s been unprecedented consistency from a great side that were excellent last season too, and will probably break a few more records this season.

I don’t think anyone can really argue that City have been ‘bad’ because they will still likely clear 85-90 points which is often enough to be champions.

City need to go and spend big yet again on 3 or 4 players because they need a couple of CB’s and a couple of CM’s as it stands, perhaps even a replacement for Sane if he goes to Bayern.

I’m not sure Pep stays either to be honest, give it another 12 months max as there are already grumbles coming out, which will set them back even further.

City have gone backwards , understandable to an extent but Peps arrogance has got them in this situation, £55m for Cancelo when they were desperate for a CB.

 

[Remember-the-name]

Accept what is; have faith in what will be.

 

[LouReedwalkonthewildside]

We need to take their unbeaten record.

Only us or City can

We failed to beat them when they had a load of reserve out (and they ended up winning the game comfortably) so what makes you think we could end their unbeaten run at Goodison?

 

[Darth Toffeeman]

I accepted on boxing day.

If you haven't accepted it by now then you're just deluding yourself.

Theres nothing we can do other than make sure they dont go unbeaten.

Roll on next season and the Carlo surge.

It's been over for ages. A total car crash of a season.

A couple of weeks of NFL to go and then I can switch sport off completely until August.

A solid detox period.

 

[KaiserEFC]

I genuinely think that the way Solskjaer set up today, 5-4-1, is the absolute best way to play against them. It limits their effectiveness and gives you the best chance of success by some distance. It's also very similar to how we set up against them in the 5-2 defeat under MS.

5 at the back, which gives Mane and Salah much less space to work in. You also have the extra man to pack the midfield, which limits space in between the lines, which is where Firmino drops (didn't get much of a sniff today). It also allows you to push your full backs wider, which limits the space on the flanks for Alexander-Arnold and Robertson (both didn't do much today). So you almost nullify a few of their biggest attacking threats. That's about as good as you can hope for, from a tactical point of view.

Then it boils down to winning your individual battles on the pitch, namely against the likes of Henderson, Chamberlain and Wijnaldum who are tigrish, and your own players not making mistakes. United made one today on the set piece, we made one with the early Origi goal. Against any top, top side, the 1st goal is so important as it changes everything. If you can keep it 0-0 for long enough and take your chances either on the counter-attack or from set-pieces, then you've always got a chance of nicking something.

Can’t disagree with any of that if I’m honest. I think United have a serious lack of quality and pure mercenaries too. We should be wary of becoming them

 

[Number_25]

It's annoying how good them lot are.

 

[Milk]

This is all Chelsa’s fault. To think they had De Bruyne and Salah on their books and let them go for relative peanuts.

Booo, Chelsea

 

[ToffeeTim]

We failed to beat them when they had a load of reserve out (and they ended up winning the game comfortably) so what makes you think we could end their unbeaten run at Goodison?

Because its goodison. We do well at home.

Away from home is diabolical.

 

[ToffeeTim]

It's been over for ages. A total car crash of a season.

A couple of weeks of NFL to go and then I can switch sport off completely until August.

A solid detox period.

I'm still just pretty happy we have Ancelotti

 

[Darth Toffeeman]

I'm still just pretty happy we have Ancelotti

Agreed.

But arsed watching the fawning over those bells at the top. Even the Euros will be full of RS name drops.

Swerving the lot.

 

[LouReedwalkonthewildside]

Because its goodison. We do well at home.

Away from home is diabolical.

The RS have played 22 games mate, lost none, won 21, drawn 1, so I don't think they'll be overawed playing us at Goodison whether we do well at home or not.

 

[ToffeeTim]

The RS have played 22 games mate, lost none, won 21, drawn 1, so I don't think they'll be overawed playing us at Goodison whether we do well at home or not.

I didnt say they would. I didnt say wed win. All I said was I think we could.

 

[kenada_blue]

City don't have Klopp

4 years and 1 trophy.

Pep 3 years and 5 trophies.

 

[Toffe3m4n]

The league really has been a joke this season, hasn't it? the reds have absolutely sleepwalked to it after 30 years of squat because every other team just seemingly couldn't be that arsed. Bit like when Leicester won it a few years ago.

Mad.