OneMoSalah

And people were concerned where the goals were coming from…. We’ve only gone and got the three.

Super Cup is a weird one to gauge though, even today technically you could say its still effectively pre-season because its not as if Tuchel has had a lot of time with players who were away at Euros etc and it will take a few weeks to get some of them up to full speed and integrate any other signings. Not forgetting everything but I think some of the reactions to the line up and no signings bar Lukaku is a bit OTT. I mean if we go and get a good performance and result will anybody really care about the line up? I don’t think so. Even then I don’t think you see the finished team on match day 1. Plus Kai, Mount, James, Pulisic, all young players who are better after another season as first team players so theres that growth also. I do think Werner will never really be more than what he showed in flashes last season so I agree he has to become a totally different player, improving tenfold but whether he does that it remains to be seen and unrealistic based on pre-season so far. Doesnt mean anything though. Every club has different approaches and methods to pre-season and maybe Shaw and Maguire didn’t take holidays to get back as soon as they could after the Euros? Where they played virtually every minute (bar first 2 games for Maguire) so maybe they werent as rusty as some of the guys who didn’t play. Who knows.

Nice. Surely means no more Barkley then? Even better. Sell please 15-20m.

Good to see optimism around this place…. not even kicked a ball yet and you’d think it was all doom and gloom. Line ups interesting but Tuchel did say it will take a while for some guys to get their fitness IIRC due to the Euros etc. Big chance for Timo today, personally would of played Kai instead but lets see how he does. Has to improve on that lacklustre performance in the super cup. Still think we will have more than enough.

Is he playing off the left side? McTominay with another good performance. Still think United are gonna play tougher games against teams who sit in and don’t try go toe to toe with them.

That’ll be him quiet for the next 5/6 games now. As usual.

So far United look alright, thats without Cavani, Varane and Sancho too.

The thing is on the ball, he’s good and has pace but like Kounde, he seems just a bit lightweight or short for a CB in a back 4 in the PL for me. If they played a 3 and he was in the position Azpi was it for instance it wouldn’t be so bad, still not great but you could off balance his weaknesses playing him and 2 more physical/taller CBs who are stronger in the air. In a 4 not so much, you need both really good in the air. As average as David Luiz was as a central defender, in the air he was quite strong and would attack the ball well. I think Carragher mentioned that he has essentially been signed to replace David Luiz but isnt as strong, tall or dominant in the air. Ben White - Gabriel partnership going to be interesting and whilst I really liked the look of Gabriel last season, it doesn’t scream out top top partnership to me.

Yep. He was alright in a back 3 for Brighton as he was a bit more protected as well as also ending up in MF in numerous games but in a back 4, he looks lightweight. Good on the ball and has potential but never a 50m CB in a million years and last night showed that. Don’t think I’ve seen such a bad debut at CB, or a CB lose so many headers Lukaku will do the exact same to him as Toney did hopefully. In fact most CFs who are more physical will do this in all likelihood, likes of Rom, Benteke, Woods, Barnes etc guys who have a huge physical presence, it will give these guys encouragement.

Ben White 50m 🤣 wouldn’t pay 5m for him based on last nights game and there were folk on here saying he was an excellent buy for Arsenal. Lukaku gonna have a field day. Fuck even Werner might have a field day. If we don’t beat that Arsenal team we may as well not beat anybody.

Think that’s the talk aye, loan move, would be some signing tbf. One of the best CBs about, just think that injuries or Stones revitalising his career didn’t help. Probably doesn't help City tried offering him to Spurs also.

Juventus want Laporte from City as hes unsettled.

Tbf I am frustrated by the “he is best when playing with a striker” or “when playing as a second striker” etc. Personally, if your a goalscorer like he is, to only get 4 or 6 PL goals in your first season when you’ve scored over 100 goals in Germany in recent seasons, you have to do better. Even more so considering the 2 barren spells and the huge volume of sitters he missed that I think we’d all probably fancy ourselves at scoring…. I remember the shit Morata got in the second half of his first year and it is odd the difference now for Timo but lets see how it goes this season. The excuses will only last so long, if he doesn’t do it this season regularly instead of in fits and bursts every couple of months nobody can say anything. Even this “so he can run at people thing playing off a CF”, he played on the left hand side when Tammy was in the team with Frank and basically was as good as another RB for the opposition because he did nothing. This is why we needed a top CF, because he couldn’t be counted on to put the big chances away like others also.

I think Mount in a MF two is a disaster waiting to happen though right now. The Fulham game for instance, he left Billy overrun most of the first half to go over to the sort of role he usually plays, linking up with Chilwell, playing in that sort of wide 10 role. In a 3 man MF maybe but in a 2 he is not disciplined enough and it looks like we will play 343 still. Unless we sell Zouma or dare I say it Christensen (although hopefully he stays), we should prioritise MF first imo.

Big season coming up. Has to perform or will be out the door next summer. No excuses now with Lukaku coming in.

I really do wonder if people slagging his link up play realised he got 11 assists last season?

Played well in pre season and yesterday, think he could be a surprise addition to squad for the season.

Not sure if we are linked but talk Bayern want €10m to sell Tolisso to go for Sabitzer. Be an interesting move for €10m. Linkee with Spurs, Juventus, West Ham, Arsenal and United. Would think we would be aware of him and potentially a good deal at that price, no? He is a combative box to box player.

Kepa Kepa Kepa lovely. Wheres the idiots who said the penalties were over after first one 🤣 Big balls by Tuchel to make that sub. Big balls from Kepa considering he probably hadn’t touched the ball too as he came on at 119th minute or whatever.

Fucking hell miss one pen and its over, where were you in 2012 when Mata missed our pen yet still won the CL?

Not as if hes put a foot wrong. And in the other pre season games he has done well. So him playing is probably more warranted but whatever.

And what about Kante and Kovacic’s performances since HT along with the rest of the team which is when we actually surrendered control of the midfield… I see the anti Jorginho brigade are back, how long to the anti Mount brigade come out after him playing only 20 mins tonight too?

You can tell if a players going to be different though. Is Werner really looking better than last season which he was poor for for 3/4s of it? Or has Pulisic done anything consistently since his first season? Kai looks totally a new player, fitter, stronger, more relentless without the ball. More quality on it too. Big wake up call, we’ve done nothing since HT.

Werner and Pulisic very frustrating. Offering next to nothing. I know its one game but its same old same old, doing very little. Cannot see them starting a lot this season if they keep at this sort of performance, more so considering once Lukaku is done he will start every week and Mount probably be back in once he gets up to full fitness.

Hes at Southampton….. Werner looks like hes going to struggle against this season. Not good.