TrippingStep

Ramires should have shot on the ground far post or pushing close to the keepr and then make a back or square pass.

Liked how Zabaleta was skinned protecting the inside and how he could do nothing as if he tried it was penalty with the way Eden had his body in front of him.

Don't understand how we could not finish our 4 against one. Normally, if finishes with a square pass to a player just having to shoot in an empty net.

WTF at this missed chance.

Wonder if he will be in a summer deal for one of our transfer.

Fernandinho and Aguero out, I' m a bit less scared. I would have liked Clichy as left back and not Kolarov. I think it will be a 4-3-3 for us. Matic as defensive midfielder, Ramires and Luiz the bulldog in midfield. I think the idea for this formation is to let Hazard not defend as much against the fullback if it was a 4-2-3-1. One of the tree midfielder can close a side and let Hazard not drop too much back and being an outlet for counter-attacks.

I think Matic would be more central, as the sweeper in midfield while Ramires Luiz would press their midfielders.

This match scares me. What worries me the most is that i fear goal opportunities for City at the far post and on second ball on the edge of the box.

http://www.101greatgoals.com/clean_feeds/match-of-the-day/ They were putting everything good about Utd in this match, forgetting many counter-attacks of Stoke that could have been better finished.

I agree but shoulder to shoulder is more leaning with weight on you if you're much smaller than the opposition. Bale and Ronaldo are taller and the opponents can't lean on them.

The false 9 only worked really well at Barcelona. The wingers were making runs behind and between the fullbacks and central defenders (meaning they could'nt push and squeeze without leaving holes for the wingers) and if not were very good being in front of them offering lay-offs option for Messi's run. Messi with Argentina plays deeper and the opponents have not so many distraction and well-build machine to worry about.

MotD is such a joke. Watching the highlights of Stoke Man Utd, they made Man utd look better than they were. Not the first time their highlights are biased as hell. I remember watching it after a very good performance by us and they were making the match looked much more even than it was.

The wingers of Man Utd made Cameron look ok in this match while he looked like a schoolboy Sunday against us

Nothing surprising. And the player who would play best with him Januzaj is not playing anymore

7 minute overtime is rubbish. 5 minutes would have been acceptable. We never had so many minutes even when the opponents were wasting time.

And there is no Azpi Ramires Oscar Hazard in the Utd team.

Because I say this, he will assist or score but Mata in this first half looks like Kagawa 2.0. Januzaj would do better.

I think it's a weak point in Mourinho. Real Madrid against Manchester United last year were also lacking ideas and we would often see individual tries and shot from outside the box and the fullbacks were also not doing much.

I agree but it would be good if the front 4 did not have to do so much every game. It must be exhausting mentally. And I haver problems with the positioning of our players in the box, last year it was much better, covering better all the box area, now when we have crossing opportunities, it very difficulting for the one trying it as except when Lampard is making a run from deep, they are all attacking the same area with the defenders in line covering it. How many chances with a simple back pass this year compared to last year.

I'm not sure it was only a striker. I didn't see the game but the line-up was quite negative, far more negative than the one against Stoke. Like we would rest the players playing deep and letting our front 4 do the work and reading stuff about our first half was a bit like that until we pushed with more people. It was a bit like that against Hull when the front 4 had to do all the work between themself and had difficulties to break them. Looking at our line up, the fullbacks were chosen because of their ability in duels and Ramires Mikel are not good against team defending deep, Mikel is too slow and safe and Ramires is not a great passer and recycling the ball fast.

Mancini is not a great example. They were shit last year againt teams that were defending deep. And I would agree with you if we would play a team that would be good at starting counter-attacks like Basel but it's not like West Ham had defenders and midfielders who are good at that. And adding a defensive midfielder is to free up a fullback going full attack, covering for him. But we didn't use attacking fullbacks. I still don't understand why we changed so much our line-up from the Stoke game. william is doing a good job in midfield but in the final third, he's not been that great until now. Azpi offering width on the right, Schurrle making run in the box. 5 different players from the stoke game and offering less in attack (Azpi because he's on the left) was way too much. We needed more progressive passing from the pivot and width from the fullbacks in this game. It was the opposite with our line-up. We needed quicker passing from the back and moving the ball from side to side before going for the openings.

Azpilicueta barely played in the right this season. It bounced into the box to Oscar but he made a great run into space picked by Luiz. And Azpi is better to link-up on the right in the build-up of play. And off course this season Azpi stats aren't good, he's playing on the left.

Last year we had no other choices with the squad we had. We had fucking Marin Benayoun and Moses for substitutes in the three behind the striker. Mata closer to the striker, putting Hazard and Oscar on the side deeper, closer to the midfield was our only option. We'll see next year. I could see us going 4-3-3 Hazard Salah on the wing, a new left back, a new striker, another cm and Oscar in the midfield three with less pressure on him for attacking purpose. After all, Oscar would be better as a cm in a three man midfield, linking the play with fullbacks, wingers. ----------Azpi---------------Cahill/Luiz-----------Terry/??-----------Shaw -----------------------------------Matic--------------------------------------- ------------------new cm---------------------Oscar---------------------- --------------Salah----------------------------------------hazard-------- ------------------------------------New striker--------------------------------- We would not need Mata in a set-up like that.

Azpilicueta have more assists than Ivanovic. His run and first time cross against Liverpool led to a goal. And he plays quicker passes in the midfield area. And we could have used him attacking the byline, coming back to his left and making a pass or cross that led to goals against Wigan and West Brom last year. Azpi Schurrle on the right yesterday, Lampard in midfield and I'm sure we would have won.

One of the thing we could improve watching the last matches is the way we have players positioned in the box. When we have opportunities to cross, the players in the box all tend to attack towards the goal, leaving only speculative low crosses and not more easy back pass. It's one thing we were doing better last year, not so many players in the same line.