Aurier, Sanchez, Lamela - time to say goodbye?
Aurier, Sanchez, Lamela - time to say goodbye?
I don't understand some of our fans, they talk about hopefully seeing better defensive performances, that is their goal from these 9 games.
I'm looking for Champions League football, I'm looking for 9 wins, 27 points, Top 4.
You either approach games with the right attitude or forget any signs of progress. Unless we win games, then a slight improvement here or there is pretty irrelevant as far as this season goes.
Now is not the time to write it off, now is the time to go on an end of season run.
That was what I wrote before the game.
My thoughts during the game.
6 mins: Man U are a better side than us
They were far more comfortable on the ball than us and our midfield and back four simply aren't good enough.
Hugo Lloris was back to his best and won the keeper battle with David de Gea. The only way United found a way past him was via the penalty spot.
On that point, why to keepers dive to their left when the majority of penalty strikes go to their right?
OK, back to mentality.
In pressure situations you revert to default.
Defeat is your comfort zone, where you are happiest, where you feel safe.
For a right footer, that is kicking the ball with the instep to the left, the keepers right.
A keeper who dives to his left, and there are plenty if you watch this, are simply making life easy for the right-footed penalty taker.
In front of Lloris is Serge Aurier who can do some good things going forward, however he can do lots of bad things and isn't a patch on Walker or Trippier.
Mentality again, you revert to default under pressure.
Serge Aurier has too much anxiety when he plays, he panics.
Take an incident early in the first-half.
Do you remember?
He was over by the touchline with an opposition player in front of him.
We had a teammate a yard from him (good old British feet and inches) and level with the opposition player so why not pass the ball inside to him, no Aurier decides to hoof the ball out of defence, straight into his own player and the opposition have a throw-in mid way in out half.
What was his thought process there?
There was an incident in the second half where we were attacking and he makes a bad pass which is intercepted outside there box which ends up in them having a shot at goal before he has got back.
One dreadful pass in their half puts us under pressure.
Then there was trying to dribble out of defence and losing the ball several times, it simply isn't good enough.
Davinson Sanchez cost £40 million, well I'm sorry but he isn't worth it.
He makes too many mistakes and since he started well when he joined us, his poor performances over the last 2 years must be because he isn't playing every week and has lost confidence.
That is mentality again.
He had a header in our box, where he somehow headed the ball sideways, while he was going in the opposite direction, right to an unmarked Manchester United attacker 8 yards from goal.
Fortunately Hugo Lloris had returned to his best form and kept the shot out with his feet, but you simply can't do that in your own box.
If we are not going to employ professionals to erase these mental weaknesses then you either live with mistakes,and Jose's football is built on not making mistakes at the back or you sell and buy a replacement.
Moving into midfield and Erik Lamela still doesn't have enough end product. He drags the ball a lot, he gives effort but at that crucial moment in the last third when it needs the right ball, time and time again he can't provide it.
Time and time again he messes up a promising attack with indecision or an overhit pass.
It isn't a lack of skill, it's a lack of concentration at those times, it is anxiety creeping in, it's mental.
I applaud his effort, his commitment. I'm amazed he doesn't get booked every game.
Mourinho likes his attitude, but Willian is a better player so to bring the Brazilian in the Argentinian will have to go.
My readers from when we signed him in August 2013 will know I said then he had the wrong mentality, he was a show pony with no end result, hiding in games.
He no longer hides, he puts himself in areas where he can affect the game, but unfortunately he makes more mistakes than he should.
A player is always going to make mistakes in the last third where he is trying to create an opening and it is great he is no longer hiding from that, but his final ball and decision making isn't improving and it's costly.
We should have had that game sewn up against United but we concede late again.
Pressure brings mistakes.
It is so so frustrating when the solution to our problems is so simple yet because it isn't tradition, because it isn't how it has always been, that we don't do much about it.
Things are not going to have changed in a few days, the players will be a little match fitter, well those who played, it will be interesting to see what the midfield make-up will be.
Here's hoping for 3 points in our next training game.
I wonder if all the players are thinking this is what Sunday morning football must be all about!
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That was what I wrote before the game.
My thoughts during the game.
6 mins: Man U are a better side than us
They were far more comfortable on the ball than us and our midfield and back four simply aren't good enough.
Hugo Lloris was back to his best and won the keeper battle with David de Gea. The only way United found a way past him was via the penalty spot.
On that point, why to keepers dive to their left when the majority of penalty strikes go to their right?
OK, back to mentality.
In pressure situations you revert to default.
Defeat is your comfort zone, where you are happiest, where you feel safe.
For a right footer, that is kicking the ball with the instep to the left, the keepers right.
A keeper who dives to his left, and there are plenty if you watch this, are simply making life easy for the right-footed penalty taker.
In front of Lloris is Serge Aurier who can do some good things going forward, however he can do lots of bad things and isn't a patch on Walker or Trippier.
Mentality again, you revert to default under pressure.
Serge Aurier has too much anxiety when he plays, he panics.
Take an incident early in the first-half.
Do you remember?
He was over by the touchline with an opposition player in front of him.
We had a teammate a yard from him (good old British feet and inches) and level with the opposition player so why not pass the ball inside to him, no Aurier decides to hoof the ball out of defence, straight into his own player and the opposition have a throw-in mid way in out half.
What was his thought process there?
There was an incident in the second half where we were attacking and he makes a bad pass which is intercepted outside there box which ends up in them having a shot at goal before he has got back.
One dreadful pass in their half puts us under pressure.
Then there was trying to dribble out of defence and losing the ball several times, it simply isn't good enough.
Davinson Sanchez cost £40 million, well I'm sorry but he isn't worth it.
He makes too many mistakes and since he started well when he joined us, his poor performances over the last 2 years must be because he isn't playing every week and has lost confidence.
That is mentality again.
He had a header in our box, where he somehow headed the ball sideways, while he was going in the opposite direction, right to an unmarked Manchester United attacker 8 yards from goal.
Fortunately Hugo Lloris had returned to his best form and kept the shot out with his feet, but you simply can't do that in your own box.
If we are not going to employ professionals to erase these mental weaknesses then you either live with mistakes,and Jose's football is built on not making mistakes at the back or you sell and buy a replacement.
Moving into midfield and Erik Lamela still doesn't have enough end product. He drags the ball a lot, he gives effort but at that crucial moment in the last third when it needs the right ball, time and time again he can't provide it.
Time and time again he messes up a promising attack with indecision or an overhit pass.
It isn't a lack of skill, it's a lack of concentration at those times, it is anxiety creeping in, it's mental.
I applaud his effort, his commitment. I'm amazed he doesn't get booked every game.
Mourinho likes his attitude, but Willian is a better player so to bring the Brazilian in the Argentinian will have to go.
My readers from when we signed him in August 2013 will know I said then he had the wrong mentality, he was a show pony with no end result, hiding in games.
He no longer hides, he puts himself in areas where he can affect the game, but unfortunately he makes more mistakes than he should.
A player is always going to make mistakes in the last third where he is trying to create an opening and it is great he is no longer hiding from that, but his final ball and decision making isn't improving and it's costly.
We should have had that game sewn up against United but we concede late again.
Pressure brings mistakes.
It is so so frustrating when the solution to our problems is so simple yet because it isn't tradition, because it isn't how it has always been, that we don't do much about it.
Things are not going to have changed in a few days, the players will be a little match fitter, well those who played, it will be interesting to see what the midfield make-up will be.
Here's hoping for 3 points in our next training game.
I wonder if all the players are thinking this is what Sunday morning football must be all about!
COYS
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