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The 2012-2013 Manchester United Thread: Thank you, Sir Alex


ddidiodion

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Definite penalty but those things happen. We didn't create much and if the plan was to cling on at 1-0 then that's always a risk. Point away to Spurs isn't the end of the world. We were never going to stay 7 points clear until the end. It'll change again.

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We had a lot of nearly chances, but not many dangerous chances. Was a gorgeous run and ball to Welbeck for example, that was just a touch too far for him. Clear on goal if not. Overall it was deserved with a point, but very, very disappointing to "lose" like that at the death. Should clearly have had that penalty, but it's probably a non-talking point as usual, although this time it could actually have decided the point (usually we win anyway).

Thought we sat too deep in the second half, and didn't take well enough advantage of the counters we got.

Still, five points clear having played most of the tough teams isn't a bad situation. Obviously a rather big and important home match left... Well, several tough matches left, but I'd much rather be in our situation than City's.

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Probably a pretty small community anyway, so he'd know them, and especially people who have been involved in losing us the title. When he knows the names of parents of players at various of our youth teams, I'd say he is capable of knowing the who's who of the reffing teams too.

Has Clattenburg reffed much since the false charges btw? Absolutely horrible what has happened to him. Completely innocent and he seems to be kind of shunned of duties now. I've not seen him much at least (but then I don't watch every match).

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Didn't look like a penalty to me. Spurs got the point they deserved. What worries me most is that we are not capable to hit on the break anymore. And for me that is mostly down to poor decision making from Wellbeck and Valencia. They both have got enough pace to tear defences apart, yet they don't take on defences by just running into they vast spaces the opposition offers them...Valencia slows down our play while Wellbeck does run fast with ball but seems to be in a hurry most of the time, or sometimes he's too careless. Hopefully Rooney hits his form when he gets back from suspension.

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He's suspended now? I missed that. Wait, that can't be right, surely? At this date he needs 10 yellows to get a suspension. No way he's nearly got that many.

First goal was on a counter btw. We're still deadly as F on them, just couldn't quite string together the right moves and passes today, apart from that one time. We had so many good break chances though. It's how football is now. With counters, counter-counters, and even counter-counter-counters.

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Well then the biased commentator over here (belgian ppv tv rooting for every belgian player in PL, especially when playing agianst UTD) got it wrong.

There's counters and there's counters you know. There were several occasions when Danny or Tony just had to push the ball x yards in front of them and then blast past their defender. But they don't do that that often anymore which I find a shame.

Especially when a defnder picks up a yellow, you have to try everything to let him make that second bookable offense. Today was also the perfect moment to bring on Hernandez, with 20 mins to play.

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Has Clattenburg reffed much since the false charges btw? Absolutely horrible what has happened to him. Completely innocent and he seems to be kind of shunned of duties now. I've not seen him much at least (but then I don't watch every match).

I believe he did the forest-derby derby yesterday and someone on 5live phoned in the say how good he was.

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Did a check and I see he's had some PL matches, though no high-profile ones, at least recently. Can't help the feeling he has been punished, whether wantonly or not, despite being innocent. Not the first and far from the last time the FA have shown poor behaviour though.

Think Valencia has a back problem, which can explain why he isn't the same player for us right now. But I miss him going full tilt at fullbacks and banging in dangerous crosses. Hope he can get back to that. Why wasn't Nani on the bench today?

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Back five and Jones were excellent today - Welbeck was as good as last week. Still needs a good chance to fall his way, but his feet, control and movement are exceptional. Thought RVP did little other than score as his service was diabolical. Kagawa was terrible and was a bad choice, Rooney made a big difference when he came on. Actually couldn't believe Carrick was MOTM, thought he and Cleverley created very little and the possession stats tell you they had little control of the game. Needed Ando on instead of Toni as he continues to frustrate. Why was Nani not on the bench? Jones seemed to thrive with his support for Rafael on Bale. Give him a job and he does it very well (his defence on Wed was also good). Still prone to clumsiness and the odd crazy attack though but I can see a lot of promise for him in the Def Mid position from today. DDG again superb when stopping shots - needs to have more presence in his area though - Vidic getting in his way? Communicate then go clean through him if still there - be more certain! The great dane would've taken a defender out if it meant he got the ball.

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Did a check and I see he's had some PL matches, though no high-profile ones, at least recently. Can't help the feeling he has been punished, whether wantonly or not, despite being innocent. Not the first and far from the last time the FA have shown poor behaviour though.

Hard to say though. It might that the FA are intentionally keeping him out of the limelight for a while, he might even have asked for it. Obviously possible that the FA are being idiots, granted :D

De Gea could have done a multitude of things, he can't see Lennon from where he is and has the smallest of time frames to make a decision. The area he chose to punch towards is technically the right one.

This. He did what he could do. There was no chance he could catch it but he has to come for it

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What difference did Rooney make when he came on other than one run?

Also its easy to say Schmeichel would have took a man out to get to the ball, Dembele and Vidic are both physically bigger than De Gea and were travelling faster. So I can't see how De Gea would be able to knock either out of the way.

De Gea could have done a multitude of things, he can't see Lennon from where he is and has the smallest of time frames to make a decision. The area he chose to punch towards is technically the right one.

Rooney actually touched the ball which Kagawa seemed incapable of. He also was fouled in the box, which on another day could have been given. Several passes and runs to set others through all of which Kagawa failed to do. Rooney showed what an 'in the hole' player should have been doing for the 60 mins Kagawa was on the pitch. DDG should have taken the players out and caught the ball, he needs to improve on this side of his game.

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"United's next eight games are against Southampton (h), Fulham (a), Everton (h), QPR (a), Norwich (h), West Ham (a), Reading (h) and Sunderland (a), while City face QPR (a), Liverpool (h), Southampton (a), Chelsea (h), Villa (a), Wigan (h), Everton (a) and Newcastle (h). And then it's the derby at Old Trafford."

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Granted he hasn't been great so far this season (injured a lot tho), but I thought Kagawa did pretty well today. Not as good a defender as Rooney of course, but he gave them problems offensively and IIRC was involved in the break that gave us the goal. Also had many other neat passing and movement. You can clearly see the man is talented. Can't wait till we figure out the best way to use him, and he becomes more comfortable with the pace and physicality of the PL.

Why are people still discussing DDG on the goal as if he made some blunder? FFS. This is the same man that saved countless shots in the goal, and at least two CERTAIN goals. As Dempsey said, he was about to run away cheering; couldn't believe he saved that. If we want omniscience and 100% perfection from our players at every single moment, we should look at other players today than DDG, that's for damn sure. (That's not to say I think anybody played poorly, but that DDG was ****ing brilliant).

As for Carrick MOTM, I think DDG deserved that, but I was very impressed with Carrick today too. He reads the game so well and positions himself so well, he just kills attacks singlehandedly. There was a wonderful example in the first half when Spurs had a counter and we were unbalanced, yet Carrick managed to force Lennon (I think) down into the channel and the counter died there. Brilliant play.

He is a type of player that isn't very "visual", he isn't a Mata or Silva type, but he goes about his business very well and has been really good this season. Best season for us so far. Right now he is our most important midfielder.

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Decent showing for the most part. Bit daft people banging on about shot stats - we were set up to counter from the off and led for three quarters of the match.

Thought Rio, Carrick and obviously de Gea were very good today, any one of them worthy MotM.

Jones also built well upon his good showing against West Ham.

Welbeck looking terrific at times but the final ball still just won't come for him. Kagawa did alright again but still looks like a midfielder playing further forward than a genuine #10. Lots of nice touches and recycling of possession but the only real incision that I can recall was the overhit sweeping pass for RvP. Maybe the layback when he got the ball by the near post. Still looks very tentative at times, which isn't what you're looking from him really. Within two minutes of being on the right flank Cleverley conjured a better cross than Valencia has in months but was disappointing otherwise. Never really looks at home on the right and I was a bit disappointed he and Welbeck didn't switch more as he'd started brightly on the left.

Thought Valencia was more at fault for their goal than Rafa - Rafa had just won the tackle and his momentum was taking him forward while Valencia was on his heels marking dead space. Shouldn't have made much of a difference though after that stonewall penner (which RvP would have surely taken ;) {and not Panenka'd ;)}). Shouldn't've been too surprised given Foy's performance though; seemed to pick up where the officials from the Liverpool game left off with the number of 50/50s given Spurs' way, freekicks given as soon as they hit the ground (with Lennon, Parker and in particular Defoe not needing a second invitation to do so), and some bizarre decisions on bookings - Rooney and Rafa booked for innocuous challenges near the half way line while Walker got off with a cynical challenge once he'd been dispossessed within striking distance of the Spurs goal, for example. And the Spurs fans have the gall to jeer the ref!

That said, can't really be too unhappy with a point from the lane, particularly with the run of games coming up. A slightly more conservative target of 20 points from the next eight games would have us with 76 points (three shy of the Treble tally) with 9 to play, which should see us in a fantastic position.

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Yeah, didn't mean to be criticising him per se, just still not convinced as yet that he's the right player for us. I want my number 10 to be opening up defences rather than dictating the angles in front of them. Still drops a bit too deep at times but he did seem to be getting into more dangerous areas today. Just think that we might as well have played Cleverley in there as they do similar jobs, but Cleverley offers more defensively. That said today was a good example of a situation where I would be happier with him in that role, i.e. a tricky away tie with a more defensive partnership such as Jones/Carrick behind him.

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Somebody like to tell me why we got 4 yellow cards when they were the ones diving and breaking up counter-attacks? Lennon dived twice FFS.

Persistent fouling.

very impressed with Carrick today too. He reads the game so well and positions himself so well, he just kills attacks singlehandedly. There was a wonderful example in the first half when Spurs had a counter and we were unbalanced, yet Carrick managed to force Lennon (I think) down into the channel and the counter died there. Brilliant play.

He is a type of player that isn't very "visual", he isn't a Mata or Silva type, but he goes about his business very well and has been really good this season. Best season for us so far. Right now he is our most important midfielder.

He's an excellent player for sure. Probably your most vital, indispensable player along with RVP.

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Persistent fouling.

Carrick and Rooney were both booked for their only foul. Parker had three (same number as Rafael) without censure.

Seems to be a developing habit among referees to keep cards in the pocket no matter what for the opening exchanges and then book every offence from the 70th onward.

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Can't remember the Rafael one but I remember the other three well, they were cast iron bookings. Can't complain about them at all

You can when there's no equivalence as the Evra and Rooney ones followed cast iron bookings for Spurs that weren't given :D

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Robert such a twonk :D

Rafael, Evra, Rooney and Carrick were all booked for cynical fouls to stop play (maybe an argument for Evra's being clumsy, though he certainly knew what he was doing). Nothing at all to do with persistent fouling.

Wow, semantics etc. This is broadly what I meant by persistent fouling, which is why you got four guys booked. Maybe I used the wrong term but anyone who's not so boringly anal will get the point.

I do not remember us diving at all though? Just Utd players fouling alot.

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