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***Official*** English Football Season 2017/18

Uppercut

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Incredibly bad performance, I guess the silver lining is that Sevilla look rubbish too. Pretty bad result too, reckon we’re a much shorter price to go out than we were before the game. When you’re big favourites you don’t want to reduce the tie to a one-off game that you need to win.
 

dontcloseyoureyes

BARNES OUT
They should still get through, but that was rotten soccer. They seemed to have regressed since Alexis signed.
No shock considering he was nothing close to what that team needed. I know this is preposterous to suggest but it really just feels like they went for him out of spite.
 

Niall

International Coach
No shock considering he was nothing close to what that team needed. I know this is preposterous to suggest but it really just feels like they went for him out of spite.
Spite might not be the right word, but its one of those "statement" signings that Woodward loves. The man is class, and obviously not long signed, but you'd struggle to argue that he has improved the side whatsoever. Pogba has regressed while Martial who has been played out of position also has not exactly thrived since his arrival. 2 big players those two.
 
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Tangles

International Vice-Captain
Just wasted my time watching that abject performance. DDG the mvp again. I can stomach that **** when we are outclassed but Sevilla? If we get through and get a marquee team we're hosed.
 

dontcloseyoureyes

BARNES OUT
I'm definitely biased, but it really felt to me like a "**** you City" signing. Flex the "bigger club" muscle, so to speak. How anyone could've thought another wide forward for insane wages is what that team needed is beyond me.

(I'm still bitter :()
 

vcs

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Mourinho has turned them into the club version of the England NT. A collection of superstars that are pretty hard to beat and have plenty of quality, but in a system that gets nowhere near the best out of them and where players seem to be terrified to express their talent. Still, a world class goalkeeper, sturdy defense and a couple of clinical players can get you far in a cup competition while playing **** football, so who knows.
 

Uppercut

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He replaced Mkhitaryan with no transfer fee. You don’t need to resort to City-hatred to explain it. It was a no-brainer.
 

Niall

International Coach
I think when Alexis signed, everyone assumed he would be on the right, Martial on the left where he was bossing it and Lukaku same as always. That would have made a lot of sense and get people excited,for reasons unknown, Jose decided against that.
 

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I don’t think our current direness has much to do with Alexis. We were roughly as bad before he arrived. He’s had a couple of bad games, but Martial wasn’t good all the time either.

Our performance level tanked around October, so should probably trace the problems back to then. Bailly got injured, Matic lost form/fitness, a bit of both happened to Pogba. A lot of fans want to drop/recall Player X/Y or shift to System Z. But the truth is we’ve tried various systems and player combinations and the direness levels have been pretty consistent for several months. I reckon we just have crap players in defence and crap management in attack. Solution is a new defence and/or a new manager.
 
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Furball

Evil Scotsman
Incredibly bad performance, I guess the silver lining is that Sevilla look rubbish too. Pretty bad result too, reckon we’re a much shorter price to go out than we were before the game. When you’re big favourites you don’t want to reduce the tie to a one-off game that you need to win.
I thought half time came at the perfect time for Utd. Sevilla were well on top at that point.
 

Tangles

International Vice-Captain
A wide player under Mourihno is expected to track back and cover the fullback. Rashford, Mata and Martial have learned you have to do that if you want to play or at least start. Alexis doesn't seem to want to do that.

Our most attractive football has come with Rashford, Lingard and Martial all in the team and Pogba having free license to join them. This leaves us open at the back and reliant on DDG. Since we usually need DDG to keep us in games anyway I'd rather attack with more freedom than just defend badly. Not that Mourinho will do it.
 

Uppercut

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A wide player under Mourihno is expected to track back and cover the fullback. Rashford, Mata and Martial have learned you have to do that if you want to play or at least start. Alexis doesn't seem to want to do that.

Our most attractive football has come with Rashford, Lingard and Martial all in the team and Pogba having free license to join them. This leaves us open at the back and reliant on DDG. Since we usually need DDG to keep us in games anyway I'd rather attack with more freedom than just defend badly. Not that Mourinho will do it.
I’m not sure that would be my lineup but I agree with the general point. Mourinho sets us up to absorb pressure when we’re really bad at absorbing pressure. To the extent that we still have a good defensive record it’s almost entirely down to DDG, who would be just as good in an attacking system.

Tactics aside though, he’s not getting the best out of a single one of his players. Most players are either unfit or not really trying, neither of which reflect well on his management. I don’t really like the sack/don’t sack divide but the list of managers I’d like to see replace him is expanding a bit.
 

andruid

Cricketer Of The Year
Mourinho has turned them into the club version of the England NT. A collection of superstars that are pretty hard to beat and have plenty of quality, but in a system that gets nowhere near the best out of them and where players seem to be terrified to express their talent. Still, a world class goalkeeper, sturdy defense and a couple of clinical players can get you far in a cup competition while playing **** football, so who knows.

Is that you Sam Allardyce?
 

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