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The Footie Thread

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That was not a forearm smash, but it'll do 'til a real one comes along.
Elbow to the jaw technically not a smash .
But a head injury the ref is supposed to stop play.
How him and VAR missed that is a joke.
If he blows for a foul the next one dosnt happen.
But they said they could have sent both off.
 
I too am confused as to what constitutes a clear goal scoring opportunity this season...has the rule changed or the wording somehow? Used to be the attacker was clean through on goal, in control of the ball, no other defenders covering and just the keeper to beat when they're fouled...
I would say any premier league striker that is getting past the last man is a goal scoring opportunity.
Most defenders who are online but 10yds away are not catching them.
 
With the formation Utd played today, I was thinking it could spell reduced game time for likes of Rashford, Greenwood, Sancho, Martial, as Ole will not be able to have as many fast attacking players on pitch at same time.

For first time today, a player that has not even entered my head until now, Pogba. Where the hell does it leave him? His quality will be perfect for someone out there, but it seems clear he has just bot done it consistently at Utd. And Ole certainly does not seem to be able to figure it out, like JM before him. I'd have not lost sleep if Utd got rid of him before when his agent was being noisy, and I'll not cry if we sell him in near future.


The system Utd played doesn't really suit anyone bar the centre backs and Shaw. AWB is useless going forward and it takes away Utd's biggest assets, wide forwards with pace. I think any decent side and Utd would've lost yesterday, it was just about Ronaldo's brilliance and Spurs being gutless and useless. It had panic tactic written all over it.

Ronaldo has taken so much stick but he's been brilliant. You simply play wingers to do his running and supply the crosses, especially in the air. It's amazing Ole picks Greenwood who is the most selfish player in the league who does nothing but get the ball, cut in and shoot instead of Sancho. Greenwood on the right totally upsets the flow of the side. He should be used as a 9 off the bench from now on. Inverted wingers are pointless with Ronaldo upfront.

Regarding Pogba, he'll either get a new deal on £400k a week and become even lazier and disinterested, like Ozil at Arsenal. Or he'll leave on a free. It's 50/50 now as the board would look stupid to lose a £90m played for nothing, yet on the other hand giving him a huge new contract when he doesn't add much to the side would also be a bad move. It's a shame he think he is an attacking midfielder, if he had the right attitude he would be the best box to box midfielder in the world. He's got power, strength, touch, passing ability, can tackle and score goals. He just seems happy to amble around in second gear making hollywood passes and giving the ball away.
 
The system Utd played doesn't really suit anyone bar the centre backs and Shaw. AWB is useless going forward and it takes away Utd's biggest assets, wide forwards with pace. I think any decent side and Utd would've lost yesterday, it was just about Ronaldo's brilliance and Spurs being gutless and useless. It had panic tactic written all over it.

Ronaldo has taken so much stick but he's been brilliant. You simply play wingers to do his running and supply the crosses, especially in the air. It's amazing Ole picks Greenwood who is the most selfish player in the league who does nothing but get the ball, cut in and shoot instead of Sancho. Greenwood on the right totally upsets the flow of the side. He should be used as a 9 off the bench from now on. Inverted wingers are pointless with Ronaldo upfront.

Regarding Pogba, he'll either get a new deal on £400k a week and become even lazier and disinterested, like Ozil at Arsenal. Or he'll leave on a free. It's 50/50 now as the board would look stupid to lose a £90m played for nothing, yet on the other hand giving him a huge new contract when he doesn't add much to the side would also be a bad move. It's a shame he think he is an attacking midfielder, if he had the right attitude he would be the best box to box midfielder in the world. He's got power, strength, touch, passing ability, can tackle and score goals. He just seems happy to amble around in second gear making hollywood passes and giving the ball away.

The brilliance of that formation is you don't actually need defenders as wing backs

Awb could be replaced by Sancho for example
 
The brilliance of that formation is you don't actually need defenders as wing backs

Awb could be replaced by Sancho for example

That's true against lesser teams but any good side would destroy Utd down that side. Utd aren't blessed for pace at centreback. Why sign one of the best wingers/wide forwards and play him at wing back? And why should a huge club with attacking DNA be playing 3 centrebacks in the first place? The squad is set up to play 433 or 4231 if well coached.
 
That's true against lesser teams but any good side would destroy Utd down that side. Utd aren't blessed for pace at centreback. Why sign one of the best wingers/wide forwards and play him at wing back? And why should a huge club with attacking DNA be playing 3 centrebacks in the first place? The squad is set up to play 433 or 4231 if well coached.

This isn't 1999 anymore. 3 at the back with wing backs is a modern formation

Chelsea play it and their table topping. Playing good football aswell
 
That's true against lesser teams but any good side would destroy Utd down that side. Utd aren't blessed for pace at centreback. Why sign one of the best wingers/wide forwards and play him at wing back? And why should a huge club with attacking DNA be playing 3 centrebacks in the first place? The squad is set up to play 433 or 4231 if well coached.

Totally agree, but would also like to see them go back to an old school attacking 442;

De Gea/Henderson

Wan Bissaka
Varane
McGuire
Shaw

Sancho
Fernandes
Fred/McTominay/Matic/VD Beek
Rashford/Greenwood/Lingard

Cavani/Greenwood
Ronaldo

Go back to the attacking Man Utd teams that I got used to watching under Ferguson when they had Giggs/Beckham/Scholes/Keane as their midfield four and make other teams worry about going forward as they knew what Utd could do if they left them any space in behind.
 
This isn't 1999 anymore. 3 at the back with wing backs is a modern formation

Chelsea play it and their table topping. Playing good football aswell

I'm abit of a football geek and know a lot about tactics, formations and history of good sides/managers. Ferguson achieved most of his late success parking the bus in tough away games with 451. The difference is though he would take the handbrake off in most games and had a clear way of playing.

352 in the hands of a balanced squad and a world class manager is a good formation, as we've seen from Conte over the last few years. The only reason it's working at Chelsea is they have two of the best attacking full backs in the country and a balanced midfield. Even then I'd argue they've not been that impressive yet, more machine like. The same formation under Ole is playing 7 defensive minded players and hoping Bruno or Ronaldo come up with something. That's 3 years and £500m spent to be a far more negative and unbalanced side than they were under Mourinho.
 

Just listening to some pundits debating Nuno and spurs.... I think it's grossly unfair to be calling for someone's head after 10 games, especially after what he took over.

I can't help feeling that the fans calling for his head need a reality check. That squad is a 5th/6th place finish quality... Can they really expect more? I think some perspective on where they are and the quality they actually have is needed.

I wonder if they got spoiled a bit by getting to the CL final and making some progression... With one of the best strikers on the planet at his peak at the time.
 
A red card ?! Really ?
Just saw that Dion Dublin was convinced the red card was correct for stopping a clear goal scoring incident. Gary Lineker and J Redknapp the opposite view, as ball was not running towards goal. It just goes to show the subjective nature of football for many big decisions.

Problem is, when you have ONE guy on VAR, it can't deal with subjectivity very well. In their mind they may be adamant one way or the other, but doesn't take into account other views. So, the VAR ref may be positive in his mind the ref has made a mistake, but ultimately they could still have the minority view. And, despite their training, I can't help but wonder if their decisions are influenced by right or wrong decisions that are currently in the headlines, due to what happened the day before.

Mind you, virtually everyone seems to agree the elbow to the face was a clear red. The more I see it, the worse it looks. It is weird that the VAR overlooked that. I suppose it could have been 2 reds, because the second incident would still have happened assuming ref played advantage.
 
Just saw that Dion Dublin was convinced the red card was correct for stopping a clear goal scoring incident. Gary Lineker and J Redknapp the opposite view, as ball was not running towards goal. It just goes to show the subjective nature of football for many big decisions.

Problem is, when you have ONE guy on VAR, it can't deal with subjectivity very well. In their mind they may be adamant one way or the other, but doesn't take into account other views. So, the VAR ref may be positive in his mind the ref has made a mistake, but ultimately they could still have the minority view. And, despite their training, I can't help but wonder if their decisions are influenced by right or wrong decisions that are currently in the headlines, due to what happened the day before.

Mind you, virtually everyone seems to agree the elbow to the face was a clear red. The more I see it, the worse it looks. It is weird that the VAR overlooked that. I suppose it could have been 2 reds, because the second incident would still have happened assuming ref played advantage.

I don't think you can have two reds, as even with advantage wouldn't it get pulled back for serious foul play and then red and a free kick from there?
 
Said on MOTD they can send both off.
If you play advantage you can go back after to book somebody so can’t see why you can’t red card them as well.
Deffo red the elbow ,but I am 50/50 on the other one.
Posh poor from the ref and VAR as play is supossed to stop for a head injury
 
Said on MOTD they can send both off.
If you play advantage you can go back after to book somebody so can’t see why you can’t red card them as well.
Deffo red the elbow ,but I am 50/50 on the other one.
Posh poor from the ref and VAR as play is supossed to stop for a head injury

All these updates after teams get done over

Barca in the champs final against arsenal got a perfectly good goal disallowed to bring it back to send the keeper off for a foul
 
Said on MOTD they can send both off.
If you play advantage you can go back after to book somebody so can’t see why you can’t red card them as well.
Deffo red the elbow ,but I am 50/50 on the other one.
Posh poor from the ref and VAR as play is supossed to stop for a head injury

Yes I saw that on MOTD2. To be honest Villa we’re lucky not to be down to 8 men at the end as the wrestling tackle on Antonio when we broke for the 4th goal could have easily been a red.
 
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