Expected more

AFKABartram

Man U was a very hard game to start with, but there wasn't that many changes on the pitch and we just didn't look a side. There was little cohesion, the long ball was taken too early too often, and the movement and the desire to get forward was non-existent.

The decision at 1-0 to put Bent out wide was a strange and poor one. JFH looked 44 not 34. Holland is just not what we need if we are going to have Faye sitting.

I was expecting a long season, well i hope you had a nice summer, because it could be a bloody long winter.

Rothko

Actually was encouraged by the first half, but conceding that early in the second half was a sucker punch, and the penalty decision was poor.

Second half, we run out of puff, had no width and looked lost.

kigelia

My own observations were that until Romm came on we looked very one paced. almost as if we have spent too long working on strength and stamina and not enough on speed.

Our midfield was poor, too slow coming back and going forward. Again until romm came on we had no real width.

agree about JFH, he looked disinterested and not able to keep up.

I would say the defence did not look too bad but the cockups for the first two goals (especially the second one - el kak's positioning should have warranted immediate substitution) negates a pretty good first half performance.

The booing of Ronaldo was in my opinion quite successful as it looked like he was trying too hard to shut us up.

ferguson showed his football sense at half time by changing united's shape a little to stretch the game a bit more and in the second half we were really not at the races.

LoOkOuT

Back to the drawing board then...

aylesfordaddick

that was the1st game ive been since liverpool at home last season for various reasons and tonights performance certainly hasnt left me choking at the bit to go back too soon

kigelia

My sister also bottled out of the game at the last minute blaming being soaked, having a headache and being pre menstrual.

I then proceeded to miss the kick off due to my mate spending 15 minutes looking for his season ticket in the building site that is his flat. followed by a dash through the blackwall tunnel in some malaysian car that sounded like it had the engine from one of them mini motorbikes.

On the way home I got soaked and arrived home to remember that I had left my keys in the office and had to wake up three people to get even more soaked by walking to a relatives house to pick up the spare keys. I then arrive home to find some dirty bloody cat has done a dump on my kitchen floor.

All in all I have had better evenings.

AFKABartram

my main concern is that although we have brought in 9 players, we've brought in very few that actually improve our first team, and that was what we desperately needed.

lancashire lad

There was no improvement since the last time we played United. The central defenders couldn't, the midfield had no playmaker and the attack was left trying to beat Ferdinand to controlling a high ball down the middle - which they couldn't and finally the coach/manager's substitutions were too little too late - a new era - do me a favour it's a continuation of our poor form throughout 2006.

On the bright side we have Treore & Reid to return plus Bolanos and the kids who are out on loan. What is obvious though is that as long as our form of attack is lumping the ball down the middle we shall suffer, where's the wingers, where's the excitement, where's the football-? not in our team !

AFKABartram

and with Bolton next up, very unlucky not to be 6 out 6 after last night, i can't see us playing with any more width for that game either...

WSS

When you buy nine or so players and the team that ends up on the pitch at the end is exactly the same as it was at the end of last season (Carson apart), there is something wrong i feel.

I know there are injuries etc but come on.

Hughes is not a left winger, he drifted into the centre far too often and left us exposed down the Man U right.

Ambrose was our best player by far, Carson played extremely well.

Needs? 2 New centre backs.

AFKABartram

[cite]Posted By: WestStandSinger[/cite]When you buy nine or so players and the team that ends up on the pitch at the end is exactly the same as it was at the end of last season (Carson apart), there is something wrong i feel.

I agree, but there were 3 on there, Traore and Reid arguably would of made 5 chages to the starting 11.

Its going to take time to gel, lets not jump in too quick.

If its the same team still in a month though, panic.

BlackForestReds

Reid apparently had a stiff back, Sorondo injured, Traore was suspended, Bolanos is still waiting for his WP. Carson looks like being a good keeper and Faye played ok. So Holland & Hughes will be out when Reid & Bolanos are available. That should change the team and give it more creativity. Hopefully picking and playing H&H now will convince Dowie that they should be on the bench as cover for other players, if not moved on.

But we need...a creative midfielder and a striker, plus a centre-back, and we need to create a bit more luck.