Manchester United V Newcastle United // Saturday 18th November // 17.30 KO // Old Trafford

[Haydnator 45]

1 hour ago, aimaad22 said:

Stupid defending, tons of space, goals shipped left and right. Thats a Pardew team you little pricks

 

 

Its a really strange game. We've played some very good stuff. Created chances. Scoreline is harsh but fact is we've been poor at the back. 

At least nobody's overreacting to being outclassed by a better side. I'm sorry but comparing to Pardew is pathetic.

 

The scoreline hurts but the team held their own in the first half. That's impressive when you look at the gulf between us and them. We just couldn't hold our discipline for long enough. Rafa set things up well and to compare him to Pardew is vehemently pathetic. If Hayden had scored before half time it probably would have ended 4-2. Some perspective is needed, like.

[Noelie 103]

A loss by any other name is still a loss.

However, our defense were at fault for leaking goals that should never have been.

Credit where it is due, going forward we were quite dangerous, created chances, but lacked the cutting edge.

Murphy was a surprise starter,  but he didn't do too badly in his first start. Had a good shot parried by their keeper.

Shelvey was good in the lead role, but the  supporting cast lost the plot late in first act.

Big surprise, Perez didn't get an entry call before the final curtain call.

Joselu, where were you!

[aimaad22 4107]

1 hour ago, adios said:

 

 

58 minutes ago, Dougle said:

A Pardew team?.... ffs man....

 

41 minutes ago, Dr Gloom said:

 

nothing like a Pardew team then 

 

It was with reference to our falling apart after going ahead, and the nature of the defending. We all expected to get beat today but many were saying we'll keep it tight and competitive. Which we couldnt. We made silly defensive errors. Happens of course, especially against that sort of opposition. I was on about the way we were playing during that 2nd half. Not saying Rafa has turned into Pards overnight for heavens sake

[aimaad22 4107]

21 minutes ago, Haydnator said:

At least nobody's overreacting to being outclassed by a better side. I'm sorry but comparing to Pardew is pathetic.

 

The scoreline hurts but the team held their own in the first half. That's impressive when you look at the gulf between us and them. We just couldn't hold our discipline for long enough. Rafa set things up well and to compare him to Pardew is vehemently pathetic. If Hayden had scored before half time it probably would have ended 4-2. Some perspective is needed, like.

 

Didnt compare him to Pardew ffs. Get a grip. IT WAS THE WAY WE WERE DEFENDING AFTER CONCEDING THE FIRST GOAL. For a while we were playing like one of his teams. Thats all. Dear God. Some context is needed, like.

 

 

Good to know how much that prick is still hated on here though, the smallest of references enough to get everyone's panties in a bunch.

[trooper 940]

It's happening again Rafa "having to buy who he needed not who he wanted" is coming back to bite us on the backside. If we've not got new owners by the January window i can see us being dragged into the relegation fight. This isn't a knee jerk reaction this is a grim reality.

[Noelie 103]

7 minutes ago, trooper said:

................... i can see us being dragged into the relegation fight. This isn't a knee jerk reaction this is a grim reality.

 

The biggest problem we have so far is that we have lost games we should have won or drawn. Losing points like that can come back to haunt you at a later date.

[ewerk 30238]

Rafa out!

[ewerk 30238]

Pards in!

[zerosum 234]

Shame we couldn’t hold it together after they took the lead.. but that’s the difference in quality. Murphy was pretty fast going forward and looked better than he has in his previous short cameos.. we need to pick another win up soon.. Watford will be another tough game.

[rogerbarton 24]

First half warranted us going in at least level. To be undone by two crosses was a real shame. 

 

Second half they ripped us apart, and as much as I loathe Man U, they were class at times tonight. 

 

Ive got total faith in Rafa to turn things around, and there were some really encouraging performances, notably Murphy and Gayle. 

[trooper 940]

Rafa having a dig about not being able to buy the players he wanted

Rafa Benitez: 'I’m really pleased & proud of my players in the first 30 minutes. Then after, if you pay big money for players, they can make the difference.' 

[adios 717]

1 hour ago, aimaad22 said:

 

Get a grip... IT WAS THE WAY WE WERE DEFENDING AFTER CONCEDING THE FIRST GOAL ... Dear God...everyone's panties in a bunch.

 

 

Aye, it's defo everyone else that's the problem.

[Ayatollah Hermione 13792]

Thought 4-1 was pretty harsh, even if we were well beaten by the better side. It was heartening to see a Newcastle side go to Old Trafford with the intention of winning and I was well impressed with the amount of second balls, scraps and challenges we were coming out of in the first half. When Gayle scored, you knew that they'd peg us back but if we had got to half time at 1-1, we may have built on that and hurt them; especially considering Hayden should have scored after his excellent work at the end of the first half.

 

I think, without Lascelles, the back four is a shambles, mind. Lascelles has a long way to go as a centre half but he seems to demand focus and concentration from his back four and they respond. Lejeune seems a decent centre half but he's absolutely lost at the minute. It's understandable since he's settling into a new country but when you combine it with Clark beginning to struggle at PL level, you end up with situations like today when crosses are flying into the box and we're desperate. Speaking of crosses in the box, I'm not sure what Mbemba has to do to get back in at left back but Manquillo was turned inside out today. Yedlin wasn't much better but he's quick enough to make amends when he is caught out. Either way, their goals came from crosses that our wide players did the bare minimum to protect.

 

Still, that was a side who worked and gave Man Utd a game for the first 45 minutes. All it would have took was some better decision making from Murphy (he could have squared to Ritchie on the break who, definitely, would have at least hit the target) and a decent finish from Hayden and you go in with the advantage. Still, this is the side that will finish 2nd. Today, they could bring on Ibrahimovic for Martial while we subbed Gayle for Diame. It's a reminder of where we want to be and how far we are away from it. We're a side, assembled on a shoe string, but organised by a world class manager. If the takeover comes, next time around, we might have the money to turn that first half performance into an away win to remember. Though, as we are, you admit when you're beaten and move on. 

[aimaad22 4107]

7 hours ago, adios said:

 

Aye, it's defo everyone else that's the problem.

 

 

 

To be fair taking the description of a 30 minute period of play, in a match thread, as an overall assessment of Rafa or the squad's abilities is a bit silly

[Howmanheyman 32715]

16 hours ago, ewerk said:

Jake Humphries labels it a ‘battle of the uniteds’. HMHM passes out in amazement.

That's because I tweeted him a few days ago and put him on a warning. He responded with a 'like' so I took it he got the hint.

[ewerk 30238]

Finally, a man prepared to take on the mainstream media.

[trooper 940]

We are a very good championship side in the premiership. We need quality reinforcements, the big fear is this team through no fault of their own isn't good enough to hold on to a place in the premiership. We now have 3 games in 7 days which afterwards could see us in a comfotable mid table position or dragged down near the relegation candidates. I hope it's the former but feel it could well be the latter, at the end of the day it all leads back to Ashley not allowing Rafa to buy who he wanted in the last 2 windows. In all honesty without new owners i can see the same thing happening in January & that might well be a gamble to far for Ashley. He'd be not only gambling the teams status as a premiership club, but also Rafa's position as the manager.

[StoneColdStephenIreland 74]

Too much pant pissing in this thread. We got beat off Man U. Move on.

[trooper 940]

46 minutes ago, StoneColdStephenIreland said:

Too much pant pissing in this thread. We got beat off Man U. Move on.

Not many of us expected much yesterday so in one way it went according to plan.  But with 3 straight losses & the 3 games in 7 days coming up could define our season as to wether we become relegation fodder or not. Tbh the 3 after that wont be easy Leicester (h) Everton (h) & Arsenal (a) you may thinks its "pants pissing" but we have to be honest Rafa's a good manager but he needs to be able to buy the players he wants, some of these lads aren't good enough.

[trooper 940]

John Richardson writing in The Mirror about Rafa.

‘The Spaniard is still fuming at the lack of support in the summer ­window, which saw him scrambling in the bargain basement for players such as £5million Joselu from Stoke.

There is considerable interest from a number of parties (in buying Newcastle), but it seems ­unlikely that any final deal will be ­formalised before the critical January window.

That would leave Ashley still in control of the transfer funds and, with a sale imminent, ­reluctant to splash the cash.

But Benitez, who has drawn up a list of possible signings, has warned that a lack of quality coming through the Tyneside door would leave the Geordies vulnerable to relegation.

A drop into the Championship would also cost Ashley, if no sale had been clinched before then, as the club would be worth less than in the highly lucrative Premier League.’

[aimaad22 4107]

If the fat man has any sense, he'll see the necessary investment in January as a means of securing the value of his club with a view to any takeover. Not just money down the drain. 

 

Squad overhaul is not expected in any case. A move for a striker should be sanctioned at least with the above objective in mind. 

[Howmanheyman 32715]

4 hours ago, ewerk said:

Finally, a man prepared to take on the mainstream media.

I'll leave the MSM bashing to Rayvin, Gloomy can fight the MSM corner.

[adios 717]

8 hours ago, aimaad22 said:

 

 

 

To be fair taking the description of a 30 minute period of play, in a match thread, as an overall assessment of Rafa or the squad's abilities is a bit silly

I didn't see anyone make that comparison.  The problem (for me at least) was comparing a decision to risk an end-to-end battle quite early at the cost of potentially leaking more goals to the utterly inept lack of plan B/capitulation we saw under Pardew.

 

I enjoyed the whole performance, in spite of the loss.  The commitment of the players, that we have a pragmatic manager who also knows how (and has the ability) to go after Man United at Old Trafford, the will to gamble at 2-1 down (unfairly).   It's heart vs cowardice, the two things couldn't be more different.

 

It didn't work out - that sucks - but perspective is needed.  I take your point that it was said in the heat of the moment though.

Edited November 19, 2017 by adios

[Tdansmith 3207]

18 hours ago, ewerk said:

Rafa out!

 

18 hours ago, ewerk said:

Pards in!

Everyone has the right to be stupid, but you're abusing the privilege.

[adios 717]

You're an odd one, Dan.