Not the greatest of displays agreed. So where do we start? Roy Keane’s attack on Wayne Rooney? Paul Merson’s view that United are a Subbuteo team? The Daily Mail’s Snoozeometer Ratings? The mystery player who says he can be 50% better if only Van Gaal would release him from his shackles? (my bet is it’s DePay). Rene Meulensteen echoing the “free the players” mantra. The Manchester Evening News criticizing the fans? Or Rio Ferdinand talking about the missing “animal” players?
Wow. It’s a good job United are second in the league and still have a chance of winning their Champions League qualifying group.
Enough already. Can everyone please shut up?
Rooney can’t carry the team on his own.
The team is set up the way it is because that’s currently the way they can succeed. Anyone remember Boring Arsenal or Don Revie’s first great Leeds team? Or countless Italian, German and yes Spanish teams with a defend first approach?
This is my mantra: Players determine tactics.
Now I’ll get critical. Meulensteen said earlier this week that Jesse Lingard is Andres Iniesta in waiting. You mean the Lingard that’s missed three sitters in the past two games? If Rooney gets those chances they are buried. If Lingard scores the two last night all the stories of woe would have have been spiked. Instead the headlines would have been about United’s latest youth academy product delivering his full potential or some such other guff and United winning the group with a game to play.
The glass is just about half full on Lingard, but he’s nervous and he gives the ball away too many times as well as missing sitters. I’d never start a game without Mata but that’s me. What do I know?
There is no God given right that United are going to blow teams away. Over the years too many Tuesday and Wednesday night Champions League and European Cup fixtures prove that.
Finally the Guardian projected which team will be top of the league on January 1st 2016. Guess which team it is? Correct their home is Old Trafford.
This is a time for patience grasshoppers. An away win at Leicester solves the current angst
4728 miles from the Stretford End 
Pleased to see your philosophical side Kevin. You say that players dictate tactics? Is this true because the new manager said he has a system and will stick to it when he arrived. He has bought many players and not changed the system. And it’s the same system he has always employed.
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Hmm I think he tried 3 at the back first?
Plus if you look at Bayern and Barcelona they played 4-3-3
Here he has 4-2-3-1
And the two guarding midfielders are very restricted
If he got Bale and a similar wide right threat he’d revert to that
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