As I said at half time, defensively, this Manchester United team were there for the taking. But if you don't have a forward line, how are you going to score goals exactly? One smart alec critic of this blog and of Carlton Cole said how stupid I would look if we beat the Mancs without Cole; well, on that basis, I must look pretty damn clever at the moment, unfortunately.
I don't claim to be a genius, but I did call what would happen if we tried to beat the Champions with Franco and Hines up front and without Diamanti to create openings. I said Fergie would be too cute to allow his team to be undone by the ball over the top for Hines to run on to and warned that Collison and Stanislas would not be able to break beyond Franco because of their defensive duties. As soon as they tried to play higher in the second half, we collapsed under an avalanche of goals. Was that because Dyer replaced Kovac? Possibly. I'm not sure where Kovac was for the second goal mind you, he certainly was not screening the back four and he did not track Gibson's run either. Had Ferguson not pulled off Rooney, I suspect we would have been hit for five or six!
Again, I feel kind of sorry for the back four. If you are left as exposed as they were in the second half, you are not going to stand much chance. The third and fourth Man U goals could have been mapped on the training pitch based on what Fergie saw from the Burnley game; you can hear him now, "After 60 minutes the kids on the flanks get tired and stop tracking back, so scoring becomes as easy as taking sweets from a baby". What exactly did Clarke and Zola do on the training pitch last week? What ever it was, it was a complete waste of time!
I warned this would happen last Saturday. I warned yesterday that without Diamanti, we would have no creativity. I warned that Hines and Franco would not work against Ferguson's well drilled team. What I didn't realise was that we would be playing against a team that didn't have a back four! To look as toothless as we looked in the circumstances says how desperate our situation now is!
What can Zola do to change things? Nouble? Too raw. Dyer? Not a forward. Jimenez? Do me a favour! Diamanti? He drops far too deep to be considered as a forward. So who? Who? The cupboard is completely and utterly bare. And please don't say Dixon, the boy has scored just one or two competitive goals for the reserves. Without Cole we are toothless - end of. It seems incredible that anybody needed to see the team without Carlton to realise that!
Any positives? Diamanti did add some attacking intent to the team and...well, there was nothing else was there? Did you see how Evra burst past Tomkins as if he wasn't there before putting his shot narrowly wide? Frightening! Gabbidon soldiered on manfully but he must carry a share of the blame for two of the goals!
And to cap it all, Green came off. Anybody know why? Was he injured or just roundly pissed off?
Player Ratings: Green 5, Spector 5, Gabbidon 6, Tomkins 5, Ilunga 6, Stanislas 4, Kovac 5, Parker 6, Collison 5, Franco 6, Hines 3, Diamanti 7
13 comments:
I could come in here and agree that we were a disgrace but we were playing the Champions and if you are going to miss your best defender and striker it may aswell be against a team you were odds on to lose against anyway.
Still though the fact that we are so skint up front is just appalling planning. Its just a hopeless situation and we deserve better.
I love the academy as much as the next supporter but expecting these teenagers to carry us is naive.
We were playing the Champions minus a back four!
I suggest you read what your smart alec critic said again because it dunt look like he even mentioned Manchester. You just use this game -which was a cert away banker with or witout Cole- to big yerself up again. Not the first time utd have scored 4 away from home this season.
Did sound like a disheartened performance, and one which I certainly didn't expect. I did predict a 1-1 draw and was so very wrong. Still, I hope we bounce back and not try to be celever by replacing Da Costa with Tomkins. If Cole was playing today I don't know what difference it would have made, Stanislas and Collison seemed overwhelmed and with Parker having a quiet game this result was written on the wall
Did you see it TIS? It was inept!
How do we produce youngsters that run so slow? I swear Tomkins plays as if he wants to go for a number two. I can remeber both Evra and Rooney (who was jogging), out-pacing him.
Stanislas needs to stop making errors. Today he was caught offside way too many times. And he gave that stupid free kick away that resulted in a goal in the game against Hull or Everton I think it was.
Hull mate.
He is on the wrong flank. First half he tried to play a ten yard pass down the line down to Hines and put it into touch because he hit it with his right foot on the left touch line. That's Zola's fault for playing him on the wrong flank!
Ilunga 6, are you having a laugh? If you had gone to the game you would have seen he was the worst defender on the pitch. He is having an appalling season and his positional sense is non existent.
1041, like Gabbidon, I saw Ilunga make some good covering challenges. He has Stanislas in front of him and Stanislas cannot tackle on his wrong foot and does not track back, there might as well not be anybody there. Ilunga was also involved in our best move on the (just about)one occasion he was able to get forward. He is looking less effective than last season because the system does not allow him to get over the half way line. I did equivocate between 5 or 6, call it 5 if you like.
As I say in the report, I feel sorry for the back four because of the failings of the midfield and forward line which means attacks are in constant waves. Under THAT much pressure, even the very best will be found out and these guys are not the very best. Look at the Mancs' defence - no pressure all afternoon so, at the very least, they presumably all merit 6 - for doing nothing!
Is that your only quibble? Glad I didn't pay to watch that shambolic performance if I am honest. Were you stupid enough to go? I see davefking on the Org didn't bother. Go and lambast him!
Yes, may be he should be played on the right but as a professional, he should be able to do those basics.
He needs to stop making costly errors. He's in the big league now, not playing for his school team, in the park with his mates or still at Southend. One cheap free kick can lead to a goal, straying off side can mean you waste the only chance you will get against the Champions in the whole game.
Think Junior think!
He is a kid still mate, only 19. He should be playing on the right and encouraged to skin the full back, not burdened with defensive responsibilities on the left - that's not his game and Zola will destroy him if he's not careful.
I don't think he should be burdened with defensive responsibilities either but 19 is a fair old age in regards to being wary of the offside trap, offensively speaking. Plus, these guys kick a ball every day of their lives and should be able to do so in a straight line on the wrong side of the pitch.
I dunno mate, may be Zola could do some one on one with him like he did with Cole. Get Stan thinking a bit cleverer. In general terms, I agree we are relying on our youngsters too much but that is the situation we're in.
Cole is mid twenties with years of experience behind him. Don't underestimate how hard it is to play in the Prem as a teenager. How many are starting games at the moment? Handful?
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