OPTA stats

[Morten_nogamst_Pedersen]

Successfull passes:
mancs 2228
LFC 1162

Wow, thats a huge difference. They have almost twice as many passes as us(+1 match and not that it helps them points wise).
I thought we played the passing game!?

http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,11096_2705370,00.html

[bigfooty]

Successfull passes:
mancs 2228
LFC 1162

Wow, thats a huge difference. They have almost twice as many passes as us(+1 match and not that it helps them points wise).
I thought we played the passing game!?

http://www.skysports.com/story/0,195...705370,00.html

Utd play at a faster tempo than us with a lot faster short passing and when you look at who they have played they have dominated games. Their problem has been their attack was, like when we had Bellamy and Kuyt last season, too mobile. There wasn't a real target man, a focal point, and with their strikers dropping off this lead to a lack of finishing presence in the box.

If Saha stays fit they'll be a much improved team. The hope is that he picks up another injury.

[john316]

Successfull passes:
mancs 2228
LFC 1162

Wow, thats a huge difference. They have almost twice as many passes as us(+1 match and not that it helps them points wise).
I thought we played the passing game!?

http://www.skysports.com/story/0,195...705370,00.html

The Mancs have decided to follow the Arsenal route of just passing the ball to death but without any penetration at all

[johnnyfish]

It true................there are present passing the ball sideways all of the time.

[JohnDoe]

We don't need as many passes as they do to get into scoring positions.

Half of their passes are between Ferdinand and Vidic.

[Ritchi3]

They've also had more shots than us. They just can't put it away. They've turned into what we were in previous seasons. They can dominate games, but they can't finish them off.

[ronanm]

When you pass the ball into the net, it is not counted as a pass.

[fred_plasticine]

Utd play at a faster tempo than us with a lot faster short passing and when you look at who they have played they have dominated games. Their problem has been their attack was, like when we had Bellamy and Kuyt last season, too mobile. There wasn't a real target man, a focal point, and with their strikers dropping off this lead to a lack of finishing presence in the box.

If Saha stays fit they'll be a much improved team. The hope is that he picks up another injury.

at the beginning of this season almost everyone said united are so dangerous because they don't have a focal point in attack but three players interchanging positions all the time thus making it difficult for defenders to break their attack down. hmm... how thing change in a couple of games... what was hailed as a strength a few weeks ago is now seen as a weakness?
lack of finishing presence in the box? i remember people crying out for us to sign tevez now he lacks a finishing presence?

[sonsofthedesert]

If you take Saha and Ronaldo out of the game they have massive problems and their start has proved that.

[Guest]

These stats are wrong IMO. It can't be as much as that. United play a direct game and aren't overly patient possession wise ... These stats are flawed.

[Sus]

These stats are wrong IMO. It can't be as much as that. United play a direct game and aren't overly patient possession wise ... These stats are flawed.

depends on the opposition as well though doesn't it? We have played Chelsea already, while I remember United almost toying with City a couple of weeks ago, with the amount of possession they had, something like 65%????

But I suppose you could say it was the same for us v Derby.....

[RPAS]

Would you prefer the days of Redknapp and co where we passed teams to death and were as threathening as a pointed stick?

Pts on the board/position in the league thats the only stat I care about; wouldn't give a **** if we played a formation of 1-10 if it meant winning number 19.

[dww]

at the beginning of this season almost everyone said united are so dangerous because they don't have a focal point in attack but three players interchanging positions all the time thus making it difficult for defenders to break their attack down. hmm... how thing change in a couple of games... what was hailed as a strength a few weeks ago is now seen as a weakness?
lack of finishing presence in the box? i remember people crying out for us to sign tevez now he lacks a finishing presence?

Most people meant that no one player was required to score all the goals for United, not that tactically they did not need someone to lead the line. I maintain that last year the fact that Solskjaer/Smith and Saha's movement was key to making space for United last year. It is this space which is key to giving midfielders who will typically have to have run a reasonable distance to a chance the number of quality opportunities they thrived on last year. [side note: I think Kuyt would be incredibly effective in the current United side].

Without this teams can move the defense forward, compact the game and more easily deal with threats from Uniteds midfield.

A large number of people commented that it was hard to see Rooney & Tevez fitting together into the United team. I for one think it will take time for one to learn to lead the line.

As it is they are creating a lot of chances but not of the quality of last year. However Saha is coming back and they have kept all of the threats in the team from last year. They will be a force to be reckoned with again this season.

[RedReet]

It’s not really that surprising. We are still very much a long ball team, especially before we get our first goal. Once we score and teams open up a bit we tend to pass a bit more.

[johnnyfish]

In the past they have relied on early passes into the box via the wing....................which has proved hard to defend against.

Now however, they no longer have strikers that play this way (unless you count Saha) and they are trying to play the ball through the middle for much of the game, (especially without Ronaldo playing.) Consequently teams are finding easier to defend against and the tactic of getting eleven men behind the ball is more effective.