Man United at home Sunday 19th Oct at 430pm

[ric.williams]

The thing is we created more than enough to have been comfortable, our XG must have been huge - but, we were just chasing the game as usual which seems to affect the play.

Gakpo had two bad misses, he is incredibly frustrating He had to score the first one where he hit the post and that header at the end was unforgivable. Isak looks miles off it due to the turmoil he had in the summer and Ekitike looks hungry. The ball when Isak was played in (great run) looked like it should have been the perfect moment for him but his shot was dismal.

Salah has to earn his place now. He’s carried us so often but now he can’t just start because of that. Slot is looking indecisive and that spreads throughout the entire squad.

The big issues have been how when we do drag our way back into games we don’t look comfortable. We are then pushing for a winner and wide open for counter. Teams know they will score against us.

Until we begin to look solid defensively and begin to control games we have problems. Macca’s form is hugely concerning.

nearly missed his goal

[Sus]

The thing is we created more than enough to have been comfortable, our XG must have been huge - but, we were just chasing the game as usual which seems to affect the play.

Gakpo had two bad misses, he is incredibly frustrating He had to score the first one where he hit the post and that header at the end was unforgivable. Isak looks miles off it due to the turmoil he had in the summer and Ekitike looks hungry. The ball when Isak was played in (great run) looked like it should have been the perfect moment for him but his shot was dismal.

Salah has to earn his place now. He’s carried us so often but now he can’t just start because of that. Slot is looking indecisive and that spreads throughout the entire squad.

The big issues have been how when we do drag our way back into games we don’t look comfortable. We are then pushing for a winner and wide open for counter. Teams know they will score against us.

Until we begin to look solid defensively and begin to control games we have problems. Macca’s form is hugely concerning.

2.76 vs 1.26 for United according to the BBC

[BobTheCharmer]

nearly missed his goal

He did!

I'm not a fan. One trick pony. His floated crosses should result in castration.

Kerkez did two foul throws. He's a weak link and I cannot understand why he keeps starting.

I love how we pass around the back. Centre backs receive it and automatically pass to each other. Then one will pass to the fullback who usually has someone on him which 90% of the time requires the fullback to pass it back from where it came. That isn't ball retention, it's passing for the sake of it.

Virgil needs to wake up. He's been almost as poor as salah this season.

[Kenneth]

Kerkes has to keep starting because we need him to play his way into form, there's no choice because Robbo is totally washed.

[ric.williams]

He did!

I'm not a fan. One trick pony. His floated crosses should result in castration.

Kerkez did two foul throws. He's a weak link and I cannot understand why he keeps starting.

I love how we pass around the back. Centre backs receive it and automatically pass to each other. Then one will pass to the fullback who usually has someone on him which 90% of the time requires the fullback to pass it back from where it came. That isn't ball retention, it's passing for the sake of it.

Virgil needs to wake up. He's been almost as poor as salah this season.

i think it gets passed aimlessly round the back because, in todays game for example, MacAllister and Szoboslai have pushed so far forward, occupying the defenders that theres no one to pass too. i think its tactically wrong

[frank the tank]

Gakpo was the guy who should have won us the game. If Cody Gakpo is the answer, then the question is ****in wrong.

Adios Arne

[peterbread]

It was a weird setup with both Dom and Mac Allister playing right up as 10’s today and just Gravenberch back but even he pushes right up now.

It feels like if they want to play with a genuine 10 just drop the other midfielder back and play a double pivot. Then the fullbacks can play to their strengths playing high and wide. The wide players suit playing narrow and allow players like Ekitike to play off the left. And having more option in those area would be better for Wirtz.

You have much more solid base to play from. It makes the team more compact without the huge gap between the deeper players and the attack.

[Charly]

i think it gets passed aimlessly round the back because, in todays game for example, MacAllister and Szoboslai have pushed so far forward, occupying the defenders that theres no one to pass too. i think its tactically wrong

There is a massive gap between the defence and midfield when we play it from the back. When the move breaks down we then have noone back.

I feel like Slot has dumped the last vestiges of Klopp's pressing style this season. Surely this cant be by design.

This is like something out of the 80s. We may as well launch it long like Wimbledon or Arsenal if we are going top play with no midfield. It cant be by design surely? Why get Wirtz?

[pass and move]

Well well well, I think many of us thought this result might be on the cards, to be honest I'm beginning to worry about Slot. After the summer outlay it all looked very rosy but we're now looking at a Slot team, last seasons team looked like the Indian summer of a Klopp team coupled with the collapse of City and Arsenal creating a perfect storm. Of course we couldn't stand still and many people were desperate to tie down both Salah and VVD to new contracts. I'm going to get shot for saying this but I've got a very bad feeling about Slot weathering this storm.

I know new components need bedding in but I don't see any kind of progression, I may be well off the mark and feeling the pain of this result which always hurts no matter what. I somehow can't see Slot here next season (there I've said it).

Considering the money spend we're very much in transition and maybe fresh ideas are needed.

[Doc_Piptorious]

Well I think we played fine.

Looked far more cohesive than in other games and were unlucky not to win by a few goals.

Our link up play was really impressive at times, especially those quick balls we looked to release to turn defence into attack. Clever stuff methinks. Oh and I did not watch a minute of the game but am sure what I said is close to the mark.

[Norbs]

We weren't dreadful, and I bet our XG pisses on theirs. The timing of the first goal was dreadful

[Mr Pink]

2.76 vs 1.26 for United according to the BBC

That’s a bit meaningless though, because their tactics once they were ahead was to sit deep and protect their lead. If you compare xg for the few minutes in the game when we were level, I’m sure they’d come out ahead.

[Kenneth]

you don't need xg when you're winning.

[Kenneth]

Well I think we played fine.

Looked far more cohesive than in other games and were unlucky not to win by a few goals.

Our link up play was really impressive at times, especially those quick balls we looked to release to turn defence into attack. Clever stuff methinks. Oh and I did not watch a minute of the game but am sure what I said is close to the mark.

About as close as Gakpo's header.

[ChesterDave]

I really don't get why everyone has started spunking in their own underpants over xG over the last year or so.

Its a **** stat.