The difference between us and the top 2

[keniget]

A big contributing factor is that the top two have better attacking players than we do.

[h7k]

experience of winning titles for me.

Utd are there because of their old guard. Chelsea have won 2 on the trot and have been helped by being able to buy winners too.

We've a long way to go to become as consistent year in year out.

agree 100%

[dww]

i may get stick for this but....like the start to last season we have lost points because rafa insists on trying out 4-5-1 etc.... and only really settles on a team after two months.

It was the same last season where it took him until october/november to realise 4-4-2 was our best formation. Then it rarely changed between then and the end of the season.

I wouldnt change rafa for any manager, but he does cost us at least 8 points at the beginng of each season.

To me the formation we put out against United was actually very simila to the formation that they use. Difference is that a/ our best player (Gerrard) chose to move into the middle leaving no one on the right, unlike last season he didn't make dynamic movement between the centre and the right he simply stayed centrally. b/ the quality and experience of their front four was better than ours, given that Gerrard was playing poorly. Who would you rather have Giggs or Gonzales? Rooney or Garcia?

He bought players in to move more towards this style of play - Pennant, Bellamy, Kuyt and Gonzalez. In order to move to a new formation/style while introducing players takes time and games. I think Rafa was definitely guilty of having too much faith in his new signings too early when we could have basically plyed last seasons team until we found some form. Having said that key players from last season - Gerrard, Alonso and Carragher were pretty poor at the start of the season.

[captainfog]

Was posting that in one the threads in the footie forum.

We've lost every game against Arsenal, Chelsea and Manure by trying to be too clever tactically IMHO, that's why we lost. We play with a very high tempo at home and try to be more clever away from home, that's why we were poor away from home.

United particularly try to play every game with the same energy and tempo and they put teams under pressure. That's the way to play the english game, the only way. Chelsea play a bit cagey but when they have to go for the jugular, they do it with plenty of character and power.

That's the difference between us and them at the moment. No rocket science.

Discuss please.

I think we were unlucky to get the fixtures we did so early in the season and so close together. Those away fixtures were tough for a team with so many players jaded and out of sorts following world cup duty. If we had played those games later in the season then things might have looked a great deal better and we could have been up there challenging.

Players like Stevie, Alonso, Finnan, Reina and Carra are only just starting to click into form. I'm confident our results will be comparable with the likes of Manure and Chelski for the remainder of the season, not good enough to bridge the gap, which is, IMO, impossible, but certainly we won't fall any further behind.

blind optimism maybe, but coming weeks will tell.

[Mumsafan]

And maybe confidence and having the belief we WILL win games also probably ? Look at the belief United and Chelsea players have in recovering lost causes. They take each game by the scruff of the neck. We tend to go hiding (most of our players) when the chips are down.

I presume you're choosing to ignore the CL and FA Cup finals in an effort to prove your point

[Guest]

I presume you're choosing to ignore the CL and FA Cup finals in an effort to prove your point

Cups are different you know that.

[Mumsafan]

[bazza76]

Was posting that in one the threads in the footie forum.

We've lost every game against Arsenal, Chelsea and Manure by trying to be too clever tactically IMHO, that's why we lost. We play with a very high tempo at home and try to be more clever away from home, that's why we were poor away from home.

United particularly try to play every game with the same energy and tempo and they put teams under pressure. That's the way to play the english game, the only way. Chelsea play a bit cagey but when they have to go for the jugular, they do it with plenty of character and power.

That's the difference between us and them at the moment. No rocket science.

Discuss please.

The reason we havnt been up to scratch is the squad not settling this season. At the end of last season, there is no way you would have posted what you said in the initial post, and yet, tactics are not much different from last season.

[Jazzmaster]

The reason we havnt been up to scratch is the squad not settling this season. At the end of last season, there is no way you would have posted what you said in the initial post, and yet, tactics are not much different from last season.

Absolutely correct. United at the start of last season, suffered a similar slow start due to a relatively new and unsettled squad. By Christmas however, things began to gel and they went on a long unbeated run to finish second. They seem to have brought that form through to this season.

I fully expect that we will follow a similar route, if not quite finishing second this season.

[bazza76]

Absolutely correct. United at the start of last season, suffered a similar slow start due to a relatively new and unsettled squad. By Christmas however, things began to gel and they went on a long unbeated run to finish second. They seem to have brought that form through to this season.

I fully expect that we will follow a similar route, if not quite finishing second this season.

Agreed, it may actually be a bit of a trade mark or Rafa starting slowly due to squad settling in because of rotation and new players, one or two additions this summer would be adequate next year me thinks, world class one at that and a new face in Janurary.

[mancdetester]

Was posting that in one the threads in the footie forum.

We've lost every game against Arsenal, Chelsea and Manure by trying to be too clever tactically IMHO, that's why we lost. We play with a very high tempo at home and try to be more clever away from home, that's why we were poor away from home.

United particularly try to play every game with the same energy and tempo and they put teams under pressure. That's the way to play the english game, the only way. Chelsea play a bit cagey but when they have to go for the jugular, they do it with plenty of character and power.

That's the difference between us and them at the moment. No rocket science.

Discuss please.

distinct lack of leadership.
gerrards a great player ,one of our best ever all in all but there is no comparison between him and any of our best captains from the past - hes great at driving us on at times but hes not verbal enough , and neither are any of the others . For me, we just dont have the right mix yet , and we dont really believe in ourselves .
....now where is eileen drury when you need her

[rushscored4]

distinct lack of leadership.
gerrards a great player ,one of our best ever all in all but there is no comparison between him and any of our best captains from the past - hes great at driving us on at times but hes not verbal enough , and neither are any of the others . For me, we just dont have the right mix yet , and we dont really believe in ourselves. ....now where is eileen drury when you need her

Anybody who has actually watched any of our games for the last few seasons on anything other than Sky or MOTD would know that the real captain is Cagsey anyway...