2023/2024: Pre-Season MD6: Man Utd v Lens

[hdcantona 9,140]

Back Home, not sure what will happen between this game and the one in dublin (thread to follow) - will it be firsts here 2nds there? a mix in each? 

Old Trafford

Saturday 5th August, 12:45 k.o

[hdcantona 9,140]

Seems like a strongish team should feature, we may see hojlund unveiled pre game 

[hdcantona 9,140]

 

[hdcantona 9,140]

Mount misses an open goal after a beautiful move, lovely build up from deep with onana chipping to Dalot, we eventually reach midfield with lens caught high and switch to transition mode with Bruno bombing in garnacho down the left, square hall for a mount tap in…

 

which he kicks against his own leg in weghorst esque fashion

lovely move though 

[kevthebad 920]

Just hope he gets his act together soon. If he'd have stood still it would have hit his leg and gone in. Amazing miss from Mount!

 

 

Garnacho our best player so far.

That's what's happens when your goalie is off his line!

[hdcantona 9,140]

Onana lobbed with a stunning goal, but absolutely criminal pass from dalot, the sort of thing that loses you your space in the team, like awb v dortmund 

[kevthebad 920]

Poor poor passing.....need to get their act together sooner rather than later. Dalot gave the ball away. Some exceptional slack play.

You kinda ask just what have they been doing in pre season training, obviously playing football not one of the things.

To say we are rusty is an understatement.

Rashford as centre forward is a waste of time! At least a proper number nine can hold the ball up and win headers. Rashford  is just ducking out of headed challenges.

[hdcantona 9,140]

19 minutes ago, kevthebad said:

Poor poor passing.....need to get their act together sooner rather than later. Dalot gave the ball away. Some exceptional slack play.

You kinda ask just what have they been doing in pre season training, obviously playing football not one of the things.

To say we are rusty is an understatement.

Rashford as centre forward is a waste of time! At least a proper number nine can hold the ball up and win headers. Rashford  is just ducking out of headed challenges.

We could’ve had three goals within twenty mins, finishing still an issue, we are flashing exceptional play but very sloppy at other times, Casemiro has tackled well but his passing is miles off it

mount was really good outside the comically bad miss, we’re a lot better now with onana pushing the team higher up, at getting the ball to the midfield and occasionally playing out from there but only in fits and starts

i think it’s quite encouraging though even if it’ll take time 

Rashford through the middle is not good, I’d kick the tyres on sancho false nine until hojlund is fit to get minutes and hopefully develops 

 

right back may be a bigger issue than we first thought 

[kevthebad 920]

Onana is going to get an awful lot of lobs to deal with this season when he is stood so far out of goal. You need a solid defensive unit that don't lose possesion, and Dalot isn't good enough at that. Beckham would have loved playing against him. He would be able to stand in his own half and score past him!

4 minutes ago, hdcantona said:

We could’ve had three goals within twenty mins, finishing still an issue, we are flashing exceptional play but very sloppy at other times, Casemiro has tackled well but his passing is miles off it

mount was really good outside the comically bad miss, we’re a lot better now with onana pushing the team higher up, at getting the ball to the midfield and occasionally playing out from there but only in fits and starts

i think it’s quite encouraging though even if it’ll take time 

Rashford through the middle is not good, I’d kick the tyres on sancho false nine until hojlund is fit to get minutes and hopefully develops 

 

right back may be a bigger issue than we first thought 

Agreed, looking a problem, but the whole defensive line have to retain the ball and find a midfielder. Dalot had two players to pass to and played the ball in-between them.

I think Rashford will play left winger in the first half of games and Garnacho to come on as sub and rip defences apart as they tire. As last season showed we are desperate for a good centre forward.....Kane would have been ideal!

But the Glasers have cost us that....

[TFIA 15,140]

New striker is crippled.

New midfielder misses an open net.

New keeper is lobbed.

Breaking them in early I see.

[kevthebad 920]

That's more like it!

Garnacho is the star of this team!

[hdcantona 9,140]

20 minutes ago, kevthebad said:

Onana is going to get an awful lot of lobs to deal with this season when he is stood so far out of goal. You need a solid defensive unit that don't lose possesion, and Dalot isn't good enough at that. Beckham would have loved playing against him. He would be able to stand in his own half and score past him!

Agreed, looking a problem, but the whole defensive line have to retain the ball and find a midfielder. Dalot had two players to pass to and played the ball in-between them.

I think Rashford will play left winger in the first half of games and Garnacho to come on as sub and rip defences apart as they tire. As last season showed we are desperate for a good centre forward.....Kane would have been ideal!

But the Glasers have cost us that....

Even playing back to onana should be an option for dalot there… and unlike de gea going back to him doesn’t automatically mean we lose the ball

to be fair those lobs are actually incredibly hard to pull off even into an empty net, it’s not like onana is unique in playing so high up, mctominay got Ederson a couple of seasons back but it’ll happen a couple of times a year, maybe more if the rbs keep losing it with dumb square passes against a press though 

Quick turnaround, our transition game could well be even better on top of the slowly improving progression from deeper

WE DONE SCORED A SET PIECE 3-1 as rashfords missed header goes in off Casemiro lmao, at least shaw put in a good delivery 

Sancho on for garnacho who is coming back from his knock, will he play through the middle, or back on the left where he’s been meh in the past ? 

Garnacho was superb today made a really strong case for starting next week 

[O 20,759]

Casemiro can be poverty on the ball. His passing accuracy was below 70% in the 1st half.

[hdcantona 9,140]

4 minutes ago, O said:

Casemiro can be poverty on the ball. His passing accuracy was below 70% in the 1st half.

It’s going to be more and more of a problem as we play more from the back and with onana and a higher line looking to do that, he’s also really bad at receiving it on the half turn or back to goal, but I think we can work around it, and amrabat alongside or occasionally instead of him would be great if we can get that deal over the line 

[kevthebad 920]

Good second half, much more like it!

Onana so different to De Gea, but he is very good on the ball. Mount nibbling away and chasing the ball down, but I expect better finishing and more involvement in attacking positions. Shaw, Martinez, Antony, Bruno, and of course Garnacho, all looking good!

[hdcantona 9,140]

100% on dalot but this is leadership back there 

[Jay007 3,457]

I've seen people criticise/mock Onana for the goal but I think it's on Dalot.

The way football's played now with keepers expected to be sweepers, you regularly see attempted lobs over the keeper, it's just most of them aren't well-enough executed and end up going over the bar or wide.

It's a risk that teams take.