re: Manchester United 2014/15 Season Long Thread : Hitting the Reset Button

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Yeovil skipper Joe Edwards, who is a lifelong United fan, was one of the lucky ones as he grabbed United captain Wayne Rooney’s shirt but some of his colleagues were not quite as lucky.


Yeovil boss Gary Johnson and captain Joe Edwards.
“A few of the boys didn’t manage to get their shirts after the game,” the Yeovil captain said. “But a few of the lads saw them in the tunnel and they asked one of the lads, who brought out all the actual shirts into the dressing room.

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Rafael looks like he's on some good meds

dat hair doe

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I'd be ecstatic with either

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Although if I had to pick, Hummels seems the ideal CB for van Gaal. His distribution is excellent, and he enjoys getting involved with the play and building from the back. He reads the game well and cuts out a lot of balls from midfield before they reach the striker. Not to take anything away from Varane. He is also good on the ball and is only 21. Either would be an excellent fit in our possession-based system.

LvG happy to deliver injury report for a change

LINK

Yep, only 2 points from our last 9. Another nice unbeaten run would help us build some separation in the CL spots. QPR away is not an easy fixture this season though. Will be difficult.

Sunday was disappointing because we more or less controlled the game with our possession, but created zero shots on goal and had nothing to show for it.

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So what exactly is the problem?

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That's a good question

IMO, we have failed to move the ball quickly enough in the last couple of games. LvG's system requires possession but also relies on changing the point of attack frequently via building from the back and switching the play. He is okay with the team pulling the ball back and restarting the attack as many times as necessary, rather than playing a risky ball in the final third and losing it. So, there is some conservatism built into the system. When you play a team like Southampton who has team speed and is very organized, you have to find a way to break them down with pace. I think we held the ball well but failed to find a way to shift the ball quickly enough to find openings in front of their goal. This led to us playing a lot of crosses into the box from wide areas, which Southampton defended well. I am a big fan of Herrera and think he lends himself to playing quick, incisive passes and elevating the speed of play through midfield. I think LvG worries about the balance of the side when he plays him, so he doesn't always get the start. Di Maria also helps speed up the play but was basically played up top against Southampton so we missed out on some of his creativity. I think we'll get it right but adapting to the system takes time.

ETA: Hopefully some of the other regulars in this thread can chime in with their thoughts as well, and we can unlock all the secrets of the Man United tactical universe.

Here's a pretty good read on United's tactical issues in the Southampton game:

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