Second Half tactics

[Alex Sapphire]

I'm surprised by the negativity in this thread. Some seem to have fallen into the Lawrenson school of misunderstanding tactics.

The aim is to win the game, Mancini set up his team to win the game. Pushing up to pressure the full-backs would have exposed us to threats and as under Hughes we might have conceded again. Mancini's team's are happy to sit deep and strike on the counter and to be patient. Until their desperate final moments U***d posed little goal threat yesterday and for a team that includes Rooney that's as impressive as it is vital.

Mancini got it right even though he's barely got to grips with the squad yet.

Wrong. The aim is to get to the cup final. Utd are now big favourites to do that.

Big favourites, Ted?

They play chump's league games year in year out against better sides than us & turn them over from this position. I'd make them big favourites against Barca or Real in the same position. It will need them to have an off day or us to turn in an even better performance than Sven's Munich day team, to get to Wembley. We can do it though & I think we will, especially hitting them on the break but our biggest chance to kill it was last night.

In spite of the fact that we've only won once at the swamp in the last seven millenia, here are the facts:

In our last ten visits, the scum have only produced a result which would win them this tie three times

[Ted Hughes]

I'm surprised by the negativity in this thread. Some seem to have fallen into the Lawrenson school of misunderstanding tactics.

The aim is to win the game, Mancini set up his team to win the game. Pushing up to pressure the full-backs would have exposed us to threats and as under Hughes we might have conceded again. Mancini's team's are happy to sit deep and strike on the counter and to be patient. Until their desperate final moments U***d posed little goal threat yesterday and for a team that includes Rooney that's as impressive as it is vital.

Mancini got it right even though he's barely got to grips with the squad yet.

Wrong. The aim is to get to the cup final. Utd are now big favourites to do that.

Big favourites, Ted?

They play chump's league games year in year out against better sides than us & turn them over from this position. I'd make them big favourites against Barca or Real in the same position. It will need them to have an off day or us to turn in an even better performance than Sven's Munich day team, to get to Wembley. We can do it though & I think we will, especially hitting them on the break but our biggest chance to kill it was last night.

In spite of the fact that we've only won once at the swamp in the last seven millenia, here are the facts:

In our last ten visits, the scum have only produced a result which would win them this tie three times

Now they know we're direct competitors, they're fighting for their lives, treating it as one of their biggest games of the season. They don't lose many of those games at OT v anybody & win most of them. We'll have to be very good or they'll have to fuck up. It will make a big statement if we win this tie & they know it.

[BobKowalski]

I'm surprised by the negativity in this thread. Some seem to have fallen into the Lawrenson school of misunderstanding tactics.

The aim is to win the game, Mancini set up his team to win the game. Pushing up to pressure the full-backs would have exposed us to threats and as under Hughes we might have conceded again. Mancini's team's are happy to sit deep and strike on the counter and to be patient. Until their desperate final moments U***d posed little goal threat yesterday and for a team that includes Rooney that's as impressive as it is vital.

Mancini got it right even though he's barely got to grips with the squad yet.

Wrong. The aim is to get to the cup final. Utd are now big favourites to do that.

Big favourites, Ted?

They play chump's league games year in year out against better sides than us & turn them over from this position. I'd make them big favourites against Barca or Real in the same position. It will need them to have an off day or us to turn in an even better performance than Sven's Munich day team, to get to Wembley. We can do it though & I think we will, especially hitting them on the break but our biggest chance to kill it was last night.

In spite of the fact that we've only won once at the swamp in the last seven millenia, here are the facts:

In our last ten visits, the scum have only produced a result which would win them this tie three times

Good stat. So based on recent history we have a 70% chance of going through. I like this thinking :)

[Mase]

I thought when he changed to the diamond it suited us better and we played better football. However towards the end we were leaving Micah with both Giggs and Evra to face because there was no cover from the right side of midfield. As someone has already stated that needs to be sorted out for the second leg.

[john68]

Ted,
I agree that we will have to be very good or they will have to fuck up at the swamp...That goes without saying, even if we have everyone fit and playing to potential. It is a derby at the swamp, it is the semi final of a cup competition. I would expect that.

To consider we could have killed the tie off with what we had available last night is overly optimistic even for me...and that's going some. A win at home gives us some room to work with, maybe not much but as much as we might have hoped for at the start.

Whether the rags are now favourites is open to question mate. they probably always would be on their own middin. It is up to us to frustrate them and hopefully nick one or two when/if we have the chance.

They do have plenty of experience playing top European sides in situations like this and we have none. It is a like it or lump it situation that we will have to deal with. We cannot change that.

The leg at the swamp was always going come with a health warning mate. I have a stock of heart tablets should you need a couple...:-)

[ENIAM NAM]

Ted,
I agree that we will have to be very good or they will have to fuck up at the swamp...That goes without saying, even if we have everyone fit and playing to potential. It is a derby at the swamp, it is the semi final of a cup competition. I would expect that.

To consider we could have killed the tie off with what we had available last night is overly optimistic even for me...and that's going some. A win at home gives us some room to work with, maybe not much but as much as we might have hoped for at the start.

Whether the rags are now favourites is open to question mate. they probably always would be on their own middin. It is up to us to frustrate them and hopefully nick one or two when/if we have the chance.

They do have plenty of experience playing top European sides in situations like this and we have none. It is a like it or lump it situation that we will have to deal with. We cannot change that.

The leg at the swamp was always going come with a health warning mate. I have a stock of heart tablets should you need a couple...:-)

I think Mancini summed it up quite well saying the tie was probably now 51/49 in our favour!!

[Dunne's Half-Time Pint]

Ted,
I agree that we will have to be very good or they will have to fuck up at the swamp...That goes without saying, even if we have everyone fit and playing to potential. It is a derby at the swamp, it is the semi final of a cup competition. I would expect that.

To consider we could have killed the tie off with what we had available last night is overly optimistic even for me...and that's going some. A win at home gives us some room to work with, maybe not much but as much as we might have hoped for at the start.

Whether the rags are now favourites is open to question mate. they probably always would be on their own middin. It is up to us to frustrate them and hopefully nick one or two when/if we have the chance.

They do have plenty of experience playing top European sides in situations like this and we have none. It is a like it or lump it situation that we will have to deal with. We cannot change that.

The leg at the swamp was always going come with a health warning mate. I have a stock of heart tablets should you need a couple...:-)

It's a definite hip flask situation - if the last 10 minutes are like last night you should probably give it a miss mate, I'll have a fucking a heart attack at 23.

[Nick]

Agree with everything, although I wouldnt have risked putting ireland on and certainly not petrov. Petrov may have turned out like benjani.

I thought we were poor first half and werent looking like scoring again. Though Zabaleta was a bit shit first half, then was amazing second half, along with de jong, kompany, bellamy, and Tevez. Given made some saves but if it wasnt for Ned's clearance, they would have scored.

Did Boyata get a knock? Thought he played well!

[Ted Hughes]

Ted,
I agree that we will have to be very good or they will have to fuck up at the swamp...That goes without saying, even if we have everyone fit and playing to potential. It is a derby at the swamp, it is the semi final of a cup competition. I would expect that.

To consider we could have killed the tie off with what we had available last night is overly optimistic even for me...and that's going some. A win at home gives us some room to work with, maybe not much but as much as we might have hoped for at the start.

Whether the rags are now favourites is open to question mate. they probably always would be on their own middin. It is up to us to frustrate them and hopefully nick one or two when/if we have the chance.

They do have plenty of experience playing top European sides in situations like this and we have none. It is a like it or lump it situation that we will have to deal with. We cannot change that.

The leg at the swamp was always going come with a health warning mate. I have a stock of heart tablets should you need a couple...:-)

I think we'll win or at least draw & go through but that's in the belief that we'll have a fitter/better squad & that we'll be more positive than last night & more dangerous on the counter. In those circumstances I don't believe the rags are capable of playing as well as they did last night.

However, the other side of the coin is, if we repeat last night sitting back display & don't improve, imo we'll get absolutely hammered. They've worked it out & they'll open us up like a tin of beans.

[ronk]

Mancini likes to play very narrow to squuze the game and make it very tight and difficult for the opposition. He plays the width of the penalty area when the opposition has the ball and then allows us to spread wide on the attack. It is very much a "come and have a go if you think your good enough" attitude. We have Komps, richards, boyata at the back for the aerial bombardment, which should suffice against any swung in cross against the rags who are not a big team themselves.

Its not easy to pick and weave through a very congested space, quick one touch football is needed and they managed it on a couple of occasions. I hope Mancini studies that as we might not be as lucky next time.

And you were calling ME pathetic the other day.

That comment isn't really justified, IMO, even if you don't agree about the role of luck yesterday. It was one of those games where luck played a big role, we each had spells of dominance and the difference is that we came away with goals. Even for their goal there was a lot of luck. Making the tackle but the ball spills to Valencia anyway, making the save and then spilling onto a hand and exactly onto Gigg's foot, it was a jammy goal that we still could have defended better.

We both can point to chances that would have changed the game. On balance I thought we had some of the better chances. Tevez really should have scored with that header he misjudged etc.

[Douglas Higginbottom]

Agree with everything, although I wouldnt have risked putting ireland on and certainly not petrov. Petrov may have turned out like benjani.

I thought we were poor first half and werent looking like scoring again. Though Zabaleta was a bit shit first half, then was amazing second half, along with de jong, kompany, bellamy, and Tevez. Given made some saves but if it wasnt for Ned's clearance, they would have scored.

Did Boyata get a knock? Thought he played well!

I agree Boyata did ok but to an extent he wasn't overly tested as we player quite a defensive formation most of the time he was on which gave plenty of cover and with only 1 up the scum didn't really get at us.
I reckon Mancini took him off as he knew they were going to go for it late on and it was going to be all hands to the pump and maybe he didn't fancy himn as much for that. Good thoinking in my book and the end result was we didn't concede again and Ned cleared off the line.

[Ted Hughes]

Agree with everything, although I wouldnt have risked putting ireland on and certainly not petrov. Petrov may have turned out like benjani.

I thought we were poor first half and werent looking like scoring again. Though Zabaleta was a bit shit first half, then was amazing second half, along with de jong, kompany, bellamy, and Tevez. Given made some saves but if it wasnt for Ned's clearance, they would have scored.

Did Boyata get a knock? Thought he played well!

I agree Boyata did ok but to an extent he wasn't overly tested as we player quite a defensive formation most of the time he was on which gave plenty of cover and with only 1 up the scum didn't really get at us.
I reckon Mancini took him off as he knew they were going to go for it late on and it was going to be all hands to the pump and maybe he didn't fancy himn as much for that. Good thoinking in my book and the end result was we didn't concede again and Ned cleared off the line.

What does thoinking involve?

[Nick]

Mancio changed tactics again and got it spot on, but it does really worry me how we sit back. I was worried in the first few wins and said that we could not play like that against the big boys. We did last night and just got away with it. Watching the game back the BBC were slating for it and hansen even said they were there for the taking and we should have gone for it.

[john68]

Mancio changed tactics again and got it spot on, but it does really worry me how we sit back. I was worried in the first few wins and said that we could not play like that against the big boys. We did last night and just got away with it. Watching the game back the BBC were slating for it and hansen even said they were there for the taking and we should have gone for it.

It is the Italian way...or to quote Mancini..."Eet eez normal."

We had a make do and mend team out there last night and they were given the task of doing what was necessary...They did that.

[Douglas Higginbottom]

Agree with everything, although I wouldnt have risked putting ireland on and certainly not petrov. Petrov may have turned out like benjani.

I thought we were poor first half and werent looking like scoring again. Though Zabaleta was a bit shit first half, then was amazing second half, along with de jong, kompany, bellamy, and Tevez. Given made some saves but if it wasnt for Ned's clearance, they would have scored.

Did Boyata get a knock? Thought he played well!

I agree Boyata did ok but to an extent he wasn't overly tested as we player quite a defensive formation most of the time he was on which gave plenty of cover and with only 1 up the scum didn't really get at us.
I reckon Mancini took him off as he knew they were going to go for it late on and it was going to be all hands to the pump and maybe he didn't fancy himn as much for that. Good thoinking in my book and the end result was we didn't concede again and Ned cleared off the line.

What does thoinking involve?

I am in real trouble now.One day I don't know what the date is and can't see very well and now I can't spell