Match day thread: United v United

[Donkey Toon]

Yeah - bit awkward I thought at times but nice to hear that. Interviewer literally said “well you’re s***, how did that happen”.

I didn't watch the post match but I can picture that kind of question. Wasn't Jeff Shreeves was it?

He basically said "no offence intended, but I didn't realise you were that good!"

Fair play to Joelinton he took it in good spirit, but Longstaff totally bigged him up. Best player in training every day apparently.

[Sanchino]

So unlucky. Well done today, same lecture, defence needs strength and striker and inside striker position is clearly shaky if we loose two of our three best players. Yeah, didn't forget about Joe, what a player he has turned into. Longstaff, Shelvey and Joe is our best central midfield by far.

This. Murphy hitting the post and Miggy with a excellent shot only to be stooped by the stunning De Gea. Decent point and very good performance, all three points would have been sweet but onto the next game against Everton were we could pick another point or even win depending on Wilson / ASM injuries. Joelinton was a beast in midfield, his ball-winning and work-rate were top-class.. looking like a actual 40mil player right now! MOTM! Murphy should be starting more often in RW/ST role he's a threat with his pace. Fraser looked good with his pressing and work-rate.

Line-up against Everton (if ASM / Wilson can't make it) :

Dubra
Kraft Lascelles Schar Manquillo
Shelvey Joelinton Longstaff
Fraser Joelitnon Murphy

[Valentino's fast feet]

So unlucky. Well done today, same lecture, defence needs strength and striker and inside striker position is clearly shaky if we loose two of our three best players. Yeah, didn't forget about Joe, what a player he has turned into. Longstaff, Shelvey and Joe is our best central midfield by far.

This. Murphy hitting the post and Miggy with a excellent shot only to be stooped by the stunning De Gea. Decent point and very good performance, all three points would have been sweet but onto the next game against Everton were we could pick another point or even win depending on Wilson / ASM injuries. Joelinton was a beast in midfield, his ball-winning and work-rate were top-class.. looking like a actual 40mil player right now! MOTM! Murphy should be starting more often in RW/ST role he's a threat with his pace. Fraser looked good with his pressing and work-rate.

Line-up against Everton (if ASM / Wilson can't make it) :

Dubra
Kraft Lascelles Schar Manquillo
Shelvey Joelinton Longstaff
Fraser Joelitnon Murphy

The way he's playing lately, I can see it happening haha

[Colly]

So unlucky. Well done today, same lecture, defence needs strength and striker and inside striker position is clearly shaky if we loose two of our three best players. Yeah, didn't forget about Joe, what a player he has turned into. Longstaff, Shelvey and Joe is our best central midfield by far.

This. Murphy hitting the post and Miggy with a excellent shot only to be stooped by the stunning De Gea. Decent point and very good performance, all three points would have been sweet but onto the next game against Everton were we could pick another point or even win depending on Wilson / ASM injuries. Joelinton was a beast in midfield, his ball-winning and work-rate were top-class.. looking like a actual 40mil player right now! MOTM! Murphy should be starting more often in RW/ST role he's a threat with his pace. Fraser looked good with his pressing and work-rate.

Line-up against Everton (if ASM / Wilson can't make it) :

Dubra
Kraft Lascelles Schar Manquillo
Shelvey Joelinton Longstaff
Fraser Joelitnon Murphy

I like it, but could do with a couple more Joelintons.

[Valentino's fast feet]

I didn't watch the post match but I can picture that kind of question. Wasn't Jeff Shreeves was it?

He basically said "no offence intended, but I didn't realise you were that good!"

Fair play to Joelinton he took it in good spirit, but Longstaff totally bigged him up. Best player in training every day apparently.

"We know how good Joelinton is and the disrespect he gets is a disgrace. Every day in training he's the best player and if you get him on your team in training you're buzzing because you'll always win. He's shown since the manager came in what he's been like in training. Everyone at the club rates him so highly. The noise form outside is so disrespectful and if you watch him enough you see how good he is. I'm so happy for him and proud of him."



Nice praise there really. I'm loving this new and improved Joelinton. He's been f***ing fantastic under Howe. Maybe it helps coming from low expectations, but he's hugely improved his game. Howe's own comments on Joelinton were interesting anarll:

"When we initially came in we thought Joelinton would play as a number 10, a second striker.

"We went down to 10 men against Norwich and reshuffled and played him as an eight and he was brilliant defensively. He has a tactical understanding. From then on I thought he had technical capabilities. You’ve seen tonight he’s been brilliant defensively. His work-rate and the amount of ground he covers is incredible. He’s a real team player. Such ability as well. He can only get better."

[Uncle Paul]

Joelinton needs to be played as a CM. His touch isn’t the best at times but his tenacity to win the ball back and stamina is perfect for the role. Being a winger and a striker makes you stand out way more because you’ll make mistakes and have more expected of you - he has less of that pressure now and it’s blossoming with it.

[Colly]

His touch isn’t the best at times

Get out.

[Sanchino]

This. Murphy hitting the post and Miggy with a excellent shot only to be stooped by the stunning De Gea. Decent point and very good performance, all three points would have been sweet but onto the next game against Everton were we could pick another point or even win depending on Wilson / ASM injuries. Joelinton was a beast in midfield, his ball-winning and work-rate were top-class.. looking like a actual 40mil player right now! MOTM! Murphy should be starting more often in RW/ST role he's a threat with his pace. Fraser looked good with his pressing and work-rate.

Line-up against Everton (if ASM / Wilson can't make it) :

Dubra
Kraft Lascelles Schar Manquillo
Shelvey Joelinton Longstaff
Fraser Joelitnon Murphy

The way he's playing lately, I can see it happening haha

I noticed I put him upfront.. but yeah maybe something like this could work instead

Shelvey Joelinton Longstaf
Fraser Miggy Murphy

Sorta like a false 9 role for Miggy with Joelinton interchanging with Miggy. or just stick Big Joe up top and put Willock in a attacking mid role to support him.

Hoping ASM / Wilson are ok and fit enough to start. Need them badly on the pitch or at least one of them.

[Sanchino]

Joelinton needs to be played as a CM. His touch isn’t the best at times but his tenacity to win the ball back and stamina is perfect for the role. Being a winger and a striker makes you stand out way more because you’ll make mistakes and have more expected of you - he has less of that pressure now and it’s blossoming with it.

This. CM / no. 8 should be his position from now on.. box-to-box beast. High work-rate, big, decent touch, technique, strength, mobile, can win the ball back and powerful. Could be our own version of Moussa Dembele/Yaya Toure

[seaside nipper]

Putting aside the disappointment of not getting the three point ( yes we deserved them) that was a cracking display of attitude and organisation. To force Man iUtd into a wholesale midfield change at HT is credit for our game plan.
Great atmosphere tonight and we were a credit to the strip tonight.
We need to carry this momentum onwards, we should fear no one.
Hope Wilson and ASM are sorted soon.
Joelinton, what heart …. class up and at em

[bodacious benny]

Howe says Wilson could be weeks / months so that’s us f***ed without a new striker early in Jan!

[beatski]

Howe says Wilson could be weeks / months so that’s us f***ed without a new striker early in Jan!

ah bugger, proper fucks us over, that

[Sanchino]

Howe says Wilson could be weeks / months so that’s us f***ed without a new striker early in Jan!

Need a striker ASAP. A quality one too (ideally with Prem experience). Would anyone go for Aubameyang as a quick short-term stop gap on loan until the end of the season? Not wanted at Arsenal and past his best but I think he'll do still a decent job here with the service of ASM/Joelinton/Shelvey. Martial on loan another option too.. him & ASM could make an exciting & unpredictable duo.

If not there's other interesting options (realistically) like Moussa Dembele (Lyon), Arthur Cabral (Basel), Alfredo Morelos (Rangers), Maxi Gomez (Valencia), Paul Onuachu (Genk), Kasper Dolgberg (Nice), Belotti (Torino), Umar Sadiq (Almeria) & Karim Adeyemi (Salzburg FC).

Ideal situation would be to postpone Everton game & possibly Southampton game to give us time to get a few signings in for the Watford game (15th Jan).. looking like a massive game that! 6 pointer is a understatement. ASM could be out for a couple weeks.. we simply can't afford to rely on a well past it Gayle! Murphy is not a natural out and out no.9 either so looking like we won't be able to field a proper team against Everton hoping it gets postponed. False no.9 with Big Joe/Miggy it'll be.. 6 different alternative formations / line-ups we could play if Everton match goes ahead.

Dubra
Kraft Lascelles Schar Manquillo
Shelvey Joelinton
Fraser Miggy Murphy
Gayle

I dunno if Willock will be back.. Hayden will be back from suspension.. dunno were Ritchie is but tbh Kraft looked decent today and I'll rather have Manquillo than Ritchie on the left.

Dubra
Kraft Lascelles Schar Manquillo
Shelvey Hayden Joelinton
Fraser Miggy Murphy


Dubra
Kraft Lascelles Schar Manquillo
Shelvey Joelinton
Fraser Willock Murphy
Gayle

Dubra
Kraft Lascelles Schar Manquillo
Longstaff Shelvey
Fraser Miggy Murphy
Joelinton

Dubra
Kraft Lascelles Schar Manquillo
Fraser Shelvey Longstaff Murphy
Gayle Joelinton

Dubra
Kraft Lascelles Schar Manquillo
Miggy Shelvey Longstaff Fraser
Joelinton Murphy


These line-ups all look like Championship quality but with Howe's organisation, tactics & team spirit we should get something at Everton. Will be tough without ASM and Wilson.

If Joelinton continues his form and a couple others step up (Miggy, Fraser, Murphy, etc) we should have enough until we can get a new ST in Jan. If we can get 2-3 points out of Everton / Southampton would be great.

[Don Sholeone]

Serious question, do we now see Joelinton as a central midfielder? he's absolutely bossed it in that role recently. So now I'm wondering do we reinforce our midfield around him, I think if we carry on with a 3 in midfield with Joe the as a box to box it would be perfect to see someone like Zakaria and a more defensive player like Kamara in alongside him.

Also, Wilson injury has forced our hand as well, but could that convince the owners to go big on someone like Vlahovic who we have had a few links to.Then there is still defence to worry about too so that could mean there is potentially a crazy turn around in players for our next PL game (if the Everton and Saints games get called off).

[Colly]

I don't think there's even a question there, Joelinton is not only a central midfielder, on current form (and we're talking half a dozen man of the match performances at this point) he's easily a £40m+ central midfielder who could easily be one of the players who stays in even after we start throwing money around. That may be premature, but I think he's that good and clearly the manager and players do too.

[Sanchino]

I don't think there's even a question there, Joelinton is not only a central midfielder, on current form (and we're talking half a dozen man of the match performances at this point) he's easily a £40m+ central midfielder who could easily be one of the players who stays in even after we start throwing money around. That may be premature, but I think he's that good and clearly the manager and players do too.

This.

Box-to-box / no.8 suits him to a peach. Less pressure (in terms of scoring / assisting) and can use his physical and technical attributes well such as his strength, height, skill, running power, tackling, interceptions, touch, control and his high work-rate/stamina. I've been telling people from a while back he could be our own version of a Yaya Toure/Moussa Dembele/Vieria. Still only 25 so if he polishes his game even further then he'll be a key component in this new era. I say yeah we build around him with 2 quality CM/DM's to compliment his game like a Gerson/Zakaria/etc. Get couple defenders in and 2 strikers in n we'll be good to go for Watford. Hoping the Everton/Southampton game get postponed.. will be a blessing in disguise. Gives us time to get some signings in and re-group.. could be a whole different line-up against Watford.