Premier League 2016/17

[Trickykid]

This was a classic Mourinho display. As for Pep then it'll take a long time before the players properly buys his tactics, if they ever fully do.

I actually thought Pep executed the game best of the two, especially in the first half, where City were in complete control. Mou's approach most of all looked his early ones at Madrid against Barça, where he barely dared to play football. Whether that was intentional on his part, or if he just didn't manage to utilize his players better, I don't know. Neither scenario exactly screams managerial masterclass.

 

[BenRobbins]

That first 35 Minutes was like reliving the 09 and 11 Cl finals against you chaps. Didn't have a look in.

 

[akaranzo]

Holy shit that was one hell of a game. So happy that City won though, glad to see Pep proving all the doubters wrong. I'm rooting for City in the PL 100% as long as Pep is there, love his style of football so much.

 

[BenRobbins]

Also i think if an outfield player does that tackle bravo did on rooney, its a red card. Clattenburg bottled it.

 

[Scholesy]

City was by far the better team. Fitter, technically better, more ideas. Thought it was a great game though

I thought KdB, Otamendi, Fernandinho and Silva were their best players. United have gaps to plug if they want to challenge City. More importantly though, Rooney has got to go, feels like I've been saying it for years though and still same old same old, his hold of the media and the politics at the club is astounding. Horribly unfit, technically poor, and is stopping us playing tactically flexible systems. We should have mirrored City and gone with a 4-3-3, but even when we did our no.10 stayed on and proceeded to become a pub version of Beckham, just crossing it with no intention to beat his man, play a smart pass or use the fullback. But hey I guess he can hit a diagonal ball to Valencia on the right for everyone to fawn over, so must start.

I thought Herrera should have started, but hindsight is always 20/20. Lingard poor, Mkhitaryan gave it away and wasn't in sync. Ibra wasn't any better either. We should have started with more pace, mobility and players who can commit their man. Use both fullbacks and wings rather than just relying on the right. I love Valencia but why do our players only look to him, it's annoying.

United have to go back to the drawing board, accept the challenge and improve. As simple as that. That said I am confident we will, but Jose needs to be brave and ring some changes, starting with that overpaid pig who calls himself a no. 10.

 

[zanela]

Reading back I saw ppl calling this match as english clasico. That would be Pool-United, this derby is akin to madrid derby.

I only saw the match in patches. But I would be disappointed if the Rooney tackle on Bravo didn't make it to the best of Football funny's.

United looked disorganised, hoping for some Zlatan brilliance when moving forward.

City does look good, and they'll be even better when our fixtures come around. I only hope Ilkay has an extended recovery time.

 

[desoe]

City are still far away from being a finished product and it's completely logical, but when they start to produce what they produced during the first 40 minutes of today's game on regular basis, they are going to basically walk through their matches. They are going to dominate in a scary way. And don't forget that next summer Pep will have the opportunity to make some more moves on the market and "model" the squad even more to his liking.

City will dominate English football while Pep Guardiola is there.

 

[Flavia]

[tw]774609575773347840[/tw]

 

[Alik]

Was a great match, interesting tactics from both sides. Maybe United deserved a draw though.

 

[TornAndFrayed]

That is a myth, dont know why people still buy that kind of opinion, modric was best midfielder in EPL, how tall he was? On which facts you base your opinion about so "physically" epl, didnt city had strongest midfield in whole liga in terms of physicall strength? With yaya, fernandinho, milner? How many things they won? Best united side ever had scholes, carrick and south - korean park, of course every midfielder need to have strength, but its same for all midfielders in la liga, serie a and epl

Of course it's a myth. The claim is so dumb no one even bothers to debunk it (until you ). But people read and are entertained.

 

[Vilarrubi]

Also i think if an outfield player does that tackle bravo did on rooney, its a red card. Clattenburg bottled it.

He got the ball with only one outstretched foot and the studs only showed at the last second which made contact with the ball.

 

[live4united_barca]

woo some of you are riding a little too much here city were better in the first half yes but in the second they were struggling for life and only had the counter... The referee also had a terrible game in my opinion and should have sent city players off as well as two penalty's that should have been awarded to united. Man Utd didn't keep the ball but that was obviously intentional due to their more direct and high pressure approach which was far better in the second half of the game when they replaced the players not adhering to the system and it resulted in several more clear cut opportunity's which were not capitalized on in the match which could have easily been a united win or draw despite their underperformance..

all things said and done I guess city deserved to win but they are not about to sweep Europe or the premier league farrrrrrrrrrr from it.

 

[DonAK]

woo some of you are riding a little too much here city were better in the first half yes but in the second they were struggling for life and only had the counter... The referee also had a terrible game in my opinion and should have sent city players off as well as two penalty's that should have been awarded to united. Man Utd didn't keep the ball but that was obviously intentional due to their more direct and high pressure approach which was far better in the second half of the game when they replaced the players not adhering to the system and it resulted in several more clear cut opportunity's which were not capitalized on in the match which could have easily been a united win or draw despite their underperformance..

all things said and done I guess city deserved to win but they are not about to sweep Europe or the premier league farrrrrrrrrrr from it.

Obviously, but they were pissing all over you in the first half and should've sealed the game with their numerous counters. The only way you guys got back in the game was after Bravo's blunder.

Besides, you guys had a full strength side, while City yet to get someone like Gundogan and even Sané going. That's not to say City are superior to you guys, but Mourinho yet again got tactically outsmarted and after his last season with Chelsea, you guys should be wary of him.

 

[live4united_barca]

Obviously, but they were pissing all over you in the first half and should've sealed the game with their numerous counters. The only way you guys got back in the game was after Bravo's blunder.

Besides, you guys had a full strength side, while City yet to get someone like Gundogan and even Sané going.

It's true but despite all that united should have went in to half time 2-2.. Man Utd only have themselves to blame it was a great opportunity to assert themselves over rivals and they blew it especially when city were missing Aguerro.

That's not to say City are superior to you guys, but Mourinho yet again got tactically outsmarted and after his last season with Chelsea, you guys should be wary of him.

Couldn't agree more Lingard and Mkhitaryan completely the wrong choices, Pogba though he had to play him was anonymous. Playing Mkhitaryan was literally like watching Evra and Vidic struggle in there debuts which was coincidentally a 3-1 defeat by...man city

That said I don't think "chelsea" will happen.. the players in Man utd are too good, I think he has actually changed his mental approach to the game mainly because Man utd would never accept those antics that he has done at other clubs.

 

[DonAK]

It's true but despite all that united should have went in to half time 2-2.. Man Utd only have themselves to blame it was a great opportunity to assert themselves over rivals and they blew it especially when city were missing Aguerro.



Couldn't agree more Lingard and Mkhitaryan completely the wrong choices, Pogba though he had to play him was anonymous. Playing Mkhitaryan was literally like watching Evra and Vidic struggle in there debuts which was coincidentally a 3-1 defeat by...man city

That said I don't think "chelsea" will happen.. the players in Man utd are too good, I think he has actually changed his mental approach to the game mainly because Man utd would never accept those antics that he has done at other clubs.

Yes, Man Utd should've seized the chance. Could have turned the game around as Stones and Bravo under pressure looked like a disaster waiting to happen in the 2nd half, although the Fernando sub by Pep calmed down Utd's early dominance in the half.

I don't think a Chelsea will happen, but I think Mourinho has legit gone crazy the last few years. So a meltdown is not out of the window.

That said, still early days. Mourinho's approach might work better against teams where Pep's more ambitious one could fall in trouble. So picking up points against the rigid, smaller teams would be key in the PL this season.

Can't count out Chelsea and Conte either. They will be right up there IMO.