English Premier League 2016/17

[Treva ★]

Ah, then I agree, but the problem, simply, is that you have Mourinho on the bench. He's a coach who believes that not having the ball is better than having it. See how his Real Madrid underwhelmed throughout his three-year tenure and had to come from behind to beat relegated teams by one-goal margins.

[Dude with the Food]

Wait, what? Your team is outplayed but it shouldn't have lost? I can't believe you've accepted the gospel of Mourinho this readily.

Yeah, we controlled most of the game but that's useless if we let them score at every opportunity and don't score ourselves. I'm not sure if it is Mourinho because it was like this a lot under LvG.

[Gallus]

I'm not sure if it is Mourinho because it was like this a lot under LvG.

This is a cause for concern imo. You've changed 3 coaches and your style remains the same. Either you are really bad at picking coaches or some of your players are below the level of a top10 premier league team.

[Dude with the Food]

Personally I'd have said Klopp would have been the best manager for us but he was unavailable and now that looks unlikely anyway. I'd also have taken Guardiola over Mourinho but this is where we are.

In terms of players, I'd say that midfield is our weakest position. Carrick's too slow to play much longer and Schneiderlin simply hasn't been as good for us yet as he was at Southampton. Schweinsteiger should be our holding midfielder unless he's been dropped because he's not playing well in training but he was decent for Germany at the Euros so I'm skeptical about that.

Alongside them, we've finally got a world class box to box midfielder in Pogba but he's short on form for the minute which means we're no better off than last season with Rooney, Herrera and Fellaini. I don't see any of them being good enough to win the league atm. Herrera in his first season for us, maybe but he didn't play regularly (LvG's fault) and since then he's only been average. Fellaini and Rooney both slow the game too much in deep positions and don't have the pace or passing ability to be deadly. (Rooney's still quick but not over 90 minutes).

In front of them we could have any of a bunch of people - none of whom have been reliable. As a CAM, Rooney has no discipline and gets stuck defending/picking up the ball deep isolating the striker or again slows it down too often in the final third. Mata has never had a proper run playing centrally (where he should) but even then, he gets bullied by pretty much every other midfielder/defender. Memphis and Martial both look slightly lost in the centre and Lingard consistently looks average. Mkhitaryan also prefers the wing but I'd be tempted to try him here with Valencia/Lingard on the outside.

I don't believe any of our players don't belong in the top half clubs but the top 4 is a different matter entirely.

[Dr. Chet Manley]

Ah, then I agree, but the problem, simply, is that you have Mourinho on the bench. He's a coach who believes that not having the ball is better than having it. See how his Real Madrid underwhelmed throughout his three-year tenure and had to come from behind to beat relegated teams by one-goal margins.

You mean the season they beat La Liga's point and goal records? Or the one he played in the same league with the best team ever?
The man may be declining but for God's sake give him some credit...

And United's main problem is Fellaini and Rooney - and to a certain extent Ibrahimovic.

[Dude with the Food]

Ibrahimovic? He's looked lively but he doesn't spend enough time involved in games because we've not played with a CAM who can link up play well.

[Treva ★]

Yeah, we controlled most of the game but that's useless if we let them score at every opportunity and don't score ourselves. I'm not sure if it is Mourinho because it was like this a lot under LvG.

This is a cause for concern imo. You've changed 3 coaches and your style remains the same. Either you are really bad at picking coaches or some of your players are below the level of a top10 premier league team.

Four coaches. Five years ago Fergie's lads were already the Unconvincibles.

You mean the season they beat La Liga's point and goal records? Or the one he played in the same league with the best team ever?
The man may be declining but for God's sake give him some credit...

Real Madrid were crap throughout, they should have won by far more and with more flair, their own fans booed them throughout, and eventually Mourinho was sacked because he nearly killed their brand.

And United's main problem is Fellaini and Rooney - and to a certain extent Ibrahimovic.

How dare you criticise His Majesty?

[Ybbon]

3-0 at half time - more please!

[Treva ★]

Who'd've known that the secret was to get Petr Čech in?

[Halie Satanus]

Costa had to get a torch at half time because it was so dark in Mustafi's pocket.

Chelsea were poor and our lads were on it from the first whistle. I had my doubts about playing Alexis up front and Iwobi on the wing, thought they wouldn't be physical enough, but those two and Walcott pressed Chelsea hard. Even Ozil looked up for it today. The lads were just better all across the pitch.

[Ybbon]

Contrast Conte's after match with Jose's last year and indeed this - Conte - it's the whole team playing badly, Jose - it was player X/Y/Z - we'll see which works out better.

[Halie Satanus]

Difficult to guess. Both look like they'll have off days right through the team. I think Conte will pull things together, Utd/Jose look like they'll fall apart.

[Petrucci]

Ballerina and Koscielny did magnificent today and yes we got outplayed. Whole team performed poorly, we should try to fix it sooner rather than later. Costa played nicely as far as I'm concerned, he didn't get many balls and was almost always turned against the goal when he received the ball. That yellow card he got was totally undeserved ,by normal standards (not Costa's) that's not even a half decent objection.
I expected more from Willian he is utterly quiet so far.

[Basil II the B.S]

What a performance by Chelsea central defs. First goal entirely Cahill's fault, second one David Luiz forgot about Walcott as per his standard mistake, third one is on both.

Truly epic.

[Treva ★]

Sam Allardyce goes out as the only England manager to have a 100% record. Good times.

[Petrucci]

Sam Allardyce goes out as the only England manager to have a 100% record. Good times.

Can't deny that!

[Halie Satanus]

Interesting weekend...

Hard fought win for us. No it shouldn't have counted...

[Ybbon]

Well it wasn't offside - there again it definitely was handball so much so that if it hadn't hit his hand, it would have missed completely - but hey them's the breaks you get sometime.

Next 3 games - Swansea and 'Boro' at home and Sunderland away, then the Spuds... These are the games we need to be taking 9 points from before we get to Spuds.

[Treva ★]

No, they aren't breaks. If it's cheating when Mourinho does it it's cheating when anyone else does it. Fair's fair.

[Ybbon]

I disagree, cheating is a deliberate act and it wasn't that. Accidental hand-ball is still handball I agree with that but if the ref let's it stand that is just bad luck. Happens to pretty much every team over time, some breaks you get, some you don't.

If I was a Burnley fan I'd rightly feel robbed but I wouldn't accuse Koscielny of cheating.