Saw some analysis on Hjulmund and the gist was that his league numbers are good and in line with what United should want out of a central mid but his CL numbers in deep progressions and passing OBV fell off a cliff. It could be a symptom of how Porto set themselves up in the CL vs. the league but it's a massive drop off (like lowest 10th percentile in both of those values when in CL compared to 70th+ percentile in the league). Could end up being another Ugarte.
Manchester United 2025-26 Thread
52,751 Views |
1146 Replies |
Last: 7 hrs ago by Mathguy64
Yeah I'm not advocating him. You know how many minutes of Sporting I watched last year? Well, more than zero; 90 because I watched them play City which was a fun time. But outside of that… zero.
TEAM NEWS
Manchester United: Bayindir, Dalot, De Ligt, Yoro, Shaw, Dorgu, Casemiro, Mount, Fernandes, Cunha, Mbeumo.
Substitutes: Heaton, Fredricson, Heaven, Maguire, Mainoo, Amad, Sesko, Zirkzee.
Does look like Mount will be the false 9 again which puts Bruno in midfield. (Funny how everyone kept saying "oh, Cunha and Mbeumo can play forward" but Amorim starts Mount as a false 9 ahead of them).
On the plus side, there's some attack on the bench. But that looks like a starting XI whose intent is to muck the game up, play on the counter, and defend. Which I guess shouldn't be a surprise.
Manchester United: Bayindir, Dalot, De Ligt, Yoro, Shaw, Dorgu, Casemiro, Mount, Fernandes, Cunha, Mbeumo.
Substitutes: Heaton, Fredricson, Heaven, Maguire, Mainoo, Amad, Sesko, Zirkzee.
Does look like Mount will be the false 9 again which puts Bruno in midfield. (Funny how everyone kept saying "oh, Cunha and Mbeumo can play forward" but Amorim starts Mount as a false 9 ahead of them).
On the plus side, there's some attack on the bench. But that looks like a starting XI whose intent is to muck the game up, play on the counter, and defend. Which I guess shouldn't be a surprise.
So the best attacking player on the team isn't starting.
Is something wrong with Amad? Or is this just Amorim trying to bunker in?
Is something wrong with Amad? Or is this just Amorim trying to bunker in?
I think it's just to pick a wing back that can defend. When I made my prediction I almost put Dalot into Amad's slot because Dorgu defends some and right is Dalot's better side. But I put him on Dalot's side in my prediction mainly because I'm such an Amad fanboy. I thought Dalot would get one of the slots, though.
Apparently per Twitter (Laurie Whitwell specifically), Cunha is warming up at 9.
That was a back pass. It was played to a spot where only the GK could have gotten to it.
Onana wasn't dropped due to injury. Interesting. Maybe we are going to ship out that nightmare.
2 really poor set pieces so far. Bad service from Bruno on the first and then going short so Dorgu can make an attempt from 40 yards out
Bruno with a brain dead giveaway leading to a corner, which leads to a goal. Terrible awareness
Bayindir worse than Onana.
Comically bad corner defense. Nothing has changed.
Arsenal picks the GK better than any other team in the world.
Arsenal picks the GK better than any other team in the world.
There was a time when that was a foul. Not anymore.
Just put 2 guys on the GK and back into him with the ball sent in to his spot. You can get away with it half the time.
Just put 2 guys on the GK and back into him with the ball sent in to his spot. You can get away with it half the time.
Missed the first 20 minutes. Am I led to believe that we have been slightly better than Arsenal but our goalie has gifted them the lead?
Dre_00 said:
Missed the first 20 minutes. Am I led to believe that we have been slightly better than Arsenal but our goalie has gifted them the lead?
For the first 10 minutes, yes. After the corner merchants scored it's been pretty even
Dre_00 said:
Missed the first 20 minutes. Am I led to believe that we have been slightly better than Arsenal but our goalie has gifted them the lead?
Yep.
That's the second time an Arsenal player has basically impeded Bayindir from trying to release the ball. They are trying to get an 8 second call.
What they are doing is supposed to be illegal. They just got warned to stop it. Let's see if the third time is a card.
What they are doing is supposed to be illegal. They just got warned to stop it. Let's see if the third time is a card.
The pressing and cross field passing are seemingly good at the moment.
Dorgu paints the far post
Cunha dies all that work and then ran out of steam.
Bruno at CM is not it so far
Mbuemo is a physical handful for whoever defends him.
I'm trying not to overreact, especially as we are losing...and still could lose by multiple goals, but this looks good right now. Really good.
So… if Baleba is off, can we at least buy that Belgium League kid and send Bayindir to the reserves? I'm just saying. (And assuming he's better, sight unseen).
I personally think they must have a deal with a new keeper and a deal to move Onana on. There's really no other reason for him to not be in the squad if he isn't hurt.
Arsenal legend Freddie Ljungberg says that the goal shouldn't have counted.
Yeah I don't know. We'll see. Who would buy Onana? Saudi? At least Bayindir was cheap, so teams without money could afford him.
Having seen the replay, and through my admittedly red-tinted glasses, I think he's right. Saliba is making no attempt to play the ball. Bayindir should have done better but that was a foul.
Well, on the other hand, Arsenal has been doing that for a year, so if they aren't calling a foul, you have to be ready for it.
Dre_00 said:
Arsenal legend Freddie Ljungberg says that the goal shouldn't have counted.
10 years ago that gets called. Not anymore. It's the reason they score so many goals on corners. And frankly the reason we give up so many. They pick the GK really well and we do nothing to protect ours or give them space.
If I were designing corners I would put a player behind the GK and run them in front as the kick is being taken and one in front run then behind. And kick at the goal like an Olimpico.
If defenders don't follow the players picking the GK you will pick them. If the defender do follow the players in motion now you have a jumbled mess of bodies and it's even more traffic for the GK to move around in.
Sesko thus far having a much better game than Gyokeres.
He'll probably score now that I've posted this.
He'll probably score now that I've posted this.
That's not a foul. Bruno slid in space not at Gabriel. Gabriel then ran to the space and jumped over him.
Mbeumo is a lot like Adama Traore. Physically huge and difficult to defend on the wing, not quite the same top end speed, and like Traore not really a finisher.
I think Cunha has a lot better technique and control than Traore.
Featured Stories
See All
53:12
5h ago
7.9k
The Loochador Podcast: CFP is officially coming to Kyle Field
by Billy Liucci
Texas A&M accomplishes 'step one' by being included in 12-team field
by Olin Buchanan
IN: Texas A&M earns No. 7 seed, will host Miami at Kyle Field
by Richard Zane
A&M's College Football Playoff path to Miami begins against Miami
by Olin Buchanan
6:50
44m ago
937
Carelessness derails second-half comeback as A&M falls in overtime
by Olin Buchanan