In the past I've always said this after a defeat , but now I will say it after a win. I'm not being negative because I thought they showed great heart on sunday. I'm as ecstatic as anyone over that last minute winner but I have to say it - when are we going to start getting stuck into teams and closing them down? I know that you have to try and stand up players like ashley young on the break but did anyone notice what I noticed in the Villa game? I really really hope this does not come across as negative.
What I saw was Villa players closing down United players tightly even up to the halfway line and beyond, whereas when Villa had the ball it felt as if they had to virtually get into our area before we got close to them. They pressed us in possession , we did not. Why? Was it to conserve energy? - if so we had to use it anyway to fight back. Was it to keep our shape in defence and midfield? - well that didn't seem to work either.
Two cases in point. Villa's first goal would not have happened if there had been real "aggressive" pressure on Barry. Instead , there was a kind of "timid" approach that allowed him to get that cross in. If we had been more aggressive he would not have been able to do that. Secondly , Villa's second goal came from them aggressively hounding Ronaldo and winning the ball. That's a goal that could have been stopped and a goal the other team created. All from either lack of pressure or aggressive pressing of the ball.
In the past I have knocked Fergie for this , but now I'm just trying to understand why we do it. It's not just the Villa game , it happened last season as well. I used to think that it was only average teams that worked hard to close players down , but I've seen great teams do it to great effect. In the Villa game our players were on average 2-3 yards further off the ball than Villa's players , but that started to change in the last 15 minutes. It was as if the intensity of the situation and the "we've got nothing to lose now" factor kicked in and we suddenly started to aggressively try to win the ball back.
I just can't help thinking that if that aggression and intensity had been there from the off (as it was for Villa) we would have not needed a last gasp winner.
Can anyone help me out here? I just don't understand why you would not pressure a team. I understand that you cannot dive in recklessly but my view is that you can at least get close enough to a player to "let him know you are there".
The reason why this worries me is because it was so similar to the goals we conceded to Liverpool. Very little pressure on the ball. It just seems to me that we often make it too easy for the opposition. I often saw Villa players receive the ball in our half and have the time to take a touch and turn and do pretty much whatever they liked. A minute later I would be watching Ronaldo getting robbed of the ball with a strong hard tackle.
When I was watching us trying to break Villa down it felt as if every pass we made was being physically contested. Tevez was having to fight his heart out just to lay the ball off. Villa players were getting a toe in whenever they could and they were prepared to give away free kicks rather than just stand there and watch us play.
I want to see the team we are playing really have to fight hard to keep the ball and have to pass the ball fast and accurately to make any headway - just like we have to against them. How many good teams have we out fought this season? Chelsea maybe - but they were in disarray at the time.
So why o why o why can we not get 3 yards closer to these Porto players on tuesday and battle a bit harder? I'm not being negative , but I would like to see us really "at it" from the start on tuesday , no easy goals , every cross or through pass contested. Why not? If there is one thing any team can do (low confidence or high) it's make life as hard as you can for the opposition. I'm really not convinced we do that to be honest - and even after such a great win it worries me that we have to be in such a mess 1-2 down before we really "GO" after a game and take it by the scruff of the neck.
What I would love to see is United (buoyed by the Villa win) come out and grab Porto like some stuffed old toy and shake em by the neck and then score and carry on and on and on doing it. That's what Liverpool did to Real - why can't we do the same? I fear it will yet another nervous evening , but I hope I am wrong. I'm not moaning , just seeking clarity.....
What I saw was Villa players closing down United players tightly even up to the halfway line and beyond, whereas when Villa had the ball it felt as if they had to virtually get into our area before we got close to them. They pressed us in possession , we did not. Why? Was it to conserve energy? - if so we had to use it anyway to fight back. Was it to keep our shape in defence and midfield? - well that didn't seem to work either.
Two cases in point. Villa's first goal would not have happened if there had been real "aggressive" pressure on Barry. Instead , there was a kind of "timid" approach that allowed him to get that cross in. If we had been more aggressive he would not have been able to do that. Secondly , Villa's second goal came from them aggressively hounding Ronaldo and winning the ball. That's a goal that could have been stopped and a goal the other team created. All from either lack of pressure or aggressive pressing of the ball.
In the past I have knocked Fergie for this , but now I'm just trying to understand why we do it. It's not just the Villa game , it happened last season as well. I used to think that it was only average teams that worked hard to close players down , but I've seen great teams do it to great effect. In the Villa game our players were on average 2-3 yards further off the ball than Villa's players , but that started to change in the last 15 minutes. It was as if the intensity of the situation and the "we've got nothing to lose now" factor kicked in and we suddenly started to aggressively try to win the ball back.
I just can't help thinking that if that aggression and intensity had been there from the off (as it was for Villa) we would have not needed a last gasp winner.
Can anyone help me out here? I just don't understand why you would not pressure a team. I understand that you cannot dive in recklessly but my view is that you can at least get close enough to a player to "let him know you are there".
The reason why this worries me is because it was so similar to the goals we conceded to Liverpool. Very little pressure on the ball. It just seems to me that we often make it too easy for the opposition. I often saw Villa players receive the ball in our half and have the time to take a touch and turn and do pretty much whatever they liked. A minute later I would be watching Ronaldo getting robbed of the ball with a strong hard tackle.
When I was watching us trying to break Villa down it felt as if every pass we made was being physically contested. Tevez was having to fight his heart out just to lay the ball off. Villa players were getting a toe in whenever they could and they were prepared to give away free kicks rather than just stand there and watch us play.
I want to see the team we are playing really have to fight hard to keep the ball and have to pass the ball fast and accurately to make any headway - just like we have to against them. How many good teams have we out fought this season? Chelsea maybe - but they were in disarray at the time.
So why o why o why can we not get 3 yards closer to these Porto players on tuesday and battle a bit harder? I'm not being negative , but I would like to see us really "at it" from the start on tuesday , no easy goals , every cross or through pass contested. Why not? If there is one thing any team can do (low confidence or high) it's make life as hard as you can for the opposition. I'm really not convinced we do that to be honest - and even after such a great win it worries me that we have to be in such a mess 1-2 down before we really "GO" after a game and take it by the scruff of the neck.
What I would love to see is United (buoyed by the Villa win) come out and grab Porto like some stuffed old toy and shake em by the neck and then score and carry on and on and on doing it. That's what Liverpool did to Real - why can't we do the same? I fear it will yet another nervous evening , but I hope I am wrong. I'm not moaning , just seeking clarity.....