Blistering Fernandes puts Pogba in peril; Nicolas Pepe draws controversy
Manchester United fans wave goodbye to Paul Pogba after Bruno Fernandes continues to impress, while Arsenal fans react to their Europa League exit – all in Your Says of the Day.
Join in the debate here…
POGBA WON’T BE MISSED AT THIS RATE
If Fernandes continues like this £47M base fee is a fucking bargain in this market. Crying out for some quality out wide. Needs to be the priority in the summer along with a striker
N1xer
Based on what he has shown so far I reckon we would be at least 20 goals and a dozen points better off by now if they had.
Blacky
Fernandes is a cut above, he drops back, demands the ball, wants to control the game, he’s the attack minded midfielder we’ve been missing and Pogba wouldn’t be missed with Fernandes in this form. Shaw was impressive too to be fair, worked hard, covered the ground. Good performance all round and we kept the pressure on too which was positive. Admittedly it was Brugge but a good performance as well. You can only play what’s in front of you and I don’t think anyone would have predicted that scoreline.
killyboye
Bruno Fernandes has made a huge difference – not only in terms of class but he’s also lifted the mood. No one is wondering when or if Pogba will turn up and I think Ole has now written him completely off. Bruno also seems to love playing here and is already a leader on the pitch as well as a talisman. He’s a player we’ll need to build the team around and it’ll be interesting to see how he connects with Rashford next season.
roygbiv
MAN UTD’S PURPLE PATCH MEANS NOTHING
Of course one of the problems with this little purple patch we’re having is – it might make them think we don’t need at least 3 world class players in the summer.
I can already see a midfield of Fernandes, Fred and Mctominay. Matic, Lingard, Pereira and Mata as cover. Assuming Pogba leaves that is. If he stays I actually can’t now see us signing a CM.
If Ighalo can score another few goals I think he’ll be signed permanently. So Rashford, Martial, Greenwood and Ighalo. Do you think they’d then go and sign another striker? No.
I’d say the only position that seems certain we’ll strengthen is that Right wing/Sancho position! Let’s just pray none of Mata, Lingard or Chong hit any kind of form between now and the end of the season!!
happyhurling
I don’t think our purple patch is papering over any of the cracks. I don’t think that Ole is under any illusions regarding the quality in the team. Whether Woodturd and the Glazers have illusions is another matter altogether.
killyboye
REACTION AS ARSENAL CRASH OUT
What a gutless performance! We didn’t deserve to win with that wonder goal by Auba tbh.
Glad we’re out of this competition because we were never going to win it. It’s evident that these players don’t have the legs to fulfil Arteta’s conditions… disgusting honestly.
the bsm walk
The question bsm walk is why do we still keep conceding goals from corners. Fatmop might think we can defend but the evidence is there for all to see. Can’t defend set pieces. Costs us in just about every game
The Oracle
I’m hearing everywhere fans saying that it was a poor performance, no it wasn’t.It was almost like the greek gods didn’t want us to win.Olympiakos had one game plan.Sit back and take advantage of the one- two chances they get which were always going to be on corners.
First goal absolutely terrible marking by David Luiz.
Okay then Auba somehow saved us in extra time.But just see after that what happens,Instead of sitting back these bunch of fools were going forward at every oppurtnity.Than Leno makes a stupid mistake.But I won’t put much blame on him because I don’t single out players that make mistakes.
But regardless even without that I don’t see him as good enough because he lacks command and communication.Then for their winner,again absolutely terrible defending.You have their biggest threat running into the box, and all our defenders failed to mark them.Why couldn’t they just get close to them and just put pressure just body check them?Terrible defenders.
the specialone
MAN UTD MUST IMPROVE ON EVERTON SHOWING
If we can beat Everton here then I think we’re in the best moment of the season. (We probably are anyway)
But this does actually represent a test unlike previous games where the opposition has been relatively poor. We were absolute awful here last season so we need to put on a good performance.
Hopefully Martial is fit to start…
happyhurling
Everton are doing very well under Ancelotti and they’ll be a very tough prospect. He’s got them organised and Calvert-Lewin is scoring frequently. They’re still rocky defensively though and I don’t think Pickford is the best English ‘keeper at the moment. If Henderson keeps playing the way he is, then Pickford might struggle to be the No. 1 in the Euro’s. Given their defensive woes I think we’ll scrape it but it’ll be tough, 2-1 to us.
killyboye
Can see this being a draw as well, 1-1 seems a good shout. I’ll wait to see if Martial is fit before making my final prediction though
happyhurling
Bloody Everton, the 4-4 draw still rankles me, the 4-0 last season was embarrassing, and we caught their new manager bounce before Christmas. I feel that if there’s any team that we owe a beating to then it’s them, they always seem to outperform themselves against us, it would be a delight if we could win convincingly against them.
hookeddevil
NICOLAS PEPE IN THE SPOTLIGHT
Pepe that’s the worst I’ve seen him play, looked like a player from league two. Honestly just awful.
Leno mate you do a lot of things good but a lot of things bad, what is up with that heavy touch… leading to the corner for their winner.
the bsm walk
You said That was the worst you’ve seen Pepe play.The guy completed 12 take ons today – The most by any player in the EL this season.Yet somehow you call me clueless.I apologise for giving you the time of attention.All the good posters have left,What a shame really.
the specialone
No Pepe is rubbish. He slows the ball down and dead ends the movement time and time again. One footed to the extreme. He can dribble yes, but where does it go.For 72 mil, I expect more. In the future, maybe but I don’t think so.
Mustafi, was our best player. That shows how poor we were. Bellerin was a liability, not only for himself, but all the rest of the defence.
Clean out time. Arsenal FC RIP. the invincibles are dead, this lot (excluding the odd one or two) must go.
The concern is still, how can we be so poor on set pieces and crosses. The whole organisational planning is absent. I thought it was Bould, but it still remains.
Bitterly disappointed, embarrassed to support this team. I, we, have all seen better. I didn’t think it could get this bad.
Shifty, I don’t drink, but have one on me. I think you’ve nailed this lot. “ten years and three managers”, seems like a bit too close a call.
Gooner for life…..Unfortunately.
gooner54
BOURNEMOUTH V CHELSEA PREDICTED
The big problem re this game is how well we’ve recovered psychologically from the Bayern mauling.
Also there are limitations to how Frank can change things both tactically and personell wise due to injuries and Bournemouth need the points as much as we do.
Having said that if we play to our abilities we should still be able to take the points but it’s definitely no gimme.
nine nine nine
For this match against Bournemouth, I am hoping FL will field the exact same team that played against Spurs. I also reckon Bournemouth would defend deep, like Spurs. So we don’t need speedy players here but we do need tecnical players like Mount and Barkley. And we do need attacking wing back in Alonso and Reece James.
But unlike Spurs who do not have a potent goalscorer (Kane, Son injured and Alli on the bench), Bournemouth have plenty of players who can hurt us in counter. Josh King is quick, Callum Wilson too, Harry Wilson, their 2 wing backs. So I reckon this match will be much more challenging and difficult than last week against Spurs
aindro
WHAT IS MAN UTD’S BEST FORMATION?
If we play 433 next season, where would Grealish fit in?
Assuming Pogba goes, I assume we would have a midfield 3 comprising of a stopper (McT or better), a box-to-box (Fred or better) and an attacking midfielder (Fernandes).
Would it be as part of a front 3 – alongside Rashford and Martial?
Sancho will definitely not be bought unless Pogba goes. No chance we are spending big.
moral
Nobody plays 4-3-3 mate. 4-2-3-1. Four at the back, two patrolling, three on the move and interchanging and a striker.
jm1502
I’d argue that City or Liverpool don’t play with two patrolling midfielders. They have one defensive midfielder (Fabinho / Rodri) and then two 8’s in front of them (Wijnaldum and Henderson / Silva and De Bruyne). At least that’s how City played when they were really good last season.
Two patrolling midfielders puts too much emphasis on defence, especially against the smaller clubs. Attack, attack, attack!
hookeddevil