I didn’t really want to talk about the Chelsea game for obvious reasons, but I don’t think I can avoid it because it’s totally relevant to our upcoming game.
Yet again, the team looked leggy and also mentally slow. It’s literally like we’ve run out of ideas in every area. We’ve gone from being one of the most feared attacking teams with loads of pace to now offering Ollie Watkins barely a sniff of the ball and even less chances.
Whenever we’re attacked, the defence immediately seems to go into panic mode and we look likely to concede. There is of course a fair excuse here and it doesn’t help when most of your first choice defence is missing.
Even the midfield have been poor and players who have been fantastic, including Luiz and McGinn have been performing a lot worse than we know they can and it’s the Scot in particular who concerns me.
I’m sure we all remember McGinn’s time under Gerrard, where he was so consistently poor and it got so bad that fans were seriously questioning if he should remain at the club. Well, I suspect that is an indicator of how long it might take him to get back to his “A” game. I’m not suggesting that he’s disillusioned or anything like that, but I do think it’s a mental tiredness that won’t be sorted quickly.
Of course, Unai Emery will know if I’m talking rubbish or not, as there seem to be dozens of people nowadays studying all the metrics of when the lads play or train, but it’s my guess that the numbers will be down and peak anything will be lower than it was earlier in the season.
Anyway, team news.
There are no new injuries and the main news is that we may have Lucas Digne back. Further good news is that Pau Torres might actually be fit enough to start and that’s a big plus because I think it’s more than coincidence that we’ve looked a poorer team for the last few weeks.
Nicolo Zaniolo came off the bench on Wednesday and I’d expect him to possibly start, even if it’s only for fresh legs, as he’s not quite turned out to be the player I thought he was. Still, some need time to adjust, I suppose.
We no doubt all know who’s missing as we’ve missed them massively and it’s what most of any discussion involves lately.
Man Utd face eight weeks without Lisandro Martinez, who has suffered knee ligament damage.
Aaron Wan-Bissaka has suffered a setback in training and Mason Mount, Tyrell Malacia and Anthony Martial are all out.
Prediction time then and it’s bad news I’m afraid.
I don’t think United are a good side by any sense of the imagination, but they do seem to be playing with the consistency that we’ve known them for over the years. Certainly more than us anyway, having won 3 drawn 1 and lost 1 in their last five games.
Then again, it’s perspective time and while I’m thinking that things look desperately bad, we’ve won 2 drawn 1 and lost 2, which is only two points worse than Spurs, who I thought were catching us at a rate of knots. Not quite so, but they are catching us. I think it’s what’s at stake that has given everything an increased sense of urgency and probably in my case even a bit of panic, when things aren’t going well.
Which all means that we need to get our act together sharpish if we want to maintain our position.
Sadly, I don’t think this is the game for that and I totally expect Man Utd to simply have too much for us. I’m expecting a big contrast to our recent game against them, where they were lucky to win after we threw it away and I fully expect them to just outplay us particularly in the middle.
A 3-1 loss it is then.
UTV!
F**ked
Game over.
It’s 1999 all over again.
FKKKKKK!!!!!!
So much for keeping it tight. 🤬🤬🤬
Number 1 Kamara lost his man
Should’ve been dropped.
Some guilt edged chances going begging! COME OOOOOOOOOOON!!!!
Slow start, 1-0 down and game over! This could be embarrassing 🤬
I’m sure their goal is offside. No check???
Why do we have to have a biased Gary Neville commentating on Utd games?
Here we go a ref that’s a Man Utd fan
This ref is ***t!
So Fernandes can rip the ref a new arsehole and nothing?
Lenglet has a little dig at the ref and a yellow?
This ref is an absolute disgrace
Neville is a twat. We’re creating some good chances here but we have to be aggressive ¡!!!!!!
Finally a Utd Yellow card…which then twat Nevile disputes…
Referee is an embarrassment.
At least we’re showing more fight and spirit but as United hasn’t beaten a top 9 team away from home in 13 attempts – need I say more!
To busy with his SS hair cut
Kamara and McGuire is a mismatch at corners, but if we switched Carlos or Lenglet, I doubt they would do better and in any case the mismatch would occur in another pair.
We are only behind because of carelessness in the attempts on goal. Foul on Moreno is a penalty but Villa won’t get one from Jones unless it is nailed on.
DON’T start slow and sloppy! Now we have conceded first and they will surely pick us off as we try to push further forward.
Kamara marking Maguire for corners was already showing alarm bells before they scored.
5 points the gap unless we break tradition of coming from behind to beat Man Ure!
It’s not often I moan about the ref, but I think he’s been shocking.
It was never a free kick and I’m pretty sure it was off too, hence never a corner.
That said, our quality in the final third is abysmal.
Get a goal and it’s all to play for. I just have a feeling we won’t and they’ll get the next one.
Next goal is so bloody important for the table…
A blatant push on our player in the box on that corner.
Not given. What a surprise.
FFS Ramsey
Badger. I was shouting at the telly – why the check is that not a penalty.
Some record of United’s not lost in 141 EPL games when leading at half time.
Come on Villa break it.
Ramsey has only got one finish, side foot as the ball comes across his body.
Diaby needs to come on. Zaniolo too as he’s an aggressive git!!!
Nice celebrations😂😂