A few weeks
back, I had the opportunity to watch man united against man city, played at old
Trafford. As everyone had known, man united lost 1-2. Well, to lose is one
thing but to lose playing like how they did in that game is just pathetic to
me. Man united were dreadful. Before the game started, and looking at the line
up, I thought with martial, rashford, lukaku, linggard playing, surely man
united would give their biggest rival a real fight. But to my dismay, they were
like a bunch of sissies.
They should
have gone for the jugular, attack and attack and defend when the need arise. It
would be better to lose the game fighting, say 2-4, than losing like that in
your own den. Man to man, man united had the team to match man city, though I would
say Guardiola’s kind of possession football played by man city does look
attractive. But if man united could attack with pace and aggressiveness, and
retreat to form a fortress, I don’t think they would be humbled by man city. Simply
put, man united played like assholes, with their balls stuck in the throat.
There was no gut
in man united. Mourinho didn’t believe his team could hurt man city, thus
resorting to a passive approach which is so unlike man united. They tried to
play safe and defensive when they should have attack at will. Looking at man
united goal, which came after man city had scored and had numerous chances
compared to united two or three shots on target, man city can be vulnerable
under pressure. Man united didn’t capitalize on this because mourinho got
everything wrong. He should work on man united strength and it lies in attack. Isn’t
attack the best form of defence?
Mourinho was
more afraid of Guardiola’s man city rather than advocating his players to
attack relentlessly and defend dynamically. He was so focused on man city
ability to hurt his team rather than the opposite. And it backfired.
As a football
coach myself, albeit at a different level, and a man united supporter since ’69,
if I were to be in mourinho’s shoes, with the players at his disposal, I would
never ever play like that forgettable night at old Trafford.
Honestly, with
the system he is employing this season, man united have no chance to pursue man
city.
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