What we need, the missing element...

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Gwladys St. Glory said:
Question is are we (ie. younger players) getting that from what's going on, or is it in danger of becoming a runaway problem in the opposite direction.
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I'm not sure it's a runaway problem in the opposite direction, we're pretty good at responding to conceding. The problem is the manner in which we concede which suggests to me that our mental strength is inferior to many of the teams we play.

If we generally have talented players, decent tactics, periods of outstanding football and a number of exceptionally talented individuals then it can only be our mental strength that is letting us down.
 
I think Ross is trying to become that driving figure, but we definitely need some experience to do it in the here and now.

Rooney would be excellent, but can't really see it imminently.
 
The Esk said:
The missing element is that mental strength that all winners have.

Lack of mental strength is demonstrated in three key areas
  • Inability to take advantage when on top in games
  • Inability to perform consistently over 90 minutes, too many times we have a poor period or half
  • Individual errors - we must concede more goals from individual errors than any other team. All goals conceded today were down to individual errors, FM, Stones/Howard, and Coleman.
What do we do about it? Some of it is down to not having an absolute leader on the pitch to grab control when things get tough, some is down to young players, but the majority of the blame must be down to mental preparation and training. You can train mental toughness, but it takes a certain type of character (Sir Alex for example) - I am not convinced Martinez for all his positives possesses those traits.
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I think you got that one spot on. My big concern also
 

The Esk said:
I'm not sure it's a runaway problem in the opposite direction, we're pretty good at responding to conceding. The problem is the manner in which we concede which suggests to me that our mental strength is inferior to many of the teams we play.

If we generally have talented players, decent tactics, periods of outstanding football and a number of exceptionally talented individuals then it can only be our mental strength that is letting us down.
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Basically had the same issue under Moyes, there were just less goals involved.
 
chicoazul said:
The more I think of it the more I think the lid who wrote this thread has a point.

Where today did you see anyone on the team leading and urging the team on? Someone taking responsibility and getting right in the middle of it with the opposition. Even someone to lift the crowd and the tempo of the game?
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This lid is 59 ! :)
 
Gwladys St. Glory said:
Basically had the same issue under Moyes, there were just less goals involved.
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I think with Moyes though it was very different - we had the mental strength to make us difficult to beat (apart from the Sky four) but we did not have the mental strength to get over the line when opportunity presented itself - CL qualifier, Cup Final, Wigan QF FA Cup, Chelsea semi final LC as examples. Equally Moyes did not have the talent Martinez has available. Moyes created something which is greater than the sum of the parts, Martinez potentially is creating something less than the sum of the parts.
 

besides lukaku I cannot name another player who is consistently performing week in week out. There lies our problem. Players are heroes one week and villans the next.

you get away with 1 or 2 having an off day but today we seen kone, cleverley, mori, coleman and delafou have a poor game.
 
Always said to mccarthy haters that ul see how important he is to the team when he's not there. No real cover there so we conceding chances n goals at will.
 
Rooney would be a different player than he is at the moment if he came back, I still believe after all he has done his heart is here. We were a very poor team when he was here if we had been slightly more successfull I doubt he would have left. It looks to me that his interest is gone a utd that grin on his face just isn't there anymore, I bet if he pulled on that blue shirt it would return. Utd need a major rebuild out with the old in with the new sort of thing, players can be at a club to long even very good players, Howard great example very good in his time but time to move on. I'd be very disappointed if I never saw Rooney play for us again, I'm convinced he will.
 

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