Positives are that we passed the ball ALOT better, showed more fight, got up the pitch and created a few chances. However, anyone who thinks we played well yesterday is stuck in the Walter Smith era. United were relatively poor and any top 7 side who put in a half decent performance would have got something. Scary to think what the score would have been at half time if United played well considering the gaps in the defence.
A good performance would have been playing like we did between the 30th and 80th minute, taking one of the chances we had and not making hideous mistakes at the back. Then we could have considered ourselves hard done by.
The only thing worse than Williams or Jagielka playing is Williams and Jagielka playing. Credit we're credit is due there last ditch defending was good yesterday, decent tackling and blocks. But most of the time they were only in these positions due to there poor positioning, reading of the game and horrible distribution in the lead up. These two are hopeless footballers and are a major part of recent results. Build up play for attacks starts at the back and when you have their loose passes going into the midfield it slows down and wastes many opportunities to attack, not to mention costing us goals. I think having them in side reduces the confidence of the whole team. People slate Mori 10 times more than Williams and 100 times more than Jagielka but he is better than both of them. Surely time for Holgate to get a chance at CB.
We simply haven't got the personnel to play 5 at the back, by taking an attacking player out and putting either Williams or Jagielka in the side we are reducing the number of players on the pitch who can retain the ball and contribute to an attack, in a way we are playing with 10 men. You need good ball playing CB's to succeed with this formation. Also you need people who can play Wingback. I thought Martina did well yesterday and was much better than Baines who simply can not play that role anymore, which makes us again one more player short on attacks as every time he receives the ball in an advanced position he stops and passes it back. Baines also seemed to escape attention for Lukaku's goal for which he was at fault, I can excuse him not being able to get forward like he once did, but not awful, un-arsed and unaware defending like that.
If we are going to play 4 at the back in with neither Williams or Jagielka in the side I think Kenny has to play as I wouldn't trust Martina from a defensive point of view in a back 4. Giving are recent defensive form he has to bin players of at the back and give Holgate and Kenny opportunities. Keane escapes my attention for now as he has had Martina for cover to one side and Williams and/or Jagielka on the other, I feel sorry for the lad who thought he would be playing alongside better players when he moved from Burnley, must be a shock to his system.
All in all positive signs that we can get out of this, but still the wrong personnel and tactics. Although Koeman can't stop Williams and Jagielka creating chances for the opposition, he can choose not to play them.
