FA Cup: Man Utd v Arsenal, 09/03/15, 19:45, BBC1

[celestis]

Anyone notice some of Santi's physical play when winning the ball back was like a Tassie Devil at times . Really surprising how aggresive he was .

 

[The_Playmaker]

I think he does know how to hold the ball up. He isn't going to pin defenders back and bring the ball down like Giroud (Costa can't even do that mind you)

Hate to praise a Chelsea player but Costa is probably the best striker in the world at holding the ball up and occupying defenders. He was last season, would have thought now that he showed it in "the best league in the world" you'd pipe down on this nonsense.

Hardly nonsense. Costa is very good at occupying defenders (the entire back four), but he is not the best at holding the ball up. If you actually watch Costa he prefers receiving the ball side on and to feet. He doesn't pin defenders back and hold the ball up, because he doesn't really stay central. He challenges for the ball in the air when he is central, but that isn't the same as holding the ball up. He is an absolute handful, but when Drogba plays the difference in hold up play is pretty clear.

I'd say few rival Giroud in that department and if I was going to name the best in the world in specifically holding the ball up it would probably be Zlatan.

Welbeck has the potential to occupy an entire defence. He did it vs West Ham away this season very effectively, but it was clear he was given a job to do yesterday and that meant staying central and keeping the shape. He very rarely drifted wide, but that wasn't of his own accord, that was under instruction. His hold up play is underrated in my opinion. He won't be a Zlatan and pull the ball down off his chest from 80 yards while holding off two defenders and then flicking it off to a teammate. However, he can receive the ball back to goal to feet and he can challenge in the air.

Also the criticism of Ramsey is unfounded in my opinion. I thought he did very well when he came on, showed exactly what he brings to the team and his confidence to take the ball under pressure and turn in tight areas is something we lack in midfield when we only have Cazorla in there.

 

[Rex Stone]

Btw thought Bellerin and Chambers should get shout outs, both played really well and didn't give a sniff to Young all game.

Amazing that we suddenly have two super talented young defenders. Hope we see them in the red and white for years to come.

 

[mo50]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p95EtPlYVCA&t=179" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Interesting little discussion between Alexis and Danny 2.40 in the tunnel cam Looks like Sanchez is trying to telling where to run .

Thanks for the link. Literally forgot Valdés was playing for them.

What the ****? When did they sign him?

 

[jones]

Last January on a free. Here's hoping the clown and not the world class version turns up when De Gea inevitably leaves in a year or two.

 

[Tir Na Nog]

Cannot remember the last time I've felt this good.

This team is definitely on the road to somewhere..... well yes WEMBLEY!!!!!

****ing awesome stuff

 

[DJ_Markstar]

So we've gone away to ManUre and won. We've gone away to City and won. Can we go away to Monaco and utterly destroy them?

 

[celestis]

Last January on a free. Here's hoping the clown and not the world class version turns up when De Gea inevitably leaves in a year or two.

I'd forgotten as well , I'd be tempted to play Valdes in midfield . Lord knows he's technically better than what they have there now

 

[a_fourteen]

It's amazing that Falcao and di Maria can go from being among the best players in Europe to utter rubbish in a matter of a few months.

 

[bingobob]

It's amazing that Falcao and di Maria can go from being among the best players in Europe to utter rubbish in a matter of a few months.

And the price paid for both of them. A ten million loan fee and 250k a week cost more than Welbeck did including wages and the price of DiMaria Was outstanding. Luckily LVG talks a good game any other manager would be under serious pressure given spending and where they are just now.

 

[GDeep™]

LVG was rattled last night, talking about how they lost rather than we winning it.

He's made a big deal of winning stuff in his first season, nearly everywhere he's been. Would have given him credibility and extended fan/media patience had he got the FA Cup, so you can see why this defeat will be a blow.

 

[Kroket]

Van Gaal's trying to be far too clever with his tactics, the Premiership may no longer be the best league in the world but it still is the most competitive. His players don't understand what he's trying to do and that's going to cost you against the well organized, hard working teams you find in England. The sheer class of David de Gea has kept them on course for a Top 4 finish but otherwise they've been extremely poor.

 

[General]

Btw thought Bellerin and Chambers should get shout outs, both played really well and didn't give a sniff to Young all game.

Amazing that we suddenly have two super talented young defenders. Hope we see them in the red and white for years to come.

You can't be serious. Bellerin's positional play was appalling and the foul on Young was the stuff of schoolboys. He's a good player but every now and then he looks out of his depth. Teams see a vulnerability that's why they overload us on the wings. It would explain the cheap amount of goals we concede from crosses coming from wide areas. Under the Alex Fungus school of thought, Bellerin takes an early shower. Luckily Wenger saw common sense and hauled him off before the inevitable red card came.

 

[General]

As an aside, playing Welbeck meant United couldn't push up. They started with a high pressing game but the dangers became obvious after Welbeck got behind a few times so they retrieved. We were far too wasteful in the final third after United were reduced to ten men. Fergie is not around to prop them and they've found their true level.

 

[a_fourteen]

We own Manchester.

 

[amirkat]

Yeah, we couldn't keep possession after the red card. Kept giving the ball away only for ManU players to lump it up to Fellaini.

Still, so many positives from last night. Le Coq dominated the midfield, Cazorla was extremely disciplined, Özil put his body about, the Ox terrified their defence and Monreal owned the left side of the pitch. Great game

 

[redwhiteAustrian]

I know it's been said often enough by now, but still...

I take my hat off for Michael Oliver, for doing a proper job yesterday. Didn't get everything right, but the major calls were all correct.

 

[GDeep™]

It just shows what level of performance you need from a ref, when playing at Utd in a big grudge type game.

 

[GOONER1991]

It shouldn't be this big a deal that a referee has put in such a good performance in a big game, which in itself is a damning verdict on the quality of refereeing in general.

Excellent performance. Good to see Oliver getting the kudos in the media he deserves. Hopefully other referees take note.

His face when Di Maria grabbed him was golden haha

 

[a_fourteen]

United's team for their u-21 game against Sp**s. Look at numbers 1 and 9.
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