GWT: Premier League Matchday 37

[hatterson]

Excellent defending there from Smalling. What they always teach you when you're young. Allow the forward to clearly beat you to the inside when he's on the edge of the D.

 

[hatterson]

When people say soccer is boring...this is the game they talk about.

 

[hatterson]

Adrian with a couple of really good saves. First a good one against Alexis and then just getting a tiny touch on Shaw's howler to deflect it onto the post.

 

[hatterson]

wtf is Chris Smalling doing today

 

[davemess]

wtf is Chris Smalling doing today

England assistant coach is in the crowd, think Smalling is trying to make sure he keeps his summer free?

 

[hatterson]

England assistant coach is in the crowd, think Smalling is trying to make sure he keeps his summer free?

For real. He's not some elite CB or anything, but he's usually not a complete trainwreck. Today it seems like every decision he makes is the wrong one.

 

[sabremike]

When people say soccer is boring...this is the game they talk about.

Game is completely meaningless so I guess guys are going through the motions today. Also looking at pictures of the Olympic Stadium and it looks like a terrible place to watch a match.

 

[Havre]

Never been there myself, but that stadium is ridiculous for football. I have no doubt it will hurt WH long term.

Utd usually play boring regardless. WH used to be quite entertaining, but aren’t any longer. It most likely would have been a boring game in any circumstance.

 

[hatterson]

United isn't playing boring football per se, they're just playing lazy/poor football so that makes it boring.

 

[koyvoo]

Number one objective for them must be to keep everyone fit for cup final.

 

[Havre]

Well. Considering they are among the top teams in England and Europe (even if they did poorly in Europe this season) they are playing boring. More so than any other top team I can think of.

 

[sabremike]

Well. Considering they are among the top teams in England and Europe (even if they did poorly in Europe this season) they are playing boring. More so than any other top team I can think of.

Who is our manager? There's your answer.

 

[hatterson]

I'm not disagreeing that they play boring football intentionally, this is just an odd game to make that point about. Certainly this is far from attractive, but the issues are more about lack of cohesiveness/sharpness than about attacking intent.

 

[Havre]

It wasn’t really using this game to make that point - merely pointing out it follows a pattern.

 

[Gecklund]

What is it about West Ham that gets to United so much?

 

[koyvoo]

I often don’t mind a pragmatic approach. As a viewer, even a tactical chess match can be absorbing. I do question when a team who has better quality than 90% of the teams they face, yet play negatively 100% of the time.

 

[hatterson]

Noble should 100% be off for that.

*shrug*

 

[Savant]

What is it about West Ham that gets to United so much?

David Moyes is a football genius.

 

[Gecklund]

David Moyes is a football genius.

Or Mou just doesn’t know football which I’m definitely considering given he just took off Alexis for Ashley f***ing young

 

[hatterson]

3 minutes added time was 100% Moss realizing he'd done a poor job of managing the game and wanted it to be over.

 

[Havre]

I often don’t mind a pragmatic approach. As a viewer, even a tactical chess match can be absorbing. I do question when a team who has better quality than 90% of the teams they gave, yet play negatively 100% of the time.

It is baffling.

To me it is Mourinho growing old. He has lost his edge in age not understanding it himself. It happens to all kind of people in all kinds of jobs.

 

[Savant]

3 minutes added time was 100% Moss realizing he'd done a poor job of managing the game and wanted it to be over.

He probably can't run any more and couldn't delegate the rest of the game to the linesmen. Moss is useless

 

[Havre]

The most Mourinho way ever to secure 2nd place.

Will be interesting to see how Utd line up next season. Hoping Mourinho surprises with a more attacking minded team. Not that I care if they do well, but it makes the PL more entertaining when Utd play well.

 

[koyvoo]

Delete

 

[hatterson]

I think if they acquire a solid CB and do some other upgrades at the back (LB/RB and DM), he'll open the team up a bit.

They played much more attacking in the first 1/4 of the season or so, but when Matic's form slipped a bit and Pogba got injured and didn't come back the same, he just bunkered the team down. Bailly being injured all the time also meant he didn't have a backline he could trust much.

That's not much of an excuse because the team clearly has the talent to attack more, and has some good success when they have, but unfortunately it's just the way it is.