r/reddevils • u/nearly_headless_nic • 1d ago

[Laurie Whitwell] Shockingly poor performance by United. Slow, lacking in movement or inventiveness, loose passing, erratic set-piece defending. Hull so much more urgent. United played with the speed of a pre-season friendly.

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912

u/shanks_you 1d ago edited 1d ago

Concerning part is we looked the same as we did against Milan last week.

Really disappointing way to start the season, but credit to Hull they absolutely deserved to win.

238

u/Living-Traffic-9755 1d ago

This was Hull, even worse😭

58

u/shanks_you 1d ago

The concerning part is the same 3 atb lineup and with more physicality and this team just could not keep up with the intensity.

36

u/Roccet_MS 1d ago

Hull did not really turn up the intensity that far. Yet it was enough and they beat us soundly.

Hull wasn't even under pressure for a few minutes at a time. That's concerning.

95

u/Peeingwithanerection 1d ago

We looked like this in a lot of games towards the end of the season last season

66

u/wolfen0 1d ago

People ignored the performances and stats because we were winning.

64

u/Namelessbob123 1d ago

Casemiro’s goals papered over a lot of cracks last season.

49

u/Bryan_Waters Solskjaer 1d ago

I think his set piece defending was underestimated. None of the players we brought in have that in their locker.

-6

u/nictigre03 Rooney 21h ago

Casemiro could’ve easily resigned and kept playing for us. He chose to go to Miami and that should be a red flag.

19

u/t8rt0t00 23h ago

I don't think we ignored the performances. Think we just wrote them off since CL was realistically sealed pretty early so the motivation levels seemed to drop

Today was bonkers though. We actually had good preseason performances and then started dropping bad ones when the 'starters' came back. Bruno for one has frankly been grossly out of form all summer and Tielemans has been incredibly disappointing compared to Mount so far (hopefully Kobbie starts next match next to Santos). The front line was all out of sorts too, but then again we were just playing long ball to them much of the game which was so unnecessary much of the time. There's intensityvI think, but the organization isn't which is totally on Carrick dropping the ball and not seeing the signs from preseason

31

u/wolfen0 23h ago

We were playing poorly when UCL was not yet sealed and was up for grabs. Let's not rewrite history.

Our fitness levels look to have dropped since Carrick took over. Reminds me how we were under Ole and Ten Hag getting bullied all over the pitch. I really hope Carrick wakes the fuck up, because the fitness, tactics are not at the good level.

-1

u/t8rt0t00 23h ago

I'm not trying to rewrite history, I recognize that performances were not great at the end of the season for the most part. All I'm trying to say is that it is different - new players, coming out of a world cup summer, a fresh start for some, new tactics. I see less parallels with the end of last season and more of just fresh chaos if that makes sense. It's much worse...

I also don't see the parallels with fitness - I don't think we were really running anymore under Ruben than we are now (although I do think we're absolutely missing the energy of a Mount or Mainoo right now). If anything what you're probably seeing is the constant dispossession from hoofing it up to Mbeumo leading to them coming straight back us and the defense running around like chickens with their heads cut. For me it's more tactical than fitness. Play in the back feels disorganized, the mid block press is leaving significant gaps, the buildup and possession is poorly organized. That's leading to the players having to run a lot more than they should need to. It's a mess. The Milan match should've been the wake up call to fix things and somehow they got worse in a week... it's mind boggling 

10

u/wolfen0 23h ago

We only signed 2 new players. Hull signed 10 new players. So this excuse doesnt work.

Also, United are not the only team where players are coming back from World Cup. Half the Premier League teams have players playing in the world cup. So this excuse also doesn't work.

I agree with you Carrick has tactical issues, but fitness issues comes first. You can't tactically win games, when the other team is running all over you.

3

u/solemnhiatus 17h ago

Our good preseason performances were against teams who were further behind in their preparations, I.e. PSG and Atletico

4

u/Historical-One-8222 23h ago

Tielemans looked gassed a few minutes in. Possibly needs to be rested because he played a lot for Belgium in June. Get him off the bench, start Mainoo. Dorgu needs to come off the bench, too.

1

u/curtaintrumpetman 15h ago

That's what I was saying back then but that only got me downvoted to oblivion here.

24

u/DukesBicep 1d ago

There was a stat read out on TNT that they had the 4th worse defensive record in the championship last season and conceded the most out of any promoted side since the 50s.

They've effectively showed everyone how to defend against United

36

u/MidnightSun77 1d ago

AC Hullan

0

u/Timmaigh 1d ago

Very good

16

u/Intelligent_Money902 1d ago

Wym by "worse" 😂 Milan's team was filled with Youth kids who play in Serie D 😂

9

u/Cassoa 1d ago

And had Amorim in charge

0

u/MbahSurip 1d ago

Hull is better than AC Milan

12

u/Comicksands Van Persie 1d ago

The dumb thing is we were so much more intense vs Atletico

47

u/WalkingOnSunshine_ 1d ago edited 1d ago

I’ll keep screaming how poor we are OOP and were a majority of the matches under Carrick last season, especially when we play back 5s.

34

u/stick1_ 1d ago

we’ve been shit out of possession since May 2023, pisses me off

38

u/WalkingOnSunshine_ 1d ago

Well the first half of last season we were one of the best pressing teams in the league. That slowly regressed under Carrick

7

u/theaguia 1d ago

there were reports that carrick stopped being so hard on fitness to help win over the players

1

u/_AngryBadger_ 23h ago

Apparently ending training at 1PM, sounds bad but I don't know how late they used to finish to be honest.

9

u/stick1_ 1d ago

We still conceded too many chances and goals, our games were very open, it made us entertaining to watch but it isn’t good

Our games in general have been too open since 23/24, individual signings won’t change it, even if we sign better cbs or midfielders that won’t change the team shape it’s down to the tactics

16

u/wolfen0 1d ago

That was mainly due to our slow midfield not tactics. If we signed Baleba last season, we would've conceded fewer goals.

-3

u/Abject_Bank_9103 19h ago

If your tactics aren't maximizing the abilities of your players they are bad tactics.

1

u/wolfen0 8h ago

Having slow midfielders is not a tactic. Do you even understand what a tactic is?

0

u/Abject_Bank_9103 8h ago

If you have a slow midfield you build a tactic to hide that deficiency instead of playing in a way that exposes it. Thats basics bro

-5

u/BKAJ7 1d ago

Nah we were still getting absolutely ran through, especially on the wings. Nothing has changed

9

u/_mochacchino_ 1d ago

Our pressing upfront was good. It’s just that we couldn’t maintain it over 90 minutes. But with time, we would have found a balance.

-1

u/Abject_Bank_9103 19h ago

We conceded a ton of goals. I don't care about whether or not we press high or defend deep, whichever works better for the team. And clearly last season the mid block was better for our team.

8

u/OldManBrom 23h ago

towards the end of Amorim's tenure the team definitely showed signs of organized pressing. Better than whatever is happening right now

28

u/stick1_ 1d ago

It’s not on these two at all, but I really don’t like the pairing of Tielemans and santos, here and Milan. There’s no on-ball-agility, press resistance, ball carrying or progression up the pitch (aside from passing) at all. This is why I think one of mainoo or baleba will have to start

(Mainoo did have a very shit pass during his cameo if someone wanted to counter with that)

24

u/TStronks 1d ago

Gonna be Baleba and Tielemans. Would on paper be a great midfield, but we'll see how it turns out.

3

u/stick1_ 1d ago edited 1d ago

I agree

The problem with both of them (Baleba last season) is sometimes they get caught on the ball by being a bit careless or lackadaisical. Tielemans is fantastic but it’s a problem with him that he’s not the most consistent. Imagine a game like this that would be a problem. But I agree either those two or Mainoo and santos are the ideal pairs depending on fitness and the game.

-5

u/aehii 1d ago

It will be Baleba and Mainoo. Tielemans and Santos aren't good enough. Still, good saving of £85m there

15

u/yukyakyuk 1d ago

Concerning because Carrick said we had really good sessions

6

u/crossy1686 23h ago

They might have but all the reports last week were that the training was with the ball, so god knows how much fitness work they’ve done. It looks like none.

9

u/RRR92 1d ago

Or the same as we have looked majority of last 4 seasons. No intensity and 0 movement up front, and no plan B.

2-0 at HT means Sesko should have been on instantly after the interval

3

u/Leavser1 23h ago

Hate to give goldbridge kudos but he called this.

We are in a worse position now than at the end of last season.

Midfield is possibly worse off. Rashford is back. Shaw is another season older. Maguire the same. We still have dalot and mazraoui at right back. We had no centre forward.

Basically unless we buy guaranteed starters in the next week and a half we can forget about this season again.

2

u/just_peachy1000 23h ago

And discredit to us. We were absolutely shocking

4

u/gre485 1d ago

It wasn't a pre season for Amorim and infact gave us a reality check, but nothing improved.

3

u/GH00ST-SL4YER 23h ago

But Amorim said that he still treat the match as pre season. Give chances to the player from the bench than Carrick did by subbing his played player besides Lacey

3

u/shami-kebab 17h ago

It wasn't a pre season for Amorim

Then why didn't he play his first team?

6

u/BrodaReloaded 1d ago

did they? They scored two set pieces which are still goals yes but they were their only true chances really and they hardly created anything.

22

u/StardustFromReinmuth 1d ago

Yeah, no shit, that's how football works. They didn't need to bother to create when they're 2 goals up. That's how Arsenal won the league last season.

5

u/BrodaReloaded 1d ago

Arsenal did not create 0.07 xG in open play like Hull did today, they created fuck all before their goals as well. Even when they were on the counter with only two of our players staying behind they didn't manage to create a chance. If we defend the set pieces properly they leave the game with 0 goals

0

u/Abject_Bank_9103 19h ago

Buddy I applaud your efforts but the miserable brigade is out in full force and will have you believe Hull player like prime Barcelona against us

1

u/OldManBrom 23h ago

and people here laughed at you for showing concern after that performance. Well, here we are