Chez

Could not disagree more. United were on getting on top, we weren't closing them down anywhere near as quick. Sulemana for example didn't do a ting for the last 20 minutes. Players did tire. Whether the players that came off were the ones most tired, I don't know.

This. Subs had to be made. Players were visibly tiring. We worked very hard to press them in first half. We suffered because of that. Sulemana should have come off after abut 75 minutes.

It's not all on Smallbone, but I agree, Archer or Armstrong was the sub at that point. Onuachu was shite when he came on.

Gutted we lost. It's been a while since I actually felt like that, we have been so far off the pace in other games. We were top quality in the first half. Creating proper chances that perhaps we should have taken. United did have two very good ones of their own. Our defence is still not the best. United were always going to improve second half, but to be honest we more than matched them for 20 minutes. Once Dibling went off, we lost a threat and control, and every sub seemed to take a little from us. No complaints though. I thought players did tire, so subs had to be made. Sulemana showed what one or two on here knew he could do. Pace is essential at this level. If only he could play against teams playing five a the back (and a young centre half exposed) every week.

Jesus, the hate for Smallbone on here is mental.

Gutted. Losing Dibling and then players tiring forcing subs has hurt us.

fuck off.

torturous.

Where the fuck is Bednarek going there? Sugawara needs to stay on his fucking feet.

Sulemana is tiring. Lot of great runs at high pace.

not pressing or getting as tight as we did allowing United back in it. Sugawara doesn't look after the ball as well as he should.

disappointing to lose Dibling. A massive attacking threat lost and United can now push on. Could have brought Armstrong and played him in a similar wide'ish role.

probably, but at least we are in it.

maybe its just time to move on?

Acceptable? Blimey. We created more `proper scoring chances' in one half than we have in about the last 10 games.

Not at all. Let's enjoy it this half time moment.

Now can he combat any changes United make. We were great, but they were pretty poor. Need to come out with the same intensity straight from the off.

blatant pull backs that prevent breakaways are fine by me.

aha.

Soooo much better. We are a million miles better than we have been, especially in terms of attacking threat. Sulemena and Dibling are dangerous and Fernandes looks terrific tonight. We are pressing well too. Right on them all over the pitch. As always we look a bit of a shambles at times defensively, but really enjoying this.

not sure I asked that question. I guess you could argue that being very good at something - passing - is better than being just OK at los of things. I also wondered if my description described someone like Michael Carrick? He must have been a better player to have excelled at United, but I don't recall him being great at a lot things.

Gonna be 1-0 Saints. Excited.

I'd like to see him play for us again before selling him to see if he has improved. Despite the praise coming from Sheffield, I've not been terribly impressed to date, but for all I know he could have truely blossomed.

He is the perfect player for the system adn the system didnt work well without him. His weight of pass is second to none. Not so sure he has much else to his game. He does get up and down the pitch, but its very one paced. His tackling is woeful and there isn't much in the way of long shots, dribbles, tricks...anything other than good weighted passes really. He's kind of `hard to like'.

He's played 4 games in the PL this season. Was he poor in all of those, I dont recall?