by Douglas Higginbottom » Fri Sep 09, 2016 8:57 pm
I have to say that was a poor match. Utd just came and sat behind the ball , mostly 10 of them but at times all 11 and we showed a distinct lack of creativity. Literally the first time the scum got into our penalty area (25 minutes) and they scored.
We gave rhe ball away on the right which took out out deep midfield players so when they knocked the ball across, their guy only had 2 defenders in front of him.He ran at them ,feinted to shoot and before you know it he's atound the penalty spot without being tackled and poked the ball in. Gutting as we had been all over them and were the only team playing football.
Kongolo earlier had played a great 1, 2 and sliced thru to be 1 on 1 with the keeper. A bit of panic and the ball went high and wide. We huffed and puffed but just didnt create enough and it wasn't helped that out playmaker Fernandez (playing as a 10 instead of his usual wide role) had been nobbled early on. He tried to run it off for 30 minutes but the pain was easy to see. Think of how Utd go for Silva and that's what they did to Fernandez.
Brahim came on and was the bright spark in the team and the game and his goal was a gem. For some reason Simon Davies our manager played the two wingers on the wrong side and they were ineffective. Nmecha , who had a very promising first half , disappeared in the 2nd with so many defenders marking him and it ended in a stalemate. Brahim got to the byline superbly near the end but just couldnt find a player with his cross and then in the final minute of injury time he almost scored from close range but the keeper was out quick and blocked it.
Just a word for the ref. He was crap as so many are. Could have sent their number 10 off for a knee high studs first lunge quite early on and then shortly after booked Oliver for nothing much. Utd's approach to the game was summed up when they got a foul late on in what should have been a promising position but their guy kicked the ball away to waste time!! Lunacy and the ref booked him.Then when the free kick was launched at the box the ref blew while it was in the air. Summed it all up for me.
Utd were god awful and we couldnt beat them with our 2nd string under 21's side. Cameron Humphreys looked very assured for us.