I was at a gig so didn't see it but am thrilled to be in the Semi-finals and I am keeping my fingers crossed for Stockholm. We are playing better without Ibra at the moment so while it's a loss, we'll live. Rojo however is a huge loss. 12 months ago I was calling for him to get his P45, his turn around has been remarkable.

He's quality Rojo thought so since the 2014 World Cup!

Yeah but he's been woeful in a United shirt up until this season. Last season he was so poor, I cringed whenever I saw him on the team sheet.

 

Now I've been having minor heart palpitations when he's not on the team sheet. Jose has been so good for him, he's just come alive. He works really well with Bailly - they both compliment each other rather nicely. I'm praying to every deity ever created that he'll be fine for the Derby or at least the Europa Semi's.

Ajax with one foot in the final with a 4-1 win over Lyon.

 

How do we see tonight's match between Man United and Celta Vigo going?

 

 

Probably very dull & uneventful like most of our EL matches this season. Another 1-1 draw or possibly even a narrow Celta win I reckon.

I wouldn't be surprised if it was a 1-1 draw. Another dull drab match I reckon.

 

 

I'll take a 1-1 it gives us an away goal. If we have to play with 10 defenders at home then so be it. f*** style we just need to be in the final

Get in!! Only saw second half as I was in a late train back from Birmingham but happy with an away goal and what a quality free kick that was. Absolute class!!

 

No need for a new keeper. Romero is more than capable if De Gea leaves

I'm happy that we got the win but it would have been better if we scored more than one away goal. We should hopefully hold onto the aggregate lead or extend it in the 2nd leg to make it through to the final against Ajax.

You played really well, arguably should have scored more goals. Dull AF game though. Celta were really poor, but they had a couple of good chances too (some horrendous finishing by those guys).

 

0-1 you would take all day long, but it serves a bit of a problem. Mourinho will play not to lose, but Celta Vigo have to score. It will be an interesting game for sure.

It's something you can say about 20 of our games this season and in all of our draws. We are failing to convert dominance or quality into actual goals - even where we have plenty of attempts. We had something like 60 attempts against Burnley H&A this year!

 

Usually you'd say a smaller team coming to a stadium like Old Trafford would be intimidated by the sheer size of their surroundings but Celta play regularly at the two club grounds that trounce us on capacity. So we're not likely to see a shellshocked performance by them but the only thing that makes me fractionally confident about going through is that on home turf they weren't particularly strong.

It's something you can say about 20 of our games this season and in all of our draws. We are failing to convert dominance or quality into actual goals - even where we have plenty of attempts. We had something like 60 attempts against Burnley H&A this year!

 

Usually you'd say a smaller team coming to a stadium like Old Trafford would be intimidated by the sheer size of their surroundings but Celta play regularly at the two club grounds that trounce us on capacity. So we're not likely to see a shellshocked performance by them but the only thing that makes me fractionally confident about going through is that on home turf they weren't particularly strong.

 

But imo that's a problem with Mourinho tactically. It's so much like Liverpool circa 2011-2012 under Kenny Dalglish. We would batter teams and have plenty of chances, but we would never score. Some of it is down to poor finishing, but another part is Mourinho never overcommits players when you go forward. So there is little chance for a rebound etc. compare how many players you get in to the box compared to Liverpool/Man City. But obviously this can make you susceptible to the counter attack.

 

On the flip side, I think Celta Vigo are undefeated away from home in Europe this season. Be interested to see how Mourinho plays it, personally I think he will just sit back and defend and look for the counter attack.

I think it's also a problem with the squad. They've not scored or really gone forwards at all for the three years prior to Jose's arrival. We're going forwards again and that's been a huge shift in mentality and quality. The revival of players like Rojo and Valencia has been outstanding and Rojo's has only happened since December! There are signs that we are getting better, against Chelsea at home we were more clinical. I'm not sure I'd write it off as Mourinho's tactics just yet if we're still in this position next year of talking about missed chances then yes it's him but for now I'm willing to chalk it up to the rebuilding.

 

 

United haven't lost at home since September and haven't lost at home in Europe all year. It may be the theatre of draws :lol: but we're bloody tough to beat. I've only watched one defeat at home all year to city. (of all people)

 

There's no doubt that there will be all eyes on the final. I'd agree with your thoughts. I can see 5 across the back with Rashford and Lingard ready to sprint with Pogba as the link. We have the pace to be devastating on the counter. Unfortunately, like every match he plays, we would be remarkably better without the presence of Fellaini who will 100% play because of the ban in the league so he's "fresher"

Def think United will challenge for the title next year imo!

I'm not sure. I'll commit to deciding if we're a title challenger in April 2018 :lol:

 

United have released the final ticket allocation process and have put the most bullshit set of rules on it. Any executive club member who has applied for or been to a European away since 2015/16 season gets in ballot and any Season Ticket holder wanting to go has to satisfy that requirement and have a 100% home cup record.

 

I've bought extra tickets to 4 of our home cup games giving me a like 125% record but because my category of ST is barred from the ballot for away games for 3 years I can't apply. Bullshit.

 

I've been looking forward to Stockholm all year. Why the f*** else would I turn up to see some of the utter dregs we've played this year?

The ticketing at Man Utd seems to be a bit f***ed up lately, when the ballot got opened for tickets to the Arsenal away match I phoned the ticketing department to put my name forward as a ballot entry and the woman who I spoke to told me that I would be notified if I'm successful or not by email or text. I didn't get either of those things so she must have forgotten to process my application or something, in hindsight it was a good thing that I wasn't successful or it would have been £30 wasted to go and watch us lose :lol:

Edited May 9, 20178 yr by Houdini

You're a member aren't you? I assume after so many years of membership you get access to the ballot for away tickets?

Yes I am a member, it's very strange what happened. I phoned on the day that the ballot got opened as well which is what makes it even more weird!

Dats bull. I have to wait three years to apply for domestic away and the club already makes a grand a year outta me.

 

So apparently I could have applied for European away tickets all year. The club just never said this or hinted at it so because I didn't apply for a ballot I'd never have got a ticket in I can't apply for a ballot for the final. Feeling a bit hacked off with the ticketing office as it is. They charged me full price for a second ticket despite the price table they gave to season ticket holders on Europa prices not making any mention of the semi being priced at full price for additional tickets.

Wow three years?! that is really bad. The thing that annoys me most is that they're quick to take the £32 membership fee before pre-season has even started and it's non refundable which means that there is a risk of squandering money away to them for no reason if you don't end up attending a match during the season which is what has happened to me this season.