Your slowly changing your view on the title run in now Rooney ��

 

Your right about the ref though ffs seemed to be fine to manhandle Salah and Mane all night there and no frees given!!

 

Utd won't win the league, City are much more of a threat. Utd are literally at the peak of their game right now and have had just about every luck in the sun. We can't buy a penalty right now despite having at least 2 real shouts for them over the past 2 games. I'm ok with Pogba getting the penalty he did the other night, but Mane was bearhugged by the goalkeeper in the Newcastle game and the tackle today on him was far more of a penalty than the one Pogba got against Villa. Likewise a handball is deemed not a penalty even though it stops a shot on target. The standard and consistency applied across the league is absolutely shocking.

 

The difference is this year no team is going to run away with the league and every 2-3 yweeks journos are writing hyberbole. A few weeks ago people were talking about Arsenal getting relegated and Arteta getting the sack. Now they're talking about them leading a Europe charge! See the same with Everton.

 

Probaby does us some good to take the pressure off and not be top for a little bit and try and go under the radar slightly ala City.

OK but then it's evening out from last season when every decision went your way ;)

 

How big is the Anfield game now then. To actually have the chance of going into that game top of the league is bonkers.

 

But that's no reason to get too carried away. I remember when Everton won the league in September, then Spurs won it in November. City's next run of games is about as good as it possibly gets too.

OK but then it's evening out from last season when every decision went your way ;)

 

How big is the Anfield game now then. To actually have the chance of going into that game top of the league is bonkers.

 

But that's no reason to get too carried away. I remember when Everton won the league in September, then Spurs won it in November. City's next run of games is about as good as it possibly gets too.

 

Only one decision went out way last year which had a major impact, that was the City game at Anfield. Despite all the VAR bollocks from fans, it rarely worked in our favour for penalties.

 

Ole will come to Anfield to get a point, if we have Matip available to play 90 minutes I am confident we will win. If we don't then it's anyone's guess. No-one should be getting giddy unless one team breaks away and stringd 7+ wins together (which City could plausibly do) everyone will have a shot if there are 8-9 games left to go and only 4-5 points difference.

Utd won't win the league, City are much more of a threat. Utd are literally at the peak of their game right now and have had just about every luck in the sun. We can't buy a penalty right now despite having at least 2 real shouts for them over the past 2 games. I'm ok with Pogba getting the penalty he did the other night, but Mane was bearhugged by the goalkeeper in the Newcastle game and the tackle today on him was far more of a penalty than the one Pogba got against Villa. Likewise a handball is deemed not a penalty even though it stops a shot on target. The standard and consistency applied across the league is absolutely shocking.

 

The difference is this year no team is going to run away with the league and every 2-3 yweeks journos are writing hyberbole. A few weeks ago people were talking about Arsenal getting relegated and Arteta getting the sack. Now they're talking about them leading a Europe charge! See the same with Everton.

 

Probaby does us some good to take the pressure off and not be top for a little bit and try and go under the radar slightly ala City.

 

Yeh exactly, there always has to be a narrative!

OK but then it's evening out from last season when every decision went your way ;)

 

How big is the Anfield game now then. To actually have the chance of going into that game top of the league is bonkers.

 

But that's no reason to get too carried away. I remember when Everton won the league in September, then Spurs won it in November. City's next run of games is about as good as it possibly gets too.

 

 

Why would yous not be top of the league? With the money and resources available United should be challenging EVERY season. I’m sick of this narrative that united are the underdogs challenging the big boys. They are one of the richest and biggest clubs in the world!

Yeh exactly, there always has to be a narrative!

 

The media are desperate for Man Utd to be challenging and near the top, it's almost parallels of 2008/2009 when Liverpool were challenging and the media were desperate for us to challenge. Just like the Man Utd/Liverpool game is going to be hyped up to high heavens, but unlike the Liverpool/City games of the past couple of seasons, this game does not feel definitive. It's bigger for Man Utd than Liverpool - even if Liverpool lost I could still see us coming back even though there would be a mini meltdown from our fan base, whereas you'd say if Man Utd lost it, probably, in all likelihood it derails a proper title charge and throws the advantage back to Liverpool/City.

 

It's the hope that kills you, I only hope there is a title challenge like 2008/2009 and some no mark for Liverpool scores a goal or two and is never heard of again :D

Why would yous not be top of the league? With the money and resources available United should be challenging EVERY season. I’m sick of this narrative that united are the underdogs challenging the big boys. They are one of the richest and biggest clubs in the world!

 

Because we finished 33 points behind you last season. That's an insane bridge to gap and our summer transfer business was widely derided before a ball was even kicked. Of course we're the underdogs right now when we haven't won, heck even come close to challenging for the title since 2013.

 

Yes we've spent money but so has City, so has Chelsea, so has Liverpool etc. They can't all win the title. It's not the 90s anymore where only us & Arsenal have a chance. And we can all agree a lot of the money we've spent has been pissed down the drain with some of the rubbish we've signed in the last 6 years.

 

Would agree with Rooney's comment it's certainly a much bigger match for us with definite parallels of 08/09!

Because we finished 33 points behind you last season. That's an insane bridge to gap and our summer transfer business was widely derided before a ball was even kicked. Of course we're the underdogs right now when we haven't won, heck even come close to challenging for the title since 2013.

 

Yes we've spent money but so has City, so has Chelsea, so has Liverpool etc. They can't all win the title. It's not the 90s anymore where only us & Arsenal have a chance. And we can all agree a lot of the money we've spent has been pissed down the drain with some of the rubbish we've signed in the last 6 years.

 

Would agree with Rooney's comment it's certainly a much bigger match for us with definite parallels of 08/09!

 

Challenging for the title means being there in March though, that's the big thing. They key will be to get to 85 points, I think that probably wins the league this year. I think over the last 2-3 seasons City and Liverpool were 100 points average (or there or thereabouts).. that is absolutely unseen. As a Liverpool fan I've been spoiled and it's why I haven't hit the panic buttons yet. We've been unlucky that things haven't come off and we've been hugely unlucky with injuries.

 

 

Why would yous not be top of the league? With the money and resources available United should be challenging EVERY season. I’m sick of this narrative that united are the underdogs challenging the big boys. They are one of the richest and biggest clubs in the world!

Our squad is not even the best or 2nd best in the league so for that reason alone we would not be expected to be top of the league. As Dobbo said we haven't challenged for the title since Sir Alex left, we finished 2nd in 2017/18 but it was a one horse title race that season with Manchester City being about 13 points ahead before Christmas. Ole is not anywhere as good of a manager as Klopp or Guardiola either and has much less experience than them. Liverpool will still be the most likely team to win it at the moment but United fans are just appreciating where we are at the moment and having fun with the whole thing.

Again all these are decisions united have made to bring Ole in and the players in the squad. But yous def have spent loads and have a lot of world class players albeit they haven’t won the league which dominates the narrative in the media!

As entertainment as having a splinter taken off your foot between Arsenal v Crystal Palace tonight.

I'll take a point from that match. Both defences played very well and Alison was superb for Liverpool, we didn't really attack them at all in the first half but we were a bit better offensively in the 2nd, if only Pogba had scored from close range towards the end of the match! A draw is definitely a worse result for Liverpool than it is for us but this will suit Manchester City better than anyone. We keep our unbeaten away record in the league and stay top of the table, let's hope for all our sakes and for the good of football that we'll be there when all teams have played 38 games!

I'll take a point from that match. Both defences played very well and Alison was superb for Liverpool, we didn't really attack them at all in the first half but we were a bit better offensively in the 2nd, if only Pogba had scored from close range towards the end of the match! A draw is definitely a worse result for Liverpool than it is for us but this will suit Manchester City better than anyone. We keep our unbeaten away record in the league and stay top of the table, let's hope for all our sakes and for the good of football that we'll be there when all teams have played 38 games!

 

First half Thiago ran the game, Utd couldn't get the ball. We were so wasteful and should have put you to the sword but it is just not clicking for us right now. Too many miss placed passes and we are clearly worried that one long ball over the top could result in a goal without Gomez/Virgil playing. Thought Utd missed a massive occassion not to go for us. City will go on a run now and I'd say only a full-firing Liverpool would be able to keep pace with them, but ever since the Brighton VAR debacles we've just not looked right. I personally don't think a point suits either team if they want to win the league.

 

Bruno Fernandes was pretty ineffective. Don't think I have ever seen him play above average in a big game

First half Thiago ran the game, Utd couldn't get the ball. We were so wasteful and should have put you to the sword but it is just not clicking for us right now. Too many miss placed passes and we are clearly worried that one long ball over the top could result in a goal without Gomez/Virgil playing. Thought Utd missed a massive occassion not to go for us. City will go on a run now and I'd say only a full-firing Liverpool would be able to keep pace with them, but ever since the Brighton VAR debacles we've just not looked right. I personally don't think a point suits either team if they want to win the league.

 

Bruno Fernandes was pretty ineffective. Don't think I have ever seen him play above average in a big game

Yeah it's in City's hands now, they've got a game in hand and a nice looking list of fixtures coming up though they don't feel like the same side that they were 2-3 years ago. City Vs Liverpool on 6th/7th February at Anfield will be a very interesting game, especially as City have a very poor record at Anfield.

 

 

Fernandes didn't play well today and he had too many misplaced passes, Rashford as well had an off day and got caught offside several times.

Hendo and Fabinho were excellent in defence and considering how unlucky we have been this season with nearly everything I think we did fine today. It was united for the taking today and once again they failed when the big change came under Ole.

 

If city have a chance of beating united to the title and we are out of it then go on city on the 6th feb Houdini 😜

Yeah it's in City's hands now, they've got a game in hand and a nice looking list of fixtures coming up though they don't feel like the same side that they were 2-3 years ago. City Vs Liverpool on 6th/7th February at Anfield will be a very interesting game, especially as City have a very poor record at Anfield.

Fernandes didn't play well today and he had too many misplaced passes, Rashford as well had an off day and got caught offside several times.

 

It's impossible to keep up 95+ points which is what Liverpool and City did. We've tried to re-invent ourselves but the injuries this year have crippled us. This season is just bonkers, 4 weeks ago it was Liverpool's title to lose and we banged 7 goals past Palace and now everyone is saying Salah/Mane are awful. It is just a complete anomoly of a season. Man Utd just aren't agressive or dominant enough to win the league, you've got to beat your rivals at some stage (which they haven't). City have a good run of fixtures now and are on a winning streak, it's going to be really hard for them to fall out of it.

Engaging match if not particularly thrilling. Pool had most of the ball and we did well to hang on till half time but we had the better chances in the second half. We'd scored late winners against Wolves & Burnley recently so that Pogba chance was definitely a missed opportunity but happy with the point there.

 

Last season we had a brilliant record against the top 6 & flopped against everyone else, this season it's the other way around, quite peculiar.

 

Not getting the City hype train quite yet as they've had some awful games this season too and yes they're on a good run but they've had about as easy a run of fixtures as you could possibly ask for aside from Chelsea away. Also cringing a bit at this John Stones love in, he got lucky to get back into the team through other injuries and Dias has made him look 10x better. As if people are now saying he should be going to Euros, jog on.

Engaging match if not particularly thrilling. Pool had most of the ball and we did well to hang on till half time but we had the better chances in the second half. We'd scored late winners against Wolves & Burnley recently so that Pogba chance was definitely a missed opportunity but happy with the point there.

 

Last season we had a brilliant record against the top 6 & flopped against everyone else, this season it's the other way around, quite peculiar.

 

Not getting the City hype train quite yet as they've had some awful games this season too and yes they're on a good run but they've had about as easy a run of fixtures as you could possibly ask for aside from Chelsea away. Also cringing a bit at this John Stones love in, he got lucky to get back into the team through other injuries and Dias has made him look 10x better. As if people are now saying he should be going to Euros, jog on.

 

It's strange as while Pogba had arguably the best chance, the XG favours Liverpool. Firmino especially was terrible with his shooting and should have done so much better and made the keeper work.

 

The reason City are doing well now is not down to Dias, it's the tactical tweak they have made and it's probably what Liverpool need to do too. Pep realised that Rodri was not Fernandinho (and probably not one else is) so this season the full back, usually Cancelo tucks in to become more a CM so they are less vulnerable to counter attacks and the CBs are less exposed 1v1. Stones is much better like this.

 

It's just like Liverpool to some degree, a large part of why we are struggling us we cannot play such an aggressive high line as we don't have Virgil/Gomez who have recovery pace. It's why longer term we might not win the league this year but I am not too worried, we still have the best team.

City's defensive numbers have been exceptional this season, and they're now in a run of games where they're playing all the teams towards the bottom with only Villa in there, entirely probable they're top before playing Liverpool, Spurs and Arsenal consecutively. I'd defo be taking a fit and confident Stones for England over some of the centre halves that Southgate has picked regularly - Dier, Keane, Coady

City's defensive numbers have been exceptional this season, and they're now in a run of games where they're playing all the teams towards the bottom with only Villa in there, entirely probable they're top before playing Liverpool, Spurs and Arsenal consecutively. I'd defo be taking a fit and confident Stones for England over some of the centre halves that Southgate has picked regularly - Dier, Keane, Coady

 

They will be top by the time they play us and Pep would be happy with the draw if they're 6-8 points ahead. Like us City went through a bad patch earlier in the season, Liverpool's defensive numbers are not that bad either but we have adjusted our shape which means we are not as threataning attacking wise. They're on a 5 game winning streak but I also suspect they will drop points during this run, but clearly if they get to 10+ wins in a row nobody is gonna be stopping them as not sure Liverpool have the consistency this season.