Manchester United put in an extremely poor performance last night and it cost them dear as Sevilla defeated them at Old Trafford to secure the Spanish side a place in the quarter-finals of the Champions League.

To say United went out with a whimper is actually putting it lightly. No one would have predicted the result at 1xbet review.

There was no urgency, they made numerous silly mistakes, struggled to create clear cut chances and weren’t hungry or ambitious enough to take the tie by the scruff of the neck and get the vital win.

For me, it all started in the build up with Jose Mourinho’s pre-game interview. The Red Devils boss was negative and seemed to be make excuses before the fact. He basically dismissed his own side’s merit to call themselves European giants.

Mourinho’s tactics seemed to be sitting back and waiting for an opportunity. Basically strangle the game and kill the Spanish by sheer boredom. They weren’t fluid, they didn’t go for the throat and United need to be more adventurous and proactive at The Theatre of Dreams.

The manager’s team selection was uninspiring to say the least.

Having Marouane Fellaini in beside Namanja Matic was an odd choice. The big Belgian hadn’t started a game for the first-team since November, when ironically United lost to FC Basel in the Champions League.

In the game against Sevilla, Fellaini wasn’t mobile enough to make a difference at the back or up-top. Plus the thirty year old didn’t even win too many balls in the air, which was surely the primary reason for Jose picking him.

Then we have the conundrum with the supposed star players.

Man United haven’t got the Alexis Sanchez that can kill teams off with his creativity, confidence and his determination to give his all. Nope, United have got the Sanchez who left Arsenal in a mood and who goes missing in games. He seems void of confidence and that’s why he’s not attacking in the right areas, taking on more dribbles or taking chances instantly. He’s over thinking things and is more of a hindrance than anything else.

The Chilean has struggled to settle in, he’s caused an imbalance within the team and isn’t doing enough to warrant his continued selection. Yet Jose Mourinho doesn’t seem to be willing to drop the player, even if it’s in everyone’s interests including the forward himself.

Paul Pogba may have cost £89m but the Frenchman is another star void of any luck or confidence.

Much has been made of his position and that he’s not being played in the right area. I don’t truly believe in all of that. If you’re a great midfielder then you can play in various positions within that area. Paul Scholes, Andres Iniesta and Andrea Pirlo all adapted their games to the need of their teams and at various stages of their careers too. Pogba needs to grow up and prove he’s a world class midfielder, at the moment he’s not even the best middle man at Man Utd.

Now we can’t put too much of the blame on him for the Sevilla result but it should be noted he was woeful when he came on. He could hardly find a teammate with any of his passes and he made poor challenges, when his team needed a calm, mature forward thinking performance.

Listen these two players are two that should be the ones that Jose and the United fans trust to get them over the line. When the chips are down, then the likes of Sanchez and Pogba should be the maestros that dig the side out of trouble.

Yesterday, they went missing! But if you think they can turn things around then checkout the latest football betting tips to see of they agree.

Now some may try and defend them by blaming everything on Jose but again these are supposed world class talents. When they go a goal down, then they should be the ones showing for the ball and making things happen.

Manchester United have a rich tradition of being attack minded and having youngsters to rely on.

Scott McTominay has offered more in 2018 than both Fellaini and Pogba. He’s more athletic and more dominating when it comes to winning the ball back and keeping it.

Jesse Lindgard, Anthony Martial and Marcus Rashford might have less experience than say Sanchez but they give you everything and they understand that they need to attack at Old Trafford. They also react when the club urgently need something.

At Man United if you aren’t playing well enough then you get dropped. If you can’t adapt to what the team wants then you don’t play.

It’s time Mourinho remembers where he is and what he has at his disposal. Send a few rockets up the back-sides at those that need them, attack is the best form of defence and utilise the exciting youngsters that are desperate to prove themselves and then keep faith in them.

Posted on March 14th, 2018 by scott
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