#but andrea herrera deserves better

[silvermillenniumqueenneptune]

As a queer person myself I will never get over the fact that what is currently motivating the Station 19 fandom to save the show is the fact that the spotlight has been placed on a WLW couple. Don't misunderstand me. I love Marina. I love their story and their love and the family they've created. But the show is so much more than them. Can we talk about how this show has broken barriers with its diverse cast? Can we talk about the fact that the show has an amazing Puerto Rican lead who has over and over again been pushed to the side only to have the one thing she's worked for the entire series become the totality of who she is in the final season? Can we talk about how Andy herself was the one to convince Chief Ross (another minority woman who was pathetically reduced to begging the man that's about to become her endgame [AND ANDY'S EX HUSBAND AT THAT] to love her back -- only for it to take Ross almost dying in his arms for Sullivan to want her) that she didn't have to choose between being chief and loving Sully, when Andy herself was pretty much forced to choose between being Sully's wife and being in charge at 19 or anywhere else? Can we talk about how people want this show to be saved so badly that they're now clamoring for Andy to end up with VICTORIA HUGHES (when neither woman is coded as LGBT--don't get me wrong, both women are fine but um, no!) or want Andy to go back to Jack (despite them being toxic AF)? THAT'S why the show needs to be saved. THAT'S why we need more stories.

Editing to add something else that occured to me. If for some reason they let Andy go back to Jack in the series finale, I will scream.

[angelofverdum]

Station 19 6x18

Can Theo go? How more toxic can he be? Writers really said, "Oh you hate Sullivan? Let me show you someone worse". What an asshole. Making out with Kate just because Vic was proud of Andy. Who, mind you, is one of her closest friends and has been fighting for that position for a long time.

Captain Herrera, fucking finally. I hope that storyline ends there. We don't care about that anymore. She is going to be a great captain. Let her be captain until season 11, at least.

I wish we had seen a conversation between Maya and Andy about the captaincy.

Jack lost consciousness, so he couldn't tell Vic what he saw. If they kill Jack, I'm suing. He is just a dumb guy, and he doesn't deserve that. I hated him when he was part of Maya and Carina, but he is getting his life together.

Travis has been a shitty friend to Vic, btw. Vic told him what happened with Theo and Travis just saying "Sometimes that happens".

I love we got to see more of Vic and Andy together.

As much as I loved those scenes with Maya and Carina in their apartment. I wished they were on the opening scene. That looked like fun. Maya and Carina are always out of the group.

Are Maya and Carina going to adopt that baby? I know Carina wants to give birth, but they just brought that pregnant lady for Carina to do something? Or is Jack adopting the baby?

What the hell is this? I want a written essay about why Carina flinches like that. Couldn't this scene be like 5 seconds longer?

I'm so annoyed that Carina had to wear her wedding outfit to the ball. You are telling me she didn't have any other dress??? ANY OTHER DRESS??? Why? What was the point? Why do the writers hate Carina so much? She could have gone and bought anything. I'm sure she has gone to some events that required formal dress.

I can't even enjoy her scenes at the ball because of that damn outfit.

I'd never forget Danielle for giving Maya bangs. I know it's just hair, but Maya is not a bangs woman. She wears her hair slicked in a tall ponytail, controlled and put together. Bangs are carefree.

Danielle looks beautiful, but that's not Maya. She could have waited a week to get bangs. I'm in mourning.

It wasn't even mentioned. When she cut her hair short, it made sense. It was a beautiful moment, and she looked very hot. But those bangs just, I don't know. I'd never question Danielle's acting choice, but I feel that this episode was more Danielle than Maya.

This was a good episode. I hope they keep this energy for future epsidoes

I'd love to see them getting ready for the ball. Maya and Carina with the group. They teasing Maya and Carina for being late. CARINA WITH A NEW DRESS (This bothers me so fucking much)

This was my favorite kiss, btw. I guess I'm a sucker for fluff. I loved this scene so much. Even tho We should have seen Maya topping Carina.

Anyways we survived Krista, and I hope next season is better. Zoanne Clack and Peter Paige, here are my recommendations:

Someone tell Danielle to put this pic on Maya's locker.

Bisexual Vic

Theo gone. Bring another female firefighter. (Latina, please?)

Redemption for Sullivan (I like Boris; I don't want him gone, ok?) Can they do something to make him likable? Please. He can be funny. We can save him.

Baby Deluca-Bishop (Bishop-Deluca still sounds better. If Maya weren't so whipped by her wife), It's time. I didn't want a baby, but I'm tired of this storyline. Just give them a baby, please.

More Carina Deluca in action

More Vic, Maya, and Andy together

More fires

More silly episodes

Whoever is reading fanfics realizes that Marina's baby should be named Andrea.

Maya and Carina change the sheets. Please, I'm begging. I'll change them myself if I have to.

P.S: Whoever edited this deserves an award. So unserious.

[chaos-and-recover]

you know what, just do all the fuckin music asks. ALL OF THEM

ALL OF THEM.

LIKE I HAVE NOTHING BETTER TO DO 

(I don’t)

1: name 11 bands you listen to regularly

AFI

Anberlin

The Rocket Summer

July Talk

Take That

Lucky Boys Confusion

Jimmy Eat World

The Gaslight Anthem

Paramore, lately, I guess

Dreamcar

Blaqk Audio

2: is there a band with only one song you like?

I really never got SUPER into Underoath beyond A Boy Brushed Red... but MAN that song goes hard

3: what is a very unpopular band you're into? tell a little bit about them

Unpopular as in no one knows who they are, or unpopular as in... they’re kind of a joke and no one takes them seriously/admits to liking them? The former would be July Talk, who are my darlings and one of the best live bands I’ve ever seen. The chemistry between the two singers is UNREAL. They’re like... indie rock but sometimes kinda bluesy? Also they’re all my faves, their guitarist spends 90% of his time on twitter retweeting people talking shit about them and their drummer is the purest ever and just uses Instagram for his birding photography, I love him. The latter, a band no one admits to like/no one takes seriously/are pretty much a fucking meme are the Plain White T’s but LISTEN!!!!! I’ve been listening to them since 2002, they are so much more than Hey There Delilah, they’re my boys and I love them.

4: name a great band you recently discovered

I’m kinda really big on Creeper right now. Go listen to Misery. Do it. I’ll wait.

5: which rare recording of any band would you like to possess?

I don’t know if it like, actually counts/if there are recordings in existence but listen there are songs written BY Fall Out Boy FOR One Direction that were considered “too weird” for them and I’ve never needed to hear any specific songs more in my life.

6: is there an artist whose solo career you prefer over their work with their band(s)?

I prefer Justin Timberlake to N Sync because those battle lines were drawn when I was 12 years old and I chose BSB. I OBVIOUSLY made the right choice but man, solo JT is the shit.

7: which is you favourite side project by any band member?

Blaqk Audio. But I also really like Brian Fallon’s solo album but I think that’s just... his project now, I don’t think Gaslight Anthem is a thing anymore.

8: which song do you think should everybody listen to at least once in their lives?

Hear me out -- it’s the Neverending Story theme song by Limahl. I FUCKING LOVE THE NEVERENDING STORY MORE THAN MOST THINGS. (also the New Found Glory cover is A+++)

9: explain why your favourite song is your favourite song

I don’t really know what my favourite song is, like, of all time. As a kid it was probably Forever Young by Alphaville and I can’t really explain why except that instrumental bit at the end is amazing (also ask @sinceubeenjon about how I feel about the One Direction cover because... I love it. I’m not ashamed). My favourite like... not-embarrassing song is probably “Falling Slowly” because I also love the shit out of Once, and it’s like 7 years later and I’m still obsessed with it winning the Oscar over three Disney songs, it’s the greatest underdog story of all time. And I’m in love with Glen Hansard.

10: any bands you got into after seeing them live?

So okay my love of the Plain White T’s (which started after I saw them open for Jimmy Eat World, so there’s one) meant that for a LONG time I was seeing them open for other bands or as part of really weird lineups and because of them I got into The Rocket Summer, Lucky Boys Confusion and, recently, Set It Off. I also got into Anberlin in 2003 when they opened a show I went to and they went on to be one of the most important bands in the world to me (and then ruined my life by leaving me forever in 2014 but IT’S FINE I’M FINE)

11: any bands your friends got you into?

I guess I can count Jacques who got me into Creeper lmao. Also in high school my friend Shannon fell in love with the first Taking Back Sunday album and gave copies to EVERYBODY, so there’s that one, and I fucking love that album (kiiiiiinda fallen off them lately but damn that was a good record.)

12: a band which is the only band from their genre you like?

I don’t regularly listen to all that much hip hop but I adore clipping. so I guess they count.

13: an unpopular opinion on which is your favourite song by any band?

Listen, all you former emo kids are dead wrong about MCR, Welcome To The Black Parade is not their best song,  it’s obviously Headfirst for Halos or You Know What They Do To Guys Like Us In Prison or Helena like... anything off Three Cheers. Also like as recently as last week I was thinking about a band where the die-hard fans all pretend to hate their most popular song and wanted to say we can all admit it’s fucking great, let’s not be too cool for it but I CAN’T REMEMBER WHAT BAND OR SONG THAT WAS ANYMORE. I REMEMBERED WHO IT WAS IT WAS JIMMY EAT WORLD AND THE SONG WAS THE MIDDLE. FUCK Y’ALL THAT’S A GREAT DAMN SONG.

14: _th favourite song by your _th favourite band?

This one needs more direction I think I need a number to answer with?? It also seems like it would require a LOT of thought.

15: _th favourite album by your _th favourite band?

SEE ABOVE.

16: favourite album artwork?

MxPx - Life In General. I’ll fight you on this. I love that album cover. Although Glassjaw - Worship & Tribute had a bad ass minimalist design too.

17: favourite booklet design?

It doesn’t feel like this should be my real answer but I both love and hate what Anberlin did with Lowborn, from the cover variants (I have all of them and they’re framed with a signed one in the middle because I am GARBAGE) and the band photo on the back of it with like an obituary type layout. It hurts my soul but I like it too.

18: favourite concept album?

Showbread’s Anorexia & Nervosa albums were INCREDIBLE but then everyone hated them because no one likes when bands take risks for some reason??? and it made them bitter as hell and they called everyone out on their next album lmao I miss them. Also Boys Night Out’s Trainwreck was really good and someone made it into a stage show I want to see so badly.

19: which bands would you like to see live one day?

I think I’ve actually gotten to see almost every band I would ever want to but there are a handful of boybands I never got to see because they never made it over here that I’d like to. A1 and 5ive mostly. I don’t care. I’d go hard for them.

20: which was the longest concert you ever attended?

Like in terms of a single artist’s set fucking Eric Church played for three and a half goddamn hours on his last tour. C’mon man I don’t have that kind of energy. Good show though.

21: a musician whose music you enjoy but whom you dislike as a person or vice versa?

So uh... Stephen Christian from Anberlin SORT OF falls into this because obviously I love him??? and I love Anberlin and I love Anchor & Braille but MY DUDE I cannot do the worship album he just released. Can’t. Sorry. Not for me. 

Also, there used to be the concept of “Good Guys Bad Band” thrown around the scene a lot, and I very strongly associate it with Simple Plan because it SEEMS LIKE THEY GOT HIT WITH IT A LOT and honestly? Those guys are/were the best. I can’t really speak to it now but like 15 years ago when they were starting out, they were rad as hell. SUPER nice, SUPER friendly, just really good dudes. But their music. Bruh. Same thing with Marians Trench, actually, Josh was just THE BEST but holy shiiiiiit they suck. (I’ve heard he’s kind of a dick now and that disappoints me)

22: list 10 favourite songs by your top 10 bands (each)

Like, 10 songs each by 10 bands? WE’RE GONNA BE HERE ALL NIGHT.

Songs won’t actually be in top 10 order but:

AFI:

Narrative of Soul Against Soul

This Time Imperfect

Malleus Maleficarum

Days of the Phoenix

Veronica Sawyer Smokes

Wester

Darling, I Want To Destroy You

Kill Caustic

The Great Disappointment

A Deep Slow Panic

Anberlin:

The Unwinding Cable Car

The Haunting

The Runaways

Atonement (lmao I will never not cry listening to it though)

Alexithymia

Autobahn

Miserabile Visu (Ex Malo Bonum)

God, Drugs & Sex

Time & Confusion

Uncanny

The Rocket Summer:

200,000

Skies So Blue

This Is Me

Brat Pack

White Fireworks

Do You Feel

Colors

So, In This Hour

The Rescuing Type

Mean Thoughts & Cheap Shots

Jimmy Eat World

If You Don’t, Don’t

Kill

Work

Big Casino

The End Is Beautiful

The Middle

A Praise Chorus

Futures

23

For Me This Is Heaven

The Gaslight Anthem

The ‘59 Sound

Great Expectations

Handwritten

Boxer

Here’s Looking At You, Kid

Blue Dahlia

45

Mulholland Drive

Rollin’ and Tumblin’

We Came To Dance

Take That

When We Were Young

Back For Good

Pray

Wooden Boat

Hold Up A Light

How Did it Come To This

The Flood

Eight Letters

Said it All

MxPx

The Next Big Thing

Move To Bremerton

Responsibility

Chick Magnet

Andrea

I’m Ok, You’re Ok

My Life Story

My Mom Still Cleans My Room

Party, My House, Be There

Punk Rawk Show

Tiger Army

Never Die

FTW

Incorporeal

Cupid’s Victim

Annabelle Lee

Ghost Tigers Rise

Wander Alone

Forever Fades Away

Prisoner Of The Night

Twenty Flight Rock (ok it’s a cover IT’S FUCKING AWESOME THOUGH

July Talk

The Garden

Gentleman

Uninvited

Summer Dress

Strange Habit

Lola + Joseph

Johnny + Mary

Having You Around

Now I Know

Touch

36 Crazyfists

Bloodwork

At The End of August

Slit Wrist Theory

I’ll Go Until My Heart Stops

Destroy The Map

Skin & Atmosphere

Absent Are The Saints

Time & Trauma

11.24.11

Song For The Fishermen

23: favourite singer (only for voice?) and favourite drummer/guitarist/bassist (only for playing their instrument)

Singer: Adam Lambert has a stellar voice and I will, as usual, fight anyone about that.

Drummer: Adam Carson was way better than early AFI deserved tbh, and honestly Travis Barker has always been better than every single band he’s ever been in.

Bassist: Mike Herrera is lowkey the love of my life soooooo

Guitarist: I CAN’T DECIDE SO I’M JUST GONNA SAY IT’S JADE PUGET.

24: favourite songwriter/lyric writer

Davey Havok & Stephen Christian are two of a very short list of people who have written words I have planned (but not GOTTEN AROUND TO) to tattoo on my body forever, so.

25: somebody you absolutely adore as both a musician and a person

MY DARLING BALL OF HAPPINESS BRYCE AVARY AKA THE ROCKET SUMMER. THE LIGHT OF MY LIFE. A LITERAL RAY OF SUNSHINE. I L O V E HIM.

I mean. I just think he’s neat.

[torentialtribute]

How do Manchester United solve their midfield conundrum after Crystal Palace defeat?

While a new wave of Manchester United attacks crashed onto the rock of the Crystal Palace defense, Old Trafford echoed again with moans of frustration.

United fans had seen their side owned 71 percent and yet fired only three shots at goal, the first of which arrived in the 58th minute.

In the end, United & # 39; s lacked the lead it deserved – an unexpected 2-1 defeat that thoroughly and truly pierced every good feel-good factor from Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

Manchester United struggled for creativity in midfield home loss against Crystal Palace

United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer gives instructions during the shock Old Trafford loss

And with the transfer window long since closed, it exposed an area w here United could not strengthen this summer.

With a forward line from Anthony Martial, Marcus Rashford and Dan James, this United team is blessed with the speed that goes forward.

That was a treat in their season-opening 4-0 win over Chelsea, who came to Old Trafford to attack but made himself vulnerable to United's rapid counterattacks.

But faced with opposition in Palace who wanted to defend and hold themselves Arm-length united, they missed a player who could choose a penetrating pass

.

Dejected United players think about a disappointing afternoon against Palace in Old Trafford

[19459002InretrospectUnitedmayhavepushedalittlehardertosignadefensivesplittingpasserbyinthesummerbutinsteadgaveprioritytotheirdefenseandattack

So with another hard-to-break team waiting for them this Saturday in the form of Southampton, Solskjaer Will have to make do with a tactical adjustment in midfield.

But what are his options and will they achieve the desired effect?

How did United settle down at the moment?

It has been a consistent 4-2-3-1 system for United in their three opening games in the Premier League.

Pogba and Scott McTominay have formed the basis of midfield in all three games that are expected to protect the defense, as well as

Against Perez Chelsea, Andreas Pereira started in the No. 10 role with Rashford left and Lingard right.

But Pereira made no impression that afternoon and was replaced by Lingard's central position for Wolves' 1-1 draw, with James on the right.

Andreas Pereira started the season in the No 10-roll for United, but has since lost weight

Jesse Lingard is busy during Saturday's match against Palace in Old Trafford

This was replicated against Pala ce, but it soon became clear that United had become very dependent on the individual runs of their attacking speedsters to create opportunities.

With Palace leaning back, Rashford, Martial and James noticed that they encountered dead ends instead of highways.

What United shouted for a lock-picker to slide in passes behind the back line of the palace as these faster players advance.

Get the best out of Pogba

Pogba was inevitably the man United turned to a moment of inspiration as the Saturday game continued.

But the Frenchman was burdened by the duties of his deeper station next to McTominay and could not fully commit himself to the attack.

He tried to play as far as possible, but it was finally his home on the ball that invited a tackle from Christian Benteke that led to Patrick van Aanholt's injury time winner.

So much is expected from Pogba and this was a theme so lskjaer picked up the game from Saturday when he said: & We know that we don't have Roy Keane, Veron, Scholes, Giggs, Cantona in one player can get. & # 39;

Pogba expresses his frustrations during the first defeat of the season of United

Against the likes of Palace – and Southampton – perhaps it would be better to position Pogba farther forward alongside Lingard in an advanced midfield behind Martial in front.

If Pogba knew that his only job was to pass and create, rather than having to cover, he could even improve the already impressive 55 chances he created last season.

It would cause a bigger burden n on McTominay of course, but a back line that seemed considerably stronger for the summer acquisition of Harry Maguire should be able to withstand most teams.

This 4-1-4-1 would do Rashford and James everything, but United would also bear the extra threat in the middle.

Dan James celebrates the late equalizer of United on Saturday – but there was a late twist

Time to bring Kata back into the fold?

Juan Mata has just played 18 minutes this season and there were enough irritations that it would be 85 minutes for the Spaniard to get off the bench against Palace with United behind.

Kills is now 31, but you have passing skills and set-pieces skills that set him apart from the other forward options from United.

His eye for an effective pass would have been useful on Saturday and he has often made the difference first opponents defending in numbers.

Although his lack of pace makes him less useful in more open games against better opposition, Mata certainly plays a role at United.

There is certainly a case for playing him in the No. 10 position against Southampton on Saturday as a counterpoint to all that pace

Juan Mata is one of the few United players who can deliver a defense-splitting pass

Back to a 4-3-3?

Solskjaer, especially during his caretaker who was in charge of Old Trafford last season, a favorite on 4-3-3 formation as he watched to get the most out of his players.

Rashford, Martial and Lingard would form the foremost three, with Pogba, Nemanja Matic and Ander Herrera in midfield.

Herrera left in the summer and has not been replaced, while the days of Matic on Old Trafford also seem to be numbered.

The Serb has reportedly demanded his own talks with Solskjaer because he feels ignored because he has not yet played this season.

Matic can become stiffened, given that McTominay continues to place consistent displays in the same position and Solskjaer, who wants to put an emphasis on youth, favors him.

So McTominay and Pogba can be combined with Kills in a midfield three that still offers a nice balance.

Nemanja Matic seems to have disappeared from Solskjaer's favor in United & # 39; s midfield [194590010]

Scott McTominay remains deliver consistent performance on the basis of United & # 39; s midfield

Is there a chance of a diamond in midfield?

There were a couple and matches last season when Solskjaer bets 4-4-2 with a midfield diamond. One of them was in the 1-0 win over Tottenham in an attempt to match the Mauricio Pochettino system.

You could theoretically have a diamond with McTominay at the base, Pogba on the left, Kills on the right and Lingard at the moment, with Martial and Rashford ahead.

But the more compact form deprives United of the pace that Solskjaer seems to cherish, although it could certainly be an option in games against the top six.

Is there a way back for Fred?

It seems that United is sticking to their £ 52 million Brazilian maverick Fred despite interest from the Italian club Fiorentina.

He played in 25 games in all competitions last season, but struggled to reach the rank and his outings for Solskjaer in the spring coincided with a collapse in shape.

The £ 52 million United signs for Fred seems to be ready for another bit-part role during this season

If Fred does not move before the European transfer window closes on Monday, he is probably alone this season involved in the national cups and the Europa League.

But given United & # 39; s lack of options in midfield that Herrera and Marouane Fellaini lost in the past year, they may need him.

He plays in the two of a 4-2-3-1 on the rare occasions that he is likely to be selected.

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[freebestbettingtips]

Manchester United vs Crystal Palace

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Manchester United vs Crystal Palace

Manchester United have been struggling to live up to their reputation this season, labouring to beat relegation-threatened sides while barely managing to lay a glove on their top-six rivals. They were poor in the derby defeat to Manchester City before the international break, but with a theoretically-winnable run of fixtures coming up, Jose Mourinho confidently claimed that United would be in the top-four by the new year – a claim that you can currently get some very attractive odds on with betting sites that offer great sign-up bonuses.

The first of those was against Crystal Palace, where the Red Devils huffed and puffed and ultimately did little of note, only securing a goalless draw at home. In fact, Palace had the better chances and may even have nicked a win. A lot of this had to do with the tactical set-up of the two sides-

Lineups

The two teams

Jose Mourinho had a clean bill of health, so Paul Pogba returned to midfield, having missed the derby defeat. Luke Shaw was suspended, so Ashley Young switched flanks to left-back, allowing Matteo Darmian to make a rare appearance, while Romelu Lukaku started after having been dropped and then subsequently injured.

Palace went for a narrow midfield, with Max Meyer continuing his recent run in the team, while Andros Townsend and Wilfried Zaha formed a nominal strike pairing of sorts

Palace midfield causes United problems

Roy Hodgson’s side were set up in a 4-2-2-2 shape of sorts; Luka Milivojevic and Cheikhou Kouyate playing as the holding midfielders, while Max Meyer and James McArthur floated around behind the aforementioned strike duo. Because both Zaha and Townsend are not traditional forwards, they too dropped deep and wide on occasion, which meant that there were often four to five Palace players in central areas. They were able to easily outnumber United’s midfield trio of Pogba, Matic and Lingard, with the result that it was surprisingly easy for them to play through the centre.

Four Palace players have managed to find space between the lines of United’s defence and midfield; this was a direct result of the system they used, where the forwards dropped deep and wide and two attacking midfielders played in the space behind them

Meyer, in particular, was a significant threat; Nemanja Matic never got to grips with his movement and positioning, and he was almost always in space to receive the ball.

Here, Pogba and Matic have been drawn over to the left by McArthur and Townsend, leaving both Meyer and Zaha in acres of space

The German was extremely intelligent with his positioning, moving into central areas but also going out wide to the left when Zaha dropped deep.

Both Meyer and Milivojevic have easily found space on either side of Matic

Nemanja Matic was overwhelmed at the base of United’s midfield, and while Palace’s system had a significant role in outnumbering the Serbian, it was still yet another in a string of poor performances from him. He has been unable to shield United’s defence in recent games, and while Paul Pogba gets all the attention for bad games, Matic has been playing as badly, if not worse, and the likes of Ander Herrera, Fred or Andreas Pereira surely deserve a chance in United’s midfield now.

Lingard proves he belongs in the XI

Recent weeks have seen Anthony Martial’s stock rise considerably, as the Frenchman went on a goalscoring streak and subsequently displaced Alexis Sanchez from the side. However, another one of United’s supposed young tyros, Jesse Lingard (he’s 25 years old, btw), faced a fight to get into the team. Lingard had been injured for a few weeks, and in that time, had seen Juan Mata come into the side and perform superbly against the likes of Chelsea and Newcastle. The international break was a timely reminder of his talents, as Lingard netted against both the USA, and crucially, in the crunch Nations League decider versus Croatia. On Saturday, he was one of the few United players to emerge with any credit, as his movement and positioning caused Palace problems, especially in the first half.

Lingard has found space between Palace’s defence and midfield, and he gets on the end of Mata’s pass into the box to lay it off for Pogba

One of the biggest issues with Mourinho’s United side is that they are passive, waiting for things to happen rather than making them happen. This extends to their attacking play as well, where players are often motionless, leaving very few options for the man on the ball. One of the most eye-catching statistics after this weekend’s football was that United have created fewer chances this season than even 18th placed Southampton and bottom side Fulham. There is a distinct lack of creativity in the side; however, Lingard is a notable exception to this, as he is always in motion, making a run or looking to find space. While these are the absolute basic requirements from an attacking midfielder at this level, United’s approach play has been so poor thus far that such characteristics make Lingard indispensable to the side.

Lingard starts this move out on the right flank, just outside his own half…

…and ten seconds later, he is in the Palace box to take a shot from Young’s cross

Conclusion

In truth, there is very little new information that was gained from this match. Palace deserved the point, their first at Old Trafford since 1989, and had the better chances, with Andros Townsend squandering a one-on-one which would have worsened the mood around Old Trafford. As it was, United were too slow and predictable in their attacking moves, with only Jesse Lingard showing any sort of endeavour. Nemanja Matic remains a huge millstone around the midfield, and it remains a mystery as to why Mourinho continues to pick him, while Fred languishes on the bench and Andreas Pereira does not even make the matchday squad. The hope is that the midweek fixture against Young Boys gives them a chance to show the manager what he is missing, and subsequently force their way into the side. Nevertheless, United’s problems of creativity and passivity will not be solved by one or two players; it is the manager who needs to let his side off the leash or else risk being cast aside from his moorings at Old Trafford.

[rabahsherif]

EPL Transfer Window: The Verdict

Now that the transfer window has slammed shut in England, here is my two cents on how each major team has fared this summer along with less-heralded transfers that should be highlighted.

Arsenal

Sokratis Papastathopoulos and  Stephan Lichtsteiner add some much needed experience to a shaky backline. Whilst neither are expected to start, both can provide some steel when the going gets tough for Arsenal in the big games. The acquisition of Lichtsteiner on a free particularly stands out as astute business. 

Bernd Leno has world-class potential and should, in theory, displace Cech immediately. Combine him with the acquisitions of  Lucas Torreira and  Matteo Guendouzi and Arsenal have themselves a trio of exciting youngsters that could take the league by storm.

Despite the aforementioned midfield duo, Arsenal’s midfield is still very much lightweight and bereft of quality. Xhaka is hit and miss, Nenni isn’t of Arsenal quality and beyond that Ramsey is the only quality player in the middle of the park. With Emery expected to deploy a strict 4-3-3, the team is still missing one or two players to provide depth and quality. Letting go of Wilshere was a huge mistake. 

The Verdict: B

Three exciting signings and two players with experience are undoubtely shrewd acquisitions but the squad is still clearly imbalanced with a plethora of options in attack but nowhere near enough depth in midfield. Center-back options are still somewhat lacking in quality (with the exception of Koscielny) and Emery failed to get rid of some deadwood in the squad- although there is still time for that to change. The jury is still well and truly out as well on the choice of Emery as manager- whether he is the manager to elevate them to EPL contention is still debatable.

Chelsea

The club’s world record outlay on a goalkeeper who was available for a fraction of his price only 6 months prior spoke of panic. Courtois’ departure, although seemed inevitable since the World Cup, should have definitely been anticipated with the sum received for him paling in comparison to the amount paid for a goalkeeper only 2 years younger. Despite Kepa clearly possessing world class potential, £71m for a goalkeeper that has made only 1 international appearance and a handful of European club games is still a ludicrous amount.

Jorginho could end up being one of the top signings of the summer. A player snatched from under the noses of City, and one tailor-made for Sarri’s setup, he is a player that could make the newlook Chelsea tick. 

Whilst the acquisition of Kovacic seems great on paper, the failure to include an obligation or option to buy, deems this transfer mystifying. Yes they have bought themselves a great player that will deem their 3 man midfield complete, but they’re really only providing him with temporary game time to prepare him as heir to replace Madrid’s better Croat next season. 

The Verdict: B-

Whilst keeping both Hazard and Willian is considered a coup, the team is still very much lacking a Sarri foundation. Chelsea’s entire backline will be exposed in a 4 man defense and Barkley, Cesc, Drinkwater and Loftus-Cheek are nowhere near as good as the team’s starting midfield. The team is still missing a player in the mold of Hamsik and it’s arguable whether Morata and Giroud are of the required standard to mount a strong EPL challenge. Acquiring Sarri deserves an A though but the club needs at least another window to shape the squad to his liking.

Everton

Despite the ambitious acquisitions of Yerry Mina and Lucas Digne, the depth of the defensive line is still very much questionable. Ashley Williams and Funes Mori have both made way after a tumultuous time at the club and Michael Keane is yet to replicate his Burnley form. With Holgate an erratic and unreliable defender and Jagielka, Baines and Coleman all on the wrong side of 30, an acquisition of another defender would not have gone amiss. 

That being said, despite Rooney’s time appearing somewhat short-lived, luring Bernard, Richarlison and Andre Gomes all speak of ambition. Everton’s options in attack are now plentiful and in midfield, players like Gomes, Gueye, Schneiderlin, McCarthy and Davies can all provide quality ammunition. 

The Verdict: A-

Whilst the Toffees’ late forays in the transfer market raised a few eyebrows, the quality of players acquired spoke volumes of a team that is fighting to break the top 6 status quo. Marco Silva is also a brilliant manager and a very cerebral student of the game. Everton have made all the right moves to create an attacking and exciting team. 

Liverpool

Despite my personal reservations about Fabinho, he is nonetheless a useful addition to a midfield that was crying out for depth last season- and now compounded further by the long term injury of Chamberlain and the departure of Emre Can to Juventus. Naby Keita is one of the signings of the summer and Klopp could potentially turn him into one of the world’s most complete midfielders. 

The signing of Alisson, despite being a tad over-priced, is definitely a game-changer, and one that could potentially turn them from perennial under-achievers to out and out EPL challengers. Shaqiri was signed as their plan B, after their efforts to lure Nabil Fekir to Anfield didn’t come to fruition. That being said, the Swiss international is a joy of a player on his day, and if there’s one manager that can turn his inconsistent form around, then the £13m price tag could end up being the bargain of the summer. 

The Verdict: A

Klopp went about the summer in a very efficient mode plugging in all the right players to fill up all the right positions. He came up short in one position though- a quality partner to Van Dijk, one that displaces both Lovren and Matip and deem this squad complete. Sturridge has also been called back and his pre-season form suggests that there is some hope in him becoming a useful alternative to Firmino. 

Manchester City

There’s no denying that the acquisition of Riyad Mahrez has been a long time coming for Pep. With first Sanchez pursued, and then Mahrez last January, the Algerian international was brought in to provide a quality alternative to the more direct Sane and Sterling. It’s a signing that could potentially go both ways- either shine and replicate the form that previously won him the Player of the Year Award or flop under the weight of expectation and be consigned to the history books forever. It is a calculated risk however, and definitely one worth taking.

The Verdict: A-

The skeptic opinion would claim that there was only one position that Pep needed filling, and that the futile attempts to provide an alternative to Fernandinho in the middle of the park should be deemed a failure- especially with the departure of Yaya Toure. The more pragmatic approach would state that the team that walked away with the league by Christmas needed only little refinement- and that the capture of the league’s finest player outside the top 6 should be considered a coup. The truth however lies somewhere in between.  The squad look strongly equipped in every department, and with the returning Benjamin Mendy considered very much like a new signing, City have a couple of options to choose from (Delph & Gundogan) if the injury curse ever befalls the indefatigable Fernandinho.

Manchester United

Diego Dalot is an astute piece of business by United and one that could potentially turn out to be a master stroke. Lee Grant was a safe signing due to the long-term injury of Romero. 

Fred is another signing that flew under the radar and he is a player that might just be the missing link in Mourinho’s midfield. A player with an abundance of technical skills and one that is more offensive minded than Herrera. The combination play between him and Pogba could potentially be mouth-watering, but that doesn’t paper over the cracks that United needed a right-sided attacking player more than anything else. United’s glaring weakness last season was their inability to create adequate chances from open play. Whilst the likes of Lingard, Rashford and Sanchez could all potentially attack from the right, all of them are better players in other positions. More frustratingly for United fans is that players in that exact position were acquired by rival clubs- both Shaqiri and Mahrez could/should have been pursued. 

The Verdict: B-

Whilst United’s chase of a central defender became laughing material towards the end of the window, United’s problem was never a leaky backline. Yes, the likes of Smalling, Jones and Rojo need upgrading but the more pertinent need was innovation in the final third. People tend to forget that Alexis Sanchez was only acquired last January and with a full pre season under his belt- one bereft of international commitments- he should be ready and raring to go at the start of the season. Had Sanchez been a summer acquisition, coupled with a return of a a more mature Andreas Pereira (Carrick’s potential natural replacement), United’s summer business would have been well and truly lauded. 

Tottenham

Signing players for the sake of it shouldn’t really be a team’s forte. It’s hard to evaluate a team’s summer business, or lack thereof, without looking at whether there was a certain need within the team. Defense? With Alderweireld staying put, Spurs is well-stocked in that department. With European excursions possibly taking its toll on players and Danny Rose potentially leaving, cover at centre back and left back would not have gone amiss. Midfield? Again it all boils down to whether Moussa Dembele departs the club or not, but centre of the park does not seem to be an issue. More pressing for Spurs was the need to add variation to the final third- someone who could potentially rotate with Son. Both Moura and Lamela are very useful options (both better centrally or on the right) but a Zaha or a Grealish would have been the perfect additions to the left side of attack. With both Kane and Llorente in attack (Janssen expected to depart), Spurs are again well-stocked upfront.

The Verdict: C+

At least one cover was needed in defense and a wide player should have been prioritized over anything else. With the failure to add either, Spurs’ transfer business is a frustrating story of what-if. 

Other Business

Burnley added to their impressive array of quality defenders with another superb defender in Ben Gibson. The former Middlesborough captain has been a reliable performer at the back and it’s hard to envisage Sean Dyche suffering anything but a selection headache at the back. Joe Hart was also, somewhat surprisingly, lured to add fierce competition to the highly-rated Tom Heaton.

Crystal Palace was one of the standout teams of the summer in terms of transfer business, well and truly punching above their weight. Both Yohan Cabaye and Ruben Loftus Cheek departed and in their place came Cheikhou Kouyate and a brilliant piece of business in Max Meyer- one of Germany’s outstanding talents- on a free. Another shrewd signing is Vicente Guaita, one of La Liga’s better goalkeepers and Jordan Ayew came in to add much needed cover to Benteke in attack. Wilfried Zaha also stayed put, in arguably their best piece of business all summer.

Fulham, as well, were one of the best teams embroiled in action with quality additions obtained throughout the squad. Jean Michaël Seri was a player closely linked to Barcelona, and yet the Cottagers stole a march on their rivals by offering him a starting spot in an exciting long term project. Mitrovic was signed outright after a superb second half of the season on loan and Alfie Mawson was cherry-picked as the best of the bunch from a relegated Swansea team. A bunch of loans also made their way to Craven Cottage with Rico (Sevilla), Vietto (Atletico), Fosu-Mensah (Man United) and Chambers (Arsenal) the pick of the bunch. Schurrle was surprisingly also obtained, yet how much of an impact he will have on the team is perhaps very much arguable. And like Zaha above, keeping hold of Ryan Sessegnon should be lauded as well.

Leicester City faced a battle on their hands in both replacing their best creative outlet in attack (Mahrez) and keeping hold of their top defensive player (Maguire). The latter was kept against his will in an act of commendable resilience by the club, and the former was replaced by one of the Championship’s most exciting talents in James Maddison. As a cherry on top, the Foxes managed to snap up highly rated Rachid Ghezzal from Monaco and two exciting defensive prospects in Ricardo Pereira (Porto) and Soyuncu (Freiburg). On the downside, Ahmed Musa prematurely departed the club after an ill-fated reign.

Newcastle made a couple of decent signings after desperation mode befell the club, with Schar, a highly rated defender from his Basel days, Ki Sung-Yueng a freebie from Swansea, Kenedy (loaned again from Chelsea) and Salomon Rondon from relegated West Brom all acquisitions that could turn out as successes. Southampton were similarly very selective with  Mohamed Elyounoussi (Basel), Jannik Vestergaard (Monchengladbach) and Danny Ings- a brilliant coup from Liverpool- all in to appease the supporters after both Tadic and Boufal departed.

Finally, West Ham and Wolves, two teams with lofty ambitions. The Hammers hired Manuel Pellegrini as manager and the experienced manager lured in a bunch of really exciting talent. Felipe Anderson was at one point pursued by Manchester United and, though his form has dropped somewhat in recent seasons, is still an electric winger on his day. Andriy Yarmolenko was similarly lured in from Dortmund to add more width in attack. Issa Diop is a good addition in defense and both Carlos Sanchez and Jack Wilshere were brought in to complement Mark Noble in the middle of the park. Lukasz Fabianski was one of the best goalkeepers in the league last season and again should turn out to be a brilliant piece of business. Over at the Molineux Stadium, Wolves conducted their business brilliantly with the likes of Rui Patricio (Portugal’s number one), Adama Traore (once of Barcelona), Raul Jimenez (Atletico Madrid striker) and Leander Dendoncker (Anderlecht defensive midfielder) all brought in to add to an already very exciting squad. Not to mention Joao Moutinho, the experienced deep-lying Portuguese playmaker.

Top 10 Signings

Below my top signings for the summer in terms of value for money and excluding all the loan deals.

1- Naby Keita (RB Leipzig to Liverpool) £53m 

2- Bernd Leno (Bayer Leverkusen to Arsenal) £19m

3- Max Meyer (Schalke to Crystal Palace) FREE

4- Jean Michael Seri (Nice to Fulham) £25m

5-  Lukasz Fabianski (Swansea to West Ham) £7m

6- Alisson (Roma to Liverpool) £65m

7- Lucas Torreira (Sampdoria to Arsenal) £26.5m

8- Jorginho (Napoli to Chelsea) £50m

9- Jack Wilshere (Arsenal to West Ham) FREE 

10- James Maddison (Norwich to Leicester) £24m

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Manchester United squad vs Swansea confirmed

The Manchester United squad has flown to Swansea ahead of their second Premier League fixture of the season.

United will play at The Liberty Stadium for the sixth successive season on Saturday lunchtime, having won three, drawn one and lost two on their previous visits.

Jose Mourinho appears to have taken a 20-man squad and M.E.N. photographers did not spot Axel Tuanzebe, Michael Carrick or Andreas Pereira board the plane at Manchester Airport.

Last season, Marcus Rashford travelled to the game separately from his teammates and it was reported this week the teenager's back problem - caused by growing pains - contributed to the decision. Rashford also headed to the Chelsea FA Cup tie in March on his own.

Mourinho's press conference on Friday afternoon was held at the slightly earlier time of 1pm ahead of the squad's flight to South Wales. The United squad was not joined by Luke Shaw and Ashley Young but the left-sided duo are scheduled to make their comebacks on Monday.

Pogba shows off his new haircut (Image: Eamonn and James Clarke)

"Everybody is fine. The next week, on Monday, in the Under-23s game, Luke Shaw and Ashley Young are playing their first minutes of competition this season," Mourinho said.

"It is like a pre-season match for them. But it is good news because, when they can play with the Under-23s, it is because the last week they trained with us all week so they are both coming ."

"Unless something happens that puts us in the market again," Mourinho explained. "Obviously, my plans were four but I also told them to be cool, there is no pressure from me, do what you think is best for the club.

"We will be together again for another window in January and one next summer. I am happy with the squad we have. I’m ready to go without a fourth signing.

Fellaini and Herrera were on the bench last week (Image: Eamonn and James Clarke)

"My club did phenomenally well. I had four targets and got three and we signed all of them before the first match of the season. So my club did great work for me. We are in stable situation."

"It’s just the beginning," Mourinho added. “Last season, we started with three matches and nine points and we finished sixth. So it’s not because of a very good first day that I’m going to lose my stability and my discipline and let the players think differently from myself.

"When I won two consecutive titles with Chelsea, the United manager said we brought the bar to a certain level," Mourinho recalled. "And that they had to improve a lot to try to win the trophy back. I think this happens every season.

The United squad boards the plane (Image: Eamonn and James Clarke)

"Somebody wins and the others are not happy. They don't accept it with their hands in their pockets and the others improve to try to be better."

Mourinho spoke effusively about Swansea coach Paul Clement, who presided over a deserved draw at Old Trafford in April.

"He saved the team," Mourinho stressed. "The team was in a difficult moment and they stayed in the Premier League. They did well to do that. One point away against a good team like Southampton is a very positive result for them so I am waiting for a difficult match."

Confirmed United squad members

David de Gea

Sergio Romero

Joel Pereira

Victor Lindelof

Chris Smalling

Eric Bailly

Phil Jones

Antonio Valencia

Daley Blind

Matteo Darmian

Marouane Fellaini

Nemanja Matic

Paul Pogba

Ander Herrera

Jesse Lingard

Juan Mata

Henrikh Mkhitaryan

Anthony Martial

Marcus Rashford

Romelu Lukaku

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Manchester City 3-1 Manchester United

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Manchester City 3-1 Manchester United

Artwork by @chapulana

This post was originally featured on our network site which covers players, matches and more involving Manchester City – manchestercityanalysis.com.

As the dust has settled on another Manchester Derby and another Manchester City victory over their fierce local rivals Manchester United, it is time for me to put to paper my next tactical analysis. In this analysis, I will of course take an in-depth look at this past weekend’s derby and give my say on how Manchester City were able to secure another thoroughly deserved victory in the Premier League.

Manchester City Set-Up 

Pep Guardiola appears to have found his ideal set-up for the so-called ‘big games’ so far this season and Manchester City’s line-up was this exact team.

Riyad Mahrez retained his spot on the right-hand side for Manchester City in the big games with Raheem Sterling operating from the left. The favoured midfield trio (given Kevin De Bruyne’s injury) were again selected, as was the usual back four.

Tactical Plans – Full Backs 

Starting from back front I will firstly have a look at the differences between Kyle Walker’s and Benjamin Mendy’s roles. Benjamin Mendy is an incredibly effective wing-back when he can push high up the field and operate in the spaces which are vacated by the movement of a wide player in front of him. At the weekend that player was Raheem Sterling. When Sterling would, at times, drift infield and leave space on the left-hand side, Mendy would push forward into these areas and look the get crosses into the box. Manchester United defended these crosses from Mendy well due to the fact that they had an incredible size advantage over the Manchester City front men.

On the other side of the back four was Kyle Walker. Walker is a player who is growing in stature at Manchester City and this is clear from the trust that Guardiola clearly puts in him. When people think of Kyle Walker they tend to think of a marauding full-back who is constantly overlapping his winger and drilling the ball into the box after beating his opposite man for pace. Although this is indeed an aspect of Walker’s game it is not his be all and end all and to suggest this was the case would be doing him a disservice.

In most of his games this season Walker has had a far more important role in the build-up phase of play and this was indeed the case at the weekend. Walker was far more reserved and would often shuffle over when Mendy had pushed high up the field in order to form a back three with John Stones and Aymeric Laporte. When the ball was in more advanced areas of the field Walker would move up alongside Fernandinho in his inverted full-back role. It was also clear however that Walker was not only used in this position for his ability on the ball but for his athleticism and positioning when Manchester City lost the ball. Anthony Martial is on an incredible run of form for Manchester United in recent weeks and although he did add another to his scoring charts at the weekend, admittedly from the penalty spot, he was totally nullified by Walker. Walker lead the way in ball recoveries with eight while Martial only completed one take-on in the game which emphasises they’re contrasting performances. Manchester United can be effective and efficient on the counter attack and with a front three of Rashford, Lingard and Martial there was a chance for potential danger for Manchester City’s back line. One of the reasons from a City point of view of why United didn’t in fact pose any threat on the counter was the role of Kyle Walker.

Tactical Plans – Overloads

A huge feature of Manchester City’s playing style is the desire to create overloads throughout the pitch the idea being that if City have the ball and have a numerical advantage then they won’t lose the ball very easily but if they do lose the ball they have a numerical advantage making it easier for them to counter-press immediately and win the ball back.

Manchester City were constantly looking to overload the left-hand side of the pitch and this has been a common feature in their games so far this season, particularly when Sterling is playing on the left-hand side. Sterling will operate high and wide on the touchline with David Silva tending to operate in the left half-space. Sergio Agüero has also tended in recent weeks to prefer to drift over to the left-hand side and drop into the spaces in front of the opposition back four as he did against United very effectively. In addition to this with Mendy making overlapping and supporting runs, Manchester City often had 4 players within a very small space in Manchester United’s half. This overload was causing Ashley Young at left-back many problems throughout the game and is partly how the first goal came about. David Silva dragged Ashley Young into the half-space leaving Raheem Sterling with more time on the ball to check back onto his left-foot and put in a pin-point cross for Bernardo Silva at the back post.

Another impact of Manchester City’s overload of the left-hand side is the effect this had on the players on the other side of the field. Bernardo Silva and Riyad Mahrez are such an interesting duo at the moment for Manchester City and this was again the case at the weekend. With Manchester City sucking in more and more Manchester United bodies to deal with the overload on the left-hand side, little attention was being paid to the players on the right. With Aymeric Laporte a master at the long diagonal switch of the play, City repeatedly tried to look to isolate Mahrez in 1v1 situations against Luke Shaw which indeed ended up with Shaw picking up a yellow card after being beaten by Mahrez.

Tactical Plans – Possession 

A little bit of me almost felt sorry for Manchester United’s players at times during the game. Once Martial had scored the penalty, I was nervous and thought that it was the beginning of the comeback as did many of the people in attendance. However, with a midfield three of Nemanja Matic, Marouane Fellani and Ander Herrera it was never realistically going to happen.

Guardiola looked to have learnt from Manchester United’s recent comeback victories and his players knew exactly how to handle the situation. When Juventus went 1-0 against Untied, Allegri’s first thought was to throw on Andrea Barzagli and to drop back and hold-on for the victory. Much the same happened when United came back to beat Bournemouth. Bournemouth who are a better footballing side than Manchester United in terms of keeping the ball and creating openings began to drop back and back and invited the pressure as did Newcastle when they took a 2-0 lead away at Old Trafford earlier in the season.

By doing this teams are allowing Manchester United to play to their strengths. By dropping into your own box and trying to play out the innings until the end of play you are only asking for problems. In these three aforementioned games Manchester United were allowed to dictate the way in which the game would proceed and were able to play more direct which is a style they are good at. Marouane Fellaini is arguably the most player in the air in the world, what Marouane Fellaini is not is someone who can press for a prolonged period of time and keep tabs on the likes of Bernardo Silva or David Silva.

Guardiola stuck true to his principles and knew that City would easily be able to keep the ball away from this Manchester Untied side and this was impeccably shown in both the fact that Manchester United only mustered one shot after their penalty and even more so in Ilkay Gündoğan’s 44 pass goal. At 2-1 down in the 86th minute after not too long ago scoring a goal to get yourselves back into the game Manchester United were suffocated and couldn’t get anywhere near their city neighbours. It is a testament to both the ability of the players Manchester City have and the trust they have in each other and in Guardiola to stick to their plan and play their way and they were justly rewarded for doing so.

Conclusion

In truth Manchester City probably played at about 70%-80% in this fixture which may seem strange for a local derby but it is a clear indicator of the stark contrast between the two sides at the moment. Manchester City were good and Manchester United were bad, it is almost as simple as that.

Yet again Manchester City have put out an ominous warning to the rest of the Premier League that they may in fact be better than they were last season and that they are desperate to retain that Premier League title.