Erling Haaland was punished and Ruben Amorim’s formation was questioned as the investigation continues against Manchester United.
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Seven things we learned from the Manchester derby
1. Amad is an essential starter for this team and now on the right wing he is doing absolutely brilliantly and is the only one who has shown quality and consistency this season along with Mazrouai and Hojlund Manchester United players. Why Amad didn’t start more games under Ole and Ten Hag makes you wonder…
2. It looks like De Ligt, Maguire and Martinez could be the answer for a back three. Yes, Manchester City didn’t play very well in the second half and the offensive players seemed to be out of shape, but Maguire in the center, De Ligt on the right and Martinez on the left seemed to be a good balance. I think Yoro will also participate in some competitions and needs to be given some opportunities.
3. Pep is officially removed lol I think it’s clear that both the manager and the players are aware of the penalties for the 130 discrepancy charges they will be announcing in the new year.
4. Haaland is a liar, I can name at least 10 forwards in Premier League history who are more threatening and versatile than him. He’s basically a piece of shit that only scores goals, Ruud Ruud van Nistelrooy. He will definitely be fit for the Champions League!
5. Unfortunately, like the Shaw and Malacia, the mount is made of glass. Chelsea have certainly ripped off Manchester United in this deal, to say the least. He seems to have a good attitude, but he cannot maintain his form for more than 2-3 games in a row.
6. Rashford may be finished at Manchester United, Ganaccio and Amad are younger and look more hungry. Given his wages, the club should seriously consider selling him in the summer.
7. Will Manchester United and the fans get carried away with this win and lose/draw their next league game? You’re betting your life savings on it, but seriously, it’s just a game and there’s a lot of work and improvements to be done.
Lamy, Dubai
More information about the F365 Manchester Derby
👉 Manchester City 1-2 Manchester United 16 Conclusions – Amad has changed the story, but what if Pep is really finished?
👉 Manchester City and Manchester United ‘just vehicles for ego and soft power’
👉 Manchester United: Rashford and Garnacho decisions influenced by director, Romano reveals ‘consequences’
Manchester United’s slow but steady progress
It’s no surprise that both teams were out of form, this was not a game based on quality of play. However, I do think United are making slow but steady progress in their game. While still too cautious and sideways, at least they appear to be on the mend and looking less uncertain. Wins like this and performances like Amad’s will help restore some confidence.
One thing I was a little annoyed about was that Dias didn’t take a penalty against Hoylund (less so after the final whistle). While I would have previously agreed with the assessment of a lack of contact, the fact is that United conceded an almost identical goal against West Ham just a few weeks ago. I would definitely say this penalty was more than West Ham’s because Hoylund had some elements of possession here and Ings didn’t even touch the ball when he was deemed fouled. I think VAR is VAR, this is the new normal.
As for Manchester City, they just have zero confidence and zero belief. I think the only thing that saves them is when they fall too far behind to be a championship contender. When the pressure is off, they may start beating a few teams 5-0 to make a strong case for the Champions League. Still, it would be nice to contribute to their continued decline.
Could this actually be An interesting title fight Liverpool, Arsenal and Chelsea looking serious? It would be nice for the Premier League to have a competition…
Jon, Cape Town
More Manchester derby conclusions
I know there may not be much interest in this, but there are a few points in the game that I feel should be covered, but aren’t. See more conclusions from the Manchester City vs. United game below:
* The penalty incident (Dias/Hoylund) left me scratching my head as to why I wasn’t given a penalty. Even more puzzling was the lack of coverage from commentators and post-game. Dias came across and didn’t get any balls, but he took the guy out anyway. I was confused how this wasn’t a penalty and Mike Dean’s comment (not in a game like this) made me even more confused. Did I imagine this?
*Pep may have signed a two-year deal in November, but I think he knows the dressing room needs improvement and hopes his extension will give them the shot in the arm they desperately need. This is not the case, and I wonder if he has an appetite. He has nothing to prove and a record that has stood the test of time.
* About “Reconstruction”. One of the comments people keep making is that Pep never had to rebuild. Arguably the most underrated aspect of Pep’s managerial reign is how he rebuilt the team, but because it didn’t lead to a drop in their performance, people don’t really seem to acknowledge/see this. This is very impressive, especially when you consider that many other great management gurus (Ferguson, Mourinho, Wenger, Busby, Shankly, Clough, Klopp) have tried to do to this point.
Aguero, Toure, Silva, Kompany, Sterling and others were all mainstays of the previous Manchester City team, but they have been eliminated over the years and replaced by similar players without any decline in performance. However, it depends on the player being able to find his feet quickly, and that’s where the problem lies. In the past few years, Manchester City’s income has not been high (except for Haaland).
* I do worry about Ruben’s obsession with 3-4-3. It is generally accepted that all formations and formations have their advantages and disadvantages – so imagine if he was so firmly committed to 4-4-2. Commentators, pundits and fans alike will say he is out of step with the demands of the modern game. I hope he shows more flexibility because the current team is not suitable for 3-4-3. Our midfielders couldn’t run up and down the pitch and we didn’t have proper full-backs.
* This is my hot take – Phil Foden has reached his peak. I’m not saying he’s a bad player, but I think he relies a lot on the team to play a certain style of football. I think either Palmer or Bellingham would still be excellent footballers at any point in the league, but I’m not so sure about Foden.
*Last point about Micah – ffs, get him off TV. He wasn’t quick enough in analyzing the game as it was happening, nor was he clear enough in his post-game analysis. His shelf life as an expert has passed. That being said, it’s fun to have him on our screens. At times, his perspective did shine a light on why he didn’t live up to his potential as a player.
Anyway, I still have work to do – keep working on F365.
Ibrahim Khalid
Where’s Walker?
how can you write 16 conclusions about City-United and not mention Walker Diving? He should see red. He should have been booked twice: once for a foul and once for diving. Arguably, maybe even three times, one of which was against Hoylund.
Is anyone else totally tired of players falling to the floor like this? It sets a terrible example for children. If you try to trick the referee and get a player sent off like this, in my opinion it should be a straight red card and a three-match ban. Needs to be completely eliminated from the game.
Also, why wasn’t Nunez (at least) booked for Invading Amad? A clear example of a professional foul.
Matt, Sheffield
More information about the F365 Manchester Derby
👉 Manchester City 1-2 Manchester United 16 Conclusions – Amad has changed the story, but what if Pep is really finished?
👉 Manchester City and Manchester United ‘just vehicles for ego and soft power’
👉 Manchester United: Rashford and Garnacho decisions influenced by director, Romano reveals ‘consequences’
Neville was wrong about Manchester United
Gary Neville summed up the 2-1 win at the Etihad Stadium as “both clubs were below their level today”. No Gary, with all due respect this is one club performing below their level and another club doing their best to steal their best result of the season. We saw something similar at the last FA Cup, only with a louder bang accompanied by an endless series of false dawns.
Of course it’s rocket ascent (or jogging in place) No. 13 in the table That was enough for Gary to get the bunting out. He gleefully declares Manchester red, forgetting that they are just the next club to kick Manchester City when they are so, so low (and probably so, so out).
I’m sure most mailboxes will echo this bravado; in the excitement, almost everyone will overlook the fact that Matheus Nunes (like Neville himself) struggled all game as a makeshift defender, passing in the final moments Penalty kicks to turn the momentum and the result around. But that’s profit today.
Gary Neville isn’t a bad analyst, and as a player he’s a better defender (or player, period) than Nunes, but his expertness does expose huge blind spots and biases. I can understand why he only used one pinky toe at Valencia, but it was quickly spotted before he waded through the calf. Enjoy the derby win, why not, but be careful not to put the cart before the horse. This is just amateurish.
Eric, Los Angeles, CA (Speaking of all these Manchester defenders who have come and gone, I loved Aaron Wan-Bissaka’s star turn opposite Eddie Redmayne in “The Day of the Jackal” . Not quite a Vinnie Jones level of drama or football player, but not bad either).
Arteta was the previous one
Hot topics this week:
Mikel Arteta is Arsenal’s Brendan Rodgers.
Came in, changed the culture, instilled a real philosophy (it was more than just the ‘Set Piece FC’ moniker they were labeled with), surprised everyone, followed closely but ultimately failed to get them over Bottom line, back to the top of the mountain.
Whoever comes on after Arteta will win them the title.
Sincerely,
Lee, LFC (not that one)
Serie A is still very much alive and well
@benmorton-hamerSerie A may not be what it is now compared to its heyday in the 1990s, but it’s still a very competitive league.
In the 2023 season, Italian clubs participated in the finals of the Champions League (Inter Milan), Europa League (Roma) and Division League (Fiorentina).
In the 2024 season, they once again reached the finals of the Europa League (Atalanta) and the Division League (Fiorentina).
In fact, Serie A has the second-highest coefficient in UEFA, behind the Premier League and well ahead of Spain and Germany.
One possible reason why certain players perform better in Serie A may have to do with the breakneck pace of the Premier League – sometimes players just need a longer split second to make things happen.
This becomes even more apparent in international tournaments, when the competition is always more cautious. For example, Italy has won one trophy more recently than England – more in fact!
Italian coaches have historically been some of the best tacticians, so that might have something to do with it – Sacchi, Ancelotti, Trapattoni, Capello, Lippi et al have always been able to get the most out of their tactics . Their squad.
Sanjit (Italian Water, Food, Weather, WOMEN! > English Correspondence) Randhawa, Kuala Lumpur
