Man Utd still missing Ruben Amorim victory despite being better than Liverpool | OneFootball

There’s some cautious Man Utd optimism after a third successive win that puts them above Liverpool but it’s still cautious.

We also have more mails on Arsenal and Liverpool, though we would love to hear from Bournemouth and Sunderland fans in particular.

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Let the Arsenal fans brag…

…because it’s going to be very, very, very, very, very funny when Spurs pip them to the title. Seamus

What’s the problem with set-pieces?

I honestly don’t understand why some fans are so annoyed that Arsenal are good at set pieces? It is a legitimate part of the game, and they should be recognised for the hard work they have put in to become so deadly – if it was easy, everyone would do it.

I remember years back John Nicholson writing an article about how there were many ways to play football, and none of them were objectively the ‘right’ way. I think this was in response to everyone trying to play like Pep’s Barcelona and failing miserably, but the point still stands. Besides, this Arsenal side do also play some very easy on the eye football.

Also, as a United fan, I started the season with the uncomfortable realisation that it was Liverpool, City or Arsenal for the title, and as such only one vaguely palatable option. Sure, Liverpool seem to have messed it up and City are hardly flying (although if they are in touching distance come Christmas then watch out), but Arsenal were and are the least bad (realistic) option from a United perspective. Jack (Very quickly falling in love with Mbeumo) Manchester

Liverpool fan gets weirdly annoyed about flags

Should Arsenal win the title this year, and like many others I make them favourites now, will they get rid of the cheesy flag waving folks behind the goals?

This isn’t really befitting of a ‘big club’, bearing in mind that Bournemouth also do this (no offence Bournemouth, deserved 2nd currently and ahead of my team at present!), I can’t believe it has any positive effect on the atmosphere and maybe blocks the view of some supporters when goals are being celebrated.

It seems pointless and annoys me when I see it when watching the highlights. A, LFC, Montreal

Right now, Man Utd > Liverpool

I know Philip Correa was probably on the wind-up when he said Liverpool’s defeat to United was the most unacceptable because we’re such a poor side but I do think they need a dose of reality. I’m not going to argue about whether or not United are a good team but the league table currently has United above Liverpool and we’re the highest placed (for now) of all the teams you’ve lost to.

The basic vibe of this email is turning out to be a bit “I know we’re shit – but what does that make you?”

You can stick net spend up your ass. You’ve spent an absolute fortune this summer and you look – on current form – a worse team than United. You’ve lost four in a row, United have won four of their last five. I’ve no idea how long this superiority will last (over next week is my guess) but it’s currently very real. You’re shit and you know you are.

However, I suspect that Liverpool’s issues mostly come from a) the death of Jota, b) the number of signings and their ability to gel quickly, c) their inability to sign a centre back and d) Mo Salah poor form (great goal at the weekend mind). We’ll have a clearer idea by the end of the season how Liverpool are going to be under Slot in the mid term. God only knows how long the death of a friend and colleague will hurt the team for.

Also, pointing fingers at him for signings is mad. We know that’s not how Liverpool do business. He might have a veto but it’s done by committee. Ekitike looks good business but the rest need time. Even Isak.

Still though, keep this form going lads. I’m here for it. Ashmundo (3 on the bounce for my team, no doubt followed by 3 defeats)

Man Utd still have not won a game in Ruben Amorim style

Defeating two of your bogey teams in the same week is certainly good cause for getting excited. Dispelling the hoodoo of not winning at Anfield for 10 years then getting a win against a team that we’d lost 6 of the last 7 to has rightly given United fans and hopefully the team a nice lift. However, as a fairly staunch Amorim advocate I think we need to hold off on the ‘we told you so’ rhetoric to those who wanted him sacked.

Firstly, it not like they didn’t have good reason. The team have been awful at times and Amorim is certainly accountable for a portion of that. Given the last year’s worth of evidence thinking a change of manager is needed wasn’t an unreasonable position to take. Also, United still haven’t won a game in the way the manager ideally wants so it’s difficult to point at these results and say ‘look how well it’s working’.

Against Liverpool we had significantly less possession. Against Brighton 70% of the shots were on target. Across both games we ended up scoring 6 goals from an xG of about 2.6. There was definitely an element of making the most of the chances we created and setting up to counter the opponent, both of which won’t work every time.

Having said that the underlying attacking numbers for this season are really positive. 1st for shots on target, 2nd for total shots attempted, and 3rd for shots in the box. 14 non penalty goals from a non penalty xG of 14.3 shows we’re performing as expected and this is backed up by a shot conversion rate of 45% and goal conversion of 11% both of which are fairly average and thus hopefully sustainable.

The defending numbers still show plenty of room for improvement. Being 15th for goals conceded and 16th for xG conceded looks worrying but this is somewhat distorted by having played both City and Liverpool away from home (accounting for about 40% of that xGc total). Sitting 7th for total shots conceded is probably a more reliable indicator for our defensive performance so far which is probably about where we’ll end up.

Whilst the team have looked better in the last few weeks the style of play hasn’t changed significantly all season. Amorim may have decided to be a little more pragmatic and more training times seem to be helping but a lot of the improvement in attack has come from buying significantly better attackers. There still isn’t a settled effective system for winning games and the only win achieved whilst dominating possession was against Burnley which ended up too close for comfort anyway.

I’m cautiously optimistic for the rest of this season and looking ahead to the next. Stats, performance, and confidence are all trending upwards, albeit slowly. Yet don’t be despondent if we look awful again in the next game, that’s what it will be like for a while yet, patchy and inconsistent. With a few more points some good will in the bank it will be interesting to see over the next set of games if Amorim returns to his high possession model or sticks with a more opponent specific approach. Dave, Manchester (4 more wins by Christmas and I’m happy)

Less Disgruntled RSA thinks the ref got it right by not stopping play for Mac Allister’s head injury for which he received 4 stitches.

Not biased at all mate. James Outram

…Reading Less Disgruntled from RSA’s email, made me wonder if the sages at F365 could actually clarify the actual rules of football these days, because myself as a lowly fan and clearly almost all of the punditry don’t seem to understand what is and is not a foul in certain situations. That situation is the fabled: oh he’s got a touch on the ball.

Most famously we see it in the goalkeeper closing in to an incoming striker. Certainly the coverage and VAR replays seem to suggest if said goalkeeper touches the ball in any way, that absolves them of any subsequent impact. Certainly the reference to Taylor’s masterclass on Saturday is the same: there is no doubt whatsoever that Amad is not just fouled but fouled so hard the defender gets up rubbing his shin, but because the ball maybe came into the area of his studs, no foul.

My point is simply this: that’s not the rule right? Just because you touch the ball, you do not have carte blanche to kick a player? In the Amad case, sure maybe the defender touched the ball but he didn’t change the path and Amad is now past him with a shot on goal, if not being taken out completely. Same with most of the goalie situations – maybe they touched it but the striker is now past them and still able to get the ball if not for being flipped into the air. Ryan, Bermuda (winning a game involving Taylor AND Oliver should count for 6 points)

(IFAB say ‘It must be emphasised that playing the ball (first) does not necessarily mean that a challenge is ‘legal’’. Personally I think that was a penalty v Amad – Ed)

Can anybody explain Kerkez problems?

Milos Kerkez was a very astute acquisition for Liverpool after a stellar season for Bournemouth. He looked every inch the £50 million player who could have locked down the left back spot for many years.

Milos Kerkez has been very poor for Liverpool. He has contributed to a shaky Liverpool defence and has been a significant weak point. He doesn’t look like a £50 million player.

Both these statement are, to my mind, true. The second one has been shared widely without the obvious follow up. Why? Why did he look so good last year? Why does he not look the same this year? What has changed? What is the difference between the setup at Bournemouth and Liverpool that has seen such a drop off? Where the actual analysis other than the declarations of him being terrible or a flop. I feel like this would have happened five years ago but the instant decision, online discourse etc has made that impossible.

But this would be interesting! Am I just missing it? Where is the actual decent interrogation of what we are seeing? My eyes can tell me that he is struggling but not why, that’s where pundits are supposed to step in with expertise and analysis. Kevin, Dublin

(The short answer is that they bought an attacking full-back and are not playing him as an attacking full-back. But we are open to hearing longer explanations from Liverpool or Bournemouth fans – Ed)

Weekend points

Enjoyed it when Xhaka went through on goal with a lovely touch but then couldn’t finish and the boy on his team who was in the box and thought he should have been passed to kept his frustrations in check cause he knew Xhaka is an absolute boss compared to him and Sunderland are lucky to have him – that’s respect right there.

Did that stripy arm clothing brand make the jacket especially for Parker? Finlay x

Signing of the season so far?

A shed load of expensive strikers were signed in the summer but none of them can claim to be ‘signing of the season so far.

I guess Granit Xhaka has a shout, Zubimendi, Kudus, even Jordan bloomin’ Henderson! Lammens perhaps, a Bournemouth player or even two going under the radar. Give us a top three mailboxers.