Jim D

To be honest, Everton can count themselves lucky that they even had the chance to get the ball into our box. The ref added on 3 mins of stoppage time, that incident occurred way after that. So the question is why did the ref not blow up after 3 mins?

Used our "Get out of Jail for Free Card" today for this season. Overall that was bad performance from us, our passing, our shape and our finishing was appalling. I certainly hope Rafa doesn't hide behind this result because there is still a lot of hard work to do on the training pitch. Yes, take the three points but lets not paper over the cracks of how we've played since the first international break. This result MAY just turn our season, but that is up to Rafa and the players to make that count. There has to be a big improvement in our play because if we continue to play like that, we'll be out of the Champions League and the title race before Christmas. Today's victory was out of relief rather than a team who look like they will challenge for title

If England fail to qualify, the result tonight is not the reason why they have failed. England lost "silly" points against the other lesser teams in the group, the Macedonia result comes to mind at home. If they taken those three points from that game, they would still be favourites to qualify despite having away defeats to Russia and Croatia. Talking about a new England manager, there is not one English manager in the game who is "good enough" to take the England job. McClaren was never good enough and Fat Sam well.....he is in the same boat.

We're still unbeaten in the League but its a false positive. This isn't about just today, its about the past 5 or 6 games since the International Break. We have not played well at all and it's worrying. Portsmouth 0-0 Porto 1-1 Birmingham 0-0 Wigan 1-0 Marseille 0-1 Spurs 2-2 Made no mistake this is a poor result today, Spurs were in the bottom 3, low on confidence and shipping goals like no ones business. Performances have been below average and our home form is letting us down this season.

What has this discussion got to do with Liverpool? Why bring them up at all? This thread was a discussion about your new found ability of grinding out 1-0 wins over the past 12 competitive games rather than the "famous" attacking and attractive football you Man Utd fans are so high and mighty about to everyone. When Chelsea were winning games 1-0 under Mourinho in his title winning seasons the majority of Mancs were going on about them being boring and saying "I wouldn't like to win games that way, I'd prefer to lose in an entertaining game etc etc". Now all of a sudden the boot is on the other foot and you are all accepting these boring 1-0 victories with open arms. Which proves one thing, points ALWAYS comes before entertainment and not the other way round no matter how you Mancs like to twist it. On a side note before you go on about Liverpool, yes I am worried about our current form and last nights game was a shocker. We are currently playing s****e football whereas you lot are playing boring football, which of course is what you Mancs don't want to see from your team or do you? Oh and your lot going on about the back pass rule is the reason for our success, well that just laughable. Obviously some need to look up the word "coincidence" in the dictionary. Their basis is that we stop winning things at the same time as the back pass rule came in and thus was the cause of our demise.

Apart from Pepe, he almost stole us a point, a point we scarcely deserved. Man of the Match for me.

What I meant to say was Bergues and Pako had one thing in common, they both established and had a rapport with the players in their respective squads.

Agree we've come off the rails the past four games, with some below par performances. Got to go back to basics, start winning again convincingly to return the confidence back to players. Stick with the same team to build some kind of momentum.

Ah well it means we can just concentrate on the League because that is Rafa's main priority this season?

He's never played this bad before, disgraceful really to put in such an inept performance when he is earning thousands of pounds a week. Ultimately the buck stops with Rafa he should of pulled him off a lot earlier. Agree with your second point, Rafa has been doing this a lot lately playing players out of their natural position, something GH was guilty of towards the end of his tenure.

Fish out of water, but none of the senior players played well to give him any confidence.

Indeed, you get the feeling Rafa is rotating for rotations sake. Basically he is trying to give all of his players in the squad a run out to give them games but you cannot do that in top level football. Rotation does work, Ferguson proved it last season as did Mourinho the season before, the difference between them and Rafa is they very rarely rotated their KEY players (1st teamers). Rafa has a tendency to rotate them a lot more in the top level games.

Its almost too eerie, almost like history is repeating itself. 2002/03 Top of the League, playing well, Bergues leaves (GH's number two) go into a massive slump 2006/07 Top of the League, playing well, Paco leaves (Rafa's number two) go into a massive slump?? Our next few league games, Arsenal, Everton and Blackburn are now almost pivotal to our season including the two must win Champions League away games.

Easily the worst for a long time, how on earth did he last the full 90mins? He should of been taken off after 20mins, Rafa has got to take the blame for this. He's the manager, he makes the decisions, don't really want to slag off Momo because ultimately Rafa has to take responsibility when he was playing so poorly.

Porto have just scored 1-0, that's a bad result for us. My God we've got a mountain to climb, two away games now, must win for both. Worst we've played since Houllier? absolute shocking performance from start to finish.

Garbage, hate saying that but it is, sounds over critical but it is garbage, worst than Porto.

Its been 12 games since you "clicked into gear" when is it going to happen again, you lot were saying this 3 or 4 games ago and it still hasn't happened. Your return is a pitiful 11 goals and have a worst goal scoring record than everyone else in the League apart from Derby. You can clearly see there has been a difference in your play tactically since last season when you were scoring goals for fun. I put this down to Fergie because I feel he wants one more Champions League title so he is gearing you towards getting a "result" away from home in the Champions League since you cannot do this with your attacking style. Obviously his desire to win another League title is a close second. Can we say Boring Boring Man Utd? If you do start banging in the goals again consistently then I will hold up my hand but I think the 0-0, 1-0, 1-1 results you have been getting "consistently" is here to stay for now.

To be honest this was more about their new found ability of grinding out/rub of the green/call them what you will 1-0 wins and boring everyone else in the country rather than them "sinking". It's very unusual not hearing the Mancs complaining about the football they are playing because they always go on about their team playing football the "right way" and being "attractive". Didn't they sack a manager some years ago because he was winning games in the manner they are doing right now?

Aye and also in most of those 1-0 wins they have had the rub of the green, that always helps the goals against column. Question is will they be "found out" or get back to the blistering form/performances of last season. The Mancs have been saying "oh its only a matter of time, we will get back to how we were" They've been saying that for the past 3 or 4 games. I certainly hope they continue playing how they are because one bit of good fortune/good play from the opposition I couldn't see them getting back into a game.

Forgot about that one Since beating Everton at Goodison last season 4-2, the Mancs have only scored 11 goals in their last 12 competitive games. Seven victories have been by the scoreline 1-0. Are they going to bore themselves to a trophy this season? Also, only Derby County have scored less goals than them this season in the League. Its their defence winning games this season, sounds strange that! Thought I never say this about a Manc team but their attack is totally toothless.

Are Manchester Utd the most boring team in England?

Ref is having a bad game, already seen two Reading players commit cynical challenges so far this half and neither was booked. Oh and the goal was offside by three players!

Its baffling! Rafa should stop worrying about "tactics" of the opposition and start to choose his best side based on priority. His main priority this season is to at least challenge for the league title. Premiership Champions League FA Cup/League Cup in that order. Why play your best striker in a game against Reading in the Carling Cup but drop him to the bench for games against Portsmouth and Birmingham. Rafa sometimes is too precise (with his tactics and gameplan) for his own good.

What's worrying from our point of view is that the Mancs this season have not played well at all. They have been very fortunate in the regard that one goal in every game has been enough for them. Only Derby, Reading and Blackburn have scored less goals this season. They have scored only 6 goals so far (same number we put past Derby), are lying in second place and amassed 14 points. Football is a funny old game sometimes and I just wonder are the Mancs going to improve or will they all of a sudden be going into games being satisfied with a 1-0 result which could ultimately be their downfall?

Aye you're going to bore yourself to the title.