We're not prime Barcelona

[AWetFlannel]

United are a very predictable, formulaic attacking team by design

Think we are much less formulaic than we used to be. We seem to allow Hamer to try shots, crosses and flicks whenever he wants, and encourage JRS/Brooks to take on his man at every opportunity.

Before it was everyone making the run they were told to make, overloads out wide, get in behind and cross along the floor. I loved it tbf, worked brilliantly.

 

[Jan Age]

I think if you compare the two games against WB today we were much more in Control than the first game and we limited crosses from wide areas that they had so much joy from in the first game.

I also though today we looked to get more crosses in and quickly and we attempted more shots at goal (not necessarily on target) than we normally do.

If you take Hamer out the team you kill it … he’s everywhere .. covers every blade of grass … he’s on 5 goals and 5 assists if he finishes on 10 and 10 that’s immense from midfield

 

[GreasyChipBeattie]

Barcelona played simple, one touch passing with direct running except for Messi. You're describing Harlem Globetrotter stuff.

United are a very predictable, formulaic attacking team by design

Just re-read this CB and I reckon you have a point there.
The Harlem Globetrotter reference got me thinking.
Maybe it's me being unrealistic expecting defence and attack to be top drawer all the time.
As AWetFlannel suggested, we probably can't do both with the squad we have.
Still frustrates the f*****g life out of me though!

 

[dc_blade]

Frustrating but Wilders tactics are ball retention and probing for that chance that may or may not come. Without Campbell we don’t have a poacher.

this is exactly right. I think he’s even more cautious in this regard in his second spell than he was in the first.

 

[Thrice]

It’s the unspoken truth; Hamer has been incredibly poor of late and gets away with it. He’s one of the senior players and should be leading by example, yet has gone missing for the last 2 games when desperately needed.

He's played out of position for a while now though. He's not a winger. He should play in the middle behind O'Hare. Problem is, right now there's nobody for that LW position. (People will say Brooks, but he's best at RW as he's shown today.)

 

[Old Programme seller]

Hamer has been playing with a thigh injury they take some time to fully heal I’d imagine that he could be just managing it.

 

[John Street West Terrace]

And out of curiosity at the start of the season what position were you expecting us to be in at the halfway point ?

 

[Servigliano]

Remove Hamer from the left - and imho he's our best player - Burrows will be less effective.
Unless we get BBD we can't effectively move him more central, and as someone has already pointed out Hamer covers every blade of grass. Yet some on here criticise him regardless.
When he serves his 2 game ban we'll realise how much we miss him.