Question for the United fans here.
Are you really enjoying the football United are playing this season?
Not "Well it's better than _____", "Well it's good to see...", "Well it bodes well for next season" etc... "
Are you enjoying the football they are playing?
Current answer: No.
But, (and I know you're thinking ''Ffs I told you lot don't tiptoe around it") there's a bigger picture.
For a spell, we were in my opinion, playing as well as any team in the league. The only ironic thing, it also coincided with all of those frustrating draws (Stoke, Burnley, Arsenal, Everton, West Ham etc). It came in a 4-2-3-1 shape, with a fluent and gradually gelling front 4. What we missed, in my opinion, was the bit of ruthlessness Mkhitaryan brings to the table. I still think had he of played earlier in the season, he might've had a difference in those games.
It was headscratching, frustrating, but stuff good to watch. Jose recognised that, but still needed points on the board.
It was actually our 6 game winning streak from December to January that sorta seen our level of attacking entertainment decrease, but at the cost of stability and getting professional, Jose esque wins on the board. That resulted mainly from of the switch from 4-2-3-1 to 4-3-3, using Carrick more frequently, so it's I suppose is self explanatory as to why the attacking overloads became fewer.
Then along came Liverpool. Ended our winning streak, stopped the momentum. Forced us to wobble. We went on to draw against Stoke & Hull after that, contradicting our entire December work. So, not only did 4-3-3 limit our attacking entertainment, we were starting to also get nothing to show from it, unlike as said above, December.
So he switched back to 4-2-3-1 in February, blows Leicester off the park (3-0 at the King Power), gets revenge against Watford at Old Trafford (2-0), all's looking rosy with some good attacking football again (almost 20 shots on target in those 2 matches in a 4-2-3-1), and then along come Bournemouth and cunty Tyrone Mings to **** everything up. After that Zlatan incident, the whole game had a ****** up feel to it, with them committing to seeing it out with 10 men, and just a weird vibe as if the game was spoiled and had ended at HT, everything surrounded the off the ball incidents.
Since then, Zlatan's suspension has been a big factor, along with another stop-start phase from Mkhitaryan who picked up something in the EL, ALONG with Jose's little temporary fascination with this 5 at the back.
I have no excuse for yesterday however, it was what it was. West Brom kept us at bay. Typical Pulis.
Overall, I think when we play 4-2-3-1, we play good football. But currently, with the key absentees, and not playing consistently in this shape, we're not.
Thank you.