2nd goal was offside and their 3rd goal they shouldn't have been awarded a free kick for Evra losing a shoe. Still, we will dig in and hopefully get the result away.
Buddymagoo stop trolling with constant excuses. Admit Bilbao was the better team as they created a lot of chances and Manchester is rather lucky with just a 2-3 score. Are you that bad to even refuse giving a compliment when it's clearly in place?
Bilbao drew 2-2 with Barca so I respect Bilbao but don't be fooled by the result.
We were missing Rio, Vidic, Nani, Scholes, Valencia, Wellbeck and Smalling was coming back from a serious head injury. I don't think Bilbao would have won that game if we had a full squad.
We all know how you lot like to take shots at any team that loses but you have to get over it, you don't bring anything productive to the debate and bring the tone of this great website down.
not trying to take shots.... it happened. I am just saying recognize the fact that teams in la liga are good... which, ironically, you/your lot always take shots at.
And yea I am from spain but give credit where credit is due.
@buddymagoo just take a look on what's goin on. Valencia winning 4-2, Atletico de Madrid already on the next phase and Bilbao with this victory, speaks volume from the teams coming from spain. La liga is very competitive. They problem is that they are facing with two teams that I believe will be as good in others league, just my opinion.
To be fair I only praised the Premier League above La Liga. It doesn't mean I don't respect La Liga just that I think the Premier League is more entertaining.
With games like Swansea 3-2 Arsenal Chelsea 3-5 Arsenal Chelsea 3-3 Manchester United Manchester City 3-2 Tottenham Manchester United 1-6 Manchester City Manchester United 2-3 Blackburn Arsenal 5-2 Tottenham Manchester United 8-2 Arsenal Chelsea 1-3 Aston Villa Newcastle 3-0 Man Utd Norwich 4-2 Newcastle
I will stand by my statement that the premier league is the most exciting and entertaining league to watch. I still respect La liga though.
a loose shoe? really now ref? don't let me start on the offside! the linesman should've seen it clearly yet not raising the flag! damn they really want Man U to lose!
you do realize people see this with their eyes, this is why goal technology/replay is wanted so bad... these calls can go either way, you can't really blame too much on the referees, if anything blame fifa for not introducing technology that needs to be in the game.
and no matter who disagrees... Bilbao definitely deserved that win.
The fact is United should absolutely not be conceding 3 goals in a home game- let alone a European tie. They have conceded far too many goals at home all season.
The defensive choices are questionable. Jones should have probably been centreback but was forced into midfield again. Almost certainly to try and rest Scholes/Carrick.
Constant casual defending at home. If this game was against Barcelona or Milan etc how much would you have bet Rafael would have followed straight through and smashed the ball safely behind into row 150 out of respect for those sides? I just don't think the management and some of the players are taking this competition very seriously.
Bilbao were excellent, intense, energetic, chased all game. United seemed asleep most of the time up to the 80th minute, especially defensively. Yet again i question their commitment to this competition, leaving on the bench Carrick, Ferdinand, Nani and Welbeck who have been usual starters. Scholes wasn't even in the squad. You have to say there is no way those players would be rested if this was the Champions League knockout.
I thought United were unfortunate in two of Bilbao's goals, the 2nd was offside for sure but it was a difficult call, and the third started with that bizarre freekick when Evra lost his boot- not to mention Rafael simply not clearing the ball away easily. The one bright spot was De Gea. Again superb.
But even so, credit has to go to Bilbao and United have got a steep task ahead. They MUST defend better. They really should field a choice side as well.
The smart money is now firmly backing the Spaniards, but write off United at your peril. They have been better away from home all season, even picking up more points in the league on the road!
It will take a class performance for United to turn this around but if any side can do it, it is them. Whatever happens it will be an intriguing game!
Awful,Just Awful...Man UTD in desperate need for a new philosophy. That 4-4-2 isn't just doing it anymore,the pressure is always on us even from weaker teams because you just can't stop 3-4 midfield players with only 2 or even 3.Not to mention the inexperienced youngers who cost us a lot this season.Ever since Valencia was injured and we have been struggling. I can't even imagine what would the score have been if it weren't for De Gea.I hope SAF don't travel to spain to maintain his defending strategy.I don't know what's the dea lwit hall the home losing this season especially from very weak teams.
ye 4-4-2 just doesnt work in europe but fergie has to play 2 strikers because we have too many centre forwards. dare i say fergie might be going a bit soft? we shouldnt have played 4-4-2 against barca but fergie just couldnt leave chicharito on the bench because of the season he had. i think he will defo play 4-3-3 in the 2nd leg our we will be getting beat.
lucky to get away with just 2-3. i know their 2nd goal was offside but they created numerous chances and but for de gea who was our best player it could have been 4 or 5. it was really hard to watch.
we just got totally out played by a team that is 5th in la laga...at home. and this is a match where we dearly miss vidic, he would have had llorente in his pocket but players like him and streller bullied our defence once again.
i still think we can beat them but its going to be tough, bilbao are really good at home.
Bilbao has been building a squad for several years now they have a good academy and made some great signings the Bilbao are one of those sides who are on a rise. Javi Martinez bought for 6 million and now has a re sale value of at least 20-25 million and there are at least three or four top class players in the side they are very like Napoli rising from nowhere
llorente is class.. de gea was our best player along with evans.. fergie got the selection and tactics wrong again in europe unfortunately.. luckily its still in the balance we'll have to hope for a result in the second leg
Once again we get dominated in midfield without Scholes or Cleverley, Anderson looked lively and should have started, and for fuck sake play Jones in central defence! Can't take anything away from Bilbao though, they were class and deserved the win.
Bilbao were excellent even though I felt their last 2 goals should not have stood. I'm actually very confident about next week regardless of tonights result. This is typical United doing it the hard way.
Oh and De Gea was fucking brilliant today, none of the goals were his fault and if it wasn't for him, we would have conceded alot more.
Wow that 3rd goal from athletic was something. That player flew down the pitch to kick that in!!! Who was that united defender that just let him fly by him?1
This is not surpising looking at their lackluster performance against Ajax (1-2). Looks like another elimination of an English club in Europe is on it's way..
@Johnnyisawesome, that's a strawman arguement because nobody says that. This is football anything can happen, we also lost to Blackburn at ot, does that make them better than us? Spain have excellent football playing sides, some people say the bpl is better for the excitement not because they believe spanish teams are poor. Bilbao were excellent, yes, but just admit that utd didn't have their best players on through injury, infact that wasn't even our strongest side from the players who were fit! One last thing, imagine if utd had scored from a freekick being given for being bootless!
Utd were terrible, if it wasn't for De Gea it could have been a bigger loss. I think English teams are very arrogant, it even shows in the national side. Arsenal hammered 4-0 against Milan (although they redeemed themselves in my opinion), City losing to Lisbon, this loss for Utd; all the English teams had a terrible Champions League. Reputation doesn't win you games, especially in cups. Fair play to Bilbao. Lets hope for a cracker in the return leg!
Its an uphill struggle from here but don't be fooled by thinking you got it easy in spain. I'll concide one thing this season in europe we haven't been banging on the door at all reshaping has been going on in the squad.
Side last night was not at full strengh but id imagine even at full strengh it may have still been a struggle. I think we still need to fill that midfield with a new signing come the summer. Also last night i think Berba/Rooney would have been better suited to that game.
Bilbao had a good game and made plenty of chances a young squad and its nice to see an attacking team. But De Gea was equal to everything that was thrown at him. Can't do nothing about bad referees. Offside and a freekick for a pass without a boot someone post me avid somewhere thats happened before please?.
At that though on the third goal there was sloppy defending on are behalf wtf was Fabio doing sucking a lollipop. De gea makes a good safe needs cover Fabio is like oh look a ball ill let that be someone else will get it. :/ That can't be done that this level.
We where lucky to come in 2-3 in the end preformance ways.
Bilbao are growing has a team they have a great group of players.. Javi Martinez And Iker Muniain are going to be going to big teams soo but maybe Bilbao can keep them..
Bilbao is fun to watch because of games like this, they are a talented squad. Props to them for the win, always great to see MANu lose and their fans make excuses.
Soooo, I guess that teams from Spain are not sorry after all.
Man U poor performance ever. and its a Europa League for goodness' sake!
Bilbao were excellent, intense, energetic, chased all game. United seemed asleep most of the time up to the 80th minute, especially defensively. Yet again i question their commitment to this competition, leaving on the bench Carrick, Ferdinand, Nani and Welbeck who have been usual starters. Scholes wasn't even in the squad. You have to say there is no way those players would be rested if this was the Champions League knockout.
I thought United were unfortunate in two of Bilbao's goals, the 2nd was offside for sure but it was a difficult call, and the third started with that bizarre freekick when Evra lost his boot- not to mention Rafael simply not clearing the ball away easily. The one bright spot was De Gea. Again superb.
But even so, credit has to go to Bilbao and United have got a steep task ahead. They MUST defend better. They really should field a choice side as well.
The smart money is now firmly backing the Spaniards, but write off United at your peril. They have been better away from home all season, even picking up more points in the league on the road!
It will take a class performance for United to turn this around but if any side can do it, it is them. Whatever happens it will be an intriguing game!
@ buddymagoo (#2.1) nice attack. im not here to say which team is better. i saw the match and it was terrible especially de Gea.
Awful,Just Awful...Man UTD in desperate need for a new philosophy. That 4-4-2 isn't just doing it anymore,the pressure is always on us even from weaker teams because you just can't stop 3-4 midfield players with only 2 or even 3.Not to mention the inexperienced youngers who cost us a lot this season.Ever since Valencia was injured and we have been struggling.
I can't even imagine what would the score have been if it weren't for De Gea.I hope SAF don't travel to spain to maintain his defending strategy.I don't know what's the dea lwit hall the home losing this season especially from very weak teams.