They came, they thought they'd won it, they left with their tails between their legs. The perfect (bumper) OV for the perfect final game at the Boleyn with our friends from the North (and surrounding areas ie. Surrey, Herts etc).
"Last night was the first time I felt really let down by the players. The reaction to the antics on the bus was childish and unprofessional. Yes they are young but they are paid a feckload of money to play professional football and the only thought in every one of their minds as they were delayed going into that ground, should have been 'feck this shit, this is affecting my preparation for this game'. They should have been raging and use it as rocket fuel to hit the ground running. Champions League qualification was in their own hands and it felt like they couldn't give a shit about what that means to their club and their own careers. Instead, they were rolling around giggling like school girls and strolled out onto the field to be bullied for the first 30 minutes. Imagine a Cantona-led team being treated like that and then playing so meekly in the first half? Which senior player was shouting down the back of bus, telling young fellas to cop on and then reading the riot act in the dressing room?"
- diarm
"We had three shots to their 20. Two of our shots were on target (both scored) to their six. We committed 18 fouls (Herrera, five) to their six. They won 60 per cent of aerial challenges. We lost. No surprise there."
- DenisIrwin
People seem to have forgotten the Spurs trip and we were late that day... you would had thought the micro-manager would not had repeated the same thing, knowing we knocked the Hammers out of the Cup and this is their last game at their beloved grounds. One should had been there several hours earlier, knowing how tight those streets are going into the parking lot. Don't know if it's gamesmanship by the Dutch clown to arrive late, but it was poorly planned."
- scholesytheidiotslayer
"I was standing on the other side of the road, where the bus turns into Green Street. The atmosphere was nuts, unlike anything I've ever experienced at a football match. I was pretending to support West Ham, bought a cheap t-shirt to prove it! Would have gotten killed if I didn't! I hate football hooliganism and aggression but these Cockneys really put on a show of intimidation and force last night. I wont forget that in a hurry!"
- sammsky1
"We're an average team that got found out in one of those high intensity PL games that make you realise top flight football has still got some guts and passion. I don't agree with this theory that we bottled it. I saw a team trying hard last night (all bar MS) but we just have too many players that are just not of the right quality. DDG and Martial delivered. Rashford's a young lad whose time will come but there are question marks over everyone else that started. Unfortunate for us to come up against a West Ham fired up for their last game at Upton Park but if we have any thoughts of winning the EPL or the CL again we need far more quality in our team to cope with such occasions. What would happen if this team found itself in a CL semi against Real Madrid doesn't bear thinking about."
- Barca84
"The most disappointing thing about last night was, as a United fan for so many years I had grown accustomed to us closing games out from winning positions. As soon as Martial put us ahead, under SAF the three points were ours. However last night there was an air of inevitability about them coming back, every time they got a set piece I was worried. West Ham have conceded more goals than Watford, Crystal Palace and West Brom, and they got hammered at home by Swansea at the weekend. Yet in the end they got what was a deserved three points against us. The fact that they have now scored 18 more goals than us says it all really."
- ChrisNelson
"West Ham are quite an imposing, athletic team apart from Lanzini and Payet - if you're not the absolute top level, it's a classic example of how to assemble a very formidable XI. Did you see the header the RB scored with? Comparison with us for physique and mobility is a pretty sad one. Tough team to play and more difficult in the circumstances. One of our good teams would have struggled."
- montpelier
"Felt devastated by that result. Martial single-handedly got us in front and we still managed to capitulate. Given the attack on the coach, the commentators continually waxing lyrical about West Ham's all-round magnificence, and our need for the three points, I was desperate for a win. What's frustrating is that West Ham adopted a basic high-intensity, high-ball approach and we made enough errors to gift them at least a couple of goals. Our defending was so bad at times I had to wonder if the late kick off was lingering in players' minds. No excuses, though, it was a night where we needed a result and we didn't do anywhere near enough."
- Parma Dewol
"It's unfortunate that the players do not have that winning mentality and LVG does nothing to get their heads in the game. The thing that disappointed me was that they knew West Ham would come after them and they just were not prepared for that onslaught. It was always going to be a smash and grab in this situation but honestly FFS that was the meekest display of trying to hold on to a lead in the biggest game of the season."
- Esquire
"I think people are still digesting what happened tonight but we're going to realise later that the shit really hit the fan, and not just in the context of this season. This was a massive game for us. Even granting that we were shit for most of the game, the one thing I really can't get over is that we were in position to win - and completely bottled it. Tonight was a special, historical match at West Ham, but a PL or European season is dotted with matches of this type when it takes character to pull you through them. I'm not convinced that very many of our players have the ability or mettle to do this at United."
- marlowe78
"I feel that it's really not right the coverage West Ham were given from the get go - right to Tyler's pre-planned headline once Reid scored. It was so one-sided and apparently it was all over a stadium? Weirdos. West Ham started well. Got the lucky first goal. When we went 1-2 up then we lost our concentration. Too many free kicks given away and no leader at the back to clear the ball. But I think it's disappointing the level of bias and I don't believe the media have been honest. In fact, I think they're full of shite."
- Striker10
"We didn't deserve to win, but at least we played well for 20 minutes."
- Hitch
"I've never been so angry after a United performance, the words I'd use to label half the players in that squad today would get me banned. You can sugar coat it as much as you want but we're fecking terrible. Losing to West Ham in what is practically a final is a fecking joke. They've had a better season than usual but they're shit and always will be. Today they done nothing special and still played our spineless bottlers off the park."
- Trizy
"West Ham forever blowing bubbles. Man United forever blowing one goal leads."
- Badunk
* Comments originally posted at redcafe.net, manutd.com and YouTube.
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