Manchester United Banter Archive March 11 2015

11 Mar 2015 22:31:11
Apparently Alves has agreed to join PSG.

{Ed002's Note - It is subject to something being agreed.}

12 Mar 2015 10:16:12
Great news if true, hopefully we can shift our gaze to Clyne, Coleman or my preferred target, Carvajal.

12 Mar 2015 13:58:52
Ed does that mean marghuinos is leaving?

{Ed002's Note - It is unrelated.}

11 Mar 2015 20:55:15
Hi Guys

I have to say that I don't know what all the fuss about Cavani is.IMO he is a good player at best.He is certainly not the answer to our problems.We need a fast, mobile and skillful forward not a giant redwood.

12 Mar 2015 11:51:41
He can score is relativley quick and decent in the air.But he is wasteful and dissapears in games a bit like our own strike force tbh.

11 Mar 2015 19:22:12
A lot of talk about the possession style of football we are playing recently, some agree with it and others not so much. I personally like the fact we are dominating the ball but it is our lack of ideas when we have got it and the slow tempo in which we are distributing it that is problem.

I seen someone post that 'this is the Dutch style' which is partly true but the Dutch of old most definitely had end product to their play. The thing is that it doesn't have to be slow and lack a cutting edge. Look at the way De Boer has Ajax playing at the minute, they are quick on the ball and like to keep possession.

Even when you look at the Tika Taka that Pep plays it isn't too dissimilar to that of the Dutch's total football. Sometimes Peps style can be very slow but the way he sets up it can change in an instant and the team can become electrifying. Adding to that the way he plays isosceles triangles always opens up space and when his teams lose the ball they swarm in twos or threes to regain possession which puts opponents under pressure.

If LVG does leave in the summer I for one don't want someone like a Simeone or Mourinho type of coach. Yes they are good at what they do but they set up specifically to either counter attack or suffocate the opposition which can be equally boring at times. If nothing else the fact our players are getting on the ball and learning how to play possession based football is a plus for me.

11 Mar 2015 19:32:13
JMB - I agree, my thing is the possession is pointless, it's too slow. I would love to watch us against Barcelona or Bayern this season, we would be destroyed possession wise. We have no urgency to our play, a snail could shimmy across and not expend energy. The whole point is to tire teams, pry gaps, try to open space and penetrate at speed.

We are like a boxer with his hands up all fight, sure you aren't getting whacked in the face, but you aren't going to knock out your opponent a you will always lose on points, or get smashed in the stomach! So we are boring to watch like the boxer without a plan.

Our Plan a & B is to launch it to Fellaini now, we literally dominate the ball because we shift it in none threatening positions, run out of space or options and then launch. I hate it.

11 Mar 2015 19:49:48
The lack of penetration or even attempt to penetrate other defences is what gets at me also Beast. We need to find a cutting edge, desire to push forward and a confidence in our ability to find those passes. This is why I can't begin to understand why Mata is being overlooked.

The thing with Felliani is our plan B is slowly becoming plan A which is not good. I like Felliani I feel he brings something different to the squad but by no means is he or should he be our driving force in attack.

Having said that if LVG goes I feel appointing a gaffer who doesn't play a possession based game would be a step backwards as hopefully next season we will have more cutting edge to our play and a year worth of experience at keeping the ball under our belts.

11 Mar 2015 22:00:55
Fellaini has become plan A, look how many games he is starting. He is a last 15 minute player where we need to get the ball forward, not do it from the first minute.

11 Mar 2015 22:49:48
Thing is its an alien concept to British teams, it takes time to change the mentality and get used to Phil O'Sophy.

Problem is its taking a long time and we urgently need to get champions league hence the switch to try and get results.

Long term I would like de Boer. Someone for me would be a disaster.

11 Mar 2015 23:04:18
Fellaini should not see the field before the 80th minute. I think some of our talented players suffer from a lack of power and athleticism in the squad. A powerful center midfielder might allow Mata more room and freedom to roam and find space. As it is, we are a little lightweight and slow, so Mata has less space and gets knocked off the ball too much. If we played faster and more direct, Mata would find more room to get on the ball and create more.

11 Mar 2015 23:54:36
'Someone', Mr E? :)

12 Mar 2015 09:11:42
JMB,

I think you are pretty much spot on with your OP, possession is great but we more often than not have no end product. We are taking too long to get forward as we spend 2 minutes passing it around at the back and by the time we go forward the opposition have everybody set up in position and then we wonder why our strikers have no space.

When was the last time we broke quickly and ended up 4 on 3 going forward with defenders out of position and panicking? I can't remember. And the way we are playing means that when the opposition do get the ball we aren't set at all and if they do break quickly we end up being the ones defending 3 on 4.

You are correct that it is meant to be the 'Dutch style' but we appear to be missing the part of that style that makes it exciting and means you can win games 4-0. If you have 70%+ possession in any game and also have the ability to create quickly you should be winning the majority of games in style, and if we were doing that our players would have more confidence and would come out in the next game and do the same thing. Because this isn't happening I think it is making our players scared to make them passes and create chances and it is stifling the play so much we keep possession and make pointless passes across the back 4 rather than attempting to break the defence down quickly.

12 Mar 2015 10:14:00
Are we actually agreeing here GDS?

Is the apocalypse coming?

12 Mar 2015 11:49:43
Haha I made sure I said 'pretty much' just to make sure you knew I wasn't totally agreeing :)

12 Mar 2015 13:00:16
Victim of autocorrect. Although I think whoever gets the job somebody on here will disagree.

12 Mar 2015 14:34:34
We lack quick, tricky wingers. If we had two very quick, strong and technically great wingers making runs it would create more space and give the midfield more outlet options. We don't have a left or right winger to do it at the moment and the defence isn't strong enough thus the rubbish football we see. Now imagine if we had a stronger defence and the two wingers described above, possession would mean goals and lots of them.

I work in change management, LVG will have been set a goal for this season (let's say 4th as a minimum). He has to change the culture in the players (this is hard). Changing a culture takes time, some people can't handle change but it takes time to weed them out. Others will surprise you ( Young?). I envisage a lot of players being moved on at the end of the season, we need an influx of young talent that LVG can mould. The tricky part is that you need balance, Carrick will stay and it pains me to say Rooney will probably stay too. We lack any real experience in defence so it would make sense we bring in someone very experienced to help guide to young players (it will probably be someone in their 30's so as to not hinder the development of others).

Essentially I can see what LVG is trying to do, reach his target and get the players he'll keep to understand the direction he wants to go tactically. LVG wants to dominate the ball, the defenders we have been linked with all have outstanding passing stats. Hopefully we can acquire a couple of wingers and start smashing teams.

12 Mar 2015 20:32:27
I cannot understand all the posters on here who constantly slag off Rooney. He will end up as Utds and England's top scorer whilst either having a crap midfield behind him, having to play in midfield because it's that crap and always having to chase all over because of the crap around him. Every manager in the prem would sign him in a heartbeat, along with de gea. Ok his touch let's him down at times but if we had a few more with his desire we might be a bit better off. Yet to hear one "expert " on any footy programme who doesn't rate him.Get over him being a scouser and earning too much, he's consistently our best player.

12 Mar 2015 23:18:13
Porsche933 - Rooney has been fantastic for us. The issue is Rooney is a player you make space and comprise to fit in. There is a reason managers want him to drop into midfield and that's because he naturally drifts back in games, this slows the tempo and reduces attacking pass options for the rest of the team. I personally feel due to his age and the fact he played a lot of football for his age now is a great time to cash in. The amount of cash he would free up in wages alone would be huge.

However that's easy for me to say as I don't have a personal relationship with him like the coaching and management staff. Also he's our most marketable player which I would assume would make it hard for the exec team to sign off on moving him on . Personally I move Rooney, RVP and Falcao on.

11 Mar 2015 18:24:12
L.v.g. is really starting to do my head in. The man seems so arrogant and egotistical it's beyond belief. I'm not going to start calling for his head but if we don't finish in the top 4 It's open season. I know we're only rebuilding and we've all to be patient. But some of his decisions are baffling and the style of football were playing is horrible. I can tolerate us getting beat if we're playing good football but this tripe he has us playing is unwatchable. I don't like the disrespect he shows certain players either. Not the Dutch mind you but namely falcao herrera and mata. I think he also believe he has no relationship with giggs and only appointed him because the club pressured him to.
to watch us pumping the ball up to Fellaini to flick on or try to take down and hold up is infuriating.this is not the united way.busby would be turning in his grave.and this philosophy he's always going on about is starting to grow old. It's March and I don't think any of the players understand his so called philosophy yet. Demaria is woeful, falcao looks clueless and whatever mata does it won't be good enough. Only for the brilliance of D.d.g. I swear we d be in the bottom half of the table.its March and the man still does nt know his best 11. I really want L.V.G. to succeed and am not just hating for the sake of it but he's really testing my patience.missing out on C.L. Football again would be disastrous for the club and I honestly don't believe we will get it. Hope I'm wrong.

12 Mar 2015 09:18:52
Your opinion on all things football is actually fine but anybody suggesting LVG and Giggs have no relationship are just making things up and guessing, there have been no rumours coming out of the club, just the press putting 2 and 2 together after the Newcastle game, there are things that LVG can be slagged off for, but his relationship with Giggs is not one of them.

Oh and it is Di Maria.

11 Mar 2015 16:43:57
hi, not a united fan, but i was just wondering whether feelings have changed towards the glazers? obviously their was a lot of ill will towards them and they lumped you with a load of debt. but they sanctioned a major spending spree obviously the season hasn't gone quite as planned. but how the money was spent can't really be blamed on them they did make it available and are likely to make more available this summer. i just wondered if everyone still wanted them out or if people are starting to warm to them?

11 Mar 2015 17:25:14
Eden you work in a company and you have signed a contract to work for 10 years to earn 30k pounds per year. After 1 year the ownership changes and your salary drops down to 5k pounds per year.

You keep on working for the next 8 years for 5k per year and in the last year your salary is increased to 7k per year.

How would you feel about the company ownership?

11 Mar 2015 17:27:40
Major spending spree? You mean they let us spend a fraction of our OWN money for the first time in what 10 years? I don't even want to think about what we could have won without them over the past 10 years, if we'd have had the money to strengthen in the right areas when we need to I think we would have blown the feats Liverpool reached in the 80's straight out of the water. Unfortunately we were gifted with 'mid table' buys of 7m here 12m there and we ended up with an average midfield leading to only 2 CL finals and fair enough a few titles.

11 Mar 2015 17:39:34
I by no means speak for Utd fans as a collective, but personally I think we have bigger fish to fry at the moment with our clown of a manager. The Glaziers have definitely drifted from my mind since SAF retired.

11 Mar 2015 18:13:05
Whether it was down to SAF or the Glazers, we have been forced to watch our club fail to replace our key players with those of similar ability. It started with Keane and Ronaldo, then Scholes and Giggs, and then Vidic, Ferdinand and Evra. We have been putting off the evil day. My suspicion is that the money was not really available while the debt was so high. So SAF made do - although I also think he didn't like the way the transfer market was changing and dug his heels in somewhat, and this compounded the problem.

One way or another 600m has gone out of our club to deal with debt financing. That's one great player per year. I personally hate the Glazers, and always will whether or not they turn the ship around and get us back to the level a club of our size and revenues should rightly be playing at. It seems to me that for them football is just a business investment. There's no love.

{Ed002's Note - The owners have made significant money available - and it is their club not yours.}

11 Mar 2015 19:03:58
Yes, and parts of Iraq and Syria are in the hands of ISIL but i don't have to like what they're doing with it.

I don't know what "significant" means. The facts remain - we didn't spend it or we didn't spend it wisely, which is why i did not lay the blame entirely at the hands of the Glazers. The amount that's gone out in debt payments is not in question, is it?

And finally (for the time being at least), i may not own the club, but frankly, i believe the majority of supporters would regard it as theirs in much deeper ways than is specified on the title deed.

. . but no doubt you are doing this just to rile us up!@!

{Ed002's Note - No, I am doing it because you are clearly naïve about the way the business works. Most clubs have had debt for one reason or another and those debts need to be serviced. Your analogy is of poor taste at best. Will you be happy if the club is sold to institutional investors from the Far East in 2017? Do you even understand the consequences of that? But hey, you will be rid of the Glazers.}

11 Mar 2015 20:55:57
Ed, in general not the sort of highly leveraged debt the Glazers brought to United. Are you really suggesting that the debt service requirements, in particular the very high interest PIK notes, have not had any impact on our transfer policy? If so, then i think it is you that are being naive. I actually do know enough about business to know that debt can be and maybe should be employed as a fundamental growth stimulant, but it can also be suffocating. And this is particularly so when debt is entered into not for growth but for the purpose of acquisition.

Personally i think the Glazers have been very lucky. What state do you think we would be in today had SAF not managed to continue our remarkable run of success? I do give them credit for their marketing acumen, which has been vital to our viability.

I am a United fan, and to some extent I don't really care who owns the club. I'm interested in the football. But in any event just
because i don't approve of what the Glazers did, it doesn't mean to say I'll approve of the next bunch of owners more, whoever they may turn out to be. Football is about so much more than money for most of us. Just look at the global reach of the sport and then compare the revenue size of the biggest clubs compared to the major corporations. The 500th biggest corporation on the Fortune 500 has revenues apprx. 9 times that of United. Most of the world probably hasn't even heard of 400 of them. Yes, football is a business, but it's so much more than that.

{Ed002's Note - I am not sure what you have "Googled" but the PIK notes were a means to an end. None of it has impinged on transfer policy as I would think as some sort of high-flyer would know. What you are clearly missing is that clubs do not make a profit to re-invest in the team - it really doesn't work that way.

I am glad you don't care who owns the club. Your ignorance will protect you in the longer term.}

12 Mar 2015 00:03:01
I think the way in which the club was brought will always go against the owners but the way the club has progressed as a business under them is impressive, the revenue that been achieved now is what will see the club continue to grow. its just had to suffer in a short term for a long term gain in my eyes

11 Mar 2015 22:51:14
Well we'll just have to agree to disagree on the how or whether the debt affected transfer activity. Empirical evidence would suggest it did.

The issue with the PIK notes was the very high interest rates attached to them. Yes, they were a means to an end, and financially it's worked out well for the Glazers. But they had nothing to do with a means to an end vis-a-vis the football.

I can fully understand how ownership by an institutional investor will push the club towards maximizing profits as a primary objective, but i don't see how that's any different to what we have now. Just a different set of faces in the boardroom, running the club for business purposes. There's simply no basis upon which to prejudge the next owners without knowing who they will be, how much they're paying, and what their investment objectives are.

{Ed002's Note - What empirical evidence is that? If you truly think that institutional ownership will have no more impact than a "different set of faces in the boardroom" you have absolutely no understanding about any of this. And what is the relevance of "how much they are paying". We avoid these discussions because people like you simply don't understand.}

12 Mar 2015 12:22:08
I don't really mind the Glazers, I would prefer someone who loved football though but they aren't that bad at all. What Ed002 has said about institutional ownership could be a lot worse but we could as easily end up with a multi billionaire owner that isn't bothered about taking cash out of the club.

11 Mar 2015 15:04:13
Fancy having a rant, so if you guys care to listen :)

I don't like seeing my United like this. My United who hold the record for most Premier League Titles. I find myself watching this team and becoming very frustrated, not because we are playing badly, and not because we are getting knocked out of competitions. It is because i genuinely do not believe we are going to win games anymore, when we went 1-0 down to Arsenal i honestly had no belief that we were going to grab a goal back, and when we did i found myself praying for the final whistle, not for more time. I'm not sure what it is, and i am not tactician myself so i won't try and decipher what is actually wrong.

All i know is that some really dumb decisions are being made, by players and the manager. Fellaini as a number 10? No. It's embarrassing when I see Mata on the bench with Curly the Giant on in a genuine attempt to outsmart the opponent. Fellaini is very good at what he is told to do, be lanky and annoying. But there is no way he is ever going to outsmart someone. If anyone see's themselves up against him, you stand off, let him bring the ball down, then tackle him. Simple. Seeing Herrera being brought off for Carrick who plays exactly the same as Blind? Very strange, i don't know why so i won't blame LvG.

Players now, and Di Maria is the centre of my attention, what's happened? He was so predictable on Monday, down the right wing. CUT IN! Even Ashley young was going at his man and not just cutting onto his better foot. Valencia isn't a RB, never has been, never will be? so why is he playing there? He was used as a stop-gap by Fergie a few times and all of a sudden he's an out and out RB for Moyes and LvG.

Just bored of it tbh and i want the summer now. Top 4 is a must but i wouldn't be surprised if we don't get it. Bring on spurs.

I'll end on a positive note as i like being one of the positive ones on here.

Who else saw Rafa's goal? WHAT A PEACH!

11 Mar 2015 15:38:29
Good post Harry. On a positive note at least we don't have the FA Cup to worry about and can focus on the league, hmm

11 Mar 2015 16:19:46
Thanks Beast,

Sharing your frustration now :)

11 Mar 2015 14:11:16
Got a bit of time on my hands (as you would expect being a student, haha) so I thought I would do a fairly long post explaining my thoughts on A) Why Van Gaal's tactics are not suited to the club and B) why Simeone probably fits the clubs mold better than most other managers.

Starting with Van Gaal.

Look at the two of his past clubs, Ajax and Barcelona. Ajax are a club that have been built on the foundations of technical footballers with a mantra of, keep the ball so the opponent can't score and try to control every area of the pitch. It is plain to see that Van Gaal holds this mantra close to him. This mantra unfortunately leads to 'unnecessary possession' which we have seen all too much of. This tactic followed him to Barcelona, a club that was built on the foundations of Cruyff, a legend who was brought up in the Dutch way and again, slow, controlled, possession fueled tactics.

Compare this to our beloved club. For the last 25 years and back even further from that we have had the philosophy of 'Attack, Attack, Attack' - so much so that the crowd even shout it in games. This has involved us outscoring teams and seeing legendary attackers like Charlton, Best, Law, Giggs, Ronaldo etc. grace the pitch. If the opposition scored no worries, we will score more. SAF perfected this philosophy playing with 2 strikers that complemented each other and formed a partnership - Cole & Yorke, Rooney & Tevez etc. Never have we seen this slow build up, possession obsessed style that takes time to grind the opposition down. A crowd that is of varying ages and experiences will not all unite with these new tactics, even myself at 20 do not see any appeal to them - it is not the Manchester United way, but it is the Van Gaal way.

How can you change a man's beliefs in his mid 60s who has 30 plus years experience and has won pretty much everything that can be won? The Dutch way is so ingrained in Van Gaal that he will not change, he cannot change. Now, I have no doubt that given 2, maybe 3 more seasons that he could make the Dutch philosophy work, but the overhaul of players is going to be monstrous - the team in 2 years bare little if any resemblance to the team that we see today. Do we need this change in philosophy as a club?

My thoughts on this is no, we don't need this change in philosophy. The Manchester United way is age old, and even at the age of 20, I am proud of it. I hope that for many years that the 'Attack, Attack, Attack' style of play stays with us as it is more exciting and has proved to be successful. So why am I saying Simeone? Well I would like at this point to also mention Ancelotti who has proven at Real Madrid to be a very attacking coach who goes for goals (probably in part to having Benzema, Ronaldo and Bale up front). He is too old to build and continue a legacy though, does an older manager need the task of managing Manchester United, a job that is equally as challenging as managing Real Madrid and is one of the hardest jobs in football.

Simeone is a maverick, a man fueled by passion. His Atletico team is not built on mindless possession. He encourages pressing, commitment and attacking at speed which he feels creates more opportunities and is harder to defend against. And you can't deny that he is wrong, winning the title last year is testament to that with spot on tactics that are hard to play against. An organised team, but one with attacking intentions whose goal is to win the ball back quickly and then get it forward - like a Manchester United team of old. I encourage you to watch some of Atletico's performances last season, countless times did they win the ball back near the half way line and get it straight to Costa who was already bursting forward to get a chance at goal. This is what we want to see, get a Vidal winning the ball in the middle and passing it straight to a waiting Di Maria or Rooney to drive the whole team forward.

I would love to hear all of your guys thoughts. This isn't an LVG out post, this is trying to be constructive and generate debate.

Banter please ed.

11 Mar 2015 14:50:05
Arsenal fan in peace. I think that's a top post there. LVG strikes me as a stubborn man (Wenger-like in a way). They have this thing of going against the tide and trying to prove a point and this is detrimental o the team sometimes. Sometimes coaches have to be flexible and address glaring errors even if it's the media that mentions them first

11 Mar 2015 14:53:52
Not being funny Fresh, but do you honestly think the manager watches the performances and thinks the team are any where near how he wants them to perform?

Siemone doesn't speak a word of English, I believe. Not sure the club needs another manager who struggles to convey what he wants from the team.

As it stands, the manager is doing what the club have asked him to do. If he achieves top four at the end of the season, then, IMO, the club will give him more money to spend. And I guarantee he knows full well what he needs this summer.

The team hasn't performed for a number of reasons. Not having the required personnel to properly implement the managers ideas has forced him into going against his own philosophy in a bid to achieve what has been asked of him: CL football next season.

That is my thoughts on the matter anyway.

11 Mar 2015 15:01:15
Good post Fresh. I agree, LVG has some great characteristics that were needed after the Moyes debacle (confidence, gravitas in particular), but he is too far the other way and we are paying the price. This is Man Utd, it shouldn't be LVG's guinea pig to prove his ideas on football are correct, we are too desperate and as a result he is systematically changing everything within the club, some of it needed improving without doubt, but we wanted a fresh lick of paint and maybe an extension, he is knocking down the house and building a water boat!

Not sure about Simeone, I like him, he is passionate, intelligent, but there is something I just don't like about him. I can imagine him screwing us over the second things don't go his way, just a hunch maybe because he is a greasy Argie that did England evil (1998).lol

You all know I don't rate LVG so I won't bang on about that. I just think we are selling our soul to a guy with nothing to lose and everything to gain. If this season has taught us anything it is that the team has to be a team and not just a random collective of very expensive individuals and bizarre managerial decisions.

We need a steady, intelligent, young, progressive manager who will move with the times rather than attempt to change everything to suit their out dated ideas on how the game is meant to be played.

Poch or maybe Klopp for me.

11 Mar 2015 15:07:41
But Sam, is this the sort of style of play that the club wants to move towards? Away from attacking to controlling and boring? I'm not sure and influential people like Charlton, Fergie and to some extent Giggs can't be liking such a huge move away from the Manchester United way.

11 Mar 2015 15:38:53
Fresh, do you watch Atletico on a regular basis .
It's very effective, hard working, lots of goals from set pieces and gets results but they are by no means a joy to watch

11 Mar 2015 15:44:12
Beast

Klopp is who I wanted to see last summer!

11 Mar 2015 15:53:26
Fresh, again, I don't believe that the type of football we are currently producing - although some of it has been good IMO - is the type of football the manager ultimately wants to see when he has all his pieces in place. He has said as much on a number of occasions.

I can imagine the man is under a lot of pressure ATM. He probably doesn't trust certain players to deliver so he is looking at how best to win games, as opposed to playing a more expansive brand of football that might back-fire on him.

If we get into the top four this season, I believe that next season, things will be a lot more positive.

11 Mar 2015 17:00:16
Sam
If he can't handle a bit of pressure he is in the wrong job

11 Mar 2015 13:41:20
Some very strange things i see on this site.

A post further down the page about Varane last night, he was bad yes, but not awful.

Im not slagging the post of because everyone is entitled to their opinion. I just find it quite odd how feelings about players change as often as the wind. Varane is a good, very young center back. Very young being the words i want people to focus on. Due to media coverage an comparisons with greats almost every young player who shows a bit of talent now has an enormous amount of pressure piled on them from a very young age.

Varane will be a good defender, great? Maybe. No-one knows and to be honest no-one can tell. I just don't like seeing comments about how we shouldn't attempt to sign him because of a bad performance, HE'S A REAL MADRID STARTER FOR CHRIST SAKE! You wouldn't see Evans, Jones and Smalling anywhere near that pitch.

11 Mar 2015 19:04:56
No one said he wasn't a good player Harry but last night he was infact awful. If any of our defenders played the back pass he played (Valencia ahem) he would have been terrorised by folk on here.

That being said the whole Madrid team bar Ronaldo were poor hence why they lost and conceded many goals.

11 Mar 2015 12:48:38
ED do you have any idea about the contract situation of DDG and Wilson?

We need to tie them up with good contracts asap. Have we even offered them a new contract?

{Ed002's Note - I really don't know nor care about contracts. I have explained the situation with DDG on many instructions.}

11 Mar 2015 05:38:11
Clarity - just responding to your post below mate about how this years team is better than last years.

First off all singing Di Maria who played out of skin last year should have improved the team dramatically. He should be the guy to pick match winning passes, score goals regularly from midfield and inject the urgency and pace that we lacked last year.

Secondly, Falcao (who hasn't turned up this year) was one of the most coveted strikers in Europe last season. On paper he should be banging in a goal every second week but when given the chance he has been asked to play with his back to goal which is not his game. Other than RVP (who hasn't been great) no other striker in our squad last year has his pedigree in front of goal.

You add in Ander and Blind who are young but established in their trade with their former clubs we should have more energy, power, creativity and movement in the middle of the park. Also Mata and Fellaini should have settled more having already had time to bed in.

In defence the additions of Rojo and Shaw to replace the old guard should have shored up our back four. Shaw was the best LB in the PL last year (behind maybe Baines) and Rojo is a versatile defender who is athletic, pacey and can head a ball. On paper these additions were good ones.

That's just a small portion of my thoughts as to why the squad should/is better this year. I think it's plain to see the squad is in better shape than last season.

11 Mar 2015 09:04:45
I think we have a better squad of players this year

11 Mar 2015 09:42:04
Great post JMB - Just want to add that when you also add the fact that Januzaj should be further along, we have no Europe so more time to work things out and for players to unite on the training ground and most importantly, virtually all of our existing players had a massive point to prove on account of their diabolical form last season.

It simply is not good enough!

11 Mar 2015 09:58:47
How many games has shaw played? And is he yet a real improvement on Evra?

Is Rojo as solid as Vidic, Smalling as Rio?

Fellaini has improved but you state time and time again how you don't want him to play (make your mind up)

I stated in my post ADM and Falcao should be a yes in those depts if they played to their previous potential, but they havent

People still saying they prefer Carrick to Blind you included so is that an improvement?

Was Kagawa not established in his trade or Giggs? With people crying out for 442 is a Blind hererra duo an improvement on carrick and giggs?

You can't say the team has had an improvement based on a players potential and expect everything to be working better now, the former counters the latter.

11 Mar 2015 10:19:38
Clarity - you are comparing players in their prime 3-5 years ago or longer, Giggs, Rio, Vidic & Evra were a very long way from their best last season. The players we have signed are a massive upgrade on paper from the 2013/14 season.

11 Mar 2015 10:22:04
Come on, Clarity. Our whole defence was being slated on here for being too old. Evra was the whipping boy, Rio was too slow, we might have kept Vidic at a push, but showing his age. If you asked most Utd fans, they would have told you they all needed replacing as they'd gone downhill.

Ditto with Giggs. Kagawa had maybe two good games in his Utd career. How come, in your view, all these players are suddenly irreplaceable?

11 Mar 2015 10:23:18
I think my biggest issue is how disjointed we look, we don't look like a team, we look like a bunch of individuals and unfortunately most of the time not very good individuals. I think we have a better squad this year and that is why we are doing better, but like Beast says, it is not good enough and the next 5 or 6 games will show where we are really at. If at the end of the next 6 games we are still top 4 and we are looking more like a team then it will be fantastic (and somewhat of a miracle), but it is looking less likely that it will be the case.

Watching on Monday I felt like we were a team that needed ripping apart and starting again at times, too many average players, and that is worrying when we have so much talent that has cost so much. That is not to say this could change in the next few weeks. It was always going to be hard when Fergie left, but not sure many expected it to be this hard. Finishing top 4 would be so important for the players' confidence.

11 Mar 2015 10:35:38
Shaw is a better player than evra was last year.
Rojo is a better player than rio was last year.
Herrera and blind is probably a better combo than carrick and giggs last season although carrick and herrera would be even better imo.
Falcao and di maria should be big improvements also mata, who i would play in the 10 before fellaini should of settled .
Infact our squad has improved to an extent mata can't get a game

11 Mar 2015 10:37:23
I never mentioned them being in their prime I have only referred to last season

11 Mar 2015 11:23:17
Vidic was injured or returning from injury for most of last season, Evra was a liability, and Rio isn't even good enough for QPR. Giggs was 40 last season, so if the argument is a 40 year old who spent most of his career as a winger is a better option than Herrera, then you're so desperately clutching at straws you'll soon have enough to build a thatch cottage.

It's not even a debate that we have a better squad this year, because we obviously do. The problem is that van Gaal doesn't rate or trust or want a lot of our new players. Falcao has under performed, but has been far better than RVP. Yet he has barely been given a look in. Herrera has been our best cm, but van Gaal is always on the cusp of dropping or subbing him. Shaw is a young lad in need of game time, but van Gaal rarely gives him a full 90 min, and this means Rojo is being moved from the centre. And poor Mata has to watch as Fellaini cements his place as the creative pivot of our midfield.

We have seen an improvement since we moved to a 4-5-1, but it's hard not to think that van Gaal wants to write half our most recent signings off because they aren't his type of player. The best managers work with what they have, van Gaal seems to be playing favourites and not getting the most the new players at his disposal.

11 Mar 2015 11:33:19
So if all them players were still available you would all pick the current 11?

11 Mar 2015 11:39:29
NouCamp I am not saying they didn't need replacing or that I would prefer them over the current bunch I am merely asking are the current replacements so much better than what was rolled out last term to justify finishing any higher than what we have? which is atm a 3 place improvement

11 Mar 2015 12:24:34
The only player we lost from last season who might have been anywhere near the first 11 this year is Vidic, and that's more of a reflection on Jones, Smalling and Evans.

11 Mar 2015 12:34:46
We are doing ok but I don't see it getting any better under lvg. Someone on talksh1t said that with uniteds recent run of results(arsenal aside). The team should be playing with real confidence but they look no further on than early season. There are I believe fundamental issues concerning lvgs approach to the modern game and other humans no matter who we have. There is little doubt we have some quality players but blind being first on the team sheet and bringing on janujaz for some creativity boggles the mind and is less based on talent and more on who will tow the party line.

11 Mar 2015 00:12:31
No offence, lads. But I look down the page at some of these posts blaming everyone but ourselves, and think we're starting to sound like Liverpool fans.

11 Mar 2015 01:36:06
NC99 - we're both most definitely in agreement.

11 Mar 2015 06:51:59
I don't think many are not blaming ourselves Stevie mate, myself I'm questioning some decisions but in the grand scheme of things most accept we threw that game away mate.

11 Mar 2015 08:54:19
Chris, I'm not getting at you. I understand totally the point you were trying to make about the Di Maria incident. The problem starts when others start coming in with, 'what about that one', and 'what about this one', and before you know it, a bandwagon of self-pity has started rolling.

I just take a more overall view, rather than re-examining every incident in minute detail. Di Maria should have been sent off. It doesn't matter whether the ref got his cards mixed up, or showed inconsistency after the incident with Hart. It doesn't make me lose sight of the overall fact, that Di Maria grabbed a ref and had to go. When we start nit-picking decisions to cover up our own inadequacies, then we're into Scouse territory.

11 Mar 2015 13:29:41
Stevie,

But what about the Bellerin one? ;)

11 Mar 2015 16:42:09
If you're talking about the one on Young, about ten minutes before he was brought off, I never in a million years thought that was a booking, mate. One of the commentators said it at the time - not every foul deserves to be a yellow card, although I understand in the heat of the atmosphere, why Utd fans were calling for it.

Still thought Young was a tout, mate :)

10 Mar 2015 23:09:05
I though the first half last night was great, like the old days fast attacking & pressure on the ball with good tempo. Substitutes changed everything, can we please try blind and Carrick holding, Herrera in the centre and Mata, Rooney behind Wilson up top. He has tried everything else!