Manchester United Banter Archive March 13 2013

13 Mar 2013 22:40:06
Just wanted to say how much I enjoy this little distracting escape from the stresses of daily life, and I wanted to thank most of you (the others can prob figure out who they are) for making this such a great little community where we can all be crazy fanatics together. If any of you, not the YouNeverWinAnything trollers, but any of the real members from here every find themselves in New York, lemme know, and I'll get you to a proper location to watch the United match with proper fans. Again, thanks everyone, even the Editors, and keep it going.

Wow, great offer KG, I've been a couple of times but sadly don't think I will be coming any time soon.

Until I was married I had no time for Internet now it's my only friend! The modern day shed for men to escape too, haha

Snakey {Ed007's Note - Wasn't it porn that the men kept in sheds back then...oh wait, got you now Snakey, say no more ;-)

I could be in new york in the next month or so mate, love the city!
Chris the REDman

Nice offer KG, no plans to head to the US at present but that sounds like a fun thing to do at some point.

Right, I'm back off out to the shed, I mean work!

HBadger

13 Mar 2013 21:58:04
Not United-related, but my God what a day! Betted 4 quid on Arsenal winning the match and 4 quid on Malaga winning their match, added the match-odds. Now I am 300 quid richer, what a fantastic day.

ZigZag

13 Mar 2013 21:21:02
The referee in the bayern/ arsenal game is so one sided. I seriously think there is something going on regarding British teams.

Supasub

13 Mar 2013 18:59:33
regarding champions league, I am not too bothered we are out because I don't think we would have won, I know as a united fan I shouldn't think like that and we can beat anyone on the day but I just don't think we would have got to the final. I thought in the way we went out we can hold our heads up high and focus on the league and fa cup with out european games affecting our squad in the run in. so it was the chelsea game that really got to me considering we were 2 nil up, it really reminded me of the everton game last season except we played better in that match but lost concentration, we just didn't seem interested in the second half including the fans which after tuesday was dissapointing. I thought fergie would have really picked them up and been able to see out the win against his old foe rafa but these things happen. will be hard to go to the bridge now but aslong as we don't slip up in the league I will be very happy, really don't want city or chelsea to win anything though so would be great to knock them both out the cup then have an easier final.

13 Mar 2013 16:23:29
why do we play so deep? all the other top teams in europe play high up the field and push the opposition back but we seem to sit back let teams have the ball against us.

Because we don't have enough pace in defence and our midfield isn't strong enough to dominate other teams, which would enable us to play further up the pitch. If we played a high line with the team we have now, we would concede far too many goals on the counter attack.

TK-Red

Bang on I've felt that's the reason we play and build posession at such low tempo. It helps nullify the threat of being caught on the counter as the team can better hold its shape as the spine of the team lacks pace

Hopefully, once we strengthen that area in the summer, we might start to see us play with a higher tempo and further up the pitch as is the Manchester United way.

TK-Red

13 Mar 2013 15:39:43
Just thought I would give my views on our squad and what I think may happen over the summer for next season.

Goalkeepers - De Gea will definitely stay as the boy is quality.
I think we may sell Lindegaard and get a better quality gk in to challenge De Gea more.

Defence - I think Rio will give it one more year before going to West Ham next year. Evra will also get another year before being moved on with Fabio for back up and hopefully to prove he is good enough for the position permanently with Blackett as back up in the coming seasons. I don't see Fergie spending any money on the defence this summer unless it is a young player for the future. He will see how Fabio goes and if necessary get someone in in summer 2014 along with a possible replacement for Rio.

Midfield - Scholes will retire (again) and I think Fletcher will. Anderson will be moved on as he is far too injury prone, has too much lead in his behind and prefers to party rather than keep himself in shape. Cleverly is a good squad player and will fill in when needed but we need a top quality CM in alongside Carrick as we all know. Powell will continue to get a few games and develop further as will Jones when needed. Giggs and Kagawa will also get games in the centre next year so I can't see more than one player coming in unless again it is a youngster for the future as its not Fergies way unfortunately.

Wingers - Looks like Nani will be on his way as he can't agree a contract and we have Zaha coming in for competition with Valencia. Valencia will still be here next year and hopefully we will have found a solution for his back problem because he has been woeful this season but not because of a lack of quality or effort. Depending on who Fergie is targeting Young may move on because we have Welbeck who can do a job out wide and if it is Rodriguez he can play left or right and we will also have Giggs to help cover next season along with Kagawa. Young just isn't United quality, never was and never will be.

Strikers - I'm 50/50 on whether Rooney will still be here. There have been rumours he is going and I would never believe Fergie when he says he isn't as we know he will lie to help keep pressure etc off for the run in. It all depends on who Fergie is looking at buying, whether he thinks he is worth a new contract and if Rooney will sign one for less money than he is currently on as he won't get the same contract again as he will be 30 by then. If we are going to sell it would have to be this summer to get any decent money for him as next year we would only get half of this summers fee. People have been talking about Hernandez going but I just don't see it tbh. At the moment we have RVP, Rooney and Hernandez who are good enough to play upfront for us as Welbeck isn't a good enough finisher to be considered I don't think. Even if Fergie was to bring in Lewandowski or Ronaldo I don't see a need to move anyone on unless it is to help bring in funds. We would then have 4 quality strikers with Henriquez and Keane as possibilities for the future.

So, I think we will see a better quality backup GK to fight with DeGea, a top quality CM which we are screaming out for, a player like Ronaldo/Rodriguez who can play out wide either side and through the centre and a centre forward. We could get Ronaldo AND Rodriguez and cover both the wide and centre forward purchases with the ability to interchange with great fluidity. The cost of these 2 may be far too high though so it could be Rodriguez and Lewandowski.

Ronaldo's agent has apparently told him to stay one more season which seems like he isn't going to sign another contract. If this is true then Real have no option but to sell this summer because as with Rooney they will get half as much next summer so it is going to be very interesting. Sir Bobbys comments on him the other day were very interesting I thought, saying he would 'love to see him back' and would 'welcome it but he can't say any more than that'. Does he know something we don't or am I reading too much into the final comment? We will see at the end of the season.

Bring on the double and bring on July, I think it might be very very interesting.

Thought I was signed in guys sorry

Brendan81

Perhaps Mendes has told Ronaldo to stay for a year because we want the fee to go down? Madrid cannot force him to leave and will not ommit him from the first team. When he has a year left on his deal and is 29 we will be looking at around £30 million for him at most I would of thought.

13 Mar 2013 10:56:02
I no that we all have our dislikes about players. But really if players were that awful fergie wouldn't let them grace the dressing room let alone the feild!

We do need to freshen up and head into a new direction, only 3 players I would get rid off are evra, anderson and valencia

Evra has been solid yes but his time has come I think

Anderson, is not fulfilling his potential and needs to be moved on

Valencia - will not return to the same player and also not good enough to take on his man!

Replacements- Baines, munian and cabaye!

When I look at who we will sign relaistically these are who we have looked at and could afford!

Big no to baines tae fabio any day

strootman munian quintero

13 Mar 2013 13:19:01
whilst I agree with your outs I think a case can be made for any of the wingers to be shipped out. Anderson hasn't reached his potential but neither has nani. Don't agree with your ins. Muniain has struggled this season. Cabaye isn't anything special certainly not worth the twenty million newcastle want.

I think Valencia might just return to top form, I think the club are prepared to give him time. We won't be interested in Muniain, we won't go for Baines given that Evra, Fabio & Buttner will be at the club next year. Cabaye is unlikely also.

I'm glad I'm not the only one who thinks Valencia could get back to form. So many people on here calling him cr;p, one trick pony etc have short memories of Toni v terrorising defences last season. He's had a really bad break which has thrown his whole body out of kilter but with time and Pilates/physio etc he can get back to his best. I've had a similar problem and after about 2 years I'm starting to straighten out and I haven't had the quality of care he'll be getting.
At the end of the day he is model pro and has been very unlucky he deserves our support not our derision

Snakey

Well said Snakey.

There's people on here defending players who have not lived up to their billing on a fairly regular basis - I'm as guilty as anyone with Anderson - yet vilify Toni for one poor season.

The difference being, surely Toni has enough credit in the bank since he started at United, especially last term, with his consistency and work ethic, to allow for one bad season?

If it proves that his injury has had a long-term, permanent effect on his ability, then fair enough, but let him have a chance next season to show it.

13 Mar 2013 02:59:19
Shappy, you said

" I can't see us spend so much on a player of that age. Then there is the point that I feel we need someone who offers more of a "presence" in midfield. "

Which players would fit the bill in your opinion?

13 Mar 2013 08:10:48
We need a complete midfielder. We play with a double pivot system rather than have two or three players with specialised jobs. Thus are midfielders need to have good reading of the game along with vision, excellent passing and good in the tackle, they need to be able to drive forward and be able to help shield the back four. But more than just what skills they have what we need is someone who'll lead the team in the middle, somone who'll push the team forwards when we are struggling. Some one with a presence in the middle.

As for the realities we live in, the club won't spend inexcess of 20m on a player over the age of 28 imo as we are run as a business and there isn't any angle of investment in a player over that age. RVP was an exception or so i've been told.

As for Modric I don't think he has that prescence we need plus he'd cost close to or more than 30m. As for who I think would be a good option? Strootman, Witsel, Lars Bender and Khedira all fit the bill. As for who we can get, well that's a different question.

13 Mar 2013 01:02:58
Kagawa put the team formation into very difficult situations. He's the only one of our attackers who is best suited to a more exotic formation like those being used throughout Europe, 4-2-3-1. 4-3-3, etc. He's not strong enough for CM in a 4-4-2, and he doesn't have the pace to attack on the wing. If we play him behind a lone striker, than we have to play with either Rooney or RVP on the bench, or Rooney on the LW where he's far less effective. it's not Kagawa's fault, but he's best against lesser competition when we possess the ball in the final third, not against top teams when we too often sit back and wait to counter. Nothing shows this more clearly than his not being chosen against Madrid as he didn't suit the tactics SAF chose. With this defensive/countering style taking place in more and more of our matches, even against teams not City, Chelsea, Madrid, I just don't see how Kagawa will get enough time, in the right places, to develop into the player we need to be. Flexibility is great, but I worry that we aren't buying/building with a clear tactical preference. Flexibility is good, being able to be very good in lots of formations is good, but you still would like to be great in your preferred lineup and formation. Something to think about long term.

You make some good points, however, we can play rooney and kagawa behind rvp, that will give us Rooney's strength and power and kagawa's passing ability.
We will have to sacrifice a winger which at the present time is not such a hardship as Valencia and young are not contributing anything.
It will also give us a more solid formation as we are not too open in the middle.
However, saf likes to play with two wingers while the rest of the world has moved on.
We have seen barca in the past few years, and we have done nothing to try to emulate them.
Nomidfield

So SAF just spent 17 million odd pounds on him for the sake of it? I mean I do get where you're coming from but your post does come across as if he was a bad buy. which he clearly wasn't!

Kagawa I believe is best played in a 4-2-3-1. and we have used that formation on quite a few occasions this season. The problem is, I don't see Rooney as being good enough to be behind the striker in a CAM role, this should be Kagawa's position. It was where he was best at Dortmund and I think this season he's been at his best for us when operating centrally.

I could certainly see him doing very well on the LW (as he has played there successfully for his national side), but he needs a better LB than Evra behind him I believe.

I am an ENORMOUS fan of Kagawa and think he's a future world-beater. This post was not meant as hating on him at all, but he does seem like a player who's style fits a Barca/Dortmund/Arsenal who like to possess the ball in the final third and aren't as direct. I still think he'll be a starting XI choice for years to come, but the fact remains that most of our players are set in pretty formal 4-4-2 positions, and he's the one player who doesn't fit cleanly into any of those positions. Personally, I think we need to be more flexible with lineups and try some more narrow formations (not a prob with Evra and Rafael for width), especially as a 4-4-2 is based on having a dominant CM pair and having dangerous wingers. I think its safe to say we fall short on those accounts. I never expect SAF to give up on the 4-4-2, but if he doesn't, I think Kagawa might find himself a square peg in a round hold.

Andy, a better LB than Evra. The last few years I was one of his biggest critics as I felt he had given up his defensive responsibilities, but this season he's been on top form, and I can't think of a single player i'd pick over evra at LB, not Baines, not Alba, not Marcelo. Maybe in a year or two, or maybe a year or two ago, but don't bash Evra, bc there's really few, if any, out there who are better.