Manchester United Banter Archive January 15 2015

 

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15 Jan 2015 20:25:12
What happened to the thread (by Deeps?) about 3 best players?

Believable2 Unbelievable0

16 Jan 2015 13:27:15
I think it ate up space or i missed a "nasty" reply. Ed002/04? I am ok with it being removed for whatever reasons.

Deeps.

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{Ed002's Note - It was cluttering up the banter page and should have been on the other page.}

15 Jan 2015 21:25:27
Last year when the papers serialised Roy Keane's latest book I gave him a hard time based on the headline comments that were being published. Well, I've read it now and I was wrong. I'll go as far as to say I like him: a man of principles who knows right from wrong and stands by his beliefs. It's a great read and I warmed to him the more I read. I also walk away from things if I am unhappy and it has caused me grief over the years but integrity and principle is very important to me so I could relate to how he was treated at Sunderland and Ipswich. Roy is a complicated man, yet also incredibly simplistic in his approach. He has a temper that's for sure and perhaps doesn't know when he needs to apologise but having read his latest book, I like him enormously more than I did before.

Believable5 Unbelievable0

I agree totally mate. Keane is a top man in my book. Yes, he is very outspoken and can go over the top sometimes. He doesn't care what he says, or to whom he says it. But he is as honest as they come in my book, and most of the people that are offended or upset by Keane simply don't like the truth.
He is seen as very demanding and critical, but he backs that up by judging himself by those same standards.
How we could do with a Roy Keane in the team now.

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I agree 100% with you both, his an honest hard worker who gives it everything and demands that from everyone he works with, I met him in cork once and you couldn't meet a nicer person he spoke to my 5 year old girl more than he did to me and to this day she loves him, a big picture of Roy and herself in her room.

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16 Jan 2015 00:32:20
Legend.

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Oh what i would give for a Keano in our current team. i am sure that if we had him today in our team we would be getting back to our best. Its no secret that in the decade he has gone we have had no REAL captain in our team or a captain who would demand the team put in a shift and not play like its a sunday league game down the local park.

Keane vs Yaya on the pitch. what a battle it would be.

On another note what CM in todays game would have the same or similar attributes of Keane to lead us

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I was at Keanes debut, great player, real leader, I hear a lot of scouse dominated biased press spouting off about Gerrard being the greatest midfield player in premier league history, he never touched the heights Keane got to. I have the book to read and look forward to it.

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He wants everyone in his team to give 100 per cent which is very good a more fiery version of Simone giving 100 per cent was something he always done as a player

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I honestly believe that if one man could change our fortunes it would be Roy Keane. Just having him in our midfield today, no player would slacken off during games and everyone would double their efforts. He was an inspirational leader that we have never replaced. Edwards, Crerand, Robson and Keane. How we could do with 1 or 2 of them now.

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I don't know reddevil fan, gary neville was a good captain

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16 Jan 2015 09:56:56
Spb, yes he was but imo he didn't get close to Keane as our leader.

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I'd hire him as our manager, no messing.

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The term 'midfield general' is used a lot in football. Put all these 'generals' in a locker room or on the pitch together with Roy Keane among them and I guarantee there will only be one general in the team.

He is a winner. It will always be his greatest strenth but also his greatest weakness.

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Keane as manager? What a disaster that would be. Great player but an egotistical hothead who has failed at every club he has managed or coached at. No thanks Beast.

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16 Jan 2015 12:34:54
Thoroughly recommend it, Red Man. Roddy Doyle makes it very readable, too, compared to some of the cringeworthy prose and style that passes for sports autobiographies these days.

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I was with Keanooo all along. He will call a spade a spade. I was infact surprised with what Scholes was getting away with. Keane was being pilloried for writing something on similar lines. I have a lot of time for these folks, but i have zero time for someone like Paul Parker, he always sounds bitter and looks for a stupid soundbite.

Deeps.

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15 Jan 2015 19:48:41
LvG just does not learn, does he? After all the advice he gets on here too . Still making the players think too much, and now Rooney has pulled a hamstring doing Sudoko. Won't win another game before Easter now.

Believable2 Unbelievable2

Don't be stupid. He'll be back end of Feb at the latest!!! ;-)

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15 Jan 2015 17:58:43
I did state at that start of the season united would finish top 4 with an on form falcao. Now united will struggle. Rooney and RVP are past it, no goalscorers if falcoa isn't playing and firing. The one decent midfielder united have is another bench warmer in herrera. No defence and a goalkeeper that is Madrid bound. LVG will likely lose his job aswell. Another rebuild for united this summer if LVG doesn't change his ways and selections

Believable2 Unbelievable7

If Rooney is past it, you might as well consider the entire 1st team 'Pool side as "past it".

Deeps.

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LOL

I suspect after the weekend, Big Al will have another sabbatical that he might never return from.

"The one decent midfielder United have" LOL

That guy is priceless.

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If only we had Lambert or Balotelli or Borini, there'd be no holding us back.

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Like the same rebuild Liverpool are going to have to go through this summer after god knows how many rebuilds before.

Rodgers is a buffoon who talks absolute rubbish. Gerrard leaving, ridiculous money spent on Lovren, Balotelli, Lallana and Markovic with no real improvement to your team. The less said about your goal keepers the better, Valdes chose to be number 2 at United rather than 1 at Liverpool. Sterling burns out very quick and Sturridge may aswell be sponsored by the NHS. Think you should concern yourself with your own much bigger mess than United.

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15 Jan 2015 18:39:29
If we have 'no defence' does that mean lfc have a 'minus defence'?

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15 Jan 2015 18:59:25
LOL few bites there AL. Well I at least hope that was what u were trying to do.

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15 Jan 2015 19:02:04
Liverpool can't rebuild when they were never really built, last season they had forwards yes, but defensivley they were still quite shocking.

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CTR ofcourse
The united page was abit dry.

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420united
Sturridge sponsored by the NHS, that's amusing.
Liverpool aren't in a mess. We will be changing manager this summer imo and hopefully one that just brings good coaching and gives youngsters a chance. there's a good squad. It requires a coach to teach the art of defending and motivates player to improve. Liverpool need one player, and top goalkeeper. The rest of the squad won't won a title but be competitive under a good manager and then build from that.
United do have bigger problems

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Still reeling em in I see All lol.
I think United's problems will always seen bigger because expectation is always so !much higher. Personally, I would prefer United having a younger, more exciting manager, with reasonable but still ambitious expectation. I don't think it matters who is United over the next few years, as he will always be compared to SAF, and will therefore never live up to expectation. Same goes for signing all "big name" players. They just never live up to their billing. No doubt I will get shot down for this, because people expect, and demand, that United still win everything and want instant success.
A good young, dynamic manager along with a mix of good quality young players, with an eye on a genuine rebuilding of the team over the next 3 to 5 years is what I would like to see. And hopefully with more players that want to play for the team, the shirt and the history and prestige of being a United player, rather that just because we will pay them more than anyone else.
But that's just me :)

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Need one player? Your defence is no better than ours. Only Sakho who is any good. Rest are average at best so that throws one player out of the window straight away. CM is no better either Can arguably your best cm is played out of position, lucas is rubbish as is joe allen. Henderson is okay but again he's no world beater. Lallana is decent, coutinho is good as is sterling but other than that there's only really Sturridge of any quality but has spent a fair amount of his career out injured. Your squad needed a complete overhaul even before Suarez was sold. But then you trusted a fool with the funds from that sale, which you can't really deny that he made bad buys.

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15 Jan 2015 21:26:48
Haha Sturridge sponsored by the NHS, best thing i've read on here in a while.

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Page brightens up with me Betty.
I agree with your post but with Liverpool. Liverpool have a sub standard goalkeeper but there's players in the back line to build a solid defence. Rodgers refused a defensive coach and has created this mess this season similar to LVG. Uniteds league position is flattering. Liverpools collapse atm is all down to Rodgers and no one else
I want in a manager that is going to correct defence first. It's all down to coaching.
Rodgers isn't the man to take us forward and LVG is in the same sinking boat

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Theres always survivours on sinking boats Big Al

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Glad Al's back. This page was getting far too sensible!!

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Big All

LOl, I do agree LVG might not the right person for our club but stop taking nonsense about rooney being past it.

Rooney is still the best player England has produced in so long. I was never a fan of him because of the transfer request but as a player he is still an incredible player who would start for every club on the planet.

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15 Jan 2015 17:17:15
Is anybody else worried that the numerous areas of the squad we need to strengthen with World Class talent will become much harder due to how the likes of Herrera & Falcao are seemingly being treated.

Could the bad press about Falcao's treatment put off elite agents and players from working with us if they have alternative options?

Believable5 Unbelievable11

15 Jan 2015 18:31:16
Di maria whos world class has said he's really enjoying life in manchester and he recently said something positive about LVG.

Falcao has mentioned he's enjoying his time in Manchester. Granted he hasn't had the most game time but maybe LVG doesn't want to risk him getting injured and maybe LVG is learning that players need rest or and is learning that he needs to reduce the intensity of his training sessions. People blame lvg for all our injuries but when he rests a player who i might add has just come back from a serious injury which has kept him out from early last year till September he gets slated!!!

He can't win with some people can he!

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I think the Falcao situation will be decided in the next few weeks. if he comes in for RVP and plays well, scores and the team improve I think he may yet stay. I think he enjoys the club, just maybe not being on the bench.
All will be revealed as to who we can get if and when we get CL football. players will come regarless of what happens to others as money talks.
Personally I think we need another 5/6. shed pushing 17/18 players and bring through the promising youngsters.
Well we did all say this was a transition year!!

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15 Jan 2015 21:39:59
No one really knows enough about the Falcao situation to have a good opinion on it. let's see what happens in the next few weeks first.

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Could it be that falcao was actually injured byt lvg didn't want people finding out otherwise itd put more pressure on falcao

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16 Jan 2015 09:56:51
I wonder who LVG has in mind to replace Falcao, RVP is not a long term solution. How many strikers are out there that are better than Falcao for 50m? There can't be many.

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Part dingle

Have a look at Dybala, albeit only videos he looked to have good balance and strength and we have been linked

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{Ed002's Note - Palermo are looking to have Dybala sign a new contract but have made it clear that they will sell for €50M - a fee which will put off most clubs. Dortmund and Arsenal have a declared interest but I suspect the fee and his small size would put them off.}

Thanks Ed, I recall Dybala is who Phil Neville raved about a while ago

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15 Jan 2015 16:54:43
new to the site long time reader love the banter.

anybody heard anything on dea gea contract talks?

Believable1 Unbelievable0

15 Jan 2015 14:55:27
{Ed001's Note - We have posted a new article entitled, Manchester United and Falcao

Believable0 Unbelievable0

15 Jan 2015 15:57:00
Thanks for posting this Eds.

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I still think there is a chance he will stay.

The fact is, most in the media are assuming and stirring things up. It could all be a storm in a tea cup.

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15 Jan 2015 13:42:53
What do people make of the quotes from Pogba about still loving United?

Was he just answering a question put to him and the media are putting 1+1 together and coming up with 11?

Or is there more to it? Considering he recently signed a new contract, I can't see him moving.

He is some player though, closing in on best midfielder in world?

Believable0 Unbelievable0

15 Jan 2015 13:58:32
For Pogba see Anelka.

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He'd be who I would buy if I was in charge. In a midfield three alongside Rooney and Herrera, insane.

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15 Jan 2015 14:40:38
I know it might not be a popular view on here, but I don't blame Pogba for leaving. Ultimately he was proved right. He was ready to make the step up and play in a big clubs first team and not only to perform, but to perform well making many match winning contributions.

He showed hunger and desire and like all top players self confidence. I have heard it described as arrogance, but why should he be happy to see his progress stiffened?

I would buy him in a heart beat and also admit we were wrong to let him go. I would hate to see him end up at City or Chelsea.

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I don't think we have any chance, he has chelsea or man city hot on his heels.

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15 Jan 2015 15:01:28
It was a good idea for him to move to Serie A because it's not the most competitive league, not as intense, you have more time on the ball. It was good for his development. Will be interesting to see how well he does in one of the top 3 leagues.

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Those quotes give us hope, don't they? Pogba would be my #1 target in the summer. Great talent, and so versatile.

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He will go to City. Yaya is not getting any younger.Him and his agent will be looking for a move to Spain 3 years after that, all for huge money. They are true greed. If he loved United he wouldve stayed. He doesn't he loves money.

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Pogba is not in the wrong. It is fergie who is totally to blame. personic decision not to play him. And it might help our cause if Ferguson said so publically.

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SAF would never publically admit he was wrong.

He would be a great buy, but I don't think we are even in the running.

And like Galway Red said, I doubt his next move will be his last. He will ultimately end up in Spain, if he doesn't just go straight there.

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Id love him to return then get depay and hummels and a rb in this window

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15 Jan 2015 19:03:50
Why would saf have played him when he was refusing to sign a contract and his agent was hawking him around since the previous summer? He knew exactly how good the player was and would have integrated him if he was willing to sign the good contract he was offered imo. This debate will rumble until he retires though I am sure.

As it turns out, the move has been excellent for him. He would be an immense addition to our midfield but I have no idea where he is likely to end up.

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Honey badger

I was at the Blackburn game when SAF played Rafael and JSP in central midfield instead of a young talented Pogba, it was an utterly ridiculous decision and we knew that on the day that Pogba would be frustrated.

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15 Jan 2015 12:43:24
hi eds, just read that Falcoa is a permanent done deal. any truth to this ? thanks in advance

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{Ed002's Note - No - I assume Twitter.}

If this turns out to be true then it means LvG is leaving at the end of the season :P

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Don't do twitter ed, eurosport i think it was

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15 Jan 2015 12:06:03
Eds thanks for the site as always.
I have written a 'Blog' post on Falcoa that I would like to request is put onto the 'Blog' page, that is if you approve it of course. Am I able to submit it to you and if so how would you like to receive it?
Many thanks,

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{Ed033's Note - hi KingGiggsy, would you like the 'Blog' post to go onto our Football News Views articles site?

You can send your 'Blog' post using the same posting form you used to send your above post

15 Jan 2015 12:57:57
King,

I know you might think this is me being a grammar nazi, but please spell his name right on the blog post, I am looking forward to reading your thoughts.

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I tried finding few aeticles recently done by Moon and Shappy but don't seem to find it.

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15 Jan 2015 14:34:53
Ed033 that would be great. My Blog post is as follows:

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{Ed033's Note - KingGiggsy's article about Falcao and Manchester United is now up

Just found it. Great read Moon.

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King Giggsy great post just read it, if falcao does go because of favouritism i'd be extremely angry.

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15 Jan 2015 11:38:19
Its not the defeat, or the dropped points that worries me. Its my worst fears of LVG wanting to play the 3-5-2 as his long term formation at United that worries me the most along with the lack of chances created. So whatever little chances come our way, the strikers are too much under pressure to finish them off, an anxiety of sorts has set in and we miss.

Overall, its a bit painful to watch the tactics and management (or the lack of during the game), and for me, the final straw was when instead of playing a more quick passing style to stretch them, we employed a hoof it up to Fellaini tactic. It was a bit embarrassing and shocking to watch a United side do that in the final 10 minutes of the game. It was right out of the coaching books of Sam Allardyce, Tony Pulis and dare i say that name, David Moyes.

Is this what a club that is looking to be back to being the best in Europe and has just spent 150mil in the transfer market supposed to be doing on the pitch?

I am trying hard to find positives, and those who have read my posts for a long time here will know that I have supported and defended even the indefensible sometimes, but there is a line. I was really looking forward to seeing a return to a 4 at the back and unleashing our fit firepower on a Southampton side that was right behind us in the table and putting them in place, but when the team was announced all of that went away, and it was almost predictable how we were going to play. Even in Sir Alex's latter years when didn't play as well, we created 4-5 genuine goalscoring opportunities every game.

Di Maria was one of the best players in the world last year, he is a dribbler who when given space ahead of him to run into, facing the goal, can go past opponents with devastating speed and turn a game on its head. He single-handedly changed the UCL final and destroyed the Germans in a recent friendly. Yet, we saw him employed in a role where he needed to play with his back to goal and hold up the ball. You don't need to be a genius to recognize that he has little to no body strength to play that way, its simply not his game and its no surprise that he didn't affect the game at all.

Wayne Rooney who is one of the best goal scorers in the world was played so deep that he could simply not influence the game. RVP played yet Falcao who seemed to be coming into form was not in the squad. Herrera doesn't get a start? The one creative buzzing energetic midfielder we have doesn't play 90 minutes. It really is a bit baffling.

I understand if LVG wanted to get more of his attacking players on the pitch, but its completely getting negated by the fact that this system simply prevents us getting the ball to them quickly enough and in dangerous positions. Then there is the question of whether this is the Manchester United way. When I think of United the first thing that comes to mind is the wingers/wide forwards like Best, Kanchelskis, Beckham, Giggs, Ronaldo stretching teams, are we taking that United identity into the future with this system?

We have the perfect squad to play a 4-3-3, yet we persist with this system, only because of LVG's stubbornness and failure to adapt. All great managers change and adapt, yet LVG seems unable to do so. The only difference I see from last season under Moyes is that he has managed the media better, but that has been helped by the likes of Arsenal, Everton, Liverpool playing poorly. We should have been out of sight by now in third place, chasing the top 2, yet we lie in 4th barely.

His record at previous clubs is a 50-50 mix of spectacular failure and success, but how long can we use that as an excuse to give him time? He needs to change the system or it will all go downhill, and I will be hoping that we see that in the next game.

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I agree with you Redfaith.

Now that RvP is injured I think it is time that we play Rooney, Falcao and ADM as the front 3

Carrick, Herrera, Fellaini can play as the mid 3

And then we can have 4 at the back.

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Really good post that i would agree with all of it

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No surprise that everything you say is bang on for me Redfaith.

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Redfaith. A month ago, I would have disagreed with you and said that injuries had prevented us from seeing what lvg is trying to achieve.
But now we have nearly the full compliment of players, he had three defenders on the bench, no falcao in the team, and Herrera, our best midfielder does not start against the most energetic team in the league.
But the thing that annoyed me more than anything else, is the fact koeman said that they know that United build up is slow due to the three CB's and they exploited that. So the other managers can see this but lvg insists on doing it. I know both of these as they live on my road in Portugal and koeman would have taken great pleasure in telling lvg that he beat him tactically. So why is lvg insisting on playing with 3 at the back when it is so obvious that it is not working? A great manager has to adapt, but I'm seeing that lvg is just digging his heals in to prove a point and it is costing us big style.

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15 Jan 2015 13:02:53
RedFaith,

I agree with pretty much all of that also, well argued points and no desperation and panic which has filled some posts over the last few days.

I hope / expect that we will see a better United side from now on, we have a run of winnable games and hopefully we will see a few goals and that will give us confidence to play more expansively than we have seen. I agree the formation needs to change as soon as possible, if he sticks with it this week then it does appear we may have to live with it and see what happens.

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REDFAITH

I said that Sunday was a watershed moment for me, the players were available yet he chose to go 352. I was disappointed at his choice.
What was disappointing was the lack of determination to get behind the defence. Shaw was right in front of me and often crossed in front of their full back instead of getting behind, alternatively he passed back.
I can't disagree with much of what you have said

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15 Jan 2015 19:12:08
Great post, you certainly have identified all the issues most fans will be worried about.

We have a run of 6 epl games coming up where there will be little excuse for not achieving good results and better performances. My opinion of LvG may well be shaped heavily by how we bounce back during this period.

I said I would be happy with top 4 and still believe he should prob stay if he achieves that. But the performances and attacking fluidity do also need to improve, even if not to the level I would expect by next season.

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15 Jan 2015 05:02:36
Regarding the Glazers 10 years.

Firstly, the amount of money that's gone out of the club in finance costs, has been enormous, but we cannot know whether another owner could have increased our commercial income so dramatically. One suspects we would not have this massive rebuilding job to undergo, but. let's face it, that's only conjecture.

The one thing I think we can say is that the Glazers, and us fans, have been very lucky. Had SAF not been able to maintain the success, especially after we started unloading our very best players, the picture could have been very different. If, say, we'd stopped qualifying for the CL 5 years ago - would we have been able to cover the debt?

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Why worry yourself with ifs and buts, especially when we have prevailing hurdles.?

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mbd