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15 Sep 2012 23:38:20
What do you guys think about that picture of buttner and kagawa showing the middle finger to our rivals?
What will fergie say?
What I don't understand is the presumption it is towards our 'rivals' and not just a photo with a friend.
Footballers aren't robots, they do have fun sometimes you know.
MPez
15 Sep 2012 22:45:19
To misquote a former England manager with a predilection for weather girls and lifts in his shoes, "First half not so good, second half good".
First half was sadly typical of so many of our performances over the last few seasons - pedestrian, staid and predictable. Even my ten year old turned round at half-time and said to me, "they don't play like they used to when I first started watching them"! :)
Second half, definite improvement, with both debutants looking promising, better tempo, quicker in the tackle and closing down, and good to see Johnny back playing, though Nani continues to cause me to swear in front of my son.
I've supported this great club a long time, and it never ceases to amaze me, no matter the personnel, how much of a better team we are in the second half - are the players so childlike that they have to get a telling off before they do what they're supposed to do?!?
4/10 first half, 8/10 second half. Nice to see a few goals and a clean sheet, but concerned if we continue to start so sluggishly against the bigger teams, we could find a game beyond us before SAF gets a go at them...
StevieK
ps - lets show our class next week guys, and give the occasion the respect it deserves.
pps. and while we're in a classy mood :), can we please give Evra the respect he deserves as someone who has been a great servant to the club
Part of the reason fir what you describe could be I think,that a lot of teams who play us are "really up For it" and put everything into the game - making it very tight especially in the first half. By the second half they are knackered and have trouble keeping up that level of play
15 Sep 2012 22:25:25
I think we will have to play 433 against Liverpool next week due to them over running our midfield so I would put Cleverley, Carrick and Anderson in there with Kags on the left Valencia on the right and RVP up top. I think that would be enough especially with the energy of Clev and Ando
15 Sep 2012 22:02:37
cannot believe the slatin off nani once again after a game wen he played well, looked a threat throughout the game, never got a shot on target but we know hes capable ov screamers. but put in some dangerous low crosses beat his man a few times and gave 100percent, corners wer bad as always but i cnt for the life of me understand why fergie doesnt select a different player to take them. even if u disagree with evrything jus leave the moanin out anyway cos its borin, we all know most peoples opinion on the matter but for now hes still a red
1991devil
So one of our more creative attacking players only beats his man a few times, puts in some dangerous crosses whilst continually putting in terrible corners and not hitting the target? Well that shows exactly why he gets abuse. For a guy that is somehow rated at 30m by some on here that's f**king carp full stop!
Jono
Spot on. Not a huge Nani fan but thought he looked v dangerous today.
AJH
Nani took one corner and it was a short corner... it was giggs who was woeful from set pieces but I agree that nani is being wrongly slated when he was one of our better players
RedKnight
Redknight
Nani definitely took one long corner which as is usually the case didn't go beyond the first man.
The moment that typifies Nani was in the first half, through on goal and produced a hopeless chip in a situation where it was almost impossible to chip the keeper. I maintain that Nanis problem is in his head , his football brain and decision process, at key moments he makes the wrong decision. That chip yesterday was a classic example and I believe that is why the club wish to sell him because you can't train his instinct.
Red Man
Red Man, another example was when Nani shot and missed at the end when he could have played through Welbeck. Our problem last season was not finishing off teams and getting punished for it later in the game, nobody would bat an eyelid if he misses when we are 4.0 up, but when it's 1.0 or 2.1 and he does it, it can be extremely frustrating.
Sydney!
Red Man
Sorry, but as somebody who works in sports psychology you're talking nonsense.
Its not his instincts that need changing it is his behaviours. If identified these can be re-programmed in a matter of days. NLP, CBT etc.
Its what made Andy Murray successful this year.
Timbo
I think the ball bobbled... But agree, why oh why didn't he put his laces through it like Ronaldo used to, might have ended in row z with bobble, but more chance of hitting the target and troubling the keeper. Think some people should recognise the fantastic play to get him through though... And the run he made. Now we just need a coach to tell him to stop F'ing about and blast it!!
DodgyBanter
I honestly have no idea why people hate on nani so much. yeah he has his bad days but who doesn't? he played really well v. wigan.
Timbo
I would welcome your assessment of why United with no doubt the best sports psychologists available have not resolved Nanis issues?
The fact is he continues to make poor choices when in key positions so if he can be reprogrammed as you suggest why hasn't he?
Red Man
Timbo
One other point was that two esteemed ex pro footballers at the highest level were discussing this very subject in relation to Walcott the other day and they were of the opinion that you can't change their instinct at the decision point. The same is true of Nani. I am looking forward to hearing how you think it can be done and why it hasn't been done already when it is obviously a problem
Red Man
Guys just give it up. The club will sell him as soon as a respectable offer comes through and rightly so. You should watch Navas last night from Seville and that is what I call a proper winger and doing it against a Real Madrid back four which are all very good.
Shahram
15 Sep 2012 21:34:58
Happy with the second half performance today, the clean sheet being the most important thing. However, the next 6 or so league matches are going to be difficult,we play Liverpool, Spurs, Arsenal, Newcastle, Chelsea and Stoke; as well as having champions league and league cup games sandwiched between them all. I would personally be happy to take 13 points from those games, though obviously i would hope we would win every one.
In terms of our "best team", i don't think there is one, because of form, and what is required for each individual match etc. I've made a hypothetical one anyway, but long gone are the days where we start with the same team every game.
--------------DDG--------------
Rafael---Vida----Small---Buttner
--------Clevz----Scholes-------
-------------Kagawa------------
Toni----------RVP--------Rooney
Sorry for the long(ish) post aha, thoughts welcomed!
MelonRed
13 points from 18? I'm sorry but we are Manchester united. Only the best will do, nothing else. I expect 18 points straight away
Supasub
Person, there are some very tough games there, 13-15 points would be a very good return
15 Sep 2012 20:18:13
Come on guys feet on the ground time !! Buttner had a good game against a very weak right back who had next to no cover..... He is a very raw and rash player please do not expect him to be Coentrao or Alba all of a sudden Im just hoping everyone doesnt get on his back as soon as he has a mediocre game.
15 Sep 2012 20:09:30
One good game from Buttner and everyone is dissing Evra. The King is dead, long live the King. Evra has been outstanding for many years, he has had a troubled recent spell but one good game from the new boy does not confine him to history. Jeez, have some loyalty....
AJH
You are right, Evra has been outstanding for many years, except the last two years sadly.
Sydney!
Great post, we should show some more respect to a man hus been ov great service to us. great that we have a great young prospect in buttner to take over but doesnt mean we should throw it in evras face
You can not pick a player on history or performances from 2 years ago Evra has been poor for that long I honestly can not remember a game where he has had an assist or goal he is an attacking fullback and should be aiming for 8 or even 10 assists and 5 goals a season especially in a united team which use width constantly and dominate most games.
15 Sep 2012 19:59:55
That really was a game of two halves. The first absolutely awful, our tempo was shockingly slow with no direction in our play, we passed it back more than forward. Welbeck had four efforts but with none on target and won a soft dubious penalty. Welbeck had a good game but didn't look like scoring and that is an issue if he wants to play up front for United. We need him to turn good performances into regular goal scoring or he just is not going to play. Nani was his usual self, through on goal he dinks the ball over the bar, hopelessly, with the resulting a minute or two later rather amusing Via Ronaldo chant from the crowd. The first half is best forgotten.
The second half we came out at least a minute before them, obviously chastised by SAF, then played with a different tempo and closed down far quicker and it made a difference. Nani was frustrating yet again , why do we let him take a corner when he just hits the first player. He also had about 4 shots which didn't threaten, just not good enough.
Rafael needs to learn not to jump in and commit himself, stay goal side, you are taught that early but obviously not in Brazil.
Buttner was lively, a good debut and a good goal. He did well for a debut, got caught and channeled into a corner a couple of times but he will learn.
The debutant who impressed me most was Powell. He stepped onto the stage like he was meant to be there. He has a nice balance, two good feet. People will look at the goal, but before talking about that he hit a 40 yard ball to Chicarito with ease. As to his goal that was a great touch and it looked a natural instinct to hit it, almost Bobby Charlton like. Powell may have something a bit special and I remember a few debuts who have gone on to be great and this may be another. Good result on the second half performance after an utterly forgettable first half
Red Man
Powell is special, he's 18 years old! He looked the part and will only get better.
AJH
15 Sep 2012 19:54:49
Review of today's team in my opinion:
GK-Lindegaard: Wasn't too busy, made decent saves but I would prefer De Gea starting more often.
RB-Rafael: Great attacking made some good link ups with Nani and crosses into the box. Defensively I was getting frustrated at times, he seems to drift forward to much and (sometimes) not make an effort to get back.
CB's-Vidic + Rio: Overall happy with them as usual.
LB-Buttner: Wow, just wow. I think we have found our future LB he just seemed to do everything Evra didn't do in the previous games, Defends, attacks and can pass. Very happy
LM-Giggs: Fairly happy with his performance, some of his passes frustrated me though.
CM-Scholes: As usual bossing the game.
CM-Carrick: He had a good day today, good passes forward and defended well, I think him playing as a CB has really helped him tackle!
RM-Nani: Well as usual, Nani being his self! Made good runs at times etc etc. But still frustrates me and other fans, I think he is going when the window opens again.
ST-Welbeck + Chicharito: Made good runs and passes, I really want Hernandez to get more game time though, he doesn't seem the same as he usually is all he needs is a couple of games under his belt to get up and running but I don't see it happening this season. Welbeck was good as usual IMO I love his little tricks and ambition to score good goals.
RVP, Powell and Evans were great when they came on! I loved seeing RVP comforting Powell before he came on, you could see he was nervous and when he celebrated his goal with him was great.
Do you agree with my statements? Tell me your opinions on certain players and who you think was our best player today.
My MOTM: Buttner obviously!
-JakeW
For me, Scholes, Buttner, Welbeck and Hernandez stood out... And Giggs played very well, back end of last season he looked shocking, which is hard to watch when it's a Utd legend.
I'd agree with Buttner MOTM... But would warn against getting too excited, everything went for him today... One poor wingback rather than a winger + fullback..and he had the run of the ball.... That said, he played very well.
Ginger prince was incredible, again... He scored goals ;)
DodgyBanter
Agree wiv most, i thought giggs and welbeck were excellent though, buttner did very well but u nearly creamed ur trousers there mate, he still looks a bit raw but hes a very good prospect
15 Sep 2012 19:53:36
Few fantastic things about today:
1. Obviously the debuts, fantastic start nuff said.
2. Giggs and Scholes showed so much class, it's been said so many times but they deserve it.
3. Clean sheet!
4. Subs...
01 De Gea
06 Evans
07 Valencia
23 Cleverley
26 Kagawa
20 Van Persie
25 Powell
I know we would of liked to see them play. But that's the most intimidating subs bench you may see all season. And we don't even have Rooney, Fletch, Jones or Smalling back. Seeing the bench just sitting there made me me smile ear to ear. We are not reliant on Rooney any longer.
4. We didn't win by just a goal. 4-0 is a United result, and what i've grown up watching time and time again and why I chose Man United over all the others when I was 3.
5. Was interested to hear that Fergie thinks Powell is the one to replace Scholes when he retires...
Red Joe.
Fully agree with your point regarding our subs bench, it has been weak generally for the last couple of seasons but having top quality players to come on in the latter stages of matches this season could make the difference. Let's hope
Also agree it was great to see us winning by 4 clear goals toady, top defence AND top strikers is what United should be about
Gav
15 Sep 2012 19:46:39
Just seen the goals on ESPN app. Powell's and Buttner's were brilliant, Hernandez and Scholesy doing what they do best. Looks promising going forward this season.
An Dun Red Devil
15 Sep 2012 19:28:44
Buttner is as good as alba.
Lets not jump to the gun here. He had a great debut, but it's just one game.
Sydney!
Lol!
Give him a chance! Let him get at least a few BPL games under his belt before you go putting the poor lad in the "best in the world" category!
DodgyBanter
You are kidding right? Everyone please do not get carried away. He had a great game but also worried with some of his tackling as he goes in with studs showing sometimes. saf is absolutely on saying he has a few rough edges and needs to work on them. great engine though:)
Lol didn't take long! Didn't you know Cleverly is better than Xavi too?
Gav
Haha, come on! lets get real, buttners a good prospect, hes still got a lot to prove
15 Sep 2012 19:23:49
Fabulous performance by Buttner today....If I was Evra I'd be seriously worried. Cracking goal by Powell and all.
Dundalk Red
If you saw his (Evra's) face near the end he was definately was.
Red Joe
15 Sep 2012 19:18:01
I love it when the new signings do well straight away, come on Buttner, Powell...hic... More vino tinto please.
Supasub
Haha. Ditto! ;)
DodgyBanter
15 Sep 2012 19:12:05
A good second half for us, lets forget about the first 45! I think Powell had a great game...he looked so calm in possession and picked out some nice passes. Quality goal too! Really hope we get to see more of him in the central midfield role and I'm eager to see how he would perform with Cleverly. Buttner was outstanding, Evra's face after he got his goal said it all I think! Nani was nonexistent, to be honest I didn't notice he was playing until the half hour mark. Welbeck did a good job, was disappointed he didn't get a goal as I thought he deserved it!
The big thing for me is how we're going to pick our best starting XI. IMO, it has to include De Gea, Vidic, Buttner, Valencia, Cleverly, Kagawa, RVP, Rooney and Welbeck. Maybe a 4-2-1-3 like we played against Fulham? Not much room for Valencia in that formation though! Any opinions folks?
Andy!
Don't worry about picking the team, we have the best manager in the world to do that. Just be grateful it's a becoming a tough decision to pick a starting 11.
Supasub
Agree with most of your 'starting 11' players but certainly not Wellbeck! Am still a fan of his and hope he progresses this season but he's far from the finished article we need at the moment IMO
Really chuffed for Buttner and Powell today and can't wait to see Kagawa and RVP back on Wednesday night!
Gav
15 Sep 2012 19:04:12
SAF wasn't as complimentary of Buttner - a bit rash and rough round the edges he said - doesn't sound like he's ready to replace Evra full time just yet - expect to see Evra back at left back next week if he's fit
N.I. Devil
I think his comments were probably aimed at keeping Buttner's feet on the ground! Debut match for his dream club and he gets a goal and has a great performance...but he needs to know that we won't be first choice for a while yet. While I think he should be played ahead of Evra, you don't simply walk into Evra's position after one good game...just how it goes! SAF's comments were, I think, designed to make Buttner realize there is still some work to be done until he's ready for the first XI! I think he's great though and would put him in front of Evra regardless!
Andy!
That's good management IMO, taking away all of the hype. No matter how Buttner played today it was better than Evra has played for years. He is better defensively and offensively than Ev, but he still needs to take a little time to settle in.
Sydney!
I agree - hope that is the case
N.I. Devil
Syd
Your love for Cleverley balances your disdain for Evra. Evra has not been the player he was...but to say his legs have gone and that Buttner is better attacking and defending? Harsh my friend, harsh...
AJH
AJH, I like Evra as a person and appreciate the graft he has put in for us over the years, but he has been poor for at least two seasons now and he is not going to improve. His legs HAVE gone, the same as Giggs', Scholes' & Rio's have gone. The difference is those three have adapted their game to deal with it, Evra hasn't and to be fair he never will be able to. When a fullback loses his speed and cannot get up and down the field quickly enough, all a fullback can do is stay back and defend. Well that defeats the purpose of having Evra as he isn't a good defender but was great going forward. We are not a charity at Manchester United, if a player can no longer cut it then he must be replaced, Evra cost us numerous goals last season and the season before. Clubs were purposely targeting him as our weak link. I can understand why the manager never acted in 2011 as he thought Ev needed a good rest after not having one the previous summer due to the WC, but if the manager never acted this summer it would have been negligence on the manager's part. Sadly we couldn't get Baines, but Buttner seems to already be better than anything I have seen in Ev since 2009/10 season. If he continues with these good performances then he will take Ev's place permanently by Xmas and Ev will be replaced by Fabio in the summer. I do not have a love for Cleverley, just feel every player should be given a fair crack at becoming a United player if the manager rates them and SAF clearly rates Cleverley.
Sydney!
15 Sep 2012 18:19:39
Hooooooyyyyaaaa... I hope we wont see m7ch of evra this season after buttner performed so well..
Wish some1 can get rid of boaring carrik.
Rodio17
I'm hoping being left out of the team will spark something in Evra and boosts him so he can get back to his best.
He's played so many games in the last few seasons a bit more rest and we may see the best of him yet.
Red Joe
I'm hoping someone teaches Rodio17 to spell. Buttner, 1 good game. Carrick, years of solid and dependable service.
AJH
Red Joe, Evra is well past his best. His legs went a couple of year's ago. We will see Buttner slowly take over from Evra this season and Evra is almost certain to leave this summer.
Sydney!
15 Sep 2012 18:17:48
Now this is called making an impact. Scoring goal on debut. This will make SAF think about them when he picks up the team next time.
15 Sep 2012 18:17:26
Gotta say I was very impressed with the performance of Buttner today. Defo man of the match and well deserving of his goal. If this is a sign of what is to come I dont think we will be seeing too much of Evra. Looking like a great signing. Also top finish by Powell. Well done lads
Hilliard
15 Sep 2012 17:56:04
nick powell the new darron gibson?
What?
G.A.G.U.S
Er no, better quality player.
Please no
N.I. Devil
Are u serious?
Just abit a banter
15 Sep 2012 17:43:36
Frequent reader and first time poster. Love the site and can't end the day without going through it. Awesome performance from us today. I loved the way Buttner player. Hardly made a mistake today if i am right. I got a feeling Evra is going to be on the bench for sometime to come! Powell was very good too. A sweet shot to get a dream debut goal. I felt he was a little nervous coming on though. Keeping his passes sideways and safe but I think he'll be a huge part of our team in the coming years. Might take sometime to adapt to the deeper role. Totally agree with someone who had posted that Van Persie is doing a great good for the dressing room spirit. Powell for one has taken to his shadow. Good to see and would only do him a world of good. Plus the Ginger Ninja striking on his 700th appearance along with draws for City and Chelsea. Wonderful weekend :)
MUtdFCfan_chennai
15 Sep 2012 17:13:06
Great to see Bambi put on a masterclass in losing possession and falling over. Rooney and Kagawa cannot come back soon enough
Unnamed poster, writing negative comments after a 4-0 win. Shocker.
CnM
You must be great fun to live with, your glass is half empty isn't it?
AJH
I'm sorry, after beating Wigan 4-0 at home, expect us to win the quadruple going undefeated in all competitions!
Didn't leave a name? Huge surprise!
Gav
Iff hes talking about welbeck then he obviously didnt see the game cos he played very well was a constant threat
15 Sep 2012 17:06:06
Great debuts for both Buttner and Powell today. Just goes to show how strong a defence can be when you have four defenders instead of three. We pretty much played our second team today bar a few players, this will enable us to play our strongest line-ups midweek and for the UCL game. I think this team is pretty much what we will see against Newcastle in the League Cup, accept we will probably see Ev playing instead of Buttner and Buttner playing against Gala and Liverpool. Powell has the ability to score from anywhere outside the box with both feet, so getting him blooded into the team is something that we must do right. Could be a world beater one day ii he progresses well. No obvious injuries today so we will have an almost fully fit squad for the Gala game and hopefully the Liverpool game.
Sydney!
Buttner wont play against Gala imo
Pardoe
I know Buttner played class today but I really would not be suprised if Evra is back in for Galatasary and Liverpool, big games for a player that has just made his debut
RedKnight
Buttner will play against Gala and Liverpool IMO, Ev will play against Newcastle in the League Cup.
Sydney!
15 Sep 2012 17:05:32
Very good second half performance, Buttner looks quality. Welbeck doesn't have the greatest technical ability but gives 100% every game. Nani had a few moments but was pitiful in the final third. Overall we have to be happy, 2 debut goals, a clean sheet and a win!
Hoppy
Haha nonesense, welbeck is technically better than ur giving him credit for
15 Sep 2012 17:04:52
We won man utd 4 life good game. We played well
15 Sep 2012 17:03:49
Well about time. thought Rafael, Buttner, Scholes, Giggs, Vidic, Lindegard were excellent. Powell best goal of the game and love the thought of getting RVP,Kagawa,Rooney, Smalling, Fletcher and eventually jones back. We will score a lot of goals this year.
Sorry forgot to mention cleverly, Valencia and anderson as well. this is quite a deep squad. Great weekend especially with city and chelsea dropping points as well. shahram
15 Sep 2012 16:57:54
Very happy with the second half, first half I shall ignore! Great to see Buttner roam the pitch, Evra watch out boy!
-JakeW
15 Sep 2012 16:56:58
Buttner impressive working under fergie he is going to be awesome. good goal bye powell ! Bleeding the youth fergie !
15 Sep 2012 16:56:15
Buttner MUST start against Liverpool.
G.A.G.U.S
15 Sep 2012 16:55:37
Couldn't ask for much more from that second half performance. Also couldn't have picked better players to score. Buttner was outstanding, easily MOTM for me. Very enjoyable.
APC
15 Sep 2012 16:52:34
Well what a great game for Buttner, Nani was dreadful and so was wellbeck..... Powel looked great for what little time he had...
Nani and wellbeck need to go... Little pea was much better than wellbeck, more movement and more hunger
Buttner man of the match
Reddevilfan
Tbh, i think welbeck had a good game. however he really Needs to improve his shooting and decision making, if that was sorted he'd be class!
TRUMORS
Welbeck was dreadful? .. Was i watching some other game?
Not the greatest welbecj fan, but comeon he was not horrible no way.
Deeps...
I agree Nani out but not Welbeck he just needs more conviction and to be lethal in and around the box.... Buttner was phenomenal
Welbeck needs to go after 1 poor game please imo he played well
We didn't watch the same game then Welbeck was alright.
Welbeck was the only player trying to force the game in the first half and although he fell over for the penalty Hernandez missed... I thought he was better first half.
1redarmy
Welbeck is still a working progress and even the manager said he will be a top player in 2-3 years. Be patient.
Sydney!
Welback was alright. I am with SAF on Welback, needs a couple of more years of filling in and could be very good. He is clumsy and bad decisions but he did alright today. Everyone knows my vies of nani so no comment needed. shahram
Welbeck was amazing in the first half and good in the second. Nani got an assist and was a threat throughout. Fickle.
Percy
WHAT?! How was Welbeck terrible, were you watching the first half when he and Butttner were the only ones showing any threat? He showed great composure, technique and most of all hunger through out the game.
What game were you watching?
Red Joe
Nani's play was okay until the final third. Three of his three shots went into row z. I doubt we will see Nani start in all the big games, but he is one helluva player to have on the bench. We have a terrific squad.
Sydney!
Welbeck had one of his better games for Utd I thought
Nani ...meh fed up posting same cant pass the first man at corners et al
Buttner will defo put pressure on Evra not yet but will start playing more
Pardoe
Welbeck played well, a content threat, hes gonna be a great player for us, mark my words
15 Sep 2012 16:45:44
Watching the united game today, and I noticed Van Persie sitting on bench, and he just looked so happy to be part of this club. When he came on you could see him having a talk to Powell, as if he was re assuring him. When Powell scored he ran straight to RVP, as if to thank him, you could then see RVP bringing all the players together in a huddle, he ouzes class and you can tell he is loving his time at United
KevDarko
I think there is just some players that play for the fun and passion just like a fan has then there is some that thrive for the fame and glory..... RVP is of a rare breed that plays for the football and I think that affects the youngsters more especially like Nick Powell who seems to be just like that even with what we have seen of him you can tell.... I just wish every footballer would be the mould of Paul Scholes or RVP.
15 Sep 2012 16:43:26
Once again without a doubt Nani is by far the worst player in a United shirt ! It is beyond ridiculous he always tries too much witht eh fancy stuff instead of the basics..
And yet Welbeck is continuously hailed as the future of our club and England. Astonishing!
15 Sep 2012 16:33:12
Buttners former coach said he didnt think he was god enough for United I believe... Well I know he has only played one full game and a few u21s but I see something I like very much and fergie may have just found our left back for 6 or 7 years
Buttner looked quality quite encouraged in the 2nd half performance 2 debuts and 2 goals ...very nice
Pardoe
Like that scout who said Bruce wasn't good enough for United.
Or the PSV coach that said Park Ji wouldn't get games at Old Trafford
Dils
15 Sep 2012 16:30:09
Don't care who agrees with me but Michael carrick is still one of the best holding midfield around.
Haha,
No..
Cban
I think Carrick is a very good player maybe even excellent player... Fergie agrees aswell which says something.
Carrick is so under rated, wait until he's not playing and see
Pardoe
15 Sep 2012 16:23:55
Giggs playing great, unbelievable how much pace he has at his age. Great to see. shahram
He was awful and needs to retire, preferably January 1st.
You must have watched the wrong game. Still gives us something that we lack when a game is not going anywhere. is a brilliant player for the club and most pl teams would love to have him. shahram
I really doubt most teams in the league would want him, not now no.
15 Sep 2012 16:17:00
De Gea made a huge mistake and he is extremely young for a goalkeeper.. look at Reina he has had no competition for many years and makes many mistakes it is only healthy to have 2 keepers who know they have to be consistent at the top level.
15 Sep 2012 16:01:59
Why is SAF treating DDG like crap, he's our number 1 goalie, he should be playing. Going to ruin his confidence and in my opinion totally unwarranted. The guy has a chance to be a top 3 gk in the world and this is not how to bring him along.
Yeah, what does SAF think he is doing, has he no idea? Or perhaps he does understand how to develop Players as he has been doing it for a while hasnt he? DDG is a great shot stopper but he does keep making mistakes and some of them are bloody silly ones. Perhaps SAF is just trying to get him to understand what is required.
AJH
Grow up mate, if DDG is as good as we all think he is he will relish this competition and come out the other end a world class keeper
Gav
15 Sep 2012 15:51:19
Buttner looks decent , i hope he gets a run of games
15 Sep 2012 15:51:48
If Hernandez knew how to kick a ball sweetly then that early on in the game we would of been 3 or 4 up by half time imo but now its going to be a close one... It should be so much more comfortable against a weak side at home....No creativity, urgency, spark, attacking threat in all honesty the only bright thing is Buttner he has raw pace and is very good going forward.
15 Sep 2012 15:51:01
very average first half guys, hope we do better in the second. I know not our first choice 11 but would have liked to see a few goals. Shahram
15 Sep 2012 15:25:35
two penalty misses in two matches, not good, not good at all!
Buttner should of grabbed the ball & smashed it for 1-0
15 Sep 2012 15:43:05
No that's 3 of us, Anderson is better on the ball and stronger, when we used to play Arsenal Anderson always made Fabregas look anonymous, just had bad luck with injuries
15 Sep 2012 15:42:56
Why in the world was Hernandez picked ahead of Scholes, Giggs, Nani and Carrick who can all take decent penalties and strike the ball better ??
Hernandez takes penaltys for mexico
15 Sep 2012 15:39:28
Can see de gea leaving next summer / january completely stupid decision by alex playing lindegaard ahead of him. De gea is a far better keeper
Disagree, I think DDG will come back stronger
Gav
15 Sep 2012 15:31:37
So this is what it is like to have a left back...
Gar
15 Sep 2012 15:29:20
Javier Heernandez is shocking at penalties every time he takes one it lacks power, decisiveness and it is just awful.
15 Sep 2012 15:26:05
2 penalties this year and as bad as you can take them. hmm shahram
15 Sep 2012 14:42:54
It has really annoyed me that De Gea has no started! It is slowly knocking down his confidence, I thought he did great in the games he played, guess SAF sees differently.
-JakeW
Fergie really baffles me sometimes with his decisions. that 1st half was embarassing to watch utter crap
15 Sep 2012 14:37:22
why is dea gea left out again?!
surely wigan at home, theres a good chance of him keeping a clean sheet and give him the confidence he desperately needs?
TRUMORS
15 Sep 2012 14:33:46
So Buttner is starting today which i'm glad to see, looks like a bit of fresh energy and bit in the back four, lets hope he has a good name. Notice how Evra isn't even on the bench.
Ozwald
15 Sep 2012 14:13:31
I'm really sad to see De Gea on the bench again, he's one of my favourite players and I think he deserves to be No.1. His form has been excellent recently, I know there was a mistake against Fulham but IMO Vidic was just as at fault if not more. I just hope he doesn't take a blow to his confidence. Plus, Lindegaard looked shaky against Southampton especially his distribution.
SB
15 Sep 2012 14:10:11
Evra injured Buttner starts at LB
I am not convinced Evra is really injured. I think the manager wants to avoid playing Evra at Anfield and Buttner would need a game before he goes to Anfield.
Sydney!
15 Sep 2012 14:10:04
De Gea, Evra, Cleverly, Kagawa and Van Persie dont start today.
Team. Lindegard, Rafael, Rio, Vidic, Buttner, Nani, Carrick, Scholes, Giggs, Welbeck, Hernandez
Dylan
15 Sep 2012 14:06:11
I was really busy this past week but i wanted to share my views on a couple of points so here i go :
1- Rooney's fitness. A couple of years ago i was watching a match and i saw one of the worst injuries possible. A Player was injured and many thought that it was the end of his playing days. Weirdly enough 6 months later the same player made his come back and hit the ground running. He was by far the fittest player n any match, in terms of sheer speed, work rate and physical strength. That player is none other than our own valencia. the same summer he had a reccurence of his injury when the steel piece that replaced his broken ankle was dislocated by a bad tackle on international duty. He missed preseason and came back running short on confidence but his fitness was unrivaled. later that season he was single handeldly guetting us back to the title race with countless man of the match performances and he won the fans over. With all that he suffered you can see his professionalism and sheer power of will to stay in shape. And this is the same player that sacked his agent because of his love for the club and the fact he never wants to leave considering that he is paid peanuts compared to other " star performers ".Now how is this related to rooney. our golden boy gets a minor injury for a couple of weeks and comes back overweight and out of fitness ( not that he was in good shape before his injury though ). And that is the player we want to build our team around, our best player who held the club for ransom and disrespected us for more money and some of us even consider him a legend. I am by no means saying he hasnt helped us or he should be sold but still. Our star performer cant keep his weight off is not really nice to see, considering other players experienced much worse and they are still holding it together.
2- Cleverley : I think cleverley is united material and he is good enough to be a first team player but im positive he will never be as good as the likes of scholes. While he is a technically brilliant player, and his energy levels and positioning are good, his passing ( contrary to what sydney! beleives ) is decent at best. His one touch play is awesome to see and gives us another dimension but he has no passing range and tends to play the easy passes and is not able to keep passing the ball forward or even carriying it. So i see a more dynamic version of carrick who speeds up the play but doesnt offer the same defensive stability. He might go on to be the next xavi but his vision is massivly lacking. I beleive anderson can go on to reach the worldclass status, he has everything that cleverley lacks: Passing range ( more gerrard with his hollywood passes than scholes but still ), vision ( last year when we were scoring goals for fun at the start of the season most chances started at his feet ), dribbling, and is always looking to carry the ball forward. Those two complement each other cause each one offers what the other doesnt but im pretty sure if anderson can have an injury free season and lose his weight, his concentration level will only get better and we can have 2 pretty decent midfielders on our hands.
3- playing youth : A lot of you were raving about Paul pogba and the fact that he was dominating games and should be in the first team, a lot would see he wasnt the engine behind a very successful season in the reserves. While he has good ball control and tremendous physical presence, without forgetting the canon he calls his right foot, his awarness, passing, tackling and vision need a lot of work. There was a player though who made his comeback after two years out with his injury. He was considered to be the next totti because of his wonderful vision and technical ability but after 2 years on the sidelines he made his comeback as a central midfielder.. Not anymore the silky technical attackind midfielder, he became a real beast in the middfle f the pitch. he got bigger, faster and much more physical, while his technical ability and vision have all but get better. the only thing that rivals his wonderful passing range is hard tackling. He is both the best passer and tackler of our reserve side. Im of course talking about Petrucci. You can always expect a pinpoint pirloesque long pass from him to the advancing striker, or a through ball a la xavi, or even a 50 yard pass to the winger, scholes style, while also offering some steel none of the afromentioned midfielders do. I see him as a more physical version of pirlo if he keeps progressing the way he has. Dont get me wrong im not dellusional and think that petrucci is already a top class player, but he is our best up and coming talent and i would love for him to get a chance to prove himself. He has certainly earned it with his hard work and loyalty ( after declining an offer from inter that would double his wages ).
Mick
PS: please be kind and go easy on me english is my 3rd language.
I completely agree with whatever u have to say about Petrucci. The fact that he was not sent packing even after that long injury layoff, speaks volumes of his potential.
Come to think of it, i would really really love to see him get a run out sometime in the season.
Deeps...
15 Sep 2012 13:52:01
Seen the post about Anderson having better potential than Cleverley and I agree. IMO neither are good enough to be playing for us, but it's who we've got, so let's make do FOR NOW.
Also, the people saying that Anderson has dropped in form because of injury etc, but you just need to look at that man RVP, he has had one great season and so many mediocre seasons, and that great season was when he was injury free. So if Anderson has the potential (which he has). Then why can't he have a great season like the beloved RVP. The key to his success is obviously to stay injury free.
I've rambled on enough, I welcome the debate...
15 Sep 2012 12:45:22
RE the corner taker debate: we once took 150 consecutive corners without scoring. taker was Beckham.
Brendan
I seriously doubt that Beckham took 150 corner kicks without interruption.
Giggs was often used for in-swingers on the opposite side.
15 Sep 2012 11:37:37
Young, RvP, Kagawa & Rooney might be out.
Also with Nani upsetting the Club by talking to press about his contract situation.
Seems Giggs, Welbeck & Chicharito might be called up.
Could this mean a spot on the bench for Macheda who has 3 in 3 for the reserves?
Macheda is woeful
ShaunMUFC
Oh god I hope not Macheda is rubbish
Pardoe
RVP + Kagawa have been passed fit.
RMD
15 Sep 2012 11:32:38
Can u remember the days when we used to hit 5 past Wigan home & away.
If it was 5-0 who would u want to score & why?
1) Scholes
2) Rio
3) Giggs all on milestone appearances
4) Fletcher on as a sub would be nice
5) Powell to smash a late one in off the bench
This would be a BEAUTIFUL DAY.
1) Scholes because he's Scholes
2) Giggs - milestone
3) Vidic - after his time away
4) Cleverley - needs a goal
5) RVP - Just because he's top boy
Hatrick for chicha,( 1 assist from ando, 1 from clevers and the last one a pinpoint cross from valencia ) god knows he needs to up his confidence and maybe a giigs goal from a leng scholes pass and the last goal is a header from vidic that bouces off ferdinands head and into the corner
I was nearly right with my text Scholes & Powell. Why didn't Giggs take the penalty
:-(
15 Sep 2012 11:09:40
I thought I'd add a little but to the Neville debate.
He wasn't a talented player he had to work extremely hard to the level he managed to get too!
Yes, he was a very good right back but he was safe not spectacular...you knew that when Nev played you'd see a few decent crosses, great link up play with Beckham, Ronaldo, etc. and decent defending.
nev always managed to get the winger onto their weaker foot and push them outside but he also knew when to push them inside (on the very rare occasion that you're supposed to do that).
Here is the common misconception and typical United belief that because he played 85 times for England and 400 times for United that he must be an all time great. - WRONG.
Think about it, through his England career there was not one Englishman who was good enough to push for the international set up. Quite like Ashley Young now, he's a slightly above average player but because he has no real competition people think he's a very good player.
even for United, we stuck by him because he got the job done, did nothing more or nothing less, he was simply a traditional RB.
Also, as for the post (sorry I forgot the OP) saying that Nev wasn't as good as Roberto Carlos...well aside from the fact they played different positions as full backs neither were great, If Carlos never had that 1 in 3 freekick ratio of creating/scoring a goal or the attacking mentality of players like Alves then he would have never been a Madrid player. he was pretty poor as far as fullbacks go in terms of defending.
I mean, if you said Nev wasn't/isn't as good as Ashley Cole, Sergio Ramos, Evra in his prime, both Nilton and Djalma santos, Breitner, Cafu, Zanetti in his best years, or IMO the best full back ever Lizarazu. - If you had said any of those players were better than Nev I would have 100% agreed as bar Zanetti they all offered more than safe defending, they could do special things (not that there is anything wrong with being a safe defender IE Baines). The only reason I've added Zanetti btw is because as a full back NOTHING ever really got past him defensively, I can't really remember a time when he put a foot wrong.
So to sum it all up, Nev was a great player for club and country because of old fashioned hard work and not talent. He was never going to be anything more than he was; A safe reliable full back. He barely made a mistake (although he did make a few, I dare you to name more than 10 in a 25 year + career).
Gary Neville = Safe, Reliable, You knew what you was getting but by no means is he one of the best full backs ever.
The Moon.
We stuck by nev? u make it out like saf was doin him a favour!?Gary was brilliant for us on and off the pitch.He was living the dream of every red manc and what a job he done,i would of not swapped him for any right back in the world!! Without doubt one of the biggest legends in the clubs history
Trebbs99
But notwithstanding his skill level The Moon that still doesn't preclude him from being a legend, there is surely more than just skill that makes a legend .But thats my opinion
Pardoe
Moon total rubbish apart from Carlos, the most over rated player of the last 20 years
What you say has an element of truth to it but in all honesty it was his 'safeness and reliableness' that made him so great for us. I do think if he was at most other clubs he wouldn't be looked at in such high esteem. In reality he was exactly what we needed for a number of years (whether safe or not) and he was United through and through which gave him that extra 10%. One of United's greatest RB's? Yes. One of the world's best ever RB's? No. He just oozed that never-say-die- Unitedness that gave him the edge and made him...dare I say it...great...whilst wearing our red shirt
Gav
15 Sep 2012 11:05:10
I dont mean to nit pick, or evidently i do, but Anderson won the CL in his first season. So unless he had a particularly stressful season and aged 2 years, the ages aren't quite right.
TK-Red
15 Sep 2012 10:54:56
would like to see anderson cleverly and kagawa as midfeild 3 obviously with kagawa and cleverly switching between there roles. cleverly and anderson just need a full season !!
15 Sep 2012 10:31:21
As a lfc fan can I just say a big welcome back to Mr D Fletcher hope this is the start of the rest of you playing days.
Chris r
Wouldnt expect him to start games for a while but when he does play he will definitely give us a bit more drive and energy in central midfield!
andydee mufc
Crikey, it's a love in. Fergies comments worked ;)
GDS
15 Sep 2012 09:15:19
hi guys,i know gary is legend but he was not the best fullback in the world i remember a lots of games where he made huge mistakes and when that happen'd we lost those games,but he was ok as a player,manchester united fan so i have seeing gary play since 1993 so he was ok as a player but not that good as some people think he was he was not cafu r.carlos he was no near them as a player,(sorry spelling)zee
So an ok player gets 500 games for man utd and god knows how many for england ive been supporting utd since 75 hes the best utd right back weve had in that time imop granted not as good as the exalted cafu and carlos but a top quality player for utd and england . by the way has their been a better right back for england since he retired.
Yeah right. Over 600 appearances for United, 5th highest ever. 85 caps for England, captain of both club and country. Without his late injuries he would have passed 100 caps and probably another 80 appearances for United. He may not have been Cafu or Carlos, but he was our captain, a United legend who never gave less than 100%. SAF and several England Managers picked him continually. To describe him as 'ok' is insulting.
AJH
Cafu made plenty of mistakes too. Don't be fooled into thinking players are superior just because they have a foreign name.
TK-Red
Gary Neville improved with age IMO, like a fine wine lol. He made fewer mistakes as he got older and his best years were in his late twenties. I was particularly impressed with how good his crossing had become over time - I'm sure David Beckham's influence had a hand in that side of his development. As someone else has said Neville was not the most technically gifted of players but he made up for that with hard work, desire and tactical awareness. These are the qualities that made him one of the best
Gav
Roberto carlos was nowhere near as good as a defender as gary , he was good goin forward but main thing he was remembered for was that goal--------------phi;
15 Sep 2012 09:03:08
Line up for today:
De Gea
Raph. Evans. Vidic. Evra
Carrick. Cleverly
Valencia. Kagawa. Nani
Welbeck
Although I would start Chica ahead of Danny.
The much hated: PJ
Are you purposely leaving out RVP or do you think SAF was telling porkies and in-fact he is injured?
I will stick with my team from a couple days ago before we knew if RVP was fit:
___________DDG
Rafa___Ferdy___Vidic___Butt
__Clevers__Carrick__Scholes
Valencia___V.Persie___Welbeck
Sydney!
I think giggs might get a game
jred
Jred, on the left of a front three, left wing or left side of a midfield three? I wouldn't be surprised to see Giggs play today either.
Sydney!
15 Sep 2012 08:53:34
This may be a stupid post but it's just an idea!
Firstly I think we would all agree that rivalry, banter, chanting etc is very healthy for support and great for creating atmosphere, however it is only these when it is football related.
In light of the recent findings, fergies words yesterday and I am presuming every other true football fans thoughts do you think it would be good if the true united fans started a chant next week in a positive manner for hillsborough? Ie the "justice for the 96" one?
I think it would help diffuse any unhealthy animosity, show that we are true football fans and help get back to the proper football rivalry.
Just an idea guys
Karllap
Completely agree with you, but I think it'll be difficult to do so if Evra is wrongfully booed again.
15 Sep 2012 07:45:12
Gary is a legend. And for a decade he was the best right back in England, Europe and probably the world. If he had been half a foot taller her would have been probably played at CB IMO. Great player, LEGEND.
The much hated: PJ
15 Sep 2012 06:44:21
Seeing as Fletcher is back in the squad (great news that he is back), can somone tell me how well he has done in the reserve games. Don't have MUTV and streaming is extremely expensive. Thanks
CDS