Manchester United Banter Archive December 18 2013

18 Dec 2013 22:09:39
Interesting lineup today, and while it wasn't our best game, it certainly showed some good points.

Moyes seems willing to try a different formation to the 4-4-2, rely less on width and try to play through the middle. It didn't really work since only 24% of the play came through the middle, which is very disappointingly the absolute lowest in the league.

It might have been a bit different had Anderson, and to a lesser extent Cleverley, managed to raise their game a tiny bit.

Over 43% of our play comes from the right, and it's quite easy for a manager with a good tactical sense to block the right side, and take us out of our comfort zone. We need a more modern winger than Valencia, someone who can cut in and create play, not only run to the byline and cross. Di Maria is the best option out there, but maybe our interest in Everton Ribeiro and Cabella shows Moyes is actually trying to perfect the 4-2-3-1.

Our passing also needs a bit of tuning. While Anderson, Cleverley and jones al had good passing stats, Smalling and Evans didn't. They try to over create and times and play long balls, but we have relatively tiny Attackers, so it was always set up to fail.

And Evra needs replacing asap. He's becoming the Evra of 2011, a disaster waiting to happen.

18 Dec 2013 21:47:54
Credit to Moyes he got the shape right. Always a tough game at Stoke especially in the conditions. But as has been said a few times we needed to have the three in the middle and compete. The shape was right but the personnel not quite slick or sharp enough around their box. A couple of quality additions would make a difference and Welbeck was not as good tonight as the weekend. Young improved after the goal but lacks the pace and directness to be a permanent fixture for me. Credit where due Cleverley particularly and Jones had good games against a team that are awkward and gain advantages with niggles. A shout for Evans and Smalling as well.
Improvement but we need to be quicker, sharper with guile around their box and faster to break. We need to cross when we have the chance as sometimes the forwards are breaking into the box and out wide they stop and turn back.
Good result at a tough place to go and well done to Moyes for the right tactics.

Finally, I knew you would eventually come over to the dark side:)

Good performance against a difficult team. I thought smalling was very good defensively and did not give crouch anything.

Let's hope we don't get city in the semis and want to see an all Manchester Final.

Its a good draw for us. Hope we can beat Sunderland.
I would still like us to play with more control, but conditions were difficult, so we've got to give the team full credit.

As much as I would love to see a Manchester final, I'd be delighted to see us end up with West Ham. For Moyes to get that first trophy, all be it the smallest one, would be huge for him and would give the squad confidence to push on for future campaigns.

Albeit a small trophy but wouldn't the community shield be Moyes' first trophy, even if all he contributed was basically team selection and maybe a few words to the players?

The community shield is a shield not a trophy and doesn't really count as a main trophy.

18 Dec 2013 20:54:45
I think Young and Anderson should steer clear of the set pieces. Cleverley is the only one who have made a decent cross. It's difficult for Cleverley to take them as CB's get forward and it's Cleverley's job (and Rafael's) to defend against Stoke breaks. I guess that's something Ando can do next half so Cleverley can take the corners. When RvP and Rooney aren't playing you need to have someone who can put a decent cross in, Young is struggling right now.

18 Dec 2013 20:19:48
Just watched the players being taken off, because of the hail, at Stoke. Ref was absolutely right. Of more concern, to me at least, was whether it was worth watching. Is this really a United side, boring and one dimensional, not the Utd I grew up loving and admiring.

2-0up away at Stoke very defensive

We have been boring for the last 3 years, for the most part.

18 Dec 2013 19:33:05
So guys the end of the year is approaching and I thought iI would give u all my top 5 posters from this calendar year, they are as follows

6th - *Redfaith*, a late comer but I do enjoy your posts

5th - *GDS*, consistent

4th -* Redman*, very knowledgeable, althou I dnt alwaye agree he does start good debates

3rd - *shaps*, keeps this page going at times with his in-depth posts

2nd - *Mick*, is there a player I will ever throw at u, u dnt know lol
And my first place this year goes to *drum roll*

1st - *Brendan*, I find I pretty much agree with everything u say mate, top work this year!

Big shout outs to Fresh, syd, Redman Stevie K, GCU and AJH althou I doubt he will see this(hope new job is going well) also to the trolls and dolls such as Marcellus, lfc, baz and DG good work guys :-)

P.s much like fifa if any1 cares to chuck me over a few pounds i'd could change that list :-)

{Ed004's Note - That's 6 ;) }

But Ed it is the season of goodwill :-)

No ed its 5 if re drinking the vino I am ;-)

{Ed004's Note - Unfortunately I'm not}

Thanks for the mention CTR,

My pleasure mate, I love a good bit of friendly banter.

Thanks CTR, I do get some stick on here for my positivity but I just try and be optimistic and enjoy supporting my team. I will try and get top 4 this time next year ;)

CTR

You spelt my name wrong mate.

Good post CTR. I'll join the love in by saying I really enjoy this forum. there are some really good debates and I learn more here about football and utd than every other source put together.

thanks to everyone for taking the time to post their knowledge and opinions.

our club has got some major challenges ahead in 2014. I look forward to enjoying the ride with you all.

Cheers mate. I'd also like to thank the Eds for the brilliant work they're doing.

This is so unexpected, i'd like to thank my wife and daughter for sticking with me through the suicidal summer transfer window, my mum and dad for bringing me into this world, god (AKA Eric Cantona, who else?) for helping us to be the club we are today, the eds for all their hard work and you my fellow posters :-)

Seriously though, i'm glad I stumbled upon this site as it gives me a place to get my feelings off my chest when friends etc aren't around. It drives me insane at times but even then it can be amusing. The eds do a brilliant job and I would have given up years ago, thank you guys/girls for your tireless work. Keep up the hard work fellow posters, we don't all always agree, eh Nomidfield :-), but it would be very boring if we all did and as fellow reds we all want the same thing even if we disagree on how to get it.

Last but not least, can we get some missing posters made up for Kloot? His special form of misery is missed on here :-)

THIRD! well your off the Christmas card list. lol.

But seriously this is a great site and the first one I always go on. The different posters and different personalitys make the site what it is, and I wouldn't want it any other way.

I'm just glad to be part of it, so a big thank you to all of you who contributed to the site this year, the Eds for the sterling work done by them and the posters who even on the bleakest of days provide a little ray of light(ahem Kloot. lol)

{Ed002's Note - Thanks Shappy.}

18 Dec 2013 08:41:58
Predict we will win a tough game tonight and hope we avoid city in the semi's and both clubs get through their semis and then we are in for one hell of a final.

Hope so Shahram. Hope we play the same formation we did against Villa. We can't go in there with only 2 in midfield.
Enkangeme has been given a squad number and that is very encouraging.
I think we will scrape through.

I am looking forward to seeing the likes of Zaha, Nani, Hernandez & Kagawa lead the attack. I expect to see Anderson & Fletcher play in midfield. Ferdinand & Smalling at back with Rafael & Buttner as fullbacks. Lindegaard in goal. It will give these players a good chance to impress, if they do indeed impress then we may see them play against West Ham.

I severely doubt we'll see that type of team Syd. Moyes will be desperate to win a trophy, and this is his best chance. There may be one or two changes from Sunday, but not many.

18 Dec 2013 16:02:19
I hope not Syd, I posted here on Sunday that we have very little chance of producing consistent displays or gaining any momentum if we make wholsale chages following a good victory at the weekend. If the guys that played on Sunday (at least 8 of them) play again and win again this will inspire confidence
Id make 3 changes and bring in any 3 from vidic, smalling, fabio fletch, chich, fellani.
The young nani anderson buttner deadwood brigade have done nothing so far this season or last to warrent another chance

Danny, I would be embarrassed to see our strongest possible line-up line-up tonight. It may be a good idea to keep Welbeck scoring and he needs games to be fair, but I would be annoyed if we played our best side when we need to make sure we beat West Ham on Saturday.

Sydney

I think that team will lose. We can't make that many changes, at the end of the day it an away game to a pl team that is never easy. Look at Chelsea last night. Last thing we need is to go behind and have their crowd get into it and their players feeding off of it.

We have West Ham this weekend and I think we can afford to put a strong team out there. Might see Nani and kagawa on the wings maybe a change in the back four with Jones getting some rest with Vidic and smalling starting.

I agree with nomidfield, I hope we go with 5 in midfield and play welbeck on top.

Do any of you guys reckon that Ekangamene will make an appearance tonight maybe off the bench? As NM was saying he's been given the number 43 squad number and was included in the 25 man squad that went to Villa park.

Team announced think young and anderson might score :)

Yep, I knew you meant Alex Sandro! From Porto.

Nomidfield

I am with you, we need to have a solid fluid midfield tonight, Plus the weather makes it a bit more of a battle. Not sure about Young, it was the time to give Zaha some time but perhaps Young is in the shop window.

Red Man, a nice shop window goal there. We will probably get a good £10m from West Ham ;)

Well bet on young as first goal scorer, bet on us winning 3-1 so let's see how it goes from here. LOL

I will take 1-0

Sydney

He played very well and I agree it will help if we are planning on a sale.

At last Young got his ideal playing conditions tonight . pitch ankle deep in water . good for diving but not deep enough to drown

Red man, young got the goal but I would've liked to see zaha. I think young has had his time here. But a goal would not do him any harm.

Sydney

Yes nice shop window goal, how about Ravel and £5m?

We got the win. Very difficult conditions. Still a lot to do though as we lose possession too easily too often. But we're through.
Hernandez does not look the same player. His first touch is not there.
Need midfield reenforcements in January.
I think Anderson has had enough chances. If we can offload him to anyone, then we've got to get rid.

Nomid, I don't think Little Pea suits the Moyes way of playing. There's never enough bodies in the box to help out the Mexican. I think it's clear who Moyes isn't convinced by. However we need to start buying before selling the better players like Hernandez, Kagawa & Nani.

Red Man, I would be over the moon with seeing Ravel return, perhaps a deal could be done with Young? I do not know if West Ham have an interest in Young, but they usually do like their English wingers.