Manchester United Banter Archive February 01 2015

 

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01 Feb 2015 19:10:57
Ten years ago today, keane had the bust up with viera in the tunnel before the game, how time flys, proper rivalry, miss them games, will we ever see games like them again?

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I was watching the video clip of it last night, what i would give to have someone with that in your face don't mess with me or my team attitude.

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01 Feb 2015 18:33:58
Marquinhos, Laporte, De Brunye, Hummels, Dragovic. What are people's thoughts about any of these being signed tomorrow???

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It would have to be Hummels if any simply for the leadership/expierience.
Marquinhos is been quoted at 100 million euro's so, no thankyou.
Laporte I'm convinced will be one of the best in the world one day, one for the future.
Dragovic I'm not convinced with.
De Brunye, don't know much about him.

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None of the above.all. Internet/paper talk! Would not mind a couple though

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02 Feb 2015 07:24:34
I'd love Laporte and would probably prefer him to Varane (who looks Chelski bound at some point anyway). The problem is I think Laporte needs an experienced CB alongside him for the next few years if he's going to develop into the player he could be - and we're lacking one of those at the moment.

Clyne would be a fantastic signing. We know Southampton sell if their valuation is met - and so I'd like to see us test their resolve to keep him at the club at the very least.

Ed002 has implied that Vidal could be available at the right price and so I'd love to see us give it a go.

I imagine all three could be signed if we paid the right money and could actually see us taking second place if we signed them.

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Except Dragovic (who I know relatively little about) the rest of those players listed by the OP would enhance our squad. I made an effort to watch Bilbao yesterday to see what all the Laporte fuss was about and I have to say he looks impressive, much like a young Sergio Ramos. Also the little lad Munian is a beautiful player to watch.

One more player mentioned in the OP is Kevin De Bruyne who has been phenomenal this year. I think Chelsea made a mistake letting him go. Class player.

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Herbie,
I take it that you know much about Dragovic?

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mbd              

Mbd
Yes of course, he lives next door to me and cleans my car on a Tuesday, his wife takes my kids to school regularly and we all meet up at christmas to sing karaoke and do a little morris dancing.
We go on holiday together once a year to Mablethorpe's Golden sand and stay in an 8 berth caravan (luxury of course) its a little cramped because my wife has a weight problem but we work around her. it, sorry.
Behave yaself soft lad

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Was asking because, very lil is known about the guy, so when u mention you are not convinced, (unlike de bruyne) i was hoping you could shed more light on him. No harm or cynicism meant.

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mbd              

02 Feb 2015 19:12:48
Herbie, I hope you feel suitably contrite, now :)

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If only people could buy a sense of humour it would be so much easier.

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01 Feb 2015 18:06:26
The next 4 match days are vital for us as all the teams in and around us se to be playing each other. Time to really get ourselves ahead

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01 Feb 2015 21:05:17
West Ham and Swansea away, both tough matches I wouldn't be surprised with a draw in both, Burnley and Sunderland at home should be both wins.
Arsenal have Spurs, Leicester, Palace and Everton, I think they might drop points against Spurs and maybe Palace.
Southampton have QPR, Liverpool, West Ham and West Brom, I can only see them dropping points against Liverpool, but then again I thought they would beat Swansea today.
Spurs have Arsenal, West Ham, Liverpool, Chelsea. .wow that is a tough fixture schedule and they will drop points.
Liverpool have Everton, Spurs, Southampton and Man City, much like Spurs they will drop points.
Basically I think it will be close till the end of the season between United, Arsenal and Southampton, probably even down to the last day to decide CL places.

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Yep I'd agree with that definitely a chance for us to get on a good run though. Games we are expected to win

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01 Feb 2015 16:39:50
Hi ed
are you aware if the club will be active transfer wise tomorrow or are we going to have a quiet day on the transfer front ?

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{Ed002's Note - Read the posts.}

01 Feb 2015 14:14:27
strootman out for the season. Got to be a doubt for the summer now.

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In a way it is a good thing for us as players who have ruptured knees tend to have a problem for the rest of their careers, more so if they are industrious midfielder like a Strootman or a Gundogan. It could all of ended in tears for us.

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Not necessarily true Fresh. It can be the case, but I'm sure I read somewhere that that guy in America who specialises in knee surgery in sportsmen (Richard Stearman or something like that?) said that after surgery and proper rehabilitation the knee can be stronger than it was before the injury in the case of cruciate ligament injuries. There are loads of players who have had serious knee injuries and gone on to have almost trouble free careers after surgery.
Roy Keane, Alan Sheaer etc all recovered well. Of course there are others who have continued to have problems, but it is not always the case.

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01 Feb 2015 21:25:49
Hi everyone, been a while but figured I could post on this. I'm from New York and tore my acl, mcl and meniscus a few years back and was lucky to have a top sports orthopedic surgeon. It is true that for many of these injured athletes the reconstructed knee IS stronger than the healthy one. But that's not a guarantee and it depends heavily on the specifics of the tear. Today things like an acl reconstruction is straightforward, but the real problems can occur if there is enough cartilage damage to create chronic arthrtis or if the player tries to return before the knee is recovered from the months of atrophy after surgery. Finally, there is a large amount of psychological work that needs to be done. Beyond simple trust in your knee for walking, pivoting, etc it's quite difficult to regain the confidence to test the knee in heavy tackles, sliding, etc. Even once all of the information and doctors confirm its health, it takes a while for your brain to stop unconsciously protecting the knee out of habit. Even without playing at a high level, I can understand how many players returning from knee injuries can never return to their former glory. It's usually not a significant change in athleticism that limits a players ability post-surgery, but the psychological barriers that make u question the risks u would have taken before the injury. So much of sport is instinct, and when your hesitation and worries begin undermining those instincts it can have a disastrous effect on a player. Or you could be Adrian Peterson and star in the NFL less than six months after surgery.

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01 Feb 2015 14:13:06
Rumours of bids for Hummels, Marquinhos and Dragovic tomorrow. Do we realistically see anyone coming in?

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01 Feb 2015 14:19:32
Why tomorrow and not today if we need them?

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Because tomorrow is deadline day and is more likely when we will hear anything. The time scale is irrelevant anyway.

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Dunno fresh but it seems unlikely that we would try and bring in 3 cb in one go.
Hummels I would be happy with as for the other 2 I don't know if they a're at the level yet where they could come in and instantly improve the starting 11 although saying that it would make for an interesting deadline day in what has been imo a completely boring pointless window

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01 Feb 2015 16:56:33
Hummels would be bottom of my list

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We need to lower the wage bill a little before we can bring more people in, this coming summer could be a very busy one for us with in AND out goings.

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Agree mr e, hummels would be bottom of my list

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01 Feb 2015 17:52:10
MrE,

Bottom of a list that includes dragovic? Have you seen him play?

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I think this could be all paper talk. or merely us putting feelers out more for the summer and if someone bites now we would go for it.
Would love someone in tomorrow but really doubt it will happen

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Never saw dragovic play, I seen a few matches hummels played since the World Cup and he didn't stand out as being a commanding cb

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Talking about commanding cb, s watching the southampton v swansea game today and williams had a great game big, strong character, talking to his back line constantly.surprised no big team have taken a gamble on him.reminded me very much of vidic.

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01 Feb 2015 22:16:49
Totally agree, John. But his name doesn't end in 'ez', 'ini', or 'ger'.

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01 Feb 2015 23:59:51
Personally no, but I know someone who has seen dragovic play several times and swears he would do well in England.

Personally I'm a laporte fan.

Hummels I think is slow, injury prone, always has the potential for an error, is too costly and needs an athletic partner. I just think its too much of a gamble for the money involved.

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01 Feb 2015 13:07:29
I don't see why people have to question whether someone is a true supporter just because he/she is critical of a performance. Criticism is the foundation of change.

Did I watch the game? Of course I did. How else would I have known that RVP was 1/2 yard offside on the first goal. Goals change matches and that one was no exception.

Is anyone disputing the fact that other than the three goals we hardly created a decent chance and, even if we did, we failed to challenge the goalie.

Is anyone disputing the fact that we dropped off in the second half, whether it was according to LVG's instructions or not.

Yes, we did spend more time on the front foot and that was gratifying, and, yes, a win's a win and we should be grateful for that, but is there anyone out there that thought that was a vintage performance? Did it fill you with confidence for the future?

Things can change. We could start clicking - I hope they do - but for me, this season has so far been somewhat disappointing. I'm not seeing much if any progress from last year. Our style of play is not entertaining.

Liverpool, Spurs and Arsenal are all improving rapidly. We may have won yesterday but we will have to do so much better to make it into the CL.

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Liverpool and Arsenal have settled managers and Spurs didn't need the rebuild we did.

You say things can change but was that not a better performance than previous?

Its just the general negative vibe of you post, it almost comes across that had we dominated a game against a team like Chelsea or Bayern you'd have still pointed out that maybe the goals were "vintage" or in the 43 min Rooney misplaced a pass.

If you only post about the bad points of a game and never recognise the good points you can hardly be surprised when people question your loyalties or your perspective.

If you include an appreciation for the good things in your posts and then expand on the things that weren't so good you will get a better response from other posters.

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Liverpool and settled?
We have been shocking for six months and are only showing some form now. Rodgers was managing on Mars for six months. United are extremely fortunate the league has been woeful this year.

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01 Feb 2015 13:29:37
It seems like you rushed home from the game just to point out that none of our goals counted because one was offside, one was a tap in and one was an own goal.

I enjoyed the first half very much the second half not so much. It was certainly an improvement on the last couple of games, even if the opposition wasn't great.

As shappy said where's the appreciation of the good things. The first goal was a great ball from blind, good finish from van persie. The second was good movement and anticipation from falcao. Yes a tap in but good example of how to work as a six yard box predator.

Hopefully we kick on from this.

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01 Feb 2015 14:08:42
Oh a new liverpool fan on here posting bitter things, they must have won a few games, I haven't looked that far down the table.

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Shappy, yes it was a better performance. We did win and deservedly so. And when a team comes to play defense with 9 men behind the ball, most teams find it difficult to score. We managed 3, and that's something to be happy about. It was a good first half performance assisted by a poor decision on the first goal. But that being said it was against the bottom team, and the second half was dull.

Blind played well, the defense was largely untroubled, but ADM and Rooney were both disappointing (I don't think I'm the only one who's said that). Januzaj was lively. I'd like to see Rooney and Falcao up top, with RVP left out.

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01 Feb 2015 14:42:52
MrE,

Couldn't have put it better about falcao, it's amazing how many top strikers score simple tap ins, it's as if they just know where to be. Costa has scored plenty of simple goals this season, mainly because he gets himself into positions to score them. To say it's not a good goal because it was a tap in is extremely short sighted.

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01 Feb 2015 15:21:04
Cant teach instinct. I just hope we kick on.

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Shawthing
"we will have to do so much better to make it into the CL"

Play wise you are right but to be fair we can't do much better then pick up 3 points in a game.
I've slated the team, manager, tea lady and Falcao's dog this season up to now but credit where its due mate.

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01 Feb 2015 12:40:37
Instead of wasting Rooney in midfield, or buying strootman, and if pogba is out of the question, then I wish we could buy Radja Nainggolan from Roma in this window.
Fantastic tackler, aggressive, can pass with either feet, can score, can drive the team.
He's exactly what we're looking for.
Come on lvg, ditch the strootman idea and get Nainggolan.

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I'd still be looking for Vidal who the Ed says is allowed to leave Juventus. I would even go a far as paying for a 6 month loan.

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01 Feb 2015 13:04:46
Midfielders need to play in midfield, forwards need to play up front, Rooney is a forward adm isn't,

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Nainggolan looks a very good player

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Industrious is needed as well is power combined with someone who knows how to play in the position. Vidal or Nainggolan would be great signings and would be better placed than Rooney. One of RVP, Rooney or Falcao have to sit out games in favour of a midfielder.

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Yes, I commented on here about Naingollan back in December. He looks a better player than what I have seen of Strootman. I worry LvG is fixated on Strootman, even more worried following another knee injury

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His knees surely have been highlighted even more now. Vidal or Pogba for me, and if Vidal is available then he has to be gone for surely (even tomorrow).

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Vidal would have been great but injuries and bad attitude don't bode well. U wouldn't touch him with a barge pole.

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The way arsenal spurs Southampton and Liverpool are playing, i think if we don't buy a cb and forceful midfielder in this window, then we will not make top 4.

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Nomid

I have to agree but we could use the next few weeks to push on as the teams chasing us are playing each other as someone posted earlier and it might work in our favour as long as we win the games we are suppose to win.

BTW 442 last week i did not see any defensive frailties that the manager talks about and if anything we looked more organised than 352 which sometimes seems like the CB are falling over each other and we wide open on the wings.

Spurs are a weird team as they have stolen more points in the last 10 minutes than any other team this year.

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01 Feb 2015 12:37:57
On the match yesterday I think LVG got more things right than wrong. Defence wise we did quite well, as everyone would agree we need a leader, Jones should be the main communicator in the back line, for the goal we conceded there was no organisation Jones needs to step up, at one stage he was challenging McNair for the same ball in our box. I think LVG needs to assign the organiser role then those silly mistakes might disappear. We need a right back big time Valencia is a decent lad but a right he is not.

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Just following on from the above

Midfield we did okay, Blind was very mobile and seemed to get about his Job well, with a decent ball in for the goal, albeit a fraction offside we were due a decision in our favour. At times Rooney was so deep he was up with the defenders, he is definitely not a midfielder he had a terrible first half and had a slightly better second half, his passing has gone to the dogs, I think he feels he doesn't have a enough time in midfield with the ball when in actual fact he does, he panics doesn't take a look first and hopes someone is in the area he plays the ball. He needs to be played as a striker full stop.

DiMaria at the tip of the diamond did well and seemed comfortable running at the defence, he stretched their defence on more than one occasion, he could of scored a nice finish at the end, but lost his composure slightly but it was a positive turn out.

Like everyone on this forum i can't understand why Herrera is not getting a proper run out, he's quick, sharp, attack minded, intelligent midfielder he adds urgency to our midfield you can see the difference when he plays. He played every game up until his rib injury then the rumours of the match fixing surfaced, I can only assume we're keeping him out of the limelight till it blows over or everything is cleared up.

I think RVP and Falcao played well it's always a positive when your strikers score, movement was good, Falcao especially and RVP made some good passes on goal for DiMaria with a nice finish for the goal. Regardless if it was offside

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01 Feb 2015 12:05:07
Hi Guys

This is probably wishful thinking on my behalf but I was wondering if LvG had another surprise up his sleeve similar to the Falcao deal
I know he has been adamant that he is not buying anyone does a loan deal come into that category.
As I say this is more in hope than anything else.

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01 Feb 2015 11:42:58
One thing I've noticed so far on our transfer activity is everything is focused on getting fringe players out. So far we've sold Michael Keane, had deals collapse for vermijl and fletcher and then there's Anderson. Fletcher and Anderson are particularly telling as their on good wages but don't feature. Seems like someone's trying to clear the decks.

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Yeah MrE, I heard him say the other day he is "not looking to bring players in only to sell players".

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01 Feb 2015 13:08:48
Beast I wonder if that's something from above. We did get an ffp warning regards the wage bill and fletcher and Anderson are on over 100k a week easy with minimal or zero contribution this season. Sounds to me like Woodward is trying to free up some room on the wage bill for summer.

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01 Feb 2015 16:59:36
Anderson and Fletcher are NOT on over £100k a week.

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01 Feb 2015 22:35:39
Ozzy I meant their combined wages not each. Combined wage is nearer 120k

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01 Feb 2015 11:39:55
One thing I noticed on the game yesterday, first half in particular, was that every player took no more than 3 touches on the ball.

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If we can reduce that to two or one then we'll be a good team!!

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01 Feb 2015 11:36:58
Anyone think there is anything behind the story that we have opened last minute negotiations for Marquinhos?

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01 Feb 2015 11:24:59
Rooney in midfield doesn't work, Sir Alex tried it, Moyes tried it, Hodgson has tried it and now LvG has tried it and it has only on the odd occasion looked okay, but never like a real place for him to play. For me Rooney is no better a midfielder than someone like Kevin Nolan.

Rooney is a striker, and when he can no longer play as a striker at the highest level then his career at the highest level will be over and he will have to drop down a level or two. That for me will likely happen when he's around 32. He will not be a top level midfielder, he hasn't got the intelligence the touch, the appreciation of the game nor the ability to learn any of that.

He should play up front with either Falcao or RvP, Falcao seems the better fit as he is a genuine No.9 where as RvP likes to drift off into other areas which often clashes with Rooney and leaves no one as the main threat upfront.

Maybe the best system for us atm would be 41212, with Rafael, Smalling, Rojo, Shaw, Blind, Herrera, Januzaj, Di Maria, Rooney and Falcao. Or 4231 with Januzaj and Di Maria either side of Rooney in the three.

For me that is how you get the best out of the players we have, Mata and RvP are great options from the bench or in certain games but shouldn't be starters.

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Totally agree Shappy. The problem is RVP is LVG's favourite, if fit RVP will play, yet Rooney & Falcao would be mouth watering, with Herrera in midfield.

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Whilst we probably all agree I think Lvg must see things in training that we don't. Rooney looks nailed on for, a starting place regardless of performance.Harera obviously is not doing what Lvg wants even if we all love him and Rafael may as well start ask his bags now as he does not seemail to fit.

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Beast LvG has never been known for his sentiment, as soon as he feels a player is no longer of use to him then he discards them.

RvP knows LvG and his system and as such is his voice on the field. But don't be surprised that once everyone knows it inside out that RvP either finds himself on the bench or at another club.

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01 Feb 2015 13:12:35
I thought rvp and falcao looked like they were starting to understand each others game.

I agree on Rafael I think he's done now if we're lining up as a flat four and Valencia is getting the nod.

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I agree Shappy, hasn't RvP has already said he isn't sure where he will be next season?

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That's a fair point Brad, but ultimately the games we play aren't training exercises they are actual competitive games.

Maybe in training where everyone isn't 100% commited maybe Rooney looks great in a midfield role, but in a real match he has looked less than convincing even against average teams.

That is what we need to judge him on and not his training performances.

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Rooney is not a midfielder and his best position is at number 10. He is fine if he has space and time but struggles if someone is tight or pressing him in the middle of the pitch.

Playing him as 10 leaves the manager with huge selection headaches as it pretty much nullifies Mata and one of Falcao or RVP. I prefer an extra body in midfield than being striker top heavy as there is not enough service IMO.

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01 Feb 2015 11:14:36
Morning all, good result yesterday, and good performance first half, not quite sure why people are moaning about the goals to b honest, instead of putting a bad spin on things ( offside goal, own goal etc ) how about appreciating a good ball off blind and a great finish off rvp, and a real bit of poachers instinct off Falcao . Lol we took our foot off the gas second half which was a shame but we were fully in control which was the main thing . My only gripe is no Herrera again . Such a shame that his talents are not being used . Just wish lvg would stop being so stubborn. Thought blind played extremely well yesterday also . But di Maria has gone right off the boil . What's happened too him, hopefully just a bit of a blip, fingers crossed now for some more attacking football from us in the coming weeks

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01 Feb 2015 10:21:48
The result was good yet could and should have been more conclusive. LvG put out a very attacking team and yet Rooney in midfield is not convincing. Playing such an attacking team is good but perhaps a little unbalanced yet in the second half Januzaj was crossing to a box where we had only one player in. I felt Rojo looked solid at the back and it was good to see Januzaj play well. What has happened to Jones because yesterday he looked indecisive at key moments which would get punished against a better team? Perhaps it is because LvG has taken corner duties off him.

After a satisfying first half we were all anticipating putting them to the sword in the second. I would like to know what the team talk was because the play in the second half led to a sense of frustration. I watched the demeanour of the players close up and it looked to me like some were not putting in 100% in the second half, almost the job was done in the first half we can pass it around until we get another chance attitude, surely not saving themselves for the next game? It wasn't all of them and Januzaj played at my side of the ground and it was good to see that his confidence had returned. I noted Januzaj was crossing to only one player in the box and wonder if that was an indication of them not busting a gut to get in there.
We have more difficult challenges ahead and I don't think a central midfield of Rooney and Blind will cut it at West Ham. I have seen a few take a swipe at McNair on here yet when he came on at right back yesterday I thought he did well. He looks like a Manchester United player to me just not in the centre of defence.

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Good post Red Man - I just think the players were exhausted, it was the same against Hull & Newcastle at home. We dominate the game but then stop in the second half when the other team should be shattered, we are the ones shattered.

This is also why we don't have men making those runs into the box or providing options with players on the ball. Herrera needs to play.

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Maybe they were tired, but I would be stunned if that was the case. These are players who are used to playing twice a week and travelling all over europe during a season. I severely doubt any double training sessions are tiring them out to the point that they can't manage a whole game.

I suspect it has more to do with the way LvG wants to control the game, and has decided to use controlled possession to take the sting out of the game and ensure the victory. Remember the last time we played them they scored 4 in the second half because we left ourselves too open. It makes perfect sense to make sure that it doesn't happen again and the half time orders were to consolidate and stay solid and not over commit.

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Beast

I debated this with those around me and I don't think they were shattered I actually think it was their motivation, it looked like some of them thought they had done enough in the first half attitude. 75, 329 of us had paid to be entertained and there were a couple around me who were not best pleased with the second half effort. It is at that point in the second half where I was disappointed at LvG's stance on not coming to the technical area. Some of them needed a word shall we say.
I really think it would be interesting to know what Giggs is doing other than bringing the bag of balls out for the pre game warm up. He knows the culture but is he too close to some he played with to tell some home truths? Overall happy to win but frustrated in the second half

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Beast

On Herrera, yes I am wondering why he isn't playing. He moves the ball well and whilst isn't the dominating midfield player we need, he does add pace to our play. I wondered whether the situation outlined in reports in the press have affected him more than we know.

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So now we know, LvG commented
"Then I have asked them to kill the game because when you remember the game in Leicester we didn't kill it but I think we killed the game too much because we have played more balls backwards than forwards.

"We have to learn - it's also a process - that you keep patience, you don't take risks but when the pass is available you have to play forward without risk."

I am not very happy that the manager of Manchester United is telling the players to "kill the game" at half time at OT against the bottom placed club. That smacks of fear given what happened at Leicester and for me is the wrong message. Kill the game away at Liverpool is one thing, not at home to Leicester.

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Shappy & Red Man - maybe you are both right, I watched it on the box and it is different. There was definitely a change in approach, first half Rooney was everywhere wanting the ball (not that he did much good with it, but he was busy), ADM was making unselfish runs as well, this changed second half. It went back to Rooney & Blind both picking the ball up off the CB's and no runs into the box (ADM especially slacked), RVP & Falcao were both exhausted I think and the only ones with energy were Blind & Januzaj from what I could tell. Passes got sloppier which is a sure sign of fatigue as well.

I imagine we will be pushed for the full 90 against West Ham so we can get a better idea then whether its fitness or strategy that is to blame. But I have enjoyed several of our first half displays at home this season only for the second half to be very slow and dull affairs - it needs to change really.

Something is certainly not right with Herrera, whether its match fixing allegations, not settling in the UK, not getting on with the gaffer, who knows, but he looks good whenever he plays so I think its more to do with the manager than Herrera's personal issues, otherwise his performance would be poor. This isn't anti-LVG as he is entitled to drop players for whatever reason he likes, I just hate seeing quality players wasted, especially Rooney being wasted and disrupting a lot of our play because of this foolish decision to play him deep.

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I don't think Herrera is the best at implementing LvG's style.

We all say how much better the team is at moving the ball forward when he plays, how he like to play on the front foot and how he makes the team more fluid in the final third.

Yet LvG wants control and the ability to keep the ball. Does that not suggest that Herrera is taking too many risks with the ball and maybe giving it away in positions LvG doesn't want us to be losing the ball in.

If LvG has said something like this to Herrera and he is still doing it then obviously he hasn't been listening to LvG, if that is the case are you really surprised LvG has dropped him?

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Its possible Shappy. But Rooney gave the ball away more in one half than Herrera has all season and still was kept on.

If it is because Herrera can be reckless with the ball and LVG doesn't like our players trying to be creative I don't understand why he would sign him, or what the point in football is? I hope you are wrong otherwise we will be bored stiff throughout this LVG period.

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01 Feb 2015 15:07:05
Red Man - "I am not very happy that the manager of Manchester United is telling the players to "kill the game" at half time at OT against the bottom placed club".

Totally agree. My first thoughts exactly, when the words came out of his mouth. I forgot we were playing Leicester, and not Real Madrid.

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01 Feb 2015 15:10:11
Just on the Giggs thing. Does anyone else think that the fact that he doesn't leave his seat, is down to LVG giving instructions that he wants the staff to remain on the bench with him?

I find it hard to believe that Giggs wouldn't go down to the touchline a bit more readily, to shout a bit of encouragement if nothing else, unless he was being specifically told to remain in his seat.

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01 Feb 2015 10:09:57
Hummels, dragovic, marquinhos, laporte, vidal, Clyne?!?!?! Got a feeling lvg is bluffing and secretly will attempt to make one signing by the end of tomorrow!

Believable3 Unbelievable5

01 Feb 2015 02:25:02
Good performance against the Foxes, especially the first half which has been our best half of any game this season in my opinion. We were sub par in the second half but the game was over at half time.

A few plus points for me were that our strikers got back amongst the goals which they both desperately needed. Secondly, I was glad to see young Januzaj get 90 minutes under his belt, he looked good when he got on the ball but needs to improve on his end product which will come with maturity. Lastly, I would like to credit Daley Blind with an outstanding game. He was powerful, defended from the front and even though he isn't the quickest his work rate is there for all to see.

Not to be too negative as it was a good victory but for me Angel Di Maria has not kicked a ball in weeks now and yesterday he was poor again. I think if we want to secure top 4 this year it is important he gives £57million performances. Furthermore, Rooney in midfield is simply not working. His passing isn't up to scratch, he's wasteful and not intelligent enough to play the Scholes role. He's not a midfielder, he's a top striker and again him being moved up front for me will be key to us getting CL football.

On a side note what is going on with Herrera? Can any of the EDs elaborate on his strange omissions from the side? Is it just tactical? Any insight would be helpful. We can all speculate but at the end of the day he's looked good when he's played and with the energy he could have lifted us in the second half yesterday. It's a odd situation.

Bring on the Hammers!

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