Manchester United Banter Archive November 23 2014

 

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23 Nov 2014 20:36:18
Is anyone else not worried about poor bigAL? He was a regular on here in August telling us our problems and how they were excellent.

Hope he's ok

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23 Nov 2014 20:56:30
I was thinking that earlier, I went on the liverpool site earlier, what a happy place that is today.

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I do wonder if the Peashooter has taken down his Brendan Rodgers posters? I tried explaining last season that no one is a great manager after 6-9 months of his team playing well. A great manager is judged on what they have won and what they have achieved over his career. I think Rodgers is heading for the sack and rightly so. Liverpool have been horrendous this season so far. I did warn the Liverpool fans about Sterling. Last season he didn't start kicking a football for the first team until December, by February he was knackered. Starting this season in the first team in August, is it any wonder he is knackered by October/November? No Suarez, Gerrard another year older, defence a shambles (like ours currently). Is Lovren an improvement on Sakho? A £20m purchase that IMO wasn't necessary. Lallana? Is he an improvement on Coutinho? Not a £25m improvement for sure.

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23 Nov 2014 21:57:20
How many points then, Syd? :)

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Often think the same about zee, strange how some posters go from regulars to not posting at all; it does worry you a little.

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24 Nov 2014 09:12:03
Anon,

I think the same about Zee, hope he is ok, but I think BigAl might have a strong case of 'bottomhalfofthetableitis'.

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Peashooter got banned!!

But, yes, I am sure he would be eating his words now, although, to be fair, Rodgers has some mitigating circumstances. Suarez and Sturridge combined for 53 goals and 20 assists in the league last year.

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24 Nov 2014 11:02:49
Hows it mitigating? He should have bought better. Ballotelli was a huge gamble that so far has backfired. Was Lallana worth 25 million? Markovic? Wasted a lot of money on players either no better or too similar to what they already had and ignored the obvious issues.

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Mr E. Liverpool were not in a position to replace someone as talented as Suarez, nor could they have anticipated loosing Sturridge for so long. That's all. Balotelli was a gamble which does not seem to have been a good one.

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24 Nov 2014 22:11:42
The point is they spent 65 million on the 4 players I named. They could, using their name and champions league football instead got in two top class players for that money, not a high profile risk loose cannon, a journeyman work horse, an average player no better than what they have and a bloke from abroad who needs a season to bed in. Yes replacing Suarez was a tough ask but when you have around 100 million to spend you should be spending it better. What was it he said about spurs again?

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23 Nov 2014 20:02:23
Last night I watched the game with my gambling buddy, he's a die hard gooner, more than happy to Cain me for over a year, and yes when that 2nd went in I gave it a Rooney Esq celebration right in front of him.

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The cartwheel and everything?

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23 Nov 2014 22:32:17
no i simply stuck to the on the knees arm pumping mate, i'm not a child :)

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23 Nov 2014 19:39:28
Another positive from yesterday was our MENTAL STRENGTH. A few examples come to mind:

1. In the tunnel pre match, the TV showed Rooney and the lads looking like it was the Champions League Final, very serious and quiet. Then the Arsenal players strolled out looking rather friendly and polite. Maybe I am making too much of it, but I thought from the start it was a good sign.

2. Rooney and Fellaini, two of our more combustible players, were controlled when it mattered. Fellaini handled the flare up well with Wilshere looking like the madman, and Rooney was far more composed in his complaints to the referee. We have seen these two, on our bad days, often guilty of misbehaving. Not yesterday.

3. The back three held Arsenal away with plenty of no nonsense clearances. That will do all three a lot of good, confidence-wise, given the age of McNair and Blackett, and Smalling's recent foolishness.

4. Just the presence of Carrick out there brought a lot of maturity and composure throughout the team.

I imagine LVG prepared them well yesterday with the right kind of message: do your job, keep it simple and keep your composure.

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23 Nov 2014 18:32:21
I'd had a rather crappy week up to the weekend. I leave my job next Frday without a new one yet, and on Friday had a funeral of a friend who died in rather tragic circumstances. So the weekend has bought som much needed relief. Good away win for United, another loss of the Scousers, and Lewis wins his 2nd world title.

Spurs also look very dodgy so we need to rack up points and create a gap whilst we can. Chelsea look like walking it with CYity in 2nd but beyond that I think a whole bunch of teams have a chance. Despite our nervous start to this season (I thought we looked nervous yesterday as well) and a raft of injuries and new players, we are 4th. Let's get some players back, let's settle on our best team and let's build some confidence. Let's also drop those that are simply not playing well. RVP needs to find some form as he just isn't in the game at the moment.

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{Ed007's Note - Sorry to hear that, AJH and hopefully you get a job sorted out soon.}

23 Nov 2014 19:53:14
GL in your pastures new Tony mate.

Sorry to hear about your friend, I'm glad u could find the results over the weekend somewhat comforting in what must be a hard time for u.

Hope things get better for matey 😊

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23 Nov 2014 20:50:38
Good luck, Tony. Nothing I can say about your mate, but hope things work out on the job front.

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AJH

Sadly I have been through those circumstances, so appreciate how where you are, keep strong. It actually makes what happens to your team more defined and important. At a difficult time I hope yesterday's result gave you a lift.
Things try us in life and yet United is a constant.
Focus on the positives, and talk about things with people. If I knew you I would try to help especially on the job front but sure it will come right.
Good luck

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Ajh
That's a bad week .
All the best

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Sorry to hear your bad news ajh. Best wishes.

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24 Nov 2014 15:20:36
AJH,

Im sorry to hear about your Pal and secondly I hope the employment sitation improves for you mate! K

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23 Nov 2014 17:24:51
Chris, leave the Gooners alone mate, they're in mourning. If you want some fun, pop over to the Scousers page, they're in meltdown

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23 Nov 2014 19:56:19
Lol I just can't help it Tony, they gave me pelters last week, so obviously last night and today I have took great pleasure in rubbing salt into those wounds, they were very happy and confident to give it so I would hope they are muture enough to take it.

Tbh the Liverpool page is to sorry atm that It would feel like kicking a kitten mate.

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23 Nov 2014 16:12:28
If you still have time, get hold off the Sunday Times sports section today, there's a couple of good articles in it. There's one on Whelan and Macakay titled Dumb and Dumber but on the back page, Hugh Mcllvanney has written a well balanced article on Rooney.

Whilst acknowledging the impact he has had, he balances it well "For a decade he has been, undeniably, his country's most gifted and important player. Yet demonstrations of match shaping skills and imagination have been nowhere near sufficiently consistent to indicate he has properly fulfilled his potemtial."

Bond was right, in 20 years we will remember him as a great player and forgot the off field and contract nonsense, and it will be right that we do so. He will break Bobby's records and enter the record books as the most capped and highest scorer for England. But I still remain disappointed that the stats don't give us the full picture. A player who should have been spoken about in the same breath as Messi and Ronaldo but who has not fulfilled his potential. A very good player, and for spells a great player. Yet still I wonder what might have been

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{Ed004's Note - Excellent summary. If only he had Ronaldo's work ethic in training but I suppose very few do}

Ed004. I think you are spot on and has beenmmentioned before. Ronaldo as with Cantona looked at every element ofvtraining and was a beast at it, Rooney trains hard but also trys to enjoy life and the bad sides of it too.
Who is to say we would not chose the same path but it is the reason he is a very good player but not an.ultimate great.

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23 Nov 2014 15:35:14
Nomid

How did young Bambi do yesterday, I missed the game and was intoxicated at the F1, btw you still think the scousers will finish top 4:)

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Cgu. Bambi was world class!!

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Haha i know you must be intoxicated as world class and bambi don't go in one sentence.

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He had wild shots, and then fell over. Really impressive.

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Beast will be along shortly to tell us it was a big mistake to sell him?

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Did more than RVP did.

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Where is the Beast today?Unusually quiet.
I hope he isn't sore because Welbeck didn't score yesterday. He fluffed his lines big time.
Liverpool page is very funny. Priceless.

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23 Nov 2014 20:52:47
Beast, I think you should keep your posts to one line from now on, mate. Good riposte.

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23 Nov 2014 21:00:17
Beast,

Did he? In the stats that matter they did the same, nothing.

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23 Nov 2014 21:35:56
Aw, come on now GDS. I know Beast has his moments, but it was a fair comment. I know who I'd rather have had playing up front for us yesterday. I was always a big fan of RVP's, and not very appreciative of Danny, but, goals aside, I think we all know who was the better player yesterday. For whatever reason, RVP has been going AWOL for a while now.

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Cgu. Welbeck was like Pele yesterday! Haha. As for scousers, i hope they get relegated. But it is very tight league and a few teams can make top4.
Look at Newcastle! 4 weeks ago they were gone, now they're near 4th place.

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Nomid

Without Suarez and Sturridge they are a rootless team and look like they will concede more than they will score. I think they re in for a very long and bad season and will fall off the pace significantly and by christmas might be out of it completely.

Teams like Arsenal, United and even Everton will get their s. t to gather and have their good run of results. In our case a healthy squad and I would not put 2nd beyond reach.

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23 Nov 2014 13:00:12
Very happy with that performance. There is something about counter attacking Arsenal that just makes me smile. There were some here who would have settled for a draw, and I said before that Arsenal is a "can and should" win type game. This is a team whose full back is run ragged by Ashley Young of all people.

A Sanchez header and the Wilshere shot apart, we didn't allow them to create any clear cut chances. Sure, they kept the ball and "dominated" but we defended tactically and forced them into impossible angles to shoot from. De Gea looks some tough saves look easy with positioning.

In the first half Fellaini was all over the place which allowed them too much space and isolated Carrick. Once Fellaini got it together we looked far more comfortable. A young defense, which was unsure on the ball and a few individual errors caused us trouble, but again, we coped well. Smalling had a really good game and that should put the "Letting Welbeck go was a mistake" brigade in place.

Football is not about how many chances you create, but how efficiently you take them and we were lethal on the counter attack. A bit disappointed we didn't score more to be honest. The Di Maria miss, the slight mistiming of the run for RVP's pass, Smalling's chance and the offside given which was miles onside, we could have have had 4 or 5 and had the better chances imo and Wilshere should not have been on the pitch.

Overall a great positive result, and a good second half performance. Time to kick on now and put a winning run together going into January. 3 wins and a draw from the next 4 and we will start cementing our position in the top 4.

On Rooney :-

I have read so much about Rooney on here. Of course he is a United great! He was really special with his acceleration before his injury against Bayern and hasn't achieved that level since, but he is still a very good player now and gave a captain's performance. He has played 3 seasons of his peak for us out of his best position and sacrificed for the team. I'll never forgive him for what he did off the pitch, but to deny that he is a United great, on the pitch, is just bitter.

And yes he is an England great too. The English team as a whole has failed at the big competitions, and a striker Rooney is dependent on his teammates a lot too. Add to that poor management of a wealth of talent, he has done well for England.

P.S. RVP needs to be dropped now, we need Falcao fit.

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Van persie had 12 touches in the match and only one of them was in the box, very poor, I'd like to see falco getting a run.

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2 of those 12 touches was from the corner kick. Impressive stuff for a premier league striker on a shed load of £.
Will Falcao ever be fit? I have my doubts. Time for Wilson to step up and push RVP out of the first 11.

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23 Nov 2014 07:28:59
Eds. is it true that we are keen on a swap deal involving Herrera and shaqiri?
I'd be gutted if we did that. herrera is quality.

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{Ed002's Note - Twitter?}

Whoever came with that was on something at the time. Herrera is a super player and should be in the side. Shaqiri is a reserve winger who is completely over rated.

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23 Nov 2014 17:51:35
Not Twitter Eds Daily Express, which i guess is similar! although i had heard it somewhere else before.

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22 Nov 2014 21:20:31
Hi Eds, do you think Pique is a Manchester United target for Jan or Summer. I appreciate a lot depends on the Barca transfer ban but it appears the player's relationship with the manager and fans is strained to say the least so it could be a good deal for all parties.

Also does interst remain in Joel Veltman?

Thanks and great site.

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{Ed002's Note - Search engine.}

23 Nov 2014 07:38:54
Great game to watch yesterday, well played to the lads.
Special mention to DeGea he was outstanding and pretty much won that game for us.

De Gea or Courtois??
De Gea all day for me.

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De Gea was very good IMO, but he didn't have to perform any world class saves. Most shots were practically right at him.
De Gea is a very very good keeper, and his reflexes are probably the best there are. But I'd still give it to Courtois.
Glad we're all happy with our keepers though :)

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The fact that he saved the ball going into the back of the net at least 4 times is good enough for me, he looked like he was oozing with confidence and that helps the made up defence in front of him, they don't have to be world class saves.

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I'm certainly not saying he wasn't great. His performance yesterday was excellent. Just saying that I'd still rather have Courtois.

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23 Nov 2014 06:42:38
"Can one man make a difference?
Yes, for all the stick he gets, how many Wayne Rooney's do we have in our team?
The man sweats blood for Utd, he leads the line, pushes out wide, drops back to defend, breaks up play and starts attacks.

He is better than anything we have in our team, much better. Like him or hate him, the man is class."
this is from one of the true gunners

I am sick and tired of many fans slating wayne now and then. No matter how well he performs they usually find some stupid reasons to slate him . I mean how long they are going to drag the "held for ransom " "did not fulfill his potential ""is slow" or "poor first touch " thing ??
He is not as fast as di maria but is much fast then players we have . This man has gave his whole career to us even when the best players left . He stood by us, though wanted more money but what is wrong with that ? how many players are there who won't want their money being raised . He is the most hard working player i have witnessed ever in my life . May be he should have been spanish or another foreigner with a fancy name then he would never have been so much slated . Last year so many people wanted him our for rvp . Guess what is now ? how many want him out and rvp in ?? If ronaldo or messi were giving extra duties to run all over field to help their poor midfield and defense then i wonder where they would be . There may be another ronaldo or messi but won't be another rooney . He is a pure class and in future i will be gladly be saying to my grand children that i witnessed such a player . p.s rooney would have finished the golden chance di maria missed

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23 Nov 2014 09:01:43
Can one man make the difference?

Of course he can, but its not Mr Wayne Rooney who is consistantly making the difference for us but instead Mr David De Gea.

Without a lesser keeper between the sticks we would have been relegation candidate last season and would be at least 10 points worst of this season so far.

For me De Gea hasn't had a bad game for us in over two years, he always plays well and always makes key saves that earn us points. Has Rooney shown up in every game he's played over the last two years? Has he been key to every result we have got over the last two years? The answer to both is no.

I'm not saying Rooney is a bad player, but he hasn't been our most important player over the last two years. That has been De Gea.

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Shappy
Have a word you have been rooney is a bad player for 2 years now .

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23 Nov 2014 10:17:31
I'm Sunderland at home in league cup shappy lol?

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23 Nov 2014 12:28:24
Jred i've not said Rooney is a bad player.

I've said Rooney imo isn't as good now as he has been in the past amd that he has started to decline.

I've also said that Rooney didn't reach his potential, and speculated that this might be because he hasn't focused enough on his football.

I've said I wouldn't be opposed to moving him on while he has some value and replacing him with someone who's best years are ahead of them rather than behind them.

I've never said he was a bad player, just that he is not irreplacable.

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Replace him with who mata, kagawa ?

I like the fact you couldn't let the op go.

This week rooney has 3 international goals and the winner against arsenal but let's have a dig.

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Are u really saying that Shappy ?? U were among the posters here that i really appreciate but your opinion is really somewhat stupid (at least for me ), i mean how long are u going to slate wayne for same old reason . To me he has improved his pace, first touch and lot of things in the pitch then last season . The sprint against city, even yesterday he was brilliant .
and about De Gea, u are right, he was our best player last season and is really showing his class now but a goal keeper can never be a one man team . Yes ! he can often save a match by not conceding a goal which De Gea has done brilliantly . He is a super shot stopper but poor leader (only rough edge of his ), but who does the work in all over the pitch ?? to encourage ? to support ? to suggest ?? that is done by wayne . His work ethic is so so huge, never stops running and it isn't a meaningless runs . He often wins balls, starts attacks, blocks shot, provides long diagonal balls, chooses players at best positon and instantly supplies the ball and morever he is selfless . There are very few moments where he has been very selfish otherwise he has tried his best to make the players around him play best .
No matter what people say, except some fans here who actually mind the off field issues more, wayne is a legend and a world class footballer .

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Agreed jred !
No matter what he does he gets slated .
Thats really sad for a player who has given his all life for this football club

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So has Van Gaal fallen out with Wayne yet? Are we selling him this winter transfer window then? Shappy, you have been so wrong about Wayne, time you eat your share of humble pie mate!

Deeps.

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Well said Srestha, people should forgive and forget the past and look to the future.

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Ed033 Note: The Manchester United Player Ratings page has been updated to the latest Manchester United match.

You can also vote on Man of the Match for the latest game using our Manchester United Man of the Match Polls page.

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23 Nov 2014 05:36:39
One of the most nervous 30 mins of our season and young kids did fantastic.
We didn't played very well at the start but after 35 mins or so we started to pass the ball better and with an intent to score goals.
I might be wrong on rating our players but here is what i personally think of their performance.

DE GEA: 9/10
I think there won't be any debate on this as this guy is a wall in front of the goal. For first 30 mins its was DE GEA vs Arsenal, and he won.

MCNAIR:7/10
Playing such an important game at 18 vs Arsenal and doing well is not easy, not many can do that.
He was very comfortable on the ball was always looking to pass the ball forward and did very well defensively.

SMALLING:7.5/10
He had a point to prove yesterday and i think he did pretty well, his last ditch challenge on welbeck was great.
Although he was not quite Confident while passing the ball forward but covered for it defensively. A good performance to boost his confidence.

BLACKETT:6/10
I think he was pretty average. Did ok defensively, was holding the ball for too long in defence i think.

VALENCIA: 7/10
You can't ask more than that from a player who is in not so good form at the moment and has been out of action from quite sometime.
Didn't waste any passes was very good defensively as a RWB.Also his shot lead to the goal after a deflection.

YOUNG:7/10
He did better than what he is capable of, made some good runs forward and was teaming up well with blackett to close down Chamberlain.
Also a very good cross to find fellaini on the far side.All in all a good performance from him.

FELLAINI: 8/10
Sheer determination to get back in the team has turned him in to a very good box to box player. Was very good in the oppositions
box and his defensive performance was great, passed the ball better and was looking to get forward whenever we got a chance.

CARRICK: 7/10
I Might be biased while assessing his performance as i think the guy never gets the praise for being a very good CM. Silently played his well
in front of the 3 man defence which gave Fellaini license to move forward.

DI MARIA:7/10
He should have scored the one that he missed.Got an all important assist was really a threat on counter, he proved that he is lethal when
played through the centre.If he would have timed his run better when RVP had the ball then we would have another clear chance to score another goal.

RVP:5/10
I don't think he will start games when Falcao is fit as he is not the same player that we had 2 seasons ago.Lost the ball to Arteta and Monreal on more
than 1 occasion. Has a poor game in my opinion.

ROONEY:8/10
He may not be the world class player that people think he was, but did justice to the captains Arm Band and looked very determined. Could have finished with a Goal and
an assist if DI MARIA would have made a better effort in front of goal. Kept the team together and guided us to a very good and much needed Victory.

Wilson:6/10
He did very well (better then RVP) when he came on, made 2 very good runs, has good pace with him and can turn in to a very good player for the future.

WELBECK: "THE SILENT GUARDIAN" :P

Shaw and Fletcher didn't do much as they were on the field for a very short time.

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Nice write up but as for comments on Young, how can someone do better than what they are capable of?

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