Manchester United Banter Archive November 29 2012

29 Nov 2012 22:34:50
If you had to buy one Liverpool player who would you buy and why?

I'd buy Andy Carroll for the Christmas Nativity party ;)

DodgyBanter

Jamie Carragher. He's such a steady eddie and I'd want a reliable busboy for the christmas party. Don't want peoples drinks being spilled.

TK-Red {Ed007's Note - Stevie G to DJ......}

Luis Suarez to ruffle some feathers. Maybe even a punch-up in the carpark after the Christmas Party

ALDUtd

Stewart Downing so he can be the reserve tea lady.

G.A.G.U.S

Skirtle could definitely pull off the Ugly Sister look. If we were doing a panto?

DodgyBanter

DodgyBanter - Skrtle for an ugly sister - surely that would give you too many?

Ferdinand,Rooney,Giggs are very well qualified and let's face it Ferguson can cap the lot.

Puzzled

Puzzle your terrible at banter.

-JakeW

Puzzled, sounds like you're a little caught up on footballers appearances. And there was me thinking that was irrelevant, awkward!

So, who do you find really cute? I bet you have poster's of your favourite pin up boys plastered across your bedroom wall don't you ; )

Gav {Ed007's Note - Hey! I still have my life-size Cantona poster up and my Keano one above my bed, so less of it.}

29 Nov 2012 20:08:57
Isco signs new long-term deal at Malaga. That writes him off the shortlist.

It just puts his value up as there is more of a contract to buy out.

Supasub

29 Nov 2012 19:08:36
I see the same names floating about here all the time.

Ronaldo, Hummels, Neymar, rodriguez etc.

Is it just me or does anyone else think we wont sign any of these players?

No; Maybe but lot's of competition; No; Maybe

Gav

Glad to see someone not living in cloud cuckoo land zouma obgbonna strootman
zaha fehgouli ince wanyama are all possibilities and realistic {Ed004's Note - To be honest, how many people saw us signing RVP? If Fergie really wants a player he will try his up most to get him. I think Rodriguez is a real possibility. Don't think Neymar or Ronaldo is but hoping we go for Hummels.}

Do we really need any of these players? Surely we should concentrate on sorting

the centre of our midfield out.

Andydee mufc

29 Nov 2012 15:13:59
Whilst Germans tend to be tough to lure from their homeland, we could potentially be after three for the summer - Ozil, Bender and Hummels. Ozil is obviously already in Spain, whilst Hummels has said he would like to move abroad. Perhaps we could finally see at least one or two recognised Germans at Old Trafford.

FHS

Why is Ozil available? If he is one of the best players why is he subbed so regularly and why does he not start every game. I think he is a fantastic player, but questions need to be asked about his ability to mix it in the PL. I do not believe that SAF will buy Ozil, as SAF would never, ever play both Kagawa and Ozil on the same team.

Forget about it lads, it ain't gonna happen.

J Bones.

29 Nov 2012 16:49:54
J Bones,

Why do questions need to be asked about his ability to mix it in the PL??

Whistler.

Why would SAF not play Kagawa and Ozil?

Fresh!

I don't agree that Ozil and Kagawa wouldn't play in the same team. At Madrid, Ozil has been played in a more advanced position than he had previously but for me Ozil is better starting in a deeper position and arriving late into the box like the Scholes of old used to do. That's where is best form for Germany has come from IMO but not everyone will agree.


TK-Red {Ed002's Note - If you want to post lists of teams they have to be new posts to go on teh team page where you can now respond. All others will be deleted.}

--------------De Gea----------------
Rafael---Smalling---Evans---Fabio
--------Anderson---Bender--------
-----Kagawa--Rooney----Kagawa
---------------van Persie-----------
Could definitely work IMO {Ed004's Note - Well if we could some how clone Kagawa maybe it could?}

J bones

Fergie played scholes giggs and park as a midfield 3 last season at city so i dont see why we wouldnt play ozil n kags

Red dev

Fair enough Ed but whats the difference with the mine, the 1 above and the one a few posts below?

TK-Red {Ed004's Note - There isn't much difference Ed 2 seems to want to move posts with teams to the teams page which makes sense as it doesn't cluster up this page mate. You can have discussion about players to sign etc and where to play them just don't but in a big post. Discussions such as would you sell Rooney if we could replace him with Rodriguez and Ozil or who you'd like to replace Nani etc is fine}

Haha ed I meant Ozil* {Ed004's Note - Yeah I thought that. Tbh if I had the chance to sell Rooney for over 50 million I would love to see an attack of Rodriguez, Ozil, Kagawa and RVP. The Dortmund attack is a joy to watch and I feel that would be a slightly better front 4 due to the fact RVP and Ozil are phenomenal talents.}

29 Nov 2012 19:27:17
Ozil is best in the hole. I'd want both him and Kagawa to rotate. Big club, big squad, big players. Both are flexible enough to play elsewhere too, so wouldn't be short of game time which is his proble now.
Also, you can't question his stamina, he is a very fit lad.

Whistler.

Instead of cloning Kagawa why don't we just Rooney?

19-20 MUFC

29 Nov 2012 14:12:26
Just a quick question lads, with the rumours flying around about Özil today, who would you prefer out of Özil and James Rodriguez? Personally I'm torn but obviously would be very happy with either. Just thought I'd get other people's views on it. What do the United Eds think?

Fred

I'll be honest, I used to want Ozil at OT really badly, before he joined Madrid. He out and out dismissed United, there was no chance in his opinion that he'd choose us over Madrid.....so f*ck him.

Sorry, I'm bitter like that - you think the grass is greener elsewhere? Nowhere's greener than OT, you get one chance to sign for the best club in the world and one only.

Let him regret his decision elsewhere/

RED_SKY

I think our current side requires someone like rodriguez left footed winger who can play in other positions as wel
Sid

Ozil, as he has proven he can play in the spotlight. Maybe straight swap for Nani (plus 5) for Ozil? He can play CM, CAM, RM, and LM so he is versatile and it would be wonderful to see a fronto three of

----Kags------Ozil----
----------RvP---------

Or

-----------De Gea---------
-Rafa-Smalls-Vidic-Evra-
-------Clevs--Ando-------
--Tony---Rooney---Ozil--
------------RvP------------

SpartyOn

Red Sky, I said I'm torn as Ozil is more developed than J.Rod due to being a couple of years older and playing at the top level but if I had to choose, I would pick Rodriguez. He has more pace and can therefore play as a genuine winger as well as across the front three. I also feel that Ozil doesn't have great stamina or work rate. Don't get me wrong, he's a top class player but I feel Rodriguez would offer something more different to Kagawa which Ozil doesn't. Still maintain that I'd be delighted with either though!

FHS (changing my name from Fred as there appears to be another on the site!)

Red-Sky.... and yet Ferguson chased Shearer several times

Puzzled

Rodriguez. We badly need a left-sided attacker, either a straight-forward winger or as a left-sided front 3.

J Bones.

Puzzled - the difference being, Shearer didn't turn us down because he didn't think we were good enough, but for financial and sentimental reasons.

Ozil made it quite clear how he rated, or didn't rate, United back then, so people will be entitled to tell him where to go, if he comes sniffing for a way out of Madrid.

StevieK

StevieK - Shearer turned you down because you weren't good enough

Puzzled

Er yeah, ok mate. "Blackburn, Newcastle or Man Utd...who will I choose.....hmmmmm...definitely not Utd - they're not good enough out of those three".

Behave yourself mate. He took Blackburn for the money, and Newcastle for the emotion - his loss.

StevieK

29 Nov 2012 13:37:00
Reading away this saturday is the 5:30 ko on ESPN. Am i the only one a bit apprehensive about this? From memory we don't have the best record playing at this time and 2 of our 3 defeats this season have come from playing then.
hopefully our luck changes this weekend.

Del boy!

Personally I don't think the kick off time really matters at all, the fact that we've had a couple of bad results at that time is purely coincidental in my opinion.

RM

We should never, ever have to worry about a team like Reading. This should be a guaranteed 3 points at the start of every season. The fact that you, and many others, are apprehensive shows that we not playing to the level we should be at.

J Bones.

29 Nov 2012 11:38:27
Every time we play the" new formation" we look wide open it leaves far to much space.
a top team will murder us with that formation
jred

jred

We have only played the "new formation" twice the other was against a Newcastle team away who at the time were playing well and we bossed and controlled that game and at no stage did we look wide open and neither did we last night.
The only times we have looked wide open is when Carrick plays in a 2 man CM with either Scholes or Giggs.

What I will say is that we do look short on ideas with this formation and obviously lack width but we certainly do look more solid with 3 in the middle as oppose to 2 cause IMO we do not have the personnel to play with just 2 and be able to control a game.

Devil Dust.

Dd
im off to work so havent got much time but i can assure you last night was not only the second time we have played the formation , we played it a couple of times in the league and a couple of times in europe. it was discussed at lenght on here a while back
If you didnt notice this it does raise questions over the rest of you analysis
jred

Jred

I was talking about EPL matches and last night WAS our 2nd time to play that formation in the league.

Now jred you that has all the knowledge could you point out all the times we were wide open as you say in those games ??

We used it against Newc and last night both clean sheets so if you failed to notice that then your analysis is that of someone that doesnt know what they are talking about.

Devil Dust.

You're putting far too much credence into this whole "new formation" thing. We have played a variety of formations this season and we have very rarely ended a game with the same formation that we started. The fact is that playing a diamond will work in some games but not others, playing a flat 442 will work in some games but not others as will 4231. The players should be tactically aware enough to be able to change along with the patterns of a particular game and it is the manager/coaching staffs job to prepare them for each game. As for the diamond keeping us clean sheets, that may be a fair point but its also worth noting that in the 2 games Devil Dust is talking about it took 2 set peices (corners), a jammy Cleverley cross/shot and a deflected RVP strike to get us the points so IMO its hardly proof that it is the way forward, atleast not just yet. Lets see how it works when Kagawa is at the tip with Rooney and RVP up front.

TK-Red

I agree with DD tbh, just from memory we have looked slightly more solid with a 3 man midfield. The memories I have of us looking the most wide open were when we had just 2 in midfield, one of which being Giggs/Scholes. I also agree that we seemed to lack that spark of creativity with our shape yesterday. I know winger's are outdated but we just seem more dangerous when we play with width, I think it must open up space for others such as Rooney

So for me it's a choice between being more solid defensively but lacking a little creativity (3 man midfield) or being wide open but more of a goal threat through width and expansiveness (442/4411)

Gav

29 Nov 2012 11:03:23
How about Neymar to United if we can't get Ronaldo back?

He's also sponsored by Nike like Rooney and RvP so it would also make commercial sense as well as his undoubted footballing ability.

Another huge star in the making...

Rvp is sponsored by Adidas and what would that have to do with where Neymar moves to.

Robbie b

29 Nov 2012 09:09:56
Mick, you're going to need to develop a thicker skin if you're going to use this site regularly, believe me, I know.

It was a smart comment, but if you took all the smart comments off this site, there wouldn't be much in the way of banter.

The comment was not however, a dig at you as a supporter, it was merely a commentary on the fact that by your own admission you have never seen the players up close. Fergie spends every working day seeing them in detail, knowing who isn't quite ready fitness-wise, who needs a breather, who needs to put a bit more in at training, who's off the pace a little. He is the most successful manager in the modern era and brilliant at getting his teams through a long, hard season on 19 occasions no less.

I was tempted in the end to give my comment a 'smart' tone mate, because if you can't see the ridiculousness of your comment, then that university education is not helping.

You may well be a genuine tactical genius at such a young age, able to read player's fitness and ability levels from watching on tv, and if so, I apologise. But like I said, I think Fergie has enough credit in the bank to give him the benefit of the doubt, despite some strange decisions lately.

All opinions are welcome on here Mick, but you have to expect to be taken up on them if they sound a bit silly.

StevieK

Sorry - this was meant to be a reply under Mick's last post.

StevieK

Fair enough, I aologize fr that. I slightly misunderstood your comment and thought you meant to have a dig at me as a supporter.

but since these players do such a great job in training to be picked everytime, why oh why do they keep performing like statues every single time they start?

And if Cleverley and Anderson are not good enough to play, and are somehow even worst than Giggs and Scholes, why when they're on we tend to play better?

in that case, how is it possible that he didnt buy a central midfielders in the summer? Or last year, or the year before, or the one before...

And on your logic, since ferguson has been one of the best managers in history, we should keep him, than since Scholes is the best midfielder of his generation, we should keep him as first choice even though he is clearly over it.

Ferguson was great, and he built the modern MU, but at 71 years old, he is way too old for this. We go into every single game praying he doesnt come up with a weird formation. We look at the team sheets in fear of seeing giggs or Scholes starting in midfield and carrick in defense.

So allow me to be a bit reasonable and start noticing his countless mistakes.

Mick

Mick - the main difference between Fergie and Scholes is that SAF doesn't have to run around a pitch for 90 minutes!

People can still remain intelligent and coherent into their 70s you know, possibly even their 80s - it's usually their 90s before they become salivating, gibbering fools :)

StevieK

I know Ferguson is not an person and he hasnt gone crazy. his intelligence is still the same but his decision making is not what it once was.

As anyone with an experience in the field of human behavioral science knows, when you grow old you start to hang on to things that reminds you of your younger days, that's emotional attachment.

In that respect, you can see that Fergy is hanging onto Scholes, Giggs, ferdinand, Evra ... even when they prove at times that they are not up to it. Its totally understandable and a good number 2 might be able to solve it. But this is just a theory and imo Ferguson should call it a day on an illustrous career, and the sooner the better.

Mick

29 Nov 2012 03:37:40
"I would suggest that for the very reasons you've given mate, that we should maybe leave it to Fergie for now.

StevieK"

Well stevie, if you are not interested in this topic, or you dont agree with me, try not to be such a smarta** and reply respectfully like everyone else.

Beeing a university student who lives outside of a uk, it's too expensive for me to go to Old Trafford.

That doesnt mean im any less of a supporter, im just as passionate as the next guy. And from where i see it, every single time ferguson plays Scholes/ Giggs in the middle, we seem to play much worse.

We have yet to lose or draw any match in which cleverley and anderson started together. So the only logical explenation is that Ferguson is, for some reason, beeing overly attached to the older players.

And with this beeing a banter site, i think im entitled to an opinion just as much as anyone else. And mine is that Ferguson is not the manager he is once was, and he is as " over it " as Scholes and Giggs are.

Disagree with me? fine. Just try to be more respectful. After all we all have something in common, which is our passion for MU.

Mick

What about southampton when cleverly was taken off and scholes came on and changed the game.
when giggs and scholes have'nt played have we been amazing?

We have qualified in Europe because we had the easiest group. We are top of the epl because Chelsea collapsed and City havent hit first gear.

I think we have the players to win the pl and challenge for the cl, just not the way we are playing. it's down to ferguson imo
mick

we won the group because we were the best team in the group.
we are top of the league because we have been the top team in the league.

so top of the league and top of the group and Mick your right "its all fergys fault"

not that some united fans are spoilt or have only know success
jred

Put your toys back in your pram Mick and grow a pair - its a banter site and while your entitled to your opinion so is everyone else as long as they are not abusive...which the reply wasnt.

Unnamed, Scholes and giggs can do a great job when coming as subs, just not as starters. So that's why i find it weird since every single time giggs or scholes start we play bad, and ferguson keeps starting them.

Jred,
now can you honestly tell em we have been playing well? We barely scraped wins against Braga, Galatasaray and Cluj. What a great feat. Cant wait for us to play against the likes of Barca and Bayern.

I admit ive only watched united since the late 90s. we have been on top of European football ever since, larglely thanks to Ferguson, and neither me or any other supporter of this club want that to change.

We're on top of the premier league, but to say we were lucky is an understatement. Against Chelsea and Liverool I think its fair to say we didnt deserve more than 2 points max.

Add to that The southampton, Fullham, QPR and Westham results, i think its fair to say we are underperforming.

Is saying Giggs is over it beeing a glory hunter or just realistic? It is the same for Ferguson. he is no saint and is prone to mistakes like anyone else, but he has been making a lot of them lately.

And stop your Glory hunting bullsh** will you? I love the club, I admire its legends and i respect it's servants. Just because I wasnt born in the 70s and saw the club's bad times doesnt mean im a glory hunter, nor the fact that i want the club to move forward and no do a liverpool.

And unamed, your mum had no complaints, why should you?

Mick

Mick, chill mate. We're not going to do a Liverpool. We'll be there or thereabouts while Fergie is in charge, and that's about as much as you can hope for these days with the Sheiks and Sugar Daddies about.

We didn't use to win all the time, believe it or not, and we're still here. We're the biggest club in the world for a lot more reasons than our trophy cabinet.

If I was you I'd worry more about life after Fergie....

StevieK

29 Nov 2012 00:55:44
Anybody who doubts Gareth Bale's ability at this time, or who doesn't get excited watching him in full flow, leaving opposition players in his wake, obviously grew up on a diet of Serie A football in the 90s on Channel 4.

This is what football is meant to be about. A young lad, not knowing any fear, and just going for it with a smile on his face, like he was playing in the park with his mates.

It's really quite a simple game, sometimes over-complicated by strategists, analysts and AVB, but a player like Bale at the top of his form, should remind us of why we love this great game.

Still wish we could find a place for him at OT.


StevieK

29 Nov 2012 08:55:59
A very good player, Bale is. However, he is too inconsistent for me
PeeBoaiy

It always surprises me little he is rated on this site.
comments like he's only good enough to be a lb at united are amazing, even more so when you look at some of our current players
jred

He's top quality. I too am surprised at the poster's on here who make out he isn't

Gav