Manchester United Banter Archive August 03 2015

03 Aug 2015 22:21:36
Agree almost totally , except I believe he has the raw attributes to be top draw but injuries hindered his learning curve. I fear the same worries for Jones & Smalling, both I feel have all the attributes but the all important ability to stay fit & carry on there development. With a clear run of injuries I think all could be top draw.

03 Aug 2015 20:00:11
Good luck to Rafael at his new club. Always liked the lad, but injuries and a lack of the defensive qualities needed, I think, have cut short his career here. I hope he has great rest of career, he seems a really nice guy. Lovely goodbye message on Twitter from him. Hope he has ADM in his pocket next season, or a knuckle duster :-)

03 Aug 2015 20:16:11
Agreed.
Well said that man.

{Ed004's Note - Agreed}

03 Aug 2015 20:31:25
I loved the lad always thought he gave his all and always felt like a true dyed in the wool United player hope he does great and goes on to reach the level we all expected him too 😔

03 Aug 2015 21:12:43
If we hadn't signed Darmian I would be going crazy. Rafael deserved better than the hand he has been dealt.

03 Aug 2015 21:53:28
Much as I love his commitment his defending left a lot to be desired. He was unfailingly reckless including getting himself sent off against Bayern. Let's wish him well but stop with all the 'hard done to' nonsense. He had the chance to nail down a place and never managed to do it. If he has so much potential where are all the clubs queuing to sign him? I wish hm well but Darmian looks a much more solid and promising RB

03 Aug 2015 21:55:15
Was told he could leave in August of last year but wanted to stay and fight for his place like a true player. Absolutely love the guy, shame he's gone really but he never really learned what all the coaches have been telling him for years.

03 Aug 2015 22:53:40
I really liked his attitude and commitment too and really hoped he'd come through, but I imagine the club feels his injury record alone makes him a luxury we can't afford.

Who else are we going to see depart?

03 Aug 2015 19:39:39
Just buy a centre back, preferably Otamendi because Ramos is impossible, sell Evans, Di Maria and Rafa, then go to Madrid with £90m for bale! Would be an old Trafford legend, would totally transform our attack and teams would fear us again! We have to the cash.

03 Aug 2015 19:51:57
I agree, but perhaps Bale doesn't want to leave and even if he does, perhaps he doesn't want to come to us.

03 Aug 2015 19:54:52
I agree! Spend silly money on a cb! We have the money! I'd offer Madrid 150+ million for ramos and bale! That's a lot of money, considering ramos age I know, but it would win us the league and possibly the champions league in the near future so it would be worth it!!!

03 Aug 2015 17:39:32
I have a feeling that there are still going to be some major moves across the board before the end of the transfer window.

I think with the prior claims from Woodward and the recent comments from LVG, the club do want to make a signature, high profile, game changing type of move (not going to use the G. word!!).

Add in the Adidas money and you get your 2+2 = whatever you want.

I personally believe Bale is the one we are pursuing and it will take a 100 Million pounds to make it happen.

Madrid then go after Augero and Pogba and the market takes off.

All it takes is that one, first major move and the knock on effect could be pretty spectacular.

I also think United are the most likely club to splash the cash and kick start the process.

There's a lot still to happen between now and the end of the transfer window, I'm certain of it.

03 Aug 2015 18:32:13
I agree. However, anyone wanting to enter the predictions competition has to do so by Friday so you will all have to use your crystal balls to guess who might sign whom.

04 Aug 2015 00:56:08
I am sure that you are correct, and also sure that this is only Phase Two of our own galactico strategy with further incursions for Tier One players for next summer.

Given that the company's debt is now easily contained, and that the Adidas, Champions league, and new tv deals are now converging, we should be some £100-200 million of free-cash-flow ahead of anyone else.

The team will need to be glammed up for an eventual sale (when we are at peak-cash) and so I expect this process to continue.

The first part of this transfer market was about the continuing repair to the Ferguson dilapidations in midfield and defence: that is more than half done now, and probably containable.

WE have only spent a net £25 million or so in this transfer window, so er probably have £120 million or so to go, or £150 million including any further value disposals such as Mata or even Evans.

£150 million would buy us a Bale, a centre-back and one other.

03 Aug 2015 16:05:35
Clutching at straws but why didn't benitez say bales is staying like he did with benzema

03 Aug 2015 16:28:42
I can feel it in my bones. It's eds fort, lvg has alluded to it, players moved on & wages freed. I think this has got legs.

It's an Araf process

03 Aug 2015 16:32:16
There is a 120m euros offer on the table for Bale. Whilst Benitez wants to build a team around him it's Perez who signs the cheques. Bale was a Perez purchase. Arguably it's not worked out as well as it could've done so to get more than your money back for a huge money failure in some quarters would be exceptionally sound business. It's not as though the fans are in love with Bale. So a deal could be done. Hence the lack of Benitez chirping up.

03 Aug 2015 16:42:17
I'd love Bale to come, but I'm sure he's staying. I hope you all eat me alive if Bale is signed though.

03 Aug 2015 15:08:11
I'd pogba was available for a large fee, maybe say, 70 million. Would we be one of the teams interested or would we not get involved???

03 Aug 2015 15:59:42
Steer clear. He'd be here for 18 months before he's batting his eyes at Spain.

03 Aug 2015 16:17:41
We already have enough CM's imo.

03 Aug 2015 12:41:04
rumours coming out of psg adm failed his medical doctor says he has no backbone

03 Aug 2015 13:16:28
No bollocks either.

03 Aug 2015 13:45:47
And maybe he got injured climbing up the stairs.

03 Aug 2015 13:52:01
i heard he has got no balls

03 Aug 2015 14:51:28
They are putting him forward for a remake of the series "V".

03 Aug 2015 16:00:52
Beast did you not see the remake a couple of years ago?

03 Aug 2015 16:18:42
Nah Mort, did it have a guest appearance from Nani?

03 Aug 2015 19:04:00
When they asked him to cough it just came out as "Gollum".

04 Aug 2015 09:07:59
Too busy filming Men in Black 4: the shop keeper whose head grows back after it gets blown off

03 Aug 2015 12:14:41
Hi guys,
I'm starting to get worried about our inability to sign a CB.
We have bolstered our midfield, but we also need to add more options to the defense and forward line .
Also, I have watched depay throughout the preseason & I don't think I want him playing behind the striker, I think he's better suited to the LW role .
What are your thoughts ?

03 Aug 2015 12:36:48
Have you watched Depay play the LW role yet? Not disagreeing with you just wondering what you are basing your assertion on.

03 Aug 2015 12:42:44
ALAMIN,

I think LVG likes his wingers to work hard and get back, by playing Depay in the free role behind the striker he is allowing him free reign to attack teams either side at pace. I can understand why he is doing this, it takes a bit of pressure off and allows him to concentrate on his attacking games, also Ashley Young has done nothing to deserve being dropped in my opinion. I would like to see what Depay can do on the wing as well though, he is certainly an exciting player, could be somewhat of an x factor for us this year while defenders try to work him out.

I think we need a centre back, so does everybody else, so I imagine the club are working hard on it, no need to panic just yet.

03 Aug 2015 13:38:51
For me it's madness not to play Depay down the left. He would cause all kinds of havoc. No disrespect to Young, I know he done well last season.
Aaaaaand I know 'Henry' conversion too.
Just why change a winner?.
😕

03 Aug 2015 13:41:33
ALAMIN - Like GDS i think he could be better deployed behind Rooney. Take all defensive responsibility off him and let's him do what he does best. LvG has managed him before and i think he know best.

03 Aug 2015 13:55:16
I want to see Depay on the wing as well, but I think Depay is the best player in the team that can receive the ball with his face turned to our GK and then turn immediately to the opposite GK without a problem. Not many players have the ability to do this without any pressure (Messi, Hazard, Sanchez).

03 Aug 2015 17:43:11
Most CBs on the market thing DDG is leaving, meaning that they will actually have to do some work if they sign for us.

03 Aug 2015 10:06:06
After the red card against Man City smalling was our best defender and he was playing with Valencia (makeshift rb did well though) and Jones who has regressed since joining us. i think we only need 1 top cb as we had the third best defensive record. Yes DDG was main reason for this but with the better midfield and a top class cb next to smalling i think that would be enough.

As for a striker we need someone that will be content for sitting on the bench and realising he is second choice to rooney as Van Gaal has said rooney is our striker this year. I don't think ibra would want to do that.

I would take a look and Meier from Frankfurt seems to be a similar player to RVN

Or second choice Bas Dost looks to have improved in the build up play last season.

With both being at clubs a level lower than United they might be willing to join and play back up to rooney.

what do you guys think?

03 Aug 2015 10:23:26
Still don't get all the play second fiddle to Rooney crap. It's insane. Let's get a striker in of equal quality and push Rooney make him earn his place in the side. If Rooney off form It's madness he still plays. He should have to perform like anyone else. I'd bring in Lewandowski and move Rooney on next summer personally

03 Aug 2015 10:34:40
Both would be decent IMO.
More preferable to the likes of Llorente

03 Aug 2015 11:07:06
Too many people underestimate rooney.will be our all time top goalscorer i think he is good enough to stay at the club for the next 3 or 4 seasons aswell IMO.

Also lewandowski won't sit on the bench so we need to be realistic.

Moving rooneny on next season is abit harsh i think he performs for us and puts his heart into every game he epitomises all that Manchester United is about (bar the stress he had to get more money)

03 Aug 2015 11:30:34
lewandowski is a good player 17 league goals last season but he won't come to sit on the bench .
you need a striker to get 20 league goals a season , time will tell but i think rooney can get us that .
what we need is cover on the bench if rooney is injured and goals from other areas of the team

03 Aug 2015 11:45:36
Completely agree jred. I think rooney can get us that aswell just needs the service. the striker we need is someone that will sit on the bench getting game time as and when who will chip in with goals. it won't be anyone big time.

03 Aug 2015 11:54:53
I don't rate Rooney that highly but I think he is capable of 20 goals, especially if he is on penalties.

My problem is a striker in this system needs to be a focal point and link up or create space, Rooney is not great at any part of that.

In terms of records - He will get goals, just because he plays upfront for Utd, same as Crouch got goals for England. If Crouch had played upfront for Utd for 10 years he would be our record goalscorer, same if he played as many games for England.

03 Aug 2015 12:20:06
Haha so crouch is as good as Rooney? Another classic comment.

03 Aug 2015 12:25:33
I think if he plays like he did that season he bagged 42 goals and gets the service we could see rooney playing at his potential. what he needs to do is score more consistantly rather than sporadically

03 Aug 2015 12:32:49
What we need is a world class CF and Rooney fighting for his place.

03 Aug 2015 12:41:51
Ozwald you took that out of context.

Beast was saying we crceate enough goalscoring chance for a striker to be able to get the goals and crouch would have loved it when we had beckham giggs neville etc all crossing the ball in for him.

Never once did he say crouch was as good as rooney

03 Aug 2015 12:48:23
Beast,

Crouch thing a joke? What an embarrassing thing to say.

03 Aug 2015 13:41:24
Don't get me started on Rooney!! 😕😕😕

03 Aug 2015 13:44:55
Gaz. You want us to buy someone who is not good enough so he is happy to sit on the bench! ! Is this not the most ridiculous statement ever.
We need lewandawaski to come in.and give rooney proper competition.

03 Aug 2015 14:16:04
No i never said to bring someone in that isn't good enough. Everyone on here is sprouting ronaldo, lewandowski, benzema, higuain, cavani and ibra when the likelihood of getting them is slim to none. what we need is a very good striker like i said meier or dost they both score goals and they're already in an established league and both played european football. therefore the transition for them to move into the prem and get game time when rooney is having a rest or is injured would be good plus they would be going from a good club to a great club.

PLUS i think that if we brought in lewandowski he would be our number 1 striker because he is top 5 in the world. THE reason it won't happen is because Van Gall has already said ROONEY will lead the line.

03 Aug 2015 14:44:43
No I'm saying that buying the players people keeping coming up with (ronaldo, benzema, lewandowski, higuain, cavani & ibra) would mean rooney would be our main striker and since Van Gaal has said ROONEY will be our main striker we can put these names to bed.

We need a striker that is good enough to make the step up but needs to prove it so he try's hard in training and try's performing when given the chance.

I think Meier and Dost both fit that category so would like them to be looked at.

03 Aug 2015 16:45:41
gaz
im with you ,i would sign someone like berahino.
lewandowski will cost 40+ mill and big wages we won't be paying that on a player unless he is going to be starting in the first 11.
lew got 17 league goals last season playing for a very attacking strong munich team . if he had done that for united people would want him sold .
yet at the moment he is a must buy.

03 Aug 2015 09:05:37
I think we will sign a world class forward which means Rooney won't be playing up front. Given all the midfield signings LVG won't want to play him in midfield either. Add in 2 new full backs (I'm including Shaw here) and a CB still to come and that means options are limited. The answer is obvious. If DDG leaves, LVG will play Rooney in goal. Simple.

03 Aug 2015 09:39:17
It's a process we will all have to get used to.

03 Aug 2015 09:57:09
If de Gea leaves Blind will be in goal I'm sure about that.

03 Aug 2015 08:42:18
I understand rafael was surplus to requirements but does anyone else think £2m for him is a bit of a joke? Especially considering Lambert just moved to West Brom for more than that, why do we always seem to get the absolute worst deals when it comes to selling players, I get that any played leaving United is making a step down and therefore is essentially not needed, bar the rare case, but 2m, is a joke.

03 Aug 2015 08:55:33
I think we never tend or even try a bit to get much money for the players we don't want. Maybe we don't negotiate that hard at all .
Our players are on high wages and when small clubs(with respect) try to buy our players, wages becomes a big obstacle so to get rid of that wages alone we sell our players on ridiculously low fee IMO.
p.s we are never in desperate need of money

03 Aug 2015 09:00:57
Not that I know but perhaps lamberts wages are significantly lower than rafas that must have some impact on transfer fees

03 Aug 2015 09:20:06
Was going to say the exact same thing Anon. I really like Rafael, maybe he hasn't kicked on but he hasn't been played and had a few injuries (like so many of our players). SAF's last season he would have been a £25m+ player, coming into his prime years one of the best RB's in the world. Nobody flourished under Moyes and LVG hasn't played him. This is even worse business than the Zaha debacle - I just hope the figure is wrong.

In 2 years he will be starring for a CL team and worth £20m+ again imo. Gutted about how both Fabio & Rafael has turned out considering the hype when they signed. (Fabio was meant to be the best, we sure messed that one up as well).

{Ed001's Note - in 2 years time Rafael will be washed up. He is reckless, positionally inept and injury prone. He has never been worth over 10m because of those things and the only value he had was potential. You sound like Ed004! Unless Rafael goes to a club with excellent coaching, he will always believe he is Dani Alves, when he is nowhere near as good. He needs a top coach to work with him and make him realise he is not half the player he thinks he is.}

03 Aug 2015 09:38:21
Rafael should stay at that club in Salford, he fits in perfectly because they are not as half as good as they think they are.

03 Aug 2015 10:01:30
Ed001 isn't our coaching team supposedly 'world class'?

{Ed001's Note - it has been a long time since that has been the case, which is why the club dropped off the pace in recent years. The club are working hard to improve all aspects, including coaching staff, now though.}

03 Aug 2015 10:08:58
Chelsea are also both not in need of money + have players on high wages yet they seem to get clubs to pay way over the odds for their bit part/unwanted players, schurrle and luiz spring to mind.

03 Aug 2015 10:11:37
Mighty reds maybe liverpool should sign him, ed001 thinks he is delusional about his ability and overates himself,no club or fans know more about delusion and overating players than liverpool .

03 Aug 2015 10:12:39
Mighty Red YAAAWWWWWNNN!

03 Aug 2015 10:14:32
Beast ,
there was never a time when Rafael was one of the best right backs in the world and in two years time he'll probably be still in France , injury prone and reckless .

{Ed025's Note - i agree bilko..

03 Aug 2015 10:18:29
Totally agree ed001 have been saying that for years on this site. He is making the same mistakes now that he did when he came into the team as a kid, your right beast his brother was better started a CL final ahead of Rafael but what has he done since he has left?? Did he turn into a 25m player? So how can you say we messed that one up as well. I think you are on a bigger wind up on this page than 'mightyreds' either that or you just like moaning for the sake of it. Sometimes you back up your points well but too often your just whining like a spoilt child and this does discredit any reasonable negative points you do make. A lot of posters are saying the same thing beast, just try to lighten up a little please 😅

03 Aug 2015 11:14:41
Ken - No they aren't, a few of the same posters keep banging the drum. I am praising one of our players and saying he shouldn't be sold so cheaply!

Rafael was one of our best players in the title winning team of 2 years ago. We have hardly seen him since then.

03 Aug 2015 11:38:24
He is on high wages higher than his talent R booksshould get in order to get him off our books we need to see him cheaply so the buyer ( in this case lyon a much smaller club with a lower wage budget) can afford to give him good wages. If a big club wanted him we could charge more but they don't want him because he is average he never filled his potential is injury prone positionally and tactically naïve. His brother was the same and what has he done since his transfer? SFA

03 Aug 2015 12:00:29
We can agree on the wasted talent aspect Ken. As a club we have not enabled talent to flourish in recent years, we now sign players who are not able to flourish for one reason or another. We need a lucky break.

Powell, Januzaj, Pogba, Zaha, Fabio, Rafael, Jones, Smalling, Macheda, the list goes on and on.

03 Aug 2015 12:42:04
Rafael had potential however we kept having to say that every year. Every year we said maybe he has learnt not to jump in and give the foul away in dangerous positions. I posted about 2 years ago on here that my seat was low down and I found myself shouting at Rafael to not jump in time and again but low and behold his over enthusiasm got the better of him. Sometimes that over commitment meant the attacker got past him as well. It is sad but he, like his twin, didn't make it. Move on it is the right decision to sell. He has gone in the same way Fabio difd, Fabio who was considered the more talented.

03 Aug 2015 15:53:26
Oh dear, how can anyone ever believe that Rafael could have or ever will be worth £20m. We possibly could have got more if we sold him to an English club as he would be classed as home grown but it looks like there were no takers maybe because they had seen him play on a number of occasions.

03 Aug 2015 17:22:30
Hang on, Rafael worth £20-25m and his bro even better?
How has Fabio got on since moving and what is he worth now?

No wonder people think you're on a wind up sometimes mate. You'll find any way possible to have a dig at the club or manager.

03 Aug 2015 08:12:39
It is a great to see such diverse posts regarding what lies ahead this season. I think there are more fans adjusting their expectations for the season ahead because they are dubious as to what Mr Van Gaal will serve up this coming season. With the league being as competitive as ever and our summer not really going according to plan in terms of getting all the business done early, I for one shall not be counting my chickens anytime soon.

I really do feel we have a fine team, a capable team, who should be able to succeed with the right guidance. However, I just cannot understand why we haven't sorted out the defence before anything else and I just do not see much pace across the team. The fact Mata was deployed as a winger pre-season, Depay as a No.10 and Blind as a CB really does give me the fear that the manager still does not have a clear understanding of how he wants to play and whom to play.

We all know the squad needed some major work after Fergie but we are now at the point where we are signing players for the sake of it. Di Maria and Falcao should have been long term purchases and we should have stayed clear of both if there was any incline that may have not been the case. Now with both gone, DDG seemingly leaving and RVP moved on (both of whom will need replacing) and still no incoming CB we risk going into this campaign with possibly 7-8 new players. When was the last time a team made so many changes to their starting 11 and won the league?

I am worried about Van Gaal taking us forward. I am worried about the philosophy and I am worried about his credentials. We have some good players who given the correct coaching could have prospered this season or last, but it seems he is hellbent on buying success and plugging gaps with whomever he feels like. Yes Chelsea and City may have splashed cash over the years but we, United, have the highest net spend of all clubs in the league over the last five years. When was that ever the United way? What happened to we 'make players, not buy them'?

{Ed025's Note - really good post that UNREAL, and very fair..well done..

03 Aug 2015 08:57:20
Good post mate but I'm not convinced that ADM or Falcao were necessarily well thought through; time was tight, we needed changes, and I also think Woody played a large part. We've made better signings so far this close season but I agree with your concerns about LVG. I know I a, becoming a broken record but he seems to have some odd ideas about selection

03 Aug 2015 10:01:01
Perhaps he deployed these people in those positions to see if they could be deployed there if needs? Afterall is that not what pre season is all about?? Remember he also played with younger fringe players. going by your logic that means he will start with them during the second half of every game.

03 Aug 2015 10:04:22
What I am saying about Di Maria and Falcao AJH is that both players should have been signed on the basis that they were going to be permanent fixtures in the squad going forward. We all know we were going to see incomings and outgoings over a few windows but we should have sealed a few last summer and this summer rather than going kamikaze and bringing in potentially 7-8 first team starters in one window.

03 Aug 2015 08:00:08
There is no city in the world where crime rate is zero. I think his next move will be to D.C united after PSG where he and his family stay inside the PENTAGON.

ADM don't want to move to Manchester. Last summer PSG was not an option so his only destination was us. He initially thought he could easily be the best player in the PL and find it very tougher to adjust. Then came the burglary saga + injuries. In Madrid Ronaldo, Bale, Benzema were the main focus for defenders allowing ADM to do what he does best with less pressure. In Manchester he don't have that luxury.

03 Aug 2015 07:05:47
Must say this about Falcoa, he's go more balls than ADM, he could of took the easy way out but he giving it another crack in the prem and i for one wish him well unlike ADM turning away because his house got broke into, the last i heard the crime rate in Paris is highet than Manchester, he's just an unrated tart if you ask me.

03 Aug 2015 07:37:55
Sorry,overrated tart.lol.

03 Aug 2015 07:40:58
He always had his heart set on Paris. If not for the FFP last year, he would have moved to Paris instead of us. So he basically used us for an year, got paid big, disrespected the number 7 shirt and now he is running back with his tail up his rear.

Not a professional from any perspective. Good riddance.

03 Aug 2015 07:50:42
Wholeheartedly agree Murph. Just shows the mentality of both players. It shows who has the winner inside them and who is a coward.

03 Aug 2015 08:32:16
Falcao , in the prime of his career chose to leave Atletico Madrid to play in front of 3 men and a dog every week at Monaco for the money . He was basically using them because he thought after a season there he'd be off to Madrid but then he picked up a bad injury and that was the end of that

03 Aug 2015 09:32:40
I don't think his house was broken into.