Manchester United Banter Archive January 05 2012

 

Use our rumours form to send us manchester united transfer rumours.


05 Jan 2012 23:08:23
my sister works in a bookies and she said a good few bets went on lampard coming to man united today, anyone hear anything about this?

Believable3 Unbelievable3

05 Jan 2012 23:00:52
RAINFISH,

For the past year I've constantly been saying that you don't know what you're talking about and things aren't as bad as what you're saying.

Yet, everything you've said about our clubs state and our future seems to have been true so far.

I'm sure if the Glazers could sell Rooney, Vidic and Nani right now they would. and Sir Alex would probably just say we've got enough CB's, Enough forwards and then look at another 'could be' superstar for a couple of Million to fill the void left by Nani.

I think the Glazers are simply saying you've got £25 Million a year, no matter what. I don't think we'll sign anyone this summer simply because we spent £50 Million last summer. Sir Alex will defend the Glazers by saying there's no-one who represents value and again we're left wondering why we haven't signed anyone yet the likes of Pogba can't break into the first team and Giggs is give another years extension.

The way I see it is that either;

1) The Glazers go, we get new owners with a fair bit of cash and we reach the level of City by simply using the same methods.

2) We get a real wake up call, not the exit from the champions league, that's happened to us before in recent history so we can put it down to form, not the 6-1 smashing by City, we can put that down toa a bad day at the office. I mean a 5th place finish or something along those lines. Something to make the Glazers realise that they can either invest in players or lose more through revenue and sponsorship deals. However Because Sir Alex is so good at what he does, I cant see us dropping out the top 4 anytime soon.

Looks like we'll continue with the same stories which result in us signing nobody of real significance.No value, trying to bring youth through, etc. while managing to stay in the top 2, and doing well in Europe simply because our Manager has the ability to get the best out of good but not great players.

The Moon.

Believable6 Unbelievable4

05 Jan 2012 22:32:14
Wesley snijder is the man and think with European championship 2012 he will want to be playing well and holland could win it ! Also on business side of things the merchandise income would increase hugely , he's 27 and has plenty left to offer , dead ball expert , experience and it would lift moral and I'm sure Tom cleverly would learn plenty ..even settled first teamers would get a lift! Yes we had veron and paid huge money for him but ws is European player and Dutch players fit well in premier league ! (van nistleroy, van dar sar , yordi,stamm , we have had more good Dutch than bad .
Yes Alex is great at making players ie, ronaldo,nani, beckham etc but we lack leaders and quality !
Please bring in fresh blood !
Cm is serious problem and I know we need more players but start with ws. (cork)

Believable3 Unbelievable2

05 Jan 2012 22:25:34
I was watching SAF interviews again and in MY OWN opinion is that we don't have money. I'm a grown man and I can't accept that we spend alot of money Who in the hell is Diouf?

Few players we failed to sign this past years.
Wesley Sneijder, Ozil, Van der Vaart, Nasri, Aguero, Silva, Alexis Sanchez, Varane and many will be nearly and then go to City, Madrid or Barca.

Maybe we no longer attrack this players and with low wages we offer they prefer to in elsewhere like Nasri. Or maybe we never made an enquiry in any of them, or SAF gives up to quick because he lover to much United and he thinks thatin useless players that nobody knows if He'll become a good player or not instead of bringing proved players in Europe or whatever. We may had few good in the past 7 years but We also may have the same mount of flops in this time. We spent near by 12mil on Bebe when Spurs used the same money to buy Van der Vaart?

Believable5 Unbelievable2

05 Jan 2012 22:09:27
"in football, it's never as bad as it looks or as good as it seems."

Gary Neville is spot on there. It was only last Monday that some on the site were waxing lyrical about our demolition of Wigan, saying that we were back to our best. Quite clearly that wasn't the case. However, we're only 3 points behind the leaders playing nowhere near our usual standard, so the recent calls for the manager's head and people saying that we are in decline are a little bit premature, too.

In the words of Eduardo Galeano: "In his life, a man can change his wives, his political parties and his religions, but he cannot change his favourite football team".

So let's get behind the team and stop acting like we're depressed enough to be sectioned. 'We're Man United, and we'll do what we want.'

#ags 19

Believable6 Unbelievable0

05 Jan 2012 21:35:42
Now what i'm about to say is a little controversal but this may be the right time to say it.

For awhile now i've been stuck pondering the Rooney complex. I can't work out which is his best position or if he even has one nor how to fit him in a balanced team. The only way i can seem to find to fit him in is to build everything around him but then your left with the problem of if he's injured suspended or off form then your team is knackered. He has shown that he can lead the line and score plenty of goals but that seems a waste of his talent, i mean Hernandez can score goals but Rooney offers so much more. So how about playing him in the hole? well he has the vision and work rate but he just seems to blow so hot and cold in that position, thus making the result dependent on whether he's on form or not. Football is a team game and as such we can't be so relient on one player, it makes us easy to play against. Then theres the controversey that comes with Rooney and his temper on the pitch can't be good for moral(i can't imagin a bollocking from Wayne would make you feel any better if your having a poor game), also is he the right kind of person to be helping usher in players like Pogba and Morrison into the first team?

So were left with the problem now of Rooney is the key to our team and is the thing blocking us from improving. A kind of damned if you do and damned if you don't situation. So has the time come for Wayne and United to part ways, a chance for United to revolutionise and for Rooney to find a new challenge. For me he is starting to look like a round peg in a square hole. IF and thats IF the oppertunity of a swap deal for Rooney was to materialise with Real Madrid for Ozil and Higuain we'd be fools not to take it as here are two players who are the out and out goal scorer and the silky playmaker that Rooney tries to be, they both come with less bagage and would offer more to our team(ie if ones having a bad game then you can rely on the other to change the game were as if Rooney's off form then your left with no one to do so). But i must stress that Selling Rooney is only a good idea IF we can get a world class striker AND a world class playmaker to replace him.

Let me know what you guys think.

Shappy

Believable7 Unbelievable1

05 Jan 2012 20:55:27
is the united v city game on tv

Believable4 Unbelievable0

05 Jan 2012 20:44:01
DeGea smalling vidic cahill jones nani martinez cleverly young rooney cavani would love to see that for season 12/13 we need a clear out next summer,berbatov evra and carrick need to go..not gona happen tho,back to RUMOURS: its been well know in spain that ferguson has had javi martinez watched more than any other midfielder,ferguson is trying hard to nail this deal guys he's a powerful midfielder we need. In fergie we trust come on utd.

Believable0 Unbelievable0

05 Jan 2012 20:28:49
This problem isn't just now its what's been building prob the from first champ league final defeat vs barca, got shown then to compete vs barca utd needed top class midfield replacements&we failed to do it&again got shown up,while managing to scramble to prem titles you could see the standard of football&players was falling from years past&now that is finally caught up with us&that is the cost of havin the glazers&the debt,fergie can try every cover story he likes but we havnt got the money for that 2 or 3 top quality players,its down to what fergie can do with what he's got!does he really believe utd fans take it in when he's tryin say time for Carrick to be our main midfielder!he surely is joking maybe at everton or villa he could be! After defeats its we havnt done enough with our possesion,yes because we havnt got the class to know what to do with it at that vital momment! Plus those who knocking Cahill well its kind deals utd got to deal in now its cheap&as for Evans its simple he's a disaster waitin happen every match!

Believable1 Unbelievable1

05 Jan 2012 19:10:42
I think its good to say we havent got much if any money to improve our current squad, so I have looked at couple of cheap options to bolster the squad.
G Cahill Bolton for 7m
Gylfi Sigurdsson for 5m
D Hoilett for 10m
The reason they could be cheaper is because they are all out of contract in summer. But we definatley need to imrpove our squad. We need a top GK as our 2 qrnt good enough although I prefer Lindergard, a right back, centre back, left winger, 2 centre midfielders, and a striker.

Still think SAF should of bought Begovic from stoke, G Cahill from bolton, Annan Udinese, Sigurdsson Hoffer or Kevin Prince-Boatang AC, Hazard Lille, Higiun real madrid. But thats just my opinion dont get me wrong Hazard and Higiun would costs loads but the others wouldnt be to bad.

Come on SAF sort it out otherwise we will be lucky to finish 4th the way we have been playing. My scouse mates tell its our turn to go down like they did. Please I hope not I remember the bad times very well....

Believable1 Unbelievable5

05 Jan 2012 18:42:46
I wonder why but I wasnt devastated after the result last , maybe I'm getting used to it and dont expect much from the team. Season before this there used to be same type of results but didnt take much notice as we werent knocked out of CC, CL etc by average and below average teams. Here are some points I'd like to share.

(1). It has been same for the past 3-4 seasons but never comes to light as other teams were also not performing. City is performing exceptionally this season so we are looking bad.

(2). Whenever the team is in fine form and has a momentum SAF makes some drastic decisions and whole teams confidence shatters. Everything was fine before the game at Anfield and SAF went there with for a draw and changed the lineup. Bad form carried on and we were thumped by City. After so many 1-0 results and getting kicked out of competitions we were finally getting back our form but he had to play all players out of position and punish Rooney. SAF could have fined him and make him train on off day but he preferred to keep Rooney out. Yesterday's team was good enough to beat Castle but they werent at all confident.

(3). Playing Valencia out of position creates a lot of problems for defense and our attack looks weak. Same with all other players who get used to play at some position for a no. of matches and are more confident and suddenly they find themselves in defense.

(4). There is a huge difference in Rooney of 2 seasons ago and now. Before the Bayern where he got injured, he was on there verge of breaking Ronaldo's record of goals in a season. He was there for every cross and he looked like the best striker in the world. But now he doesnt look that great but still good enough for us. If a good offer comes in I wont mind if he goes away as he wont be immensely missed (if some other striker came in).

(5). We say that we need someone who an provide good through balls but it feels like players are just not ready for such passes. In Barca there are Messi, Xavi, Fab etc. who can all control the ball and score. Here players have no idea where to make a run and how to control the ball. Like yesterday, It was such a good pass and Rooney was not at all prepared for it. There have been plenty of such occasions throughout the season where the players cant even do simple 1-2 and give away the ball. They make runs in wrong directions. This all result in more wing play where if fullbacks are good then we cant have any crosses coming in.

SAF is just being arrogant for not buying better players as now he has a point to prove that he can win with average players which is affecting us very badly. If Rooney goes next season I dont see SAF buying another striker to replace him.

One thing I'm happy about is that Smalling and Jones werent at our club from boyhood otherwise they still would be playing for our reserves.
One last thing, does the United coaching staff or SAF dont see the no. of times Chica is offside. Will anyone tell him to time his runs anytime soon?

Believable7 Unbelievable0

05 Jan 2012 18:22:44
Posting after a long time. Fergie will retire after bout 2 years. Guardiola or Kloop to replace him. I want to comment on our present backeys and Gk. Goalies ard gud in the form of DDG & Lindegard. Our FB needs changing. I never liked Evra and twins need to improve. One of Alba or A.Pereira or Cissokho sud be bought to replace Evra. If twins fail then buy C.Azpilicueta or Arbeloa (if possible) or Stam (of Wigan). Smalling, Vidic nd Jones sud remain in the team as Cb's. Rio can go on for 2-3yrs as a backup or be used as makeweight in a deal. When he is gone bring in Hummels or Subotic or Shawcross. Evans sud go. Replace him by a young upcoming guy (ed want ur help). What do u think ed. Do post in Banter plz. Also Mids, Strikers nd Formation to follow.

Believable0 Unbelievable2

05 Jan 2012 17:22:03
Hi Eds Im not sure if you have been asked this before as Im fairly new to the site, so I apologise if you have but Im just wondering what your thoughts are on the whole Glazier situation, do you feel they have the clubs best interests at heart or are they only interested in lining their pockets? Also do you believe Fergie when he says he has access to all the money he needs but just doesnt feel the squad is lacking/theres no value in the market etc

I honestly feel that the Glaziers are driven only by their own greedy interests and financial goals and are robbing the club of its family traditions by doing everything they can to make as much money as possible and lets not forget how they actually bought the club, it was a hostile takeover against the wishes of most of the lifelong supporters who turned their back on the club they loved dearly which they the Glaziers didnt care about as making money was their only agenda.
But Im not sure if they are to blame for the current shambles at all, the running of the team, the players bought and sold and the tactics are all Fergies side of things and He has openly stated that the Glaziers dont bother him and allow him to get on with his job, so do you feel that really is the case? meaning that He really believes this current squad is as good as the other great teams he has built when results and form would absolutely beg to differ?

My own opinion is that He is maybe a little apprehensive to spend any money as he has been quite wasteful since they took over which has probably been mentioned to him by the Glaziers people etc - Berbatov, Obertan, Bebe, Anderson, Tosic and Hargreaves, although his time was hampered by injury, all cost millions and have proven to be major flops, so maybe its down to him fearing another disaster signing but surely he can see that the current squad are average and that something must be done. Sorry about the rant but I cant get my head round the current state of the squad and club to be honest and thanks for you replies in advance

A Disenchanted United Fan {Ed002's Note - The Glazers have more than trebled the value of the business making Manchester United one of the most sustainable and profitable brands in sport. Any thought of it ever again being run by a family can be discounted. I expect that 30% or so will be floated to far eastern investors and the bonds cleared is the only change that will happen in the short-term.}

Believable1 Unbelievable0

05 Jan 2012 17:24:05
I'm not going to pull any punches, Rooney just doesn't look interested any more, the promise of quality players has not come into fruition. We lack quality in many positions. So for rebuilding the squad i think that the following should leave to boost the budget considerably:

Kusczack - 1 million
James - 500,000
Drinkwater - 500,000
Gibson - 4 million
Park - 7 million
Fletcher - Retire? I'd like him to stay.
Giggs - Retire?
Diouf - 4 million
Berbatov - 15 million
Rooney - 50 million + players

82 million profit on there and about 300,000p/w in wages.

To make up for that number of players leaving we need to bring quality in. Lets say with departures we have a 130 million budget.

So with the Rooney deal i'd take Higuain and Ozil - Ronaldo is the top dog at Madrid and neither Higuain or Ozil get on with him. Ideally i'dl ike a straight swap Ronaldo for Rooney, but that won't happen!

So that would add Ozil to play behind Higuain with Nani on the right wing. I'd then add Shaqiri to the squad and play him on the left - natural left footer.

Central midfield we should keep Carrick, Cleverly, Anderson, Pogba, Morrison and add to that bunch (Fletcher too). We need muscle and power in there so Javi Martinez has to be the number one target. That would probably be sufficient for now to be honest, but players such as Elm or Cabaye would be good choices as squad players.

Defensively is another area of weakness it seems, Jones will come good, Ferdinand and Vidic will be dropping off now and Smalling will improve at the quick rate he already is. Evans will remain because SAF likes him. Evra is alright i think. Right back could be an area to work on, but other than Kyle Walker i can't see any natural additions. As the center back to replace Vidic id have Subotic, a player in the same mould and play him alongside Smalling who's Ferdinands long term replacement.

So a squad if we did this would look like:

De Gea, Lindegaard.

Rafael, Fabio, Evra, Smalling, Jones, (Walker?), (Ferdinand, Vidic) SUBOTIC, Evans, Fyers.

Valencia, Nani, Young, SHAQIRI.

OZIL, MARTINEZ, CABAYE, Cleverly, Anderson, Carrick, Pogba, Morrison.

Higuain, Hernandez, Welbeck, Macheda.

RedDevil19

Believable4 Unbelievable3

05 Jan 2012 17:09:55
I'm probably going to get slaughtered for this but I've been reading through all the Rooney leaving rumours and stores.

To put it bluntly as much as I'd rather him go than stay, we need him ALOT more than he needs us right now.

Yes we've got a great manager and good players but you can see the difference without Rooney, if he were to leave he'd go onto Barca, Real, AC, Inter, Bayern or dare I say it City. He'll continue to win things and be the same player at all of these clubs. But if we were too lose him who would we have to create everything?

A Hernandez who can only finish and can't create, a Berbatov who doesn't run around as much as we'd like, A welbeck who's still learning his trade... Or a Michael Owen who's barely fit.

Okay, so Cleverley may be able to create goals but he's not on Rooney's creative level is he.

although in the long run we'll be fine with out him, in the short term, especially through this transitional period we'll miss him an awful lot. after all, when Rooney shows up we win, when he doesn't we lose.

We do NEED Rooney more than he needs us, we don't want to admit it, but it's true.

The Moon.

Believable5 Unbelievable2

05 Jan 2012 16:43:04
Dont understand what is wrong with everyone, at the start of the season when playing well they where saying how good united are, we are having a tough time so you say we are s**t. I agree we need to buy in the midfeild, as for people saying we need lots of players i disagree i would say two, a bid ominant cb and a quality cam and if we are greedy another cm but that is all, we have many injuries at the moment and i think bringing in quality will spark players like nani henandez rooney and young when fit back into life and get us playing like we where at the begining of the season, wouldnt be suprised to see us lose against city but then have a big comeback and win the league

Believable2 Unbelievable3

05 Jan 2012 16:36:03
First of all, I think people are getting a bit carried away by the result last night...
Yes we lost, yes it was poor... but we have lost games before. I think our unbeaten run last season has made people think we should win every match we are in.
Problems are:
We have many injuries
Due to this we lack a consistant line up
we lack creativity
We have too many passengers...

All this said, we are so far just 3 points behind a team that have spent many many millions ( i think £400+)
3 Points AHEAD of an on fire spurs team (who i must say have a game in hand, but still way ahead on GD)
6 points AHEAD of big spenders Chelsea
7 Points AHEAD of Van Persie
and then ahead of all the other little teams... Liverpool, Bolton etc...

So to say all the problems we have, I think we are doing well, and it can only get better!
So stop moaning about the end of an era and realise we've been here before. and come out stronger each time.
that is all ( sorry for long post)

Free Spirit

Believable4 Unbelievable5

05 Jan 2012 16:23:10
Well dissapointed with yesterdays result but more so with the lack of investment in quality players over the last few years. I'm not sure why we hav'nt bought quality but it does'nt take a genius to figure that something just aint right behind the scenes. If the robbing owners are not giving Fergie the money he so badly needs then I truly hope that Fergie calls it a day "in protest" and tells us, the people who have supported him for 25 years whats really going on, this way he at least saves his status as a footballing god.... HERBIE

Believable4 Unbelievable1

05 Jan 2012 15:58:38
Considering we can't play Berbatov, because he's useless against decent teams, Rooney seems to be hitting another patch of bad form, could we be looking at playing Welbeck and Hernandez? I've thought for a while that Welbeck could be suited to the 'Rooney' role. I doubt it will happen, but something needs to.

My preferred line up would be:

----------De Gea

Rafael-Smalling-Ferdinand-Evra

--------Carrick-Jones

----Valencia-Welbeck-Nani

-----------Hernandez

Bench: Lindegaard, Rooney, Anderson, Pogba, Morrison (I hear he's been back training for a while), Park, Fryers

It might seem a bit drastic, dropping Rooney, but, I think it needs to happen, the only problem I see is a lack of leadership. That's what I would do anyway, anyone else want to share their ideas?

Percy

Believable2 Unbelievable2

05 Jan 2012 15:53:40
why did we sign young when we could of used that money to buy tiote or cabaye? or even put it towards a decent CM?

questions need to be asked and SAF and gill need to come up with some good answers..

Believable5 Unbelievable5

05 Jan 2012 15:47:55
I really can not see us winning the title this year if we dont sign a top class midfeilder. We may even drop to 3rd if we are not careful.

I wont give a list of possible signings like most people do on this site, as i (and everyone else) have no say in who UTD sign.

SteUTD

Believable4 Unbelievable1

05 Jan 2012 15:17:08
Hey, Can anyone tell me why man united fans wont use the term ''man u'' when describing your team, Thanks, Paul (shamrock rovers fan) {Ed007's Note - It is used in offensive songs about the club. We'll leave it at that Paul.}

Believable2 Unbelievable0

05 Jan 2012 15:09:22
SAF says we don't need to panic because we have key players out, but isn't that contradicting? if our squad is as good as he says it is then we don't need those players back.

Believable6 Unbelievable0

05 Jan 2012 14:43:11
Tim Howard ''I cant take credit for that goal, The wind helped it in''... Liverpool are currently preparing a 45m bid for the wind...mufc

Believable11 Unbelievable3

05 Jan 2012 14:39:10
just watched a rerun of a united vs leeds game from about ten years ago on setanta.A united side that included solksjaer,beckham,keane,scholes,giggs,neville,stam,johnson.these lads lived for united.they had character.they were never beaten.apart from vidic i don t see that in our current side at all.

Believable7 Unbelievable0

05 Jan 2012 14:35:06
So City will be without Yaya, Barry & Kolo for Sunday, still a drop in the ocean compared to our absentees. I guess Milner and De Jong will play in the centre. We really need Jones in the centre to put a bit of steel into the midfield, but we will need Smalling to return for that to happen. Carrick & Jones against Milner & De Jong in midfield. I think we will match up fine in midfield, but will our makeshift defence deal with Aguero, Silva & Balotelli? I think we will score against City, but I cannot see us getting a cleansheet.

Sydney!

Believable6 Unbelievable1

05 Jan 2012 14:15:58
After watching last nights game, I was disappointed to see the lack of heart an passion. After exiting champions league we pushed on an got a few great results. I feel the blame has to drop with Rooney an co for the last 2 games. Rooneys head was not there at all last night. I'm a Huge fan of Rooney but come on your a professional, biggest time of the year for fixtures an your upsetting morale.

Beckham, ince, kanchelskis,Hughes, van nis, all left an never bettered their themselfs could Rooney be the next name added to this list.

In fergie we trust.

Believable4 Unbelievable0

05 Jan 2012 14:14:04
Firstly, to people saying Rooney isn't world class because he's inconsistent yet players like Xavi are, well wasn't Xavi thought of in the same way we view players like Park (in terms of creativity for the first 6/7 years of his career?

He's only seen as decent because the players around him have all hit their peak at exactly the same time as him. Don't get me wrong he's a quality player now, but he was inconsistent for the majority of his career...

Onto last night,

simply put Giggs was our best player and he had one of the worst performances I've seen from him in the last 10 years. His passing was way off, he got tackled every 2 seconds as well. Fair enough, we may not of been able to stop the first two goals, and the 3rd was just unlucky but we still should of found the net.

The fact that I thought Nani had been taken off in the 2nd half really showed how well Newcastle played.

Hats off to them, we were beaten by a side who on the night were streets are ahead of us.

The Moon.

Believable5 Unbelievable6

05 Jan 2012 14:12:21
I've tried to stay calm and not get too annoyed at our useless performances of late - but the truth is i can't contain myself much longer! We were appauling, i have never seen us look so bad, we were totally out played. Their forward line caused our defenders a nightmare, Cabaye and Tiote ran the midfield and they were dangerous in the full back positions also. We on the other hand couldnt get a foot on the ball in the middle, Nani looked a threat but Park wasn't, Valencia isn't and will never be a full back and Rooney looks so disinterested its incredible. I know that he will leave soon, i can just feel it, he won't be here forever.

I still maintain that Evra will be alright, he played well yesterday and wasn't really at fault for anything. We need a CB, RB, 2 CM's, CF, LW.

I have to say that youth in all of these positions is not the way, we need a balance of experience running through the team - we'll soon be losing more experience when Ferdinand, Vidic, Evra, Carrick and Giggs move on or retire, and possibly even Fletcher.

The spine of the team looks incredibly weak right now, i would rather have Cabaye with Tiote in midfield instead of Carrick and Giggs - although i do rate Carrick.

So my solutions are:

CB: Samba
RB: (Luxury) Isla
CM: Cabaye
CM: Sneijder
LW: Shaqiri
CF: Drogba (if there is no money left) but if we have funds then Higuain/Cavani

What are you guys thoughts on our situation?

RedDevil19

Believable4 Unbelievable6

05 Jan 2012 13:02:02
Our midfield is the priority. Our defence and goalkeepers come under too much pressure due to the fact that we have no ball retaining skills in our current midfielders also no evident ball winners. We also need a creative playmaker in the middle as we tend to play to wide nowadays with relatively small and pacey strikers so the crosses only get you so far. We are really lacking the ability to release a runner through the middle with killer passes. id like to see sneijder/Martinez or m'Villa/Sneijder here in the center

Believable5 Unbelievable2

05 Jan 2012 12:34:05
FULL RIOT GEAR TO BE WORN IN MANCHESTER THIS WEEKEND
yes the man utd players have said they will be wearing the gear in their changing room , one unnamed player said at half time or full time its going to be hell, he added the way we are playing at the moment and the mood saf is in , and the fact we are facing city, the players expect tea cups boots and heavier objects to come at us from all angles , we have to protect ourselfs from such a horrible attack ,sir alex may be 70 but hes still got a good aim on him, goalie de gea is said to be very fearful , as he cant block out anything fired at him...............lfc

Believable8 Unbelievable4

05 Jan 2012 12:23:35
few things first.

rooney world class?? at times he shows glimpses of being world class, but he has never been consistant with this class. world class in my eyes is players like the two ronaldo's/xavi/messi.. rooney is not at there level and never has been.
the quicker he realises he is not the finished article and got off his backside the better. yes he needs service, but last night all he did was moan and argue at the ref.

new players, first thing we need a defender similar to vidic who is strong in air and commanding CB. a talker. Samba for me would be the cheap option. i think he could do a great job with smalling and rio alongside him.
CM is proving difficult, yes i know fergie says players not available but has anyone ever stopped to thing there may not be. If its true and inter want shut of sniejder then great and i would expect us to bid, but newspaper gossip is not the same as being available.

i am as disappointed as you all with last night, we been here b4 with chelsea and am sure we will be back on top soon.

jay

Believable3 Unbelievable2

05 Jan 2012 12:07:31
I am happy with the quality of our wide midfield players - Giggs, Nani, Young and Valencia can all perform well in those areas (on their day).
Where we are just plain awful is central midfield. How Fergie can claim there is nothing wrong and yet play Rafael there against Blackburn is beyond me. Last night's midfield of Giggs and Carrick was totally outplayed by Tiote and Cabaye. Good midfielders that both of the NUFC players are, we made them look like world beaters.
We need to sign a defensive midfielder and a creative midfielder (I suggest M'Villa and Sneijder) as soon as possible. While we are at it, we also need cover in central defence (Cahill?) as it is obvious that Rio is past it and remains a liability.
I really fear for us at Wastelands (sorry, should say United Stadium) in the FA Cup. That's what I give our chances against Sh*tty next weekend, FA. I just hope I am wrong, but I can see another defeat, making it three in a row! Gggrrr!

Mike B.

Believable8 Unbelievable1

05 Jan 2012 11:34:50
We definately need to reinvest in the squad this Jan.

The defence has been depleted by injuries and for me Jones looks more composed and assured in midflied than defence. CB required

I think we also need another RB as poss LB as the twins look like they would make better wingers than defenders.

For a few years now we haven't replaced our players that have gone or or their last legs and it effects the whole team. We are unable to blood youngsters as we have no leaders in the team to guide these young players and it would be very risky to throw them in at the deep end.


If we look around teams like City, Chelsea, Spurs, Liverpool have invested alot of money recently. Yes we have spent monet but it has been aimed at young up and coming players. We need to buy some established players who will bring that much needed leadership to the side.

I think Jones should play in midfield and a CB bought not going to name CB's but i think Jones plays alot better in midfield and actually drives the team on , abit like Keane whereas as a CB hes made a few mistakes which you expect as he is young.

WE could have had S.Parker for a couple of seasons to help progress Pogba and guide through inot the 1st team.

The main concern is that should we get a couple more injuries then the title may just get out of our reach quickly. I.e we cn't go on playing with Carrick and Valenica in defnece and i don't think Jones and Smalling have the experience to play as CB together.

Evans isn't good enough and usually FERgie has been quick to see this in his players.

So the question is have we any if so is FErgie just reluctant and would rather see how things go.

Time will tell.

Mad Hatter

Believable4 Unbelievable0

05 Jan 2012 11:33:32
i said a few months back that we are playing the wrong style of football and got slated for it but can anyone actually tell me when we have completely dominated a game and enjoyed watching us play?

just to recap i said we shouldn't play wingers if we are going to be using attacking fullbacks as well, we rely way to much on the wingers to do the job, but in this day and age it just doesn't work.

if we play with attacking fullbacks then we shouldn't use wingers and visa versa.

IMO this is what we should do:

_____________de gea______________
attfullback____rio_vidic____attfullback
_______defmidfield_defmidfield_______
______attmid_playmaker_attmid______
______________striker______________


the attacking fullbacks could provide the width, the defensive mids can provide cover when one/both of the fullbacks push up, that leaves us with a playmaker to spread the play about and two attacking mids to keep possession and to support the striker.

who id like to see come in for this to work.

RWB: maybe valencia could play this role?
LWB: alba
CDM: martinez (first choice)
CDM: m'villa/tiote/or maybe use jones?
playmaker: modric/ozil/sneijder or rooney?
CAM: ozil/hamsik/gaitan/maybe use nani?
ST: Higuian

________degea________
toni___rio___vidic___alba
_____martinez_modric____
____clev__rooney__ozil___
_________higuain________


so ins:

alba 8-12m?
martinez 25m
modric 35m
ozil 25m
higuain 25m
TOTAL:125m

out:
evra 10-15m
hernandez 25m
berbatov 10-15m
diouff 3m
gibson 5m
macheda 5m
park 1-5m
giggs (retire)
owen - free
TOTAL:60m(?) net spent 55-65m
squad:

GK:lindegaard, de gea, amos

DEF: jones,smalling,rio,vidic,alba,valencia,evans,fryers

MID: modric,ozil,martinez,cleverley,carrick,fletcher,ando(?),nani, pogba

ST: rooney,welbeck,higuain,morrison(?)


Sorry for the shappy like long post.

PS: i know we wont probably attempt for any of these but with 55m-65m net spent we could have a very good team.

JK

(place in banter please ed)

Believable12 Unbelievable1

05 Jan 2012 11:26:49
Sick to death of people saying we need to chop Anderson.
When he is fit, he's probably one of our best players, he beats men, he's strong, he has an eclectic passing range and is fast. Definitely will not be leaving the club

Nani needs to be dropped, his confidence in himself has now turned into arrogance and he needs a run out of the team. He doesn't seem to have any desire anymore.

Perfect signings for united?

Chris Samba, Martin Olsson, Eden Hazard

Believable1 Unbelievable4

05 Jan 2012 11:13:12
Manchester United banter Poll Time again.

Agree : United Struggle to dominate but get lucky and win the league and SAF tells us that the squad is good enough and doesn't invest a lot except a few youth and squad players for the next year.

Disagree : we finish 3 /4 , a few teams beat us and SAF realizes that we need a few world class players. i.e., short term pain for long time gain.

Make your vote count.

DesiRed

Believable4 Unbelievable9

05 Jan 2012 11:03:38
As a Liverpool supporter I am starting to feel sorry for all Man Utd fans. It looks like your years of dominance and success are finally coming to an end. I can see you albeing in a situation in the future like we are now, hoping for further league success, but it never comes.

Everyone knows, including realistic Utd fans that your noisy neighbours will now rule the roost for years to come. You will probably still be a top 4 team, but will that be enough after being spoiled for the past 20 years ?

City can outspend you - indeed they can outspend anyone in the Premier league, and probably Europe, so they will buy their success, just like Chelsea did, but I suspect that with City it will last a lot longer.

This is a fact and we all have to put up with it, until there is a maximum ceiling put on transfers.

Maybe City will have a year counter now to show how long it is since you win a trophy again, especially the league title.

KBL

Believable2 Unbelievable4

05 Jan 2012 10:42:37
Apologies for the length of this post, but I get so frustrated by the posts on here.
I read time and again that we have the best squad but not the best first X1, well folks it is the first X1 that win titles and cups, not squad players. The squad is there to allow you to rest players to keep them fresh during the season and to cover injuries, these squad players will not win you anything if they are asked to play in too many games, simply because they are not good enough, if they were then they would be in the first X1. Do I beleive we have the best squad, no, both Citeh and Spurs have better squads than us.
We have a number of youth players who have the potential to be 'world class' according to some. During our injury crisis Fergie still doesn't play them, so do I believe Fergie's judgement or the posters on here, well I will go with the guy who has won countless titles and cups. If these youngsters really would make a difference then I believe Fergie would play them, how else can you explain the selection on Saturday of Park and Rafael in CM, when we had Pogba sat on the bench. Before you start posting about treating them carefully etc, just take a look at the Blackburn team and ask yourself how many of those youngsters you had heard of, well they were more than a match for our squad players and none of them have had such glowing reports as Pogba etc. So despite what some may think Fergie obviously doesn't think these youngsters are up to it yet, otherwise they would have been playing at least in the CC. Some say that they believe we will use the Europa to play the youngsters, where does that come from. If Fergie does not have the confidence to play them against the likes of Palace etc then why will he play them against Ajax. Don't forget the Europa may well be the only chance we have of winning something.
I see countless names mentioned in transfer speculation on here, maybe someone could explain to me why the likes of Bale and Modric would want to leave Spurs and come to us because I can't see why. Numerous other names are mentioned costing big money, well we don't have the money to pay big transfer fees and also the big wages the top players want, Sneidjer being a prime example. Many players are dismissed as not world class or not good enough for united, well wakey wakey we are no longer a team of world class players. Most posters name Rooney / Vidic and possibly Nani (don't see that myself) as world class players, so why do people expect us to sign world class players. As for being good enough for United, well lets look at the current squad quickly, as Diouf, Macheda, Gibson, Park, Evra etc are part of our 'strong squad', not my words, then surely any player better than them would improve United. Since 2008 when we had a team of world class players, Ronny, Tevez, Rooney, Scholes, Giggs, Hargreaves, Rio, Evra, Vidic, VDS we have been in decline. Either the players have left or they have aged and are no longer world class, all except Rooney who looks like he would rather not be here and looks anything but world class on current form. People need to be realistic about transfers, we won't be buying any world class players and will struggle to prise away the best EPL players from any of the top clubs.
Some posters have called for Fergie to go, not quite sure who would come in and manage the squad any better, there is no big transfer kitty, so apart from maybe two or three signings what we have is what we are stuck with. I have been puzzled by some of Fergie's selections, like Blackburn on Saturday, but I strongly believe he is the best person for the job. Some of our transfer dealings have been poor, Diouf, Bebe, Manucho recently spring to mind, so Fergie doesn't always get it right. Interestingly from last night's teams we could have had Ba, Cabaye and Tiote for less than the cost of the players I mentioned. Did those three players look good enough to strengthen our squad, I will leave you to make your own minds up.
Are we in decline or transition, well only time will tell, what is certain is that we are not the best team in the league at the moment and you could argue that Spurs are at least as good as us. Since the Citeh defeat we have had a great run, beating teams in the lower regions, but more telling is the fact that we have only played one team in the top 6 or 7 since that defeat and that is Newcastle who took 4 pts off of us. Some posters have got carried away with our run against the lower teams, the reality is, compared with past seasons we are not as good.
Despite what some think on here we do not have any divine right to win anything and the 'Fergie generation' have been spoilt by unprecedented success. I dread to think what some posters would have written about Wilf McGuiness, Frank O'Farrell, Dave Sexton etc.
Football goes in cycles just look at Liverpool, anyone in the 80s who would have said that they would not win the league for 20 years would have been carried away to the nuthouse.
Like I said, are we in transition or decline, time will tell .............

Keanooh

Believable9 Unbelievable0

05 Jan 2012 06:53:42
As I sit in the departure lounge at Manchester using someones phone to write it is rather disturbing to reflect on last night and the general situation. We have been here before losing games badly in mid season but this does feel different. We lack quality in too many areas

We will come back but what the Glazers, SAF and Gill need is the pain of failure or fear of failure to make them take action. Failure and pain drives change. Seeing SAF slumped in his chair said pain to me, acknowledgement and realisation of potential failure.
You need to feel the pain to bring forward the need to change. Over to Glazer, Gill and SAF. I hope that drive to change is evident when I get back

Red Man

Believable8 Unbelievable3

05 Jan 2012 08:11:39
watching our team play last nite was really boring(and frustrating too).........

some playrs that will make diffrence to our side.
1.KAKA(will bring a bit of stability upfront and link well with rooney and NANI).
2.Keita(will be very simalar or may be better then YAYA TOURE).
3.TIOTE or GANSO.
4.HAMSIK.

Believable3 Unbelievable3

05 Jan 2012 07:57:58
Unfortunately the time has come when a change at the top is required. Don't get me wrong, what SAF has achieved has been remarkable and I firmly believe that we will not see his likes again. That said I think his judgement recently is somewhat questionable. SAF is 70 years of age what future has he got. Without the shadow of doubt the team is shy by 4 players (x1 RB, x2 Midfielders x1 Forward). We have never replaced Roy Keane, Paul Scholes, Gary Neville and Ruud Van Nistlerooy. It's times to splash the cash and buy the quality players required. We urgently need a midfield general and a creative genius. In addition we have no leadership on the pitch. It's time to make the changes and swallow you pride SAF.

Believable8 Unbelievable3

05 Jan 2012 07:17:37
What a Shambles....in light of our squad and how we are playing our biggest job will be trying to keep Rooney in Summer coz he's got to be tempted to go to Real and who would blaim him!

Believable5 Unbelievable0

05 Jan 2012 07:03:20
Fergie said he will buy if only his targets are available and what is he waiting for now,Santos' Ganso and Inter's Sneidjer have both been made available by their clubs....,and they are his targets,Martinez of Bilbao is 100% flattered by United's interest so is Jordi Alba of Valencia.....

Believable4 Unbelievable1

05 Jan 2012 09:20:57
Wow, I'm surprised at the reaction of people last night, yes I am gutted and annoyed at the past 2 performances but some comments on here belong in the cafe!
How short some peoples memories are! We have been further behind the leaders at this time of the year and still won the league! We are only 3 points behind the team who have spent 200+ million on their squad! We have had so many injuries there is no team in the world that would cope with that!
Yes we need to strengthen but SAF has always and will always do what is best for the club and has never let us down. He looks and long term success and not short term, look at Chelsea now! I hope we sign in January but if not then SAF must feel that is what is best for us long term, he is the master and knows more then any of us! But comments last night such as ''we won't win anything whilst SAF is in charge'' Get a grip lads, in the past 5 years, 4 titles! We can't unfortunately win it every year! However, this season is not over yet!
Look forward to the abuse now!

Ports

Believable2 Unbelievable9

05 Jan 2012 09:04:17
Is it just me oris SAF losing the plot if I saw a 38 year old lining up in midfield i would think game on .Whether SAF likes it or not he will m
need to buy or be left behind

Believable8 Unbelievable0

05 Jan 2012 08:52:18
i can notice a lot of venom against our players and fergie. it is sad and disappointing that united has fans like you all. one bad game and you want to throw everyone out.
how were you feeling after the fulham game? when it was again giggs and park and nani.
please show some faith in our squad. we won the league last year with almost the same squad. and we're 3 behind the leaders without our best defender and 2 first team midfielders.

Believable1 Unbelievable5

05 Jan 2012 03:02:16
tiote and cabaye are world class compared to your central midfield.

Never heard a word from your fans after you went one nil down.

Shearer turned you down

Believable6 Unbelievable3

05 Jan 2012 02:21:49
missed the game. how did wayne rooney play?

Believable2 Unbelievable5

05 Jan 2012 02:15:17
Apparently Steve kean rang fergie tnite and said don't worry you'll get through this blip! LOL

Believable9 Unbelievable0

05 Jan 2012 01:43:02
I think a major problem for us this season is nobody knows what r strongest or first 11 would be and i dont even think the manager knows, which is our best keeper? rafael/fabio/jones/smalling at rb? best cb pairing? best cm partner ship? best strking partnership?

for me id pick this team for sure and leave empty spots for posistions that need investment?**********DDG***********


rb? smalling cb? lb?

Valencia Jones cm? Nani

Rooney St?

DDG we payed too much money for him to be on the bench , i think we have the ride the storm and hopefully he comes good

Vidic would obviously be the main man but due to his injury, sir alex might look for a cb in the market for me id rather have smalling ahead of ferdie i think he is too old now and i think this could be his last season with us as he gets injured to frequently.

nani and valencia r our best wingers

jones is better as a cm, and striker either welbeck or hernandez with rooney.

i left the left bak empty hoping that we'd get a new1 but i actually don't see it happening as evra is vice captain and if he was going to be sold i dont think he'd be wearing the armband that much.

rb i think we need a rb if jones is playd in mf, if not id rather hav jones rb and keep smalling cb the opposite of what sir alex is doin as smalling's posistioning is better and he's better in the air.

If i told u 40mil for tiote and cabye would you go for it? ppl on here say there not world class but they'd walk into our team and thats says alot about of mf

DDG
jones smalling vidic evra

valencia cabaye tiote nani

rooney welbeck/chicha

nyway this is only my opinion what is ur strongest united team lads? syd and ed?

sulei

Believable7 Unbelievable1

05 Jan 2012 01:35:23
As a Liverpool fan obviously i don't want you guys to win the league but for goodness sake please don't let Spurs overtake you in second place.
I hate them even more than Man Utd now i think lol!
They're a jammy bunch at best!
Irish Kev (Yes the LFC site is slightly boring tonight before you lot attack me for coming over here but i come in peace, promise).

Believable6 Unbelievable4

05 Jan 2012 01:28:46
Man Utd always stole the limelight from their noisy neighbour. No matter what Man City done,they always know how to make it better so that they always be in the headlines. When City scored 2 goals in the 1st half of Community Shield,they scored 3 in 2nd half. When City scored 6 goals against the other team,they scored 8 against Arsenal. When City beat them 6-1 in Old Trafford, the stole the limelight by being beaten 1-6 by City (United lose 1-6 to City sound better than City beat United 6-1). And then when City beat Liverpool 3-0,they know they must beat Newcastle by a bigger margin because Liverpool already beat Newcastle by 2 goals. But the problem is they know they can't beat Newcastle by 6 goals. So how they do to steal the attention that their neighbour got? They let Newcastle beat them by 3 goals (Do you really think Sir Alex choose that particular line-up to beat Newcastle? Then you are so naive). So now the news that Man Utd is beaten by Newcastle is bigger than Man City beat Liverpool. Again, United managed to steal the limelight from their noisy neighbour. Bravo to United and their intelligent manager, Sir Alex Ferguson.

FlyingGunman

Believable4 Unbelievable3

05 Jan 2012 00:56:12
Ed007 it appears i owe you an apology as you were defending one of my posts from some no mark rather than editing one of my digs at Liverpool as i suspected. once again Sorry! RAINFISHTROMBONE {Ed007's Note - No worries RFT mate, I was wondering what you meant.}

Believable0 Unbelievable0

05 Jan 2012 00:23:27
My rant: Feel free to agree or to tear it to pieces...


The Struggles of Manchester United:

The current malaise of Manchester United can be traced to July 2009 when they secured the 16 million pound transfer of Antonio Valencia from Wigan, apparently a replacement for the recently departed Cristiano Ronaldo who joined Real Madrid in an 80 million pound deal mere weeks earlier. Valencia had proven to be a good player on a poor team, and was certainly Premier League quality, but there was never a doubt that he could not replace the Portuguese attacker, a fact admitted by the club and its officials. This isn’t Valencia’s fault, as he is a more traditional winger than Ronaldo, and he has shown to be a valuable squad member, even filling in at RB during recent injury crisis. But it was a huge step back on the pitch, and the remaining funds from the Ronaldo sale disappeared into the Glazer family’s bank account and interest payments rather than improve the on-field product.
It’s said that no team or player ever stays the same; either you are getting better or you are getting worse. I don’t know if thats infallible, but it certainly seems to be true at the moment in the Premier League. While teams like Manchester City and Tottenham have been active in the transfer market in an attempt to improve their teams, clubs like United and Arsenal seem to be under the belief that the shirts on their backs will win matches rather than the men wearing the shirts. Arsenal under Arsene Wenger seems to have created the blueprint for depletion that Sir Alex is currently following. Following Arsenal’s success last decade, Wenger seemed content to let the team grow organically, with young players and value purchases attempting to fill the gaps left by world-class footballers like Thierry Henry, Denis Bergkamp and Robert Pires. Years have passed and Arsenal have yet to achieve any level of success with these new squads. Granted, Robin Van Persie and Cesc Fabregas have proven to be elite players worthy of replacing the former Arsenal greats. But even Fabregas was convinced to leave after years of futility and it’s only a matter of time before Van Persie starts considering his career path and whether he’ll ever have another chance at silverware with Arsenal. Meanwhile, a string of mid-priced “value” buys have come and gone with little impact and less sell-on value. Names like Eduardo, Chamakh, Arshavin and Bendtner have shown exactly how far the drop-off in talent is between the teams of last decade who vied for trophies and the current edition which hopes to have a shot at the Champions League for next season. Again and again, Wenger has refused to spend money on elite players and instead tries to find value in the 10-15 million pound range. Granted, Arsenal doesn’t have the budget that other big clubs have, but they have spent many millions in recent years with not much to show for it.
Manchester United have followed the same method, and seemingly have obtained similar results. They have lost a few top players, replaced them with “value” players and underprepared youngsters, and then acted surprised when the quality of their performances dropped. Many will point out that they won the PL title last season and advanced to the CL final for the 3rd time in 4 years, and they are correct. However last year’s PL title was not a result of a fantastic United squad but rather the lack of a legitimate title contender to push United. As for the CL, while getting to the final was a nice accomplishment, United were run off the pitch by Barcelona in their last two appearances in the final, the difference in quality obvious to all watching. Except for Sir Alex Ferguson, apparently.
Sir Alex’s favorite response to queries about transfer policy is to claim there is “no value in the transfer market”. He says this as if it’s either his personal money being used to buy players or as if he’s not trying to win titles, but win titles with bargain purchases that will help contribute to his legend and reputation. Due to his stubbornness as well as his enormous ego, Ferguson appears to be the last one aware of the problems with the club and squad. He has approved a series of purchases that illustrate that penny-pinching and “value” have replaced quality as the attribute most important to United. Names like Obertan, Diouf, Manucho, Bebe and De Laet have been trumpeted upon their arrival, only to be quietly pushed out the back door as the club hopes supporters won’t notice another transfer failure. Bigger purchases such as Javier Hernandez, Ashley Young, Valencia, Chris Smalling and Phil Jones have done little to improve the quality of the starting XI. Smalling and Jones are both young and full of potential, with Jones a certain future captain for both United and England, but neither appears ready at this moment to be a cornerstone of United’s back four, and certainly would not give teams like Manchester City, Barcelona or Real Madrid any worries whatsoever. Young, similarly to Valencia, is a player most Premier League clubs would love to have, and he was the best player on a decent Aston Villa side. But there is a huge difference between mid-table clubs and those vying for a Champions League spot, and Young is a prime example of how big the gulf is between the two and how few players who succeed mid-table have the tools to also do so for a top club. All of these players mentioned, Young included, were purchased for less than 20 millions pounds, with most in the 8-14 million pound range. Essentially, if you pay middle of the road prices, you obtain middle of the road talent.
Let’s compare this to Manchester City, who have been building a world-class squad for the past few years. They reached a new level last season, competing for a title, qualifying for the Champions League and winning silverware for the first time in decades. They had spent hundreds of millions of pounds buying players like Yaya Toure, James Milner, Gareth Barry, Vincent Kompany, Joleon Lescott, David Silva and Carlos Tevez. However, heading into the 2011-2012 season, City refused to be content with their squad and instead moved for Sergio Aguero and Samir Nasri, both in moves costing in excess of 25 million pounds. They knew that if you’re not improving, you’re getting worse, and they knew that despite having depth in their squad, that it is the quality of the first XI players and not numbers 12-25 who typically make the difference in the biggest of matches, where clubs match their best against each other. A deep squad is needed in modern football with its multiple competitions, but at the end of the day, you cannot play 25 men at once, and it doesn’t matter how good the players left out of the squad are if the 11 on the pitch aren’t as good as the other squad’s 11. City know this and have built a team capable of putting world class players across the pitch, even in the case of a few injuries. Meanwhile, United have the deepest 25 we have witnessed in quite some time. Pundits were crowing at season’s beginning about how United could field two teams that could challenge for the title and a third that could take the league cup. However, the pundits were forgetting that while United might have the best 25, City had obtained the best XI.
It is in this context that many United supporters find themselves unsurprised by the roller-coaster campaign that the club has experienced thus far. Injuries have ravaged the squad, but only Sir Alex seems stubborn enough to think this is the cause of United’s struggles. Even with a fully fit squad, Sir Alex doesn’t have the talent available to him that Roberto Mancini can access for Manchester City. Don’t agree? How many United players make it into a City best XI? Two (Rooney/Vidic)? Three maybe? The fact remains that United have a few world-class players while City has a team of world-class players, a stark contrast to say, five years ago. United supporters are left hoping that young players with potential develop into world-class players and that mid-level talent somehow raise their playing level beyond what they’ve been in the past. Both of these are low-probability options, and certainly not a scenario that will concern the big European clubs who have the best players in the world, in their primes, playing with others at their level.
Sir Alex’s efforts to rebuild the team have been hindered in some part by the slow, drawn-out conclusion to the golden generation consisting of players like Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes and Gary Neville. While it’s admirable that each of these loyal servants to the club have been willing to continue to do whatever they can to contribute, the result has instead been a gradual decline in quality and a hinderance to the development or discovery of legitimate replacements for these veterans. Tom Cleverley has shown glimpses of being able to replace Scholes, but this is far from certain, and both LW and RB remain question marks heading forward for the club. There is cover in depth, but not quality replacements worthy of the United Starting XI. The best clubs have a strong idea of what their ideal XI looks like, with squad players able to fill in at times due to injury, fatigue or suspension, but their best players play and rotation is done out of necessity instead of ego as it often appears in Ferguson’s case, as he is constantly guilty of over-managing and tampering with a squad for no reason.
In the current squad, hardly a player can feel as if they are worthy of starting for a world-class squad. Rooney is elite, but beyond that United supporters can really only hope for glimpses of elite quality, rather than a constant display. Nani is immensely talented, but he has a head filled with rocks, and if he hits 10% of his crosses accurately it’s a miracle. Valencia is a one-trick pony who is useless when matched up with a fullback who can equal his pace. Ashley Young is a versatile player who can line up on either wing or through the center of the park, but he serves as the epitome of the good mid-table player who is neither talented nor consistent enough for a world-class squad. Ji Sung-Park plays with heart and determination, but his skill level is far below the best European and South American players and while his endurance is top-notch, his speed and strength are certainly not. The strike-force is yet another example of mediocrity and Ferguson’s willingness to settle for good but not great. Rooney aside, United are able to rely on strikers with serious flaws and shortcomings. Berbatov may be the most technical player on the planet, but he is also the laziest. He claims that’s his languid style, but there are plenty of smooth players who also contribute effort and sacrifice, two things Berbatov does not. He also destroys United’s counterattacking style with his lack of pace and tendency to hold the ball for long periods of time, allowing defenders to get back and the counterattack to falter. Javier Hernandez has proven a decent buy, especially with his goal return last season, but as he’s played more his flaws have become evident. Chicharito may be the best predatory striker since Ruud van Nistelrooy and is world-class inside the six-yard box, but he may be the worst footballer in England anywhere else on the pitch. He cannot hold the ball in possession, making him a liability when the ball is cleared from the defensive zone. He cannot pass the ball, which makes him a liability on the counter attack and in the offensive third, and he does not have any quality in his strikes from outside the penalty box. In short, he is one-dimensional and has not improved on these qualities since he arrived at United, which takes an otherwise promising youngster and casts real doubt on whether he will ever develop into a great footballer instead of just a poacher. Danny Wellbeck looks like a talent possessing technique, athleticism, pace and strength, but unless he develops over the next few seasons, there’s no guarantee he’ll become world-class. Federico Macheda hasn’t developed at all since his Aston Villa goal and Michael Owen might as well spend training days at the racetrack as his presence in the squad is as ironic as it is bewildering.
In midfield, options are not much better. Michael Carrick has been valuable for United since his arrival, but he was slow when he was purchased and as he approaches the end stage of his career, he is a liability both in his defensive abilities as well as his lack of attacking prowess. Darren Fletcher is a valuable squad player, but he is not talented enough to be a legitimate option for the starting XI. Anderson has divided opinion amongst supporters, some wanting him out of the club altogether. He certainly hasn’t lived up to the initial hype, he has become a legitimate box-to-box CM, albeit with an astounding lack of ability in the final third. Darron Gibson was set to be sold this summer and certainly will be gone in six months time. Ryan Giggs was never going to become a quality CM, although he has performed admirably these last few seasons while filling in at a position for which he isn’t well suited. This leaves Tom Cleverley, the most recent addition to the first team, and the newest target for hype and expectations. His performances in the first few weeks of the season gave hope, but his inability to remain healthy as well as his brief track record ensure that he cannot be considered a sure thing to become United’s long-term solution in central midfield. Phil Jones is a center back, regardless of how often Sir Alex plugs him into a midfield role. Ferguson decided last summer not to pursue options such as Nasri or Inter Milan’s Wesley, a decision that looked foolish at the time and now appears to be closer to insanity. Recent weeks have seen United’s midfield overrun by teams like Newcastle, Blackburn and even Swansea City, a prospect that certainly will give confidence to their Manchester rivals.
Defense could be considered the area where United have the most talent and depth, however even this unit has been decimated, by injury as well as form. Nemanja Vidic is one of the top defenders in the world, but a knee ligament injury has removed him from the equation for the foreseeable future. Rio Ferdinand has been healthy enough this season to get on the pitch for stretches. Unfortunately, this has only provided him with an opportunity to show how far he’s fallen since his peak, consistently getting run past by younger players and outmuscled by those with more conviction. Jonny Evans has never been, and will never be good enough for a top side, although he no doubt would be valued by lesser Premier League club. Phil Jones and Chris Smalling appear to be real prospects for the future, especially Jones, but they are not yet seasoned enough to be counted upon week in and week out during a title push. Same goes for the Da Silva twins, who arrived with aplomb as precocious teenagers, and despite showing plenty of Brazilian flair have not developed at all in recent years and still look remarkably naive and reckless. Patrice Evra remains a top LB in world football, but his defensive lapses have grown far too common and he is routinely beaten for lofted passes into the penalty area. He is also getting older and cannot be expected to return to his previous form.
Finally, United’s goalkeeping situation might be the most promising while simultaneously being the most uncertain. David Da Gea was purchased as the heir to Edwin van der Saar, and has shown glimpses of his future as both United and Spain’s number one, but he is only 21 years old, is slight of frame, and will probably need a few years to grow into a position routinely dominated by those entering their 30s, not their 20s. Anders Lindegaard has been a massively pleasant surprise, proving to be a more than adequate backup, but his presence will only make it more difficult for De Gea to gain in confidence and develop into the player he has the potential to become.
Meanwhile, as this chaotic period in the squad has developed, promising youngsters coming through the youth ranks have yet to see their opportunities appear. Zeke Fryers has made a few impressive appearances as a substitute at LB, but both Paul Pogba and Ravel Morrison have yet to be given more than a token appearance despite the considerable reputations and expectations they have earned in recent years. Both are out of contract in the summer and have been rumored to interest teams like Manchester City and Barcelona. One would hope that during such a chaotic time, perhaps United could at least benefit by developing these potential stars.
Manchester United are at a serious crossroads, with the supposed rebuilding of the club in tatters. Starting XIs are not a referendum on who is the best player at each position, but rather who is set for a rotation and who is absent from Sir Alex’s doghouse. The recent benching of Wayne Rooney for a bad training session likely cost United three points against Blackburn is a prime example of Sir Alex’s obsession with his own superiority and power overwhelming his better judgement regarding the welfare of the team. His transfer policy comes across as equal parts ego and stubbornness, with the added bonus of treating supporters as if they’re stupid. Ferguson is an absolute legend, with a resume no manager can hope to match, but your resume plays no part in a football match, just as a huge bag of money will never score a goal like Ronaldo. Ferguson’s job is to put the best possible squad on the pitch each week, not to run defensive spin for the Glazer family or to make excuses as to why he buys for value instead of quality. These issues would have come out sooner, but last year’s weak Premier League competition and a few decent performances in the Champions League have allowed Sir Alex to hide the enormous flaws in his side. Recent losses have put the spotlight on Ferguson, and supporters can only hope this will convince him to leave his ego at the door and buy the quality of player we need to improve and compete, regardless of price.

KG {Ed007's Note - Great post..I mean book, mate.....WOW!}

Believable11 Unbelievable4

05 Jan 2012 00:04:32
Now i'm breaking my golden rule of not commenting straight after a game but i honestly feel that on this occasion i can put aside my emotion and give a fair assessment of what i've seen tonight.

First off i am fully awear of the injuries we have to the current squad but that is no excuse for the total inept tactical display i've seen tonight and against Blackburn. We have a good squad but not one as strong as i think Sir Alex believes. Our starting line ups and tactics deployed in both our last two games have been poor to the extreme.

First off the flack given to De Gea is unfair but what is more unfair is to throw a young player who is inexperianced in our league and is unable to speak english into games without a settled back four infront of him. How the hell is he supposed to cope with everything when he doesn't even know if the players in the defence infront of him our even defenders by trade? I think that within 5 years De Gea will be one of if not thee best Goalkeeper in the world but until our defensive injuries subside i would go for the more experianced and more settled goalkeeper in Lindegaard. He is a great keeper and is intitled to a chance.

Secondly, inuries are no excuse for a lack of preperation. If we prepared properly then had the players who would be playing in defence well drilled and have there roles all layed out for them then defensively we'd be fine. But there seems to be a lack of preplanning and it seems that none of the players know whether they'd be playing and if they are where or in what role would they be expected to play. It looks like we are waiting desperatly hoping that a couple of player will be passed fit the day before the match so we could throw them in.

Thridly, I feel we have a strong squad but one thats lacking in quality. Sure we have players who can come in and do a job but are they any better than average? players like Kusczcak, Evans?, Gibson, Giggs?, Park, Macheda, Diouf, Anderson? Berbatov They are decent players but either not good enough either anymore or ever or not consistant enough. For me these players are dead wood. Alot of the players we are waiting to come back are good squad players(Fletcher, Young ect) but not really first team players.

And finally the line ups, as i've said i know we have injuries but when that happens you work with what you have to make it work to it best rather than shoe horn players into positions and roles that they are either uncomfortable with or are beyond them. Rafael has been on the bench for the last 2/3 games and played a couple of reserve team games so why not play him.
Playing Berbatov and Rooney together only works if we are gonna be totally dominant against a team otherwise they both drop too deep and slow play down thus giving no time or space for them to be dangerous.
Welbeck should have started or at least com on at half time to push their defence back and create room for our more creative players to perform.
Give Valencia a chance in the centre of midfield, he has played there very well for his country and he could do a good role there for us much better than Giggs Park or Gibson who have all played there infront of him.
To get the best out of Giggs he needs 30 minute cameo performances not play the whole match or most of it.
With who is currently available we should be looking to be compact and hard to break down as the moment we open up players playing out of postion will be exposed. With players like Rooney Hernandez Welbeck Nani and Valencia all available we will always carry a threat on the break but we need to stop giving away silly chances.

We need a shake up, we need fresh blood. I think that certain people need to go. First off is Gill, he has repeatedly let our targets sign for other teams when the money is there, i have heard that alot of people within the game find him arrogant and awkward to deal with and as such prefer not to do business with him. He is the man who will negotiate the fees with other clubs and contracts with the players agents and if he is precieved as such then we will always be facing an up hill battle to sign the players we want.
Next for the chop or more likely side step is Phelan who just isn't upto the job as assistant to Sir Alex, he is neither good enough or a strong enough charecter.
I'd also look at one or two of the coaches and see if they are doing enough.

my final point is i wouldn't be suprised if this is Sir Alex's last season. His reluctance to spend money on players could be motivated by this fact as he wouldn't want to bring in players who might not fit the next managers plans. Also the pursuit of Sneijder seemed odd to me, he isn't the kind of player Sir Alex would normally go for, so was the plan to bring him in from the potential new manager? Also Sir Alex said many years ago when the great late Sir Bobby Robson was managing at 70 that he couldn't see himself doing that and his wife wouldn't let him. His recent comment about going on for another 3 years is odd to as he said he'd do the job only if his health permitted and at 70 predicting it will still be good enough in a few years time seems foolish when he wouldn't predict it before. Maybe i'm reading too much into things, but i wouldn't be suprised if he steps aside in may.

Shappy

Believable9 Unbelievable4

05 Jan 2012 00:04:24
Ba Ba black sheep have you any goals?
Yes sir yes sir three bags full.
One for demba ba, one for cabaye, one for
phil jones in his own goal!

Tekneek

Believable4 Unbelievable2

05 Jan 2012 00:03:08
So what did everyone make of the great saviour, Anders Lindegaard? If that was De Gea, tonight, you'd be all over him. A lot of hypocritical people on here, praising the team one minute, then wanting Fergie out the next. The man is a legend and deserves our support. You'll all be back on this site in May after we lift number 20 calling him a legend again. Support the club instead of childish bitching.

G.A.G.U.S

Believable3 Unbelievable6

05 Jan 2012 00:00:48
So...what would've Abba thought of tonight's performance?

"Mamma Mia" It just shows that "The Name Of The Game" isn't all to do with "Money, Money, Money."
They need to "Move On," "The Visitors" were "Under Attack" from the off! They sent out an "SOS" to "Chiquitita" and the "Dancing Queen," "Nina, Pretty Ballarina" but they are know "Fernando" and met their "Waterloo!"
The title is "Slipping Through My Fingers" they thought, but "When All Is Said And Done" they know they met their "Waterloo" and are now living in a"Dreamworld."

"That's Me!"

dmedly :-) {Ed007's Note - You know far too much about ABBA to be taking serious and also that is very VERY creepy.}

Believable6 Unbelievable0

04 Jan 2012 23:43:09
My ideal signing for midfield would be Keisuke Honda. He is a brilliant playmaker and is a dead ball specialist (someone posted saying we have no one who is a dead ball specialist). He would cost around 15 to 20 million.
To strenghten the defence we should go for Ryan Shawcross, he's a big, strong lad who isn't scared to get stuck in-he would be a perfect replacement while Vidic is out. He's also young and would cost up to 10 million. With Shawcross our defence could be this for the rest of the season:

RB-Fabio/Smalling
CB-Ferdinand/Smalling
CB-Shawcross/Evans
LB-Evra/Rafael

Then we could use Jones as a defensive midfielder with Honda as the attacking midfielder:

RM-Nani/Valencia
CDM-Jones/Carrick(?)
CAM-Honda/Cleverly
LM-Young/Giggs

That way we won't need Rooney to play in midfield and he will be available to play up front with Hernandez, Welbeck or Berbatov.

We have two players for each position with the others I haven't mentioned as further back up. I know 2 signings won't fix everything and we will still need to sign players in the summer but they could allow us to keep all the pressure on Man City until the end of the season.

What do ye think everyone?

Breeno

Believable1 Unbelievable3