Manchester United Banter Archive December 12 2013

12 Dec 2013 18:41:07
Hello Guys,

First time poster here.

Few things I have to say about our great team.

SAF has done a great job over the years to make sure we stay top every season and we have won a lot of trophies in the process. The truth still remains that the team has been on a downward slope since we lost Ronaldo and allowed Tevez to leave.

How do we get back to playing the fantastic beautiful football we played years back? Like so many people have said already we need to let go of some of our players.

Even though Giggs still shows sometimes how easy it is for him to give those passes and make those runs, he should have retired like 2 seasons ago and give youth a chance. Ferdinand definitely shouldn't still be playing and therefore a replacement should have been bought. Yes we have Jones, Who I believe should play more @ the back, Smalling, who I don't think should play RB, and Evans, a more experienced world class CB is required.

I can only imagine what our team will look like if we had sold Rooney @ the beginning of the season. Welbeck should be a squad player or even sold as he disappoints in front of goal alot.

So who do I think we should let go of, Nani, Young, Giggs (retire), Anderson, Fletcher (don't think he will ever be the same player we all knew him to be), Evra, Ferdinand (retire).

Those are 7 players. They should then invest in players for the following positions: LM, CM, LB, CB. 2 CM and this team will be complete. Bring Powel back into the team, give Zaha a chance to prove himself and build confidence. Play RVP, Rooney, Januzaj, Kagawa upfront while a new creative CM partners Carrick in the midfield, rafael for RB, Vidic and Evans for CB and a new LB.

I think with that the team will be back playing a free beautiful flowing football.

Thanks and great job guys.

Hello and welcome to our mostly happy family mate, nice first post buddy :-)

Thank you :-)

Nicely summed up debo. Those positions you identified to be improved were clear to most fans remains a mystery that most if all were addressed in the summer!

Welcome Debo, I think you've pointed out our political views as the fans. Let's hope some of the hierarchy read!. Lol
Nice post

12 Dec 2013 13:54:14
David moyes seems so obsessed with his everton days that after getting whole back room staff and fellaini for INSANE amount, he is doing everything he can to get 29 years old baines for 15m. And it is said that zaha will be used for smoothing of the deal.
15m for a 29 year is to much. bt as I have expressed in earlier posts. I m a football fan not financial director. I don't care as long as it immidiatly improves out first 11. Bt that move should really improve us. nt like paying odd to your old club and get average like Fellaini.
Hope first 11 problems gets sorted quickly in all area

12 Dec 2013 08:59:05
Watching our match on Tuesday and in previous matches. It has become noticeable how deep our defence are. This in turn drags our midfielders back and leaving a great big gap between midfield and our attack.
So the midfield and defence end up lumping the ball to the strikers, if they lose the ball, then the opposition midfield can run 30 yards unopposed.
When moyes came, the talk was all about his tactical astuteness, pressing the ball high up the pitch etc. But we've seen non of that, instead, our defence keeps dropping further and further back, and we keep losing goals and matches.
I'm no football manager, but I'm sure moyes can see that? If we can just have the courage to push up, it might congest the midfield more and make us less of a pushover. By doing that, the strikers might even get better service from midfield.
Only an observation!

Good post nomidfield, a lot poster think we can just go and buy world class players like its CM far as I am aware messi and Ronaldo are not available.
Like you say we should be looking at our tactics and formation first after all we having a championship winning squad that's needs re-enforcing not a total rebuild like when the great SAF took over

The problem isn't that Moyes can't see it, of course he does, so did Sir Alex. The problem is that Rio and Vidic are woefully slow and are left exposed when we play a high line. We also don't have any pace in midfield. Evra too is a liability while defending.

All that means, although he would like to, Moyes can't play a high line or any player with decent pace will just run past the defenders.

12 Dec 2013 13:16:53
The problem is the lack of pace at centrehalf. Their sitting deep to avoid being exposed. This turn forces the midfield back. When Rio retires and we sign someone with pace and ease Vidic out this should improve. We know from the eds that we are looking at centrehalves.

12 Dec 2013 13:51:06
I've mentioned this before. I think the time may have come to drop both of Rio and Vidic as neither have the pace to push up.

I know some may feel uncomfortable with dropping Vidic but by having two of Evans, Jones or Smalling in the centre of defence will allow us to play further up the pitch, thus pushing the midfield further up the pitch and maybe we could put some pressure on our opposition.

In an ideal world we'd sign someone like Mangala in the summer, but i'd settle for Martins Indi.

It is as important to sort out our defence as it is to sort out our midfield in the summer.

On another not it looks likr we are having a serious look at William Carvalho, which is interesting as he isn't an established world class midfielder. So could we see two midfielders come in one being world class and the other with potential?

We would still need a CB, LB and a versitile wide forward type player.

I would be happy if we were to start next season with Mangala, Rodriguez, Gundogan, Carvalho and Konoplyanka all added to the squad.

Of course if one of Rooney or RvP leaves then we will need a world class striker/ forward to come in and replace them.

There is nothing wrong with playing any two out of Evans, Jones and Smalling. They are all good quick defenders.
If we can then just push up, then that will immediately push our midfield up. We have to have the courage to do it.
I am an admirer of Fernando at Porto. Also Carvalho at Lisbon is a good player and has just broken into the Portugal national team.
If either Rooney or RVP go, then I hope we can get Diogo Costa in, as he is a very aggressive player and will suit the PL perfectly. Superb striker.

Evans, Smalling and Jones are all excellent in my opinion. But they don't tend to do the business when they play together.

When Ferdy or Vidic partner any one other they seem to Marshall the defense better, albeit to deep.

Add Baines and I think we might see our young CB's perform better. Everyone is currently unsettled by Evra's mental aborations.

Add an experienced leftback who actually tracks back with a sense of urgency, and a stronger CM with pace in front and I'm not too fussed about a CB.

Greater team improvement can be achieved with two energetic and creative CM's, a LB and a proper LW.

I also can't wait till Moyes has to play Zaha, can't understand what he's done behind the scenes, but I was really excited to see him in the summer. Please give him a go Moyes!

DG

I never saw Zaha in the pre season but watched him a few times playing for palace last year. He is better in one on one situations and when he has room and space, however he is quite raw and poor in a tightly packed game where you are not given the room and makes poor passes or just loses possession trying one of his tricks.

I am not sure he is ready for the PL where you have packed midfields and just a higher quality of players and not many opening down the wing to run at one defender.

I hope I am wrong on Zaha, Watched powel last night, I think he is being wasted on loan at Wigan and would not be surprised to see us calling him back in January or whenever his loan deal is over. Although still not the finished products, he is IMO more ready for the PL than Zaha.