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15 Sep 2014 22:10:00
I'd just like to say RIP Sandy Busby. The real Son of a Sir Matt. Thoughts with his family.
Sad news indeed. RIP Sandy. It was an honour to sit in your company and share a drink and your stories less than 12 months ago. God Bless you sir. Thoughts are with Irene and your immediate family
Yeah sad news RIP Sandy.
15 Sep 2014 19:23:28
Might sound stupid but could Ronaldo ever return while we have Di Maria wearing the number 7? Clearly Ronaldo would only return to wear that jersey but Di Maria wouldn't give it up. Like I said it will sound silly but what are everyone else's opinions regarding that?
15 Sep 2014 19:45:26
Do we really want a player that would only return for a number and not the club?
He will get what he gets if he comes back, I can't see Di Maria giving up his shirt. It's insulting to say the least. If this was going to be an issue Di Maria should of got the 11 and we could of left the 7 for one more season.
He could have 77.
I don't know if I'm in the minority but I wouldn't want him back. He's only interested in self glory and he left for his dream club.
15 Sep 2014 20:48:32
Haha obviously he'd return for the love of the club if he left RM, for us. But surely you know as well as anyone he became a global icon with that number at this club so it makes sense he had it again.
Would it be ridiculous not to sign due to not getting the number 7.yes. However, you do have to.consider his promotion and marketed moniker CR7.
To us not important. to him and his advisers it will be massive.
Personally I.think if you approached Di marea and say here is another number and you get to play with Ronaldo again (they seem to have got on) then I imagine he would snap your hand off. Increased chance of success.
15 Sep 2014 21:14:31
Hah with the first or last 7 being font size number 0.5 ;)
{Ed004's Note - I'm on the border about trying to sign him as well. Ultimately if we are trying to get Strootman in January. All we would need next summer is a cb (someone of Hummels quality) and if the funds are there for that and Ronaldo well then we would have an unstoppable team. Falcao and Ronaldo as strikers. Mata supplying them, with the same midfield 3 except Strootman for Blind potentially}
Why would he leave his dream club
Ronaldo is not needed, we need Reus, Hummels and another RB to complete us IMO.
Honestly is it worth giving him a 5 year contract on over €300,000 a week? he will be 30 soon. Not saying he still won't be a hell of a player but he left us for his "Dream Club!". Never mind the fee he would command.
While I am still a fan of his talent and ability I don't think it would necessarily be a step in the right direction for us. He would not get the No.7 Shirt back if he did come back, that would just be unfair on ADM.
Wouldn't say no to Ronaldo but if it limits our resources in getting a world class centre back and midfielder I wouldn't want him. First choice for me is Reus.
Yes his commercial appeal would pay for his transfer but he had his chance and I don't care what people say he will be 30 and in decline. Yes you could say his own level will be higher than that of most but he sadly won't be at his best no matter how well he looks after himself. Reus will surpass him in a year or 2.
15 Sep 2014 18:27:28
Right well this might come across a bit like a crusade but i've decided to do some research into passing averages and success rates so far this season.
So far throughout the top five leagues in europe only 7 players have managed to successfully make over 100 passes in any one game. Those 7 players are Xabi Alonso, Thiago Motta, Marco Verratti, Cesc Fabregas, Ivan Rakitic, Daley Blind and JOHNNY EVANS.
Both Blind and Evans managed in against QPR.
But out of the 7 players who have managed such an achievement only Johnny Evans is a defender, all others are midfielders.
That means against QPR Evans achieved a passing feat yet to be managed by players such as Modric, Iniesta, Xavi, Pirlo and Kroos, who are some of the best passers in world football.
And yet many United fans still claim it is Evans passing which let's him down and he isn't good enough. He showed just yesterday that he is a top passer yet many people seem to be making their assessment of how he played yesterday based on the fact that they FELT he was always about to make a mistake. Well he didn't so how you feel about him is the real issue.
This is my issue with people saying he had a poor game yesterday. He didn't, in fact he didn't even come close to having a poor game yesterday. Statistically our best defender and our second best passer of the ball on the day.
So if you really think Evans had a bad game yesterday then i'm afraid it is all in your head. And you are allowing a predetermined opinion of him blind you from seeing him clearly on the pitch.
I'm not saying Evans is a great player, or even one who should be starting for our club, just that its only fair to judge a player on his performances and not on how you feel about the player.
And on his performance yesterday he was our best defender.
15 Sep 2014 19:20:40
I always rated Evans' passing, I think its an occasional lack of concentration that makes him miss the odd simple pass imo. When partnered with the experience of Vidic or Rio he always looked assured but when he is the 'experienced' CB of the 2 he tends to look a little shakey. Hopefully he can mature a little under LvG, although the early signs are that he preferred Jones and he may partner him with Rojo in the long term. We shall see.
Good point and post Shappy. But i can't help but take a jibe. Isen't this exactly what you thought about Wazza? (Preconceived notion et all). Just kidding. I think Evans is one of our better defenders. One little flaw in that stat is, it is easier to pass from the back isen't it? You will usually find your DM, unless you are trying to be Rio obviously. But that does not take away the fact that he looks more assured and elegant on the ball than the likes of Smalling and Jones.
Deeps.
If he was Brazilian or Itallian people would be hailing him as one of the best defenders in the league, I don't know if I'm being bias because I like the guy but honestly I don't see these mistakes that he makes? Like let's compare him to david Luiz, how often does he give away the ball and make silly mistakes yet he warrants a £50m price tag? johnny Evans is a tidy nice defender, he's not the best we've ever had nor is he the worst, over the past 18 months he's probably been our best cb
Shappy
For large periods of the game qpr had 1 player in our half .
Evans passing rate tells you more about the game that his performance .
For me on the rare occasion qpr attacked evans looked a bit of his game.
I don't think he had great game yesterday i also don't think its all in my head.
To be fair i don't think he has played well so far this season for various reasons.
Thats your second right today about peoples assesment of evans,
He played well in my opinion and I don't understand why he got stick on here, RVP was very poor but not even half the "He played terribly" comments about him. Very strange.
Gav, that's exactly how i feel about Evans.
Deeps, your probably right about my views on Wazza, it's why i limited myself when i came to posting about him. As for players at the back having more passing option that tends to e true but they also tend to have less time. Those stats take in all players both defenders and midfielders so its still a fair way to assess him with.
Anon, i completely agree, Evans is every bit as good as Pique and Evans was the reason we let Pique go. People like a flashy foreign name more than a just as good british alternative who has come through the ranks.
Jred, i tend to agree. QPR will possibly be the worst team to visit Old Trafford this year. And I do still feel Evans needs to fully prove himself and there is of course weaknesses in his game as there is for nearly all players. I just don't like the way people jumped on him over what was at worst an average performance. But being a defender with so little to do i don't know what else he could have reasonably have done to impress people yesterday.
I get the impression if he received the ball from De Gea then ran 80 yards beating every man and then smashed and unstoppable shot into the top corner of the goal inning us the game and goal of the season for himself that a group of people on here would have slated him for leaving the defence and not doing his job properly.
15 Sep 2014 20:54:14
I've got nothing against the lad at all shappy,in fact I rate the lad.
I was giving my opinion on what I saw yesterday mate and that was far from spectacular not terrible either I will state.
But he looked rusty & shakey(maybe to be expected after a pre season injury).
His passing stats dnt really mean a lot when qpr showed no ambition to get forward much, but there were a few moments in the game when he looked off the pace and sloppy.
He did make a great saving clearance to deny them which was a game saver
Rojo or rafa where the best defenders of the 4 and I strongly disagree with your claims he was the best defender of the four yesterday.
15 Sep 2014 20:56:48
He wasn't put under any real pressure, I'm usually a big fan of Evans because he can pass but in earlier games this season he's showed he's awful under intense pressure which is some what important when playing football at the highest level for a top club.
I don't think he had a bad game at all but you can't say because he made 'x' amount of passes he had a good game, after all he's a defender, his game should be assessed on defensive positioning, tacklers interceptions and clearances.
The fact of the matter is I'd much prefer Jones and Smalling to start ahead of him and they haven't even proven themselves yet.
I'm sorry - but this is one of the most ridiculous posts I have ever seen. I'd wager that 90% of his passes were backwards and unopposed. There were at least 3 poor passes I recall which put the team in danger (one of which lead to RVP having to cynically foul the QPR player and receive a booking, one of which left DDG short and could easily have lead to a goal and one which gave QPR the ball just outside the box). Evans could make 1000 passes in a game - but if he continues to have two or three terrible ones it counts for nothing. His passing was shocking against MK Dons as well!
15 Sep 2014 18:03:41
Rvp yesterday seemed short of fitness. Still think he will love playing with everyone once fit. I was worried how he would react not being the main man but the one thing that answered my question was when he tried to square it to Falcao instead of shooting. It was a similar position to his goal against Fulham last year when he rifled home. Showed that he was prepared to sacrifice his own glory to give Falcao the perfect debut. Not something that I thought I would see!
Apart from that a good performance. I enjoyed watching Herrera. Very good on the ball and put a shift in. Blind was that composure in the middle we have lacked. Di Maria terrified QPR. Made me laugh how many times the QPR defence jumped to block a cross and Di Maria just went past them.
Most if all-for me- seeing Rafael having a stormer was brilliant. 2 seasons ago I said he was one of the top right backs in the world and last season he missed some games zz and never found his form. If Shaw could copy that on the other flank, with Jones and Rojo forming a partnership and maybe Strootman in January, some people on here will be gutted that there is nothing to moan about!
There was one point in the first half where he gave the ball away three times in a row by giving short 50/50 balls when only a few yards away .
Do we even need strootman?
15 Sep 2014 17:55:06
I personally think the diamond we saw at the weekend should be the way forward, I don't understand why lvg would want to change that apart from stubbornness.
Fair enough at the start of the season when we didn't have the personnel, but now playing 3/5 at the back is wasting potential midfield places.
I could easily see Adnan and Lingard playing the same roles as Di Maria and Herrera.
I think playing the diamond is so flexible with the players we have.
The only players to miss out are Young and Valencia,
The only players to miss are the ones to be first out the door next summer or january although Valencia is flexible and can be kept for another year
Adnan and lingard are not even close in quality to dimaria and herrera mate. Different league.
16 Sep 2014 05:43:38
GCU I think we will still need to keep the likes of Adnan and Lingard as we prepare for CL next year. Sort of having a back-up for midfield position to cover DM and Herrara. I feel whilst the purchase of the current team of "superstars" is to achieve the 2 objectives of CL qualification next year and have a go at the PL title, I can't help but feel we need to also be mindful of backup members for next year's plans. That way, there will be options for the many games and pressure that comes with BPL and CL together. What do you guys think?
15 Sep 2014 17:20:20
How good was Daley Blind yesterday, I know it's not fancy but his positional play and reading of the game was outstanding. Herrera was also very impressive . In my opinion we are a couple of new signings away from an excellent starting 11 with pretty decent squad depth too. A world class cb would be nice. Who didn't get a bit excited at 4-0 up when we can just casually bring on a player like Falcao?
15 Sep 2014 16:43:22
Shappy one alright game for evans doesn't suddenly make him a good player, he is someone who always has a mistake in him, and when he make them, which he will, many times, will cost us goals, he always has, that is why so much hate on him, well from me
15 Sep 2014 17:09:49
That post is so full of exaggerated generalisations, I don't know where to start. I'll settle for asking why you would have, 'hate', for any Utd player?
I do worry when he is on the ball or in a one on one situation. He should be a squad player and for me Jones, Rojo and Smalling in that order should be our first choice options.
I personally can't see Evans being a first choice CB when everyone is fit.
I'm not saying he's a great player, but he is a good player. All players make mistakes, if they didn't then there would be no goals in football. Unfortunately if you make one in defence then there is only your keeper to bail you out.
Regardless of how good Evans is or isn't for any fan to "hate" a player who has come through the academy and gives his all for the club is a very sad state of affairs. If your one of those fans then maybe instead of coming on to a forum to bash a player even when he hasn't played badly you should step away from the keyboard walk over to the mirror and have a good hard look at yourself.
Hopefully a back 4 of Rafael Jones Rojo and shaw then hummels next summer
Evans is good at most things, but we need more if we are going to go toe to toe with the big guns. He is a good squad player, nothing more. He has looked very low on confidence recently and he looked very uncertain yesterday when he had the ball, (probably stems from MK Dons error).
Yes he made a good interception and he didn't really get challenged yesterday but when the rest of the team was playing with new vigour and moving the ball about with ease he was the only one who didn't know what to do with the ball and because of his indecision he played a few hospital balls. QPR had nothing upfront so this was concerning. That said he played on the right and has been poor leading up to this game, so hopefully he will snap out of it because with our injury record he will feature a lot. He is better at defending and we didn't have too much of that to do yesterday.
I think a lot of the criticism comes because he hasn't looked right in previous games and only he and RVP looked out of place yesterday on what otherwise was a massive leap for Man Utd kind.
Yeah hate is the wrong word to use, my bad maybe rate is better fit? I don't rate him as a defender for us, would be my last pick out of our lot. is all I am trying to say
15 Sep 2014 16:27:31
First question: I would be interested to find out how many of you are concerned with de Gea's ability when it comes to getting off his line decisively. Maybe I'm nitpicking but he seems a bit recalcitrant. To me, this is his one remaining weakness. Defenders need a goalie to take control, and when they show hesitation or errors of judgment/timing it contributes significantly to the defensive jitters. Hopefully there will be some improvement as the new defence settles in, but for the time being, Manuel Neuer he is not.
Second question(s): Can RVP perform when he is not the top man? Is he just too arrogant? Over the last 2 seasons the tension between him and Rooney has been palpable. He did well when Rooney was on the outs with SAF, but ever since he's been either injured or, when playing, an under-performer unable to even get into the game. At 31 do we need him? How many top class strikers are there in their 30s? Was Rooney getting the captaincy the nail in RVP's United coffin?
I honestly feel that Van Persie is struggling with fitness but doesn't want to stop playing because his position is under threat. He hasn't become a bad player over night and I'm sure he wants to play with the best players in the world. But right now, on form, he is the one that Falcao comes in for. Rooney is scoring, Mata is scoring, Di Maria too. I wouldn't say we 'need' him, but we should still want him because he is a top player. He may lose his place for good though next year if we bring Ronaldo back in - maybe a move to Madrid is even a possibility.
As for De Gea, I have no concerns. He isn't a sweeper keeper like Neuer and is normally pretty good at clearing up a mess when the defence makes one. He is probably the best shot stopper in the League, his handling has improved no end and he has the confidence now to give some mouth to those in front of him. He made a mistake yesterday but he was put in a difficult position by Evans I think it was with a short back pass.
The mistake yesterday was a mix up with Rojo, was it not? I'm pretty sure Evans had nothing to do with it. Aside from clearing up the mess!
15 Sep 2014 19:35:53
De Gea is a very good young keeper who will hopefully go on to become one of the best but he still has some improving and maturing to do. He gets slightly overrated on here but hopefully with a settled defence in front of him he will begin to look more assured, his shot stopping and distribution are already excellent and he has already improved on his presence.
RvP I'm not sure, just hasn't looked the same in recent months but I can't tell why. Perhaps he is better as the only focal point in a team, like he was at Arsenal and in his first season with us? Let's see what happens over the course of the season, no doubt there is pressure on him to improve now that Falcao is here. Should be good to watch unfold.
15 Sep 2014 16:03:01
Still grinning after performance yesterday: Blind, Rojo, Blackett and Herrera unsung heroes. Blackett looks eager to soak up all the new ideas and he could be the rock of the new defence.
Thing is: still 9 injuries out and quality subs - plus youngsters! Shows what great depth we have (and great to see Periera on bench).
But where will Carrick, Shaw, Jones, Smalling etc play when available?
Fellaini will be a squad player, as will Fletcher and Smalling.
Can't see Carrick replacing Blind - maybe rotate with Herrera?
Can't wait till all fit and raring to go! Great selection problems for the manager, surely all players will be fighting for their places in the match days available as know competition will be so strong.
For me Fletcher, Anderson and Fellaini will make the bench from time to time but nothing more - out of all of them Fellaini will be the most involved.
Jones will partner Rojo at centre half and Shaw will go in at left back. I can't see Blind losing his starting spot but Carrick will be his main 'threat'. Carrick couldn't play the Herrera role, he doesn't have the engine for it. I can't see Young getting into the team anymore, Valencia may get some games but mainly off the bench when the game is won to protect Rafael who was excellent. I think we need a new back up right back though.
Don't think Carrick will play a lot Jones will probably take Evans place Shaw will come in for Rojo who will move to centre half Smalling will be a sub defence is tightening up a lot as shown against qpr he have some quality in midfieldand up front so we were solid
We are going to be using a very tight squad with additional youngsters. I expect by the end of next summer every player in the squad will either be world class, a 'top' player or have fantastic potential. There won't be any more Young, Valencia, Cleverley, Fletcher etc. The first team squad will be star studded names, some of whom will drop to the bench with the rest of the spots filled with the likes of Blackett, Pereira, Wilson etc.
15 Sep 2014 15:30:17
I know from being an avid reader of this site over the past year or so that Wayne Rooney is someone who divides opinion, but I would just like to congratulate our captain on becoming the third top goalscorer in Premier League history, level with the great Thierry Henry. He gets a lot of stick, most of it out of frustration based on his past decisions off the pitch imo, but everyone is entitled to their opinion.
Mine is that he has been a top player for Manchester United over the past ten years. 175 league goals is a hell of an achievement, and of course he has every chance of going on to be our top goalscorer of all-time as well as England's. Let's not forget he has often been shifted around the pitch. He has played second fiddle to Ruud van Nistelrooy, Cristiano Ronaldo and then Robin van Persie. His two seasons as a striker brought close to 70 goals if I'm not mistaken. Considering all of that, his goalscoring record becomes even more remarkable.
I am a massive fan of Rooney, but I am also realistic and I do believe he has made mistakes. I firmly believe he was a better player at 18/19 than Cristiano Ronaldo or Lionel Messi were at the same age, and had he committed himself to improving the way they did, he would have been up there with them in the Ballon d'Or stakes these past five or so years. He also made a mistake in 2010 when he asked for a transfer, which he has admitted, and came out of it looking greedy. That is his bad, only he knows whether he has regrets about any of these issues. I'm sure he will do as he is undoubtedly a winner who will also want to be appreciated by the Manchester United fans all over the world.
That said, his achievements for our club should not be underestimated, he has contributed massively to a great spell of success for Manchester United and has performed very well for the most part. As our new skipper, in our new era, I hope he goes on to lead us to many more honours and breaks Sir Bobby's goalscoring record along the way.
I think Wayne may be one who is only fully appreciated in time, after he has retired and we look back on his career when we will remember what a great servant he was to Manchester United.
This day and age 10 years at the same club should earn respect
I agree, getting at par with Henry is no small achievement.
I agree, but you are missing out on his highest achievement. Wayne is the only person who has ever written a book before he ever read one.
I'm in total agreement with this. Rooney has made mistakes in the past - but he has been with the club for ten years and always gives us his all. He's been played out of position for the majority of his time at the club and for the most part has not complained. I hope he stays with us for the rest of his career and is then remembered for what he is. A devoted servant who helped us to win every piece of silverware possible.
His goal yesterday was an unbelievable shot to get it in the bottom corner would Van Persie have don't that no Rooney is a team player
15 Sep 2014 16:58:38
Good post, UFM. I don't particularly like the guy, but there's nothing there I would disagree with.
15 Sep 2014 19:41:33
Not his greatest admirer given the early expectations I had for him, but you can't ignore his contribution to our team over a long period and his achievements for club and country. He looks in slightly better form at the moment too which is great. He's made mistakes but so have others. He is still here though and being picked by yet another top manager to represent us.
15 Sep 2014 21:09:33
He has and is a great servant of the club, the fact that he could overtake Sir Bobby as the highest ever goal scorer of this club within the next two seasons is ridiculous, it's almost fairy tale like that he can do it while wearing the captains armband.
Do you notice how happy he is these days when United score regardless of the player who scores it? The same cannot be said for RvP. Wayne is a player that even other top class players look up to, he's important off the pitch as well as on it that's for true.
16 Sep 2014 09:28:38
Oz,
I think that is what giving the captaincy to him has done, he feels responsible for the club now and when we score he seems absolutely delighted, it is great to see. Like others have said, you don't need to love the guy to appreciate what he has done. I usually stay out of the Rooney debate on here because I like him and can't be bothered with the hassle it brings, but great points well made from the OP.
15 Sep 2014 12:15:39
All this having a pop at evens is not on he did very little wrong and stoped a certain goal. RVP was probably the worst player for utd yesterday.
I'm not keen on Evans either at the moment but it should be remembered he's playing in the less familiar RCB position with Blackettbauer and Rojo on the left. Jones and Smalling will compete with him for this position, both of whom can also play RB in a 4 across the back formation, in case Rafael gets insured and LVG comes to the likely conclusion that Valencia is a liability there.
If the defence settles, especially if Jones fills the hype that preceded him, you can see how this team should have all the ingredients to compete for a top 4 place. One more top class midfielder to replace the aging Michael Carrick and Bob's your uncle.
I agree on RvP, thought he was our poorest on the day by a distance. He doesn't look entirely committed to me. I would like to see one change for Sunday, Falcao in for RvP.
Am usually one of Evans most loyal supporters as he has been our best defender for years, however he was very bad yesterday. Constantly gave the ball away, slowed our play down for no apparent reason and every time he crossed the half way line he seemed to forget he was playing football.
I hope he bounces back from this performance and gets back to the standards he has set himself of previous years.
I think Rvp needs a goal or two just to bring him back to for. I wouldn't. Say he's not committed
RVP is a goalscorer rather than a creator. If you don't give him the ball in the right places he may as well not be on the pitch. It's hard to criticise him when he's not been given chances - but I'd like to see him dropped for Falcao as the latter is a better finisher and can also create goals; both for himself and others.
RVP isn't making the runs, that was highlighted even more when Falcao came on. I think his knee is still an issue and is impeding his performance. A couple of weeks off wouldn't do him any harm I don't think. I don't buy into the balls not being in the right places for him, not now.
Right centre back will be Jones Smalling left centre back will be Rojo Evans Blackett with Evans another option
15 Sep 2014 20:52:17
redseven, how can you say Falcao is a better creator of goals?! In 9 years of club football he has created only fifteen goals whereas in the same time period RVP has created SEVENTY-SEVEN goals at club level. Get your facts straight before you start talking nonsense.
Ozzy - Falcao creates chances for himself. He can quite literally score from nothing. The bulk of RVP's assists have come from set-pieces and rebounds.
15 Sep 2014 12:10:19
I posted a while back when Blind signed that he would be the Linchpin in midfield dictating Van Gaals philosophy on the pitch exuding calm between the defence and Midfield I don't think he disappointed yesterday, great display, i'm looking forward to seeing him keeping Fabregas, Silva and the likes quiet with his strong reading of the game.
Also what has happened to RVP? the runs he was making during his first season at UTD are no longer being made, the runs Falcao made in his 20 Mins were the runs that RVP made constantly, is there an underlying Issue here with his knee i wonder?
I can see him being dropped next week.
I also think the criticism of Evans is a bit harsh and totally agree with Shappy's comments below. Clean sheet at home and clearing what was most definitely a goal is good enough for me
Good comment. RVP was poor, he has been since he has come back but I still think he is struggling with his knee. He isn't a lazy striker, he usually makes runs so there must be a reason why he isn't.
Defensively Evans is relatively solid - but he's terrible on the ball. It's one thing to not be able to link up the play between defense and midfield - but quite another to be unable to measure a short pass to another defender. Most of his passes seem to have either been short or off target - and whilst they didn't cost us a goal yesterday they will against better teams. Prior to this season I would have said he was fairly decent on the ball - so I'm wondering if confidence is playing a part?
I think it's a little early to be singing Blind's praises. He looked good yesterday (although personally I thought Herrera had a better game in terms of overall contribution) - but it's worth remembering that we were playing against a very poor QPR side. We'll see just how good he is when we face Everton and Chelski in the coming weeks.
Redseven
I really agree with all that, i thought herrera showed what he is capable off i really think he is going to be a top player.
Blind hasn't convinced me yet, he had a good game but had time and space, qpr had 1 player in our half for large periods.
I still think his pace could be an issue.
Dont want to be to harsh on him because he played well but i'm yet to be convinced .
15 Sep 2014 17:07:42
Redseven, I disagree on Evans. I think his passing from the back is usually one of his strong points. Yesterday wasn't one of his better games in that respect, by any means, but I wouldn't be writing him off just yet.
Di Maria has been one of my favourite players for years, but he was sloppy at times too, yesterday. I think people are just nit-picking a little, because it was a performance where, by and large, there wasn't too much to moan about.
It'll not stop people, though :)
This is what i don't get Evans made 101 successful passes yesterday and he made 9 unsuccessful passes.
I mean would you slate a striker for scoring 101 goals but missing 9 chances?
Yes i saw him make 9 poor passes yesterday but without a being blinded by a hatred for him i also saw the 101 successful passes.
I mean for crying out load how many midfielders end a game with over 100 successful passes?
And people are slating a defender based on his passing which in this game was far better than most mid to top midfielders. Come on guys open your god damn eyes.
Shappy - It would be a different matter entirely if all of the passes he missed were ambitious cross-field passes - but two or three were 5 yard passes that even I could have made (I wish I was exaggerating here - but I'm really not). Against bigger and better teams he'd have cost us a goal or two with a performance like that.
StevieK - As I said in my original post - prior to this season I'd always considered him a good passer; but so far he hasn't looked great on the ball. Hopefully this will improve with his fitness and confidence - but ultimately I don't think he'd make it into our first choice back four anyway (Shaw-Rojo-Jones-Rafael).
I think when you have 70 odd thousand UTD fans watching every move you make after making a complete howler in the MK dons game you would be a little shaky and nervous let's be honest.
I wouldn't say J Evans confidence is anywhere near sky high and a clean sheet and a goal line clearance will do the lads confidence a world of good.
He knew when he stepped out there the world would be watching and he came away with a clean sheet.
There's no point in ifs and buts and speculation that if a bigger team came we'd concede, I think we need to take this result regardless of who we played and build on it and give Evans the opportunity to build on it too
15 Sep 2014 11:41:43
I would never have thought that i'd be sitting here reading all the Ronaldo stories, that I would be thinking "Do we really need him?" "Where would he fit in?" "Would Di Maria give up the number 7 after only one season?"
and somewhat guiltily I am thinking I would be the WRONG move for us.
We have come so far in terms of players in the past 6 months to be able to say that.
The only scenario I can think of, and believe might happen is that Falcao might end up at Real and Ronaldo would fill that slot.
I think you're right. I don't think Ronaldo would come back and get the #7. The only likely scenario is that Falcao and Ronaldo swap places and Ronaldo gets the #9. Would he be happy with that though? I don't know. I still want him back though.
Having said that, we could quite easily accomodate Ronaldo up front with Falcao and Rooney behind. So it would more than likely be Mata that misses out. The targets for next season though sound incredible, even better than this year: Strootman, Hummels and Ronaldo to complete our side and finish the 'clear out'.
It's a tough one. I saw somebody suggest the other day that they would rather we signed Reus than Ronaldo; and I'm inclined to agree.
I appreciate that Ronaldo is a tremendous athlete but can't see him keeping up his current levels of performance for much longer. If we sign him we'll be getting a player on the decline and paying a lot of money. A fair amount of that money will be recouped in shirt sales and sponsorships - and a declining Ronaldo is still a lot better than a peak everybody else (bar Messi, of course); but taking sentiment out of the equation it's hard to justify spending the kind of money it would take to re-sign him on a 30 year old. The only reason I'd sign him would be to stop him going to a domestic rival.
Look at Reus current injury record though, he isn't playing many games at all.
I personally don't want him back because we currently have a good forward line and he would be a lot of money and headache so would rather spend the money on Reus and Strootman
Fresh! - The lad averaged 45 appearances over the past 2 seasons. That's more than most players manage!
15 Sep 2014 10:48:36
What a pleasure to watch that was. That was probably the first time in nearly 2 years that I have thoroughly enjoyed one of our performances. Di Maria is quite simply a fantastic player who carries the ball as well as anyone in the world right now - he is what has been missing most. A special mention has to go to Daley Blind though who I feel went unnoticed, he did an absolutely stellar job in front of the back four. I don't remember him giving the ball away once. Rojo was also very very good at left back and I can't wait to see him replace Evans when Shaw is fit. Evans for me was the only negative, he was really sloppy and doesn't seem to communicate well with De Gea.
The biggest plus for me though was moving away from the back three. BUT, I am actually really pleased that we did it for pre-season and for a few games. Why? Well at times yesterday that is exactly how we were playing. When we had the ball we would quite often see Blind almost drop back and be a third centre back for cover whilst Herrera, Di Maria, Van Persie, Rooney etc handled the attacks supported by Rojo and Rafael who were often very high up the pitch. So in a way that system still seems rather relevant even though we played the 4-3-3 diamond which has to be the way to go from now on.
Looking forward to the Leicester game now, hopefully Shaw comes back into the fold and Rojo partners Blackett at centre half. It was also great to have Rafael back, how much better than Valencia did he look at right back - totally incomparable.
How happy did Di Maria look when he scored? So glad to see some energy and pace back in the side, we've lacked it since 2012, that was the last time we played with a real force and urge to win.
We were relentless going forward and you could see a real hunger to keep scoring more and more. Di Maria's driving runs are going to be crucial for us and it will really drive the opposition defences back allowing our creative players more space to operate in.
Who do you think will be the one to drop out most often to accomodate Falcao? On current form I'd say Van Persie. Most will say Mata but he has 8 in 10 and is making some lovely passes right now - especially with the runs that are now being made.
15 Sep 2014 11:24:22
Fresh,
Not sure Blind went unnoticed but I know what you mean, he plays as the 3rd centre back when we defend and the 3rd centre midfielder when the pressure is off the defence. For a defensive midfielder to get player of the year 2 years in a row in his country he must be pretty good (I am aware the Dutch league is quite poor but still). He looked like the position was ridiculously natural for him.
Having listened to the LVG lecture where he talks about his favoured formation with Strootman as the 'pivot' it appears we are playing that exact formation but with Blind as the pivot, and he could make that position his own so much that Carrick, Fletcher and Fellaini may struggle to get any game times.
If anybody hasn't seen that lecture or a transcript of it, I suggest you take a look, it explains the way we are going to play for the rest of the season.
I expect that he will be rotated with Carrick. I can only see Fletcher and Fellaini getting in the side when there are injuries. Strootman will probably come in to rotate with Herrera in January.
I hope not if everyone is fit carrick should be nowhere near the starting 11 especially for blind
He had one misplaced pass the whole game Fresh. I think he was outstanding the job he did allowed our attacking players to do what they do best.
Also thought Rojo did very well too.
15 Sep 2014 10:47:41
Over the moon with the game yesterday.
First time in ages I've actually been on the edge of my seat, EXCITED by what I'm seeing.
Di Maria was fantastic, the creative, fast winger we've needed for so long. But for me, Blind, Herrera and Rafael were brilliant.
Blind looked like he'd been at OT for years. Great debut. Herrera was excellent, going forward and defensively. Rafael showed what a genuine RB can do to balance our team, if we can keep him fit, no more Valencia/Jones/Smalling in that position, please!
Its only QPR but its a start, and a great one. Roll on next weekend. I'll miss the Leicester game though, will be on a plane as I'm off to live in China for a year.
Wow, Red Sky. Where would you have moved to if we'd played badly?
You're right about Blind, he was so assured and I don't think he made one bad pass.
Good luck in China mate.
15 Sep 2014 10:26:04
Hey All!
I am a delighted as most, what a result, just what we needed.
I'm going to do player reviews of that team, and want to do them every week. Have a read and let me know if you want me to carry on, or if you want me to stop haha. Anyway, here we go.
De Gea - 6
Dave wasn't all that impressive, and that awful decision he made to come out was a heart stopping moment for me, may have been down to lack of communication with Rojo. He redeemed himself though with the save from Krancjars shot.
Rafael - 6.5
Raf managed to give me a scare early on when he jumped in 2 footed on Clint Hill i think it was, but luckily he won the ball and Hill didn't make a meal of it. As the game went on i think Raf settled in and actually was decent going forward and defended soundly.
Evans - 5.9
Jevans was the worst player on the pitch. Fact. His passing was average and he's not that good at defending, albeit though he did save our skin when he blocked Phillips shot after De Geas mistake, so suppose i can let him off.
Blackett - 6.6
I absolutely adore Tyler Blackett, he is young, hungry for games, beastly in the air and can carry a ball forward. He didn't have much to do, hence the lowish mark. Me and my pal have got a knew saying 'He's no Tyler Blackett'. So if i was going to use it in a sentence:
Football Fan 1: What do you think of Mats Hummels
Me: Well he's good, But 'He's no Tyler Blackett'.
Rojo - 6.3
Had a good game overall and i could see the passion. He didn't get forward too much but that's not important. He ran under the ball a few times but the run he made with Di Maria's pass and tried to set up Van Persie/Herrera was a lovely bit of play to watch, well until the end.
Blind - 7.5
Blind was fantastic, he was LvG's brains on the pitch, he directed players, and just kept it simple. He had a 95% pass completion rate and that speaks for itself. I am very excited to have Blind at the club.
Herrera - 8.1
Herrera, even though i bashed him in my last post, is proving me wrong! And i love it. He was, bar Di Maria, our start man. 91% pass completion, 1 goal, 1 assist. And playing in an RM position to which he isn't accustomed. I'm happy to say Herrera has proved me wrong.
Di Maria - 8.7
The man stole the show! He was exactly what you want to see in our iconic number 7 shirt. He ran at everyone and anyone, the ball to Rooney for Hererra's goal was delightful, the ball to Van Persie was a thing of dreams. He generally really excites me and i think he have solved the 'Who will fill Ronaldo's boots' question.
Mata - 7.7
Mata had a 98% pass completion percentage! The best in the team! he linked very well, and if he leaves and Rooney play number 10 i will be very upset, he's one of our best talents now has like 8 goals in the last 10 games from number 10? Great game for him!
Rooney - 6.9
Our best striker this game. He created space well and linked some key passes. What i did notice though, he was being rather greedy, often the better pass was on and Roo would try and bend it top corner.
Van Persie - 5.5
Never showed up, he had that chance he stole off Hererras foot and the volley after Di Maria's perfect pass. He hasn't had a lot of game time recently so that might be it, but still really disappointing yesterday.
SUBS
Falcao - 6.4
Fluffed his chance but made very decent movement off the ball. Jet lagged so cannot wait until he is firing on all cylinders.
Valencia - 5.7
Just not good enough, RB or RM he isn't the first choice, makes an average maybe a bit below average squad player.
Januzaj - 6.6
Showed decent intent and drive, and has bundles of energy. Should have squared it to Falcao just top please us, but, put me in the same position at 4-0 up i would have shot as well.
Anyways that is all! And on a side note, we had 91% pass completion between the whole team which is the highest in the prem this season!
HarryUTD
Sorry although Evans didn't set the world alight he was our best defender yesterday. And without him we would have certainly been 1-1 with Philips chance. At that point conceding could have totally changed the game with our fragile confidence atm.
If your looking for the worst player on the pitch look at RvP who was well below par.
Pretty good analysis. Agreed Evans was by far and away the worst player on the pitch. He is a squad player for me and nothing more than that. I'd actually start Blackett over him, but I'm looking forward to a potential partnership of Jones and Rojo - I think that could be really good, and it would be a very quick centre back pairing - Blind also drops in their too when needed.
I wouldn't say Falcao fluffed his chance, it was a good save.
15 Sep 2014 11:32:50
Evans was the worst player on the pitch FACT, but RVP got a lower score out of 10 than him?
I think marks out of 10 for somebody playing a game over 90 minutes are really stupid and mean nothing. I think leave the marks out and just give your opinions in future mate.
According to your rankings you think Rojo was worse than Falcao and Januzaj. I thought Rojo had a fantastic game and made 1 mistake I can remember, very good debut, and you think Januzaj who played for 10 minutes was better than him?
And one last one, Blind had a 95% pass completion rate, was our brains on the pitch and only got 7.5, the marks just make no sense.
I like that you are giving us the stats though mate, I had been trying to find Blind's pass completion rate as I thought it would be over 90%.
15 Sep 2014 12:12:11
Shaps I was there mate and Evans wasn't our best defender at all, Rojo for me
Chris what did Rojo do DEFENSIVELY that Evans didn't?
Rojo had a good game, but so did Evans. Evans made just as many tackles, made more interceptions, made more passes and with a higher pass completion rate.
The only difference is that when Evans gives away the ball then its turned over in a central position rather than a wide position that Rojo was in when he lost the ball.
There was one pass that Rojo made to Blackett which had a bit too much pace on it and Blackett let it go across his body without realising a QPR player was right behind him. That was the second most dangerous defensive mistake in the game after De Gea giving the ball away to Phililps.
So De Gea made a defensive mistake as did both Rojo and Blackett yet Evans who dug us out of the hole with De Gea's mistake gets flack for being "the worst player on the pitch", he clearly wasn't and i think some fans are just seeing what they want to see and giving a homegrown player undue hate. It's quite sad really.
Have to agree with Shappy on this one. Evans played well for a player working his way back from injury, he looked more assured this week than he did in his last appearance. Rojo had a good debut but had less to do than Evans.
Evans gave away possession a few times but so did every other player on the pitch. I don’t understand why everybody is bashing him. RVP was a passenger yesterday and created very little. Evans put in a few good tackles and stopped a certain goal.
Also Harry, You can't rate RVP lower than Evans and then say Evans was the worst player on the pitch. Blind and Herrera deserve better ratings.
Herrera made 8 tackles yesterday, more than anyone else.
15 Sep 2014 13:56:27
Evans looked shaky all game shaps, his control was off and his passing wasn't very convincing either mate. I rate the lad but it was not his best game.
Rojo covered the spaces that was left and won nearly all his aerial battles, he also pushed on very well too.
I dnt quite see where u are coming from with ure opinion on Evans, many people have noted his performance wasn't that convincing yet u seem not to have.
But RVP was by far the worst player for us yesterday and might see his place come under threat with performances like that on a regular basis.
You say his passing was poor but he made over 100 successful passes, only Blind made more successful passes.
whoscored rated him as the clubs joint third highest ranked player for us in the game with only Herrera and Di Maria ranked higher and Rooney ranked the same as him. Their ranking is based on a correlation of statistical analysis so no bias is effecting their scoring system, it's based purely on what the players did.
Whoscored.com/Matches/829548/Live
Many people used to believe the world was flat, to say many people have jumped on the bandwagon really is no argument at all.
Evans had a solid game for us, if you want to look at the way our midfield was very impressive and how good we were up front and then say our defenders had a quiet game then fair enough, but to slate them for not doing enough when they kept a clean sheet is foolish to the extreme.
15 Sep 2014 15:33:36
Tom cleverly used to get in the 90's for passing with us shappy.
I'm not jumping on any bandwagon just pointed out that I was not the only one there yesterday that noticed how shakey Evans looked!
I'm not claiming anything other than he was the 2nd poorest player on the pitch yesterday but u dnt think so and that's ure opinion, but then I'm sure once Jones and shaw are fit we will see wot Mr van gaal thinks.
15 Sep 2014 09:22:30
Well what a difference 150m makes. lol.
In all seriousness that was a hugely improved performance, and there is one key reason for that.Balance.
For the first time in a long time we had a well balanced talented midfield that worked together to control the game. Sure there will be tougher teams we will face but it is a huge step in the right direction.
Blind added stability and the thing i liked most about him was that he ALWAYS made himself available for a pass to relieve pressure or to switch play. He made 112 passes with a staggering 96% success rate.
Di Maria added so much going forward, he forced the opposition back with his pace thus opening up space in front of the back four for our players to work in. He was a constant threat.
But the best performance of the day for me goes to Ander Herrera, his high work rate, quality on the ball and his overall performance was outstanding. 3 shots, 2 dribbles and 4 key passes, along with his 85 passes with a 91% completion rate and a phenomenal 8 tackles. To put that into context the whole team made 18 tackles during the game, so he made just shy of HALF of all the tackles made by our team yesterday. Di Maria may have taken the plaudits but it was Herrera who ran that game.
All of these things made life for Mata so much easier because he had movement and pace around him, players with quality for him to give the ball to and to receive it from.
This midfield balance meant that we controlled the game, meaning less pressure on our defence and more chances created for our forwards.
There seems to be a little bit of hate being directed towards Evans which i feel is unfair based on yesterdays performance.
People are saying his passing was poor, well he made 110 passes the second most of any player on the pitch with a 92% success rate. He also made the key block when De Gea made a mistake stopping what would have been a certain equaliser and possible game changing goal. Sure he gave the ball away a couple of times and once or twice in silly places, but he is still working his way back from injury and trying to regain some form. let's make a break from tradition and stop the hating on our homegrown players, now Cleverley and Welbeck are gone it seems to be that Evans is now being turned on. let's give our support to the guys who have come up through our ranks rather than giving them grief for the odd unsuccessful pass. Btw our record signing and new darling only managed 76 passes yesterday with a team low of 80% success rate. So if anyone should be moaned at for poor passing accuracy then it should be our man of the match not Evans who stopped us from conceding the only real chance QPR had.
The other thing that really helped yesterday was the slight change in formation, all we changed effectively was bring the full backs 10 yards further back and pushed the central centre back forward into midfield. But it meant the defenders suddenly felt much more at home and they knew their jobs and what was expected of them. The change to full backs also meant that there was no confusion on where they should be, and they could concentrate on their primary job of defending, with the option to move forward when we are in possession.
Sure there was a few moments when we could have been opened up by a better team, but this is still a learning curve. We are still only at the very start of this new adventure and there will be many bumps along the way, but at last we can see the shoots of regrowth and the direction and vision of this new team. Tougher tests lay ahead but we have something to believe in again.
Di maria gave the ball away quite a few times in the second half but deserved his man of the match.
Evans didn't have a lot to do but still wasnt great . Nothing to do with being a homegrown player .
I'm not saying Di Maria didn't deserve his man of the match award, he clearly did.
But I'm struggling to see why there is so much hate for Evans based on that game.
Did we concede a goal because of him? No.
Did he stop us conceding a certain goal? Yes.
Did he do everything we could have asked for from a defender in the game? Yes.
Was his passing good? Yes mostly, he gave away a couple of balls but then so did everyone. But the sheer number of passes he made he was always going to give a few away.
I fail to see how some people came to the conclusion he was the worst player on the pitch for us.
RvP was a total bystander and contributed nothing to our game yesterday. He had one great chance to pass the ball back to Falcao and he played the ball behind him. If anyone was going to get any flack for the game yesterday it should have been RvP.
But no one is calling for his head, even though we have a potentially better player than him in Falcao on the bench. Yet people want rid of Evans based on yesterdays performance? If he played like he did against MK dons yesterday i could understand it.
The only telling contribution any of our defenders made yesterday was one last ditch sliding block to stop a goal after De Gea made a mistake, and it was bloody Evans who made that block. If his name was Mats Hummels people would be purring about his game changing block that could have totally changed the game and people would be saying he was worth every penny.
For some reason most fans seem to judge homegrown players by a much higher standard than bought players. Almost like they are expected to be flawless because they are playing for a team they have an attachment too rather than playing for money. Its a very sad state of affairs.
Shappy
Thats all very true i see your point
15 Sep 2014 09:14:32
A great game, Utd are back.Still it is only 1 game but it certainly showed what has been missing and that quality is important.There is still plenty of room for improvement, but at least we have something to build on rather than hanging onto mediocre players.The one who is still a big question mark for me is Evans, he has a good game and then a few bad games, Is he utd quality or do we need a more reliable solid defender, I think we do.Impressed with Blackett, a couple of mistakes but will be very good the more he plays.At least we won't be sighing when it comes to games and looking forward to them with winners in the team.
15 Sep 2014 06:57:41
Check out Rio's comments on Moyes, very enlightening. 'He had a vision, but he did not seem sure what it was, he set us up not to lose, we are used to trying to win, we just played long diagonal balls, it was embarrassing". I'm sure he's not alone with these views.
{Ed002's Note - It is simply David Winner's spin on behalf of someone trying to make a big score with his book.}
15 Sep 2014 06:44:04
What a great game and what a great result. Hopefully the start of something special. And don't forget, we've got Fellaini to come back yet
Great, can't wait
15 Sep 2014 03:37:44
What a great game we had to privilege of watching earlier. I know QPR are not exactly a great team but on their day they could be difficult to beat, Especially when there formation and tactics are set to not concede.
I must say every player had a great game and the only player that let me down was Evans due to his passing and lack of composure. Its the first win of hopefully many and if Evans is replaced with jones and shaw gets a run we will be flying in no time. If you look past the poor team we played, few misplaced passes and the drop of hunger after the 4th goal then you can imagine what will happen when the team gets to know each others movement on & off the ball. I am sure also that the Mata haters are now shutting it. and when Di maria chipped that ball into RVP, I expected him to finish it off.
if Falcao had been in that position I would of loved to see him do a Bicycle kick and smash it into the net. what a goal that would have been. onwards and up from here. The might of UTD is back and we can now compete at the top again
15 Sep 2014 02:18:29
Nice balance in the midfield today. Blind was very impressive for his first match, composed on the ball, and positionally very good, available in possession and he broke things up well. Herrera was great today, lots of energy, pressing, and movement, and great to see him score.
And of course Di Maria changes everything with his pace and energy. The commentators clocked his run at 75 yards before slipping the ball to Rooney who then set up Herrera. More of that please.
Just as Herrera sets the tone with our defensive pressing, Di Maria gives us that drive going forward. Blind sitting deeper with his intelligent positioning allows for that. And finally, all of the movement, tempo, and interchange brought out the best in Mata, who thrives on all of that, running into spaces that have just opened up.
15 Sep 2014 08:57:23
The midfield diamond we put out yesterday was IMO the most balanced and dynamic midfield we've seen for a decade.