Manchester United Banter Archive October 26 2014

26 Oct 2014 20:34:48
Many positives to take from the game today: winning a point off Chelsea late on will boost the confidence, emphatic strike from Van Persie, superb game from De Gea, Fellaini was excellent on both sides of the ball, and Blind was very steady again.

I am guessing we set up the way we did in order to give Rafael help against Hazard. He really is quite a handful. Incredible save by De Gea.

Today's comeback goes beyond any tactics, it will give the players mettle and belief. Such intangibles you cannot measure but they are priceless.

26 Oct 2014 22:31:36
It was a good game overall just that I was hoping we win the game to tell everyone that ManU is still much around. One thing I keep praying for is not to lose all hope on Mata and ai have come to realise that I just have to leave my affection foe him and face the fact- He is a waste of money as far as our new rebuilding is concern. He is no better than Kagawa that we let go.

It's NEVER Man U Yokoman. Ever.
Kagawa has gone. I was gutted he didn't work out but time to move on.
I am tucking in to my hat for breakfast, with a side helping of humble pie: Fellaini has played two excellent games. He was our man of the match yesterday, and fully warrants his place. If only Blind had that extra yard of pace, he'd be one hell of a player. He's really surprised me.
The most encouraging thing for me is that there is a belief about the team. That was never there with Moyes.

27 Oct 2014 11:15:53
Unfortunately TBL the club call us MANU on the stock exchange, so it is hard to say it is NEVER MANU.

Agree 100% the belief is the huge difference this year as well as a higher quality of player. Last season at 1-0 down in games you felt like the players thought we had lost, we had no plan, yesterday you always felt we had a chance.

That should be a good enough reason needed not to use the moniker Man U. No one says Man C, West Ham U. You're right though, I should have said, "should never"

Really hope the team build on that and go on a good run of results. The goal celebrations were fantastic at the end weren't they?

27 Oct 2014 16:53:12
Yes, wonderful to see, Di Maria dropping to his knees and everybody piling on RVP, haven't felt that feeling of celebration for a long time, definitely not since Fergie left, we just didn't get the performances to get us off our seats last season.

26 Oct 2014 20:31:14
Credit where its due, fellaini was excellent today. Shaw was very good too. Thought the team player really well. Even januzaj showed some signs of getting back to some form.
Mata was ineffective. But team played really well as a whole.

I just hope we now have the Fellaini who played for Everton and tore us apart a couple of times, he was solid yesterday, good to see him back.

26 Oct 2014 19:54:06
I thought we played well today, don't really think we had a bad player. Mourinho bottled it in my view, when Chelsea came out second half so strong and only had a goal to show for it they sat off and let us back in the game. I'm pleased that happened because we fought back well and got a deserved point against the champions elect. Really pleased for Rvp hopefully he can build on this, Januzai was better when he changed wings, and Adm came more into the game then also. Not Adm best game for us but that's ok because other players stepped up Felliani and mata namely. The best thing is, in my opinion we put another youngster(James Wilson) into a huge game and acquitted himself really well against a very good back four. Plenty of positives to build on.

Spot on busby!

26 Oct 2014 18:44:11
Hi Guys

I think that performance should give us some optimism for the upcoming weeks and months.Ok we didn't win and Chelsea looked reasonably comfortable but we gave them their toughest game so far and we will get better.We just have to hang in their until everyone is fit and we gel together as a team.10 points is not impossible but I wouldn't want it to get too much bigger.I think realistically top 4 is definitely achieveable.

26 Oct 2014 19:01:58
Chelsea didn't look comfortable in the game I was watching, looked to me like Mourinho took off all his attacking players and defended deeper and deeper until they conceded, typical of the 'special one' and a well deserved point. You can see this united team fighting for each other,
I felt we were unlucky to go behind and it was another promising performance.

Does beast still think lvg will sell januzaj?

A lot to take heart from. I think Chelsea looked more complete than us, but I was expecting to get a lesson from them. Mourinho paid us the ultimate compliment by scoring then shutting up shop, as he does against good opposition, so all in all, a very good day. LvG showed a lot of class in the post match interview, Jose was very peed off. Another good sign. And RVP's celebration said a lot about him. Onward and upward.

26 Oct 2014 18:24:36
Best performance of the season for me that,especially 1st half, I think that last minute equalizer will be the turning point for us, onwards and upwards, and smalling and Shaw played blinders today

26 Oct 2014 18:02:03
Great point I say. I would have liked a win but overall a fair result. They are going to cry about Ivanovic being sent off, next city and we have rooney and hopefully Falcao back.

Blinds work rate is great.

26 Oct 2014 17:57:24
Best performance of the season. Fellaini was absolutely fantastic. I didn't think he was going to make it at United - but based on his last two appearances he just might have a chance. Better from Januzaj too. Still not happy with Rojo and felt that Di Maria had a poor game -but the result and performance were a lot better than I was expecting.

Totally agree R7 fellaini was superb, we defended a lot Better and overall we seem to be improving with each performance.
A good return from our next few games and I believe we are right in it I thought we made the supposed invincible champions elect look average.

26 Oct 2014 16:37:29
I must say the first 30mins have gone better than I expected, but it really helps that there is no Diego Costa.

I don't think this tempo can be sustained for a full 90mins.
I can see schurle coming on with 25mins to go when our midfield and defence tire and making a diffrence.

I have not been impressed with fat Phil Dowd, but I don't think he has ever forgotten that fergie called him unfit. Plus I bet he is a Chelsea fan.

26 Oct 2014 15:46:24
Just seen lvg interview after he hugged Mourinho. Lvg has got tears in his eyes. Maybe he knows we're going to lose 4 nil!! Lol.

26 Oct 2014 15:03:46
Looks like Phil Jones is also injured.

26 Oct 2014 15:20:32
Could write this every week.

I said give him 2 games after he comes back and he will get injured and it only lasted one. Unbelievable, Bet smalling will be injured after today.

China Brigade, sell the lot I say in the summer, what is the point of having these guys if you can't even depend on them being fit for 3 consecutive games a year.

To be honest I don't think McNair should have been dropped at all. The lad was doing well and starting to gel with Rojo. Instead, we have decided to go back to the lads who can't get through a full 90min without damaging something. We need stability at the back, and that will never happen while the likes of Jones, Evans and Smalling are first choice. I'd understand if they were top class players, but none of them have reached the level we expected. We need to start having faith in the young defenders who can play every week if we want to have any sort of decent defence.

Gotta say I agree about selling them all, Jones/Smalling/Evans really are more of a liability than an asset.

Gcu. I did say we should sell them all before and i wasnt joking. They are all overrated injured and not that good either. So better to get rid if anyone will buy them!

26 Oct 2014 16:01:57
Totally agree 100%, sell the lot.

Nomid

The issue is you can never be a serious contender in any league or Europe if your centre back pairing are changing every week.

These guys never give us 2 or 3 consecutive games together and everyone cuts them slack because they are never going to be sharp or match fit being constantly out and injured.

So we all keep waiting for the promise to materialise but not happening.

26 Oct 2014 16:20:09
I certainly see Evans and one other leaving. Keep one maybe two as a rotation option. But has to be summers highest priority in bringing someone in.

26 Oct 2014 10:30:19
Just a quick thought about the 3 month period everyone keeps banging on about, some of the new recruits have been at united for quite a bit less than 3 months, and also we have changed formation from 3/5 at the back to 4, again less than 3 months ago so personally I think it will be at least another month or two before the team really starts to gel. not having a consistent starting 11 through injuries doesn't help either.
Think some of the negative posters asking for lvg's head need to look at teams like west ham and see what happens when you have faith in a manager, stability always pays off in the long run.
Anyway really looking forward to today's game, not expecting 3 points but really hope we have a good go at them.

The "it takes 3 month " comment was a very clever move by lvg.

RedAndy - There are two ways of looking at it mate. If he says it will take another 3 months from today, then changes his formation again and again during that period does that mean this next 3 months don't count?

He chose 3 at the back, he chose the diamond, he chose 4-3-3, he chose to not play players and to always play certain ones despite poor form. Whatever he is working on in training is not showing in the matches yet as far as I'm concerned.

He is the man responsible for signing players, selling players, playing players and choosing the formation. Woody couldn't have done a better job last window, yet we are still massively short and have injury prone players in key positions (the kit man could have told him our CB's are not reliable) - LVG has to be accountable at some stage.

I understand it takes time to gel and snap decisions are often the wrong ones, but his back tracking annoys the hell out of me and teams like West Ham have just as many new faces to integrate with a tenth of our budget.

I don't want to rip your post to bits because it does cut both ways and its always better to be positive. But if we keep giving this guy the benefit of the doubt without questioning things we are the mugs as there has been little to no progress thus far.

Hopefully that all changes today. Can't wait to see how we play.

I think today could be a very important game.
A good result could really see us kick on and put us in a good frame of mind for the city game, for there its top 4 all the way.
A bad result makes the city game even bigger and puts the pressure on .
If we pick up no points in the next 2 games we could be down the bottom end of the table.
4 points from the next 2 games tho and we are looking in a good position to push on for top 4.

Red Andy. I totally agree. We bought loads of new players and they do take time to gel. Not 3 or 6 months but at least a year.
We've had 10 players injured for most season. So hope people just give lvg and the team a chance.

The beast needs to get a grip he's questioning lvgs tenure 3 months in wow!! Yes the kit man could of told him our defence is weak but so was our forward players so in 1 window we signed 2 worldies n some bloody good players now lvg said 2-3 windows did u realy expect wed sign all the players we need in 1 window? I'd much rather we play this season wiv sexy attacking futy obv I'd rather our defence wasn't pants but the opposite is we sign 2 class defenders n play less attractive n lose out on dimaria falcao. Yes we have to question lvg but we can't judge 3 months in?

Managers are constantly under the microscope and must feel the pressure because of that.
We need to get behind LVG, give him the time and reap the rewards when it all falls into place.
Beast, he will deliver.

The whole 'three months' thing is a joke. If I started a new job and told my employer that I wouldn't actually start doing my job properly until after the first three months I'd be fired. Some managers don't even get one month these days and so to have given himself and the players an excuse to perform poorly is a shrewd move on his behalf - although it doesn't disguise the fact that his time at the club so far has been an underwhelming success. I can't help but wonder whether we'd be doing better though if the players hadn't been given an excuse from the get go.

26 Oct 2014 13:27:06
Beast what top class centrebacks were available? Hummels didn't want to move. Benatia wanted Bayern. Arsenal refused to discuss Vermaelen. Madrid aren't stupid enough to sell Varane. Mangala was too expensive. The only other one available was Garay who we didn't go for, he's been linked to us for 4 windows now and both van Gaal and Moyes passed on him. Its not like we didn't sign anyone at all. Rojo hasn't been bad and he's used youth in Blackett and McNair to pkyg gaps. Our injuries this year have been horrendous, we get one back and lose two more.

26 Oct 2014 13:41:11
Redseven who was making excuses. Were one if the five largest clubs in the world who had a squad lacking in confidence after last season in dire need of the dead wood clearing out and free blood clearing out. Its not an easy job. Allardyce is showing what happens when you give a manager time and backing.

You don't need to read to the bottom of a comment to know that it's from Beast. You seem to have all the makings of a troll man

It is obvious people's perception of being given time is different. There is certain level of return expected whilst being given time. We have absolutely played nobody so far with the exception of Everton which DDG had a worldly day.

I can fully understand we are not playing pl champions caliber football but we have the highest wage bill in the league now if I am correct and whilst we are trying to gel as team there is a minimum level of performance expected from a team of this caliber.

I have no delusions of being able to get a result at city next week especially after their loss, but I still expect us to win against the likes of sunderland, leicester and burnley and this 3 month or 6 month thing does not wash.

Great managers always find a way to get results whilst they are working out the chinks in the armour and I think if we lose today at home it is not going to go down well with many including myself.

Let's see how we tactically set up and giving some players automatic starts is not the answer because of their reputations.

MrE - LVG has what must be the most expensive squad ever assembled at his disposal. He had £150m+ to invest in the squad (which is more than 3 times the value of Southampton, West Ham and Swansea's starting eleven) over the summer and one of the easiest starts to a season I recall us having in the Premier League era. Yes - it takes time - but I expected a lot more from him and the team (especially against Burnley and Leicester).

It's true that we had a poor season last time out and that confidence was low; but how hard is it to motivate somebody who's earning £100k+ every week? Ignoring the fact that we've spent heavily and removed a manager many of the players clearly had no respect for (both of which should have boosted confidence) - LVG's initial task was a simple one. Take his team of world class players and beat a selection of teams who on paper are vastly inferior.

Given the difference in quality of the opposition we've played to date his success was dependent on three things. Tactics, training and motivating his team.

From a training point of view we're picking up injuries left right and center and many of our players just don't look fit enough (has Di Maria completed 90 minutes for us yet?). The team don't look motivated and the results have been a reflection of that. As for the tactics - his failure to identify a formation early on has cost us in terms of points and his in-game substitutions and tactical changes have been largely ineffective (the only one that springs to mind that had any real impact was bringing Fellaini on and playing long balls up to him against West Brom).

To suggest, as the op has done, that the 'three months' should be extended because he was slow to identify and secure targets or settle on a formation is laughable. He asked to be judged after his first three months and from a results perspective he simply hasn't been good enough.

I hope given time he will turn things around on the pitch - but more importantly - will learn to be careful what he says to the press as it can and has had a negative impact on our performances to date.

26 Oct 2014 15:19:13
Maybe we should appoint you to go tell other teams that their inferior. You sound like a Liverpool fan after yesterdays game moaning because Hull didn't lie down and let them win.

Yes Leicester was a poor result, but the fault of that was the players on the pitch for collapsing. It didn't see the leaders in the team do much then.

If some of you people had been around in 86-87 and the internet existed Fergie would never have made it to Easter.

It's very easy to push the blame onto the players rather than the management - but ultimately it is the manager who targets/signs the players, picks the players, tells them how to play and is responsible for motivating them and ensuring that their fitness is the best it can be. Had LVG targeted the right players, picked the right team and tactics and got his players in the shape physically and mentally we would have 8-10 more points on the board right now.

Other teams will always up their games when playing against big clubs (see West Ham and Hull yesterday) but we should be prepared for that. We weren't and it cost us.

26 Oct 2014 09:40:55
Today's game reminds me of a day in March 1979 when I went to Maine Road to see our FA Cup semi final against the then juggernaut that was the great Liverpool side with Dalglish and Hansen. They were great and we were struggling but I remember it well because despite being underdogs we got a 2 all draw when nobody expected it. Many had a downer on us and the Scousers told us what they were going to do to thrash us. I listened to the replay on an old radio and leapt around like crazy when Jimmy Greenhoff scored. The moral is that like then the best team doesn't always win and today the crowd will be behind us, we need to be but we can get a result.

I wouldn't be surprised to see Carrick alongside Blind today with Herrera also centrally because midfield is vital. Mata needs to show his Chelsea form but I have a feeling he will do well today if he plays. Disappointingly it would seem RVP will start but it has to be his last chance otherwise it would point to favouritism. Hopefully it would be Falcao unless the reported injury keeps him out.

Games like today are ones you look forward to, seeing which United will turn up, but like 79 there is always a chance of overturning the odds.

26 Oct 2014 04:55:52
Ed002, is manchester united involved in the breakaway league meetings? Thanx

{Ed002's Note - It has been, yes.}

26 Oct 2014 10:20:35
Ed002, Would this breakaway league look at replacing the champions league or would the top teams leave their domestic leagues?

This in turn could kill of the Premier League, La Liga etc

{Ed002's Note - Without going in to too much detail: (a) A number of clubs take the opportunity a once or twice a year (it will be three times this year) to discuss various issues including changes in rules, television rights, the power of UEFA, exploitation issues for new technology streams, etc.. These discussions, the last of which were in late March in Monte Carlo, also always turn to the possibility and structure of a breakaway pan European league. Several are ex-G14 clubs, several are not, and some clubs decline involvement in such discussions. (b) The plan is that at some point a number of clubs would break away from their national leagues and UEFA. They accept that they would be banned from all existing club competition and the players would initially be banned from all FIFA competitions as well, but know that FIFA would be looking to negotiate in any case. It would be the end of UEFA in all probability and UEFA are very aware of this. It would also result in a restructuring of many of the national leagues. (c) The clubs would renegotiate their television rights, rights of distribution via other streams etc.. (d) It remains the greatest fear of UEFA and all major national authorities that one day this will happen.

There is every likelihood that the big money from television, sponsorship etc. would go with a breakaway league. It would completely rupture the operations of UEFA and I would expect it would require national associations like the FA to restructure their leagues. Nobody wants this but it is the eventual consequence I would expect. If I had to speculate, I would think (1) you might eventually see something like five or six EPL teams leave for two-tier pan European league; (2) the Premier League would be disbanded as an organisation; (3) the FA would restructure in to two 20 team divisions with lower leagues regionalised as they were many years ago; (4) FIFA would ban all players from the breakaway teams from International football - perhaps rescinding that position to stop FIFA breaking up as well. I could also see many teams lose their professional status. I would think we are probably 10 years away from any significant move at this time.

I hold a reasonably strong view in terms of the need to restructure football in Europe in any case. For me an eventual a breakaway pan-European league would force the restructuring of many of the national leagues, possibly resulting in a British league with perhaps only a couple of professional tiers and then regionalised amateur leagues below that. Financially I do not see that so many pro sides can be sustained within the sport which, like it or not, will see more and more money going in to the highest levels of the game. Governments will ensure that grassroots sport get funding but everything in the middle (Southern, Northern, Conference, Division 2, Scottish Divisions 1-3, League of Wales will not get the funding needed to continue on any sort of professional basis.}