Manchester United Banter Archive September 05 2014

05 Sep 2014 21:34:05
Is anyone else getting a bit fed up of Scholesy's comments recently. He's one of my all time favourite players, both for United and England. He was an absolute master of his trade and a model professional but just recently his media work is starting to become a bit cringy.

05 Sep 2014 22:18:33
Yeah,I'd much prefer him to be bias and deluded and big up united in everything he says. I love it! He loves this club more than anybody.

06 Sep 2014 00:01:28
No. I like the brutal honesty, bluntness and directness of his punditry. Take Roy keane, increase the IQ, take away the bitternes, and you have a brilliant pundit in the making

He just wants what's best for man utd, there's no point blowing smoke up everyones behinds and making out everythings great when its quite clear its not. people have just got to accept that although he was a quiet man while playing he now gets paid to give an opinion and 9 times out of ten he's bang on with what he says!!

06 Sep 2014 05:31:25
He is telling everyone the reality
Truth hurts:-(

As fans all of us want what's best for the club.

When we signed Falcao all of us started thinking of various formations we can have which would include Rooney, RvP and Falcao.
We even came up with some formations and majority people agreed that it could work.

But as people have said here now as a "fan" Scholes has said that it wouldn't work at all. As a "fan" we would try to say that it would work even if practically it is impossible.

So I don't think Scholes is speaking here as a fan. He gets paid to say stuff and obviously his employers would want him to say controversial stuff.

06 Sep 2014 07:27:45
You want scholes to act like liverpool fans who think lalla is better than di maria?

He is pretty much correct on most things he says. I don't agree with his views on money and transfer fees but he is correct in most of his player assessments.

06 Sep 2014 10:24:04
Shahram,

The things he says are his opinions so they are not 'correct' just because you agree with them. Everybody has their own opinion, scholes has his and gets paid to make sure his is controversial and worth reading.

Scholes has an affinity to the club but is an Oldham fan, I am sure he wants us to be strong but he seems to be a bit selective in his views. Has he commented yet on SAF, Moyes or the transition? Or SAF's purchasing strategy, or the general lack of quality built up over years in the youth, with one or two exceptions, that has adversely affected the club in recent years. Perhaps with his inside view he can tell us why we finished 7th last year?
I prefer straight talking and many of his views are good but it seems to me he is too precious about SAF to be as balanced as he should or could be.

If we take off the United specs he is only saying what most of us think it only seems a shock because he went 20 odd years with hardly ever talking to the press but like what was said above at least he isn't bitter like keane he clearly has an agenda against us

I just find it odd that a player who shunned publicity now has a newspaper column, where he seems to comment exclusively on United.

Nobody still involved at the club bites the hand that feeds them, that's why so many ex players who work match days in the exec suites or on mutv won't say anything detrimental about utdscholes now has the freedom to say it how it is.not everybody will agree with him but an awful lot of fans will relate it to there own thoughts.

I honestly feel fergie(why else appointment moyes without as much as an interview) and now scholes feel threatened by our spending as It could lead to succes and threaten there legacy of being the main contributors in our most successful era,might be wrong of course

GDS2

I know it is his opinion but I do agree with his views on players and team formation and requirements. Unfortunately you will win nothing with the current crop of british players evident by how poor the national teams have down. The media overhypes most of these players but they are not that good and there is much better talent in continental European, South America and Africa.

I wouldn't take them too seriously. His new column has to be promoted/make headlines so he (or more likely a ghost writer) comes out with controversial stuff to get headlines. Looks like it's worked.

05 Sep 2014 18:42:38
Everyone seems to have missed a subtle point with Vidal. I have seen the papers say LvG was lucky, well actually my understanding is we had a look at his knee and decided against bidding because we were not satisfied with the state of it.
I am sad what has happened to Vidal but I believe LvG should not be thought of as lucky, when actually by all accounts he has made a very good calculated decision that turned out to be right.

Funny how Vidal says he's not injured at all then. Makes you wonder who makes all these rumours up ha ha.

05 Sep 2014 16:03:27
Just a quick post regarding our transfers. First up I have to hold my hands up & say well done Ed Woodward. Falcao ( nobody saw that one coming), Angel Di Maria = quality player, Blind is a very good utility player, Rojo I don't know much about, but do know that Argie defenders are reliable & hard as nails. Herrera = quality player, Shaw we could get 15 years from. I really doubted our ability to sign top notch players without Champs League football, but well done Ed. The likes of Ronaldo are now saying the would like to come back to United, great players attract great players, bring on the rest of the season, can't WAIT!!!.

Top wages attract top players I think that's the case

I maintained that no CL will have no impact on our transfers long time ago. It is a fashionable terms used by some players to get a move from smaller clubs to bigger clubs for better pay and better club.

In our case if we are willing to pay the wages and fees we can get anyone.

Its true, I think tho after this massive outlay and maybe another window or 2 of large spending we will then see players wanting to join and they will be considerably cheaper, this happened at barca, bayern and real

Any club who are willing to pay high wages will get the players, do not try and fool yourselves that falcao and di maria simply signed because it was mufc, it has been well covered that the two of them were flirting around other clubs .

Not any club, top tier club and right wages with realistic chance of winning trophies in elite competitions.

Its simple facts yous have been held over a barrell with your transfers, your club had to be seen making an effort, can't remember hearing to many of your supporters crying out for a striker over the summer now falcao has come in all is good, papering over the cracks springs to mind?

06 Sep 2014 00:46:20
Oh Belfast,

Grow up you bitter bitter man.

Belfastchelsea
We hav'nt papered over the cracks, we smashed the wall down and started again, big difference.

Belfastchelsea

Your club only has 10 years worth of history, and you can't even remember any of it. Being held over a barrel is Chelsea's thing.

Perhaps we should have gone for bargains, Chelsea, like Torres!

B chelsea. Why are you so worried about us? Your team is doing great but you're still bitter about us.
Did you lot not go out and pay mega money for your transfers? Torres?
But as soon as we buy the best, you lot can't hack it.
There's an important difference between our clubs, you have a rich owner who is backing you for now, we have 77,000 turning out and hundreds of millions globally.
So stop being bitter and watch out as we WILL be back.

Touched a nerve there

Of course it did, with your sarcastic sarcasm.

Belfat

Your owner has sunk close to a billion of his money into the club, I would move on and pick a better subject to banter.

05 Sep 2014 14:05:34
Hi Eds

Do we have any interest in any players that have no clubs at present. For short term contracts.

{Ed002's Note - I wouldn't think so.}

05 Sep 2014 12:49:34
What is the hate with our captain?!?

Maybe had an off 4 weeks but world clas apart from that.

Consistent 20 goals a season every year. Always heaps of assists. Amazing work ethic and a great touch. World class IMO :)

His touch isn't great and he doesn't get a consistent 20 goals a season, most are pens anyway ;)

Do use really need to do this again? Opinion on Wayne is divided on here, some think he is world class, some would sell him tomorrow. Let's not take it all up again, other than to say he is probably the most overrated over hyped player on the planet

Couldnt agree more with you Ajh, Just don't understand how he is the biggest earner in pl.

05 Sep 2014 14:46:54
I don't think there is a hate campaign at all. I know that LVG will pick who he considers to be best for the job on any given day.
We had limited options for the last couple of years. Now we have brought in 2 top quality attackers so if Rooney / Mata / RVP or whomever is not doing what the manager requires or their form dips then they won't be playing.
I think it will be rare enough that all the above + falcao and di maria will be fit at the same time and he will only play 4 from those 5 + Adnan so 4 from 6
IMO Rooney is not playing to as high a standard as we or he expects, he looks very fit so it is probably a lack of confidence or perhaps the captaincy is weighing heavy on his shoulders and he needs time to adjust.
Personally I feel that he has been trying to do too many jobs and as a result not doing any of them well, he has been trying to create/ spread the play and also be in the box to finish, i'm not convinved its his ego that makes him do this but rather that he had no faith in those around him to do their job and he knew we lacked quality all over the pitch and he was trying to provide it. bn(often to his on detrement and also not always doing it well)
Maybe now with a lot more quality in the team with the passing and ball retention ability of blind and herrera along side the guile speed and creativity of Di maria and the movement of falcao we may see a lot more of rooney affecting areas of the pitch where he should be.
I am hoping this is the case, I guess we will see soon if Rooney can get his form back and concentrate on his own job because we have the players now to do a lot of the jobs he was trying to do as well as his own.
IMO mata will thrive surrounded by speed and better movement and players with equal technique.
The positional sense and dicipline that Blind will bring to the team cannot be underestimated.
We have round pegs now for all the round holes but it will take a little while for them all to gel as a team until that happens i'm hoping we can win our matches with flashes of brilliance from the new boys and some of the old ones.
Really excited and now we once again have players that will get us of our seats.

05 Sep 2014 15:14:48
AJH, surely the most overrated overhpyed player on the planet is lallana. well on planet scouse anyway:)
Dont be offended Big al. ;) I know he is your love child so your entitled to be proud of his place on your bench.

05 Sep 2014 15:15:02
I agree we don't need this debate again :-) but, he is definitely over rated by many and is no where close to world class. How he is captain of club and country baffles me. However, when played up top his finishing is usually as good as most top strikers in the world. Unfortunately, his touch, control and decision making let him down more often than not. He isn't, and never was, a number 10 or a central midfielder, he doesn't have the attributes needed for those positions. If we had sold him and brought in Falcao on loan this summer I would have been delighted. I am not upset we have both, but what bothers me, is the amount it is costing to have both here in wages. The amount we are now paying a player who is our 3rd best striker, is madness, that was Moyes' biggest mistake, above all else, for me.

Just read a piece in one of the papers. It's about how in the last few years he's lost that pace and sharpness and the how he hasn't addapted, to me it hits the nail on the head. Still capable of class but needs to adapt his game.

I think rooney is good player but he is not world class anymore and we saw the best of him in 2010. I still believe he is one of our best players but his history has never endeared him with quite bit of the fan base and hence an easy target to go after when he is not playing well or scoring. His wages are not justifies IMO but hey it is what it is.

Nail on head Shahram. I think Rooney is still a top notch player, but back in 2009/10 he was unplayable and has never come close to that again. Good player, but we have seen the best of him. He is no longer good enough IMO to lead the attack, he is very easily controlled by opposition CB's. I would like him to move deeper.

05 Sep 2014 18:19:05
I generally try to steer clear of this debate but wanted to say that I agree with a lot of what Ken said on Rooney. Good post imo.

05 Sep 2014 18:58:18
Syd, what part of Rooney's game do you, personally, think warrants him being moved back? As much as people think he is a number 10, he is so far behind the Mata's and Kagawa's of this world, when it comes to the qualities needed for that role, it is untrue. People seem far too happy to move much more suitable players out of the side just to fit him in. He is a striker and no more, and he is now our 3rd best striker. Not good for a captain in my eyes.

But that's just my opinion.

Bren, I don't really want to get into too much detail, but I just think he's more effective deeper. He hasn't got the discipline to stay upfront when playing as a 9 and since he lost his explosive pace, he no longer worries defenders. So for me he is better in the hole than he is a main striker. Anyway, that's the end of that. We all know everyone's opinions on this subject inside out. It's pointless going round in circles.

Here's to a good season lads?

05 Sep 2014 22:54:12
So you want him to move deeper as you think he'll be more effective, but at the expense of a player who actually has the skills required to play that role? I just don't get it, people will do anything to fit him in, even by weakening what could be a hugely effective team. Rooney behind the main striker would see our forward play break down far too often. I'd rather Mata, Di Maria or even Januzaj play there before him. We now have 3 quality strikers in the squad and a potentially excellent striker as back up. Let's leave them as that and let the better equipped players provide chances and goals for the specialists up front. Round pegs in round holes, no more square pegs in round holes just because of a name or lack of quality.

This season could be so much better than we were expecting, let's play it the right way, and I think LVG will do just that.

Let's play him at right back. I think he'd be quite good there. Lots of running around to be done and all that

That goes for England as well as utd. Solves two problems at once -"what to do with Rooney" and "we need a better right back". Would make him the highest paid right back in the world.remember, you heatrd it hear first

Lets give him a chance. Get behind him and the team. Non of the players have covered themselves in glory so far this season. So let's give Wayne and the team our full vocal support and see where we are at the end of season.

05 Sep 2014 05:17:25
Well, United were damned if they did & damned if they didn't do business in the transfer window & I'm annoyed at all the grief in the media regarding United's spending this summer.
We've all known for years that the club has had to spend big money & the decline had been coming but all this talk about "United cutting their ties to the past" etc. are total nonsense.

Yes United have been notorious over the years of producing home grown talent (look at the youth sides in the 50's or the obvious "Class of 92" but there hasn't really been a great deal of truly fantastic players coming through on a regular basis. Ok you could add Welbeck & Cleverley to players that made the 1st team but they hardly set the world on fire with their performances in a United shirt.

I guess you can see the potential in someone like Wilson (who I think will be a fantastic prospect) but all to often players have come up short when asked to play for the 1st team. Along with last seasons almost punch drunk performances, this highlighted further the need to get a manager in with the credentials to turn our fortunes around. Van Gaal is our first non British manager & has recognised that the squad is in need of a major overhaul with world class players with experience & has had to buy.
I can't believe people are saying we've put the roof on before laying the foundations.

What nonsense. LVG had a list of targets so what's he to say? "No I won't buy Di Maria till I have bought a centre half"? You have to act when the player you want becomes available & not in some chronological order. If we had done that then we would've missed out on targets & then get criticised for not acting in the market again.

Yes we need a top centre half & top holding mid fielder but we all know that realistically it could take 3 transfer windows to get the team that Van Gaal can call his own.
I applaud him for having the courage to shift players on & am absolutely delighted with who we have bought.

The media were saying that United needed to spend big bucks & now they have you can sense the jealousy coming out again as United are showing the right signs in bouncing back. Nobody would bat an eye lid if this had been Real Madrid & the press would be saying how fantastic it will be to have all of these Galacticos in their team.

I guess even when we're not winning, we're still getting on everyones nerves. Oh to be an ABU. it must make your lives so bitter!

Even Fergie used to say when a special player becomes available, you have to push the boat out there and get them. Sour grapes and envy come to mind but who cares. I am going to enjoy watching our Galacticos :) The alternative of welbeck and Cleverly is a depressing thought, so it is all nonsense

It's just knife-twisting from biased anti-United pundits and hacks.
The majority of them, and a lot of our fans myself included, genuinely didn't think we had spending power anymore so by claiming our only way back to the top was by spending massively, they felt they were rubbing salt into our wounds.

Now we have spent massivley, they're running scared and looking for a different stick to beat us with.

05 Sep 2014 00:29:34
CTR,

Why do you call Reet Dags2?

Love it though, lol.

05 Sep 2014 10:16:19
Lol reet knows ;-) he just doesn't want to admit it lol

I seriously don't know about it mate