Manchester United F.C Thread [2009/2010]

[Help?]

I think it will be a long, long time before anyone goes four in a row, let alone United.

You never know. We weren't exactly expecting to win 3 leagues in a row 4 years ago either. With Nani improving so much we are again showing threat on the wing, Rooney is one of the most dangerous strikers in the world now and if we can replace Berbatov and Carrick, then I don't see how Chelsea can challenge us next season with their continued commitment to stop spending large sums on players.

 

[Pogba4Now]

Chelsea is getting older. If they don't make any additions this summer, I can't see them being as strong. Also, we're only 1 tiny point behind them. It has been a very close title race. I can see us winning next season.

Btw I posted Tosic's goal in my previous post.

 

[cfdemarco]

Well, we had a good run. Hats off to Chelsea, all in all they probably deserve the league this term.

Although it sounds weird to say, this season goes down as our worst in four years. Runner-up in the league, our worst finish since 05/06, and a quarter-final exit in Europe, our worst finish since 05/06.

My final thoughts on the entire season:

1. Hargreaves - what a shame. I would never wish injury on any player and I would be sad to see any good player on any team lose an entire season in the prime of his career to injury, let alone one of our own lads. I think we really could have benefited from his tireless energy as a defensive midfielder this term.

2. The injury crisis in defense - I always expected us to have injury problems on defense, as it happens to us every year, but it was especially bad this year. Unfortunately it really seems that most of our defenders are injury prone, but when they all get hurt at the same time obviously it causes huge problems.

3. The Wonder Boy - what a season. The prodigal son of England, the savior of England, the one everyone is hoping will put the nation on his shoulders in June and deliver long overdue glory for country...Rooney met and exceeded my expectations this term.

4. Nani and Valencia on the wings - both started slow, but both proved their quality as the season went on.

5. The striker crisis - I'm sad to say I predicted it back last summer, before the season even started. I knew what we had wouldn't be enough, and it wasn't. I can say nothing more than I hope for and expect an overhaul this summer.

6. Ronaldo and Tevez. There is no sense crying over spilled milk...but I can't help but wonder how we would have fared had both of them still been in the team this term.

 

[MikeyM]

Well, we had a good run. Hats off to Chelsea, all in all they probably deserve the league this term.

My final thoughts on the entire season:

1. Hargreaves - what a shame. I would never wish injury on any player and I would be sad to see any good player on any team lose an entire season in the prime of his career to injury, let alone one of our own lads. I think we really could have benefited from his tireless energy as a defensive midfielder this term.

2. The injury crisis in defense - I always expected us to have injury problems on defense, as it happens to us every year, but it was especially bad this year. Unfortunately it really seems that most of our defenders are injury prone, but when they all get hurt at the same time obviously it causes huge problems.

3. The Wonder Boy - what a season. The prodigal son of England, the savior of England, the one everyone is hoping will put the nation on his shoulders in June and deliver long overdue glory for country...Rooney met and exceeded my expectations this term.

4. Nani and Valencia on the wings - both started slow, but both proved their quality as the season went on.

5. The striker crisis - I'm sad to say I predicted it back last summer, before the season even started. I knew what we had wouldn't be enough, and it wasn't. I can say nothing more than I hope for and expect an overhaul this summer.

6. Ronaldo and Tevez. There is no sense crying over spilled milk...but I can't help but wonder how we would have fared had both of them still been in the team this term.

1: Absolutely, Hargreaves was a major miss for us this season.

2: Again yep, it didn't help us, but we still had opportunities to take a decisive lead. Smalling will help add strength in depth. It would be nice if we could keep a settled back four next season.

3: Rooney has been unbelievable, I don't think even he can carry an average NT to World Cup glory though, and I suspect it will also be unreasonable to expect him to enjoy another domestic season as he has this one. He needs help at United, and that can only come with a rejuvenated Berba, or new blood.

4: Valencia has been a revelation, and Nani has improved a great deal in a season hampered by injury.

5: Sir Alex needs to do two things, one he needs to add a top class striker and two, he needs to work some psychological wonders with Dimi. Macheda was a miss, and Owen was sporadically good, but again injuries have intervened with him.

6: Sir Alex was over a barrel over Tevez' fee (and apparently he's rocking the boat at Eastlands) According to Patrice Evra, Tevez really regrets leaving - but £42M was too much for a player that would have seen a lot of time on the bench given SAF's fondness for the 4-5-1 system. Ronaldo was never going to stay. I agree we should have spent some of the money though.

And yeah, it's still mathmatically possible to win the title - but the mere fact we need to rely on other teams suggests we don't deserve to win it anyway.

 

[Pogba4Now]

I suspect Chelsea will score 7 goals again The only chance for us winning the title is if Wigan park the bus and snatch a draw. It is possible but unlikely.

And I think if we get a goalscoring midfielder, we might not even need a striker. Berba's 12 goals is not bad. Look at Chelsea for example. They have only 1 goalscoring striker (Drogba) but get many goals from Lampard (21). Anelka scored only 9, less than Berbatov. The problem is that its hard to find goal scoring midfielders players like Fabregas, Gerrard or Lampard.

 

[cfdemarco]

LOL, ESPN has an article quoting Ferguson as saying that he would pay 60 million pounds to bring Ronaldo back, but wouldn't spend that much on Messi
http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story?id=780510&sec=england&cc=5901

 

[MikeyM]

I suspect Chelsea will score 7 goals again The only chance for us winning the title is if Wigan park the bus and snatch a draw. It is possible but unlikely.

And I think if we get a goalscoring midfielder, we might not even need a striker. Berba's 12 goals is not bad. Look at Chelsea for example. They have only 1 goalscoring striker (Drogba) but get many goals from Lampard (21). Anelka scored only 9, less than Berbatov. The problem is that its hard to find goal scoring midfielders players like Fabregas, Gerrard or Lampard.

We have one, but Fergie seems hellbent on trying to convert him to a defensive midfielder - I'm talking about Anderson.

It's set up perfectly for Chelsea to run riot, a Wigan side thinking about their holidays, a party atmosphere at the Bridge, f*ck probably even the sun will be shining for them. I remember Arsenal being crowned at Highbury in 1998 - even Tony bloody Adams scored!

In better news, David Gill has again said there is money for Sir Alex to spend. However Fergie has said that the only player he'd pay £60M for is Cristiano - not even Messi. Fergie himself has reiterated that money is there if he asks.

I suspect United will move swiftly to conclude business before the World Cup begins, because the prices of anyone enjoying a half decent tournament will go into the stratosphere.

 

[Recrero152]

Overrated central midfield? Really? I have never seen anyone saying our centre midfield is great or whatsoever. Our centre midfield is underrated, but not good enough. We have enough deep lying mifielders (Fletcher, Carrick, Gibson, Hargreaves). We badly need a goalscoring attacking Midfielder. A replacement for Scholes.

Didn't Ferguson himself praise Fletcher for his "fantastic work" during a part of the season? I thought that I heard some media putting in good words for them too but I live in Sweden anyways so it might be different. And I think that the centre midfield players that United has now are good defensively but when those injuries on the defense occured(such as Vidic) they were not good defensively and it affected the team a lot. I think that even better players on the centre could have helped in such an occation. By the way, nearly all of the centre midfield players(excluding most reserves) are over 30 so good replacements should be decent for the team.

 

[MikeyM]

Didn't Ferguson himself praise Fletcher for his "fantastic work" during a part of the season? I thought that I heard some media putting in good words for them too but I live in Sweden anyways so it might be different. And I think that the centre midfield players that United has now are good defensively but when those injuries on the defense occured(such as Vidic) they were not good defensively and it affected the team a lot. I think that even better players on the centre could have helped in such an occation. By the way, nearly all of the centre midfield players(excluding most reserves) are over 30 so good replacements should be decent for the team.

I was the first to blame Fletcher in the past, but you can't pin this faliure on him, he's actually been one of United's consistent performers. Hargreaves was a huge miss, with him covering the back four we would have been stronger. I also beleive that Anderson would have added much needed creativity had he not missed 2/3 of the season through injury.

I agree long term United need to be looking at a overhaul of the midfield, but with Tosic scoring goals for fun in the Bundesliga, and the impressive form of young Tom Cleverley at Watford - perhaps we already have some candidates.

 

[cfdemarco]

I suspect United will move swiftly to conclude business before the World Cup begins, because the prices of anyone enjoying a half decent tournament will go into the stratosphere.

And that is precisely why I believe no teams will sell players before the tournament.

Everyone will be looking to hold out until after the WC and cash in on their players' good performances. Especially Bordeaux with Gourcuff; now that Ribery will probably be out, Gourcuff has a chance to really shine and if he has a good tournament his price will go through the roof. His club know that and will try to take advantage of it.

 

[adedawson]

I think we have done quite well this season. The teams good with lots of talent stepping up. A few tweak's here and there and were back to the top.

 

[Pogba4Now]

lol if Ferguson says Fletcher does a fantastic work doesn't mean he's overrated. He's very underrated by most people in fact. He's a defensive type of player and he's great in that position. However, we need someone who is more attack minded to partner him... Scholes used to occupy this position but he can't anymore. We have quality defensive midfielders in Hargreaves and Fletcher. We need an attacking midfielder playing alongside the defensive one. Either Anderson steps up, or we get someone else.

 

[MikeyM]

And that is precisely why I believe no teams will sell players before the tournament.

Everyone will be looking to hold out until after the WC and cash in on their players' good performances. Especially Bordeaux with Gourcuff; now that Ribery will probably be out, Gourcuff has a chance to really shine and if he has a good tournament his price will go through the roof. His club know that and will try to take advantage of it.

That can also backfire, a poor World Cup could also drive prices down, it's a gamble for a selling club either way.

 

[Recrero152]

I was the first to blame Fletcher in the past, but you can't pin this faliure on him, he's actually been one of United's consistent performers. Hargreaves was a huge miss, with him covering the back four we would have been stronger. I also beleive that Anderson would have added much needed creativity had he not missed 2/3 of the season through injury.

I agree long term United need to be looking at a overhaul of the midfield, but with Tosic scoring goals for fun in the Bundesliga, and the impressive form of young Tom Cleverley at Watford - perhaps we already have some candidates.

Oh, I'm not blaiming him for the failure. As for the failure, I think that the injuries at the defensive line that occured before dragged them down a bit, making them lose points. I don't think merely that caused them to lose the title but it did have an effect.

 

[Pogba4Now]

I think we have done quite well this season. The teams good with lots of talent stepping up. A few tweak's here and there and were back to the top.

Agree with that. Now that I'm thinking, most of us including me tend to forget the young lads we have. We have been saying we need an AM. We do have Anderson. And the reason why Ferguson bought Nani and Anderson IMO is to replace Giggs and Scholes... Rafael for Neville, and Fabio, Possebon, Smalling, Tosic etc etc as backup players. They won't have an instant impact obviously, but wait 2-3 years. It will pay off in the future... If you look at it this way, Ferguson has already planned replacements for the ageing players. Thats one of the reason he tends to stick with the same players we have. If it was another manager, he would've sold Nani and Anderson a long time ago.

Compare our team to Chelsea. They have no player anywhere near their the starting lineup. Only Mikel thats it. In 2-3 years, Abramovic will have to spend massively to replace these players.

 

[cfdemarco]

That can also backfire, a poor World Cup could also drive prices down, it's a gamble for a selling club either way.

Yeah, but I think most clubs would bet in the favor of their player. Like Bordeaux, they know that Gourcuff is a great player and odds are he's going to have a good tournament.

 

[MikeyM]

Yeah, but I think most clubs would bet in the favor of their player. Like Bordeaux, they know that Gourcuff is a great player and odds are he's going to have a good tournament.

True.

I've got MUTV on in the background showing the game - Is it just me, or were there some United fans singing "what a waste of money" when Berbatov went off?

I loved the reaction for Owen Hargreaves though!

 

[adedawson]

True.

I loved the reaction for Owen Hargreaves though!

haha yeah best footy song. I'm starting to wonder if SAF is just teasing the crowd to get them going. Its like rent a crowd whenever Owen shows his face.

Hope he gets more then 30 seconds in the next game.

 

[Pogba4Now]

What happened with Owen Hargreaves? Did he play? I watched till the 91.30 minute. Stream went down.

 

[ArgVega]

What happened with Owen Hargreaves? Did he play? I watched till the 91.30 minute. Stream went down.

I don't think he touched the ball, but he was definately subbed in by Sir Alex.

BTW,

In my opinion you don't need an overhaul of your midfield just yet. Carrick, Fletcher, and Hargreaves when in form are excellent midfielders. They just aren't very good at organizing your team and dictating the tempo of the game.

You need someone who is gonna put the foot on the gas when the game needs it, or take the foot off the pedal when you have control of the game. I would have loved to see Sneijder in that role, he could have been like scholes was for you a while back. Anderson might grow into that, but he is certainly not there yet, Modric would be a good buy.

A good strike partner, or a dependable back up for Rooney and you're all set. Don't forget Nani and Valencia have shown they are ready to step up more next year, so with a creative CM you guys will be solid all round.