Manchester United Thread [2011/2012]

[Pogba4Now]

I think its been glaringly obvious yet again that our midfield needs a refresh and our defence needs vidic back.

Its no surprise you go from having one of the best defences in the world to this when you lose Vidic and VDS.

Midfield's needed help for a while now, so much so that we had to get a guy back from retirement. Even worse when you lost players like fletcher with Giggs, Park etc getting older.

Maybe this is a blessing in disguise and they go out and spend this summer, sell off some dead weight.

If we lose the league, will we be able to afford any player after this failure of a season? Where will the money come from? We crashed from the Champions league early and might end up trophyless. We spent 50 millions last season. Don't think we'll have as much available this summer. No Champions league money or title money.

 

[Pogba4Now]

Its really easy to blame the manager after a dissapointing loss when he plays around with the formation. But I didn't hear anybody complain when that tactic got us to three Champions League finals in four years. After the fact things always seem so obvious and straightforward.

I disagree. In 2008, we had the players to play 4-3-3. We had Hargreaves, Scholes and Carrick in the middle and they were all at the top of their game. We had the trio of Ronaldo, Tevez and Rooney up front which was ideal for 4-3-3.

With the team we have right now, 4-3-3 can't work. Even last season Fergie played 4-4-2 for most games with Chicharito and Rooney upfront. We reached the UCL final with 4-4-2. If you want to play 4-3-3, you need a STRONG central midfield. Not a mediocre one with Carrick, old Scholes and old Giggs. Our team is different from when we reached 3 UCL finals in 4 years.

 

[ArgVega]

I disagree. In 2008, we had the players to play 4-3-3. We had Hargreaves, Scholes and Carrick in the middle and they were all at the top of their game. We had the trio of Ronaldo, Tevez and Rooney up front which was ideal for 4-3-3.

With the team we have right now, 4-3-3 can't work. Even last season Fergie played 4-4-2 for most games with Chicharito and Rooney upfront. We reached the UCL final with 4-4-2. If you want to play 4-3-3, you need a STRONG central midfield. Not a mediocre one with Carrick, old Scholes and old Giggs. Our team is different from when we reached 3 UCL finals in 4 years.

LOL what baffles me is why Park started over Tevez in the 09 final, and over Nani in the 2011 final???

I think it might be a long rebuilding period like the last time ManU lost in the group stages in the Benfica group in 2005-06. Who have ya'll spent 50m on??? I would have never guessed.

 

[Sir Calumn]

If we lose the league, will we be able to afford any player after this failure of a season? Where will the money come from? We crashed from the Champions league early and might end up trophyless. We spent 50 millions last season. Don't think we'll have as much available this summer. No Champions league money or title money.

I wouldn't worry too much, you will be able to make money available and even if trophyless, playing at United is still a big draw. You wont be able to do any stupid spending, but if you spend carefully you could bring in some talent. Just hope Ferguson doesnt **** up his signings.

 

[ShiftyPowers]

LOL what baffles me is why Park started over Tevez in the 09 final, and over Nani in the 2011 final???

I think it might be a long rebuilding period like the last time ManU lost in the group stages in the Benfica group in 2005-06. Who have ya'll spent 50m on??? I would have never guessed.

I actually thought Park was a legitimate inclusion last year, the one that baffled me was Valencia who wasn't fully fit.

 

[Help?]

I disagree. In 2008, we had the players to play 4-3-3. We had Hargreaves, Scholes and Carrick in the middle and they were all at the top of their game. We had the trio of Ronaldo, Tevez and Rooney up front which was ideal for 4-3-3.

With the team we have right now, 4-3-3 can't work. Even last season Fergie played 4-4-2 for most games with Chicharito and Rooney upfront. We reached the UCL final with 4-4-2. If you want to play 4-3-3, you need a STRONG central midfield. Not a mediocre one with Carrick, old Scholes and old Giggs. Our team is different from when we reached 3 UCL finals in 4 years.

We played 4-5-1 in most of the big games ever since Van Nistlerooy joined. Hargreaves was only really part of the squad in 2008 and technically so was Carrick who could have been injuried for 3 years and we wouldn't notice a difference. Yet in 2009 we reached CL final, in 2010 we SHOULD have reached CL final (don't hate Shifty, the red card was soft and Nani missed two one-on-ones) and we reached CL final in 2011 yet again. That 4-3-3 you talk about, always looked like 4-5-1 to me, the wingers did as much attacking as defending. The difference is like you said yourself, the squad was much better.

So, with a weaker and less experienced squad do you really think we would have done better with 2 in the middle rather than 3? Our 4-4-2 games tend to be very open and pretty high scoring (case in point Everton), whereas our 4-5-1 games are always tight. As long as the score is close there is always a chance.

Maybe a 4-4-2 would have produced a 4-3 win for us, its a "what if", but I know that before the game, the 4-5-1 had a better probability of getting the result we needed...

 

[ShiftyPowers]

in 2010 we SHOULD have reached CL final (don't hate Shifty, the red card was soft and Nani missed two one-on-ones)

The only hypothetical I will accept is that Rooney got injured in the first leg and then retardedly rushed back for the second leg by your senile manager. All the rest is bull****.

 

[Help?]

Ok, I got my opinion you got yours

 

[ShiftyPowers]

Ok, I got my opinion you got yours

Rafinha went off at 3-1. Fairly. He kicked van Bommel for his first, and then stopped a Ribery counterattack after getting beaten for the second. We were dominating the game at that point because you blew your wad pressing early anyway. Nani missed sitters? Great, I'm sure all Bayern's shots went right at the net.

First Leg; from The Guardian:

As the evening wore on, Ferguson introduced Antonio Valencia, Ryan Giggs and Dimitar Berbatov in an effort to make the opposition retreat. It did not work. No one in United's ranks can have the audacity to complain of ill-fortune, even if Franck Ribéry's equaliser from a free-kick did deflect off Rooney to beat Edwin van der Sar at last in the 73rd minute. By then the visitors were beleaguered, with ambition shrivelled to a mere yearning to run down the clock.

Robben missed this game, Schweinsteiger was suspended. Second leg, Rafael deserved to be sent off for 2 yellows. He kicked van Bommel for his first, and then stopped a Ribery counterattack after getting beaten for the second. It wasn't harsh at all.

You don't deserve to advance every year. Bayern sure as hell didn't last year.

 

[Help?]

Rafinha went off at 3-1. Fairly. He kicked van Bommel for his first, and then stopped a Ribery counterattack after getting beaten for the second. We were dominating the game at that point because you blew your wad pressing early anyway. Nani missed sitters? Great, I'm sure all Bayern's shots went right at the net.

First Leg; from The Guardian:



Robben missed this game, Schweinsteiger was suspended. Second leg, Rafael deserved to be sent off for 2 yellows. He kicked van Bommel for his first, and then stopped a Ribery counterattack after getting beaten for the second. It wasn't harsh at all.

You don't deserve to advance every year. Bayern sure as hell didn't last year.

You won the first leg fair and square. Second leg, you needed a Robben wonder goal to advance. And you may have dominated once we went down to 10, but again, there were 2 sitters for United which would have went in 9 times out of 10, had Nani kept his composure.


We are both wasting our time. I'm making a point about 4-5-1 working better for us against teams with strong midfield, rather than 4-4-2, simply because our central midfield as a unit has been mediocre since Keane left. Aka, Ferguson chose the right tactic for the night given the options/resources available.

 

[ShiftyPowers]

We are both wasting our time. I'm making a point about 4-5-1 working better for us against teams with strong midfield, rather than 4-4-2, simply because our central midfield as a unit has been mediocre since Keane left. Aka, Ferguson chose the right tactic for the night given the options/resources available.

You will get no argument from me on that. I think all the attempts to sign someone like Kagawa or Sneijder in the last year are perhaps signs that SAF realizes this as well. Those guys would be very expensive and could not play 4-4-2.

 

[adedawson]

Obviously 4-5-1 is best for these big games, its whats got us to all these finals.

We got issues in midfield and defence without vidic. De Gea is improving all the time, but I hope Vidic comes back strong. Jones and Smalling are improving every game which is also a good sign.

We really need to sort out the middle and I hope they will find the money from somewhere.

 

[ShiftyPowers]

You're also going to have to make a pretty large investment in a right back this summer. I've heard some say that Rafael will never play another game for the club. I can't even think of one that you should go after, but if recent history is any indication he's probably playing in the Premiership right now.

 

[adedawson]

right back? Raf? eh? do you know something I don't?

The twins have been really good, admittedly a little injury prone, but if you class them as one person there getting a full season They have been improving every year. You got to remember they are only 21, and been playing for the senior team for 4 years, these kids have heaps of skills.

Couple that will the fact you got Jones and Smalling, that's 4 players fighting for the similar spots. You also got fryers with heaps of potential, but admittedly he's left footed.

 

[adedawson]

Check this out

Sports team wage bills united are right at the bottom, jumped up from 16. We defo been punching above our weight.

The only worrying thing is how much money must be going to the glazers, considering were one of the top money earners.

 

[Pogba4Now]

Right back? Rafael is still vulnerable defensively but he doesn't screw up as often now. He should be careful and use his brain when tackling. Definitely not a position that we need to spend on. We are very well covered there.

 

[clash]

Never been so nervous because of the league before. I swear, if we won't improve our midfield in the summer, I won't watch a single match next season. So, so depressing how we get outplayed in the center every ******* match.

 

[adedawson]

they were saying on the twittersphere that we wouldn't be spending again and the midfield is fine. With any luck its just a rumour but that's exactly what he said last year so wouldn't be surprised if true.

 

[Pogba4Now]

That money spent on Young could be spent on a CM. Young's wages are crazy high too. Young has been a great buy but we could've dealt without him. Money badly spent.

 

[VanTheMan]

acc to rumors yest we are close to signing Kagawa, 23.
Would be a good addition . Surely having played in the Bundesliga would be technically sound but not sure how he can cope with the likes of Stoke, West Brom and co.