Is Rio's return the answer to United's Season?

Grimlock

Personally I doubt it but from reading around, a lot of pundits and untied fans seem to think that Rio's return will turn the corner for them.
This time last year a lot of people were questioning whether Rio was worth his ridiculous price tag, , no one was doubting his ability just his price tag, now everyone seem to be lauding him as the best thing ever. His departure definitely highlighted United’s lack of options at the back.
What made united great in the 90's was their depth, when a player was out, for whatever reason, his replacement seemed incredibly hungry and in a lot of cases the 1st team player was barely missed. These days United’s midfield and defense are sorely missing that depth and the cover for the 1st team just isn't good enough.
Let's not forget that Rio has not played a competitive match in 8 months! he'll be lacking match fitness and it could take time before he returns to the player he was this time last year.
So what do you guys think, can Rio rescue united?
Is he that good or are Silvestre & Brown just THAT bad?

Draupnir

To be honest, I think too many people are writing man u off. I can honestly see them winning the league. Not just because I support them but because on paper their first 11 is equally as good as Chelseas and better than Arsenals. If they can get the attitude and confidence in the club right then I think they will win it.

Regarding first elevens, while on paper man u have a better 11 than Arsenal, what Wenger has done with Arsenal and their first X1 is phenomenal and I dont see them being beaten much. The team might not look fantastic when written down but they play some of the best football in the world right now.

Grimlock

I'm not writting off United, if pasted experience has showed me anything it is that United can never be underestimated.
As for Uniteds first 11 being better than Arsenals!
You're having a laugh:
Arsenal...........ManUtd..........Choice

Lehmann.........Howard...........Lehmann, not perfect but no howlers
Lauren............G Neville.........Draw
Toure.............Brown............Toure, Brown too inconsistent, injury prone
Campbell.........Ferdinand........Draw, how will time off effect Ferdi
Cole...............Heinze............N/A Heinze hasn't played enough games
Ljunberg.........Ronaldo...........Draw, Ronaldo goes down too easy but has big future
Gilberto..........Scholes...........Scholes, on his day a proven match winner
Viera..............Keane.............Viera, keane too old, injury prone
Pires..............Giggs..............Pires, no contest, Giggs spent force
Reyes............Rooney............Draw, how will rooney settle in?
Henry.............Van Nistelrooy..Henry, provider as well as scorer and less injury prone

/2 cents

p.pete

Grimlock wrote:

Rio's return will turn the corner for them.

Where've I heard that before?

Draupnir

I guess your paper and my paper are just different. Id rate the united one as being better. But thats the way it always is.

eirebhoy

Grimlock wrote:

Let's not forget that Rio has not played a competitive match in 8 months!

He hasn't played any match in 8 months other than training matches. I don't think he'll play on Monday, Fergie will give him a few reserve matches before he comes back to the first team.

talla

Nope I don't think Rio's return will make much of a difference. I think the problems with Uniteds defence would have been highlighted whether he was there or not. This time last year Rio was dreadful, he only actually started to play well for United once he got banned. Rio might be a good organiser, but I said this last year and I'll say it again - hes not good enough for Europe, i.e. he loses concentration way too easily as demonstrated in games against Madrid the season before last and Stuttgart last year. He might tighten things up in the premiership but thats about it.

dirkey_wynne

talla wrote:

Nope I don't think Rio's return will make much of a difference. I think the problems with Uniteds defence would have been highlighted whether he was there or not. This time last year Rio was dreadful, he only actually started to play well for United once he got banned. Rio might be a good organiser, but I said this last year and I'll say it again - hes not good enough for Europe, i.e. he loses concentration way too easily as demonstrated in games against Madrid the season before last and Stuttgart last year. He might tighten things up in the premiership but thats about it.

Well if you look at the table at the time of Rio's ban last year, we were 4 points clear with the best defensive record in the Premiership.

Big Nelly

talla wrote:

Nope I don't think Rio's return will make much of a difference. I think the problems with Uniteds defence would have been highlighted whether he was there or not. This time last year Rio was dreadful, he only actually started to play well for United once he got banned. Rio might be a good organiser, but I said this last year and I'll say it again - hes not good enough for Europe, i.e. he loses concentration way too easily as demonstrated in games against Madrid the season before last and Stuttgart last year. He might tighten things up in the premiership but thats about it.

Utd had the best defence in PL last season up until Rio's ban! can see him on bench 4 game

Big Ears

Draupnir wrote:

I guess your paper and my paper are just different. Id rate the united one as being better. But thats the way it always is.

would you mind writing a thing up like Grimlocks , im just interested to see what you're choices are .

I don't think Rio will have this great immediate effect lots of people are expecting , id give him about a month and a half to be fully settled .

And as far as club football goes I definatly rate Reyes over Rooney .

Draupnir

To be honest Ears, I cant promise to be totally unbiased so there aint much point.

Id definitely rate Ronaldo better than Ljunberg, Howard better than Lehmann, Neville better than Lauren and Brown better than Toure.

But as I said, I cant be impartial so its neither here nor there.

Big Ears

most of those are pretty close but Brown ahead of Toure , you can't be serious .

dirkey_wynne

Grimlock wrote:

I'm not writting off United, if pasted experience has showed me anything it is that United can never be underestimated.
As for Uniteds first 11 being better than Arsenals!
You're having a laugh:
Arsenal...........ManUtd..........Choice

Lehmann.........Howard...........Lehmann, not perfect but no howlers
Lauren............G Neville.........Draw
Toure.............Brown............Toure, Brown too inconsistent, injury prone
Campbell.........Ferdinand........Draw, how will time off effect Ferdi
Cole...............Heinze............N/A Heinze hasn't played enough games
Ljunberg.........Ronaldo...........Draw, Ronaldo goes down too easy but has big future
Gilberto..........Scholes...........Scholes, on his day a proven match winner
Viera..............Keane.............Viera, keane too old, injury prone
Pires..............Giggs..............Pires, no contest, Giggs spent force
Reyes............Rooney............Draw, how will rooney settle in?
Henry.............Van Nistelrooy..Henry, provider as well as scorer and less injury prone

/2 cents

It's very hard to be impartial with these comparisons. Like for instance, you say Ronaldo goes down too easy (I'm a Utd fan and agree) yet say nothing about Pires doing so? He had the most blatant dive of the season last year. I would find Neville far better than Lauren. Brown better than Toure. Ronaldo better than Ljunberg. As I say though, it's all a matter of opinions. It's like when Utd won the league two years ago and Whinger came out and said "We still are the best team." Well no Arsene, not at the end of that season you weren't. And that was fact. Utd finished on top. Just like at present Arsenal are the better team. Unbeaten in fncking forever it feels like, champions and top of the league with a 100% record! So we can't argue. For now.

leeroybrown

Is Rio's return the answer to United's Season?

In short both yes and no.

United's greatest failing right now is that the team lacks confidence, drive, ambition, effort, and pretty much anything else that is related to their state of mind when playing. I know it's an oxymoron, but the only thing that can get a team out of a rut is a good string of results. With the kind of quality that we all know United have all it might take to put them into a reasonable run of form is one more good player to make an effort and tip the balance a bit in their favour.

In terms of actual play I also feel that Rio can bring some passing quality and authority on the ball. This can only help the midfield.

Grimlock

Brown better than Toure you're insane!
Yes Pires dives and the Portsmouth incident was cheating, I agree but Ronaldo does it to excess, RVN dives too but I did not bring that into my comments either. But Ronaldo's diving is incredible, he should have represented the Portugese Diving not soccer team in Athens!

But Can we bring this thread back to the original question rather than a Arsenal Vs Man Utd thread, & I know I too pulled it off topic.
But my original Question stands, Can Rio make the difference?
Think we're all in agreement that he won't start against Liverpool, maybe on the bench but most likely in the reserves for a couple of games.

Big Ears

How can people honestly beleive Brown is better than Toure ? , its just doesn't make sense .

The Muppet

Big Ears wrote:

How can people honestly beleive Brown is better than Toure ? , its just doesn't make sense .

Some one on boards has the sig "Opinions are like a**holes everyone has one" and that will explain that one for you.

When Wes Brown plays well he is as good as anyone in the premiership. Unfortunately due to injuries his appearances have been too few and far between to see if he can porduce his best form consistantly.

gandalf

Well tbh I do not see Rio making that much of a difference to Man United. I 'm not going to get involved in who has the better team between United and Arsenal thou thats going off topic.

United at the moment have too many players underforming.

Howard has obviously lost confidence and is making howlers because of this, United need him to sort this out asap as they do not have quality replacements (sorry I do not rate Carroll).

Neville is actually good in the position he plays and it does hurt to say this

Rio is going to need a month to get back into the premiership and who knows what the pressure of expectation will do to him as he is coming into a defense that is in decline and expected to make a difference immediately.

Brown is still not the finished article and is prone to errors.

Silvestre is a complete waste of space and I do not rate him as a defender at all.

Heinze looks good but lets give him a few more games.

Ronaldo if he actually does things simply is very effective, ie get the cross in quickly and not try 50 step overs.

Scholes one of my most hated united players but now that he is no longer playing for England is going to be very important for United. Probably the most important player for united this season. They better hope he keeps injury free.

Keane is on a rapid decline and Sir Alco needs to invest in another class enforcer in Jan as Djemba Djemba is not cutting the mustard.

Giggs also on the decline, has flashes of Brilliance but all too often alot of mediocre performances as well.

Rooney err I would think Smith or Saha would be ahead of Rooney tbh anyway plenty of quality for united here.

Van Nistelrooy seems to have been off the boil lately. Needs to get back on the boil pronto.

To sum it up United are missing a Class Centreback and a Class Central Midfielder. If they can address these areas then they should be challanging if not who knows.....

I still expect them to be in the mix by the end of the season.