Manchester United Talk/Gossip/Rumours Thread - 2013/14 mod warning post#7259

Paul Tergat

If Woodward had have said we arent actively looking to sign then we would have people pissing and moaning as well. Cant win

Red Crow

The_Kew_Tour wrote: »

If I could buy 3 players for United it would be Draxler, Fabregas and Kroos.

In ideal world of course.

I'd buy Matuidi (out of contract in June), Gundogan and Di Maria.

Red Crow

Mitch Connor wrote: »

personally reckon he has had a very decent season so far. performed well, generally, when played. Not the creative spark I would like him to be, but he has got stuck in with tackles, tracked runners and used the ball well.

Is that what we want though? I like Cleverley because he'll work hard but he's a limited player. We should be looking for better tbh.

Mitch Connor

Red Crow wrote: »

Is that what we want though? I like Cleverley because he'll work hard but he's a limited player. We should be looking for better tbh.

indeed - but so what?

Wanting better doesn't make him or his performances crap.

We currently dont have many options and it is only fair to judge the players we do have on the job they are asked to do. Else we will spend every game moaning about how Baines would have crossed better than Evra, how Vidal would have tackled better than Carrick, how Silva would have created better than Kagawa, how Ronaldo would have been a better option than Nani.

When we are talking about signing specific players, fine, I'll discuss there merits over our own - but what is the point in pissing on Cleverley just because he isn't Fabregas.

bucketybuck

Mitch Connor wrote: »

but what is the point in pissing on Cleverley just because he isn't Fabregas.

Can we piss on him for being anonymous against Stoke?

Mitch Connor

bucketybuck wrote: »

Can we piss on him for being anonymous against Stoke?

Yep.

Golden shower for him if you want.

Red Crow

Mitch Connor wrote: »

indeed - but so what?

Wanting better doesn't make him or his performances crap.

We currently dont have many options and it is only fair to judge the players we do have on the job they are asked to do. Else we will spend every game moaning about how Baines would have crossed better than Evra, how Vidal would have tackled better than Carrick, how Silva would have created better than Kagawa, how Ronaldo would have been a better option than Nani.

When we are talking about signing specific players, fine, I'll discuss there merits over our own - but what is the point in pissing on Cleverley just because he isn't Fabregas.

I'm not pissing on Cleverley because he's not Fabregas. That's stupid. He's an average performer and we should be looking for much better. If you're not allowed to state that obvious fact then there is little merit to any discussion.

Also I don't know what you're trying to get at there either. Cleverley has done a reasonable job. He's not the answer to our midfield problems and that's the just of it really.

Lovely Bloke

LOAD of wtf here

Manchester United is one of the biggest brands in the world, to think that other football businesses wouldn't know this, or be hoodwinked otherwise by something Woodward says is absolutely stupid.

Yeah, Aul Ed should play the poormouth in interviews, because the people who run Arsenal, Inter, Barca and Bayern are complete idiots

Nalz

Might be common knowledge but I never get to post these "I know a guy" inside score stories...

Spoke to a girl whos my mates mate in London today, she attended to Vidic in Milton Keynes a few days back and she said he could be out for 3-4 weeks... She also said he was only interested when he could go back playing golf!

Queue him to start now vs Norwich :-)

Just said I'd pass on the knowledge..

Lovely Bloke

Trilla wrote: »

Might be common knowledge but I never get to post these "I know a guy" inside score stories...

Spoke to a girl whos my mates mate in London today, she attended to Vidic in Milton Keynes a few days back and she said he could be out for 3-4 weeks... She also said he was only interested when he could go back playing golf!

Queue him to start now vs Norwich :-)

Just said I'd pass on the knowledge..

was the ride good?

PhlegmyMoses

Mitch Connor wrote: »

indeed - but so what?

Wanting better doesn't make him or his performances crap.

We currently dont have many options and it is only fair to judge the players we do have on the job they are asked to do. Else we will spend every game moaning about how Baines would have crossed better than Evra, how Vidal would have tackled better than Carrick, how Silva would have created better than Kagawa, how Ronaldo would have been a better option than Nani.

When we are talking about signing specific players, fine, I'll discuss there merits over our own - but what is the point in pissing on Cleverley just because he isn't Fabregas.

Don't get this logic. It's absolutely okay to say that somebody isn't good enough. You don't need a solution to point out that there's a problem.

Nalz

Baldy Conscience wrote: »

was the ride good?

Lol I forgot to say she works as a physio!

DM_7

PhlegmyMoses wrote: »

Don't get this logic. It's absolutely okay to say that somebody isn't good enough. You don't need a solution to point out that there's a problem.

Maybe read back another couple of posts to see what post Mitch was originally answering, it was never suggested that United shouldn't want better.

homerjay2005

only getting online now since Saturday, so sorry to drag up old news at this stage. obviously delighted with the result but we were absolutely shocking, as bad as we have played all year apart from City. we were haunted to win it and truth be told, we didnt deserve it.

something is seriously wrong with this team, we are barely hanging in there at the moment and while of course there can be positives in this (as in, we can only get better and the teams above us have alot of games against each other coming up), it is really really worrying.

if we turn this around, then the turning point will be that Rooney goal and perhaps will be the day that actually saved/started Moyes United career but if we play like that in our next 3 league games, we will be lucky to pick up 2 points.

the entire ethos around the club right now is so so poor, but hopefully that late comeback can change that.

Nuts102 wrote: »

I think people are getting mixed up. I don't think he was booed because he had a bad game but because he was walking off like a snail when losing the game.

most of it ya and the booing at half time was aimed at the ref mostly. still were some f*ckwits booing Nani and this is appaling, those people dont deserve tickets and should go and support City.

Bleating Lamb

Red Crow wrote: »

I'd buy Matuidi (out of contract in June), Gundogan and Di Maria.

I would buy 3 Maroune Fellainis,sure isn't he that World Class midfielder that is going to drive Man Utd forward for years.

jamesbere

I was looking at man city's formation yesterday and wondering would that be our best way at setting up for the moment. 3 centre mids of Carrick, cev and afroman with rvp up front with Rooney and Kagawa sitting behind him.

homerjay2005

now that we are all finally in agreement that the team needs huge investment, what positions do you believe are first priority?

i always thought we needed 2 first team players, the reality is we probably need 4 with both Rio and Evra expected to be on the way out next summer, as well as Giggs and Anderson.

that would mean a CB, LB, Creative CM and Attacking CM are all needed but to get the quality in that is needed, we would need to spend 100million plus.

the stark reality is though, that another 2 or 3 players are not good enough either and should be sold on.

maybe Baines and Herrara will come in this January, not sure if they are the solution though, they are both very unproven and the money needed for both of them, would be pretty big.

KH25

homerjay2005 wrote: »

now that we are all finally in agreement that the team needs huge investment, what positions do you believe are first priority?

i always thought we needed 2 first team players, the reality is we probably need 4 with both Rio and Evra expected to be on the way out next summer, as well as Giggs and Anderson.

that would mean a CB, LB, Creative CM and Attacking CM are all needed but to get the quality in that is needed, we would need to spend 100million plus.

the stark reality is though, that another 2 or 3 players are not good enough either and should be sold on.

maybe Baines and Herrara will come in this January, not sure if they are the solution though, they are both very unproven and the money needed for both of them, would be pretty big.

I reckon we will buy Baines either in January or this summer. CB I'm not so sure about because we have Evans, Jones and Smalling there. I would like to see some trust placed in them and not go and sign someone who will relegate them to the bench (unless it was somebody like Hummels :P). I genuinely think that those 3 will be great for United in years to come, they just need to be kept away from RB.

For CM we need to think big. I would love to see us buy Gundogan but Im not too sure whether it would be possible to get him. I would like to see a move towards 3 in the middle so the likes of Kagawa, Nani and Januzaj can move up a bit more. A solid midfield 3 would really allow the front line to shine.

On an unrelated note I hope Moyes give Chicho some more game time soon. He deserves it much more than Welbeck and he has a great eye for goal. Losing him would be dreadful considering that RVP is now 30. He really has improved his general play and I can only imagine how much better he could get staying and learning from RVP and Rooney. In a few years he could be the complete package.

Lord TSC

Midfield is the ever present problem; at the moment, the only genuine first teamers we have in the center are Carrick and Fellaini, and even those two aren't covering themselves in glory at the moment. Add to that the fact Carrick is 32, and realistically, I'd say we need at least two first team central midfielders.

Left back has obviously been identified as an area Moyes wants improvements in, and if Evra is leaving, we'll need someone there who is also capable of first team play.

We also need at least one first team winger to replace Val, Young and be more consistent than Nani (though I know that won't be popular...). Januzaj is too young to be pinning all our hopes on, as good as he's been. But I think this is less a priority than others.

And if Rooney goes, we'll need another top level striker in to replace him immediately.

So for me, that's at least three new players definitely needed, one not needed but would help greatly, and one that we will need if we lose Rooney. 5 players for the first team

(EDIT: Actually, I forgot center back as well; I don't think Rio AND Vidic will last too much longer so would like to see a top defender come in as well. So that's 6...)

MagicMarker

homerjay2005 wrote: »

now that we are all finally in agreement that the team needs huge investment...

What do you mean finally? Who was disagreeing with this?

jameshayes

I didn't notice this one here, probably old news by now:

Manchester United executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward has discussed their failed bid for Athletic Bilbao midfielder Ander Herrera.

The attempt to sign Herrera from Athletic Bilbao looked somewhat farcical, even if the truth is rather more mundane.

"We should have denied all the stories on the last day about Herrera because they were rubbish," said Woodward of a bizarre saga that included three unidentified men turning up at La Liga headquarters trying to force through a deal.

"I've got no idea (who they were)," Woodward told United We Stand.

"I had seven people call me on the last day and try to insert themselves into a deal.

"I can only imagine that people who wanted to insert themselves into the deal turned up at the league's offices.

"They were nothing to do with us, nothing to do with the agent and, according to Bilbao, nothing to do with them.

"Once they had said to us: 'Only the buy clause being met will issue a release', we knew it wasn't going to happen."

http://www.tribalfootball.com/articles/man-utd-chief-woodward-comes-clean-over-ander-herrera-fiasco-3987573#.Um43ivm-18E

homerjay2005

MagicMarker wrote: »

Who was disagreeing with this?

David Moyes for one - he said originally we needed investment, then changed his mind and said he would be happy to go as we were, then called the window difficult and said we may not sign anybody, then said he was happy with the business then changed again to say the team and squad wasnt as good as people thought, now we needed world class players etc etc etc

and there were alot of fans here who were in the "we are fine, we are champions" brigade or those who though Fellani was the answer to our problems.

if you want to deny this, then fine, we will just disagree and move on, its been debated too many times at this stage and im sure people are sick of it.

The_Kew_Tour

TBF plenty of people here wrote about how happy they were with squad for past few years.

mewe

I love lamp.

jamesbere

mewe wrote: »

I love lamp.

Do you really love lamp

homerjay2005

mewe wrote: »

I love lamp.

though it was a brick???

mewe

homerjay2005 wrote: »

though it was a brick???

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gId6nrMDmUU

DM_7

Give me two midfielders and I would be very happy. The midfield is undermining the rest of the team IMO.

A left back is needed because Evra is leaving but apart from that I see no major problems with the squad.

I am confident Moyes will put a strong consistent back four together from the players already available, despite the reaults some positive things that have already happened De Gea has continued to improve since summer. Rooney is in food form, RVP still scoring, Januzaj made a good impact, Welbeck has shown good potential as a wide player coming off the wing. Now Kagawa is starting to get full games ahead of likes of of Young.

Your Airbag

homerjay2005 wrote: »

David Moyes for one - he said originally we needed investment, then changed his mind and said he would be happy to go as we were, then called the window difficult and said we may not sign anybody, then said he was happy with the business then changed again to say the team and squad wasnt as good as people thought, now we needed world class players etc etc etc

and there were alot of fans here who were in the "we are fine, we are champions" brigade or those who though Fellani was the answer to our problems.

if you want to deny this, then fine, we will just disagree and move on, its been debated too many times at this stage and im sure people are sick of it.

He never said this. He said you need 5 or 6 world class players in your squad to win the champions league. He didn't say UTD need 5 or 6 world class players. Its a spin every paper used to have a go at him and is adopted as the truth in some peoples minds.

I think everyone on the thread in the summer expected us to sign more than one player and the majority were all dissapointed with the window.

There is no argument when it comes to the do we need players debate because we quite clearly do. We have a few players over thirty and if we are behing the likes of Madrid and Bayern in first team strenght.

Personally I think we need massive invesment. Six or seven players. Three midfeilders, Carrick needs to be replaced, Fellaini may be his replacement but I still feel Clev and Ando are not going to make it so we need two and then that one world class MF player.

We could use a left back, Baines will do. Another centre back. A winger or two also as Valencia may never return to form and Young is not world class.

Mitch Connor

Your Airbag wrote: »

He never said this. He said you need 5 or 6 world class players in your squad to win the champions league. He didn't say UTD need 5 or 6 world class players. Its a spin every paper used to have a go at him and is adopted as the truth in some peoples minds.

I think everyone on the thread in the summer expected us to sign more than one player and the majority were all dissapointed with the window.

There is no argument when it comes to the do we need players debate because we quite clearly do. We have a few players over thirty and if we are behing the likes of Madrid and Bayern in first team strenght.

Personally I think we need massive invesment. Six or seven players. Three midfeilders, Carrick needs to be replaced, Fellaini may be his replacement but I still feel Clev and Ando are not going to make it so we need two and then that one world class MF player.

We could use a left back, Baines will do. Another centre back. A winger or two also as Valencia may never return to form and Young is not world class.

"To win the Champions League, you need five or six world-class players,"

"Look at Bayern Munich, they have it. Look at Barcelona, who had it in the past and Real Madrid, who have maybe got it now. That's the level you have to be at to win it. We've not got that yet but what we have got is experience."

So, he says you need five or six to win the CL, and we don't have that. Wonder what number he thinks we do have.

Personally I think we need 2 central midfielders, a left back and at least 1 winger - Young, Valencia and Nani aren't a good enough group. I am a fan of Nani.

I would also say, despite what Woodward says, we don't have the money to buy players of the quantity and quality needed.

homerjay2005

we are going to need a new center back next summer to replace Rio. i have no faith in Jones as a center back and his performance on Saturday did nothing to change that - he f8cked up not once, but twice for their second goal and was ball watching several times. him and Evans just does not work at the moment.

id like to see Smalling and Vidic tried out asap, once Vidic comes back. i think that is our best pairing at the moment.

bucketybuck

DM-ICE wrote: »

The midfield is undermining the rest of the team IMO

This point cannot be emphasised enough. We have some very talented footballers who are playing like ****e at the minute, and the biggest single cause of this is the fact that they are playing around a completely dysfunctional midfield.

Fergie left us in an absolute mess regarding midfield, and if Moyes wants to succeed as manager he needs to focus on rectifying this area.

Crimson King

Woodward saying we have the financial clout to compete with the big boys yesterday was trolling of the highest order. He spent the summer bidding pittance for world class players and eventually with ten mins to spare signed an excellent player for £4M more than he should have. United's transfer windows was far from 'disappointing', it was shambolic and embarrassing. Smacked of people who had no clue what they were doing, and this Kenny Everett lookalike thinks he can gloss over it saying we have the finances to compete makes it even more annoying. The summer we should have made statement to the world that the club will thrive without SAF then makes itself into a laughing stock.

I have been a United supporter for nearly 30 years now, defended the club through thick and think and all I can say is this, Moyes may be the right decision or he may not be. However he needs to be backed, and when he tells the club he needs players to compete then the club should pull out all the stops to get him those players. Instead what we have is supporters looking at the table and rueing 8 points from a possible 15 at home, knowing full well SAF would have achieved at least 6 more and suddenly the club is right in there with a shout. I was looking at Soccer AM a few weeks back and that clown Max called our game against WBA a six pointer (which we lost) and it annoyed me. This is Manchester United we are talking about ffs. Joking aside it riled me something mad.

If the club spends big in January it will be a huge admission that things were done wrong in the Summer. If they don't and Moyes is in danger of losing his job at the end of the season then how can we possibly blame him?

The Glazers are only interested in milking their Golden Cow and this can continue to happen whilst Woodward is in charge as he has increased revenues so much that the odd £40M loss from CL money is not as noticeable anymore. Long term its a problem though as sponsors will disappear, but for the moment all is good in the hood. I think the club has a very important number of seasons coming up and how the club fares will depend a lot on how ambitious they are (stating the obvious I know) but unless serious money is spent soon to revitalise an aging squad then I can see the club declining and only be a Liverpool (no offence intended), lots of supporters who shout the number 20 at anyone who will listen to them and saying things like 'supporters nowadays think BT invented the game, football was around when Sky Sports was here you know'.

Anyway rant over and sorry for bringing up old news but am pissed here this morning, scraping through 3-2 against a struggling Stoke is enough to annoy anyone, even if it was a one off. Something is wrong at the club and its more than a new manager, its a top down decay and needs to be addressed.

Rayne Wooney

I think every player at Dortmund is for sale at the right price, if we really want a player (and don't go in with a bid of 25m) we should get who we want.

Whether the club will do that and the player would come to Manchester is another thing but we have to hope they will.

Herrera, Baines and a real world class CM and I'll be happy with the squad. Anderson should be sold, Cleverley could be loaned to another PL club. There's some deadweight that needs to be dealt with.

The bids for Fabregas and apparently Bale gives me some hope that there could be a big signing between January and the end of next summer.

Cantona's Collars

Woodward needs to be schooled in how to spend money,he's a genius at raking it in and all he needs is to be shown how to spend it properly.

Schwiiing

Crimson King wrote: »

Woodward saying we have the financial clout to compete with the big boys yesterday was trolling of the highest order. He spent the summer bidding pittance for world class players and eventually with ten mins to spare signed an above average player for £14M more than he should have.

FYP

onemorechance

homerjay2005 wrote: »

...

if we turn this around, then the turning point will be that Rooney goal and perhaps will be the day that actually saved/started Moyes United career but if we play like that in our next 3 league games, we will be lucky to pick up 2 points.

the entire ethos around the club right now is so so poor, but hopefully that late comeback can change that.



most of it ya and the booing at half time was aimed at the ref mostly. still were some f*ckwits booing Nani and this is appaling, those people dont deserve tickets and should go and support City.

The turning point was the introduction of Adnan; it would not have turned otherwise.

homerjay2005

onemorechance wrote: »

The turning point was the introduction of Adnan; it would not have turned otherwise.

you think so? we made 3 subs dont forget, all attackers. i think Adnan was ok, but nothing special.

lets not forget, we scored from a corner and a cross from the left. hardly through inspirational play or our wonderful creative force.

in fact, i struggle to think of a really good team goal that we have scored this season, that came from wonderful fast flowing football in midfield. most of our goals are coming from crosses and set pieces.

Lovely Bloke

homerjay2005 wrote: »

in fact, i struggle to think of a really good team goal that we have scored this season, that came from wonderful fast flowing football in midfield. most of our goals are coming from crosses and set pieces.

Valencia's in the CL?

onemorechance

homerjay2005 wrote: »

you think so? we made 3 subs dont forget, all attackers. i think Adnan was ok, but nothing special.

lets not forget, we scored from a corner and a cross from the left. hardly through inspirational play or our wonderful creative force.

in fact, i struggle to think of a really good team goal that we have scored this season, that came from wonderful fast flowing football in midfield. most of our goals are coming from crosses and set pieces.

I have absolutlely no doubt. I thought Adnan was excellent, especially compared to Nani. The only time Nani was able to do something right was that one occasion when the defenders gave him time and space to cross. Otherwise he pretty much stood still and passed the ball back to the CM who had just given it to him. Adnan was able to bring more players into the game and helped United pressure Stoke up high.

Timmyctc

onemorechance wrote: »

I have absolutlely no doubt. I thought Adnan was excellent, especially compared to Nani. The only time Nani was able to do something right was that one occasion when the defenders gave him time and space to cross. Otherwise he pretty much stood still and passed the ball back to the CM who had just given it to him. Adnan was able to bring more players into the game and helped United pressure Stoke up high.

Just on this. I watched the full game last night before bed as I missed it on Saturday and this is a complete fabrication. I think anytime Nani has a bad game people are too quick to remember the bad. In the first 5 minutes alone I counted Nani and either the strikers, kagawa or the wingbacks interchanging one-twos in and around the box about 4 times. For some reason that whole play slackened in the second half but Nani was involved with quite a bit of intricate passing. For some reason he opted to slam it into row z just as often however and his crossing was still muck..

bucketybuck

Timmyctc wrote: »

Just on this. I watched the full game last night before bed as I missed it on Saturday and this is a complete fabrication. I think anytime Nani has a bad game people are too quick to remember the bad. In the first 5 minutes alone I counted Nani and either the strikers, kagawa or the wingbacks interchanging one-twos in and around the box about 4 times. For some reason that whole play slackened in the second half but Nani was involved with quite a bit of intricate passing. For some reason he opted to slam it into row z just as often however and his crossing was still muck..

onemorechance has convinced himself that Adnan was our saviour in the match and Nani was the worst player ever, when the fact is that Nani was not as bad as he thinks and Adnan looked bright but didn't actually create anything.

Lest we forget, only one of the two helped create a goal.

onemorechance

bucketybuck wrote: »

onemorechance has convinced himself that Adnan was our saviour in the match and Nani was the worst player ever, when the fact is that Nani was not as bad as he thinks and Adnan looked bright but didn't actually create anything.

Lest we forget, only one of the two helped create a goal.

I didn't convince myself, it was Adnan who convinced me! :pac:

homerjay2005

its amazing how much stick Nani takes, but Kagawa gets away with it. i was expecting Kagawa to be the first player off, as one pundit described him, he looked like a lost little boy.

was expecting Jones to be taken off also and Smalling pushed into the middle, but at least for once the chances this week were positive and hopefully its a sign that he is learning his trade, finally.

the Jose effect that we so badly crave, is starting to take effect at Chelsea...they wont be far off winning the league this year IMO though i still think its Citys to lose. If they have Kompany back, they will be unstoppable.

onemorechance

homerjay2005 wrote: »

its amazing how much stick Nani takes, but Kagawa gets away with it. i was expecting Kagawa to be the first player off, as one pundit described him, he looked like a lost little boy.

was expecting Jones to be taken off also and Smalling pushed into the middle, but at least for once the chances this week were positive and hopefully its a sign that he is learning his trade, finally.

the Jose effect that we so badly crave, is starting to take effect at Chelsea...they wont be far off winning the league this year IMO though i still think its Citys to lose. If they have Kompany back, they will be unstoppable.

There was Evra down the left to make up for Kagawa going missing; Evra's cross for the goal was excellent. Would also rather see Smalling at CB than Jones. Someone mentioned maybe Moyes wanted height, Fellaini instead of Cleverley would have given that. Not sure why his op is delayed since he is not even being selected.

Ordinary man

It's not just the individual players that need to be worked on but getting them all to play like a team. Every game they seem to play like players just introduced to each other at the kick off. Maybe it's moyes trying to change things and the players stuck between the new style and the old but it's so broken up. Defending they seem to run backwards as quick as they can will little pressing of the ball and end up with 2 banks of 4 ten yards apart. The tempo is slow and hesitant. There are plenty of teams with lesser players but play as a team to better effect

bucketybuck

onemorechance wrote: »

There was Evra down the left to make up for Kagawa going missing; Evra's cross for the goal was excellent. Would also rather see Smalling at CB than Jones. Someone mentioned maybe Moyes wanted height, Fellaini instead of Cleverley would have given that. Not sure why his op is delayed since he is not even being selected.

Always thought the height thing was a load of rubbish myself, and Rafael should always be starting if he is available. He makes a serious difference to our attacking threat on the right, something we did not have on Saturday.

RasTa

Far too early to be talking about who is going to win the league

onemorechance

On a side note, the last 30 minutes of the game on Saturday was thrilling!

Since it's Halloween week: :pac:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sOnqjkJTMaA

Pro. F

The only reason Januzaj didn't create anything directly himself was because nearly every time he beat a Stoke player, which he did frequently, they then fouled him. He definitely had a strong positive influence on the game.