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

Cantona's Collars

Mitch Connor wrote: »

No.

Carrick is excellent defensively.

Depends really.He's good at reading a game,hence his record of interceptions is high.........BUT,ask him to track a man back or throw in a tackle when really needed he won't.It's the one part of his game as a DM that's weak.

Kirby

Mitch Connor wrote: »

No.

Carrick is excellent defensively.

Well, excellent would be too strong a word.

He's proficient. He reads the game very well which is important....arguably the most important. But he's also slow, and pushed off the ball easily so "excellent" would be overstating it.

Cantona's Collars

The earliest footage of Ronaldo & Messi has been found.:pac:

Mitch Connor

zerks wrote: »

Depends really.He's good at reading a game,hence his record of interceptions is high.........BUT,ask him to track a man back or throw in a tackle when really needed he won't.It's the one part of his game as a DM that's weak.

Disagree with you still.

His tackling is not bad at all.

He doesn't tackle like Keane would have, but he does tackle when in the position to do so. I have no problem with any part of his defensive game. He can be a bit slow to use the ball on occassion, but in general I think the criticisms of him are harsh.

sReq | uTeK

Red Crow wrote: »

Ok, so how many creative midfield players with goals and assists are available?

You have provided no logical basis for not trying to get him. It's fairly obvious that you don't watch the guy. You're trying to fit round pegs into square holes and your trying to simplify the whole basis of how a midfield works with the sweeping generalisation that if you have one defensive minded player, which we don't have anyway, then you can't have another. Just because Matuidi is an excellent tackler and great defensive player doesn't mean that he has zero attacking instincts. He moves the ball forward better than anyone in our team.

What we need is someone who will take command of the play. We need a guy who'll put the foot in and stop teams walking all over limited players like Cleverley. Carrick is feeble defensively and is poor under pressure something that Matuidi is excellent at. Turning down Matuidi would be retarded.

Have to say I agree here, he passes it forward and strides into the box more than anyone we have in our team, to me i'd liken him to gundagon with a bit of bite.

Just my opinion.

J. Marston

zerks wrote: »

Januzaj showing some skills,pity our winger on the other side can only run in straight lines.

He doesn't seem that quick in a sprint like Nani or Valencia but he has a great burst of acceleration that takes him away from players.

zerks wrote: »

The earliest footage of Ronaldo & Messi has been found.:pac:

Pathetic defending.

beakerjoe

Mitch Connor wrote: »

Disagree with you still.

His tackling is not bad at all.

He doesn't tackle like Keane would have, but he does tackle when in the position to do so. I have no problem with any part of his defensive game. He can be a bit slow to use the ball on occassion, but in general I think the criticisms of him are harsh.

I agree, hes an unsung hero in many games. Can have his bad games like any player but overall hes a great player.

Mitch Connor

J. Marston wrote: »

He doesn't seem that quick in a sprint like Nani or Valencia but he has a great burst of acceleration that takes him away from players.

I agree - but he showed a lovely bit of pace late in the game on Saturday to take the ball from our box and win a corner up the other end (I think). Certainly relieved the pressure with pure running.

Beasty

Haha! - Just had United on the 'phone - because I've held my ST so long they are going to put my name on the seat:D

Cantona's Collars

Mitch Connor wrote: »

Disagree with you still.

His tackling is not bad at all.

He doesn't tackle like Keane would have, but he does tackle when in the position to do so. I have no problem with any part of his defensive game. He can be a bit slow to use the ball on occassion, but in general I think the criticisms of him are harsh.

How many times have you seen a player run past him & he does this pathetic arms in the air thing then leaves the CB to try to rescue the situation.What I mean is he won't get stuck in when absolutely needed.It's always been the part of his game that's lacking & annoys me,if he could do that bit,he'd be the complete DM but as good as he's been over the past season or so,that's the bit that lets him down.

Mitch Connor

Beasty wrote: »

Haha! - Just had United on the 'phone - because I've held my ST so long they are going to put my name on the seat:D

Tell them your name is 'Debt is the Road to Ruin'. Or 'Woodward is a ***'.

Timmyctc

zerks wrote: »

How many times have you seen a player run past him & he does this pathetic arms in the air thing then leaves the CB to try to rescue the situation.What I mean is he won't get stuck in when absolutely needed.It's always been the part of his game that's lacking & annoys me,if he could do that bit,he'd be the complete DM but as good as he's been over the past season or so,that's the bit that lets him down.

I gotta say I don't recognise this as a regular occurence whatsoever.

Maximus Alexander

sReq | uTeK wrote: »

No need to be a cock, 2 entirely different situations and you know it, you're trying to be a prick for the sake of it.

The lad was right, didn't come in and gloat afterwards, was nice enough to offer to PM anyone and see if he could help them out.

Don't know why you're being so nasty, just trying to pass on some information. I will keep it to myself from now on.

Liam O

I don't think Cleverley is someone who gets "walked over". Even when he's not playing well offensively he does a good job at hassling the other team's midfielders, even when it's normally a 3 on 2 situation these days. Did it very well against Madrid in one of the games earlier this year I seem to remember.

sReq | uTeK

Maximus Alexander wrote: »

Don't know why you're being so nasty, just trying to pass on some information. I will keep it to myself from now on.

Well done on failing to be funny on all fronts.

Winston Payne

Ramires beasts Cleverley regularly enough. It's more inactivity than weakness with Cleverley though. His stamina is a huge question.

Maximus Alexander

sReq | uTeK wrote: »

Well done on failing to be funny on all fronts.

Leftist

Liam O wrote: »

I don't think Cleverley is someone who gets "walked over". Even when he's not playing well offensively he does a good job at hassling the other team's midfielders, even when it's normally a 3 on 2 situation these days. Did it very well against Madrid in one of the games earlier this year I seem to remember.

nope.
that's just wrong.

He goes missing for huge periods in games.

homerjay2005

Beasty wrote: »

Haha! - Just had United on the 'phone - because I've held my ST so long they are going to put my name on the seat:D

how long you had it!?

Liam O

Leftist wrote: »

nope.
that's just wrong.

He goes missing for huge periods in games.

Maybe he doesn't shout for the ball as much as he should at times but I've always thought that he did a good job at hassling the other team's midfield, who usually outnumber him.

Timmyctc

sReq | uTeK wrote: »

Well done on failing to be funny on all fronts.

I thought it was funny And I'm just off the phone to Antonio Valencia and I explained what happened and I think he found it funny. He has **** English though tbf.

beakerjoe

Leftist wrote: »

nope.
that's just wrong.

He goes missing for huge periods in games.

I agree, he seems to ball watch and go to sleep at times. Seems to lack concentration.

Shane St.

What sort of team will we see 2night. Not very confident of a win w the players we have missing but I'd take a draw here

Maximus Alexander

I don't know what it is about Cleverley, I know he's not particularly good, at least in a two man midfield, but I enjoy watching him sometimes.

Mitch Connor

Maximus Alexander wrote: »

I don't know what it is about Cleverley, I know he's not particularly good, at least in a two man midfield, but I enjoy watching him sometimes.

when in possession his use of the ball is good and he passes/moves very well. He is an intelligent footballer, if not the most creative. His interplay around the box can be very good.

I don't think he has it to be the type of midfielders we want in the first 11, but he is certainly someone I would keep as a squad option at the club long term.

Timmyctc

Timmyctc wrote: »

I thought it was funny And I'm just off the phone to Antonio Valencia and I explained what happened and I think he found it funny. He has **** English though tbf.

You got Tony V to laugh?? Great job! Any chance of getting him to use his left peg as well? :pac:

Maximus Alexander

Mitch Connor wrote: »

when in possession his use of the ball is good and he passes/moves very well. He is an intelligent footballer, if not the most creative. His interplay around the box can be very good.

I don't think he has it to be the type of midfielders we want in the first 11, but he is certainly someone I would keep as a squad option at the club long term.

I think that's pretty much the nail on the head. I guess he's the sort of player who contributes well when the team is in control, but doesn't provide much otherwise.

When the team are sharp and passing well he tends to do some great stuff.

Beasty

homerjay2005 wrote: »

how long you had it!?

Got my first League Match Ticket Book around 1980 and went on the ST waiting list a year or 2 later - the following close-season they got in touch and offered me the ST, and I've been in the same place ever since (except 1996 when they re-built the then North Stand) - they said they are offering it (FOC) to all Platinum ST holders

Pro. F

Maximus Alexander wrote: »

I think that's pretty much the nail on the head. I guess he's the sort of player who contributes well when the team is in control, but doesn't provide much otherwise.

When the team are sharp and passing well he tends to do some great stuff.

I'd see it the complete other way around. He is the one that gets the team in control because he is good at holding on to the ball, both receiving it and passing it safely in tight spots. His biggest flaw at the moment is using possession to cut teams open regularly enough. But there's a good chance that will come in time. It might even just be a confidence thing.

Maximus Alexander

Pro. F wrote: »

I'd see it the complete other way around. He is the one that gets the team in control because he is good at holding on to the ball, both receiving it and passing it safely in tight spots. His biggest flaw at the moment is using possession to cut teams open regularly enough. But there's a good chance that will come in time. It might even just be a confidence thing.

I always get the impression that when the team are under pressure he goes missing a bit and makes mistakes. Admittedly, I don't spend that much time focusing on him and could be way off the mark I only tend to notice him during those brief periods when the team are in control and he tends to move about and make some slick passes, even if he isn't slicing teams open.

Lately I find myself spending all my time watching what Januzaj is doing even when he is off the ball.

Red Crow

Mitch Connor wrote: »

No.

Carrick is excellent defensively.

He's a good reader of the game and at intercepting but he's an awful player under pressure and is a feeble player. He's too casual at times and doesn't posses the same holding of a game that a Matuidi would.

bucketybuck

Mitch Connor wrote: »

His tackling is not bad at all.

He doesn't tackle like Keane would have, but he does tackle when in the position to do so. I have no problem with any part of his defensive game.

I have a problem with one part. He reads the game well, but he doesn't press the ball, and this is something that is majorly lacking in our midfield.

Thats why people think he can't tackle. Noted tacklers like Keane were pressing forward onto the man with the ball and making a tackle there, this meant more tackles per game. Carrick is always falling back into the scoring zone, so he is in good position for interceptions and the odd tackle where the man with the ball is trying to press past him.

If we had Keane beside Carrick all would be rosy, but we don't, we have Cleverly, who has never and seemingly will never actually dominated a game in the middle of the field.

Quandary

I was one of Cleverleys biggest fans up until recently. I thought the interplay between himself and Welbeck in particular was very very good at times but I feel he has regressed a bit over the last 18 months. I don't think he imposes himself on a game like many of the better midfielders seem to be able to do.

I think he's a fine squad player for us but that's as far as it will go IMO.

I'm still fairly optimistic Fellaini will come good for us. He just looks a bit overawed at the moment.

buyer95

Will RVP start tonight lads?

keane2097

Pro. F wrote: »

I'd see it the complete other way around. He is the one that gets the team in control because he is good at holding on to the ball, both receiving it and passing it safely in tight spots. His biggest flaw at the moment is using possession to cut teams open regularly enough. But there's a good chance that will come in time. It might even just be a confidence thing.

Completely agree with this fwiw. Cleverley gets far more abuse than he ought to in here, not really sure why.

J. Marston

buyer95 wrote: »

Will RVP start tonight lads?

Rest him for Sunday, give Chich a game.

dahat

De Gea, Smalling, Ferdinand, Vidic, Evra, Valencia, Fellaini, Giggs, Kagawa, Rooney & Chicharito

Team off Mandy Henry Twitter page

Appearance number 950 for Giggs

Nolars

I take it Anderson is a goner he hasnt been injured has he?

FlawedGenius

TV3 said United havent won in Spain since 2002, did we not beat Valenica with Hernandez goal in 2010/11??

dahat

Nolars wrote: »

I take it Anderson is a goner he hasnt been injured has he?

Looks like it to me as well, must be a mid coming in Jan then if Ando is not getting a shout at all

Lovely Bloke

FlawedGenius wrote: »

TV3 said United havent won in Spain since 2002, did we not beat Valenica with Hernandez goal in 2010/11??

There's your issue

dahat

SUBS;Lindegaard, Jones, Buttner, Anderson, Nani, Young & Van Persie

Januzaj must be a cert to start v Arsenal

KombuchaMshroom

Think tv3 meant to say we havent lost in spain since madrid beat us in 2002.

That could all change to tonight though looking at that starting line up.

Lord TSC

United are near 2/1 to win.

Are Sociedad that good or are we meant to be that bad

PhlegmyMoses

Teamshadowclan wrote: »

United are near 2/1 to win.

Are Sociedad that good or are we meant to be that bad

Sociedad have a good home record which must be skewing it. They're not a good team really.

dahat

Teamshadowclan wrote: »

United are near 2/1 to win.

Are Sociedad that good or are we meant to be that bad

Hernandez wincast 4/1 and Rooney wincast is 7/2, some good prices there for the brave

The_Kew_Tour

Ladbrokes were going 7/1 Rooney first scorer yesterday at least. Not sure if still about for those interested.

J. Marston

Fabio is as good as gone, isn't he? Depressing seeing centre-backs shoehorned in at fullback.

Fabio isn't a world beater by a long distance but he's an actual fullback who can attack and I'd much prefer him being given a go over Smalling who'll no doubt do a job in defence but will make our right side a write off in attack. Valencia needs an attacking fullback with him to be any bit effective these days.

Hulk Hands

Teamshadowclan wrote: »

United are near 2/1 to win.

Are Sociedad that good or are we meant to be that bad

Away from home. Odds still say we're much the better side. We were heavy odds on in the reverse fixture a few weeks ago even though apparently we seemed a mess at the time

Soldie

We're just pure muck, aren't we? There's no two ways about it. Trouble is, if we dropped all the wasters who deserve to be dropped we probably wouldn't be able to field a team. I've an ever-increasing list of players who I'd like to see shown the door sooner rather than later. Big overhaul required over the next two transfer windows.