Manchester United Talk/Gossip/Rumours Thread - 2013/14 Mod warning post #718

Rayne Wooney

When you think about it we've downgraded on every midfield player

Giggs to Young
Ronaldo to Valencia
Keane to Fellaini/Carrick
Scholes to ? (Anderson?)

bucketybuck

v3ttel wrote: »

A good "winger" should be able to do a variety of things: commit defenders, equally comfortable going inside or outside a defender, crossing, shooting, dribbling, reasonable pace, moving into central positions when the space arises, making driving off-ball runs into the box.

If you want a good laugh then try and apply those criteria to Antonio Valencia...

GSPfan

keane2097 wrote: »

I think even when he's not getting on the ball that much Kagawa's movement around the edge of the box has been one of the few ways United have caused opposition defences any problems at all this year.

That's clutching at straws. We all like Kagawa but crediting him for movement is not worthy of praise imo.

JRant

If i could have one player on my wish list it would be Sandro. I think he would improve our chances of a top 4 immeasurably. Unfortunately i can't see it happening but one can dream.

Mitch Connor

Kerrydude1981 wrote: »

Im not too confident about this transfer window,unless crazy money is thrown around I reckon we will be lucky to get in a few loan signings that will hopefully improve things.

This is what annoys me - I reckon there are plenty of players that would improve us quite a bit and could be got now.

Matudi and Fernando (PSG and Porto) are out of contract in the summer. they could be got now for a not horrid fee I reckon.
Madrid are apparently more than willing to listen to offers for Coentrao and Di Maria. Both would be fantastic signings for United.
Befica are out of the CL and have said they will need to sell - Garay, Gaitan and in particular Matic are players we should certainly be considering at least.

Yeah, it would take insane money (and even then be tough) to sign someone like Vidal or Fabregas, but we can considerably improve with players short of that level. It isn't ideal, but no promises we could get Vidal and/or Fabregas in the summer anyway.

A United side of:

---

De Gea
Rafael--Jones--Evans--Coentrao

---

Carrick--Matic
Januzaj

---

Rooney---Di Maria

---

RVP

Looks good to me - possibly a 60million outlay, maybe more/less. (thinking 15 for coentrao, 25 for Matic and 20 for Di Maria).

Point being, United could significantly improve in January, if we really wanted to.

keane2097

GSPfan wrote: »

That's clutching at straws. We all like Kagawa but crediting him for movement is not worthy of praise imo.

I don't agree, think it's a pretty underrated quality.

GSPfan

keane2097 wrote: »

I don't agree, think it's a pretty underrated quality.

Reminds me of Roy Keanes interview recently where he was offended by Fergusons comments regarding him covering every blade of grass.

"It's like praising the postman for delivering your post. It's his job".

keane2097

GSPfan wrote: »

Reminds me of Roy Keanes interview recently where he was offended by Fergusons comments regarding him covering every blade of grass.

"It's like praising the postman for delivering your post. It's his job".

I thought it was a pretty stupid comment by Keane at the time. Playing soccer is obviously a soccer player's job, that doesn't mean everyone plays it equally well.

Cantona's Collars

JRant wrote: »

Cleverley gave away 3 very dangerous free-kicks yesterday because he keeps getting caught the wrong side of players.

Kags was dispossed by 4 Swansea players near the end of the game yesterday while all his team mates ran away from him.

There is a serious lack of support play in the team. Every time Chico got the ball there was 40 yards between him and the next most advanced Utd player. School boy stuff really.

+1

Kagawa is used to playing in a team where players move & support the man with the ball unlike what's happening at United where the exact opposite is happening.Put Kagawa in the City,Arsenal or even Liverpool & he'd thrive.Look at Silva,Mata,Ozil,they are hardly WWE material & yet pull the strings for their teams.We don't see City playing as if they were in a video game being controlled by a one armed blind pensioner.
FFS even John Barnes had a rap song about it.Pass & Move.
We used to do it & were one of the best at it,teams couldn't cope with players running at them from all angles,that philosophy has been lost somewhere and we are left with sluggish,disjointed performances that are so easy to play against.

cathalio11

I didn't agree with Roy Keane's remarks then and I don't agree with that argument now.

There is a small minority of players who "Cover every blade of grass" and they should be praised for it. Roy did everything in his power to have a dig at Sir Alex on that show, so I'd be surprised if he genuinely believed what he said there.

It would be different if every player covered every blade of grass but that's not true. That's in contrast to the fact every postman delivers their post.

tallaghtmick

Kagawa would be lethal for a team like Barca, Arsenal, City or Bayern, the free flowing football they produce is perfect for him, Id hold onto him to see if Moyes gets us the players we need in the summer that would give us this free flowing tiki taka stuff we all wanna see

SherlockWatson

GSPfan wrote: »

That's clutching at straws. We all like Kagawa but crediting him for movement is not worthy of praise imo.

That's some top notch analysis Bill.

Cantona's Collars

Some more bad news, Reus' buyout clause doesn't kick in until next season.

racso1975

Sure we would probably just wait for it to expire a la Fellani

GSPfan

keane2097 wrote: »

I thought it was a pretty stupid comment by Keane at the time. Playing soccer is obviously a soccer player's job, that doesn't mean everyone plays it equally well.

I don't think you understood it then. He meant he didn't want praise for trying. That should be manditory.

GSPfan

SherlockWatson wrote: »

That's some top notch analysis Bill.

What?

Cantona's Collars

keane2097 wrote: »

I don't agree, think it's a pretty underrated quality.

And a quality that many in our current squad don't seem to have.

JRant

GSPfan wrote: »

I don't think you understood it then. He meant he didn't want praise for trying. That should be manditory.

Surely he meant that he thinks Fergie is a gob****e and has zero time for the man

Mitch Connor

Sky sports comment on three players I have mentioned in the last couple of days.

http://www1.skysports.com/football/news/11096/9104093/targets-portugal

Matic, Fernando and Carvalho all players I reckon could be got.

Rayne Wooney

Whatever player or players come in, if they're not cup tied, will be going into the team playing in the last 16 of the biggest club competition.

If that's not incentive enough to sign for us I don't know what is, playing for United should be enough as it is.

keane2097

GSPfan wrote: »

I don't think you understood it then. He meant he didn't want praise for trying. That should be manditory.

He was quoted a line where Ferguson had praised him for an exceptional performance and that postman line is how he responded.

Either way, Roy Keane talking about postmen makes not the slightest bit of difference to the fact that I think Shinji Kagawa has shown excellent movement when he's played this season, tbh I'm not really sure why we're even talking about it.

GSPfan

JRant wrote: »

Surely he meant that he thinks Fergie is a gob****e and has zero time for the man

Ha. That's definitely what he meant.

JRant

keane2097 wrote: »

He was quoted a line where Ferguson had praised him for an exceptional performance and that postman line is how he responded.

Either way, Roy Keane talking about postmen makes not the slightest bit of difference to the fact that I think Shinji Kagawa has shown excellent movement when he's played this season, tbh I'm not really sure why we're even talking about it.

His movement is top notch, unfortunately he's playing with a lot of players who would have difficultly passing water never mind a football.

Cantona's Collars

According to Italian website Tuttosport, United had scouts in attendance for the Juve/Roma game.

The Italian report claims Vidal was their prime target. United have after all been heavily linked with the Chilean midfielder in recent times.

But Vucinic has also regularly been tipped for a switch to Old Trafford, and may be surplus to requirements given the other strikers at Juventus’s disposal.

And then of course there is the Roma pair of De Rossi and Kevin Strootman – the two that got away if previous reports are to be believed.

GSPfan

keane2097 wrote: »

He was quoted a line where Ferguson had praised him for an exceptional performance and that postman line is how he responded.

Either way, Roy Keane talking about postmen makes not the slightest bit of difference to the fact that I think Shinji Kagawa has shown excellent movement when he's played this season, tbh I'm not really sure why we're even talking about it.

You praised Kagawa for movement off the ball when his on the ball stuff has been poor. Which I thought was generous praise for a player playing so poor. Thats all. Wasn't meant as a big thing.

Rayne Wooney

zerks wrote: »

According to Italian website Tuttosport, United had scouts in attendance for the Juve/Roma game.

The Italian report claims Vidal was their prime target. United have after all been heavily linked with the Chilean midfielder in recent times.

But Vucinic has also regularly been tipped for a switch to Old Trafford, and may be surplus to requirements given the other strikers at Juventus’s disposal.

And then of course there is the Roma pair of De Rossi and Kevin Strootman – the two that got away if previous reports are to be believed.

And Pjanic

Arrow.

De Rossi said last week he'd "have committed suicide if he'd joined United". So I think we can rule him out!

Always been a fan of Vucinic. Would like to see him at OT.

Mitch Connor

Arrow. wrote: »

De Rossi said last week he'd "have committed suicide if he'd joined United". So I think we can rule him out!

Always been a fan of Vucinic. Would like to see him at OT.

Because he would have missed out on a proper title challenge with his boyhood club, not because he'd have been at Man United. He said he would have committed suicide if he had left Roma for ANYWHERE.

NaiveMelodies

Arrow. wrote: »

De Rossi said last week he'd "have committed suicide if he'd joined United". So I think we can rule him out!

Always been a fan of Vucinic. Would like to see him at OT.

Yes because his beloved Roma were unbeaten in the league at the time and going for the title, not because we were struggling. Try and read below the headline next time.

Pudsy33

I'd be absolutely shocked if a player like Reus or Vidal moved to United. We simply are not as attractive a prospect as we once were. Vucinic, and other players who are out of favour at their current clubs, are our best shot I think.

Arrow.

Mitch Connor wrote: »

Because he would have missed out on a proper title challenge with his boyhood club, not because he'd have been at Man United. He said he would have committed suicide if he had left Roma for ANYWHERE.

Even so. He clearly doesn't want to leave Roma.

Utopia Parkway

zerks wrote: »

Some more bad news, Reus' buyout clause doesn't kick in until next season.

Summer 2015 according to Honigstein, which is the end of next season.

bullvine

Pudsy33 wrote: »

I'd be absolutely shocked if a player like Reus or Vidal moved to United. We simply are not as attractive a prospect as we once were. Vucinic, and other players who are out of favour at their current clubs, are our best shot I think.

$$SPONDULICKS$$.....

RobertKK

Juventus seem to be on the look out for a striker, Hernandez has being linked, could use him in a deal for Vidal, if Vidal can be tempted to leave.

If we sell Hernandez, then Falcao should be a target, claims last year he has a clause that allowed him leave for the following clubs if they went after him: Real Madrid, United and Chelsea. If this is true then he should be sought after.
He could play champions league and would get us much needed goals. Look at the moment and the problem with no Rooney and RVP...

A left back is needed...and a midfielder who isn't cup tied in Europe, though this isn't that important as getting top 4 has to be the number 1 goal this season.
5 points off it is easily possible with the right signings.

This month will make or break our season, we need new players and of the right quality.
I can see Lingard and Powell being given chances too.

NaiveMelodies

You cannot undermine the effect a couple of signings might have on the rest of the squad in terms of competition and confidence.

I'd be fairly sure any decent left back signing would give Evra the cop on to start concentrating on holding his place down.
It's not healthy having the likes of Cleverley & Carrick etc knowing in the back of their minds that they'll be playing the majority of our remaining games this season no matter how they play.

Motivator

GSPfan wrote: »

You praised Kagawa for movement off the ball when his on the ball stuff has been poor. Which I thought was generous praise for a player playing so poor. Thats all. Wasn't meant as a big thing.

Praising a £24 million player for his off the ball movement is the most embarrassing compliment I've ever seen a professional footballer be paid.

United fans haven't a clue. 90% of United fans thae days have never seen a crisis like the one the club is going through at the moment. They don't know how to handle the criticism. Listening to some of the stuff they're coming out with about players like Jones & Smalling being good enough to play for that Club is laughable. Fellas would want to come in out of the fog & realise this team is just about a top 6 team. No fight in the players at all, rolling over week after week to the likes of Spurs & Swansea is comical.

Before anyone mentions an injury crisis at the club, simply not an excuse for a Club as big as Man Utd.

jonnyfingers

If (and it's a big if) Moyes can pull off a top transfer of a big name player this month, someone who commands respect from the rest of the team (as RVP did) and forces them to re-evaluate their performances so far this season, I think we'll be ok.

If we have a good run without injuries until the end of the season I think we'll have a great run in to the end of the season.

I honestly believe attitude and confidence is a huge part of the poor performances we've seen, and injuries to star men have further damaged that attitude and confidence. Getting in a star player, whoever that may be, getting RVP and Rooney firing up top, and getting our defense to keep the clean sheets they're more than capable of doing, will drastically improve our perfomances.

I really hope Moyes can pull it off as I feel he deserves better than he has got from this United squad. He may well not be good enough to lead us going forward but I'd like to see him get a fair shake of the stick first, if nothing else for his own career after United.

This transfer window is huge for him unfortunately. The odds are against him getting someone excellent in, but I live in hope.

Knex*

Juve certainly don't need a striker after last summer, not Hernandez anyway. It would take insane money to get Vidal too, so I don't really see it happening.

Madrid, circa 40m+, would be the only thing I could see there, tbh.

Really don't know what to make of the Moyes situation. Do I think he can ultimately be a good manager if everyone got on board and gave him time? Yeah, probably. It would perhaps come with dropping out of Top 4 and rebuilding again with his own squad, but I do think he could do it.

Before the season started I would have said that even I could have managed United to a Top 4, and that talk of them imploding because of Fergie leaving was madness. Mental to look at the table and see them now, even more so to watch the performances.

I'm starting to wonder if footballers themselves are quite fickle, and if the dressing room has turned a little cold on Moyes. Certainly the likes of RVP, who himself said he joined United because of Fergie, can't have been happy with him retiring and Moyes being appointed. I wonder if that's a mentality that creeped in when things were difficult at the start, as indeed they were expected to be.

Was always going to be a tough job for Moyes, but I wonder if his reputation in comparison to a Mourinho, or whomever, in the eyes of the top players has made it even more so.

Pretty much mindless speculation from me here though, haven't given much time to refine my thoughts or post...

Rayne Wooney

The performances were pretty much the same last season except RVP and at times Rooney were covering the cracks.

The_Kew_Tour

Motivator wrote: »

United fans haven't a clue. 90% of United fans thae days have never seen a crisis like the one the club is going through at the moment. They don't know how to handle the criticism. Listening to some of the stuff they're coming out with about players like Jones & Smalling being good enough to play for that Club is laughable.

And you have Mr football expert?

IrishIrish

Motivator wrote: »

Praising a £24 million player for his off the ball movement is the most embarrassing compliment I've ever seen a professional footballer be paid.

United fans haven't a clue. 90% of United fans thae days have never seen a crisis like the one the club is going through at the moment. They don't know how to handle the criticism. Listening to some of the stuff they're coming out with about players like Jones & Smalling being good enough to play for that Club is laughable. Fellas would want to come in out of the fog & realise this team is just about a top 6 team. No fight in the players at all, rolling over week after week to the likes of Spurs & Swansea is comical.

Before anyone mentions an injury crisis at the club, simply not an excuse for a Club as big as Man Utd.

I'm guessing you're a united fan?

intellectual dosser

Motivator wrote: »

Praising a £24 million player for his off the ball movement is the most embarrassing compliment I've ever seen a professional footballer be paid.

United fans haven't a clue. 90% of United fans thae days have never seen a crisis like the one the club is going through at the moment. They don't know how to handle the criticism. Listening to some of the stuff they're coming out with about players like Jones & Smalling being good enough to play for that Club is laughable. Fellas would want to come in out of the fog & realise this team is just about a top 6 team. No fight in the players at all, rolling over week after week to the likes of Spurs & Swansea is comical.

Before anyone mentions an injury crisis at the club, simply not an excuse for a Club as big as Man Utd.

I think this is spot on, need as much emphasis on who we're getting rid of as who we're going to sign.

Jesus Wept

It's not the Glazier's fault.
There seems to be a lack of belief from some of the fans and the players.

JRant

So are we going to be held to ransom by Rooney's contract negotiations for the next 6 months?

Rayne Wooney

And the injuries to players probably couldn't have come at a better time, at the start of Moyes' tenure, because it has shown the rot and shown that we aren't much a team anymore but a group that relies on individuals.

I think if we had a fully fit team we'd be 4th/3rd at this point, but if the injuries had come after the January transfer window we could have finished up 9th or 8th at the end of the season in reality.

Moyes has the chance now to fix the team in the next 3 weeks, he has no excuses as it's blatantly obvious to everyone that our team is in bad shape.

Vic Vinegar

Our Year wrote: »

It's not the Glazier's fault.

True

A glazier is a construction tradesperson who selects, cuts, installs, replaces, and removes residential, commercial, and artistic glass. Glaziers also install Aluminium storefront frames and entrances, glass handrails and balustrades, shower enclosures, curtain wall framing and glass and mirror walls.

Nothing to do with Man Utd at all, except if they need new windows.

cathalio11

Bombleswizzum wrote: »

Nothing to do with Man Utd at all, except if they need new windows.

Dear Jesus.

Al Capwned

Talksport reporting that Stoke, Cardiff and Newcastle are front runners to sign Zaha on loan.

Headshot

The_Kew_Tour wrote: »

And you have Mr football expert?

Yes kew you rang?

Will I Amnt

Motivator wrote: »

Praising a £24 million player for his off the ball movement is the most embarrassing compliment I've ever seen a professional footballer be paid.

United fans haven't a clue. 90% of United fans thae days have never seen a crisis like the one the club is going through at the moment. They don't know how to handle the criticism. Listening to some of the stuff they're coming out with about players like Jones & Smalling being good enough to play for that Club is laughable. Fellas would want to come in out of the fog & realise this team is just about a top 6 team. No fight in the players at all, rolling over week after week to the likes of Spurs & Swansea is comical.

Before anyone mentions an injury crisis at the club, simply not an excuse for a Club as big as Man Utd.

So much fail in so small a space. It's like a tardis of failure.