Manchester United Talk/Gossip/Rumours Thread - 2013/14

kryogen

Blatter wrote: »

There was also people in the Summer who scoffed at the idea Coleman was in Rafael's class as a right back!

tbf it wasnt outrageous at the time, Coleman obviously had and still has big potential, but this year has really been his break out year. I still have Raf ahead of him for the record. Coleman is having some season though, along with Debuchy and Santon is performing well also.

Blatter

kryogen wrote: »

tbf it wasnt outrageous at the time, Coleman obviously had and still has big potential, but this year has really been his break out year. I still have Raf ahead of him for the record. Coleman is having some season though, along with Debuchy and Santon is performing well also.

I honestly didn't think there was a huge amount between them last season but this season Coleman is hitting heights that Rafael hasn't reached (yet) IMO.

kryogen

Is it just the goals that sways it?

Ill check back when I get up in the morning

Blatter

kryogen wrote: »

Is it just the goals that sways it?

Ill check back when I get up in the morning

Not at all. I think Coleman's overall influence down the right hand side is very, very strong. The goals are an added bonus of course but you couldn't expect him to keep scoring at that rate.

onemorechance

Action Images

David Moyes has finally had some good news - Robin van Persie's resumed full training after injury.

Under-fire Manchester United boss Moyes is facing a fourth consecutive loss on Saturday, when Swansea visit Old Trafford.

While Van Persie won’t be available for that game, he could resume his strike partnership with fellow crock Wayne Rooney in the champions' crunch clash at Chelsea on Sunday week.

...

Mirror

brinty

Its now the 10th of January...
Have we signed anyone yet???
Ole in his new job less than 10 days and has signed a new player....maybe he could pass along some tips to his old club on how to get deals done...

Anyone Savage's piece on BBC sport...
Made some fair points, reckons of our squad of 27 we should get rid of 12 members..
http://www.bbc.com/sport/0/football/25665649

IamtheWalrus

brinty wrote: »

Anyone Savage's piece on BBC sport...
Made some fair points

Robbie Savage has never made a fair point in his life.

Mitch Connor

brinty wrote: »

Its now the 10th of January...
Have we signed anyone yet???
Ole in his new job less than 10 days and has signed a new player....maybe he could pass along some tips to his old club on how to get deals done...

Anyone Savage's piece on BBC sport...
Made some fair points, reckons of our squad of 27 we should get rid of 12 members..
http://www.bbc.com/sport/0/football/25665649

Some I agree with - some I don't.

Would keep Smalling and Fellaini. Wouldn't keep Evra, for example. Cleverley is another I would keep for a bit anyway - can still be a good squad player.

Maximus Alexander

keane2097 wrote: »

Sometimes wonder if a lot of males use soccer as a soap opera for dudes, because the intricacies of the game don't seem to inspire any enjoyment at all for a lot of people, whereas the rivalries, the sniping, slagging and media storylines seem to get all the love.

You're spot on. I've often described football, particularly the media circus surrounding it, as a male soap opera. I'm convinced there's plenty of lads only watching it because it seems like the thing that lads do.

The best part of the game is the tactical side and - while I'm admittedly **** at that - I find it fascinating.

Agueroooo

Manchester Utd make first signing of 2014.

spirits will be lifted by this signing

kstand

had a lookat what Savage had to say. He'd get rid of Hernandez and keep Welbeck. Why? What ahs Welbeck done to deserve not to have his place in the squad questioned?
I'd also keep Feillaini and Smalling. There is a role there for Feillaini but its not where Moyes is playing him. Smalling is a great squad player.
I agree more or less with the rest of what he had to say.

Mitch Connor

kstand wrote: »

had a lookat what Savage had to say. He'd get rid of Hernandez and keep Welbeck. Why? What ahs Welbeck done to deserve not to have his place in the squad questioned?
I'd also keep Feillaini and Smalling. There is a role there for Feillaini but its not where Moyes is playing him. Smalling is a great squad player.
I agree more or less with the rest of what he had to say.

Welbeck offers more to the team in different roles than Chico, and this season has performed better than him. He is a local lad so counts to squad requirements in the PL and europe. He might be happier with a squad role than Chico would be, and better suited to it as well.

There are a number of legitimate reasons to keep Welbeck - he is dat guy, after all.

magnumbud

kstand wrote: »

had a lookat what Savage had to say. He'd get rid of Hernandez and keep Welbeck. Why? What ahs Welbeck done to deserve not to have his place in the squad questioned?
I'd also keep Feillaini and Smalling. There is a role there for Feillaini but its not where Moyes is playing him. Smalling is a great squad player.
I agree more or less with the rest of what he had to say.

cause he has a memory of a goldfish(as do most of the english media) its all about the current season. hernandez is having a poor season by his standards but has been consistent goal scorer for a long time now

kstand

Mitch Connor wrote: »

Welbeck offers more to the team in different roles than Chico, and this season has performed better than him. He is a local lad so counts to squad requirements in the PL and europe. He might be happier with a squad role than Chico would be, and better suited to it as well.

There are a number of legitimate reasons to keep Welbeck - he is dat guy, after all.

I agree that the fresh prince can play in a few different positions - but he is neither strong, nor techically gifted enough for me and his finishing at times has been woeful. Just shows how badly set up our squad is though when he has to go and play on the wing. Hes not a centre forward though, pace or not.

kstand

Welbeck to me looks like a woman trapped in the body of a 14 year old boy.

Your Airbag

Pro. F wrote: »

Edit: re Southampton and Barca reference. They use a different defensive style to Moyes'. Theirs is more total pressing (when they choose to do it (which is nearly always with Barca)). Moyes' style isn't total pressing like that.

I know this. I said as much in my posts, we don't commit enough to the press, only some players do. Its half pressing from our MFs which to me is a dangerous tactic.

What you describe with the wingers holding back more and the centre pushing up is exactly what I am talking about, and what I'm saying used to happen at Everton. Moyes' teams try to funnel the opposition down the flanks and then filter back to block them out. You might not think that that would work, and it can look a bit hairy, but Moyes usually had a good defensive record at Everton. /edit

Well hopefully he can get it right at UTD. If it worked so well at Everton it should happen for us.

You said that Clev should have left it to Evra to go to Johnson. That was incorrect. It's understandable that you might see it that way from looking at the still image, but when you look at the video it is clear that that was not an option. It was also not an option for Clev to hold his position when Johnson got the ball. Somebody had to go to the man with the ball, you can't leave the man with the ball unmarked in your own half. Since Welbeck wasn't doing it, Cleverley had to.

Don't agree that he can't track back whilst staying on Johnsons radar. Johnson has a clear route to box, if Clev doesn't rush in but contains him instead there is no clear route to our box. CLev can hold at the edge of our box and Johnson will either have to try and beat him or pass.

The whole team are playing tired this season, it's a side effect of Moyes' style. Everton used to often be out on their feet by the end of games, just like United are now. And not just Cleverley, but the whole team. You can't deny that. Add that to the fact that Cleverley played so many games over Christmas and it's no surprise that he was knackered.

You say that it could be Moyes' instructions that has Cleverley chasing up the pitch and getting beaten, therefore you should understand that it might not be possible for Cleverley to change his defensive positioning without disobeying Moyes' instructions.

I said I didn't know which it was but its more likely Moyes. The combination of Clev been asked to do that and him being poor at it is a recipe for disaster. Of course injuries and lack of signings have meant Clev is getting to much time in this role. Hopefully that changes for the rest of the season.

Purely talking about the defensive side of things here, I would say that the team needs time to gel. Also Evra needs to be replaced. All the pressure on United to score goals and win games isn't going to help with that process either.

Agreed.

kstand

Swansea again tomorrow.
No Rio, RVP, Nani, Feillaini. Rooney has missed the last 2 games - though its not known if he will make it and Phil Jones might be back.
Saying we dont have the 6 of them to choose from - andJohnny Evans is a doubt as well - would anyone here in their right mind stick say £1k on United to win that game?

Your Airbag

brinty wrote: »

Anyone Savage's piece on BBC sport...
Made some fair points, reckons of our squad of 27 we should get rid of 12 members..
http://www.bbc.com/sport/0/football/25665649

IamtheWalrus wrote: »

Robbie Savage has never made a fair point in his life.

Speaking of Savage did anyone read the blog Graham Le Saux wrote that is doing the rounds since Hitzlsperger came out?

He mentions some of the abuse he used to get in his playing days. Players like Savage, Ince, Fowler and Townsend get a mention. None of which come off well.

http://reflectionsasia.wordpress.com/2007/09/11/graeme-le-saux-how-gay-slurs-almost-wrecked-my-career/

JRant

Pro. F wrote: »

The fact that some of our football last season was less than entertaining does not mean that the style is "much the same" like you said. The style is completely different this season.



I think you are wrong to say that Fergie had the team defending deep. There were periods of that in games, especially in European games. But all the periods of United dominance in games, which were still common last season, came with high pressing when the ball was lost.

I disagree as our play was just as laboured last season as this. There is a bit more emphasis on wide play under Moyes but the same ponderous passing and movement has evidently followed over from last season.

We defended very deep last year in more than just CL games. It had become very common for us to immediately drop off the opposition after losing possesion. Probably a case of necessity as Rio and Vidic just didn't have the legs to press high up the pitch. Same goes for Carrick who played very deep and as a result we struggled to link defense with attack.

Soldie

Is there any inside info on why Zaha isn't playing? When I say inside info I mean something reliable or tangible, not that he gave Moyes' daughter the D. It seems mind-boggling to me that he can't get a run out; it's not like he has much competition. Even if he's a terrible trainer he couldn't do worse than Valencia and Young.

Mitch Connor

Soldie wrote: »

Is there any inside info on why Zaha isn't playing? When I say inside info I mean something reliable or tangible, not that he gave Moyes' daughter the D. It seems mind-boggling to me that he can't get a run out; it's not like he has much competition. Even if he's a terrible trainer he couldn't do worse than Valencia and Young.

Heard Moyes simply doesn't rate him, at all.

JRant

Your Airbag wrote: »

Speaking of Savage did anyone read the blog Graham Le Saux wrote that is doing the rounds since Hitzlsperger came out?

He mentions some of the abuse he used to get in his playing days. Players like Savage, Ince, Fowler and Townsend get a mention. None of which come off well.

http://reflectionsasia.wordpress.com/2007/09/11/graeme-le-saux-how-gay-slurs-almost-wrecked-my-career/

He used to get stick for reading the Guardian if my memory is correct. Fowlers gay taunts of him during the liverpool chelsea game were a disgrace.

tallaghtmick

Mitch Connor wrote: »

Heard Moyes simply doesn't rate him, at all.

But rates Valencia and Young ahead of him.....yep this our Manager

Mitch Connor

tallaghtmick wrote: »

But rates Valencia and Young ahead of him.....yep this our Manager

and the players I am hearing us linked with don't inspire much confidence in him either. A couple of big names that would improve us. A load of ok players that I would have considered good signings for him at Everton. But I don't have a link to back that up, so I'll wait til we actually sign some players before giving out more about him on that score.

kstand

Reading on the BBC side that Ezequiel Garay will move to United in the summer - done deal according to some Portuguese jouno.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/live/25641872

Mitch Connor

kstand wrote: »

Reading on the BBC side that Ezequiel Garay will move to United in the summer - done deal according to some Portuguese jouno.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/live/25641872

We heard it was a done deal a few times last summer. Garay said United pulled out of the deal iirc.

JRant

kstand wrote: »

Reading on the BBC side that Ezequiel Garay will move to United in the summer - done deal according to some Portuguese jouno.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/live/25641872

Great, just what we need, another player who is not a midfielder joining us.

If you were to beleive the Utd heirarchy you'd think midfielders were an endangered species. It would seem to them that there is not a single one available in the whole of world football.

Your Airbag

Tweeting as well

Garay to #mufc is a done deal. Transfer will happen in june.

https://twitter.com/_GoncaloLopes/statuses/421558744645132288


and 101 are running it



http://www.101greatgoals.com/blog/man-united-have-been-told-by-benfica-the-centre-back-ezequiel-garay-is-available-in-the-summer-a-bola/

Your Airbag

JRant wrote: »

Great, just what we need, another player who is not a midfielder joining us.

If you were to beleive the Utd heirarchy you'd think midfielders were an endangered species. It would seem to them that there is not a single one available in the whole of world football.

??? Its a signing in an area we need and yet you complain???

No pleasing some.

magnumbud

Mitch Connor wrote: »

Heard Moyes simply doesn't rate him, at all.

Mitch Connor wrote: »

and the players I am hearing us linked with don't inspire much confidence in him either. A couple of big names that would improve us. A load of ok players that I would have considered good signings for him at Everton. But I don't have a link to back that up, so I'll wait til we actually sign some players before giving out more about him on that score.

again he asked for tangible and reliable. there is no actual fact as to why moyes is not playing, maybe its cause he doesnt like, maybe its because he doesnt want to bread in 2 young lads at the same time or maybe he doesnt think he is ready for 1st team yet(which is the only one that moyes has actually come out and said)

Mitch Connor

magnumbud wrote: »

again he asked for tangible and reliable. there is no actual fact as to why moyes is not playing, maybe its cause he doesnt like, maybe its because he doesnt want to bread in 2 young lads at the same time or maybe he doesnt think he is ready for 1st team yet(which is the only one that moyes has actually come out and said)

Fine. Just put me on ignore. You don;t want to read anything I share, so why bother with me?

Schism

JRant wrote: »

Great, just what we need, another player who is not a midfielder joining us.

If you were to beleive the Utd heirarchy you'd think midfielders were an endangered species. It would seem to them that there is not a single one available in the whole of world football.

Granted midfield is the most pressing position but I fail to see the problem signing an excellent centre-half, especially seen as Vidic is probably going to leave and Rio is most likely retiring.

kstand

JRant wrote: »

Great, just what we need, another player who is not a midfielder joining us.

If you were to beleive the Utd heirarchy you'd think midfielders were an endangered species. It would seem to them that there is not a single one available in the whole of world football.

Well its summer he'll be coming. And with Ferdinand retirning and Vidic leaving we're short in that area.

A midfield signing now is a must though. Whatever it costs.

JRant

Your Airbag wrote: »

??? Its a signing in an area we need and yet you complain???

No pleasing some.

Your right, I'm not pleased. We need to strengthen midfield and left back asap. Fannying around with deals like this when the squad is thread bare in those area's is just fiddling while Rome burns down around them.

bucketybuck

Say the Garay deal is actually happening, it does make you wonder what the intentions are regarding Jones and Smalling. They are two good talents in my opinion, but they are now in their early twenties and I think they need to start settling down in their positions and developing their game.

If Garay is signed I can see the first choice central defenders being Garay and Evans for the next few years, but where does this leave Jones and Smalling? Scratching about at right back and midfield respectively? Thats no good for either of them, they will end up like Hernandez at 26 having not developed to their full potential?

sReq | uTeK

kstand wrote: »

Reading on the BBC side that Ezequiel Garay will move to United in the summer - done deal according to some Portuguese jouno.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/live/25641872

Would much prefer a left back, I believe with Evans, Jones, Smalling, Vidic there is enough players there for next year, we don't need another centre back that will push jones or smalling into playing right back where they're awful.

Left back, a creative box to box central midfielder that can partner either carrick of fellani and a right / winger attacking midfielder.

---

DDG

---

RAF-JONES/SMALLING/VIDIC/EVANS--X

---

Carrick/Fellani --x

---

----X/Nani

---

Rooney

---

Adnan

---

RVP

---

Think that team would do pretty well, if the X in the middle was someone like Cesc who could link it all together I think there would be no stopping us.

kstand

bucketybuck wrote: »

Say the Garay deal is actually happening, it does make you wonder what the intentions are regarding Jones and Smalling. They are two good talents in my opinion, but they are now in their early twenties and I think they need to start settling down in their positions and developing their game.

If Garay is signed I can see the first choice central defenders being Garay and Evans for the next few years, but where does this leave Evans and Smalling? Scratching about at right back and midfield respectively? Thats no good for either of them, they will end up like Hernandez at 26 having not developed to their full potential?

Jones is an infinately better centre half than Evans.

JRant

Schism wrote: »

Granted midfield is the most pressing position but I fail to see the problem signing an excellent centre-half, especially seen as Vidic is probably going to leave and Rio is most likely retiring.

So while we're negotiating this deal more time is ticking by and we still haven't addressed the major problem areas in our squad.

Mitch Connor

JRant wrote: »

So while we're negotiating this deal more time is ticking by and we still haven't addressed the major problem areas in our squad.

Would be delighted if we were also talking to Benfica about Matic. If we are signing anyone from benfica, it should be that guy.

kstand

sReq | uTeK wrote: »

Would much prefer a left back, I believe with Evans, Jones, Smalling, Vidic there is enough players there for next year, we don't need another centre back that will push jones or smalling into playing right back where they're awful.

Left back, a creative box to box central midfielder that can partner either carrick of fellani and a right / winger attacking midfielder.

---

DDG

---

RAF-JONES/SMALLING/VIDIC/EVANS--X

---

Carrick/Fellani --x

---

----X/Nani

---

Rooney

---

Adnan

---

RVP

---

Think that team would do pretty well, if the X in the middle was someone like Cesc who could link it all together I think there would be no stopping us.

Are you looking at a team for the rest of this season or next season?

sReq | uTeK

kstand wrote: »

Jones is an infinately better centre half than Evans.

Watching them both playing there over the course of previous seasons would state otherwise, premiership managers with over 40 years managing in top flight football would also disagree with you.

Mitch Connor

sReq | uTeK wrote: »

Watching them both playing there over the course of previous seasons would state otherwise, premiership managers with over 40 years managing in top flight football would also disagree with you.

Agreed. Right now, Evans is the better CB. However, I think if Jones was give a run of games there, and allowed to actually develop as a CB, he would improve to a far higher level than Evans.

sReq | uTeK

kstand wrote: »

Are you looking at a team for the rest of this season or next season?

For next season I think that team would do well. IMO.

JRant

kstand wrote: »

Well its summer he'll be coming. And with Ferdinand retirning and Vidic leaving we're short in that area.

A midfield signing now is a must though. Whatever it costs.

If the results continue as they have been and the booing from the fans ramps up they might not be the only departures in the summer.

bmcc10

Your Airbag wrote: »

Speaking of Savage did anyone read the blog Graham Le Saux wrote that is doing the rounds since Hitzlsperger came out?

He mentions some of the abuse he used to get in his playing days. Players like Savage, Ince, Fowler and Townsend get a mention. None of which come off well.

http://reflectionsasia.wordpress.com/2007/09/11/graeme-le-saux-how-gay-slurs-almost-wrecked-my-career/[/QUOTE

Good read it's a shame he didn't deck Fowler

sReq | uTeK

Mitch Connor wrote: »

Agreed. Right now, Evans is the better CB. However, I think if Jones was give a run of games there, and allowed to actually develop as a CB, he would improve to a far higher level than Evans.

Yea fair point, I believe he has the potential to be superior than Evans in probably every aspect of the game except perhaps coming out with the ball from the back, however there have been plenty of players who never lived up to potential.

bucketybuck

kstand wrote: »

Jones is an infinately better centre half than Evans.

Maybe if he played there for more than ten minutes we could find out.

Schism

JRant wrote: »

So while we're negotiating this deal more time is ticking by and we still haven't addressed the major problem areas in our squad.

We can only hope that having that deal reportedly at the latter stages they can now move onto more pressing areas. Moyes knows he needs midfielders, whether he can get them in January is another question. The quality of player that's needed isn't going to be easy to prise away.

For all we know, maybe the chance arose to do a deal for Garay now and they took it.

duffman13

kstand wrote: »

Jones is an infinately better centre half than Evans.

Really? I like Jones but for me Evans is the better player at CB at the moment. Granted Jones will develop to be a better player (hopefully) but i just think Evans is underrated by a lot of people.

The stuff around Zaha seems to revolve around him having a hectic social life. Pulis said last week Moyes wouldnt allow him back to London. No solid basis that what i am saying is fact but if Pulis says this and Moyes is reluctant to play him that would be a logical conclusion.

kstand

Speaking of left backs - 3 names on the table. Coentrao, Baines and Shaw.
Moyes should go after Shaw irrespective of cost. He and the family are lifelong Chelsea fans and Chelsea are interested in bringing him back there.