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

magnumbud

jonnyfingers wrote: »

Yes, but it's still only 6 points. That can all change with two sets or results going our way. If we can keep winning we'll catch them, I'm sure of it.

Also this was nice to see, Rooney running over to Ole after the final whistle.

Not saying its impossible just correcting.

Good while not fantastic performance. Great to have rvp back and scoring follow it up with a winning streak to claw our way back in the top 4

magnumbud

beno619 wrote: »

Giggs started in midfield so I'm happy with the result and the performance was as expected.

Hopefully Fletch is still fit he's missed 2 matches in a row now.

Fletch played all the Carling cup game and Chelsea game iirc. I'm sure he'll be back the weekend

Kerrydude1981

Hopefully we will see plenty of this in the months to come,great to have him back.

http://i3.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/incoming/article6640654.ece/ALTERNATES/s2197/PA_SOCCER-Man-Utd-200484_7288475-6640654.jpg

jonnyfingers

magnumbud wrote: »

Not saying its impossible just correcting.

Correcting what? Pretty sure we said the same thing. 6 points off fourth, two wins if results go our way, albeit probably behind on goal difference?

ShaunC

So after a goal and an assist are we still in a hurry to offload Ashley Young:rolleyes:

FortuneChip

Kerrydude1981 wrote: »

Hopefully we will see plenty of this in the months to come,great to have him back.

http://i3.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/incoming/article6640654.ece/ALTERNATES/s2197/PA_SOCCER-Man-Utd-200484_7288475-6640654.jpg

What, Rafael pretending he's an airplane?

beno619

magnumbud wrote: »

Fletch played all the Carling cup game and Chelsea game iirc. I'm sure he'll be back the weekend

Ahh didn't get to watch the Sunderland game, he didn't feature against Chelsea though.

keano2012

Al Capwned wrote: »

Please oh please someone get a gif of Evra going head first into turf trying to get back on pitch about 10mins in!! :pac::pac::pac:

http://cdn.makeagif.com/media/1-28-2014/SLocXK.gif

there u go

edit: not a bad 500th post from me. thanks :P

kstand

Good Kroos compilation here:

Shows what he is all about - could easily play in the role Giggs played tonight. Technically excellent, great vision. Some rumour that he fell out with Guardiola but who knows. If he is available now, I'd go after him - along with Mata and the 2 boys coming back from injury he'd get us 4th spot. If the money is there and the player is game then I say go buy him and dont fanny about.

kstand

As for tonight - sometimes the win is important. Mata made his debut, Rooney and RVP came back and Young played very well I thought. This mob went and scored a couple at Eastlandsonly a few weeks ago. Things will get better and once we got the second goal, we were totally in control. I for one am certainly in a much happier place than I was in after the League Cup semi-final not even a week ago.

user2011

keano2012 wrote: »

http://cdn.makeagif.com/media/1-28-2014/SLocXK.gif

there u go

edit: not a bad 500th post from me. thanks :P

Here you go

Professional Griefer

Solskjaer: "Rafael came to me after the game & asked me to look after his big brother Fabio. Apparently Rafa was born a few minutes later!"

Aww, bless.

keano2012

user2011 wrote: »

Here you go

haha thanks i was trying for ages to get it like but couldnt fecking do it so just gave up in the end!!! damn u!

user2011

keano2012 wrote: »

haha thanks i was trying for ages to get it like but couldnt fecking do it so just gave up in the end!!! damn u!

When you are write your comments in the box looks like square box with what looks like two mountains , first get the image URL by right clicking on the image click on it then paste that into the box with the two mountains. Hope that makes sense

irishfeen

A terrible performance again- very hard to see many positives at all, jaysus lads we really are fcuked in midfield and LB.... Evra should not start the next few games - a spell on the sideline might do him the world of good to wake him up.

At times Cardiff were make look like a good team against us and the amount of times we just booted straight back to them was ridiculous, I'd break the bank to bring in a new LB and CM ... 4th looks a very long way away if we continue playing like that, especially as Liverpool look like they might not loose as many points as expected.

DM_7

Nice to have a comfortable home win for once.

Some good play, in need of more intensity in the future but still happy with things. Very SAF like performance imo.

Liked seeing United get lots of players into the box at home and if that keeps up goals should come.

Al Capwned

keano2012 wrote: »

http://cdn.makeagif.com/media/1-28-2014/SLocXK.gif

there u go

edit: not a bad 500th post from me. thanks :P

user2011 wrote: »

Here you go

The highlight of my day!!!! Go stick it in the humour thread!!!

Saucy McKetchup

DM-ICE wrote: »

Liked seeing United get lots of players into the box at home and if that keeps up goals should come.

Exactly that was the main difference for me tonight, that and the clean sheet because we never gave Cardiff a chance, it's looking good with Rooney and RVP coming back and mata to pull the strings

jdooley28

With the whole 4-2-3-1 buzz atm with FB's offering width, if Raf is injured/needs a rest do you play Valencia as the RB ahead of Smalling even do he is an awful defender especially when he gets turned, to actually offer anything attacking on the right side, I can't see Smalling bombing up and down the wings, granted he is ok on the overlap but don't see how he can offer much without a right winger in front of him going forward. I think it's mad not to keep Fabio until the season is over

Lord TSC

Mata wins the MOTM award on Twitter from the official twitter account

Whatsisname

Seen a few people mention Smalling has regressed this year and we all know how Valencia has been, a few flashes of his past (few tonight) but largely unaffective yet selected every week. Ironically two players who've been shoehorned into RB. Coincidence?

LostBoy101

Valencia should spend some time on the bench and let Janjuaz, Mata, Rooney and RVP flourish on the pitch together. It would be interesting to see if it will work.

user2011

Al Capwned wrote: »

The highlight of my day!!!! Go stick it in the humour thread!!!

Hopefully Keano knows how to do it let him get the reward, he found it.

jdooley28

Whatsisname wrote: »

Seen a few people mention Smalling has regressed this year and we all know how Valencia has been, a few flashes of his past (few tonight) but largely unaffective yet selected every week. Ironically two players who've been shoehorned into RB. Coincidence?

Agreed, Smalling more so due offering more than Jones did when tried there, I'd be happy with Smalling I think he will be a good member of the first team squad for several years a CB, but I just cant see him as a RB in the proposed 4-2-3-1, now don't get me wrong if Evra is injured Im not claiming Buttner will slot in easily or anything, Id rate his defensive capabilities in line with Valencia but he at least appears to be a natural wide player as opposed Smalling who is a CB turned make shift RB when needed. With all calls for a LB being priority the need for a second natural RB may be getting overlooked with Fabio to Cardiff

Pro. F

Standard meh performance again. Scoreline flattered us a bit, but that's what the likes of RvP up front does for you. Mata did fine, looked a bit off the pace imo. Certainly not as good as Rooney has been doing in that 10 position, but he's had very little football this season and is only at the club a few days, so was understandable.

lordgoat

Pro. F wrote: »

Standard meh performance again. Scoreline flattered us a bit, but that's what the likes of RvP up front does for you. Mata did fine, looked a bit off the pace imo. Certainly not as good as Rooney has been doing in that 10 position, but he's had very little football this season and is only at the club a few days, so was understandable.

I'd agree with this. Thought Young was be far our best player. Nice to get a clean sheet. Far too few of these this season.

Jimmy Iovine

Teamshadowclan wrote: »

Mata wins the MOTM award on Twitter from the official twitter account

Means **** all. Such a crap gimmick they run every week. Zero interaction with the fans.

Jimmy Iovine

lordgoat wrote: »

I'd agree with this. Thought Young was be far our best player. Nice to get a clean sheet. Far too few of these this season.

Young has the strangest walk/run I've ever seen.

He looks like he has done some serious damage to his hips or to his legs. His posture is all over the place. He doesn't look like a professional footballer at all.

Pro. F

Rayne Wooney wrote: »

4-2-3-1 is a long way away, tonight is a prime example of why. We simply don't have the players to do it. Cardiff could have easily scored a few from crosses, Evra doesn't care about defending and Raf has been poor.

If we tried to play 4-2-3-1 we would be shown up, our midfield isn't good enough and our fullbacks are shocking. Any of the top 15 teams in the league could easily cut the supply from the two man midfield to the 4 attackers and then kill us down the wings. Moyes plays 4-4-1-1 with wingers who will get back and help the fullbacks, it would probably be a lot worse if we weren't set up this way. Look at the goals we've conceded from crosses and how many chances teams have had against us.

Sadly the way we are playing now is possibly the best we can with the players fit and even when everyone is fit there's still a question mark if we can pull it off.

The next game is going to be interesting, with RVP, Rooney and Mata all fit, will he call a Hail Mary and just go for the change in tactics despite the huge weaknesses in our team or will he play Mata left wing with defensive responsibilities and stick with the crossing.

One thing I am certain of, if Moyes went for the change in tactics and lost, there would be people moaning why he changed it.

In the summer I think we'll get the players we need and next season we will see the good football we all want to see. We won't sign a top quality CM or LB in this window and if we went for decent options it would still cost a fortune and still may not improve us much.

We played 4231 tonight. Like we play it all the time. What you want is a 4231 with players on the wing that like to cut inside. That wouldn't be a change in formation, but a change in personnel.

Lord TSC

Jimmy Iovine wrote: »

Means **** all. Such a crap gimmick they run every week. Zero interaction with the fans.

How so? Isn't it "voted" on by retweets?

PhlegmyMoses

lordgoat wrote: »

I'd agree with this. Thought Young was be far our best player. Nice to get a clean sheet. Far too few of these this season.

Yeah, I agree with most of it apart from the scoreline part. Should have had more despite playing crap. Some very good chances not taken.

Whatsisname

Jimmy Iovine wrote: »

Young has the strangest walk/run I've ever seen.

He looks like he has done some serious damage to his hips or to his legs. His posture is all over the place. He doesn't look like a professional footballer at all.

Noticed this in the footage of Mata being welcomed at the training ground etc, thought it was just his run but nope, his walk is equally as strange

keano2012

user2011 wrote: »

Hopefully Keano knows how to do it let him get the reward, he found it.

a gent!! thanks for the advice too im still a bit backwards with boards!!

edit: i did it and it worked

Rayne Wooney

Pro. F wrote: »

We played 4231 tonight. Like we play it all the time. What you want is a 4231 with players on the wing that like to cut inside. That wouldn't be a change in formation, but a change in personnel.

Or we played 4411 tonight

Being incredibly pedantic you could say it was more like a 4411 when defending and 2233 when attacking but I don't see the point

It's clear what I meant by 4-2-3-1 and we haven't played it this season

Pro. F

Rayne Wooney wrote: »

Or we played 4411 tonight

Being incredibly pedantic you could say it was more like a 4411 when defending and 2233 when attacking but I don't see the point

It's clear what I meant by 4-2-3-1 and we haven't played it this season

What's the difference between the 4411 you say we played tonight and the 4231 that so many people are saying we should play?

Pudsy33

No touchline hugging wingers and less wing play in general. 3 attacking midfielders more central I'd guess.

Pro. F

Pudsy33 wrote: »

No touchline hugging wingers and less wing play in general. 3 attacking midfielders more central I'd guess.

That's a change in personnel or tactics, not formation. There have been plenty of 4231 teams that have used touchline hugging wingers down the years, it doesn't change it from being a 4231.

Mars Bar

There really isn't much difference between the two apart from how you deploy the wingers in my opinion. There's more width in 4411 so passing patterns will be a bit different and doesn't allow the full backs as much space.

Pro. F

Mars Bar wrote: »

There really isn't much difference between the two apart from how you deploy the wingers in my opinion. There's more width in 4411 so passing patterns will be a bit different and doesn't allow the full backs as much space.

I think all the Spanish, Portuguese and Argentinian teams that have played with wide wingers, one centre forward, a number 10 and two holding centre mids have always been referred to as playing 4231. If this differentiation between 4411 and 4231 is based on width it is a completely new differentiation imo.

The reason I am pointing this out is not to be pedantic, but because I think Moyes gets unfair criticism for supposedly being unsophisticated. Rayne Wooney was defending Moyes and giving a logical justification for why Moyes might not want to play narrow just now. But I think the generally accepted idea of Moyes playing a 4411/442 has caused him to get a lot of unjustified stick about being old fashioned.

Blatter

Pro. F wrote: »

I think all the Spanish, Portuguese and Argentinian teams that have played with wide wingers, one centre forward, a number 10 and two holding centre mids have always been referred to as playing 4231. If this differentiation between 4411 and 4231 is based on width it is a completely new differentiation imo.

The reason I am pointing this out is not to be pedantic, but because I think Moyes gets unfair criticism for supposedly being unsophisticated. Rayne Wooney was defending Moyes and giving a logical justification for why Moyes might not want to play narrow just now. But I think the generally accepted idea of Moyes playing a 4411/442 has caused him to get a lot of unjustified stick about being old fashioned.

Ditto Ferguson. Didn't get enough credit at times for the tactical genius he was.

Mars Bar

Pro. F wrote: »

I think all the Spanish, Portuguese and Argentinian teams that have played with wide wingers, one centre forward, a number 10 and two holding centre mids have always been referred to as playing 4231. If this differentiation between 4411 and 4231 is based on width it is a completely new differentiation imo.

The reason I am pointing this out is not to be pedantic, but because I think Moyes gets unfair criticism for supposedly being unsophisticated. Rayne Wooney was defending Moyes and giving a logical justification for why Moyes might not want to play narrow just now. But I think the generally accepted idea of Moyes playing a 4411/442 has caused him to get a lot of unjustified stick about being old fashioned.

4411, to me, indicates the starting position of the wingers to be further back the pitch than a 4231. It is a safer formation completely dictated by personnel, as you have mentioned already. It still allows for a 3 man midfield so we're not outnumbered in the centre and the wingers won't be too far away. It's not adventurous, it doesn't naturally set up triangles like 4231 does so. 4231, needs 2 very good mids, 2 we don't have and 2 powerful fullbacks, of which we only have 1. I agree, moyes is getting a lot of flack coz people think 4411 is unfashionable even though it is the closest we can get to 4231 with the players at our disposal.

442 has just become slightly outdated due to many teams playing 3 in the middle. It's just silly leaving your two mids being involved in a 3v2 all day.

GSPfan

Is there any chance United might move from Nike to Adidas? Personally I like Adidas kits so it wouldn't bother me. But it would look weird after all these years.

fatherted1969

I get the feeling that there'll be no more transfers this window, hope I'm wrong

Jimmy Iovine

Teamshadowclan wrote: »

How so? Isn't it "voted" on by retweets?

That's what I mean. It's pointless. Just a crap way for the club to try and get a few retweets.

They're leagues behind in the social media market compared to other clubs.

It's like a robot is in charge of the accounts.

Danger781

Its All Wright wrote: »

Warrior, Puma & Adidas are in talks with United to replace Nike as the kit sponser...65 million is the figure being mentioned..lets hope its not Warrior who wins the bidding war

What's wrong with Warrior?

I personally think the Liverpool Jersey looks lovely

Kylo Ren

Danger781 wrote: »

What's wrong with Warrior?

I personally think the Liverpool Jersey looks lovely

It looks like a blind man knitted it with his feet.

I hope Adidas get the deal.

Pro. F

Mars Bar wrote: »

4411, to me, indicates the starting position of the wingers to be further back the pitch than a 4231. It is a safer formation completely dictated by personnel, as you have mentioned already. It still allows for a 3 man midfield so we're not outnumbered in the centre and the wingers won't be too far away. It's not adventurous, it doesn't naturally set up triangles like 4231 does so. 4231, needs 2 very good mids, 2 we don't have and 2 powerful fullbacks, of which we only have 1. I agree, moyes is getting a lot of flack coz people think 4411 is unfashionable even though it is the closest we can get to 4231 with the players at our disposal.

442 has just become slightly outdated due to many teams playing 3 in the middle. It's just silly leaving your two mids being involved in a 3v2 all day.

That definition of 4231 makes perfect sense if you want to discern it from 4411, but I don't think it is a description that was commonly shared up until now. There have been many team set ups - wide or narrow, attacking or defensive - all sharing the description of 4231, as long as the coach spoke Spanish or Portuguese.

Vic Vinegar

Bayern Munich coach Pep Guardiola has suggested that Toni Kroos could yet leave the club, amid reported interest from Manchester United.

Kroos, 24, is under contract until 2015 but has so far not reached an agreement on an extension despite negotiations in recent weeks.

He played an important role under Jupp Heynckes last season as Bayern won the Treble of Champions League, Bundesliga and DFB-Pokal, and has been one of the few true regulars under new coach Guardiola. He has featured in all but one of the club's competitive games this season.

"He is an important player," Guardiola said ahead of Bayern's game at Stuttgart. "But it can go fast in football. Here today, there tomorrow."

Kroos has been linked with a switch to Old Trafford, following David Moyes' visit to Borussia Park on Friday to watch Bayern's 2-0 win against Moenchengladbach.

The United manager was spotted at the match with Sascha Breese, who is the man responsible for "international contacts" at Sports Total, Kroos' agents.

Volker Struth, Kroos' main agent, is reported to have told kicker that the current contract offer on the table is unacceptable and no further negotiations are currently scheduled. It means Bayern could choose to cash in now before the player moves into the final year of his agreement.

"I can't rule out anything," Kroos told kicker when questioned if he could go into the World Cup without prolonging his Bayern deal. "No talks are planned in the near future. I am fully focused on the Rueckrunde [second part of the Bundesliga season] now."

ESPN

Giggsy11

Not sure why Young got so much stick in the match day thread. IMO he was the best player on the pitch and he was the one who change the game completely. Played superb cross that led to the first goal (even before that he screened the defender and Evra got the ball) and his second goal was very good. Also he played some very good passes to Evra to set him free in the box.

Not saying 1 game changes everything but he has it in his locker to change the game like against Spurs when they battered us but we won 3-1 I think thanks to Young's brilliance.

Giggsy11

Moyes welcomed victory but concurred that his side must get better. "Has my mood improved? Yeah, because I know I have got some really good players coming back but of course I want to be more convincing, I want to win better and play much better," he said. "Don't think because we have won tonight I have got a smile and am happy, I'm happy because we have got the three points but for where I want to go and the vision I have got for how I want my team to go, I have got a long way to go."

http://www.theguardian.com/football/2014/jan/28/manchester-united-cardiff-city-premier-league-match-report

Loved this part from Moyes. Not sure whether he can match the talk with the performance but at least it's much better than the usual crap he used to come with after losing games.


Edit: Also saw this stat. Last year Everton scored 35 goals after same number of games but 1 point less than this season. So much for the attacking football Martinez is playing.
Last year 6th position 41 points
this year 6th position 42 points

Everton averaged 64 long balls per game last season and they average 65 long passes this season.