Manchester United Team Talk/Gossip/Rumours Thread 2016 - Mod Note in OP, 13/9

markc91

Rayne Wooney wrote: »

Our Christmas period fixtures could catapult us into the title race if we do get our act together. Could go into it 6 or 7 points off the pace and find ourselves in the mix with a good run. All of them in the bottom half of the table.

From 14 December- 2 January Palace (A), West Brom (A), Sunderland (H), Middlesbrough (H) West Ham (A)

It's the hope that kills you.

Look at our handy december last season :rolleyes:

Kerrydude1981

Rayne Wooney wrote: »

Our Christmas period fixtures could catapult us into the title race if we do get our act together. Could go into it 6 or 7 points off the pace and find ourselves in the mix with a good run. All of them in the bottom half of the table.

From 14 December- 2 January Palace (A), West Brom (A), Sunderland (H), Middlesbrough (H) West Ham (A)

It's the hope that kills you.

Palace,West Brom and West Ham away are tough

Even though West Ham are gone from Upton Park now,Christ I used hate watching them games very rarely was there anything easy about it.

But these are the games the team needs to start winning if they want to be pushing for a top 4 finish,starting with Burnley on Saturday.

J. Marston

Rayne Wooney wrote: »

Our Christmas period fixtures could catapult us into the title race if we do get our act together. Could go into it 6 or 7 points off the pace and find ourselves in the mix with a good run. All of them in the bottom half of the table.

From 14 December- 2 January Palace (A), West Brom (A), Sunderland (H), Middlesbrough (H) West Ham (A)

It's the hope that kills you.

That time of the season already? Our now annual "Maybe when we hit this run of fixtures, things will improve." tradition.

The fixtures come. 9 points from 18. Then the drinking starts and everything gets.....blurry. You wake up and United have a new manager and some new superstar from the continent who will save us. The cycle continues.

deaddonkey15

We still have to get our annual beating at Swansea in 2 weeks time.

dmc17

BenK wrote: »

Couldn't disagree more, it's called having personal and professional pride in your work. You've just been made a show of at what you do for a living. Should Jose have smiled and laughed with Conte after the game too? It's far from dinosaur thinking imo.

This exactly. The players look like they aren't really bothered. I wonder how much Roy Keane in his prime would be worth in today's transfer market?

gosplan

dmc17 wrote: »

This exactly. The players look like they aren't really bothered. I wonder how much Roy Keane in his prime would be worth in today's transfer market?

I think a good question would be 'would Roy Keane in his prime have been the same player at this club?'

I think Utd need to find an identity and build.

For this reason I think bringing in older players like Schwein and Ibra or maybe massive stars like ADM is wrong.

Herrera, Pogba, Martial, Rashford, Shaw - players like that are what's required.

But you have to give it a couple of years of development.

Think Jose is wrong for this reason. Any match where Ibra starts ahead of Martisl is a mistake.

Flint Fredstone

Flint Fredstone wrote: »

Well done Liverpool. Gave us a real hiding yesterday. Hazard was unreal, the Scouse Messi.

It was a serious 7 days for them in fairness with the 3 wins. I'm sure they would love to have made it 4/4 with last Thursday night's game, can't win them all though.

Cantona's Collars

https://twitter.com/suttonnick/status/790668266570190852

Pilib De Brún did a Periscope and talked about the few things listed below. While I won't be betting on anything he or any of these guys say, De Brún has been known to be reliable in recent years and seems to have a decent source at the club...

-Mourinho has told Rooneys agent that if he wants play time he needs to leave.

-Said he wouldn't be surprised to see Rooney possibly leave in January, and if/when he does leave he probably won't go quietly.

-Mourinho wasn't impressed with Mkhitaryans attitude towards his rehabilitation from his injury.

-Mourinho has told people within the club that he thinks he has a big, big job on his hands and may need another hundred or two hundred million to fix the problem

-We are actively looking for a right back and could end up signing one in January if one were to become available

Here is the periscope for anyone who wants to watch...

https://www.periscope.tv/w/1mnxejPOEyPKX

bangkok

stankratz wrote: »

Pilib De Brún did a Periscope and talked about the few things listed below. While I won't be betting on anything he or any of these guys say, De Brún has been known to be reliable in recent years and seems to have a decent source at the club...

Here is the periscope for anyone who wants to watch...

https://www.periscope.tv/w/1mnxejPOEyPKX

If Jose thinks he cannot do it with the current crop of players and he needs another 100-200m to spend, I don't think he is up to the job. Our squad is fantastic, most managers in world football would love to manage a squad like ours

adox

I don't think the squad is fantastic. Certainly better than it's performaning but nowhere near fantastic. Too many decent but not excellent players.

This midfield despite a lot of numbers added is still mediocre. It's hard to think of a two that could play together. Most seem only capable of playing in a three.

Despite Valencia having a decent season we still need a RB. We need at least one more CB, especially with Bailly probably a long term casualty. We are probably light in out and out wide players.

For the money spent on it the midfield options are hugely underwhelming.

i didn't agree with Van Gaals culling of the squad and changing so much personall so quickly but at this stage, three years post Fergie and the club still looking like its dialling it in a lot of the time, I'd have no problem with Mourhino shifting out whoever he wants and bringing in new faces. There seems to be a culture of mediocrity set in and its really no harm to get rid some of the squad/team that are part of that culture and bring your own guys in.

The club at this stage needs its foundations shook. Something needs to be done to get the whole club out of its slumber. Let Mourhino do what he wants with the squad is what I say. Millions have already been wasted, or at least badly/overspent. Let him get his own players in and hopefully we will have the foundation of a squad all pulling in the same direction with a bit of purpose and the club can start the upward climb again.

There were signs against Liverpool that it might be posssible with the current crop but the display against Chelsea more than counteracted that.

secman

We currently have too many squad players as opposed to nailed on starters, that's why he doesn't know his first 11. We really have bought poorly. But then again there are some nailed on who are not getting playing time or are bring played out of position. Really has a job on, like he has never had before, all new territory for him with the added pressure of it being United.

Lord TSC

secman wrote: »

We currently have too many squad players as opposed to nailed on starters, that's why he doesn't know his first 11. We really have bought poorly. But then again there are some nailed on who are not getting playing time or are bring played out of position. Really has a job on, like he has never had before, all new territory for him with the added pressure of it being United.

Would agree heavily with the bit in bold.

Realistically next summer, we need at least a right back who can start, a striker (someone in their prime, not near the begining or end of their career) and we can upgrade on several positions.

There's a few players who haven't kicked on this year at all. Smalling seems to have regressed without the massive coverage LVG afforded him last year, Valencia and Lingard are grand squad players but shouldn't be getting as much time as they are, Fellaini would be the same. (Thats not saying they are horrific players, but on their best days, they simply aren't up to the level we need to be, well, THE Man United).

It also frustrates me that a lot of players look like they mentally checked out when LVG went, be that because they believed in his vision, or that they were happy with how little expectations there was on them. There's obviously problems, for instance, with Schnederlin who seems to have zero chances of playing for Jose going forward.

There seems to be problems with Shaw and Martial, for example, with the latter's drop in form really ****ing obvious.

My belief is we can't keep swapping managers, and you're not going to get one with a better record than Jose. Over the summer, it seemed obvious he was reluctant to sell anyone in a bid to give them chances, even if just in training.

I believe by the end of next summer, you could see a raft of sales; Schnederlin, Rojo, Jones, Schwinesteiger are the obvious ones, but the likes of Rooney could go, and it wouldn't shock me to see the likes of Martial looking for a move too.

And for me, personally, I do believe there needs to be a recycling of the team. I think Jose will want to build his own starting 11 going forward, and I'd be of the opinion that we should let him have whatever money he needs to do that.

Lord TSC

zerks wrote: »

https://twitter.com/suttonnick/status/790668266570190852

I'm sure this is entirely coincidental...

https://twitter.com/suttonnick/status/790667116210970632

According to a source close to a United senior player...

IF true, it's amazing how it's gone from "OMG, LVG is smothering us!" to "OMG, why won't Jose play with us?!?!". If true, it stinks of players just wanting to cause problems for the new manager already....

bangkok

adox wrote: »

I don't think the squad is fantastic. Certainly better than it's performaning but nowhere near fantastic. Too many decent but not excellent players.

This midfield despite a lot of numbers added is still mediocre. It's hard to think of a two that could play together. Most seem only capable of playing in a three.

Despite Valencia having a decent season we still need a RB. We need at least one more CB, especially with Bailly probably a long term casualty. We are probably light in out and out wide players.

For the money spent on it the midfield options are hugely underwhelming.

i didn't agree with Van Gaals culling of the squad and changing so much personall so quickly but at this stage, three years post Fergie and the club still looking like its dialling it in a lot of the time, I'd have no problem with Mourhino shifting out whoever he wants and bringing in new faces. There seems to be a culture of mediocrity set in and its really no harm to get rid some of the squad/team that are part of that culture and bring your own guys in.

The club at this stage needs its foundations shook. Something needs to be done to get the whole club out of its slumber. Let Mourhino do what he wants with the squad is what I say. Millions have already been wasted, or at least badly/overspent. Let him get his own players in and hopefully we will have the foundation of a squad all pulling in the same direction with a bit of purpose and the club can start the upward climb again.

There were signs against Liverpool that it might be posssible with the current crop but the display against Chelsea more than counteracted that.

Best keeper in the world, one of the best left backs in the world, just signed in last transfer window best players from Germany, Italy and France, 3 genuine world class players. One of the best young defenders in Europe bailly

The golden boy of world football last year martial, no2 in the golden boy this year rashford, Memphis depay the best young player in Holland 2 years ago, Morgan schneiderlain a beast at Southampton, Andre Herrera a top class centre midfielder. Juan mata a classic no 10 ex Chelsea player of the year 2 times in a row. What more does Jose want, he got exactly what he wanted in the transfer window, he is playing to negatively with the players he has and it has to change. Not many squads in Europe that is better that ours we are just playing crap

bangkok

secman wrote: »

We currently have too many squad players as opposed to nailed on starters, that's why he doesn't know his first 11. We really have bought poorly. But then again there are some nailed on who are not getting playing time or are bring played out of position. Really has a job on, like he has never had before, all new territory for him with the added pressure of it being United.

Nailed on starters or should be

De gea
Valencia
Bailly
Blind
Shaw
pogba
Mkhitarayan
Martial
Zlatan

Mantis Toboggan

Lord TSC wrote: »

And for me, personally, I do believe there needs to be a recycling of the team. I think Jose will want to build his own starting 11 going forward, and I'd be of the opinion that we should let him have whatever money he needs to do that.

That's all well and good but eventually you have to call a spade a spade, you can't keep throwing money at it. He's already spent 160 million pound in 4 months and we're arguably worse than last year.

Cantona's Collars

Lord TSC wrote: »

I'm sure this is entirely coincidental...

https://twitter.com/suttonnick/status/790667116210970632

According to a source close to a United senior player...

IF true, it's amazing how it's gone from "OMG, LVG is smothering us!" to "OMG, why won't Jose play with us?!?!". If true, it stinks of players just wanting to cause problems for the new manager already....

Funny how things like that come out when a certain senior player is left out of the team.

RobertKK

I didn't watch the match on Sunday, United were already 2-0 down and the Dallas Cowboy cheerleaders who performed right in front of me at the F1 race put on a great show unlike United.
Terrible having to say I am glad I missed it and didn't mind missing it.
A long way to go yet, I remember United had a bad October one year if I am not mistaken and went onto win the league.
I don't believe we will win the league but hopefully this is a kicking that can be a kick start.

Lord TSC

Tyson Fury wrote: »

That's all well and good but eventually you have to call a spade a spade, you can't keep throwing money at it. He's already spent 160 million pound in 4 months and we're arguably worse than last year.

Man, if you think we're "arguably worse" than last year in terms of style of football and such, I really don't know what to say.

In terms of results, we've had a very rough start in the league, no denying that.

3 losses.... to Chelsea away, City at home and Watford away. Of those three, only the last was a massive shock; going to Stanford Bridge always results in bad times for us (1 win in last 15 games iirc), and City ARE better than us, no matter how you want to spin it (Pep inherited a better team than Jose, even if the wheels are coming loose a bit now. Also ignores that we were all over them for a solid 60 minutes, but it was the opening 30 that murdered us). Only the Watford game leaves a sour note there.

And we have two draws; Liverpool away and Stoke at home. I still consider the Pool result a good one, in the context of their form and where the game was. And Stoke was a weird game where we played good football at times, but just couldn't get the ball into the net.

So of the five games we dropped points, Liverpool, City and Chelsea make up three of those games. Would I have liked to beat them? Sure. But let's not pretend that we weren't underdogs going into at least two of those three games (and arguably all three).

I remain optamsitic going forward, but I'll stand by what I said; there's too many of LVG's fingerprints over the team, and too many players who don't look like they give a **** about certain things. I trust Jose plenty, I think we're playing much better football than last season, and I trust the level of player he wants to add to the team.

bucketybuck

Tyson Fury wrote: »

we're arguably worse than last year.

No, we aren't. Sunday was dire but it doesn't erase all the other games we played this season and it doesn't make the turgid van Gaal games retrospectively better. Its only a week ago that we had a cracking cup victory and a very disciplined and satisfying draw in the league, you have a short memory if you actually think we are worse than last year.

Trigger

Lord TSC wrote: »

I'm sure this is entirely coincidental...

https://twitter.com/suttonnick/status/790667116210970632

According to a source close to a United senior player...

IF true, it's amazing how it's gone from "OMG, LVG is smothering us!" to "OMG, why won't Jose play with us?!?!". If true, it stinks of players just wanting to cause problems for the new manager already....

Find the mole and **** em out.. who are the Senior players?

Rooney, Carrick, Smalling...

duffman13

astradave wrote: »

Find the mole and **** em out.. who are the Senior players?

Rooney, Carrick, Smalling...

Seriously it has to be Rooney at this stage, he gets dropped and a couple of weeks later this starts. If the rumours are true (which I doubt) that Jose wants him I gone it's almost funny that this article was written.

I like Rooney, great servant to the club and seems to just want to play. However we have a media leak for 3 or 4 years since Fergie and I think Jose needs to make a decision about his future. He's a good squad player but Rooney wants to play and id rather Rashford, Martial and Ibra as a 9 and Mata, Pogba or Mkhitaryan as a 10. All of those are ahead of Rooney IMO.

duffman13

bangkok wrote: »

Nailed on starters or should be

De gea
Valencia
Bailly
Blind
Shaw
pogba
Mkhitarayan
Martial
Zlatan

I'd agree with most of those but Mkhitaryan needs to get games asap. To be fair though Blind should be a back up CB/LB/CM him being a starting centre back for us is a concern. He's performed well for us for the most part but I think he gets more grace because he's not a dedicated CB despite him playing most of last season there.

Valencia needs competition and unfortunately Darmian doesn't seem to be cutting the mustard for Jose. I like how Valencia has come on (especially this season) but again like Blind I think we still judge him as a player filling in rather than an out and out RB.

The midfield is my biggest concern, id like to see Schneiderlin or Carrick given a run in beside Herrera and push Pogba up or even leave him loose like he played at Juventus. I think Schneiderlin and Herrera at the base gives us way more balance and even let's Herrera of the lead more. Herrera/Pogba at the base hasn't worked at all and it needs to change.

sky88

I think a major problem we ha had with LVG and to a lesser level with jose is we have a lot of very good and great players but there playing in systems or roles that arent playing to their strengths. This is then making players who are squad players who can do a job getting more and more game time.

For example to get the best out of pogba from what ive seen he has to play in a 3 in midfield. For me Juve got the best out of him as the left sided midfielder in a 433 and even the 352. I dont think hes a number 10 just yet but feel he will become one.

TheDoc

Agree with Adox, the club as a whole needs a big ****ing shake, an absolute rile up to the very core.

And if that means serious squad changes, then he has my fully support in January to make a start. As mentioned above, too many squad players at this stage, not enough nailed on starters.

Mourinho has always had a core, but also typically had a set group of players that maintain the course throughout the season. While obviously he is working to find those players, its possible he might not have a lot. I still believe the squad has some good players and players tht a coach should be getting more out of it, but if Mourinho can't, then I guess its just cut your losses and get in the established article, which is his fortay.

In fairness to Mourinho, his track record in the transfer market, where clubs have got his targets, has been pretty impressive. So I'd trust him with a lot of money, to get it right. And I'm sure the club will too.

I hope the Mkhitaryan thing is just a rough settling in patch, where bridges havn't been seriously burnt. Could and should be a key player for us, abundance of quality and I want to see him against Burnley and hopefully he can stay there.

Fellaini, Rojo, Jones, Darmian, Memphis, Schneiderlan, Rooney, Carrick are players I could see leaving the club in January and the following summer. And I don't necessarily expect to see them replace directly, but lower numbers, higher quality replacements.

Darmian, Schneiderlan and Memphis I'd even expect gone in January to get gametime, assuming nothing drastic changes before them. The Schneiderlan thing is difficult to understand if I'm honest.

TheDoc

sky88 wrote: »

I think a major problem we ha had with LVG and to a lesser level with jose is we have a lot of very good and great players but there playing in systems or roles that arent playing to their strengths. This is then making players who are squad players who can do a job getting more and more game time.

For example to get the best out of pogba from what ive seen he has to play in a 3 in midfield. For me Juve got the best out of him as the left sided midfielder in a 433 and even the 352. I dont think hes a number 10 just yet but feel he will become one.

There is also an issue of maybe we give more credit to the players then they are due. I know I've come to the realisation that maybe I've overrated some of our squad, believing it was simply a case of a good coach getting the best out of them or the squad getting a bump from Mourinho.

But seeing that clearly not happening, maybe its a case some players simply havn't been able to make the step to the bigger team and environment. Schneiderlan, Memphis, Rojo and Darmian are prime examples of this.

They came to us with good reputations, good signings and were really in great form with what appeared a ceiling to get better. All four have failed to establish themselves in what is a floundering United team over the course of their time here.

I don't believe that they are not good enough, but maybe its one of those things where they just cant deal with the step up.

Like Rojo looks an absolute mess at the moment, and he's turning into a bit of a joke from pundits and commentators, but this was an excellent player with a sky high reputation, a great work ethic(which I believe hasn't left him) but just can't seem to get a string of performances together.

TheDoc

duffman13 wrote: »

Seriously it has to be Rooney at this stage, he gets dropped and a couple of weeks later this starts. If the rumours are true (which I doubt) that Jose wants him I gone it's almost funny that this article was written.

I like Rooney, great servant to the club and seems to just want to play. However we have a media leak for 3 or 4 years since Fergie and I think Jose needs to make a decision about his future. He's a good squad player but Rooney wants to play and id rather Rashford, Martial and Ibra as a 9 and Mata, Pogba or Mkhitaryan as a 10. All of those are ahead of Rooney IMO.

It is weird in some respects. This Rooney stuff is a storm that simply won't pass.

It would be a pretty significant event to have him sold, and not leave of his own accord.

Feelings aside for the player (who I've been transparent about) it is odd. Mourinho was reportedly a big fan, I thought I just saw a headline this morning where it quoted Mourinho saying he will never sell Rooney.

The old cliches would be he would be "great to keep around" for his experience and the likes. (which I rarely to never believe)

But maybe this is one of those foundation shakes. If casting Schweinsteiger aside didn't get people in gear, maybe selling such a figure like Rooney would finally send the message sub-par will not be acceptable.

It would be such a serious statement. My own theories aside about him being the leak and what not, and also taking into account Custis as a journalist and this potentially being total nonsense, selling Rooney would be a massive deal, and even be a signal that the Ferguson times are well and truly in the past.

A part of me has wondered and as of yet we don't know, how close the relationship between Jose and Ferguson is since Jose arrived. I remember reading something whereby Mourinho wants Ferguson more actively involved in thec lub and not just as a token gesture. Everyone knows Fergie tried to get rid of Rooney and considered him finished at this level. Considering the relationship between the two I do wonder how often they speak. Surely there is no better advice to get then from the greatest manager the club ever had or will have?

TheDoc

astradave wrote: »

Find the mole and **** em out.. who are the Senior players?

Rooney, Carrick, Smalling...

I don't think Smalling would be in the mix. He was always very complimentary of Van Gaal. And why not, he made him the standout CB in the league for large periods and pretty much got him to the level that was expected.

Todays latest revelation is another nonsense in terms of A)if True and b) a general feeling among the squad.

They are showing nothing, NOTHING to the fans to garnish any sort of sympathy for how they feel about training.

It's getting laughable and to the point where the club should be taking some serious action to the players.

For how many years had Ferguson stopped being directly involved in trianing. His assistants and staff ran training for years, and there is countless stories of him changing tact to sit in his office, where he could watch from a distance.

One of the consistent things that you hear from managers and coaches who would visit Carrington was how they would go back to their own training ground and put plans in place to have the managers office changed so it had sight of training, based on what Ferguson told them and showed them.

Backstreet Moyes

The problem which has been the same for years is playing people out of position.

Rashford is not a winger and is playing poorly and IBRA is starved of decent service because rashford is not a winger.

Why not bring in mikhatarian and play him right wing and either play rashford up front on his own or with IBRA.

I would like at some stage to see rashford and Martial play together up front in a 4 4 2 both are strikers and should be given a chance.

Most likely Martial and rashford will struggle to impress and we will throw 50 million to try a new striker who will still be starved of service.

If either is not good enough then fair enough but at some stage they need a chance so we know if IBRA is gone next year whether any of them can be a top stiker.

Rayne Wooney

Thought Rooney had taken the dropping too well, him and his agent just quietly stocking up on their missiles to launch at Mourinho from now until January it seems.

TheDoc

Rayne Wooney wrote: »

Thought Rooney had taken the dropping too well, him and his agent just quietly stocking up on their missiles to launch at Mourinho from now until January it seems.

Does Rooney have the credit in the bank he'd win that fight in the fans eyes?

If push came to shove, would fans support Mourinho's decision or would they back Rooney?

Leroy42

TheDoc wrote: »

Does Rooney have the credit in the bank he'd win that fight in the fans eyes?

If push came to shove, would fans support Mourinho's decision or would they back Rooney?

Depends on how many more of those 4-0 displays we have to suffer!

Lord TSC

TheDoc wrote: »

Feelings aside for the player (who I've been transparent about) it is odd. Mourinho was reportedly a big fan, I thought I just saw a headline this morning where it quoted Mourinho saying he will never sell Rooney.

I felt that was one of those "read between the lines" type of comments.

"I won't sell him (but if he wants to go because I won't play him, I won't stand in his way)".


These are the quotes from Jose...

"No, never. I will never make that decision. A player of his stature, a player of his history in the club will never go to point where club or manager want to make that decision for him.

"I put him on the bench for three matches in a row. That is hard for him, hard for me, so that is being ruthless, to put in my mind the interests of the team in front of the player, prestige, status. In this case even legend. To put on the bench a player with the numbers he has, for club and country, is hard.

"But this is an industry where the people lead, sometimes make a correct decision, sometimes a not correct decision, but in our minds make the decisions we think are the best for the team."

MagicIRL

In my opinion, the starting XI isn't too far off being quality. I maintain that Blind is a Defensive Midfielder with the ability to read the game better than anyone in the United squad and should be played as such, consistently.

I think Smalling is a complete liability at the back, and Rojo/Jones are two shells. Valencia can not be a right-back. He is a winger or nothing. Carrick is too old to play every game at such competitive level. Darmian doesn't seem to be capable of defending, but he hasn't played this season so who knows.

De Gea
Right Back - Centre Back - Baily - Shaw
Blind
Herrera - Pogba
Right Wing - Ibrahimovich/Rashford - Martial

I think Young and Lingard are very good bench players. Both seem eager to put in an effort when needed and would be the perfect players to be bringing on against tiring opposition. If a #10 is required then Mata should be playing.
Mkhitaryan may prove to be the RW we desperately need, but unless he gets gametime we'll never know.

This is how I see it at the moment, anyway.

Big games coming thick and fast
A win tomorrow would be a huge moral booster

Sand

The team cannot be in constant rebuilding. There cannot be a clear-out of 10-12 players every 2 years. At some point the manager needs to work with what is available. And the squad is very strong - Mourinho made it very clear he was very happy with the squad. He identified the players he wanted over the summer, and the club delivered. No budget limits. A deal for Pogba that people 5 months ago would have told you was impossible, would never happen. The club delivered. There can be no excuses on the squad.

Mourinho's big draw - whatever about his unprofessional behaviour, whatever about the football - is that he improves every team and he delivers results and trophies. He just needs to get on with it, and people need to take a breath. Its crazy people are talking about more squad clearouts when its only 9 games in to the league and 6 points off top. Not a great position, but hardly irrecoverable over 29 games if Mourinho does his job.

TheDoc

I'd absolutely love to see the Blind in defence thing just end, and have him back in anchoring the midfield, either alone or alongside Hererra. Anchoring alone with Hererra ahead with Pogba on paper sounds ideal.

But in reality what difference does playing ten feet ahead make. Pogba needs to start putting in the performances, but if Schneiderlan isn't getting a look in, Blind should get a run in. He's been a fantastic signing in my opinion, stupidly intelligent and such a great range of passing and on the hole since his arrival been one of the most consistent performers in the team.

Trigger

TheDoc wrote: »

I'd absolutely love to see the Blind in defence thing just end, and have him back in anchoring the midfield, either alone or alongside Hererra. Anchoring alone with Hererra ahead with Pogba on paper sounds ideal.

But in reality what difference does playing ten feet ahead make. Pogba needs to start putting in the performances, but if Schneiderlan isn't getting a look in, Blind should get a run in. He's been a fantastic signing in my opinion, stupidly intelligent and such a great range of passing and on the hole since his arrival been one of the most consistent performers in the team.

Can't see that happening now with the injury to Bailly, cannot see Jose trusting Rojo or Jones in CB over a sustained period.. we need another body in there in January too..

TheDoc

TheDoc wrote: »

I'd absolutely love to see the Blind in defence thing just end, and have him back in anchoring the midfield, either alone or alongside Hererra. Anchoring alone with Hererra ahead with Pogba on paper sounds ideal.

But in reality what difference does playing ten feet ahead make. Pogba needs to start putting in the performances, but if Schneiderlan isn't getting a look in, Blind should get a run in. He's been a fantastic signing in my opinion, stupidly intelligent and such a great range of passing and on the hole since his arrival been one of the most consistent performers in the team.

It's a crying shame we are still all bemused as to who should be playing in midfield
That's down to Jose who needs to sort it the **** out
Why the **** Morgan hasn't got a sniff at this stage is beyond me

Herrera looks to be only player taking the bull by the horns. Thoroughly impressed with him performances this season.
Glimpses of good Pogba but too much of bad Pogba
Fellani can be useful against weaker opposition but it's become a bit clearer when we need more composure and vision on the ball Carrick can provides this.

astradave

astradave wrote: »

Can't see that happening now with the injury to Bailly, cannot see Jose trusting Rojo or Jones in CB over a sustained period.. we need another body in there in January too..

Gutted,
Thought he has had an excellent start to his Utd career

crkball6

TheDoc wrote: »

I

But in reality what difference does playing ten feet ahead make.

Really? The difference is huge. For example I think on the first goal for chelsea he should have pushed up to be inline which would have had Pedro offside they were not hidden. This is natural for most defenders but for blind it's something he has to think about

There's a massive amount of communication required compared to a def mid and more which he doesn't seem to be great at, that could be down to language in the back, but he doesn't communicate well with smalling either who speaks English.

I like blind, he's a great football brain and a very creative passer. A defender he is not.

Lord TSC

M!Ck^ wrote: »

Why the **** Morgan hasn't got a sniff at this stage is beyond me

There's obviously some issue. Even Memphis, Rojo and Darmian, all who look destined to leave, have got some chances. There's obviously more to it than is known publicly.

bmcc10

Lord TSC wrote: »

There's obviously some issue. Even Memphis, Rojo and Darmian, all who look destined to leave, have got some chances. There's obviously more to it than is known publicly.

Bastian too for a side that looks so toothless and lacking a leader and him rotten away just a weird situation

TheDoc

crkball6 wrote: »

Really? The difference is huge. For example I think on the first goal for chelsea he should have pushed up to be inline which would have had Pedro offside they were not hidden. This is natural for most defenders but for blind it's something he has to think about

There's a massive amount of communication required compared to a def mid and more which he doesn't seem to be great at, that could be down to language in the back, but he doesn't communicate well with smalling either who speaks English.

I like blind, he's a great football brain and a very creative passer. A defender he is not.

When I mentioned ten feet ahead that wasn't Blind moving to midfield. That was in relation to Pogba. Of course Blind doesnt have defensive natural instincts being a defender, he is only doing it a season an a half. He was and is a midfielder, and a pretty damn good one to be honest.

We talk about playing in a deep lying two as if its some massive difference from being part of the advanced two in a midfield three.

In reality in makes no real difference. A lot of the discussion about Pogba is utilising him, getting the best formation, system and the likes. That can be done for fine tuning, but first he needs to actually put in some actual performances. He's in a dire rut of form.

There needs to be a real back to basics with this squad, and for a start that means players playing in their positions. The ones that brought the attention to them, and made us sign them. That means Blind as a midfielder, Memphis as a left inside forward and just play with your instincts, Martial as a striker, Mata as a 10, Darmian as a RB, Schneiderlan as a lung busting midfield machine. And if they can't get to grips at the level we need then there is the door.

We can't expect these players to perform when they are playing against what brought them to the club in the first place, and because its a struggle dropping them straight out again.

Like City in the league cup, its the shagging league cup. Who cares. Play Memphis from the start on the left, as an inside forward and just tell him to do what he did to earn his move. Run at the **** fullback he will be up against, run him ragged. Forget about defending, be our outball and just go and go and go.

Play Martial up front. Tell him to go at that **** defence over and over, run behind and run them ragged. Do what you did that had us pay 50m for you and you showed in your early performances.

Play Blind in the middle with Schneiderlan and Pogba/Hererra. Daley go run the game, go pull the strings and control the tempo. Be the platform you were for Ajax that won them the league title and got you player of the year. Go be the new Carrick, cause you can be, easily. Morgan go use that engine to run their **** midfield ragged. What the **** is a Fernandhino? Run that **** **** all over the pitch with that mental stamina you have. Show everyone how your an all action midfielder and remind people you were a ****ing beast for two seasons.

Put Darmian in right back. Show him a picture of Maldini. Remind him he's a defender and he is Italian. Remind him that an Italian defender is a mangers wet dream. Nolitto? Your an Italian Defender, your going to get some Spanish looking pornstar running at you. Put that little **** into the hoarding boards. You were in some Seria A team of the years, so of the quintessential defender, some people thought you were the best RB, not once, but twice. Go lock that **** down.

Remind Marcus he played in a world cup final. Remind him he KEEPS being picked for Argentina. Show him some early clips when he came into our team. He nearly looked like the second coming of Vidic, the new Heinze. No nonsense full blooded monster. Get a few tackles in, leave that Kevin Da No one Can Agree On how to Pronouce in an absolute heap.

Someone, please just someone grab these players and shake them. Sit them down to watch videos of how they were good players, potentially great players. Someone get our scouts into the room to tell them why they were signed. Show them a scouting report.

Someone just remind them they got bought by a massive club for a reason

</rant>

Lord TSC

bmcc10 wrote: »

Bastian too for a side that looks so toothless and lacking a leader and him rotten away just a weird situation

I mean, I can understand Bastian to an extent. His form last year was poor in the context of the whole season, constantly out injured, high wages relative to the amount of game time he had, and lots of reports about players not liking his attitude towards rehab (always running round the world instead of buckling down) and the special treatment he got from LVG. Jose seemed quite open about the fact he had no chance of game time at United, and I can't imagine Bastian's "Yeah, well I'll sit at home and keep getting paid" mentality did much to help either.

But with Schnderlin, we have zero stories or leaks, and we seemed to turn down bids for him in the summer.

TheDoc

Lord TSC wrote: »

I mean, I can understand Bastian to an extent. His form last year was poor in the context of the whole season, constantly out injured, high wages relative to the amount of game time he had, and lots of reports about players not liking his attitude towards rehab (always running round the world instead of buckling down) and the special treatment he got from LVG. Jose seemed quite open about the fact he had no chance of game time at United, and I can't imagine Bastian's "Yeah, well I'll sit at home and keep getting paid" mentality did much to help either.

But with Schnderlin, we have zero stories or leaks, and we seemed to turn down bids for him in the summer.

From Spurs no doubt, who he would be absolutely brilliant for. A manager who knows him and how to use him, in a team that would value him and a player with the capacity to slot into it all seamlessly.

Bit raging for him he didn't go if his exile continues here.

adox

Schneiderlin has done nothing in his time at Utd to deserve a place in the team. Maybe a bit unusual that he hasn't even made the bench so often but to be honest I won't shed a tear when he's moved on.

sky88

TheDoc wrote: »

From Spurs no doubt, who he would be absolutely brilliant for. A manager who knows him and how to use him, in a team that would value him and a player with the capacity to slot into it all seamlessly.

Bit raging for him he didn't go if his exile continues here.

Could be a classic case of jose not wanting the player but wont sell him to a rival. Only rumour i have seen on morgan would be that he wanted to leave. maybe that rubbed jose the wrong way if true as i cant remember were i even seen that.

Mr.Crinklewood

Unsure if I'm late to the game, but Bailly out for two months.