Manchester United Team Talk/Gossip/Rumours Thread 2017

Sand

There is a gap of 4-6 points to close over 20 games with every team bar Chelsea looking vulnerable. The first half wasn't great, but United immediately began to look much more dangerous with Mkhitaryan on the pitch, and you have to assume he will figure a lot more in the second half of the season than in the first as Mourinho begins to figure out his strongest XI. I think we can be fairly optimistic that at least one of the teams above us will drop more points than United does over the next 20 games without needing to impose arbitrary deadlines on it or losing our minds the next time United draw or lose.

I'd still give full attention to winning the EL though.

Trigger

For all Mkhitaryan getting the plaudits from when he came on, and rightly so, I thought Martial had a great run out. He looked dangerous everytime he got on the ball

Lord TSC

astradave wrote: »

For all Mkhitaryan getting the plaudits from when he came on, and rightly so, I thought Martial had a great run out. He looked dangerous everytime he got on the ball

Really? I thought he was his usual self; brave at running at the defence, but with zero end product

Liam McPoyle

astradave wrote: »

For all Mkhitaryan getting the plaudits from when he came on, and rightly so, I thought Martial had a great run out. He looked dangerous everytime he got on the ball

He looked very lively alright however we have seen a false dawn from him already. Think it was the league cup, he was on fire and the next game he played he went back to being the lethargic player we have seen most of the year.

Can't wait for Mikhi and Zlatan to get a run of 4 or 5 consecutive games together. I believe the best is yet to come from the big fella which considering he has 17 goals already, its very exciting.

He is an unbelievable athlete.

jayo26

Looked at highlights of game again there it was a nice professional performance again.

We have about 6 players that are clearly most important members of the team at the moment and I include Jones in that he was solid again today the others are de gea, Miki, pogba, carick and Zlatan if they are fit they have to play they make the big difference.

RobertKK

https://twitter.com/totallymufc/status/813431290628345856

The magic is back.

wanderer100

Jones and Rojo were once again solid for the most part today bar Borini's screamer at the end.

Funny how months ago we wouldn't be too bothered to see either of them leave the club. Jones seemed to be done with injuries and Rojo just didn't look good enough.

But they seem to be much more comfortable now for the most part and they've formed a pretty solid partnership together. Why should Jose change anything if its working, right?

Robson99

wanderer100 wrote: »

Jones and Rojo were once again solid for the most part today bar Borini's screamer at the end.

Funny how months ago we wouldn't be too bothered to see either of them leave the club. Jones seemed to be done with injuries and Rojo just didn't look good enough.

But they seem to be much more comfortable now for the most part and they've formed a pretty solid partnership together. Why should Jose change anything if its working, right?

Because Baily is a much better defender than Rojo

wanderer100

Robson99 wrote: »

Because Baily is a much better defender than Rojo

But why should he disrupt a solid working partnership especially since Bailly is going to be gone very soon.

yabadabado

Bailly is a better defender than Rojo but Jose may not be too quick to break up Jones/Rojo partnership.They have been solid and Bailly is off to ANc in a few weeks might be best to keep them as a partnership at least until Bailly is back.

I wouldnt think Jose sees them as the long term solution but they are doing well so far so no point breaking that up yet.

Jayop

wanderer100 wrote: »

But why should he disrupt a solid working partnership especially since Bailly is going to be gone very soon.

Bailly won't come into the team between now and the acn. He may well get in ahead of Rojo after but why break up a partnership that's working for a few games?

Robson99

wanderer100 wrote: »

But why should he disrupt a solid working partnership especially since Bailly is going to be gone very soon.

Ya he cant change anything till Baily gets back but when he does e will be 1st choice centre half. And I would much rather have Jones beside him compared to Rojo. I still think Rojo is an accident waiting to happen against the better teams

Hococop

So annoying miki's goal is offside (delighted it counted) as it won't get the credit it deserves from opposition

wanderer100

wanderer100 wrote: »

At the moment we are just keeping up with everyone else. As you say, eventually this streak of ours will end but before it does, we need the teams above us to slip up. Fingers crossed

In the last 5 games, Utd have gained 4 points on Spurs, 4 points on City, 4 points on Arsenal, 3 points on Liverpool.

Also lost 2 points on Chelsea.

If that's not progress in the Champions League race I don't know what is.

user2011

Hococop wrote: »

So annoying miki's goal is offside (delighted it counted) as it won't get the credit it deserves from opposition

No reason to give a sh!t. Fcuking brilliant goal.

Hococop

user2011 wrote: »

No reason to give a sh!t. Fcuking brilliant goal.

Oh I agree completely haha loved it's a worldie goal,

RobertKK

https://twitter.com/GaryLineker/status/813425923651411970

Kirby

I'd enjoy it more if the sound was working. Have to watch in SD coz the HD channel has no sound.

RobertKK

Kirby wrote: »

I'd enjoy it more if the sound was working. Have to watch in SD coz the HD channel has no sound.

I only found out, was watching the first Captain America film and was recording MOTD on BBCHD...when I really just wanted to hear what they had to say :mad:

StringerBell

beno619 wrote: »

Pogba was fantastic today.

Put in the kind of performance I was told he couldn't by posters who had watched him at Juve.

I had my doubts based the Euro's and his early season form but he could turn into the proper all round midfielder adox has been banging on about.

?

That was a Juventus Paul Pogba performance today, the system change to facilitate getting the best from him has been working pretty well!

irishfeen

Such a pitty Chelsea so far ahead of us - if we were maybe 6 points behind I think we would run them close with the wind behind our back.

Hotblack Desiato

Kirby wrote: »

I'd enjoy it more if the sound was working. Have to watch in SD coz the HD channel has no sound.

Check you have the correct audio channel / language selected, and audio description is turned off!

sReq | uTeK

irishfeen wrote: »

Such a pitty Chelsea so far ahead of us - if we were maybe 6 points behind I think we would run them close with the wind behind our back.

I think they will hit a rough time soon enough. It's inevitable

spiralism

Was having an aul browse of whoscored.com just to see the hard numbers on how we've been doing lately. Two players profiles in particular make for some nice reading:

Pogba's
Ibra's
More being said about Ibra because of him aging like a fine wine but Pogba has been terrific lately. Was absolutely ****ing class yesterday in particular.

The_Kew_Tour

Top 4 is very much on, no question about it.

Im a bit of freak in that in a weird way im enjoying being written off and having play catch up. More satisfying if we do have good 2nd half to season

RobertKK

We are only slightly dependent on Zlatan...

https://twitter.com/theplzone/status/813430657116409856

Discodog

Kirby wrote: »

I'd enjoy it more if the sound was working. Have to watch in SD coz the HD channel has no sound.

I was frantically switching the audio on & off, checking my setting etc. :pac:

limnam

RobertKK wrote: »

We are only slightly dependent on Zlatan...

https://twitter.com/theplzone/status/813430657116409856

I think what you're trying to say is he's past it :pac:

scudzilla

Hococop wrote: »

So annoying miki's goal is offside (delighted it counted) as it won't get the credit it deserves from opposition

Who gives a shite about getting credit from the opposition? Prefer them all to hate us tbh

20 Times 20 Times

scudzilla wrote: »

Who gives a shite about getting credit from the opposition? Prefer them all to hate us tbh

We're Man united we do what we want !!

hufpc8w3adnk65

20 Times 20 Times wrote: »

We're Man united we do what we want !!

Don't go out tonight, unless your red and white!!

jimmytwotimes 2013

Watching the boys on SSN talking about the fixtures ahead. Arsenal have very winnable games between now and their match v. Chelsea on Feb 4.

We'll have to keep winning to chase that top 4 spot. Obvious I know.

TitianGerm

RobertKK wrote: »

We are only slightly dependent on Zlatan...

https://twitter.com/theplzone/status/813430657116409856

This is what I was saying a few weeks ago, if Zlatan picks up an injury United might struggle to win games again. You are very reliant on him with not a lot of goals spread around the team.

StringerBell

He is a talisman up front alright. Most teams have one or two players who are crucial to them, not surprisingly ours happens to be one of the greatest strikers to play the game who at 35 is still operating at such a high level.

deaddonkey15

emmetkenny wrote: »

This is what I was saying a few weeks ago, if Zlatan picks up an injury United might struggle to win games again. You are very reliant on him with not a lot of goals spread around the team.

I'm sure if he get's injured we can just put our top scorer from last season up top instead.

TitianGerm

deaddonkey15 wrote: »

I'm sure if he get's injured we can just put our top scorer from last season up top instead.

There are no guarantees he will perform as well as last year or do as well as Ibra has.

Also the way Jose has you playing is geared to Ibras skills and not Martials.

jayo26

emmetkenny wrote: »

This is what I was saying a few weeks ago, if Zlatan picks up an injury United might struggle to win games again. You are very reliant on him with not a lot of goals spread around the team.

It is true a large percentage of goals is balanced towards ibra but people are only pointing this out because he has scored so many and is so good but we have pogba and mata in around the 5 mark we have miki on 3 already as we have Rashford and martial on 3 the last 3 haven't even played that much so if they were able to stand In if needed they would have more easily.

Liverpool will be without their top scorer when mane is gone to afcon but I'm sure someone else will step in it happens all teams we would have miki or martial or Rashford to grab goals for us if it did happen.

TitianGerm

jayo26 wrote: »

It is true a large percentage of goals is balanced towards ibra but people are only pointing this out because he has scored so many and is so good but we have pogba and mata in around the 5 mark we have miki on 3 already as we have Rashford and martial on 3 the last 3 haven't even played that much so if they were able to stand In if needed they would have more easily.

Liverpool will be without their top scorer when mane is gone to afcon but I'm sure someone else will step in it happens all teams we would have miki or martial or Rashford to grab goals for us if it did happen.

I said at the start of the season Ibra would get 15-17 (I think) league goals this year for United and it'd be a very good season for him, by all accounts it looks like he'll beat that now.

Miki has made a big difference to you and if he stays fit he's just as important as Ibra. What I'm trying to say though is Rashford and Martial won't have the same impact as Ibra but will still get a few goals.

Whereas Liverpool don't have one stand out goal scorer so are not as reliant on one man. I think Cout was our top scorer before he got injured but Mane has done well since then. Mane has 8, Lalana has 6, Counthio Firmino and Milner all have 5 and Origi has 4.

To be honest in years gone buy Liverpool were asways reliant on one player for goals (thinking Torres) and when he's missing we struggled so I'm enjoying the wider goal threat this season.

Jayop

Ibra getting injured or losing form us a concern, but when you play with one up top like we do then it's natural that that player will have the lions share of goals. If he doesn't play then someone else will start in his place, it's not like we'll play with 10 players. You have our soon to be all time top scorer or or top scorer from last season ready to come in so we should be fine against most teams.

yabadabado

Zlatan is playing up front on his own and basically never gets subbed so I'm not too worried that it seems he is carrying the team.
I would be happy enough that if Martial or Rashford play up top they will get goals as the team is actually functioning as an attacking unit now.At times yesterday there were 6 and 7 players all getting into attacking positions,that is the huge difference from last season.
Miki becoming a regular and Martial finding form will take pressure off Zlat.

TheDoctor

Very concerned by the amount of posters that have gone missing in recent weeks.

Match threads are very dead.

Robson99

irishfeen wrote: »

Such a pitty Chelsea so far ahead of us - if we were maybe 6 points behind I think we would run them close with the wind behind our back.

Fforget about chelsea. We need to worry about catching arsenal city and the scouse. I would gladly take 4th place at thus stage

Flint Fredstone

Jayop wrote: »

Ibra getting injured or losing form us a concern, but when you play with one up top like we do then it's natural that that player will have the lions share of goals. If he doesn't play then someone else will start in his place, it's not like we'll play with 10 players. You have our soon to be all time top scorer or or top scorer from last season ready to come in so we should be fine against most teams.

This. We play to Zlatan's strengths. If Rashford or Martial were to play up front then the tactics would change slightly.
He's hardly going to keep playing the same way expecting either of them to turn into Zlatan clones.

0gac3yjefb5sv7

4th is still crappy enough. I know it's realistic but still should aim to catch Chelsea.

RobertKK

I am happy for us to catch one team at a time, two maybe on a good day.
It is a marathon not a sprint.

Carpentry

RobertKK wrote: »

https://twitter.com/totallymufc/status/813431290628345856

The magic is back.

Right .....

Lord TSC

One thing I'm thrilled at is how many dangerous players we have this year.

Felt like last year, if a team marked Martial with 2 or three men, that was game over for us.

But this year, you've got Ibra, Pogba, Mkhi (when he plays), Martial...you can't double or triple mark one person in the team and nullify us. Its awesome

how.gareth

Carpentry wrote: »

Right .....

Christ on a bike, you need to get out more

Carpentry

how.gareth wrote: »

Christ on a bike, you need to get out more

What for ?

RobertKK

Carpentry wrote: »

What for ?

It's a kind of magic,
It's a kind of magic,
A kind of magic,

One dream, one soul, one prize,
One goal, one golden glance of what should be,

It's a kind of magic,

One shaft of light that shows the way,
No mortal man can win this day,

It's a kind of magic