Manchester United Team Talk/Gossip/Rumours Thread 2017

deaddonkey15

bucketybuck wrote: »

That one has actually been a real problem, in that the new manager couldn't have known he would be so ineffectual and it must gave affected his planning.

We have suffered through not having any replacement for Zlatan and his goals, but I imagine at the start of the season Jose believed that Rooney would fulfil that role, that Rooney would be a perfectly good option up front. And that was understandable, this is our record scorer we are talking about.

But Rooney hasn't been up to pace all season and we have really suffered in the goalscoring dept. You have to wonder if Rooney hadn't still been at the club would Jose have bought another striker last summer?

As I posted last night, Rooney has been as effective, if not more so than both Mata and Mkhitaryan this season.

RockSalto

Exactly. One huge factor that would've benefited him still being at United is training/playing with/against better players every day.

I think Fergie understood this about some of the fringe players so when called upon they often fulfilled their role quite well.

The_Kew_Tour

Pro. F wrote: »

Maybe I should bring him back into the rotation of player debates in here.

Moyes was the reason we struggled in 13/14, not Cleverley. He'd be good enough as a squad player if he was still at the club now, much though the belly-aching of the fans who don't like him might try to paint it otherwise. A good mid-table CM is all he ever amounted to, which is a disappointment, but that is what he is, rather than the abboration on the sport some fans paint him as.

Easy blame Moyes when he amounted to same at Everton.

No belly aching, more a case of good riddance.

And you said it all with your last bit, except its more expected then disappointment.

Pro. F

The_Kew_Tour wrote: »

Easy blame Moyes when he amounted to same at Everton.

I have no idea what you are trying to say here.

The_Kew_Tour wrote: »

And you said it all with your last bit, except its more expected then disappointment.

Well at least we agree on his current quality.

hufpc8w3adnk65

RobertKK wrote: »

Graham Hunter says Bale to United is a real possibility,.
Other media is Spain says Bale would prefer a move to United over Spurs or Chelsea.

So Bale is getting a new contract at Real?

RockSalto

19 below par (for the most part) appearances this season with lots of time out injured, I doubt it.

Talk of the price being 80m. I think his stock may have (should have) gone slightly down.

bucketybuck

deaddonkey15 wrote: »

As I posted last night, Rooney has been as effective, if not more so than both Mata and Mkhitaryan this season.

How does that address the point I made?

Cantona's Collars

The Mail's United XI if we sign the rumoured targets.

TheDoc

Concern for me with Bale is its a back injury that seems to keep causing muscle injuries in his legs. Back injuries are pretty much there indefinitely and there is always the risk of it causing problems throughout.

I'd welcome him with open arms mind you, on form, one of the best in the world and the sort of talent we have been sorely missing in our team in the attacking third.

The_Kew_Tour

The_Kew_Tour wrote: »

At least we dont talk about TC23 anymore.

Small steps..

TheDoc

zerks wrote: »

The Mail's United XI if we sign the rumoured targets.

I'd be freaked if that was our team going into the season :pac:

Cantona's Collars

Speaking of former players,Rio retired a couple of years and still in better shape than some who are still playing.

^^Beast Mode
He looks like a UFC fighter

jayo26

zerks wrote: »

The Mail's United XI if we sign the rumoured targets.

Imagine what it's going to be like in another month or so then the season hasn't even ended yet.

Julez

zerks wrote: »

The Mail's United XI if we sign the rumoured targets.

Rojo left back... eh, no thanks!

Cantona's Collars

jayo26 wrote: »

Imagine what it's going to be like in another month or so then the season hasn't even ended yet.

A couple on here would have Rooney in that team.:rolleyes:

Cantona's Collars

My first match thread in a while, http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=103538431#post103538431

yabadabado

zerks wrote: »

The Mail's United XI if we sign the rumoured targets.

Bar Rojo at LB and they thinking DDG is leaving I'd be happy with those signings .Still can't see Griezmann as a Jose CF I'd expect if he was signed it would be to play deeper.

Cantona's Collars

https://twitter.com/JonathanShrager/status/864836012358422532

jayo26

zerks wrote: »

https://twitter.com/JonathanShrager/status/864836012358422532

Reputable and Columbia just does not work in same sentence.

Princess Consuela Bananahammock

zerks wrote: »

The Mail's United XI if we sign the rumoured targets.

Where are you putting Rodriguez, Bale and Mbappe?

fergiesfolly

I know its flogging a dead horse, but I look at that line up and laugh that two players from our youth system could end up costing us €120-130 million
It would be more cost effective to shut it down

Lord TSC

Princess Consuela Bananahammock wrote: »

Where are you putting Rodriguez, Bale and Mbappe?

On the bench with Ronaldo and Gaitan :pac:

Nalz

Lord TSC wrote: »

On the bench with Ronaldo and Gaitan :pac:

with physio/assistant manager Walter Samuel

Cantona's Collars

Princess Consuela Bananahammock wrote: »

Where are you putting Rodriguez, Bale and Mbappe?

Cup tied along with Mata.

The_Kew_Tour

Sneijder anyone?

* runs and expects life ban

Cookiemunster

zerks wrote: »

https://twitter.com/JonathanShrager/status/864836012358422532

Pretty much every reporter on the Manchester beat has said in the last 24 hours that we have no interest in him. The club definitely briefed them on that.

~Rebel~

~Rebel~ wrote: »

That really bugged the ****e out of me at the time, was a total copout, and just felt like the first step towards setting up his narrative of league position. "well, we stopped trying, the league stopped mattering in the end".

It wasn't great hearing him say that Top 4 is gone, but for me that's because it was an admission of a reality. Not because I thought it was any form of deflection tactics on Jose's part. I'm not saying that he's never been guilty of that, just that in the aftermath of the Swansea draw our realistic Top 4 hopes were gone and I thought the manager was just calling a spade a spade.

If he set out to win those last two games that he effectively threw away, top four would be 100% in his hands. Would be 2 points behind pool with a game at hand.

If he set out to win those games, we still could have lost and still be sitting in 6th.

Jose could have fielded our strongest team available against Arsenal and Spurs. Jose could have sent the team out with instructions of all-out attack. That still doesn't mean that we would have definitely taken 3 points from either of those games, let alone both to end up 2 points behind Pool with a game in hand.

We needed a win against City or Swansea to keep it going realistically. That didn't happen, and to then go hell for leather in the league from that point on, at the expense of a more favourable route through the then 3 remaining Europa games, would have been an even more questionable decision IMO.

The damage was done in the league long before the Arsenal and Spurs games. If I'm going to lament anything, it's all those draws where the team failed to rise to the occasion and/or put away good chances. It's decisions before that which the manager took where he could have used the squad a bit more when he had it at his disposal. I don't lament the decision to now prioritise the Europa over the final 4 league games where to be successful we would have required a serious change in fortune for the team, and some bad results for rivals, to have a chance at getting Top 4.

In any other season I'd say that we should be capable of challenging on all fronts and have the squad to do it. Only problem now is that through injury, suspension, players moving on from the club during the season, family bereavement - Jose hasn't exactly had the full might of that half a billion pound squad to chose from to try to keep both the League and the Europa going at full strength in these closing stages.

Robson99

adox wrote: »

That certainly hasnt been the norm this season. You are making that up.

Liverpool x 2. Chelsea away. City away. A lot of the European games. People who dont see how negative Murhino has set us up in a lot of games this season have selective viewing. Murhino has been negative in all big games since his first stint with Chelsea IMO.

LeeJM

Robson99 wrote: »

Liverpool x 2. Chelsea away. City away. A lot of the European games. People who dont see how negative Murhino has set us up in a lot of games this season have selective viewing. Murhino has been negative in all big games since his first stint with Chelsea IMO.

If you are gonna talk about Mourinho at least spell his name correctly. Once is a typo, twice in one post means you are doing it on purpose.

Personally I find it hard to believe that some cannot see the progress the team has made this season under Jose. The league has been extremely frustrating but in his first season its been acceptable due to the clear signs of progress we have made.

As for those who think he needs to be sacked if we dont win the UEL, who replaces him? Do we start from scratch and implement another new system? And seeing as those who seem to have the biggest problem with Jose are also generally those that bring up the money spent on players, should we sack Jose and pay off his contract and then sack all his backroom staff and pay them off how much do you think that would cost? I would think it wouldnt be far off the price we will end up paying for a new DM. So which is money better spent at this juncture in time?

Lord TSC

A lot of the more reliables are reporting Keane will be our first signing this summer, for £25m. Simon Stone chief among them.

LeeJM

A lot will piss and moan about re-signing another academy graduate but if the Keane rumours are true I'll be delighted. He has proven himself to be a quality PL level CB already. And he is already familiar with the club so there wont be any settling in period. A really good signing IMO

RobertKK

No De Gea.

I think we are being told about the future of De Gea at United, there is none.

Bleating Lamb

Lord TSC wrote: »

A lot of the more reliables are reporting Keane will be our first signing this summer, for £25m. Simon Stone chief among them.

Utd starting to look fond of overpaying for former players!.....from what I have seen of Keane this year he would not be much of an upgrade at all on Tweedledum and Tweedledee (Smalling and Jones).

QikBax

Prunier would be an upgrade on Smalling in fairness

bucketybuck

LeeJM wrote: »

He has proven himself to be a quality PL level CB already.

Proven? One year in the PL is proven quality now?

Lord TSC

I worry that's the end of DDG then wonder if he's played his last game.

statto25

Lord TSC wrote: »

I worry that's the end of DDG then wonder if he's played his last game.

Bollockache (not a typo) was tweeting earlier that the Real squad are convinced he's going to them and he's taking a paycut, so he's probably off to Barcelona! The rumours are never going to go away and I reckon he will end up in Madrid at some point so if he goes, good luck to him and I hope United recruit sufficiently.

Hococop

Ah well

Hococop

Hon romero

domrush

Surely that isn't the end of De Gea lads he must be injured. There's no way Jose would let him leave so easily, he kicked up a fuss over Cech and he wasn't even first choice at the time.

Rossi IRL

Looked outside the box


Great save

J. Marston

Romero again.

Telling ya, we're in safe hands if De Gea leaves.

Royal Legend

will United consolidate 6th place if they win tonight?

domrush

Royal Legend wrote: »

will United consolidate 6th place if they win tonight?

Already have

Sand

LeeJM wrote: »

Personally I find it hard to believe that some cannot see the progress the team has made this season under Jose. The league has been extremely frustrating but in his first season its been acceptable due to the clear signs of progress we have made.

Well, its because that progress is difficult to perceive. With 36 games played, Mourinho has secured 2 additional points, 6 additional goals for, 5 less goals against over LVG's United in 2016. LVG didn't have Zlatan, Pogba, Baily or Mkhitaryan. Over 36 games, that is an improvement of 0.05 points per game, 0.15 goals per game. From a base which was considered utterly unacceptable that's a pretty underwhelming return. In terms of brass tacks LVG delivered an FA cup, and missed the CL by goal difference, finishing 5th. Mourinho has the League Cup, will finish 6th but should hopefully deliver the CL via a EL win.

I think its silly to suggest Mourinho's position is in trouble, but its clear that this season has been poor versus the hopes at the start of the season where people expected a title challenge. Mourinho himself mocked other managers in August for being coy about being title contenders. That was his expectation, its not worked out that way.

I hope Mourinho succeeds, because that means United succeeds, but people who are concerned aren't blind to developments on the pitch. The thing that concerns me the most is the negativity Mourinho seems to exude. A hugely talented squad at Chelsea were in a nosedive last season under Mourinho. This season, they are worthy champions. The thing that gives me hope is that in his first season back at Chelsea, Mourinho was missing goals. He added goals in the next season and won the title. Here is hoping it works out the same for United.

Mars Bar

I'd love an out and out right-footed right winger. Someone who sees the space in front of them and burns every one for speed. Mata got the ball there and turned back on to his left and slowed the whole thing down. I love Mata but I also love fast paced football.

Royal Legend

LeeJM wrote: »

A lot will piss and moan about re-signing another academy graduate but if the Keane rumours are true I'll be delighted. He has proven himself to be a quality PL level CB already. And he is already familiar with the club so there wont be any settling in period. A really good signing IMO

Genuine question, does it not seem odd that Mourhino seems to have a track record of re-signing players at an exorbitant cost to what they were sold for? He did it at Chelsea with Matic, at United with Pogba, (whose transfer is now being investigated) he did something a bit unusual with a player at Madrid, (another Mendes player) he seems to be linked to Mendes a lot and now he might be spending 25m for a player united sold for 2m.
He does not seem to have any Gra for the money he spends

S.M.B.

Glad this season is coming to an end as I can't take much more of this.

Not sure how much is down to the system, the tactics, the managers attempts to motivate, the players willingness to put the effort in or just their ability to execute at the right time.

bucketybuck

Royal Legend wrote: »

Genuine question, does it not seem odd that Mourhino seems to have a track record of re-signing players at an exorbitant cost to what they were sold for? He did it at Chelsea with Matic, at United with Pogba, (whose transfer is now being investigated) he did something a bit unusual with a player at Madrid, (another Mendes player) he seems to be linked to Mendes a lot and now he might be spending 25m for a player united sold for 2m.
He does not seem to have any Gra for the money he spends

So, you have one example of Jose resigning a player he let go. Some track record that...