As for the only game we’ve played brillaintly for 90 mins this season = only the blackburn game

He has been good. However, the forward line last year was three pronged with Rooney, Tevez, and Ronaldo. I believe that Berbatov should have had to earn his place from either Rooney or Tevez instead of sacrificing Tevez. I don’t like to bad mouth any SAF does because there is a reason he is so successful, but I am kind of the belief that if he had as much faith in Berbatov as suggested, then the he should had the faith that Berbatov would have won his spot on merit rather than price. There are a number of good arguments other than price to substantiate his automatic and constant selection that I am not going to get into.

Besides making players win spots from the team and formation that brought us success last year, I think the slight change in formation has hurt us too. United seem to have to reverted to a more traditional 4-4-2 because of the signing of Berbatov. That, in my view, as pushed Ronaldo out wider. Yes he is a wide player, but I don’t think that he necessarily played the traditional winger role last year. Now he is back in to more traditional winger slot, but he tends to cut inside quite a bit. This along with the lack of a outright left wing players seems to have deprived us of width in my view.

Evra does get down the left consistently. The only player that gets down the right flank consistently though is Rafael. SAF only seems to play him against teams that I think SAF expects us to get a result in. Some suggested he should have been selected yesterday, I don’t think that there is anything wrong with that and I would have liked to see him. With Agbondlar and Young’s pace though, I can understand why he was not. Rafael gets up the line and at times seemingly leaves that right flank a bit exposed. Exposure that the two pacey Villa men would most likely haven’t great advantage of.

I do believe we lost a great opportunity. All is not yet lost though and there is time for improvement. In my view though, in order to have a good chance to win the league, we need to gain two points on our rivals before the end of the new year fixture congestion (not considering the game in hand that we have and will gain).

We have gotta give these young fella’s a chance… why the hell not… they have no fear… they have the ability… and it brings sommat fresh and new to our game…

Both what you and Ste say are bob on… we need a consistent side.. we have been taking the piss out of the dippers for the rotational shite.. no we are at it.. and it shows we are getting nowhere with it..

Yes we have a big big squad… yes you have to keep players happy.. BUT… i honestly believe that players should be playing on merit and not on name..

If players are on top of there game.. then for gods sake SAF dont rest them.. dont get me wrong i would never doubt Fergies decisions..but think he is going a little bit soft….. and think that if the senior players are playing to the level required, then give the likes of Ben Foster, Rodrigo Possebon, Rafael, Johnny Evans, Danny Welbeck, Anderson, Nani.. a real good crack at the whip… in fact i would play them all this week in europe… Why not?? We only need a point.. and it isnt exactly a cauldron which they are going into… throw them in and let them play… whats the worse thing that can happen… we would have to bring some senior players on from off the bench..

I always got told the best to learn and see how good you are is to go in at the deep end….. well lets push them in and see how they go.

and quite frankly, the comparisons are there, if hull’s having a go at us while away what more villa, at home?

but i guess coming from my end, it was just frustrating not seeing us being able to play like we could and sticking it to them no matter how many buses we parked in front of goal. back to the team,

i believe we’d all rather see rafael in the side, he’s our right sided evra! he should have at least been brought on. fergie’s been having inhibitions about the younger ones these days though.

right on about giggs as well, in the centre of midfield he’s a player of similar mould to carrick i dont understand why they were paired together they were over run and frankly speaking fletcher’s been our player of the season thus far in my book, he’s looked like a revelation he’s been popping up everywhere getting stuck in spraying quality passes (picked that up from scholesy/carrick i’d think) and sticking it into the net i’d say if we had him on for arse and for villa we would have won those easily!

and you’re right, failsworth i could see possebon doing that job as well, he’s still young though but he’s that kind of player and i’d give him a go in the team, or anderson too i think that’s what we bought him for actually to be a box to box midfielder

i felt park should have been taken off instead, not tevez, for nani, youre going for the win, he’s worked hard but youve got to leave both your strikers on there if you want to go for the jugular i saw no good in bringing tevez off at all and as gary mentioned, it does zilch to his confidence and i was absolutely astounded when he was brought off, remember the days when we had 4 strikers on the pitch?

we really have to step up next week for the derby, it’s just one of those games that get our season rolling i hope we come right off the blocks, get stuck in and pound them for 90 minutes, bus in front of goal or not.

32 years!

Last season we had

Edwin Van Der Sar

Brown – Vidic – Ferdinand – Evra

Ronaldo – Scholes / Anderson – Carrick / Hargreaves – Giggs

Tevez – Rooney

Now we are changing too much, one week it’s Carrick and Anderson, the next it’s Fletcher and Giggs, the next it’s Carrick and Fletcher.

Giggs has been extremely disappointing this season, he should be a sub in most games, as much as I love the guy.

But, there have been a lot of injuries which may explain it.

I think its fair to say Tevez is going to be leaving United this summer, he didnt look at all happy at being substituted and I dont blame him. He is clearly lacking confidence in himself, and taking him of all the time isnt helping him. Rooney was just as non exsistent last night as Tevez, why was he not taken off instead for a change?

Fergie said he looked into the player eyes at the start of this season to see if the hunger was still there after last year. Judging by alot of the players displays this season, I think you have to question them. Vidic, Evra, Fletcher are a few of United’s stand out performers this season, and I think Carrick has done well since his return. Rio who was an absolute rock last year has lost his way a bit, with 2 awfull displays against Arsenal and Everton away.

I have no right to question Fergie, because he obviously knows best for our club, but I think he has made a couple of mistakes this season, with the main one being fiddling about with our right back position. I know Wes isnt fit right now, but at the start of the season when he was fit he should have been there every game, he was brilliant for us last season and didnt deserved to be dropped after the Liverpool game.

Looking forward to the return of Paul Scholes, who I still rate as the best player I have ever seen in the flesh, I cant speak highly enough of him. I cherish every time I go to Old Trafford and see Scholesy play, he is the most technically gifted player this country has produced since Gascoigne. It will be a sad day when Scholesy calls it a day

I also gotta say… that WE need to pull our fingers out coz we look clumsy and a little lacklustre at the moment..

Think we missed Darren Fletcher yesterday… and i never dreamt the day i would be saying this… but this season he has been full of energy… be an awesome midfielder for us… and Giggsy, does not do it in the centre of midfield..

He is the most decorated footballer in English Football History.. and do not want us to remember him for faltering displays…

I think he would be a good impact sub for the last 15 mins in games.. when his brain and experiance is invaluable, …

What we gotta remember is Giggsy has based his game on pace.. .and there comes a time in all players games who depend on this quality that the pace starts to go..

Would still be a good squad player for us.. and is a LEGEND in my eyes..

I would have also preferred to see Raphael at RB today rather than Johnny Oshea… no offence to him… i just love the little brazillians approach.. NO FEAR… “IM GONNA HAVE A GO AT YA WHETHER YA LIKE IT OR NOT”… and teams do not know how to handle the little whizz kid..

I also thought that game today was crying out for Possebon… this lad could have put a stamp on the game… and what i have noticed is that his passing is exceptional (Paul Scholesesque)… and our middle of field play was very sloppy… no penetration hence the reasons why Wazza and Tevez were dropping deeper and deeper to try and get the ball… so when we did get the ball wide and in the final 3rd.. whoever was crossing the ball had to drag the ball back to buy a second so people got in the box.. we just wasnt clinincal in the final 2/3rds of the pitch.