1. Back to back defeats for Manchester United against teams we should not be losing to. Blackburn have been woeful this season and Newcastle have had a pretty poor record at home. We are of course missing important players but that isn’t a good enough excuse for not getting the wake up call we should have had after the Blackburn result. It was a poor performance from United and we deserved nothing from the game.
2. Little over a year ago, Wayne Rooney held the club to ransom and we gave in to his contract demands. You do that for special players, for your top scorer, for players who score in European Cup finals and for players who make your team work. Rooney ticks those boxes for us. Then this week he wasn’t fit to train after apparently having a bit too much to drink when out with his team mates and their birds. As punishment, he missed the Blackburn game and we lost. His first game was against Newcastle today and he wasn’t at the races. Our best two chances fell to him and for both of them he hesitated. It’s a bad few days for him. He needs to book up his ideas in the remaining 18 games of the season.
3. Anders Lindegaard had a decent game for United and will be sad to lose out on his cleansheets record in the Premier League. Ahead of kick-off, I noted that he picked up these cleansheets from games against Norwich, Villa, Wigan, Sunderland and Fulham, whilst David de Gea had made crucial saves against the likes of Chelsea, Arsenal and Liverpool. To be fair to him, there was nothing he could have done about any of the goals and he was let down by the central defensive pairing.
4. Rio Ferdinand probably could have conceded a penalty in the first half, despite one replay looking like he touched the ball first. He will be disappointed he didn’t get in front of Demba Ba for the opening goal but it was a great strike taken early, which Phil Jones should have cut out, but he lost out on the header which set it up. The second goal was conceded thanks to a sloppy Jones foul and the third was a shambolic own goal from Jones. Jones was poor against Blackburn but was far worse tonight. I suppose he was due all of this after all the rave reviews so early on. I’d take him out of the centre of defence as soon as possible though. He looks good in midfield but a liability at the back, which surprised me tonight, given he had the experience of Rio alongside him.
5. Whilst there are plenty of criticisms I can level at United (and I will, don’t worry), it has to be said that Newcastle actually just played well. They were solid defensively and made it very difficult for us to break them down. Their chances on goal were largely from distance, although most of them were on target, and they scored two spectacular goals. United never looked like producing anything special like that so fair play to the geordies.
6. You wouldn’t have really known Dimitar Berbatov, Danny Welbeck or Chicharito got a run out tonight. You can’t take away from their poor performances but then I suppose you have to look at the service they were getting too. I’d love to see some stats on how many crosses United attempt and how many reach their target. Being honest, you did know Chicharito came on, but that was mainly because you were shouting his name when he got flagged offside, again. The lad is twice as fast as anyone who would mark him, so why does he need to play the offside trap so closely? He could give most centre backs a five yard head start and he’d still get to the ball first. It’s so frustrating.
7. What a difference a few days make and it’s not over yet, with an away trip to City in the Cup to come this weekend. We’ll be torn apart if we play anything like we did tonight. Did this 3-0 defeat give us the wake up call the Blackburn defeat didn’t? You’d like to think so. But there didn’t seem to be much fight about that team tonight. So, Fergie, over to you…
Man Utd News 24/7
UTD UTD UTD. COME ON REDS BOUNCE BACK. Goodnight.
Poor!!! We need some creativity in midfield
If Fergie doesnt buy now then we can write off this season
City have such a deep squad we just can’t compete
Play Pogba, Morrison, Cole, Fryers, Keane next match. They wont play worse that these lot did today
Totally inept performance. We never tested their keeper once
Terrible.
Andersons hair
Newcastle looked how we should have, simple as. We were beaten by a team that was miles better than us on the day. While the likes of Tiote, Cabaye and Ba looked world class for them, we had the likes of Rooney, Nani, and Jones (sorry can’t be bothered to list the entire team) look like crap. I will particularly single out Jones who looked way out of his depth and was completely battered by Ba and Ameobi, and appropriately topped the night off with the atrocious own goal.
I’m not going to say too much about the squad in general, but it is for all to see (even those with red tinted glasses) that at the least there are major/obvious holes in this squad which need plugging. SAF can express confidence in his squad all he likes, but for however bad we were in parts of last season, I have never seen as clueless as we have been in some games this season.
Javier must have doubled our offside tally in his short cameo.
But it’s not about one or two players. The team in general doesn’t seem healthy and I am not talking about the injuries. There were just too many errors and a general lack of spirit. And imo it’s about time some things got addressed in training. Like defending route 1 passes or crossing the ball better.
Awful
The squad just isn’t good enough. We need established quality players asap.
I would like to see Rooney sold in jan
Unfortunately, buying won’t help at all, unless we take a few steps back and take a relook at more basic issues. We spent 50, or was it 60 mil, of the very best. Spend any more, without getting the results and we are going to look like RFC.
And personally I wouldn’t take off Berbatov. If someone had to come of at that point, it was Rooney. I mean, don’t you usually take off the ones that have been the least effective?
After that jst hpe city dnt completely own us worse utd team I think I’ve ever seen. Never thought by mid of jan we b b out of everything but after Sunday we wil b…….
You write a lot of sense. Agree with most of it. Impressed that you are able to pull off a piece like that now.
I’m gutted! Don’t know the answer to the riddle. Will be intresting to hear what SAF says in the near future.
Sums it up nicely.
We need new blood though, Rooney did hold us ransom last year, and got his pay check increased. But also remember he said he had been given a look in the future plans for the team, and liked what he saw. I am guessing that what Rooney saw was plans for reinforcements. Since this is not happening, I am starting to fear he will do a Torres and leave.
The fact is, that he is our star player, a Gooner and wanted in all clubs which could pay the money, and in a team that has the worst CM of the current top 7 clubs.
Sir Alex, please, open your wallet. And whilst your at it, get us a right back too!
what happend against newcatle they were terrible come on reds beat city in fa cup in sunday glory glory ………
@longlivetheking doubt that will happen mate
We’re playing an ‘O’ formation. No central midfield. It’s not worked for three seasons.
That was utter shite. But apparently our midfield is fine…….is it? IS IT? Out muscled, out played, out desired…..We had 5 attenpts on goal. That’s pants! The bottom line is that teams in the top half of the table do not fear united. The squad is severly lacking in quality…..The transfer window is open.
Our short passing game was fucking awful tonight. All those flicks and one touch passing that didn’t work time after time pissed me off. Yes, they we’re tight on us, but we should be doing better.
no 6 is really true. united need to check their tactics options in the future. its really frustrating watching us played like that.
In all my years following United I was never as ashamed of a performance as i was tonight! No leadership, no spirit, no fight! We were pathetic! Do these prima donnas on 5 and 6 figure weekly salaries not realise that there are fans the length and bredth of the globe that would give their right arms to be in the same position as any of those 11 bottlers that played in st james park tonight. They are a disgrace to the great tradion of Manchester United! Shame on them!!!!!
Granted we do have a lots of injuries, and in fairness I feel the players that were brought in in the summer are good buys but we desperately need a scholes and a Keane in the middle of the Park, we need to sign a couple of players otherwise we will end up empty handed, Fergie knows whats he’s doing but I wonder if he was to spend now, would he effectively be spending his summer budget, if this is the case it would explain his reluctance to spend.
It should happen, he hasn’t been interested since he said he wants to leave. I think he will be at city before the months out… Ive heard it from a good source
My opinion is that this squad in on their limit. i m not Fergie, but we need someone special. one guy said that Saf from average players make good players. I think that with this kind of playing we can t do nothing but fighting for PL. we should at least be 3 points better then Citeh. I just know that this is not good.
I would love for us to bring in someone like Sandro. He’s got presence, is a great ball winner and he can play as well.
We look sorely lacking in the ideas department. Credit to running our socks off but if we don’t have the spark to find avenues into defenses then I don’t see us winning anything this year.
Our diminished central midfield isn’t doing us any favours either
First of all, we haven’t enjoyed any luck at all in the Blackburn or Newcastle games. Secondly, we have a lot of injuries and a very unsettled team.
However, we know come a game against a battling team that some players – Carrick Nani and Berb in particular aren’t up for it.
Too many of our players are well past their sell by date – Giggs, Park, Ferd – for regular games.
And the biggest problem of course midfield. Not replaced Keano and not replaced Scholes.
I’m really depressed and just pray we sign someone to perk us up if only on loan.
How come we sign players like Bebe and de Gea and the Geordies sign Krul, Chiote etc who are doing very well.
Dreading Sunday. To think we were once a team to be feared.
Comprehensively outplayed all over. No steel. No guile. No effort.
Nani’s fucking stupid haircut is symptomatic — he thinks he only has to turn up now and be the star –and the football does itself. Rooney looks like he’s waiting for a better offer again. Park is clueless, but don’t hold your breath waiting for Ashley Young to be much better. Jones is great going forward, terrible at the back — by no means the CB that everyone makes him out to be. I could carry one and go through the whole team, but I won’t. They look like they can’t be arsed. These are the worst back-to-back United dispays I can remember in over 40 years.
The problem is with Ferguson’s lack of buying — either through his own stubbirnness or the Glazers lack of funding. He makes disparaging comments about “transfer junkies” like me — but we STILL don’t really know why we haven’t bought the world class players we need. He can’t keep recycling this tired looking squad that is looking more and more threadbare on creativity. There has to be an immediate and sunstantial injection of new talent — both in terms of vision and steel. I’d swap Tiote for any of our MFs on tonight’s performance.
Manager and team are becoming an embarrassment. Thank goodness there are bigger twats out there like Dogleash and Sewerez
I have followed United for over 30 years through the good times and the bad and these are bad times. I would never have dreamt of questioning Sir Alex but whats going on? We are playing players out of position, we are giving players who are in all honestly not good enough chance after chance and if the press is to be believed? We are pissing off the young players like Pogba and Morrison by not playing them.
Heres a curveball…. Do we sell Rooney and rebuild with the Money his transfer would generate?
I believe we should, his heart is not in it. He just seems to be going through the motions.
Saf’s hardly going to just fuck him away to them cunts like with kettleneck..if he were to leave it would be to the virus or uefalona
I kinda think Rooney should b sold 2 mayb 1 of the top 3 overrated playrs in Europe I mean wen he’s gd he is gd but wen bad he he absolute rubbish like he was 2nite……
Bingo….. Spot on!
no balance simple as that.
For me it is disgrace that Newcastle beat us with 3 goals. This squad need fresh world class blood. i feel so bad…i don t know but something is missing. we fluctuate tooooo much. i feel insecure..
More than new signings, poor performances of CB pairing (just like De Gea, Jones will need time. Time is calling it on Rio~ America beckons soon).
What worries me the most is the team spirit. Do you know what I mean? I mean Yakubu and N’zonzi tearing the pitch up for their manager, Simpson/Cabaye/Ba/Collocini pumped up and ready to play for each other.
On our side Berba and Rooney waving off each other dismissively. I’m talking about the disrespectful relationship between Rooney and Nani, and Rooney and Evra. The soul of the team is not right. They are not leaving it all on the pitch for Fergie. No urgency, and no esprit de corp. Are there factions now like Chelsea saw develop during their brief Championship trot?
This more than anything else worries me.
Anyone actually feeling confident about Sunday?if we play like that 6-1would be a good result!
We really badly HAVE to sign players. I fear that the real reason why fergie is saying there is no value in the market is because he is being limited by lack of money. Even though fergie says the funds are there he may not mean it. We all know how open he is about his transfers… However I may be wrong and we sign Ronaldo , Goetze , Hummels , Marchisio , Schweinsteiger , Hazard on the first day of the transfer window if the funds ‘are’ really available
I’d love to see signings but lets be honest its not going to happen. Here is fergie’s press conference from last week, broken down as said on twitter by united rant:
There’s no value in the market. The Glazers are great owners. There’s nobody good enough for united. You’s are all fuckin eejits.
To borrow something else from twitter as per surreal football:
This result is astonishing when you consider that apparently there aren’t any footballers in the world who could improve this team.
Frustrating!!!!!!!!!!!!! Sign someone fergie, the fans are not blind!
@RedRich
Well said … Hope the Sunday never come
100 quid says we beat city on Sunday, any takers?
i can rant i can rave but do you know what…..newcastle fucking deserved their victory tonight.no complaints.our injuries are catastrophic rio looked 10% fit jones is only 19 and learning his trade but where was our leader tonight….?? i do fear sunday but dont write us off just hope i’m right
ffs! not replaced keano?! yeah you’re right… we’ve only won the premiership 3 times and the champions league since keano left! hahaha!
shit result… but even by rom post match standards these comments are hilarious. No regulars on here? Now why would that be….?
Deserved defeat.
Ferdinand is past it. Jones still inexperienced, Nani thinks he’s Ronaldo, our best player is Giggs. Rooney seemed off the pace, Berba was anonymous due to the lack of supply. Chicharito offside most of the time. Injuries dont help either.
And still Fergie thinks we don’t need reinforcements. We are close to being in a crisis and come weekend, we might be in one.
We lose at city the seasons over as far as I can see city will win the treble
indeed, we’ll be torn apart if we play like this in the cup tie
@United till I die
1000 quid says we play ultra defensive against city on sunday
I thought the 5-0 at Fulham was the start of a barnstorming run. Makes you wonder what happened over Xmas.
Some of your comments are quite frankly riddiculous! (most not all) So much doom and gloom, you sound like Berties and thats an embarassment. We need this, we need that or sell him! Whats it all about? As United we do everything the hard way, so if your feeling the pressure stop rubbing negativity around and Sling it somewhere! UTID
@bruce thomas
Have to agree about Fergie’s comments about the transfer window. At times he acts like it’s an act of defiance if he doesn’t sign anyone because “the answer isn’t just buying world class players”. And maybe that’s true. But no one told him to buy world class splayers. Just buy a ball winner in midfield or a right back that doesn’t get injured every 2 weeks! That’s not a lot to ask for. Our best defender in the last 4 years has been Vidic and when did we buy him?
Anyway, it’s not just about having the funds. Fergie spent 50-60 mil last summer and a large part of that went to a winger when we never needed one..
@traffordlord
You hit the nail on the head — because the most worrying factor is that it really does look as if there is something seriously wrong in the dressing room — or there is something going on behind the scenes that we can only speculate about. But there is no team spirit there at all.
That was fucking shite, even worse than Saturday. Worst performance in months. Coincides with Jones playing at centre half: doesn’t win the first ball for their first goal, needlessly fouls Ba for the second and scores their third. If Evans did that everyone would string him up. Idiots in the pub suggesting Giggs had a good game?!?! Hernandez did nothing, our momentum went as soon as Park went off. Fucking rubbish, Nani was pathetic. Why was Ando not starting? What does Pogba have to do to get a chance? I feared this tonight. Play the kids! Do Carrick a favour and play him next to somebody progressive! Keep Berbatov on! Put Hernandez on when we’re playing on the break, not chasing a game. Grrrrrr.
I’m not saying this is the reason but the team was flying and team spirit was good before Rooney showing up to training hung over still pissed whatever
He’s supposed to be Utds main man. He makes 200k a week,yet acts like a immature kid.Don’t see how he can keep the respect of his teammates acting that way and must effect team morale
Agree with virtually everything you said.
& yes, Newcastle did play well. But yet again we were shocking.
Honesty tells us that poor challenges from all domestic rivals have seen us ok in the last 2 years, how much longer can Alex continue to lie on behalf of the Gimp family & claim he doesn’t want to buy.
Any Fukin idiot can see how pathetic our midfield has been for the last couple of years, it goes dominated week in, week out by pretty crap teams.
Finally, demba ba & Cabaye would walk into our team, & I’m not just saying that because they both scored, they’ve been superb all season when I’ve seen them.
Right on @ bruce thomas
Thankfully I’m not alone on that observation.
We were shit end of. Im not goin yo watch any skysports news or buy any papers for a few days
Rooney, Giggs, Park and Rio. Keep those players out the club and buy, you’ll win something… For Glory sake, Valencia aint a full back!
@ costas every single word from your comments absolutely correct.we have not addressed right full back since nevilles injury v bolton in 2007 and yes i include wes brown.am disappointed but fergie is right now aint a time to panic we are only 3pts behind city……however we have to travel to chelsea spurs city and arsenal…….
@Traffordlord
Don’t know if factions are starting to develop in there, but there’s just something about the spirit of this team that’s gone missing. Normally you expect the team to respond or turn games around, but I don’t think we’ve done that once this season other than the Charity Shield.
Plenty of complacency me thinks.
Jones simply isn’t a centre half, i’ve argued with numerous people on this blog that he’ll end up a great centre back but i doubt that now. he lacks positional awareness (which to be fair comes with experience) but secondly, he can’t seem to win aerial battles, that is another rule of the centre half trade and if he can’t do that then he should not be picked at the back anymore, stick him in midfield where his marauding runs can be effective.
I agree with SCOTT on hernandez, he once timed as the fastest player at last summer’s world cup so why does he get caught off side every time? apart from that, his all round game needs major work.
Smalling/maybe evan need to get back or a terrible week could become a footballing disaster
I can get over a shit performance…but not a performance lacking in fight. We got fuckin bullied tonight by an excellent, and pumped up Newcastle side.
Individually…the whole front 6, with the possible exception of Carrick (and he wasn’t exactly brilliant) were poor. Welbeck also did well when he came on.
I know I bang on about it a lot……but how on Earth does Sir Ryan constantly get his name on the starting line up? The guy is a brilliant impact sub, but a friggin liability when he starts. Especially away from home, against a midfield like Newcastle’s…..you’re just asking to get overrun. Name me one good game Giggsy’s had this season when he’s played from the start. I guarantee you won’t be able to find one, with the exception of Leeds in the Carling Cup (and he only played one half!) Apparently Anderson wasn’t 100% ready to start…but then I’d much rather have Rooney playing centre mid than Giggsy. He’s a legend, but his name should not be anywhere near the starting XI.
Jones had a horror show, and I agree with Scott that he looks a lot better in midfield. Hopefully Smalling is back for Sunday and we can push Jones forward. A 3 man midfield of Jones-Carrick-Anderson would be decent IMO.
I was worried before this game about Nani and Valencia, coz they’ve played basically every game over the last month. They both looked off the boil today, particularly Valencia who did nothing but give fouls away.
To be fair, Fergie has been more severely hampered by injuries than any other team in the League. It must be tough on him having to play our most assertive player (Valencia) at fullback for example.
Having said that, you’d want the bigger players who are available to stand up and be counted. That hasn’t happened in the last 2 games. We looked hesitant, slow and lethargic. For me, Nani has to be on the receiving end of a bollocking and not only for the shite haircut he ponced around with tonight. His decision making has gone backwards and it looked like his team mates didn’t even trust him to take a corner in the last 5 minutes. Rightly so, he hasn’t delivered a decent cross from a corner in a long time.
The sad news for Fergie is that there is no covering up the desperate need to inject some new blood into midfield.
grim mood tonight. Thank fuck we have the greatest manager of all time to drag us out of it.
@ AnthonyMoston
Yeah your right but you seriuosly must be blind when saying there is nothing to do to improve our team. Yeah sure united do things the hard way but whens the last time actually staged a top class comeback?? The reason for the doom and gloom is becauae we have has BACK TO BACK defeats to mediocre teams
Costas – or maybe we just haven’t got enough inspirational match winning players anymore?
I said it after the Blackburn game and I’m saying it again tonight. We’re weakening our midfield by playing Valencia at right back when we have a perfectly good right back on the bench. I just can’t figure it out, I really can’t. Even when we needed two goals Sir Alex takes off Rooney and brings on Anderson which put an end to any hopes of pushing Valencia to right wing. I don’t care what anyone says, if trying to convince me otherwise, I just can’t get my head around the reasoning behind wasting Valencia at right back when we have a perfectly good one on the bench. Yes I know Rafael gets injured a lot but he is an excellent attacking full back who I rate extremely highly. He was one of our best players in the second half against blackburn once he was moved back to his true position.
why play velencia at right back if rafael was fit,if we dont sign someone in defence attack and midfield we will struggle to catch the bitters.
Help! Scholesy come back!!!!!
1) Chicho looks like shit…not only on the pitch, but physically as well. The guy looks 5 years older than last season, I wonder if he’s personal life is ok (?)
2) Welbeck doesn’t seem to find his place on the pitch. Good player but needs to work on his positioning and most importantly on his touch if he wants to take his game to the other level
3) Playing an in-form Valencia at right back is nonsense when you have defenders available (Rafael) and another winger (Young) injured
4) Jones can still play as a CB, the problem is the amount of rotation we’ve had a the back. You cannot expect a player be consistent if he is being switched around every week. Our back five needs more consistency that any other area of the pitch at the moment
5) WE STILL NEED A CENTRAL (creative) MIDFIELDER. This one-dimentional type of play of passing it to the wings its getting so predictable that any top team could deal with our crosses all day
i think we hv spent too much money already this season n shud consider loaning a midfielder from somewhere. do a larsson once more sir alex!
“I just can’t get my head around the reasoning behind wasting Valencia at right back when we have a perfectly good one on the bench.”
All I can think of is that right wing is Nani’s best position. But with Young out and Nani in this sort of form he might be better off putting Nani on the left or on the bench and Valencia at right wing.
I usually defend Nani but he’s blowing very cold at the moment. That haircut doesn’t help with defending him, either.
@samuel
I can’t believe that mate. We fought our way back in games last season and that was the same bunch of players. Tonight we had 2 proven match winners in Rooney and Nani, Giggs who can still deliver the goods (i.e. his performance at Blackpool a year ago) and players like Berba and Chicha who can also score crucial goals. But it really comes down to the first 2 players I mentioned. If they are not motivated, the team doesn’t seem to get going.
@Wayne – Rooney was diabolical tonight, but let’s not act like what went on during the week has had an affect on this result, or the spirit of the team please. If you’re telling me that the performances of the team are dependant on what state one of our players comes into training, then something’s seriously wrong. Are team-mates gonna “lose respect” for him coz he turned up to training hungover? Not a chance mate.
He was an idiot, Fergie disciplined him, end of. He’s not the first player who’s broken the rules – by all accounts Keano did that many times, and I’m sure there was nothing wrong with the spirit of the team in those days.
Let’s not become journalists and try to make a mountain out of a molehill, there’s enough people queing up to do that.
“i think we hv spent too much money already this season n shud consider loaning a midfielder from somewhere. do a larsson once more sir alex!”
Beckham?
SAF must improve team selection.
1). Pairing Giggs and Par didn’t work agains Barsa, and has not worked ever since.
2). Rooney & Berba have never clicked. Either start Rooney-Chicharito or start Berba-Wellbeck or Rooney-Wellbeck. Why insist on a pairing that has never worked?
3). Valencia RB? Why if he has Rafael available on the bench? Wouldn’t we have been better of with Rafael at RB, Valencia RW, and Nana LW? Instead, both Nani and Valencia were ineffective in right wing all day, and we had little or no threat on left wing.
4). We still have not lost premier, but we are very close to completely unravelling. More than a creative midfielder, what we really need is a center back. Without Vidic, we can’t rely on Ferdinand and the young deputies to hold the fort. This is the one area where United must buy experience during this transfer window.
Scott the Red
Agree with much of what you have said, however, why even make Lindergard one of your main points of reaction. Had NO fuckin chance with any of the goals and other than that had fuck all to do so no need to make that a crucial reaction point. Particularly when you didn’t even mention Nani!! Now I never slate players, and I’m not slating Nani, he’s been immense over the last year n half and we’re all entitled to a bad spell, but to throw lindergard as a reaction point and not Nani is odd. I was a little surprised that Rafael wasn’t put on and Valencia pushed forward with nani switching and replacing Park, who looked to be hobbling at times today. Which brings me to your criticism of 19 year old Jones. Yes he was beaten by a flick in from Ameobi, but I’ve seen more seasoned pro’s beaten by big gangly forwards before. I’d be more concerned by Rio turning his back on the shot. The free kick?! Given away because in the build up Park was out of position and was treading Ba’s syrup trying to get back. Wasn’t much else Jones could do in my opinion? I’m not saying he had a good game, far from it, but to highlight those two as glaring errors is harsh. The rest I completely agree with. At this point and in my post defeat blues, I really couldn’t give a shit about Sunday. A win would be great but I’d rather have a fit squad ready to play Bolton and Arsenal in the next two league games. 3 points behind that shower of shit from the wastelands is doable, any more will take more than our injury hit squad has to offer I fear.
again dont want us to panic as pointed out earlier we only 3pts behind city but we have difficult away games against the big teams.just feel a major major signing obviously in midfield would boost not just the players but the fans too….would send a message to our rivals that we aint gonna relinquish the title without a mega fucking fight
Think we might be looking at a sale rather than a buy this month. Something is clearly not right in the dressing room. Most of them are looking disinterested, pissing and moaning all the time instead of trying harder. That is unacceptable. Sort out the dressing room, change captaincy, whatever it takes. These kinds of perfomances are not worthy of any Manchester United side. Someone has to light a fire in this squad.
Gutted for Lindegaard.
Gutted for Jones, hope he recovers from this.
Fair play to Valencia (standout performer in terms of determination) and Carrick. They did well.
@pablo
That’s my worry about our schedule as well. I think we’ve reached the point where City went through their uphill road and they are still 3 points ahead. It will take a huge effort on our part now.
Plus, despite what people say, we are not better off compared to last season. Yeah we have more points after 20 games this season, but if you compare these 20 games to the same 20 games from 10-11, the points are the same: 45. As things stand, we are on course for 80 points and that won’t be enough.
Been saying all along except now Im bored, not disapointed but fucking bored. Its difficult watching United for all these years and watching Manchester United do a Liverpool. Nani and Rooney will pull all that Sir Alex has acchieved down. Mark my words. Both are Spurs players. They have jinky runs, do the odd amazing shit but when it comes down to the upmost proffessionalism then those two are a pair of syphalitic whores puss filled gashes. You can dress them up as much as you like by showing the same fucking re runs of the over head goal against City as you like. How about showing the lapse passes that always mount into the double figures. How about the continuous running out of possition.
For fuck sake Sir Alex, sell these two pieces of reconstituted turd before they lose anymore sodding value.
You cant shite on the team as a whole. The last goal was soft but we were out of it anyway and decission making at that late stage shouldnt be held with the same weight as if the game was at 0-0. The first two goals were very well taken goals and Im not blaming the keeper for those. The team for the most part dominated its just that Rooney and Nani are gash, Park is a workhorse not a playmaker, Giggs is too old and if you have two fuckers that lose the ball you dont need to mark them just the space they run into because then you make it very difficult. Wellbeck brought a bit of energy and things looked up for a bit. Hernandez is tired and to be fair probably void of ideas. Hes supposed to have a mentor to teach him the game, hes not the finnished article at 20 odd. Weve had injuries and its just a bad run to get youngsters learning instead they are being thrown in and pressure thrown on them too soon. We have a massive ammount of possession and we have that possession around the penalty area alot of the time, its there its down to the strikers, not playmakers. The problem is we seek the wing every time and Nani cant cross. Rooney is never in the box but fucking around pretending to be mr Cantona. There is one thing a play maker must be able to do and thats fucking pass. Not throw ins, not heading specifically, not defending, not running around chasing lost causes but fucking pass. Why o fucking why take off the clubs best passer (Berbatov) and leave the clubs worst passer (Rooney) on. To me its as basic as needed a goal keeper that has hands.
Sell Nani and Rooney. they are shit. I keep saying it but unfortunately too many of you retarted pubeless numpties seem to believe you hear in the daily mirror.
Sell Rooney to Milan for 50 million and skupper Citys Tevez sale. Swap Nani for Sneijder. Give more time to Wellbeck and Berbatov. More time for Cleverley when he gets back.
And if Mr Fergusson needs more money that moheekened twat Anderson can fuck off too. We signed the Brazillian Djemba Djemba, unbelievable.
@suhail
Can u remember 1 united player who has played 5 concecutive games in the same position barring Pat?
Newcastle competed well but didnt create anything like a 3-0 scoreline deserved. As for Blackburn concentration and individual errors cost us. Teams can always be improved but there is no where near as much improvement needed in our squad, as people on these forums Wax on about!
Stongest XI we can field THIS season would give anyone a game
Lindegard
Rafa, Smalling, Rio, Pat
TonyV, Carrick, Jones, Nani
Rooney, Hernandez
Agreed with pretty much all of that Scott – except I think Welbeck did have an impact when he came on. Def agreed with the 2nd point, and your right Anders did have a solid match all things considered. Overall we were outmuscled and harried off the ball first half, then second half we weren’t up for it in the final third. Im not a Berbatov admirer for the fuck of it, but I honestly think he should of stayed on the pitch for the 90. His first touch and holding of the ball were miles ahead of Rooney’s contribution. Welbeck should of come on for Wazza much earlier in the game as well, but what do I know I expected De Gea to start. Shitty game. First two goals were class, and the second was a set piece shot from miles out. Shit happens BUT thats no excuse for that limp performance. We should’ve been a goal up before Ba even scored, Rooney missed a sitter early on. Don’t want to discuss the third goal. Nani went missing at times in the game, but most of his delivery came in the first half when you’d really prefer to see Danny shrugging off defenders to get on the end of it. Frustrating night for him overall, but when he did get ball went in the box it wasn’t attacked enough for my liking.
We can’t deny it, after the Blackburn defeat we deserved a performance today and we didn’t get it. Not to highlight Rooney for the fuck of it but he did lose a hell of a lot of possession first half, and we paid for that complacency with Ba’s classy finish. As for Hernandez, he managed to be offside while deep in midfield at one point. Clearly he needed the minutes (and we needed the bloody goals) so I understand him coming on, we want him in form, but it was Welbeck who looked most likely to create or finish something tonight. He found space as soon as he came on and kept popping up, unlucky not to get an assist after putting it on a plate for Rooney and then finding Park. Giggs had a good game I thought, and Rio did well against Ba apart from his deserved slice of luck. Can’t even slag the team off as even the back four wasn’t that bad, Tony left his customary mark on RB, and Evra did his job attacking the left. We dropped the 3 points because of wastefulness in the first half imo, and when we ran out for the second half we just weren’t up for it – not till Danny came on. Alec must be doing his nut.
Still, happy to see Ando close to a return, thats a big bonus – only played the final minutes but managed to create a clear cut chance from nothing. All we need is Tom back fit and Young to rediscover form, oh and having both Twins back wouldn’t go amiss either, let alone all the other walking injured. This thread bare selection routine is taking the piss, just as well theres light at the end of the tunnel Squad-wise.
Every great team reaches the end of it’s circle, we have some players in that current squad who lack hunger and fight for the course, some have the hunger but lack the legs to take them any further.
Whether we like it or not, a revamp of the squad has to be done. i’m not saying get rid of everyone but in key positions, the team has to be strengthened. Teams in the premier league have got stronger and more competitive, we can’t afford to underestimate teams anymore, everyone wants to take a big team’s scalp and we have to counter that by wheeling out a great team ingrained with quality, determination and fight. Failure to do these things may see us watch the team deteriorate, that’s the fact. Call a spade a spade, lets stop buryin our heads in the sand by finding non existent positives.
Pains me to agree with Wayne, but he has a point about Rooney. His attitude tonight was appalling. His performance, was even worse. He got what wanted last season. Should be our talisman. He was anything but tonight. Games like this, you really do miss a Keane, or Robson. Some players need reminding, who they’re playing for. Not acceptable performance. Other issues have already been talked about. Constantly. I can’t see Fergie signing anyone this window. That should be ruled out here and now. Injuries have plagued us all season. Thats starting to have an affect. Lets not forget, we’ve lost two big big players in Fletch and Vida. You can’t keep sustaining those losses. After hauling in city’s lead, we’ve them get away from us again. Surely a response on Sunday? We’ll never die! 19
today was the day i thought “how united biased is howard webb”, everyone claims it all the time “howard webb loves united.”
in all honesty he was piss poor tonight but please dont get me wrong we didnt lose because of him but if he is supposed to be the best ref in england then the fa has a serious problem.
I am left wondering has Fergie lost his ability to inspire his players? If not, then there is something wrong with our players.
Only a decent performance and a win against Shitty on Sunday, will renew my belief in this squad.
Funniest comment I have read tonight goes to Ricardo!!! Hahahahahahahahahahahahaa!! Fuck me mate, I’m crying here. And if you’re being serious, that’s even funnier. Hahaha. Awesome !!
Wayne Rooney should never play for United again; his attitude to this game was a disgrace! United should never have another scouser in the team again – they are what they are! SAF – spend some money – it’s clear United don’t have enough – all the heads dropped after Newcastles first goal!
I agree with most comments on here tonight but I’m afraid the Wayneboy looks as though he’s ready to move on. Either he’s starting to believe the hype surrounding him or somebody has tapped him up. Call me what you want but on recent performances, both on and off the field, he is not good enough to be a United “talisman”. The team which played tonight was unsettled. The team which played on Saturday did have a go and tried to win the damn game.
AnthonyMoston
change hernandez with danny and it is yes
@MikeKelly
Just read it myself…………..is the guy for real haha
Agreed with point 5 as well – Credit where its due.
Ba raised eyebrows for anybody watching at the end of last season and I think he’s been top class this season. 2 hat tricks, more goals than Aguero, same number of goals as Rooney, 2 less than top scorer RVP, only 2 years left on his contract this summer. For some daft reason he was 12/5 anytime tonight. Somebody bigger will obviously sign him, especially after that finish past Anders.
That freekick from Cabaye wasn’t too bad either was it? Fucking hell.
End of the day it did look about a 2-0, but 3-0 took the piss.
Looking onward – next up is CIty, and that match demands an all out performance from every player who starts in our Shirt. I’d hate to think how Alec will wield the axe if we don’t show up in that game, as I have no doubt he is still capable of a complete clear-out. Mistakes at Blackburn, complacency tonight. Nothing short of Victory will do in the FA Cup. Gutted with today but knowing City are coming up is a huge positive, as Im expecting a belter of a game come Weekend. Alec needs to stick a boot in from now till Sunday, the lads have earned it imo.
Laters RoM.
Personally I don’t believe Rooney has given all he can to this club. He’s still our talismam who has his off days.
What pisses me off is why he may have his off days. Apparently everything has to be perfect in his life, otherwise his performances will suffer. The scandal last season? The contract dispute? The fact that he was fined for being unprofessional this week? Well he’s not 20 anymore. He’s 26 and I expect more maturity from him.
@rat1p
To be honest we just need to get a stable eleven give or take the odd change hear or there playing together game in game out……..a lot of players had stop start seasons or have played various positions. Things have room for improvement anyway!
Do not understand how berbatov apparently was shit today? Can’t you see he actually looks composed with the ball and makes good decisions ( =keep possession). He dictates the play
another thing that worries me are our set pieces we somehow forgot how to take them. seriously is it that hard to hit a decent freekick on target or get a corner kick to a head that belongs to our team.
if u cant do it stay on the training pitch and practice it dont cut your hair like a sissy, take cron as an example luis carlos almeida da cunha you have the talent to do it properly
I’m just FUCKING dejected like most, bloody hell i’m running out of words.
I’m not sure there is much light at the end of tunnel Paul, squad wise? We’re pretty much down to the bare bones. Smalling will be a great boast, if he makes it for Sunday. Fergie might have to go 451 against the bitters. I don’t know how many more wake up calls we need. Sake of fucking it hearing that now! Just give us everything on Sunday. Even if we lose. At least go down fighting ffs!
I’m not saying this because of his mistake tonight, but I really hope the long term plan is for Jones to be a central midfielder. As soon as Smalling and Evans are back I want to see Jones straight back in the middle of the park where he’s been showing some excellent promise. Before we know it, a Jones/Cleverley midfield pairing might see the centre of the pitch looking not too bad all of a sudden.
it sums up the past 3 woeful seasons for united, since the 2009/10 season we have seen a decline of the squad. When the club fails to strengthen key area’s of the squad then the chickens come home to roost unfortunately
Lets look at the back its beyond pethetic now, how united have got a collection of defenders who are just not fit enough for a whole season, take your pick, da silva twins, ferdinand, vidic now, the ones we have fit on most games, smallen jones evans evra some of them are not even fit these days. That is just 4 defenders, the depth at the back is just not there any-more
Lets look at the engine room, its ageing no question now, carrick fletcher giggs for me are also at an end of a cycle. Anderson I just give up on the guy, cleverly is still injured. And again much like the defence the depth in midfield is just not there anymore.
Out wide is united’s only saving grace, but the likes of nani can be moody, one minute he is brilliant the next he does not seem to be on the pitch.
But upfront its a mix bag of 2 strikers which for me is a huge worry in rooney and berbatov. We have rooney in the prime of his career look complete tosh, while berbatov has done well but he is at the wrong end of his career. So united’s 2 no10′s it is a worry for united long term, and the likes of welbeck and hernandez are not helped out with united’s 2 no10′s eem unsettle,d and the age of both players where one should be in top form, and the other may leave on a free along with an ageing midfield
That is my 2 cents on the state of the squad, and to sum up the 3 piss poor seasons at the club, JUST NOT GOOD ENOUGH ANYMORE
the best place to get made is the official manchester united forum, berbatov wasnt on top tonight but he wasnt shit either but some genius puts this up “Berba as a starter = Defeats FACT “. its one thing to be critical of your team but its another one to totally miss the point everytime, sometimes i love to hate united supporters
I don’t think the fine is what caused Rooney’s poor performance. Let’s not forget that he was pretty poor againt Fulham on the 21st (don’t be fooled by that fantastic strike, his performance that day was bad)
With the exception of 09/10 (where he was being played as a pure goalscorer really)….Rooney is not the kind of player that will be consistent all season long. He’ll have his purple patches, and his black patches, that’s the way it is.
Whether we like it or not, the team is heavily dependant on him functioning. Start of the season he was on fire and so were we. Then he dipped…and so did we. Then he picked up….and so did we. Today he was poor…and so were we. That’s without considering how many points we drop when he’s not playing (off the top of my head – Basle, Benfica, Stoke, Blackburn)
Also….I don’t think its a coincidence that our best periods of form this season have been when Rooney and Welbeck have been playing. There seems to be an energy and vibrancy about our play, and Rooney and Nani seem to bounce off him a bit in terms of chemistry. Just my opinion of course.
Afraid if we don’t corrective steps over the next couple of weeks teams we have left behind us are all going to be going past us.Then we really will know what a crisis is,we are only three points adrift but feels like a mountain.
First Blackburn now this. I got the impression on Saturday that one or two thought that they only had to turn up to get the 3 points. Tonight’s performance was abysmal – no spirit and definitely no fight. But I can’t see anyone going on MUTV to say it like it is – they’d be off to Celtic asap !
It’s obvious. The injuries have finally caught up with us and we need quality reinforcements fast. Not looking forward to Sunday. If we play like this they could hammer us again.
@Willirednut – couldn’t agree more mate. And Wayne does make a good point at 22:40. Rooney can’t afford to see himself as one of the lads where he can turn up hung over for training. Could be wrong but I think he was the oldest lad when they all went out. Its not on, and it shows his mind isn’t where it needs to be. You can’t demand that kind of money and then not be a leader on and off the pitch. Thats not to lay into Rooney, and some may not like it, but fuck it, but home truths are home truths. The performance he put in tonight was similar to Basel imo, lethargic and lacking urgency. Not good enough. I hope Alec sticks a boot in and cuts out the complacency before Sunday. Even with the most injuries in the league we’re still second, and City is our chance to put a lot of bad results behind us and show other teams we’re not fucking about.
Costas – i think we have to accept that mentally, Rooney isn’t the strongest, he crumbles under outside pressure and that shows on his performances on the pitch. Messi and ronaldo may play in a league that isn’t very competitive but they’re class above him in terms of dragging their teams out of the doldrums.
Rooney looks unmotivated and lost, coming to training drunk and in an unfit state is ridiculous for any professional with years of experience at the top level, if Fergie found a genuinely quality number 10 (depending on a signing or morrison developing into that) then the scotman would have sent him fucking packing, simple
I’ve made my mind up on this too, play Rooney OR Berbatov, not both.
Mikekelly12 says:
Funniest comment I have read tonight goes to Ricardo!!! Hahahahahahahahahahahahaa!! Fuck me mate, I’m crying here. And if you’re being serious, that’s even funnier. Hahaha. Awesome !!
You’ll be laughing on the other side of your face if it happens mate. Whos going to stop them. Its not a case they are a great team but they have momentum and they have an abundance of highly trained skill. They are nearly all new and come with masses of training field ideas from other clubs (just like Mourinho teams). It wont last but Ricardo was talking about this year. Can we stop them with gobshite Scouse gargoyle and suave sophisticated pimp Nani. Two games against them this year and they were more than a fight. Will Chelsea stop them with Didier Zimmer frame and tornado Torres. Or do you think Liverpool will stop them?? (No didnt think so lol) Spurs with Monkey magic. If we dont spend on atleast two world class players now then we are fucked because I want Rooney out.
I support the Glazers but I reffuse to buy Manchester United merchandise now untill Rooneys name is off the fucking lot.
@rat1p
Well fans are always fickle mate. I remember someone asking a United fan what he’d like to get rid of in 2012 and he said “Berbatov”. Not saying that he’s the future of this club or that he’s been brilliant game in game out, but if some fans can’t open their eyes, we can’t do it for them.
But since we are talking about facts, I’ll mention 2 similar occasions. The Newcastle game and the Blackpool game from last year. Berbatov plays better than Rooney in both games. Fergie takes off Rooney at Blackpool and Berba and Chicha turn it around. Fergie takes Berba off today and other than Simpson’s heroics, we didn’t create anything up front.
I don’t think there is another team in England or even in Europe that could/would be 3 points off the lead with the same amount of injuries we have had so far this season. So hopefully we will be able to get a settled team back and the other contenders will get the share of injuries.
But saying that we do have very serious concerns and need to think about strengthening.
1. The Twins are always fucking injuried for at least 60% of the time or don’t finish a game. So full backs are a concern
2. Rio looks well past it or maybe he is carrying a injury but how many times did he challenge Ba tonight in the air? Not Once like always
3. Without Vidic we dont have a defender that has any BOTTLE. They others are good players but they can so easily be bullied by a decent forward and look shite scared.
4. The potentially best center midfielder in england – Cleverley – do not pin our hopes of this lad as he is so injury prone. missed the half of the last season for wigan and has been out most of this season – injuruied – shit i think only Hargreaves has a worse injury record
5. With both Berba and Carrick in the team we loose a lot of energy speed n drive and they certainly do not make up for it in skill. we become so slow, sluggish predictable. Allowing other teams the time to get set up defensively
6. Our midfield tonight were like statues the Toon players ran past them as if they weren’t there!
7. Nani – twat – has been pure shite for the last two games. When was the last time this pounce actually played a decent game. Not 1 cross in tonight.
Only player tonight I would say actually looked like he gave a toss was Tony V.
Park invisible
If you ask me….some of Rooney’s displays over the last 6 weeks remind me of Ronaldo in his last season….sulky, demotivated, acting like he’d rather be elsewhere.
It seems such a change from the beginning of the season where he seemed to be really enjoying being the “leader” of this new team. Cleverley, Anderson, Welbeck, Jones etc…he was almost the veteran of that bunch and it seemed to bring out the best in him.
Our final ball today again was woeful. I can’t really have a pop at Berba, Danny or Chico as the quality of service to our front men was pretty poor. Nani seems to have forgotten how to cross a ball.
Sir Ryan is still an effective impact sub where an injection of skill is required but he shouldn’t really be starting games these days. At 38, you cannot expect more than 60 mins from him and I sense lesser opposition players are beginning to run him off. Ryan has the vision but his legs can’t keep up anymore.
JSP and Wayne can usually be relied upon to put in a good shift but both were really poor today in their all round games. Jones had a poor game too but people forget he’s a youngster – only 19 and learning his trade.
Right now, we seem to lack muscle, discipline, concentration and the will to fight to the last which is strange for United. Finally, SAF needs to take a leaf out of Brian Clough’s book and ban all silly haircuts (and stupid celebratory dances for that matter).
“Monkey magic” – hahahahahaha
Also gotta ask why Giggsy seems immune to criticism from both fans and pundits alike. He was every bit as shocking as Jones, Rooney, Nani and Valencia tonight, as is the case whenever he starts.
http://www1.skysports.com/football/news/11095/7411401/?
No excuses from Fergie. Nor should there be any.
Humanoid says:
I have followed United for over 30 years through the good times and the bad and these are bad times. I would never have dreamt of questioning Sir Alex but whats going on?
Sorry mate don’t wish to pick on u but …. At the start of the season with everyone fit we were gona fuck Barca up remember whats changed? oh rite the injuries behave urself we will win the league. who.s better
Sparkz – i’ve criticised the once mercurial giggs. I know he has decent games but He simply should not be starting games anymore, has the skill but hasn’t got the legs anymore.
The champions league final defeat to barca should have been when Fergie revamped that midfield through either by bringing youth players through or buying.
@Willie – Sunday’s game is still in the tunnel mate! Hopefully end of this month we’ll have Cleverley, Smalling, Young, Anderson and the Twins back and fit. For Sunday Alex should have a better set of options then tonight. Rafa should play for starters, which means Nani could move left so the in-form Tony can take the right. Tom won’t be ready but Anderson will be an option as well as Carrick, Giggs, Park for the middle two. Evra will start, and we’ve got Rio, Jones and possibly Smallings and Evans to complete the back four. Fuck knows which keeper will start, and I’d go with Rooney and Welbeck up top.
That line up will be impossible to predict, but if the formation is 4-5-1 it’ll be interesting to see if its Rooney or Welbeck up top. I’d like to see Nani up there but we all have dreams lol. Agreed though, I hope we’re at their necks for the whole 90 minutes. I think a top performance could be more important to our season than an undeserved win to be honest. We need to really have a go. Tony V for Man of the Match!
definatly need a few new signings 2 help us out don’t have 2 break da bank Cahill at 7m,De Rossi probably the same. Tiote would be a monster signing pity he’s going 2 da african nations maybe in the summer.
In other news, well played Timmo!
http://www.soccerclips.net/videos/everton-1-0-bolton-howard
Problem is we have no leader on the pitch. No Robson, not a cantona, Bruce, Neville, Keane. There isn’t a player in that team at moment who embodies the spirit of the club. Rooney would have been the man to look to but he’ll never be a true red to me. We need a player who is basically the gaffer on the pitch. Bit of quality in a couple of positions rather than all this shuffling. By fuck didn’t johnny o’shea set the bar high? Bottom line is it’s evident we need to spend and nows the time to do it.
Goat
Why will I?? I thought this was a blog for United supporters, not a blog for only support United if we win every fucking week and pick up sone silverware!! You obviously miss my point. I wasn’t laughing at Ricardo’s belief that city would win the treble (although the carling cup doesn’t count if you’re specifying “The Treble” if it’s only one of 3 that doesnt include the Champions League, nor does the Europa League). My amusement comes in the part of his statement which stated, the season would be over? Now, forgive me if I’ve missed something, but I support United through an entire season, how many matches do we gave left?? So, forgive me if I’m not currently laughing on the other side of my face, but win lose or draw on Sunday, I very much believe the season is not over! Fuck me we have some special hangers on at this club!
@Sparkz – I thought Giggs did his job tonight imo mate. We were complacent up front tonight and those first two goals were both match winners. Thats how I saw it anyway. Its not like we were constantly scrambling the ball from our half or anything, we just looked half arsed tonight. A well placed Glaswegian boot is whats needed here methinks.
No surprise Roo’s attitude shone for all to see today. I’m not sure if that was really Goat have that rant but it does get you thinking.
This game aside, Rooney complicates matters.
Its disappointing to see that the general consensus is that we can’t win without him. He’s not my talisman. For all the wonderful moments that boy has shown, he never and probably won’t win me over to that extent.
I was gutted last year with the whole ambition fiasco and oddly enough i lost a bit of respect for him when he changed his mind
Problems seen tonight by utd : lack of energy, lack of spirit, sloppiness, poor crosses, poor passing, poor recieving, poor communication, lack of creativity, dedensive holes. The OG summed it all up. Rio was only defender in our half at times reminds me of the city game. SAF needs to sort all this by sunday, in Fergie I trust, though my trust is waning.
here is good question, when was the last time we had more than 20 players fit for 4 straight months?
Rooney was much much better when he had Ronaldo stealing the spot light.
A@22:37
@MikeKelly12
My sentiments exactly, we’d be fucked if we supported someone like Newcastle and try telling them there seasons over!
Some of the shit being spoken on here about Rooney is incredible. It seems the guy is literally not allowed to have a dip in form. Does anyone remember his start to the season?
He dares to go several performances without a talismanic display, and opposition fans and the press have a field day: not world class; still immature; letting his team down; not committed to United; fallen out with Fergie. It’s fucking bad enough that they do it, but our own fans? FUCK that. I know no other player whose misfortunes are so seized upon – and probably exacerbated – by the footballing community at large.
I’m not saying I love the guy. But for fuck’s sake allow him to be human. He will have off days and he will have poor spells of form. He will have moments of indiscretion. But so will every fucking footballer. It’s a team game. Please stop singling him out without reason whenever we do badly.
ha, that was supposed to be @AnthonyMoston 22:37 – Spot on, since when do we throw in the towel, let alone January 4th three points off top?
Paul Parker – I expect a quick start from city on Sunday. They’ll be hoping United are still hungover like Rooney tonight! We haven’t got much scope to change it. I do think we’ll see a 3 man midfield. Playing 2 in there would be suicidal imo. Anderson will come into the team. You would assume Carrick and another? Just a case, of who it is. Like to see Rafael at RB. As you say, push Valencia onto the right wing. Nani out left. And hope the players produce a performance. God knows, we need one after the last 2 shockers!
if i was the manager i wouldnt play rooney on sunday but its safs decision and i leave it at that.
but why does rooney always get away with bad games nobody even dares to questions mr.ambition, i hear things like “he can make the difference” “he is the heart of united” “he has done great things for us” etc. every united fan hates tevez or at least should hate him, but most of the fans forgave rooney for his silly “i have to question the ambition of my team to get more mooney so i can get new hair” move
in my opinion rooney either plays world class or he is piss poor nothing in between.
I do plead guilty about the Giggs thing. I biased with him just like I was with Gary Neville during his last few games. Ryan plays as best as he can most of the time. A 38 year old winger playing in midfield is never easy. Plus, unlike Rooney, you can tell that his scandal didn’t affect his performances. I just feel that Fergie isn’t doing a lot to protect him. Would it have been that horrendous if Gibson or Pogba played in CM today?
@Samuel
You’re right, but I was just hoping that with age he’d change his ways a bit. He has proven that he can be relied upon in big occasions, but should something go wrong for him personally, it clearly takes a toll on him. Good thing his wife didn’t divorce him last season because God knows how much that would have effected him. And he’s becoming predictable too. I’d lie if I said I didn’t expect a performance like this after what happened this week.
“The champions league final defeat to barca should have been when Fergie revamped that midfield through either by bringing youth players through or buying.”
True, assuming you mean the 2009 final.
*I am biased with him*
@FITB
Probably 07-08. Didn’t seem to get a lot of guys injured back then. It was the last season without an injury crisis as well.
We’ve been “unlucky with injuries” ever since…
@Costas – 22:21 – agreed mate, so I was relieved when Rooney DID eventually come off. But your spot on, I thought Berbatov looked good to play on. His recent link up play with Evra and Nani is looking better than Rooneys at the mo so its a shame we didn’t see Danny and Dimmi up top. Thats what we’ve got 4 top strikers for after all. Rotation. Prob is Alex has his hands tied with the press. Rightly subbing Rooney too soon just creates a headache for the Club further down the line. Can’t even fine a pissed player without a shit storm in the press. Laughable how much off field bollocks effects our Club. Rooney should’ve been subbed at half time (imo) but that would be front page news.
Haven’t watched any Newcastle games other than the ones against us. Has Danny Simpson played this good all season or is it just against us? If that’s the case, I will begin to wonder if we let him go too soon.
@Paul Parker
Exactly pal 4th Jan lol
Paul Parker
thing is fergie never changes at half time he even hates to change before the 65min mark thats why i was surprised to see berba walking off so “early”
@rat1p – “why does rooney always get away with bad games nobody even dares to questions mr.ambition”
Reading this blog, I don’t think he does get away with it mate. I’d say him and Berba are the most scrutinised players on here!
@Willie – I’m hoping to see Jones-Carrick-Anderson against City. Barry’s suspended so they’ll have De Jong and Toure looking to bully us in the middle of the park like they did at Wembley last season. Aguero dropping deep….just like he did in October. Difference is, hopefully this time Carrick will be there covering that space he likes to work in. And hopefully with Jones and Anderson alongside him we won’t get bullied.
@Costas – My thoughts exactly. I was championing Pogba to start this game yesterday, thought he deserved a chance and could be just what we need, a bit of energy in there. Even Rooney in the middle of the park would’ve been a better option IMO.
Gona go to sleep now just thanking my lucky stars my brother could have made me support Liverpool Arsenal Chelsea or god forbid Leeds UTD for ever lucky or what.
There would definitely be some people on here that would be much better suited supporting city, what with their FA Cup and imminent world domination. Enjoy the spoils and remember to stop buy in a few years next time you suffer defeat!
Sparkz
maybe tonight is the night people start to question him as well
just hate how such a wonderful club can have so many moronic fans who like to slaughter their favourite scapegoats everytime instead of looking again and realise that the accused one didnt even play
Giggsy is 38? Rooney, or Nani can’t claim that excuse! I said after the Liverpool game, that Giggsy should be used as an impact sub. Since then though, we’ve suffered constant injuries. He can’t get about the pitch anymore. Same thing happened with Keane and Scholes. The brain is willing, but the body isn’t having none of it. Still quality in the left peg. I don’t lay the blame at Giggsy door. We should have up graded the midfield by now. We knew about Darren’s illness for a while. Hargreaves was never coming back. Scholes was always gonna retire. Why hasn’t something been done about it? If our intended targets don’t come off, then revise the list and go for other targets. If we don’t want to do that, give Pogba and Tunni a try? The latter is loan, obviously. Next season, I’m thinking about. Losing TC was a massive blow, excuse the pun. Can’t come back soon enough for me.
@Paul Parker
If we go back to the 99-01 period, it’s safe to say that Fergie knows how to rotate between 4 strikers better than anyone. And that’s why today illustrated to me why he kept Berba in the summer, but also why he hasn’t used him a lot. He likes to depend on him when Rooney is missing, but he’s not too fond of the 2 of them playing together. You rarely get a top performance from both in the same game. Like you said, I just feel that tonight Fergie found himself in a corner. He had to start Berba because of his recent form, but he also had to start Rooney because he wanted to put the fine issue to bed. But even that selection wasn’t the end of the world. Roon and Berb hadn’t started together in 10 months after all. I just feel that by taking Berba off first, we lost some of our creativity and we wasted one substitution since Rooney was going to come off as well.
Speaking of the fine, the media has truly gone overboard with it. Rooney was also disciplined for something similar back in the festive period of 07-08. We didn’t hear a lot about it then. Personally I am starting to wonder if someone from Rooney’s camp (like his beloved agent) made a meal out it through the press..
Mikekelly12
Sorry mate, maybe I got the context or timing wrong. I read Ricardos thing is “City winning the treble” and caught you laughing. I dont believe for a minute the seasons over but its not looking too smart.
We have a few saying there is an injury crisis but we really have to wake up to the fact that today we had (at seasons start) the 2 first choice strikers playing. The two first choice wingers playing (ok one out of possition but hes done it before, its not as if we werent motivated or was playing Barca), 1 of our first choice midfielders playing and Giggs filling in. 1 of our first choice center backs and 1 of our first choice fullbacks and Lindegaard. Disregarding Vidic the only possitions we were lacking today from the TOP line up was RB, CM, GK – with the RB possition causing a weakness at LW. Funny enough Gary Neville, Paul Scholes and VDS were the only players missing from the strongest possible squad from last year. and the midfield, Park Giggs Carrick was the one we put up against Barca.
Im not a hanger on, I love United with all my heart but I think I have a right to voice my opinion when I put fact (oooeerr Rafa) across and the players have lost all heart. Especially the expensive ones.
Perversely, the only silver lining was seeing Wayne being taken off – not as a tactical move but, dare I suggest, for playing shit. All this talk about Wayne being our ‘talisman’ and ‘undroppable’ is and always was bollocks – it’s a team game and all players play poorly some time or another. Wayne’s an excellent player and I’d much rather his performance warranted him staying on the pitch. However, that was not the case in this match.
The only way up for us is for ALL our players to understand that no-one is bigger than the team and if your performance drops to an unacceptable level your place will be up for grabs. Period. Any player who doesn’t like it should go and look for another club.
People are singling Rooney out without a “Reason”? – Sorry but what the fuck are you on about? we all criticise him just like any other player, he was once special and we’d all ignore his poor performances but he has shown he’s just like another player we hire to play for the club, he does NOT embody manchester united, he will get criticisms and rightly so for a man that picks up 250 fucking grand a week but can’t be professional enough to follow the instructions of the manager, we’ve tolerated enough crap from the twat only for him to put in shambolic performances, his personal life affects him on the pitch and that is a problem because as fans, we care about united not FUCKING Rooney and the maximum asked of him is to perform or else why does he get paid Shit load every week?….
God come and save us!
and save us from Galzers family! they think Fergie will.leave forever so they wasteing his time.
Enough has been said by the comments above…. oh how I dream of the days when Ronaldo, Tevez & Rooney were all on the pitch. The good old days of the 07/08 season when the team had real class and quality.
@Sparkz
His energy might have come in handy. I haven’t seen a lot of the kid to know if he’s ready or not, but was there any harm in trying? And ok, maybe today wasn’t the best occasion for that, but why not against Blackburn? Instead we went with Rafa and Park in midfield. Who knows? Maybe Sir Alex is waiting for the contract dispute with Pogba to get resolved before using him.
@Kanchelskis – Can’t speak for everybody but my own disappointment with Rooney’s performance isn’t a flippant reaction. When Rooney’s been off his game this year theres been times he looked complacent to me. His performance tonight matched his performance when Basel knocked us out, for example. Im not left tonight thinking Rooney tried his hardest but it didn’t happen. Im left thinking he missed two sitters, didn’t create anything and was so peripheral he was moved into midfield before being subbed.
Also, to be fair mate, when you earn that kind of money turning up to your employer pissed ahead of three HUGE games can’t be blamed on “form” can it?
I agree all players have dips but Wazza isn’t showing the responsibility and leadership he insisted we pay him for. Obviously I hope he has a fucking belter on Sunday, and I expect him to start, but the key to him finding form before then is very simple in my opinion. He needs to pull his bloody finger out.
@Costas – Well now the fine issue is put to bed (yeah right) hopefully Alex won’t be as distracted as he clearly has been over the New Year. Again, you don’t expect your top talented and top paid player to be the one giving you a fucking headache over your 70th. But I digress. As for the agent part mate, I’d love to be able to say no fucking way but you never know do you? Nothing would make me happier than a top performance by Rooney against City. It would really lift the whole team, as whether he’s playing like one or not, he is our talisman.
@Willie – perhaps going into Sunday 4-4-2 in this form would be a bit gung-ho Lol. Yeah, we’ve been in better form and been cautious, so a three man midfield of Carrick, Giggs and Ando maybe? Definitely Tony V on the right and Nani on the Left. Attacking wise its just a case of who starts top, and this is where Alex usually plays a blinder. Gut says Rooney would get the nod in a 4-5-1, but I’d be pleasantly surprised if our resident Manc had the opportunity to play in front of that midfield. Time will tell.
Off my head, said laters and im still here
Laters RoM
And Fergie needs to take a gamble on the young midfielders. Pogba should be played alongside two experienced midfielders, if we don’t play them then how will we know if they’re good or not? we have talented youth ripping apart the reserves and on loan, put them in the team alongside carrick and someone else, we need energy in that middle and that’s what cleverly gave us before he got injured (is he injury prone? was said he’ll be back by christmas, it’s january now and no movement)
Mr C – Maybe Fergie would of been better leaving Rooney out altogether? That makes a strong and firmer point to Wayne. What I didn’t get tonight was he brings off Berba first, when Wayne was having a shocker. Rooney ends up leaving the pitch soon after Berba anyway. Have to be honest, I didn’t get the logic. Berbatov looked brighter, of the two. He holds the ball up as good as anyone in the league. Welbeck and Hernandez couldn’t hold the ball long enough, to bring other players into the game.
Willie – i reckon in time, welbeck will get stronger and therefore be able to hold on the ball, he needs more experience but he has the physic and the all round game to be a quality player, his finishing could need some work though.
@costas- regarding danny simpson, he was pretty awful against liverpool, he got in Krul’s way for one of the goals, second one I think. I think he has a point to prove against us, wanting us to see what we missed out on.
Anyway, whatever, he was sitting giggling with Krul at the end of the match like a little boy….I cant say he has been great in other matches I have seen, maybe just average.
Demba on the other hand, I am impressed, especially with the control when he has the ball.
Sad loss today, no spirit or fight. I think some have said this, but that is the most frightening thing right now, something just does not feel right with the players heads!
I’m not a life time United fan but I know a thing or two about the way the team has been developing over the last 4 years. I must say that the team looks seriously weakened due to loss of form, injuries and lack of a quality CM buy…
I’m no SAF, but for a fact I have predicted what subs he’s going to do quite successfully and those subs have turned games around and brought valuable points. When today I saw him taking off The B, erb, instead of poor performer Rooney The Man To WIn The Game I said to my friends – game over. My sub was Fabio on, Rooney out, Valencia – RM, Nani – RW, Park – LM… But then I’m sitting in front of the computer, not in front of the pitch for the last 25 years, so SAF must have known better what’s he doing
I believe SAF misses Carlos Queiros BIG time. As good as the fellas beside him atm, they’re not were they have to be…
Samuel – Not criticism as such, but observing how they performed. Both will get better mate. No doubt about it.
WillieRedNut – I wouldn’t have taken Berbatov off first either. I just hope Berbatov coming off before Wayne, who was pretty poor in this match, wasn’t a sop or some sort of precusor to the latter. My preference is and always has been Berbatov and Chico or Berbatov and Danny right up front on the basis that against top defences you need to have your most skilful player (Berba) and most natural finisher (Chico) starting in most games. Danny’s an all round box of tricks and provides energy so can be slotted if either of these two aren’t firing and need to be taken off.
Rooney? I’m in a minority on here as I think Wayne is a better, more effective ‘footballer’ than out and out striker or target man and as such prefer to see him playing deeper driving forward. However, I’m not sure Rooney sees things that way. Regardless, in my book, if Wayne’s fit, he starts. But if he’s not playing well then normal rules must apply – bring off or drop.
Willie,it pains me to agree with wayne.lol cheers mate
Guys…. a long time reader, but first time poster here.
A few points I feel the need to speak on.
1 – We miss Vidic SO badly
2 – Cash in on Rooney now. 26 years old, 40m+?
3 – Cleverley STILL might not be the answer for that midfield equation
4 – Ashley Young might be injured, but who cares? 18m down the drain imo
5 – Might be time to hang your boots up Ryan
6 – Injuries aside, who would have come in and made a difference tonight other than Vidic?
7 – Perhaps give the kids a chance Fergie? Pogba and Morrison must be chomping at the bit now
8 – Could be 3 back to back defeats very easily by Sunday
9 – No team spirit AGAIN
10 – I like big butts and I cannot lie
from TC’s twitter…..WHEN???
Tom Cleverley@tomclevz23Reply
Gutted about tonight. We will be back though and hopefully I will be back playing soon!
cleverly be our saviour! never thought we would depend that much on a 22 year old but maybe he is the chosen one who knows
night rom!
Am i the only one who think that Rooney is untouchable among his team mates? I mean he failed to do a simple pass again and again and no one seemed to warn him or something.
I agree that we need give a chance to youngster (perhaps Pogba and Morrison) and gel them whenever possible. Carrick was probably our best player last night but he needs to have a better pairing than Giggs. If playing youngster is not an option, then perhaps getting a good midfielder is a must. Although again Sir Alex doesn’t think we need one which is sometimes frustrating at times like this.
I can’t remember we played so bad other than when Fulham beat us 2 seasons ago.
@united.george
Thanks for the info. So it’s a Robbie Savage situation again! His 2 blocks against us this season are among the best I’ve ever seen. He may be happy now, but long term he will realize that if he showed as much commitment at United, he’d still be here.
The doomsday posts are funny too me. Could we use a top signing, absolutely but who? Not many clubs will be willing to sell and why should we pay over the top? I’d love to sign Sneijder if it is for 25 million as some reports have claimed but I don’t think paying over the top is a smart decision. Cleverly could be a top player and another top midfielder with experience coming in will only slow his development. You learn the game by playing the game and that is the only way to improve. Training helps of course but you have to play. We all expect United to win every time out but that is unreasonable and not practical. Jones has to play and grow as well and some time it comes with some pains. We forget he is only 19. We should remember he went up against two very physical forwards and was out muscled by stronger men.
We our weakest in the center of midfield but that is the place we our hit the hardest by injury. Maybe not in numbers but in importance. Fletcher is a dagger because he provides that steel so Carrick can focus more on creating. Fletch is of course capable of creating his own chances. Carrick is a quality midfielder but he isn’t a ball winner, he can do a job but it isn’t natural. We are regaining some strength there so I just don’t see the reason to go out and purchase unless it is simply too good too turn down.
Giggs and Carrick looked loss for options as Nani kept clogging up the middle and had very few really important touches. He really needs to stay out wide and come into the middle with the ball but start his runs out wide and keep the defensive line more stretched. We lacked width and any quality services from wide positions and when we did it was lacking in quality or execution.
Rooney didn’t play well but his work ethic was there. His behavior last week was regrettable and has cost us because it did destabilize the team. Whether or not it upset player relationships is unfounded but it certainly changed the team sheets against Blackburn and weighed unneeded pressure on himself.
Blackburn and now Newcastle have sat back and waited for us to make a mistake or take a chance. Both did it successfully and got deserved wins of a bemused United. Although, I am disappointed and gutted by the result it is just illogical and unreasonable to claim we are turning into Liverpool. Over reacting is what Liverpool do. United are thoughtful and purposeful. We make signings based on our playing style and vision. Liverpool fill gaps and overpay for players. We may need to add but we should do so only at the right time not on some anxiety based reasoning.
We shall never die!
Sparkz not saying that’s the reason mate,what i am saying is the way Rooney went about getting a pay raise was to trash the club and call his teammates shit.I don’t know how much resentment is left if any,what i am saying when he breaks club rules and shows up worse for wear were’s the separation from what he said still disrespecting the club and his teammates.
One thing Utd have always had is Professionalism and Discipline from the players,Rooney got the big paycheck and is supposed to be the man so he shouldn’t be pulling shit like that.
It has to rub off on players working hard and getting a 3rd of the pay or youngsters looking to breakthrough.Just undermines the essence of the club.imo
Wayne – My feelings on Rooney are well known. I’m not blind though. He was poor. Whether he has an attitude, and that’s affecting his performances, is anyones guess. IMO, the excuses for Rooney are now at breaking point. After last season antics, he told everyone he would knuckle down and play his football. On his day, the lad is still our most effective attacking player. The pressure is firmly on Rooney. Lets hope he steps up for United, like the club stepped up for him last season.
I’m worried about Sunday’s game if city win i’m gonna to cry
United will bounce back!!!!!!
To be honest, these kind of results are not surprising anymore, considering mental & physical condition of the players…… we are out of sort. May not be our season but it is to early to tell…….
Focus on SUNDAY!!!!
Willie i knew what you meant mate,i know you’re trying hard to forgive ,he’s supposed to be the player everyone can turn to instead he’s the player causing the turmoil.
Unfortunately i think the old phrase We can take the man out of the slums but we can’t take the slums out of the man might be applicable to Rooney.
Never a big Ronnie fan personality wise but everyone knows he’s focused to be the best one of the hardest trainers in football,think Rooneys fame has gone the other way
let us pray that we do not play ANYTHING CLOSE to what we have played the last two days. we will bounce back but we have got to bounce back FAST.
games*
Kevin – I agree. To invoke Liverpool at a time when we have won 4 of the last 5 prems (and lost the one missing one by 1 point in part due to a blatant missed offside call) is ludicrous. Responses along the lines of we were shit last year, but everyone else was more shit and handed it to us don’t hold water either.
Clearly, we have some senior players that have over the last few years and will over the next few years been phasing out, and we have the best manager in the world at performing the trick of phasing young players in while keeping performance standards high. For example, neither Pep Guardiola nor Jose Mourinho have ever attempted this (much less succeeded), and SAF has done it several times. There will be bumps in the road, but it is crazy to intimate long-term decline (even if we win nothing this year).
Finally, one point that I don’t think is made very often on this board. It is absolutely contrary to the Glazers’ economic interests to let Utd fade from the ranks of global elite clubs. Hard as it is to understand for those who don’t deal with this kind of leveraged acquisition on a regular basis, it is not the case that the buyer wants to milk the asset for fees; the real money is to be made by watching the asset value increase (and having that increase amplified by the debt). The flip side is that the speed with which the investment value goes down is also accelerated by the debt. I don’t have a spy within the board room, but I would be very surprised if SAF doesn’t get what he thinks is necessary to keep Utd at the top, because that is the only way the Glazers have any hope of not having their asset value go down. Again, they have given him what he needs to win 4 out of the last 5 titles in the toughest league in the world.
Nothing else can be said that hasn’t already, but its really worrying that even after rovers debacle we couldn’t react. We usually jump back up when we are crashed, but this time it didn’t happen.
We missed our real captain today. Hope Vida comes back before its too late. That is if it’s not already
We’ve struggled against genuinely physical teams for years, especially without key personnel and especially away from home. Remember how much we got bossed on the road last season? The reason for this isn’t something as obvious as get stronger players, because we’re not Stoke, we don’t want to be Stoke. What we need is more time and space. How do we get that? Creative midfielder.
Maybe we have that in Young, or Cleverly, or Nani on this day. But today we don’t have it.
We have a lot, let’s not panic, we’re a bloody good side doing very well. But if we want to really dominate this league then the midfield needs to be reinforced. We need to sign a proven player who can make space with a broad range of fast passing and movement.
Also I have to say, I think tonight might have been a good night for our goalkeeping situation. The talk that DDG wasn’t the best goalie in the league was getting silly, and it was being enhanced by Lindegaard’s inflated record against crap teams. Linde had to shit or get off the pot tonight against a team with all kinds of threat, and he could not take the chance. I would hope DDG will be starting for the rest of the season now.
the whole team was poor today. esp rooney. i wun be 2 harsh on jones seeing as how he is only 19. it is clear that he is tired, being forced to play 2 many games. since vidic is out for the season, shdnt fergie go for gary cahill?
@ Esteban
Agreed and logical response to tonight’s game and our current situation. Context is needed in times when things seem bad. We have a lot of injuries and we are bringing in younger players and trying to gel so they have come at a bad time but we have a good points total. While we shouldn’t lose games like this it happens in sports and football especially. They had two incredible goals and we couldn’t create chances.
The United way of doings things has worked, that doesn’t mean investments aren’t allowed or necessary at times and it doesn’t mean we don’t need more midfielders. But getting Cleverly and Anderson back in the near future and Fletcher in the coming months we have the pieces needed.
I’d like to see Pogba and Morrison given a game. Not on Sunday but certainly in the coming fixtures following. Maybe if Anderson and Carrick play against City maybe one of them will get a game against Bolton. If not lets loan them out to Bolton so they can get their games there. I hope they both stay but if we don’t start to get them games in the first team who blames them for considering moving on. I’d rather build our youth, continue to put up a great challenge in the league, and not waste the money on as Fergie would put a “panic” buy. Let’s see where we are in June and then make a move before the Euros. I think we all know United will buy and sell this summer but doing so now would be giving into anxiety.
@ Doghouse – I agree with you we need more creativity in the middle and Nani, Cleverly, and Young could provide more of a spark.
I disagree with regards to your views on Lindergaard and De Gea. Lindergaard could do nothing about either shot. I’ll agree I think De Gea could have made the save on the second goal but it was very close and unlucky for the keeper and a fantastic shot with the wind at the back of Cabaye. I didn’t think he did much wrong and was on the bad end of two fantastic shots. I like De Gea and I want him to be our number one and I don’t think keeper rotation works so I agree but I don’t think the results of this particular match has anything with Linderaard.
Did anyone else though the Newcastle fans were fantastic tonight? It seems like in recent days we have lacked that kind of passion at home. Anyone agree or disagree?
@Kevin
If DDG was in those matches where Lindegaard kepth the clean sheet, DDG would have kept the clean sheet too. And I don’t know if Lindegard could prevent us going 6 goals down against Shitty either.
To me DDG needs to be our #1 and I agree rotation won’t do them any good.
Well regarding their fans were fantastic, aren’t we all too especially when we’re winning?
Kevin – agree about the Newcastle fans. But then again, when United come to town, the opposition tend to cheer a bit more than usual…
Also great to see JOS in the United end along with Bardsley and Campbell….
Just random thoughts… but at what point does a talented up and coming youngster that isn’t getting any opportunities get completely fed up after watching the supposed older experienced team leaders put on performances like the last two? I know I’d be pretty pissed off watching that farce and not being able to do anything about it because I supposedly wasn’t ready.
I’d like to wish that this weekend’s game is what turns it all around, like how we did it to Arsenal years ago. Beat City in the FA Cup, and their season may well start going to bits.
Who’s to say? And we know the team IS capable of that.
Now i can understand the wisdom of why the ROM regulars stay away from the blog after a match
“The rom regulars” – while the rest of us contributing are just strangers from afar, oh fucking dear!
Victory is truly known only to those who suffer,lose and stumble from defeat to defeat.
does anybody have any stats on how many freekicks we conceded?…every time newcastle got the ball back we seemed to be conceding one!very very frustrating!
SNEIJDER any 1 remember him ??
Y not go for him he clearly is willin to join us .Jones can be DM as he is preety good in winnin ball
With WES we credit frm his shooin ability n yes we will get that bit of lift required in team
I think it’s a credible enough theory that SAF is not buying because we don’t have any money. After last season we knew that our midfield was really really weak. No Scholes, Giggs on his last legs. We needed someone who could create chances and rally the team around. And at the same time, work on the raw talent that we have. SAF didn’t buy then. Maybe he trusted Cleverley to be fit for the entire season and Morrison, Pogba et al to grow up quickly. But that was just a plan. It was very clear we didn’t have back-ups in case of injuries. And our worst nightmare came true when we raked them up wholesale, and throughout the season.
Makeshift teams can only take you so far. It’s more about partnerships here than individual brilliance, and when you’re unsure of your partners play, you don’t connect. That has been the sorry state for most of our season. But that is just a fallout of bad planning in terms of squad and bench strength.
I’m not saying we don’t have quality players in the side. Carrick has demonstrated that amply in the last 2 wins. But why is our confidence so shaky this season? Why is it that just 1 goal down in a game and our shoulders sag, our passes don’t find their targets, we are pushed over so easily? It’s like forgetting football 101. I’ve yet to see a player in this squad, apart from Berbatov, who has a class first touch. Everyone has been rubbish in this regard. If you can’t control the ball first off, you spend most of your time on it defending it from the opposition.
The guy who scored the most in the league last season, is now your fourth choice striker? Why? Welbeck is young and promising and all that is fine, but he has time. You have a striker of European reputation at your disposal, and you decide to let him warm the bench for most of the season? Didn’t he show his mettle when he scored 6 times in 3 games? The quality of the opposition be damned. Without him, it was not long ago that you were stringing together 1-0 wins against similar quality teams. And yesterday when nothing was clicking, he was the first to go. Chicharito has spent most of his time on the pitch giving away freekicks, thanks to his offsides. Walking away from press conferences when someone asks you soul searching questions is a sign of living in denial, not finding solutions.
The time I’ve been following european football, I’ve loved this team to bits. No other team, even if they claim to play ‘beautiful football’ or promise you that ‘You’ll never walk alone’ don’t cut it for me. It was and always will be Manchester United. And that is why our current situation is all the more painful. We’re not Liverpool or Arsenal to live in denial and ignore what is happening. We can’t afford to be. Believing in the team is a given, but they should reciprocate in kind, no?
That 8 – 2 score at the start looks like a distant wet dream of an adolescent boy now. The nightmares of adulthood are coming fast and thick.
eplfan
Please endow us with your wisdom, oh enlightened one. what a piss take
samuel – united WE stand
feel your pain man, you’ve been quite vocal tonight. Bring on Sunday eh?
i ain’t a sycophant and for that reason am absolutely gutted by some fans here suggesting rooney didn’t play well but the work ethic was there. what work ethic? its your duty as a fan to criticize when a performance is dire and applaud when its good. stop the blind accorded even when the team is playing bad. That goes for the gaffer too, am really beginning to question his team selection and decision making. it beats me why he plays someone out of position when there’s a fit player for that position. take the case of playing valencia in Rafael’s position just because valencia is big physically. i come from the school of thought that subscribes to brain not brawn. I’d rather have the smaller smarter player in that position. i would go on and on but i would rather just end it by saying. i would rather we don’t win the league this season but use the opportunity to build big time for the next. IMO we are neither planning to build win the next or this season on the evidence of our activity in the transfer market and on the use of the youngsters we’ve got!
or is it that we need a better assistant manager for the gaffer
gutted… we got beat purely on energy levels tonight… newcastle definitely wanted it more and it showed… our players seem to be doing a bit of talk in the media off late (read mind games) but enuf talk, lets just get the job done….. this is our time of the year every season… lets bloody make it…. i cant say it enuf, we need some creativity and some real stepping up at the back…
Not a single thing dropped our way today. Not a single fucking thing. And of course Newcastle put in a Barca performance. Lately,when things arent looking good for us,we continue to fall harder instead of finding that extra something that we used to have.
Sigh.
How can this place go from comments like “We’re gonna win the title” to “write the season off”. Gosh, its disgusting.
If it makes anyone feel better, we lost 2 in a row to livepool at home and fulham away in 2008, and still won the league. Just trying to be positive.
Unfortunately I was not able to watch this match, but from what I’ve read on some websites, Utd deserved to lose, and also this strengthens the case that Utd need to dip in the transfer windows and buy at least one established midfielder and defender. Lets hope the team bounce back in the FA Cup, as going away to the bitters will be yet another tough one, and it could turn out 3 back to back defeats if the lads are not focused on the task
I couldnt watch the game last night coz it was in the middle of the night here and I had an early morning errand. Thought I’d see the rerun later in the day. But I couldn’t resist checking the final scoreline. And I did.
Now my afternoon’s just freed up.
Noticed how everyone is talking about our defence & attackers?
So… What happened to our midfielders? Shouldn’t they be the ones providing cover for our defence and providing passes to our attackers?
So there you go, our age old problem.
It is not so much about having value in the market, we really should be doing something about it. The logic about bringing in a new face resulting in blocking the progress of Pogba & Morrison does not stand because as it is now, they are not even being considered for the first team.
Park ji Sung is the god of luck.. to this day i don’t know how he’s a man utd player
KingOfStretfordEnd
You just answered the question yourself. You’re just trying to be positive, while others are being critical – some harshly others not so much. And when that happens one begins to doubt.
Speaking of winning titles, that stage of the season hasn’t come upon us yet. The journey has been far from “edge of your seats” stuff. Hence the differing opinions.
CAN SOMEBODY PLEASE POST A JOKE, I THINK WE ALL NEED A BIT OF CHEERING UP
@scimiratherbatov
A joke?
Our performance yesterday.
Ok scimitarherbatov,
just for you as i’m too pissed off to make any comment about the team :
I asked a pretty, young, homeless woman if I could take her home, and she said yes with a big smile.
The look on her face soon changed when I walked off with her cardboard box.
Boom fucking boom!
I m suprised that STR dint mention about Nani,
Honestly speaking nani was below par in the last 2 games
and how can we score when our creative magical player is in a patch?..Hope he steps it up..
and as usual Rooney need couple more games to be at his best,
Also, Scott,
You are being too harsh on Jonesy here,
Demba Ba was at his physical and pacy best last night, even the experience of Rio couldnt handle him..
I know its one bad game for the lad in defense..when going gets tough, it fucks, the own goal sums it up..
############
Good to see that you are nopt having a go at Leindeegard unlike some matchday WUMs..
to be fair, He dint have any chance with those 3 goals scored..
the freekick, he was full strecthed and the ball brushed the finger tip, couldnt have been any more…
Time to look ahead fellas,
I dont give a damn about our present or past, all i want is to fuck the Bitters at wastelands..
should we may be get krasic on loan?? with valencia playing the right back these days, there’s only nani who can play on the wings, while young is still out, and park and giggs may find the age creeping up on them
Our season isn’t over but we all know we ‘re gonna drop more points unless there is some major watershed (that I don’t expect) after the last two games. I also think city will drop more points and no one else will be able to mount a challenge so I still see it as a two horse race but we can only depend on them dropping points so often. We got away with it with Sunderland but how many times can we ride our luck?
Last night we created fuck all and it looked like the teams got the shirts mixed up before the game. City even when they draw or lose they are largely dominating games and are creating chances throughout the game which is something we’re not doing. That means that they’re favourites. We keep going on about experience. I have no doubt that it is a huge factor but last night it was nowhere to be seen.
cheers knightsmith that was much needed
Slim – it’s been one of those incredibly frustrating days mate, it’s strange how football can influence your mood.
Yeah bring on sunday indeed, i’ll fired up for that but you wonder if united players will be though, i’m sure Fergie will get them ready and hopefully they turn up for it
Whether we like it or not and with our topsy turvy season so far, we’re underdogs for the game and a victory could potentially spark confidence again and shift momentum to us, an unthinkable defeat (i just don’t want to envisage that against city) could be catastrophic and would increase city’s belief that it’s their year but Fergie will be intent on quashing any of that, will go either way on sunday mate. can’t say i’m filled with confidence at all.
@samuel
The way things are going,i’d be very surprised if we manage to keep a clean sheet against city. Ive always been a pessimist United fan and this Sunday is probably gonna be the first time,to me, that we would be lucky to not get hammered. Ive never felt this way about us before we played any match before,but considering the line-up we put earlier and the performance they put in,can you imagine how it would be like against City who always seem to play like it means much more to them when they play us?
I love the club,but its really disappointing to see so many missing links and options.
Are united current champions and 3 pts off the top? The way some on here woild you thinking is that we are mid table with no success in years letd say like Liverpool.
Let’s get some facts out the way before I rant about most of what I have read.
This week we have been shocking given the week before we were fucking in unreal.
Newcastle played really well but it was just a poor night at the office. The team look out of sorts with a number of injuries and the balance of the team just isn’t right. Why play Valencia our best winger at rb when Rafael was available.
That said here are comments that are just woeful and I can’t digest.
The team and manager are embarrassing – ate you fucking kidding ne I don’t even know how to answer.
Sell Rooney – he has his off games but thank fuck he did stay if we lost him I don’t know what we woild do.
Carrick and berba have not commitment – you must be watching different games to me both playerd don’t run round like twats they are classy talented guys who deserve more support.
Finally we can play champ manager all we like SAF is building a team for the future we can’t have it on a plate all the time and constantly win the league or get to the European final.
Of course we are pissed off when we lose like tbis its fucking awful but we still have the best manager the game has seen and he is building once more let’s not be cutting and enjoy losing a few games, its quite supporting shite means were not glory hunters.
If we think experience alone will be enough to compete then we got another thing coming. Ac milan have abundance of champions league experience but their hands won’t be anywhere near that trophy.
We need quality added to Fergie know how. larnell cole, pogba, morrison, lingard, will keane have all made the bench recently but none have hardly played, pogba gets rave reviews and if he’s as good as he is then we should expect him to take over the mantle and call that midfield his own because i don’t really see any huge competitor stopping him. Fergie is probably just trying to bring through gradually and with his experience at doing these things, we’ll have to step back and watch as everything unfolds.
But still, if the young players won’t play then other clubs will be sniffing around them, send them on loan like they’ve done with tunnicliffe, let them come back stronger players capable of donning the red shirt because the future lies with our reserves, Fergie is hardly dipping into our “Unlimited” sack of cash at the moment, perhaps there are a dearth in quality out there or maybe overpriced or maybe there simply isn’t any cash left (i hate getting into any glazers debate). ü
I left the game In the last 15 mins and went to bed so I didn’t see the own goal, the next morning my bro comes and tells me that united lost 3-0, and that it was an own goal by jones. I didn’t believe it and I had to check to believe it!!
Singh:
City must be licking their lips !
I’m so pessimistic I haven’t even got a glass !
The problem is effing Ferguson. This man is totally clueless now. His purchases are just crazy. He has no tactical nous of modern football. Show me one decent team in Europe where there are 4 wingers playing at any one time ( last night we had 4 on )…why is Valencia at the back? Why is Park still at Utd? Welbeck is just a pretender. This saeson is over. Actually City were toying with us and extended it to January. It should have over by November.Embarrasing? Yes, to you and me but apparently not to the old man. He’s is in total denial. Where are the so-called reserves? He can’t find one or two decent ones to step in? Why are the apparently promising fellows like Pogba, Morrison, Kean not played? Can they be any worse than those playing now? We won’t panic? What does he mean??? I am not alone to say that SAF’s time is really up. It’s nature. He was terrific but that was the past. Look at the top Clubs in Europe. They have the likes of Guardiola, Mourinho, Conte, Allegri, Klopp, Mancini etc etc as a manager.The common thread? Youth and vigour. Look at the struggling oldies like Ferguson, Wenger, Ranieri, Dalglish…So, if there is something called honor or dignity, SAF should put up hands and say: I’m done. No shame in it, really. It would be shameful if he keeps dragging the Club and himself thru’ more mud.
@knightsmith
LOL! Glad to see there are others who suffer from this,but more severely!
@john tring
It’s fans like you that embarrass our club of all yhe managers you name how many are current champions. How many times has Fergie won the league and European success in the last five years alone never mind tge 25 years of constant success.
It’s shit fans that ruin our club and your one of them. Has Fergie got it wrong, of course he has loads of times but how can you wrote him offike that when we are still winning.
Stop being so fucking short sighted he is building a new team and I am actually excited by it.
Yoirast comment dragging us through the mud sums up how shit your post is.
This is not a personal attack your entitled to your opinion buy fuck me man have some realism.
@John tring
I dont feel like writing a long reply but just look at the two 5-0′s we had before the 2 previous defeats. Things like this happens sometimes. We won 5-0,0-5,then lose 2-3 and now 0-3.
John tring. get over yourself. muppet.
Morning all
Chin up lads, I am as gutted as all of you and will not deny that we need to strengthen, however those 11 out there last night were more than capable enough to beat Newcastle. Rooney, Nani & Giggs were way below par, Carrick & Evra were terrific.
How many times have we seen this with United? Remember the back to back defeats to Newcastle & Southampton (Trust me they were a lot more painful) and then the back to back defeats to the dippers and Fulham a couple of seasons back, outcome in both seasons? We ended up as champions.
Do not despair and never lose hope …. This IS Manchester United
Singh – i doubt united can keep a clean sheet against city or in another case, out-score them. Either way the team will have to do either of those, united are shipping goals like a mud house in the tropical rainforest, i guess stopping city from scoring won’t be amongst the agenda.
mancini will get them fired up for it, the only reason the abu dhabi “Co-operation” are anywhere near rainy manchester is because they want to challenge and emulate manchester united, games like sunday is what mancini’s longevity in the job depends on.
I think smalling needs to get back for this game, maybe add evans to that too. United have to keep 11 men on the pitch (won’t hold my breath on that), it’s paramount that chances are taken or the team will be inevitably punished for fluffing its chance, united need a strong ref that won’t bend down backwards for those poznan stealing twats, united need things to go their away because there is no getting away from the fact that city are formidable at home. silva, yaya, aguero, kompany all need to put in poor shifts, i could go on and on about what could decide the game but one thing that has to go united way is, the players simply have to turn up for the match.
I’ll be honest, i am not confident about it. I know i’ll be potentially biting my nails but i look forward with slight optimism just tucked in somewhere (wherever that is), A win would give united a boost of confidence, a defeat could cause more damage to some players that rely on it. Let the battle commence.
John Tring
‘The problem is effing Ferguson’ ?????
No, the problem is YOU, its alleged fans like your self that are a complete embarrassment.
@ samuel
Too right mate. We need a lot of things to go our way if we want to beat them. Looking at City,even if they have one of the attacking 5 on form,we would probably be punished. The same cannot be said about us. I wouldnt mind a defensively line-up. Maybe 5 in midfield.
Lets see how we play when we enter the game as underdogs. All those years of teams frustrating us with their defensive lineups and overcrowding midfield,maybe we should try it out on sunday
AnthonyMoston
Loved your posts and excellent attitude…
Mike
Some belting posts pal
I disagree that Fergie is to blame for the poor performances. He’s legendary at manchester united and seasons upon seasons, he has defied the odds and dragged the team to the finishing line.
Fergie can’t control the relentless injuries we are getting, he can’t control the likes of wayne FUCKING Rooney not turning up in a fit state to training or letting matters outside the pitch affect their performances. As angry as i’ve been, can’t deny the fact the scot-man has done the best he can with an injury ravaged team or in another case, a team lacking a quantity of quality in certain key positions.
Fergie is on another quest to try and rebuild with youth, he’s done it successfully on numerous occasions and i still believe he’ll do it again.
No manager in world football have been or are capable of dismantling a team and then building it again. NOT mourinho or media loving pep, Fergie doesn’t even get half the funds those twats get to build a team yet he’s achieved more than most ever will during their careers. he’ll do it again and sail the united ship through the storms, he’ll be champing at the bits to defy the odds again and prove those that write him off wrong, that desire is instilled into him.
@ Samuel
Top post mate
CedarsDevil,
The guy included Mancini as manager of a top European Club. No need to let such pseudo fans perturb you.
Well you had to expect muppets like John Tring to show up after a bad result. It was as predictable as clockwork.
People said I would never get over my obsession with Phil Collins. But take a look at me now !.
Just trying to cheer myself and a few others up
Samuel
I will second what Giggs12 said, top post pal…
Personally I blame both James & Giggs12, had they attended the game we would have won! haha
I’ve nothing left to say…
Costas
Not his first appearance either…..
adi
Cheers pal, I am hardly perturbed….. Whilst people like that annoy me I just laugh it off
Singh – I’ve always wondered why Fergie reverted from his usual 4-5-1 formation for big games, united won some great matches with it and i think they simply have to go slightly defensive on sunday, city have players that expose gaps, the likes of silva and aguero live on it so if united are to have one of its compact displays then sunday will be the time to do that.
Anything can happen on sunday, yeah united are underdogs but that may work in the team’s favour, football can Suprise, i suppose i can hold on to that after the debacle of the last two games.
Mo fucking hunger…no creativity. I’m surprised that saf still feels that we have a solid a team!
Mornin RoM.
Two bad results and now the ‘problem is effing Ferguson’? Lovely.
I love the crowd that turns up here on matchday.
Our performance was utter cack, I’ll admit, but this is a team in transition. When you have as many youngsters as we do, you always run the risk of a freak result every now and then.
Chin up, lads. We’re Manchester United. We’ll never die.
I want united to buy Ross barckley from everton this Jan, I don’t think he’s very expensive either but he will be a great sub
Cedars
Morning pal I wish I was there the noise from the united end was magnificent infill 2 down and poor performance.
I’m not worried about Sunday we will turn up the only thing I am worried about is our centre backs. Without Vida we look vulnerable.
Giggs12
Hi, our curse has been injuries & illness. Imagine if Vidic, Fletch, Smalling and wee Thomas were all constantly available? Same goes for the twins as well
@Dela: Sorry but the gaffer must share some of the culpability. It’s not just 2 matches in a row. It’s dull desultory football played over the last 2.5 yrs, it’s a horrible away record last season, it’s a baffling refusal to do something about the midfield, and this season its defeats against benfica, basel, crystal palace, blackburn and newcastle (even if you discount the shitty 6-1 and the repeat regulation gangrape suffered at the hands of the alien catalans). I am not at all worried about going trophyless for a season or 2. But I am worried about us not moving in the right direction. I am worried about us not evolving tactically, and our players not evolving technically. I am worried that fergie will continue to play players totally out of position, and never have a settled xi (injuries or no injuries) despite the overwhelming evidence that it harms us, and the progress of young players. I am worried about our club pissing away the legacy of success it has built, a legacy that could last for decades and more. And I love and adore fergie as much as the next guy, and am scared shitless, thinking of what happens if he calls it a day before the glazers do. But I have to call it as I see it, and what I see at the moment does not make for very pleasant viewing.
Giggs12 and cedars – just emphasising the truth, Fergie is a football genius but a man can only do as effective a job with the tools he has. Currently we’re having an injury spell that won’t go away, have lost the brilliant vidic and fletch who embody manchester united’s spirit of determination and fight, players just simply not being professional despite their huge demands for a pay rise, Fergie being forced to play key players in unfamiliar positions, the team lacking in numbers and quality in key positions (either through the glazers tightening the purse strings or as Fergie says, no value in the market) and finally, players simply not turning up for games by putting shambolic performances and letting the big scot-man down, he has the winning desire, you start to wonder how many in that squad can match his hunger.
One thing is for sure, Fergie has manchester united in him, he’ll be in his office pondering on how to elevate us back to the top, city are a challenge and an immense challenge due to the wealth of their owners and this is what Fergie loves, he’ll want to build the team consisting of young talents because he’s a manager that looks to the future unlike other managers who are under constant pressure to build for now but at the expense of the future.
I’ll keep this short and sweet the result was embarrassing because we showed no fight. To blame Fergie for losing it? Really? World has gone mad. Up until this January there is fuck all we could have done with this injury crisis, we’ve done well to be where we are and I wasn’t fooled by out back to back 5-0 wins. Any other manager wouldn’t have coped. Don’t believe me, see Arsene Wenger and l’arse, look how well they’ve done in the last 6 years.
”You can change your wife, your politics, your
religion; but never, never can you change your
favourite football team.” – Eric Cantona
what’s with the fergie buy this, fergie buy that? Is it really that important to win the league every single season? We’re not like the bitters or the sick scousers or chelski. We don’t splash the cash just to get the silver. I didn’t watch the match, but from what i’ve read, we weren’t there. Let it be. If we go on a five game losing streak, now that spells trouble. We’ve got players out of position covering for the unfit, then played in the next game in their original position. Now it’s not that easy. No other teams do that. Fuck i don’t know what else to say.. But United is forever. If we don’t get a thing this season, there’s always the next.
john tring i disagree entirely with all you say, you must be another teams supporter hoping to start spread dissent
The sad thing is that Newcastle won’t play half as good as against City. But then again, City don’t hold a 10 year undefeated streak against them.
Anyway, plenty of talk about what personel changes need to be made. Imo they are mute points. You can’t plan for anything if you traditionally get one injury crisis per season. I said this after we lost the title to Chelsea and I’ll say it again. If we don’t address that issue by getting rid of the injury prone players or by changing our medical and fitness stuff (or maybe by doing both), then we’ll be here again in 12 months time, worrying when we will start a game with 4 defenders in their natural position…
NRD
Hi pal, brilliant post and extremely well said…. Seems you are picking up the wisdom of the Japanese! Only messing, you were always wise….
When are you flying back?
Every day of the year John Tring posts vile abuse of Sir Alex on the internet.
It is well known that he hates Sir Alex and Manchester United.
It is his mission in life to hurt and anger United fans.
John Tring hates Manchester United.
RedFury
Well said!
Actually, thinking about it, reference to “against teams we should not be losing to”, is there any team we should be losing to, at all?
We always think we shouldn’t be losing to anybody at all, isn’t it?
But the reality is nobody has a right to win all games.
So let’s just look forward to the next game. There are plenty of terminally-ill people out there who support United without any conditions or unreal expectations, but they have no idea just how long they have left.
Get into perspective and realise that it’s our privilege to know we have the rest of our lives, barring freak accidents or the end of the world.
Of course it’d be nice to have a Ferrari, but if you can’t afford it, you do your best with your Fiat/Volks/Honda/Toyota/Nissan/BMX/TwoFeet.
Not that I think United has no money, but even if you can afford to pay the installments for the Ferrari, you may not be able to foot the insurance/tax/maintenance costs and leave enough to feed yourself.
Then next thing your son wants one too.
Sure, get “world class” players and pay them 200K pounds a week. Do we have cash printers, or an oil well, or a mountain of gold ore? It’s not sustainable, just ask Blackburn/Leeds/Villa/Abram. In time to come, I’m sure it’ll happen to City. We’re not a one/two/three season(s) wonder.
SAF has done it for 20 f’ing years.
Ronaldo was at manchester united for nigh on 6 years and hardly got injured, what did he do well that other players at united just cannot do?
Maybe it’s genetics or maybe we have players that go out and smash their livers out by drinking all sorts and not keeping in shape or as COSTAS put it, maybe it’s the medical staffs that are slacking or maybe it’s just one of those freak seasons in which everything hardly goes to plan. What i thing i know is, i just don’t know what’s going on.
To love United is just that for me, i.e. LOVE United. My love for this club is blind, its beyond words. I do see the faults in defeat yet I do not write essays trying to analyze it, I simply look forward to the next match. I am not trying to say that being critical is wrong, not at all..Each to their own.
When a player has a bad match I slag him off, in private, that is just how I am, I would swear my head off in fact yet such thoughts I will never share on a blog.
United are my life and Sir Alex is one of the greatest men to ever exist.
Actually Cedars (8:35), I disagree with you. I’m not saying that SAF needs to go, but SAF is responsible, all alone, for the “situation” United are in. He is the manager, he is in charge of every sporting/football decision made at United. He picks the team that plays, he preps them before the game, sets up the game plan and speaks at halftime. So, to just brush off any critisism and point to the past isnt goint to cut it. Football is and always the next game.
There are a couple of facts that are undisputable. Several people have pointed this out, United are lacking a core of world class players at the right age (25-28). Uniteds squad centers around 18-22 and 30 year olds.
I know a lot of things going on and I also know that SAF is somewhat unhappy with the situation. Wether he has the money or not, I don’t know. But, everyone under the moon can see that Uniteds midfield (every single player) isnt good enough. Some lack the skills, some are past their prime and some are to young. I respect them for wearing the jersey, but most of them just don’t cut it. (Mind you, I am not talking about 3-5 years down the line when Pogba, Morrison, Cleverly, Anderson, Tunni come of age) I am talking now and the next couple of years.
I follow SAF in his thinking, that he wants to build a new squad/team consisting of world class players that to play for United and want to be there for more than 2/3 years. For all I know, no world class players at the right age want to play for United at the present time.
But, like I have said time and time again, it all starts in the engine room. Shielding the defenders/ goalie and feeding the attackers. There is no use in slating Rooney or central defenders. Central defenders at United are far to often in one-on-ones (as is our keeper). Look at the service Rooney got last night and at the quality of passes/crosses he got and at the speed of attack. It all lacked.
I think United are in for a long and tough run. Because SAF needs to replace another good chunck of players next summer as he did this past. And when you replace more than 1-2 players, the dressing room gets unsettled.
@ Cedars. Hello mate. Coming back early Feb for a couple of weeks then back out again. Game was frustrating to watch and I’m pretty cranky early in the mornings but having reflected the teams we sent out the last 2 games should have picked up at least 3 points and went down fighting. Its done now we move on. Nowhere here is showing the FA Cup/ cit-eh game so may miss it as Sunday a national holiday here so more than likely will be out.
@ Costas – You always know when it comes to the medical staff I’m behind you on that. Furthermore if in the middle of January our injury crisis doesn’t look to get better then we need to bring in some bodies ESPECIALLY if it involves the defenders. I mean what the fuck is going on with Cleverly? Back for Christmas? Yeah right Christmas 2013!!!
YorYor
BOOM! Belting couple of posts my friend
We have to take the rough with the smooth. We have been in this position in the past and we always come through, it takes time to develop a new team, and for me thats what Fergie is trying to do. I’d rather see players like Wellbeck, Clev, Jones, Tunnicliffe, Will Keane, Fryers, De Gea, Linders, Chicha, Valencia, Nani etc to form the backbone of a new United line up than freak out and demand we spend hoardes of cash on more mercenaries. And i’m pretty sure there will be one or two more kids we’ve still not heard about come through. So we miss out on winning something for a year or two. Its not like we’ve had to endure years and years of poor teams, poor football, countless managers and no trophies. When the moment is right im sure we’ll buy the right kind of player. I have no worries about Fergie and the reds! If anything i look forward to seeing another great new United team with the legend SAF at the helm.
Good evening Red Devils around the world!!
New day and time to look ahead with positive mind!!
SAMUEL – som ebleting posts buddy, awesome!!
Hello John Tring – Tring Tring – Good morning
The problem for you effing our ability to win the trophies all the time, all you want is joy from the club no matter how it comes..
Get over it, with this transition, we arent any invincibles,
U said,
” Look at the top Clubs in Europe. They have the likes of Guardiola, Mourinho, Conte, Allegri, Klopp, Mancini etc etc as a ”
for what? for 2 back to back defeats?
and top clubs and mancini? u must be kidding, top clubs my ass..
The likes of Mourinho have not been better than Sir Alex in the Europe in the last few years, get over that fact..
the football works in cycles, ususally cycles of 4 year domination, we have had our part and now its Barca’s and tmrw it may other’s..
what is your idea? bring in a new manager, if he doesnt succeed then sack him and bring another..
This is not rent boy scum football..this is Manchester United..we believ in values and we believe in Sir Alex and he is not past his best yet..u better get over that
samuel- united WE stand
What i’m sure is the human body is a complicated piece of machinery.
@John Tring i held back from commenting on a lot of the troll posts till i saw yours about SAF!
Fergie won our 19th League title a little over 6 months ago and lost to Barce in our 3rd final appearence in CL in 4 seasons after Barce we have been the best performing team in fucking Europe! We are ONLY 3 points behind Shitty now not fucking 13!! Christ some perspective before overreactions!!
Carefully review of all the comments on RoM since the end of the Newcastle match reveals the usual mix of views expressed after a dismal defeat. Whether rose-tinted, doom-and-gloom or balanced, their is much criticism being leveled. There is even severe criticism, much of it angry, and much of that is justifiable. We react as the United supporters we are, hurt and disappointed by a poor display and a terrible result. We analyze, criticise, empathise and hypothesize. Fair enough.
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There are many comments that are beyond the pale, and the posters are a disgrace to themselves and to Manchester United. When angry, disappointed and frustrated; the wrong words can easily be used. They can as easily be retracted with a humble admission of a simple error.
- sheppertonni says: ” this is emabrrassing! ”
- daveob82 says: ” Wow! That really was embarrassing. ”
- bruce thomas says: ” Manager and team are becoming an embarrassment. ”
- bingo says: ” I was never as ashamed … as i was tonight! They are a disgrace to the great tradion of Manchester United! Shame on them!!!!!
- Bmena red says ” Bingo….. Spot on! ”
Embarrassed? Fuck off! Stick your embarrassment up your fucking arse, then turn around and I’ll kick your embarrassment through your yellow belly and up into your larynx where I will crush it under the heel of my boot. Embarrassed? Fuck off!
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welovethereds says: ” fletcher is dead ”
welovethereds is a fucking cunting cunt!
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Darren Fletcher – Get well son! Four years you have played on through the pain, forevermore I give you my undying support. Thank you sir, we love you, respect you, and yearn for your fit return.
Get well Darren Fletcher – Get well !!!
Vilhelm28
Disagree with what exactly pal? That comment you refer to was directed at a troll. I never said the boss is beyond criticism, however to say all this is his fault is daft.
smartalex
BOOM for you too my good friend, such exceptional skills in summarizing all the trolls in one post! Loved it
Good day CedarsDevil! Happy non-Match day! How are you, my friend?
don’t know why the reserves are not given the chance to make up for the old ‘uns, but would love to see them try. what makes United different from other english teams is them, the reserves. They may be the next big thing in the Premier League. Don’t know how long our first team will last playing for United, but they have contracts. When the time comes for the likes of Keane and Tunni to lead the red army, i hope we’ll live to see it.
Ced@rs, thanks mate.
Just sharing what I thought, because I’m not sure if others ever thought of that. Something for them to hopefully take away and re-look at just what they support United for, and really what they define support as. We get labelled blind supporters who try to “dictate” what a supporter can or cannot do, but that’s never our intention. Just like they think winning trophies is everything, some of us don’t (anymore, or never did).
It really isn’t a “holier than thou” attitude though, that’s just the way we think and feel.
@Samuel
Ronaldo was a good example, but he hasn’t been around since this thing got out of hand. Injury crisis have become more frequent in the last 3 seasons. A good example that’s closer to home is Patrice Evra. Has he gotten injured once ever since his last layoff in January 2009? What is he doing right that other players aren’t? Like I said, maybe some players are a lot more prone to injuries than others (Rio, the twins, Ando and even Evans). And we haven’t done ourselves any favors by trimming down the roster and depending even more on them this season.
@Notorious
Hi mate. Continuing my comment from above, not every injury is down to a player’s weakness. Tom isn’t injury prone. He’s averaged 30 league games in the last 2 seasons. Yet an injury that was supposed to keep him out for 1 month has kept him our for 4 and counting. I can live with Vida and Fletcher’s loss. Heck, not expecting Rio’s back issues to go away either. But the manner in which we shot ourselves on the foot by losing our best midfielder for half the season is pathetic. Even if he doesn’t know when he’ll return. Yesterday he said on twitter that he was hoping to play again soon. Like you said. Maybe the target was Christmas of 12 or 13 after all..
ON THIS DAY in 2006, Manchester United signed Nemanja Vidic for £7million
@YorYor: But when you have a BMW, you wouldnt want it to start breaking down like a 30 yr old Fiat would you? Or if you spent 50 mil on something that you hoped would be a BMW, its natural to be disappointed when it starts behaving like a lemon, no? Or maybe you realized that you didn’t need a coupe at all, but a SUV? That’s disappointing, right?
I am not of the school that belives buying X and Y will solve the problem. Buying is part of it, but I am worried because I don’t see enough of the planning that needs to go in before buying. Buying without a plan is actually counterproductive. I am worried because I don’t see consistent problems like the poor quality of our crosses, or the poor first touch of so many of our players, or the annual defensive injury crises being weeded out.
I get your point about perspective. Football, and the success of Manchester United, is, contrary to popular belief, not life and death. But this being a United fan blog, I guess it’s ok to share some of the disappointment we feel, and our fears and concerns, just as we celebrate together in good times.
Yes, we are spoilt with success. But it’s exactly because we have been so succesful, that we need to have higher standards. It would be a crying shame, if we pissed away our legacy of success, because somebody felt that success was “spoiling” us, it’s time for a little mediocrity, lads. Remember the old adage, “The price of freedom is eternal vigilance”? Just as it’s OTT to say “Sell X, buy Y”, IMO, it’s equally delusional to think we don’t have any problems, and that all these results are “aberrations”.
Tring Tring,
Stop Supporting A Team If You Cannot Stand By Them At The Unmentionable Time. Our Team Is Not Pathetic And The Season Is Still Half Left. Stop Spreading Bullshite. Keep Calm And Believe In Manchester United. ♥
Roll back the years and you will see why Sir Alex is the most successful manager!, not that i need to explain, but still our very fans dont think he is good enough and his time is up..pity
NRD
Have a safe trip back pal, will you be attending any games?
smartalex
Doing great buddy, my lady friend is coming over in a while to cook me a special meal which will also involve a couple of Araks!
YorYor
I guess we see things in the same light my friend….. Oh and enough with the @ thingy! haha
Sandeep
Seems Costas has some serious competition on the stats front! Great job…. As for tring, he ain’t no United fan pal
CedarsDevil – Your lady has a rack? A couple of fine specimens hey, that’s great!
No need to add more comment but i’d have to say ALL I WANT IS OUR INJURIES PLAYERS TO COME BACK VERY SOON. After that we could make judgement whether our team stronger enough or not.
This whole car analogy is starting to confuse me to be honest…. Personally I am a GMC man
Jeet
I think the trouble is that we have been relying too heavily on our wingers. We play well when Nani, Valencia and/or Young have a good day. When they don’t, we look like a pub team. We just don’t have a plan B.
Things might have been different had Cleverley stayed fit, but c’est la vie, I suppose.
@Sandeep
Hi mate. Proof that there’s value in the transfer market in January. How I wish we could pull of a similar coup this time.
Top performance of the Geordies and a below average performance for us equals 3-0 these days. I remember last year we had about 20 of those performances and still got the 3 points most of the times or at least 1 when on the road.
Maybe good to have 2 poor performances comming into Silly season.
Wislist:
1. Top european playmaker, don´t care who we can´t depend on T.C it seems.
2. Almost shmaeful to say considering we have Samlling and Jones, but we need a hard as nails center back. To many juvenil mistakes going on back there right now.
3. Swap the vigiliante twins for some reliable top wingback so Valencia can concentrate on being what he is….a winger!!!!!
@ Cedars with a bit of luck should be going to the vermin game. Mate has applied for tickets and usually we’re pretty successful. If I don’t then will probably go Ajax doubt that game will sell out especially after the disdain shown towards that competition by the majority of United fans, although Thursday nights isn’t ideal.
@ Vilhelm28
######Actually Cedars (8:35), I disagree with you. I’m not saying that SAF needs to go, but SAF is responsible, all alone, for the “situation” United are in. He is the manager, he is in charge of every sporting/football decision made at United. He picks the team that plays, he preps them before the game, sets up the game plan and speaks at halftime. So, to just brush off any critisism and point to the past isnt goint to cut it. Football is and always the next game.####
No, I disagree with you,
sometimes you guys need to think that Football is not just short term,
where were and why were you not saying what u said above when we were belting the opponent in the first coupla months of the season?
now all of a sudden you start to question the decision making of Sir Alex because we have lost coupla games and knocked out in Europe,
I also dont agree with your point that Central defenders are not responsible for our mess, on the contrary they are, especially in Europe, you could see the defending, it was not up to our standards,
on more point on Rooney,
I m not a hater, Rooney missed 2 FUCKING SITTERS LAST NYT..had been Berbatov, you fans would have gone guns blazing at him..
agreed, Nani was poor and has been in last coupla games, but dont you at some point of time think that Rooney has enough skills to do it on his own? in last night game, it wasnt to be seen, amy be he is back from the break, so i will take that,
but to defend just him is foolish because Roo was poor on the ball last night, no matter how little ball he got in the game..
as u said, football is and always about next game, then hold on till end of the season before you guys criticise Sir Alex..
He cant do anything with fucking drinking and injuries,
some fans here even gone to an extent and implying that Sor Alex has lost the plot and tactics..bullshit..
4. Sry to say to all the mancs. I don´t think Welbeck is material enough to have a place in our squad. We need someone that can do the spectacular and do his man, not just tap in the obvious ones.
ah. fuck it. Next game. any news on when clev is coming back?
Somehow United are only 3 points behind City.
However we should not be conceding 6 goals in total against Blackburn and Newcastle.
T.
Danny is that man. Bold on the ball and takes people on. His only problem is getting into those positions poachers like.. His all round game is superb. The balance he adds to the team is fantastic and at least he tends to bring out the best in Mr Ambition who has the first touch of a donkey.
Me thinks a bit of bias coming from you. lad is only 20 anyway
Cedars,
Hello my friend,
How are you? was looking forward for the posts of regulars to feel better and how pleased i m to see them posts here,
and on stat thing, Costas is Costas, what is it? Greek Stat Genius ?
Hello Costas,
Yup not denying that we might freeze a deal like that in Jan, lets hope..
by the way, Here is our Ex Red devil goalie goal link,
http://www.soccerclips.net/videos/everton-1-0-bolton-howard
Joke is that, this goal was assisted by wind,
so the wind has more assists than a certain Stewart Downing this season
After chewing over that dissaster last night i was running through other premiership teams midfield pairings in my head and i thought all these teams have a better midfield than utd.
ARSENAL- YES
VILLA- ?
CHELSEA-YES
BOLTON-NO
BLACKBURN-NO
FULHAM-NO
EVERTON-YES
WOLVES-NO
WIGAN-NO
QPR-NO
NORWICH-NO
SWANSEA-NO
CITY-YES
LIVERPOOL-YES
SPURS-YES
NEWCASTLE-YES
SUNDERLAND-?
WEST BROM-NO
Thats 7 teams who i reckon definatly do and the others could give a game on a good organised day!
Its been a problem for years now, Ferguson says unless a world class player comes available but newcastle have proved you can get really good players for a good price.
Anyway it was clear to see last night how much time and space there strikers were getting on the ball to turn and run at our defence, where were carrick and giggs? and even nani and park? they were so far apart and it was easy for newcastle.
On a possitive note it was good to see the bench full of young players.
I just hope in the grand scheme of things the great man is steering us through transistion and into a new championship winning young side!
I think we just need a real leader and fighter in the middle to lead the likes of cleverley and pogba and maybe another young creative midfileder, i also think another defender is desperatly neeed and can now see why that we tried to sign the varane!!
Would rather have home grown players in the team like Welbeck then win fuck all…. Just my opinion
Sandeep
Your post at 10:11 was superb…. Excellent job buddy
sheppertonni
If all those teams you had a YES to have a better midfield than United than how on earth are we second? Bit silly to be honest
We should win this league….if we don’t its because we was poor in somewhat poor league .
Has the little teams improved or have the big teams become poop?
Look at Liverpool – Piss poor
Arsenal – Ok, but reliably poor
Chelsea – Struggling
Utd – Not the same, Transition due to big changes (Edwin,Scholes,Rooney wages,Lack of midfielders + experienced defenders.
- Tootenham are poor, title contenders! to early for april fools there
If City win the league, why not? after £1bn investment they should, plus the league and Utd are in poor form. No excuses.
We are in transition and it needs to accepted. We are no force. This is potential damaging period, where we can either become liverpool + boast about historical facts or we can build a new team and continue our sucess over the last 2 decades into this decade.
Again i disagree with people picking on welbeck. he has been superb since returning from his loan spells in which at one point, some of us thought he’d go down the frazier campbell route. He is a talented young striker that has an all round game, he’s always trying to make something and although it may not always work but at least he tries.
I think in time, he’ll hopefully develop into a class act, i’ve studied every aspects of his game and i’m impressed. Of course he isn’t the finished article yet, the hold up play will come as he gets stronger, he could do with being ruthless in front of goal as wel and perhaps timing his run better, he’ll come good but he’s had a good start this season.
Please Sir Alex, PLEASE, for the love of all mankind sell Rooney in the summer. If someone offers us around £50m we should bite their hands off
I cant take it anymore, OK so he was offered a new deal and as much as it left me feeling dirty I could understand the new contract because he could have left for maybe £20m a year ago, whereas now surely the asking price has at least doubled considering the length of his deal
I actually like Rooney but I don’t as a Manchester United player anymore, whatever he had as a youth hasn’t developed in the way we all thought it would. He’s still a world beater on his day but thats not enough, no way.
Rooney cant beat a player anymore, wont even take them on. His shooting hasn’t improved significantly over the years and his long range shooting is almost non existent. His touch at times is terrible, he’s too ambitious with his passes and silly chips, he’s slowed down a lot too amongst other things
Last night we were crying out for him to prove his worth and show his pedigree, thats why he’s so highly paid FFS and he let us down again. I’m not solely blaming him for last night, I’m questioning him as a Man Utd footballer
Unless theres another world beater alongside him, Rooney doesn’t seem to have the ability to play to his potential often enough. In the Ronaldo years he was fantastic in my opinion, not the finished article but there was big developments and he flourished almost secretly in the shadow of Ronaldo, it was similar when he played with Ruud, he upped his game and played beyond his years and experience
Apart from the one season after Ronaldo left he hasn’t proved himself to be deserving of such a huge contract and the status of a United Golden boy
I was gutted when Ruud left and a little worried too, but I have a gut feeling that sellingRooney and freeing up some funds will truly allow us to rebuild for the future
I don’t trust Rooney enough to see him as a future legend like Scholes, Giggs, Nev etc… Surely it’s not out of the question for him to be sold in the summer
Furthermore, Ferguson? Really? Its Sir Alex, I know some do not feel too strongly about this but I do. Even his own son refers to him as either dad or Sir Alex. Fergie or SAF are also fine
But Ferguson? To me its disrespectful
You could add the ten best players in the world to United’s squad, and they would be of ZERO help if they were all injured. The reality is that we have more than ten of our best players injured. That is what is missing from our squad, not the various transfer-targets being mentioned.
@samuel – united WE stand
I too think it’s unfair some of the criticism that Welbeck is receiving.
Not many strikers in the world can do much without the right support play or creativity.
At tiems last night we were just lumping balls forward like Wimbledon and Ingurlund.
Jeet
mate your post at 9:12 is spot on. I can’t tell you how many times i sigh in disappointment when someone on ROM says “we’re just 3 point behind” ,”we’re in transition”(that one is hilarious) or some similar B.S. Manchester United is the biggest and baddest of the bunch, i don’t expect us to win the title every season – hell where’ s the fun in that. What i’d like to see is the team/squad evolving – senior and youth players alike, and our tactics.
Those things in my opinion are stale somewhat. But God forbid anyone should point these things out. Fair enough injuries have hit us hard this season but its one issue after the next. I’ve had a beef with our technical staff for 3 years now and its playing out like i feared. It doesn’t help either when the fans have no idea whats going on at OT. Fergie says one thing and does another. I can understand playing your cards close to your chest but these days no one has a fucking clue whats going on.
Look at Ando for example he was supposed to be out for a shit long time, yet here he is, thrust straight into the action. Tom C injury was supposed to be for a month instead we’re getting the Hargo type vibe – at least i am anyway. Its not an easy job no doubt but i think communication could be better.
smartalex
Here is where you are wrong, its all the fault of the boss, he’s lost the plot. Should be sacked with immediate effect. We need a new manager, preferably a 20 year old hot chick, sell the dead wood and hope for a sugar daddy to buy the club and sign every player we crave for.
Problem sorted
We need to shift the dead weight.
At the moment we have a poor squad, Only the following are good enough.
GK: Lindegaard
Def : Rafael,Vidic,Smalling
Mid; Carrick,Cleberly Giggs,Park,Nani,Valencia,Jones
ST; Rooney, Welbeck,Chico,Berba
Its a poor squad, we need to rebuld !
The likes of Rio + Evra need booting and replaced by 24-27 year olds Evans will do as a sub.
We need to shift out gibson and anderson plus with Fletchers career at a end now. We need potentially 2-3 midfielders coming in.
Young was a silly buy, good player but SAF prioritised the wrong positions.
In the next 2 years we will either become Liverpool or continue the Manchester Utd way of being the most innovative,sucessful and continously stable side in PL history.
Red Nation
Please tell me you were taking the piss because I missed the smileys in your post
Sorry but I really cannot lay yesterday’s performance at SAF’s door. The players on the park have to man up and take responsibility for their performances. Despite our injury situation we are are still second. That cannot happen out of thin air or with a squad that’s a shit as some are making it out to be. To those calling for signings at this point, we have the kids and Tom C to roll out first. Can somebody name for me any player immediately available player for signing who will be able to magically transform the team’s performance THIS season? There’s nothing out there folks…SAF is right to keep his hand in his pocket just now.
The Blackburn and Newcastle performances were poor, unacceptable even. United is every other team’s ‘cup final’ so teams invariably try and raise their game against us. That’s a given. With this in mind, a loss to Newcastle away in the current injury hit situation doesn’t worry me that much as our shoddy Blackburn performance, which reeked of complacency on the part of some players . Nonetheless, the injury situation was bound to catch up with us as players tire or get slotted into different roles to cover. Sloppy passing and losing the application to fight to the end however needs to be stamped on and I’m sure SAF will do so.
The real damage is the respite these results give to City after all the effort we have put in to catch up despite our injury situation. IMHO, City will fall still away at the crunch time as they only have one really creative player going forward – Silva. When he’s off his game they defend well but create little.
Wellbeck criticism is unreal the lad has been quality for us and my preferred pairing right now is Roo and Weelbeck.
I dont want to see Roo and Berba it just doesnt work at all they both drop deep and offer similar roles, young Danny has been class give me home over some cunt like Tevez, Balotelli any day of the week.
If we do city on Saturday I wonder what all the posts will be about then. We have lost Vida the best centre half in the world, Clev and Ando have been missing, Smalling injured and so on.
Slim
I am sorry mate your last post is ridiculous, we are only three points behind and this is a team in transition what do you expecxt season after season? Some fans should fuck football off and watch the harlem globe trotters as its like you want performing seals game in game out it doesnt happen.
Mr C
You beauty, well said pal. Great post, as ever may I add
Giggs12
Some fans should just watch cartoons pal….. Utterly fucking clueless
@Slim: Sometimes I feel, that we won the league last year, and are “only 3 points behind” only because of fergie’s bloodymindedness and the fact that winning, like all old habits, die hard. But die they do, eventually. Personally, I am a tad sick of the sugarcoating. There have been some problems that don’t seem to be going away over the last 3 years. And while I would never admit it to a ‘pool or le arse fan, i think it would do a world of good if at least the supporters started being a bit more questioning. There’s no doubt that we stand at the crossroads. If we take the wrong turn, it could back to the eighties. Which would be a real shame.
Cedars,
Thanks for the mention my friend..
and yeah you are right, we need to sign all the players we crave and lets start the processdings by sacking Sir Alex..:)
CedarsDevil
Why not just dismantle the club and sell off souvenirs? We’re obviously done here.
The next game, this season, next season, and the foreseeable future holds no promise.
What’s the use? Everybody grab a brick, and run.
We can all hold it to our hearts, and remember the once-great Manchester United.
Fuck off! If we were relegated ten years in a row, and were playing our biggest game of the season in the parking lot behind Tesco’s; I’d be watching youtube videos posted by James21, of Mikekelly12, King Eric, Giggs12Gerard0 and others from RoM rocking on sideline. Supporting Manchester United proudly!
Rooney looked as though he’d had a few pints before kick off. His first touch was fucking abysmal. Park ran around a lot but had no impact at all and ( and i hate saying this ) Giggs was shite. I much prefer him coming off the bench late on but i suppose with all the injuries we have Fergie had no choice. Nani looked like a fucking Sunday league player as well. If we play like that on Sunday then City will hammer us and we can’t have that now can we.
I think it’s not unreasonalbe to be critical after the cumulation of bad events: Man City, Basel, Benfica, Crystal Palace and now Blackburn and Newcastle. It’s disturbing how badly we’ve played at crucial points and got ourselves in a position where by January we’ll be in the game for only one (Europa League!) or possibly two trophies (+League). Correct me if I’m wrong, but it smells like 2005. all over again (at least we reached the FA Cup final that year).
Something needs tending to. Whether it’s the medical staff (how come we have so many injuries and other teams don’t?) or the team, I don’t know. As somebody already pointed out, the fans are in the dark and have no clue what’s happening behind closed doors. Embarrassment looms on Sunday.
smartalex
If I may say so, that was fucking well said…… Its after a blip or a defeat that you can filter out proper supporters from fake ones…. You my dear friend are a proper supporter, of the highest order may I add.
Sandeep
Credit where its due my friend as ever.
There’s a lot I don’t agree with about slims post especially the technical improvement when we had our entire midfield and strike force fit we played some frighteningly excellent football, we’ve had a crisis in defence all season and could have done with an extra midfielder this summer even if he was an Owen type signing. However I do agree with slim about one point, there needs to be transparency at the club, there was a time when the supporters knew what was going on but now everyone is clueless. I personally blame the media. The timescales on injuries is extremely frustrating, to be given a date and then fuck all happens. It’s like being a kid and having Christmas moved back.
@Jeet
That is a more sensible point yes things should be questioned and we do come to cross roads espicilly over a 25 year tenure.
The simple fact is though is that we are champions and we are only three points behind whether pessimists like it or not.
Are there things that need fixing? Yes of course but far too many come on here and say sell all the deadwood and bring in all the players in the world. We need to be patient sometime lets say City lose their next game and we win, were only talking small margnis considering the wank fest everyone is having over city.
For all the money they have spent they are 3 poinst ahead, 2009 we came back from China and everyone was saying exactly the same as were 8 pts behind the scousers, i dont need to tell you what happend next……..
smartalex
Best post I’ve read all fucking day.
AntiScouser – Embarrassment? So this is all about you, and how you appear? Fuck off!
Change your tune, it’s embarrassing United. You make us appear selfish.
You are embarrassed by yourself, selfish AntiScouser.
CedarsDevil and dela
Thank you for your agreement, and especially for your love of United!
Last year old age was a factor, now its young age.
The likes of De Gea,Fabio,Rafael,Jones,Welbeck,Clev,Ando,Smalling,Chico cant be heaviliy depended on yet.
With Vidic out for the season and perhaps career damaging, as also with the Fletcher case who’s out for 4 months, a poor rooney,injuries to defence,Rio and Evra declining rapidly and no solid keeper we need to sign experience and need continuity for stability in our season.
Im not for January signing but perhaps we need to sign a defender, we was short of defenders with a fully fit squad and are naked now because of injries.
@Giggs12Gerrard0 – I think mate because its cit-eh and nobody 4 years ago envisioned them being where they are is why everybody is getting their knickers in a twist. There were loads of people here myself included who didn’t think they would reach the half way point being where they are but thats where they are furthermore no need to remind everyone what happened at OT last year so they do mean business. Yesterdays result also undid the good work we did in the Fulham and Wigan games in regards to the goal difference. 11 behind them. If we can sort out the goal difference and still be 3 points behind them with 8 games to go I would still take that.
dela
You see, smartalex is a genius of sorts, his use of words are that of a master in motion.
How have you been and how is Bahrain treating you?
When we are on a good run, the squad looks good.
When we have games like last night, the squad looks like it’s full of ‘make-do’ players, square pegs in round holes.
The reality I believe is somewhere between the two.
The frustration of fans these days is not knowing if there is the required money available to spend, which in itself is crazy bearing in mind the vast revenues the club makes. The Glazers have to make money available and I’m sure they will.
Fergie is a genius. End of. He has got the maximum out of this squad. If there is a slight criticism of the boss is that he has shown loyalty to squad players at the expense of giving youth a chance in the first team. It’s only my opinion but I don’t think the policy of playing all the youngsters together in the Carling Cup sides hasprepared them adequately for the first team.
This club is about loyalty though and Fergie knows who he can trust. His problem may very well be he knows that some have reached the endof their times at Utd, but who does he replace players he knows inside out with?
I generally look around and don’t see a great number of players with real desire, who would give everything to play for a club like Utd. Football doesn’t seem to be the be-all and end-all for a lot of players these days and that’s sad to see.
I’d love the boss to pull another couple of Vidics and Evras out of the bag but we can’t expect that.
And when the dust settles, without the fortunes of a man who never visits the stadium, where would City be and who would have a reasonably healthy lead at the top of the table? We’ve been in worse positions than this.
CedarsDevil, is the rack perky?
Giggs12Gerrard0
Never done this before, i’m so excited…..wait for it…..wait for it. FACE PALM.
Re read my posts or not i don’t care.Never intimated we should be winning season after season. Hell a barren period will do a world of good. Get the players revved up and all that
Red Nation
We are all entitled to our opinion about players, tactics etc…. However for me personally I found nothing funny about your comment on Fletcher
Jeet
Thats exactly it. Like i sad before, Fergie likes playing his cards close to the chest and there’s only so much of the the club secrets you can give away if you’re going the “tell all or be dammed” route. But its difficult to discern whats going on, the only thing we’ve got is what happens on match days. Last night and Blackburn showed us in a poor light. Didn’t do ourselves justice and the question is why. I’ve always asked the questions because i’ve seen signs here and there over time. I
Very perky and the arak tastes like the nectar of the gods
@Giggs12: Agreed, the facts are what they are. Sadly, the facts also are that we are out of the Cl, and have been outplayed by Basel, Benfica, Newcastle and generally, the pattern being such that teams are losing their fear of United, and there’s a clear blueprint emerging on how to beat us. We have to be patient, and believe in fergie and the club. We owe him that much, and a whole lot more, no doubt about it.
Personally, I get gutted everytime we lose, but I don’t mind so much losing to quality opposition after a hard fight. To give you an example, the CL quarterfinal against bayern was a round of games I will always cherish in my mind as some of the best football I have seen us play in recent times, even though I felt physically sick for the next few days at us bowing out of the CL. I don’t mind us going trophyless for sometime if I see us establishing a clear vision. I am concerned because I am not sure if I see enough of that at the moment. A flash here, and a glimpse there, but it still leaves me worried.
And as for the trolls and footballing ignoramuses saying sell x, buy y – why, I pity the bastards. They don’t get it, and I doubt they ever will. Most have probably never played the game, and probably became a United fan because CR7 was fashionable, just like the metrosexual teenage cunts (apologies to sensible teenagers – don’t mean to disturb your hormones!) wearing Che or Jim Morrison tees, without any understanding of what each stood for.
But it has to be said, that I am equally tired of the obsequious, blinkered support I sometimes see on here. Like everytime we thrash wigan, we behave as if we are gonna win the fucking treble for the next 3 years in a row. Or that no other player in the world is good enough for us. And the way, everytime you criticize the manager, a player or a sad performance like yesterday’s your loyalty is called into question. I will still support United (though sitting in India, I’m not sure how I’ll get to see them) if we get relegated like fuck. But don’t expect me to behave as if there’s nothing’s wrong with that.
Red Nation – perhaps as Darren Fletcher recuperates from 4 years of playing and training in pain and distress, he might do a little browsing. Should he be interested in Manchester United, he would reach RoM. As he reads your ‘joke’ – ” Fletchers career at a end now “, I wonder if he will be heartened, and proud.
Perhaps you could swallow a bucket of acid into your bowels, keeping it there while straining every sinew and expending every ounce of your reserves in the name of Manchester United. Then explain your punch-line, which was way below the belt.
Jeet
Enough with the football debate, get your ass over here and fast….. Got me some freshly harvested green on the way
Be careful CedarsDevil! Don’t drink too much of that or you will start seeing big hairy spiders!
Araknophobia is no laughing matter.
It’s Been a bad week we all know that, but it’s the beginning of January we have had a weaken squad for a while but we are 3 pts off the lead. When you can keep your head when everyone is loosing theirs then you are a man my son.
NotoriousRedDevil
Hmm. those lads are fantastic players, capable of fucking grade A football. Problem i have is with the inconsistencies. No doubt injury situation hasn’t helped but the stuff on display has been of a lower “standard”- yes including that candy month we had at the start of the season, taking all thats happened up to this point. I can’t help but feel the technnical side of things has stalled a bit. Decent corners in a game are a rarity, Free kicks are joke, we hardly get into one-on-one situations with keepers/defenders and when we do get to those positions, its Wayne the man and he usually fucks that up with heavy touch or poor execution. All i’m saying is the boys should be doing much much better. The only injury we can legitimately moan about is Vida’s. I would have put A. Young in there as well but his form dipped drastically since the 1-6 debacle at OT
@Cedars – keep the faith mate.
I think some United supporters have taken our success a little for granted in recent years- success had to be earnt. This season is showing how difficult it is for clubs to stay at the top of the EPL. I’m not being complacent and have been as critical as anyone of some of our performances. But the reality is we’re running a close second despite a bad patch and injuries and are still in the mix for the title. For context take a step back for a moment and consider the current position of our rivals. Suppose you supported one of this lot….
Arsenal – not won anything for 6 years and now trying desperately to make a top four finish.
Chelsea – spent millions trying to buy success but now in turmoil and will be lucky to make the top five.
Tottenham – on the rise but have peaked. Power puff side with a dodgy manager who cannot keep his gob shut. Let’s see how well they fare when his court case comes up….
Liverpool. Spent millions to produce a glorified mid table side and living off memories and embroiled in a unseemly race scandal. I’m sure their sponsors are taking note.
City – A tosser of a manager and have spent millions on players yet there’s still space for the likes of Milner and Barry in their squad. Shitting themselves as an injury hit United has cut back their lead on us to three points. Will now lose a couple of their best players to the African Cup of Nations….City aint the real deal.
We have it within us to win the EPL injuries or not. It’s the complacency against some teams I worry about.
Just ignore Mr Tring ffs. Clearly a wum. By responding to him, you’re giving him credence.
Anyway, more important things on my mind. My old was taken to hospital last night. Fucking kidney stones. Two of the buggers, he’s got. He’s out now, like. He’ll have to go back in 2 weeks, to get it sorted. As for United, we’ll bounce back. I’ll pop in later lads.
Mr C
First of, you always should post here, your sensibility is top notch…. Like you I never lose the faith, win trophies or not I could not be arsed to be honest…. Of course its magical watching the lads lifting trophies but that is hardly the reason why I personally love United
@Cedars: Thanks, for trying to cheer me up. Sorry if I’m venting a lot here. Had a hard day at work y’day. Stayed up working till midnight. Dozed off for an hr, watched the match chainsmoking to stay up, and then worked till 5 in the fucking AM. 4 hrs sleep, and still the taste of defeat ringing sour in the mouth.
Worse news, the cedars trip is defo off for this year. My business grew by 40% but still no fucking bonus because overall company performance has been shite. Fucking pissed off. Skint as well. Trying to change jobs, but 2012 looks like it can be a potential nightmare year as far as the economy is concerned. Thank god for the kid – he keeps me cheery at times like these, and of course RoM friends.
Afternoon Cedars.
Bahrain has become a shadow of its former self. My family has been on the move all darn year. 2011 was a nightmare that way. Then again, United won number 19, and that just made up for everything else
Afternoon Cedars.
Bahrain has become a shadow of its former self. My family has been on the move all darn year. 2011 was a nightmare that way. Then again, United won number 19, and that just made up for everything else
Willie
From a man who has had endless issues with his kidneys I wish your old man all the best… Heart felt comment my good friend….. Do not know his name so I will just say this….. Get well soon Willie’s dad
Mame Biram Diouf on a possible switch to Premier League strugglers Wigan:
“It is an option at the moment and a good one. I want to go and play week in, week out and try to impress Sir Alex Ferguson. If I can finish the season strongly, I can challenge for a position next season like Danny has done this season. Wigan could be a key for me. I have done okay for Blackburn, but need to do well on my next loan. There are other teams interested as well.”
http://www1.skysports.com/football/news/11667/7412039/Wigan-loan-appeals-to-Diouf
Manchester United cannot win every game. How spoiled are Man utd’s fans? And now complaining about our players – the same players that won us the league like how many times?
” Fletchers career at a end now “ – How is this offensive? Its not, calm down senoritas. Didn’t think we had so many sensitive softies on here which get offended by everything.
Why are you guys singling out a joke you didn’t find funny instead of discussing the opinion of Utd needing to continue rebuilding the squad by bringing in experience as currently we have an unbalanced side even with a fully fit squad.
Macheda to QPR was a pefect loan decision. Hope he plays regularly.
Police will be in full riot gear for the City v United FA Cup clash this weekend.
“We want to make it a great football occasion that decent fans of both clubs can get to safely and get away safely,” a police spokesman said “All officers in and around the ground will don riot gear for the first time. This is a response to last year when an officer suffered a serious eye injury when he was hit by a missile.”
Some 5,700 United fans officially have tickets for the match. Pubs around the stadium will be closed before the game, and fans will be limited to buying two drinks each once they are inside the ground.
But despite those precautions, and the 1pm kick-off time, police are taking no chances with their protective clothing. Daniel Watts, a 23-year-old City fan, was convicted of affray for his part in the incident last November, and handed a three-month suspended sentence, 100 hours of community service and a four-year ban from football.
http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/05012012/58/fa-cup-police-wear-riot-gear-manchester-derby.html
@Willie: Good luck to you and your dad. Ask him to lay off the booze and the red meat for a while. Usually kidney stones are no big deal if handled in time. TC.
Evening, Cedars and smartalex.
How you two holding up?
smartalex at 11 :43
Now there was an OUCH if I ever read one…… Epic stuff
Get well soon Fletch and Willie’s dad
Get well soon Willie’s dad! Chin up WillieRedNut, keep dad cheery until United wakes up!
dela, Jeet & Saad
Excuse my late responses fellas, got the lady in the house, an Arak in hand and trying to play catch up!
dela
I know what you mean about Bahrain pal… Will not take it further here
Jeet
That is what I do my friend, just try a bring a smile
Saad
Doing great buddy and thanks for the mention
Saad – very well, thank you! Are you still the upholding Red we all love?
I love you Willie I do, I love you Willie I do I love you Willie I dooo oh Willie I love you….
All the best to your old man from the land of the cedars
Get stuck in old man
Thanks, Cedars. You are a true Red, and more importantly, a good man.
Kick It Out’s Lord Ouseley, who was chairman of the Commission for Racial Equality from 1993 to 2000, wrote in the Guardian: “Liverpool need to take a hard look at themselves and how they have responded to the complaint and the investigations into the allegations of abuse in the Patrice Evra/Luis Suarez case.
“Throughout the entirety of the proceedings, over the past three months, all we have heard are denials and denigration of Evra. Since the publication of the 115-page report of the findings of the FA’s independent commission, Liverpool’s vitriol has increased. Suarez’s attempt at a belated apology is nothing short of lamentable.”
“I cannot believe that a club of Liverpool’s stature, and with how it has previously led on matters of social injustice and inequality, can allow its integrity and credibility to be debased by such crass and ill-considered responses. Liverpool have been particularly hypocritical. You can’t on the one hand wear a Kick It Out T-shirt in a week of campaigning against racism when this is also happening on the pitch: it’s the height of hypocrisy. Liverpool players wore a T-shirt saying: ‘We support Luis Suarez’, seemingly whatever the outcome. This was a dreadful knee-jerk reaction. It stirs things up.”
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Piara Powar, executive director of Football Against Racism in Europe, believes the FA would be within its rights to charge Liverpool and its manager Kenny Dalglish over their handling of the situation.
“Liverpool have constantly undermined the investigation and its outcome,” he told BBC Sport. “They have been disrespectful to the FA and questioned its integrity and neutrality. If a manager had done that in a post-match interview the FA would have brought disrepute charges.”
It is understood that the FA has no plans to charge either Liverpool or Dalglish.
Hate to say I told you smartalex but I told you so.
I was speaking to a mate yesterday, and I actually said that I’d rather lose to Newcastle and beat City than the other way around.
Not saying that the FA Cup is more important than the Premier League….but a loss to Newcastle and a 3 point gap at the top we can recover.
An FA Cup exit at the hands of City we can’t. Psychologically it could have massive repercussions as well, it’d be the 3rd competitive loss to them on the spin (home, away, neutral territory)
I don’t think its an exaggeration to say that this game is of the same magnitude as when Arsenal came to Old Trafford on the back of a 49 game unbeaten run. We just CANNOT afford to lose IMO.
Cedars
Arak? Darn, I’m jealous.
And get well soon, willie’s dad.
Cedars
Arak? Darn, I’m jealous.
And get well soon, willie’s dad.
Whilst kidney stone matters are easily dealt with these days however the pain they cause seems unbearable. My late dad had them as did one of my brothers, I will never forget their screams of pain every time they simply had to take a piss or whenever the stone just moved…..
Willie
I feel with your dad and please pass on my best wishes
Jeet
Do not mention it pal, that is why you and I have a special bond my friend. We may agree or disagree on United related matters but that is irrelevant
looks like man sheikhy is missing barry and yaya on sunday.
could be good for us.
now we just need to find some form.
Willie – best wishes to you and your family mate, hope all turns out well
Slim
No need to be a child mate, I read posts and respond to add balance. You aimed your post at the likes of myself as I have been saying word for word we are three points behind and in transition.
Ditto mate on reading my posts or not i dont care but if you are going to post opinions based on others like myself on what we believe then it will be responded to mate.
@Jeet
Mate I always have an opinion on SAF and plsyers but its literally questions as opposed to numpties suggesting its over, were doomed, sell everyone etc etc
The posts that got my back up was with yourself and slim in relation to blinkered support and 3 points behind etc etc like I say for the complete wankfest that is city right now with the media and for all thier talent they are only three points ahead and we have got a lot of improvement in us with players coming back, gaining consistency etc that I am not as worried as some appear on here.
Comments like this is the worst we have been in fouty years? How the fuck is that possible when it was only in the seventies that we were relegated.
some must be kidding me.
Man Sheikhy deeper squad?
We are missing 9 fucking players and they miss only 1!
and we are not missing any reserve players, but our most important one in Vidic and Cleverley who might have had the biggest impact on the team!
@Giggs12: Agreed about the wankfest. Like they have been dominating everything for the last 2 decades or something. bastards.
). I am though, somehwhat concerned about the 5 yr view, particularly, with what shape we are in when SAF decides, or God forbid, is forced to call it a day.
My position is actually a strange one. Unlike many, I’m genuinely not so bothered about this season, or the next. I don’t think the season is over by any stretch of imagination. and who says we are entitled to win everything, every year (speaking of which, I have often wondered why the FA doesnt rename the EPL The Sir Alex Ferguson Trophy
@sheppertoni:
le arse, dippers, newcastle have better midfielders than us? Are u mad? Are u fuckin’ kidding me?
Please explain that to us, bcause i’m beginning to hate some fickle United fans on here.
@Zelh: Don’t forget Fletch. A fully ft Fletch could have made one hell of a difference.
Giggs12Gerrard0
By all means respond to it and i don’t know what you’re on about big fella. i don’t remember making comments towards you or anything you said in particular. Funny thing is our views are similar – i think. From what i gather we’re both arguing the long term and not the here and now, at least i am anyway.
Take a cue from your own post and put the childish antics to a minimum yourself. Your response to my one of my post was laced with mockery – Harlem globetrotters? Really? Lol. If you have a problem with me – though i can’t think why, thats your problem dude, not mine. For the record, i look out for your posts, usually spot on
“Sometimes its better to be silent and be thought of as a fool than to speak and remove all doubt”. So saying, I wanna remove all doubt with my tuppence contribution. Sir Alex Fergie should be sacked! Sacked for losing 2 straight matches and all the trophies he has won us.
As to the other issues plaguing this team, they seem too many or perhaps I really don’t know what’s going on anymore so I chose to keep you guys in doubt. Thank you RoM. We are United. We never die!
Jeet
Mate I am exactly the same in opinion its all about 2013.
Slim
Apologies mate I have no problem with you at all o was merely arguing against the 3 pts and transition comment.
The Harlem globe trottets comment wasn’t for you pal that was for all the joke of comments about selling all the players and Fergie had lost it etc.
I also look out for your posts mate and reading back our views are the same hahs
@Jeet – considering that Fergie is building a new, young squad (many of whom will be at their peak AFTER Fergie leaves)….I have a feeling that the club has a successor in mind.
Put it this way – Sir Alex is not gonna go to all this effort of bringing through all these youngsters, if the guy after him comes in with a different approach, mentality and playing style. What a waste that would be.
I think his successor will be someone who won’t change very much. Fergie will wanna leave the majority of the squad already in place, so his successor has an easier job.
Therefore, it stands to reason that it’ll be someone very close to the club. Either somebody who’s currently at the club (say Giggsy retires this summer and spends 2 years on the coaching staff). Or maybe somebody from the outside who’ll join Fergie’s coaching staff in the next year or so, and learn under the master for a while, so he can take over.
Very similar to what Liverpool used to do with the Boot Room. I suppose you could say we tried it when Wilf McGuinness took over after Sir Matt…but you could argue that he was the wrong man for the job.
At the beginning of the season, If anyone had said that in the first week of January we would be in 2nd place just 3 points behind the leaders, we’d have all said OK.
Obviously the injury situation hasn’t helped but we should all keep the faith. We may well look back and see that this may well be a season of transition but you can’t win ‘em all.
Must admit I am getting a bit frustrated at the number of times Hernandez gets caught offside though!
Rol on Sunday!
That result couldnt have come at a worse time for us with City up next this weekend. Our defence has been shocking the last 2 games. We’ve been completely out muscled by strong attackers, like Yakubu, Ba and Ameobi. Fergie needs to sort this and quick Cahill is going cheap at 7 mill and Sneijder hasn’t ruled out any move. Perfect signings. And as Beckham wants to stay in the US why not get him on loan for 4 months as cover? It would boost the team, fans and merchendise sales over the world would go through the roof.
Markowire
to be honest mate Cahil will not play with our team back after injury so not sure he would want ot be a stop gap. Sneijder is just one of those deals that is never going to happen.
On the Becks suggestion I must admit I would love to see him come in on loan, he can still play and in situations like against Blackburn he would have got a good 70 minutes at least. wil it happen though? Not a chance there is no way SAF is bringing Becks back to the club simply because of the media circus that comes with it. Its that reason he was pushed out in the first place.
@Sandeep
Yeah, the wind has more assists than Downing and Howard has more goals than Andy Carroll.
@willie
My sincere wishes for a speedy recovery mate. If your dad is anything like you, he’ll bounce back in no time.
Markowire – Sry but Cahill? He wants fucking 150k per week! that cunt can go whereever he wants unless it’s Old Trafford. Not for me. Never. He’s good at best.
And Sneijder? That one is gone. No way we’ll go after him again. You reject United only once.
@Willierednut, sorry to read that mate. Hope your Dad has a swift recovery pal.
NotoriousRedDevil – sorry so long, just had another power cut here.
Yeah, we both wish I was right. what can you do? I’m still expecting a lot of pressure to be exerted on Liverpool and the FA, so I won’t tear up the betting stub just yet!
Hi Everyone!!!!
I hate newcastle so much wat the hell happen 2 united last nite!!!!!!!! Rooney and Nani and Park was shit anyone agree on the match with me and don’t belive that united are still the team Sir Alex will better fucking sign Sneijder Anyone agree or disagree on me!!! And united will be back scoring goals next weekend against City
Two terrible results over the new year period, but let’s stop this talk of crises. At the end of the day, no other team in the country could come within 3 points of the top spot with our injury list, long term injuries to most of the mid field and defence would have crippled any other team but united, yet here we are still in with a chance! That is the true hallmark of fergie’s united, whatever the crises we’re still there fighting for the top spot, keep the faith, in fergie we trust!!!!
IMO forget Cahill as a transfer target, why spend large amounts of money on a temporary fix? Vidic will be back, Ferdinand can still perform and Evans, Smalling and Jones have all got world class potential. I also don’t believe there is a problem on the flanks or up front, the problem is central midfield. If schnieder is not the answer how about cabaye – young, technically gifted, and Would love to be here. It’s good to see Anderson back and Carrick hitting some form but giggs is now too old to be starting every game and cleverly (brilliant as he us) is too often injured, fletcher has to be forgotten about for the near future. In my view, jones should be regarded as a starter in midfield until either signings are brought in or enough people are back from injury!
The desperate sense of doom in these comments is amazing. Chicken Little anyone ? Yep, the sky is falling down.
For example: RedHarryForLife @ 23:13: “Nani – twat – has been pure shite for the last two games. When was the last time this pounce actually played a decent game. Not 1 cross in tonight.”
“RedHarry” didn’t seem to be watching when it was Nani who fed the ball in to TheWayneBoy on the penalty spot that brought about a remarkable save from Danny Simpson (one of Salford’s finest !).
In the parallel universe I inhabit, Nani has been UTD’s best player since the match against TheArse in January 2010. Is he supposed to be perfect ?
“Red Harry” and his kind of trolling completely fly-in-the-face-of the evidence from the match. “Red Harry” is hardly alone – whenever TheLads don’t win every match by three or four goals then the sky is falling down and the end of the world is nigh.
And, of course, it’s not as if SAF’s teams haven’t lost games in the past – or reeled in bigger leads than that.
TheLads’ inconsistency is galling and frustrating. So what ? Is the end of the world really nigh ?
In times-of-troubled-waters like this, t’s not a question of simple-mindedly screeching “Believe !” but, rather, watching a team-in-transition coughing and spluttering in the middle of an injury crisis of epidemic proportions. Of course, it’s not always pretty to watch but, fortunately, SAF has been there, done that.
It was amazing to see how completely calm SAF’s face was whenever the camera panned to him but if past experience is anything to go by, he must have been roiling on the inside. Twenty-five years of experiencing the highs of victory and the lows of defeat will, no doubt, keep his hand on the tiller. KEEP CALM AND CARRY ON.
Kevin @ 1:21: “Nani kept clogging up the middle and had very few really important touches. He really needs to stay out wide and come into the middle with the ball but start his runs out wide and keep the defensive line more stretched.”
Oddly, what I saw last night – and against Blackburn, too – was that playing Antonio Valencia at right back seems to clog up the wide area for Nani. They seemed to be getting in each other’s way.
Our midfield is shite, it is that simple!! Giggs was fucking awful and Im sick of people giving him the benefit of the doubt coz he does 1 or 2 good things a game, he was shite against Basel as well!! at times it was as if Carrick played alone in the centre and as someone else posted, we were playing the ‘O’ formation!! We are leaving Tunni on loan, Pogba isnt getting played, Clev’s was supposed to be back but isnt and its January but hey lets play our 38 year old in the centre!! I love Giggsy like a God but he SHOULD NOT be starting and playing the whole game!! Those fucking flicks that fail to make it to one of our players are starting to rub off on the whole team for fuck sake!!
Oh and when SAF says there’s no value or its difficult to get players in that will make a difference, well there was two in midfield for Newcastle that kind of blow that out the water!! I love you SAF but you need to stop being so stubborn, our squad isnt good enough and the kids dont even get played, no wonder they are rumoured to be fucking off!!
That said, lets fucking have it you Blue Bitter bastards!!
MrC @ 0:47: “Rooney? I’m in a minority on here as I think Wayne is a better, more effective ‘footballer’ than out and out striker or target man and as such prefer to see him playing deeper driving forward. However, I’m not sure Rooney sees things that way. Regardless, in my book, if Wayne’s fit, he starts. But if he’s not playing well then normal rules must apply – bring off or drop.”
I’m in two minds about your argument since one of the “issues” with TheWayneBoy is that he is essentially a selfish player – not a team player. He doesn’t seem to follow instructions but plays according to his own sense of importance/priority. That’s why, in my opinion, he needs to be played with guys who will both complement his game and largely operate in other areas of the pitch. The reason why I’ve been “sceptical” of Dimmy is that his game doesn’t dovetail with TheWayneBoy’s game – they get in each other’s way whereas Chicharito and DannyTheLad don’t.
“if Wayne’s fit, he starts” – yeah. SAF made the decision last October/November that TheWayneBoy was the key part to his next great team. Fergy went to the wall to keep Rooney so he’s basically pinned his colours to that mast. He has previous in this regard: SAF did that with Keane-o, too – even when the CobhBoyho was well past his best.
SO, if TheWayneBoy is the keystone then the big question is how is the “attacking six-pack” going to be organized to best complement him. Given the limited resources available at this moment, I’d go with an “attacking diamond” – DannyTheLad leading the line, Nani/Valencia wide and TheWayneBoy “in the hole” – backed by the most solid midfield which has to be Michael Carrick/MrJones. The absentees in central defence ARE problematic and worrying but, hopefully, Chris Smalling/Rafael can come back on Sunday to play alongside Rio/Evra. (That selection means I’d leave out Dimmy, Chicharito, SirRyanGiggs, and ThreeLungPark – I doubt that anyone would be surprised by my omission of Berbatov but the selection comes down to the choice between him and TheWayneBoy while Chicharito has had his lunch eaten by DannyTheLad !).
Against ManShitty, the key area of contention will be central midfield – especially because Nigel De Jong will be played there, alongside ToureYaYa and MrJones and TheWayneBoy can provide the necessary physical presence to level-that-playing-field. Additionally, I’d like to think that SAF “went to school” on th way the Sunderland kept ManShitty at bay last weekend.
The game on Sunday is not crucial but it is, in its own way, more important than that. Coming out guns-ablazing is not going to be the way to go – instead of trying to win the match in the first fifteen minutes, go slow, keep steady and calm, positionally-aware and look for a quick break at speed.
Esteban @ 1:55: “It is absolutely contrary to the Glazers’ economic interests to let Utd fade from the ranks of global elite clubs. Hard as it is to understand for those who don’t deal with this kind of leveraged acquisition on a regular basis, it is not the case that the buyer wants to milk the asset for fees; the real money is to be made by watching the asset value increase (and having that increase amplified by the debt).”
Av voice of reason in a cacophony of doom/gloom.
Excellent comments denton davey!
@smartalex
Sorry for the late reply.
Feelings of the heart don’t change so suddenly. Thank God for that.
Couple hours ago I was thinking that the sting of these past two defeats might just fire up the boys enough to give a really good fight to Shitey away this weekend. That would certainly raise the fans’ spirits.
I do however have one criticism. I’ve always been of the persuasion that people (players and fans) should learn to talk less and do more. I’m a bit tired of the cliches. Time to make some meaningful improvements in all four departments on the pitch.
Good night to you all. Talk to you later.
Finally some good news
TOURE YAYA is going to be missing on Sunday. The Ivory Coast manager is a UTD fan-boy ! Although I’d suspect that some money-under-the-table will pass hands in the next 72 hours to resolve ManShitty’s selection crisis !!
Good post Denton, one adendum – there will be no ToureYaYa nor Kolo on Sunday. On there way to the ACoN they are, as reported by Sky.
LOL nvm DD, I should have refreshed before posting, it took me that long to read my way through all of the negative nancy posts. Carry on!
WillieRedNut.
About your auld man’s kidney stones is that a serious thing requiring operations or do they dissolve them or what?If its the former a speedy recovery to him.
Is it too early to plan for next season, from here on if we win the league its not because we played well, its because Shity was, you know what.
One more thing is Sir Alex loosing his powers getting the best out of his fringe players?
JC @ 18:08: no problem; we’re on the same page.
The next little while could be very interesting – to my way of thinking, ManShitty have been incredibly “lucky” with injuries/absences while UTD have not.
On another thread, someone posted the most incredible statistic:
“With Vidic on the pitch this season – 9 games 3 goals conceded (that even includes Newcastles ‘penalty’ at Old Trafford)
Without Vidic – 20 games 27 goals conceded”
I know that CaptainVidic isn’t going to play any part in the rest of this season, but what happens to Shitty when ToureYaYa is absent ? He’s the lynchpin of their team. AND what would happen to them if Vincent Kompany were to get crocked ?
It’s incontrovertible that UTD have played 20 matches and have one more point than at this time last year when they ended up winning #19. Does that mean anything ? Like the immortal Joaquin Andujhar once said: “if there’s one thing I know, it’s that you never know !”
Parryheid – Cheers mate. I think he’s getting them dissolved. He’s had them before, back in 2003. He’ll have to make do with the tablets they give him till then. As anyone knows, who’s had kidney stones, fucking pains excruciating.
@Denton:
“I’m in two minds about your argument since one of the “issues” with TheWayneBoy is that he is essentially a selfish player – not a team player. He doesn’t seem to follow instructions but plays according to his own sense of importance/priority. That’s why, in my opinion, he needs to be played with guys who will both complement his game and largely operate in other areas of the pitch. The reason why I’ve been “sceptical” of Dimmy is that his game doesn’t dovetail with TheWayneBoy’s game – they get in each other’s way whereas Chicharito and DannyTheLad don’t.”
You raise several interesting points there. If Wayne cannot – or worse still does not want to – follow team discipline there can only be one outcome. He’ll have to leave or we’ll have to get rid. Ultimately it’s a team game and no one player is bigger than the club otherwise discipline with break down all over the place. The boss has to be the boss. We’ve never built a team around one player – a group of players perhaps – and put simply Wayne is neither good enough -no one is- nor consistent enough to dispense with this doctrine at United’s level. Wayne’s certainly a top class ‘footballer’ and IMHO his all round game and work-rate points to a wider, more creative role than out and out striker.
This being said, I don’t believe Wayne actually thinks he is bigger than the club, albeit he might over-estimate his value. I think he just lacks a element of discipline and self control. Wayne clearly takes the game seriously, seems to get pissed off when things are not going well and then takes it upon himself to try and sort things out regardless of team orders. This being the case he might as well be played deeper (play-maker) rather than right up front only to abandon his position to go looking for the ball.
Just my two cents anyway.
@Mr C – Isn’t that where he generally plays anyway? Just off the front man?
Unless of course you mean you’d prefer him even deeper, as in centre midfield?
Tbh, if there’s one thing I couldn’t accuse him off, its selfishness or inability to follow orders. Look at the variety of roles he’s played over the years, the variety of tasks he’s been given by Fergie. He’s pretty much sacrificed himself for the team on many occasions, and he’s the one Fergie usually gives tactical instructions to as well.
I do agree with your last paragraph though – discipline and self control when things aren’t going well. He’ll drop deeper and deeper to try and make things happen, almost become like Stevie Me.
sparkz @ 21:28: “He’s pretty much sacrificed himself for the team on many occasions, and he’s the one Fergie usually gives tactical instructions to as well.
I do agree with your last paragraph though – discipline and self control when things aren’t going well. He’ll drop deeper and deeper to try and make things happen, almost become like Stevie Me.”
Doesn’t the point made in the first (quoted) paragraph contradict the point made in the following one ?
@Denton – Not particularly. What I meant in the first paragraph is stuff like – playing wide coz we needed to track an opposition full back/winger. Playing as the lone striker in 09/10 due to our lack of centre forwards, even though it meant he couldn’t get involved in the build up play as much. Last season in the Champions League games against Chelsea, where, in Fergie’s words – he was given a “semi defensive role” in addition to his attacking duties. Even the role he was asked to play in central midfield this season.
In the second paragraph, I was talking more about in games where he’s not given a specific instruction (probably 80% of our games tbh). And if in that game we’re not playing well/losing – that’s where he tries to get all Roy Of The Rovers at times.
Having watched the game last night, it made the obvious even more
Obvious. In that we do need quality players in midfield and defence.
There’s so much to say. Lets look at the positives:
1- after 20 games we are only 3 points behind
city. It could have been worse and to be where we are given injuries and sickness to key players with some like Cleverly to come back will be bonus.
2- SAF and the more experienced players know how to win and have seem many ups and downs.
3- key players will come back.
4- SAF knows what to do in these situations.
Now for the negatives
1- SAF known for a while our midfield is weak.
2- leadership is not what it used to be.
3- rio is becoming more of a liability due to his injuries and missing key games.
4- goalkeeping position needs to be resolved.
Anders is for now but DDG is the future.
5- tactics : too much mix and match with players in wrong positions. Noes the time to trust the youth players like Pogba, Fryers and Morrison.
@Sparks –
I’d agree that in the past Rooney more or less sacrificed himself playing at the pinnacle of the attack, most notably when Ronnie left, for both United and England. No-one can suggest that he didn’t step up to the plate, but in my IMHO this was to the detriment of Wayne’s overall game. With his build and style of play I really don’t think Wayne could last much beyond 28 playing at the point of the attack , whereas we have better specialist options for that role which are ‘swappable’ in and out if things aren’t working. (Berba, skill-wise, holding up, bringing others into play, Chico – pure finishing ability). These guys are world class up front at these tasks, given the right service – Wayne isn’t.
What Wayne does have is an exceptional talent as an all round ‘footballer’. I put the term in inverted commas as I believe he has the skill set and creative ability to dictate the play from deeper. CMF? Possibly but more like AMF or a free role behind the front two. One of the reasons I never warmed to the idea of Sneijder is that we don’t need the likes of him as I genuinely believe Wayne can do anything creatively that Wes can do. His career will last longer too.
@Mr C – Definitely agree with the first point. Although he scored 30 odd goals that season, I too thought it was hindering his all round game, we weren’t really making the best use of him. The team comes first I suppose, and Fergie did what was best for the TEAM – but there’s no doubt that his best position is a bit further away from the opposition goal (as he showed last season). I dunno about playing him in a free role behind a front 2 – coz that would require a massive change in our formation (no wingers for a start, which is unthinkable for a Fergie team).
I also agree that Berba is a better option for playing the “lead the line” role. He showed that last season – he was playing high up the pitch where he could use his touch to hold the ball up and bring others into play. He also has the technique to stick the ball in the back of the onion bag.
But for some reason, other than that 6 month spell last season – he hasn’t played there. Both he and the management seem to have this fixation with him playing in a deeper role, in the hole. And to be honest, he just doesn’t look at home there.
@ Denton Dave – I think that is a fair observation with regards to Valencia. However in the first half when we were going forward Nani was in the middle of the park again and again prior to Valencia pushing further forward. Maybe a Park on the right with Valencia would be better because Park is use to finding space in the middle of the park, especially in the attacking third. Allow Nani more freedom on the left and cutting back on his right foot is his best attribute imo and is certainly very capable with his right foot.
On Rooney I think he has sacrificed for our club. Maybe not much lately (last two weeks) but he has in the past. He has played out of position roles on numerous occasions and did so to great effect when Ronaldo graced Old Trafford. I agree with Mr.C regards to Rooney playing in behind the strikers in a deeper role as a creator. Further I agree with Sparks that he does sacrifice and even yesterday he was moved all over the field during the game and in games were things aren’t going particularly well he puts too much pressure on himself to “make things happen.” Further his off-field behavior puts even more pressure on him to perform.
@ Sparks and Mr C – Rooney as an AMF instead of a second striker which elevates some defensive duties leads to him having to drop back further to get involved and playing as an AMF would have him deeper from the start. Deeper as an AMF behind two strikers leaves me concerned however as I think we would lose too much width. Especially when you consider our defense has been severely weakened due to Vidic’s injury we would have to play very narrow against City to deal with their threats. I think an AMF with one forward would be a good option with Carrick and Anderson behind him and one of the many options more forward but I like Welbeck the best for Sunday but Berba is certainly another good option to lead the line as Sparks pointed out he did a good job last season. I lean toward Welbeck because he has more speed and can do a better job stretching Kompany and Lescott (since the Toures’s will be on the way to Africa.)
Yepp, I’m a massive fan of Danny, him and Rooney is our best combo IMO. For what its worth though, I’d start with just one up top on Sunday and string 5 across the middle.
BA looks the real deal
anyone………