The Evening News asked ‘what’s wrong with United?‘ yesterday, claiming we weren’t firing on all cylinders. It’s odd because United usually start the season so well…
We of course knew that like most things concerning our football club for the past few years, this season would be all about Cristiano Ronaldo, regardless of the fact we claimed £80 million for him in the summer.
Without the spark of Cristiano Ronaldo and the tenacity of Carlos Tevez, among fans and critics alike there is a sense that the Reds are collectively out-of-sorts.
It’s true, ‘fans’ do seem to be getting edgy, hence the embarrassing boos from around the ground at half time against Sunderland. But anyone who has followed United for longer than a season should actually be happy with what we’ve done so far, as it’s better than any other recent season.
The performances against Wigan, Spurs, Stoke and the second half of City, were really solid displays, creating loads of chances, playing attacking football, and looking entirely on top. Christ, what short memories some fans must have. To have four impressive performances in five games is pretty good going, particularly compared to last season when our impressive defensive dragged us through game after game.
This year we don’t have the impressive defensive record, rather error after error, goal after goal, which shouldn’t be entirely disregarded, but with the players we’ve had available, it’s not the end of the world. First choice goalkeeper, Edwin Van der Sar has been absent all season, Nemanja Vidic missed the start of the season and Rio Ferdinand has missed most of the season. Those three alone were largely responsible for our great defensive record last season so it stands to reason that we’ll concede more goals without them.
Wayne Rooney is the third highest scorer in the league, despite our defensive errors only Villa and Chelsea have conceded fewer goals, and only two players have more assists to their name than Ryan Giggs, both of whom having played considerably more than Giggsy.
What’s wrong with United?
1. We could do with some extra strength in that central midfield
2. It would be nice to have an injury free defence
3. We do want more goals from our strikers
4. Better performances from our wingers
But when have United ever had the perfect team? The perfect start? A perfect season? In 1998-1999 we won just 22 of our 38 matches! Of course I’m aware things have changed, the league has not been won with so few games won since then, but the point is it’s never perfect. When you reflect on a season with red-tinted specs, it’s easy to remember the brilliant goals and the great games, but the less convincing moments are swept aside. We got battered 4-1 by Liverpool then lost 2-0 away to Fulham in our next match last season, but the details of our 3-2 victory over Villa and 5-2 win against Spurs are far more easily recalled.
At the end of this season, we’ll cast the Burnley defeat to back the of our minds and that 4-3 win over City, along with other brilliant days, will stay in the forefront of our memories. Hopefully by then we’ll be Champions again and if possible, have another trophy or two to our name. But winning the league isn’t something we should take for granted and if we are to win it this year we will be doing something no other team in this country has before, being named Champions four seasons in a row.
Still, as starts to the season go for United, this is a bloody good one and anyone booing or worrying too much is wasting their energy.
We’ll never die.
07/08
W5 D2 L1
Total points: 17
Goals scored: 7
Trophies won: 1. Premiership 2. European Cup
08/09
W4 D3 L1
Total points: 15
Goals scored: 13
Trophies won: 1. Premiership 2. League Cup 3. Fifa World Club Cup
09/10
W6 D1 L1
Total points: 19
Goals scored: 19
Man Utd News 24/7
I think we r directly on course,da problem is defensive…we nd 2 improve,we wl b champs again!
People will always look for any kind of weakness in our squad. Thats what it’s like being a United fan and I’m sure a United player. With great success comes great expectation. There is nothing ‘wrong’ with United…We are 1 point off the top of the log. Next week if villa get something out of the chavski game(which is very possible) and we beat bolton(which is more than likely) we will then BE top of the log.If so will the cynics still be asking whats fucking wrong with United.
Bloody hell, they will look for anything…
of course this is the best start in last 4 years.the problem is that we have had injury problems and we are still not completely got used to the absence of ronaldo in my absence.it is upto the likes of valencia nani and anderson to get in the box more like fletcher does at times and get more goals.they are more than capable of doing it.that will reduce the pressure that ahs been heaped on rooney.also we need hargo back ASAP because when the opposition gets physical our midfield tends to give the ball away.with fletch and hargo we can dominate any midfield.thats why we lost all those games last year and were poor against sunderland.great to see berbatov showing his true class though.hope he has a great season.however i think we are more than capable of making it 4 in a row because we will be strong now that players are returning from injury.
i meant two points, hehe..fuck
Brilliant article, Scott. this is why some fans shouldn’t be hysterical and being disrespectful/impatient from now, I myself was surprised when I saw these stats.we’ve started better this season than the last two seasons and even scored more goals than the last two seasons starts. we’ve also managed to win 3 trophies in 08/09 season even though our start was worse than to that of 07/08 season where we won the CL and PL trophies.
after all, we can’t play every single game brilliantly. the loss at burnely isn’t the last we’ll see this season, and the draw against sunderland is the first of many, but I am sure that we’ll win the majority of games this season (hence when we get all injured players back), enough for us to clinch the title.
@ aig alex is god
I totally agree, with fletcher and hargo in midfield, we can dominate any team in my opinion. the prospect of seeing them together battling in midfield is just so anticipating. I don’t know why I’m thinking that when hargo is back we’ll be more consistent and winning more comfortablly. he’s been missed for a long time, and most of the games we lost last season have been in the absence of hargo & fletcher.
Excellent article Scott. At the end of the season, everyone will laud the brilliance of Sir Alex for being able to win 4 PL titles in a row, taking out RM and Barca on the way to CL glory, and the FA Cup and the Carling Cup are going to be the icing on the cake. Doing the double on Liverpool wouldn’t hurt too.
And this means having players stepping up to greater heights. Our players will come good. Honestly, which other team can boast a second XI that can still handle the PL well enough?
Read this on MEN yesterday and thought it was a little harsh to be talking about a crisis after we drew with a good Sunderland team with a slightly weakened team. We have some great youngsters coming through who have just gone top of the reserve league after last nights away win over Everton. So there’s nothing fundamentally wrong with our up and coming talent: Eikrem is just one who has taken the eye this year and looks to have made big strides along with his compatriot King – we could have a couple of stars in them two.
I feel the first team is lacking a spark though in all honesty and we aren’t playing with the necessary flair associated with “Great” United sides of the past. I’m worried about our signing of Valencia he looks like he’s scared to express himself and is hugely one-footed. I hope he can turn things round though??
Nani: i’ve championed alot but even he is not grasping his opportunities being given, the talent’s there but is the brain?
Park: Dont even go there, he’s toilet and thats me being polite.
O’Shea: as well as he does defesively he offers little to the RMidfielder and rarely overlaps to create options. Fabio or Wez would be the better RB at least when we’re at home to provide the thrust we need going forward.
Looking forward to seeing what Ljajic will bring along with Diouf, Obertan and Hargreaves when fit.
If this is a crisis, what the hell are the papers saying about the Dippers??
@Fze123
exactly.plus you can add that both are extremely versatile.they can play on the wings or at RB.Fergie can use that to our advantage in the big games.dont forget hargos brilliance from the spot(penos) and from free kicks.his technique is brilliant.that may give fletch the license to go forward a bit more because he has scored quite a few this season.
Well said Scott… fuck the doubters
@jamos9
dippers are in trouble.talk now about a rift between the owners ar FSW.they are in deep crisis.think they will drop out of the top 4 and not arsenal.
Oh! wait.how can i say that.they will win all their remaining.games and win the league.THIS IS THEIR YEAR.DONT FORGET IT.
@ aig alex is god
You’re spot on, even though I think hargo’s quality in taking freekicks/penos is slightly more vital to our team than him being versatile, because we do have many wingers/midfielders and personally I don’t want fergie to be playing players other than their original positions. another reason why I don’t want fletcher or hargo to play at RB is because I want rafael or de laet to be given a chance in the first team to play there, and I think hargo plays at his best in midfield. we also have o’shea. though when we have injuries there, then hargo’s and fletcher’s versality comes handy.
versatility*
B E L I E V E
* * *
@Fze123
agree there.i too would love to see him in hsi trademark holding midfield role.the guy never has a bad game.was brilliant at RM against chelsea in the CL final and last years game at the bridge.was brilliant at RB against Barca in the Cl semis in both legs.was b\rilliant at anfield in 2007 when we won 1-0.i mean the guy is class.but i too want him playing just ahead of the defence.with fletch given more freedom.who can forget that freekick against arsenal.brilliant technique.
just to revisit it
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pp1HDz13rfI
Even if UTD win an unprecedented fourth EPL title in a row there will still be doubters and those who claim that the championship was the result of dodgy refereeing and such like. And those guys won’t have the integrity to give credit where it’s due – to SAF. He’s the constant while the guys-in-the-red-shirts are always being changed/replaced/upgraded and the formation/tactics/strategy is never allowed to remain stationary or get stale. SAF gets bile/hatred/dis-respect but all he does is keep on winning with new/re-invented squads of players. This year – the best start in a while – and we get ridiculous articles like the one mentioned when everyone with an ounce of sense knows that the real season only begins in the new year.
Dont forget that we’ve also played 3 of the suggested “top 6″ already this season: City (won), Arsenal (won), Spurs (won). The result at Burnley was disappointing but shit happens. I think this team/squad has that certain something and this will be a really exciting season. We have VdS and Hargreaves to come back, plus the arrival of some more promising youngsters. I especially like the kid we’re playing on the left-wing these days. Young welsh lad – Giggs I think his name is
@aig alex is god
thanks for putting in the link, beautifully taken by hargo. who needs ronaldo when we have someone who takes freekicks with such technique. we have rooney to take penos, hargo/giggs/nani/ando for freekicks. also, agree with you about hargo never having a bad game, plays brilliantly in whatever position he’s put into. he is such un underrated class midfielder, even as good as xavi/iniesta. I just want him to play in midfield row as he plays best there, but could play in other positions when we have injuries, and fergie just loves rotating the team too. hopefully he can chip in with some goals this season.
off topic, but apparently fergie had a row with foster after the sunderland game, blamed him for the second goal. I hope it’s true, that’s exactly what foster needs at the mo.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2009/oct/07/ben-foster-manchester-united
lets all just sing
Glory Glory Man United
Glory Glory Man United
Glory Glory Man United
And the red souls’ marching up up up
Hargo’s free-kick against Fulham was pretty tasty too.
Great analysis as usual Scott. There’s no need to panic, unless you’ve got Foster behind you of course. Poor sod, time to take him out of the firing line. Takes one back to the terrible days of Ronnie Briggs, not to be confused with Ronnie Biggs. Our Ronnie never really did ‘get out of jail’… On his debut in 1960 he conceded 6, and never looked back, except to pick the ball out of his net, that is. He conceded 7 in his third game and was dropped in favour of an amateur – literally. Mike Pinner was an England Amateur International and he joined United temporarily to help the club out as Harry Gregg and Dave Gaskell were injured. To be fair, in the following season Briggs did make a few more appearences (more emergencies) and did a bit better, managing to keep the goals down to ones and twos and even had a couple of clean sheets. I never saw him play but he was a big fella and there had been high hopes before it all went horribly wrong…Briggs was also an Irish international and I think did OK.
@Fze123
i remember some pudit on bbc saying that hargo only brough hardwork to our team during half time in that arsenal game.and 25 minutes later he scored that free kick.his importance was realised when he was out last year.it is with most of the mids.we realise their importance when they are not there .hargo has bags of experience which he can add to the side.
as for foster the lad needs to be told that he is not performing upto the mark and should be looked at closely by eric steele during training.he has to improve soon.
for me Hargo=The king of midfield.i just love his ability to break opposition attacks
Fuck the Manchester Cit-eh Evening News…..
Its a fucking rag… Lrts keep the perspective, we are in a fine position and we havent really got going yet…
“But anyone who has followed United for longer than a season should actually be happy with what we’ve done so far, as it’s better than any other recent season.”
Happy with the points accumulation, not with what we have done so far.
Giggs has bailed us out on multiple occasions and we are going to be far worse off in the absence of Ronaldo. I’m delighted at GIggs’ form but he is not a long term option and can’t play every game. Look at his contributions so far, they have been pivotal. Giggs is about the only player who has managed to up his game this year so far.
Same old Berbatov, Valencia looking like a Wigan player, Carrick off the boil, same with Anderson, Nani stuggling, even Rooney hot and cold. Rather than improving this season, its just like a continuation of last year (except without Ronaldo).
@ aig alex is god
Love it when fergie/players always prove pundits wrong. I simply cannot wait for hargo to play, one of the best midfileders in the league.
off topic but some papers are saying fining/banning fergie will have little impact so therefore we could have points taken of us. no matter how much rival fans might like to see us get docked points, it’s unlikely to happen since I doubt that it is allowed in the PL rules to deduct points for something a manager says.
also, the tevez posters are personal attacks on fergie show that they’re not concerned about referees or respect or anything of the sort, but are just taking the opportunity to have a dig at a manager and a team they’re damn right scared of.
I wish fergie didn’t comment on wiley after the sunderland game, even though it altered the attention on the ref instead of our bad performance. I wonder what action ABU-FA will take.
@Fze123
the FA cannot deduct points.you are right.i too think that is not allowed.Anyone else feels like me that this incident will fire the players and SAF has done it intentionally.i think this will have a positive impact on our side.SAF will have ripped the side apart for that display in the dressing room after the game.Strange how managers get away with it but SAF is always targetted.think its all about being jealous.They are jealous of our success and therefore little known cunts are saying big big things like ban him for 5-6 games and deduct points and all this crap.hope we are fired because of this.
in the next few months (i know it’s a long time in football) we will hopefully have a fully fit and fighting Owen Hargreaves back who will feel like a new signing and also Iljic (cant spell) is coming to us and looking at the reports on sky he is looking rather good and has been eating steak for 3 meals a day.
some people boo but they have been spoilt over the past decade, when you come out of the Stretford end the carpark is full of Audi’s, Porsches, Bentley’s and cars i could only dream of owning. people like that demand the success for the money they pay.
whereas I am just glad to be able to get my ticket and go to the games
Some united fans shud cherish the good times while they last becoz saf wont be our manager forever. of topic seems madrid are a 1 man team no ronny no chance
I think that we did not play particularly well last season as well, with both Ronaldo and Tevez in the squad. I believe that our solid defence won us last title. We had quite a few 1:0 wins, didn’t we?
This season we are not creative enough in middfield, we are choosing the wrong option too much for my liking (an example, to give just one, would be the Wellbeck shot against Sunderland @1:2 when a simple pass to Rooney would have presented him with a glorious chance), wingers need several attempt too deliver a decent cross and defence is leaking too many cheap goals.
It is good that this it is still too early in the season for mistakes to have cost us too much. When Hargreaves return will give us extra options in the midfield and lets hope Obertan can cross the ball decently.
Come May we will still be champions!!!
@willierednut
SAF is once in a living legend.a man who comes once in a century.we at United are lucky that we have had him for over 20 years.he really inspires me whenever i feel low.his hunger for sucess is unmatched.thats why i get furious when people say he should leave the club after a bad day and criticise his tactics.for all the greatness he has achieved lets not forget he is human and can make mistakes.more often than not though he makes columnists eat their own shit words
ramos came out and said they would have won had ronny been there.ronny is class.whats the use of having kaka and benzema when they cannot do anything.sevilla battered them to be honest
Off topic, but you should take a look at this Scott. Bloody hilarious!
http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story?id=683209&cc=4716
FSW is a twat. And that’s a fact.
Off topic but the club confirmed the Paul Pogba signing. It was on today at Old Trafford.
I dont always agree wiv some of the team selection’s, for instance the team he picked for the chelsea home game last season, giggs and fletch in midfield. Im saying we gonna get over run in midfield but wat happens giggs was motm the guy’s a genuis.
Good news about pogba, hope that’s all been put to bed now.
brett – Same old Berbatov? How can you say that? Even the ABU’s are taking notice of him. Valencia has had 8 games, give him time. Carrick HAS been off form but he looked much better against Wolfsburg and when he came on against Sunderland.
king eric
always good to read your comments.your positive attitude makes me feel positive too.i regret being a little negative after the sunderland game but i guess thats because i love the club and want it to achieve everything in style even though i know that it is not easy.
i am so happy that people are finally giving the god the credit he deserves(i mean BERBAGOD). valencia will improve .ia gree there.i have been saying that for a long time now.there is a big difference between wigan and United.Carrick is a late bloomer so he will get better and better.
King Eric, I’m not one to badmouth our players for no reason, but for the majority of the season it has been “same old Berbatov”. The last two games he has been absolutely immense, but it remains to be seen whether he can keep that up – let’s hope he can, because if he’s firing like that then we have one of the most creative players in the world in our team.
I think we have played very well this season especially a few players.. We cant be great every game but we are looking solid.
If i had to choose the best XI so far this season it would be:
PIG
O´Shea Vidic Evans Evra
Nani Fletcher Scholes Giggs
Rooney Berbatov
how would you guys have it?
Anybody remember, excuse my language here but its required, that retard who posted a comment in this very blog a few days ago that Sir Alex was past it and needed to go?
@aig
Ive never been carrick’s biggest fan, i dont think he bosses the midfield in the big games but im willing to get behind him. I wish our fans wud give valencia the same support. Flech’s was having a bad time a few years ago, now look at him, players need time to settle at any club.
@willierednut
carrick is a steady player but strangely has been off colour since last season although looks like he is getting back to his best.he is more than capable of making those defence splitting passes.he needs a hargo or fletch with him to win the ball so that he can distribute it.he is the sort of player who will never get the recognition he deserves like last season he was fantastic from october to feb and did not get enough credit
http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/sport/football/2670976/FA-must-kick-out-Fergie.html
couple words about the refree not being fit and they want to kick the man completey out of football
i still believe our team is one of the best club in the europe .without ronaldo real are nothing.chelsea i never rate that side eventhough they are the only real opponents for us in the league.
see ac milan without kaka they are somewhere 12th in the league and also lost in the champs league.
the people and pundits are simply jealous of our club.wonder if barca could have been winning if they had lost messi.
MAN UTD THE BEST.
@jack
Thats abu’s for ya, every1 in football lambasts the refs but as soon as saf does it they want him banned for 3 months fcuking joke.
willirednut
dont think its even 3 months think there trying to kick him out of football completey
King Eric
I agree with BigPhil.
In the end I would ask, what are your expectations of this season King Eric?
We are using Sir Ryan Giggs as a crutch at the minute.
So they want saf put out of football for having an opinion, like to see them try doing that. The special 1 done far worse wen he was at chelsea, anders frisk retired becoz of wat he said, hope saf sticks to his opinion he is allowed to it in this day in age.
isit even possible to kick him out of football just for some words about a refree
I dont think they can do that jack, not wiv the red army behind saf lol.
dont think they even said there going to kick out from football in that arcitle, think it was just the sun making it worse and going over the top as ussal
I am not worried at all. I am worried those united fans keep rubbish things to our club. I’m sure everything will be sort out. Every time we have a seasons and people are not contented and take things for granted.
This video got emailed to me
and to think when uniteds midfield may be missing that box to box midfielder and there is still talk about replaceing ronaldo
so how about a fantastic box to box midfielder who takes wonderful freekicks and as the emailed video shows
can leave THE BEST PLAYER IN THE WORLD on his ass
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kkTrhM8S80U&
I remember chris twaddle doing that to giggsy in a match at hillsboro 93/94 season, giggsy had the last laugh though, united won 3 2.
GHTT-It shows up in related videos in the Hargo freekick vid that aig posted.
To be fair,Ronnie can’t defend.And it would be as bad if Hargo was defending Ronnie 1 on 1 like that,with so much space for him to run into .He absolutely murders rightbacks who aren’t actually rightbacks,like he did Essien in the Champions League final.
Also,Hargo was the only player in the England team to score a pen in the shootout.
He’s not English,Canadian,German or Welsh.
He’s from the Republik of Mancunia.
@ theboogeyman
“He’s not English,Canadian,German or Welsh.”
He’s a manc too
brett – My expectations are for United to get their 19th title. Not really bothered about owt else to be honest mate, anything more would be a bonus. Sir Alex is genius at getting the right balance and blend to his teams and I have no doubt come the second part of the season the big red machine will be fully oiled and destroying teams in their path. If you look at the treble winning team it wasn’t really full of “stars” but the blend was bang on. Could we really say May, Johnsen, Blomquist and Sherringham wre WORLD CLASS?
Aig – Thanks mate it was very strange of you to be so negative.
Penor – ManU? The biggest clueless cunt is danny from wilmslow on MEN site.
If their is something wrong with United right now and we have had a very good start to the season, imagine what we will be like when we really get going…
Scary thought.
Funnily enough scoring goals isn’t the problem as every non Utd member said, it is defending them.
No where are those clean sheets when you need them…
Kick Alan Leighton out of Prospect after what he said about Sir Alex :
http://www.gopetition.co.uk/online/31278.html
Help spread the word!
King Eric
I agree with your expectations, though they aren’t quite up to last years standards are they?
Supposing Valencia had made 6+ assists and scored a few instead of Giggs, our season would be much more promising. The results have been great, but the performances a lot more hit and miss than this article is letting on.
Can’t think of more than 2-3 players in the current team who would get into the treble squad. Some of the players in the treble squad weren’t world class like Sheringham but he could head the ball better than most strikers and had amazing timing. So they all brought something to do with end product- and many of our current players lack that.
Great post. Thank you for the perspective.
I’m pretty happy to be sitting second in the table at the moment.
I did not think we could win the title this year but now I feel we can pull this off.
brett,
Do you really think VDS, Ferdinand, Vidic, Evra, Fletcher, Hargreaves (admittedly not currently available), Rooney and Berbatov wouldn’t get into the treble squad? Not to mention we still have Giggs doing as good/better than ’99 and Scholes who while he has changed has still proved extremely effective so far this season.
@brett1985 i agree with you about only 2 or 3 of current squad who would get into the treble 1st 11.. Actually i cant think of anybody, i doubt even Rooney can get into that squad. That shows how much this year’s squad has declined in quality compared to that squad..
1999 CL Final vs Bayern Munich:
Schmeichel
Gary
Stam
R Johnsen
Irwin
Beckham
Butt
Blomqvist
Giggs
Yorke
Cole
This year’s 1st eleven?
EVDS
Brown
Vidic
Rio
Evra
Valencia
Fletcher/Carrick
Ando
Nani
Rooney
Berbatov
Hell, that in that CL ’99 final, we couldnt even name our captain Roy Keane and the genius Scholes on the list!!!! So from this years squad, maybe just Rio would get into the treble squad, playing alongside Stam, with Vidic on the sub. Rooney now is still just a small boy compared to Yorke, Cole, Sheringham and Solskjaer.
In my opinion, our ’99 utility man, Phil Nevilles is a lot better than this year’s, John O’Shea.
It’s overwhelming indeed..
@bigphil2003 i wouldnt play Evra before Irwin.
It’s a close call between EVDS and Schmeichel, but i’ll still go for the big dane.
Fletcher compared to Roy Keane? lol… couldnt even be compared to Scholes NOW.
Hargreaves to who? Butt was a lot more versatile than him. And there was still Scholes in front of Butt, so not any of our CM now would get into that squad…
In my list of this year’s squad, i left out Giggs, Scholes and Gary’s name because they are from the ’99 list. Our best RB now is Wes Brown, who was Gary’s understudy, Brown’s best form wouldnt even match Gary’s average play during Gary’s young days…
BigPhil
I’m a big fan of some of the players you listed there and I will concede that more that 2-3 would get in the team while 4-5 could get in the squad. Ferdinand, Fletcher, Hargreaves and Rooney are good shouts indeed. Berbatov couldn’t even get into the team for major games last year and I don’t think much of him but that’s a discussion we have all had enough of!
Scott the Red and many others on here are papering over the cracks of this side and they need to stop wearing red tinted specs despite the success. I said this all summer long that the big four are on a decline; I do not know exactly who is worse off because all 4 are ok sides not great sides. united have been poor since united won the European cup in 2008 and since then for quality football wise it’s been getting worse and worse. The MEN article are a little generous in some parts my view on all areas of the team is far more critical.
you look at GK
We are praying VDS starts and he is coming to 40 years old that’s desperate sorry and the backup are not in VDS league
Defence is on a decline, we still field the in mobile o shea and neville who is close to the end of his career. ferdinand and vidic partnership is slowly starting to be broking up. but it’s the only area that has brilliant talent coming through.
Midfield is awful. carrick anderson are woeful, they add no goals very phew assists or the ability to take command of the midfield, xavi and iniesta found them out. hargreaves may never come back. And scholes has not got long. The wide players this is probably the worst set of wide players we have ever had since fergie was manager. valencia is a midtable winger, nani belongs in the Portuguese league who thinks he is the new ronaldo and believes his own hype dreadful attitude, park no comment, and giggs is carrying the midfield at the age of 35.
Attack is still a lightweight area of the team, with no balance or anyone who will score nearly every week like ronaldo and van nistlerooy done. Plus Rooney and berbatov do not score week in week out they don’t get in behind defences and berbatov I am not convinced with. The backup qualifies of Owen who is past it and welbeck and macheda who they think they have made it when the hard work has not even started and they are not even ready.
bigphil2003
Do not make me laugh on the current side who would get in. I will give you Rooney vidic and evra but the rest nope. Hargreaves has done hardly anything to warrant a place in the 99 squad, Ferdinand of today no he would not he has been poor. berbatov has 2 decent games that all of a sudden it means he is great, vds not at the moment he would not. And why would anyone change the 99 team and attack when unlike today they had variety in goals and the ability to crush opponents in so many ways. Alone keane scholes beckham giggs yorke cole solkjaer sheringham all could win united games and all could score in double figures.
manutdchampions2008 – we’ve made our best start to the season in years and all our competitors are weaker. Sounds pretty good to me.
I’d rather not buy in to the media nonsense that we’re in crisis because Ronaldo has left, and our results have proven otherwise. If you are happy to do that though, good for you.
To be specific I think I would want Rio in the 99 team, with a toss up between Vidic and Stam to partner him. I don’t think Rio is done just yet.
Van Der Sar at his peak was not better than Schmeichel and whilst I’d never imagine him as backup, he would presumably be ahead of Rai Van Der Gouw fr the purposes of a Squad. Still that doesn’t say much for V.D.Sar who is injured and approaching 40 as stated by manutdchampions2008. Fletcher would maybe inch ahead of Buttless, Evra would be a good understudy to Irwin. Rooney? That’s very hard. Whilst he stands on his own merit as a fine player I think the 99 attackers where phenomenal. I’d pick Ted and Ole ahead of him while Yorke and Cole were a partnership.
who would you leave out to let Rooney in, among Yorke, Cole, Sheringham and Solskjaer?
Yorke and Cole are definite starters, as they are a pair. Solskjaer, he was our supersub, the first name on the sub list. So maybe Sheringham…fine..
Evra vs Irwin? Recentlt I said , Evra is simply the best leftback in PL now. But i just rate Irwin MUCH higher…
Comparing these two teams like this, have made me just realized how over-confident i am that we will our 19th this season. It is much harder than i thought, but i am still confident, we WILL win it.
We aren’t in crisis Scott, we just aren’t quite as good. I think you are both hitting on a very apt point. While our prem rivals are weaker and we are weaker without Ronaldo this might be grand in terms of EPL but will result in a struggle in Europe.
Personally I have found us to be hit and miss this season, even in the games you list in the main article.
I dont think having weaker opponents really help us. Tougher opponents will make us show our true colours..
It’s just like in a 100m race… you need your best rival, because that will raise the bar, you will try harder to overcome the bar.
In 1999, Arsenal alone, is a tougher rival than this year Chelsea, Liverpool and Arsenal collectively.
Scott the Red
everyone has established the fact that our rivals are weaker but we are not much better. so what yes its a good start but look at how united have played. it has been car crash football its been messy and all over the place.
the amount of money wasted on poor players over the past 3 years has not helped united try and get over the loss of ronaldo. winning games and grinding out wins is one thing, being lucky and scoring late goals not being able to control and dictate a game is another.
manunitedchampions2008 – Your negativity is getting boring now mate. As I asked you the other week just out of interest how old are you?
How can you say we are being lucky and grinding out games? 60 or 70 per cent possession in most is what I would call “controlling a game”. Lets see how much more solid we look with Van Der Sar back and a fit back 4. Far too early to judge yet. Like Scott said we played WELL at Wigan, Stoke Spurs and Citeh first half. Lucky my arse.
For those saying only a couple would get into the 99 squad. Bollocks. You are telling me Rio and Vid wouldn’t? Or Fletch and Hargo in place of Butt and Blomquist? Or Rooney in place of Sheringham? Van Der Sar wouldn’t?
King Eric
hmm nope thats right. rooney has been good but yorke cole solkjaer and sheringham all were far better goalscorers than rooney. nicky butt in his prime is far better than hargreaves who spent nearly 10 years at united hargreaves has done nothing at united. fletcher has not done half has great has butt. dont forget butt was keeping scholes out of the united team for nearly 4 years in the CM position. WOW united played well against wigan spurs that does not paper over the cracks that united are going to struggle along with chelsea arsenal and liverpool because all 4 are on a decline, this is propably uniteds 3rd worst team behind the 2004 side and the 2005 outfit. united are not controlling games well, united are has bad as the 04/05 outfit.
realmadridchampions2008
Put the mirror down and read the fuckin stats that are in the thread
realmadridchampions2008i asked you before why you never updated your user name to manutdchampions2009 and you said because you loved the way united played and won the league in 2008
and then you reply to king eric with ” hargreaves has done nothing at united.” firstly if your so in fuckin love with the 07/08 season then why say such bollox like that. and then after 1 full season at united where he won a champions league and the premiership you then say butt is better because “he spent nearly 10 years at united” but no facts to say why.
hargo spent “nearly 10 years” at at munich what the fuck does it matter
Gotta hate tiny tears
he was injured 70% of the season, and yes compared to nicky butt he has done nothing. lets see hargreaves play week in week out. lets be real the reason why united won the doube was the defence and attack. the midfield was average at best. now that the defence and attack is decliningthe midfield is getting exposed and unmasked has how average it is.
the way united played tht season they were awesome. and that was the last time united played great football, and oh yea wasnt it the season united won the european up stop with your garbage and get to grips this united side are on a decline
Realmadridchampions2008
done again talkin to you
your right hargreaves is shit
did nothing for the full seaon he was there
will do nothing when he gets back
united are shit without ronaldo
worst united team ever
why didnt sir alex just buy everyone city and madrid bought we could of been somebody
I enjoy talking about the treble team and comparing it to todays side but what of Van Der Sar being better than Van Der Gouw or Hargreaves being better than Butt? Why are we comparing todays first team to 99s backup players. This comparison is suggestive of the reality check that is needed.
Take the ‘Berbagod’ comparisons with Cantona. I’m all for optimism, but where is the realism?
To give credit where its due king eric, I very much agree that the premiership is the realistic target this season. But that places this season vastly beneath the expectation of previous seasons. Does anyone here seriously believe we will beat Barcelona and Madrid when we come to face them? We might have a stronger defense but from the midfield the the forums I can’t quite get over their riches.
Not once did i say all those players i listed would get into the starting xi of the 99 team-we were talking about the SQUAD! Id take hargreaves and fletcher over butt and blonqvist any day to be honest, though keane and scholes would be starters. For CB it would be 2 from rio/vidic/stam.
VDS is no schmeichel, but hes the closest we’ve had.
Beckham and giggs are shoe ins for the wings, but as ive said the giggs we have today is as good or better than 99. As for strikers id go with cole, rooney, solskjaer and berba. You can talk about the cole/yorke partnership all you want but who are we to say what players would play well together? Taking them as individuals rooney gets in every time.
cole, rooney, solskjaer and berba.
wow just imagine
Hargreaves’ contribution 07/08
- Played the full two hours of the European Cup final and scored a penalty in the winning shoot-out.
- Played the full 90 minutes in both European Cup semi-finals matches against Barcelona.
- Played 90 minutes in one European Cup quarter-final match against Roma, 35 minutes in the other.
- Played in 23 Premiership games (4 fewer than Wayne Rooney).
- Played in 8 of our 13 CL games.
- Scored a crucial winner against Arsenal when there were just 3 games left to play.
Scott – nice one, lets hope manutdslagger reads it.
Scott the Red
yes he played those games but the reality is hargreaves is not reliable enough. always injured his staying power is not great and I find him very overated by many especially in here. he is a good squad player but I would not rate him has a top class CM player in the style of essien or keane in his prime.
manutdchampions2008
I really know nothing about you but you have to be about 13/14
theres a saying you should live by
It takes a big man to admit when he’s wrong
which also means it takes a thick cunt to keep fighting a losing battle
how can you read scotts facts on the guy in the only season you seem to give a shit about and still say he’s “very overated” see ya in may with a new user name
Gotta hate tiny tears
united would have won the double with or without hargreaves, he has been a very big expensive mistake. oh I bet you this will be my usernam in may and going into next year. I dont think I am winning a losing battle or more like a winning battle. it is now well over a year since he last played. gab marcotti sum hargreaves up over priced and a very expensive mistake when he would have cost nothing in 2005.
@manutdchampions2008 erm i dun mind making that mistake. Nobody would have predicted it would be this bad for him. Everybody predicted he is going to be among the world’s best CM. To me, Hargreaves has the potential to be better than Butt, Scholes and Roy Keane, and he is not far from it. Even right now he is more complete than them individually.
But it is a fact indeed, the treble team was a much better squad. Scholes, Giggs and Gary, our stalwarts from that squad, are still the better players in the current one .
@manutdchampions2008
WTH mate! why so negative.hargo became a star after being voted as the best English player at the 2006 WC. HE wanted to move in 2006 and we too wanted him at that stage.Why are you writing him off.its not like he ahs retired from football.some people are saying same about berba.they still have good 3-4 years in them.they can more than be sucessful and we know how much hargo was missed in last years CL final and the big games where we got walloped by the dippers.get a grip mate.Just see what difference hargo makes when he comes back.he was one of our best players in the CL finals and semis against Barca despite playing at RB and “hadnt he scored against Arsenal username could very well have been something different” because arsenal were better that day than us.why do you forget his brilliant performances against the dippers at anfield where he kept stevie me and the rest under check.
he is a quality player.he will prove himself.thats precisely what we missed last year.if you will have observed when he plays we control games much better.just wait and watch as the curly haired dude leads us to another premiership title.
What’s wrong with Utd ?
Well when it comes to their transfer dealings, nothing !! I see FIFA have thrown out both investigations against us.
manutdchampions2008 – Hargreaves played in the final, the semi-finals and the quarter finals of the European Cup that season. Nicky Butt played in the final (because of Keane and Scholes’ absence), one semi-final, one quarter final (for 20 mintes) then a few group stage games. It’s not about opinion, factually you are wrong. Hargreaves scored a penalty which contributed to us winning a European Cup, compared to any player at our club, that can never be seen as ‘nothing’.
Hargreaves played in 34 of our 56 games in 07-08, meaning he was missing for 39% of the season, not 70%. If you’re going to spout your anti-United opinions, at least back them up with fact, rather than bullshit, to avoid making yourself looking like an even bigger knob than you do already.
@SCOTT
dont reply.we all know he is wrong and just slagging our players because that is all he does.just ignore him.all he wants is that we reply to his negative posts.all he has been doing for last many months is saying how poor we are withour ronaldo and how crap some of our players are and blah blah.
cantona7 – Completely disagree about the Treble SQUAD being much better. It wasn’t, perhaps some of the first eleven were but todays squad is much deeper and better.
Morning by the way.
aig – Yeah lets just ignore the slagger, he is really starting to bug me.
King Eric
I’m very surprised at your continued comparisons with the treble squad.
If you want to compare the two then compare first team players to first team players and backup players to backup players.
So far the discussion seems to have been that some of today’s first choice players would arguably have been good backups in 99. That is not really saying much!
I dont know why ppl respond to manutdchampions08 his posts are full of contridictions and half truths just ignore him. Signed the petition down wiv alan leighton.
In fact brett, it is saying quite a lot. the treble is something that had never been done before and hasn’t been done since – it’s not like we’re picking a random United team and comparing them with today’s squad, we’re picking one of the best. Having said that, how many of today’s starting 11 would get into 99′s? Rooney would, Vidic/Rio would get in over Johnsen IMO and they’d give a good fight with Stam for the other spot. Personally I’d take the vision and creativity of today’s Giggs over the pace of 99′s. And I’d also say Evra would take a spot over Irwin, though many wouldn’t.
So only 4-5 then? That’s still nearly half the team. And for the players who don’t quite make the cut – Van Der Sar, Fletcher, Hargreaves… When you’re being compared to Schmeichel, Keane and Scholes in their prime there aren’t many players in ANY team currently who would get picked over them.
Brett – Alright mate. I ain’t comparing individual players now , more saying that SQUAD wise the current one is better in my opinion. Not TEAM but SQUAD. Much deeper.
Well said Scott. We’re looking more dangerous this season without Ronaldo and the cunt, it’s at the back that we’re looking sloppy, but Van Der Sar should help sort that out. Rooney’s had his little poor run in the last couple of games which he always seems to do so hopefully the international break will see him grab a couple of goals and get back to his best for the game at Anfield, which WILL be won by a late Owen goal, oh please yes, let it happen!
What bothered me most about the booing was, it wasn’t just some random cunt sat near me, it was easily into the thousands.
It effectively tells you that a spoiled mentality may creeping in. Do these people never put the privilege of being able to watch United at OT into perspective? As I may have suggested before, go away for a season, support Plymouth or some other team churning out docile performances, and then consider the timing of such acts in future.
Big Phil
4-5 of todays players in the treble first 11? I’m shocked! I guess if we win something akin to a treble this season then you will be proven correct.
King Eric
Yea we probably have a better squad in 99 in terms of numbers, but its not as good as two years when we won the ECL
—–
Well if you feel the need to say more I don’t mind but having made plenty of responses in this topic I just want to conclude by saying I’m not convinced by the evidence I have seen so far this season, that we are playing particularly well. I’d be delighted if we win the league this season and pleasantly surprised if we do well in Europe.
brett1985
pound for pound 99 is miles better than the current squad. and I mean squad.
united had 2 top class GK in 99, united currently have a good one and 2 average ones has back up. van der saar would be back up to schmecheal.
defence. the current squad this is the only area I rate has a far better area than the 99 defence.
midfield 99 wins by a universal mile. only fletcher I would put in ahead of cruyff has the 4th choice midfielder but the rest of carrick anderson hargreaves nani valencia park would not go anywhere near the 99 team and squad. anderson nani and valencia are the equivalent of djemba kleberson and bellion.
99 attack again wins hands down, rooney berbatov owen are still well behind yorke cole solkjaer sheringham who them 4 are better strikers than them 3. rooney is the only one who is close enough to get into the 99 squad. only vds vidic evra fletcher and rooney could challenge the 99 players. the rest would not, keane alone is worth more than the current midfield alone.
manunitedchampions2008 – Fair enough but could you answer my and gotta hates question please. How old are you?
King Eric you and Gotta hate City tears sound like the kids to me if you cant take another fans opinion like myn. thats what the forum is about if you cant take a fan like me despite how negitive it is who does not rate the current side than you are the ones acting like kids. and its 23
manutdchampions2008 – Fair enough pal. I can take your opinions and I have to say some of the time I agree with them. Its just every United fan I know thinks the current team is more than capable of winning trophies this season yet no matter what you just actually seem to ENJOY slagging the team. Furthermore a few months ago you hated Berbatov, yet only a week or two ago you said he was only one of the only World class in our team.
King Eric
I did not say berbatov is world class. I said with the lack of match winners rooney or berbatov are possibly the only ones that could but that says a lot of the lack of talent going forward giggs is shocking me. but I still say in the attacking department rooney is our only truly world class player united have, berbatov is in the third tear of players. he is not a great player and he defiantly not world class, but an alright player who lacks the qualitys or the mentality of a truly top class player. he is not in the same league has the best strikers of today like ronaldo henry etoo rooney torres villa aguero, those are the best strikers of today.
Rubbish mate Berbatov IS a GREAT player not just ok. He is one of the most technically gifted players around mate. I don’t class him as an out and out striker, more a play maker.
putting berbatov and great in the same sentance is laughable. it does not matter about how teqnically gifted he is, veron elano aimer are all teqnically gifted player that does not mean they are great player or have been. the great players are the ones who have lit up the world stage really blown teams apart and made a difference to a team. like some of todays top class players who have done it week in week out like messi ronaldo kaka rooney gerrard henry giggs, until berbatov has proven over a 50 game period he has driven united to success scored well over 20 plus goals and proven he can start the big games then to call him great is really putting your berbatov specs on.
Paul Scholes in an interview recently said he hopes united will challenge for all major trophies.
Some people are skeptical about our chances in Europe but think we might win the league. Me included.
Others think the league will be a fight to the death.
Do you guys ever notice there are some people who say remember the bad ol’ days and be grateful. I understand where they are coming from, whether you think the bad days were pre 1993 or even in and about 2005 when we were eliminated a the group stage. A bad time.
But we also have to be greedy and have to demand the best to stay at the top! That’s why anything short of a challenge across the board, is a bit of a damp squib.
If he’s that bad muc08 what’s his International record like? In fact what is his overall record like, goals per games?
You don’t have to answer, it was a rhetorical question.
brett1985 – Yeah I know what you mean, United expect nothing other than success. Like you say it demands it. If peoples “bad” days were 04 – 06 then they are very lucky. They should have been there in the Seventies and Eighties!
King Eric
I don’t remember the years of hurt, but then again my dad does an he supports united too. When he was 13 we won the European Cup in 68 and when I was 13 in 99 we won it too. Spooky eh! The bit between 67 and 93 is best disremembered in terms of the league.
The first game I remember was August 1992 Sheffield United 1-2 Manchester United. Lucky for me I didn’t throw my dummy out of the pram and support Sheffield United. Mind you I was 7 at the time and nobody told me we’d hadn’t won it for 26 years.
People should be grateful that I support this club as it has coincided with much success!
brett1985 – Weird!
It wasn’t all bad though when I started supporting them in about 81-82 when I was 7. My first real memory was Ray Wilkins curler against Brighton in the FA Cup Final in 83 . Belter of a goal. It was 2-2 but Brighton very nearly scored a winner in the dyeing seconds but for Gary Bailey. We hammered them in the replay 4-0. Robbo2, Whiteside and Muhren. Then of course one of my favourite all time goals. Scored by Norman Whiteside against Everton to win 1-0 the FA Cup in 85. Superb goal. Fantastic player.