The Official Manchester United Thread [Vol 5]

[anonymous-user]

NailedOn said:

LvG know what he wants and I reckon he'll get it. Question is, at what price?

If Ogden is right then we shouldn't have too long to wait to find out

[MiniMan64]

So anyone want to predict what our starting 11 will look like next season?

[franki68]

MiniMan64 said:

So anyone want to predict what our starting 11 will look like next season?

De gea/czech
Alves. Smalling/jones. Otamendi/rojo. Shaw/blind
Herrera Carrick / Unknown Unknown
Depay/Valencia Rooney/bent-eke Young/unknown


Complete guess but our forward line needs a complete overhaul ,minimum of 6 players off title contenders and would be impossible to bring in 6 and win title ,best scenario finish 2nd and good Ecl run.
Benteke is a guess and wishful thinking,a powerful fast forward is needed.

[ORD]

I disagree. I don't think we are 6 players off a title winning side. 4 is my guess - a centre back, a central midfielder and 2 attacking players / strikers. Chelsea's title winning points total is pretty average, and we could very easily have got 10-15 points more with the current squad if Carrick had played more games and we hadn't had such an awful start. Not a lot in it if you take out the first 10 games for a new manager.

All that said, we still manage to look very poor whenever Carrick is out. Not just average - actually a poor side!

[bstb3]

We ought to be looking at a right back too, as much as I respect Tony V's efforts and energy in the role I do think a more specialist right back would be preferable & would allow Valencia to concentrate on the attacking side (and maybe get back to practicing his crossing too). It's clear Van Gaal doesnt rate Rafael, so having a RB (Alves maybe) with Valencia able to back up that position makes sense to me.

[anonymous-user]

DeGea/Cech

Clyne Smalling Otamendi Shaw

Gundogan Hererra Carrick

AdM Rooney Depay

[franki68]

ORD said:

I disagree. I don't think we are 6 players off a title winning side. 4 is my guess - a centre back, a central midfielder and 2 attacking players / strikers. Chelsea's title winning points total is pretty average, and we could very easily have got 10-15 points more with the current squad if Carrick had played more games and we hadn't had such an awful start. Not a lot in it if you take out the first 10 games for a new manager.

All that said, we still manage to look very poor whenever Carrick is out. Not just average - actually a poor side!

a right back surely ,we cant play with valencia there again ,a right winger ,centre midfielder carrick is too injury prone now,centre half ,centre forward. 5 bare minimum and city ,chelsea and arsenal will all strengthen .

[Bit of a Unit]

Goals from the strikers

This year Rooney, RVP, Falcao and Wilson 30
2008 Ronaldo, Rooney, Tevez and Saha 62

Pretty clear what's been missing this year.

[ORD]

Bit of a Unit said:

Goals from the strikers

This year Rooney, RVP, Falcao and Wilson 30
2008 Ronaldo, Rooney, Tevez and Saha 62

Pretty clear what's been missing this year.

Goals have been hard to come by in general. Not as bad as Liverpool, though! Did I see that they had only scored 52 goals?!

Teams in the Prem do a lot of parking the bus these days, which doesn't help, but the strikers (apart from Rooney) haven't been anything like good enough.

[MiniMan64]

Falco out.

Hernandez (back) in.

Hmmm.

[MiniMan64]

Falco out.

Hernandez (back) in.

Hmmm.

[Bit of a Unit]

I think I'd sooner have Chich back on the bench than RVP at least he has pace to impact a game late on. Not sure he'll be back for good though.

[anniesdad]

This just about sums up my feelings about United this season, it's an article from March but is still in my view appropriate now. Yes, we've given ourselves a chance of qualifying for the Champions League proper but still top 4 is not in my view to be necessarily applauded and we should have done more and taken more chances to push for a top 3 automatic qualification spot.

17 points behind Chelsea at the end of the season when we were 7 points behind them at Christmas. One wonders if LVG had played more open football whether we would have been closer at the end...

[Challo]

anniesdad said:

This just about sums up my feelings about United this season, it's an article from March but is still in my view appropriate now. Yes, we've given ourselves a chance of qualifying for the Champions League proper but still top 4 is not in my view to be necessarily applauded and we should have done more and taken more chances to push for a top 3 automatic qualification spot.

17 points behind Chelsea at the end of the season when we were 7 points behind them at Christmas. One wonders if LVG had played more open football whether we would have been closer at the end...

I agree we should have gone for 3rd spot, and i think that maybe if Carrick had been able to stay fit then I think we would have pushed the top 3 more. In the grand scheme of things getting into the Champions League was a must and need to happen at all costs. We need to get past the qualification round, but getting into the champions league ensures additional revenues, attracts players and basically means LVG can now push on and look to go for the title next season.

Imagine if we had played more attractive open football and Liverpool pipped us to 4th spot?? LVG would have been deemed a failure, lost revenues meaning smaller transfer budget, lack of ability to attract players. I think although we have played some rubbish boring football at times, the target was always champions league and getting into the top 4 by any means necessary was the key.

Hopefuly next season with a couple of new additions we can play the exciting football we saw glimpses of this season.

[ORD]

The problem this season was that we have no ideas whatsoever about what to do against a strong but defensive performance from the opposition. We have looked good against teams that have attacked and utterly awful (with a few exceptions) against teams that have sat deep.

LVG remains a mystery to me. He can put out a side that plays almost as badly as under Moyes. We have, at times, looked utterly bereft of attacking ideas. I don't think its so much about balance in terms of attacking / defending: we have looked crap even when throwing everyone forward.

[Bit of a Unit]

I see David Gill is to refuse a role as a FIFA VP if Blatter doesn't step down.

Met him a few times. A man of huge integrity. Just what's needed at the top of FIFA as opposed to the scumbags we have now.

Nowt on the transfer front yet. I am hoping that means our targets are involved in the champions league final!!!

[57Ford]

So we've not signed Messi yet?
Probably waiting until after this weekend eh?
Is there any truth in the rumour that the plane carrying the 'In Rodgers We Trust ' banner was funded by Everton fans?

[m3sye]

57Ford said:

Is there any truth in the rumour that the plane carrying the 'In Rodgers We Trust ' banner was funded by Everton fans?

Would not shock me if it was, would be typical of Everton fans, whilst finishing 11th in the Prem 15 points behind us

[franki68]

57Ford said:

So we've not signed Messi yet?
Probably waiting until after this weekend eh?
Is there any truth in the rumour that the plane carrying the 'In Rodgers We Trust ' banner was funded by Everton fans?

Not yet, but Dave is off apparently .

[NailedOn]

franki68 said:

Not yet, but Dave is off apparently .

Aye, he's away.
Thanks DDG and I hope you make all of Rafa's nightmares come true!