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Post by matt on May 16, 2016 9:30:57 GMT
He's not for me. Little skill on the ball, gives away to many needless fouls and if we have to rely on a player for his size then we're in trouble. All depends on who comes in but he's another i wouldn't care if we see the back of. Adios Yeah to be frank I feel the exact same. But Fellaini, while not being first choice, can be a nice player to have for many games in the BPL and he can sometimes be a truly match-winner. I'd like to see if Mourinho would keep him and how he would use him because I've a sneaky feeling Mourinho and Fellaini could form a nice pair with great repercussion on the pitch. But perhaps I am totally wrong and Mourinho will sack him asap, not that I would care either
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Post by matt on May 16, 2016 9:11:15 GMT
I would say I pretty much agree with the list above. The players I would let go assuming Mourinho comes in:
- Romero: I'd rather have Johnstone, not one bit impressed by Romero, shaky and unreliable in my books. - Darmian: not a bad player, but lacks in attacking areas, lacks in power, strength, too short for a BPL full-back, especially for Mourinho: I'd rather keep Valencia and Varela. - One of Rojo or Jones, or both: in one word they're unreliable (injury, form, etc.) TFM all day long instead of them, but I am sure Jose will buy a couple of new CB anyway. - One of Carrick or Schweini: I'd personally keep Carrick for yet another season, age is catching up but he remains one of the most reliable and classy CM we've ever had. - Young: no hard feelings, just not useful for us. - Januzaj: I've never liked his attitude, the boy is going nowhere here. - Rooney: I think he is becoming a burden, I really think so. He can still show class and quality at times of course, but I think he has been holding us back for a few seasons now because he takes one precious spot in the line up: you look at the quality of Martial at just 20 and you realise it's time for Rooney to make way for more of those quality players. He's had a brilliant career here.
What we need to add this summer: - one or two CB (depending on who leaves: Stones or Varane - one CM: Kante or Nainggolan - one right attacker: Griezmann, the one player we must break the bank for - an experienced striker to fill the gap until one of Rashford, Wilson and/or Keane is fully ready: a profile similar to Giroud would be excellent for our team imo, Lewandowski being the perfection among that type of striker in my books (not saying we should sign him, I know he is unrealistic ;-) ) - Introduce Pereira because he has massive potential - Keep introducing TFM, Varela, BJ, Wilson, Rashford, Keane,... I've been truly amazed by their quality - Keep Fellaini: yeah, I know what you think, but trust me Mourinho would get the best out of Fellaini in a box-to-box role, just like our national manager has done for many years. - Have Neville as one of Mourinho's assistants if Giggs (understandably so) wants to leave.
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Post by matt on May 11, 2016 5:45:56 GMT
Same old unacceptable shit. No leader, no one to take responsibility, a philosophy that goes nowhere because deprived of passion and character. I am sick, absolutely sick of watching LVG manage a soulless United.
I think we were more worthy of the top-4 than City, only because of our results against the better sides. But let's be honest we are not worthy of CL football. We have fallen so far behind it's incredible and totally unacceptable. We have splashed millions yet have had no one able to get the best out of our players... We're indeed replicating Liverpool's rough patch of a few years ago, and just like them, we will only come back once that incapable board stop fooling around and appoint a quality manager. That's all we need and lack: a leader.
I don't know who that leader will be, but LVG ain't that man for sure. He must go as soon as the whistle is blown against Palace at wembley, regardless of the result.
Give us back Manchester United, please.
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Post by matt on May 7, 2016 10:11:39 GMT
Tough game for sure. Norwich are fighting for their life and will be up for it. The good thing is they won't be able to park the bus as they have to get the points. I just wonder if: - LVG will be able to motivate the lads to compete with Norwich's certain hunger (judging how poor he is at that...) - we will be clinical enough so as to not waste the chances we will get: we have a very young frontline, and this is the kind of game where we can't afford to make those youth errors. I think this is potentially the toughest game left this season. Win it, and we may well set up the dynamics to save us from a poor season and reach that 4th spot instead of City who are in terrible shape ahead of a crucial game with Arsenal.
The good thing is Arsenal will want to win that game to mathematically guarantee their 3rd spot and avoid an unnecessary stressful end to the campaign. Besides, finishing 3rd also cement a CL spot, whereas 4th always puts up a tricky qualifying tie.
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Post by matt on May 7, 2016 9:59:04 GMT
It is often said Carlos Queiroz was the tactical mastermind behind many of Fergies heroics In my books, I've no problems with Giggs becoming our new manager, but on the sole condition that he is assisted by brilliant footballing minds (hence why I quoted that part). I don't doubt Giggs's man-managing qualities as such, though still unproven, but I would wonder where this leaves us against experienced and proven managers, some of whom are tactical masters like Klopp, Conte, Guardiola, Pochettino, Wenger,... The league next year and the year after will be ridiculously tough and competitive, and I just want to be certain that we're going to be competitive no matter who is in charge or we will stay at the top of the mid-table for a long-time. Next season is a transition not only for ourselves, but for this league and Europe as a whole. I expect English clubs to climb back slowly to the top, it would be foolish to be unprepared and left further behind. So why not appoint Giggs to ensure continuity? It is indeed a rational solution. But only if he is well assisted on the tactical front to make sure we remain competitive from day 1. I am among those who think man-managing is more important than the rest, but against the top teams you've got to be prepared, and to LVG's credit, that is his biggest strength. Leicester and Atletico have proven just that imo: passion and determination remain the key factor in football, but make no mistake both Ranieri and Simeone have good tacticians helping them and are excellent tactitians themselves. And that's where I still doubt Giggs, reasonably so because he hasn't proven anything and has never had to manage a team for a season. I would dream of seeing Giggs and Neville or Scholesy be there for the "coaching" part, having those three legends dictate life at Carrington, to show how things are done and ensure the continuity of what SAF created, the spirit he gave to this club. But at the same time, football is no longer that "easy": who will organise us on the pitch, set up the appropriate defensive or attacking tactics and schemes for when we face Guardiola or Conte? Who will join them and assist them? I personally don't think they can solely take us to the top, although I would appreciate their positive influence on maintaining SAF's legacy.
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Post by matt on May 2, 2016 20:42:59 GMT
Dinosaur, nah. Stubborn, yes. Yeah I agree completely from a tactical point of view. But I do think though that he is a bit of a dinosaur in men managing. He may be a great tactitian and know his stuff about football and how to build a team philosophy, but he has no clue as to how to get the best out of an individual and this has been our downfall because we never got a player able to make the difference when needed. We have been rather solid as a team, but it's our inability to have that extra passion and that extra spark that has cost us more often than not. SAF was a master at this, how many times did we see a rather average player put in an amazing performance and "save" the team just because he was full of ocnfidence? LVG treats his players like robots on the pitch, expecting them to follow the philosophy/game plan but there is no leader when things go wrong...
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Post by matt on May 1, 2016 19:20:26 GMT
I still think Van Gaal will stay the next season I sincerely hope not. For the first time in so many years (since I follow united weekly/daily actually), I have lost interest in watching United, and even in football and the BPL to some extent. I used to wait for the week end to watch my team play, now I have found myself skipping games entirely, thinking "what the hell are we going to do anyway?" and I was rarely proved wrong this season. It's not the fact that we have struggled to get results as such that bothered me, but really the poor quality of our display, the lack of intensity or efforts to keep me on the edge of my seat. It's been a dull season in so many ways, I can't understand how we could possibly keep LVG, even if we win the FA Cup and even if we finish in the top-4 on top of that. In my opinion, LVG has done a good rebuilding job and he has laid some solid foundations in many aspects, but another season will be one too much I am afraid. I believe we now need someone who will also work on the human side of our football, not just on the tactical one. Many players are ready to move to the next level, they just need that extra bit of confidence, inspiration and responsibilities. LVG will not give them that, he just won't because that's not who he is.
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Post by matt on May 1, 2016 15:48:50 GMT
We had one decent first half, where a truly good team would have scored 3 or 4 past that Leicester team. Then we saw how poor we actually are, when everyone seemed tired and uninspired in the second half, with no leader (either in the managerial staff or on the pitch) to get everyone focused and hungry.
The only good thing I'll take from this season is the potential of our youngsters. Other than that, I believe the board were really wrong in not sacking LVG sooner (in December for instance). Now we're of course going to wait for after that FA Cup final. But I want LVG out the next day.
For all his brilliance in preparing games, in beating his opponents tactically more often than not (let's aknowledge that!), he has been the least inspired manager I've seen in a long-time. We have been playing like robots for two seasons, apart from the odd series here and there. We have never seen the passion that we saw under SAF. It's like football was just only a job and that no one took pleasure in it. I want to see someone passionate come in. I want us to become winners again, ruthless and hungry for trophies. I want us to be mean when need be. I am sick of watching a team of proper gentlemen respecting the game plan without thinking or fighting further, for themseleves or for the team. It's time to become more aggressive, more direct, more vicious.
Damn it my dream manager this summer would be Simeone. I miss that personality in our club, that desire to fight on every ball for the love of the game and the ethics it embodies. I don't want a team of superstars piled up randomly, I want a team of unified hungry lads who wants to prove a point, just like Leicester have done really. Mourinho may not be everyone's cup of tea, I too have doubts about him in many aspects, but at least he will give the players some confidence back and mostly some hunger and passion that has left our club ever since SAF stepped down.
That being said, LVG's work hasn't been all bad. It's just the human aspect that he is overlooking completely. And it makes such a difference...
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Post by matt on May 1, 2016 14:59:38 GMT
Typical of that United team under LVG: in the end we never were ruthless enough to get anything out of the game. The season is probably over now.
I want LVG out. I am sick of watching a good team go to waste because there is no one to lead them, inspire them, and motivate them the way he should. It's our attitude, and mostly LVG's attitude that have let us down this season. Quality is there, but just as Chelsea proved: quality is nothing without passion, and we were never passionate under LVG.
I don't know if Mourinho is the answer, but LVG certainly isn't.
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Post by matt on May 1, 2016 14:05:24 GMT
Good first half. A lot more pace, rythm and aggressivity. I wonder why it took us so long to get going...
Right now, the only reason why we aren't trashing that Leicester team is because we have such a young front line that will need game and experience to become more lethal.
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Post by matt on Apr 27, 2016 16:28:19 GMT
Jones : had potential, has been careless, has been injured most of the time. I'd keep him for now, and give him one last season because he's still only 24 and that's precisely when Smalling clicked all of a sudden and became a beast. But I would buy an experienced quality CB nonetheless to form a solid core with Smalling and Blind. It will also be easier to give youngsters a fair chance once we have established that core (McNair, TFM?)
One last season for him, we have not much to lose, have we? As long as it doesn't prevent us from investing in an experienced CB I am ok with him staying.
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Post by matt on Apr 17, 2016 17:55:32 GMT
None of the other teams did us a favor, so I'm not convinced we'll make the top 4 even if we win all of our remaining games. Hum I'd say it's very much debatable. I actually believe that we will make it to the top 4 if we win all of our remaining games. Don't forget that City and Arsenal are facing each other and either or both are bound to drop points, that's inevitable. Add to that the fact that they still have some complicated games ahead, like teams fighting for survival (City play away at Newcastle!, away Vs the Saints which is never an easy game, and Swansea away could always be a tricky fixture, whereas Arsenal play Sunderland away, City away, welcome Norwich...) Plenty of points can be dropped in those tricky fixtures. In all fairness, I think we ourselves will fuck it up by dropping stupid and unecessary points like we have done all season. I am sure either Arsenal or City (or both) will drop the points to allow us a window to make top-4, but that we won't be able to take advantage of that. Or perhaps this is the time when we replicate last season's good run and build a momentum for 5 games?
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Post by matt on Apr 9, 2016 17:43:15 GMT
I wouldn't mind Ibrahimovic but surely not if this means we're not going for someone like Lukaku for instance. To be fair, I don't care who we buy as long as we reinforce that position with someone able to put a fight and terrorise defences for a whole BPL season. And while I think Ibrahimovic still has a couple of years left in him, BPL is a completely different brand of football: not better, but very different from France, Spain or Italy.
For me Rooney is nearing the end and is no longer a starter in my books, while Martial is better from that left attacking position. So even if we purchase a young striker, there will still be plenty of chances for Rashford, as well as for (potentially) Wilson and Keane to get their chance. Lukaku at the moment looks like a truly realistic option, but there are many quality strikers out there.
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Post by matt on Apr 8, 2016 19:15:59 GMT
De Gea/Johnstone
Valencia/Varela - Stones/Jones/Fosu-Mensah - Smalling/Blind/McNair - Shaw/Darmian/BJ
Schneiderlin/Blind - Kante/Herrera/Schweini
Lingard/Mata - Griezman/Rooney/Pereira - Martial/Depay/Young
Lukaku/Rashford/Wilson
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Post by matt on Apr 5, 2016 20:25:08 GMT
Beat them, and we're 6 points off Spurs with a game in hand. This could potentially be a truly amazing end to the season.
Anyway, no calculation required here: we must win every remaining game.
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