Total overreaction over united current form

[nurspec]

I just saw Fox sports news and they showed the back page of the reactionary sensationalist tabloids,and i have to say it's totally ridiculous.

Look man U may not win anything this year but so what,next year they will be unbelievable and very tough to beat.All is needed is back up at the back.Sign a couple of defenders and they will be almost unstoppable.I know you fans demand something every year,but look at the bad luck you've had.The Ferdinand situation was an atrocious decision by the league.Silvestre is hurt and the
legend in the making O'shea is still having some growing pains,but next year they will be very hard to beat.
So i think everyone should just calm down a bit and look at the big picture,because there is a storm a'commin'.

[Dark Savante]

You're not gonna get many responses to this thread because many on this board are over reacting. The form of the team doesn't concern me as much as the spirit levels. I personally can see many benefits from this horrible period.

For a start all the new buys that want to be at Man U for a long time will be hurt and actually have a cause to play for next season and an anger that'll drive them to succeed next term.

We're going to have a clear out of a lot of dross from the 1st team and bench in particular. The fallout to this year will galvanise the players that remain after the clear-out and hopefully the money grabbing PLC will relinquish some cash from the coffers because even they will see that without success on the pitch no profit is going to be made for them, which should in turn open the doors to a few world class players.

This season will fuel Ferguson for the next 3 or 4! He loathes defeat..no two ways about it and when we finish this season with nothing at all it will burn him to his very soul making us alot more ruthless next term. I expect Fergie of the late 90's to emerge from this 'disaster'.

It is a shame that all the foundations that were being set this year i.e the defence becoming a rock solid unit, are going to have to start over from scratch next season..it remains to be seen how harmful that will be to the team and this club.

[nurspec]

I thought the defence was the problem this year in particular ,not because it wasn't good,but because there wasn't any insurance against injury or suspensions.I think from that one problem a huge one grew,kind of like a snowball effect.Before United start shipping players left ,right and centre they need to see what happens with some good defensive back-ups.I think dismantling the team would be very hurtfull.United have a killer team and they proved it in the U.S. against the top teams in the world.
I think some players may want to leave as they are not getting the playing time i.E. Butt.
all the new aquisitions will gell in the off season and the team will take shape and it will be the most successful year ever for United.

What United do need is a replacement for Butt,in the shape of a Roy Keane.They need that general in the middle and a couple of defenders imo.

[rudeboy]

I agree, the current form, while might not win us any silver, is far from disasterous. Hell at least we are Leeds.

Anyways, there are many many reasons why we are in the state that we are in.

1. Rio's Ban
2. SAF's feud with major stock holders
3. Loss of Peter Kenyon
4. Loss of Beckham
5. New new guys aren't settled yet,
6. Ole's injury
7. Injury to Silvestre ane Fotune

These are just many of the reasons we are only in second place. That is an awful lot for any team to go though and I think it is a sure sign of class that we can still retain second place in spite of it. United, and United supporters have nothing to be ashamed of at all.

[Motterman]

Originally posted by rudeboy
I agree, the current form, while might not win us any silver, is far from disasterous. Hell at least we are Leeds.

Anyways, there are many many reasons why we are in the state that we are in.

1. Rio's Ban
2. SAF's feud with major stock holders
3. Loss of Peter Kenyon
4. Loss of Beckham
5. New new guys aren't settled yet,
6. Ole's injury
7. Injury to Silvestre ane Fotune

These are just many of the reasons we are only in second place. That is an awful lot for any team to go though and I think it is a sure sign of class that we can still retain second place in spite of it. United, and United supporters have nothing to be ashamed of at all.

Well, at least we "are not" Leeds.

And we're currently third.

[Motterman]

Originally posted by nurspec
I just saw Fox sports news and they showed the back page of the reactionary sensationalist tabloids,and i have to say it's totally ridiculous.

Look man U may not win anything this year but so what

Some would be happy that the fact that Manchester United aren't going to win anything is news at all.

I still like our chances against Arsenal in the FA Cup, personally.

We need to turn our form around before then, but if anybody can stand toe-to-toe with them, it's us.

[rudeboy]

Nice catch Motterman,

My brain is working faster then my hands are this morning.

I ment to say "at least we are not Leeds" and good correction on the table standings

[Achtung]

A lot of the overreaction seems to come from the media anyways. I think part of what is fueling the "crisis" talks is the fact that people are just plain happy with United's recent failures, and they enjoy talking about it. I can't really blame them--I'll be there waiting to pounce when the Yankees start losing as well. ;)

This is still a great team, and they have nothing to be ashamed of. Even if we go trophyless, how many teams in the world wouldn't envy us and the overall position we're in? We can't blame our guys for Arsenal's stunning form this season, nor can we blame them for getting injured--at least they are playing hard and leaving it all on the field! Things will look up, both on and off the pitch.

[johno]

Its funny, a friend of mine was telling me that this is the beginning of the end and that ManU would go down the drain and I thought to myself... we are really a great team...

because if to be in third in the EPL and in the FA Cup semis in a season where you lose 3 significant starters (Scholes, OGS, Rio) for long periods of time... Sell two players who incidentally play the same positions as those that got injured and generally pick up knocks to the entire defensive unit is quite an accomplishment...

Picture Arsenal without Ljunberg and Pires (for 2 months and 3 months) and Sol Campbell (missing half the season) - funny, i dont think they would be doing any better than we are... in fact i would wager that they would be in worse shape.

[Achtung]

Johno hit the nail on the head. We were doing so well early in the year, and now people are saying that personnel decisions made before that are affecting our team now? Is there some sort of lag time between bringing in the "wrong" guys and seeing the team perform poorly?

Injuries and suspensions, its our unfortunate mantra this year. Give me a healthy, full-strength United squad and then talk about the team going down the drain.

[Acronym]

Can't agree with the loss of bloody Peter Kenyon (bald headed mongolian pigrat). I could have done his job and ten times better.


He messed up the Ronaldinho transfer while SAF expected him to arrive, the guys a punk. Big wow he buttered up Robens butt crack and slipped his dad a bung OooOOOooo loverly. The rest is true.

Take out Arsenals back 4 and a couple others they'd be lucky to be in the top half.

[nurspec]

Actually i really believe the worst is yet to come for United,i think they will suffer more losses and will probably be fighting for 3rd place.
But so what,if anyone as an ounce of sense they will see that the list of troubles put up here by "motterman" can be rectified before the start of next season.

As for the F.A. cup.They don't stand a chance in hell,not this year.Arsenal are probably smelling blood right now,and their confidence level must be sky high.I predict 3-0 to Arsenal but Man U will put up a valiant effort.

When everything settles Man U will not only be deeper than everyone except Chelsea,but they will come out with
a killer mindset because of this years troubles,as Arsenal have this year.

[Motterman]

Originally posted by nurspec

As for the F.A. cup.They don't stand a chance in hell,not this year.Arsenal are probably smelling blood right now,and their confidence level must be sky high.I predict 3-0 to Arsenal but Man U will put up a valiant effort.

If we were playing this weekend, I would almost agree with you, but football is a funny sport.

[phishy]

Originally posted by Motterman
If we were playing this weekend, I would almost agree with you, but football is a funny sport.

motterman~~

if citeh puts 4 by ya... is our offence just not up to par w/theirs? how you can have confidence going into this one is beyond me.. building on what exactly??? gigg's wonder goal in 99?? we have been to this final 3 times running.. its not like a team has just shut us down either.. sans fulham where van der sar played superb.. or perhaps that inter CL match.. but aside from that.. its been business as usual..
phishy~

[Achtung]

Originally posted by phishy
motterman~~

if citeh puts 4 by ya... is our offence just not up to par w/theirs? how you can have confidence going into this one is beyond me.. building on what exactly??? gigg's wonder goal in 99?? we have been to this final 3 times running.. its not like a team has just shut us down either.. sans fulham where van der sar played superb.. or perhaps that inter CL match.. but aside from that.. its been business as usual..
phishy~

That's why they play the games, phishy.

[kuschews]

This is certainly a painful and diffucult time. However it will pass. The key is getting an honest assessment of our deficiencies and addressing them in the offseason. Hopefully SAF will be given the chance to do that.

I was only exposed to top flight football last year with the ChampionsWorld matches in the US on TV, but I have become a football nut watching whatever matches I can on Fox Sports World. I am continually amazed with the passion of the fans around the world, esp EPL fans. The highs and lows of a season are incredible. I'm only just beginning to appreciate the details behind the scenes as well.

The strange thing is, this season is my only point of reference for Man Utd - all the years of tradition and glory I only know from the recordbooks or websites. I really wish I could have seen the 99 team play with many of the players in their prime.
However one must look forward and we will be back to the top, its just a matter of when.

Looking forward to ChampionsWorld match in Chicago later this year :) Definately will visit OT
for a match someday as well.

[Mac_Howard]

The tabloids make money from sensation and that is the reason for their overeaction. Most fans believe that two or three players in the off-season will cure all the problems we've seen this year.

In the last 12 months Utd have lost three world class midfielders - Beckham and Veron were sold and Roy Keane has become a competent defensive midfield and is no longer the commanding player he was. Add to that the temporary loss of Rio and you have a squad currently with four world class players less than this time last year.

Of the replacements, only Ronaldo has shown that he may well be a success.

That's got to hit any club.

But a class defender, DM and possibly another winger will cure that.

What does concern fans I think is the impact Utd's position as a PLC appears to be having on our transfer deals and ability/willingness to bring in these players.

The sole purpose of a PLC is to bring financial returns for its investors - and most of today's investors want those returns in months not years. That means that Utd's owners, the shareholders, are no longer people commited to the club but people looking for profits and who will sell out of Utd if they don't come pretty quickly.

Add to that there are two major shareholders - Cubic Expression (M&M) and Glazer - who are poised to make a takeover and both of them have made it plain that they see Utd as a club that is not run primarily for profit and believe it should be. If either does take over then the whole focus of the club will be to maximise profits.

Neither of them, nor most of the smaller investors, has much understanding of the world of soccer.

So the fear is that Utd may not get the players we need to bring things around. We even hear that if a large bid is made for a player like RvN - and NO Utd supporter would even contemplate selling RvN - then the stock market rules for a PLC is that the board would have to consider it and, what's more, make their decision on a FINANCIAL basis not a footballing one. That is the legal requirement on a PLC. The investors could well say "I'll take the 30 million (or whatever)".

So, we need two or three players but we may not get them. We may even lose players we shouldn't. That's the underlieing concern.

[Motterman]

Originally posted by phishy
motterman~~

if citeh puts 4 by ya... is our offence just not up to par w/theirs? how you can have confidence going into this one is beyond me.. building on what exactly???

Firstly, you said that we didn't have a chance in hell, I disagreed. Not that I think we are going to win, but we have players with the heart of a Champion, the Citeh result notwithstanding, and I just can't see us being written off out of this one just yet.

Secondly, if we put a couple of good results going into the match and our confidence and form improves, I obviously would like our chances better. If we played this week, we could probably lose 5-0, that's where I said if we played this week I'd almost agree.

In the meantime, you should read Henry's comments on not wrtiting us off just yet.

[nurspec]

Machoward

i would have to disagree with you about ronaldo bieng the only success.Saha is going to be the most important guy in the offence,because he's not as selfish as Ruud and has more dimension.That 's not saying saha is better than Ruud at sniffing in the box.I also think given the required experience Cleberson could be very good for United.
Ronaldo for all his step overs has shown very little dimension tus far,but he is very young and has room to grow.DM and defender is right on the money for United winger too probably.Shocked too last night that United are looking to shop Giggs,i find that quite surprizing to say the least.How much truth is in that story?

As for the F.A. cup i just think the defence is in too much disarray right now.I don't think they have the confidence to go up against the most dangerous striker in the game in that shape.Last year Silvestre did a great job in maintaining Henry,but coming off an injury Tierry is going to work him hard early in the game and break him down.
I know there a long way until the game,but i think Man U are relying to much on Silvestre for him to be fully healed in time.

As for offence Ole and Saha are your best bet to make something happen against Arsenal,because ruud will be easily locked down by Campbell,Lauren,Cole or Toure.But like you said Football is a funny game,and almost anything can happen,especially after watching Man City v Spurs.

[Motterman]

Since Ferdinand's ban

Pld Conceded

1 Arsenal 6 4
17 Spurs 6 12
18 Leicester 6 13
19 Wolves 7 13
20 Man Utd 6 14



Before Ferdinand's ban

Pld Conceded

1 Arsenal 22 14
2 Man Utd 22 15
3 Chelsea 22 17
4 Soton 22 18
5 Charlton 22 23