PBP: UCL - Manchester United FC vs PFC CSKA Moscow - Dec 5, 2017 [R]

They haven't. Teams from the same country can not be drawn together until the 1/4s at the earliest.

 

I thought they had, but I was wrong. Either way, I stand behind my statement!

 

My bias against Shaw is a result of everyone here hanging from his nuts like he's the second coming Roberto Carlos despite being awful or injured for all but a handful of games since joining. I hope he proves me wrong and makes it but all this love for him is unwarranted. Every match thread people put him in the 11 when it's clearly he's not first, second, or even third choice.

And with regards to his cramping, how many times do I have to repeat this? Go back and look at his past. This has been a problem his whole career. He's routinely struggled to make it 90 minutes. This isn't because he hasn't played in a while, it's because he's never been fit enough.

Plus someone has to take up the contrarian role until Teso returns.

 

"Today" he said.... Lol

 

Nobody is hanging anyone by anybody's nuts.

When our left back situation has been so poor until Young came to life the last couple of games (because it has been so poor that he got a chance), Shaw should have been tried in that position, since he has been fit.

There is no player who has not started in seven months that would not have problems to finish a game. Gareth Bale who is "fitter" than Shaw got injured after coming back from a month's absence (or whatever the period was) playing the last 30 minutes against a side in the third division.

You probably have not played the game in your life you have no clue.

Playing 90 minutes in a much faster game than the reserves as a WING BACK covering both the defensive and offensive side is brutal.

I have always said there are two positions in football that are the worst, the flanks in a 4-4-2 or the wing back in a back three. Not only the amount of runs you have to make up and down but the burst of speed on each run will kill you.

Mikel Rico for Bilbao ran 7KM against Madrid inside the first 50 or so minutes, does that mean he is fit? he is a 30 year old midfielder who has no speed and doesn't use it and runs around with no change of acceleration.

Get some perspective.

 

So, Young Luke was named MOTM.

It's just one fantastic performance so let's not get too excited, but this was a performance that was maybe 40% of what he showed prior to being savaged by Moreno. It's very fair to criticize Shaw for taking too long to mentally recover from it, but it appears he's on the road back to where he once was. We'll see if he ever gets there.

The way forward this season is to stick with Young as our first choice and let Blind, Shaw and Darmian deputize there as needed. At the end of the season we'll evaluate the situation but for now there's no reason whatsoever to go in the transfer market for a left back.

Very happy for Lukaku, who needed a goal badly. Rashford too. A good shift by all, hopefully teeing things up nicely for the biggest match of the season on Sunday.

 

Shaw should be second choice after Young if he falters, Shaw should get the nod.

Sell Darmian for some profit to Juve in January.

 

FFS, the "love for [Shaw]" was indeed warranted.

Luke was still a boy when he was putting in world-class performances and had ALREADY been named to the PFA TEAM OF THE YEAR once. He lost more than two seasons due to a very serious injury and fitness complications arising from problems with his recovery. Yet he's still only 22, which for a defender is still a very young player.

Even on the very play where Moreno took him down, Shaw looked an all-worlder.

 

Screw "some profit" in the middle of the season. We need the depth now to cope with four competitions. Injuries and suspensions will happen, rest will be needed, form will come and go. This is no time to trim down the squad "for profit".

When summer comes and Jose decides he's got the depth he needs in Tuanzebe and Fosu-Mensah, then we can sell Darmian.

 

We already made the mistake of selling players a bit too early last season and it ended up costing the team depth wise, towards the end of the season.
What we can get for Darmian in January, there will be no reason we could get the same at least next summer.
I have no issue with trimming some more of the fat in the squad (especially with new players incoming and others returning), but we shouldn't be looking to sell anyone in January IMO. We're looking to compete in multiple fronts potentially and injuries and/or suspensions are something we need to account for.

 

I should've clarified. Extra feisty.

 

Back to normal levels of feistiness today or still in the red?

 

Just based on odds alone, I would say there's a 98% chance I played at a higher level than you. So go ahead an drop that bullshit now.

Now, back to Luke. I've said repeatedly that I hope he proves me wrong. I've also said that he was excellent at Southampton and was excellent a couple seasons back before the Moreno injury. Not since Nani has this forum had such an obsession with one player. At least in Nani's case, he had some peaks to justify it.

I genuinely hope Shaw builds from this performance, plays well, takes over the LB spot, and stays healthy. But my comments are based on what I've seen from him since joining United. He's been out of form, out of favor, unfit, unhealthy, and unimpressive (for the most part). So when people put him in their starting lineup for big games and say he should be playing ahead of Young, they are wrong. He hasn't earned it.

Now, when it comes to my comments on yesterday. It's ridiculous I have to keep repeating something because people quoting me have decided to keep ignoring it. Have you look at his history of failing to go 90 minutes? THIS IS NOT NEW. Hes struggled with this his whole career. Hell, when LvG came in Shaw didn't even get considered for months because he was so out of shape in pre season. As far as cramping yesterday, as ive already said, some of it has to do with not playing for a while. But Young was out for an extended amount of time with injury, came back and played 90 minutes as a wingback at 32 years old, and had no cramping issues. So is he superhuman? No, he's in better cardiovascular shape and/or prepped his body better. This isn't rocket science.

 

It's been too damn friendly in here lately, so I'm manufacturing confrontation. Some are making it especially easy with stupid comments (not talking about you).

 

Sell Darm

 

What level? I highly doubt it. I got paid to play albeit working full time.

Regardless, all agreed except a couple of points.

1) His main set back was PSV's leg break. Remind me, was it a double break? I think it was. Up until then for that season he was on form and playing really well. Look at Valencia, how long did it take him to get back and have a good career? around the same time 7 months or so.
2) Young was out of the squad and fought his way back in to the squad by playing here and there until he got the nod to start. He did not show up one day having not played but dozens of minutes of football in months and started 90 minutes two consecutive games. He got spare minutes, stayed fit and trained well.
3) People that were saying Shaw should get the nod ahead of Young was before Young decided to play well last week. As of now, he is the first choice due to the past couple of weeks performance.

When we were dying for a left back to play when no one showed up the beginning of the year, Shaw should have been given some minutes and maybe he could have been playing instead.

If this situation revitalizes Shaw, then he has proved to Jose that he has the mental capacity, the fitness (some reports were saying his fitness top shape last week) is good, then responsibility is on Jose to give him minutes. Knowing Jose, he is stubborn and doesn't like to be proven wrong.

 

I think you'll find I played at the highest level. I was in the first team for Earth during the great galactic fusball wars.

Gotta love the internet sometimes.

 

Well then maybe you did play at a higher level. I played college ball and probably could have played minor league ball had I pursued it but I didn't.

 

Damns. Can I have your autograph?

 

You all bitter, why? you played Sunday league?

 

There is no mention of the CSKA goal incident in the referees' forum on BS, leaving me to conclude that the rule re: a player removing himself from play (and therefore no longer keeping players onside) must have changed ages ago.

 

Not sure if it always was the case or if it has been changed, but in yesterday's situation with Blind, the rule is pretty clear and even though he was off the pitch as a result of his slide, he was considered to be on the line and therefore kept the CSKA player onside.
Was not aware of that part of the rule, but the goal was definitely valid.

 

The rule (well, "Law", in football parlance) has been in place for ages. A defender cannot go beyond the byline to trap a forward into an offside position. It was a perfectly valid goal by rule.

Ruud scored a famous goal in a similar situation about a decade or so ago.

 

Yup, van Nistelrooij iircscored a goal while the defender was behind the back line. It doesnot matter if you're outside the pitch, you're still relevant.

 

Test got banned again?