http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,11661_2794532,00.html Neville is not going to play against the Liverpool reserves tonight. Not good, the next reserve game isn't until November. Either we're slowly bringing him back in Prem games, or he's now out till November..
I think a right-back is a must-buy in the summer or even January. Neville is a legend and an all time great but these injuries aren't half coming thick and fast for him now and that's worrying. He's been struggling since the WC really to get fully fit. It's not good really. I hope he recovers but SAF needs to be ruthless if it starts disrupting the first team flow...
We don't need to buy anyone. We've already got his natural successor on the books and plenty of guys who can cover as RB in the mean time.
I forgot about Simpson. I guess the best course of action is to give him a chance between now and the end of the season, see how he weighs up. Filling Neville's boots must be one of the hardest jobs in football though. He's been up and down that flank for the best part of 10 years and has rarely had a bad game. He openly loves the fans, the club ,the manager and his team mates. He really levels with the clubs fans on a really personal level and to get that kind of respect is not easy....
Plus, he hates Scousers. I'll hate to see Gaz leave, but I feel better about with Simpson filling the spot. I believe Simpson is a local kid and a lifelong Red, so I'm sure he hates Scousers too.
You know, that's what I like about him more than anything. The guy is the straightest talking player around. None of this "I respect everyone in football" malarky. He openly hates Liverpool and their fans and you know what? I think Liverpool should take that as a strange compliment that he is honest about it. None of this bull**** about respect. He hates the club and loves Man Utd. End of. And then there was that celebration infront of their fans.....
Which he got fined for. Yet Robbie Fowler scores a goal in the Manchester derby when we were already beaten and done, and puts up 5 fingers at our fans to represent trophies he's never been remotely involved with, and gets away scot free. Neville >>>>>> Liverpool.
I really think that anything we get out of Neville this year is a bonus. His recent problems with injury and the length of time recovering from them has made me think that he can't be counted on this year. Which is sad.
Well that's disappointing. These gaps in fixtures for the reserves are too. As was said in the aftermath of the Carling Cup exit, there'd only been two games for the reserves up to that point and none for three weeks, and now there's this gap too because the match against Wigan reserves has been postponed. It makes me wonder if we should still be entering the Pontins Reserves League as well as the FA Premier Reserve League. Whether we'd have the squad to do both is debatable but I suppose you could always use academy kids here and there. At least there'd be no shortage of fixtures. The set-up of the Pontins league seems to be better too. Well you get more games anyway as there's 22 throughout the season plus a league cup that has group stages compared to the FA Prem Reserves League's 18 with no cup competition unless you include the end of season playoff game. The Manchester Senior Cup helps but 18 games throughout the season doesn't really seem enough to me to help young reserve-level players progress whilst also trying to give the occasional game to first team squad members who spend most of their time on the bench and find oppurtunities to pencil someone in who is recovering from injury and needs the football. Tough situation as doing both as we've done in the past could mean too many games for young legs to handle unless we stopped loaning so many out or took in extra youth players. Doing the Pontins League only (if that's at all possible for a Prem club) would be against weaker opposition so they might not learn as much. Playing in just the Premier League for ressers doesn't really seem adequate. I'd like us to somehow play more but am not sure I'd like to see us in both. A happy compromise for me would be to invite some of the top Championship teams reserves into it and make each group say 14 or 15 teams instead of the current 10. They'd no doubt jump at it as they'd see it as giving their own youngsters a chance to play at a slightly higher level. The Pontins League would probably then complain and you could hardly continue to call it the FA Premier Reserve League but hey ho.
I don't know the specifics, but I agree in principle. These kids need more games. Even with the Carling Cup, they would have maybe had 24 games all season, before our big boys came and mopped up the competition. That's really not enough. I do like this thing we're doing with the Champions League clubs bringing their reserves over as well and playing ours. That will help some.
Good point. I'd half forgotten about that but was under the impression that they were for the academy kids only (16, 17 year olds, that kind of age bracket). Maybe I've got that wrong as I was only aware of those games existing through reading about them on here? *Scrambles over to the reserve and youth team thread. Edit: Gibson got injured in the game against Sporting so I guess not.
Whilst on the subject, just paid a rare visit to the caf to see if we played a similar game against Roma as they have a decent reserve/youth section on there but couldn't find anything. Anyone know if we did/what the score was? When I was there, I see we've got a game lined up in Nigeria in November so it seems I'm not the only one who feels that there might not be enough games in the Premier Reserve League if we're looking for extra matches. Some of the names/the suggestion of first teamers (although probably squad players) making the trip has me a little worried with our injury list and all that but I can't quite see it, especially as it's an international weekend so Sheasy will no doubt be playing for Ireland anyway if fit.
Ya.. but last time that happened it created a "set back" if I remember correctly. I want to see him come in as a sub for the 1st team for 5 minutes or so just so Sir Alex proves to be he's alive.
http://www.goal.com/en/Articolo.aspx?ContenutoId=540627 Neville is playing against Everton in the Reserves tonight..
Well I hope he has a good game, doesn't aggravate anything and gets himself fit. It'd be really nice of he could get hmiself right and back in the side for the run in. His experience would be invalueable for the younger lads and also it'd be a two fingered salute to Wes Brown who's self-valueation has gone through he roof so much that he sees fit to turn down our contract offer. Neville is a legend. If he lifts the title this year I'm going to get his name on the back of a shirt........