Ok... So I figured we could discuss how our new signings will affect the team... So far we have signed Alan Smith from Leeds for 7million and Gabriel Heinz from PSG. 2 very interesting signings... Fergie seems to be going after players with some fire in their belly... it can be no coincidence that Smith who is well known for his temper and Heinz who is said to be a hot head and is also notoriously hard to handle were both bought at the same time... Fergie wants more effort and output from his players... he is sending a message... I think that Fergie, if anyone can reign them in and help them reach full potential... they will change the team chemistry and perhaps things may not be rosy in the dressing room and maybe it will affect the play of the lads, but I really think that more than anything the addition of these two players will add more fire and fight to the team... Now... as far as formation adjustments... we now have 3 frontline strikers/forwards... technically we could play a 4-3-3 we could use Ruud in the center or Saha if we rest him and Saha/Ronaldo/Giggs on the left and Smith/Gunnar on the right... this would be similar to a 4-5-1 because our wingers would come back, especially when Ronaldo/Giggs is used on the left... Ok just throwing that out there.. also I hear that SAF wants to use Heinz in the LB spot... I have no problem with this other than his lack of speed, compared to Silvestre at least... he did say he was willing to play anywhere which is good... I guess we should not mess w/ the Rio/Silvestre combo cuz it was werking fine... using Heinz as a LB is good because we don't have a log jam at CB like this... Rio/Vestre/Brown/Heinz I know it will never happen, but just imagine for a second, Heinz and Vestre start the season off as our CB pairing and we give up no goals... Rio returns... and is used in cameos until he is match fit... then... Keane is suspended for 4 games for kicking Lemon in the nuts and SAF experiments w/ Rio as DM and he keeps him there... if our defenders are strong enough i would love it... but i know it wont happen... Other than depth at Forward, AM and RW i cannot see Smith being used... he will be on the bench, but thats ok... I would rather him than Bellion at this stage.. Bellion is developing, but he is not yet first team material...
I like Smith in that he is very versatile, and yeah I think he could eventually succeed Ole. He will probably work best as either a withdrawn striker, or on the right to give Ronaldo a rest occasionally. With both Ruud and Saha, I think we should go with the 4-4-2 if our midfield and defense stays relatively healthy, in the hopes we don't need to revert to what I've dubbed the "double diamond", with two DM's at the bottom of the diamond-shaped midfield. Smith could also work on the right if we need to play Ronaldo on the left again, where IMO he's not as good, but he can play there if needed. The wildcard in all of this is still Liam Miller, who apparently is quite good, just that no one here has seen him play much. I'm not sure if he will compete with Smith. Also I'm unsure of what SAF plans for Kleberson, but I think that if everything is normal (i.e. nothing weird off the field), he will also be competing for playing time with Smith a bit, though just at the ACM position. Personally I don't care too much for the 4-3-3, since it requires you to have very versatile forwards, which is something rare in the English game, and also our midfield is too deep to have fewer than three guys there. I don't know a lot about Heinze, but I like that he seems to be a hardass. There could potentially be a lot to decide on during this preseason tour. I'm not sure what the best middle combination will be, but if I had to guess, I'd also say Silv and Heinze. But then when Rio returns, does Silv go back to LB and displace O'Shea? What about if/when Fortune plays again? If O'Shea doesn't play, how much do we lose on offense from his ability to move forward? My concern is that as both a tough player and someone who reportedly has average pace, he might be tempted to make foolish tackles in the box that result in penalties. But I've only seen the guy play briefly, so I'll hold out judgement on him just yet. I'll also hold out on saying he's ours, since we all know about PSG and what they did once, so you just never know.
Silvestre was better going forward iirc, its just been so long since we saw him in that position, i might be mistaken. If that's right, how scary is the Rio Heinze pairing? Rio with his cool head and ability to read the game, and Heinze to crack Henry when he gets out of line
I don't believe in playing the best players out of position, even if it means accomodating some lesser players. Ronaldo is better on the right. Ronaldo may well be the best player on the team next year (or if not, he's definitely there with Scholes, RVN, and Ferdinand). Therefore, Ronaldo should play on the right. And if that means OGS and Smith have to play on the left, or not at all, tough. Play your best players at their best positions, then either make the filler fit... or get new role players. I'd start Heinz on the left, given how promising the Silvestre-Ferdinand partnership was... but I'd also give him every chance to play his way into the center.
I think the opposite is true. Silvestre put in better crosses than O'Shea, but didn't dribble as well. I also think O'Shea may play better 1-2's.
Granted he's had some injuries and he's still only 23 but I'm not sure what is going to come of Liam. I still expected some more playing time out of him while he was at Celtic for all the talk of how special he is.
Good points Haven, especially about not playing best players out of position although Ronaldo might be the exception, but not right off the bat... for instance... we start w/ Giggs on the left and ronaldo on the right, when Giggs needs a rest u play either Smithy or OGS on the left, but if either of them play on the wing for extended period of time, Ronaldo should play the left because he is just so much better at that spot than they could be... also since Gary is our RB and we will get a good attack from that side regardless of who plays there, its important that the left side remains a threat which it wont be if Giggs sits and Silvestre/Heinz play LB... just a thought... I also like the assement of Silvestre/Oshea... Oshea is definitely superior in touch, control, distribution, dribbling.. basically most of the attacking stuff although Silvestre is BLAZING quick...
Well there are a number of formations we could play, so instead of words I'll just show what we might be seeing from our heroes next season. This could be our strongest EPL formation, we might see it alot in home games. --------------RVN----Saha ----Giggs----Scholes----Keane----C.Ronaldo ---Silvestre----Heinze----Ferdinand----G.Neville --------------T.Howard--------- This can be played away from home in Europe: --------------RVN---------- --------------Scholes---------- -Fortune(or Giggs)----Miller----Keane----C.Ronaldo ---Silvestre----Heinze----Ferdinand----G.Neville --------------T.Howard------------- With attackers like Saha and Smith on the bench, we have great players that can come on and make a difference. We could have midfield depth in Fletcher, and defensive depth in O'Shea. This can be played away from home in the EPL if some of our main players are tired, and to maintain squad rotation. -----------------RVN -------------------------Smith ----Giggs----Fletcher----Djemba----OGS ---O'Shea----Silvestre----Ferdinand----G.Neville --------------T.Howard As can be seen, we need better depth in midfielders. Maybe Sir alex plans to bring someone up from the reserves, but I would prefer proven talent. Yes Solskjaer and Smith can play there, but it may be better to get a natural winger.
Fortune is out for a year... Saha is either footed but favors his left a bit.. so he would be better on the left... any formation where we are resting regulars, especially Scholes and or Keane should include Kleberson since he is easily our most rounded midfielder, and at the same time, perhaps the next most creative player after Scholes... and he should also find a place in the 4-5-1's or at least on the bench - since that formation would be based on alot of quick passing and movement.. he is also the best short passer on the team...
Excellent news... good to see you are alive an well, u have been kinda MIA recently Mott... what, u trying to give me the job?
Well we havn't actually officially signed Heinze yet and plus he can operate as a left-back so SIlvestre could stay central. Miller is a talent alright. Much better than the overrated Fletcher. Will be a star for both teams I support Ireland and United. Great brain for football.
what do you guys think of a smith and saha partnership, when ruud is tired/needs a rest? do you think it would work? i would really love to see more of kleberson this season. hopefully fergie will give him some sort of playing time next year.
I'd love to see more of Klebs this year. Hopefully his injury problems and off field issues are behind him. I'm up for trying all kinds of partnerships to start the year off. I do want to see the Ruud/Saha partnership get a run of games though...
With Heinze, an Argentinian with a German name, it suggests that United have acquired a player whose Grandad was possibly a Nazi exile!
And in Smith we have perhaps acquired someone who owned slaves, or traded them... The past is the past... People must be judged on the basis of what they, personally have done... the German people have taken enough stick, that they did not deserve - How many people would risk their lives to save others? Not very many, and while many Germans did not, many of them did... while many enjoyed the death of the Jews, many of them were repulsed by it... I am Black - born in Trinidad, but I know I am from the continent... I have no problem associating w/ people of any race. I don't look at each white person and think, that bastard probably raped a black woman, or her grandmother probably had slaves in her kitchen... thats pointless- and wrong.... Ok, enough lecturing.. wait, I will lecture some more...but on a different subject... I know Gary aint the best RB in the world but there are only about 10 RB's better than him... and anyone who can name 10 better than him is a true football fanatic.. and u cannot find 2 defenders in any position who can cross like he can - and his fight, spirit and heart is second only to Keane... if you say we should land Glen Johnson or Puyol or whomever then fine, but don't just diss Gary, he is a RedDevil through and through...