They have the quality, so why?! Has Fergie lost the plot? Is it due to injuries? But United really SHOULD have adequate depth in their squad!
Because we are not scoring enough goals in our home matches. This is due to a combination of luck and the fact that most teams came to Old Trafford to defend. Look at our matches against Everton and Man City, for example. We havee had so much dominance against them and also had shots cleared off the line, hit the bar...etc. Against strongers teams like Arsenal and Liverpool who didn't come to defend, we won.
Don't you think United's skill would be enough to overcome the bad luck? they have some of the best strikers in the league and they should be putting the ball in the net on a regular basis. Someone has to light a fire under their arses. after this past weekend things look a little more promising.
Well, you get 3 points for a win, 1 for a draw, and none for a loss. So, upon tallying the math, I usually come up with a reasonable approximation of what the table should look like. Which is why in my table, ManUtd are still 7th.
Cus Reyes is a puff, and has been found out, since his trip North. Ive watched that match 3 times, and I could only see one half bad tackle on the little ********. Phil Neville actually got booked when he didnt even touch him, so I dont know what hes on about.
The game is starting to pass SAF by... don't get me wrong, he knows football. But there comes a time with every coach where they've spent far too long with one coach. Also, if Ronaldo would stop playing the C. Ronaldo show on the flanks you might have more team play.
Answer: Midfield Giggs, Scholes and Keane are no longer world class. They're competent Premiership performers at this point in their careers. So you're going to have a competent, Premiership team. Compare them, and Ronaldo, to Boro's foursome: Downing, Zenden, Parlour, and Boateng. Keane was so much better than Parlour, but Ray can play every day, Keane can't. Scholes on his game is better than Zenden, but come on, look at Zenden's work rate. Very impressive. And if you are looking for a young winger who can take control of games and is very dangerous, there's no contest. Downing is the man and Ronaldo is the contender. Boateng's OK, I mean, he starts in the Premeirship, but in reality, he's as good as Boro can get. But do you think anyone would give you three million for Giggs?
Re: Answer: Midfield Totally agree... Giggs and Keane used to be two of the best 5 to 10 midfielders in the world, however, now they are starting to slow down and are only very good. Scholes for some reason has lost his way in the last 18 months and don't minimize losing Beckham. Sure Beck's was overrated but you put him with the other three and in their prime it is one of the best midfields in the world. Games are won and lost in the midfield.
If the strikers can keep scoring now, hopefully or defence can continue to be one of the stingiest in the league. We are fine right now, we just need to put a run of results together that we should be able to...
Your upcoming schedule is really soft... You should be top 4 by christmas. If not, the season is truly over.
Yeah but in order to be within 7-8 points, you will probably need to be in the top four of the table (assuming Everton or Bolton continues to overachieve)... beyond their own clash, Chelsea and Arsenal don't have terribly difficult schedules either.
Didnt Keane say he was finished with International Football last year and didnt SAF support him in that decision. Now that he changes his mind and goes back his form has dropped. Is it due to international responsibility? Is there tension between he and SAF? I know he is being given the friendly off this week and gladly so.
Well, if you're interested in a reasonably objective view of an opposition supporter... A combination of factors I would suggest. Chelsea have spent an enermous amount of money and bought very good players and, let's be honest, we weren't too far off last year as well. The boy Robben, who, IIRC, you were going to buy at one point has made a big difference to us but some of buys we made a few years before in good young, (British?), players have begun to bear fruit like Lampard for instance. Arsenal have had a few great players that have peaked at the same time and the players they have brought in, (although not that many), like Reyes and Toure have done well. Also, they play in a way that makes it difficult for other EPL teams to play against. Continental sides, on the other hand, are better equipped to succeed against them. That's why I don't think they'll ever be that successful in the CL... not that that'll stop me cheering for them if they're the only British (sic) team to get through to the later rounds, mind you. ManU is suffering from the lack of the good young players that came through the ranks like Beckham, Scholes, Giggs, Butt, etc. Having said that I think SAF is partly to blame because he seems to have gone out of his way to throw out some of them... Stam, for instance and, yes, Beckham. Beckham was still largely doing it on the pitch and, IMO, his manager isn't entitled to an opinion on how he lives his life... he's his manager... not his mother. Also, some of the guys you've brought in just haven't been good enough. They may be at some point but aren't at the moment. Djemba-Djemba, for instance, or the Brazilian guy just don't look like ManU players. In all honesty other teams supporters don't look at a United side and think, 'oh, ********, Djemba-Djemba's playing'. Rooney has great potential but still has some way to go to do it every week for his club - Everton's form since he left indicates as much. Ronaldo can be great, and he's certainly entertaining, often resembling 'my little pony' with all the step overs but, again, his crosses, (a significant thing for a winger), aren't feared in the same way that Beckham's were. Keane has lost some of his pace and can't get back to get the tackle in as much. Giggs has the same problem... lack of pace. Overall, by a combination of players coming to the end of the their playing careers, poor choices in buying and the fact that SAF has got rid of some of your best players for reasons best known to himself, Manu just aren't the force they have been in the past 10 years or so. Personally I still think you'll be there or thereabouts at the end of the season but I very much doubt if you stand any chance of winning it. I'm not saying we will either but I think there's probably too much ground to make up and you'd have to rely on both us AND the Arse dropping too many points - I just don't think it's going to happen. It''s a bit like the old saying about teams being at the bottom of the table at christmas getting relegated. It's not that they CAN'T make the diference up.. it's that there's a reason why they're at the bottom at christmas and that reason won't go away. Er, not that I'm suggesting you're going to get relegated of course. Well, er.. no no - not at all
Andy, you should be yellow carded for a totally unwarranted display of objectivity and fairness in that assessment. This is not what we expect from Chelsea fans.
Off-topic but as it's made from sandstone isn't it naturally pink and has to be repeatedly painted white. Mind you, 'The Pinkhouse' wouldn't really strike terror into the hearts of your enemies I suppose.
I stopped reading at that point. You were doing so well before that idiotic comment. Have some neg rep, as I'm in a bad mood.
totally agree with Andy.. and, you lot dont have as many points as Chelsea/Arsenal/Everton/Boro? even.. or Bolton is it.. or both?
Yes... Lampard is to Chelsea in 2004 as Scholes was to United in 99 or thereabouts... its seasonal man... no club especially now with the rules about recruiting youth players can consistently bring talent through its youth system. The fact that there we had 3 of the best midfielders in the world (at their jobs, Giggs, Scholes, Becks) all come from the youth team at once is amazing and it helped us to our sucess. We have other players who can develop. Richardson is 20 and already a good player with some experience. By 25 who knows what he will be. The same could be said of other young players we have. But, like I said, you can't expect a club to produce young talent on their own consistently. It's not like we aren't trying. I'll let you in on a secret... ManU was playing better with Beckham on the bench than on the field for most of his last season here. Yes, SAF and Becks had issues, however - Becks brought the club cash that got us a player who will play much longer than he will, who brings something we lacked (penetrative dribbling, as Giggs was losing that part of his game) and the money to go after Rooney as well. I know its not all Becks money, but it certainly helped. Many managers would jump at the chance to sell a star figure who was an important but not vital part of the team for enough cash to get someone who could impact the team just as much in a 2-3 years for a fraction of the cost. Well I am glad you feel that way, because I dont feel like the season is a failure if we don't win the prem title and the FA Cup and the champs league. This year everything clicked of you and Arsenal at the beginning. Its a long, long season and right now we are a long long way behind - but larger defecits have been overcome in shorter periods of time and we still have some control of our destiny. It is highly unlikely that you will go the next 17 games without dropping 7 or 8 points and at that point if we can string some results together now, its a long shot but doable in the death of the season and never count United out. Its a wonderful testament to our team and its accomplishments when everyone thinks a season where we dont win the league title is a failure. By those standards there are 19 failures each year. In the end... I see this as a transition period... we have 2 key players to replace in the near future and we have a defence and strike force settled for the long term... I really don't see that as a problem at all - the whole talk about Chelsea having bought alot of quality players is nice and all, but we have alot of quality players as well, maybe not 2 first teams, but then again we only need one.
Well, I'll have to disagree with you, mtki.... on your first point. In reality, there are only three teams that could realistically have a chance to win the Premiership. And you know who we are. Everton's still doing it with mirrors (or proving the Ewing Theory, if you'ev ever read Bill Simmons) and Boro's making the jump from mid-table to top 6 squad, and Bolton's been promising and Pool looks like they're weathering the loss of Gerrard nicely enough, but all of those teams can consider this a great season if their form to date holds through the rest of the year. Arsenal or Chelsea don't win the league and it's been a failure. Pure and simple. I agree with your point re: rebuilding, all great teams have to do it. If you finish this year 4-6 and cut loose Giggs, Keane, Scholes, give Ronaldo a chance to rest, figure out how to get Smith - Rooney - Ruud on the pitch in a regular rotation, and get a top-flight keeper, you'll have set yourself up for much future success. Then you could be happy with this year.