Advertisement
If you have a new account but are having problems posting or verifying your account, please email us on hello@boards.ie for help. Thanks :)
Hello all! Please ensure that you are posting a new thread or question in the appropriate forum. The Feedback forum is overwhelmed with questions that are having to be moved elsewhere. If you need help to verify your account contact hello@boards.ie
Hi all! We have been experiencing an issue on site where threads have been missing the latest postings. The platform host Vanilla are working on this issue. A workaround that has been used by some is to navigate back from 1 to 10+ pages to re-sync the thread and this will then show the latest posts. Thanks, Mike.
Hi there,
There is an issue with role permissions that is being worked on at the moment.
If you are having trouble with access or permissions on regional forums please post here to get access: https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058365403/you-do-not-have-permission-for-that#latest

Manchester United Talk/Gossip/Rumours Thread 11/12

17677798182201

Comments

  • Registered Users Posts: 8,498 ✭✭✭Your Airbag


    Liam O wrote: »
    Honestly, United don't deserve to win the league. They haven't played like champions outside the first 3 or 4 games.


    Release the hounds


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,309 ✭✭✭Vertigo100


    Liam O wrote: »
    Honestly, United don't deserve to win the league. They haven't played like champions outside the first 3 or 4 games.

    Can't agree with that. We may have slipped up the last few weeks but it now boils down to 2 games each. If city don't do the business and we do then I will be one happy camper. FWIW I think city will win it but I will support united and hang on to any bit of hope til the end of the season.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 29,346 ✭✭✭✭homerjay2005


    Mars Bar wrote: »
    I got chased around the classroom by a City fan with a City scarf this morning. :(

    if you didnt run from him, he wouldnt have chased you!


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 12,832 ✭✭✭✭Blatter


    Liam O wrote: »
    People keep saying this but I'm not sure I buy it, City have played the better football with the better players and went out to win last night, when they got the goal they tightened up yes but it was a cop out from Fergie and the team that went out for the win won and the team that tried to draw lost. They were substantially better in the 2 games they played against United too. United haven't played like champions for most of the season.

    And what does it say about City that they've taken 6 points from us this season yet only lead the league on goal difference?

    Winning the league is not about who plays the best football or who has the best players, it's about the team that consistently gets the most points on the board and finishes the season top of the league. That's it, nothing else matters.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 12,832 ✭✭✭✭Blatter


    Hodgson wants talks with Rio and Terry to see if they can be part of the same England squad.

    Not surprised he wants Ferdinand at the Euros, him and Terry are still their best options imo. Would be surprised not to see Carrick in the squad as well.


  • Advertisement
  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 31,946 ✭✭✭✭Mars Bar


    if you didnt run from him, he wouldnt have chased you!

    But then I'd have been infected by that icky scarf...


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 11,553 ✭✭✭✭Copper_pipe


    543177_352681208130132_281049331959987_994503_1043454031_n.jpg


  • Registered Users Posts: 12,219 ✭✭✭✭Pro. F


    Do you actually realise how often you have written these or similar words on this forum? Either you are twelve years old or just socially inept, either way your frothing, insulting overreactions to other people having opinions is a blight on discussion in here.

    Seriously, listen to yourself sometime. It seems everybody else on the planet has no understanding of football. :rolleyes:

    Cry me a river. There is nothing wrong with calling something bollocks, retarded, idiotic, nonsense, dumb, whatever, when it clearly is. Orondo has acted the prick in this thread plenty of times and was doing it again today so I don't have much patience for him tbh. When he posts nonsense like he has today, and acts the prick about it too, there is nothing wrong with pointing it out for what it is.

    With regards to your trying to portray me as not having respect for anybody else's opinions on football, that is just a lie. I have plenty of discussions on this board with posters who's opinions I respect. But there are still plenty of trolls, idiots and dishonest posters, not every argument deserves a patient response.

    I'm not saying the SF is worse than anywhere else on the internet by the way, in fact I think it is much better than everywhere else.

    Oh and just for you
    :rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes:


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,084 ✭✭✭markc1184


    Is this Lindegaards first game back since he was injured?


  • Registered Users Posts: 3,351 ✭✭✭Orando Broom


    Pro. F wrote: »
    Cry me a river. There is nothing wrong with calling something bollocks, retarded, idiotic, nonsense, dumb, whatever, when it clearly is. Orondo has acted the prick in this thread plenty of times and was doing it again today so I don't have much patience for him tbh. When he posts nonsense like he has today, and acts the prick about it too, there is nothing wrong with pointing it out for what it is.

    With regards to your trying to portray me as not having respect for anybody else's opinions on football, that is just a lie. I have plenty of discussions on this board with posters who's opinions I respect. But there are still plenty of trolls, idiots and dishonest posters, not every argument deserves a patient response.

    I'm not saying the SF is worse than anywhere else on the internet by the way, in fact I think it is much better than everywhere else.

    Oh and just for you
    :rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes:

    You're one ignorant boy, it has to be said.


  • Advertisement
  • Closed Accounts Posts: 25,953 ✭✭✭✭kryogen


    Liam O wrote: »
    People keep saying this but I'm not sure I buy it, City have played the better football with the better players and went out to win last night, when they got the goal they tightened up yes but it was a cop out from Fergie and the team that went out for the win won and the team that tried to draw lost. They were substantially better in the 2 games they played against United too. United haven't played like champions for most of the season.

    But you don't have to buy it, it is a fact :) The best team does win the league, Arsenal have played some beautiful football over the years, they have not won the championships to back it up, Barcelona play the "best football on the planet" but are not going to win the league, Madrid deserve to win the league because they have been the most consistent at picking points up along the way.

    Thats what the league is about, who picks up the most points, who is the most consistent team in the league, who is the best team in the league?

    Every year its the team that sits on top.


  • Registered Users Posts: 3,351 ✭✭✭Orando Broom


    kryogen wrote: »
    But you don't have to buy it, it is a fact :) The best team does win the league, Arsenal have played some beautiful football over the years, they have not won the championships to back it up, Barcelona play the "best football on the planet" but are not going to win the league, Madrid deserve to win the league because they have been the most consistent at picking points up along the way.

    Thats what the league is about, who picks up the most points, who is the most consistent team in the league, who is the best team in the league?

    Every year its the team that sits on top.

    The one thing I find hard to reconcile is the fact that United and City could both finish on 89 points. In that case United would have accumulated the most points as a runner up in the premier league.

    Were United to win the title they'd more than likely win it on 89 points too which would be one of the highest tallies (I think joint sixth highest ever). There is no way that this team would be regarded by anyone as being vintage team. Better United teams, well perceived better United teams have won the league on lower points. Is it that the over all quality of the league, the break-up of the 'top four' in particular been a factor, I wonder?


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 12,832 ✭✭✭✭Blatter


    The one thing I find hard to reconcile is the fact that United and City could both finish on 89 points. In that case United would have accumulated the most points as a runner up in the premier league.

    Were United to win the title they'd more than likely win it on 89 points too which would be one of the highest tallies (I think joint sixth highest ever). There is no way that this team would be regarded by anyone as being vintage team. Better United teams, well perceived better United teams have won the league on lower points. Is it that the over all quality of the league, the break-up of the 'top four' in particular been a factor, I wonder?

    Well you say it's not a vintage United team and in terms of first 11 I agree, however it is as good a squad as we've had imo.

    Look at the squad from 2006/2007:

    Van der Sar
    Neville
    Evra
    Heinze
    Ferdinand
    Brown
    Ronaldo
    Rooney
    Saha
    Giggs
    Park
    Smith
    Vidic
    Carrick
    Miller
    Scholes
    Solskjaer
    O’Shea
    Richardson
    Fletcher
    Silvestre
    Kuszczak


    This season:

    De Gea
    Kuszczak
    Lindegaard
    Amos
    Evra
    Jones
    Ferdinand
    Evans
    Smalling
    Vidic
    Fabio
    Rafael
    Fryers
    Anderson
    Giggs
    Park Ji-Sung
    Carrick
    Nani
    Young
    Scholes
    Cleverley
    Fletcher
    Antonio Valencia
    Pogba
    Owen
    Berbatov
    Rooney
    Hernandez
    Welbeck



    The first 11 was better back then but in terms of squad depth it's not even a contest.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 6,704 ✭✭✭G.K.


    Could the removal of Rooney from the squad see the opportunity to return to an orthodoxy in the formation. 4-4-2 and ball winner and an attacker in the middle, big and little up top and the wingers United have now.

    Just say really hypothetical, verging on daftness
    Valencia--Martinez--Goetze--Nani

    Welbeck -- Hernandez

    No way could Gotze play a 2 man midfield.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 10,771 ✭✭✭✭Paul Tergat


    G.K. wrote: »
    No way could Gotze play a 2 man midfield.

    that was the thing you took exception to? :eek: :P


  • Registered Users Posts: 3,351 ✭✭✭Orando Broom


    that was the thing you took exception to? :eek: :P

    Take exception? Is the stuff posted here taken personally? Jaysus…


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 10,771 ✭✭✭✭Paul Tergat


    Take exception? Is the stuff posted here taken personally? Jaysus…

    When its borderline retarded yep


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 6,704 ✭✭✭G.K.


    I thought the selling Rooney point had been debated enough.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 34,424 ✭✭✭✭The_Kew_Tour


    Realistically have we any chance of getting Martinez from Bilbao?


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 25,953 ✭✭✭✭kryogen


    Goetze in a 2 man midfield would not work, that would be obvious to anybody who watched him, same with Kagawa for that matter :)


  • Advertisement
  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,369 ✭✭✭UnitedIrishman


    Realistically have we any chance of getting Martinez from Bilbao?

    Very little. Happy enough where he is and Bilbao are an improving squad. Bielsa is building a nice team there.

    Love all this Football Manager-esque thinking by some. Just throw out some well known names that have played well on the continent without having a look at the fact that a) Goetze has already committed his future to Dortmund and b) the possibility that he wouldn't fit our system.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 6,397 ✭✭✭xtal191


    No chance of us getting Martinez or Gotze.


  • Registered Users Posts: 348 ✭✭Rojiblancos


    xtal191 wrote: »
    No chance of us getting Martinez or Gotze.

    I wouldnt be surprised if Kagawa was signed to be honest. Was linked last summer but he picked up an injury which kept him out for a few months, and the rumours are popping up again now. He recently said he wants to leave germany and also has only a year left on his contract so Dortmund will probably sell this summer. Similar situation to Nuri Sahins' last summer before he went to Madrid.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,060 ✭✭✭tvercetti


    Not that it matters but this is what I expect in the summer, its just my opinion.

    SAF wants an Attacking Center Midfielder (if the pursuit of Sneijder told us anything its that), a player to play ahead of the 2 center midfielders. At times we have seen Rooney drop back in here but when it comes to the big games, Fergie likes Rooney up top as the lone striker and in this scenario, United do not have a suitable ACM as Giggs is not consistently effective and Park is rarely effective.

    The arrival of an ACM will fill the squad void left by Berba leaving, obviously very different players but its a sign of the way the game is adapting. All 4 teams that competed in the Champions League semi final played with a lone striker and you could argue none of these teams have 4 recognised strikers within there squad.

    Obviously Utd will still play 4-4-2 quite regular through out the season, that means any ACM arriving needs the versatility to play out wide or posssibly up front. We have already seen the likes of Eden Hazard/Nicolás Gaitán showing this versatility.

    Obviously signing a Center midfielder is a must, in an ideal world the arrival of 2 center midfielders would be great but less likely. I think a more creative CM will be the most likely preference, someone to fill Scholes boots, Modric and Cabaye been possibilities, then a tougher tackling more defensive minded player like Yann M'Vila or Tiote or Felliani for the second central position.

    The players mentioned are merely examples and not necessarily my preference.


  • Registered Users Posts: 778 ✭✭✭POSSY


    tvercetti wrote: »
    Not that it matters but this is what I expect in the summer, its just my opinion.

    SAF wants an Attacking Center Midfielder (if the pursuit of Sneijder told us anything its that), a player to play ahead of the 2 center midfielders. At times we have seen Rooney drop back in here but when it comes to the big games, Fergie likes Rooney up top as the lone striker and in this scenario, United do not have a suitable ACM as Giggs is not consistently effective and Park is rarely effective.

    The arrival of an ACM will fill the squad void left by Berba leaving, obviously very different players but its a sign of the way the game is adapting. All 4 teams that competed in the Champions League semi final played with a lone striker and you could argue none of these teams have 4 recognised strikers within there squad.

    Obviously Utd will still play 4-4-2 quite regular through out the season, that means any ACM arriving needs the versatility to play out wide or posssibly up front. We have already seen the likes of Eden Hazard/Nicolás Gaitán showing this versatility.

    Obviously signing a Center midfielder is a must, in an ideal world the arrival of 2 center midfielders would be great but less likely. I think a more creative CM will be the most likely preference, someone to fill Scholes boots, Modric and Cabaye been possibilities, then a tougher tackling more defensive minded player like Yann M'Vila or Tiote or Felliani for the second central position.

    The players mentioned are merely examples and not necessarily my preference.


    I reckon we'll buy another forward to replace Berba. Probably another defender thats versatile to cover Rio if he's injured and anyother defender that might get injured Evans/Vida/Evra mainly. Maybe another winger. Can never have enough wingers. No value in midfielders. Then spend 8m on the UCD homeless man cause CQ heard good things about him and apparently Madrid were about to bid. No value in the market for a midfielder though, and this is a team that got 89 points in the league so the midfield must be fine.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 12,505 ✭✭✭✭Mr.Crinklewood


    Good news, almost finished building my time machine that puts time back by thirty hours.


  • Registered Users Posts: 12,219 ✭✭✭✭Pro. F


    This is wrong. Do you play football?

    Just the occasional kick-about these days. Since even the professionals are clueless more often than not, your word won't hold any more weight if you play more.
    Rooney as a lone striker has really just one job to do, he has take the ball into feet and hold up the play. That is it. For 90 minutes that is all he has to do. Show in front and take it into feet, lay it off.

    City last night did not have two men on Rooney. Not once. They didn't have to. Kompany first followed when Rooney came in deep and after the booking Lescott did this. Not once did Rooney take a ball into feet, hold it up and lay it off. Not once. One or other of the full backs would have closed in had there been a need. There wasn't. Nani made over a dozen tackles, Clichy none. Zabaleta attacked most of the match. Not once did a full back have to assist a centreback on trying to contain Rooney.

    You are right with the lack of support from midfield, absolutely but not on one occassion when the ball was played to his feet did he show any willingness or desire to get it, take his touch and look for support.

    Lescott and Kompany both on different occassions from behind nicked the ball off him and Rooney ceded without a whimper.

    On three other occassions a ball was floated into the space Rooney occupied and everytime a city player had a free header to clear. rooney didn't even jump with the player to try and put him off. Three free headers powered straight back down the throats of the United defence.

    If you think those are examples of good play fair enough. The few times the ball came near him he made a half assed effort to win the battles.

    You are completely wrong and being totally unfair to Rooney. I watched the game back just now (only the bits involving Rooney) to check that my impression of the game was correct and here is what happened:

    He showed for and laid the ball off successfully 26 times. (This also includes one winning a of free kick and one decent cross that just didn't connect - those two were worth including imo, but you can leave them out if you want.) So that is a lot more than the zero times you are ridiculously trying to claim. 14 of those times he did it while under close pressure from an opposition player and 12 of those times he linked up after receiving a pass in some space. This space he had to work very hard to find for the majority of the game, until Welbeck came on at the hour mark and Rooney could drop deeper. Rooney's running off the ball to find the gaps between the defenders while he was the furthest forward was excellent and, unsurprisingly, he wore himself out doing it.

    He made seven straightforward mistakes (misplaced passes etc): in the 45th, 52nd, 54th, 57th, 71st, 86th and 89th minutes. Fatigue was clearly a factor in the later ones and tbh I'm being very harsh calling the first three straightforward mistakes.

    He got his pocket picked cleanly three times and lost the ball while fighting for it four times. None of it was particularly bad play on Rooney's part and it was absolutely nothing like the fecklessness that you are saying it was.

    Yes there were three times where he didn't compete properly for the ball in the air, but there were also five other times when he did. He is not a good target man and playing long balls to him is a bad plan anyway. He did fine for his size.

    And you are still ignoring the fact that he was going up against the two centre backs and whichever fullbacks and central midfielders were around when United broke forward. The defenders don't have to be in contact to be causing the striker problems, they can cut off his options and box him in which is just as important.

    With regard to the FBs, Rooney moved into the channel between them and the CBs a lot while he was up front and so gave them lots of work to do when United broke forward. The fact that the City fullbacks did a lot of getting forward is because United ceded/lost so much ground in the midfield and let City come onto them, you can't blame Rooney for that. He still gave them plenty of defending to do when the ball came his way; it is impressive when you consider how isolated he was. The fact that the FBs didn't make many tackles does not mean that they didn't have to get into position to cover what Rooney was doing and take away his options.

    I know Rooney has played poorly at times recently, but this type of criticism for last nights game is nonsense. I've seen it before. United play completely defensively and attack in dribs and drabs and people complain when Rooney doesn't win the game single handedly. They ignore the fact that he is physically unsuited to that role and still works his balls off and deals as best as he can with the long balls, while finding space and linking up the play excellently. They see him tiring and playing a few bad passes and suddenly he's supposed to be a part of the problem. It's not his fault that it didn't work out last night, it's Ferguson's for not supporting him properly.
    I don't think your viewpoints are in any way enhanced by your angry, aggressive posts either. Take it down a notch or two.
    You're some man for giving the orders.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 34,424 ✭✭✭✭The_Kew_Tour


    Very little. Happy enough where he is and Bilbao are an improving squad. Bielsa is building a nice team there.

    Love all this Football Manager-esque thinking by some. Just throw out some well known names that have played well on the continent without having a look at the fact that a) Goetze has already committed his future to Dortmund and b) the possibility that he wouldn't fit our system.

    I think we all get caught in that circle from time to time, but I agree I dont think he be coming to United.

    It has the makings of another disappointing story imo.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 10,364 ✭✭✭✭Kylo Ren


    Good news, almost finished building my time machine that puts time back by thirty hours.

    Take me with you! If it's a Delorean even better!


  • Advertisement
  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 12,505 ✭✭✭✭Mr.Crinklewood


    Keno 92 wrote: »
    Take me with you! If it's a Delorean even better!

    Ready to rock, only hassle is that Park has the key.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 10,364 ✭✭✭✭Kylo Ren


    Ready to rock, only hassle is that Park has the key.

    He is just obsessed with ruining my week.


  • Registered Users Posts: 778 ✭✭✭POSSY


    Heard a great description of Park today: He's like a young pup chasing a ball, hasn't a clue what to do when he gets it but he'll run after it all day.


  • Registered Users Posts: 860 ✭✭✭UDAWINNER


    POSSY wrote: »
    Given Wigan just beat NUFC 4-0 and have QPR at home who were beaten 6-1 in a derby match against Chelski, plus City being more than up for it after last night, if both Utd and City win both games (and us beating Sunderland is by no means a guarantee), if I was a betting man I'd be putting money on City scoring more goals than we do. I wouldn't be surprised if it was a case of us eeking out a victory on Sunday.


    Perfect time perhaps for 2 great servants to the club,O'Shea and O.G., to come to our rescue!
    Who is this, forgive me as its been a long day in work: OWN GOAL


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,211 ✭✭✭Owen_S


    UDAWINNER wrote: »
    Who is this, forgive me as its been a long day in work
    Cast your mind back to the 2009/10 season, OG chipped in with 10 goals that season, a great return IMO. Losing OG has lost us the title.


  • Registered Users Posts: 778 ✭✭✭POSSY


    Owen_S wrote: »
    Cast your mind back to the 2009/10 season, OG chipped in with 10 goals that season, a great return IMO. Losing OG has lost us the title.

    One of our finest players that season. Made a few appearances the following season if I recall correctly. Truly the embodiment of value for money in the market.


  • Advertisement
  • Closed Accounts Posts: 5,139 ✭✭✭Red Crow


    Who's saying Gotze, Martinez etc. would want to play here?

    Rafael and Valencia on the right and moving Rooney back up as a striker should be where we build next year.

    If Berbabtov is gone I think we'll go in for a new striker. But I don't see where the money comes from to pump into this team what it needs; 2 CM's, a striker and a LB.

    We've been really poor against the decent teams this year. City (H & A) and European games.

    The team needs a leader in the middle.


  • Registered Users Posts: 8,498 ✭✭✭Your Airbag


    Who's saying Gotze, Martinez etc. would want to play here?

    Or that they are even on Fergies radar. All these CM's getting mentioned in the press and I have the sinking feeling Fergie has no intention of buying any of them.

    The Journalists are making suggestions and Fergie is probably not even monitoring said player.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 4,097 ✭✭✭shadowcomplex


    Assuming City beat Newcastle on sunday are there any tactics united could use to try and maxmise there goals outlay v swansea?



    How about this

    de gea

    Valencia---Smalling----Rio
    Evra

    Scholes--Rooney

    Nani
    Young

    Chico---Berba/Welbeck


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 12,832 ✭✭✭✭Blatter


    Lol, we'll need some balance in midfield, Carrick has so play and it would be silly to take our biggest goal scoring threat and push him deep into midfield.

    Also, we can forget about winning the title on goal difference. Swansea haven't be hammered many times at all this season and aren't just going to roll over, we'd be lucky to get a 2/3 goal win. Personally I'd take any win.

    We are highly unlikely to hammer Sunderland as well, they've barely lost a game at home in 2012.

    All we can do is take 6 points from our games and hope for the best.


  • Registered Users Posts: 3,351 ✭✭✭Orando Broom


    kryogen wrote: »
    Goetze in a 2 man midfield would not work, that would be obvious to anybody who watched him, same with Kagawa for that matter :)

    Seriously? So were United to sign either they'd be a bust???

    I've seen little of either player to be able to say whether they are limited in the number of systems they can play in.

    So that pretty much rules out a raft of players as it is unlikely that Ferguson would stray too far from 4-4-2. Or would he? Is that the grand plan in your estimation?


  • Advertisement
  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 9,825 ✭✭✭Mikeyt086



    De Gea

    -Rafael - Rio - Evans - Evra

    Valencia-Scholes-Carrick-Nani

    Rooney-Chicharito

    Smalling for Evans if he cant make it, Chicharito in for the injured Welbeck, he scored in the Liberty Stadium aswell. No bull****.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 2,696 ✭✭✭mark renton


    LMAO - this thread has become fcukin hillarious, made up of the deluded trying to pick a team to score 14 goals in 2 games and the confused trying to work out where it all went wrong - MODS can we please sticky this ?????


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,785 ✭✭✭killwill


    Assuming City beat Newcastle on sunday are there any tactics united could use to try and maxmise there goals outlay v swansea?



    How about this

    de gea

    Valencia---Smalling----Rio
    Evra

    Scholes--Rooney

    Nani
    Young

    Chico---Berba/Welbeck

    DDG
    -Raf----Evans---Rio---evra-
    ----Carrick
    Scholes----
    Valencia--Young--Nani---
    Rooney

    Never gonna happen anyways


  • Registered Users Posts: 3,351 ✭✭✭Orando Broom


    Pro. F wrote: »
    Just the occasional kick-about these days. Since even the professionals are clueless more often than not, your word won't hold any more weight if you play more.



    You are completely wrong and being totally unfair to Rooney. I watched the game back just now (only the bits involving Rooney) to check that my impression of the game was correct and here is what happened:

    He showed for and laid the ball off successfully 26 times. (This also includes one winning a of free kick and one decent cross that just didn't connect - those two were worth including imo, but you can leave them out if you want.) So that is a lot more than the zero times you are ridiculously trying to claim. 14 of those times he did it while under close pressure from an opposition player and 12 of those times he linked up after receiving a pass in some space. This space he had to work very hard to find for the majority of the game, until Welbeck came on at the hour mark and Rooney could drop deeper. Rooney's running off the ball to find the gaps between the defenders while he was the furthest forward was excellent and, unsurprisingly, he wore himself out doing it.

    He made seven straightforward mistakes (misplaced passes etc): in the 45th, 52nd, 54th, 57th, 71st, 86th and 89th minutes. Fatigue was clearly a factor in the later ones and tbh I'm being very harsh calling the first three straightforward mistakes.

    He got his pocket picked cleanly three times and lost the ball while fighting for it four times. None of it was particularly bad play on Rooney's part and it was absolutely nothing like the fecklessness that you are saying it was.

    Yes there were three times where he didn't compete properly for the ball in the air, but there were also five other times when he did. He is not a good target man and playing long balls to him is a bad plan anyway. He did fine for his size.

    And you are still ignoring the fact that he was going up against the two centre backs and whichever fullbacks and central midfielders were around when United broke forward. The defenders don't have to be in contact to be causing the striker problems, they can cut off his options and box him in which is just as important.

    With regard to the FBs, Rooney moved into the channel between them and the CBs a lot while he was up front and so gave them lots of work to do when United broke forward. The fact that the City fullbacks did a lot of getting forward is because United ceded/lost so much ground in the midfield and let City come onto them, you can't blame Rooney for that. He still gave them plenty of defending to do when the ball came his way; it is impressive when you consider how isolated he was. The fact that the FBs didn't make many tackles does not mean that they didn't have to get into position to cover what Rooney was doing and take away his options.

    I know Rooney has played poorly at times recently, but this type of criticism for last nights game is nonsense. I've seen it before. United play completely defensively and attack in dribs and drabs and people complain when Rooney doesn't win the game single handedly. They ignore the fact that he is physically unsuited to that role and still works his balls off and deals as best as he can with the long balls, while finding space and linking up the play excellently. They see him tiring and playing a few bad passes and suddenly he's supposed to be a part of the problem. It's not his fault that it didn't work out last night, it's Ferguson's for not supporting him properly.


    You're some man for giving the orders.

    Good post I doff my cap to your fastidious defence of Rooney! That is genuinely an exceptional riposte and I stand corrected on the facts.

    Now isn't easier* to debate with facts and points as opposed to e-strutting around like a little banter cock calling people retarded. ;)


    *maybe not easier seeing as you had to watch that ****e again but you get the drift.


  • Registered Users Posts: 3,707 ✭✭✭CR 7


    Assuming City beat Newcastle on sunday are there any tactics united could use to try and maxmise there goals outlay v swansea?



    How about this

    de gea

    Valencia---Smalling----Rio
    Evra

    Scholes--Rooney

    Nani
    Young

    Chico---Berba/Welbeck



    Rooney

    Valencia --- Carrick --- Evra

    Nani --- Scholes --- Cleverley --- Young

    Welbz --- Berba --- Chico


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,369 ✭✭✭UnitedIrishman


    Would love to see Berba play Sunday. Well, if he was even near match fit. Chico is completely out of form in terms of link up play and has a dose of 'second-season-syndrome'. Welbeck is out with an injury which means we'll more than likely line up with Rooney up top on his own with Valencia and Young down the wings, and any one of Carrick, Scholes, Keane, Butt, Ince or Blackmore through the midfield.

    Ah Berba, if only.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 12,832 ✭✭✭✭Blatter


    Not sure if Welbeck has been ruled out yet. He's only got heavy bruising, could yet make it.


  • Registered Users Posts: 3,351 ✭✭✭Orando Broom


    United need to first consider containing a useful Swansea midfield. There will be no goal glut unless United absolutely shellack them in the first ten. Beat them out the gate before the thirty minute mark. It needs to be Chelsea v QPR last Sunday.


  • Registered Users Posts: 860 ✭✭✭UDAWINNER


    Just watching the vinny browne show and he was reviewing the papers and in the front of the Star is the headline Fergies 100m Spree, assume this is bs. Got me thinking who would i buy for that.
    Baines
    Martinez
    Ronaldo(Please come back)
    The no value line will be used this due to the high prices caused by Euro 2012. Should be working on deals NOW.


  • Registered Users Posts: 3,351 ✭✭✭Orando Broom


    If there is a scintilla of truth in any of this transfer stuff I'd wager on official word coming on deals before the season ends. You've seen Marin and Podolski deals tied up, I'd imagine United will operate similarly. I doubt there would be players signed solely on the basis of an impressive euros.


  • Advertisement
This discussion has been closed.
Advertisement