Manchester United Team Talk/Gossip/Rumours Thread

Ush1 wrote: »

Most players want to play every game and rightfully so.

Fergie's tactics and his 4-5-1 in big games doesn't suit Berba.. It seems that Berba is man enough to take that on the chin without complaining...

Ush1 wrote: »

Irrelevant about the team doing well.

Its all about the team .. If the tactics requires you being benched, you should accept it without complaining.. We had the likes of Ole in the past and JOS until recentlywho did this role... At UNITED, team comes before any individual and the players have the sense to see it

Kev_ps3 wrote: »

What we need desperately is 2 new central midfielders. Ideal choice would be Essian, Gerrard. Also a left winger and goalscoring striker wouldnt go amiss.

Sick note and Living in a Hotel. No thanks.

Diego and Sneijder.

Neither are available.

Apartently Ferguson has the scouts working over time. Which is a good sign.

saltie wrote: »

Rodwell eh. As a toffee fan here how much are you willing to pay for him? SIgned a 5 year deal this season, only potential, big potential but still..

I don't really know to be honest. I would hope if we were to sign him it would be for a fee between 15 and 20million. But being young and English will inevitably inflate any transfer value.

For me, he is a player similar to Rooney when he was at Everton. Not in terms of style, but in terms of potential to be great (though I would say Rooney had more potential) and would be an important signing were United, or anyone else for that matter, sign him from Everton.

Boggles wrote: »

Stopping using the word "retort", it does not make you sound clever.

You make the assumption Berbatov is happy to sit on bench.

Your 2 peices of pathetic 12 year old evidence are.

1. His agent hasn't said anything to the press.
2. He is still at the club, why hasn't he left.

It is moronic in the extreme.

Your failing big time. Log off for a bit. Is my only advice.

No, and your retort is pretty dreadful.

Your hard on for Berbatov is amusing though. So you think he's unhappy?

Mitch Connor wrote: »

simply put - if Berbatov was happy to sit on the bench each week, or Fergie thought that was the case, he would be sold immediately.

Or most weeks?
Do you agree that they play a 1 striker system with Rooney starting?

Mitch Connor wrote: »

I don't really know to be honest. I would hope if we were to sign him it would be for a fee between 15 and 20million. But being young and English will inevitably inflate any transfer value.

For me, he is a player similar to Rooney when he was at Everton. Not in terms of style, but in terms of potential to be great (though I would say Rooney had more potential) and would be an important signing were United, or anyone else for that matter, sign him from Everton.

Yep i`d say pushing 20mil but why would he leave an up and coming team of relatively young players which has been moulded for 8 years by Moyes to join an out of sorts, aging Man U team i`m not sure. Will Fergie even be there next season and finally do ye have the money to splash around 20mil on potential. There are a lot of ifs and buts. I even have to wonder will Moyes be at United next season. Its just all up in the air.

saltie wrote: »

Yep i`d say pushing 20mil but why would he leave an up and coming team of relatively young players which has been moulded for 8 years by Moyes to join an out of sorts, aging Man U team i`m not sure. Will Fergie even be there next season and finally do ye have the money to splash around 20mil on potential. There are a lot of ifs and buts. I even have to wonder will Moyes be at United next season. Its just all up in the air.

I agree - a lot of if's around it.

I'm just saying Rodwell is the type of player United should be looking at (and apparently are).

I'm not going to get into a conversation with you on why Rodwell may leave Everton for United - we'd probably end up insulting each other! And I don't really want to go discussing club finances as I am in a bad enough mood already today!

Basically, if United did a deal for Rodwell at 15million to 20million, I would be happy. Whether it does happen or not, for various reasons, is another matter.

abouttobebanned wrote: »

The funny thing about a situation like this is that if that goal didn't go in before half time and we were contemplating a Lyon semi-final this conversation would have been put on ice. But that's all that would have happened, because it's a conversation that's long over due.

Several years ago I was starting to doubt Fergie, he used to mess around with the team for so called "small" but yet vitally important matches. It used to drive me mental, and time and time again we'd get stung by it. And yet, we were getting to Champion's League finals and constantly in contention to win big trophies.

The man is only human though and there may be a couple of things counting against him at the moment. 1. His age. 2. He's been living in a Manchester United bubble for a long time - a very long time.

Do you think it's unfair to say that he still wants to prove people wrong...has it become an obsession for him to get one over on the likes of Arsene Wenger?

By keeping people like Neville, Scholes and Giggs around is he just clinging on to reminders of better times?

Ok, enough with the rhetorical questions. I think the ideal situation for us this year would be for us to somehow win the league and for Ferguson to retire and take the three amigos with him. No disrespect to any of them, I love them and appreciate what they have done for the club but they are doing little for their reputations by staying on longer than they should.

Then, we need to rebuild. Get in a new manager with a new ethos. Sure, it will be a shock to the system for those red who don't remember a manager other than Alex, but it has to happen sooner or later and everything about this current team screams end of an era. Dunphy and co were just being sensationalist last night...they live in a different time and are unable to watch today's football without lamenting about the game 40 years ago. But, despite all the sensationalist crap, they are right about one thing...that united team that we saw last night are not good enough to represent the Man Utd name.

Man Utd have always had a strong midfielder, Robson, Ince, Keane. Right now, we don't have one and it's so painfully obvious. Carrick...I dunno...he's quite an enigma...was he ever a good player? Maybe, but never good enough for the red shirt. That role is our first port of call. Berbatov was not worth what we paid for him and that has been up there (with Veron) amongst Fergie's worst mistakes. He panic bought that player and he has yet to do anything to convince me that he is world class.

Another clear out is needed in the Summer, I just hope we have the money to replace the - sorry to use the term - dead wood.

Alcohol might have destroyed my brain completely, but to be honest I don't remember any much "Better times" than now.

Ush1 wrote: »

It has everything to do with it.
Well maybe it's just semantics, I equate accepting a bench role to being happy with it. O'Shea wasn't signed for 30m and is always described as a squad player. They aren't good examples really. Tevez left as he wanted to start most games. Same story with Defoe at Spurs and with most other strikers who don't "accept" a bench role.

so, you think players acting in a completely unprofessional manner is acceptable and exactly what they should be doing the moment they become unhappy? Fair enough, I completely disagree with you.

For all you know Berbatov is in Fergie's office every week pleading to be played or sold, could be on to his agent every day looking for him to find him a new club. But because it isn't being conducted in the press or disrespectfully at the matches themselves a la Tevez, Berbatov is completely happy.

I would say it is more likely that Berbatov is simply being more professional in his dealings than Tevez was, and that Berbatov would absolutely love to be first choice for United in every game.

Also, what the hell has everything to do with it? I never said anything in my post that would make such a response appropriate to the situation.

Ush1 wrote: »

Doesn't have to say it to the press, as I said, he's still there 2 seasons already but hey if he leaves this summer you'll be right.

I thought you were questioning that for the foreeable future he will be on the bench, as long as Rooney is fit.

Why would he have gone last summer though? United sold two of the other main strikers. Berbatov would have fancied his chances of being first choice this season.

my God Ush.

i'm not a fan, but i read and contribute to this thread and your posts are laughable.

Berba accepting the bench for last night does not mean he wants to leave.

mental logic.

you know it, i know it, we all know it, so stop.

for the love of God, there are actual issues that need to be addressed in the Utd squad which Utd fans are trying to discuss. if you hate Utd, you should be happy enough watching them try to work out, and find a solution to, what's wrong. especially since there's not an awful lot in their price range, and it's entertaining watching Boggles shoot down 99% of suggestions. mostly rightly i must say.

Let's look at the squad:

Goalkeeper

VDS seems to be getting better with age. I don't think we need to invest here this summer, I think we'll get another year out of him. After that, unless Foster steps it up, I expect us to invest here.

Defence

The strongest part of the United team. We are very solid here. Should nobody leave, I think we don't need to do anything here. Smalling has been brought in as a long term replacement for Ferdinand, and we'll see how he does. Nobody else imo needs to be bought. I think, despite everything, Rafael is a great prospect, and Fabio is a good one too. If Vidic leaves however, we'll need to do something, and should a decent offer come in, I can see the Glazers considering it. Nonetheless, no real work needs to be done here.

Central Midfield

Quite frankly, its ****. Fletcher is a very good player. He is not world class, but he is very good. By some distance, our best playing midfielder. Hargreaves imo is world class. But he's utterly unfit. I hope he can return, but each year it gets less likely. Nonetheless, we are pretty set in the defensive midfielder category, if Hargreaves can regain some fitness. If he can't, and we'll know I'd say by next September, we need to get someone else, like Rodwell into the squad.

Going forward is where we lack. Giggs and Scholes are options in easy games, but nothing more. They can't cut it at the highest levels anymore in a 2 man midfield. They can sometimes cut it in a 3 man midfield. Carrick can just **** off. I'm fed up with him. His performances over the past 2 years have been by-in-large poor. He had that he was defensively strong but after last night, he doesn't even have that anymore. His wayward passes in the past 2 months have cost us goals. He should be sold for about 12 million to Spurs/City/Villa/Whoever wants him.
Anderson is still imo a player worth keeping around. Still think he has potential. But frankly, Anderson is the only player really there anymore, and he's obviously still learning. We need to invest, and for me this is the summer priority, in a talented attacking midfielder, who scores goals, creates goals, keeps possession, drives forward. Who is this? I don't know yet, but we absolutely need him.

Wingers

I'm pretty happy with the wing situation. Nani is growing into a world class player. Valencia is an extremely effective option. Park is a decent squad player. Tom Cleverley is a decent option to add there. Tosic I think will come back and make an impact (although I think he could be sold). Obertan is there too. Should a world class player come available for a decent price I think we could look at them, but for me, its not really a priority anymore, and I thought it was at the start of the season.

Strikers

I think we're fine here too to be honest. Rooney is unbelievable. Berbatov is pretty good too, and imo has done well this season when asked. Ok we didn't beat Chelsea, but frankly it wasn't to do with the stirker, it was to do with the midfield. Macheda and Welbeck are good options, Diouf could be interesting but I doubt it. I'd like sell Owen personally, because he is just hampering the youngsters development which is very important for the club.

Overall, for me, the squad is in decent enough shape. Long term we'll need to replace VDS, Ferdinand (although maybe Smalling might). But in the short term, we really just need to fix central midfield. If Hargreaves can make it, we are really only one signing away from being a top class team again capable of winning all honours. If he can't, we're two away.

This is all predicated on Fergie realising the seriousness of the problem in central midfield that for years Ronaldo was hiding. I have faith in Fergie though to make the changes that are needed, he always has in the past. That said, should we get number 19, I expect him to retire.

***

That said, all this is predicated on having money to spend, which frankly, I think we'll hit a net spend of maybe 20 million this season at most. As such, we're likely to buy just one player.