Manchester United Team Talk/Gossip/Rumours Thread - Mod Note in OP, 13/8

noodler wrote: »

Any of you gents seen the new Utd third kit (blue one) in stores in Dublin yet?

Have to pick it up for a friend's birthday.

PhlegmyMoses wrote: »

I'm really not a fan of Ron Vlaar. Decent for Villa and functional for the Netherlands but there's a reason why he is playing for PL relegation candidates at 29. This is his peak.

Maximus Alexander wrote: »

His is an ACL injury isn't it? To be honest I don't think you're right here, it remains a potentially devastating injury. All going well you've a good chance of making a full recovery, but it doesn't always go well, and when it doesn't you're basically shagged whether you're 18 or 38.

I watched a documentary about a new procedure that should dramatically increase the success rate, but as far as I'm aware it's not being used yet.

bangkok wrote: »

http://www.sportinglife.com/football/news/article/165/9408247/transfer-news-manchester-united-manager-louis-van-gaal-has-doubts-about-signing-arturo-vidal

Now lets move on :D:D

jimmytwotimes 2013 wrote: »

Apologies if article posted already, most of the Rodgers quotes in this

http://www.theguardian.com/football/2014/aug/05/liverpool-brendan-rodgers-louis-van-gaal

Brendan likes to talk

“I think what he’ll find is the competition in this league will be different from any other league that he’s worked in,” said Rodgers, who led his side to within touching distance of their first title since 1990 last season. “In a lot of the other leagues there are one or two teams and those are the teams that are expected to win.


“This is a league where the top team plays the bottom team and on any given day you can lose. You don’t get that a lot in the other leagues. I think the competition will probably take him by surprise and that’s from foreign managers I have spoken to over the years.
“I’ve worked closely with foreign players who have come in and that real physical competitive nature will be different from anywhere else he’s worked before.”


“I think it’s going to be really as competitive,” he said. “Last season was great and right the way through there were four or five teams right up there, and then in the closing months it narrowed down a wee bit. The Premier League historically shows that it’s a very competitive league. Man United will want to bounce back, Chelsea will be strong, Manchester City are the champions so they’ll be the favourites.


“The likes of Tottenham have been up there the last couple of seasons. When Harry Redknapp was there they were a Champions League team. So the numbers are there to make it really competitive again and difficult to forecast.”


Van Gaal will see how Liverpool rose last season from outsiders for the title to serious challengers and there will be no distractions for United after they failed to qualify for Europe. Rodgers does not believe there are parallels between what he inherited at Anfield in June 2012 and the situation at Old Trafford.
“I think for them it will be a totally different mind-set,” said the Liverpool manager, who hopes this week to conclude a new, extended deal for the Brazilian playmaker Philippe Coutinho and has sold the goalkeeper Pepe Reina to Bayern Munich, believed to be for an initial £2.5m, subject to a medical.
“Domestically for the last 20 years they’ve been champions 13 times. So they have already been in place. When I came to Liverpool we were eighth at the time and the club was nearly going out of business, so it’s totally different. The players there will want to do better for themselves. They will be disappointed with where they finished last year, of course. With the quality they have, they will want to push on.


“We’re still a work in progress really. We made great strides last year and the expectancy for us is to improve again. Our task is to make sure we’re in the Champions League again next year. Our first target is fourth and then we’ll look to push on from there.”


Rodgers also urged Van Gaal to be wary of Manchester United’s owners, the Glazer family, considering how little time they had for his the Dutchman’s predecessor, David Moyes. He believes the controversial Americans let down the Scotsman Moyes by reneging on their original long-term plan of stability at Old Trafford.


“I think there were a lot of things at Manchester United that were not seen by many. He had to go in and where I felt for him is that he thought he was getting time All of a sudden when it’s not as hunky-dory as people think it is, you don’t get that opportunity. He signed a long-term deal and thought he had that longevity to do his work.”

K-9 wrote: »

This wasn't even mentioned on the Liverpool thread.

Actual quotes from him:




Not seeing a hell of a lot wrong there tbh, journos asked jim questions, he gave answers, nothing particularly controversial and in particular, probably an opinion shared by a good few on this very thread.