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Manchester United Team Talk/Gossip/Rumours Thread - Mod Note in OP, 25/08

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Comments

  • Closed Accounts Posts: 17,638 ✭✭✭✭bangkok


    not one world class player out of the list you gave, compared to a heap of them 20 years ago. every other club in England could bring out a list of their academy players longer than than for players.

    Pogba and Rossi were signed into the club and left quickly - our input on them while of course could have been huge, may have been replicated and/or better at any other club.

    we tend to buy players rather than develop them.

    you are forgetting the size of our club to be honest.

    I only named ones I could remember quickly, how many players from the Chelsea or man city youth system have mad3e the first team? even the "famed" arsenal youth system how many of them players made the grade. where are all the real Madrid players breaking through or the Barcelona players?


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 23,140 ✭✭✭✭TheDoc


    MagicIRL wrote: »
    Did someone say... Berbasex?

    berbasun.jpg

    Someone said we bought him to spite City?

    Not having that. Firmly believe it was an epic Fergie fail. Bought Berbatov assuming he could play behind Rooney, and that Rooney could be pushed up top into his best position.

    Ferguson didn't realise Berbatov was lethal as the leading striker, and would struggle playing in behind. Something he later admitted as a mistake, but was pleasently suprised to see what he could do when playing up as the forward striker.

    However he wanted to move to a more pacey attacking front line, which left Berbatov in the lurch. I also hold Ferguson to the fact he never did create this pacey attacking front line : /

    Such a disappointing departure. Every so often I wonder what would happen with interchanges between Kagawa, Mata and Berbatov.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,002 ✭✭✭beno619


    bangkok wrote: »
    I only named ones I could remember quickly, how many players from the Chelsea or man city youth system have mad3e the first team? even the "famed" arsenal youth system how many of them players made the grade. where are all the real Madrid players breaking through or the Barcelona players?

    Ahh well the oil clubs shouldnt be used as a yard stick.

    Madrid and Barca produce a lot of top level players not everyone makes it there but Mata for example was at Madrid.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 17,638 ✭✭✭✭bangkok


    TheDoc wrote: »
    That's my point, sure they have gone onto "play football", but surely the judging point for youth players, is if they make it into our first team and maintain the quality we expect, since they came from our youth academy.

    I've put my feelings in brackets above, but it's hardly a list to somehow debunk the suggestion our youth academy has not been as stellar as some would make out.

    wes brown (Injuries argueably scuppered his potential, brilliant on his day)....... 362 apperances for United

    john o shea(Suffered from utility tag, never established with us as he should have) 393 apperances for united

    Darren fletcher (Was a VERY slow starter, became integral to us, then condition struck. For large parts was not good enough) 331 apperances

    danny welbeck( Jury still out) Jury is only out for people who cannot see who good he is and the job he does for the team, cracking player

    johnny evans( Has come on nicely in the last few seasons, so injury prone)
    great defender

    tom cleverly( Jury has all but made its ruling) not united standard imo but still went onto play many times for england

    adnan januzaj( To early to tell) one of the best young players in the world right now

    fraizer Campbell( Mid table striker, was never good enough for United)

    Kieran Richardson( Mid table player, never good enough)

    guissippi rossi ( Scuppered by injury, never materialised into anything of note) :eek:???? NO1 Italian striker when fit!!
    paul pogba( Documented)
    ryan shawcross ( Mid table CB, never United quality)

    then other player in the academy now that could make the breakthrough..

    james Wilson
    Andreas Pereira
    demetri mitchell
    saidy janko


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 745 ✭✭✭Cantstandsya


    bangkok wrote: »
    I only named ones I could remember quickly, how many players from the Chelsea or man city youth system have mad3e the first team? even the "famed" arsenal youth system how many of them players made the grade. where are all the real Madrid players breaking through or the Barcelona players?


    Really?


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  • Closed Accounts Posts: 17,638 ✭✭✭✭bangkok


    beno619 wrote: »
    Ahh well the oil clubs shouldnt be used as a yard stick.

    Madrid and Barca produce a lot of top level players not everyone makes it there but Mata for example was at Madrid.

    but was signed from Real Oviedo, what about arsenal and their "famed" youth academy!!


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 17,638 ✭✭✭✭bangkok


    Really?

    they had their class of 92 moment with xavi iniesta etc


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 6,902 ✭✭✭MagicIRL


    :eek:


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 23,140 ✭✭✭✭TheDoc


    bangkok wrote: »
    I only named ones I could remember quickly, how many players from the Chelsea or man city youth system have mad3e the first team? even the "famed" arsenal youth system how many of them players made the grade. where are all the real Madrid players breaking through or the Barcelona players?

    Apart from Arsenal and BArca, none of those clubs make outragous claims to have elite youth academies. City are making HEAVY investment in that area, and AIM to have a great academy, but there make no outlandish claims about it being incredible.

    The City board want to move to a more sustained model, and are pumping massive money into youth developement and facilities, and there is every possability it will become first class.

    Chelsea are beginning to do the same, as they want to move again to a more sustainable model. Chelsea have hoovered up a lot of young, very exciting talents, and farmed them out to clubs season after season rather then coach them inhouse. There are a lot of exciting Chelsea prospects operating around Europe. However they are trying to improve their infrastructure in order to nurture their talent, rather then hoping for magic to happen out on loan.

    Real Madrid is no great secret. They farm all the best Spanish talent, and either you become incredible and force your way through, or you make a good career in La Liga afterwards. There are more famous talents in Spain who were former Madrid youth academy players, then those that actually broke through to the first team. But I believe Jesse and Morata both broke through, and are both exciting striker prospects for Spain for the years to come.

    Barca had a golden generation like most big clubs have. A rake of young players coming through just at the right time, clicking with the right purchase and the right veterans. But they have a famed youth academy for good reason. While not all break through to become superstars, plenty of them go on to have exciting careers, not just filling up the lower echelons of Spain.

    Arsenal are still churning out some class. While they occasionally "buy" an exciting prospect, they have a good academy that teaches that youngster how to operate in an Arsenal team. Unlike Chelsea, who farm players back out, Arsenal keep them and coach them. Walcott and Ox are obvious examples of players they bought and nurtured to integrate into the first team. Kieran Gibbs is being really unlucky with injuries but with a clean run is as good a fullback in the league. Jenkins was showing promise but obviously now has moved on. then you obviously have Wilshere, and Ramsey who Arsenal have nurtured also.

    The point being SAf and Gill made loud noises about how the club was solid as a ****ing rock with our youth system, but it's failed to produce first team ready quality, for a long, long time.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 552 ✭✭✭RichFTW


    wow....really sums up our transfer policy and certainly makes those blaming the Glazers look wide of the mark.

    our wage bill is crazy also for the quality of players we have.

    No it doesn't. Only Arsenal have spent less on transfers in the past 10 years from the top 5 PL clubs. I'm using 10 years as that is when the Glazers bought the club. Even Liverpool have spent more.

    Seeing as you ignored these figures last time you brought up the same argument, I thought I would refresh your memory with more of a detailed breakdown. All figures taken from transferleague.co.uk.

    I used 10 years as the sample but you see the breakdown for 5 years as well. Makes more sense than picking 3-4 years.

    You keep using the net figures while ignoring the transfers in figures for some reason. Clubs like Arsenal & Liverpool end up having to sell their best players once a bigger club comes knocking, which usually isn't the case for United. Players who leave United are usually finished or of no use/value, hence why the Arsenal & Liverpool net figures are lower than Uniteds. Chelsea & City get better returns on players as they get bored with players frequently and end up buying a new squad but the old group of players still have value.

    Summary - 5 years
    Players Purchased (£) Players Sold (£) Net Total (£)
    Man Utd 266,800,000.00 49,600,000.00 217,200,000.00
    Man City 439,450,000.00 129,900,000.00 309,550,000.00
    Chelsea 473,759,000.00 187,400,000.00 286,359,000.00
    Arsenal 228,525,000.00 156,300,000.00 72,225,000.00
    Liverpool 323,950,000.00 222,150,000.00 101,800,000.00



    Summary - 10 years
    Players Purchased (£) Players Sold (£) Net Total (£)
    Man Utd 423,400,000.00 205,300,000.00 218,100,000.00
    Man City 750,120,000.00 203,200,000.00 546,920,000.00
    Chelsea 685,859,000.00 298,000,000.00 387,859,000.00
    Arsenal 336,075,000.00 295,220,000.00 40,855,000.00
    Liverpool 531,880,000.00 351,330,000.00 180,550,000.00



    Breakdown here:

    Man Utd
    Players Purchased (£) Players Sold (£) Net Total (£)
    Season 14/15 56,000,000.00 8,300,000.00 47,700,000.00
    Season 13/14 67,700,000.00 1,000,000.00 66,700,000.00
    Season 12/13 63,000,000.00 11,900,000.00 51,100,000.00
    Season 11/12 52,900,000.00 14,750,000.00 38,150,000.00
    Season 10/11 27,200,000.00 13,650,000.00 13,550,000.00
    Season 09/10 21,000,000.00 85,500,000.00 -64,500,000.00
    Season 08/09 35,750,000.00 2,000,000.00 33,750,000.00
    Season 07/08 61,750,000.00 35,200,000.00 26,550,000.00
    Season 06/07 18,600,000.00 14,500,000.00 4,100,000.00
    Season 05/06 19,500,000.00 18,500,000.00 1,000,000.00
    423,400,000.00 205,300,000.00 218,100,000.00


    Man City
    Players Purchased (£) Players Sold (£) Net Total (£)
    Season 14/15 51,500,000.00 10,000,000.00 41,500,000.00
    Season 13/14 103,200,000.00 13,400,000.00 89,800,000.00
    Season 12/13 54,000,000.00 40,000,000.00 14,000,000.00
    Season 11/12 76,000,000.00 27,750,000.00 48,250,000.00
    Season 10/11 154,750,000.00 38,750,000.00 116,000,000.00
    Season 09/10 125,000,000.00 26,000,000.00 99,000,000.00
    Season 08/09 127,700,000.00 14,800,000.00 112,900,000.00
    Season 07/08 45,820,000.00 6,700,000.00 39,120,000.00
    Season 06/07 2,400,000.00 4,800,000.00 -2,400,000.00
    Season 05/06 9,750,000.00 21,000,000.00 -11,250,000.00
    750,120,000.00 203,200,000.00 546,920,000.00


    Chelsea
    Players Purchased (£) Players Sold (£) Net Total (£)
    Season 14/15 85,000,000.00 74,200,000.00 10,800,000.00
    Season 13/14 109,659,000.00 56,600,000.00 53,059,000.00
    Season 12/13 92,000,000.00 20,000,000.00 72,000,000.00
    Season 11/12 87,800,000.00 24,600,000.00 63,200,000.00
    Season 10/11 99,300,000.00 12,000,000.00 87,300,000.00
    Season 09/10 23,500,000.00 6,000,000.00 17,500,000.00
    Season 08/09 24,200,000.00 35,000,000.00 -10,800,000.00
    Season 07/08 40,500,000.00 33,000,000.00 7,500,000.00
    Season 06/07 12,000,000.00 15,800,000.00 -3,800,000.00
    Season 05/06 111,900,000.00 20,800,000.00 91,100,000.00
    685,859,000.00 298,000,000.00 387,859,000.00


    Arsenal
    Players Purchased (£) Players Sold (£) Net Total (£)
    Season 14/15 66,000,000.00 24,200,000.00 41,800,000.00
    Season 13/14 42,500,000.00 10,000,000.00 32,500,000.00
    Season 12/13 52,300,000.00 43,700,000.00 8,600,000.00
    Season 11/12 53,225,000.00 70,700,000.00 -17,475,000.00
    Season 10/11 14,500,000.00 7,700,000.00 6,800,000.00
    Season 09/10 10,000,000.00 41,000,000.00 -31,000,000.00
    Season 08/09 15,750,000.00 19,300,000.00 -3,550,000.00
    Season 07/08 31,000,000.00 17,600,000.00 13,400,000.00
    Season 06/07 13,900,000.00 30,900,000.00 -17,000,000.00
    Season 05/06 36,900,000.00 30,120,000.00 6,780,000.00
    336,075,000.00 295,220,000.00 40,855,000.00


    Liverpool
    Players Purchased (£) Players Sold (£) Net Total (£)
    Season 14/15 89,000,000.00 79,000,000.00 10,000,000.00
    Season 13/14 48,800,000.00 28,500,000.00 20,300,000.00
    Season 12/13 49,300,000.00 8,000,000.00 41,300,000.00
    Season 11/12 56,400,000.00 21,050,000.00 35,350,000.00
    Season 10/11 80,450,000.00 85,600,000.00 -5,150,000.00
    Season 09/10 36,000,000.00 44,650,000.00 -8,650,000.00
    Season 08/09 39,000,000.00 32,750,000.00 6,250,000.00
    Season 07/08 69,750,000.00 29,900,000.00 39,850,000.00
    Season 06/07 28,040,000.00 12,380,000.00 15,660,000.00
    Season 05/06 35,140,000.00 9,500,000.00 25,640,000.00
    531,880,000.00 351,330,000.00 180,550,000.00


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  • Closed Accounts Posts: 17,638 ✭✭✭✭bangkok


    current Barcelona team


    Bravo 15m


    alves 32m pique 7m Mathieu 20m alba 14m


    Rakitić 20m Busquests iniesta


    suarez 75m messi neymar 80m


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 15,704 ✭✭✭✭RayCun


    bangkok wrote: »
    I only named ones I could remember quickly, how many players from the Chelsea or man city youth system have mad3e the first team? even the "famed" arsenal youth system how many of them players made the grade. where are all the real Madrid players breaking through or the Barcelona players?

    skipping over the Barcelona bit :eek:

    Very few players are good enough to go straight from a youth academy into a team that is competing for the league. Saying that a lot of academy graduates are 'only' good enough for a mid-table side is saying that they are pretty good players, all things considered. If you can get one player every couple of years breaking through from the academy, and a bunch more players that you can sell off for a decent price, you're doing well.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 17,638 ✭✭✭✭bangkok


    TheDoc wrote: »
    Apart from Arsenal and BArca, none of those clubs make outragous claims to have elite youth academies. City are making HEAVY investment in that area, and AIM to have a great academy, but there make no outlandish claims about it being incredible.

    The City board want to move to a more sustained model, and are pumping massive money into youth developement and facilities, and there is every possability it will become first class.

    Chelsea are beginning to do the same, as they want to move again to a more sustainable model. Chelsea have hoovered up a lot of young, very exciting talents, and farmed them out to clubs season after season rather then coach them inhouse. There are a lot of exciting Chelsea prospects operating around Europe. However they are trying to improve their infrastructure in order to nurture their talent, rather then hoping for magic to happen out on loan.

    Real Madrid is no great secret. They farm all the best Spanish talent, and either you become incredible and force your way through, or you make a good career in La Liga afterwards. There are more famous talents in Spain who were former Madrid youth academy players, then those that actually broke through to the first team. But I believe Jesse and Morata both broke through, and are both exciting striker prospects for Spain for the years to come.

    Barca had a golden generation like most big clubs have. A rake of young players coming through just at the right time, clicking with the right purchase and the right veterans. But they have a famed youth academy for good reason. While not all break through to become superstars, plenty of them go on to have exciting careers, not just filling up the lower echelons of Spain.

    Arsenal are still churning out some class. While they occasionally "buy" an exciting prospect, they have a good academy that teaches that youngster how to operate in an Arsenal team. Unlike Chelsea, who farm players back out, Arsenal keep them and coach them. Walcott and Ox are obvious examples of players they bought and nurtured to integrate into the first team. Kieran Gibbs is being really unlucky with injuries but with a clean run is as good a fullback in the league. Jenkins was showing promise but obviously now has moved on. then you obviously have Wilshere, and Ramsey who Arsenal have nurtured also.

    The point being SAf and Gill made loud noises about how the club was solid as a ****ing rock with our youth system, but it's failed to produce first team ready quality, for a long, long time.

    Walcott, ox and ramsey were all signed for big money!!

    DANNY WELBECK? you really need to get to old Trafford and see how good he actually is...loved in manchester


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,789 ✭✭✭Coat22


    beno619 wrote: »
    Yes Fergie should have left the perfect squad the new manager would never need to have made any additions, can you give me an example of when this has ever happened in top level football ? :rolleyes:

    Last seasons priorities were a LB and CM this didnt get addressed so now we require even more because players have left, lose of form ect.

    I don’t think anyone is saying that.

    If Ferguson had done his job properly the CM and Winger issues would have been sorted before he left. There would also have been at least 1 serious option to take over from Ferdindand and Vidic.

    IF Ferguson had done his job properly then a LB and CB might have been all Moyes needed to sign. We could then start to look at other areas of the team where we could differentiate ourselves, maybe add something new to the attack.

    As it is the squad that Ferguson left was a hospital pass that Moyes/Woodward and now VG have to fix and that just to get us back up to a CL standard never mind PL contenders.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 23,140 ✭✭✭✭TheDoc


    bangkok wrote: »
    Walcott, ox and ramsey were all signed for big money!!

    Yup. At a good developing age. The point I was making was that Arsenal have the experience and quality to take these players, and integrate them into their first team and prepare them for how the team plays.

    Look at the players we have bought in as "prospects". Recent memory is Nick Powell, completely out in the lurch, did well for Wigan but was playing as a striker. Where is his integration into our first team. He is with us now like three years..... There is a few more, with pretty much none of them making the grade.

    Ramsey, Walcott and Ox were all making first team appearances relatively quickly after being purchased and nurtured. And lets not forget Fabregas.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 15,704 ✭✭✭✭RayCun


    Also youth academies in England used to have rules based on how far away they could take a kid from, and in practice are still going to have hinterlands limited by the presence of other clubs. The London clubs are all in each others pockets but Southampton have no competition. In Spain Barcelona and Madrid are on a different level to everyone else in terms of attracting young talent.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 19,060 ✭✭✭✭adox


    IMO the squad left behind was certainly strong enough to challenge for the league. Sure the midfield needed improving and a replacement for Evra was needed but the squad was still good enough to compete for the league.

    Top 4 wS a reasonable and conservative expectation last season as a transition period with a new manager a CEO.

    The appointment of Moyes was disasterous. His time in charge at the club did huge damage, not all directly his fault, but still it stopped at his door. He should have been removed in January at the very latest. The longer he was left there the more the rot set in.

    Also so many players leaving at the one time, especially defenders has left the squad hugely exposed and undermanned.

    I think it's lazy and mising the point to try and blame Fergie and Gill for the state the squad was left in. To say that the only reason Utd won the league was because everyone else was crap. It was the tenure of Moyes that is to blame for the turmoil and downturn at the club. The players have to take some responsibility too as it was obvious they stopped playing for him pretty early on.

    Also the shambles of last summers transfer fiasco probably helped set the tone of uncertainty and chaos around the club.

    Leaving Moyes at the helm for so long when it was obvious there was only one outcome did a huge amount of damage to the club and made the job of getting it back on track even harder.

    From January on was torturous as a supporter, waiting and waiting for him to be removed.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 664 ✭✭✭Yer Aul One


    Somebody needs to show this video to LvG and Ed.
    Spoiler Alert it is a very teasing video of Vidal:
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uOQuuuXVmjs


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 6,902 ✭✭✭MagicIRL


    Somebody needs to show this video to LvG and Ed.
    Spoiler Alert it is a very teasing video of Vidal:
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uOQuuuXVmjs



  • Closed Accounts Posts: 17,638 ✭✭✭✭bangkok


    RayCun wrote: »
    Also youth academies in England used to have rules based on how far away they could take a kid from, and in practice are still going to have hinterlands limited by the presence of other clubs. The London clubs are all in each others pockets but Southampton have no competition. In Spain Barcelona and Madrid are on a different level to everyone else in terms of attracting young talent.

    the 90m rule is enforced now meaning it will be a lot harder for clubs to produce better talent


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  • Closed Accounts Posts: 2,437 ✭✭✭redbaron_99


    adox wrote: »
    IMO the squad left behind was certainly strong enough to challenge for the league.

    It wasn't. The defence and midfield and overall style of play was falling away for a few years. Fergie kept the team winning, but the quality of play was awful at times, and RVP bailed us out of so many games in Fergie's last season.

    Last season we went in with some aging defenders, some inexperienced defenders, some injury prone defenders. A shambles of a midfield and crap wingers.

    It was in the post for a long time. It arrived last season. Blaming Moyes is the easy way for a lot of fans to get their heads around it all.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 17,638 ✭✭✭✭bangkok


    MagicIRL wrote: »

    I hate them youtube videos of players, they can make anybody look class

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pPW0scgQF6A


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


    RichFTW wrote: »
    No it doesn't. Only Arsenal have spent less on transfers in the past 10 years from the top 5 PL clubs. I'm using 10 years as that is when the Glazers bought the club. Even Liverpool have spent more.

    Seeing as you ignored these figures last time you brought up the same argument, I thought I would refresh your memory with more of a detailed breakdown. All figures taken from transferleague.co.uk.

    I used 10 years as the sample but you see the breakdown for 5 years as well. Makes more sense than picking 3-4 years.

    [/TABLE]

    what has 10 years got to do with our current squad?

    in that early 10 year period -

    we signed and sold the best player in the world for a profit of £72million.

    we signed some of what went on to become the best players in the world in their positions, for pittance (Vidic and Evra)

    we already had Rooney and Rio when the glazers came in - two players who were about to enter the peak of their careers.

    we got a world class keeper for £2million.

    We got Tevez on "loan" for 2 years.

    we still had 4 or 5 of our youth set up, who formed the basis of the team that won the CL in 2008 (scholes, giggs, brown, O Shea etc etc)

    the basis of a world class team was there before the Glazers took over, we added Carrick, hargreaves, nani, anderson and Tevez to it and won 3 titles in a row and became European champions.

    using figures of 10 years is nothing but bittness towards the Glazers. our team was set up to dominate the English game for 5 years and thats what it did. other teams had to spend big to catch up and they did.

    since 2011 we had the chance to keep ahead of them with proper investment and we have, despite spending the highest money in the clubs history, failed in our recruiting policy.

    quoting figures from 2004 is not relevent to our current plight. likewise using figures from 2009-2011 for city is not relevant as up to then (2011), despite the millions they spenT, we were still ahead of them (11 points 2 years ago wasnt it).

    the problem is that in the last 4 years, weve spend but f*cked it up while our rivals have outlayed less money, but moved 2 or 3 levels ahead of us.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,789 ✭✭✭Coat22


    Tom.D.BJJ wrote: »

    Was this just published today? Surprised it hasn't provoked a lot more debate - his point about united missing out on a player because of a difference of 2M on valuation is exactly what I thought was going on there now with Woodward negoatiating transfers - he's doing the business with his accountant hat on rather than a CEO who sometimes needs to realise you sometimes have to bite the bullet.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2, Paid Member Posts: 17,242 ✭✭✭✭MisterAnarchy


    beno619 wrote: »
    Yes Fergie should have left the perfect squad the new manager would never need to have made any additions, can you give me an example of when this has ever happened in top level football ? :rolleyes:

    Well I recall having an argument with a good few posters on here who were adamant that the squad left by Fergie was the strongest Utd squad of all time !
    They were having none of my belief that it was the worst Utd team in over 15 years


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,726 ✭✭✭Rubber_Soul


    RayCun wrote: »
    Also youth academies in England used to have rules based on how far away they could take a kid from, and in practice are still going to have hinterlands limited by the presence of other clubs. The London clubs are all in each others pockets but Southampton have no competition. In Spain Barcelona and Madrid are on a different level to everyone else in terms of attracting young talent.

    This needs to be stressed. The 90 minute rule is something Fergie argued against for years as it really hampered the level of developing players the club could get, time restrictions (3760 hours coaching by the age of 21 vs 10,000 by the same age now) on training further compounded the problem.

    Aside from Real and Barca being able to hoover up the best talent all over Spain, their grassroots development is lightyears ahead of the English. Number of Pro Licence coaches in Spain: 2140, mostly coaching kids. Number of Pro Licence coaches in the U.K: 203, all coaching at semi- pro level and up. By the time their kids get into their academies they're already way ahead of British kids technically.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 19,060 ✭✭✭✭adox


    It wasn't. The defence and midfield and overall style of play was falling away for a few years. Fergie kept the team winning, but the quality of play was awful at times, and RVP bailed us out of so many games in Fergie's last season.

    Last season we went in with some aging defenders, some inexperienced defenders, some injury prone defenders. A shambles of a midfield and crap wingers.

    It was in the post for a long time. It arrived last season. Blaming Moyes is the easy way for a lot of fans to get their heads around it all.

    We will have to agree to disagree.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 664 ✭✭✭Yer Aul One


    bangkok wrote: »
    I hate them youtube videos of players, they can make anybody look class

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pPW0scgQF6A

    Fair point.

    Anderson's before he came to United had him doing flips flops and scoring crackers. Should have had him eating burgers with brazzers


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,726 ✭✭✭Rubber_Soul


    bangkok wrote: »
    the 90m rule is enforced now meaning it will be a lot harder for clubs to produce better talent

    It was abolished in 2011

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elite_Player_Performance_Plan


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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 15,704 ✭✭✭✭RayCun


    what has 10 years got to do with our current squad?

    He also produced figures for the last 5 years, where both City and Chelsea have spent more than 200 million more than United on players


This discussion has been closed.
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