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

homerjay2005 wrote: »

it really amazes me how low the standards of some supporters of our club have become, especially on boards.

Thats what it comes down to I'm afraid, "standards". Theres a guy on this very page that thinks it was a good transfer window, because of reasons like Ashley Young having a good pre-season and Felliani scoring a goal. My god, when you have to scrape the barrel like that for positives your standards really are in the toilet.

Personally I would have liked to cling to the hope that we were still a force in English football for a little while longer, as opposed to others that are happy with their mid-table squad.

RayCun wrote: »

We started our last match with Blackett in the centre three, Lingaard and Young as wingbacks, and James the only defender on the bench

ah come on, our defence is currently riddled with injuries. going on what people were saying here yesterday, Shaw is first choice LB and is Rojo good enough to dislodge Smalling, Evans or Jones in the center?

Rafael Smalling Evans Shaw

and personally, the biggest positive from pre season is the emergence of Blackett - he looks a real prospect. Rojo can work in a back 3, which again based on what i read here, is a formation that doesnt put alot of confidence in some people. even our manager abandoned it during the WC when he was chasing games and did it again on saturday after 45 minutes.

considering the fact that we love falling behind and our current team is s*it, we will be switching to a flat back 4 on many occasions this season.

adox wrote: »

It's a bizarre thing to say that we needed a CB a LB and a CM and have signed them so it's a good window. I mean sure sign anyone in those positions and it's job done?
Surely there's merit to discussing the quality of the players signed without being called spoilt brats etc?

Also, it was argued we needed a left back before buttner AND evra were sold, so we ended up needing two.

We lost two centre backs, moved to playing 3 at the back - means we need 2 CBs, Rojo covers one spot, I think, but we still need a central centre back, imo.

We needed two CMs - a more creative one, and a more combative/defensive one - we have only signed a player to fill one of those needs.

We also, arguably, need a talented winger as well, which we haven't brought in.

Even if we brought in another CB and CM - we are still in a situation where we are gambling on Young or Valencia being good enough cover at RWB or RB, i'm far from convinced at this stage. Even if we signed vidal, we are an injury for him and herrea to starting two out of Carrick, Fellaini, Cleverley and Fletcher - none of them would threaten the first teams spots of the midfielders at the top 4 clubs.

It is a weak squad, of which the signings we have made have only covered some of the cracks we allowed to appear, it hasn't actually been improved by any significant factor at all.

RayCun wrote: »

We started our last match with Blackett in the centre three, Lingaard and Young as wingbacks, and James the only defender on the bench

Didn't you hear, that was a good thing!!!

adox wrote: »

Wow.

Shocking isn't it.

It is cannot or can't. can not? Wow....

Lord TSC wrote: »

Am I the only one who takes this as a massive positive? Dunphy is the biggest troll around so if he was singling out Rojo for criticism, the player must be doing something right :pac:

"Ronaldo is a nothing player. he'll never amount to anything" :pac:

magnumbud wrote: »

"Ronaldo is a nothing player. he'll never amount to anything" :pac:

I think Carrick was the "nothing player", Ronaldo was described as a "puffball".

newballsplease wrote: »

Just saw the clip of Rojo in the WC doing the rabona clearence in his own box.
That sorta crap is not what the club needs.
Have a bad feeling about this signing.

I don't mind having players with the ability and confidence to pull it off, every time some of our players touch the ball all I can think is how distictly average they are.

Mikeyt086 wrote: »

I think Carrick was the "nothing player", Ronaldo was described as a "puffball".

So he got it spot on so?

homerjay2005 wrote: »

the only thing that can save this window are two top world class players signed before the window closes.

we fail to hit that, the window has been a failure. i really cannot see how people believe otherwise.

I would say there is close to zero chance of two world class players being signed this window.

bucketybuck wrote: »

Thats what it comes down to I'm afraid, "standards". Theres a guy on this very page that thinks it was a good transfer window, because of reasons like Ashley Young having a good pre-season and Felliani scoring a goal. My god, when you have to scrape the barrel like that for positives your standards really are in the toilet.

Personally I would have liked to cling to the hope that we were still a force in English football for a little while longer, as opposed to others that are happy with their mid-table squad.

I agree with your general message, but I've accepted we have been set back at least 2 years because of the mess created last season.

It will take 2 summers to fix the club again I'd point to Mourinho and Pellegrini only sorting out there squads this summer.

homerjay2005 wrote: »

ah come on, our defence is currently riddled with injuries. going on what people were saying here yesterday, Shaw is first choice LB and is Rojo good enough to dislodge Smalling, Evans or Jones in the center?

Rafael Smalling Evans Shaw

and personally, the biggest positive from pre season is the emergence of Blackett - he looks a real prospect. Rojo can work in a back 3, which again based on what i read here, is a formation that doesnt put alot of confidence in some people. even our manager abandoned it during the WC when he was chasing games and did it again on saturday after 45 minutes.

considering the fact that we love falling behind and our current team is s*it, we will be switching to a flat back 4 on many occasions this season.

Yes, Rojo is good enough to dislodge Smalling. So a back 5 of
Raf Jones Evans Rojo Shaw
is a real improvement. Blackett looks good all right, but as people keep saying, Evans and Jones are injury prone, so he'll get his chances.

United went to a back 4 on Saturday when Lingaard was forced off! The choice was going to a back 5 of
Smalling Jones Blackett James Young
or bringing in a midfielder and going to 4 at the back, two bad options.

Getting a new defender in who can play either left CB or left back means a lot fewer games where we start with a patched-up defence

Anyone expecting World Class transfers can forget it, even a team of the likes of Barca are settling for players like Vermaelen. The players just aren't available.

That's not to say they weren't, Jose Mourinho was humming and hawing about whether to put in a bit for Cesc. Toni Kroos obviously had a much more attractive offer in the end, but I don't see why United aren't going balls out for these kind of players, you'd have had a truly world class CM pairing for under 60 million there, which is peanuts these days.

That aside, I think holes need to be plugged in the squad as both our first team and squads pale in comparison to the top 4 teams. I'd be very happy to get in Nigel de Jong, going around kicking people and roughing them up, alongside Herrera so I don't have to see Michael Carrick saunter around not quite doing anything.

Definitely still want another CB of worth, I think Smalling is shocking and Jones isn't much better. I understand they're deemed young but at 24 years of age I'd expect more from them. Whatever you say about potential they're not good enough right now to hold down a place in a team with Champions League ambitions.