The Rags

[blues2win]

Whatever they do before Monday the squad simply isn't good enough to challenge for the title. It really does look like City or Chelsea. I think Spurs Liverpool and Arsenal look better than United and on that basis they will find it hard to get a CL spot. It's one thing to get a decent first 11 it takes longer to build a strong balanced squad. Even without european football and out of the league Cup you have to cope with injuries suspensions and loss of form. Also foreign players usually take time to bed into our league. If they don't make CL this year they're in big trouble.

[Nigels Tackle]

hahahahahahahahaha!!!!!

[john68]

Maybe Liverpool should turn up and lay a fukkin wreath at the swamp as a final act.

[Ted Hughes]

Thing is, on paper, hypothetically the rags do have a decent team now, especially considering they will spunk a fair bit on another couple of players i think. if they actually fucked off this 3-5-2 nonsense and went 4-2-3-1...


................ De Gea.........
Rafael - Evans - Rojo - Shaw
........ Fletcher ... Herrera....
Rooney ... Mata ..... Di Maria
............... VP ......................

That defence is still flimsy looking admittedly, and they could do with a bit more quality in midfield, but there are good players there. Good enough to be at least challenging for CL. They're just being run pathetically and their confidence is shot. It's great. I worry that they'll snap out of this at some point so im gonna enjoy it while i can.

Mate you've countered your own hypothesis there ;-) Rafael, Evans, Rojo, Shaw, Fletcher.

Ok, Shaw could come good once he settles but I don't rate Rojo (or Herrera either for that matter). Their attack will win them games for sure, but a decent 'team' ? Suppose it's down to what you mean by 'decent'.

[Slim]

Thing is, on paper, hypothetically the rags do have a decent team now, especially considering they will spunk a fair bit on another couple of players i think. if they actually fucked off this 3-5-2 nonsense and went 4-2-3-1...


................ De Gea.........
Rafael - Evans - Rojo - Shaw
........ Fletcher ... Herrera....
Rooney ... Mata ..... Di Maria
............... VP ......................

That defence is still flimsy looking admittedly, and they could do with a bit more quality in midfield, but there are good players there. Good enough to be at least challenging for CL. They're just being run pathetically and their confidence is shot. It's great. I worry that they'll snap out of this at some point so im gonna enjoy it while i can.

Mate you've countered your own hypothesis there ;-) Rafael, Evans, Rojo, Shaw, Fletcher.

Ok, Shaw could come good once he settles but I don't rate Rojo (or Herrera either for that matter). Their attack will win them games for sure, but a decent 'team' ? Suppose it's down to what you mean by 'decent'.

I was going through their squad the other day and the only player I could think that was on par, not even better than anyone in our first 11 was David De Gea. I thought Van Persie who is still the most lethal striker in the league, but when he's fit which seems to be never these days.

Hard to remember a time they were so lacking in quality. Then de Maria signs but would he displace Nasri or Silva? He's not really an inside winger and we only use Navas(our only outside winger) for impact and rotation when needed.

[bigblue]

As you think about the massive lack in quality the rags have, realize this:

"Manchester United have the most expensive squad ever assembled in the Premier League after Angel Di Maria's arrival pushed their combined value over the £400m mark "

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/footba ... eague.html

City ruining football? Hahaha

[I Just Blue Myself]

Then de Maria signs but would he displace Nasri or Silva? He's not really an inside winger and we only use Navas(our only outside winger) for impact and rotation when needed.

He must've played close to 90% of his games for Real Madrid on the right wing before switching to the left of a midfield three after Bale's arrival.

Anyone who would have him over Silva is mad, though.

[Hutch's Shoulder]

As you think about the massive lack in quality the rags have, realize this:

"Manchester United have the most expensive squad ever assembled in the Premier League after Angel Di Maria's arrival pushed their combined value over the £400m mark "

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/footba ... eague.html

City ruining football? Hahaha

Just shows they were right about 'no value' in THEIR market.

[twosips]

Thing is, on paper, hypothetically the rags do have a decent team now, especially considering they will spunk a fair bit on another couple of players i think. if they actually fucked off this 3-5-2 nonsense and went 4-2-3-1...


................ De Gea.........
Rafael - Evans - Rojo - Shaw
........ Fletcher ... Herrera....
Rooney ... Mata ..... Di Maria
............... VP ......................

That defence is still flimsy looking admittedly, and they could do with a bit more quality in midfield, but there are good players there. Good enough to be at least challenging for CL. They're just being run pathetically and their confidence is shot. It's great. I worry that they'll snap out of this at some point so im gonna enjoy it while i can.

Mate you've countered your own hypothesis there ;-) Rafael, Evans, Rojo, Shaw, Fletcher.

Ok, Shaw could come good once he settles but I don't rate Rojo (or Herrera either for that matter). Their attack will win them games for sure, but a decent 'team' ? Suppose it's down to what you mean by 'decent'.

I was going through their squad the other day and the only player I could think that was on par, not even better than anyone in our first 11 was David De Gea. I thought Van Persie who is still the most lethal striker in the league, but when he's fit which seems to be never these days.

Hard to remember a time they were so lacking in quality. Then de Maria signs but would he displace Nasri or Silva? He's not really an inside winger and we only use Navas(our only outside winger) for impact and rotation when needed.

By decent I mean they shouldn't be the absolute clueless crock of shit that they are now.

I agree with you with regards to Fletcher and Rojo i'm not sure about. I think Evans is bang average, but not truly abject. Rafael was once, couple of years back, a pretty effective full-back - As good as Zaba? No, but better than Glen Johnson? Yes. He could be okay with confidence. Shaw i think is a good player. Herrera should be better than the crock of shit that is Gerrard these days. My point is that that defence is no worse than the scouse's defence and on paper that attack is actually pretty good and if, and its a huge if admittedly, that forward line pulled their finger out then it should be enough to win them games regardless of the shit defence against most teams, and if they got lucky maybe the odd better team (us, chelsea).. like Liverpool do. The fact that they don't is down to a few things - their own arrogance suffocating them and them not knowing what to do about it, two shite managers now with no fucking clue so far what to do.

I actually remember when Valencia and Welbeck against us too - they were pretty effective in those kinda games. Nowt flashy but a handful at times. Hernandez was an irritating little fucker who'd score a goal too. Now all three have gone from okay to just plain poor.

Past that there is absolutey fuck all there. Jones once had potential, and maybe Smalling might've, but Ferguson did his very best to fuck up their careers by converting them into naff O'Shea/Phil Neville tribute acts and playing them everywhere but where they needed to play and now theyre years on and still know fuck all about how to actually defend at CB. Young and Cleverley are just pure shite - no arguments there. Januszaj is just a talent, but still no better than Lopes or someone like that, who's been totally mismanaged too and had far too much smoke blown up his arse far too quickly cos he's a red.

They've fucked themselves basically, and they're continually doing that now with terrible management and poor planning and a misplaced sense of entitlement brought on to them by Fergie's arrogance.

So what i was saying is that they 'could' challenge Spurs and Everton for 5th place, and maybe get lucky for 4th, but at the moment they look far from that and its their own fault entirely.

[Ted Hughes]

Thing is, on paper, hypothetically the rags do have a decent team now, especially considering they will spunk a fair bit on another couple of players i think. if they actually fucked off this 3-5-2 nonsense and went 4-2-3-1...


................ De Gea.........
Rafael - Evans - Rojo - Shaw
........ Fletcher ... Herrera....
Rooney ... Mata ..... Di Maria
............... VP ......................

That defence is still flimsy looking admittedly, and they could do with a bit more quality in midfield, but there are good players there. Good enough to be at least challenging for CL. They're just being run pathetically and their confidence is shot. It's great. I worry that they'll snap out of this at some point so im gonna enjoy it while i can.

Mate you've countered your own hypothesis there ;-) Rafael, Evans, Rojo, Shaw, Fletcher.

Ok, Shaw could come good once he settles but I don't rate Rojo (or Herrera either for that matter). Their attack will win them games for sure, but a decent 'team' ? Suppose it's down to what you mean by 'decent'.

I was going through their squad the other day and the only player I could think that was on par, not even better than anyone in our first 11 was David De Gea. I thought Van Persie who is still the most lethal striker in the league, but when he's fit which seems to be never these days.

Hard to remember a time they were so lacking in quality. Then de Maria signs but would he displace Nasri or Silva? He's not really an inside winger and we only use Navas(our only outside winger) for impact and rotation when needed.

I would have DiMaria over Nasri at a push but only if he proves to be suited to the Prem & plays to his absolute best. In the team above I would actually have DiMaria playing centre mid instead of Fletcher. If they sign Vidal & play him next to Di Maria, then get a Fernando type figure in behind, then they have a proper central mid which would give us a game imo.

If they play DiMaria as a wingback though I would expect half & half performances during the season; great one day, shit the next.

[twosips]

I actually agree with the Di Maria ahead of Fletcher there ^

Maybe i'd bring Valencia in and just hope he learns how to be a half-decent winger again. Used to lose count of how many simple goals United would score from Valencia cutbacks to Rooney.

Man for man though our squad undoubtedly pisses all over theirs.

[Mikhail Chigorin]

I hope Butthead, or one of his cronies, isn't reading this thread at the moment; there are too many ideas being voiced and they might start giving him some ideas as to how he can salvage the Scum's fortunes.

These ideas are certainly more sensible than the dross ones he's shackled his horse to.

[Bridge'srightfoot]

I actually agree with the Di Maria ahead of Fletcher there ^

Maybe i'd bring Valencia in and just hope he learns how to be a half-decent winger again. Used to lose count of how many simple goals United would score from Valencia cutbacks to Rooney.

Man for man though our squad undoubtedly pisses all over theirs.

Every fucking time they beat us under Taggart, they'd score a goal like that- every time. Always a simple cutback and it was always Rooney, yet we never set up to stop that!

Thats what Ferguson did though, he made sure they were extremely well drilled and good at the basics. In his latter years they rarely played spectacular football but it was efficient, get the ball out to the wings, cutback and get runners into the box. That tactic alone won them 90% of games. Even with inferior squads he managed it.

[phips]

i don't know how they'd accommodate Herrera, Shaw, Rooney, Mata, RVP, Di Maria, Rojo, Blind, and Vidal/Carvalho in one side

[twosips]

I actually agree with the Di Maria ahead of Fletcher there ^

Maybe i'd bring Valencia in and just hope he learns how to be a half-decent winger again. Used to lose count of how many simple goals United would score from Valencia cutbacks to Rooney.

Man for man though our squad undoubtedly pisses all over theirs.

Every fucking time they beat us under Taggart, they'd score a goal like that- every time. Always a simple cutback and it was always Rooney, yet we never set up to stop that!

Thats what Ferguson did though, he made sure they were extremely well drilled and good at the basics. In his latter years they rarely played spectacular football but it was efficient, get the ball out to the wings, cutback and get runners into the box. That tactic alone won them 90% of games. Even with inferior squads he managed it.

Yup, thing is now we're the best at that in the league in my opinion. Kolarov to Dzeko etc. United were pretty drilled at that shit and its very effective - Valencia had a purpose when they played that way. Now it's totally aimless... That's the basic stuff that's totally fallen by the wayside since Moyes and Van Gaal have come in.

[Bridge'srightfoot]

I actually agree with the Di Maria ahead of Fletcher there ^

Maybe i'd bring Valencia in and just hope he learns how to be a half-decent winger again. Used to lose count of how many simple goals United would score from Valencia cutbacks to Rooney.

Man for man though our squad undoubtedly pisses all over theirs.

Every fucking time they beat us under Taggart, they'd score a goal like that- every time. Always a simple cutback and it was always Rooney, yet we never set up to stop that!

Thats what Ferguson did though, he made sure they were extremely well drilled and good at the basics. In his latter years they rarely played spectacular football but it was efficient, get the ball out to the wings, cutback and get runners into the box. That tactic alone won them 90% of games. Even with inferior squads he managed it.

Yup, thing is now we're the best at that in the league in my opinion. Kolarov to Dzeko etc. United were pretty drilled at that shit and its very effective - Valencia had a purpose when they played that way. Now it's totally aimless... That's the basic stuff that's totally fallen by the wayside since Moyes and Van Gaal have come in.

Funny how far we've improved at it. A few years back there was a thread on here about how we were the worst in the league at the 'pullback' and we bloody were. Zab and Kolarov would often bust a gut to get to the by line and then when they looked up, we had ONE player in the box. Now adays we normally have Dzeko in there attacking the front post, Aguero also in there, Nasri and/or SIlva getting themselves up there and Toure lurking on the edge of the box for any scraps/ waiting for a long pull back. It makes us so much more dangerous.

It's such a basic tactic but it's so effective and so hard to defend against.

[zuricity]

The signing of Di Maria should be seen for what it is, a panic buy. Based on their awful start to the season.

He doesn't want to go there and they are panicking. Mata,Rip van and now Tia maria have shown that they are mercenaries chasing the cash.

The rags have lost very competent and experienced players in key areas and have failed to bring on their homegrowns - sorry , failed to buy the best players.

[PrezIke]

for what it's worth, i think di maria will play in centre midfield, not on the wing. that's how he flourished again after he was initially forced to play on the right, where he is weaker than the left, after bale was signed.

either way it's not enough.

they lack depth, pretty much everywhere except with attacking midfielders and are still far too weak in defence.

[Wonderwall]

I sincerely hope every media outlet puts the phrase "with the money spent" in their interview or article. Jamie Redknapp said last season that if all we did was win the Capital one cup, the season would be deemed a failure due to the money spent! I cant wait to see what he says about the salford twats.

[blues2win]

Di Maria is a very good player but he's no wingback and I can't believe Van Gaal will play him there. I guess he'll play on the left of a central midfield three if Van Gaal sticks to 3-5-2 ie tucked in from the left wing back but interchanging with him when the scum has the ball.