Man Utd thread

[Liam]

First topic message reminder :

There are a few Utd fans like myself on the board but like the LFC one set up, everyone are welcome to discuss Utd's results and news etc..

Playing Barca tomorrow night, only a pre-season game but would like to see Kagwa given a run out tomorrow night see what he's got against the best.

[The Special Juan]

Fergie to play 'experienced side' tomorrow vs Galatasary. Guessing it will be along the lines of:

Lindegaard

Rafael
Ferdinand
Vidic
Evra

Carrick
Scholes

Valencia
Kagawa
Young/Giggs

RVP

??

Would like to see Buttner playing again. Also, Cleverley for Scholes I think and no doubt Nani will get on

[matth7]

Manchester United will wear black armbands for tonight’s Champions League match v Galatasaray to honour PCs Fiona Bone & Nicola Hughes

[Trebs]

I'm expecting a 4-4-2.

------------------------------De Gea----------------------
---------Rafael--------Evans----Vidic-------Evra-------
--------------------Scholes------Carrick------------------
--Valencia-------------------------------------Kagawa--
----------------------Welbeck----------------------------
-----------------------------Van Persie------------------

[TopHat24/7]

would swap Welbeck and Kagawa in that line-up......

[The Special Juan]

Hoping to see something like this. Gives Scholes a rest and doesn't involve Nani.

---------------De Gea---------------
--Rafael-----Vidic--Ferdinand--Buttner--
---------Carrick-----Cleverley---------
--Valencia------Van Persie------Kagawa-
--------------Hernandez-------------

[two_tone]

Fergie to play 'experienced side' tomorrow vs Galatasary. Guessing it will be along the lines of:

Lindegaard

Rafael
Ferdinand
Vidic
Evra

Carrick
Scholes

Valencia
Kagawa
Young/Giggs

RVP

??

Would like to see Buttner playing again. Also, Cleverley for Scholes I think and no doubt Nani will get on

Perhaps he might actually perform as he is due a good game, averages about 1 in 10 at the moment

[Liam]

I think we need to keep Kagawa playing behind the striker. Although he can do a job out wide, his link up play with RVP has been excellent and his performances there in general.

My team:

--------------Lindegaard-----------

--Rafael------RIO----Vidic------Evra

-------------Carrick--Cleverly--------

--Valencia--------Kagawa---------Nani

-------------------RVP------------------

[Guest]

Why do people have Lindegaard ahead of De Gea?

is Lindegaard no1 in champs league?

[matth7]

line-up - De Gea, Rafael, Evans, Vidic, Evra, Valencia, Carrick, Scholes, Nani, Kagawa, van Persie

[Crimey]

Is Ferdinand injured then?

[The Special Juan]

He's old and needs rest.

[Crimey]

I was going to say he should have been rested against Wigan, but then remembered it's Liverpool/United on Saturday. Wouldn't want Ferdinand to miss the chance to be run rings around of by Suarez.

[matth7]

Bench - Lindegaard, Ferdinand, Anderson, Fletcher, Cleverley, Hernández, Welbeck

[The Special Juan]

I was going to say he should have been rested against Wigan, but then remembered it's Liverpool/United on Saturday. Wouldn't want Ferdinand to miss the chance to be run rings around of by Suarez.

Doesn't matter, it's not like Liverpool would score anyway

[Liam]

Wish we would just play De Gea all the time. I like Lindegard I think he's a great back up, but De Gea has the potential to be the best keeper in the world imo. We saw last season how good his shot stopping is and his kicking is almost as good as a midfielders. Ok, he's struggled with crosses, but what keeper doesn't. Thing is, now we have Vidic back, he should have more protection aerially and he can just keep working on the high balls and crosses. In fairness, I thought he'd improved that aspect, he was taking allot of high balls pretty comfortably.

[Crimey]

I was going to say he should have been rested against Wigan, but then remembered it's Liverpool/United on Saturday. Wouldn't want Ferdinand to miss the chance to be run rings around of by Suarez.

Doesn't matter, it's not like Liverpool would score anyway

True, I was reading an article on Bleacher Report which was titled "Easy solution to Liverpool's goal problem", I expected it to be a change in tactics, or a possible new signing...no, one of the tips was to "stop hitting the bar"....

If I'm being honest I have no idea what the problem is, but hoping that the team plays in the same way as it did against City.

[Guest]

Crimey, right now if somebody offered me a draw I'd snatch their hands off

I don't care about form of the two sides going in, you always find a way to raise the bar against us




Anyone watching tonight's game? After the first I thought the floodgates would open but credit to galatasaray (spelling?). Plus had it not been for some shocking refereeing they would have had a penalty

[Liam]

Terrible performance.

Got very lucky from the 1st minute when Galatasary should have had a a stone wall pen. They hit the post 3 times and then should have had a pen in the last 3 mins.

Its same old same old. We haven't learnt our lessons from last years champions league. We didn't address the midfield problem of last season, where we were crying out for a holding midfielder. Again, tonight, if we had a holding midfielder Galatasary would never had had the space they did. Time and time again, Carrick (Who I thought was superb tonight) and Scholes were caught out of position and better teams would have punished us.

We need to keep the ball better as well. Second half we stopped playing. We didn't use our best player tonight, Kagawa enough and the sooner Buttner starts the better because Evra just looks a constant liability.

Just happy we got the win tonight, could have been very different.

[Crimey]

You lot seemed to have picked up Liverpool's penalty curse as well.

[matth7]

I thought De Gea did well last night and it was nice to pick up 3 points.

[SirJohnnyEnglish]

Apart from the penalty miss thought Nani did very well. Last 2 games hes been linking up well and getting past his man (not just constantly taking them on and losing the ball!). Shame he hasn't the shooting boots on but he seems to have picked his game up. Hopefully its not just a flash in the pan!

[TopHat24/7]

Seriously??!! I thought he was god awful for the first 75 mins. A few good through passes in the tail end of the match didn't make up for that atrocious penalty miss.

[Guest]

That was a horrific performance from United. I can't believe I decided to watch United instead of the Chelsea/Juve game, thankgod for goal action updates on sky.

United will win very little this season, defensively in central midfield and on the counter with those appaling full backs in rafael and evra you will get found out. It's only because Galatasaray had Elmander up front that they did not score. Sure you will get through the group but a nasty tie against a PSG could be serious trouble.

[TopHat24/7]

Still think my Citeh-Chelski-United 1.2.3. will hold true.

Would back us to get out the groups but no further. QFs but no better in the FA Cup.

[Guest]

I thought penalty miss aside nani was decent. Not as good as he should be but he looked more lively than he has so far this season and was beating his man, just gave the ball away after doing the hard bit but he wasn't the only person guilty of that

I'm still surprised RVP never took the penalty, hes already admitted he was stupid to do what he did against Southampton so won't make the same mistake again

[The genius of PBF]

Vidic out for 8 weeks...Worried about him im not sure he will be the same again.

Time to blood in the Smalling Evans partnership...Nani has been shocking this season!

[Ent]

Neither smallin or jones are fit either, got to nurse rip through the season.

Thought buttner was excellent midweek and looks a real bargain as reserve left back.

Also good to see cleverly off the mark and anderson not being terrible for once.

[The Special Juan]

Question for Man Utd fans:

When was the last time Man Utd played well?

All I hear is the phrase "they didn't play well but won". It's not the sign of champions, it's the sign of an awful team. I can't remember the last time we played well at all.

[Crimey]

The start of last season? You destroyed Arsenal and others.

[The Special Juan]

Over a year ago then? Amazing.

[Good Golly I'm Olly]

Wonder how much injury time there will be if the score stays 3-2

[The Special Juan]

5.2 minutes.

[The Special Juan]

Well played to them. They deserved it.

[Josiah Maiestas]

I said Man U would score twice at half time being 0-2 down and was right what a poor team Man U are without the ball though defensively shambolic. Crazy they were given 4 more minutes after 90 where did those come from?

[Josiah Maiestas]

Spurs did not even try to mark Rooney which was nearly fatal for their 3 pts. They may have won but hardly showed up 2nd half, odd game.

[Josiah Maiestas]

First win for Tottenham since the Soviet Union were in existance.

[JamesLincs]

im suprised united slowed down like they did and resorted to lobbing the ball into the box, we werent disciplined enough in the second half and defoe did what he always does and just tries to score when he should of been holding the ball up. how many times did we cheaply give possession away? if you hadnt slowed the tempo yourselves you would of scored 4!

[Josiah Maiestas]

The problem was Scholes was getting tired, he was easily the main player on the pitch. Rooney only seems to play well for 15-20 mins then slows down. The other players are quite average

[Ent]

Spurs did the played terribly but won on us - got to be on the receiving end at some point I guess.

We were brutal first half but second half was our best performance
Of te season and cursing the fact we didn't win, 40 minutes of unanswered attacks has to be some sort of record.

Have away poor goals though and doesn't look good for rest of season.

[Josiah Maiestas]

Spurs could have won the game in 1st half alone they attacked you every 2 min of the half. They were weary for 2nd half.

[JamesLincs]

lol united had a good period of about 25 minutes, and that was it! hardly a good performance? we had a fantastic first 45, then a fortunate second 45

[Ent]

Second half we were very good (aside from falling asleep for the Dempsey goal), really created a lot of good situations against a team defending deep with purpose and recycled possession well the few times spurs broke.

Admittedly first half we were a shambles and spurs took full advantage. Thought dembele was very good again.

Can't be starting scholes and giggs together anymore, exposes us in midfield too much.

[The Special Juan]

I think Giggs actually looked 39 or whatever age he is yesterday. I hate to say it but another couple of those performances and he might be finished.

[Liam]

We were lucky to still be in the game at half time. I knew we would come out fighting second half but what on earth was that 1st half performance. Defence was awful with Rio getting found out and Evans obviously only just back from injury.

for me, Scholes showed why for me he is the greatest England midfielder of the last 25 years. He really is a class above anyone (apart from Xavi/Iniesta who both say he is the best player they've played against and vice versa).

Why we still don't have a CDM I have no idea. I would prefer Cleverly to start more with Scholes coming on for the last 25 mins, like against Southampton in which he can take advantage of tiring teams.

I thought Rafael looked decent for once, he seems to be improving finally.

[TopHat24/7]

We were lucky to still be in the game at half time. I knew we would come out fighting second half but what on earth was that 1st half performance. Defence was awful with Rio getting found out and Evans obviously only just back from injury.

for me, Scholes showed why for me he is the greatest England midfielder of the last 25 years. He really is a class above anyone (apart from Xavi/Iniesta who both say he is the best player they've played against and vice versa).

Why we still don't have a CDM I have no idea. I would prefer Cleverly to start more with Scholes coming on for the last 25 mins, like against Southampton in which he can take advantage of tiring teams.

I thought Rafael looked decent for once, he seems to be improving finally.

Got to agree. He come-back has highlighted this so well. His use of the ball is just superb. Including all the medium-to-long passes at the weekend his completion rate was still 91% when he came off I believe. It's his ability to always find time and space that really sets him apart from any other English footballer I can think of in my lifetime.

Doesn't have Lampard's goals, or Gerrards heroics, but for out and out class and ability he's got to be top.

[compelling and rich]

this defeat has been coming for a while, while scholes and carrick are a good midfield when on the ball the fact remains we simply cant win it back with them. that midfield that played that game, every single one of them cant tackle and majority cant even run (certainly not quickly anyway). the one postion we have all been crying out for has been ignored. we need a gritty donkey player who can run around and win the ball back. then that gives the likes of scholes lience. someone like tiote would be perfect but were just going to have to pray that flecther can come back and be some where near his best

not sure what fergie is thinking with scholes and carrick. out of all the postions midfield is the postion you need legs the most!

[Stella]

A fully fit Fletcher with Scholes and Carrick will help.

Giggs imo hasn't been that good for a couple of years.

[Crimey]

Yeah, Giggs should have retired when Scholes did, not the other way around.

[Liam]

See, the thing with Giggs is, he can do a job in cm. We saw this evidently during the 2010/11 campaign when he and Carrick were superb in cm. Obviously, they were thumped by Barca but that's because we should have played 3 in midfield not 2 and obviously because Xavi and Iniesta are two of the greatest midfielder's of possible all time.

He played LM vs Spurs and he doesn't have the pace to play there any longer. Obviously, with Young and Valencia out our hands are tied slightly. Would have preferred to have seen Cleverly in behind RVP on Saturday with Kagawa out left due to our injuries, otherwise keep Kagawa CAM. Have no idea why Kagawa came off. He was playing superbly and causing all sorts of problems.

[The genius of PBF]

Spurs did not deserve to win...You got battered in the second half.

You needed the ref to save you lot.

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