2012/13 Premier League discussion thread Part 6

[Guest]

First topic message reminder :

As you were...

[Duty281]

Cagey? Not a bit. Fantastic game. Adebayor had his best game for ages, that goal was a real confidence boost to him. Really tight now between 3rd, 4th, and 5th, one slip up in the final two games could be costly. One disadvantage for Spurs is their much inferior GD, so I think Arsenal and Chelsea will both make it. Sky might have a bit of difficult decision making for the final day - race for the top 4, race for survival, and Fergie's farewell.

[NickisBHAFC]

Decent point for Spurs, but not good enough.

Channel 5 football for them again next season im afraid.

[GSC]

So the race for top 4 and race for survival.

United play away don't they

[The Special Juan]

At WBA on the last weekend of the season.

[GSC]

So yeah, a non OT sendoff probably doesn't rank too highly really.

[Dolphin Ziggler]

Good game. Theres twists to this yet. Chelsea have survival fighters Villa and Moyes' last game. Arsenal have Wigan and Toon, although Toon may be out of the fight by then. Spurs two fighters, Stoke and Sunderland. Id say Spurs may have the easier ones. Just, but then I look again and I think someone else. Tight

[Good Golly I'm Olly]

Neil Ashton ‏@neilashton_
Wayne Rooney asks Manchester United for transfer. Chelsea make their move. More in tmrw's Mail and on Mail Online.

Sam Wallace ‏@SamWallaceIndy
Wayne Rooney's autobiography, p131. "'You've been eating too many f****** McDonald's!' Moyes screamed at me. I protested it wasn't true"

Hmmm

[The Special Juan]

Which high quality paper does he write for?

[Good Golly I'm Olly]

Which high quality paper does he write for?

The Daily Mail.

The beacon of truth

[The Special Juan]

Fair enough then. I'll believe it when it appears in the Telegraph.

[Guest]

I feel like a McDonads now.

[Dr Gregory House MD]

I feel like a McDonads now.

+1

Though I haven't read the rest of the thread, I'm just hungry

[Good Golly I'm Olly]

BBC Sport ‏@BBCSport
Manchester United insist Wayne Rooney will not be sold after it emerges he asked to leave Old Trafford for second time in three years #mufc

[GSC]

Breaking news: Club insists it will not sell valuable asset.

[Dolphin Ziggler]

Wayne Rooney should take some responsibility for his own form rather than blaming Man United and running away. Hes starting to really wind me up

[Crimey]

I think he'll go this summer, his value is only going to depreciate every year now.

[Nakatomi Plaza]

Be interesting to see the United fans response to him at the weekend. Can't see them taking to kindly to him asking to leave for the second time in three years. I'll be amazed if he's a United player next season.

[Lumbering_Jack]

Anyone else not understand the hype around Martinez. Whelan seems to think he is the second coming. The man spends most seasons in the bottom 3 and has done nothing to stabilise them into a solid premiership side.

[Crimey]

After asking to leave United, Rooney has petulantly taken the Manchester United reference out of his Twitter 'bio' apparently.

I really can't see him staying, if PSG come in with a £20-30m bid they'll surely accept it. He doesn't want to be there, no point letting him become bigger than the club and drag Moyes down right at the start of his tenure.

[westisbest]

Christ, I hope WBA - Utd is not live.
Yeah Ferguson has been a great manager, best there is.
Bye bye cheerio, well done.

Lets have games that mean something.

Top 4 and relagation.

[Duty281]

I hope Rooney does leave, and preferably abroad. It should give him a greater focus, and a greater ambition for the rest of his career. Especially as he's 27 and should be now entering the prime of his career.

[Ent]

Christ, I hope WBA - Utd is not live.
Yeah Ferguson has been a great manager, best there is.
Bye bye cheerio, well done.

Lets have games that mean something.

Top 4 and relagation.

Once in a life time event vs games that happen every season....

[Ent]

Petrov gone.

Decent player, seems a shame hell be over shadowed this weekend.

[Good Golly I'm Olly]

Anyone else not understand the hype around Martinez. Whelan seems to think he is the second coming. The man spends most seasons in the bottom 3 and has done nothing to stabilise them into a solid premiership side.

£££££££

They lack it. You're never going to push up the table if you constantly sell your best players, and then don't reinvest whatever you get back into squad (sometimes like with Diame, they got nothing).

The thing that would worry me about Martinez is the fact his teams don't seem to start playing until March time

[Stella]

Martinez's teams play good Football but lack shape at the back. He's a bit like a Spanish Ardiles.
I do like him though. Top man.

[Ent]

He literally loses his best players every year, can't name then all but some of the players he's lost in the last 5 seasons:

Valencia
Palacios
Heskey
Kirkland
N'zogbia
Last summer Moses and rodallega.

An amount of cash that makes moyes Everton look like city, based in a down that would rather watch rugbys version of 5 aside. Yet still keeps them going, playing nicely and has got wins against top teams home and away!

[Crimey]

I hope Rooney does leave, and preferably abroad. It should give him a greater focus, and a greater ambition for the rest of his career. Especially as he's 27 and should be now entering the prime of his career.

I think it's quite clear that Rooney has had the prime of his career, it lasted from about 03-05. Strikers tend to peak earlier and earlier with players like Michael Owen, Robbie Fowler, Fernando Torres and Rooney now burning out by their mid-twenties. I don't think he has the discipline to reinvent himself as a central midfielder, but isn't technically good enough to be given a free role, but is too eager to come deep to be a main forward. I don't think he's going to get any better, but selling Rooney makes so much sense for United.

[Ent]

I hope Rooney does leave, and preferably abroad. It should give him a greater focus, and a greater ambition for the rest of his career. Especially as he's 27 and should be now entering the prime of his career.

I think it's quite clear that Rooney has had the prime of his career, it lasted from about 03-05. Strikers tend to peak earlier and earlier with players like Michael Owen, Robbie Fowler, Fernando Torres and Rooney now burning out by their mid-twenties. I don't think he has the discipline to reinvent himself as a central midfielder, but isn't technically good enough to be given a free role, but is too eager to come deep to be a main forward. I don't think he's going to get any better, but selling Rooney makes so much sense for United.

I agree to a certain extent about his form but true masters of goalscoring peak later on as their positioning and reading of the game improves.

Like it or lump it Rooney is considered a marquee player and a marketing asset, it would be a huge statement for united to sell him without making a huge signing.

Rooney out, bale in?

CAnt see any major signings this year, think everyone will want to see how the new manager does.

[The Special Juan]

Martinez's teams can't defend either. Wigan are absolutely rank rotten at the back and that's shown no signs of improvement.

I'd have Rooney out now, but only abroad. He's really starting to annoy me.

[Crimey]

I do think if Rooney isn't sold, it wouldn't be for footballing reasons, it'd be for business reasons. With the club on the stock market, and share prices already falling with SAF's retirement, I imagine selling Rooney as well would see them fall even further. I also think it might put Moyes in a bad light if they don't bring a marquee name because it looks like he's not getting the same support.

I think if United don't sell him this year, they won't make as much on him at any other point and I just don't think he offers the club enough footballing wise. I think every position he plays has somebody better to play there at United and you can't have a player who might get you up to £30 million as cover. Sell him now, bring in Bale or Modric or any big name signing.

Rooney is trying to make himself bigger than the club and the club need to put their foot down. If Rooney wants to go, let him go, they're better off without him.

I do think Wigan's main weakness is defence, he's obviously a good attacking manager and I admire his decision to use a formation not widely used but works for his side. I think you can't really expect him to take Wigan any further than he has got them, unfortunately they're stuck in a rut where because they can't quite push themselves away from being in a relegation fight, they can't get the players or serious investment to push them up. if I was Martinez, and I moved to a big club, I think the best thing to do is bring in an assistant manager who specialises in defence, somebody in the mould of Steve Bould or Steve Clarke, maybe Tony Adams?

[Ent]

Aye cos Steve bold has worked wonders with arsenals back 4!!

Performance wise Rooney doesn't merit his status but I'm willing to give him another year and think his nose was just put out of joint by rvp.

I say this as someone who (apart from 04/05) has never felt he had been our best or most important player.

He has looked overweight, slow and sluggish this season.

United should sell a player when the times right, not when they'd will get the most money.

Can't see modric or bale signing until they see how its panning out under the new gaffer.

[Crimey]

The BBC are reporting that Rooney will only stay if given assurances over his position in the squad. He's holding the club to ransom for God's sake! Let PSG blow their money on him and get rid.

[Ent]

Reassure him, play well get picked, play Poopie don't (I.e. this season)

[Crimey]

Aye cos Steve bold has worked wonders with arsenals back 4!!

Performance wise Rooney doesn't merit his status but I'm willing to give him another year and think his nose was just put out of joint by rvp.

I say this as someone who (apart from 04/05) has never felt he had been our best or most important player.

He has looked overweight, slow and sluggish this season.

United should sell a player when the times right, not when they'd will get the most money.

Can't see modric or bale signing until they see how its panning out under the new gaffer.

More than principle of it. It worked for a bit, and they've been much better since they dropped the undisciplined Vermaelen.

Rooney has looked poor since about 2010, the last couple of years he obviously hasn't had the same motivation. The club seems to be moving on without him and last year I think Fergie was justified in dropping him from the big games. I questioned it first as a lack of sense, but looking back he was right, Rooney would have actually made the team worse had he started.

I think both apply right now though, United are in a transitional period and Rooney has now made that period much more difficult. He doesn't offer the club enough and is demanding to be a major player in the side. He shouldn't have to be given those assurances, he should work to be in the side and he should be there on merit not threatening to leave. Right now, the only reason the timing isn't right for me is business wise, shares in United might fall even worse if Rooney is sold, but I think they'll go back up in time, even quicker if they bring in a big player.

Manchester United is still Manchester United, Ferguson's a great manager and that's the point, he's left the foundations for United to continue to be a huge club. I can't see them going the way Liverpool did because United simply have used their marketing tools much better than Liverpool ever did in the 70s and 80s and that support alone will keep them chugging along with the money. I think if the name Liverpool can still attract top players, then Manchester United, even a non-Fergie ran Manchester United will be enough to attract them. I'd still have United as favourites to win the title next year.

[Crimey]

Reassure him, play well get picked, play Poopie don't (I.e. this season)

I think this season is what is making him want to leave though, it's almost as if he wants assurances that he is undroppable. It's pretty obvious that he wants to leave because Fergie kept dropping him, justifiably, for the big games.

[westisbest]

Christ, I hope WBA - Utd is not live.
Yeah Ferguson has been a great manager, best there is.
Bye bye cheerio, well done.

Lets have games that mean something.

Top 4 and relagation.

Once in a life time event vs games that happen every season....

No disrespect to the guy, but not everyone cares about Ferguson.

I think fans of teams fighting for top 4 & trying to stay in the league would rather see there teams on tv if they cant make it.
(as would neutrals im sure).

Put Man U v Swansea live this sunday(if it already isnt).

[GSC]

I'd rather watch a game that means something personally

[hornbloweroafc]

As a lower league fan who's season as already finished (also known as a neutral to some), I would also rather watch a game that means something like relegation, staying up or place in Champions league.

[Stella]

Not worried about watching the game, but would be nice to see the Old Trafford send off.

[Kenny]

Man Utd v Swansea is SkySports 4pm kick off game on sunday , Stoke City v Spurs is the 1pm game

[Stella]

Don't Spurs play Stoke?

[Kenny]

Don't Spurs play Stoke?

yep sorry its Stoke v Spurs at 1 pm

[Stella]

Yeah, just checked. Spurs fans would have been panicking then, Kenny :-)

[Kenny]

yes they would

pulled up tv games and of course Man City v Wigan was above the Stoke v Spurs game and took my eye off it while typing

[GSC]

I dunno, Stoke fans would enjoy not having to see their team play I imagine.

[Crimey]

What do people think of Neville being named Everton manager? He's leaving at the end of the season, and although he's said he wants to continue playing, perhaps a managerial role will be enough to change his mind. I can't see Laudrup leaving Swansea for Everton and Martinez might turn it down as well so it'd be an interesting appointment.

I'm not convinced though, I do think Martinez will become Everton manager but I think Neville becoming Moyes' assistant manager is definitely possible.

[GSC]

Hes going United with Moyes

[Dolphin Ziggler]

Rooney is still world class. He had a decent year last year but this season has lost his way at times. His technique is still wonderful and I'd still have fancied him to get 20+ goals up top if he'd played there. The motivation let him down. No doubt he could do a better job than Welbeck in big games like against Madrid, but his levels of determination dwindled and so did his work rate.

He's perfect for the second striker role, he's let down by wanting to be the top man

[Crimey]

I don't think he's been world class for a long time, the last time I'd come close to describing him as world class would be the 09/10 season. I think the way he has treated Manchester United has been ridiculous and for the second time in about 3 years he's trying to hold the club to ransom. Last time it was money, this time it's for assurances that he's essentially undroppable, if not just for another bumper contract.

United can easily move on from Rooney football wise. I don't think he's consistently technically good enough to play the second striker role, he can do some beautiful passes and touches, but more often than not he has a poor first touch and his passing ability is overrated. I think Kagawa would be a better option there.

United will never get a better opportunity to sell Rooney.

[Kenny]

So Rooney to PSG ?

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