Page 3 of The Self Destruction Of Manchester United This Season

and so it goes on...


IN MADNESS YOU DWELL

What I'd give for Paull to return here 



Anti.Clown.Coalition

right up to the penalty shootout, i was neutral as to who I wanted to win, but as soon as the man united fans started to boo, that's when I wanted them to get knocked out. I know it happens as most grounds, but I still think its unsportsmanlike behaviour.

Sorry (not) Utd fans but we've had that much self satisfied crowing down the years we're going to enjoy the hell out of the present situation.

As someone observed during the penalty shoot out 'You could put all 22 of these on the pitch against City and they'd still lose'

Albeit an outside chance Don Vito may get a gong before the rest of his old team mates and bloody good luck to him.

Snaps

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My new Flash Fiction blog. All my own work
500ish

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I used to be with it, but then they changed what `it` was.
Now, what I`m with isn`t it, and what`s `it` seems weird and scary

Quote:
sj says...
"Having said that there are far too many average (even poor) players there and I'd say without the two top players (RVP and Rooney maybe even more so?) they're ordinary at best."
Depends on your judgement I suppose.

Similar could be passed on Everton, Liverpool and Spurs, outside of their top 2 players being missing.  

Even City and Chelsea have struggled in past few season without their top 2 players, but obviously their squads are over and above everyone else. 



Mata is an immense signing from Utd's point of view.  Think it may spell the end of Kagawa which is a shame, but unfortunately he can only really play the number 10 role effectively, whereas the other options are Rooney, RVP, Mata, Januzaj (even Fellaini), so I can kind of see sense in selling him.

He's a brilliant player though, will do well wherever he goes if he plays the number 10 role.  We'll possibly make a profit on him as got him for £18million as only had a year on his contract.



Last night was just typical, I said during the match it'll go to penalties and we'll lose.

Worst thing is the De Gea mistake his body was actually in the right position, it's not like the ones where they are slightly off or don't get their body behind it, was just complete shambles by him.

After equalising and then them having the wind taken out, I got a bit optimistic, especially when Gardner missed, but then normal Utd at penalty shootouts prevailed     

We got lucky on the Champions League one against Chelsea, but that is the only time I can remember us winning a shoot out under Ferguson!  (Not that we had many and I'm sure we did have a couple).
League cup would have been good to have a shot at winning, but won't define the season.

Performances with the first choice team back in the league (even if don't end up getting top 4) and also in Champions League are what's going to matter.
                      
Moyes still making mistakes, but confidence is the main thing now.  Doesn't take long to build that back up and if he can get passed this horrendous patch, then the rest of his Utd managerial career will be a breeze!



www.last.fm/user/1mills

Quote:
pat-w says...
"I know it happens as most grounds, but I still think its unsportsmanlike behaviour."
I 'd say it's not just most, it's all grounds surely?

Can't say I've ever seen a penalty shoot out where that hasn't happened (even at World Cup with mixed crowds).


www.last.fm/user/1mills

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-manchester-25858527

Quote:
1mills says...
"Depends on your judgement I suppose.

Similar could be passed on Everton, Liverpool and Spurs, outside of their top 2 players being missing."Well maybe, but I don't think so.  The point is we're not talking about Everton, Liverpool or Spurs - we're talking about the reigning Champions - and you should have waaay more in the team/squad than those two.  That without two of their top players they look so poor is amazing.
As the BBC writer put it:
Yes, United were without the injured Robin van Persie and Wayne Rooney - but what was left behind was mediocre mess, almost devoid of inspiration, as Sunderland deservedly won the Capital One Cup semi-final after a penalty shoot-out of almost laughable ineptitude.

As it happens, for periods of this season we have been without key players.  We've been without Gerrard, Sturridge, Agger, Sakho, Enrique etc.  Just lost Johnson for an 'indefinite' period and Lucas for 2 months.
That Chelsea have just sold Mata to Utd and took Salah from under our noses really doesn't help Liverpool.  Bloody Mourinho!

Quote:
1mills says...
"Even City and Chelsea have struggled in past few season without their top 2 players, but obviously their squads are over and above everyone else."Nothing like to the extent Utd are though?  But like them, and unlike most others (including Liverpool), you can splash out nearly £40m on another midfielder to help.  Must be about £65m on two midfielders in 5 months?  Not bad if you can get it.

Ste

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We will pay the price but we will not count the cost..

This item was edited on Friday, 24th January 2014, 09:39

Quote:
sj says...
"That Chelsea have just sold Mata to Utd and took Salah from under our noses really doesn't help Liverpool. Bloody Mourinho!"
He's not the only one. They all do it, or would if the opportunity arose.
Much like Citeh loaning Adebayor to Tottenham.

Put yourself in the position of a mega rich club. You buy an exeptional player for what is, to you, loose change. No intention of playing him but you can then play him in the reserves until deciding to lend him to an opponent who whilst not a threat to you could seriously upset your immediate threats. In this case it's a sale for a very good price considering Mourinho had no intentions of playing him.

Even if it made a difference of one draw instead of a win it could win you the league.
Fair? Maybe not but not against the rules either. I'm inclined to agree with Arsene that the mid season window needs to go and the summer one stops before the first ball is kicked.


Snaps

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My new Flash Fiction blog. All my own work
500ish

---

I used to be with it, but then they changed what `it` was.
Now, what I`m with isn`t it, and what`s `it` seems weird and scary

This item was edited on Friday, 24th January 2014, 09:42

I think sometimes a team can make a player look way better than they really are. When I look at Arsenal I see players that are solid, players that are better than solid, players who are not only good but have the potential to be world class, and a few players who already are world class.

Before I go on and say, looking at United I see a lot of mediocrity on the field next to RVP and Rooney, I'll just say...

...the list of players between our current team and The Invincibles (that side had a similar mix of good and world class players in it) which have graced our ranks and been mediocre, has been long.

It's been very frustrating over the years watching Wenger soldier on with Bendnter, Gervinhio, Chamakh, Squillaci, Almunia and Adebayor to name just a few. A few of those players had a promising start, but after a year none of them were good enough to be in the squad, yet got regular starts.

And then you add players that for some reason generally play a good game and should be very good players, but have that irritating habit of throwing a match away in a moment (often near the end) like Vermaelon, Clichy, Gallas...

All this shows me that if you look at the core Arsenal squad now, and the core squad of The Invincibles, then you look at the United squad from say 5 years ago, there might be the odd player who comes in and out each season, but to compete at the top for an extended period of time, you need a very solid centre.

And United's has all been frittered away over time, much like Arsenal's began to do 10 years ago. I think Moyes' job is way bigger than just creating his own team, Fergie built a really solid core that lasted years, but it's just not there anymore.

I wonder if he always planned to leave soon so just didn't bother rebuilding it, or couldn't bring himself to do it all over again, so he propped it up year after year until he decided he'd got the last drip out of it and then retired.

Anyway, Moyes has to build a whole new solid core, and that can take years. Even if you have the insane money Chelski or C$ty have, it still takes a year. I'm not sure the fans are going to give him that time.

Which may or may not be a shame for United, depending on whether Moyes is a winner held back by Everton funding, or this is The Peter Principle at work.


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