Manchester United Thread

Re: Manchester United Champions Thread!!!19!!!!!

Yeah, Berba's non-performance in Europe is genuinely baffling. It tends to be slower, more considered and more technical - so you'd expect him to love it!

Big match for him if he starts. Hernandez looked absolutely lethal on Saturday, so the pressure is clear for him to force his way into Fergie's mind.
 
Re: Manchester United Champions Thread!!!19!!!!!

Vannizzlefashizzal said:
goals in all knockout stages tho, home and away i think, ooops he didnt score in first knockout game..

but still, same vein?
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Yeah he always seems to end up with about 5 European goals a season and they're always in the knockout stages.

So in the same vein as another United striker not scoring in Europe, I couldn't remember him scoring in the group stages since his debut (though he must've done?)

Roma in 07/08, was that group or knockout, can't remember.
 
Re: Manchester United Champions Thread!!!19!!!!!

He only scored in the 1-0 at OT though didn't he? That was the quarters IIRC.

Edit - Nvm, 1-0 against Roma was group stage, he then scored home and away against Kiev.
 
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Re: Manchester United Champions Thread!!!19!!!!!

Looking forward to tonight, should be a good game. I anticipate a good challenge from Benfica.
 
Re: Manchester United Champions Thread!!!19!!!!!

Will this weekend be the first time in 2 seasons that we've not had Atkinson referee us vs. Chelsea?

Obviously King Kenny has complaints, but Clattenberg was a star compared to Atkinson at the Bridge last season. Most one-sided refereeing display since that S. Korean fellow against Italy.
 
Re: Manchester United Champions Thread!!!19!!!!!

Come on United...!

Looking forward to a good match, though I think we'll be pretty conservative. Can't believe Berba doesn't manage a start. Boy needs to buy SAF an apple or something.
 
Re: Manchester United Champions Thread!!!19!!!!!

Looking forward to the game. What do you think of the lineup? The subs bench is full of attackers! Jones is the only defender.
 
Re: Manchester United Champions Thread!!!19!!!!!

Have to admit, that was a brilliant goal. Meant Cardozo's one, but Giggs came up with one out of nowhere after being anonymous. Lucky to be level at the break really.
 
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Re: Manchester United Champions Thread!!!19!!!!!

Lacked the energy that has defined us the season so far. Disappointing performance, but not a bad result in the end.

Lindegaard very assured, pleased with him.
 
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Re: Manchester United Champions Thread!!!19!!!!!

Didn't deserve much from that. Too much rotation from Fergie imo. You can't stick that many players that aren't match-fit together and expect great things.

With Valencia looking back, and Nani and Young, does this mean Park will (finally) be marginalised in these types of matches? I understand he has that weird defensive attacker role, but his touch is absolutely shocking. We basically didn't have an attack on his side of the pitch.
 
Re: Manchester United Champions Thread!!!19!!!!!

Park's touch and technique is decent imo. Decent enough but not very good. To say it's shocking is a huge exaggeration and very harsh but that's just my personal opinion.

But yeah obviously it's not his biggest strength and United do have more technically proficient players who can occupy that role so I do know what you mean.
 
Re: Manchester United Champions Thread!!!19!!!!!

He might have been more useful on the right to nullify Gaitan and later Nolito.

Can't be too disappointed with that, most likely our toughest game in the group.
 
Re: Manchester United Champions Thread!!!19!!!!!

PLF said:
Park's touch and technique is decent imo. Decent enough but not very good. To say it's shocking is a huge exaggeration and very harsh but that's just my personal opinion.

But yeah obviously it's not his biggest strength and United do have more technically proficient players who can occupy that role so I do know what you mean.
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Well it's not pub-level of course, but when he's out wide he offers absolutely nothing. It blows my mind when we use him as part of a 433 on the wing. He can't penetrate, or cross. So everytime the ball is played out to him he just holds it up (if he manages to control it) and waits for either Evra to overlap (who is then out of position) or Rooney to come help him (and then no one is in the middle).

The main reason United have looked so good this season is that we're playing two wingers who are both threats. Which forces teams to double on both sides of the pitch, and leaves spaces in the middle. With Park in the team, we lose that, and it all gets congested. Happens every time he plays in a wide position.
 
Re: Manchester United Champions Thread!!!19!!!!!

Yeah I kinda know what you mean.

Though I do think he has pretty good off the ball movement and so he CAN and does penetrate. He makes good runs into the box and although he can't take players on like Nani or Valencia, you do see him win back possession for United on the wing due to having higher stamina/energy than most opponents. Couple times I noticed it today as well, opposition has the ball and yet Park despite not being fast, beats them to a ball and gains possession. The guy has superb fitness and is also always focused it seems, so he rarely has lapses of concentration and is always 'in the game' allowing him to make all kinds of interceptions or pouncing on weaknesses. I think he's got GREAT mental and physical attributes. Technically, nothing to shout about though. Just good enough to get by.
 
Re: Manchester United Champions Thread!!!19!!!!!

Gotta love Paddy Evra, he'd be great to have a pint with I reckon.:D

Anyways, good result last night I thought.

Benfica at home with that crowd, good passers of the ball, pressed us. Cardozo actually looked bothered for once and Gaitan and Aimar also played very well. Glad to see Pablo's still got it tbh, was always a favourite at Valencia, just a shame injuries mostly ruined how great he could've been.

We had plenty of players who've barely played at all, helpful to give them some time on the pitch. Lindegaard looked very solid, certainly seems to have a good command of his defence, his kicking was fine and he made some fantastic saves, Smalling was good and we did create a few nice moves eventually. Granted not many others played particularly well but it's not the be all and end all to win your first CL group game. That's pretty much the toughest (you would've thought) game out of the way as well.

Bring on Chelsea.
 
Re: Manchester United Champions Thread!!!19!!!!!

Yeah, Benfica looked sharp and the technical players played well, Gaitan impressed me and you could see him probably moving on in a season or two a bigger league.
 
Re: Manchester United Champions Thread!!!19!!!!!

We were looking at Nico Gaitan a couple of season back right? Crackin little player.
Jonny Evans should have been closer to Cardozo for Benfica's goal.Rio or Vida would definitely have taken care of that.

Decent result with a decent first 11 I think.We are so used to the quick play of the new United and when this 2nd team was fielded...I for once, felt like.."this is so last season!"
 
Re: Manchester United Champions Thread!!!19!!!!!

Agree - very strange that our older, higher earning players are the 2nd string at the moment!

For me worst bit was watching Fletcher. Obviously he's been ill but I saw nothing suggesting his rehabilitation has gone well. If we're honest, he's never had that great a technical base, and without his stamina and speed, he really doesn't offer much. People like to dig on Carrick, but he was far better than Fletcher last night (and Giggs).
 
Re: Manchester United Champions Thread!!!19!!!!!

Whatever long term illness Fletcher suffered from, it must have been extremely debilitating. It's almost like he's regressed physically to how he was when he first broke into the first team.
 
Re: Manchester United Champions Thread!!!19!!!!!

beachryan said:
Agree - very strange that our older, higher earning players are the 2nd string at the moment!

For me worst bit was watching Fletcher. Obviously he's been ill but I saw nothing suggesting his rehabilitation has gone well. If we're honest, he's never had that great a technical base, and without his stamina and speed, he really doesn't offer much. People like to dig on Carrick, but he was far better than Fletcher last night (and Giggs).
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yup with you on that..

that team had alot of players from the final, okay it was being used for match fitness for alot of players and it paid off...

evans had another bad game, i think in a few years he will be a good centre half but he's gonna cost us at this rate...

but as i said in the arsenal thread, id be happy with a point, couldnt see where we'd get that point from at 1-0 down, some good play from benfica, cracking assist and goal...
 
Re: Manchester United Champions Thread!!!19!!!!!

I think it says alot about the injury record of our two first choice CBs that they're both out right now and no one is talking about it. I mean, I don't even know who Chelsea's 4th choice CB is, but Evans is probably ours.

He's not world class, but he'll do in such situations.
 
Re: Manchester United Champions Thread!!!19!!!!!

Alex probably?

Depends on if you count Ivanovic as RB or CB.
 
Re: Manchester United Champions Thread!!!19!!!!!

3-0 at half time against last years 2nd place team and we've not even played that well.

We're scarily clinical this year.

Jones, Evans and Smalling are gonna have us set for a long while. Rooney, Young, Nani and Hernandez just as much.

Now we just need Anderson to start passing properly and it could be Arsenal all over again :P
 
Re: Manchester United Champions Thread!!!19!!!!!

What a game. End to end stuff.

De Gea has been outstanding, well at least with that save which even had Schmeichel and his son applauding. I think that save really made a difference. I'm thinking the scoreline would have been very different if that had gone in.
 
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