Manchester United Thread

It's interesting how he's been the casualty, personally I didn't see how he was the fall guy! but he has been.

his confidence will have a taken a knock but hopefully he responds well.

Mata in place for Rooney in the next 3 games is about as good a 'backup' you'll ever see so its not the biggest concern losing Wayne IMO.

Herrera being injured though for any length of time would kill us though.
 
By the way..its quite beautiful to see how well Falcao and RvP combine.. Its like what we hoped to see between Rooney and RvP. Especially yesterday I was very impressed with Falcao s strength and technique to hold the ball even against players much bigger than him. Good times.
 
Falcao is a weird one. He's clearly a model pro, great attitude and he's playing for us.

But because of his background and the terms of how he signed, I can't get properly behind him. He's outrageously talented (hope he doesn't get stuck for long with 0 goals though) but the fact he'll be gone in June...makes it hard.

I really hope Mata slides into the 10 role and we're awesome. Strip Rooney of the captaincy, and use him when the situation dictates, rather than every match.

What we'll we miss from his set pieces (and he has gotten, quietly, incredible at delivering free kicks) we'll make up for in even higher possession and control of tempo. And when he's back, use him as a striker! That's what he does best.

It went unnoticed because of what followed, but his finish for the first goal is absolutely world class, and not something many players are capable of. Full speed, one time bouncing volley into the corner. Class.
 
EH WHAT?!

Falcao for all intents and purposes is a permanent, the only way that doesn't happen is if a certain prodigal son returns and in that scenario its happy days too.
 
I'm convinced Falcao will score on Sunday against Everton. I really think he's going to benefit from Juan Mata playing at the tip of the diamond, threading balls into him and Robin. I don't think that we get the best from a RVP Falcao Rooney combination - in fact I have felt several times this season (and last) that Wayne seems to adversely affect some players' own games. (Moyes took it to extremes, even playing Mata out wide, not to mention a crocked Rooney playing 90 minutes in Munich) I think the question needs to once again be asked "is what's best for Rooney, best for Manchester United?"

It seems sometimes that it's Wayne Rooney and Manchester United, rather than Manchester United. That's not in keeping with the ethos of the club, the cornerstone of our success. No one man is bigger than the club.

A word also for young Paddy McNair, great debut and I think he deserves to start again over Tyler Blackett (who also has been a revelation)
 
gerd said:
That was indeed a magnificent goal. Not only Rooney's finish but Rafaels' assist was fantastic too. Great.
Click to expand...

I love Rafael. If he wasn't made of balsa wood I'd make him captain. He has 200 appearances with us now, and is 24!

I still think of him as a kid!
 
Excellent, Herrera now out injured for about a month. No keeper, but here's the old unavailable United XI:

------------Amos?-------------
---Jones--Smalling--Evans-----
-----Carrick--Herrera---------
--Young---------------Lingard-
-----------Fellaini-----------
------------Rooney------------

Okay, so I'm exagerrating, that's only 9. But bejebus that's basically our defence and midfield out.

Everton are going to tear us apart.
 
Team v Everton (in my opinion)

----------------------De Gea----------------------
Rafael ------- McNair ------Rojo -------------Shaw
---------------------Blind -----------------------
----------Fletcher ---------di Maria -------------
---------------------Mata-------------------------
--------------Van Persie --Falcao ----------------
 
It's going to look very one dimensional when our only option is to give it to Di Maria.

If I was Everton I'd just put double/trip marking on him and we'll never score.
 
matherto said:
It's going to look very one dimensional when our only option is to give it to Di Maria.

If I was Everton I'd just put double/trip marking on him and we'll never score.
Click to expand...

I'd hope between RVP, Falcao and Janujaz we can manage at least a little bit more creativity ;)

That said, Herrera is a huge miss. Fletcher is going to drag us down again, sadly.
 
YoungGun_UK said:
I wonder if he takes a risk and goes with Pereira, would be interesting to say the least!
Click to expand...

He's been training with the first team all season. But I saw him a lot in the reserves last year and he's not really United level.

Has the moments of quality, but no consistency across a match. Really good for maybe 10 minutes of it, but that's not good enough.
 
Didn't we once or twice play Jones through the middle and him being reasonably effective? Perhaps I'm dreaming. Either way Carrick can't come back soon enough.
 
Yes! Only 9 first team players unavailable, we're getting better! Pretty soon we'll only be missing a third of our squad!

McNair to play again, against Lukaku. Can't see that being a problem. Oh wait.

3 of our defenders have a combined total of 5 matches for us. And LVG gets criticism because our defending isn't great. Oh, the other is Rafael. Sigh.

2-4 Everton. We'll start well and get a lead, forcing Martinez to abandon his usual style and go long. Then Lukaku will utterly dominate our fragile back line, and Everton will score 3 from knock downs. You wait.
 
On the other hand, Everton are playing shite and the player I would think would be the most difficult for Utd to handle is out injured (Mirallas)
 
Think Lukaku vs. our defence is more of a worry, for sheer bully value.

It's not a bad time to play Everton, but it's also a great time to play United. Both teams will likely be much stronger later in the season.
 
Well that was odd. Wonderful to see Falcao score, of course, and we were once again awesome for the first half. I think Everton's first shot was the penalty.

But that last 20 minutes, good lord composure gone. DDG saved us.

Fellaini came on to sure things up...and ran himself out of position , exposing our defense and leading to Everton's dominance. Was shocking stuff, actually reminded me of FIFA's 'press' - Fellaini runs at ball, two passes and he's out of it, gaping hole behind him. He was awful.

3 points obviously they key, and we genuinely look brilliant for parts of matches, but desperately need some composure.
 
De Gea was my man of the match with Di Maria... his saves are the best i seen for long time...

Barry save is for me save of the season so far...incredible quality GK...

with a keeper like that you are allowed to have shitty defence..
 
3 more quick thoughts:

1. Rafael was immense. Been saying it years, but having him in the team makes us a completely proposition. Excellent in attack, excellent in defense again today.

2. LVG has now given first team minutes to: Blackett, Thorpe, McNair, Wilson, Pereira and Lingard, which is pretty cool. Not all by choice I'd imagine, but still good to see. Fergie would have shoehorned Fletcher into the back 4 or similar.

3. After the break we could potentially have Jones, Evans, Carrick and Herrera back. We could finally see our first XI!
 
I'm actually more than happy to keep playing yesterday's starting eleven for the rest of the season. Felt it was well balanced with every player playing in their best position. Might just switch around Herrera in for Mata and put Mata as a SS behind Falcao/Persie.

Di Maria is something else. That threat we needed for so long. That one player all teams would think twice about.
 
He's on a different level, he's going to start getting hacked and double marked though so were going to need the likes of Mata/Rooney who find that extra space make use of it.

Thought Mata had a point to prove yesterday and didn't really do so.
 
Everton were actually pretty rough. Left lots of boots in with 'niggling' fouls - but Kevin Friend was really weird. Dished out a flurry of yellow cards, then nothing for the next half hour. Same challenges.

We're being targeted already. Herrera gets kicked pillar to post. But he looks tough. I just hope Di Maria doesn't get the 'treatment' from the good honest English players, and decide maybe England isn't for him :(
 
Ladies and gentlemen, the mind of Roy Keane:
“It was action; it was football. It was dog eats dog. I’ve kicked lots of players and I know the difference between hurting somebody and injuring somebody. I didn’t go to injure Haaland. When you play sport, you know how to injure somebody.

“There was no premeditation. I’d played against Haaland three or four times between the game against Leeds, in 1997, when I injured my cruciate and the game when I tackled him, in 2001, when he was playing for Manchester City. If I’d been this madman out for revenge, why would I have waited years for an opportunity to injure him?

“Was I going around for years thinking: ’I’m going to get him, I’m going to get him.’? No. Was he at the back of my mind? Of course he was. Like Rob Lee was, like David Batty was, like Alan Shearer was, like Patrick Vieira was. All these players were in the back of my mind: ’If I get a chance I’m going to fucking hit you, of course I am.’

“Haaland finished the game and played four days later, for Norway. A couple of years later he tried to claim that he’d had to retire because of the tackle. He was going to sue me. It was a bad tackle but he was still able to play four days later.”

“Looking back at it now, I’m disappointed in the other Manchester City players. They didn’t jump in to defend their team-mate. I know that if someone had done that to a United player, I’d have been right in there. They probably thought he was a prick, too.”
 
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