Manchester United 2015/2016: The Most Exciting Team in the League
- Thread starter Zomp
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What do people think about Blind playing at centre back? There appears to be a consensus among pundits that he's going to be exposed eventually but he has looked pretty good to me thus far, particularly when he's starting attacking moves.
Blind and Smalling both have the ability to carry the ball up the field while in possession, which forces defenders to commit and opens up space for our attacking players.
I can see why LVG feels comfortable with Blind there, especially given how turgid United were at points last season where the ball was basically swung side to side along the back 4 for long stretches.
Blind is far more technical on the ball and with his passing than Jones or Rojo. Real test will come when he comes up against an elite striker with speed and physicality (Aguero, Costa) , but I personally have been ecstatic with his play thus far.
I can see why LVG feels comfortable with Blind there, especially given how turgid United were at points last season where the ball was basically swung side to side along the back 4 for long stretches.
Blind is far more technical on the ball and with his passing than Jones or Rojo. Real test will come when he comes up against an elite striker with speed and physicality (Aguero, Costa) , but I personally have been ecstatic with his play thus far.
My thinking was similar. I also think playing most of the season with two deep midfielders has helped a lot. Blind will definitely have trouble handling Aguero, because basically every CB in the world has trouble with him; but how many tall, strong, pacey defenders exist who can also move the ball around like Blind?
Blind and Smalling are a good pairing because they are so different. Smalling sucks on the ball but he is elite in terms of pace, aerial ability, and one on one defending. Blind is essentially the opposite.
Smalling does not suck on the ball. He isn't Maldini out there but he's above average for a centerback for sure.
Disagree. He's not a good passer at all and that's why LVG wants Blind back there (or Ramos, Hummels, etc).Zomp said:
Not enough gray in the doll, but yes its hilarious.
Ho hum, Martial with another goal...this time coming from the LW position.
Ho hum, Martial with another goal...this time coming from the LW position.
Yes of course. I actually really want that to happen but there is no chance it happens on Sunday. Memphis is struggling right now though
https://twitter.com/FootyAccums/status/662057227965095937
Roy Keane calling out Young for his diving
Roy Keane calling out Young for his diving
Carroll was just stretchered off with what looked to me like a pretty serious knee injury. It wasn't gruesome, but the way the trainers didn't even try to patch him up before calling for a stretcher has me thinking he'd felt something go. Carrick also looked like someone had just Terryed his girlfriend in front of him as he was going off.
Odds on Mourinho managing United before the New Year?
In terms of preferred tactics and player selection, LVG to Mourinho would be a complete 180.
In terms of preferred tactics and player selection, LVG to Mourinho would be a complete 180.
No. Whatever identity they had has been disintegrated in the past 2 months. LVGs stubbornness has eliminated any creativity the team had. I'm not one to post gossip and stuff but when my wife and I went to Manchester in May we met up with some friends and one had a connection the club. We used that connection in August on the preseason tour and I had dinner with someone who works for the club. Nobody from the coaching staff but someone important enough to be on tour with the team. He told me about Van Gaals strictness and the way he likes things done like assigned seating at team meals and not letting them go out after training while in tour. He said many at the club assumed he did this to set an example on how the team should be controlled. What I've seen now, in the downturn, has been a robotic, predictable team.
Everything I've read about Van Gaal before he arrived has been spot on. The faith in youth, the scouting, and unfortunately the refusal to adapt.
Everything I've read about Van Gaal before he arrived has been spot on. The faith in youth, the scouting, and unfortunately the refusal to adapt.
10-1? However it may be even at the end of the season. I think Mata would be out and, hopefully, Rooney.
Some media reporting Van Gaals days are numbered. This is coming two weeks after the board of directors gave him their full support. Of course 2 weeks ago they were still in the Champions League and a special manager wasn't available.
Rumors are flying that LVG is getting the sack. Nothing reliable from what I've seen though.
Caution: GoT spoilers in this video.
Caution: GoT spoilers in this video.
That game was a fireable offense to me. To have that much talent on the field and to barely b able to beat a mediocre League One side at home is crazy. Either the players aren't buying what LVG is selling, or what he's doing ain't working.
I guess my question to lvg would be why differentiate the system from last year which basically had you playing the best football in the second half of the season. He played a 4-3-3 with a trio of Carrick, Fellaini, and Hererra.
Schneiderlin is an upgrade to Carrick, and Schweinsteiger is an upgrade to Fellaini. Martial may not be as direct as young but there's not much difference there. I don't believe Wayne Rooney aged that badly from one season to the next. Instead now instead of having Schneiderlin back there on his own, which he is more than capable of, he has Schweinsteiger follow him around as to not lose possession.
It's just getting to be a chore to watch. Let Memphis and Martial express themselves out there.
Schneiderlin is an upgrade to Carrick, and Schweinsteiger is an upgrade to Fellaini. Martial may not be as direct as young but there's not much difference there. I don't believe Wayne Rooney aged that badly from one season to the next. Instead now instead of having Schneiderlin back there on his own, which he is more than capable of, he has Schweinsteiger follow him around as to not lose possession.
It's just getting to be a chore to watch. Let Memphis and Martial express themselves out there.
Memphis got a full game's worth of expression out in the 92nd minute.
More seriously, I agree and disagree. I think LVG needs to play to your strengths which to me are Herrerra, Martial, maybe even Lingard. Whatever formation gets the most out of those players is what you need. schneiderlin is a good player but playing him in a double pivot has proven pointless.
Where I disagree is on Rooney. He's an impact sub at best at this point. Capable of a moment of magic but an anchor around your team and more importantly formation every time he plays. Some sort of 4-3-3 that plays on the counter with Martial is your best bet at having an attack while not being too open. But Rooney just can't play that style
More seriously, I agree and disagree. I think LVG needs to play to your strengths which to me are Herrerra, Martial, maybe even Lingard. Whatever formation gets the most out of those players is what you need. schneiderlin is a good player but playing him in a double pivot has proven pointless.
Where I disagree is on Rooney. He's an impact sub at best at this point. Capable of a moment of magic but an anchor around your team and more importantly formation every time he plays. Some sort of 4-3-3 that plays on the counter with Martial is your best bet at having an attack while not being too open. But Rooney just can't play that style
I said at the time and still maintain that the run of results last March and early April was essentially a mirage. Due to injuries and players being out of favor earlier in the season, LVG had a front six to deploy with extremely fresh legs when facing teams like Spurs, Pool, and City that were running on empty, with key midfield players having played 4000+ minutes already. LVG pressed and ran these teams to death in midfield and United scored off turnovers. But having fresher legs isn't a long term strategy and you can't rely on goals off turnovers to get results against teams that keep men behind the ball. So United won only once in their last six games as teams adjusted. LVG was correct to believe that United needed to change tactically to move forward.
I think three things went wrong for LVG all at once this year: First, Rooney lost a step and declined significantly. Second, Shaw got hurt and Darmian has had trouble adjusting. I think LVG's tactical plan involved playing two defensive oriented central midfielders that could control games and attacking in numbers through the fullbacks. That went out the window when he lost his best fullback for the year. Finally, I think Schweinsteiger just isn't the same player he was even 18 months ago. He doesn't have the legs and dynamism to contribute offensively as a box to box player or to cover territory as a sole DM.
I think three things went wrong for LVG all at once this year: First, Rooney lost a step and declined significantly. Second, Shaw got hurt and Darmian has had trouble adjusting. I think LVG's tactical plan involved playing two defensive oriented central midfielders that could control games and attacking in numbers through the fullbacks. That went out the window when he lost his best fullback for the year. Finally, I think Schweinsteiger just isn't the same player he was even 18 months ago. He doesn't have the legs and dynamism to contribute offensively as a box to box player or to cover territory as a sole DM.
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Can someone explain to me why Fergie keeps turning up to watch Man Utd play in person? When the guy who worked for your company for 30 years keeps showing up two or three years after his retirement just to hang around, that's awkward too, right?
This is not unusual in football. Kenny Dalgish goes to a lot of Liverpool games. Alan Sugar goes to a lot of Spurs games. These people love the club and in the case of Fergie and Kenny are still ambassadors for the clubs. Bobby Charlton still goes to most of the home games at Old Trafford, i think he's still a club director. And they get treated like royalty, before, during and after the matches, and they don't pay for their tickets, food, bevvie etc. And, last time I checked Fergie gets £2Million for 20 days work in an ambassadorial capacity.
Is it awkward? Not for Fergie it isn't. There's about 70,000 people who go to Old Trafford every other week who'd have Fergie back in a heartbeat. LVG knows this and is big enough to be able to deal with it.
All that being said, they knew what they were getting when they hired LVG, and his style is very different from the hi energy attacking football that most consider to be the Man Untd way...for what that's worth, if anything.
Is it awkward? Not for Fergie it isn't. There's about 70,000 people who go to Old Trafford every other week who'd have Fergie back in a heartbeat. LVG knows this and is big enough to be able to deal with it.
All that being said, they knew what they were getting when they hired LVG, and his style is very different from the hi energy attacking football that most consider to be the Man Untd way...for what that's worth, if anything.
Reports out of England tonight saying LVG offered, again, to resign and Woodward talked him out of it. If that's the case and we pass on the opportunity to hire Mourinho I think it's time for Woodward to go.
Especially after Mourinho's camp essentially declared his interest in the United manager job publicly by denying a report (read: obvious leak) that Jose wrote a 6 page letter to the club outlining his desire for the United job and his vision of the future.
Thats exactly what I image a bitter, out-of-work Mourinho would do.
He was called up from the B team in the fall. His inclusion took care of two things: Gave them a true replacement for Enzo Perez and allowed Pizzi to replace Goncalo Guedes on the right. Pizzi had been playing mid since last season, but his form went way up after returning to the wing. I think Benfica's one loss since this happened was the final CL matchday vs Atletico. They cut the league deficit to Sporting from 8 points to 2. Obviously, Renato has gotten a lion's share of the credit.
He's a true 8. Imagine Ramires if he was 18 and with a big right footed shot. I've also seen him compared to Yaya Toure. There's so much to his game that makes him look like a natural. I've yet to see him look overwhelmed. He's still rough around the edges in terms of decision making. He shouldn't leave Portugal for another 18 months. Maybe you guys pounce this summer, but for that big a price you'd be buying a guy who will be too turnover prone for the EPL. That said, you paid a big price for Martial who is also not a finished product, so I wouldn't be surprised if it happened. He's got a high ceiling.
I don't know if he plays for Portugal this summer. Midfield is far and away Portugal's deepest position right now.
He's a true 8. Imagine Ramires if he was 18 and with a big right footed shot. I've also seen him compared to Yaya Toure. There's so much to his game that makes him look like a natural. I've yet to see him look overwhelmed. He's still rough around the edges in terms of decision making. He shouldn't leave Portugal for another 18 months. Maybe you guys pounce this summer, but for that big a price you'd be buying a guy who will be too turnover prone for the EPL. That said, you paid a big price for Martial who is also not a finished product, so I wouldn't be surprised if it happened. He's got a high ceiling.
I don't know if he plays for Portugal this summer. Midfield is far and away Portugal's deepest position right now.
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Bad result for Man U, losing to low flying Sunderland. Top four looking less likely. just caught the last five minutes, but Sunderland ran the clock down like bosses. BT Sport announcer saying this was the worst United team he could remember seeing in ages.
Edit: Just posting so Zomp doesn't have to, it's his birthday and I know he'll be posting here as soon as United are flying high in the league again...like a proper fan.
Edit: Just posting so Zomp doesn't have to, it's his birthday and I know he'll be posting here as soon as United are flying high in the league again...like a proper fan.