***Official Manchester United Thread***

[apollo_creed]

a big win, enough points to just about see us through, and some of our football was as sexy as jessica alba with no pants on. so, reason enough to be cheerful, but I do have some reservations.

after building up the lead in the first half, we pretty well sat on it in the second.

the defending for kyiv's first goal was atrocious. wes brown simply lost his man, and ronaldo, if you're taking the back stick for a corner, stay on it, don't go charging out like that.

fletcher and o'shea. never have been good enough for united, never will be good enough for united. fletcher surely has saucy pix of o'shea fisting the boss or something, there's no other explanation.

nani, after saturday I was starting to think maybe he was after all capable of finding a team-mate with a pass, or beating a man, or timing a run off a defender. it seems I was mistaken. he's a headless chicken. talent is undeniably there but needs some serious coaching.

tevez missed a couple of sitters. we really need to be putting these chances away, against crap like dynamo kyiv (face it, they were rubbish) it hardly matters, but there are plenty of tough games ahead.

still, it's true the chances are being made. and seeing ronaldo running at a defence with that look in his eyes is surely the finest sight in football. fact.

ease up turbs.

Nani has the juice and Manchester United is his blender.

 

[DaSawx]

Won our first three last season and still had to wait until the final game against Benfica to qualify. Don't want a repeat of that, although can't really see Kiev coming to OT and winning based on this morning. Only takes a great defensive/keeping display and a lucky deflection though.

Kiev don't have the talent to perform solidly doen back for 90 minutes at OT when we are playing the way we are

 

[RoosterLad]

Agreed. After struggling for goals we have now scored 4 goals in 3 successive games. Didn't take us long to warm up, we were battling relegation not long ago remember

 

[DaSawx]

Always new we could go on a winning streak and get back up there, certainly capable of winning the league again, and even Europe (not necessarily both), we just have to make sure we play well at the right times

 

[apollo_creed]

it's not just about playing well - it's also about having the luck - and I guess depth - which was non-existent last season.

case in point -

too many defensive absentees to list in the matches against Milan.
in such games, against such teams one must have their best team on the park.

 

[belfast_bomber]

it's not just about playing well - it's also about having the luck - and I guess depth - which was non-existent last season.

case in point -

too many defensive absentees to list in the matches against Milan.
in such games, against such teams one must have their best team on the park.

frankly I don't think even our strongest team was good enough to beat milan last year. though we were going into that second leg with a lead... maybe we could have drawn it. shades of the quarter against inter in the treble year, perhaps.

milan were the only team that made us look bad last year. we lost a few, but no-one else embarrassed us. actually thinking about it, was it the only match in all competitions we lost by more than the odd goal?

in the league we lost to:
arse 0-1
west 'am 1-0
arse 2-1
portsmouth 2-1
west 'am 0-1

in europe:
copenhagen 1-0
celtic 1-0
roma 2-1
milan 3-0

in the cup:
chelsea 0-1

the league cup:
southend 1-0

yep. therefore coventry > everybody in the world except milan. QED.

 

[apollo_creed]

frankly I don't think even our strongest team was good enough to beat milan last year. though we were going into that second leg with a lead... maybe we could have drawn it. shades of the quarter against inter in the treble year, perhaps.

milan were the only team that made us look bad last year. we lost a few, but no-one else embarrassed us. actually thinking about it, was it the only match in all competitions we lost by more than the odd goal?

in the league we lost to:
arse 0-1
west 'am 1-0
arse 2-1
portsmouth 2-1
west 'am 0-1

in europe:
copenhagen 1-0
celtic 1-0
roma 2-1
milan 3-0

in the cup:
chelsea 0-1

the league cup:
southend 1-0

yep. therefore coventry > everybody in the world except milan. QED.

the common thing was -

against good teams - away from home you struggled - in performance and struggled to control midfield - infact alot of the time you were smashed.

lucky to beat Liverpool - lost all the games you did - and the Chelsea at SB game was an irrelevant fixture so it can't be considered. but it probably would've followed a similar trend to the others - if both teams played their strongest XI's/cared.

there wasn't enough bite in central midfield last season coupled with a lack of genuine creativity. Carrick is fine but he's slow on the ball, has no pace and isn't always the greatest advocate of quick ball movement.

w/the additions of Hargreaves and Anderson this season - those two problems are taken care of. to a large degree.

so away from home - the defence won't have to cope with the territorial/midfield dominance it might've previously had to.

important is that no central midfielders left - so it's really a case of the same as last year + 2 - and far better overall quality.

the more of a game away from home you can control/cope with in midfield - the easier for the defence - the > the chance of winning such things as the CL.

the defence -

hasn't changed from last season - and there is no more depth. but thankfully John O'Shea these days doesn't have to be tried in midfield at desperate times - so his inclusion is solely confined to defence. where he's adequate. (by his standards)

re; the Milan game's.

both ties you had alot of key injuries/absentees in defence.

I forget who was missing in Game 1 - when you effectively lost the tie by conceding TWO home goals.

either way - the second leg - when you were smashed in midfield - because of the common problems previously outlined (why you've struggled more than you should've in Europe for quite a while) the makeshift defence was always going to get smashed. and that they did.

I remember Evra was suspended, Rio was injured? and it was a very different looking back-four.

do that to any team for such an important game and they'll struggle.

 

[cfc05]

Will Ronaldo play the full 90 minutes this week??

Askign for betting purposes, thanx guys!

 

[Shinboners]

Always new we could go on a winning streak and get back up there, certainly capable of winning the league again, and even Europe (not necessarily both), we just have to make sure we play well at the right times

I suspect that Fergie has his eye on the Champions League. If we do get to the quarter finals and beyond, I think he'll be willing to risk dropping points in the Premiership to make sure he's got his best side ready for Europe.

Personally, I want to win the Premiership again.

 

[apollo_creed]

I'm pretty sure when it comes down to the knockout European fixtures later in the season, you'll line up like this;

VDS
Neville - Rio - Vidic - Evra
Ronaldo - Scholes - Hargreaves - Giggs
Tevez - Rooney

The only question is whether he plays the extra central midfielder - Michael Carrick.

If he does - then either Giggs or Tevez would miss out.

With Anderson's ridiculous talent and form - I wouldn't be at all surprised if he were to force his way into your first XI before the seasons out.

And Nani - is inconsistent at this stage but he was easily your most threatening player against Roma the other week imo. Obviously one capable of performing on the big stage.

 

[ashley12]

I'm pretty sure when it comes down to the knockout European fixtures later in the season, you'll line up like this;

VDS
Neville - Rio - Vidic - Evra
Ronaldo - Scholes - Hargreaves - Giggs
Tevez - Rooney

The only question is whether he plays the extra central midfielder - Michael Carrick.

If he does - then either Giggs or Tevez would miss out.

With Anderson's ridiculous talent and form - I wouldn't be at all surprised if he were to force his way into your first XI before the seasons out.

And Nani - is inconsistent at this stage but he was easily your most threatening player against Roma the other week imo. Obviously one capable of performing on the big stage.

Fair call

if we play a knockout tie i guess that Tevez would miss out for a Anderson or Carrick.

Regardless I think that Man U is by far better this year then last with the pick ups of Anderson and Nani compared to Chelski who only got Malouda

 

[Punchy Bassett]

Just on your last point there Nippy, Nani reminds me a bit of when Cris started out would burn one week but concentrates too much on the flashy stuff, get a bit more consistency and team work into him and he will be much better

 

[RoosterLad]

Well said Punchy. He is still a kid so he will be brilliant one week and do nothing the next, keep giving him games here and there and watch him become a superstar with a season or two under his belt.

Cris was like that and is now elite.

 

[belfast_bomber]

but chris eagles was like that as well, and now he's... exactly the same!

nani definitely has the talent, and as the Nipster says he really added something to our attacking threat in the roma and villa matches - but he was godawful in kiev the other night. still, two steps forward, one back and all that. he'll come good long as he listens to his coaches.

 

[RoosterLad]

What nationality is Chris Eagles?

 

[moomba]

I'd disagree with that.

I was pretty critical of Ronaldo when he first came through, but back then he was streets ahead of where Nanny is now. Everyone develops at their own time I guess, so you'd give it a good couple f years before you give up on him though.

One thing though, for all Ronaldo's flashiness he is the ultimate professional, I'm not sure Nanny has that ruthless professional streak in him.

 

[drewie_rama]

What nationality is Chris Eagles?

almost positive he's english

 

[RoosterLad]

And there is your problem.

 

[belfast_bomber]

What nationality is Chris Eagles?

is he from austria, algeria, bahrain?
bangladesh or barbados, bulgaria, cameroon?
is he from chad, chile, china?
kampuchea, north korea, tanzania?
(etc.)

 

[Macca19]

nani wasnt too bad last night. Killer strike. He is capable of the insane and also the disastrous. I agree that Ronaldo was probably a bit further along when he first came but nani isnt far behind. See how he develops.

Anderson is the diamond in my opinion. Highly creative passes that rarely miss their target, good pace, good defensive ability. I think he'll develop into what Veron should have been.

Playing highly attacking football at the moment. There are times where it doesnt come off, but when it does it looks fantastic. Tevez is getting more and more comfortable and is really starting to show his class now. Rooney is in great touch. The defence is holding up pretty well (despite the slack goal last night).

 

[jules101]

nani wasnt too bad last night. Killer strike. He is capable of the insane and also the disastrous. I agree that Ronaldo was probably a bit further along when he first came but nani isnt far behind. See how he develops.

Anderson is the diamond in my opinion. Highly creative passes that rarely miss their target, good pace, good defensive ability. I think he'll develop into what Veron should have been.

Playing highly attacking football at the moment. There are times where it doesnt come off, but when it does it looks fantastic. Tevez is getting more and more comfortable and is really starting to show his class now. Rooney is in great touch. The defence is holding up pretty well (despite the slack goal last night).

Rooney and Tevez are working well together, that was a great goal with Tevez- Rooney- Tevez GOAAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLL!!!!!!

 

[Thewlis Dish]

Anderson will be the heir apparent to Scholes in that attacking central midfield role. An absolute gem, and seems to have the qualities to succeed in England, which Veron and Kleberson didn't have.

 

[ashley12]

Looking forward to possibly having a rematch in the CL against AC Milan, now that we have a few more midfielders that can pass the ball.

I originally thought that Tevez and Rooney may not work. Dont know exactly why but didnt like the thought of them playing together but they are playing well.

Hope the chemistry lasts beyond just the good times and when things lok bad they can lift the team between them

 

[apollo_creed]

to all the anti-Manchester United people - don't worry, Carrick will be soon be back.

and this 16 or 17 goals in four games thing will be soon forgotten.

any coincidence that its coincided with his abscence and Anderson's introduction (along with the Rooney-Tevez thing of course)?

hopefully for the sake of ridiculously entertaining football Carrick is not fit for the Arsenal game and Ando and Hargo get the gig.

not sure what Scholes situation is - and that sucks as he's still obviously a required asset and especially in key games - but an away game at Arsenal will provide invaluable experience for Anderson. regardless of the end result.

Looking forward to that game already.

 

[Shinboners]

Rooney and Tevez are working well together, that was a great goal with Tevez- Rooney- Tevez GOAAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLL!!!!!!

*****ing magic.

Rooney - it won't be long before I worship him as much as I worship Whiteside, Cantona, and Keane.