*Official Match Thread* - Manchester United v Manchester City 25/10/15

Originally Posted by barca99

Has the fact that we played away in Moscow mid week been mentioned. Or the fact that if we had gone for it big time and they nicked a winner we would be £#%&!ed right about now?

That's a good point. We played pretty well for a game following a European trip. We've played a heck of a lot worse after such games over the past 15 years.

Originally Posted by irk

oh, mistakes?

apology accepted

yes, I know I'm being an arse

Not for Rooney. That's his normal game.

Originally Posted by Baron

I'm by no means an advocate for the "up & at 'em" approach, but trying to attack & someone sticking a proper tackle in isn't outlandish. It's still English football & it's still Manchester United. Our heroes are Robbo, Keane, Ronnie, Eric... even peak Rooney would have been banjoing City players & playing with intent rather than maintaining his composure & not wandering out of his tactical square.

I think crunching tackles are what's missing from the game in general. Most games in the 80s started slow and it was usually a crunching tackle that got the fans and players going.

We lack urgency. Or at least a change of pace/tempo when an opportunity presents itself during the probing, patient play. It's like fergie used to say about teams like barca, it would be slow and patient and then you'd switch off for a second and they'd pounce and kill you.

Originally Posted by Denis Irwell

For years before Ferie, we must have signed a million strikers, most of whom were crap. Fat Ron, alone must've tried a dozen, all flopped. Enter Ferie, and we're scoring goals again, after the first couple of years, anyway.

Took him 5 or 6 years before we started scoring a lot of goals. And he did it by building a solid defensive foundation first. He was constantly talking about defence, and being happy to win boring or win every game 1-0 in his first 3 years or so. Just like moyes in fact. I remember because I hated him for it, because it wasn't the united way. I guess someone educated him along the way.

Originally Posted by Denis Irwell

He knew a striker when he saw one, or at least knew what to do with one.

Put them in central midfield if I recall correctly.

Originally Posted by no fun

Ive seen throw ins on the half way line that were more of a penalty than that

Still fuming about that now, tbh

Originally Posted by atticusgrinch

Not even then really. You could argue that from Ferguson's last team there's now two players who are in United's current best team. We've replaced 9 of the 1st 11 in just over a year. And you've still got moaning that we only dominated City and are only 2 points off the top.

You could also argue there are 5, De Gea, Jones, Smalling, Rooney and Valencia. Last 2 up for debate, Rooney, for one because Fergie wanted rid and for his current form, while Valencia might be winning his argument with Darmian for the moment.

This net spend discussion needs to be applied across the board, no-one wanted to talk Net spend when it came to Rodgers.

Any news on that injury Valencia picked up BTW?

Originally Posted by Tiberian

You could also argue there are 5, De Gea, Jones, Smalling, Rooney and Valencia. Last 2 up for debate, Rooney, for one because Fergie wanted rid and for his current form, while Valencia might be winning his argument with Darmian for the moment.

This net spend discussion needs to be applied across the board, no-one wanted to talk Net spend when it came to Rodgers.

Any news on that injury Valencia picked up BTW?

Originally Posted by atticusgrinch

Is that the girl from game of thrones? I love her.

Originally Posted by Tiberian

You could also argue there are 5, De Gea, Jones, Smalling, Rooney and Valencia. Last 2 up for debate, Rooney, for one because Fergie wanted rid and for his current form, while Valencia might be winning his argument with Darmian for the moment.

This net spend discussion needs to be applied across the board, no-one wanted to talk Net spend when it came to Rodgers.

Any news on that injury Valencia picked up BTW?

A kick on the foot that he got in the first half became too painful to play on with apparently. Shouldn't be too serious.

Originally Posted by Sparky***

Is that the girl from game of thrones? I love her.

Yes. She is lovely. Seen pretty much everything too.

Originally Posted by Tiberian

This net spend discussion needs to be applied across the board, no-one wanted to talk Net spend when it came to Rodgers.?

Wonder why people were keen to paint Liverpool's transfer business in the worst possible light

Originally Posted by Sparky***

Is that the girl from game of thrones? I love her.

Originally Posted by atticusgrinch

Yes. She is lovely. Seen pretty much everything too.

Originally Posted by dragflick

Classic Drogo.

Originally Posted by Red Al

For me it shows how Utd are building from the ashes of the moyes debacle

Two years ago we were outclassed by city home and away and most if not all Utd fans knew we where 2/3 of a team away from city's level.
Watching yaya and co.waltzing through our midfeild and citys forwards pissing all over our shit defence.
I honestly used to dread playing them post oil money

Was thinking about this earlier. If I remember rightly Fergie lost three of his last four league derbies, right? And the FA Cup semi in one of those years? Moyes obviously lost both of his derby games. So when LvG took over we had lost 6 out of the last 7 competitive derbies?

That's something that certainly needed addressing.

Originally Posted by Tiberian

You could also argue there are 5, De Gea, Jones, Smalling, Rooney and Valencia. Last 2 up for debate, Rooney, for one because Fergie wanted rid and for his current form, while Valencia might be winning his argument with Darmian for the moment.

This net spend discussion needs to be applied across the board, no-one wanted to talk Net spend when it came to Rodgers.

Any news on that injury Valencia picked up BTW?

More like City / Chelsea levels of spending tbh as Liverpool were never able to attract the quality of player (regardless of fee) that was required. Throwing enough money at £15-20m signings means it stacks up quickly though.

Both City & Chelsea won the league in the 2nd season of spending mega money (£100m+) & although there is obviously an inflation aspect to take into account we've dished serious cash & from a far more stable platform than City did

The competition might be fiercer now, but it feels more like we beat ourselves more often than we get genuinely turned over. Not being disingenuous to the rest of the league, but it's hardly peak Serie A levels of competition is it.

Originally Posted by Baron

More like City / Chelsea levels of spending tbh as Liverpool were never able to attract the quality of player (regardless of fee) that was required. Throwing enough money at £15-20m signings means it stacks up quickly though.

Both City & Chelsea won the league in the 2nd season of spending mega money (£100m+) & although there is obviously an inflation aspect to take into account we've dished serious cash & from a far more stable platform than City did

The competition might be fiercer now, but it feels more like we beat ourselves more often than we get genuinely turned over. Not being disingenuous to the rest of the league, but it's hardly peak Serie A levels of competition is it.

Yeah, you're not getting Drogba, Essien etc. for less than £30m each now

Originally Posted by itisme_panaflex

165m net spent in 2 years.

http://www.soccerbase.com/teams/team...Tabs=transfers

Do not even think about claiming sales don't count.

Not only that, but even just focusing on how much we have paid, a huge chunk of the money spent was on a rat @#%&! who isn't even here anymore. Kinda muddles the point about where the squad should be after such spending. United were right to cut their losses on a player who was worth signing, but inevitably it sets you back a little.

Originally Posted by dunk

Yeah, you're not getting Drogba, Essien etc. for less than £30m each now

Look at City yesterday, Sterling, 46 million, De Bruyne 55(seriously?) million, Bony 30 million, Fernandinho 30 million. The first 2 might end up as excellent players for them but we are hardly talking about elite players on the world stage right now.

Bony as a 30 million forward just shows how little striking talent has been out there recently and why Martial is looking a better signing by the week.

Originally Posted by S/Side.Red

Not only that, but even just focusing on how much we have paid, a huge chunk of the money spent was on a rat @#%&! who isn't even here anymore. Kinda muddles the point about where the squad should be after such spending. United were right to cut their losses on a player who was worth signing, but inevitably it sets you back a little.

And Falcao. You look at it and on paper he signed a World Class striker and a World Class wide attacker. Were both to have lived up to their reputation/billing we would now be a serious challenger in all comps. As it is, they £#%&!ed us.

Originally Posted by Tiberian

Look at City yesterday, Sterling, 46 million, De Bruyne 55(seriously?) million, Bony 30 million, Fernandinho 30 million. The first 2 might end up as excellent players for them but we are hardly talking about elite players on the world stage right now.

Bony as a 30 million forward just shows how little striking talent has been out there recently and why Martial is looking a better signing by the week.

He's a £#%&!ing joke that Bony. Strong though. Had about 3 players hanging off him at one point and maintained possession...

Originally Posted by Tiberian

Look at City yesterday, Sterling, 46 million, De Bruyne 55(seriously?) million, Bony 30 million, Fernandinho 30 million. The first 2 might end up as excellent players for them but we are hardly talking about elite players on the world stage right now.

Bony as a 30 million forward just shows how little striking talent has been out there recently and why Martial is looking a better signing by the week.

Tbh I think they've kinda £#%&!ed it with that one. Several strikers they could have bought for a fraction of that who are better.

He cost £30m and is not in the top 25 forwards in Europe, probably. Awful signing.

Originally Posted by dunk

And Falcao. You look at it and on paper he signed a World Class striker and a World Class wide attacker. Were both to have lived up to their reputation/billing we would now be a serious challenger in all comps. As it is, they £#%&!ed us.

Falcao was an idiotic signing from the start. Even if he had been 50% of the player he once was we still had old Van Persie and old Rooney for him to work with, we can look at Di Maria but wasting 6 months trying to get all 3 of those in the same team is probably the main reason behind the attacking play being so slow to improve.

Originally Posted by S/Side.Red

Tbh I think they've kinda £#%&!ed it with that one. Several strikers they could have bought for a fraction of that who are better.

He cost £30m and is not in the top 25 forwards in Europe, probably. Awful signing.

Dzeko was far better, maybe even Negredo.

What happened to Jovetic btw, looked a talent coming through at Fiorentina?

Originally Posted by Tiberian

Falcao was an idiotic signing from the start. Even if he had been 50% of the player he once was we still had old Van Persie and old Rooney for him to work with, we can look at Di Maria but wasting 6 months trying to get all 3 of those in the same team is probably the main reason behind the attacking play being so slow to improve.

He was, had he fired though, he'd still be here and the squad would be a different proposition, which must've been the plan.

Originally Posted by Tiberian

Dzeko was far better, maybe even Negredo.

What happened to Jovetic btw, looked a talent coming through at Fiorentina?

Sold to Inter, doing well for them. Dzeko is miles better than Bony, City fans properly underrated him. FFP biting them a bit there, they had to ship out Negredo, Dzeko and Jovetic to get some balance on the money side..

Originally Posted by Tiberian

Falcao was an idiotic signing from the start. Even if he had been 50% of the player he once was we still had old Van Persie and old Rooney for him to work with, we can look at Di Maria but wasting 6 months trying to get all 3 of those in the same team is probably the main reason behind the attacking play being so slow to improve.

Indeed.

When you assess their careers right now, it's incredible to think six months ago they were a pairing for us in away league games.

Originally Posted by Tiberian

Dzeko was far better, maybe even Negredo.

What happened to Jovetic btw, looked a talent coming through at Fiorentina?

I may have been kind with 25. There are probably 30+ better than Bony. He's distinctly average.

Jovetic started the season very well with Inter, as Dunk says.