If everyone in Uniteds squad was fully fit, what would be your first chioice team?

Damn, I'm showing my ignorance here. Tell me if I have the following right;

aquisition - is this the process of buying a bottle of water?

to emence - to emit menaces?

Originally Posted by S/Side.Red

Your description sounds about right. My main memory of that goal was that they just went straight through the middle of the pitch. I just feel that without Carrick we're far more vulnerable to this. Hargreaves has his uses, as does Anderson, but I've seen little to suggest that either can do this role. I don't think it would have hurt to pick up another player of that type to cover ourselves when Carrick is injured or needs resting.



What was interesting, I thought, was that after that brief period, Fergie very rarely - if at all - played Hargreaves in that role again. As far as I can remember it was at right-back or on the right side of midfield for much of the second half of the season. It'll be interesting to see if he gives him another try as the deepest midfielder, but I really don't think it's where he should be playing.

I'd say Hargreaves certainly can do the job, but that it takes away from his game the very under-rated attacking adventure he has, for instance his display against Rome at home was superb (Portugal in Germany after Rooney's red card also springs to mind, when some of his work was top drawer) He provided the defence with an excellent screen at Anfield last season, even if not in the classic rigid sense of a Makelele. He was used just as specifically to shut opposition players out in the hole when he was at Bayern operating at the top level of the game in the CL against the likes of Kaka for example, if memeory serves.

United's scrambling defence is absolutely crucial because of our commitment to attack, obviously. Ferguson was pissed off with that Arsenal goal on account of it stemming from our throw-in by their corner flag. I certainly don't think that he blamed Hargreaves for any particular inherent inability to operate in that position. Rather it was just his failure at that moment, in that incident, to make the most of the position he was in; in the first instance he lost his man in midfield, and in the second he went chasing the ball and was by-passed (he wasn't the only player who might've stepped in to mop up, but he was the one best placed to've nipped it in the bud imo) He was much much better as the season went on, although he still played too few games, and was often used to fill various other positions as injuries dictated.

I agree that given the choice you'd pick Carrick over Hargreaves in a midfield two, simply because what you lose off the ball you more than make up for on the ball. Ideally they'd both be in there, and once Scholes and Giggs begin to wind it down as this season moves into next, then that will hopefully happen more and more, with Anderson in there as well for good measure.

can't believe anderson is getting in so many teams above scholes/hargreaves. tin hat on, but i don't think he was anything special last season. he's a fantastic prospect but nowhere near the finished article imo. some of you lot have gone well overboard.

no point doing a team because our best line up will change from game to game. for a few home games against crap teams i'd like to see

--------------vds
hargreaves - vidic - rio - evra
--------carrick - scholes
ronaldo ----- tevez --- rooney
------------berbatov

and just @#%&! them 8-2.

Originally Posted by Serenity Now

After a brief Google investigation, it appears that I have misoverestimated the originality of Sharath's construction. 'Degressed' is apparently in long standing usage amongst people of advanced intelligence the world over, as evidenced by the following sentence:

I am dissapointed in you. Like your name suggests, I thought you were calmness personified. instead you also jumped on the bandwagon.

what's more dissapointing is the fact that you resorted to insult the post of mine instead of arguing the points. I expected better from you. :shakehead:

Originally Posted by keano's love

I am dissapointed in you. Like your name suggests, I thought you were calmness personified. instead you also jumped on the bandwagon.

what's more dissapointing is the fact that you resorted to insult the post of mine instead of arguing the points. I expected better from you. :shakehead:

Why can't you be more like your cousin Loyd Braun?

you dim £#%&!.

Originally Posted by khmk

Why can't you be more like your cousin Loyd Braun?

you dim £#%&!.

£#%&!wit

Originally Posted by Mr_Ed

VDS
Wes Vidic Ferdinand Evra
Carrick Hargo
Ronaldo
Berbatov Teves Rooney

Goaltastic

it would fail miserably but for a laugh, against shit teams/city at home, i'd do that


as long as it was tevez, and not his evil twin teves

you flash bastard.

Originally Posted by Jack Duckworth

you flash bastard.

It's only paint. I haven't played football manager in years, i got a bit giddy.

Originally Posted by Fatboy Shrek

you another one who thinks berbatov lacks pace? or any movement whatsoever?

give me some instructions please fatboy

i meant about the paint thing you funny £#%&!er

Originally Posted by Tumescent Throb

give me some instructions please fatboy

i meant about the paint thing you funny £#%&!er

Load paint, type out the names. Then go crazy with arrows and boxes

VDS
Wes
Rio
Vidic
Evra
Hargreaves
Carrick
Anderson
Ronaldo
Tevez
Berbatov

you could play that as a 442 with Hargreaves on the right like he did against Chelsea in the final, or as a 433 like for most of last season with Rooney making way for Berbatov.

nft.

Vds
wes rio vida evra

hargo
ronnie scholes rooney

berba tevez

VDS

Brown Ferdinand Vidic Evra

Anderson Carrick

Ronaldo Tevez Rooney

Berbatov

Originally Posted by Tumescent Throb

I'd say Hargreaves certainly can do the job, but that it takes away from his game the very under-rated attacking adventure he has, for instance his display against Rome at home was superb (Portugal in Germany after Rooney's red card also springs to mind, when some of his work was top drawer) He provided the defence with an excellent screen at Anfield last season, even if not in the classic rigid sense of a Makelele. He was used just as specifically to shut opposition players out in the hole when he was at Bayern operating at the top level of the game in the CL against the likes of Kaka for example, if memeory serves.

United's scrambling defence is absolutely crucial because of our commitment to attack, obviously. Ferguson was pissed off with that Arsenal goal on account of it stemming from our throw-in by their corner flag. I certainly don't think that he blamed Hargreaves for any particular inherent inability to operate in that position. Rather it was just his failure at that moment, in that incident, to make the most of the position he was in; in the first instance he lost his man in midfield, and in the second he went chasing the ball and was by-passed (he wasn't the only player who might've stepped in to mop up, but he was the one best placed to've nipped it in the bud imo) He was much much better as the season went on, although he still played too few games, and was often used to fill various other positions as injuries dictated.

I agree that given the choice you'd pick Carrick over Hargreaves in a midfield two, simply because what you lose off the ball you more than make up for on the ball. Ideally they'd both be in there, and once Scholes and Giggs begin to wind it down as this season moves into next, then that will hopefully happen more and more, with Anderson in there as well for good measure.

I agree that Hargreaves was excellent at Anfield; for me that was his best performance, in midfield at least, by some distance. However, if I remember correctly United did sit rather deep on that day and, as we all know, Liverpool offer very little in the way of penetration from midfield: Anderson often forced Gerrard back into his own half and Mascherano never gets forward. Their supply to their wide players, as usual, was poor and as much as I think Hargreaves played very well, the nature of the match meant he wasn't truly tested in my opinion.

You mention the Bayern-Milan game and, to be honest, that was one of the matches which made me doubtful about the Hargreaves singing. Seedorf and Kaka ran rings around the Bayern midfield at times. Indeed, both goals came from central positions 25 metres from goal: with the first, Seedorf was given way too much time to dispatch a shot into the bottom corner from the edge of the box; then Milan played it around with ridiculous ease, drawing Bayern well up the pitch, before slicing them open and leaving Inzaghi with space to run into and a one-on-one with Kahn, which he finished, again from the edge of the area. Hargreaves and the Bayern midfield just couldn't get anywhere near Milan at times that night.

For me, he's a player with plenty of qualities and uses, but he lacks the positional sense, discipline and general intelligence to play that role. I'm also not sure his passing and ability on the ball in tight situations is consistent enough for someone who receives the ball as often as the player in that role does.

I thought Hargreaves was very good in that match for Bayern. I also think it's important to be clear about what exactly the Hargreaves role would be in centre midfield for United, as oppose to say the classic Makalele role at Chelsea. Hargreaves has an adventure to his play which is rarely mentioned, and playing for United that is a very important aspect. We see this in all the centre midfielders Ferguson buys or brings through, and Hargreaves is no exception to Carrick, Fletcher, Scholes or Anderson in that respect. Personally I think he has demonstrated excellent versatility and flexibility already in his time at the club, with effective displays in a variety of positions and fluid formations. Mascherano is simply not capable of matching his influence on a match in any truly positive sense imo.

Speaking of Bayern, TT, you know they played 3-5-2 last weekend. Hammered Hertha Berlin in very impressive fashion, by all accounts.

Originally Posted by S/Side.Red

Speaking of Bayern, TT, you know they played 3-5-2 last weekend. Hammered Hertha Berlin in very impressive fashion, by all accounts.

First win of the season for them, wasn't it?

For some reason, I just can't bring myself to watch the Bundesliga