*OFFICIAL* Match Thread - Manchester United v Swansea 16/08/14

Originally Posted by ChairmanMao

But don't you see this is exactly the reason that Ferguson never gave youth teamers a shout towards the end, because young players will £#%&! up every now and again until they learn and you either let them take their lumps and accept that you may lose too many to challenge for the title for a year, or you buy another player, and perversely cop shit from the same fans who slag the young players for £#%&!ing up, who then slag you for not giving youth a chance.

Blackett did fine for a first game in a shitty all round team, he gave the ball away once and we got £#%&!ed for it, Darren Fletcher gave the ball away 10 times but got away with it in goal terms.

It's alright blooding youngsters in a team full of experienced heads to guide them and organise them. Having blackett make his debut alongside Larry and Moe at centre back was always asking for trouble, but what choice did we have?

That was the best part about fergies youngsters coming through; Neville had steve bruce and Schmeichel to sort him out and make sure he didn't do anything £#%&!ing stupid. Nicky Butt had Keane next to him and up front Paul Scholes had Cantona.

The fact is Lingard and Blackett aren't in the team because they're "just so good we can't hold them back" - they're in there by default. which is £#%&!ing insane.

Originally Posted by ChairmanMao

Sorry but that bit's horseshit, Rooney looks slimmer than he has for years, probably as slim as he's ever been.

My point was more that he's infamous for having been overweight and unfit for most of his career, not necessarily referring to his current condition. I don't see how that's a good example to 20 y/o lads.
And he does still look overweight to me.

Originally Posted by Swansea Jack

I don't recall posting on here previously, but I could be wrong about that.

http://www.utdforum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=204841

Is that you or just coincidence?

Originally Posted by 75Red

My point was more that he's infamous for having been overweight and unfit for most of his career, not necessarily referring to his current condition. I don't see how that's a good example to 20 y/o lads.
And he does still look overweight to me.

tool

Originally Posted by 75Red

http://www.utdforum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=204841

Is that you or just coincidence?

Not me.

The phrasing is different for a kick-off and I've no idea what that Swansea Jack is on about. EDIT: Something to do with losing to you and Cardiff City possibly.

FWIW, Swansea Jack is a very common term in Swansea and it implies someone who either is born/bred in - or otherwise identifies with - the City of Swansea. So it could be anyone.

Originally Posted by andyroo

I was asked a question and I answered, sorry if I'm keeping you up beyond your bedtime.

Originally Posted by Withers

Nah, he was a cute @#%&!. Knew exactly what he was doing.

Where is he now?

Newcomer of the year. :shakehead:

Has had a few posts recently. I think he's OK, tbh

When you stand back and look at our squad you realise just how drastic the decline from 2009 has been.

Players we've lost since 09:

van der Sar
Neville
Evra
Hargreaves
Ferdinand
Brown
Ronaldo
Saha
Berbatov
Giggs
Vidic
Scholes
O'Shea
Silvestre
Tevez

And of course Sir Alex. Plus Fletcher and Carrick have aged, one of them arguably finished. Has Rooney improved? And the youngsters from 09 (Welbeck, Evans, Cleverley) haven't really developed how we hoped.

What we've brought in since:

Valencia
Owen
Obertan
Smalling
Hernandez
Bebe
Lindegaard
Jones
Young
De Gea
Kagawa
Powell
van Persie
Buttner
Zaha
Fellaini
Mata
Shaw
Herrera

Massive, criminal, decline. What else would you expect with the above?

Add Rafael to that. Another who hasn't delivered on initial promise.

Originally Posted by JakeB

When you stand back and look at our squad you realise just how drastic the decline from 2009 has been.

Players we've lost since 09:

van der Sar
Neville
Evra
Hargreaves
Ferdinand
Brown
Ronaldo
Saha
Berbatov
Giggs
Vidic
Scholes
O'Shea
Silvestre
Tevez

And of course Sir Alex. Plus Fletcher and Carrick have aged, one of them arguably finished. Has Rooney improved? And the youngsters from 09 (Welbeck, Evans, Cleverley) haven't really developed how we hoped.

What we've brought in since:

Valencia
Owen
Obertan
Smalling
Hernandez
Bebe
Lindegaard
Jones
Young
De Gea
Kagawa
Powell
van Persie
Buttner
Zaha
Fellaini
Mata
Shaw
Herrera

Massive, criminal, decline. What else would you expect with the above?

Wow that is worse than I though.

Someone mentioned the summer of 2007 as a disastrous transfer window earlier. I think it's one of the best we've ever had - in terms of addressing the squad needs at the time and showing ambition.

We signed a dynamic defensive midfielder with champions league experience (albeit with a abject injury record and at a price that would have been much less a year prior). In his first season though, Hargreaves made a significant contribution, particularly in the Champions League final.

We signed Carlos Tevez which, when added to Ronaldo, Rooney and Saha, gave us the best attack in Europe.

We also bought two of the brightest talents in Europe, which showed that we were thinking ambitiously about the future.*

Whilst individually those transfers haven't worked out as we would have liked, the strategy was very promising, and led to us having a superb first team and squad, winning the Champions League.

As people have pointed out, the windows since then have been increasingly farcical.

The team of 07/08 would have achieved greatness if they had succeeded in retaining the Champions League the following year.

The lack of vision and decline in quality since then has been diabolical. Seems to have started when Quieroz left.

I'm hoping that LVG has the vision to put things right.

Even if you disregard the lack of transfers, some things are initially concerning.

I was hoping that the technically limited and unambitious players in our squad would be sold. Incredibly however, it seems like Young and Valencia are safer than Nani!

Also, we are short on defenders but our first choice formation needs 5 of them.

Herrera off? The shadow of Moyes on with Kagawa on the bench? The many hopeful long balls?

Originally Posted by Ranier Wolfcastle

Someone mentioned the summer of 2007 as a disastrous transfer window earlier. I think it's one of the best we've ever had - in terms of addressing the squad needs at the time and showing ambition.

We signed a dynamic defensive midfielder with champions league experience (albeit with a abject injury record and at a price that would have been much less a year prior). In his first season though, Hargreaves made a significant contribution, particularly in the Champions League final.

We signed Carlos Tevez which, when added to Ronaldo, Rooney and Saha, gave us the best attack in Europe.

We also bought two of the brightest talents in Europe, which showed that we were thinking ambitiously about the future.*

Whilst individually those transfers haven't worked out as we would have liked, the strategy was very promising, and led to us having a superb first team and squad, winning the Champions League.

As people have pointed out, the windows since then have been increasingly farcical.

The team of 07/08 would have achieved greatness if they had succeeded in retaining the Champions League the following year.

The lack of vision and decline in quality since then has been diabolical. Seems to have started when Quieroz left.

I'm hoping that LVG has the vision to put things right.

Even if you disregard the lack of transfers, some things are initially concerning.

I was hoping that the technically limited and unambitious players in our squad would be sold. Incredibly however, it seems like Young and Valencia are safer than Nani!

Also, we are short on defenders but our first choice formation needs 5 of them.

Herrera off? The shadow of Moyes on with Kagawa on the bench? The many hopeful long balls?

Before i read your post, can I just say fantastic name.

Edit - 5 defenders? You scouse @#%&!.

Can't quite believe we lost that match but after about 25 minutes I've got to admit I was alarmed at the complete lack of threat we were producing.

That formation will only work with seriously good players in all positions.

Why Lingard was given a start ahead of Nani Januzaj or even Kagawa I'll never work out but I trust in this manager to get it right.

Originally Posted by TheKitchenSink

Where did all the passing and movement go?

Obviously, the opposition are sharper and close down space quicker, but there's a difference between doing something in practice games and doing it under pressure. The players don't yet trust themselves under pressure so revert to what they're comfortable with. It's like a golfer making a swing change. They can do it in practice but it takes time before they can transfer that to repeating it under pressure. That and the fact a lot of them are shit.

Originally Posted by Jammy Dodger

Obviously, the opposition are sharper and close down space quicker, but there's a difference between doing something in practice games and doing it under pressure. The players don't yet trust themselves under pressure so revert to what they're comfortable with. It's like a golfer making a swing change. They can do it in practice but it takes time before they can transfer that to repeating it under pressure. That and the fact a lot of them are shit.

The alarm bells for me starting ringing in that first 45 mins against Liverpool in pre season. The first sort of 'real' type game and they all went to shit. Once Liverpool faded physically in the 2nd half we got more joy but we were all over the place in the first half. Couldn't live with their pace and pressing. Fletcher looked finished and the defence was a disorganised rabble.

Today was almighty wake up call.

Originally Posted by Stickman

Can't quite believe we lost that match but after about 25 minutes I've got to admit I was alarmed at the complete lack of threat we were producing.

That formation will only work with seriously good players in all positions.

Why Lingard was given a start ahead of Nani Januzaj or even Kagawa I'll never work out but I trust in this manager to get it right.

was thinking the same that first half hour - dominating possession but creating £#%&! all with it

even more worrying was how a team who had about three attempts on goal managed to score two

Originally Posted by Sparky***

The alarm bells for me starting ringing in that first 45 mins against Liverpool in pre season. The first sort of 'real' type game and they all went to shit. Once Liverpool faded physically in the 2nd half we got more joy but we were all over the place in the first half. Couldn't live with their pace and pressing. Fletcher looked finished and the defence was a disorganised rabble.

Today was almighty wake up call.

State the £#%&!ing obvious!

Itll be sorted or we've employed a £#%&!ing clueless @#%&!.

When we get it together some teams are gonna get a hiding

Originally Posted by vangaalsbigballs

What bullshit. In the summer of 2009 alone, he messed up so badly. Money was there from ronaldo sale. could have got 3 world class players for that money with net spend of 0. Instead he goes and signs obertan, owen and valencia.

The bond issue was more important. Which is why he spent so little of the Ronaldo money.

The club made 100 million profit that season and then the 80 million Ronaldo money on top. Got dicked by barca in the final. Fergie speaks of his determination to match them. Buys Valencia, Owen and obertan. £#%&!ing joke. Bond issue was a success though. Which is the main thing.

The second half was like he'd found one of Moyes's glossy planning sheets lying around and thought he'd give it a try.