Fletch signs new deal

Ever since dunk's missus £#%&!ed up the wallpapering, he's been carrying round a serious 'game face'. And Sparky just got a huge wack of his #@&%! round his face.

Originally Posted by Neo

I agree with you completely.

My point is that I don't believe our current midfield is actually anywhere near strong enough for the youngsters to come through. It needs to be strengthened by one or two new players who are the right age and in their prime. Schweinsteiger and Sneijder are two players who, in my opinion, would have given us exactly what we need. Obviously that's just pipe dreaming but it is what we need. Add the youngsters to that and you've got something that is worthy of a Manchester United midfield.

My guess is that Cleverley and Wellbeck will be used very sparingly next season, whilst Pogba, Morrison and Tunnicliffe will get games in the Carling Cup and the odd league appearance. It will be a while before we can see if they have a real future here. The bridge between now and then is quite long, and as you say its a difficult balancing act.

My fear is that we are taking a bit of a gamble by sticking with some of these guys in the hope that the youngsters make it. I would have liked to have seen some real quality added to midfield this summer, and it still could happen, but with the new contracts being given out it just gives the impression that we're sticking with what we've got.

I will be happy to see Gibson and Hargreaves let go as long as their replacements are real top drawer players and not more 'value' dross. With Carrick and Fletcher providing good squad cover it will give the youngsters that strong midfield to break into.

I agree. We need at least one quality addition, who is going to be a 'First XI' player. Carrick should be no more than a squad player, based upon his performances for the last 2 seasons. Not guaranteed a shirt no matter how shit he is.

Originally Posted by beansy

Ever since dunk's missus £#%&!ed up the wallpapering, he's been carrying round a serious 'game face'. And Sparky just got a huge wack of his #@&%! round his face.

beansy loves the bants doesnt he

Originally Posted by Neo

. With Carrick and Fletcher providing good squad cover it will give the youngsters that strong midfield to break into.

the pair of them will be first team regulars for years to come. this idea that they're suddenly only worth a squad place is bizarre tbh. fletcher has been poor muchly this season, carrick has been functional muchly. it's arguable that in the case of carrick this is mostly by tactical design as united continue to use and update 4-4-2 as their most regular formation. united are top scorers, have the best defence and top of the league. i'm guessing, but i reckon these are contibutory factors in ferguson continuing to play them so often, especially carrick.

Originally Posted by Coracao

I agree. We need at least one quality addition, who is going to be a 'First XI' player. Carrick should be no more than a squad player, based upon his performances for the last 2 seasons, not guaranteed a shirt no matter how shit he is.

Agreed.

We havent signed a guaranteed starter for £#%&!ing ages. The first XI needs strengthening, not the squad.

Originally Posted by Albert Tatlock

Seems we're signing this lad from Andelecht

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/foot...td/9411803.stm

Midfielder, the locals tell me he's a good prospect, but I guess we wouldn't be signing him if he wasn't

Looks like he won't get beaten up in midfield - he's a £#%&!ing monster

Originally Posted by Charlestown Rouge

Looks like he won't get beaten up in midfield - he's a £#%&!ing monster

A cross between McCauley Culkin and Berbs

Originally Posted by Tumescent Throb

the pair of them will be first team regulars for years to come. this idea that they're suddenly only worth a squad place is bizarre tbh. fletcher has been poor muchly this season, carrick has been functional muchly. it's arguable that in the case of carrick this is mostly by tactical design as united continue to use and update 4-4-2 as their most regular formation. united are top scorers, have the best defence and top of the league. i'm guessing, but i reckon these are contibutory factors in ferguson continuing to play them so often, especially carrick.

We have the best defensive record in the league because we have the best back five in Europe.

We are top goal scorers because Berbatov and Nani have turned it on this season and have been two of the best players in the country.

Carrick and Fletcher have both been very poor this season and are not major factors in the two stats above as you seem to imply.

You say Carrick's role has been adapted by 'tactical design', yet if you analyse his individual performances he has been consistently poor. You claimed in a previous thread that he acts as a 'screen' for the defence; my argument is that he isn't even good enough in this role.

He doesn't tackle and his distribution for a deep-sitting midfielder is absolutely atrocious. His passing range is supposedly his biggest strength yet he rarely makes a forward pass ffs. His performance at Marseille was shocking and was a magnified example of his past two seasons. Abysmal.

His positioning is often good, and he clearly has a decent footballing brain, but I expect a lot more from him. His weaknesses far outnumber his positives IMO.

Originally Posted by Neo

We have the best defensive record in the league because we have the best back five in Europe.

We are top goal scorers because Berbatov and Nani have turned it on this season and have been two of the best players in the country.

Carrick and Fletcher have both been very poor this season and are not major factors in the two stats above as you seem to imply.

You say Carrick's role has been adapted by 'tactical design', yet if you analyse his individual performances he has been consistently poor. You claimed in a previous thread that he acts as a 'screen' for the defence; my argument is that he isn't even good enough in this role.

He doesn't tackle and his distribution for a deep-sitting midfielder is absolutely atrocious. His passing range is supposedly his biggest strength yet he rarely makes a forward pass ffs. His performance at Marseille was shocking and was a magnified example of his past two seasons. Abysmal.

His positioning is often good, and he clearly has a decent footballing brain, but I expect a lot more from him. His weaknesses far outnumber his positives IMO.

Carrick's not been very poor this season at all....he's had a few bad games but overall he's ben far bettter than Fletcher for instance

Originally Posted by Neo

I agree with you completely.

My point is that I don't believe our current midfield is actually anywhere near strong enough for the youngsters to come through. It needs to be strengthened by one or two new players who are the right age and in their prime. Schweinsteiger and Sneijder are two players who, in my opinion, would have given us exactly what we need. Obviously that's just pipe dreaming but it is what we need. Add the youngsters to that and you've got something that is worthy of a Manchester United midfield.

My guess is that Cleverley and Wellbeck will be used very sparingly next season, whilst Pogba, Morrison and Tunnicliffe will get games in the Carling Cup and the odd league appearance. It will be a while before we can see if they have a real future here. The bridge between now and then is quite long, and as you say its a difficult balancing act.

My fear is that we are taking a bit of a gamble by sticking with some of these guys in the hope that the youngsters make it. I would have liked to have seen some real quality added to midfield this summer, and it still could happen, but with the new contracts being given out it just gives the impression that we're sticking with what we've got.

I will be happy to see Gibson and Hargreaves let go as long as their replacements are real top drawer players and not more 'value' dross. With Carrick and Fletcher providing good squad cover it will give the youngsters that strong midfield to break into.

That is the problem though Neo, those kind of players are 'pipe dreaming' for numerous reasons without even thinking about the associated costs involved in signing them.

Hence the "value dross" as you so dismissively call it is an area where the club has to look; along with sticking with the likes of Fletch and Carrick who both in the past have been good players.

In terms of top draw quality targets for central midfield I truly struggle to think who we a have realistic chance of signing. there are a few who are rated yet ply their trade in lesser leagues (i.e. Yoann Gourcuff, or hamsik) therefore the associated risks are stupid considering the associated transfer cost and the standards expected at UTD.

It is okay throwing toys around because we have not bought household names for a couple of seasons (as some on here have done) but it is really not as simple as some always seem to make out.

Originally Posted by Neo

We have the best defensive record in the league because we have the best back five in Europe.

We are top goal scorers because Berbatov and Nani have turned it on this season and have been two of the best players in the country.

Carrick and Fletcher have both been very poor this season and are not major factors in the two stats above as you seem to imply.

You say Carrick's role has been adapted by 'tactical design', yet if you analyse his individual performances he has been consistently poor. You claimed in a previous thread that he acts as a 'screen' for the defence; my argument is that he isn't even good enough in this role.

He doesn't tackle and his distribution for a deep-sitting midfielder is absolutely atrocious. His passing range is supposedly his biggest strength yet he rarely makes a forward pass ffs. His performance at Marseille was shocking and was a magnified example of his past two seasons. Abysmal.

His positioning is often good, and he clearly has a decent footballing brain, but I expect a lot more from him. His weaknesses far outnumber his positives IMO.

Agreed on Carrick.

Originally Posted by £#%&! KFC

Carrick's not been very poor this season at all....he's had a few bad games but overall he's ben far bettter than Fletcher for instance

maybe i don't watch closely enough, but a team that is top scorers and has the best defence doesn't have a poor midfield as far as i know.

i don't mean to nitpick in the "let's slag off the entire midfield for the whole £#%&!ing season because the defence and attack are above much criticism now that we've been proved wrong about hernandez, berbatov, rafael and smalling" competition, but midfield is kind of crucial to all successful sides. anyhoo, we'll see how it pans out in the last quarter of the season...

Originally Posted by Tumescent Throb

maybe i don't watch closely enough, but a team that is top scorers and has the best defence doesn't have a poor midfield as far as i know.

i don't mean to nitpick in the "let's slag off the entire midfield for the whole £#%&!ing season because the defence and attack are above much criticism now that we've been proved wrong about hernandez, berbatov, rafael and smalling" competition, but midfield is kind of crucial to all successful sides. anyhoo, we'll see how it pans out in the last quarter of the season...

Who's been proved wrong about Hernandez, Berbatov, Rafael and Smalling you jumped-up #@&%!? Don't lump everyone who has a concern about a particular area of the squad into one group of 'deluded perma-skeptics'.

As much as you would hate to believe, there are actually supporters who are concerned about the midfield who were happy when we signed the likes of Pea and Smalling. I even welcomed the Bebe signing. Questioning the strength of the squad is allowed, you know. Its better than having some blind faith in Fergie and the club, which is what you seem to possess. That's delusion.

And winning the league doesn't automatically mean we have an indestructible midfield, free of any problems. France won the World Cup in 1998 with no decent strikers. Other areas of the side can make up for weaknesses, which has happened with us this season. I don't want to see us take the risk next season and hope to strengthen. You'll wait and see what Fergie says, and then agree with him.

Originally Posted by Neo

Who's been proved wrong about Hernandez, Berbatov, Rafael and Smalling you jumped-up #@&%!? Don't lump everyone who has a concern about a particular area of the squad into one group of 'deluded perma-skeptics'.

As much as you would hate to believe, there are actually supporters who are concerned about the midfield who were happy when we signed the likes of Pea and Smalling. I even welcomed the Bebe signing. Questioning the strength of the squad is allowed, you know. Its better than having some blind faith in Fergie and the club, which is what you seem to possess. That's delusion.

And winning the league doesn't automatically mean we have an indestructible midfield, free of any problems. France won the World Cup in 1998 with no decent strikers. Other areas of the side can make up for weaknesses, which has happened with us this season. I don't want to see us take the risk next season and hope to strengthen. You'll wait and see what Fergie says, and then agree with him.

top top post neo

Originally Posted by Sparky***

WAKE UP YOU £#%&!ING MORONS.

You keep saying this. What the £#%&! do you mean by it?

How many of us actually think everything's hunky dory?

The answer is one. Throb.

Originally Posted by carlosartorial

Gibson next.

That's a forgone conclusion & sadly I suspect an accurate one.

Originally Posted by andyroo

You keep saying this. What the £#%&! do you mean by it?

How many of us actually think everything's hunky dory?

The answer is one. Throb.

You're obviously a smart lad, have a £#%&!ing guess?

What do you think it means? Do i need to draw you a diagram?