What do we need to do?

Originally Posted by The Watcher

Barcelona have been playing 3-4-3/4-3-3 variant since Cryuff became their manager in the late 80s ffs. 'No formation'

What we need is to stop playing this awful 'passive football' when ever we loose the ball. I hated it when we were winning stuff playing like that in 2007 and 2008 and I hate it now. Get the players in to allow us to play aggressive, dominating football higher up the pitch. We did it beautifully in the first half last night, but I'd like to the see the squad re-organised to allow us to play that way over a season.

Obviously, against most of the shite in the League, such tactics are unnecessary as we'll have enough of the ball anyway. But in Europe, tough away games and matches against Title rivals, it'd be much better to see.

Again, as you well know, the no formation I was quoted as saying was refering to the facts the players don't stick to a certain position, they interchange all game.

But the again you already that's what I meant

Originally Posted by Gorilla Monsoon

At the end of the day, like, when all is said and done, would you be happy with the current squad going into next season? I probably wouldn't, unless Hargreaves was fully fit and Berbatov was playing properly, instead of this 'i'm not lazy, it's how i play' %@#$&!s.

depends how anderson, macheda, welbeck, gibson, evans, obertan, diouf and the mexican lad develop, i suppose.

so no.

Originally Posted by Sparky***

Unfortunately you need top, top quality players across the midfield to do it and we don't at the moment.

But you don't. You need exceptionally gifted players to pass the ball quickly and constantly find and move into space. But playing an aggressive pressing game is simply a matter of coaching. Our players generally have a good appreciation of when to move into another players position, so they'd be perfectly suited to it. Players like Valencia, Rafael, Fletcher, Rooney, Nani, Evra are all perfect for it. René Meulensteen has coached in Holland so must be very familiar with this sort of game.

The only question mark would be our CB's playing 20-30 yards higher up the pitch. They're one of the reasons I think we generally avoid playing like this. Another is how we condition the players. Fergie always wants the team peaking around this time of year and the training seems to be geared to that. To play in the manner described does take incredible physical and mental fitness. But as I said previously, I don't think we'd have to play that way every game. But making it a more common occurrence would be a welcome change imo.

This kid we've signed is a good sign in fact - seems a quick direct player. That's what we need in forward areas. The best United teams under Ferguson have always played a quick, relatively direct game. No unnecessary possession, just pass (forward) and move. Lots of movement and pace, both with and without the ball. I think we've got a good core of players perfectly suited to this style, so I hope whoever we bring in is of a similar nature.

Originally Posted by Redordead

Surely what we need is a striker as near to Tevez as possible? It worked before so find a similar style and bingo

If you had replaced "Tevez" with "Saha" in that statement, you would have been spot on

Originally Posted by Lok

Our transfer budget is roughly -£60m. With £10m spent already, it looks like it will be both Rooney and Vidic that leave this summer.

thats probably about right minus £60m

Originally Posted by The Watcher

But you don't. You need exceptionally gifted players to pass the ball quickly and constantly find and move into space. But playing an aggressive pressing game is simply a matter of coaching. Our players generally have a good appreciation of when to move into another players position, so they'd be perfectly suited to it. Players like Valencia, Rafael, Fletcher, Rooney, Nani, Evra are all perfect for it. René Meulensteen has coached in Holland so must be very familiar with this sort of game.

The only question mark would be our CB's playing 20-30 yards higher up the pitch. They're one of the reasons I think we generally avoid playing like this. Another is how we condition the players. Fergie always wants the team peaking around this time of year and the training seems to be geared to that. To play in the manner described does take incredible physical and mental fitness. But as I said previously, I don't think we'd have to play that way every game. But making it a more common occurrence would be a welcome change imo.

This kid we've signed is a good sign in fact - seems a quick direct player. That's what we need in forward areas. The best United teams under Ferguson have always played a quick, relatively direct game. No unnecessary possession, just pass (forward) and move. Lots of movement and pace, both with and without the ball. I think we've got a good core of players perfectly suited to this style, so I hope whoever we bring in is of a similar nature.

What this man said.

just because the figure quoted for smalling is 10m doesn't mean we've spend anything like that. it will be in installments over a couple of years and will be dependent on appearances and so on.

the biggest single payment last year was the final berbatov installment iirc. the biggest next year will probably be part of valencia's transfer.

How much would we get for Vidic?

Were still very keen on Benzema, talks apparently ongoing and he's keen to come here now.

Originally Posted by Firswood Red

Swap for Benzema would be nice, ideal replacement for Rooney and probably has the ability to play wide if needed.

Originally Posted by dunk

for when he's injured or rested

Originally Posted by Firswood Red

for when he's injured or rested

'Hi Karim, turns out Wayne can't play 65 games a season, we're probably looking to play him in more like 45-50 games, make sure he is nice and sharp for the big 'uns, you know? Anyway, we could do with someone to pick up the slack for 20-ish games a season and warm the bench for the others. You'll get a few minutes here and there, and you never know, he might pick up a few more knocks than we anticipate. Anyway, do you fancy it?'

i thought our squad was brilliant

Aston Villa midfielder James Milner is a summer target for Manchester United with Lyon goalkeeper Hugo Lloris and Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema also in Sir Alex Ferguson's sights.
Full story: Daily Mirror

The Daily Mirror must be constant lurkers on this forum

Originally Posted by dunk

The Daily Mirror must be constant lurkers on this forum

Originally Posted by dunk

The Daily Mirror must be constant lurkers on this forum

Them and a few other newspapers ...

Originally Posted by dunk

'Hi Karim, turns out Wayne can't play 65 games a season, we're probably looking to play him in more like 45-50 games, make sure he is nice and sharp for the big 'uns, you know? Anyway, we could do with someone to pick up the slack for 20-ish games a season and warm the bench for the others. You'll get a few minutes here and there, and you never know, he might pick up a few more knocks than we anticipate. Anyway, do you fancy it?'

Yeah because that's how football works.

What are you suggesting dunk, that we just rely on Rooney and don't have another striker who is decent because they might not get to play all the time? If we had another top out and out striker in our squad we'd be top of the league by a few points now.

Rooney would be able to go on the left at times, he would be able to be rotated a lot more as well. We really struggled with Rooney, Ronaldo and Tevez was our forwards, didn't we? For all Tevez's moaning he played quite a lot for United last seaosn.

Originally Posted by MUFC One Love

Yeah because that's how football works.

What are you suggesting dunk, that we just rely on Rooney and don't have another striker who is decent because they might not get to play all the time? If we had another top out and out striker in our squad we'd be top of the league by a few points now.

Rooney would be able to go on the left at times, he would be able to be rotated a lot more as well. We really struggled with Rooney, Ronaldo and Tevez was our forwards, didn't we? For all Tevez's moaning he played quite a lot for United last seaosn.

It was tongue in cheek you bulb, in response to him being a great replacement for Wayne when he is injured or rested.

Originally Posted by marlo

i thought our squad was brilliant

At the moment its looking for a few years like it's going to be a mix of legendary players who are increasingly finding they're not up to it anymore, mixed with young cheap signings who never will be up to it. And wayne Rooney.

Originally Posted by borsuk

not sure what your point is mate but darren bent is £#%&!, seems just to ramble on a bit, kind of hard to follow, by the time i get to line three or four it's all just merging into one big mess and i haven't a £#%&!ing clue what you're trying to say except something about darren bent he's £#%&!ing shit it's like somebody mumbling into their pint instead of talking to you down the pub like, nothing to do with grammar or anything, or maybe not a pint a whiskey or something maybe a pina collada sounds like something darren bent would drink except he'd probably miss his mouth or something or something else with those daft umbrellas really why the £#%&! do people drink those eh doesn't make any sense anyway what was i saying £#%&! knows something or other have to go back to line three £#%&! that or four almost as bad fancy a pint now i've mentioned it darren bent is £#%&!ing shite good god man darren £#%&!ing bent he'd fit in like one of those umbrellas in a pint, fancy a pint i do is anybody reading this £#%&! me darren bent jesus

i dont think bent is good i was trying to make a point that he'd be better than rodellega and he's more proven, also score more goals in a team as shit as wigan , we need proper proven strikers such as villa or augero or maybe benzema not prospects like the mexican kid, that was the general gist, oh and not so many out and so few in get it, its not hard

Originally Posted by MUFC1999

i dont think bent is good i was trying to make a point that he'd be better than rodellega and he's more proven, also score more goals in a team as shit as wigan , we need proper proven strikers such as villa or augero or maybe benzema not prospects like the mexican kid, that was the general gist, oh and not so many out and so few in get it, its not hard

bent is good, he has scored more than 20 goals this season in a poor sunderland side after all, but i'm not convinced that he is of the standard required to play at a club like united, even at tottenham he seemed to struggle somewhat, although i suppose you could argue that he wasn't really given a fair chance, but then when he didn't really perform you can see why, a chicken and egg situation i suppose, i agree that villa would be good or augero, both top players and have proved themselves at the highest level, i saw in a paper today that we won't be signing villa though, because of the combination of his age and the high price that his team are asking, which is a shame really, augero or benzema are still possible though, it will also be interesting to see how this mexican kid performs anyway, at least he has a fun nickname lolz