The midfield doesn't seem to work when Hargreaves plays does it?

Originally Posted by S/Side.Red

I see. To be fair, it's worth mentioning that he's played in more of the away games.

It is probably also worth noting the following as regards to the 'lack' of goals when Hargreaves is playing:

0-1 (A 06 City) - Rooney, Ronaldo out
1-0 (H 11 Spurs) Rooney, Ronaldo out
1-0 (H 16 Sunderland) Rooney, Ronaldo out
4-1 (H 14 Boro)
2-2 (A 01 Arsenal) - title challengers
2-0 (H 08 Blackburn) - Rooney out
0-1 (A 13 Bolton) - Rooney, Ronaldo out
2-0 (H 19 Fulham)
1-0 (A 07 Liverpool) - fiercest rivals away
1-2 (A 10 West Ham) - rooney out, fletcher with hargreaves
2-0 (A 17 Reading)
1-1 (A 11 Spurs)

Hargreaves is holding us back and could potentially cost us the title.

We'd be out of sight had it not been for these #@&%!ed changes in midfield every away game. The reason we did so well last season was because we had Carrick and Scholes as our main starters and they played nearly every game home and away. It's all and well having good options in the centre of midfield but chopping and changing every week will only mess up what is the heartbeat of the side.

I said it at the time and I will say it again, we should have signed Hargreaves. It's not just about the ridiculous price, he is a senior player that will be expecting a lot of games and how can we promise him that with Carrick Anderson and Scholes here? We would have been better off signing a less high profile younger player at around 20 to 23 yrs age that would be of similar quality to Hargreaves yet wouldnt cost Seventeen bloody million and expect to play a lot.

Oh and, wouldn't be so incredibly injury prone.

Leg saf why do you ruin a decent post by posting an utter shite one after? You feel the same as lot of people with certain players but just completely go over board with it like it's a hate vendetta. If you SUPPORT United why do you do that? Do you understand what support it? Hargreaves will not cost us the title, he will come in useful in certain games but for the most part Anderson should be staring with Carrick cos they are in form, and suit our style, simple as. I'm expecting you to say we should have got Mascherano, Mascherano would be even worse for us.

Scholes needs a partner who he can pop the ball off and move knowing he can get it back. Hargreaves is not that man. They both sit so deep as well, Scholes rarely gets 5 yards away from Rio and Vidic, and Hargreaves does not get forward meaning that the front players are isolated.

Carrick/Anderson is our best balanced partnership, both quite mobile and good on the ball.

Scholes is a problem defensively against good sides. A lot of people refuse to admit that, but it is the truth.

Originally Posted by MUFC One Love

Leg saf why do you ruin a decent post by posting an utter shite one after? You feel the same as lot of people with certain players but just completely go over board with it like it's a hate vendetta. If you SUPPORT United why do you do that? Do you understand what support it? Hargreaves will not cost us the title, he will come in useful in certain games but for the most part Anderson should be staring with Carrick cos they are in form, and suit our style, simple as. I'm expecting you to say we should have got Mascherano, Mascherano would be even worse for us.

Sorry for the telling the truth.

Hargreaves broke up and stopped a lot of their play today but theres no attacking threat with him playing.In my opinion he should be at right back with carrick and anderson/scholes in the middle.Wes Brown cannot supply any kind of cross whatsoever.Hargreaves can do 10x the job brown could do.Brown had so many opportunitys today to deliver a ball or go on with it and do nothing.

Originally Posted by legendary saf

Sorry for the telling the truth.

You aren't though. What will cost Utd a trophy is the lack of alternatives in attack. Centre forward to be exact. Those four quality options in midfield will all be needed during the next few months.

Coracao is spot on again, as usual.

Sloppy - not a bad idea tbh. I still remember that game he had at RB for Munich. Had Giggsy in his back pocket.

Originally Posted by Sloppy

Hargreaves broke up and stopped a lot of their play today .

like the one which led to the goal?

We have brilliant array of options all over the pitch aside from full-back

What might cost us a trophy this year, apart from us having no devine right to be lucky enough to win any of course, is that we'll possibly lose a game we should have at least drawn in April time. Or a Bennett or some such will snatch us a draw from the jaws of victory. Or we'll create and miss a couple of sitters in an away leg somewhere.

Same old same old in other words.

I know I singled out Hargreaves when I started the thread (I didn't really mean to), but what concerns me more is that nobody seems to know quite where they need to play alongside him.

It's the balance that is affected more than anything. I rate Hargreaves as a player and he can be important for us, but at the moment it's just not working. It's up to Fergie to utilise him corrrectly in my opinion.

The very fact we have this problem delights me. Where were we 3/4 years ago ffs? our central midfield was in a shocking state, we now have 4 central midfielders that would near enough walk into every other team in the league and most across europe. its £#%&!ing great. i personally think that carrick should be first choice, he's crucial to the way we play and your 99% certain hes going to be fit every week. until hargreaves proves he can play two games in a week, i dont think he can be thought of as first choice. you know exactly what your going to get with carrick, it should be one of scholes and anderson for the other place.

On another note, dont be suprised to see this lyon away....

Hargreaves Scholes

Anderson

ronaldo rooney
Tevez

I understand giving hargreaves a chance to settle and impress, what I dont understand is why he appears to be ahead of carrick in the pecking order despite playing rather shit and not helping us control games at all.

results aside, watching united control a game is a big £#%&!ing deal, when we're losing the battle and snatch a result it isnt something to be papered over.

its this hargreaves ahead of carrick idea thats £#%&!ed up our team. Carrick should be first choice right now given form and fitness and anderson right behind. if we need to give scholes or hargreaves playing time, they should be on alongside carrick and brought on as subs.

playing right back is a good idea too. fergie better learn quickly. hargreaves hasnt adjusted to our style very well but more importantly carrick is integral to our playing style right now and hargreaves either has to compliment carrick or provide an support from the bench.

get cracking fergie.

will be more twists in this season just yet.

Originally Posted by Sloppy

Hargreaves broke up and stopped a lot of their play today but theres no attacking threat with him playing.In my opinion he should be at right back with carrick and anderson/scholes in the middle.Wes Brown cannot supply any kind of cross whatsoever.Hargreaves can do 10x the job brown could do.Brown had so many opportunitys today to deliver a ball or go on with it and do nothing.

this man speaks for me

to be honest anderson didnt do much wrong either and seems to be fourth.

sometimes having too many options ins not a good thing for saf.

Personally think he's given Anderson a little rest. Won't be surprised if the lad now gets back to starting games again.

Well, I hope.

Don't really agree with this Carrick and Anderson must play lark tbh

I rate Hargreaves as more than just a destroyer and tactical bedrock

But some interesting facts:

Carrick has made easily more starts (and overall apps.) than any of the other three so far over the season

Hargreaves has only made one appearance (and that as a sub) in the CL up to now (for whatever reason)

And between the four of them they have a grand total of just 1 goal.

That last point for me tends to give the lie to the mantra used about Scholes not being physically able to ghost into the box any more, and the one about him supposedly being a deep-lying midfielder these days for the same reason

The facts are that none of our centre mids are to be found ghosting into the box and getting on the end of things especially often during most games. I'd put this down to the pace and movement ahead of them of Rooney, Tevez and Ronaldo being the main focus of our team's pattern of play than to any physical, tactical or technical short-comings.

fergie thinks hargreaves is the key to europe and he's ensuring that he gets plenty of preperation for that by fielding him regularly in the premier league even though hes not really requied in a lot of those games, whether it ultimately pays off only time will tell. but i have to say its dull dull stuff when he's on the park, i much prefer to see anderson out there.

Originally Posted by Coracao

It is probably also worth noting the following as regards to the 'lack' of goals when Hargreaves is playing:

0-1 (A 06 City) - Rooney, Ronaldo out
1-0 (H 11 Spurs) Rooney, Ronaldo out
1-0 (H 16 Sunderland) Rooney, Ronaldo out
4-1 (H 14 Boro)
2-2 (A 01 Arsenal) - title challengers
2-0 (H 08 Blackburn) - Rooney out
0-1 (A 13 Bolton) - Rooney, Ronaldo out
2-0 (H 19 Fulham)
1-0 (A 07 Liverpool) - fiercest rivals away
1-2 (A 10 West Ham) - rooney out, fletcher with hargreaves
2-0 (A 17 Reading)
1-1 (A 11 Spurs)

Top Post
Anyway I can't believe some people are blaming Hargreaves for the goal.

Originally Posted by Lou_Macari_Chippy

i have to say its dull dull stuff when he's on the park.

well obviously you have to say that

even though it's just your usual negative spin

he's been on the pitch at some stage in each of the last 4 matches for a start off, so which of those games were dull, dull stuff then?

when hargreaves plays, our play from the center is dull is what i meant. At least carrick will spray out a creative pass and try something different from time to time, anderson will push the ball past a man and try to open things up, but hargy plays the safe pass every time and just basically sweeps up like a defender. I know whe have plenty of other options in attack but the real question which i've been asking for some time now is why the hell we need such a player against the average premiership calibre teams? i suspect the answer is that hargy is being groomed for an important role in europe. If it pays off then i salute fergie for the vision but at the same time i just think it can be detrimental to the premier league, especially the run-in where we may need to go out guns blazing to not just win but to maintain a healthy goal difference.