*official united v city match thread (teams and time to get our act together)

Originally Posted by Neo

Hmmm, I hope so but I'm not sure.

I think if we win the League it will paper over a lot of the clear weaknesses in the squad and not as many people will publicly question the squad's strength.

I think the strikers are pretty much sorted, in defense Smalling looks like he could become a future first-team regular, and I expect Fergie to show faith in Evans. In midfield I can see a couple moving on like Gibson and Obertan, but these will be replaced by the loan lads Wellbeck and Cleverley coming back. I reckon we'll try and persuade Scholes to do another year, and Anderson will be pushed into the first-team more as well.

I just can't see much investment at all. Last season we needed it after ending the season so badly, but it never happened. I can only see a repeat this year. The money just isn't there.

That's overstating it a bit, isn't it?? We had one shite game against Chelski, basically (we were *very* unlucky v Bayern)

I think the changes this summer will be more significant than you suggest - two more players of the quality of Pea and Smalling (yes, he was £#%&!ing superb today) will do nicely, though

Originally Posted by Gorilla Monsoon

I think we should enjoy this season, because a lot of the current squad will be moved on in the summer I think, I reckon it'll be the biggest overhaul in terms of squad members that I've seen anyway.

Not sure about that.

The news that Carrick has a new 3 year deal lined up suggests that the money to fund the players we need isn't there.

He's supposedly at his peak age, but still being left out for games like today's... Not exactly the sign of a top-class player.

Originally Posted by Terry Silver

Not sure about that.

The news that Carrick has a new 3 year deal lined up suggests that the money to fund the players we need isn't there.

He's supposedly at his peak age, but still being left out for games like today's... Not exactly the sign of a top-class player.

True, but you could argue the same with berbatov, the guy has 20 goals but still doesn't get to play.

Also, with both Hernandez and Smalling proving they have massive potential, makes you wonder what they saw in bebe, and whether he's going to start producing something special soon.

Originally Posted by Terry Silver

Not sure about that.

The news that Carrick has a new 3 year deal lined up suggests that the money to fund the players we need isn't there.

He's supposedly at his peak age, but still being left out for games like today's... Not exactly the sign of a top-class player.

Let's see if that actually transpires, eh.......

Originally Posted by Neo

I just can't see much investment at all. Last season we needed it after ending the season so badly, but it never happened. I can only see a repeat this year. The money just isn't there.

clearly we didn't as we're top of the league and ticking along quite nicely without it.


not saying there aren't areas we could improve and i suspect we might see that this summer, but this suggestion that we were in dire need and our squad was worse than our rivals' was %@#$&!s then and has been shown to be %@#$&!s since.

Originally Posted by Gorilla Monsoon

True, but you could argue the same with berbatov, the guy has 20 goals but still doesn't get to play.

Also, with both Hernandez and Smalling proving they have massive potential, makes you wonder what they saw in bebe, and whether he's going to start producing something special soon.

i think its fair to say that we don't actively buy shite without actually seeing some potential. fergie is not benitez. yes we have bought players who havnt lived up to expectations. half of those have gone on to play at a high standards.

most have been fantastic. lately or otherwise.

who has been our worst signing in the last 5 years?

Originally Posted by wonky no

i think its fair to say that we don't actively buy shite without actually seeing some potential. fergie is not benitez. yes we have bought players who havnt lived up to expectations. half of those have gone on to play at a high standards.

most have been fantastic. lately or otherwise.

who has been our worst signing in the last 5 years?

Manucho

Originally Posted by Gorilla Monsoon

True, but you could argue the same with berbatov, the guy has 20 goals but still doesn't get to play.

Also, with both Hernandez and Smalling proving they have massive potential, makes you wonder what they saw in bebe, and whether he's going to start producing something special soon.

Berba was left out as Fergie - wrongly in my opinion - opted for one up top.

Carrick couldn't get in the team in spite of 3 CMs being in the starting line-up.

Smalling has impressed me massively in recent weeks. Wasn't convince by the £10m price-tag, but if he continues to progress it'll be a bargain. He looks full of confidence, is decisive in his play, and comfortable on the ball. One of his shimmies in the first half was akin to Ferdinand.

Vidic was a beast today. As bad as O'Shea can be in possession I think him ahead of Rafael was the right call. Rafael's been a bit rash of late, getting a bit over-excited and diving in. I think Fergie was wary of giving away too many silly free-kicks around the edge of the box, after recent struggles.

I've just remembered how Tyler deigned to mention the chants of "Tevez what's the score?".

Strange how he didn't comment on the "Carlos Tevez is a blue......" chants in the first few minutes?

fergie made a few big calls today. no berbatov, no carrick, no rafael, started both scholes and giggs, kept faith with fletcher.


the man's a £#%&!ing genius. not one of us would have picked that side, never in a million years.

Originally Posted by borsuk

fergie made a few big calls today. no berbatov, no carrick, no rafael, started both scholes and giggs, kept faith with fletcher.


the man's a £#%&!ing genius. not one of us would have picked that side, never in a million years.

yup. the easy option would have been to play berbatov. playing rooney on his own instead gave rooney a debt of faith to repay.

having said that, he was pretty clever because our bench was ready if the need to change was there. anderson could have given way to berbatov if needed and the whole system would have changed effortlessly.

Originally Posted by borsuk

fergie made a few big calls today. no berbatov, no carrick, no rafael, started both scholes and giggs, kept faith with fletcher.


the man's a £#%&!ing genius. not one of us would have picked that side, never in a million years.

Yeah, my reaction to it is on the record

It was the mirror image of the Wolves game to a degree - shite for the first 10-15 minutes (but got away with it) but played very well (bar a few blips) after that, despite their spawny goal

Originally Posted by Terry Silver

As bad as O'Shea can be in possession I think him ahead of Rafael was the right call. Rafael's been a bit rash of late, getting a bit over-excited and diving in. I think Fergie was wary of giving away too many silly free-kicks around the edge of the box, after recent struggles.

when i was thinking through the plusses for JOS - size and not likely to get sent off were the two i managed to come up with

Originally Posted by borsuk

fergie made a few big calls today. no berbatov, no carrick, no rafael, started both scholes and giggs, kept faith with fletcher.


the man's a £#%&!ing genius. not one of us would have picked that side, never in a million years.

Yeah that was a huge call .

Originally Posted by Neo

[SIZE="4"]The money just isn't there.

you might as well write that bit in "white" as far as £#%&!wits like throb are concerned.

Originally Posted by borsuk

clearly we didn't as we're top of the league and ticking along quite nicely without it.

we are top of the league and..... what? inte magnoon, habibi. unless you meant like a £#%&!ing time bomb, in which case... allahu akbar! we have harder games to come and our away form is almost bad enough to think we might not get 9 points out of trips to anfield, emirates and the bridge.

Originally Posted by wonky no

i think its fair to say that we don't actively buy shite without actually seeing some potential...... who has been our worst signing in the last 5 years?

to be fair, I'd take a "retirement fund" purchase like bebe with every cheech. he might even be worse than tosic.

Originally Posted by borsuk

fergie made a few big calls today. no berbatov, no carrick, no rafael, started both scholes and giggs, kept faith with fletcher.


the man's a £#%&!ing genius. not one of us would have picked that side, never in a million years.

I still wouldn't £#%&!ing pick it. he probably wouildn't have either if evans and park had been fit. we won thanks to a couple of £#%&!ing brilliant strikes and city made their own chances look like half-chances (including the laughable goal that was aimed at the corner flag). however, everything in between was less than brilliant. £#%&!ing hell, how anyone can say giggs had a good game?...... you might as well say fergie was a genius for blackpool away. genius has to mean more than £#%&!ing that.


still..... who would have thought biggy could replace snoop? :0)

Originally Posted by jem

you might as well write that bit in "white" as far as £#%&!wits like throb are concerned.

we are top of the league and..... what? inte magnoon, habibi. unless you meant like a £#%&!ing time bomb, in which case... allahu akbar! we have harder games to come and our away form is almost bad enough to think we might not get 9 points out of trips to anfield, emirates and the bridge.

to be fair, I'd take a "retirement fund" purchase like bebe with every cheech. he might even be worse than tosic.

I still wouldn't £#%&!ing pick it. he probably wouildn't have either if evans and park had been fit. we won thanks to a couple of £#%&!ing brilliant strikes and city made their own chances look like half-chances (including the laughable goal that was aimed at the corner flag). however, everything in between was less than brilliant. £#%&!ing hell, how anyone can say giggs had a good game?...... you might as well say fergie was a genius for blackpool away. genius has to mean more than £#%&!ing that.


still..... who would have thought biggy could replace snoop? :0)

Originally Posted by PaulParkersPubes

You would break the rope now, though.

http://www.thespoof.com/news/spoof.c...dline=s6i91370

Sorry I wasn't about to share the fruits of my knowledge with you all today lads.

But, i pulled a 12 hour stint working yesterday - then was awoken at 7am this morning by a knock on my door where this was thrust into my hand:



I wasn't about to say no to that.


I'd just like to say thanks to Wayne Rooney for providing me with one of the best goals i've ever seen in my life and the best i've ever seen in the flesh.

Chris Smalling, you were magnificent today and deserved to be motm.

City fans that 'facing the other way, jumping up and down' shit that you nicked off that eastern european team is £#%&!ing shit.

And then i get home to watch the match on Sky+ and watch summerbee have one of the mother of all £#%&!ing stroppy arse-seeings on tv i've ever seen. The miserable blue @#%&!.


Enjoy it reds, drinks are on sparky

(water ok with you?)

Nice one Sparkles.