Speaking of United possibly needing a creative attacking midfielder in the near future.

Originally Posted by hollowman

because we have an 'attacking' midfielder in ronaldo.

if we bring in an attacking midfielder this would affect ronaldo and have him hugging the touchline.

simple really.

Seemed to work well with Giggs in midfield against Chelsea?

Originally Posted by antonin jablonsky

Seemed to work well with Giggs in midfield against Chelsea?

thats all the justification we need.

'its worked against chelsea'

i agree with you now.

Originally Posted by hollowman

thats all the justification we need.

'its worked against chelsea'

i agree with you now.

Not "all the justification we need" but it does at least show some evidence that the disaster you predict ensuing, which has no real evidence, might not necassarily occur.

We can console ourselves with the knowledge that Marlo will never have any influence on who we buy, no matter how much he talks.

What I can't undestand is why he cares so much. He isn't a fan of our club and is very down on Manchester, the North and notherners and our culture in general. Very odd.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zx6J3vzoVMw

Yes Please

Originally Posted by antonin jablonsky

Not "all the justification we need" but it does at least show some evidence that the disaster you predict ensuing, which has no real evidence, might not necassarily occur.

agreed.

it worked against chelsea.

Originally Posted by hollowman

agreed.

it worked against chelsea.

Yes, so it can work without being a disaster in one of our biggest games of the season. Wonder if we worked on it more it might add an option to how we play. i know that discomforts you and your notion of only playing the same 11 players in the same formation no matter the opposition or circumstance but I think it is valiud.

Originally Posted by antonin jablonsky

Yes, so it can work without being a disaster in one of our biggest games of the season. Wonder if we worked on it more it might add an option to how we play. i know that discomforts you and your notion of only playing the same 11 players in the same formation no matter the opposition or circumstance but I think it is valiud.

I'd like to direct you two over to my thread titles "Old Dog, new tricks"...

Ferguson says that Ronaldo is a striker

He also says he likes him as a wide player

If Nani does step up then there's one solution right there


Which is why we need a back-up for Nani, and why we went for Tosic who may yet turn out to be the better option of the two - who can say at this stage.

With the array of attacking talent we have coming through - Welbeck, the Italians and Possebon for example - we have central areas pretty well covered.

We need a wide right player who can regularly hit the by-line (and carry the threat of doing so for the opposition) because this is the single biggest miss in our current squad.

The problem of the midfield not chipping in when the attack misfires hasn't gone away, but at the same time Scholes, Carrick, Fletcher, Hargreaves and Anderson have scored around 30 between them over the last 2 and a half seasons from the middle of the park.

In midfield next season, we will conceivably have, Scholes, Carrick, Anderson, Fletcher, Possebon, Gibson, Giggs and Hargreaves as options for the first 6 months, with Ljajic, Petrucci and others possibly coming though.

Anderson will be much more prominent, as will Possebon.

We also have the likes of Ravel Morrison coming through, so I can not honestly see us buying any central midfielders, unless Hargreaves doesn't make it back and Scholes retires.

Same for forwards, I hope we sign Tevez, but we will have Welbeck, Campbell, Petrucci and Macheda to find spots and game time for, and all have a damn good chance IMO, so I wouldn't be amazed if no forwards arrived and Tevez wasn't signed.

The defence is covered 3 times in every position, if not more. The wings are sorted in Ronaldo, Tosic, Park and Nani, not to mention the other players that can play there.

We are in the delicious position of not having to worry about 'freshening' the squad as such either, as the players are all young and emerging/improving and finding form at different times, and will continue like this for a few years yet with good management.

I would like us to sign an attacking midfielder and Benzema, as well as Tevez, but in reality, they would be vanity signings rather than necessary signings.

In about 2-3 years, this collection of players, managed and coached well, could be the finest collection that has been around for quite some time.

To be honest i only really mentioned it 'cos Whalers thought it apriority when I sais i'd quite like that winger from Wigan. Wouldn't be averse to either really.

There's gaylordery and then there's dunks post.

Originally Posted by Whalefish

There's gaylordery and then there's dunks post.

C'mon, you have to admit the future is bright.

Originally Posted by dunk

C'mon, you have to admit the future is bright.

The future is :-

VDV talks some shit, doesn't he?

"We're Real Madrid, which is why I think Liverpool are frightened of us. We have great players. It's going to be a great tie," he told Spanish newspaper Marca.

Madrid may well win the tie and I hope they do, but nobody watching football the last 5 years will think Liverpool will be 'frightened' of them.

Hamsik.

Originally Posted by Grimson

VDV talks some shit, doesn't he?

"We're Real Madrid, which is why I think Liverpool are frightened of us. We have great players. It's going to be a great tie," he told Spanish newspaper Marca.

Madrid may well win the tie and I hope they do, but nobody watching football the last 5 years will think Liverpool will be 'frightened' of them.

I really can't see Madrid winning that one. Wouldn't surprise me if the scousers won both legs.

Originally Posted by hollowman

because we have an 'attacking' midfielder in ronaldo.

if we bring in an attacking midfielder this would affect ronaldo and have him hugging the touchline.

simple really.

you seem to think ronaldo will be staying in the summer i highly doubt it tbh

Originally Posted by borsuk

can't see bremen letting diego go, tbh, for anything other than some ridiculous sum. pity.

Well, they're having an awful season. They probably won't qualify for the Champions League, maybe not even the Uefa Cup, so they may need to raise some money. He'll almost certainly want to go. He's a very interesting player and I agree he's someone who would definitely add something. But I think it would lead to questions about Anderson. For me, Anderson's ideal long-term position would be as the advanced midfielder in some kind of 4-3-3/4-2-3-1 formation.

The same goes for Diego, who at 23/24 is at an age where he'd be very much a long-term investment. I can't help thinking the ideal signing would be someone a little older who could give us a couple of years, while Anderson develops into the player he should become. If Giggs could somehow maintain his current form that would be ideal, of course.

i agree.

i think we do need someone in the middle of the park thats capable of creating a bit of magic and driving forward.

would love anderson to be that person, but he seems to be playing with the shackles on. whenever i watched him for Gremio and Porto he'd look to drive forward at every op.

they'd even play him on the wings most of the time, so he could cut in.

there's options out there but im not sure if SAF would risk messing about with the formation for it.

might be a bit of a mad suggestion but i think Adel Taarabt would be a good sly option.

made his debut for moroco the other day against the czechs. looked good.

http://www.101greatgoals.com/videodisplay/2099676/

he just needs a manager that can cultivate that ability and there's none better then SAF imo.

what does everyone else think?