I don't think this team are as bad as a lot of you lot have made them out to be.

Originally Posted by Luffy

Vidic has only made 6 PL appearances all season!

I think the charity shield and early games such as the 8-2 show what this side is capable of. They also put in some of the most lacklustre performances I've ever seen so very weird season.

But watching us early doors I think we were playing a brand of football that could beat barca, not that we'd be better but that we'd be the kind of team they dont like to play against.

I think if fabio can emulate rafael we have the best young back 5 in the world.

The front 6 early in the season were amazing and played the best football I've seen in years. Obviously the likes of cleverly, Anderson and welbeck have to prove they an do that again nevermind regularly.

I think we have a great team with a very bright future. Perhaps one or two signings away from being right up there alongside Madrid and barca.

This seasons failings in Europe have to be down to coaching or motivation and that's another thing we'd have to evaluate in the summer, are the players still hungry enough.

Originally Posted by fix up look SHARPE

96-97

Won the league (fairly comfortably too) with just 75 points that season

Then again, we "only" managed 79 in 1998-99 - and our present "shite" line-up have just equalled that with 6 games to go

Not sure how the rest of the prem in 96-99 compared to now.

Originally Posted by tatty

Not sure how the rest of the prem in 96-99 compared to now.

Keegan's Newcastle were an entertaining side - like Spurs at the moment I guess - but Wenger's Arsenal side were definitely better than any team currently in the Premiership. Anelka and Overmars were lethal on the counter. I'll never forget the Great Dane's hamstring pinging.

Bors is right Scholes and Giggs gives us a different dimension and we either have to find similar players or change the way we play.

There is enormous strength in this squad (today no Fletcher, Nani or Vidic) but at the highest level we lack a little something. We need a wide left player and someone in the middle who can do something that Carrick et al can't do.

One or two really good signings is all we need.

Scholes has been a revelation since his return, which has coincided with Carrick playing a lot better. We need to buy a replacement for Scholes this summer, keep the prince on for one more year while the new signing (big wes) beds in

£#%&! Giggs, Park and Anderson off. free up the midfield from the dross that currently steals a wage.

as for the OP, who are you again?

Originally Posted by waynes ear's

Scholes has been a revelation since his return, which has coincided with Carrick playing a lot better. We need to buy a replacement for Scholes this summer, keep the prince on for one more year while the new signing (big wes) beds in

I'd rather Modric than Sneijder, despite the latter being one of my favourite players. Modric is younger, used to the Premierships, and can operate in a 4-4-2. Sneijder is more of a 4-3-3 or 4-5-1 player, not that he couldn't adapt... Modric would just be a better fit. Speaking of which, Modric is much more robust than Wes. He's not missed many games other than when he broke his foot.

I just don't get the Modric love in I'm afraid, he's decent not that good though.

Originally Posted by waynes ear's

Carrick

what a goal that would have been today

Originally Posted by dunk

I just don't get the Modric love in I'm afraid, he's decent not that good though.

I just think he's a quality player. Quick feet, good passer, can carry the ball, industrious and hardworking without possession. He's not at the level of Scholes (who is, Xavi apart?) but he'd make a hell of a difference to us. The midfield is so static, Cleverley aside. Modic is a very clever player - he'd give us another level in Europe.

Originally Posted by tatty

Not sure how the rest of the prem in 96-99 compared to now.

better, by and large.

I will be thrilled if we win the PL this year

Does anyone seriously think this United team wouldn't be handed their arses by various vintage United teams in the fergie era, how many of the current batch at this juncture of their career (i.e. 56 year old scholesy, not 26 year old scholesy) would be in an all time ferie match day squad

DDG - maybe vying for the bench
Vidic - if fit
Valencia - genuine RW option but ahead of Kanchelskis and DB23
Rooney - probably


that said, i do think we have got the basis of a £#%&!ing good team, as a very good, very young squad matures if we get the right investment in the right areas at the right time.

Originally Posted by dunk

I just don't get the Modric love in I'm afraid, he's decent not that good though.

same here

Originally Posted by thatsfuctit

what a goal that would have been today

he needs to do it more often, and i'm sure Fergie will deal with that

Would love to see us sign a Munain/Goetze/Kagawa/Eriksen type who can produce a bit of creative magic in the final third where we sometimes look a little lost for ideas.

I think both Cleverley and Pogba (if he stays ) will both develop into quality central midfield players, but I'm not sure either of them have that creative spark to do something special in the final third, which is something that we will really need in Europe.

Even more frustrating when you think that we had this exact type of player coming through the youth system, but he was more interested in brap brapping on Twitter than building a great career at his hometown club. :shakehead:

cleverley is £#%&!ing shit. the sooner you @#%&!s realise he looked good in a shit midfield the better.

and i want to smash you and the brand into a million pieces, just because you both steal oxygen from people who actually deserve it

like me

£#%&! off and die

This united team play shit on a stick football. If it was being done under another manager people would be calling for his head and complaining its not the united way.

Worst united team since the ralphie milne era.

Originally Posted by waynes ear's

cleverley is £#%&!ing shit. the sooner you @#%&!s realise he looked good in a shit midfield the better.

and i want to smash you and the brand into a million pieces, just because you both steal oxygen from people who actually deserve it

like me

£#%&! off and die

Yeah, he's a good player.

Reckon if he stays fit and avoids injury he will be a very good/excellent player.

no he wont

Originally Posted by Jammy Dodger

This united team play shit on a stick football. If it was being done under another manager people would be calling for his head and complaining its not the united way.

Worst united team since the ralphie milne era.

I agree.

Any manager who was 8 points clear at the top of the league against the most expensive squad in football history would be sacked ASAP.

Originally Posted by tatty

Poorest United side to have won the PL imo.

However, it's a young 'poor side' who are only going to improve especially with a new CM in the summer.

Pretty relaxed about next season.

I think were better than last season, slightly.

This team strength is in its defence. It has been since 2008 season. But once ronaldo and tevez were gone, it became even more important. We could see it in 2009 season and last season.

But all the while our attacking prowess has kept on decreasing. We seem to have accumulated a whole host of one dimesional attacking players thereby making this team rigid.

Nani is the only one that I think can operated in a 4-4-2, 4-3-3, 4-3-1-2 formations. Everyone else struggles and it doesn't help that our most in form and effective player can only play in one formation and one position. Valencia despite being so effective restrict's this team quite a bit. Add to that hernandez, young, berbatov, welbeck and even rooney are not so flexible you can see why this team struggles in an attacking sense.

Early season form was down 2 things, opposition teams were not so quite good. But our front 6 was nani, valencia, cleverley, anderson, rooney and welbeck. Nani, cleverly and anderson all suited for one touch football, give and go. As soon as carrick has come back into the game its a more measured approach and usually it's always pass it around for some time and then give it to the wings approach and then cross it aimlessly into the box.

Not a surprise that we have struggled in europe where you don't get the ball back easily once you have lost it.