Berbatov - close control

Originally Posted by Coracao

Kenyon has been talking about breaking even for years.

Again, there is no proof they are a selling club. They have even sacked their manager just now, which indicates they are hardly happy with the current situation. I suspect they have given him a hefty pay off too

easiest money hes ever made, no wonder he took over

Originally Posted by Serenity Now

I guess I agree with Marlo on this, and seemingly no-one else. Thought he played far too deep, movement after he played the ball was poor, didn't show enough for Ronaldo, didn't get into the penalty area enough, and gave the ball away repeatedly through a combination of nonchalant short passes and holding onto it for too long (a few times this could have been costly). On the positive side, he did a very decent job of getting behind the ball when we lost possession and clearly upped his game towards the end of the match. Certainly don't see how that constitutes an "awesome" performance myself, but there you go.

I completely agree, that's exactly how I saw his performance, couldn't be bothered pointing it out though as it gets boring arguing with people who could see him take a dump in the centre circle and describe it as magnificent.

The way he'll start off a move from deep then just stay there and watch it develop is absolutely infuriating at times. People have said Tevez was shit yesterday, but far too often he was in the box on his own and having to occupy their defenders all by himself.

[quote=Ether;1375010]I completely agree, that's exactly how I saw his performance, couldn't be bothered pointing it out though as it gets boring arguing with people who could see him take a dump in the centre circle and describe it as magnificent.

The way he'll start off a move from deep then just stay there and watch it develop is absolutely infuriating at times. People have said Tevez was shit yesterday, but far too often he was in the box on his own and having to occupy their defenders all by himself.[/QUOTE]

Never said he was awesome but he along with Ronaldo were our main attacking outlets all afternoon. Where have folk said Tevez was shit? I and many others have said he worked very hard yesterday - which he did. Wasn't shit by any means but a lot of moves broke down because of his decision making and he was playing too deep as well.

I don't really think he was worse than Berbatov fwiw, those 11 won the game and that's that really.

I don't give a £#%&! anout the forum and the Berbatov vs Tevez debate. It's dull as £#%&! and I got sick to death of sticking up for Tevez last season when others singled him out. Serenity et al know how I feel about him. I'll be gutted when he goes.

so most of the so proclaimed football experts now want us to sign a attacking midfielder that scores.

so now in their ideal world we have berbatov, rooney and this new attacking midfielder all operating in the same area of the pitch with no one up top?

brilliant.

any of you thinking of running 'football knowledge' workshops?

Originally Posted by Ether

I completely agree, that's exactly how I saw his performance, couldn't be bothered pointing it out though as it gets boring arguing with people who could see him take a dump in the centre circle and describe it as magnificent.

Have to agree. He's been very impressive since Christmas but he was a bit rubbish yesterday.

Originally Posted by S/Side.Red

Have to agree. He's been very impressive since Christmas but he was a bit rubbish yesterday.

oh you mean Tevez have to agree

Originally Posted by hollowman

so most of the so proclaimed football experts now want us to sign a attacking midfielder that scores.

so now in their ideal world we have berbatov, rooney and this new attacking midfielder all operating in the same area of the pitch with no one up top?

brilliant.

any of you thinking of running 'football knowledge' workshops?

Anderson may turn out to be that player if he develops accordingly but atm he isn't. I'm not too keen on two deep lying midfielders tbh and I think Carrick can play alongside one of them and more than adequately cover the back four when required.

A striker is a cert though when/if Tevez goes.

So, two players in the Summer. Please.

Originally Posted by hollowman

so most of the so proclaimed football experts now want us to sign a attacking midfielder that scores.

keep the faith marlo

anderson will score, and when he does he'll score some more - the Ince effect if you like

you knows it

Originally Posted by £#%&! KFC

oh you mean Tevez have to agree

hurrah, it picked up

OK, so with a midfield 3 of Scholes, Carrick & Giggs, was any of them ever going to get beyond the forwards? No. So Berbatov & Tevez would inevitably look a little isolated, or too deep as no one would stretch the play. & Ronnie will always get double cover & O'Pie will never go rushing beyond him a la Evra so we can see it would be a relatively compact game.

However, the bigger picture...

Personally, I'd rather play two defensive & relatively energetic midfielders in front of the back 4. With what we have available now, that equates to Carrick & Anderson. Carricks notable form singles him out as THE automatic pick of the mdifield anyway. Anderson for his energy, Fletcher if Ando's form is off.

Then the Ronnie, Rooney & Tevez trio but with Berbatov ahead of them, letting Rooney & Ronnie burst past - because Tevez can still do his hustle & scamper about, not to mention decent distance shots.

The full backs need to get on as well... big time. So Rafael & Evra.

If we're going to persist with a 4-3-3... I don't see anyone in the current side capable of getting beyond the strikers / wide forwards to chip in with double figures. We can continue to play & win 1-0 til the cows come home for all I care if we win the lot. But the team seems to have so much more to give in an attacking sense... would be an opportunity missed if we were to stagnate & become so reliant on (a magnificent) defence.

& yeah, Iniesta would be £#%&! worthy for the role I'm talking about. An absolute gem of a player.

Tevez has been in poor form imo. Chasing the ball around (after he had given it away usually) doesn't mean he's doing well. He holds the ball far to long as others have said, I brought this up after a recent game, think it was Everton, Tevez twice had the chance to slip a nice ball to Ronaldo out wide and didn't, instead taking 5 touches that only needs 2 and running up blind alleys. I know Berbatov isn't in the box much and sometimes I wish he'd just get in there 'cos he'd get a load of goals just poaching, but Tevez is never in there either, and considering he doesn't have the class of Berbatov ouside the box he can't get away with it.

Thought the Ronaldo tactic was a bit odd yesterday, playing him against Neil and Behrami, obviously my first reaction was maybe it's to give space to other players, but I just didn't see it, I think Ronaldo would have given Itunga a torrid time.

Originally Posted by MUFC One Love

Tevez has been in poor form imo. Chasing the ball around (after he had given it away usually) doesn't mean he's doing well. He holds the ball far to long as others have said, I brought this up after a recent game, think it was Everton, Tevez twice had the chance to slip a nice ball to Ronaldo out wide and didn't, instead taking 5 touches that only needs 2 and running up blind alleys. I know Berbatov isn't in the box much and sometimes I wish he'd just get in there 'cos he'd get a load of goals just poaching, but Tevez is never in there either, and considering he doesn't have the class of Berbatov ouside the box he can't get away with it.

Thought the Ronaldo tactic was a bit odd yesterday, playing him against Neil and Behrami, obviously my first reaction was maybe it's to give space to other players, but I just didn't see it, I think Ronaldo would have given Itunga a torrid time.

spot on re Tevez

felt it was really weird with Ronaldo yesterday why didn't he change sides the way he normally does

he always swaps wings even for 10 minutes very bizarre he chose to stay where he was being double teamed every time he got the ball....although thankfully he wasn't on that side when Giggsy got the ball for the goal

Originally Posted by £#%&! KFC

spot on re Tevez

felt it was really weird with Ronaldo yesterday why didn't he change sides the way he normally does

he always swaps wings even for 10 minutes very bizarre he chose to stay where he was being double teamed every time he got the ball....although thankfully he wasn't on that side when Giggsy got the ball for the goal

Yep, I can only think that he was told to not move from the left. And it was more bizarre 'cos even though his goal was sublime, I thought Giggs was pretty awful, I know that won't go down well but tbh he was infuriating.

Originally Posted by MUFC One Love

Yep, I can only think that he was told to not move from the left. And it was more bizarre 'cos even though his goal was sublime, I thought Giggs was pretty awful, I know that won't go down well but tbh he was infuriating.

his corners were infuriating alright

but superb goal so we'll let him off

Originally Posted by Tumescent Throb

keep the faith marlo

anderson will score, and when he does he'll score some more - the Ince effect if you like

you knows it

Think he'll go on a bit of a run if and when he scores tbh. It's like the Diego thing a but and it looks like it may be a bit of an issue to him and will continue to be until he gets one.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zy8-DnZzdkw

One like that would be fooking mint and would cause me to be giddy for several years.

Back to Berby, can be fast without the ball when he he wants too but with it, not so much. He can beat a man by waking past them but lacks the ability to drop his shoulder and power through leaving them for dead.

tevez has been playing much better of late but even at his best he is a step below rooney: he cannot match rooney's vision, touch, creativity and movement. at his best tevez is a driving, battering presence but, for all the cult status he seems able to achieve wherever he plays, he lacks too much to be really considered an elite striker imo. i don't think there is a shred of doubt in fergie's mind what his first-choice striking pair is.

personally, i thought berbatov was excellent yesterday against a very very well organised and physical defence. showed for the ball effectively, kept possession superbly and provided as good a focal point as we could have wished for. some tremendous runs with the ball late on and a good - and very intelligent - defensive shift. i thought he was let down by a lack of intelligent forward movement from tevez and a strangely constrained performance from ronnie. there was very little interchanging of positions from us yesterday.

i think carrick looks twice the player when he's given licence to burst forward, btw. he was very effective doing that against everton, for example, but he is forced to play more conservatively with scholes alongside him, it appears. that worked well enough with ronnie playing more centrally and simply having an unbelievable season last year, but i think we need him further forward now, which means playing fletcher alongside him. atm that is probably our best m/f, i'd say. certainly the one which carrick seems best suited to.

does anyone else have an uncontrollable urge to smile inanely whenever rafael gets the ball? it's like watching a little puppy at times

Mute the sound and enjoy...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1HkZpo2rOsA&feature=related

Originally Posted by borsuk

tevez has been playing much better of late but even at his best he is a step below rooney: he cannot match rooney's vision, touch, creativity and movement. at his best tevez is a driving, battering presence but, for all the cult status he seems able to achieve wherever he plays, he lacks too much to be really considered an elite striker imo. i don't think there is a shred of doubt in fergie's mind what his first-choice striking pair is.

personally, i thought berbatov was excellent yesterday against a very very well organised and physical defence. showed for the ball effectively, kept possession superbly and provided as good a focal point as we could have wished for. some tremendous runs with the ball late on and a good - and very intelligent - defensive shift. i thought he was let down by a lack of intelligent forward movement from tevez and a strangely constrained performance from ronnie. there was very little interchanging of positions from us yesterday.

i think carrick looks twice the player when he's given licence to burst forward, btw. he was very effective doing that against everton, for example, but he is forced to play more conservatively with scholes alongside him, it appears. that worked well enough with ronnie playing more centrally and simply having an unbelievable season last year, but i think we need him further forward now, which means playing fletcher alongside him. atm that is probably our best m/f, i'd say. certainly the one which carrick seems best suited to.

does anyone else have an uncontrollable urge to smile inanely whenever rafael gets the ball? it's like watching a little puppy at times

Love Tevez's attitude but he really hasn't developed in to the player he looked like he would earlier in his career. He used to be very explosive speed wise and then battle like £#%&! to stay in front of the player, now he struggles to out pace anyone. I really do wish we had someone that was rapid and a real physical presence in the squad, that and a midfielder who gets 15 or so goals a season and makes late runs into the box would make the squad virtually perfect.

Get Wellbeck in the gym a la Ronnie as Fergie suggested would be just the ticket.

i love this guy too much.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZsYzIKBEa6w

look at the moments he gave us, the late winners, the partnership with rooney, the brilliant goals.

Originally Posted by hollowman

i love this guy too much.

YouTube - Best of Carlos Tevez

wrong thread son!