I'd like to discuss United.

Originally Posted by Omnipotent Man

Nah, this is it.

Exactly, we've been having our blip, we've just managed to win the games.

Originally Posted by thatsfuctit

I would have bared my arse out of the 3rd floor window at work if anyone had suggested we would be in the position we are at the start of the season.

Teaser

Originally Posted by Torquemada

I can't believe we didn't call back Pique, Rossi and Evans for the run in. We could really do with Rossi now that Larsson is definitely going home, and Evans would be a useful option in midfield now that we're going to be without Scholes for 3 games.

Nah, O'Pie will play the next 3 in his place. You just £#%&!ing know it.

I'm going to go out on a limb here and predict a surprise knock out for us at OT.

I say this because we are looking very tired as a team (with the exception of ronaldo who seems to be waiting for the rest to wake up and start playing again).

I feel another performance like the last couple will be one too many and we will be out on our arses. We've riden our luck, now it's time to get playing the early season stuff again, if not we're £#%&!ed and i reckon tomorrow could be the day our luck runs out.

[SIZE="1"]* Disclaimer for the paranoid - I in no way shape or form want united to lose to Lille, my prediction is based on current form and has no darker side to it, it's just what i feel will happen.

Originally Posted by ethelred

Teaser

I like to bare my arse out of the window anyway - just let me know when you are passing.

Originally Posted by thatsfuctit

I like to bare my arse out of the window anyway - just let me know when you are passing.

I knew it, I just £#%&!ing knew it.

he is a classy player, but our dip in form coincided with him being given preference over saha. we've immediately looked more dangerous when saha has played or come on. he pulls defences apart. of course, I'd like it if we still had larsson on the bench, but I think we have more punch with saha and rooney. let's hope neville g doesn't annoy fergie again, too.

we'll miss scholes. not because he's in particularly awesome form, but because we don't really even have someone with basic competence to come in. I'm sure giggs can move inside, but then you just shift the problem to the wing. and that heinze/evra combo hasn't looked like working... not even close. at least scholes will come back rested, same as saha.... but whether we lose ground in the meantime... against bolton and blackburn teams who never give us an easy time....

we can't afford our luck to run out at any point. not even for a couple of games.

Originally Posted by rebelcountyred

If we can pull off the premiership this season it will go down as one of the greatest, we will have done it with a really small squad of players, this summer is going to be very important too as we will not be so lucky again, we need at least three top players to sustain us again next season, a midfielder like hargreaves, a striker and a winger. If we were to get these players and with a few of our more promising reserves coming back we could then £#%&! off the like of richardson and be in a good position.

Totally agree. However, look at the last two summers. There is no chance (despite what that @#%&! gill says) that the glazers will spend real cash to get in the players we need. If we win the League and then went out to buy a top class striker, winger and midfielder, we'd have a great chance of retaining it. However, like the last two summers, I fear new arrivals will have to be financed by sales

Originally Posted by Lou_Macari_Chippy

I'm going to go out on a limb here and predict a surprise knock out for us at OT.

I say this because we are looking very tired as a team (with the exception of ronaldo who seems to be waiting for the rest to wake up and start playing again).

I feel another performance like the last couple will be one too many and we will be out on our arses. We've riden our luck, now it's time to get playing the early season stuff again, if not we're £#%&!ed and i reckon tomorrow could be the day our luck runs out.

[SIZE="1"]* Disclaimer for the paranoid - I in no way shape or form want united to lose to Lille, my prediction is based on current form and has no darker side to it, it's just what i feel will happen.

we have looked tired as a team, but saha should be fresh. and we won't be playing on quite such a shitty surface.

Originally Posted by jem

we have looked tired as a team, but saha should be fresh. and we won't be playing on quite such a shitty surface.

Originally Posted by Lou_Macari_Chippy

I'm going to go out on a limb here and predict a surprise knock out for us at OT.

Just don't see it as Lille are pretty average and are gonna have to play against type by actually attacking us. I see a comfortable win with United scoring on the break.

Originally Posted by The Watcher

Totally agree. However, look at the last two summers. There is no chance (despite what that @#%&! gill says) that the glazers will spend real cash to get in the players we need. If we win the League and then went out to buy a top class striker, winger and midfielder, we'd have a great chance of retaining it. However, like the last two summers, I fear new arrivals will have to be financed by sales

you is right, buddy.

we said at the beginning of this season that we had a team good enough to win the league. not one with midfield strength or any options. not a squad that could afford any significant injuries. but a last huzzah for the old troopers and the young guns. if we had (or have) any bad luck with decisions or injuries, we're dead in the water. so far, we've been ok.

fergie and the glazers will go into next season thinking, with a league-winning team, there's not too much tinkering needed. sure, they've made hargreaves a priority (rightly so). but there won't be much else. and fergie will be busy telling the glazers that the likes of fletch are maturing and ready to stake a claim to the places left by giggs and scholes..... although he'll also be expecting to squeeze another couple of years out of giggs. and ronaldo and rooney will have that bit more experience.

we'll still finish top four. which is all they really care about.

Originally Posted by jem

he is a classy player, but our dip in form coincided with him being given preference over saha. we've immediately looked more dangerous when saha has played or come on. he pulls defences apart. of course, I'd like it if we still had larsson on the bench, but I think we have more punch with saha and rooney. let's hope neville g doesn't annoy fergie again, too.

we'll miss scholes. not because he's in particularly awesome form, but because we don't really even have someone with basic competence to come in. I'm sure giggs can move inside, but then you just shift the problem to the wing. and that heinze/evra combo hasn't looked like working... not even close. at least scholes will come back rested, same as saha.... but whether we lose ground in the meantime... against bolton and blackburn teams who never give us an easy time....

we can't afford our luck to run out at any point. not even for a couple of games.

Agree with all of that. Larsson did very little on Saturday, then Saha came on and almost immediately burst past a Liverpool player and should have won us a pen. I don't think it's a coincidence that our performances have dropped since Saha went off at Newcastle.

Hopefully Saha coming back in the team as first choice will give us a little spark and get us going again.

This summer is important. The age of the squad needs to be brought down without harming the quality. Not too optimistic, though. Transfer windows tend to be a disappointment these days.

Originally Posted by jem

and fergie will be busy telling the glazers that the likes of fletch are maturing and ready to stake a claim to the places left by giggs and scholes.....

I'm not sure about this anymore. I think this season Fergie's faith in Fletcher has shown signs of waning. The signing of Carrick and the pursuit of Hargreaves suggest that he is finally abandoning the idea of Fletcher being the future of the midfield.

Originally Posted by jem

you is right, buddy.

we said at the beginning of this season that we had a team good enough to win the league. not one with midfield strength or any options. not a squad that could afford any significant injuries. but a last huzzah for the old troopers and the young guns. if we had (or have) any bad luck with decisions or injuries, we're dead in the water. so far, we've been ok.

fergie and the glazers will go into next season thinking, with a league-winning team, there's not too much tinkering needed. sure, they've made hargreaves a priority (rightly so). but there won't be much else. and fergie will be busy telling the glazers that the likes of fletch are maturing and ready to stake a claim to the places left by giggs and scholes..... although he'll also be expecting to squeeze another couple of years out of giggs. and ronaldo and rooney will have that bit more experience.

we'll still finish top four. which is all they really care about.

Can we not have summer transfer gloom in March please. the 10 weeks we are gonna suffer is easily enough for anyone.

There was a hint of the Larry Whites about Larsson, a player who Fergie had long admired brought to the club past his best and over-played.

Originally Posted by antonin jablonsky

Can we not have summer transfer gloom in March please. the 10 weeks we are gonna suffer is easily enough for anyone.

what? have you changed your mind about wanting to talk now, eh? :0)

Originally Posted by antonin jablonsky

There was a hint of the Larry Whites about Larsson, a player who Fergie had long admired brought to the club past his best and over-played.

if (and I'm not sure I agree this was his plan) fergie was flogging larsson to give saha some rest and let him explode into the final part of the season, it was a gamble that has so far paid off. providing saha gets straight back into the form he was in before. hell of a gamble, though. larsson as an option on the bench for the rest of the season would have been a much safer bet.

Originally Posted by jem

what? have you changed your mind about wanting to talk now, eh? :0)

.

Eh? What yer on about?

Originally Posted by antonin jablonsky

Just don't see it as Lille are pretty average and are gonna have to play against type by actually attacking us. I see a comfortable win with United scoring on the break.

Thats why i fear things could go pear shaped - when teams attack us at the moment we dont look like we are capable of coping. Lille are an average team but they are motivated for this one and that midfielder they have coming back is supposed to be mustard.

Originally Posted by Lou_Macari_Chippy

Thats why i fear things could go pear shaped - when teams attack us at the moment we dont look like we are capable of coping. Lille are an average team but they are motivated for this one and that midfielder they have coming back is supposed to be mustard.

Dunno about that, we coped fine Satdee.