*The 2016 Match Thread* Man Utd v Southampton 23/1/2016

Originally Posted by Zorg

He'd walk back into the team with his legs tied behind his back now.

I think we need some new staff in the treatment room too.

Originally Posted by smith90

Yes, I agree with you a little bit. But good players are only one of the few factors to success. Basically, players can be categorized into two kinds. The crappy ones and the good ones. Let's say we have crappy players now. But they are trainable. How? With the right manager. So, having the right person to fit as a manager for the team also plays a great role on success. I just hope if LVG is out, they could find someone better.

fair enough. i don't think the players are crappy tbh, i think most of them are very good. there's obviously an issue with their ability to execute van gaal's tactics as he wants though. the fact he hasn't been able to fix that is curious. the fact he's apparently been unwilling to adjust it to make sure we aren't sat in a bored stupor in the meantime is going to cost him his job. he's definitely not absolved of responsibility just because the players haven't got the balls for it.

Originally Posted by Part 36 Offer

Yep. Have to say, Rafael is £#%&!ing miles better than Darmian has shown so far.

At his best yes, though having watched a bit of him at Lyon and his continual injury issues he is probably never going to get back to where he was around 11-13.

Darmian is an average athlete and poor going forward, lacks technical ability on the ball. Decent defender for the most part but he can not sustain it over full matches against the athletes he is up against let alone a full season. He looks a strange signing, almost a throw back to a previous age of more conservative full backs, Valencia to my amazement has been a big miss.

Originally Posted by jem

I think we need some new staff in the treatment room too.

Originally Posted by Tiberian

At his best yes, though having watched a bit of him at Lyon and his continual injury issues he is probably never going to get back to where he was around 11-13.

Darmian is an average athlete and poor going forward, lacks technical ability on the ball. Decent defender for the most part but he can not sustain it over full matches against the athletes he is up against let alone a full season. He looks a strange signing, almost a throw back to a previous age of more conservative full backs, Valencia to my amazement has been a big miss.

Mata really does miss him when he's not in the team, they work well as a pair.

£#%&!ing love Rafa me, his departure hurts.

Originally Posted by Fat Al

Is it my imagination (or advanced senility) but wasn't he reasonably decent in his first few games?

Yeah he was tbf. Has completely gone to shit since though. He's been terrible for most of the season. He did have a solid start though.

What a loss Shaw has been. He's probably our most exciting player tbf

Originally Posted by Tiberian

At his best yes, though having watched a bit of him at Lyon and his continual injury issues he is probably never going to get back to where he was around 11-13.

Darmian is an average athlete and poor going forward, lacks technical ability on the ball. Decent defender for the most part but he can not sustain it over full matches against the athletes he is up against let alone a full season. He looks a strange signing, almost a throw back to a previous age of more conservative full backs, Valencia to my amazement has been a big miss.

absolutely right. valencia and shaw are huge losses for van gaal's entire strategy this season. i'd go further and say that those two plus young, rojo and blind in our back line held the key to the entire season. the lack of width has been painful to watch. the lack of football ability from smalling (and jones when fit) has been a constant source of comedy. and the absence of carrick has compounded the whole thing.

Originally Posted by S/Side.Red

I think the fans' heads went a little bit when Scholes and others had that two weeks of hammering the manager. Remember the CSKA game at Old Trafford when they were getting on the players backs and chanting to attack when United were attacking. It was a mess. But this is one of the biggest clubs in the world and that's just something players should be able to deal with, not use as an excuse to not do what the manager wants.

At Juve or Barca they'd be whistled onto the field by now. Other places they'd be getting attacked in the street. But a reluctant discontent, which is obviously now utterly rational, is enough for them to fold and let the manager take all the heat rather than them take some responsibility.

Our home record is a joke and whatever the managers failing it also points to a complete lack of personality from the players. No wonder he wanted a @#%&! like Ramos to give some balls to the side. Have been suggesting it for a while, but when Chris Smalling is one of your leaders and inspirations despite shitting himself whenever in possession, you're low on character.

A champions league/cup crowd are different to the regular, was it the League cup last year when Felliani got every touch patronised.Ive never been so ashamed. The groans for a bad touch/mistake have grown larger at every home game tbf Its just the physical manifestation of how we feel, just have a look at the match threads on here and its not going to just go away unless theres a change and its obvious that this manager cannot bring that about.


I only travel 1/2 hour to/from the game, If I was one of these Norwegian / Irish reds id be booing a lot more having to watch the turgid shite we are turning out game after game. I couldn't imagine coming all that way for that and them having to travel home again.

Originally Posted by Tumescent Throb

absolutely right. valencia and shaw are huge losses for van gaal's entire strategy this season. i'd go further and say that those two plus young, rojo and blind in our back line held the key to the entire season. the lack of width has been painful to watch. the lack of football ability from smalling (and jones when fit) has been a constant source of comedy. and the absence of carrick has compounded the whole thing.

Valencia, despite his chronic lack of imagination and attacking conviction is an exceptional athlete and has an excellent first touch, rarely gives the ball away. Probably seems strange to some to bemoan the loss of a rather negative player given our style but he facilitates the play of others. As TBR pointed out Mata, and Herrera really appreciated his contribution at times last season. I find him much more palatable at fb than he was on the wing. Young is not popular but he is one of the few players who has been a reliable option for LVG.


I used to hate Valencia, how far we have fallen.

Welcome back btw.

Originally Posted by Part 36 Offer

What a loss Shaw has been. He's probably our most exciting player tbf

it is fair to say that if shaw hadn't got injured it would have saved van gaal's job.

Originally Posted by Tumescent Throb

absolutely right. valencia and shaw are huge losses for van gaal's entire strategy this season. i'd go further and say that those two plus young, rojo and blind in our back line held the key to the entire season. the lack of width has been painful to watch. the lack of football ability from smalling (and jones when fit) has been a constant source of comedy. and the absence of carrick has compounded the whole thing.

shyeah. you'd play a back five with valencia - young - rojo - blind - shaw, but you wouldn't play smalling.

first outfield name on the teamsheet, you buffoon. don't try and save it by bigging up carrick.

Originally Posted by Tiberian

Valencia, despite his chronic lack of imagination and attacking conviction is an exceptional athlete and has an excellent first touch, rarely gives the ball away.

true dat. classic midfielder.

Originally Posted by Tiberian

Valencia, despite his chronic lack of imagination and attacking conviction is an exceptional athlete and has an excellent first touch, rarely gives the ball away. Probably seems strange to some to bemoan the loss of a rather negative player given our style but he facilitates the play of others. As TBR pointed out Mata, and Herrera really appreciated his contribution at times last season. I find him much more palatable at fb than he was on the wing. Young is not popular but he is one of the few players who has been a reliable option for LVG.


I used to hate Valencia, how far we have fallen.

Welcome back btw.

Valencia and Rojo both outstanding in the derby at Old Trafford from FB. Aggressive, assertive displays that nullified City's counter.

Then both joined Shaw in getting long-term injuries, obvs.

Surprised LvG hasn't tried to save himself by pushing for a player or two this month when being convinced to stay.

just imagine - if valencia had stayed fit and played every game at rb, he might have learned some positional sense.

Originally Posted by jem

true dat. classic midfielder.

You're insane.

Unfortunately, sometimes when playing in midfield the ball falls on your left. It's unpleasant, but it can't be helped. There is no big long white line you can stand next to and guarantee the ball won't come from that side. Hth.

Originally Posted by jem

just imagine - if valencia had stayed fit and played every game at rb, he might have learned some positional sense.

If we have now resorted to hankering for valencia, then the straits are more dire than I imagined.

Originally Posted by jem

shyeah. you'd play a back five with valencia - young - rojo - blind - shaw, but you wouldn't play smalling.

first outfield name on the teamsheet, you buffoon. don't try and save it by bigging up carrick.
.

no. i would have used the best combinations on either side from those players (plus darmian and the youngens). as it is, van gaal has almost never had the full use of the options he assembled.
as far as smalling goes, yes i would have used him this season and with jones as his partner whenever possible. but only because 1/ an actual leader wasn't brought in by the manager, 2/ the bloke who can actually play football we use back there has been needed at left back and 3/ carrick has been absent to drop in for blind.

the sight of smalling advancing with the ball over halfway at old trafford is gonna be an enduring nightmare of the season. 0-0.