Rossi

Originally Posted by Baron_van_Marlon

Fletcher's got half the ability, less than half the strength, ditto Snooty, yet they get 200+ appearances between them? Rossi deserves the chance to play with better players - he scored away on his first start for us against the Mackem's didn't he?

so should we drop wayne Rooney for Rossi then?

Fletcher and #@&%! get games because we're short in midfield and have suffered injuries. Fletcher to be fair is a certain type of player used for a certain type of role, which Hargreaves is now there to do. Fletcher will be warming the bench. Richardson only got matches because Giggs is too old to play every match and Park/Neville/Evra/Silvestre got injured so we needed cover in wide positions. He was way down the pecking order.

Rossi is no Wayne Rooney. And he can't lead the line either because of his lack of size, speed and strength.

If he's happy to be Rooney's understudy then fair play, but ultimately with Anderson, Nani and Hargreaves, the likes of Richardson will probably be gone and Fletcher will become a Phil Neville-esque utility squad member.

United fans going on about Rossi remind me of Liverpool fans going on about Le Tallec and Pongolle.

Look at Fabregas, look at Mikel etc. Rossi just isn't up there.

Originally Posted by Darth Vidic

Rossi's wanted by top clubs.

But he's ours.

i heard Italians were eyeing Keiran Richardson too...and didn't Robbie Keane go to Inter Milan?

Originally Posted by UnitedRoad

so should we drop wayne Rooney for Rossi then?

Fletcher and #@&%! get games because we're short in midfield and have suffered injuries. Fletcher to be fair is a certain type of player used for a certain type of role, which Hargreaves is now there to do. Fletcher will be warming the bench. Richardson only got matches because Giggs is too old to play every match and Park/Neville/Evra/Silvestre got injured so we needed cover in wide positions. He was way down the pecking order.

Rossi is no Wayne Rooney. And he can't lead the line either because of his lack of size, speed and strength.

If he's happy to be Rooney's understudy then fair play, but ultimately with Anderson, Nani and Hargreaves, the likes of Richardson will probably be gone and Fletcher will become a Phil Neville-esque utility squad member.

United fans going on about Rossi remind me of Liverpool fans going on about Le Tallec and Pongolle.

Look at Fabregas, look at Mikel etc. Rossi just isn't up there.

£#%&! me, why so desperate to be right and for Rossi to fail,you are actually bitter on the subject. Look at our squad, we are horribly short up front, why wouldn't Rossi be part of the solution next season? I look forward to him getting a chance next season which I'm sure he will, he's gonna surprise you with his quality.

Originally Posted by UnitedRoad

i heard Italians were eyeing Keiran Richardson too...and didn't Robbie Keane go to Inter Milan?

Come on, explain the sheer bitterness of your attitude towards Rossi, there's a desperation about it that is odd for a United fan to display towards a youth player before he's had a chance to prove himself.

Originally Posted by antonin jablonsky

£#%&! me, why so desperate to be right and for Rossi to fail,you are actually bitter on the subject. Look at our squad, we are horribly short up front, why wouldn't Rossi be part of the solution next season? I look forward to him getting a chance next season which I'm sure he will, he's gonna surprise you with his quality.

hope you are right.

I really do. But, I think we need a less injury prone, quick, mobile striker (we played extremely fluent football with Saha) so work with our wide men next year.

Originally Posted by UnitedRoad

so should we drop wayne Rooney for Rossi then?

Fletcher and #@&%! get games because we're short in midfield and have suffered injuries. Fletcher to be fair is a certain type of player used for a certain type of role, which Hargreaves is now there to do. Fletcher will be warming the bench. Richardson only got matches because Giggs is too old to play every match and Park/Neville/Evra/Silvestre got injured so we needed cover in wide positions. He was way down the pecking order.

Rossi is no Wayne Rooney. And he can't lead the line either because of his lack of size, speed and strength.

If he's happy to be Rooney's understudy then fair play, but ultimately with Anderson, Nani and Hargreaves, the likes of Richardson will probably be gone and Fletcher will become a Phil Neville-esque utility squad member.

United fans going on about Rossi remind me of Liverpool fans going on about Le Tallec and Pongolle.

Look at Fabregas, look at Mikel etc. Rossi just isn't up there.

Why do I feel like banging my head on the table?

Rossi isn't Rooney's replacement. He's a very good footballer we can fit in - given the penchant for 4-3-3 the advanced left sided spot wouldn't be a problem for him & he'd sure as £#%&! do a better job than Snooty. Playing him off a main striker would be ideal, if not anywhere along the front - just not as the most advanced / used as a target man. Rooney doesn't have to play every minute of every game. Rossi deserves starts in our first team. It's not rocket science. Just give the lad a chance, writing him off before he's got any semblence of a run is ridiculous. I'd put money on you coming back here & bumping this thread if he had a poor game early in the season as well. He warrents a run, at least as much of a chance as some others have had. That's all, no one's labelling hima saviour, but I'd be pissed off if he wasn't at least given a chance.

Originally Posted by antonin jablonsky

Come on, explain the sheer bitterness of your attitude towards Rossi, there's a desperation about it that is odd for a United fan to display towards a youth player before he's had a chance to prove himself.

not bitterness. It's just that we've seen so many players at United who haven't made the grade and weren't really going to and I feel like Rossi is in that bracket. I just hope that we aren't made to sit through it a la Richardson, Fletcher , O Shea/Smith as midfield general etc. in a fit of Ferguson stubbornness.

Originally Posted by UnitedRoad

hope you are right.

I really do. But, I think we need a less injury prone, quick, mobile striker (we played extremely fluent football with Saha) so work with our wide men next year.

Of course we need another striker with Saha completely unreliable but this would still leave a place for Rossi. We only really have 1 forward at the moment. We had 4 fowrards in '99 and I'd like to go back to this, as last team showed how a season can fade asa season ends when a squad isn't strong enough.

Originally Posted by Baron_van_Marlon

Why do I feel like banging my head on the table?

Rossi isn't Rooney's replacement. He's a very good footballer we can fit in - given the penchant for 4-3-3 the advanced left sided spot wouldn't be a problem for him & he'd sure as £#%&! do a better job than Snooty. Playing him off a main striker would be ideal, if not anywhere along the front - just not as the most advanced / used as a target man. Rooney doesn't have to play every minute of every game. Rossi deserves starts in our first team. It's not rocket science. Just give the lad a chance, writing him off before he's got any semblence of a run is ridiculous. I'd put money on you coming back here & bumping this thread if he had a poor game early in the season as well. He warrents a run, at least as much of a chance as some others have had. That's all, no one's labelling hima saviour, but I'd be pissed off if he wasn't at least given a chance.

like i've said, with Nani and Anderson coming in, there's no place for Snooty. As I've also said, if Rossi is going to be Rooney's understudy, fair enough. In MY OPINION, he's never going to be starting 11 material, not with a squad that includes Anderson and Rooney.

Not for quite a long time have I wanted a player to succeed like I do with Rossi. Seems a down to earth lad and most importantly it sounds like he wants to do well at United, he doesn't want to be seen as the kid who didn't make it at United.

He isn't a player who usually needs time on the ball and if he does need time then because he is so quick and lightweight, he can create that bit of space and he usually does something with the ball. Gets it to a team mate or more often that not gets a shot on target.

In the few games he played in the first team, he seemed too eager. I think he is a confidence player, one or two goals under his belt and then he could really shine in the first team.

Hopefully Fergie will give him a go in the pre-season friendlies.

Originally Posted by antonin jablonsky

Of course we need another striker with Saha completely unreliable but this would still leave a place for Rossi. We only really have 1 forward at the moment. We had 4 fowrards in '99 and I'd like to go back to this, as last team showed how a season can fade asa season ends when a squad isn't strong enough.

Good point. But ultimately, every match that matters featuring this Manchester United team is going to include Wayne Rooney and ultimately Anderson. I personally don't think Rossi is anything like as good as Sheringham (with a decade's premiership experience) and a top of his game Ole.

Originally Posted by UnitedRoad

like i've said, with Nani and Anderson coming in, there's no place for Snooty. As I've also said, if Rossi is going to be Rooney's understudy, fair enough. In MY OPINION, he's never going to be starting 11 material, not with a squad that includes Anderson and Rooney.

He deserves the chance, that's all anyone's saying, you're writing him off before he's had any sort of run. Why would it be a problem for Rossi to be - for example - our new Ole? he'd get plenty of starts, score plenty of goals & make his own contribution. I don't understand how you can be so adamant he'll not make it yet would flourish in another league? It's practically non-contact here anyway's & will only go further that way as well. Size isn't an issue.

We'll all have to wait & see what happens. He's either good enough or he isn't.

His goal away at Sunderland is neither here nor there because equally you could argue that in his Premiership starts at Old Trafford he was completely bossed by the opposition centre halves.

He's a year older now & more experienced. I'm more than happy for him to be part of the squad, but we need to buy a top drawer striker this summer whatever the outcome of Rossi's situation.

Originally Posted by MJ Ramone

We'll all have to wait & see what happens. He's either good enough or he isn't.

His goal away at Sunderland is neither here nor there because equally you could argue that in his Premiership starts at Old Trafford he was completely bossed by the opposition centre halves.
.

He's only made 1 PL start?

Originally Posted by antonin jablonsky

He's only made 1 PL start?

I thought he'd made 2, but you're probably right.
He was hugely dissapointing in that start against Charlton though....not that I'd be unkind enough to judge him entirely on that one performance..anymore than I would be convinced he's top class because of a quality goal in an under-21 game.

As I said, it's up to him. If he get's a chance he's got to take it. I hope he does.

Originally Posted by MJ Ramone

I thought he'd made 2, but you're probably right.
He was hugely dissapointing in that start against Charlton though....not that I'd be unkind enough to judge him entirely on that one performance..anymore than I would be convinced he's top class because of a quality goal in an under-21 game.

As I said, it's up to him. If he get's a chance he's got to take it. I hope he does.

No he didn't, he had a good game

Originally Posted by antonin jablonsky

He's only made 1 PL start?

there's a reason for that clearly.

If Roeder or Ferguson had thought he was vital to the squad/team, he would have been there more often.

I just don't think he's showing huge potential. It's all opinion, but I don't think he's United material. I think he'll be sold on like Michael Stewart, Keith Gillespie, Terry Cooke, John Curtis and co.

Originally Posted by MJ Ramone

I thought he'd made 2, but you're probably right.
He was hugely dissapointing in that start against Charlton though....not that I'd be unkind enough to judge him entirely on that one performance..anymore than I would be convinced he's top class because of a quality goal in an under-21 game.

As I said, it's up to him. If he get's a chance he's got to take it. I hope he does.

I agree to some extent but I think his goal record for Parma suggests his quality, that'a quality leugue and not easy to score in, particularly at such a poor side. As to him making it in Italy but not here I just don't buy it, otherwise the Nani and Anderson signings make no sense, that league is hardly better than Italy, in fact it's much, much poorer. Time will tell on Rossi but my point is I can't see any reason to write hiim of, out of hand, before he even gets a chance.

Originally Posted by UnitedRoad

there's a reason for that clearly.

If Roeder or Ferguson had thought he was vital to the squad/team, he would have been there more often.

I just don't think he's showing huge potential. It's all opinion, but I don't think he's United material. I think he'll be sold on like Michael Stewart, Keith Gillespie, Terry Cooke, John Curtis and co.

I'm sorry but Roeder is hardly a judge I'd trust, he got sacked for his ineptitude. As to Fergie, he clearly wanted a years experience at a level highr than our reserves before he got his chance, he took that with both hands.Your comparisons are idiotic, Idon't recallany of those names playing in Serie A and being instrumental in keeping a club up. You really are desperate to be right about hiim not making it, as I said previously almost bitter, It makes no sense to me.

Originally Posted by antonin jablonsky

I agree to some extent but I think his goal record for Parma suggests his quality, that'a quality leugue and not easy to score in, particularly at such a poor side. As to him making it in Italy but not here I just don't buy it, otherwise the Nani and Anderson signings make no sense, that league is hardly better than Italy, in fact it's much, much poorer. Time will tell on Rossi but my point is I can't see any reason to write hiim of, out of hand, before he even gets a chance.

if I think he doesn't look the part, then surely I've every right to express that opinion? I don't think he'll make it. Shevchenko scored goals for fun in Italy. Crespo and Veron were seen to be godlike in Italy but pretty much ineffective here.

Ronaldo is proof of a young foreign player with talent being brought in to develop IN THE PREMIER LEAGUE which is what has made him the player he is. We didn't go loaning him anywhere, we knew he was good enough so we blooded him just enough, like Wenger is with Walcott and like we will do with Nani and Anderson, so they learn the game and adapt to it.

It's obviously harder to come here from Serie A or La Liga or any other foreign league, and adapt to our game as an older player (we failed with the quick fix attempts like Veron / Forlan / Kleberson etc.), but it's easier to coach younger players and help shape their potential, which is why we've bought Nani and Anderson. Players with truly SPECTACULAR potential, which, if harnessed the right way, can become Ronaldo/Mikel/Robben-esque Premiership players.

With Rossi and Pique (and players like Johnny Spector) we've looked at them as strong contenders, had a very close look at them and they aren't popping through into Premiership contention at OT yet (so Spector gets let go), so there must be something lacking. With both Pique and Rossi their year away will make or break their OT future. They will either come back looking closer to the part or not and that decision, I imagine will be taken by January.