*Official* Stoke v United Match Thread

Do feel sorry for Berbs, his ability is deserving of a starting place but it'll be else where.

berbs was signed as a player who was going to be the new eric. big money transfer too. not easy coming to united and carrying that off. despite that he has paired up successfully with numerous strike partnerships and they have all worked. he's played in different systems and been able to adjust. he has the best touch at the club and hes unbelievable hard to get the ball off.

plus the fact that he's been top scorer and never really moaned about being left out. hes a dream player for a manager to have. i see no reason at all to get rid of him. he might be more ruthless, true but why let anyone else benefit from him because as soon as he becxomes openly available they'll be queuing for his signature at all the top clubs.

wish his dad murdered him, not the other guy.

Missed the game live as I was working so had to rely on the shite that is MOTD.

As has been mentioned out of 6 games now, there have been 4 games were there was a clear red card against the other team not given.

Fergies reaction to this is distinctly muted. Is he playing the old mind games with Mini Maureen and Dogleash who haven't stopped £#%&!ing crying in the last few weeks?

Originally Posted by MJ Ramone

Very generous wonks.
This is his fourth season at the Club & he's been 'on top of his game' in about half a dozen matches.
He doesn't do enough. He doesn't make enough happen & particularly away from Old Trafford he isn't a goal threat at all.

couldn't agree more. the bloke does absolutely nothing but slow us down. he should be made to play with a yellow flashing light above his head.

Originally Posted by wonky no

little dig at hargy there from fletch?

yep, i noticed that

we've made our best start to a season for literally years....

we've got a cracking squad.

we've played a team of cloggers who played out of their skins today and won't play like that again for a while.

we've beaten chelsea and arsenal convincingly at home and the football at times has been excellent and yet some are still moaning.

harden the £#%&! up, ladies.

Originally Posted by wonky no

berbs was signed as a player who was going to be the new eric. big money transfer too. not easy coming to united and carrying that off. despite that he has paired up successfully with numerous strike partnerships and they have all worked. he's played in different systems and been able to adjust. he has the best touch at the club and hes unbelievable hard to get the ball off.

plus the fact that he's been top scorer and never really moaned about being left out. hes a dream player for a manager to have. i see no reason at all to get rid of him. he might be more ruthless, true but why let anyone else benefit from him because as soon as he becxomes openly available they'll be queuing for his signature at all the top clubs.

berbatov didn't even play badly. strangely, no criticism of ashley young today. not even of evra. berbs played, so there's just no need.

Originally Posted by elhombre

we've made our best start to a season for literally years....

we've got a cracking squad.

we've played a team of cloggers who played out of their skins today and won't play like that again for a while.

we've beaten chelsea and arsenal convincingly at home and the football at times has been excellent and yet some are still moaning.

harden the £#%&! up, ladies.

Yeah. Clevvers and Rooers and Vidders will be back soon. The Gay looking better and better. Clevvers is seemingly required for the quick midfield passing. Nani is currently scoring an amazing goal a game. Jones is somehow a teenager with a shit hairdresser.

@#%&! referee turned down 2 blatant penalties and yet again some £#%&!ing #@&%! injures a youngster and stays on the pitch.

Could be a lot worse imo.

Originally Posted by atticusgrinch

Yeah. Clevvers and Rooers and Vidders will be back soon. The Gay looking better and better. Clevvers is seemingly required for the quick midfield passing. Nani is currently scoring an amazing goal a game. Jones is somehow a teenager with a shit hairdresser.

@#%&! referee turned down 2 blatant penalties and yet again some £#%&!ing #@&%! injures a youngster and stays on the pitch.

Could be a lot worse imo.

Originally Posted by jem

berbatov didn't even play badly. strangely, no criticism of ashley young today. not even of evra. berbs played, so there's just no need.

he was utter shite

Originally Posted by red in cumbria

Really not true, tbf - you don't get to be joint top scorer in a season with just that, whatever the Berba-haterz say........

He is a confidence player - at the moment, his confidence levels (for whatever reason, probably a mixture of things) are low. Last season, he gave one of the worst performances I can ever remember from a United forward away to Villa - only to show some sustained sublime form just weeks later. Too soon to write him off

rofl

Originally Posted by red in cumbria

Really not true, tbf - you don't get to be joint top scorer in a season with just that, whatever the Berba-haterz say........

He is a confidence player - at the moment, his confidence levels (for whatever reason, probably a mixture of things) are low. Last season, he gave one of the worst performances I can ever remember from a United forward away to Villa - only to show some sustained sublime form just weeks later. Too soon to write him off

cannot agree with you, i have always admired berbs, thought he was a tad unlucky last year to lose his place but then rooney/chico were superb together. When he did not make the side for CL final the writing was on the wall for him, i believe ther were offers made for him last summer, he probably would have got at least what he was earning at united but he has decided to stay and take his pay while putting in execretable displays and not looking the slightest bit arsed about it, he's tuned into a bit of a @#%&! imo.

Boss: We played like champions

Sir Alex Ferguson said his side played like "real champions" in the battling 1-1 draw at Stoke City on Saturday.

The Reds had taken the lead through Nani's brilliant solo effort, but Stoke have already shown this season, against Chelsea and Liverpool, that the visit of the big teams holds no fears for them and they ensured David De Gea had a busy afternoon in the United goal.

Peter Crouch drew the home side level on 52 minutes and in the end Sir Alex felt a point was a fair result.

"I was pleased with the performance from the lads - they battled really hard and played like real champions," he told MUTV afterwards.

"If Stoke were going to score it was probably going to be from a set-piece. They've got some big lads in their team and they do keep you under pressure that way.

"In terms of the attacking part we showed some good play and maybe should have scored more. We've always done well here, but all the changes we had to make today [with injuries to Evans, Hernandez and Rooney] maybe just unsettled us a bit for parts of the game.

"A draw is probably a fair result. It's a difficult place to come to."

The manager was particularly pleased with his goalkeeper's display after a string of top class saves.

"He had a couple of great saves in the first half and looked very confident." added the boss. "He has terrific composure, nothing disturbs him. He just sailed through the game."

http://www.manutd.com/en/News-And-Fe...-reaction.aspx

Originally Posted by believe

rofl

Thanks for that. So what do you actually disagree with there??

And don't bother with "all of it" ;-)

Thought we were pretty poor yesterday.

Never really took control of the game. Anderson had a poor game, and Fletcher still looks off the pace.

Berbatov rarely puts in a performance away from home, and Owen is a 15 minute impact player in the premier league. Thought Fergie should have put Welbeck on. Nani was the only bright spark going forwards. Valencia somehow managed to be less attacking than Smalling when he plays there.

It was all my fault

broke all the pre-game and during-game superstitions

sorry

Originally Posted by Harri Jaffa

i broke all the pre-game and during-game superstitions

so did fergie.....he started berbatoss

Originally Posted by red in cumbria

Thanks for that. So what do you actually disagree with there??

And don't bother with "all of it" ;-)

I think the "too soon to write him off" part is what done it tbh

He's been under-performing in the shirt for 3 years.

Originally Posted by Coracao

Valencia somehow managed to be less attacking than Smalling when he plays there.

Valencia is far too cautious in his play at the moment. He is not backing himself and taking defenders on. He has immense pace and power, but is far too happy knocking off safe 5 yard passes.

Playing at full back should give him the space to build up momentum before defenders have a chance to close him down. Look how effective Jones has been with those bursting runs from deep, at full pace by the time he is in midfield areas and it is very hard to stop.