Our Form - Anyone noticed?

I'm very concerned that this fact appears to have dipped below eveyone's radar: we are in our worst form of the season I think in terms of results. 1 win in 4, not playing well for long periods, not dominating teams and even Ronnie has not scored in 3 games! Bad time to lose form. Not played well since Villa at home really.

Still, Sat can change all that! As much as I'd love to win, all but take the PL title and their 10,000 game home record, I'd take last nights sterility right now if offered!

I can see both teams having an eye on next weeks games and it turning into a bore draw.

Personally I think the midfield is the reason for this. There have been brief patches against Boro and Blackburn when the passing was crisp and neat, but for the large chunk of the game the opposition has seemed to be able to close players down far too quickly. I don't know if it's fatigue, I doubt it considering all the players who have been rested though.

Originally Posted by redrose

I'm very concerned that this fact appears to have dipped below eveyone's radar: we are in our worst form of the season I think in terms of results. 1 win in 4, not playing well for long periods, not dominating teams and even Ronnie has not scored in 3 games! Bad time to lose form. Not played well since Villa at home really.

Still, Sat can change all that! As much as I'd love to win, all but take the PL title and their 10,000 game home record, I'd take last nights sterility right now if offered!

form is a bit worrying, don't think Ferige has been able to start with the team he'd wanted to in the last 2 games though. We'd have won at Blackburn if Anderson & Hargo had played.

Ultimately we are at a delicate part of the season... Players are feeling it a bit and Vidic's injury hasn't helped.

Arsenal, Chelsea, Barca, Blackburn (a) are all very hard games. We are 5 games from winning the league and champions league... 5 games. I just hope we can find the performances from somewhere.

anyone wonder who hasnt started our last few games in midfield and who has?

there lies your answer.

Are things that bad that if a 19 year old doesn't start every game we're going to struggle.

Smells like one man team syndrome to me.

I reckon Fergie will need to buy a couple of midfielders in the Summer to compensate should he get injured next season (not forgetting the games he'll miss at the start of the season - damn you Olympics).

Pity we can't play Villa again. We could do with a bit of a confidence boost

...last season's damp squib! Winning the PL was fine, but we limped over the line in terms of form (take Everton away out of the equation) and of course the CL semis, WH at OT and the FAC final were all mares. OK, Ronnie was running on empty by then and the defence was decimated etc etc and this season that is apparently not the case, as SAF keeps reminding us, but not sure the facts or my eyes support this theory.

Prove me wrong boys on Sat & Tuesday!!!

If neither Anderson or Nani play, we look energyless in midfield. Simple as that. The passing is still fine, and we manage to cover our defence..just NOTHING going forward from the middle and whatever wing Ronaldo isnt on.

Well..Park has energy, but he wastes it 70% of the time.

Originally Posted by redrose

...last season's damp squib! Winning the PL was fine, but we limped over the line in terms of form (take Everton away out of the equation) and of course the CL semis, WH at OT and the FAC final were all mares. OK, Ronnie was running on empty by then and the defence was decimated etc etc and this season that is apparently not the case, as SAF keeps reminding us, but not sure the facts or my eyes support this theory.

Prove me wrong boys on Sat & Tuesday!!!

we should be in a lot better shape this season considering the size of the squad and I don't think anyone has played as many minutes as they did last season.

Should be a special night at OT on tuesday and should really give the players a lift.

Originally Posted by Whalefish

Are things that bad that if a 19 year old doesn't start every game we're going to struggle.

Smells like one man team syndrome to me.

I reckon Fergie will need to buy a couple of midfielders in the Summer to compensate should he get injured next season (not forgetting the games he'll miss at the start of the season - damn you Olympics).

its seems so.

we havent drawn or lost a game that anderson has started.(city apart)

the team playing now and the last few games is the same team that started this campaign in which we looks similarly poor.

Originally Posted by JakeB

If neither Anderson or Nani play, we look energyless in midfield. Simple as that. The passing is still fine, and we manage to cover our defence..just NOTHING going forward from the middle and whatever wing Ronaldo isnt on.

Well..Park has energy, but he wastes it 70% of the time.

We only have two midfielders with 'energy'?

If that's the case I think we should be hoping for more midfielders in the Summer.

The biggest problem for me yesterday was Vidic's injury. Him dropping out meant a patched up back four and changes in front of them to give them extra protection.

I don't see why Park had to start though.

Originally Posted by marlo stansfield

its seems so.

we havent drawn or lost a game that anderson has started.(city apart)

the team playing now and the last few games is the same team that started this campaign in which we looks similarly poor.

£#%&!ing hell, best hope we buy some midfielders in the Summer then.

Originally Posted by Whalefish

We only have two midfielders with 'energy'?

If that's the case I think we should be hoping for more midfielders in the Summer.

The biggest problem for me yesterday was Vidic's injury. Him dropping out meant a patched up back four and changes in front of them to give them extra protection.

I don't see why Park had to start though.

I dont think Scholes or Carrick offer much energy or drive going forward now no, other than very precise long balls up to the forwards sometimes, like scholes did on one occassion last night. Xavi and Iniesta made our midfiled look completely immobile at times. Works a lot better for those 2 in the premiership in any case.

Personally I think its £#%&!ing criminal that Anderson or indeed nani didnt start ahead of Park last night. My brain practically melted when Rooney and Tevez were hauled off and Park stayed on.

We are well below par, that's quite plain to see.

But the Chelsea game is now of utmost importance to the team, win that and the PL is effectively over - and we can then concentrate solely on the Champions League.

If we £#%&! the Chelsea game up, we're under serious pressure to have to win two more league games. Pressure in one competition is much better to cope with than two - we could do without it at this stage.

Hopefully the players will really get their act together for the next two games, - we'll see what they are made of, see if they can deliver when it matters.

Originally Posted by Barracuda

We are well below par, that's quite plain to see.

But the Chelsea game is now of utmost importance to the team, win that and the PL is effectively over - and we can then concentrate solely on the Champions League.

If we £#%&! the Chelsea game up, we're under serious pressure to have to win two more league games. Pressure in one competition is much better to cope with than two - we could do without it at this stage.

Hopefully the players will really get their act together for the next two games, - we'll see what they are made of, see if they can deliver when it matters.

Even if we lose to the rents, we may not have to win 2. We just need to match them point for point. It won't come to that. It wont.....:shakehead:

Any truth in the rumour that a few of the lads had a bit of the same stomach bug, but not as severe as Vidic??
It would certainly explain a few performances.

We looked shattered at times last night.
I think we'll put a very weakened team out on Saturday ....Fergie not afraid to gamble. No matter how risky it is.

Originally Posted by MJ Ramone

Any truth in the rumour that a few of the lads had a bit of the same stomach bug, but not as severe as Vidic??
It would certainly explain a few performances.

We looked shattered at times last night.
I think we'll put a very weakened team out on Saturday ....Fergie not afraid to gamble. No matter how risky it is.

Can not put a weakened team out. If we lose the pressure it puts on the team in the matches against Wigan and West Ham is huge. Win at Chelsea and the league is over, even a draw will do it.


Rooney might be rested, looked very tired last night, maybe still feeling the knock he took at Blackburn. Anderson needs to play to combat the power that Chelsea have in midfield, Scholes and Carrick would struggle to contain Essien and Ballack.

Originally Posted by MJ Ramone

Any truth in the rumour that a few of the lads had a bit of the same stomach bug, but not as severe as Vidic??
It would certainly explain a few performances.

We looked shattered at times last night.
I think we'll put a very weakened team out on Saturday ....Fergie not afraid to gamble. No matter how risky it is.

I was thinking this before, wouldnt be at all suprised to see Ronaldo on the bench along with a few others on saturday and play for a draw

Hope im wrong by the way and to be fair i usually am