Chelsea vs Manchester United : Official Matchday Thread 22/10/2022 @ 5.30pm

It's like he's looking at a different player. I LOVE Roy but he couldn't be more wrong about ronaldo.

Originally Posted by Sparky***

Keane really is the definition of 'all stick no carrot'.

He's had countless hours on telly slagging us to high heaven for the last couple of years and finally he has a chance to say something even vaguely £#%&!ing positive after weds and his first thought is "yeah but spurs were terrible".

Cheers Roy. It's a wonder you didn't make it as a manager isn't it

This Ronaldo thing will become the theme of the season until we manage to offload him, it was never going to work he can't offer what this team needs up front any more, his legs won't allow him to get away from even average defenders and we haven't got a kevin de bruyne in the team to just put the ball on his head whilst he stands in the 6 yard box.

Would Ronaldo have scored any of the chances rashford has had recently? Probably the header the other week. But the rest of them he'd never have the chances in the first place because he can't work space for himself in tight areas any more. Him vs 3 chelsea centre backs today would have been easy work for them. He'd just have ended up dropping deep and doing nothing.

It's mad how we've had to listen to "nobody's bigger than the club"..."the player need to look at themselves" etc etc..... until Ronaldo's involved and suddenly the goalposts get moved and he should start every game regardless of however he behaves and however he plays. I can't imagine what it must be like as a younger player having a stroppy old @#%&! up front throwing his arms about because you can't lay on tap ins for him to compensate for his age every game but i can't imagine it does your confidence the world of good.

Absolutely spot on.

Originally Posted by Stickman

I hate the argument that him taking the arse of getting subbed is in some way good because he wants to play he wants to win etc

It’s a perfectly reasonable point of view to take, until you refuse to come on and flounce off down the touch line taking the attention from your teammates’ excellent performances.

If he’d waited and gone nose to nose with Ten Hag in the changing rooms after then fair enough, that’s where these things should be settled. Instead he goes into a public sulk and probably went to give Mendes a call to complain.

Keane just looks like an utter hypocrite defending him. For all his talk of standards he thinks that Ronaldo doesn’t have to adhere to them? He, more than most, should know that no player should be bigger than the club.

Originally Posted by My Name is Heath

Get rid of Ronald Oh and get a top class 9 in asap

This season? Ideally but would rather wait until the right player is available

Sancho is 3rd choice/4th choice winger for me behind Antony, Martial and Rashers

Need a big unit upfront. Wish Kevin Davies was still about - he’d do really well for us.

Patience lads. We are heading in the right direction.

We only need a big unit of he can play football & is full of pace. We need a Saha. 6’ & with a spring, not made of balsa would be perfect. Who’s the next up and coming French starlet?

Originally Posted by Baron

We only need a big unit of he can play football & is full of pace. We need a Saha. 6’ & with a spring, not made of balsa would be perfect. Who’s the next up and coming French starlet?

Paul Pogba

Originally Posted by dunk

Sanche played plenty on both sides for Dortmund. We’re seeing a confidence and application issue imo. Erik will sort him.



Nkunku isn’t a striker
Sesko has signed for Leipzig

Osimhen and Toney are options, doubt we’re interested in £100m on Osimhen (he is a top Red though by all accounts) and I’m sure Brentford would want astronomical sums for Toney.

Gakpo is the one within our price range, deal half done, can play across the front line, is a unit and quick.

would take gakpo (not sure he's better than what we have or.... even a cf, but still...) my little toney can £#%&! off, though. as can kane.

would spend the money on a decent physio first.

Originally Posted by Baron

We only need a big unit of he can play football & is full of pace. We need a Saha. 6’ & with a spring, not made of balsa would be perfect. Who’s the next up and coming French starlet?

Mathys Tel? 17, signed for Munich in the summer

Got to be quick these days, or you’re paying through the nose..

not the worst result in what is always one of the toughest fixtures for us.

Originally Posted by MagnificentSeven

not the worst result in what is always one of the toughest fixtures for us.

Thank you Peter

Originally Posted by Sparky***

Keane really is the definition of 'all stick no carrot'.

He's had countless hours on telly slagging us to high heaven for the last couple of years and finally he has a chance to say something even vaguely £#%&!ing positive after weds and his first thought is "yeah but spurs were terrible".

Cheers Roy. It's a wonder you didn't make it as a manager isn't it

This Ronaldo thing will become the theme of the season until we manage to offload him, it was never going to work he can't offer what this team needs up front any more, his legs won't allow him to get away from even average defenders and we haven't got a kevin de bruyne in the team to just put the ball on his head whilst he stands in the 6 yard box.

Would Ronaldo have scored any of the chances rashford has had recently? Probably the header the other week. But the rest of them he'd never have the chances in the first place because he can't work space for himself in tight areas any more. Him vs 3 chelsea centre backs today would have been easy work for them. He'd just have ended up dropping deep and doing nothing.

It's mad how we've had to listen to "nobody's bigger than the club"..."the player need to look at themselves" etc etc..... until Ronaldo's involved and suddenly the goalposts get moved and he should start every game regardless of however he behaves and however he plays. I can't imagine what it must be like as a younger player having a stroppy old @#%&! up front throwing his arms about because you can't lay on tap ins for him to compensate for his age every game but i can't imagine it does your confidence the world of good.

Spot on. It’s sad but it happens to every player.

Originally Posted by Sparky***

Keane really is the definition of 'all stick no carrot'.

He's had countless hours on telly slagging us to high heaven for the last couple of years and finally he has a chance to say something even vaguely £#%&!ing positive after weds and his first thought is "yeah but spurs were terrible".

Cheers Roy. It's a wonder you didn't make it as a manager isn't it

This Ronaldo thing will become the theme of the season until we manage to offload him, it was never going to work he can't offer what this team needs up front any more, his legs won't allow him to get away from even average defenders and we haven't got a kevin de bruyne in the team to just put the ball on his head whilst he stands in the 6 yard box.

Would Ronaldo have scored any of the chances rashford has had recently? Probably the header the other week. But the rest of them he'd never have the chances in the first place because he can't work space for himself in tight areas any more. Him vs 3 chelsea centre backs today would have been easy work for them. He'd just have ended up dropping deep and doing nothing.

It's mad how we've had to listen to "nobody's bigger than the club"..."the player need to look at themselves" etc etc..... until Ronaldo's involved and suddenly the goalposts get moved and he should start every game regardless of however he behaves and however he plays. I can't imagine what it must be like as a younger player having a stroppy old @#%&! up front throwing his arms about because you can't lay on tap ins for him to compensate for his age every game but i can't imagine it does your confidence the world of good.

Post. 100% this.

Bringing up scholes and other incidents. Yes it happens, this is the second time he did it. Tbh it was the refusal to come on . I mean I am being a real conspiracy theorist here but it’s the first time I’ve seen him wear that earring whilst on the subs bench. Was he planning to come on at all? I don’t know? Maybe players wear jewellery all the time and take it off when it’s time to come on but in the last two years when he has been on the subs bench he hasn’t worn if. Anyway that’s a nothing point.


Roy Keane everyone, the man who was spouting for 2-3 years (rightly so) about attitude drive in the team. Not downing tools and undermining the manager. Yet here we are seeing it in black and white and all of a sudden he understands it.

The comment about 1 in 2.. he’s scored 2 in 12 appearances. Saying a lot of fans don’t know what they’re talking about, atleast then get your own statistics correct before you start to bellow out he’s a goal scorer he will get you goals.

Anyone who has watched United season will tell you he hasn’t been great , atleast not to his high standards. Goal scoring apart he’s misplaced a lot of touches, doesn’t have the pace to run onto balls or away from players, odd occasion had heavy touches. Honestly what a hypocrite Keane is. World class Center mid, absolute prat as a pundit.

The idea that scholes and other players have done it yes sure, but they had time around in their career for Ferguson to turn it around. Ronaldo has 6 months left. If Ronaldo really wanted to leave the. He would drop his wage.

He was talking about Ronaldo not needing the money , of course he doesn’t, but I don’t doubt for a single second when he was touted around in the summer by his agent he was asking for 400-500k and nobody wanted him. Honestly , this season atleast Man Utd play better with Ronaldo that without. You see it with your eyes and you see it with the stats.

Is he going to talk about how he struggled to score against omonia twice? Or did £#%&! all against Newcastle. The one good game I’d say he had was the Everton one. The sherif one he scored in was shite too.

Ronaldo is the best player ever, just not longer a good footballer to play 50 games at this level for the club. Atleast not the way ETH wants to play

People are surprised Keane is defending a guy who's dedication to winning is unrivaled. Ronaldo is everything Keane respects in a footballer. Players like sancho, The Scottish Player and rashford disgust him. Its this attitude that put countless pots in united's trophy cabinet.

Originally Posted by Joe Biden

People are surprised Keane is defending a guy who's dedication to winning is unrivaled. Ronaldo is everything Keane respects in a footballer. Players like sancho, The Scottish Player and rashford disgust him. Its this attitude that put countless pots in united's trophy cabinet.

I think people are more surprised with Keane for defending a guy who is so dedicated that he refused to come on as sub and then walked out on his team mates, rather than the straw man you have posted above.

Originally Posted by shenwen

I think people are more surprised with Keane for defending a guy who is so dedicated that he refused to come on as sub and then walked out on his team mates, rather than the straw man you have posted above.

Ronaldo “ I want to win so much!!!!! GRRR”

Keane “ Yea , I agree you can see he wants to win!!!”

Ronaldo “ I’m going to this by walking off early for a second time and refuse to come onto the pitch!”

Keane “ that’s the way to do it! Nothing says you want to win more by refusing to play, you get those 1 goal every 2 appearances ”

Ronaldo “ I’ve scored 2 in 12 and one was a penalty”

Keane “ but you’re a winner!! “

Neville “ what about the team that actually won against Tottenham”

Keane “ ah they didn’t win , Tottenham were shit “

We were winning. He did win. But he didn’t care, but it didn’t involve him.

Originally Posted by Dr Stranger

We were winning. He did win. But he didn’t care, but it didn’t involve him.

I could understand all of this if he was scoring for fun.

Tbh not even his standards if he has 6 in his 12 appearances, I’d say he has has to start. He’s struggled against europa league cannon fodder . Took his goal vs Everton very well to be fair to him but any other appearance he has made he has yet to show this “he gets you goals”

He used to , last season he did…this season he hasn’t.

He’s 45 years old ffs. Needs to be in a home.

Originally Posted by Dasilvatwins

I could understand all of this if he was scoring for fun.

Tbh not even his standards if he has 6 in his 12 appearances, I’d say he has has to start. He’s struggled against europa league cannon fodder . Took his goal vs Everton very well to be fair to him but any other appearance he has made he has yet to show this “he gets you goals”

He used to , last season he did…this season he hasn’t.

I could understand it more if we were shit or he was good. It’s neither. And frankly, I think that’s playing its part. He’s not stupid. He knows his powers are waning and he looks far from a player ready to admit it. To watch and know that we’re better off without him must be hard to take. I do empathise with his postion. He wanted to leave. I get why. It didn’t happen. Now he’s here and he’s not playing. For someone used to playing and playing well, it’s a hard adjustment to make. Especially with that ego. You know what you get with him and there’s an ego you’ve got to manage.

. I don’t however empathise at all with how he’s acted. It’s subordinate and disrespectful. It’s been punished and rightly so. It’s absolutely incredible to me that anyone could think otherwise, given the endless shit we’ve had to endure about the clubs lack of standards recently. I think there’s an important distinction too between walking off and refusing to come on.
Walking off ain’t great, but ultimately doesn’t make that much of a difference. Refusing to play is another matter altogether.

If Erik does nothing about that, it entirely undermines everthing he’s trying to do here. That’s not an exaggeration. You can’t demand standards without setting them. Then all the talk becomes about what he would have done if he’d played today. He didn’t. That’s the point. That’s the cost of having principles. It’s what we’ve desperately needed for years.

The media fuel all of this, of course. The reason Keane and Neville have a massive fight is because they’re talking about it. The reason the press conferences are dominated by it is because they want it to be (I love Joe they ask how it must be frustrating that it’s all about Ronaldo….while making it all about Ronaldo).

I wasn’t worried for a moment that the manager or the players would be distracted by any of this. In fact, it was nice to not have the cameras cut to him every time we concede a throw in.

Anyway, derailing the thread.

Apols.

And for writing all that tbf.

Still buzzing off that goal this morning

Our energy levels dropped a fair bit 2nd half but as ETH said post game, this was our 4th match in 10 days so understandable really.

Great to see the desire those last few minutes to get back on terms though and we were actually pushing for a winner when the ref blew early.

Originally Posted by jem

with a tiny bit more quality, we'd have stuffed these @#%&!s.

A semi competent striker and we're 3 or 4 up in half an hour.


I'm in the Toney camp btw. I think he'd be an excellent fit and very gettable.