The Manchester United Thread

sunilvk7 said:
All these are secondary, 3 points from tomorrow' game is very important for the team morale.....
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Agreed. I think even at this early stage, although it decides nothing, at the very least t's excessively important to both clubs not to get beat coming off the back of their respective last outings prior to the break.

The psychological belief from a win/ knock-on effect from a loss could be massive and define how the rest of this very big month goes for both.
 
Scouseinthehouse said:
This is presuming Gerrard wouldn't of been equally as dominating alongside Keane?

You can't say that in anymore absolute terms than I can put the other argument.

Gerrard never had a top class partner outside of Alonso in what, 17 years? And he maybe had 2 or 3 top class teams he played in through all that time. What he achieved for his team and the way he lead them is remarkable in itself. For much of his time almost singlehandedly. Heaven knows how bad L'pool would of been without him? But when he was partnered with Xabi, they clicked and were a ridiculously good midfield combo because of what they both brought to the table. And he played a lot alongside him. He only ended up flourishing in the 10 role out of necessity to the team and the way Rafa went. It's a misnomer to say he was positionally inept as that was down to the freedom successive managers gave him. Gerrard played in a multitude of roles from right back through a second striker and all points in-between and he was highly effective in them all. He was the perfect all round modern day midfielder that was equally as good as Scholes. With the added bonus he could tackle.

We all naturally, whether unconsciously or not, favour our own teams players. But if truth be told there's next to nothing at all to choose between those four modern midfield giants. You could make an excellent case for any 2 of the 4 in a central 2. Or three if you went that way.

Not that you necessarily are, this is more a general point; but I think a lot of Utd fans would appreciate him far better if Ferguson had managed to sign him. Better team. Better players around him taking the workload and full emphasis off him. He was immense at Anfield but in that scenario he'd of been unstoppable. I've no doubt he'd of found a way to accommodate all three. Even in a 4-4-2.

It's all down to personal perception. I'd personally have to have Gerrard in there. You'd go with Scholes which is fine. Both top notch modern day midfielders.

But I take issue that 3 of the 4 were slightly better than the other. They were all on the same top echelon level and all brought different and similar facets to the table and had an equally important influence on their respective teams.

Just one wasn't in as strong a team nor did he have that calibre of teammate alongside him the others did and down to that sadly didn't win half as much as his individual talent and effort should of had him win.
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I'll stop you right there. Gerrard was never a playmaker, whether he had played for us or not is irrelevant. he would never have taken Scholes' spot.

Gerrard was deployed on the right and then up front to cover the gaps he would leave when attacking. It's not a misnomer. Its what Benitez himself said about Gerrard. He has never played CM well, apart from possibly his first season when he emerged as DM, though that was quickly forgotten when he start attacking.
 
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Mike. said:
I'll stop you right there. Gerrard was never a playmaker, whether he had played for us or not is irrelevant. he would never have taken Scholes' spot.

Gerrard was deployed on the right and then up front to cover the gaps he would leave when attacking. It's not a misnomer. Its what Benitez himself said about Gerrard. He has never played CM well, apart from possibly his first season when he emerged as DM, though that was quickly forgotten when he start attacking.
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Stop me wherever you want. Having watched the vast majority of his games live the past 18 seasons I think you're as equally wrong as you do I so we'll have to agree to disagree.

I'd love to wish you good luck tomorrow but I wouldn't truly mean that so I'll leave it with let's hope for a great game, no injury's, and nothing to spoil it off the pitch.
 
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Tyton said:
Oh, so now we're back to the narrative that club needs to watch every penny twice. Just few days after 80m on unproven teenager was absolutely fine, because "who cares, we're ******* rich"

Consistency is not your strong suit.
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You missed the point though, it's not about United necessarily needing the money (fact is we don't, but it's more principal), it's about being respectful about the player and his worth to the club that you are buying from.

To bid £13m for a club's best player over last two seasons and loved by fans is just plain insulting.

By that logic Madrid would sell Ramos for pittance as well during that fiasco because they don't need the money? Bollox, they requested a king's ransom fee. Same when they ship players out like Di Maria.
 
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zzeezzy said:
You missed the point though, it's not about United necessarily needing the money (fact is we don't, but it's more principal), it's about being respectful about the player and his worth to the club that you are buying from.

To bid £13m for a club's best player over last two seasons and loved by fans is just plain insulting.

By that logic Madrid would sell Ramos for pittance as well during that fiasco because they don't need the money? Bollox, they requested a king's ransom fee. Same when they ship players out like Di Maria.
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It's not hard to see what United wanted to do. Get world record fee plus navas or keep him and lose him on their terms. some people are just butthurt that we didnt sell him on the cheap, that it was a gamble. Well duh, thats what brinksmanship is. United finally got the offer they wanted, only for madrid to **** it up and United to end up even better off then expected. Uniteds brinksmanship played out. worst case it would have been 29m and navas. Instead they have DDG and a 4 year contract.

Of course those people still havent realised it wasn't about the fee, but the statement of "he's not going except for a near record fee and a very good keeper" but oh well.
 
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Mike. said:
It's not hard to see what United wanted to do. Get world record fee plus navas or keep him and lose him on their terms. some people are just butthurt that we didnt sell him on the cheap, that is was a gamble. Well duh, thats what brinksmanship is. United finally got the offer they wanted, only for madrid to **** it up and United to end up even better off then expected. Uniteds brinksmanship played out. worst case it would have been 29m and navas. Instead they have DDG and a 4 year contract.

Of course those people still havent realised it wasn't about the fee, but the statement of "he's not going except for a near record fee and a very good keeper" but oh well.
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There was times in the summer I was worried about the situation not going to lie, because you knew it could end up with them paying big too late in the window for us to get a replacement. But then as it turned out we wouldn't of accepted anything late in the window that didn't involve Navas, so all round we've dealt with this very well.

I'm very happy De Gea has shown commitment to the club, it would be such a sour way to go by leaving on a free. I think he knows that and respects the club/fans enough to not let it play out that way.

Best part about this though is Perez looking like the mug we all know he really is. Getting one over on Real Madrid feels great.

To be honest I think De Gea knows that he has more support at United than he ever would of got at Madrid. Their fans didn't even really want him, shockingly, but not really that surprising. The main motivation behind his move was his girlfriend, which is fair enough and now it hasn't worked he has realised Madrid have messed him about.
 
Mike. said:
.... Uniteds brinksmanship played out. worst case it would have been 29m and navas. Instead they have DDG and a 4 year contract.....
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WORST case scenario would of been Madrid and De Gea happy to leave it a year, no new contract, him leave for nottin' next summer; and no Champions League football on that gambled year.

Now it's flipped full circle into the best possible scenario Utd could of dared wish for.

Dangerous brinkmanship indeed but it's paid off this time so enjoy the spoils.
 
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zzeezzy said:
There was times in the summer I was worried about the situation not going to lie, because you knew it could end up with them paying big too late in the window for us to get a replacement. But then as it turned out we wouldn't of accepted anything late in the window that didn't involve Navas, so all round we've dealt with this very well.

I'm very happy De Gea has shown commitment to the club, it would be such a sour way to go by leaving on a free. I think he knows that and respects the club/fans enough to not let it play out that way.

Best part about this though is Perez looking like the mug we all know he really is. Getting one over on Real Madrid feels great.

To be honest I think De Gea knows that he has more support at United than he ever would of got at Madrid. Their fans didn't even really want him, shockingly, but not really that surprising. The main motivation behind his move was his girlfriend, which is fair enough and now it hasn't worked he has realised Madrid have messed him about.
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The biggest issue would have been United bottling because then you've ****** yourself late in the window. You either give in early or go all the way. It also helps that DDG himself was not one to go off the rails, as you say he does have a lot of respect for the club, he could have forced this if he really wanted
 
Tbh Buffon's record is likely never going be beaten, unless you don't adjust for inflation. It was 50m or something, was it? In early 2000s that was batshit insane price even for attacking players. No surprise serie A fallen apart with spending like that.
 
Tyton said:
Tbh Buffon's record is likely never going be beaten, unless you don't adjust for inflation. It was 50m or something, was it? In early 2000s that was batshit insane price even for attacking players. No surprise serie A fallen apart with spending like that.
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52m euros, so £38m. It can be beaten I think.
 
Rooney not with the squad at the hotel.

Surprise debut for Martial or Fellaini up front and an awful performance from the start?
 
DMF said:
Rooney not with the squad at the hotel.

Surprise debut for Martial or Fellaini up front and an awful performance from the start?
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Literally no one else is reporting this.

I'd just start Martial tbh
 
Mike. said:
I'll hold off till someone outside Neil Custis confirms this.

Luckhurst has said he wasn't at the hotel but trained.
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You said 'literally nobody else is reporting this,' which wasn't the case.

Anyway, Daniel Taylor from The Guardian now saying it's a hamstring issue. I've been told that he's still expected to play tomorrow though.
 
Scouseinthehouse said:
WORST case scenario would of been Madrid and De Gea happy to leave it a year, no new contract, him leave for nottin' next summer; and no Champions League football on that gambled year.

Now it's flipped full circle into the best possible scenario Utd could of dared wish for.

Dangerous brinkmanship indeed but it's paid off this time so enjoy the spoils.
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Only if DDG gets Man U top 4 like he did last season. As we all know, If the wife ain't happy, nobody is happy. Let's see if his performance stays up to last season's benchmark.
 
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