The Manchester United Thread

[sunilvk7]

I'd add 3 quality players at MC, CB and someone who can play across the front 3, and then we would be in a very strong place under Jose. He operates a 23 man squad, and can use the extensive and blooded youth to plug any holes.

Yeah, looks like we won't renew Carrick so we need midfielder for sure. Also Fosu Mensah shouldn't be ignored, he should be in first team squad. His speed and tackling ability was just great for such a young player.

Smalling, new CB, Rojo, Fosu Mensah should be our CB options with Blind covering Shaw along with CBJ.

Heard we scouted Dembele of Rennes, looked good against Lyon. Haven't got a clue on how good he is, apparently just 18 and having a great season and player like Mahrez but with stronger weaker foot.

Any idea of Renato Sanches and are we really making 60 Million bid for him?

 

[Scouseinthehouse]

I knew deep down we'd get Utd/West Ham in the semi's

Sweet. Either one of yers, or both if it's West 'Am hopefully, miss the final. .

 

[sunilvk7]

I knew deep down we'd get Utd/West Ham in the semi's

Everton vs West Ham should be a great tie.

Good luck. 2 Favourites drawn against each other.

 

[Mike.]

I knew deep down we'd get Utd/West Ham in the semi's

The hardest tie, if we make it through, would be ace to play Everton in the semi.

 

[ajt09]

The hardest tie, if we make it through, would be ace to play Everton in the semi.

Here's hoping football makes the headlines and not a bad officiating decision.

Oddly I would have preferred a Utd v Everton final. Cup finals with rivals are special occassions.

Though in hindsight a repeat of the 1984 FA Cup final featuring Everton v Watford could still happen. Was the first final I saw as a kiddie Everton fan.

Though ofc Man Utd destroyed me in 1985

 

[Mike.]

Yeah, looks like we won't renew Carrick so we need midfielder for sure. Also Fosu Mensah shouldn't be ignored, he should be in first team squad. His speed and tackling ability was just great for such a young player.

Smalling, new CB, Rojo, Fosu Mensah should be our CB options with Blind covering Shaw along with CBJ.

Heard we scouted Dembele of Rennes, looked good against Lyon. Haven't got a clue on how good he is, apparently just 18 and having a great season and player like Mahrez but with stronger weaker foot.

Any idea of Renato Sanches and are we really making 60 Million bid for him?

Hotshot benfica mid. No idea how good, but he is big, strong, technically excellent, very quick, and versatile

 

[Scouseinthehouse]

The hardest tie, if we make it through, would be ace to play Everton in the semi.

Another example of why Wembley semi's are so f-ed up.

If Utd win the replay, the sensible thing would be to play it this end of the Country. Even Villa Park. But no, they'd rather have people trekking all the way down to London from the North West, to then have one go all the way back down again a few weeks later the final.

 

[Legend Incredible]

Still not buying this Jose isnt entertaining stuff. Some of the stuff they played at Chelsea and Madrid was blistering. Inter was pragmatic only in the CL, because they had to be to win with that side. And the first half of new Chelsea was excellent, till they got hammered by Spurs, and he never quite recovered.

The main reason that changed was due to some key attacking personnel losing form ala fabregas and oscar. He's pragmatic...when he saw they were in danger of slipping, he made the necessary changes to make sure it doesn't happen

That's what stops you from becoming Arsene wenger. A manager who can't adjust his tactics over the season for ****.

 

[sunilvk7]

Whoever is the manager next season, hopefully they wont dump the kids who did well when given chances.

Players like Rashford, Varela, CBJ, Fosu Mensah have all done well when given chances and there are talented players like Januzaj, Pereira who are very good talents.

Signing Jose might backfire but looks like we are left with no choice.

 

[zzeezzy]

If Van Muppet starts with Fellaini on Thursday, we can seriously give away any dwindling hope of coming back in this tie.

 

[Scouseinthehouse]

If Van Muppet starts with Fellaini on Thursday, we can seriously give away any dwindling hope of coming back in this tie.

It's L'pool/ Utd. Although you're currently utter garbage, and this tie should be well and truly over at 4 or 5, when we get together, ANYTHING can happen.

Stating the obvious, first goal will be key. You get it, the crowd gets involved and it's game on. Particularly if that's early. We need to be ready to handle the atmosphere WAY better than you did at Anfield. The main key for me the first leg was not conceding. Now, Utd. have to come out and you can't just sit as is Van Gaal's want. I'd personally start Origi over Sturridge and exploit that with his lightening pace.

Quietly confident. Not just with the lead, but with the fact that you just aren't very good at all right now. But that's always tempered with 'it's United.' And we've been bitten on the ****, HARD, more times than we care to remember against you. Often when we never should of been.

L'pool/ Utd mate. It looks completely bleak for you as I type, but this isn't over until that final whistle blows.

 

[steveorobbo]

I want to know why he's stopped playing McNair. He did well last season and played well for NI and going to the Euro's. I really dont understand how hes sat on the bench and not moved but hes brought in TFM, CBJ and a few others out of nowhere. Its not even like he was given a chance this season, been ***** then dropped.

 

[Scouseinthehouse]

I want to know why he's stopped playing McNair. He did well last season and played well for NI and going to the Euro's. I really dont understand how hes sat on the bench and not moved but hes brought in TFM, CBJ and a few others out of nowhere. Its not even like he was given a chance this season, been ***** then dropped.

Wondered that from afar myself.

Really impressed me last year when he had no option but to give him games. Doesn't seem to of gotten much of any chance this.

Young players form is going to dip but if you think they have the quality, stick with them when there's a chance at times like this when you've been down to the bare bones. Doesn't send a good message to him when he's on the bench a lot and kids are getting bumped from nowhere as you mentioned to start above him.

 

[steveorobbo]

It's L'pool/ Utd. Although you're currently utter garbage, and this tie should be well and truly over at 4 or 5, when we get together, ANYTHING can happen.

Stating the obvious, first goal will be key. You get it, the crowd gets involved and it's game on. Particularly if that's early. We need to be ready to handle the atmosphere WAY better than you did at Anfield. The main key for me the first leg was not conceding. Now, Utd. have to come out and you can't just sit as is Van Gaal's want. I'd personally start Origi over Sturridge and exploit that with his lightening pace.

Quietly confident. Not just with the lead, but with the fact that you just aren't very good at all right now. But that's always tempered with 'it's United.' And we've been bitten on the ****, HARD, more times than we care to remember against you. Often when we never should of been.

L'pool/ Utd mate. It looks completely bleak for you as I type, but this isn't over until that final whistle blows.

As soon as we finished with a 0 in the first leg that was the tie over. No matter what we do it will play into Liverpools hands. If you sit back and let us have the ball, we simply wont do anything with it. If we do end up doing something with the ball, Liverpool will just counter attack and get a goal. We have seen a few times this season what happens when we open up and attack. The other teams scores. Newcastle is the obvious one. Midtjylland aswell especially the second leg. We was behind, opened up to get a goal and they scored. Not a chance Liverpool wont score if we open up and attack.

LVG is stuck here. We arent turning this around. So I would rest a few key players and concentrate on beating City on Sunday. Beat them and we are only 1 point behind. Top 4 still on. But if he rests players against Liverpool and rolls over, the fans will want his head even more than they do now.

 

[zzeezzy]

I can't even see us not conceding a goal and if we do tie is straight away over as we will need four goals to go through, which isn't happening.

Only way we are coming back in this tie is if we get an early goal and we start with the right line up, which isn't Fellaini.

If we put in a performance like we did vs Arsenal we have a chance, but I just can't see it, that was like our best performance of the season and no signs of it happening again based off our performances after.

 

[Mike.]

I want to know why he's stopped playing McNair. He did well last season and played well for NI and going to the Euro's. I really dont understand how hes sat on the bench and not moved but hes brought in TFM, CBJ and a few others out of nowhere. Its not even like he was given a chance this season, been ***** then dropped.

Fosu Mensah has been brilliant for the U21s, basically he's out stripped McNair, and is more versatile

 

[Mike.]

Wondered that from afar myself.

Really impressed me last year when he had no option but to give him games. Doesn't seem to of gotten much of any chance this.

Young players form is going to dip but if you think they have the quality, stick with them when there's a chance at times like this when you've been down to the bare bones. Doesn't send a good message to him when he's on the bench a lot and kids are getting bumped from nowhere as you mentioned to start above him.

It's the nature of being fringe, hardly a bad message at all. When you have lots of youth attacking for a few spots, anyone who slips gets left behind. Hard to say he should be playing ahead of any others right now.

 

[Scouseinthehouse]

As soon as we finished with a 0 in the first leg that was the tie over. No matter what we do it will play into Liverpools hands. If you sit back and let us have the ball, we simply wont do anything with it. If we do end up doing something with the ball, Liverpool will just counter attack and get a goal. We have seen a few times this season what happens when we open up and attack. The other teams scores. Newcastle is the obvious one. Midtjylland aswell especially the second leg. We was behind, opened up to get a goal and they scored. Not a chance Liverpool wont score if we open up and attack.

LVG is stuck here. We arent turning this around. So I would rest a few key players and concentrate on beating City on Sunday. Beat them and we are only 1 point behind. Top 4 still on. But if he rests players against Liverpool and rolls over, the fans will want his head even more than they do now.

Your last line quells that. NO way can he rest players. Aside from the tie still being within reach (I'm with you. Realistically I don't think it is and we'll roll you over again. But as I type at 2-0 it still is), it's L'pool. On the biggest stage there is. The European one. In arguably the biggest game outside of the four finals there's ever been against your biggest and most hated rival. He'd get crucified if he either rested players or Utd just played it out.

 

[zzeezzy]

Imagine if he rested players and then lost against City (which is a possibility) he would get absolutely slaughtered and have no leg to stand on whatsoever. So he won't be resting players, LVG is a guy who likes to use excuses so he will no doubt be able to say if we lose to City "my players were tired".

 

[steveorobbo]

Fosu Mensah has been brilliant for the U21s, basically he's out stripped McNair, and is more versatile

Yeh I get that but even before TFM came in, McNair was still sat on the bench while he's playing Blind and even Carrick before him. The lad did well last year and even stepped up to full international and helped his team qualify for the Euro's with some brilliant displays. We dont know what goes on behind the scenes and in training but its a mystery to me why he's being overlooked. He's been on the bench from the start of the season. So when injuries start to happen, you would asume the lads on the bench are the next in line, but he's stayed there and had about 3 or 4 players from the youth team jump straight over him and even midfielders being played out of position rather than give him a go.

After last season, he needed to kick on. Whats the point of LVG keeping him to sit on the bench and play everyone he possibly can before him. There would have been quite a few Premiership teams that would have taken him on loan this season and played him regularly.