The Manchester United Thread

Even Guardian running the story.

Manchester United prepare to make record ?37m bid to sign Chelsea's unsettled Spain midfielder Juan Mata - Telegraph

I don't believe this is possible. They will look to sell to other league clubs just like we tried to sell Rooney.

But 37 Million is a lot for a bench player and if he continues on the bench I dont think anyone will pay that much in the summer.

This will never happen on pure cash terms alone. Chelsea are not really against loaning/selling players to direct rivals at the right price unlike United but after the way United totally stonewalled Chelsea when we tried to get Rooney, their is no way we will sell Mata to you at any price especially since their will be many other foreign suitors for him since he is pretty young and doesn't have crazy wages like Rooney

No the only way Mata will actually go to OT is if you lot offer Rooney+cash ... Otherwise Woodward shouldn't even waste his time pursuing this deal
 
In the wake of widespread paper reports on Tuesday that Manchester United could be about to sign Juan Mata from Chelsea, one incident from Sunday’s meeting between the Blues and Red Devils is now gaining extra attention.
Following Chelsea’s 3-1 win over David Moyes’ reigning champions at Stamford Bridge, cameras caught a meeting of head honchos on the West London pitch.
Whilst few words were exchanged, Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich was spotted meeting, greeting and shaking hands with Man United’s Sir Alex Ferguson, former chief executive David Gill and the current chief exec Ed Woodward.

[video=youtube;G-IapqK2GvU]http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=G-IapqK2GvU[/video]

http://www.101greatgoals.com/blog/d...rgie-gill-woodward-after-the-man-united-game/


Fergie, Gill and Woodward met Roman after the Chelsea game. Adding 2+2 and getting 5?
 
Btw what's up with Zaha? I read that he didn't even start the reserve game ... Unless he is injured, looks like something personal to me

If Zaha ends up being one of those talents who moves to a big club and then never gets played I'm going to be majorly ****** off.
 
If Zaha ends up being one of those talents who moves to a big club and then never gets played I'm going to be majorly ****** off.

There are few reports that Zaha is struggling to adapt to the big club and has attitude issues. Not sure how true it is but watching Valencia play week in week out will **** any winger who is in line for RW spot.

Zaha would be saying to himself "I can't be as bad as Valencia and still I don't get any mins".

Going by performance this season Zaha at least deserves a run in as RW as Valencia had his time and proved he is just average. We need some unpredictability, someone who is cocky, arrogant and is not afraid to showcase his skills and create something.
 
Going by performance this season Zaha at least deserves a run in as RW as Valencia had his time and proved he is just average. We need some unpredictability, someone who is cocky, arrogant and is not afraid to showcase his skills and create something.
^ That. I mean, heck, Moyes didn't know how his usual wingers were? Fair enough. Atleast now, we should give Zaha a chance. There are reports that Zaha had a major standoff with United regarding a loan move. So he maybe moving out on loan rather than getting first team chances. Heck, I hope this situation doesn't turn into another Pogba scenario.
 
The Mata deal is prefect for both clubs. Chelsea has already played Man Utd home and away, so selling Mata to Utd will only increase the chances of Mata hurting the other team (in contention for the title) like Arsenal, Liverpool and City in a Utd shirt. Chelsea dont want him and want to bank roll their need for a high class striker.

Benefits for Utd I probably dont have to go into that (we all watched the game on Sunday), Mata reputation speaks for itself and Utd can only benefit from that.
 
The Mata deal is prefect for both clubs. Chelsea has already played Man Utd home and away, so selling Mata to Utd will only increase the chances of Mata hurting the other team (in contention for the title) like Arsenal, Liverpool and City in a Utd shirt. Chelsea dont want him and want to bank roll their need for a high class striker.

Benefits for Utd I probably dont have to go into that (we all watched the game on Sunday), Mata reputation speaks for itself and Utd can only benefit from that.

I don't thin even Chelsea thinks so short term. If that's the case why can't they just loan him to us and end up selling him in Jan?

I saw few saying maybe this is the logic but that doesn't make sense to me at all. All I can think is 37Million is a huge sum for a bench player and they can invest properly to sign a class striker who can take their team to next level.
 
The Mata deal is prefect for both clubs. Chelsea has already played Man Utd home and away, so selling Mata to Utd will only increase the chances of Mata hurting the other team (in contention for the title) like Arsenal, Liverpool and City in a Utd shirt. Chelsea dont want him and want to bank roll their need for a high class striker.

Benefits for Utd I probably dont have to go into that (we all watched the game on Sunday), Mata reputation speaks for itself and Utd can only benefit from that.

There still was a very valid point raised earlier. Where would we play Mata? He's highly effective in an AMC role, behind the striker. We've got Rooney, barring whom, we've got Kagawa.

Unless you're suggesting a swap deal, in which case it'd be a pretty bad one, considering we'd be downgrading.

So, perfect for both clubs? Hardly so.
 
I don't thin even Chelsea thinks so short term. If that's the case why can't they just loan him to us and end up selling him in Jan?

I saw few saying maybe this is the logic but that doesn't make sense to me at all. All I can think is 37Million is a huge sum for a bench player and they can invest properly to sign a class striker who can take their team to next level.

Frankly Chelsea can easily get a comparable transfer fee for Mata from abroad in the summer ... Plus we really don't need to sell Mata to bankroll a move for a striker as Lampard, Cole and possible Terry are all on their way out in the summer which will free up a fuckload of wages

The only way this move will make even a modicum of sense is if Rooney goes the other way which isn't happening
 
There still was a very valid point raised earlier. Where would we play Mata? He's highly effective in an AMC role, behind the striker. We've got Rooney, barring whom, we've got Kagawa.

Unless you're suggesting a swap deal, in which case it'd be a pretty bad one, considering we'd be downgrading.

So, perfect for both clubs? Hardly so.

Downgrading? Lol

Barring this season because he has barely played, Mata has arguably been the best player in the EPL. Not to mention he is younger and doesn't command Rooney's insane wages. Plus he isnt the type to hold the club to ransom if things dont go his way unlike Wazza. If anything, it will be an upgrade for you lot which is why I really rather this move not happen
 
If Zaha ends up being one of those talents who moves to a big club and then never gets played I'm going to be majorly ****** off.

Well he probably shouldn't have banged managers daughter. :P
 
The Mata deal is prefect for both clubs. Chelsea has already played Man Utd home and away, so selling Mata to Utd will only increase the chances of Mata hurting the other team (in contention for the title) like Arsenal, Liverpool and City in a Utd shirt. Chelsea dont want him and want to bank roll their need for a high class striker.

Benefits for Utd I probably dont have to go into that (we all watched the game on Sunday), Mata reputation speaks for itself and Utd can only benefit from that.

That'd be very short term thinking, even by Chelsea's standards.
 
There are few reports that Zaha is struggling to adapt to the big club and has attitude issues. Not sure how true it is but watching Valencia play week in week out will **** any winger who is in line for RW spot.

This is something that I'm a little annoyed about.

I mean, firstly there's the whole weight of history behind it. He's always been lauded as a very hard worker with a good attitude, especially by Palace's youth coaches. Our youth coaches are second to very few, so they know what they're talking about. Not to mention the fact that he'd been tracked for at least two years by United, and likely more. Those Ferguson-era scouts know what they're doing, and I doubt they would've recommended him so highly to their superiors if they got an inkling something was off. And believe you me, he was highly recommended. Ferguson didn't throw roughly twelve million at any old player, much less a teenager with no top-flight experience. I mean Ferguson offloaded Ravel Morrison due in large part to his behavioural issues and yet picked up Zaha, so I'm finding it hard to believe his attitude is that bad. Moreover, it's just not fair to jump to conclusions.

Then there are people claiming his attitude might've been effected by his move to United, as if he thought he'd made it. I don't see why that would inspire a negative change in attitude, not when he's not assured of a place in the lineup for the first time in about two and a half years. If anything, his determination to succeed at one of the biggest clubs in Britain would probably make him train harder. I just can't see why he'd rock up at United with a big price tag as a young player and getting a look in to the national side and go "yeup, that's my work done here, time to start slacking off". It's nonsensical.

Of course, the media would be all over the idea of him having an attitude problem. Young black kid from Thornton Heath with a borderline criminal for a brother and attitude problems? It's a bad journalist's dream, and that's where my money is in that particular facet of this story. Something doesn't quite add up, but everyone seems to be taking the easy option and just assuming the cocksure South-East London bred black kid is the fuckup. I'm not happy with it.


Zaha would be saying to himself "I can't be as bad as Valencia and still I don't get any mins".

Going by performance this season Zaha at least deserves a run in as RW as Valencia had his time and proved he is just average. We need some unpredictability, someone who is cocky, arrogant and is not afraid to showcase his skills and create something.

Certainly. Moyes isn't exactly good at rotating his team, but even so only 28 minutes played for Zaha at the stage of his career where he needs game time more than any other isn't only harming his career but also depriving Moyes of an x-factor that could help United. ****, look what happened when Januzaj was given a chance: he exploded and is even now getting more and more important to the team.

Even the stuff Valencia's meant to be GOOD at he's been failing at. Defensively he's been average, his work rate is noticeably lower, and he's put in 90 crosses for only 16 successful with zero assists from open play. Even if Zaha had the worst attitude in the universe he'd still be worth a try.

So what the **** is it? I actually don't have a clue. The more outlandish guesses are actually turning out to be the more plausible ones in this situation. I mean ******* ****, maybe Wilf really DID test Moyes' daughter's ball handling skills, it's the only reported thing that fits in with all of this.

I am sad. Seeing a player I've watched all my life, played football with a couple of times, rise all the way through the ranks at his local club and take that club to the promised land of the Premier League in his last game before a dream move, and then seeing that same player frozen out for reasons of -REDACTED- makes my heart ache. The worst bit is with Nani's reported injury he won't be going anywhere in case United need cover. Of course, Moyes will probably play Chris ******* Smalling at right wing ahead of him...
 
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Well he probably shouldn't have banged managers daughter. :P

Why not? If he makes her feel the same way he made me feel every time he did a ruleta I don't blame the pair of them for shacking up! She gets the time of her life and he gets to get his own back on ol' melty mozzarella face.
 
Downgrading? Lol

Barring this season because he has barely played, Mata has arguably been the best player in the EPL. Not to mention he is younger and doesn't command Rooney's insane wages. Plus he isnt the type to hold the club to ransom if things dont go his way unlike Wazza. If anything, it will be an upgrade for you lot which is why I really rather this move not happen

He isn't upgrade for sure and Rooney > Mata. Mata is not arguable best player in the PL. Rooney, Aguero and RVP were better 2 seasons back, Suarez, RVP were easily better last season.

Holding club to ransom, wages won't tell you who is better player, quality on the field shows and Rooney is better than Mata except last season when Rooney hardly played but still matched Mata's stats.

Just that whole UK media wet their pants when they see a Spaniard's first touch and hype them to no end.
 
Good post

Yeah, like I said not sure if true about his attitude problems. Maybe he reacted negatively after watching likes of Young and Valencia playing ahead of him even though they are playing poorly.

I for one loved him to bits, his performance against us when Crystal palace beat us at OT was just superb. After we signed him, i watched few Palace games (have to say they played some sexy football in championship) and Zaha more often than not created a lot of chances and when Palace were underdogs in playoffs he stepped up to the plate.

But 1 thing I noticed was he was very angry young lad (going by Rio Ferdinand's tour diary). He reacted very angrily when his teammate didn't play well in ping pong or any other game. Might go on to become a positive thing as he hates losing which is what some of our players should be learning.
 
Why not? If he makes her feel the same way he made me feel every time he did a ruleta I don't blame the pair of them for shacking up! She gets the time of her life and he gets to get his own back on ol' melty mozzarella face.

I doubt it helped Moyes win the players, is all. The backroom culture can be a bit medieval.
 
Stats from Transfermarkt. Not the best way to judge players but they are attacking players so at least it gives something for a start.

Rooney 11/12
46 games - 35 goals - 10 assists


12/13
46 games - 25 goals and 18 assists (including Internationals)


13/14
27 games - 11 goals and 19 assists




Mata 11/12
60 games - 13 goals and 20 assists


12/13
75 games - 22 goals and 39 assists


13/14
18 games - 1 goals and 4 assists






Rooney : 119 games - 71 goals and 47 assists (1 goal or assist per game)


Mata: 153 games - 36 goals and 63 assists (.64 goal or assists per game)




Also Rooney played behind the striker and not as lead striker.
 
Yeah, like I said not sure if true about his attitude problems. Maybe he reacted negatively after watching likes of Young and Valencia playing ahead of him even though they are playing poorly.

I for one loved him to bits, his performance against us when Crystal palace beat us at OT was just superb. After we signed him, i watched few Palace games (have to say they played some sexy football in championship) and Zaha more often than not created a lot of chances and when Palace were underdogs in playoffs he stepped up to the plate.

But 1 thing I noticed was he was very angry young lad (going by Rio Ferdinand's tour diary). He reacted very angrily when his teammate didn't play well in ping pong or any other game. Might go on to become a positive thing as he hates losing which is what some of our players should be learning.

Yeah well Young's a whole new level of joke. This season he hasn't even been that bad, but he hasn't been anything above that.

We played some odd football last year. When we had Bolasie and Zaha on the pitch and playing one up front we occasionally played some beautiful dribbling based football, but our most effective football was pretty much just Zaha or Bolasie running into the area, doing a stepover and then getting chopped down by a 34 year old centre back and Murray scoring the penalty. Zaha and Murray were definitely our two talismans in the playoffs though. When Murray went down, Zaha stepped up, and his performance in the final was as good a single performance as I've seen for a long while.

He always was a bad loser, but almost all top-level pro sportspeople are. They detest it, and that's what motivates them. Maybe Moyes is too, and Zaha beat him in a game of tiddlywinks. That's why he isn't ever played. I'm a genius, someone pay me for this revelation.

I doubt it helped Moyes win the players, is all. The backroom culture can be a bit medieval.

Not as medieval as what was going on in Zaha's bedroom.
 
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