The Manchester United Thread

All I feel you need is a influential and experienced CB like Shawcross or Williams who would have helped relieve the pressure on Jones/Evans who should one day be amazing.
 
I was always told as someone who has only lived through the fergie era is that when he went i wouldn't see anything like it and i just shrugged it off like the club is too big for it to decline. The last two years has taught me (not very well may i add as mike would agree) not to be such a prat.
 
I'm not sure who said there were no mistakes. It was a good window that didnt cover everything. It was always unlikely to do so.

Lots of people on this thread, except (funnily enough) Zzezzy and a fair number of United fans in general. There are STILL people saying that the club couldn't possibly have got another player in because there were no top class ones that wanted to join you.
 
All I feel you need is a influential and experienced CB like Shawcross or Williams who would have helped relieve the pressure on Jones/Evans who should one day be amazing.

Nah Shawcross is being looked at as the second defender, not the first.
 
Lots of people on this thread, except (funnily enough) Zzezzy and a fair number of United fans in general. There are STILL people saying that the club couldn't possibly have got another player in because there were no top class ones that wanted to join you.

They were not going to buy any old defender. They did buy Rojo, with the aim of going back into the market, and then got an unprecedented level of injuries. To buy a second defender means giving up on one of Smalling Evans Jones, something they were not doing lightly
 
Rojo, Smalling, Evans, Jones, Blackett and McNair. Now add 2 more defenders to come in over the next year (if rumours are true one in jan one in summer), one supposedly to be a leading choice. Someone is getting sold. Never going to be immediate.
 
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Shawcross should of been bought in the summer... under-rated, is a solid CB and plays often.
 
Mate of mine just text me. Said was nearly a bad crush when Utd fans were let out as the stewards did not open the gates away from stadium for some reason he was not letting Utd fans out. Said if was not for a Policeman could of got really serious! Also mentioned a couple of times on Fulltime reddevils match review videos.
 
I have a question who would you call an absolute world class defender nowadays, do you think that the standard of defenders has declined over the past decade and do you think it's because of the pace of the game or because of how everyone tried to replicate Barcelona and just changed the way centre backs play?
 
I have a question who would you call an absolute world class defender nowadays, do you think that the standard of defenders has declined over the past decade and do you think it's because of the pace of the game or because of how everyone tried to replicate Barcelona and just changed the way centre backs play?

I don't think they're that much worse but we don't see a nesta, thuram, maldini or puyol about, but the pace of the game at times is insane these days so i'll sit on the fence and say it's a bit of both.

Preparation and training could be a reason.
 
I have a question who would you call an absolute world class defender nowadays, do you think that the standard of defenders has declined over the past decade and do you think it's because of the pace of the game or because of how everyone tried to replicate Barcelona and just changed the way centre backs play?

There is a really good piece by Gary Neville on this, check the telegraph online
 
Mate of mine just text me. Said was nearly a bad crush when Utd fans were let out as the stewards did not open the gates away from stadium for some reason he was not letting Utd fans out. Said if was not for a Policeman could of got really serious! Also mentioned a couple of times on Fulltime reddevils match review videos.

No idea what the steward might be thinking in this case, for what reason did he think not opening the gate was a good idea?
 
I have a question who would you call an absolute world class defender nowadays, do you think that the standard of defenders has declined over the past decade and do you think it's because of the pace of the game or because of how everyone tried to replicate Barcelona and just changed the way centre backs play?

I think the only cleat cut option for CB is Thiago Silva. Apart from him I don't think anyone is as good as CBs of previous generation. No not even Kompany.

I think the answer is somewhat close to the last point, CBs role is changed. Neville wrote an article for Telegraph about death of the defenders which touches some of the points. Maybe players like Vidic wouldn't have got to the highest level in today's game as they are not good on the ball so chances for players like him might be limited from the very start.

Also this shouldn't be an excuse as there were so many class ball playing CBs in the past.
 
I have a question who would you call an absolute world class defender nowadays, do you think that the standard of defenders has declined over the past decade and do you think it's because of the pace of the game or because of how everyone tried to replicate Barcelona and just changed the way centre backs play?
I noticed the decline in quality CBs or dip in quality/form came when teams started splitting there CBs wide when keeper has ball and started playing out from back more. That's just my opinion on defending.
 
Maldini to me is just about as good as it ever got, classiest defender i've ever watched
 
No idea what the steward might be thinking in this case, for what reason did he think not opening the gate was a good idea?
No one seemed to know what was going on my mate said. Just said was happy police forced them to open them.
 
I have a question who would you call an absolute world class defender nowadays, do you think that the standard of defenders has declined over the past decade and do you think it's because of the pace of the game or because of how everyone tried to replicate Barcelona and just changed the way centre backs play?

As a longtime Milan fan I'm probably biased, because I've spend most of my life watching some of the best defenders in history of football, week in week out. But modern defending standards definitely don't seem what they used to be. Seems like young players nowadays spend too much training on the ball and not enough time learning the basics.

Makes you wonder if Ronaldo and Messi would still be crushing every goalscoring record if they were born 10 years earlier. Not likely, especially considering how Messi got completely raped by 36-year old Nesta back in a day.
 
I must have missed it during the game or i'm taking the image out of context but how did joe hart get away with getting right in the refs face virtually touching noses, if that was wayne....
 
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