The ManU storm... (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter Chxta
- Start date
I've always said Rio Ferdinand was a rubbish defender, but people argued with me on that point. I've never seen Rio Ferdinand go for a slide tackle. What kind of central defender never goes to ground to try and win a ball? Call me old-fashioned, but that's just the truth. The way Acimovic burst between him and Wes Brown was absolutely comic. Take nothing away rom the striker, it was a brilliant move, but surely at 30 million pounds and 120,000 a week, you have to expect better from Ferdinand, right?
Well as Roy "Photon Cannon" Keane put it, it seems you have to play badly to be rewarded in Man Utd these days. I shudder to think of what Chel$ki will do to them on Sunday.
Well as Roy "Photon Cannon" Keane put it, it seems you have to play badly to be rewarded in Man Utd these days. I shudder to think of what Chel$ki will do to them on Sunday.
I knew a guy once, staunch Man Utd fan, who insisted, even as he was purchased, that Ferdinand couldn't mark his own shadow. At the time, I thought he was overstating it, but I have to agree with him.
Ferdinand's a tremendously talented defender, who doesn't care. Maybe he's fine beside a hatchet man or a quick, determined player - think Steve Bruce or Silvestre - the kinds of players who compensate for his deficiencies without having to be exceptional themelves. Beside Brown or O'Shea though, he gets exposed.
Heinze's an excellent player, probably the finest buy Ferguson has made in years. Neville's a fine defender, though getting on a bit.
The reserves are mediocre players - he's got Brown, O'Shea and youth players (some of which are probably very good, but the experience is important). That shouldn't be too much of a problem, but lose Heinze for a season, then Neville for half of one, and you're looking at trouble.
Big mistake, but if he'd bought a real defender at the time, or even a season later, he'd have been far better off. Rio was the mistake, not Stam, IMO.
And replace them with who? Giggs is still doing it, when he plays, but there are no real alternatives to Keane and Scholes. There should have been replacements bought, not contracts extended there.
I think Park was a good buy, who'll be an important member of that midfield for a while to come. Likewise, Ronaldo is a great talent, who'll probably come good.
The problem is definately central midfield. Maybe if they get Ballack, plus one more CM, they'll be okay there next year, but Flecther, Smith, Miller, etc. are just making up numbers at the club.
Saha's been mediocre/injured for his entire spell at United. Smith has been converted from a non-scoring striker to an incompetant midfielder, Solskjaer has been injured for two years solid. They've got RvN, who's not looked the same since his long spell of niggling injury last year, and Rooney, who's been excellent. So, no, buying Rooney was an excellent idea. Who exactly were these other great strikers Ramin?
Rossi might be good enough. Banks might be good enough (though probably not). That's it.
No, Man Utd need a big clearout, and some serious teambuilding.
Ferdinand's a tremendously talented defender, who doesn't care. Maybe he's fine beside a hatchet man or a quick, determined player - think Steve Bruce or Silvestre - the kinds of players who compensate for his deficiencies without having to be exceptional themelves. Beside Brown or O'Shea though, he gets exposed.
Heinze's an excellent player, probably the finest buy Ferguson has made in years. Neville's a fine defender, though getting on a bit.
The reserves are mediocre players - he's got Brown, O'Shea and youth players (some of which are probably very good, but the experience is important). That shouldn't be too much of a problem, but lose Heinze for a season, then Neville for half of one, and you're looking at trouble.
Big mistake, but if he'd bought a real defender at the time, or even a season later, he'd have been far better off. Rio was the mistake, not Stam, IMO.
And replace them with who? Giggs is still doing it, when he plays, but there are no real alternatives to Keane and Scholes. There should have been replacements bought, not contracts extended there.
I think Park was a good buy, who'll be an important member of that midfield for a while to come. Likewise, Ronaldo is a great talent, who'll probably come good.
The problem is definately central midfield. Maybe if they get Ballack, plus one more CM, they'll be okay there next year, but Flecther, Smith, Miller, etc. are just making up numbers at the club.
Saha's been mediocre/injured for his entire spell at United. Smith has been converted from a non-scoring striker to an incompetant midfielder, Solskjaer has been injured for two years solid. They've got RvN, who's not looked the same since his long spell of niggling injury last year, and Rooney, who's been excellent. So, no, buying Rooney was an excellent idea. Who exactly were these other great strikers Ramin?
Rossi might be good enough. Banks might be good enough (though probably not). That's it.
No, Man Utd need a big clearout, and some serious teambuilding.
I never said that Rooney isnt a good player or any of the sort, but imo the club could have bought 2 midfielders and another 1/2 defenders, which would have suited them more.
Fergi has ruined Smith for playing him in a deep central midfield position. Imo he's a good striker, but Fergi was never able to get the best out of him. Saha started actually very well at United, but recently he's taken a step back. But then again, you cant really blame him because of the formation that Fergi uses i.e one striker.
And i agree, that Heinze has been thier best buy.
Fergi has ruined Smith for playing him in a deep central midfield position. Imo he's a good striker, but Fergi was never able to get the best out of him. Saha started actually very well at United, but recently he's taken a step back. But then again, you cant really blame him because of the formation that Fergi uses i.e one striker.
And i agree, that Heinze has been thier best buy.
They're not stuck for a few quid. Rooney was a good investment because of his age. If they can identify a good target elsewhere, they'll stump up for him.
His scoring rate as a professional is roughly half that of the much-maligned Heskey. While he's played a reasonable portion of those games either on the wing or in midfield, he isn't all that good a striker.
Saha had his chances in two-striker formations. His start was reasonable, but he looked far from the finished article - poor from a player of his age. He'll make a decent fourth striker if he ever gets fit, but not much more IMO.
Fergie seems to have a nose for left backs. Irwin, then Heinze. Maybe they should just religate him to buying fullbacks.
His scoring rate as a professional is roughly half that of the much-maligned Heskey. While he's played a reasonable portion of those games either on the wing or in midfield, he isn't all that good a striker.
Saha had his chances in two-striker formations. His start was reasonable, but he looked far from the finished article - poor from a player of his age. He'll make a decent fourth striker if he ever gets fit, but not much more IMO.
Fergie seems to have a nose for left backs. Irwin, then Heinze. Maybe they should just religate him to buying fullbacks.
Jaap Stam was sold for one reason: he exposed Fergie as a liar. PSV had accused Fergie of illegally approaching Stam before making a bid for him. Fergie strenously denied the charges. In Stam's autobiography, however, he revealed that he did meet with Fergie to discuss a possible move long before Fergie officially met with PSV to table an offer for him.
Fergie was reportedly livid at the revelation and immediately sold Stam to Lazio as punishment. And replaced the rock-solid Dutchman with Laurent Blanc(
).
Till date, Man Utd's defence has not recovered from that terrible blow.
Similarly, the quick-fire sale of Beckham to Real Madrid left a huge hole in not only Utd's midfield, but also it's bank balance. Both are still yet to recover.
Also, Fergie's inexplicable decision to break up Utd's greatest ever strike partnership in order to experiment with a lone striker formation was mind-boggling indeed.
Now, it's come out that it is Carlos Quieroz who handles tactics, training, and formations at Man Utd.
Surely it is time for Fergie to "step aside".
Fergie was reportedly livid at the revelation and immediately sold Stam to Lazio as punishment. And replaced the rock-solid Dutchman with Laurent Blanc(
).Till date, Man Utd's defence has not recovered from that terrible blow.
Similarly, the quick-fire sale of Beckham to Real Madrid left a huge hole in not only Utd's midfield, but also it's bank balance. Both are still yet to recover.
Also, Fergie's inexplicable decision to break up Utd's greatest ever strike partnership in order to experiment with a lone striker formation was mind-boggling indeed.
Now, it's come out that it is Carlos Quieroz who handles tactics, training, and formations at Man Utd.
Surely it is time for Fergie to "step aside".
Quite a punishment. There is a secondary reason touted by many. Shall we leave it at this: Rio wouldn't remember.
Blanc played okay for them, but his lack of pace was really exposed. I recall one newspaper here suggesting his theme tune should be "Stuck in the middle with you" - "Clowns to the left of me, jokers to the right, here I am, stuck in the middle with you". I also loved how Man Utd's first six loses in the league (and no one had ever won the league with more than six defeats - probably still haven't) were to Bolton, Liverpool, Arsenal, Newcastle and Chelsea.
Anyway, Blanc was an emergency buy - admittedly the emergency was of Fergie's own creation, but he, erm, 'corrected' it with buying Rio the next season.
They're still inordinately wealthy. Beckham wasn't performing for them - he'd been dropped for Solskjaer for months on end that last season. I fully agree with the decision to sell him while his market value was still silly. His attitude was every bit as bad as the current crop of losers. Ronaldo is a big player for their future. The problem is that Ronaldo and Giggs are similarly mercurial. They've needed a more consistant threat for a while, especially as Scholes faded.
Yorke was on the decline. Cole was certainly worth keeping (he's still doing it for Man City), but decided he didn't like the new system. Are you really suggesting that buying van Nistelrooy was a bad idea??? He scored a goal a game for three seasosn solid.
Fair point.
There is a secondary reason touted by many. Shall we leave it at this: Rio wouldn't remember.
And replaced the rock-solid Dutchman with Laurent Blanc( ).
).
Anyway, Blanc was an emergency buy - admittedly the emergency was of Fergie's own creation, but he, erm, 'corrected' it with buying Rio the next season.
They're still inordinately wealthy. Beckham wasn't performing for them - he'd been dropped for Solskjaer for months on end that last season. I fully agree with the decision to sell him while his market value was still silly. His attitude was every bit as bad as the current crop of losers. Ronaldo is a big player for their future. The problem is that Ronaldo and Giggs are similarly mercurial. They've needed a more consistant threat for a while, especially as Scholes faded.
Yorke was on the decline. Cole was certainly worth keeping (he's still doing it for Man City), but decided he didn't like the new system. Are you really suggesting that buying van Nistelrooy was a bad idea??? He scored a goal a game for three seasosn solid.
Fair point.