11 Feb 2015 08:54:33
I don't wanna jinx it but United's injury concerns have reduced massively, maybe LVG altered his methods.
Jones, Evans and Smalling have been fit for a decent amount of time together, which is remarkable.
The only positive about LVG is that he has improved the team morale very much and he is trying to play Rooney in a midfield to make everyone happy.
Even ancelotti tried that with Kroos and Modric in midfield, and mind you they were ripped apart initially but gelled along well partly due to the quality of both those players.
Although Rooney and others have failed to deliver and I hope to see a change tonight.
Another positive being the fact that the guy has gotten rid of a lot of players that the previous 2 managers failed to do.
Anderson, fletcher, zaha, Bebe are gone. Nani and Hernandez are virtually gone. And I think come summer another 7-8 shall leave too, trimming our squad of under performers and filling in with versatile and less injury hit players.
He has shown faith in Lingard, which I really liked. Same goes with McNair and Wilson.
LVG has a plan but his stubbornness is costing us dearly.
SAF too was very stubborn I remember. He twice played 4-4-2 vs Barca in the final and got ripped twice.
I feel we will finish third.
11 Feb 2015 09:25:24
Well Kroos and Modric had proved themselves in that position before they went to Madrid so it was just a matter of when they find form and consistency instead of if.
Rooney on the other hand has no past record to suggest that he can play well in that role and at the moment is does not look like he is capable of playing there long term.
I would replace LvG whether we get top four or not. He's an improvement on Moyes, but he is not the best option out there. He's steadied the ship so to speak, if Ancelotti or Klopp became available I'd go for one of them in the summer. I am not saying LvG has been a mistake, I just think he isn't our long-term answer.
Lvg certainly does have the credentials to be a successful manager for us. But I think his ego is what is costing us and preventing us from playing attractive football. He seems the right man for the job, but keeps making absurd decisions.
11 Feb 2015 10:04:05
rohan,
I agree on the positives, if you look at our ins and outs this season, especially the outs, they are exactly who most people were saying needed to leave last season, players who were getting games for the club but were clearly not good enough.
I also agree with Sydney that LVG is clearly not the long term man for the club and if somebody better became available he should and probably will be replaced. I would not say he needs to go this summer or that he was a mistake because unlike some I can see the good he has done so far, but I think a forward thinking manager with the players we have could put us back where we belong, and feel we will be there in 2-3 years time, just people want immediate results and don't seem to understand how these cycles work.
So who is the long term option?
I don't think Klopp would be quite right for us, For me he reminds me of Rafa Benitez. Has taken a fallen big team back to the top of his domestic league, but then struggled. that's not to say that they aren't good managers but I would be weary of going for Klopp. He has already go one team relegated, he might have two relegations on his CV by the end of the season. He has only had success at Dortmund where his excentric style has fitted in well with the fans. I don't think he wiould be as good a fit with most top clubs.
Simeone is flavour of the month, but i'd want to see him succeed at a club that he didn't have such a close affiliation with.He also plays a strong defensive/counter attacking style similar to the player he was. Now that's not a problem but it's not the way I would like to see us play.
Ancelotti would be a good choice if available, tactically intelligent and a good motivator. And he knows the premier league.
Other than that for me it has to be Conte or De Boer as younger more long term options.
11 Feb 2015 10:39:39
Ancelotti or Blanc for me Shappy, but I am not against giving LVG his full 3 years to steady the ship and leave the new manager with world class players and blooded youngsters to play with.
I believe LvG is changing how he sees the premier league whether or not he will do it quickly enough is another matter
Tonights game against Burnley should see a change in his thinking in my opinion, maybe rooney up top still not sure Herrera will start but if he doesn't change very soon it will be too late for 4th place and he'll be out on his arse
Shappy
It may just be paper talk but I read that Ancelotti is under pressure after the recent bad loss to Athletico. Perez, Madrids Chairman, went to meet and talk to the players after the abject performance and again there are rumours of discord particularly due to a Spanish clique (which Mourinho tried to sort out if rumours were true) noting that no Spanish players apparently attended Ronaldo's birthday party. It is said that Zidane is lined up as Ancelotti's replacement this summer. That is how they treat Champions league winning coaches. Interestingly I read a piece I think in Marca that said Ancelotti was stubbornly sticking to his tactics and didn't beef up midfield for the game insisting on sticking with slow passing tactics (sound familiar?).
It remains to be seen what Madrid do but unless he wins a big trophy it is likely he will be out, even if he wins they still may dump him, it is just what they do. Would he be interested in us and would we be interested in him? My concern would be SAF and his influence, for example if he wants Lauren Blanc. If LvG does move on then we must get the right man and for me it isn't Blanc.
{Ed002's Note - There is a push from a third party to offer CA to both Manchester clubs this coming summer. He has signed a new contract that means Real Madrid can ask for significant compensation.}
What about Blanc Shappy? I am a fan of his.
AC will bring a lot of experience but so did lvg!
Simone is my choice as I like the fighter spirit within him, we need the next manager to be a fighter. And the man has turned athletico from also rans to winners. He's bought most of the players so he's obviously got an eye for them. Even Torres is playing well under him.
GDS - if Ancelotti became availalble this summer and LVG secured third spot would you advocate him being replaced?
Just out of curiousity. I wouldn't.
Thanks Ed
I was not sure if he had signed because Marca said today that Ancelotti " accepts that his contract renewal could be in the bin in just seven days. From the iron-clad certainty of being renewed after the Club World Cup to feeling the cold winds of change down his neck after two defeats"
{Ed002's Note - It was signed a while ago simply to ensure that compensation would be payable.}
Redman can i ask what it is you don't like about blanc?
11 Feb 2015 12:32:21
Juanmatas,
Very good question and one that has got me thinking which way to answer that. I think I would be on the fence to be honest, not too bothered either way. If we finish 3rd I will in no way be thinking we should get rid of LVG as I think he will have hit his target for the season, but if a better longer term option was only available this summer then I wouldn't mind too much if we made the change.
I expect LVG to leave the club in a better position than it was in 18 months and 6 months ago, and I believe if we finish top 4 this year it will be in a much better position, with a large spend in the summer on the correct players we would be a dominant force again next season, no doubt about that, and before people say 'well anyone can do well if they spend loads of money', I feel the big money going out now should have been split over the last 5 years and if it had we would not be in this position now anyway.
Jmb, in a heartbeat!
Fresh, I like Blanc but he is untested domestically outside of France with his only managerial experience coming with Bordeaux which he won the league with against the odds, he then had a turbulent reign as the French national coach, then became the manager of PsG at a time when PSG have such spending power and star quality they should walk away with the league every year. So far this season Lyon and Marseille are playing better football and are above PSG in the league. So that doesn't look good. I'd want him to prove himself in Spain Germany Italy or England before we took a serious gamble on him. He is a good manager but I have questions on whether he is a top level manager.
Nomid, can Simeone speak a word of English?
Simeone would be my first choice but i have a feeling he will end up at city.
I don't see pep stopping at munich long term .
If ancelotti signed today i'm sure you would see an instant improvement .
I wouldn't want blanc anywhere near the club
11 Feb 2015 15:26:35
If the manager gets it right and ticks all the box's, why would there be a need to replace him?
How about Marcelo Biesla, I remember our game against bilbao in the europa league and we hardly had the ball. And he has done well in Marseille as well.
Strebor
Shappy summed up Blanc pretty well and are my thoughts as well. The problems he had when national manager are a concern. I also want to add that it is perhaps only my impression but Blanc is likely SAF's choice and after the last effort I do not want SAF to have such influence again. Yes he did an amazing job as manager but that did not make him a good judge of a replacement, as we saw and paid a very high price for. My opinion is that SAF is but one voice not the only voice and he was tarnished by the horse affair and the resulting impact on our club so I would like to see his influence limited. Blanc seems to cosy a choice to SAF so another reason not to want him.
I really don't think we should rule out Guardiola, who if SAF had had the right conversation was a better fit as his replacement. What I see is LvG putting in foundations and structure for playing a particular way and Guardiola is the natural choice to take us to the next level. I wouldn't say no to Ancelotti, but if LvG carries his task through then Pep seems obvious. I said at the beginning of this season LvG is short term and the club should be lining up his replacement already. Hopefully they have learnt from the previous disastrous transition.