15 Feb 2015 17:34:37
No midfield
It's all well and good saying we've only lost 1 game in 18, it makes us look great. But look at the games we have played, we should be expecting to win those games with the exception of arsenal. There's 14 games left, maybe 18 if you include the fa cup, let's see if lvg can go unbeaten in these games. I honestly feel we won't make the top 4 again this season, to me arsenal and even liverpool look more likely, were scraping through games with luck. We have the players to absolutely demolish teams but I just feel players are unhappy at the minute, for me the sooner lvg goes the better. I do agree with u in one sense Thomas for who we could get to replace him? Klopp or bland for me unless Ancelotti was available. I understand conte is a good coach but would he just be another defensive type manager?
{Ed004's Note - You mean Klopp who has been struggling in the bottom half of the Bundesliga all season or Blanc who has massively under-performed with PSG this season?}
It has to be Simone Conte or Ancellotti anybody else would be stupid Pep has made Bayern weaker Kloop is struggling with Dortmund and Blanc couldn't even top a French league they should walk
15 Feb 2015 18:16:51
Tbh how u can say we have been lucky for that run is laughable, yes we have been uninspiring but lucky? I'll give u there has been the odd bit of luck, Southampton away, but every team needs a bit here and there.
stop listening to what your being told by others and look at it logically, we have lost 1 in 18 playing sleepwalking football not lucky football.
Yeah klopp who has also won back to back league titles but then lost half his team and is having a bad year but there hitting form now, and yes blanc who also has titles behind him and is what? 2 points off the top? Tell me ed 004 how's hiring klopp any worse than hiring van gaal who if u remember left Barcelona sat in 17th? Who also only has 2 league titles since the turn of the century? Or do u only remember the good points?
{Ed004's Note - Klopp lost half his team... Only Lewandowski left in the summer or are you talking about injuries? If so thank god we haven't had to play with an injury depleted squad at all this season. Don't follow the French league much but are Psg not playing poor football and sitting in 3rd place? The exact same thing LvG is doing in a far more competitive league and getting slated for. But you are talking about past successes with both your managers even though we have a manager who has won far more but if I mention that I'm only seeing the good points of his career. I don't think LvG will be here next season but the grass isn't always greener on the other side. If you highlight that I only see the good points then surely you're only seeing the bad points.}
I don't get why it needs to be a massive name (other than for share price reasons). Granted we are a huge club, but that is the commercial aspect. We need somebody who is intelligent, has a strong character, can man manage elite professionals and believes in attacking football, under 50.
Ultimately we are not asking for a CEO, we are asking for a football manager. There are dozens out there with CL experience and the right core ingredients to take a punt on, because picking a manager is more luck than judgement these days.
LVG would be perfect if we were playing Barcelona or Madrid every week, but we aren't. He sets up most weeks like we are facing a team with better individuals than our own and that is a key problem I think.
I firmly believe LVG would have Stoke on as many points as we have this season if he were managing them - he isn't necessarily an awful manager, he just isn't a Man Utd manager. Our talent is wasted on him.
Managers like Simeone, Poch at Spurs all come from somewhere, even Pep, Klopp, no massive pedigree before they were hired by top clubs. I've said it before but we need to look at the right attributes, not the right CV. What is Rijkaard doing these days?
And I firmly believe you keep trying until you get it right, if their ideas aren't being implemented and there is no progress after 6 months - get rid and start again. You get the manager that fits the club, you don't change the club to fit the manager. One manager can be awful at one club and great at another.
{Ed004's Note - I love the football Koeman is playing at Southampton tbh he has impressed me. Ponchettino style of play is good as well (maybe our team would suit him more? Di Maria, Herrera, Blind etc used to high pressing games) though I'm now 50/50 on Klopp this season has put me off him but his style of play is brilliant to watch}
More than Southampton away red man. In that run we could of lost easily in a few of those games, arsenal should of put us to bed, Southampton in both games, Stoke had chances cleared off the line, burnley where miles better, de gea has saved us more often than not. The simple fact is we're only just in the top 4 and stil have to play, Spurs, Chelsea, arsenal, city, Liverpool, Everton. We coul easily drop points in those games. I notice my first reply wasn't put up
Do not try and insult me either chris
It depends what you deem as luck Chris. If luck is winning or drawing when the other team played better and had better chances, then most of our games have been lucky this season.
Almost every away game the general consensus afterwards was "we got away with that today", far too many home games as well.
Any neutral would pick the other team as being the better one in over 75% of games this season - that just is not right for a team with our talent. Then you add how boring we are and you can see why I am so anti what is happening.
1 in 18 sounds so much more impressive than what it actually is, just like LVG's CV.
The difference with klopp and Dortmund ed is that they don't have a massive squad like us, this season they have lost lewandowski, they lost gotze the year before and injuries have been worse, at one point they had reus, kuba, the Polish rb, gundogan, sahin all injured, yeah we had injuries but we have much better back ups than they have so its easier to cope. Psg are under performing but they win 1 game and Lyon lose then there back on top, there not chasing 12 points are they? Lvg doesn't even have to deal with the extra European games and he's hugely under performing
{Ed004's Note - So we can excuse Dortmunds injuries but Van Gaal doesn't get that afforded to him. Ok fair enough no point arguing about that. PSG have played shite football, are in a poor league and are struggling. Also Blanc didn't have to deal with a summer over haul and a team lacking in confidence. I'm not trying to state that LvG is the best manager for us (don't think he is) just trying to point out both managers you have mentioned are risks as well. I ignored that 12 point comment because I don't want to start comparing the mighty Lyon against Chelsea and personally I think we would be a lot closer to top of the league if we didn't throw away points in first few games Swansea, Burnley, Leceister etc when players were integrating. We started the season playing catch up}
Thank you beast for talking sense, lvg is a fraud, he's won 2 titles since the turn of the century, 1 was with bayern (most of us on here would have a good chance at that) the other was the Dutch league, the same league Steve mcclaren won. Lvg lives off his one champions league win 20 years ago. People should remember Roy hodgson once won 5 league titles in a row
But they both play attacking football ed lvg sets up just the same as moyes. I hate the excuse of we are in transition or had an overhaul because so do other teams. Whether the league is stronger or not psg are still in the running for the title, with the players we have there's no excuse, we should be in for the title. Same with Dortmund, as I said we have a bigger squad to deal with our injuries, if falcao gets injured we have Rooney or rvp etc Dortmund don't have that luxury.
{Ed004's Note - I agree with the style of play comment. However, I was just showing how we aren't guaranteed success with either of the managers you have mentioned. Currently, I think LvG is doing a decent job, exactly what he has been tasked to do. If he gets third and competes well in the fa cup I would be happy with him staying next season as I think we will continue to buy players who will play the way he wants them to (ie I think it will be the 433). However, at the end of the season if he is replaced, as long as it is by a good manager, I will not lose any sleep. Last year Klopp would have been my first choice. Now a days I have my reservations about him. Though Ancelloti could be a possibly}
I did originally say unless Ancelotti is available, he would be first choice, as I do agree any manager can be a risk. I don't understand why he can't play his 4-3-3 at the moment, I don't wanna put a team up as it can congest things but a front 3 of rooney, falcao/Rvp and januzaj then a mid of fellaini, Herrera and di Maria looks fine to me.but I'm just an air conditioning engineer lol
{Ed004's Note - I think he needs to decide between Rooney, RVP and Falcao who plays as the striker. Di Maria and Januzaj out wide. With Blind Herrera and Mata. Plenty of energy in that team. Hindsight is wonderful, but I if I was to go back to deadline day I wouldn't want Falcao}
I like falcao but he isn't doing enough, he's another Forlan, which is a shame, I'd play rooney and januzaj out wide as wide forwards if it was me, cutting in like reals and bayerns wide men do (although it may not be with similar effect) I don't even know who we could sign to compliment LVG's system now, unless we got vidal and another striker or wide forward
{Ed004's Note - I think a big problem is still Rooney. There seems to be an unwritten rule that he has to start. I think we should be playing him as a striker but gradually replacing him over next couple of seasons. Sign a cm, lm and striker. Sell Rvp and don't sign falcao. There's about 400k min in wages saved.}
Totally agree on the Rooney debate, he needs to be weened out of the team. I put him in just because he's captain to b honest
{Ed004's Note - Shame Moyes decided to keep him. Ferguson had played it so if he was sold there wouldn't have been much of a fuss}
Diego, I was merely explaining that in the past 18 games we've lost one game and to sack a manager under these circumstances is ridiculous. Surely you can see that?
On the subject of luck, we've had good and bad luck. Burnley away, we should've had 2 pens. Southampton at home, mata missed two sitters. Swansea at home, we missed a hatful of chances. Spurs away, we should have scored 4 goals in the first half.
All other teams have had the same so let's stop believing all the rubbish you read in the papers about us being lucky. And let's get behind the team and manager.
If we sacked the manager now whilst in 3rd place and still in the cup I wonder whether another top manager would want the job as they may conclude the club will not adequately support the next manager. It needs to be reviewed at the end of the season. I agree with much of what the Ed has been saying.
16 Feb 2015 07:19:22
Sorry mate, please tell me where I tried to insult u? I honestly didn't even attempt any insults so quite where u got that from I don't know? If u felt insulted I apologize that was not remotely in my thinking when posting.
Shesh way to many people are over sensitive on here now!!
I still disagree with the notion we are lucky, we have had a little here and there but to claim 1 loss in 18 is down to luck is laughable. Yes stoke could of nicked a goal but likewise if we would of took one more of our chances we could of finished it comfortably 3-1, likewise the arsenal game was a typical game against a team where every top club has figured out how to beat.
I'm not claiming we have been amazing but I strongly disagree with the notion we have been lucky.
I think Goetze leaving had a big effect too.In matter of 3-4 seasons they lost one of the most exciting and effective attacking forward formations there has been in European football: Lewandowski;Goetze and Kagawa. That's very hard to replace. Look how we struggled after loosing Tevez and Ronaldo.If Rooney had gone too and not properly replaced, we would of really struggled. Klopp is a class manager.Maybe he needs a new challenge?
I still rate van Gaal, he needs to get to grips with the English game. Unfortunately he seems to think the English game needs to get to grips with him. I hope he puts Rooney upfront just behind Falcao tonight and Herrera, who is rapidly becoming this seasons Kagawa, in central midfield.
So rooney is still the problem.
I think some people really do have an agenda .
He is being played out of position week in week out.
There seems to be a rule rvp plays and rooney must play cm to prove lvg is right and the master tactician.
As I read somewhere this morning, "LvG will be looking for a creative midfielder this summer but maybe the priority is a creative manager".
Big Lewandowski
"Unfortunately he seems to think the English game needs to get to grips with him."
Perfect way to put it.
Nice one Herbie, if van Gaal could just get over himself a bit he'd be a much better manager.
GDS, I agree with you about Herrera, he can give the ball away a lot but this seems to be the norm with our midfield at present. But he should be in there nonetheless with Rooney upfront at in the number 10 role.
Should be a good game tonight, not going unfortunately, never been Deepdale before. Is Beckford playing tonight?