05 Aug 2015 12:00:07
I can't believe the things I've been reading on here this week.
Not going to finish in the top 4 or we're going to struggle.
Apparently United have come out and said that's it, we're not signing anyone and we're not even going to try anymore. sod it.
It's ridiculous, none of you no better than the coaching staff, none of you see the squad train on a regular basis and all you are going off are your opinions which I'm going to bet follows the general media consensus and pundit belief that we need to strengthen our back line.
Maybe we do, I don't really know and I don't really care about my own opinion but if the management go into this season with Smalling, Jones, Evans, Rojo, Blackett, Mcnair & Blind then I'm willing to trust that decision.
If we go into the season with Hernandez, Wilson & Rooney then I'm going to trust that the management know what they're doing.
I'll tell you why I'm going to trust them. In training they must go through several drills every day and they must see which players are able to convert and play in the striking role, we don't see that, we see Falcao, RVP and Rooney in midfield as our attacking outlet.
We also see a back 3/5 defending and not a back 4, I seem to remember incredible performances in a back 4 by the likes of McNair, Rojo and Smalling - likewise they obviously go through a lot of defensive drills of which the management will have a formed opinion on what each player can and cannot do.
We have some of the best backroom coaches in world football, we have one of the most renown coaches in world football.
So, whether we sign somebody or not is irrelevant, what is relevant is a vast majority of posters on here playing 2 hours of football manager, fifa, etc. and thinking they're a world class coach because they saw us play in a makeshift back 5 last season.
I'm probably going to get replies saying "It's obvious we need a new defender" - Is it?
I'm not so sure, a lot of our goals were conceded via crosses and outside to inside runs, with an improved fullback situation it'll strengthen the defence, Carrick hopefully playing more and BS will add some cover for the line also.
Players also develop, maybe McNair and Blackett are considered ready to take that step up, we simply do not know because we haven't seen the team play in months, not the first XI in a serious competitive match.
My point is simply that it isn't all cut and dry, black and white, etc. there are a lot of variables that go into the playing staff from season to season and whether or not they improve.
Van Gaal, if anything knows when to give a player responsibility; Iniesta & Xavi were both treated in a similar fashion to Gibson, Fletcher & Cleverley at the beginning of their careers.
Moving BS to CM was criticised heavily until the season started, the choice of playing with a 3-5-2 was criticised heavily before the WC and was successful.
Yes, he may get it wrong, but my experiences of Van Gaal is that more often than not, in regards to player management and development, he gets it right.
I think all of you need to chill out, it's turning into a Beast, JMB & Kloot act-a-like competition on here.
05 Aug 2015 12:23:37
Jose
Sorry but I also fall into the category that if we don't sign a striker and a CB then it will be 4th at best. Pedro is a good player but to rely on Rooney and Depay as we would if we don't buy a striker is frankly mad. As of now we are on for 4th, that is not good enough.
05 Aug 2015 12:30:17
So Jose are you saying as paying fans we don't have the right to question the managements decsions?
05 Aug 2015 12:36:47
jose
thats not going to leave us much to banter and debate about on what is a banter site.
i love talking about football the good and the bad , the what's and what is .
05 Aug 2015 12:38:12
redman
i agree although i don't think it needs to be a mojor big name striker.
sorry waad and gds
05 Aug 2015 12:46:35
I agree with you moonrinho people need to realise our defence was the 3rd or 4th best last year granted than was mainly de gea saving us but with shaw staying fit and looking much better, darmian coming in along with bastian and morgan i feel we are in a position now to be hard to break down.
Plus the two seasons rooney has been the main man he has bagged over 20+ goals JUST SAYING
05 Aug 2015 12:59:58
I agree with Jose. Note well what he said in the beginning. In a nutshell, whatever happens, I choose to trust the back room staff and will give them my support regardless of whether my personal or general requests are met.
05 Aug 2015 13:18:06
Jose - so your saying that all of our opinions are invalid? That none of us know anything about the game we follow religiously, how many okay the game or have done at a decent level. And claim we follow what's written in the papers as our opinion?
I'm here to give MY opinion, and my opinion is based on what I SEE. Not what's written in the tabloids. If your to blinded by the rose tinted glasses to see our defence is weak, you are the one who needs a reality check name one of our back 4 that would get into Chelsea side? Yet we want to better them?
We also lack a lethal goal scorer. Did you see our problems creating openings last season? And finishing games off?
Don't come on here and disregard everyones but your own opinion. If you don't like it tough shit. It's a banter site. It's a site for discussion where inevitable people will disagree.
And I'm happy to put it out there now that if we don't sign a forward and a CB , wil will finish 4th highest.
05 Aug 2015 13:24:11
Well said Moon. I don't think we will win the league but I think we will dominate more, score more, and win more. I'd like to see McNair, Wilson and Pereira all be trusted to step up
05 Aug 2015 13:28:49
at the start of last season we started with 3 at the back.
lvg and co thought this would work many fans never.
how did that work out ?
05 Aug 2015 13:35:56
Gaz
Ruud van Nistelrooy no doubt scored over 20 goals a season in the past but that doesn't mean he could do it now. I watched Rooney play up front and he naturally pulls off the front to create his space because defenders dominate him with his back to goal. Whether we beat a tired Spurs or not a season of relying on Rooney , who scores in bursts would be disastrous if we harbour ambition to challenge for the title.
Perhaps on reflection that is the problem, two seasons of mediocrity and we accept not being at the top but to be top we need better than what we have.
05 Aug 2015 13:44:50
Jose , you are the one who likes to put a lot of time and effort in your "scouting reports" and blogs , more so than any other poster on here. Including Shappy who likes a long post! You must spend hours writing reports that give your opinions on players. So I find it a little ironic that your post above seems to be bemoaning people for having opinions on players.
I am not knocking you for your long reports here , but you give the impression that you spend a lot of time watching individuals and have a very good understanding of the game and players technique and attributes. Surely you can see why we are all crying out for a CB?
I am not one of the negative ones as you will know , but I also think we are week at CB , and also need another striker if we are to mount a serious challenge.
Having said that , you do make sensible points about conceeding from wide areas last season , so the addition of Darmian will be a big plus from that point of view. Unfortunately , I feel we lack leadership at CB as well as quality. Couple that with players prone to inconsistency and a failure to stay fit for more than a few games in a row , and we start to struggle back there.
I am not too bothered about the forwards at this stage , but CB is a major concern to me , at least.
05 Aug 2015 14:05:20
redman
rooney got 12 league goals last season and 17 the year before playing in a fairly average attacking team , playing cm etc.
so why can't he get 20 playing as the main striker in a better team.
people rave about lew and benzema who are both good players . lew got 17 league goals last year ben 15, playing in very good attacking teams.
or argue we need a 20+ striker but lew has only scored more than 20 league goals twice benzema once, again playing in very good teams creating lots of chances
all strikers go through lean times that's why it is important for other members of the team to score .
look at chelsea costa got 20 league goals last season but chelsea scored a hat full of goals
05 Aug 2015 14:15:00
Jred
Why did SAF feel it necessary to buy RVP if he had Rooney?
Rooney has declined over the years at best not improved. It's a major risk to rely on him.
05 Aug 2015 14:15:17
I think people are being silly if they think we will be challenging with the current squad.
We have a central defence that made persistent unforced mistakes last season, and we're constantly bailed out by the brilliant form of De Gea. The solution is obviously to stick an average midfield player in there because he's left footed and that was the problem.
We have an excellent midfield on paper. But when our best cm of last season can't get a sniff, you have to ask questions.
We have wingers that is best described as functional, and are bringing in another functional player. Obviously we have Depay, but he is now a number 10.
Up front we have Rooney, and a few youngsters. Hardly the type of title winning forward line that we have seen in the past.
The reality is that this summer we have removed a huge amount of money from our wage bill, sold our most expensive player, and still failed to rectify two of our biggest problem areas (cb and striker). In addition we still have uncertainty surrounding our keeper, and we still lack real cutting edge on the wing. I don't think we are much closer to Chelsea or City, and with extra European games, the squad will struggle with the workload. as Giggs said we needed to strengthen the spine of the team, we haven't and it will show sooner or later.
05 Aug 2015 14:27:57
redman
the summer we got rvp rooney had just scored 27 league goals (more than lew and ben have ever managed) playing the 10 role .
i thought it was a poor season for us but 27 league goals 34 in total was some season for rooney playing deep.
chicarito played the 9 .
i would suggest rvp came in to replace pea, .
i think rvp had also just scored a similar amount to rooney so on paper rooney playing 10 rvp playing 9 should of been great .
05 Aug 2015 19:08:46
José, I am a fan of your posts and rate your opinions whether I agree or not. But I also have a high regard for other posters opinions and enjoy debating different points of view, and IMO there are many knowledgeable posters who can have polar opinions on players and formations and have their view on areas of weakness. Personally I enjoy reading most points of view and would not enjoy this site as much or indeed at all if people didn't feel free to voice their opinion.
Finally I too would like the site to have a few less attention seekers and FIFA x box bull shitters but that adds to the intrigue of the site IMO everybody loves a pantomime villain and the key board warriors who have us reaching for the phone to call the Samaritans are fun too😄
Not like you to go off on a mad one fella
05 Aug 2015 21:16:53
José, I think we have a very balanced team now. But what we need are a couple of world class players who are going to make the difference in the big matches or when the lesser teams have parked the bus.
Ive always said that we will make 4th at best if we do not get a CB and striker and I still think this way. Arsenal, city and Chelsea are better at present. So it leaves us with a fight with Liverpool for 4th.
I think Chelsea, city and arsenal have better goalkeepers and strikers than us. And Chelsea have better defence than all. So this is the reasoning behind my comments.
However, if we were to get a decent CB and Lewandawski, then that could change!!