12 Aug 2015 15:55:53
Little rant - We are just over 2 weeks away from the end of the window. Remember - this was the much talked about "3rd window", the one after which we would be ready to challenge again on all fronts according to the vast majority of people with an interest in all things Utd.
I haven't seen many (if any) posts at all about this 3rd window for a long time, despite last June/July it being all we talked about, "LVG needs 3 windows".
So we have a lot of work to do in my opinion because I look at our squad and worry a great deal. How will we handle all the extra games? How will we integrate any further signings without it damaging what we have worked on all of pre-season (which seems to be mapping the fast food restaurants of Manchester if you are Bastian, maybe Shaw lent him his from last year)? How do we keep 8+ midfielders happy vying for 2 or is it 3 positions? What the hell is going on with DDG? Where is the CB we obviously need? Where is the back up striker or competition for el capitano? Why are we still tinkering with players signed as experts in one position, but trying to "mould" them into something else and paying a premium for the privilege?
Please ignore the tactical/philosophical aspects of our games which haven't changed much in 12 months performance wise, what about the core simple fact that this is the time we are meant to be ready, we are meant to be back and feared but the vast majority of us think we will be scrapping for 4th as do the bookies as do our rivals?
It may be early, but we are relying far too much on luck this coming season. We 'hope' when we should 'expect' and that is a disgrace in my opinion. I know people will say my post is premature only one game has been played, which we won, but look at the bigger picture please.
Can we just remember we are Man Utd guys and call a spade a spade. Too much has to be done in such a short space of time and we have one of the most injury prone defences in world football!
Dereliction of duty all across the board!
12 Aug 2015 16:17:01
Agreed, though I'm still optimistic we will get 2 more transfers in and I don't want to judge our performance of one game, if we have not seen the slightest improvement and have no further transfers by the end of the window then I'll be skeptical.
12 Aug 2015 16:42:12
Who did we buy in January window? don't say Valdes please. In terms of rebuilding this is our Second Window. As the season goes on, i am sure we will see lots of improvement in our gameplay.
Why do u have to be so negative, Beast?
12 Aug 2015 16:51:16
Beast, We have just under 3 weeks for the window to close, you must have been itching to post this but why not wait till the window actually closes? Afraid you may not get a chance to post this at all by then?
12 Aug 2015 16:57:03
I'll judge where we are at January
12 Aug 2015 16:57:43
Everyone going on about schweinsteiger's "fat" legs, the guy is a tank, it's not fat go back and look at his World Cup games he's always been massive.
12 Aug 2015 17:13:57
Sorry mate, but once again - for the umpteenth time - I have to disagree. :)
I can't for the life of me understand how you can already consign us to another season of mediocrity when we all know that not all the pieces have been put in place. There will, IMO, definitely more business to be done in the transfer market; and a few choice players might make a big difference to our attacking play.
There were clear signs in that game against Spurs that the work being done on the training pitch with regards to the defensive set up and general organisation, is starting to take become entrenched in the minds of the players: The team will be a lot stronger and more capable of grinding out results than the previous season.
I know you don't have a particular love for the more physical base line elements of the game; and you believe that we should be playing the "united way" and winning in a entertainment fashion; but I honestly believe that the PL has evolved to a point where those teams who like to play a cavalier brand of football are on a hiding for nothing when it comes to winning major trophies.
Of course, I want to see good football; but at the end of the day, I would rather win titles playing a more cautious brand of football as opposed to playing great football and winning sod all.
12 Aug 2015 17:30:34
Hi Beast, good post.
However, the sheer fact in the first place that someone was being given '3 windows' to rebuild which basically translates as spend millions upon millions always worried me. It is, to be honest, all about philosophy so it's impossible to disregard that factor completely. LVG is an extraordinary manager/coach who in my opinion has taken on the most difficult job in football in the most competitive league in world football where you have one another team (Arsenal) grinding out a philosophy year on year out whilst adding select talent here and there and 3 others trying to buy the league. We have got to be realistic, we will not 'buy' every single top player in the world because we aren't alone anymore. What we need is trust, patience and 'some' additional players who can improve us in key areas. Your post rings true in a lot of ways but my advice to you is wait and see. I can see Chelsea having a lot of draws this weekend. City in my opinion have not strengthened enough and will lose games this year against similar teams to last. Liverpool will prove a threat and Arsenal will probably win the league this year, that is unless we do.
12 Aug 2015 17:39:37
Srestha - So January doesn't count, why not say 3 years then if that's the case?
MBD - Several of my concerns will still exist even if we do sign a CB, Winger, GK and Striker. I have not been itching to post it, I just had a think about where we are and where we expected to be. Fighting for 4th wasn't where most of us expected to realistically be if we are being truthful when LVG took over. We could win the league, but odds and brains say that would be very very unlikely.
RedAndy - Fair enough mate
Sam - I do it from watching how we set-up, how we played and how our squad looks. I watched all of pre-season and the performances were the same as against Spurs. A lot of people were saying "it's pre-season, wait until the Spurs game before criticising", well Spurs came and went and the mind-set was just the same. We are better defensively because we have 8 player defending when we attack!
I'm simply saying I expected us to be much further along than we are. We have a very unbalanced team, plenty of upheaval to come and we are approaching games too cautiously to make up for those deficiencies that the manager is contributing to rather than fixing.
I do agree the game has changed, but not as quickly as we are making it look.
12 Aug 2015 17:51:12
KingGiggsy - Fair points mate. It will certainly be tight and points will be dropped all over the place, last season was very helpful in that regard (the Lucky Dutchman). Obviously it is a sign of things balancing out and becoming more competitive, however 5 years ago say, we were above that watching below, now we are not even considered amongst the favourites for the league - rightly so.
I'm just hoping for a glimmer of hope from the manager that his plan will work and this rubbish we are exposed to will be worth it in the end. I thought we had it for 3-4 weeks last season, but that seemed to be the anomaly unfortunately.
12 Aug 2015 18:10:11
Beast I think u have got all hung up on this 3 window comment from ed02.
Why would u include January when all we signed was a back up GK? I understand this doesn't fit the narrative u are trying to spin but fact is in January we signed a back up gk, if u think LVG really does feel all the pieces are in place then I'm afraid u may be wrong.
The window is not even closed yet so we might go out and sign that CB we need or the striker to get us close.
12 Aug 2015 18:08:45
Kinggiggsy, great post. You too Sam.
Patience and trust is what we need, you cannot underestimate the job that lvg has undertaken. Thankfully there are more knowledgeable people in charge than some of the 'know it all's' that come on her to type out their bile and bias most of the trolls are generating enough hot air to fly Richard Branson into space in one of his hot air balloons 😃
I have no problem with supporters having wildly different opinions on tactics formations players or indeed coaches but a few posters on here a just attention seeking trolls IMO taking polar opinions and views just in order to slags off the manager for every little thing.
I genuinely believe a couple of them don't actually support the club at all.
The double standards on here are unreal I said the same in a post below.
I would encourage all to lay off the personal character abuse the sensational bull shit claims and get back to sharing and respecting each others opinions and supporting the club as a whole, yeah everybody loves a bit of slagging and banter, a touch of sarcasm and a decent heated debate, but the constant whining and bitching and moaning by a few on here is getting tiresome, from let's be honest a completely ignorant viewpoint due to having no experience no inside knowledge, and no bloody clue of how things work.
I apologise for the length of the post but its been passing me off for weeks and I wouldn't tolerate their sort of behaviour from a 5 year old
12 Aug 2015 18:41:05
the ed also said moyes would be given 3 windows to build the team.
things can change .
lvg has been fully backed in the transfer market
12 Aug 2015 19:01:47
ken its nothing compared to when we signed moyes.
or the stick rooney gets .
whos to say whos right or wrong
12 Aug 2015 19:52:47
Lots of valid points boys. I definitely feel we are far from finished. But if it turns out we only get Otamendi. I'd be quite pleased to be honest.
Obvs I'd be ecstatic if we got a powerful forward too!!!
12 Aug 2015 21:22:07
I have to agree with Beast almost completely. For me, I don't care if it is two or three or four windows. The fact is we are desperately short of absolute top talent and especially in central defence, striker and right wing.
If come the end of this month, we have bought Otimendi, Lewandawski and Greizman, then I will say other teams are going to fear us and we will challenge anyone in the league.
However, if we don't buy these top players or their equal, then I'm afraid top 4 is as good as we can hope for.
Chelsea have top quality in goal, midfield, and attack. As do City. Arsenal have it in midfield and a good attack especially if they strengthen. So that leaves us and the scousers fighting it out for 4th.
13 Aug 2015 01:36:07
Great debate.
Beast, you make some valid points; all is not rosy.
However, I find myself agreeing with KingGiggsy and Ken.
Fergie left a mess and then compounded it by annointing a new manager who didn't have the gravitas for the role.
LvG has taken on possibily the biggest job in football; replace Fergie and make Utd good again.
If you look at where we are at compared to when he started I think he's making a reasonable fist of it and most importantly I believe he will leave a decent situation for the new manager in a year or two.