Messages

[How much are 'United' technically in debt by now anyway? It was up at £700million or more at one stage, is it now down around 300?]

Have always questioned Fergies stance on the Glaziers, especially this craic that they gave him the money that he needed or wanted.  Since 2008/2009, United have had a really weak midfield yet Ferguson never went out and spent the required big money to get the quality players in.  I doubt that he couldn't see the need for reinforcements in that area, which leaves you with the conclusion that he knew he wouldn't get the big money to splash out.  How much are 'United' technically in debt by now anyway?  It was up at £700million or more at one stage, is it now down around 300?

There's a lot of good detail in this blog.

Fact of the day

Number of starts at club level for Marouane Felliani this season: 10
Number of wins from those starts: 1

Terrible player.

The same felliani who used to eat the utd team for breakfast when he played forenenst them?? Might be fact that hes in the engine room with a 54 year old and a player who certainly cant take the rough and tumble ;-)

He's had multiple midfield partners and been a hindrance to each. Zero goals, zero assists, an incredible four shots on goal in that time too. In summary, he doesn't score goals, create goals, or stop goals. He is useless. £28 million of useless.

Fact of the day

Number of starts at club level for Marouane Felliani this season: 10
Number of wins from those starts: 1

Terrible player.

[he has his place in the England squad sorted after the WC]

Although I took your word on Victor Wanyama joining Utd too over Arsenal, where is he now , oh Southampton. His next big move was the big one

OK, a hypothetical discussion a year ago over whether Victor Wanyama would, given the choice, choose Arsenal over Man United. I don't see what relevance this has to what we're currently discussing. I think it might help if you didn't approach each new argument as a continuation of a random earlier one, rodney. It's not some weird, perpetual competition. We're just talking about things.

Tell MON he was wasting his time too, because he has his place in the England squad sorted after the WC.

Well, that's not really what I said. But you know that, so we should probably leave it there.

Armagh named a team for tomorrow:

Paudi Rodgers - Lissummon
Paul Hughes - Crossmaglen
Gary McCoey - St Patricks
Michael Murray - St Patricks
Ciaran Rafferty - Madden
Charlie Vernon - Armagh Harps
Rory Grugan - Ballymacnab
Aaron Findon - St Peters
Phelim O'Neill - St Pauls
Aiden Forker - Maghery
Brian Mallon - Tir Na Nog
Oisín Mac Íomhair - Annaghmore
Ciarán Mac Íomhair - Annaghmore
Kyle Carragher - Crossmaglen
Niall McConville - St Peters

A fiver, apparently. Or a quid on the internet if you don't fancy freezing your balls off.

O'Neill was watching Mark Noble last night, Palace - West Ham. Qualifies through Irish grandparents. Good player.

Doubtful he'll want to be involved. Said he wanted to break into the England team only a month ago sure.

Don't know what he waiting for, 26 and still expects a call up. England have lots of competition in midfield as it is.

England's midfield options won't be so impressive when Lampard, Gerrard and Carrick go after the World Cup. That they were reduced to digging out a 31 year old Leon Osman earlier this year for a couple of matches should provide plenty of hope for any half decent English midfielder knocking about the Premier League.

Barkley, Wilshire, Phil Jones as an option, add in Ravel Morrison who has the talent to play international. Hardly going to be in crisis mode.

So just Wilshere then? Jones is a centre back and the other two boys are number 10s. Henderson and Cleverley would've been more appropriate mentions, but they're both a bit pants. To repeat, there's every chance that someone of Noble's ilk will be needed during their next campaign given the impending poverty of experienced, non-injury prone (hello Wilshere) options. To argue otherwise is just to ignore the reality of a situation that has been evident since Hodgson picked up the phone to Leon Osman.

O'Neill was watching Mark Noble last night, Palace - West Ham. Qualifies through Irish grandparents. Good player.

Doubtful he'll want to be involved. Said he wanted to break into the England team only a month ago sure.

Don't know what he waiting for, 26 and still expects a call up. England have lots of competition in midfield as it is.

England's midfield options won't be so impressive when Lampard, Gerrard and Carrick go after the World Cup. That they were reduced to digging out a 31 year old Leon Osman earlier this year for a couple of matches should provide plenty of hope for any half decent English midfielder knocking about the Premier League.

As a neutral ( I support a team outside the all powerful EPL) can a Utd fan please explain what yr man Cleverly has about him that let's him play for both MU and England?

I really can't see how he is considered a player at that level - what is it he supposedly brings to the party?

He's a not very good version of the model of player both United and England want to move toward in midfield. Both are having to persevere with his mediocrity due to the lack of alternatives. The problem with looking past him is who might be next in line: fat Anderson or Leon Osman.

[How can a great player like Rooney miss this?]

What of Rooney miss ? Right man right place clean through on goal , he fluffs it ! How can a great player like Rooney miss this?

Eh, maybe because he didn't shoot. He passed it. Shouldn't have, but whatever. Another goal and an assist today was a good return. Some donkeys in that team not providing any returns, namely Fellaini and Cleverly. Very irritating that the guts of £30 million were pissed away on someone so out of his depth at the level United need to be at.

Just on these qualifiers, have UEFA come out and definitively stated that they're sticking with the usually 5/6 team groups? Wasn't too long ago that Platini was on about some convoluted two stage qualifying format.

Champions League style?

Something along the lines of:

Stage One: 53 teams - 12 groups of 4 and 1 group of 5 - 13 group winners qualify.
Stage Two: 40 teams - 10 groups of 4 - 10 group winners qualify.

Don't know what that leaves the group winners from the first stage at while the rest continue with their attempts to qualify. Platini was also rambling on about some weird pre-tournament tournament in the US or Brazil or somewhere to keep these sides occupied.

Just on these qualifiers, have UEFA come out and definitively stated that they're sticking with the usually 5/6 team groups? Wasn't too long ago that Platini was on about some convoluted two stage qualifying format.

[U2 - Electrical Storm]

U2 - Beautiful Day
Ash - Sometimes
Maverick Sabre - I Need
Ash - Shining Light
Snow Patrol - Run
U2 - Electrical Storm
Duke Special - Freewheel
Bell X1 - Great Defector
The Coronas - San Diego Song
Two Door Cinema Club - Maybe Someday

Very under rated tune....and an added bonus of this one in the video....

Rutger Hauer?

[the terrace near the gate 75% full, 50% full further down.]

7,800 were there on Sunday.

RTÉ this moring said close to 10,000. Were u16s in free?
What is the capacity of the Marshes? The stand was 90% full, the terrace near the gate 75% full, 50% full further down.

I think that's being a bit too generous. Went down the far end of the terrace to get away from looking into the sun so much, and it was sparsely enough populated past the far 45. 7800 sounds about right.

[Kagawa needs a run in the side]

United beating the likes of Stoke and Fulham shows nothing. Big test is Arsenal next week which I expect Arsenal to win.

Agreed. The Arsenal game will give a more realistic view of how Utd have progressed.

United will sneak this one, they are far from done but they need to get a settled side, Ozil should have been bought and Kagawa needs a run in the side, that said I expect United to nick this one, these are the games they have to have and usually, when they need a game, they find a way to get it done.

In what position should Kagawa be given this run?