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Financially United are in a good place but there's no doubt the debt and its interest has caused plenty of problems.

Of course it has, but what has changed to the point that United are spending money (they always did - don't bring up that net spend wankery) and ardent anti-Glazer United fans like our own Seanie here have moved to an attitude of, and I'm paraphrasing here, "I guess it's not that bad"?

Off the top of my head United were spending about 30% of the clubs turnover on interest payments during the 2008/09 season as opposed to about 4% of last seasons turnover Thats a huge difference.

United didn't sign a big name player during the summers of 2009,2010 and 2011. We went from having the best first 11 in Europe to the most average United team of the last 20 years. Top players in Ronaldo & Tevez left whilst the likes of VDS retired and the likes of Giggs, Scholes, Rio, Gary Neville, Vidic & Evra were coming towards the end of their career whilst Hargreaves & Fletcher & Hargreaves had health and injury problems that  they would never recover from. United needed big money to replace those players and it wasn't available.

Financially United are in a good place but there's no doubt the debt and its interest has caused plenty of problems. If only Fergie has been given the money that Moyes and LVG had access too we wouldn't have had such a poor 3 seasons, Ronaldo & Tevez left the club and were replaced with Owen & Valencia. A huge % of the clubs turnover was used to service the debt around those years.

I'd imagine Fergie looks on enviously at the amount of money at the manager's disposal since he left. If Fergie had access to that kind of money United might have gone on to win the CL in 2010 and certainly would have done a lot better during the 2011/12 season and I'd imagine he'd have left a better starting 11.

So Memphis is gone to Lyon.

I suspect somewhere in there is a really good footballer but didn't seem to want it enough..

This transfer window may turn into a good one for the old nett spend that we're so keen on here

I was expecting him to make a big impact but he's been a huge disappointment. Lyon is a good move for him, he'll play every week in a weaker league and should do well. I wouldn't rule him out making it at another big club in the future. He'll score plenty of goals for Lyon but his all round play needs to be worked on, it wasn't good enough for United but he's still only 22 so has time to develop that.

Galway get a walkover from GMIT for the game due to be played this Friday.

Neither side would have got much from it I suppose.

I'd imagine a training game would be far more beneficial anyway.

I'd be very surprised to see United sign Tierney. Mourinho has been complaining about the size of his back 4 for a while so I'd expect a more physically imposing left back to come in should he sign. I still think Shaw will get his chance as Darmain & Shaw aren't exactly shining at left back, you'd have to think that if Shaw wasn't in his plans at all he'd have left on loan already.

How do you make that out MM? I can't see a foul from Milner here. At worst I see him trying to protect the ball, possibly even missing it completely. But he's in position before Rooney who is in mid lunge at that stage, and the studs are up. I thought a yellow was fair enough. It was no more than that. It wasn't a stamp or anything.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qEmTqVgkSyM

Milner is cutting across Rooney, I don't see how he's trying to protect the ball, Milner's leg is outstretched.  At best you could claim he's trying to win the ball but even then look at the way Milner comes into the tackle, he completely misses it. If Milner's boot had connected with the ball and Rooney had made that challenge then I'd have no issue with the fat man been sent off.

We'll have to disagree on this one so. Either Milner missed the ball, or he is trying to protect it. Either way I can't see a Milner foul at all. And I see Rooney lunging in a bit, with his studs up, and catching Milner high on the ankle.

We'll have too although I'm certainly on my own with this. I just don't agree that he's trying to protect the ball, he's completely mis-timed his attempt at making contact with the ball and unfortunately collided with Rooney who was stretching for the ball. 

How do you make that out MM? I can't see a foul from Milner here. At worst I see him trying to protect the ball, possibly even missing it completely. But he's in position before Rooney who is in mid lunge at that stage, and the studs are up. I thought a yellow was fair enough. It was no more than that. It wasn't a stamp or anything.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qEmTqVgkSyM

Milner is cutting across Rooney, I don't see how he's trying to protect the ball, Milner's leg is outstretched.  At best you could claim he's trying to win the ball but even then look at the way Milner comes into the tackle, he completely misses it. If Milner's boot had connected with the ball and Rooney had made that challenge then I'd have no issue with the fat man been sent off.

At least Rooney is trying this last while. The legs are gone though. He tried to create spaces for shots but hadn't the power in his legs to shoot. I thought he was worth a punt at the time and certainly it was a game where Carrick was not really needed. In hindsight I guess it would have been better to play Rashford. I wouldn't slaughter Jose over it compared to some of the ridiculous sh1t he was at in Aug/Sep/Oct.

On the Rooney/Milner incident - amazed that there was only 4 minutes added with all the subs and the amount of time Milner was down for. There's no doubt Milner was trying to influence the referees choice of card (yes, Herrera did the same later with the drink driver). It's not even talked about any more....it's accepted as part of the game. Refs are having a bad season but carry on like this makes their job harder.

Should of been a free kick to United anyway, there's only one of them following the ball. Rooney has only caught Milner because Milner has committed a foul.

It was a free kick to United with the supposed bad challenge by Rooney. Look at where the ball went and look at what Milner was doing. Rooney tried to make contact with the ball and just missed whilst Milner stuck his leg out trying to take Rooney down whilst making no attempt to win the ball or even follow it. It was a poor decision by the ref and I'm amazed its very few have picked up on it.

As for the long balls, I've got no issues with it at all. I'm sure if Fergie had a player like Fellaini in his squad he'd have used him. Mourinho didn't buy him and he's hardly building a team around him. I've looked forward to matches the last 3 months as we've played some very good football,

The only issue I have with Mourinho yesterday is bringing Rooney on, he was appalling when he came on. He saw plenty of the ball in very good positions and did nothing with it apart from one decent cross.

What did the Rossies think of Michael Daly today?

McDaid must have impressed in the u21's last week to get the call up today, looks like he's done enough to get another few chances as has McHugh.

Pleased with the point in the end, just didn't think the goal would come. We were poor in the first half and don't think we were much better in the 2nd half but created the better chances throughout the game and deserved a point. Pogba was poor but like Carrick and Liverpool targeted them and gave neither player any space, I'm sure Pogba will manage to work it out in the future. Valencia gain was outstanding and was time and time again the outlet whilst left back is becoming a huge problem as Darmain offers nothing going forward and its causing us problems, with the way Liverpool started the game it was both fullbacks who were given plenty of time on the ball.  Rooney got himself in good positions when he came but offered very little in terms of quality and was knackered come the last 5 minutes.

Jones & Rojo played well but their lack of height from set pieces is a problem, you need at least one player in the back 4 who's brilliant in the air. Credit to both of them with their performances the last 2 months, I'd imagine they'll both be here next season.

As long as we go on another run a point isn't the worst result in the world, if we don't make top 4 its because of the dropped points against Stoke, Burnley, West Ham & Arsenal not today.

So it them over 70 years to try and start their own club? They were a long time thinking about it.

Why didn't the Roscommon people in Ballaghaderreen set up their own club?

What are the chances of Henderson & Matip been back for Sunday?

IF Utd qualify for the League Cup final the City league game is postponed from that weekend, should either Utd or City have a prolonged run in Europe alternative dates are few and far between. Shoehorning it into the last couple of weeks of season would leave Utd with consecutive away games at Arsenal, Spurs and City in a short space of time. It'd be a tough ask if points were required for position...

I suppose the reverse is that it only leaves 2 games against other teams in top 6 over next 13/14 games and one of them is this weekend..

I'd imagine the Manchester Derby will be re-arranged for early March if United get the league cup final. I don't think the Premier League will take the risk of delaying it to April or May because of potential fixtures as you suggest.

Its all ifs and buts at the minute but there really is limited scope for fixtures to be fitted in, the 1st 2 midweeks in March are Europa League matchdays then there is an International break then you would be back into European games again. The only date I could see is the Tues or Wed night after its originally fixed for or else its going way down the line?

Might all be irrelevant any roads but a potentially very tough finish in prospect.

You're right, I'd expect us to beat Wigan in the cup and I expect we'll go on a decent run in Europe. We've got a big squad and which should be able to deal with it although I'd like to see another centre mid bought. We're a bit light in that department and also at right back,  I'd have played Fosuh-Mensah there against Reading but he went with Young.