Man Utd Thread:

[seafoid]

Man U could have been beaten today. Unless things change it's looking like last year all over again.

Things could get a lot worse before they get worse
League position analysis is the graph to watch

http://guardian.touch-line.com/?CTID=11&CPID=4&TEID=230&pStr=League_Pos&t=3

[seafoid]

http://www.theguardian.com/football/blog/2014/aug/23/liverpool-mario-balotelli-song

Glazers are stuff of nightmares for Scholes

In happier times at Manchester United when Sir Alex Ferguson used to give out injury bulletins at his press conferences everyone in the room knew the sensible option, without access to a polygraph, was to treat every single sentence like a carefully laid trap.
These days it comes as a slight shock that Louis van Gaal likes to speak the truth about who is fit and who is not, even if there might have been a touch of exaggeration to his claim that the list of absentees, with seven injured players for their game at Sunderland and Marcos Rojo unavailable because of work-permit issues, is like nothing he has experienced in almost 30 years of coaching.

Even with Robin van Persie fit again, and their pursuit of Ángel di María gaining momentum, their squad looks chronically inadequate for a club with United's ambitions. Danny Welbeck, who previously gave the impression he might have Glory Glory Man United as his ringtone wants to leave and you know it is bad when Paul Scholes turns on his old club. Scholes believes they need five experienced signings, no matter what the cost, and says he is worried that if they don't do what he says they could end up going through years of decline. "I am scared for United, genuinely scared they could go into the wilderness in the same way Liverpool did in the 1990s."

It is pretty damning stuff bearing in mind Scholes knows all the players and is still good friends with the assistant manager but, yet again, we have one of the many former United players in the media tap-dancing around the real issue. Will anyone in that position ever link the Glazer family to what we are seeing now?


Moyes got a lot of flak for what looks like a system problem. I wonder what the odds are of LVG resigning. 

[rodney trotter]

Scholes made those comments before the Di Maria deal, he might have have eased up a bit now. And silly to be writing off Van Gaal yet, he only took over in the 15th of July? A few more signings will be made this week in areas in need of strenghten.

[AZOffaly]

Saw this from ESPN on facebook. "Is Shinji Kagawa the next person out the exit door at Manchester United? Manager Louis van Gaal has said the midfielder "did not wish to fulfil my wishes, my philosophy" in pre-season."

van Gaal seems to suffer no fools. He'll be fine.

Kagawa obviously doesn't buy into the philosophy so far. He's a good player, criminally underused at United I think. Is Mata that much better than him?

[DennistheMenace]

Big fan of Di Maria, really hope we can get him and reinforce further as it's obviously needs. Was at the Swansea game couldnt believe how lethargically we looked, passing woeful. Good to see Mata show some form.

[Shrewdness]

Van Gaal did say during the summer that it normally takes him about 3 months to get any team he has managed, to play to his style.. When he took over at Bayern Munich, they only won 5 of their first 13 games. Yet, by the end of the season, they had won the Bundesliga and lost the Champions League Final. That won't happen this season, but he has made his mark wherever he has gone, and there is no reason to believe, as of now, that his time at Old Trafford will be any different.

[rodney trotter]

I remember reading that alright. Di Maria to be in Manchester this evening for Medical

[deiseach]

Van Gaal did say during the summer that it normally takes him about 3 months to get any team he has managed, to play to his style.. When he took over at Bayern Munich, they only won 5 of their first 13 games. Yet, by the end of the season, they had won the Bundesliga and lost the Champions League Final. That won't happen this season, but he has made his mark wherever he has gone, and there is no reason to believe, as of now, that his time at Old Trafford will be any different.

There are plenty of reasons why it might be different this time around. One is taking over a team that finished 2nd the previous season, two points off the top, versus taking over a team that finished 7th.

[Shrewdness]

I take your point Deiseach. He definitely has his hands full in the coming season. He'll need to make sure that he halts the current decline. New players take time to settle, and with so many mediocre players already at the club, there could be choppy waters ahead this season..He'll certainly need to see MK Dons off tomorrow night.

[deiseach]

Milton Keynes Dons will be a formidable challenge - there's no question about that.

[rodney trotter]

Van Gaal said himself top4 is a priority this season and whatever after that, and with the players that are joining, that realistically should happen.

No European football this year, that should make a difference as the season moves on.

[Captain Obvious]

Van Gaal did say during the summer that it normally takes him about 3 months to get any team he has managed, to play to his style.. When he took over at Bayern Munich, they only won 5 of their first 13 games. Yet, by the end of the season, they had won the Bundesliga and lost the Champions League Final. That won't happen this season, but he has made his mark wherever he has gone, and there is no reason to believe, as of now, that his time at Old Trafford will be any different.

There are plenty of reasons why it might be different this time around. One is taking over a team that finished 2nd the previous season, two points off the top, versus taking over a team that finished 7th.

I think Van Gaal also said taking over from Moyes was a more difficult job. Why a suitable replacement wasn't brought in straight away after Ferguson remains a mystery.

[deiseach]

No European football this year, that should make a difference as the season moves on.

How big a difference?

[Milltown Row2]

No European football this year, that should make a difference as the season moves on.

How big a difference?

Might come second

[rodney trotter]

No European football this year, that should make a difference as the season moves on.

How big a difference?

You might know from last season.