Man Utd Thread:

[magpie seanie]

Fair enough. Maybe that's how I see Liverpool some times. I honestly believe that without De Jea Utd would be 6/7th? Would you agree with this?

Unquestionably but that's not saying much as they're only 4 points off 7th as it stands. If you took Sanchez out of the Arsenal team they'd be well down the table too. He has been superb this season for them.

[Tom boyd]

f**k me Seany, but you are unbelievably biased. Utd were shite last night. Fact. Also, Utd aren't close to Arsenal.

United were by far the better team in most parts of the game in the first half but taking Herrara off took a big sting out of the game

[Boycey]

f**k me Seany, but you are unbelievably biased. Utd were shite last night. Fact. Also, Utd aren't close to Arsenal.

I think Seanies post was damn near spot on..

With regards to De Gea I think every team has a marquee player who is worth several points a season to them.

[yellowcard]

It was a poor quality game but no way are Arsenal streets ahead of Man Utd. There is very little between the 2 sides and that game last night could just have easily resulted in a Man Utd win. That is in no way excusing some of the performances from Man Utd. Di Maria doesn't want to know, hasn't got the balls when the going gets tough. Van Persie is finished at the top level and Falcao looks like he is not a long term solution. Both sides struggled to control the game last night and it's reflective of a mediocre premier league at the minute. Van Gaal deserves time but if he doesn't get top 4 (still think they will get 3/4th) I'm not sure that he will get that time.

[Maroon Manc]

Can't recall anyone saying where would Arsenal be without Sanchez or if Spurs were without Kane this season, just so happens United best player is our keeper.

We lack cohesion, can see why he brought Herrera off as he doesn't get on the ball enough although pairing Carrick with Blind to create the slowest midfield I've ever seen and shouldn't happen again.
Blind is a utility player, should be a backup to Carrick, gets himself in the wrong position too often and his range of passing is very limited. 

We just don't have the players to play the way LVG wants us to play, the centre halves aren't good enough on the ball, he hasn't got a right back he can trust, he doesn't trust Herrera to play in a midfield 2 and I can see why he doesn't. If we finish top 4 then he's got away with it but if we don't then his philosophy may have cost us. With the players we've got we should be letting our opponents have more of the ball and playing more on the counter attack.

What I don't get is given how he talks about important his philosophy is yet Fellaini is picked ahead of Mata, Fellaini lacks any sort of imagination in possession, it's worrying how he's become our plan a.

[Throw ball]

I dunno what game ye were all watching. Arsenal were by far the better team and could have scored 3 or 4 if it wasn't for De Gea.

If they had not been gifted a goal and United were not chasing the game they may not have got the chances in the first place.

[Geoff Tipps]

I dunno what game ye were all watching. Arsenal were by far the better team and could have scored 3 or 4 if it wasn't for De Gea.

Yep beaten at home by an Arsenal team that didn't even have to be on their game to win.

[Maroon Manc]

I dunno what game ye were all watching. Arsenal were by far the better team and could have scored 3 or 4 if it wasn't for De Gea.

United gifted Arsenal the winner, we were gifted a similar goal last week although not as soft yet we were continually called lucky all over the media yet I haven't heard anyone call that goal last night lucky. I can only recall a couple of saves of note from De Gea and then we were chasing the game with ten men. The first half was even with United just shading it, both teams were poor in the 2nd, game changed after the sending off.

[From the Bunker]

United for nearly a quarter of a century have been the club everyone loved to Hate. All non Utd fans that is! Year upon year once Fergie had laid his foundations at the club United came away with a Trophy or three on season end. Now and again there looked to be cracks, but Fergie papered over them. We (the non Utd fans) looked on in hope when a bad run of games came along, that this might just be the end of Utd. But it never happened. Even with (so called) weaker squads Fergie nabbed a title here and there.

So now this period of uncertainty has arrived. Papers are there to be sold to the ABU brigade. When Utd win, the result did not match the performance, they were lucky, etc. When they lose, draw playing football, they were naive! It's a no win!

United fans have to be done with the Fergie Era! It's over, he's gone! The Busby era destroyed a plethora of Managers that followed him. Unlike Busby most of these Managers did not get time to Lay the foundations of their beliefs, None until Fergie that is!

LVG does not look a long term or even a medium term solution! His biggest problems this season was not being in Manchester earlier in pre-season (due to the WC) and his lack of experience of the Premier League.  That said, if he gets 4th, a pre-season and a year under his belt in the Premier League. He may just turn things around.

[ross4life]

Was at the game in Old Trafford Monday night. United played a good tempo & high pressing game in the 1st half & if one side deserved to be leading at the break it was United. The opening goal was schoolboy defending where three United lads were drawn in to the centre while Monreal was allowed to drift in unmarked.

2nd half was slow ponderous stuff thanks in no small part some strange substitutions. Very stop start error ridden stuff. In the end a finely balanced game was decided on a mistake a lapse in concentration by Valencia TBH i would prefer if it was a moment of skill or brilliance than losing like that though it just had to be Welbeck hadn't it. If it didn't happen a replay would probably be needed to separate the sides & of course Uniteds chances of comeback wasn't helped by a foolish sending off.

So the wait goes on for FA cup win & its been a long time since United have gone back to back seasons without a trophy something after decades of success takes a while to get use to but hopefully that drought will be ended next season.

P.S Arsenal supporters were chanting Welbeck a little bit sh*t before he scored while a small minority of United fans did boo Welbeck after he scored because they felt he shouldn't have celebrated the goal against his former club. I suppose that is soccer supporters for you.

[gallsman]

After tonight's match, all united fans should be getting even more worried that Madrid will come in for De Gea. Casillas was brutal.

[stiffler]

Di Maria gets off with a one match ban. Lucky boy.

[nrico2006]

It wasn't that long ago that Joe Hart put his head into the same referee and got away with it.

[deiseach]

Ancelotti almost became available last night. For someone else. Not for Man Utd though, oh no. Long term vision. Philosophy. Give the manager time. The United Way.

[magpie seanie]

United for nearly a quarter of a century have been the club everyone loved to Hate. All non Utd fans that is! Year upon year once Fergie had laid his foundations at the club United came away with a Trophy or three on season end. Now and again there looked to be cracks, but Fergie papered over them. We (the non Utd fans) looked on in hope when a bad run of games came along, that this might just be the end of Utd. But it never happened. Even with (so called) weaker squads Fergie nabbed a title here and there.

So now this period of uncertainty has arrived. Papers are there to be sold to the ABU brigade. When Utd win, the result did not match the performance, they were lucky, etc. When they lose, draw playing football, they were naive! It's a no win!

United fans have to be done with the Fergie Era! It's over, he's gone! The Busby era destroyed a plethora of Managers that followed him. Unlike Busby most of these Managers did not get time to Lay the foundations of their beliefs, None until Fergie that is!

LVG does not look a long term or even a medium term solution! His biggest problems this season was not being in Manchester earlier in pre-season (due to the WC) and his lack of experience of the Premier League.  That said, if he gets 4th, a pre-season and a year under his belt in the Premier League. He may just turn things around.

Some good points and I think, in hindsight, you have hit the nail on the head with the bit highlighted. I think the pre-season was probably taken too seriously (more seriously that the teams United played) due to LVG trying to play catchup after his late start. The good results and performances were simply because United were trying that bit harder, players trying to impress the new manager etc. This caused a false sense of security (for supporters and I believe the management team also) until reality kicked in and the harsh realities set in in August. I think the bad start to the season convinced LVG to take the gamble on Falcao. The biggest disaster though was losing the first league cup game. In the absence of European football United needed games for LVG to work out his best formation and the player to get used to what he wanted. Eventually around mid-October some sort of stability was reached - this involves lots of possession to nullify the opposition but is attack wise a bit sterile and reliant on a moment or moments of magic from the likes of Rooney, Di Maria, RVP, Falcao to get goals and that has not gone well to say the least! A bit unfortunate as early in the season not many thought those guys (especially the last 3) wouldn't be making/scoring loads of goals but in hindsight reliance on guys with no experience in the Premier League can be dodgy. RVP's complete loss of form was hard to foresee, I think the World Cup took a toll on him physically and he has not got over it. He was even playing badly towards the end of the WC.

I disagree with you in that I do think LVG can and will bring United back to challenging and possibly winning the major titles. I'm happy to persist because I can see what he is trying to do and can understand why things have not been better (to some degree). I also believe that he was surprised at the difference between the Premier League and what he was used to but he has learned and will be better for it next season. Even if United don't make the top 4 he has to be kept on and he will, there's no doubt in my mind about that. Regardless the upcoming offseason will be crucial and he'll have to bring in at least 3-4 guys who will be regular starters (at least one CB, a FB, Midfielder and Striker).