After a great start to the season, looks like we have gone back to the way we were playing for the most part of last season and the season before, grinding out results here and there with the odd decent performance. Ok so we have added Young, Jones and De Gea. But we lost a lot of experience in VDS and Scholes, also losing and Brown and O'Shea, he wasn't the best but he did a reasonable job when called, even at right back or wherever he was told to play, and Brown is more reliable then Evans. Young has gone down the boil since the start of the season.
I know Utd never really play that great at the first half of the season, but we are now approaching the critical part of the season where results matter a lot more and the performances have not been great for some time now to suggest that the team in improving. That is worrying....I'm not basing my opinion on the result from yesterday because it’s unlikely the team that played yesterday is going to play against Villa on Saturday, however, it still gives us the indication that some of the players are just not good enough and Utd's squad is not as good as we might have thought. The team that played yesterday should have been able to brush Crystal Palace aside, especially at Old Trafford.
Utd have too many workhorses in the team but what we lack is a technical type of players. It’s great having versatile work horse type players in the squad but we still need someone who is comfortable at retaining the ball and also will make a certain position theirs, so far I can't really think of any, except Vidic and Rooney. Does Fergie even know his first 11 is (when the squad is fully fit).
So far it’s hard to see if we really have improved from last year. Unlike last year where the top 4-6 were poor....this year, City seemed to have vastly improved and if Utd wish to retain the title, then the team will need to play a lot better than they have been lately, maybe make a few signings (midfielder) in January (Its not going happen but we can hope). Last year we probably would have got 3 points against Newcastle at Old Trafford, even without playing well.
Thoughts?
Are Utd a better side then last year?
posted on 1/12/11
On paper, this team look pretty much like last years tbh. just VDS replaced by De Gea.
Unlucky with the injuries...yes, especially with the defence but when fully fit, would still be the same as last year. Just addition of new players in the squad and Young on the left occasionally and maybe Cleverley.
posted on 1/12/11
Brown is more reliable then Evans.
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is he?
posted on 1/12/11
i want the early season form back!!!!!
posted on 1/12/11
The answer to the OP is that United are set up better for the future than they were this time last year.
posted on 1/12/11
Brown is more reliable then Evans.
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is he?
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Evans is a mistake waiting to happen every single game, simple as that. One mistake is all that it takes to cost a game. Not good enough to play at the highest level.
posted on 1/12/11
so was Brown!
posted on 1/12/11
Yes!
But so are City, Newcatle and Palace.
posted on 1/12/11
Fletcher is in decline, that mystery illness seems to have taken its toll, I like Carrick and I don't think he gets the recognition he deserves, but he needs someone alongside him that will drive forward and make things happen. Anderson flatters to deceive too often and has had his injury problems.
As for our young prospects; I've seen little that makes me think Pogba will make the cut - and it sounds like he wants out anyway. Morrison grew into the game yesterday and looked okay, but I've heard people questioning his attitude. Our best hope is Cleverly, but this is his first season in the first team, so we shouldn't expect miracles.
Yes, we've been unlucky with injuries, but our midfield is sorely lacking in quality and should have been sorted out in the summer. I think we probably have the poorest midfield of any top six side. I just don't see a central midfielder in our squad who can get forward and make things happen; a lot of endeavor, not enough quality.
As for the initial question "are Utd a better team than last year?" Probably about the same. The trouble is, as other teams around us have strengthened, our midfield frailties now look more apparent. And the addition of Jones, Smalling and Young are not going to win us the league. The latter; I'm sorry to say, is not the great player people seem to think he is.
posted on 1/12/11
Did we even need Young? We have some decent wingers anyway, until this season, Valencia was doing pretty well after he came back from injury. Although Nani plays better on the right, he can still play on the left, Park can sometimes slot in and Giggs. It wasn't really a posittion Utd really needed to strengthen in. The priority should have been central midfield...heck even Parker would have been an improvement in the central midfield. He's doing pretty well at Spurs.
posted on 1/12/11
comment by Captain_Positivity (U2394)
posted 1 hour, 45 minutes ago
Fergie messed up in summer, got 3 players that have been good signings. But surely the most important area of pitch is CM and he totally ignored it !!
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The most important area of the pitch is the defence. If that isn;t right, you can have 10 Sneijders and lose games.
We have young players coming through and decent midfielders and a manager who knows what he is doing. One thing is for sure, he's not a knee jerk plastic with no faith in his players.