Papillon

5-6M for a player that will turn 33 in two weeks? Who has flopped at Liverpool since joining them for a sum less than this?

Are you kidding me?

OK. He's in - cool, let's see if he can release his potential. But this feels very much like N'Zogbia... someone with a very exciting potential at an early age, then just ending up as a nothing.

1 goal in the last 7 games in the Premier League. Zero goals in our last five games..... how is it even possible? One goal in seven games?????

Weimann on the Delph red:"The ref said he thought it was a yellow but he got shout from 4th official saying it was a red."

Fair enough really, that's why they are there and next time we might get the call from the linesman.

Clear red card, idiotic challenge in an area where they present no danger. We cannot afford all these red cards...

I think we'll need to score 30 goals to stay up. Only 2 teams have stayed up in prem history with less and that was with 29 goals.

We've got to score 22 goals in 24 games.

I think its going to be close.

Benteke staying 100% fit and having an excellent season may get us 12 but thats two big ifs.

So have we got another 10 goals in us? You'd think we would but we know gabby and weimman have dry spells and Cole won't always be fit.

I think our lack of goals could really see us down there by the end. Even with benteke being 100% fit and superb

You can't count like that, it's not about scoring one goal in each game, it's about winning games and getting points. We are going to strike out several times, but then again we can suddenly score five goals at home to QPR or Burnley. Southampton scored seven goals again Sunderland, Leicester scored five goals at home against United, stuff happens.

Darren Fletcher was the kind of player that was ridiculed for large parts of his career, always not been good enough for United, but in the end he became a very important player. He has excellent tactical and analytical skills on the pitch, he makes other players better. A bit like Carrick at the moment, you can see that he calms the other players down and makes only the right decisions. Fletcher of course is much less of a pass- and playmaker, but that suits a poor team like ours well.

Players like Darren Fletcher would make us much, much better.

Why should something be wrong about Okore not playing? Our manager currently rates other CBs ahead of him. Pretty simple tbh.

That's a contradiction. Something is seriously wrong if Lambert rates another stopper ahead of him, except for Vlaar of course, because all of them are terrible.

I do not want him here. He is not a footballer, he jumps, tackles and wins headers - that's it. Always late in challenges, makes rash decisions, slow, easily outplayed... we already have such a player in Baker.

Some of the fans on here are pathetic. The fact is we paid a high risk fee for Delph when he was a teenager. We kept faith in throughout his injuries and now that he has had 1 good season he wants out asap. How anyone can blame the club is beyond me. He was offered a new deal worth big bucks and turned it down as he thinks he is now bigger than the club. In my mind this is the ultimate betrayal from him and I've lost all respect for him. Personally don't want to see him wearing the club shirt again. Unloyal, greedy and thinks he id beyond avfc. Get rid.

Jesus christ, what a pathetic post. What planet do you live on?

High-risk fee? Not really. 25M is high-risk, 7-8M is very standard for a big talent. Kept faith in him throughout his injuries? As opposed to what exactly? Releasing him on a free? The guy is 24 years old now, which means that he has a lot of time on his hands to become fit.

Why would he be loyal to us? His career lasts for roughly 10 years, there is no room for loyalty when he sees that we are in rapid decline. The best he can hope for in the next three years here is staying up - I am pretty sure he has higher ambitions than that.

a blow but one we are better equipped to deal with from last year, think Richardson could play the Delph position in our midfield tomorrow and not be a problem

Delph is a very good player, Richardson is a very limited player. Of course it will be a problem.

Time for you to shut up Roy, it's getting embarrassing.

Sorry mods, couldn't find the previous thread on 39th game.

So it looks like the premier league want one game per team to be played abroad. Just shows that the premier league care about only the premier league, sod the fans!

Not sure how it will work as surely 10 teams will lose the benefits of one home game, which doesn't seem fair.

The idea of playing a game abroad seems pretty far-fetched, I'l give you that. However, it does work for other sports. Also, "sod the fans", what about the fans abroad? You don't count those in?

Mourinho is arrogant, what else is new? What a shocking relevation.

He's cool - it makes you hate him and it makes you fear him. He knows that very well - it is exactly the same with Cristiano Ronaldo. Oh, and coincidently, they are the best in the game. Lambert is just as arrogant as he is not giving him the handshake, because he knows Mourinho leaves the game early. It's not like Mourinho is in his face rubbing it is that they're winning.

Good guys finish last. Mourinho never does.

 

 

Their biggest handicap this season is lack of backup to Adebayor. Obviously he can't be relied upon to be good for 30 games but he'll have to start as with respect to them the alternatives are Soldado and Harry Kane.

 

Hence the lack of goals so far bar the QPR game.

 

I imagine they'll go back in for J Rod when he's fit again.

 

 

Their biggest handicap this season is Adebayor.

The guy is dump.

 

 

True but at least he manages to score 15 goals most season. Next to no chance of Soldado or Harry Kane doing that.

 

If Soldado was starting games he would easily score 15 goals. God knows why he hasn't done better at Spurs, but he did manage 24, 17 and 18 goals in the league for Valencia in his last three seasons - 59 goals in 101 games total, and Valencia are pretty much the Tottenham in Spain. Writing off players is easy, but many come back from the doldrums and deliver again. Saying that, it doesn't look like Soldado will be the same player again 

The loss against Arsenal was pathetic, because they didn't play well and we just lost concentration, which is the biggest sin against a better team.

Losing to Chelsea away is perfectly alright. Chelsea are one of the best teams in the world, Arsenal and Liverpool far, far from it, and Chelsea have a world-class cohesion between their lines and the best tactician on the sideline. We can beat Arsenal and Liverpool when they have an off-day and we have a perfect day, but we will never beat Chelsea whenever they are close to 90% or better. Playing at Stamford Bridge and the Etihad is only about damage limitation - or praying they have a drastic off-day. I was disappointed with the Arsenal-game of course, but I am not too bothered with the game yesterday. Chelsea will always score three goals against us when they are at full strength and fight to score goals instead of just keeping the tempo down. Stoke managed to beat Man City away, which is amazing, but it is down to two aspects. 1) Meeting City early in the season, a bit like us beating Arsenal away on the first day last year and 2) Man City were woefully off pace on the day. Had Stoke delivered the same display and fight, as well as City being at their regular level, it could have been 6-0.

Ronaldo with a hat-trick on Saturday and four goals today. 7 league goals in two games.... jesus christ

Pathetic.

We looked pretty decent and they looked completely lethargic after the Champions League-game, but then they score three goals in four minutes? That is unacceptable.

Sanchez looks really poor, not even remotely close to being up to speed. Controls the ball and invites people to tackle it from him before he even knows they are there. Our defense has also been Championship-standard in this game.

The sad thing is that Arsenal have been poor as well, and they just needed our defense to completely suck to score three easy goals.

Probably not the best idea to give a guy a new contract right after the team has done well - just as it would be idiotic to sack him if we had lost a few on the trot. I just can't forget the woeful strategy he has kept the last few seasons, before changing it around this summer. I mean, does he have the slightest idea of what he is doing? Or is it just chance? He could have gone for these players two years ago, but he opted for young "talents" back then. Where are Tonev, Bacuna, Lowton, El Ahmadi, Bennett, Luna, Sylla, Helenius and Bowery? That's right, not a single one of them are playing for us anymore - and the strategy to buy them almost threw us down in the Championship.

Has he learned a lot and become a better manager? I really hope so, because sometimes you develop a whole lot from your mistakes. And I like Lambert, that's the only reason why I have never said outright that we should sack him. If we had the same results under Steve Bruce or Chris Hughton, I would have asked for their departure a long time ago.

I am slightly concerned that after all the excitement of signing this guy, he is just gonna fade away and never really make an impact. I was expecting him to be our big summer signing and a definite starter but its not turning out like that.

I'm sure it's just because of our good start to the season that he hasn't played and I'm being pessimistic.

If we'd lost a couple then he may have started.

I'd still like to see him start against Arsenal regardless of our good start.

Big summer signing?

He turns 29 in February and he was signed from Elche, having spent most of his years at Valenciennes. Not exactly Arturo Vidal we are talking about here is it.

I have faith in him and hope he is a good enforcer, but nothing suggests he will be an automatic starter yet. We have played well and gotten points on the board, that's why he is not playing at the moment. Also, Lambo got the chance to sign Cleverley on loan - who knows if Sanchez would have been signed if he knew that the opportunity existed earlier?

They have thrown the best part of £150m at the team since Moyes left, they should be stronger than last season but I guess the question is will it be enough?  I think it goes without saying that Chelsea and Manchester City will finish above United.  Arsenal probably will too.  That leaves them fighting with Liverpool, Spurs and Everton for 4th.  If I were Liverpool and Spurs I'd fancy my chances of finishing above this lot again. 

Suarez has left Liverpool, if he played yesterday you just know he would have done something to hurt us at least twice. They were extremely toothless without Sturridge, and they don't have any cover for him. Balotelli is dangerous on his day, but his consistency has never existed. Also, Liverpool are not very impressive at the back - not anywhere near the ability and stability of Chelsea/City. Do they have a better defensive unit than United? Not in my opinion. When fit, United have De Gea, Shaw, Rojo, Evans, Smalling, Jones and Rafael to choose from - as well as Blackett. Sure they lack that outstanding central defender like Kompany or Hummels, but in no way do Liverpool have a great defensive unit.

Liverpool will get extra games in the middle of the week because of Champions League, and have to rest players + and/or play with jaded players over the course of the season. Everton have the Europa League, which is always a huge liability.

I think United have a better squad and without a doubt more exceptional match-winners compared to Liverpool and Everton - and their squad is bigger. Mix in the fact that they don't play in Europe + Capital One Cup, and they have a huge advantage. On the bench today, United had Valencia, Januzaj, Shaw, Falcao and Fletcher to choose from. Players like Fellaini, Young and Carrick are also more than capable on their day. Look at Liverpool, except from Sterling (who would usually start every day) they had to put on Rickie Lambert. Not exactly the best player in the world.

I don't really care much, except for the fact that I love to see Liverpool suffer, but I feel people are still judging United based on last season under Moyes. Now they have van Gaal and a few more exceptional players. Herrera is very tidy and Blind looked very good in his role today, doing everything simple and efficiently. Over the course of a season, Everton will draw too many games at home and lose away to weaker teams. As always. Liverpool will not score as many goals without Suarez and they will still let in more than United because of their gung-ho approach.

Comparing this side with the one that played last year under Moyes is totally futile.

A few weeks ago they started with Fletcher-Cleverley in the middle, as well as Keane and Blackett both at the back at the same time.

Now they played Rojo, Blind, Herrera, Falcao, di Maria and Shaw is also fit to play, it's a totally different team - so why are people talking about last season?

Gary Neville was pretty scathing of their transfer policy recently.

He was always going to take that path, as he is old school and part of their golden generation. However, how are United supposed to do it? Relying on cheap buys and talent is extremely difficult when you have Chelsea and Man City doing what they have done. It's impossible to follow them without spending a lot of money. Is it a dark park of football, sure is, but at least United are spending money on world-class players rather than being financed by Arabs or Russians.

Trying to copy the old recipe is like exchanging Ferguson with Moyes thinking the exact same thing will happen again. The best people and businesses are able to adapt and change, that's why they are the best. The same goes for football.

Rooney played really well against Switzerland, football is about much more than just scoring goals. Besides, who created the first goal? Oh yeah... it was Rooney who collected the ball, made a perfect run before he passed it to Sterling. Most players would have done something in that build-up which would have destroyed the attack before it even became one.

A lot of speculation here, all in our favor of course. If Cleverley plays well and if Everton still wants him next summer, he would go there 10 out of 10 times over us. That's just how it has become I'm afraid. Saying that, I think they can attract better players and he wouldn't get into their current team.