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The 2014-2015 Football Thread

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Kariya,

Blind, Rojo, Shaw, and Herrera are good signings. Falcao was a gamble, it hasn't paid. Di Maria; the worry I had was the same with Ozil, lasting the game with Real Madrid and physique - no such worry re Sanchez. Happy to give Di Maria the rest of this season and half of next - decent number of assists, a couple more goals would help. Mata and Herrera also have goals and assists in them.

Next transfer window:

Right back; doesn't look as if he likes Rafael - so player out player in.

Centre Back; top class experienced CB in. Out - possibly Evans. With someone steady he can be very good, but when he has to provide the calm he often goes to pieces.

Midfield; one in - obviously Pogba *he says crying*

Forward; RVP out and Falcao not taken up. In - one pacey striker and someone who can play wing and centre forward.

Job done :D.

Centaurr,

Falcao has had good opportunities to score more goals, he fluffed them badly. He doesn't look to have the pace the team needs. As I said, it looks as if it will take longer than Manchester United can wait. If it clicks next game, great. Mendes will sort out a fine club, people want to stay in his good books. It is possible that is part of the reason Manchester United took Falcao - see his client through recovery with the upside of first option and keeping Mendes happy. Bebe?

Cheers,
OW
 
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oscillatewildly said:
Kariya,

Blind, Rojo, Shaw, and Herrera are good signings. Falcao was a gamble, it hasn't paid. Di Maria; the worry I had was the same with Ozil, lasting the game with Real Madrid and physique - no such worry re Sanchez. Happy to give Di Maria the rest of this season and half of next - decent number of assists, a couple more goals would help. Mata and Herrera also have goals and assists in them.
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Agree on Di Maria. Funny enough Ozil has bulked up-ish and looked a different player in recent matches. Problem is your manager doesn't play Herrera or Mata, or does when its mostly too late. Won't be surprised if Mata moves on again.
 
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Rooney is currently the best striker in the team; he ought, therefore, to be sent out to play as a forward.

Falcao is Man Utd's version of Balotelli at Liverpool - neither has really worked out though Balo is finally showing a few flashes of form while Flacao flashed slightly at the beginning and then has fizzled. Both gambles, so you win some/lose some.

I also agree on Di Maria - unlike RVP, I feel like he could be worth keeping. He is certainly younger/healthier.

RVP looks like an old man anymore. As oscillatewildly said, he and Falcao are a negative combination. At the moment Man Utd can look very slow, and those two are major contributors to that. Mata is perhaps the most creative player on the team, is healthy yet still does't play?
 
Having been a Man U fan since 1977, I have been spoiled with Sir Alex managing, when Gaal took over said I would give him a chance, but I'm loosing patience.
 
Kariya said:
... Problem is your manager doesn't play Herrera or Mata, or does when its mostly too late. Won't be surprised if Mata moves on again.
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Sadly, that is the thought going round re Mata. Probably suffering because LVG doesn't trust the rest of the midfield to pick up the defensive side. Herrera may be unlucky because he is a risk player and the manager doesn't want too many given the other personnel; still has the Leicester City game in his thoughts?

Edit - Messi, Neymar, Suarez, and Aguero. Bit of forward talent.


Cheers,
OW
 
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Getting ready to watch the Man City/Barcelona match. It will be tough for City to hold the dynamic trio in check. Recording the Juventus/Borussia Dortmund for later viewing.
 
4-4-2 against Barca was always going to be suicide. But their still in the tie-ish.

Nasri and Clichy were useless.

Kompany out of form

Messi majestic
 
Kariya said:
4-4-2 against Barca was always going to be suicide. But their still in the tie-ish.

Nasri and Clichy were useless.

Kompany out of form

Messi majestic
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I agree with you about Kompany not looking good, after Clichy was sent off, City still played reasonable well, and Messi, very nice performance once again.
 
Barca are a flawed team, but they are just so incredibly dangerous going forward. Suarez remains a lethal finisher from any angle or distance, Messi could dribble or pass through a brick wall and Neymar, despite his form and talent, is probably not yet near his peak.

Man City were poor in the first half. They improved in the second but I can't see them rescuing this tie. It's incredible how poor they have been in Europe since the Sheik rebooted them.

The missed penalty could become a storyline if City win in Spain, but I just don't see it happening, even with Yaya.
 
Lord Blackadder said:
Barca are a flawed team, but they are just so incredibly dangerous going forward. Suarez remains a lethal finisher from any angle or distance, Messi could dribble or pass through a brick wall and Neymar, despite his form and talent, is probably not yet near his peak.

Man City were poor in the first half. They improved in the second but I can't see them rescuing this tie. It's incredible how poor they have been in Europe since the Sheik rebooted them.

The missed penalty could become a storyline if City win in Spain, but I just don't see it happening, even with Yaya.
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It was a shock to see Messi miss the penalty and the follow-on header, uncharacteristic of him.
 
Lord Blackadder said:
I like your optimism. But it's not going to happen like that. ;)

Liverpool have a decent chance in both the FA Cup and Europa League competitions, but that means playing more games. Squad depth is OK if not great, but some tough matches still to play in the league - notably Chelsea at Stamford Bridge in May and Man City in a week, just a few days after what should be a very tough match in Turkey. The Europa League is now a realistic way into the CL so Rogers will take it seriously.

I don't expect much against Chelsea and Man City, but if Liverpool can hammer Man Utd at Anfield and get a win away at the Emirates, they will be in with a really good chance of a top four finish. Those two games will be critical unless Man Utd or Arsenal suffer big slumps near the end.
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Could Liverpool have an unfair advantage?


Centaurr said:
The owner of Monaco said in a interview with BBC 2 days ago that he is NOT worried about falcao's future cause there are already 'big clubs' lined up for him at the end of the season if man u doesnt buy him
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The cynic in me says that could just be a bluff to try and force Man U's hand into buying him, because he knows his knees won't hold...

In other news, I'm worried about Pachyderm! I can only presume he doesn't have internet access as I see no posts from him about Wednesday's massive goal haul (3) last night. Normally it takes us >6 games to get that many goals!
 
mojolicious said:
The wheels have come off the Wenger bus. Again.
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Maybe I shouldn't be surprised - but I did not expect this result. Arsenal were bad.

Centaurr said:
its van gaal's fault, not the strikers fault on whats happening at Man U
and this report below is coming from his former best DUTCH player...enough said
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LVG bears a lot of blame, but to be frank I don't understand why so many Man Utd players have almost totally escaped blame over the last season and two thirds. The lack of form last season was almost entirely blamed on Moyes - and yet we now know from numerous interviews that the players essentially downed tools because they didn't like him.

There are a lot of reasons why Man Utd are flailing at the moment - aging players, stumbles in the transfer market, attempts to change systems, the ghost of Ferg hanging over the place...it's not any one thing. But some of it is definitely down to players who spent their careers under Ferg struggling to adapt to a post-ferg world.
 
Abysmal. Arsenal yet again embarrass themselves on the big stage. You know you have problems when you make an injury-hit Monaco look like world beaters.
 
Centaurr said:
its van gaal's fault, not the strikers fault on whats happening at Man U
and this report below is coming from his former best DUTCH player...enough said

http://www1.skysports.com/football/...-criticised-by-southampton-boss-ronald-koeman
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Ronald Koeman! No love lost there. A manager isn't your friend. Playing RVP and Falcao instead of Rooney for too many games is LVG's fault. For the former two's part, they have performed below the standard required when they have had service. On the squad side, LVG looks the right man for the clear out under way - the test is RVP.

Cheers,
OW
 
Man Utd are never again going to have a manager who stays at the club for 25 years and gives them all kinds of silverware year after year, while also intimidating the press, refs and league and shielding the ownership. Until the club, squad and fans accept that reality every manager who comes in will look like a failure, and the squad will be seen as underperforming. Ferguson is going to cast a long shadow.

With that being said, LVG is a prickly character and his reputation, while it speaks for itself, is not going to stand up to comparisons with Ferg, at least in the minds of Man Utd fans. Until he wins things he's going to be criticized often. Also, if he fails to finish in the top four things might get ugly.
 
Lord Blackadder said:
Man Utd are never again going to have a manager who stays at the club for 25 years ...
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Is any club? Chelsea have one who may stay for 8 to 10 years, maybe longer - wanting to do a Ferguson. I think most understand the chance of a long serving manager is slim. How many were there before Ferguson? More than today, but not on every corner. It's about appointing the best available manager for the club's situation and hoping that when they leave in 5 years time, everything is on a firm footing for the replacement.

Enjoy the game.

Cheers,
OW
 
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oscillatewildly said:
Is any club? Chelsea have one who may stay for 8 to 10 years, maybe longer - wanting to do a Ferguson. I think most understand the chance of a long serving manager are slim. How many were there before Ferguson? More than today, but not on every corner. It's about appointing the best available manager for the club's situation and hoping that when they leave in 5 years time, everything is on a firm footing for the replacement.

Enjoy the game.

Cheers,
OW
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I highly doubt Mourinho can stay anywhere for 8-10 years. He's far too difficult to live with.

The game has changed. It used to be unremarkable for a manager to serve for ten years - now it is exceedingly rare. In most cases I would wholeheartedly agree with you about fan expectations, but when you go into a bar in the US, or Nepal, or Kuala Lumpur, you will meet masses of Man Utd fans who have only known the Ferguson years. Their identity and expectations are quite different than those of people living in the Manchester area (or even England as a whole) who have been following the team since before Sky invented football with the Premier League. They might realize that another Ferguson is unlikely, but their expectations are likely going to be unreasonably high.

I say this as an American who has been following Liverpool for about ten years - just the kind of fan many English love to hate (though they'll gladly take our money ;) )

If you want to go global, it follows that the ownership, players and fan base are going to have a much more distant connection with the locality and history.

In short, for most of the allegedly millions of Man Utd fans out there The Beginning is somewhere in the Ferguson years, and their notions of the club are based on that experience.
 
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Lord Blackadder said:
I highly doubt Mourinho can stay anywhere for 8-10 years. He's far too difficult to live with.
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I give Mourinho three seasons at most before he:
a) falls out with management/ownership
b) decides the FA/PL are persecuting him
c) throws his toys out of the pram when the (ridiculously indulgent) UK media 'turn on him'
d) some combination of the above
 
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