The old Man Utd Thread

[stephen129]

The Fletcher and O'Shea bashing has got to stop, especially from our own fans.

Every side needs multi-functional, dependable and solid players that can come into the team when called upon. John O'Shea isn't the best player in the world, but will perform his role adequately. I can't remember a bad John O'Shea performance personally.

And I'd have a fully fit Scholes over Anderson at this point in time.

Thank you!

Fletcher, good solid utility player who can pass well and works hard for the team. Likewise with O'Shea, never complains, just gets on and gets on with the job. We can't afford to have a world class players on the bench unlike some other teams.

[ckny]

Thank you!

Fletcher, good solid utility player who can pass well and works hard for the team. Likewise with O'Shea, never complains, just gets on and gets on with the job. We can't afford to have a world class players on the bench unlike some other teams.

Umm... Yeah we can.

[DC]

They arn't world class though are they?

Anderson all day long for me. He just wants to get stuck in to everything.

[Trigg]

I still think theres alot more to come from Anderson. Whenever I've seen him in the past, he's been a more attacking player. Often playing behind the striker(s). So, while he's come in and performed so well as a traditional box to box midfielder I do expect him to get forward a lot more in the future. If he can provide the goal threat that Paul Scholes provided for so long then he really will be the complete midfielder.

No one can complain to the start he's made in his Utd career, already becoming a fans favorite.

[ckny]

My point was in response to the suggestion that we can't afford world class players to sit on the bench. We blatantly can. Hell, in a fully fit squad our bench might consist of Foster, Scholes, Nani, Brown and Saha. That's not too shabby is it.

Anyway, Jonny Evans is allegedly the one who has been arrested on suspicion of rape. He'll be cleared, as all footballers are, of course. He's a promising youngster, I hope this wont effect his development.

[SeanR]

Evans!!!

[stephen129]

Umm... Yeah we can.

I was referring to buying Shaun Wright Phillips for £24 million then having him sit on the bench for half the year.

[ckny]

Michael Carrick cost £18m.

[Gabzy]

Which is LOLsome in itself.

[oli]

Which is LOLsome in itself.

Careful, people get upset if you diss Carrick.

[fatbob]

The Fletcher and O'Shea bashing has got to stop, especially from our own fans.

Every side needs multi-functional, dependable and solid players that can come into the team when called upon. John O'Shea isn't the best player in the world, but will perform his role adequately. I can't remember a bad John O'Shea performance personally.

And I'd have a fully fit Scholes over Anderson at this point in time.

I wasn't bashing big John!

I think hes great. Plays everywhere, every great team needs players who are happy to sit on the bench and take no credit, then do the job when needed.

And if Fletcher lived up to the potential that his PES 2008 counterpart blazes then hes Cantona, Ronaldo and Best rolled into one!

[SeanR]

That Rooney's a smooth bastid, eh?

"I bet you were naughty at university, eh? Threesomes?"

[Gabzy]

Careful, people get upset if you diss Carrick.

Which people? I don't care. He's an alright player who does the job but that 18M figure was a joke. It's like every half decent player who happens to be english has an automatic price tag of 10M over what they're worth. I'm still waiting to see if we'll ever get our money's worth. Anderson cost us 18M but in my view he's already proved he was worth the money.

[SeanR]

Which people? I don't care. He's an alright player who does the job but that 18M figure was a joke. It's like every half decent player who happens to be english has an automatic price tag of 10M over what they're worth. I'm still waiting to see if we'll ever get our money's worth. Anderson cost us 18M but in my view he's already proved he was worth the money.

t.b.f if they were listed on eBay they'd be RAER!!!!11!!one! and command exhorbitant fees, non?

[Trigg]

Which people? I don't care. He's an alright player who does the job but that 18M figure was a joke. It's like every half decent player who happens to be english has an automatic price tag of 10M over what they're worth. I'm still waiting to see if we'll ever get our money's worth. Anderson cost us 18M but in my view he's already proved he was worth the money.

Just like Carrick repaid his reported £18M fee last year when he helped us win the title. Some 'fans' can be so fickle

[oli]

Just like Carrick repaid his reported £18M fee last year when he helped us win the title. Some 'fans' can be so fickle

Case in point.

I still don't believe he did that much for the title, but anyway.

I am sure that someone will mention the Roma game. That is the only game in living memory where he has really performed for us

[Gabzy]

Just like Carrick repaid his reported £18M fee last year when he helped us win the title. Some 'fans' can be so fickle

"Helped". He helped us hammer Roma in the only memorable performance I've seen from him. This season, he can "help" by keeping the bench warm and coming on when we've done the job and he can run around doing his thing (i.e. not very much at all).

Anderson's arse is worth £18M alone!

I like big butts and I cannot lie!

[McFly]

Wes is twice the player these two clowns are!

Clowns is kinda harsh, butr i'm very surprised that they get more than the Tango man, if Brown hadnt had that kassive knee problem a while back he'd be a fantastic player, rather than a good one.

[barkbat]

I really like Brown - he's come on leaps and bounds the last two seasons and there's blatantly more to come.

He still has the occasional jitters though, and doesn't strike me as particularly strong mentally. He had a real rough patch against Liverpool that lasted half an hour, culminating in a throw in that Gary Linekar's granny could have bested.

He also really needs to work on his dribbling skills. He seems to be great at getting on the end of stuff but is pretty uncreative comapred to Neville and certainly Evra.

Still. Yay for Brown.

[Trigg]

"Helped". He helped us hammer Roma in the only memorable performance I've seen from him. This season, he can "help" by keeping the bench warm and coming on when we've done the job and he can run around doing his thing (i.e. not very much at all).

Deluded.

Its not all about scoring screamers or taking people on you know . His partnership with Scholes last year was fantastic, and most fans realize that the continuity in the middle was one of the main reasons why we did so well last year. At times we passed the opposition to a defeat.

Should Carrick start ahead of Anderson? No, I don't think he should. Anderson got his chance due to Scholes and Carricks injuries and his took his chance with both hands. However, I'd be tempted to start Carrick with Anderson in games. There's been a few occasions this year already where Carricks passing would be better suited than Hargreaves grafting.

One thing now is our squad is so strong now, and the players we have offer us different things. Which can only be good.

[Mr Do 71]

Champions League last 16 draw:

Celtic v Barcelona

Lyon v Manchester United

Schalke v Porto

Liverpool v Inter Milan

Roma v Real Madrid

Arsenal v AC Milan

Olympiakos v Chelsea

Fenerbahce v Sevilla

[oli]

Champions League last 16 draw:

Celtic v Barcelona

Lyon v Manchester United

Schalke v Porto

Liverpool v Inter Milan

Roma v Real Madrid

Arsenal v AC Milan

Olympiakos v Chelsea

Fenerbahce v Sevilla

Shit thats quite a tough one

[Shevchenko]

I really like Brown - he's come on leaps and bounds the last two seasons and there's blatantly more to come.

Theres not much more to come if he doesn't sign a new contract.

[Trigg]

Could be tough, although they aren't the same team they were 2 years ago when I thought they may actually win the Champions League. Should go through and its the draw I'd have liked to be fair.

Also means I can take a look at the centre forward for Lyon whom we got linked with the other week.

[Sunset Torture]

Lyon do not gel like they did a couple of years ago. Yes Juninho is world class and his free kicks are unbelievable and yes Kareem Benzima (sp?) is a world class striker but the whole team don't look the same unit that they did a few years back. I reckon a United will go through but I am not sure how easy they will make it look.

[Mr Do 71]

Manchester United have agreed to sign 24-year-old Angolan forward Manucho.

The striker, who has been on trial at the club, will join from Angolan side Petro Athletico on a three-year deal.

"We have had Manucho here for a three-week trial and have been impressed enough to offer him a contract," said boss Sir Alex Ferguson.

"He is a tall, agile, quick forward and through contacts that Carlos (Queiroz) has, was brought to our attention around six months ago."

Manucho, whose real name is Mateus Alberto Contreiras Goncalves, arrives at Old Trafford in January subject to a work permit.

He joins Carlos Tevez, Wayne Rooney, Louis Saha and Dong Fangzhou in United's striking department.

[Gabzy]

Nice. I look forward to seeing what he's like. SAF must have seen something special in him to sign him for 3 years.

[fatbob]

Hmm, interesting.

Has been a bit of speculation recently about Larsson coming back on loan in January.... it says in the BBC report that this is a no-go. But it seems to me that if Manucho does not arrive untill January and then will be at the African Cup of Nations for a month, the Larsson loan deal may not be out of the question.... seeing as how January is often when you need that extra striker... and thats when he is free....

[Gabzy]

Yeah I've been reading about the speculation but apparently that's all it is.

Meanwhile, Ferguson is not expecting to re-sign Henrik Larsson when the transfer window reopens in January as he did last time around.

"It would be an interesting one, but I don't think it's on," he concluded.

[fatbob]

Just realised Helsingborg were still in the UEFA cup, so Larsson deal extremely unlikely.