Greenlizard0 Weekend Football Thread ** spoilers ** [4th - 10th May 2017]

[mmj_uk]

IF Rooney wants to play consistently there is only one choice.....China

Yeah you're probably right I don't even think he'd make a success of it in MLS, it might not be the most technical of leagues but the Americans are very athletic. Rooney would be like a snail.

If I were him I'd seriously consider retiring, he doesn't need the money and if he flops in a startup/retirement league it'll just hurt his image even more.

 

[FrankJH]

If I were him I'd seriously consider retiring, he doesn't need the money and if he flops in a startup/retirement league it'll just hurt his image even more.

I'm not sure that's an option - he still has a year on his Utd contract I think

He also SEEMS to think he can still play for a few more years even despite this season - or last several seasons to be fair.

 

[BaZ87]

You know how meaningless that is right? How is Rooney still worth anything like the 27m paid 12 years ago or whatever

(I'm not sure Mata was worth the ~£40m paid given his performance today either but as he is coming back from injury so I will go easy)

Its just such a daft expression when anyone says that kind of thing

Why is it daft? All sides have the odd player that's no long worth what they paid but they also have players that are worth more than what they paid too. Utd didn't pin all their hopes on the Europa - they put out an 11 that cost more than the majority of entire squads in the league, including several players that will play or at the very least be serious options to play on Thursday.

 

[FrankJH]

Why is it daft? All sides have the odd player that's no long worth what they paid but they also have players that are worth more than what they paid too. Utd didn't pin all their hopes on the Europa - they put out an 11 that cost more than the majority of entire squads in the league, including several players that will play or at the very least be serious options to play on Thursday.

Given Carrick and Rooney are on their last legs , when a large % of the amount of money you are talking about are based on two or three players - two of which have played 10+ years, yeah its a big difference.

If we had played a £200m team that were all recent / young purchases then fair enough - otherwise its completely meaningless

 

[BaZ87]

Take Rooney and Carrick out, that team still cost £200m!

 

[Shamikebab]

The only people that played today that are likely to play Thursday are those that we didn't have an option to bring in really (Darmian, Herrera, maybe Mkhi)I wouldn't be surprised if those are the only three that start against Celta. Martial and Carrick will probably be on the bench along with De Gea and Jones/Smalling.

 

[The Running Man]

Pathetic way to lose our non losing streak thou. Didn't even try. It's not just the club but the players are the ones on the pitch passing it backwards and relying on the keeper to hoof it.

 

[FrankJH]

Take Rooney and Carrick out, that team still cost £200m!

Mata had his first game back from (groin) surgery


Even your starting team today cost what....£110m or so including a couple of free transfers, and you only managed a draw at home to a top ten side

The only people that played today that are likely to play Thursday are those that we didn't have an option to bring in really (Darmian, Herrera, maybe Mkhi)I wouldn't be surprised if those are the only three that start against Celta. Martial and Carrick will probably be on the bench along with De Gea and Jones/Smalling.

Is Jose convinced by Blind as a centre-half......I'm not sure.
Wouldn't be surprised if its Smalling at centre half with Bailly and Blind as left back on Thrusday

 

[Shamikebab]

Is Jose convinced by Blind as a centre-half......I'm not sure.
Wouldn't be surprised if its Smalling at centre half with Bailly and Blind as left back on Thrusday

Fully fit possibly but Smalling has been out for some time and Blind and Bailly have done well together. I think he's more likely to stick with that.

 

[FrankJH]

going off current value I wouldn't be surprised if 50% + of the starting team value was in goal lol

 

[drunkenmaster]

Disagree. Potential upside is Jose showing the fanbase that Rooney isn't needed any more. He clearly wants to get rid of him in the summer.

If we had Fosu Mensah fit I'm sure he would have played but we don't and I don't think we have many other youngsters who are ready to play in a big game.

Robert. you keep changing as to whether we're talking about Rooney not playing or Rooney not taking corners. Stop switching between them and decide which.

Ready doesn't mean much of anything. Even if some 18yr old has a crap game... Rooney was crap anyway, you've lost nothing but that kid still has the experience of a big occasion, he can still learn from that even if he does play poorly. The other possibility is whoever it is has a not crap game, be it average or brilliant, in which case you do better with him on the pitch than Rooney. Again though even if he's crap he's learning, Rooney has nothing to learn, he's on the downward slope and actually frankly seems near the bottom of that slope, there is nothing to be gained, no silver lining, just a crap on pitch performance.

 

[Shamikebab]

Ready doesn't mean much of anything. Even if some 18yr old has a crap game... Rooney was crap anyway, you've lost nothing but that kid still has the experience of a big occasion, he can still learn from that even if he does play poorly. The other possibility is whoever it is has a not crap game, be it average or brilliant, in which case you do better with him on the pitch than Rooney. Again though even if he's crap he's learning, Rooney has nothing to learn, he's on the downward slope and actually frankly seems near the bottom of that slope, there is nothing to be gained, no silver lining, just a crap on pitch performance.

You can play a youngster too early, especially against a top end of the table opposition. I'm not sure if we have a youngster other than Fosu Mensah who is ready for that.

 

[BaZ87]

Mata had his first game back from (groin) surgery


Even your starting team today cost what....£110m or so including a couple of free transfers, and you only managed a draw at home to a top ten side

What? I've not suggested we fielded a weakened side

This idea that Utd just gave up on today's game and pinned all their hopes on the Europa League is nonsense. They have one of the biggest and costliest squads in the world and the side they put out today was more than good enough to get a result.

Had Utd really pinned their hopes firmly on the EL then none of the 11 that started today would be in the squad on Thursday. The reality is that the majority will be involved in one way or another.

 

[Shamikebab]

We didn't give up, but we did rest our top players and focussed on the Europa.

 

[BaZ87]

We didn't give up, but we did rest our top players and focussed on the Europa.

I know you made changes from the side that will play on Thursday - I was responding to somebody suggesting Utd pinned all their hopes on the Europa when they clearly didn't. At least a few of the side that started today will start on Thursday and most of the others will at least be on the bench if not come on at some point. Had all Utd's focus been on the Europa then there's no chance that the likes of Herrera or Darmian would have been involved at all.

Also, just how different or an improvement will the side that plays on Thursday be over this side? The only obvious upgrades would be Rashford, Pogba, Valencia and Bailly . The likes of Lingard, Fellaini and Blind will probably come in too but at best they're just different types of player rather than better than the players they'll replace.

 

[dannyjo22]

Can't be long now before DDG hands in a transfer request.

 

[Shamikebab]

I don't think we have a good backup option for those two with injuries to Rojo, Shaw and Young and the suspension to Fellaini (if he'd been available I think Herrera would have been rested) I think 95% of our focus was on Thursday

 

[Nate75]

I know you made changes from the side that will play on Thursday - I was responding to somebody suggesting Utd pinned all their hopes on the Europa when they clearly didn't. At least a few of the side that started today will start on Thursday and most of the others will at least be on the bench if not come on at some point. Had all Utd's focus been on the Europa then there's no chance that the likes of Herrera or Darmian would have been involved at all.

Also, just how different or an improvement will the side that plays on Thursday be over this side? The only obvious upgrades would be Rashford, Pogba, Valencia and Bailly . The likes of Lingard, Fellaini and Blind will probably come in too but at best they're just different types of player rather than better than the players they'll replace.

4 player upgrades as you put it is quite significant considering 11 start no?

 

[BaZ87]

It depends on how big an upgrade those 4 are I suppose. But if you go back to my first post on the subject you'll be able to put the above into more context - 4 players isn't the difference between putting all your eggs in one basket and not doing so

 

[Nate75]

It depends on how big an upgrade those 4 are I suppose. But if you go back to my first post on the subject you'll be able to put the above into more context - 4 players isn't the difference between putting all your eggs in one basket and not doing so

Don't bring context into this!