Caporegime
I honestly don't think it's that, he just likes changing his team every game, he's been doing it all season. In fact I wonder, when was the last time united kept the same line up for 2 games in a row?
Weekend Football Thread. *spoilers* 3-5
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I honestly don't think it's that, he just likes changing his team every game, he's been doing it all season. In fact I wonder, when was the last time united kept the same line up for 2 games in a row?
I dont think he will defend him for too much longer, once you ignore the myth that he is a "inexperienced young keeper" (he isnt, he is nearly the same age as other top, top keepers) you can see he really is just not very good.
Fergie will keep on slinging him in until the transfer window where he will hopefully disappear off to some championship side where he belongs.
Valencia needs to work on his final ball, too often he scuffs it or fails to clear the man at the front post.
Nani is starting to really irritate me. He's like that kid at school who came all the way back to his own penalty area to receive the ball, and then would go on a long mazy run all the way down the other end, with all his teammates screaming at him to pass the ball. But he wouldn't - he'd just keep going, no matter if it meant losing the ball or ending up fenced into a corner.
He's just so selfish. Ronaldo was selfish but at least could pass from time to time - Nani just doesn't, and he's nowhere near as good as Ronaldo is so he can't get away with what is essentially ball-hogging.
Unless he bucks his ideas up in that regard, he should be loaned/sold as soon as possible.
Foster was older than usual to turn pro and has in addition lost a season or two through injury/sitting on a bench. So he is pretty inexperienced .
spot on (I just dont think he is likely to "buck his ideas up" somehow)
People (not refering to anything you said
) like to forget that Ronaldo had off days and we had similar games to this last few seasons, most of the time however our defence was a lot better and so we usually got away with it, but with Foster and OShea being so **** yesterday and JE having his first game back for a few, it just highlighted the weaknessesUtd where so bad for majority of yesterday's match it made Sunderland look like they where the home team defending their title
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Well I have to admit, Ronaldo's ball-hogging used to annoy me as well but he came up with so many goals it was easy to ignore it.
If Nani could cut inside and unleash a 30-yard shot into the far corner on a regular basis, I could let him off with his selfishness - alas, he cannot.
If Nani could cut inside and unleash a 30-yard shot into the far corner on a regular basis, I could let him off with his selfishness - alas, he cannot.
Caporegime
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Does Valencia actually often beat his man? He seems to me to have maybe pace but no acceleration, he tries tricks but rarely beats his man with them, doesn't link up with other players well and while he's done a few nice crosses, plenty of turd ones, he wins corners, but from what I've seen hasn't been very good at all.
Wipe out everything you remember from him in preseason, look only at his(and Nani's) performances since then, has he really been anything other than average on his best game? When I heard Utd were getting Valencia I thought, not Ronaldo but decent. But when I try to remember that outstanding stick out performance he had for Wigan, I can't, at all. I can't remember a truly great game, and other than a couple goals I can't actually remember him being very good at all.
I think he did a Hleb, was great in his first few games when no one knew how he played, got a couple early goals and assists, got his reputation, then did smeg all the rest of the year.
I still don't really rate Rooney as a striker, yes he's gotten goals, but unlike end of last year where he was great for 90 mins, he's mostly drifted in and out of games, getting crucial goals sure, but could have not been on the pitch for 80 mins in more than a few games this season already. You need him on the ball running things, not up top with Nani/Valencia trying to get him the ball.
I said it last year, theres maybe too many average players in the UTD team and Ronaldo made up for a lot of lacking quality elsewhere. Remember Ronaldo might hog the ball, but he also had the ball pushed it up the pitch almost every single time, which relieves pressure, pegs the other team back, stops them attacking, makes an easier game for the defence. His final ball was excellent, or he'd win corners, or score. Nani breaks, the team rushes up, then you get caught on the break.
A lot of what Giggs is doing, is just keeping the ball and keeping the other team from attacking, which is invaluable.
EDIT:_ FrankJH, remember, even on an off day Ronaldo could score 2 and get 2 assists, which he has done. So even if he's playing badly, you can be VERY sure the entire other team is still playing with Ronaldo in mind, meaning they leave less space behind, they commit less players forwards and that still helps every player on Ronaldo's team. Likewise, his worst games would often coincide with being double man marked, you're still doing your job for the team, one more man marking Ronaldo = one less man elsewhere for Rooney and co to take advantage of. He was also invaluable at your own set pieces, won lots of defensive headers at corners again preventing the other team from scoring.
Wipe out everything you remember from him in preseason, look only at his(and Nani's) performances since then, has he really been anything other than average on his best game? When I heard Utd were getting Valencia I thought, not Ronaldo but decent. But when I try to remember that outstanding stick out performance he had for Wigan, I can't, at all. I can't remember a truly great game, and other than a couple goals I can't actually remember him being very good at all.
I think he did a Hleb, was great in his first few games when no one knew how he played, got a couple early goals and assists, got his reputation, then did smeg all the rest of the year.
I still don't really rate Rooney as a striker, yes he's gotten goals, but unlike end of last year where he was great for 90 mins, he's mostly drifted in and out of games, getting crucial goals sure, but could have not been on the pitch for 80 mins in more than a few games this season already. You need him on the ball running things, not up top with Nani/Valencia trying to get him the ball.
I said it last year, theres maybe too many average players in the UTD team and Ronaldo made up for a lot of lacking quality elsewhere. Remember Ronaldo might hog the ball, but he also had the ball pushed it up the pitch almost every single time, which relieves pressure, pegs the other team back, stops them attacking, makes an easier game for the defence. His final ball was excellent, or he'd win corners, or score. Nani breaks, the team rushes up, then you get caught on the break.
A lot of what Giggs is doing, is just keeping the ball and keeping the other team from attacking, which is invaluable.
EDIT:_ FrankJH, remember, even on an off day Ronaldo could score 2 and get 2 assists, which he has done. So even if he's playing badly, you can be VERY sure the entire other team is still playing with Ronaldo in mind, meaning they leave less space behind, they commit less players forwards and that still helps every player on Ronaldo's team. Likewise, his worst games would often coincide with being double man marked, you're still doing your job for the team, one more man marking Ronaldo = one less man elsewhere for Rooney and co to take advantage of. He was also invaluable at your own set pieces, won lots of defensive headers at corners again preventing the other team from scoring.
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Caporegime
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What, Pompie are about to be bought out, again, in 2-3 days? People thought the 5mil loan to pay wages from secured against the club from a bank, but was from another Arab guy who wanted to buy the club and will now likely buy almost all the other guys shares and take over the club.
Its not a bad plan, keep selling the club to a new Arab every week till you find one who really has some money.
Its not a bad plan, keep selling the club to a new Arab every week till you find one who really has some money.
Your theory is correct - but thats not actually what happened a lot of the time
Ronaldo would insist on getting the ball one way or another and be double marked and would waste it, rarely going for an easy back pass so it could be quickly moved around the pitch , he would keep it until he lost it
Dont get me wrong on majority of days he was as good as the best on the planet, and sometimes far beyond that without doubt.
He was also very wasteful of free kicks and always trying to take the shot on, rather than try a pass or something (something which imo Utd still have to stop doing). Some of them where breathtaking without a shadow of doubt, but he must have wasted 70% of free kicks that he took going into the wall etc etc etc
He was also terrible at tracking back - you are right about his defensive play at set pieces, but the team is playing with a lot more freedom now he has gone than we have in the last two or three years
Caporegime
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You're saying he's terrible tracking back, but he's the fastest player on the team who scored loads of goals by staying further up the pitch. I've seen him track back, I've seen him make tackles, he doesn't do it lots, doesn't it occur to people he's far more valuable further up the pitch, not tracking back and maybe, just maybe, he's been TOLD to do this buy his manager?
Likewise, you've been talking about his selfishness from freekicks, which is absurd. 99% of teams take shots from 70-80% of their freekicks when infront of goal at a certain distance, its very difficult to put a good ball into the box thats straight, a freekick on the wings, is almost always crossed in, but most teams still take the odd shot from out there.
Your saying he wastes freekicks more than anyone else, which is absurd and utter nonsense, the massive massive majority of freekicks aren't converted into goals, thats simply how it is. Most freekicks by every team on the planet are "wasted" if you want to call it that. When Arsenal get a freekick within 25-30 yards RVP tends to shoot, if its fairly straight on or on the wrong side Fabregas tends to dink them in, when straight infront of goal we've almost never come close to scoring, we only do that because we really don't have anyone who can power a shot in from 30-45yards. Though for two years we let Toure blast them from that range, never really coming even close.
I wouldn't mind you saying he wasted them, if you can point out another team that doesn't mostly shoot from the positions Ronaldo does, almost everyone else on the planet does the same and most freekicks don't turn into goals. Ronaldo with all his shots, probably ended up with goals at a higher percentage than most sides in the world.
Likewise, you've been talking about his selfishness from freekicks, which is absurd. 99% of teams take shots from 70-80% of their freekicks when infront of goal at a certain distance, its very difficult to put a good ball into the box thats straight, a freekick on the wings, is almost always crossed in, but most teams still take the odd shot from out there.
Your saying he wastes freekicks more than anyone else, which is absurd and utter nonsense, the massive massive majority of freekicks aren't converted into goals, thats simply how it is. Most freekicks by every team on the planet are "wasted" if you want to call it that. When Arsenal get a freekick within 25-30 yards RVP tends to shoot, if its fairly straight on or on the wrong side Fabregas tends to dink them in, when straight infront of goal we've almost never come close to scoring, we only do that because we really don't have anyone who can power a shot in from 30-45yards. Though for two years we let Toure blast them from that range, never really coming even close.
I wouldn't mind you saying he wasted them, if you can point out another team that doesn't mostly shoot from the positions Ronaldo does, almost everyone else on the planet does the same and most freekicks don't turn into goals. Ronaldo with all his shots, probably ended up with goals at a higher percentage than most sides in the world.
Caporegime
Hope Blackburn get something out of the game today. They've played some great football this season and lost so a win, although highly unlikely, would be nice 
Caporegime
That'll be because Blackburn have a poor midfield then...
Caporegime
WTF another ****ing goal by Blackburn...Arsenals defence decidedly rubbish as usual...