The Footy Thread

[Charlie Cheswick]

I think their back four, particularly in the middle, hasn't been suffiently addressed by all of their spending. Should be a big worry for them.

Whether the “club spirit” will heal remains to be seen, but yes, I have heard that Van Gaal’s dismissals of players can be rather stark. That said, I think he is a good tactician as evidenced most recently by his efforts at the World Cup.

What I find astonishing regarding Mourinho is that there are people who still dismiss him and his achievements.

I like Mourinho a lot more than I like his football, if that makes sense. But he's a great manager, no doubt about it. If you want a manager who'll win at any cost he's probably your man.

I'm with Martin O'Neil on Van Gaal, he's a good manager but he's not reinventing the wheel.

Another thought on Man U, I think their issues are starting with their youth set up. Unless you've got Man City or Chelsea money you've got to look to bring a very good player through at least every couple of years. Their youngsters of late have been bang average.

 

[Charlie Cheswick]

So we have ourselves a little army of ABU-people in this thread. People that cried and complained as United won the lot over and over again and I can see how that affected you all in such a way it made you into the sore losers you so clearly are. We even have a Fulham fan on here and I remember some 10 years ago United fans at Craven Cottage singing "this is the worst ******* ground we've ever seen" and nothing has changed since then.

They really should force clubs that get promoted to the Premiership to do something with the ground. I don't think anyone misses Fulham that had revolving doors and absolutely no football culture to speak of and an owner that was the first in line of many criminal elements allowed in to purchase an english football club and we all know the rest of the story.

You all have in common that LVG scares the living hell out of you and you would have preferred Moyes in charge as you knew he was bad for the club and football in general. I don't think you people share the love for the game with me and you use it to ventilate personal problems instead of dealing with them separately. It is quite sad how some people use football as some sort of mental outlet and lets it define their lives. It is just a game and even though I know full well how much it matters I have also lived a life that makes me able to say that football is just a game because it is.

I think the deep rooted concern amongst people painting the devil on the wall in regards to LVG and United is that deep down they see that he is a man coming into the english game with a totally new outlook on it. It really is no different to when Mourinho took over Chelsea the first time around. LVG haven't got the same situation as Mourinho had when Chelsea were all set to go on attack for success and did but no one can deny that United got the best man out there. Nothing is guaranteed in football and he may not win a thing but I would give him as much time as Fergie was given who needed 4 years and almost had United relegated before he won the FA Cup and I was there.

I don't support anyone in the top division, I'm as neutral as they come, well, I can't stand Liverpool but that's another story...

I'm just saying it as I see it, I don't think Van Gaal is all that. He might prove me wrong. Even if he doesn't I don't necessarily think it's all down to ability, your club's in a state of flux and nothing lasts forever. Every club at the top hits the skids for a while at some point. What's ABU?

 

[Anonymous]

I like Mourinho a lot more than I like his football, if that makes sense. But he's a great manager, no doubt about it. If you want a manager who'll win at any cost he's probably your man.

I'm with Martin O'Neil on Van Gaal, he's a good manager but he's not reinventing the wheel.

Another thought on Man U, I think their issues are starting with their youth set up. Unless you've got Man City or Chelsea money you've got to look to bring a very good player through at least every couple of years. Their youngsters of late have been bang average.

You're obsessed with wishing other clubs failure, that is why you're not a proper football fan. People like you really ruined the fun of the game. Maybe we should be thankful it's only a game and not something important that means something to peoples daily life.

You say you prefer the Championship and claim that is the real football. Talk about fooling yourself. You and Martin O'Neill are a symbol of what the game has cooked down to, bitter men with no lives whose glories remain in the past. O'Neill knows he was once seen as successor to Fergie and that is something he will have to live with for the rest of his life, never being given a chance that some mediocre guy named Moyes managed to squander.

 

[Anonymous]

I don't support anyone in the top division, I'm as neutral as they come, well, I can't stand Liverpool but that's another story...

I'm just saying it as I see it, I don't think Van Gaal is all that. He might prove me wrong. Even if he doesn't I don't necessarily think it's all down to ability, your club's in a state of flux and nothing lasts forever. Every club at the top hits the skids for a while at some point. What's ABU?

It is not my club it belongs to the owners, the Glazer family. Fans are never part of any club deep down, they only fill the pockets of the owners. Fans follow it cause they more often than not have nothing better to do with their lives or to kill time. Some follow football cause of the romance of the sport. Real fans will cherish a great game in the lower divisions as much as they enjoy a top game. Proper fans prefer their side playing attractive football built on certain principles rather than winning trophies all the time. Hardcore United fans always claim they "hate the club and follow the shirts". We even buy the merchandise from other outlets instead of the club shop.

People forget that only a year ago Manchester United were still champions but for those that hate United counting time follows another scale than it does for most other clubs it seems. No one mentions Chelsea and the fact it was 4 years since they last won the league which in itself is a very long time for such a club who haven't won the league that many times. LVG has always said it will take 3 months for the system to set and a year until we can expect anything. He sits on the bench taking notes learning from what he sees. He has started in the very same way at every club he's been at.

The big change is that United have done something not even the great Fergie experienced and that is the owners spending big time. Fergie was known for saying that the club should one day invest heavily in players in the way the club has done in recent days. This is a totally new chapter in the history of United. As a fan I've always felt the club underachieved in the market so it was about time they invested heavily and from what I gather this is only the start. There was no way they could sit back and be pleased with what they've got.

If this goes tits up then maybe that is it for the owners so something good could come from failure. As a United fan I have always wanted a season without european football to see what will happen and how they handle that. Had United been in Europe this season they would have been torn apart and had less time to build a new system so what happened last season was a blessing in disguise. In life and in sport it is often the case that when things happen they happen for a reason and in the end all is good.

 

[Anonymous]

Just heard news that Klopp at Dortmund will replace LVG in 2018 so that means that United will win all trophies in the next 4 years so we really should see a move on now on the pitch. Has it ever been more exciting to be a United fan than now?

Doubt it!

 

[Charlie Cheswick]

You're obsessed with wishing other clubs failure, that is why you're not a proper football fan. People like you really ruined the fun of the game. Maybe we should be thankful it's only a game and not something important that means something to peoples daily life.

You say you prefer the Championship and claim that is the real football. Talk about fooling yourself. You and Martin O'Neill are a symbol of what the game has cooked down to, bitter men with no lives whose glories remain in the past. O'Neill knows he was once seen as successor to Fergie and that is something he will have to live with for the rest of his life, never being given a chance that some mediocre guy named Moyes managed to squander.

Who've I wished failure on again? You seem to have a screw loose somewhere.

 

[Anonymous]

Who've I wished failure on again? You seem to have a screw loose somewhere.

When you step on peoples toes and hit a weak spot they always use foul language back as response. Every comment from you is focused on United failing, it is too obvious. You've locked into that Martin O'Neill mode. I watched him during the World Cup and he was dead set on making negative comments about LVG and Holland and the more the World Cup progressed the more frustrated he got.

I find it sad that someone like O'Neill, whose wife had cancer, still seem to focus on the negative aspects in everything he talks about. I think that media only hire so called experts that say negative things cause that sells and creates headlines. Criticism has its place of course but when you only contribute with negativity whatever happens you sort of come across as a very sad person.

LVG on the other hand is full of smiles and funny comments and negative comments only make him see the funny side of it. I think he is a great example in many ways and hopefully he may even change the culture in the english media and the press conferences so far have been very good and full of laughter and I think the sport needs that. LVG has just got the job and just bought a set of players and already people prefer to knock him knowing full well things take time.

Those that hate United want to throw more wood onto the fire and increase the crisis if there is such a thing as a crisis this early on which I doubt. The english do not like a dutchman coming into the game cause of the long standing rivalry between english and dutch football but one thing is for certain and that is that LVG's network of contacts from his old jobs already have made it possible for United to buy players they were only dreaming of before and that was key for me when they hired him as manager.

 

[Anonymous]

In this thread I may have come across as a United fan that have high faith and belief in the club and the current team but that is not the case. I am a fan with many doubts and always expect the worst and hope for the best. At the moment I can see United going through September without winning a league game just like they did in August, it would not surprise me one bit.

This time I really believe that things are for the long term which means a season like this one becomes some sort of extended pre season ahead of next season that starts in August 2015. I have never felt calm as a fan before and always wanted the side to do well and win trophies and play attractive or at least entertaining football, which includes the almost exclusive drama you get with United, but now I do feel calm and I trust LVG.

I was lucky to follow the team and see them win the lot when I was young and able to go to games and when results went against them I could dwell on it for days if not weeks. These days a game is over when the ref blows the whistle and by that time I have already analysed the game and why it ended the way it did. I am even able to realise during games when opponents deserve to score or win a game against us and that was never the case in the past or very rare anyway.

As a fan who now only follow the sport online from various sources with even better quality than some tv channels produce I can say that you change as a fan. It is not life and death anymore and I can see the fun side of the game better now than I did. The tv pundits really need improvement and too many ex scousers are on tv but I must say that someone like Jamie Carragher is an absolute sensation as a tv pundit. Gary Neville struggled on the Monday night football show in his badly fitted suit and Jamie really saved him and the show and has added loads of wisdom but most of all humour and warmth. As a United fan I have no problems saying that about a scouser cause you have to be fair when someone is doing a great job. Jamie Redknapp and Graeme Souness really should lighten up a bit because they take it all too seriously and their faces when United win and Liverpool lose is priceless viewing.

 

[Anonymous]

I don't know if everyone here wants to know or realise the reason for United having problems but here are a few clues:

They got rid of 3 of there defenders in Ferdinand, Vidic and Evra.

They have injuries to:

Rafael, Smalling, Shaw, Carrick, Herrera, Fellaini, Lingard. The number of injured have been anything between 7 and 9 players and earlier included RVP (rested), Valencia, Evans and Young. You can more or less say that every player had a niggle or injury which surprised LVG who has never experienced it and laughed at a press conference cause even reserve goalkeeper Johnstone was out injured.

In regards to the youth system at United they have several promising players and Blackett is just one of them and Mark Wilson another along with Will Keane. I expect to see Blackett and Wilson feature this season. I do doubt that a youth system will be the most important part of top football in future which means we should see even less talented english players and that is a great worry but not a problem at United alone. People point at the youth setup at United and pinpoint it as a problem but no one is pointing fingers at Chelsea and City which is double standards.

I wonder what the youth system at Fulham looks like, a fat lad eating crisps on the corner?

 

[Charlie Cheswick]

When you step on peoples toes and hit a weak spot they always use foul language back as response. Every comment from you is focused on United failing, it is too obvious. You've locked into that Martin O'Neill mode. I watched him during the World Cup and he was dead set on making negative comments about LVG and Holland and the more the World Cup progressed the more frustrated he got.

I find it sad that someone like O'Neill, whose wife had cancer, still seem to focus on the negative aspects in everything he talks about. I think that media only hire so called experts that say negative things cause that sells and creates headlines. Criticism has its place of course but when you only contribute with negativity whatever happens you sort of come across as a very sad person.

LVG on the other hand is full of smiles and funny comments and negative comments only make him see the funny side of it. I think he is a great example in many ways and hopefully he may even change the culture in the english media and the press conferences so far have been very good and full of laughter and I think the sport needs that. LVG has just got the job and just bought a set of players and already people prefer to knock him knowing full well things take time.

Those that hate United want to throw more wood onto the fire and increase the crisis if there is such a thing as a crisis this early on which I doubt. The english do not like a dutchman coming into the game cause of the long standing rivalry between english and dutch football but one thing is for certain and that is that LVG's network of contacts from his old jobs already have made it possible for United to buy players they were only dreaming of before and that was key for me when they hired him as manager.

I don't think you're able to comprehend anything anyone else says.

 

[malvachat]

What's funny is that malvachat is a Utd supporter through and through. But the difference between you and him, among many, is that he's rational, not blinkered with matching, rose-tinted glasses to boot. You poor bastard.

I suppose two out if three isn't bad.
I'll leave it to you Roy to work out which one is wrong.
I'm not saying.

I hope Jukey wakes up by Wednesday.
He's been in a coma since the home defeat.

 

[Anonymous]

The youth setup at United was brought up earlier by someone claiming to have read books that mentioned LVG. The problem I have with that is that whoever wrote it either knew very little about the man or does not like him.

On the same day as United announced that LVG was the new manager Sky Sports spanish football expert Guillem Balague was interviewed on Sky Sports News. He said that LVG is a fantastic manager that completely changed the youth setup at Barcelona and paved the way for all the new young stars that later achieved great things. According to Balague it was the work of LVG at Barca that made it possible for Pep Guardiola to achieve the amazing success he had as Barca Manager. It was LVG that gave a debut to young Xavi in the Champions League against United at Old Trafford.

While a youth setup is important I think the class of 1992 that United had made many believe that United have been dependant on youth coming through but I see it differently. The class of 92 is unique in world football and we may never see anything of the like again. I think people sort of expect United to find these new young players but for many years now United haven't had any young players that achieved anything near to what the class of 92 did. In that respect United have brought in talent from other clubs to continue the success the club have had and it has not been based on the youth setup which is another example of how english football on a whole struggle to bring through new talent. That is not a problem that is unique for United cause it is a problem in the whole english game and the national side is paying a heavy price for it.

You cannot expect a manager that took over the club after a World Cup to change the setup at United overnight. It is as if people want to portray it that way to create pressure on LVG and United. I just think people fear the possibility of a revolution at United and another glorious chapter in the clubs history. That is why people hate United cause they had success and the same applies for Liverpool because of their good old days. People rarely hate sides like Barnet or Plymouth cause no one has noticed those clubs in the last 100 years.

You need to rely on sources that know about the game and not on people selling books for a living where they wanna portray things in a bad way. I think I rely more on a spanish football expert than any writer whose paperback books gathers dust at the nearest airport shop shelf but that is just me.

It is also funny how people who despise United suddenly feel sorry for players who they know were not cut out to wear the United shirt. Nani was perhaps the most terrible player I have ever seen who lacked a football brain and Tom Cleverley was more interested in dating young girls online and going to clubs than training hard and improving himself at United. When players leave United they rarely come good again and as for Welbeck I think that "Bambi on ice" was not what LVG was looking for. As soon as these are chopped people feel they have been treated badly when the fact is that moving to a new club for them is another big jackpot financially. We really need to become a society that is able to spoil dreams for kids by being brutally honest with them. That way we can send them in the right way for them to blossom elsewhere. But I guess the curling generation parents turned our kids into people who feel violated whatever happens.

 

[Roy Keane]

I like Mourinho a lot more than I like his football, if that makes sense. But he's a great manager, no doubt about it. If you want a manager who'll win at any cost he's probably your man.

I look at Mourinho the same way, and likely for the same reasons: I love how he tweaks the press and the opposition. I find it entertaining. Plus I consider him a master psychologist particularly in motivational tactics as evidenced by how his players, past and present, seem willing to run through a brick wall for him. But all that said, he can be far too defensive. I don’t think I’ve seen more anti-football than Inter Milan against Barcelona. It worked, and I don’t mind seeing that every once in a while, but like most people, I’d rather see teams go toe to toe.

I suppose two out if three isn't bad.
I'll leave it to you Roy to work out which one is wrong.
I'm not saying.

I hope Jukey wakes up by Wednesday.
He's been in a coma since the home defeat.

Like almost all registered users in this thread, you're rational and you don't act like a c***; that's all that matters in my view.

JJ can be insane with his blue-tinted glasses occasionally, but everyone here knows he's just bantering and having a bit of fun.

 

[Roy Keane]

I don't think you're able to comprehend anything anyone else says.

I'm not entirely convinced he isn't trolling. Or I guess I hope that's the case because the thought that he might be serious is a tad frightening. That poor bastard.

The youth setup at United was brought up earlier by someone claiming to have read books that mentioned LVG. The problem I have with that is that whoever wrote it either knew very little about the man or does not like him.

On the same day as United announced that LVG was the new manager Sky Sports spanish football expert Guillem Balague was interviewed on Sky Sports News. He said that LVG is a fantastic manager that completely changed the youth setup at Barcelona and paved the way for all the new young stars that later achieved great things. According to Balague it was the work of LVG at Barca that made it possible for Pep Guardiola to achieve the amazing success he had as Barca Manager. It was LVG that gave a debut to young Xavi in the Champions League against United at Old Trafford.

While a youth setup is important I think the class of 1992 that United had made many believe that United have been dependant on youth coming through but I see it differently. The class of 92 is unique in world football and we may never see anything of the like again. I think people sort of expect United to find these new young players but for many years now United haven't had any young players that achieved anything near to what the class of 92 did. In that respect United have brought in talent from other clubs to continue the success the club have had and it has not been based on the youth setup which is another example of how english football on a whole struggle to bring through new talent. That is not a problem that is unique for United cause it is a problem in the whole english game and the national side is paying a heavy price for it.

You cannot expect a manager that took over the club after a World Cup to change the setup at United overnight. It is as if people want to portray it that way to create pressure on LVG and United. I just think people fear the possibility of a revolution at United and another glorious chapter in the clubs history. That is why people hate United cause they had success and the same applies for Liverpool because of their good old days. People rarely hate sides like Barnet or Plymouth cause no one has noticed those clubs in the last 100 years.

You need to rely on sources that know about the game and not on people selling books for a living where they wanna portray things in a bad way. I think I rely more on a spanish football expert than any writer whose paperback books gathers dust at the nearest airport shop shelf but that is just me.

It is also funny how people who despise United suddenly feel sorry for players who they know were not cut out to wear the United shirt. Nani was perhaps the most terrible player I have ever seen who lacked a football brain and Tom Cleverley was more interested in dating young girls online and going to clubs than training hard and improving himself at United. When players leave United they rarely come good again and as for Welbeck I think that "Bambi on ice" was not what LVG was looking for. As soon as these are chopped people feel they have been treated badly when the fact is that moving to a new club for them is another big jackpot financially. We really need to become a society that is able to spoil dreams for kids by being brutally honest with them. That way we can send them in the right way for them to blossom elsewhere. But I guess the curling generation parents turned our kids into people who feel violated whatever happens.

Asfinktrsezwut?

 

[Anonymous]

This thread clearly demonstrate a world phenomenon. No matter what happens in football and whoever lifts the trophies all the world is talking about one thing, Manchester United.

No Champions League football was supposed to make it impossible for United to get the big stars and then United went out and bought the biggest stars they perhaps have ever brought in during such short time and in numbers.

The stars United have brought in now have made other world stars take note. Ronaldo is all of a sudden very keen to return to United and one can only imagine the number of world players that will be wanting a move to United as well.

 

[Anonymous]

I'm not entirely convinced he isn't trolling. Or I guess I hope that's the case because the thought that he might be serious is a tad frightening. That poor bastard.



Asfinktrsezwut?

Small people have a need to belittle others but at least you stopped trying to defend your inaccurate and undefendable views from before. It really made you lose face for a long time in this thread and cast doubts wether you are in fact a football fan at all. I sincerely doubt you are and that you use it to compensate for other parts of your life that are not in order.

 

[Anonymous]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/fo...ear-under-new-aggressive-transfer-policy.html

"Manchester United vow to buy 'a Luis Suarez a year' under new aggressive transfer policy".

Very interesting read!

 

[Anonymous]

http://hereisthecity.com/en-gb/2014...ster-uniteds-spending-outlines-chelseas-fut/?

Bit rich from Mourinho or "Moaninho" as he now should be called. He's forgot that a criminal bought Chelsea and paid for his earlier success the first time around. Maybe he realises that it takes a lot more this time around than it did then. Maybe he still cries cause United did not call him. A close friend of him wrote that in a book and Moaninho was mad as hell but did not sue cause the friend and author obviously had some sort of proof. He's only at Chelsea cause he had to leave Spain where he failed miserably.

Funny how Chelsea got to play 2 of the promoted sides in their first 2 games and then faced a joke of an Everton side in what looked like a 5-a-side shootout.

 

[Charlie Cheswick]

Funny thing is, I always got annoyed by Liverpool because their fans always seem too precious and have a persecution complex but on here though they all seem alright. Now we have a Man United fan who's probably as difficult to stomach as every scouse fan put together. Still, I'm keeping a level head. We desperately need some sensible Mancunians to enter the thread.

My theory is, as if anyone want to know, is that winning too much sends people daft. This lad couldn't have lived through the 80's, the stress would have killed him.

 

[Roy Keane]

Funny thing is, I always got annoyed by Liverpool because their fans always seem too precious and have a persecution complex but on here though they all seem alright. Now we have a Man United fan who's probably as difficult to stomach as every scouse fan put together. Still, I'm keeping a level head. We desperately need some sensible Mancunians to enter the thread.

My theory is, as if anyone want to know, is that winning too much sends people daft. This lad couldn't have lived through the 80's, the stress would have killed him.

I'm fairly certain that he's that same tit who trolled here before and eventually got banned. It's his shtick. He's not worth the bother other than to flick boogers at. Speaking of which...