afrodoc2:

Wait o, is that your picture?
Bia neba we need to have this intercourse, SORRY discourse in camera

tabloids say Juventus are interested in Valencia & Mata... may make a bid in January

SailorXY: tabloids say Juventus are interested in Valencia & Mata... may make a bid in January

For Vidal/Strootman and Cuadrado, then, I'm ok

chrisley024: For Vidal/Strootman and Cuadrado, then, I'm ok

shebi them say Vidal don break leg again ni

SailorXY:
shebi them say Vidal don break leg again ni

He said it's false

chrisley024: He said it's false

No wahala there are enough matches between now and January for Vidal and Strootman to prove their fitness.
I have a feeling Strootman would be the main target come January though although we could go for Vidal too if Carrick,Fletcher,Anderson continue to under-perform.

i am ready to drive valencia to roma myself free of charge. selling mata is ludicrous. he is a better number 10 than rooney. rooney won't last long, he would soon start throwing his toys out of the pram when the pressure cranks up. the criticism he's getting for club & country is getting higher.

mata should be retained at all costs!

Mata has quite a bit of a weakness though. He is missing the characteristics to be elampawaful. Pace and power. He seems very weak so its possible LvG would also want to get rid for a more pacy and dynamic attack. I like Mata alot but he definitely needs to step up his game.

MrTA: Mata has quite a bit of a weakness though. He is missing the characteristics to be elampawaful. Pace and power. He seems very weak so its possible LvG would also want to get rid for a more pacy and dynamic attack. I like Mata alot but he definitely needs to step up his game.

i actually don't follow that mata is weak argument. xavi & iniesta aren't actually goliaths too but they carved a niche. how big is david silva......our problem with mata are the players not willing to offer themselves for his passes. unfortunately, players like cleverley & co had to be sent away for a sin that's not entirely their fault.

i took time to watch all our games again the last 5 days & it must be hell for our midfielders. our forwards lack movement - rooney has the mobility of a statue. he's the reason midfielders dwell on the ball cos they are waiting to play a pass to a free teammate but those teammates ain't moving well enough into space to receive a pass.

Mata is over dependent on his passing. When the passing option is not on Silva and Iniesta are quite good at shielding the ball or dribbling past their marker with a sudden burst of speed and trickery. Mata is not up to those guys standards in terms of protecting the ball,dribbling or pace.....he becomes almost useless when the passing option is not immediately available.

afrodoc2: . When the passing option is not on Silva and Iniesta are quite good at shielding the ball or dribbling past their marker with a sudden burst of speed and trickery.

The shielding of the ball is the biggest difference here imo. Silva and most especially iniesta's ball protection is so good it makes the size of the opposition an afterthought. Reason why I have always considered Silva the better player(even at valencia)

House I need your own view on this it sound funny to me
Platini: Ban Ribery for international retirement
UEFA president Michel Platini has called on FIFA
to ban Franck Ribery from Bayern Munich
matches for retiring from international football.
http://m.eurosport.co.uk/football/euro-2016/2016/platini-ban-ribery-for-international-retirement_sto4391914/story.shtml
read in full their

chic2pimp:

The shielding of the ball is the biggest difference here imo. Silva and most especially iniesta's ball protection is so good it makes the size of the opposition an afterthought. Reason why I have always considered Silva the better player(even at valencia)

i also believe silva & mata get referee protection than mata. mata gets fouled a lot and those evil referees just look away because mata plays for man utd. referees don't want to be branded as being bribed by united like the howard webb situation.

afrodoc2: Mata is over dependent on his passing. When the passing option is not on Silva and Iniesta are quite good at shielding the ball or dribbling past their marker with a sudden burst of speed and trickery. Mata is not up to those guys standards in terms of protecting the ball,dribbling or pace.....he becomes almost useless when the passing option is not immediately available.

Mata lacks some kind of strength, stamina and ball protection that other small guys have. Mata is a 12 year old playing football with adults.

coogar:

i also believe silva & mata get referee protection than mata. mata gets fouled a lot and those evil referees just look away because mata plays for man utd. referees don't want to be branded as being bribed by united like the howard webb situation.

How about when Mata was at Chelsea? Did he get little protection then too? Isn't this not the same Mata that divided opinions at chelsea even when stats seem to show he was their best player for 2 consecutive years?

Ibime:
Mata lacks some kind of strength, stamina and ball protection that other small guys have. Mata is a 12 year old playing football with adults.

Nah chelsea fan be dis o

chic2pimp:

How about when Mata was at Chelsea? Did he get little protection then too? Isn't this not the same Mata that divided opinions at chelsea even when stats seem to show he was their best player for 2 consecutive years?

mata was very solid at chelsea. if he gets fouled, the referees don't hesitate to blow for infringement. besides, the movement of chelsea forwards are very swift & fluid. he doesn't dwell much on the ball to even get caught in possession.

coogar:

mata was very solid at chelsea. if he gets fouled, the referees don't hesitate to blow for infringement. besides, the movement of chelsea forwards are very swift & fluid. he doesn't dwell much on the ball to even get caught in possession.

So why was Mou willing to offload him then? Surely He knows something we don't no?

Ibime:

Mata lacks some kind of strength, stamina and ball protection that other small guys have. Mata is a 12 year old playing football with adults.

I have to agree with this. If you are a small-sized midfielder you have to be blessed with low center of gravity or body strength or ability to protect the ball. Mata has none of this.....Iniesta always seems to get his marker wrong side of the ball while Silva's instinctive shielding and quicker feet mean he is able to evade tackles and bodies that would trap Mata.

chic2pimp:

So why was Mou willing to offload him then? Surely He knows something we don't no?

chelsea had to sell players - FFP was coming for them. have you read his last interview. they have to keep selling every season now to balance the books.

he sold luiz too - should we also say luiz is weak little boy who cannot protect the ball? mata was chelsea's best player throughout his time there until mourinho arrived.

how was he their best player for 2 consecutive seasons if he's weak?

coogar:

chelsea had to sell players - FFP was coming for them. have you read his last interview. they have to keep selling every season now to balance the books.

he sold luiz too - should we also say luiz is weak little boy who cannot protect the ball? mata was chelsea's best player throughout his time there until mourinho arrived.

how was he their best player for 2 consecutive seasons if he's weak?

Luiz was a weak link in Chelsea and Mou couldnt even play him as a defender rather as a DM, But since he bought a real DM in Matic. Luiz had no use to Chelsea again and the transfer was a welcome one

Same with Mata. Before the sale, Mata was barely playing and Mou criticized him publicly

boyo44: House I need your own view on this it sound funny to me
Platini: Ban Ribery for international retirement
UEFA president Michel Platini has called on FIFA
to ban Franck Ribery from Bayern Munich
matches for retiring from international football.
http://m.eurosport.co.uk/football/euro-2016/2016/platini-ban-ribery-for-international-retirement_sto4391914/story.shtml
read in full their

its no secret that Platini is almost as retarded as Blatter

raumdeuter:
Luiz was a weak link in Chelsea and Mou couldnt even play him as a defender rather as a DM, But since he bought a real DM in Matic. Luiz had no use to Chelsea again and the transfer was a welcome one

this is complete rubbish!
luiz was one of their top performers last season. the reason he had luiz playing in the DM because luiz is an excellent passer of the ball. none of terry or cahill coulda done what luiz did in the midfield for chelsea. matic was cup-tied so luiz had to fill that role in europe.

Same with Mata. Before the sale, Mata was barely playing and Mou criticized him publicly

so how did selling mata help jose last season. he won nothing. hazard criticised his tactics publicly. none of oscar, willian, lampard had the craft mata had & they lost woefully against athletico.

coogar:

chelsea had to sell players - FFP was coming for them. have you read his last interview. they have to keep selling every season now to balance the books.

he sold luiz too - should we also say luiz is weak little boy who cannot protect the ball? mata was chelsea's best player throughout his time there until mourinho arrived.

how was he their best player for 2 consecutive seasons if he's weak?

Are you saying chelsea decided to sell mata just to adhere to the FFP rules? Wasnt it more like they saw him as a weakling whose services they could make do without?

Luiz that was being villified from pillar to post. They would have bitten the hands of any team willing to offer £30M never mind 50M.

He was weak because he contributed very little in the big games. When the chips are down Mata is not your man CHIKENA!. For the example Chelsea's run to CL glory in 2012.

chic2pimp:

Are you saying chelsea decided to sell mata just to adhere to the FFP rules? Wasnt it more like they saw him as a weakling whose services they could make do without?

Luiz that was being villified from pillar to post. They would have bitten the hands of any team willing to offer £30M never mind 50M.

He was weak because he contributed very little in the big games. When the chips are down Mata is not your man CHIKENA!. For the example Chelsea's run to CL glory in 2012.

i'd be highly embarrassed to use this point in a debate. chelsea's use of anti-football is what you are hailing as a masterpiece. if barcelona use this style, do you think xavi & iniesta would be heralded as the geniuses they are?

besides, wasn't mata their player of the season in the year you are talking about? chelsea fc must be a nuthouse to have chosen a player that contributed nothing as their best player.

chic2chimp, you are a genius.

Antell95:

That's right.

leggo: its no secret that Platini is almost as retarded as Blatter

They are just craze with dier ideology . Hw can u force someone to play for the national team when he said he is done. meaning
Carlos vela
lahm
Nasri
need to be banned too.
Very funny
I remember boateng saying he retired too at d age of 26 b4 been called back. The guy never play a cup of nation for Ghana .

I'm not totally convinced Manchester United have done that well in the recently concluded transfer market. Van Persie, Mata and Rooney have been really disappointing so far, they are just class players by virtue of name only. The quality has been hiked considerably, no doubt, but I just feel the bar could have been raised further with addition of a natural midfield player or two. I'm not feeling so confident yet, till I see improvements on the pitch. Van Gaal should drag them till January, sign better replacements and make our club truly world class again.
And yes, you can call me Oliverine Twist

If we don't get close to top four by january, LvG should be sacked!

There's no way Manchester United won't compete for the league this season.

I read somewhere that Diego Costa is just 25? smh vigorously

ChristineC: I'm not totally convinced Manchester United have done that well in the recently concluded transfer market. Van Persie, Mata and Rooney have been really disappointing so far, they are just class players by virtue of name only. The quality has been hiked considerably, no doubt, but I just feel the bar could have been raised further with addition of a natural midfield player or two. I'm not feeling so confident yet, till I see improvements on the pitch. Van Gaal should drag them till January, sign better replacements and make our club truly world class again.
And yes, you can call me Oliverine Twist

I share your sentiments, Falcao, Di Maria, herrara, Rooney, Blind, RVP etc will have to prove their worth on the pitch before am convinced.

Yes! Having these guys have somewhat boosted our chance, but we need to see it.

Hopefully after the break we will have almost all our players back and select/formation will be on point to get our first 3points.

SetrakusRa: If we don't get close to top four by january, LvG should be sacked!

And bring who? I'd rather we let LVG see out his first 2 seasons b4 we even start thinking of sacking. Call it double standard, but Moyes was a disaster and he does not have LvG clout/experience/trophies.

www.nairaland.com/attachments/1686900_image_jpeg9f360c5ab7736510df54c882e9dbf188

the statistical comparison between falcao as a centre forward in athletico(12/13) and costa as a centre forward in athletico(13/14)

costa is a diver & he tends to create more chances. falcao is a poacher, the better dribbler, the better striker that shoots both from inside & outside of the box.