₦airaland Forum

Leyqute:
PLS JUST STOP THERE. What stoupeed error? The team played sh1t. I was so annoyed by that match. Utd were playing like Granada as if against a top team like Man Shitty..don't tell me you were happy with that display. it was an eyesore.

If we were okay like you said, we woulda eliminated Bayern. Moyes' mentality kicked in after we scored the first goal- defend! We used to be the hunter, now we're the prey.

Elamps please don't bring anything up on this matter again.

Moyes is an as.2hole. He's clueless and had no idea what he was doing. Just stop making excuses for him...unless you want to marry his daughter

I don't get you. DDG's error eliminated us from the capital 1 cuplast season. Although Januzaj was selfish while Chicha missed chances. But we were winning 1-0 at around 90th min.

Bayern Munich of last season would have easily beaten any EPL side in the knockout stage whether SAF United or Mourinho's Chelsea. When the draws came out, people thought we would be over run like 10-0 aggregate. Again we gave a deserved fight.

Leyqute:
HABA!! HOW CAN YOU SAY THIS?!!! So Man Utd qualifying for Europa gives you joy? When we coulda challenged for the title....today is sunday o. Mi o fe bu eyan loni o

Europe is always better than nothing. Our players would have had more games. Falcao wouldn't have been complaining of lack of game time.

Leyqute:
Players who didn't impress before injury will impress after returning from injury? Elamps na u biko o. Gollum had no balls and is clueless, players can fail coaches but a good coach makes sure that doesn't happen. How many of those players had a 1 goal in 120 min record?

As a Man Utd coach, you're expected to deliver results no matter what. U don't keep having faith in players unnecessarily

Remember: We were eliminated from Carling cup in the semi final by DDG's last minute error.

We were still in the UCL with a good run. A UCL playing team is not a failure.

We bought Mata thinking he was a magician.

Fellaini had not been really tested.

SailorXY:
what was the confidence level with Moyes?? going against SAF advice immediately he resumed duty. the mere announcement that Moyes has been sacked & Ryan Giggs (with no coaching experience) has been installed as care-taker raised the spirit @ Old Trafford even without a ball being kicked.

Vidic would have still been with us cuz he is a red @ heart but he wanted to escape Moyes @ all cost. van Persie suddenly became fit the moment Moyes got sacked. Ferdinand had very little interest filing out under Moyes, the players who picked up knocks were not even eager to return to training. the only player who benefited from the shiite we got mired in was Rooney, why won't you be sacked? you could only motivate 1/23 men while there were growing whispers of discontent in the squad & you expect a pat on the back? there was nothing like circumstances - i don't care what he now does in Afghanistan - Gollum failed woefully in Manchester United & we are rising from the ashes as our legendary SAF has insinuated, whether you like it or not! QED

What was the results when Moyes was sacked? Moyes was still on track to qualify for Europa, but when he left everything collapsed further. Evidence that he was managing a weak team.

SailorXY:
just imagine wetin the guy dey yan! Real Soceidad... as if comparing United to Dortmund wasn't insult enough.

i smh seriously

You are confused. Why do you guys keep bringing Moyes tenure to defend Gaal's failure?

Leyqute:
Hahan. #Eliepiro Jan 2014 Man Utd was 5pts away from 4th position and 11pts from the top. How can one still be "contesting for the title" in that condition. Moyes shoulda done sth in January to salvage the situation. He only bought Mata, when we had Kagawa already. Srsly I dunno y u r defending the guy. He may v done well in Everton or be doing ok in Sociedad but with Utd he was utter c.rap. Dude was outta his depth n clueless.

That table was even after we lost our first game in January. However, with only 11 points to catch the top team and 5 points into top 4, there was mighty hope with 18 matches to and with your biggest players about to return from injury. RVP, Rooney, Fellaini, Carrick and Fletcher were just about to return. Mata was on his way.

Haba!

parrotibaba:
...And stop mentioning real sociedad please, any tom ,dick n harry can coach d team ,d team has no realistic ambitions expect not get relegated ,d case can't be said of bigger teams with bigger ambitions ,dats were u see d good coaches ,he can keep coaching average teams n taking dem up to d 11th position for all we bloody care ...






Mark Hughes is currently doing well (by Stoke's standard) in d league but what did he achieve at city during his stint there? dats what makes a coach better dan others

I should not mention Real Sociedad. But many guys were mentioning Martinez last season as if Everton was a big team, We must make reference to teams Moyes has coached or is coaching for comparison. He is yet to even bring his own players to Real Sociedad to make it a top club.

parrotibaba:
do u think dat u would hv posted d bolded if klopp was just a new coach at Dortmund? obviously u won't cos he would hv been sack last year ...same stuff happened to Roy @ Liverpool when he took dem to d bottom ,he was given d boot



I don't care about how "fluid" (as u claimed) de played in a single match ,all I care about is what he did when he was at united ,how many games did we play well last season? for a team like united to put in 79 crosses in a single match against a lowly Fulham was d height of embarrassment for Moyes n according to Ferdinand "sometimes our main tactics was the high ,long diagonal cross,it was embarrassing!. In our home against Fulham, we had 81 crosses! ,I was thinking why r we doing this? Andy Carroll doesn't play for us" .This is d man u expect to do wonders with better players who obviously will feel tired of playing for him. He had a good squad n he destroyed it ...U keep blaming his disaster on d aging stars of d team but look at juventus ,by ur opinion de should be in 7th position because of d plethora of old players in dia squad

I guess you know that the 79 crosses was also a one off incidence. I don't agree he inherited a good squad. He inherited a squad that two legends had retired. Two centre back 'veterans' had past their prime. The Klopp case is buttressing my point that it wasnt the manager's fault.

At this time I don't care what happened last season. We arent playing well this season. Liverpool and Arsenal are playing better and would likely displace us from top 4 finish, except now that Skrtel in injured. We have to hope he doesnt come back soon 'cos he is the best defender in the league now. Liverpool are solid with him but most vulnerable without him.

Leyqute:
See binghya n elampiro...if LvG coached Utd last season, players like cleverley n the rest won't make it till d end f d season...they'd be shipped off in January.

It's not compulsory to use SAF's players...just get good results. Shikena.

As of January, things looked good. We were still hopeful on contesting for the title, and then:

* Mata was being negotiated.
* There was news that RVP was set to return from a long term injury.
* Rooney was close to return.
* Fellaini was set to return from injury.
* Carrick and Fletcher were already back to starting from the bench.

It appeared we were going to smashed all our opponents. But the opposite was the case once the big guys took over from the younger players.

If we have brought in midfielders, the former players would have complained that they were not given opportunity under the new manager.

SailorXY:
what woes are you still talking about? LvG is rebuilding the squad and you keep rhyming woes

you want to place us on same scale with Dortmund? really? when was the last time we dropped out of top 2 not to mention Europe?
and what da fvck is Real Sociedad for fvck's sake

the kind logic you and your second dey produce sometimes eh, e go better o

What rebuilding nonsense excuse? He sacked the weak players who failed Moyes. That's his own choice. If those players were really good, Gaal would have retained them. The same players won preason, but returned to the EPL to continue their failure.

Gaal was not supposed to finish below 3rd- strong 3rd position. We were told he was a world class coach. Some of you were his forerunners and the way you guys spoke it was like he would contest for the title even if handed Okomu oil players. Fast forward 9 months later, you guys are making rebuilding excuses for a 'world class coach' who bought some of the best players in the world. We have the best strikers in the EPL in the last 7 years. Best striker in the world in the last 3 years. Best winger/midfielder in the last one year. Best goalkeeper. What is his excuse?

I am very sure that RVP and Rooney goals return were better under Moyes. Remember, Moyes also used Rooney in midfield. Mata's goals and Assists returns were better under Moyes. Are we going backward? Is he not suppose to consolidate on the performance of these lads?

parrotibaba:
What part of rebuilding escapes your understanding? if u r rebuilding a house ,do u do so in a day or in months? Some united fans baffle me a lot

So Gaal is rebuilding Man United from 7th to 4th after spending 150m? Ukwu!!!

Gaal should carry his own cross. Leave Moyes out of this.

parrotibaba:
Question: If SAF had stayed for one more season with d same squad ,would we finish in 7th position?

I will answer like this. If it was Gaal who played with Cleverley, etc Ferdinand, in 2013/14 season, we would have finished 12th.


Secondly, Klopp is struggling with his own team in just after a few months. Forget all these connections your are trying to make with 2012/13 and 2013/14 season. It's football, things happen.

SailorXY:
whose fault was our downfall from champions to 7th place in just few months? the same players who were champions+Fellaini+Mata?

Look at Dortmund, they didn't change coach but their fortune changed within few months.

You should blame Gaal for his own woes.


Did you see Sociedad today? Their second half display was wonderful after a disjointed first. Their second half fluid soccer is better than anything Gaal has played this season. If they had Rooney or RVP to convert their chances, they could have scored 4 goals in the second half. It was like watching Liverpool team playing their best fluid football.

SailorXY:
how many times did SAF commend Moyes for anything?

what is even the difference? we are stabilizing after Moyes' plummet, this should be ABC na

SAF didnt have to talk about Moyes because people were already shouting his choice was sentimental. Good SAF has now clarified they did a thorough job in arriving at Moyes. He also alluded that Moyes only suffered same faith he suffered when he first took over Man United in 1989. Bad result after bad result you find your self in a tight corner.

............................
SAF:

"There appears to be an accepted view out there that there was no process (In selecting Moyes). Nonsense," Ferguson wrote.

"We feel we did everything the right way: quietly, thoroughly, professionally."

- Crushed -

Ferguson added he felt the "walls squeezing in" upon Moyes, whose struggles reminded him of his own early problems at Old Trafford following his arrival from Aberdeen in 1986 prior to United winning the 1990 FA Cup.

"As the results deteriorated, each defeat was a hammer blow to him," Ferguson recalled.

"I could see that in his demeanour. In January we bought Juan Mata and that gave everyone a lift but I could see the walls squeezing in, leaving David with less and less room to breathe. I know that feeling from 1989, when we went through a terrible spell.

View galleryAlex Ferguson described suggestions he bequeathed an …
Alex Ferguson described suggestions he bequeathed an "ageing" Manchester United squad to h …
"You feel you are being crushed. The results gnawed away at David. Nobody could dispute how disappointing the season was. And it cost a man his job."

parrotibaba:
On no account should anybody compare Moyes to LVG... Moyes didn't try to rebuild united or continue SAF's legacy he crashed d team ,he sacked all d ppl dat was responsible for making united a great team n brought a team of rookies ,talk about a blind man asking another blind man for directions ,Moyes turned d theatre of dreams into a theatre of nightmares n horror ,he cast d team into d shadows in just ONE BLOODY SEASON!!! ...I have never seen a coach dat was publicly ridiculed by his own players ,united was in d gutters ,u can even say dat we were in d devil's dirty armpit ,against Fulham we put in up 79 bloody crosses ,which team plays like dat? n to think dat he kept saying dat we will still win d league even when we were in 7th on d table ,we were... (no make me over vex ooh )

With LVG ,at least we hv a little respect!! we dominate games unlike last season dat we didn't n even if we r playing like shyte dis season, I still believe LVG is d right man for dis job n I ain't judging him until next season cos he is rebuilding d walls of united from d scraps Moyes left of us... #enough said

After rebuilding the team with 150m pounds?

Moyes was only a victim of circumstance. Many of our players were weak, our 2012/13 season was a camouflage. We won most matches with one goal difference and Man City didn't even contest as they did the previous season. Moyes took over from the best manager in the world who knew every bit of his players (strength and weaknesses). Van Gaal had the benefit of learning from Moyes mistakes. Has he done that? Moyes thought he inherited a team of champions with Vidic, Ferdinand, Anderson, Cleverley, Feltcher, Butnner, Smalling, Evans, Jones, Chicha, Kagawa, etc. But these players disappointed. He never expected that. Januzaj became our best player. SAF backroom staff had fatten our boys with bad food like chips. Scholes had retired, Giggs was old, so Moyes didn't have those two guys to help him out as we called Scholes out of retirement before.

When Gaal arrived, he wanted to try Cleverley, Anderson, Feltcher, Chicha, Welbeck, Kagawa, etc. He soon had to realized that it wasnt Moyes fault as the boys were past their best due to eating chips. It was a matter of time before United fell into the relegation zone, so we went on spending spree.


Question: How long are going to blame Moyes for Gaal's struggle?

SailorXY:
ok cool. I don't agree about a 4-4-2 flat as the way forward tho. Sir Alex departed from the system in his later years to keep up with the bigger teams & teams who pack the midfield. Moyes himself didn't use it, so?
Jones is hardly fit.
as per fighting for crumbs, Sir Alex was quoted this week as commending LvG for stabilizing Man United after last season's debacle. SAF knows these are foundations to build on, there will be no magic wand waved to make us champions again. we never heard commendations for Moyes, so I see no base repeating Moyes' name always. we have actually progressed & Moyes will never ever be a United coach again, in this life or the next!

Not true. He praises Gaal for stabilizing the team. = True.
He praises Gaal for stabilizing the team after last season blablabla= False.

How we didn't win the 2009/10 season remains a mystery. May be too much injury and SAF decision to gamble with some games in the run in. Like benching Nani, Carrick and Gibson against Chelsea even though Rooney was already out due to injury, although with Bayern Munich game in sight.

It's looks like our performance against the top teams have been on the decline since 2009/10. Another indication we didn't adequately strengthen the team when Ronaldo departed and as players aged.

Using the width to its full potential

Having heard that his side does not play with the attacking verve and width that we have come to associate with Manchester United, it is noticeable how Van Gaal has tried to field two wide players in recent matches.
Against Newcastle United he opted for a rigid 4-1-4-1 formation, and at every opportunity his side fed the ball down the flanks.
The problem with this tactic was the speed of these moves. Often they were ponderously constructed, and although this did afford Fellaini the time to stride forward into the penalty area (where he almost snatched two good goals) most of the deliveries were delayed to such an extent that Newcastle’s defence had regrouped.
Ashley Young did well, creating three chances and scoring the late winner, but you cannot help but feel his productivity and that of others would be improved if the team shifted the ball into wide areas earlier and with more urgency. As it stands their distribution and movement is too easy to track.
A final thought

Manchester United’s mechanical approach in possession may not be making them an exciting team to watch but because they still have talented individuals they are picking up valuable points.
In this match the brilliance of De Gea in the moments that mattered kept them level, and Wayne Rooney’s sharp football brain and determination helped lay the foundations for a double-mistake that gifted them their winning goal. Most weeks, one of their star turns has been able to produce a game-changing moment.
Their performance at Newcastle United was not great but it was effective, and that symbolizes Manchester United’s season so far. However, to go on and claim a top-four finish you still suspect their team performances will need to improve.

http://www.premierleague.com/en-gb/news/news/2014-15/mar/060315-talking-tactics-manchester-united-still-have-room-for-improvement.html

A reliance on De Gea

John Carver’s side did not play well, yet Newcastle will still feel hard done by that they did not take all three points. Unfortunately for them, just as he has for most of the campaign, David de Gea bailed out Manchester United when they needed him to.
As shown in the table below, the Magpies really struggled to pass the ball in this contest.
Newcastle's three worst passing performances

Opponent..........Passes ....Succfl passes....P accuracy....P. accuracy opp. half
Man Utd...........259.........163................62.93%.........56.90%
Spurs...............277........184................66.43%.........58.62%
Liverpool..........307........230.................74.92%........68.21%

It could be assumed Manchester United had pressed them into making mistakes, but that was not the case. Only three of their players (Jonny Evans, Fellaini and Herrera) won more duels than they lost in the 90 minutes, and at no stage did they knock the hosts out of their stride. They have not pressed with great intensity this term.
Newcastle simply struggled to find a rhythm, and considering potential their match-winners Sammy Ameobi (14), Gabriel Obertan (20), Emmanuel Riviere (15) and Papiss Cisse (15) received just 64 passes between them De Gea could have had an easier night. Instead, he was forced into making two outstanding second-half saves to deny Riviere and Cisse.
United's possession game alleviates a lot of pressure on their back three, four or five but even so, their goalkeeper is kept busier than most of the other regular custodians at clubs in the race for a top-four spot.
In fact, only Hugo Lloris has been tested more often than De Gea has over the course of the season. As highlighted in the match at St James' Park, Van Gaal's side can be easily opened up from crosses, counter-attacks, clever movement and set-plays.
De Gea as No 1

2014/15..... Save %....Saves per match
De Gea...... 74.8........2.8
Forster...... 73.3........2
Hart.......... 70.9........2.2
Mignolet.....70.2........2.3
Lloris........ 70.1........3.3
Courtois.... 69.4........2.2
Szczesny... 68.2........2.7

Angel di Maria's struggles

When Angel di Maria was substituted for Adnan Januzaj in the 59th minute at St James’ Park he wore a frustrated look, and this latest performance encapsulated that frustration.
He was supplied with good service from Antonio Valencia, the right-back, but in a right-wing role Di Maria lacked the confidence to beat his man on the outside. The left-footed Argentinian’s first instinct was to cut back on to his left foot, and look for a pass or cross and this became predictable.
His best pieces of play were when he slid return passes to Valencia, who made clever runs off him and behind the Newcastle defence. Surely though, aren’t these the positions Di Maria would prefer to sprint into himself?

Eager to impress his manager I felt Di Maria tried a little too hard to force incisive passes, and although Rooney and Fellaini would have been grateful for the attempted supply line, most of his deliveries were misplaced.
When you compare the former Real Madrid star's display in this match to a couple of his early appearances for Manchester United (on his preferred left side) it is clear that his output has deteriorated. To bring the best out of Di Maria and revive his confidence, I wonder if a return to the left would help.

Di Maria.................v QPR..........v LEI.........v NEW
Position.....................Left.........Left............Right
Goals........................ 1............1...............0
Shots........................ 2............3...............0
Crosses......................10..........10..............4
Key passes.................4............4...............1
Dribbles.....................7............7...............9
Passes...................... 76..........46...............33
Pass accuracy............ 80.30%...78.30% ......63.60%

Chart below: Valencia to Di Maria, left; Di Maria to Valencia-right.

On paper their possession stats look fantastic (87.5% pass accuracy, with a 67.3% monopoly of the ball) but not enough of those passes hurt the home team. In central midfield they especially lacked adventure, with Ander Herrera and Daley Blind primarily opting for the safe, sideways pass.

On the night Wayne Rooney did not have much penetrative service to feed off, and this has been symptomatic of the problem every Manchester United striker has encountered this term. With so few early, forward passes slipped in behind the opposition, it’s little wonder the likes of Radamel Falcao and Robin van Persie have struggled for goals.

Talking Tactics: Man Utd must pick up pace for top four

Friday 06 March 2015
Louis van Gaal's team must be quicker in attack for a top-four place, says Adrian Clarke

Manchester United's star-studded side have picked up points without playing to their full potential all season, and even though Louis van Gaal’s men are handily placed on 53 points, it still feels like we are still waiting for them to catch fire.
Adrian Clarke explains how their last gasp 1-0 victory against Newcastle United this week, was in many ways a microcosm of their 2014/15 campaign.
A laborious style

Manchester United’s manager has tweaked his system continually since taking over at Old Trafford hot seat, with six different formations used at the last count, but one theme that has been consistent is the slow, methodical approach they have taken in possession of the ball.
This was evident against Newcastle United, on Wednesday night, too. With most defenders and midfielders taking two or three touches apiece, when one would sometimes have sufficed against a side who were content to sit off, Manchester United shifted the ball at such a sedate tempo that it was difficult to stretch John Carver’s side.

Two goals from Harry Kane today.

Ex-Manchester United defender Paul Parker has backed Radamel Falcao and Angel di Maria’s ability and blamed Louis van Gaal for their recent form.
Writing in his column for Eurosport, Parker questioned the critics of Falcao and Di Maria by claiming four-time Ballon d’Or winner Lionel Messi would struggle to shine under the Dutch coach’s tactics.
“Di Maria has lost form, Falcao has lost form, everyone is trying to say Falcao hasn’t recovered from his knee injury. We don’t know if he has or not. He is being asked to operate like an old-fashioned centre forward and is trying to collect the ball most times on his Adam’s apple.
“Di Maria is the same. He is struggling to play in the system because it is all very rigid and unattractive under LVG.
“The slower the ball the moves, there is no space for Di Maria. There is no intensity to United’s game. If Lionel Messi was to play in that United team, he would struggle for the simple reason that by the time he gets the ball, three players would be on him and would knock him off the ball too.”
[Source: Eurosport]

Antonio Conte hinted that before accepting his current role with Italy, he was sought out by Manchester United.
The Coach's decision to leave Juventus last summer caused a stir, but the national team was not the only option available to the 45-year-old.
In an indirect reference to Manchester United's Louis van Gaal he said: “The English team that looked for me ended up signing the Coach of a national team, but my challenge with the national team is personal. Becoming a Coach where usually the job is just to select players, it is inspiring."
[Source: football-Italia.net]

Gary Neville believes that a number of factors are to blame for Angel di Maria’s struggles at Manchester United this season.
Di Maria has only scored four goals in 21 appearances for Louis van Gaal’s side so far this season as he struggles to live up to his £60m price tag.
However, Neville says that the facts that Di Maria was forced out of Madrid last summer and has had to get used to working under a new manager mean that he cannot be blamed for his patchy form.
Neville wrote in his column for the Daily Telegraph: “Within days of signing for United, Di Maria released a letter to Real Madrid supporters insisting it was never his wish to leave the Bernabeu.
“Having grown up in and around Manchester as a United supporter, it is easy to regard the club as the biggest in the world, but we have to accept that, as a South American, playing for Real Madrid or Barcelona is probably the fantasy of every footballer from that part of the world and Di Maria has moved to England after being told he was not wanted at his dream club.
“So he has come to United when he did not want to leave Madrid, has suffered the trauma of a burglary, and started to work for a new manager while playing in a team that is still in a ‘storm’ phase of development.
“All of those are factors that would go some way to explaining why Di Maria has struggled after his bright start.”
[Source: Telegraph]

parrotibaba:
Evans handed six match ban

It's a pity. Our defenders are also running into problems that are keeping them out. No w we have to do with a new back four again. May be before Evans returns another defender will sustain injury and Evans may have lost his form. This season just went came to a close without us making a steady centre back pairing.

Dospix:
I wonder why the international media do not bring to fore news like this; they are always conscious of negative happenings and they wouldn't even care to verify there news. I have been following the news on CNN for weeks now and never did i see any positive stride of our military against those blood suckers. The world have become too hostile to Nigeria...what seethes me is the wanton gullibility of our people to accept and glorify their lies hook line and sinker. I am proud of our military and i am optimistic that they would soon clear those blood suckers from our great country. #NEVERAGAIN will those beast hold us to ransom.

The international media can only publish verifiable stories/news. Anyone can claim anything.

wash

picture or ...

Manchester United look worse than last season despite £220m transfer spree - Paul Scholes blasts 'unambitious' Louis van Gaal

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2980925/Paul-Scholes-Louis-van-Gaal-lacks-ambition-Manchester-United-look-happy-fourth-ve-spent-220m-look-worse.html