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It;s shocking to note that RVP had more playing time than Welbeck. He was just 357 minutes short of Valencia's playing time.

Coogar, we had a poor season and it is wrong to blame it on some of the guys who were doing thier best to help us finish decently.

* Man United went to preseason. Rooney did not attend and we had our worst preseason in over two decades. Rooney and Val didn't attend. RVP attended the preseason. I can't remember if we won any match RVP participated in.

* In the league proper, our first lost was to Liverpool. Rooney did not play.

* Against West Brom, Man United levelled scores at 1-1 on 57th minute via Rooney, then RVP was introduced on 58th minutes to help us win the match. He couldn't. Instead we lost. We sank to 12th position on the league.

* RVP went on injury after the loss to Necastle. RVP played the number 10 behind Chihca in that game. After that loss we sank again to number 9 [/b]on the table when we were already hopeful of starting the catch up run with the upper teams.

* After the above RVP's injury, Rooney, Welbeck, Phil Jones, Januzaj and Valencia led the team to [b]four straight league victories. We moved to 6th position after 19 matches. We were now 3 points from top four and 8 points from the top of the league (1st). At this time we won comfortably our cup fixtures. This was our best period.

* On New Year day we lost to Tottenham. Jones had been injured and Rooney who missed the previous match had to be played through injury. Carrick and Cleverley returned to as our midfield pair. After the game, it was announced that Rooney had been playing through pains and needed to be given a rest for proper treatment. At this time, we were still in contention for all the compectitions.

* In the remaining part of January, we went out of FA Cup, Carling cup. But we were still 6 points from 4th position and 11 points from the the top after 21 matches.

* Week 22, Mata and RVP joined the lads plus Rooney. Then we had the following results with our big players (including a newly 37m pounds mercenary) Cardiff (w), Stoke (L), Fulham (D), Arsenal (D) Palace (W) West Brom (W), Liverpool(L). = W3, D2,L2.

Meanwhile, the top teams kept winning such that we were 15 points from entering top four with nine matches to go. At the time everyone knew it was all but over except mathematically. Although we had hopes for Europa.

* RVP got injured again. Man United played West Ham (W), CIty (L), Villa (W), Newcastle (W), Everton (L), Norwich (W). W4, D0, L2. Then Rooney fell to injury again.

* Man United could only win one of three remaining matches even though RVP had returned. Sunderland at OT (L), Hull (W), SOuthampton (D). Winning against Sunderland should have taken us to 6th position at the time.



*** A close look at the above will reveal that our best results (high scoreline victories) came when RVP was injured. Our best period was in December when he was away. It should be noted too that RVP started more matches than Welbeck. RVP also had more plauing time than Welbeck. 1584 to 1459.

Even on the centre foward, Rooney was rated higher than RVP by whoscored even though Rooney was always subbed when Man United had gone two or three nil up. Rooney's goals per match from the centre forward is also far superior than RVP's.

SailorXY: all 'em English duds will remain cuz they are simply that... English

But we don't have an English coach. He is not even favouring Shaw.

Anyway, anyhow. Mine is to watch and hope we do well this time. Finishing top 3 is my target.

Just browse through news this morning. Strong rumours are not looking good for Fellaini and Kagawa. Kagawa might return to Dortmund. Too bad when considered he left them to join United purely for love of the club. Japanese players are said to love Man united so much. Hope this won't affect our Asia market?

Source: Guardian, Independent, NBC, Manchester Evening news.

Manchester evening news added that Anderson and Nani are also to be offloaded.

coogar: which stüpid good period? how many league games have we lost before we played leverkusen? weren't leverkusen the last european team we played before the winter break?



mata didn't even join us until the ending of january. by then, we had lost about 6 league games already. many of those games had rooney starting as the main man and delivering a performance equivalent to a shït sample of a dog that is dying of dysentery.



each time RVP came back, he scored goals & we played really well. rooney on the other hand was rubbish for most parts. it was RVP that rescued us when we faced olympiakos by scoring a hatrick at OT. rooney was useless in both legs of that tie. RVP went injured again & rooney completed his aroma of shyte when he surrendered like a whorë to mediocre defenders like boateng & dante.

Don't worry. Tomorrow, I will give you details.

The January you are talking about, I can bet Rooney only played one game because even in December we went on winning spree, he played through groin injury- he was managing.. Same with Jones. The baton fell on Kagawa, Chicha, that period.

As I said, we will review all tomorrow. Matches played by these players and how the table changed in the periods they were fit or injured.

Sleep time.

coogar: 12th gini? why are you lying like this? when did RVP get injured and where were we on the table then?



RVP got injured more than 3 times last season. stop quoting information from your rectum. it was rooney that pissed away our season. the rot started at the etihad when we lost 4-1. rooney was the main man in that game & he delivered a steamy pile of shyte!




who gave gareth bale the pass when he ran almost 80 yards to score a goal in copa del rey final?

We had two good periods last season and RVP did not participate in both. The first good period was when we went on a winning spree beginning from our 5-0 at Leverkusen. At the end of the period we were counting our chances here.

We had another period where Rooney and Mata were scoring. RVP was not there too.

RVP was involved in most period we struggled. The first was the beginning of the season when we were on 12th and 9th or thereabout. We were so so far away in points from top teams. The second period was when he returned, Mata was bought and we felt yes, we could make it. Whoosaa! We lost to Stoke, drew Saundrland..... I can even remember the small small teams we drew or lost to that period and we were out of sight with top 5 teams completely.

coogar: the three of them took us to the 7th position. that's what history will remember. RVP was injured for most parts last season so he cannot share the blame in our woeful performance. we finished 7th.

That's not true. We were 12th when RVP was fit. Those guys took us close to within title contenders in the busy Christmas period, only for them to fall to injuries themselves almost at same time, except for Val.

We were still hopeful for a top four or top three finish when Mata was bought and RVP became fit, but those two guys piled their woes on our misery. RVP in particular must have lost more than half of the points he played for last season.

coogar: united - rooney + welbeck + valencia

The three guys you mentioned above won most of the matches three of them played together, particularly when Jones was behind them. When we had the three or four of them fit and starting, we looked like competing for the title by Christmas.

ChristineC: You have a point. The man was just dangling about like Mikel

Yes o.

* I always like it when you comment on football here.

chrisley024: Fellaini heading to Napoli according to papers

From the world cup games, I knew he wouldnt make a good player for Man United. He was just there in the field. Not commading or dictating.

afrodoc: Coogar has blamed all the Chelsea managers, players,physios, ball boys and even Putin for Torres's rubbish form in the last 4years.......basically everybody but Torres himself.
I must admit his loyalty to opolo players like Anderson ,Torres,Young and Cleverley even though misplaced is very admirable.........Coogar you would make a great consigliere

Like Uche Chukwumerije to Abacha those days. Coogar would make a good 'Reuben Abati'.

Seriously, I never knew he defends Torres. Torres ke.

Torres needs prayers.

Fernando Torres misses an open goal from two-yards out - earth still orbits sun
Jul 27, 2014 19:11

http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/fernando-torres-misses-open-goal-3923059

coogar: a bit of luck in what? there's no luck in football. i just hate it when people put poor performance & woeful preparation in the luck umbrella. united destroyed city at the etihad & cleverley was central to that victory. did young not score a legit goal that was chalked off before the van persie winner? where is the memory of the average red devil?

at stamford bridge, it was another technical batty-wash for the team in blue. united went 2 goals up in a twinkle of an eye, with cleverley giving the chelsea midfield a run for their wages. chelsea came back strongly in the second half like one would expect from the home team but they lost 2 players to red card cos of their desperation.

Can you say we dominated those matches? We even gave up two goals lead against City and Chelsea (unlike us). Newcastle were always coming back. Most of our victories in the fist half os the season when Cleverley featured, we won by a single goal difference. If I could remember, we ran shoulder to shoulder with City in that period.

coogar: 18 x 3 = 54 points. starting 18 matches is enough to swing the title one's way. cleverley was central to our victories at the etihad, stamford bridge, st james' park, etc. he was influential in all those victories.

It sounds like we won all 18 matches, right?

Like I said, he did well at the beginning but he easily tired out half way into the season.

coogar: you didn't watch the game - don't make any pronouncement on a game you didn't see.

I have read several reports.

e.g 'Cleverley: van Gaal named Cleverely captain last night which came as a big surprise to everyone. Maybe it was a tool to lift Cleverley and help him overcome the criticism but he didn’t rise to the occasion. Tom was tidy in parts of the game but he never looked like a captain and when Roma brought on Totti and Pjanic in the second half his performance deteriorated. Van Gaal commented after the game that his passers continuously, ‘gave the ball away’, Cleverley was guilty of this and was subbed for Hernandez on the 68th minute.' http://unitedramble.com/player-ratings-manchester-united-3-2-roma/

coogar: we are fine as it is.......very fine!
if we are going to spend any money at all, it should be in the defence. i wonder where all these central midfielders will play when everyone returns to form. van gaal can only play 2CMs in his 3-5-2 formation or 3CMs in a 4-3-3. we have about 6CMs in our squad already. why do we need more?

The trauma of last season is still fresh. If we can kick on as we are very fine and good. But even if we qualify for the UCL, this team wouldn't be a world beater which is what we should be working towards immediately. No room for errors.

The fact is that the midfield has been our weakness, and for years as we have all agreed on this thread. Why do we pretend as if all is well now? I don't eant a situation where Rooney, Mata and Kagawa will spend the majority of their time helping midfielders to defend.

dopeJemi: Exactly how has anderson and cleverly been influential to the team that won the premier league

Cleverley was influential until the half mark of the season. Anderson only started nine matches. Carrick was the only regular that season.

coogar: which scholes?
when cleverley & carrick were killing teams all over the country in 12/13, what was scholesy's influence in those games? stamford bridge & etihad....we took all the points in those tough games.....

the work tools are the same, it's up to the person using them to get it right. moyes' gross stupïdity did a lot of damage to the reputation of our players. aki & pawpaw couldn't have taken our club to 7th. i dunno how moyes managed that skydrop.

There was a bit of luck in those two games you meantioned above.

When one considers that Cleverley only started 18 matches that season, it calls for concern. After the Christmas rush/New Year, he was scarely used. He wasnt even used in the run in. SAF fell back to Phil Jones, Rooney and Scholes for the midfield duty.

In the game against Roma, it looks like Cleverley was average from what I have read. Anderson is yet to even make the team. Gaal made a u-turn from using Cleverley for 90 minutes as he had ealier mentioned. That could either be to poor outing or may be he got exhausted.

I think we need a midfielder. Carrick is two years older from 2012.

Iheanacho on the score sheet again as Man Ciy demolish AC Milan 5-1.

^^^
....and Arsenal starting XI was strong and played most of the match..
ARSENAL XI: Szczesny, Jenkinson, Hayden, Monreal, Gibbs, Arteta, Wilshere, Zelalem, Ramsey, Cazorla, Rosicky

New York Red Bulls 1 - 0 Arsenal

I saw a bit of this match before I went to sleep. I just pray that our results aren't flukes. If we consider that New York Red Bulls are in a far worse form than L A Galaxy, we can begin to count our blessings for having an experienced manager in Gaal. The last time I checked, Red Bulls had played their matches up to date and still languishing in 5th position in their conference where points are even lowe. In comparison we could say L A Galaxy are far more a stronger team because a win out of their two outstanding matches will take them to a comfortable 2nd in their Conference. However both teams are likely to qualify for play off being in the top five of their respective groups.

It's looks like we are going to have a good season. Before RVP arrived United, he and Rooney were the most feared strikers in the EPL, now that we have a coach who has a plan to play them as two top strikers (not one as a top and the other a support), let's hope the good days are back. All that is required now is to get eight good men behind them to quality create chances.

Louis van Gaal:
"I am pleased that we have won but it was not a good performance, 54,000 people came to watch us but we can perform much better."

"We are not used to this hot weather. I think we didn't play a good match because of the height of the stadium, the air, because all my good passers failed today."

"I said when the World Cup was here in ‘94 it wasn't wise to play here at noon. America has a top sports climate but you have to play football at the right time."

"When you are 3-0 ahead, the only thing you have to do is keep the ball in possession and then the opponent has to run and run and run. It’s very difficult in this hot weather to do that. But we forgot to do that [keep possession] and we brought Roma into the game ourselves."

"Some of our passes failed, the ball was bobbling all the time and we didn’t create so much, but we scored three fantastic goals, The pass from Rooney to Mata was unbelievable, despite the heat and the height. Mata was running with his brain at the right moment.

"They also scored one fantastic goal, so then it was 3-1. But the penalty was not right: you cannot award a penalty when a shot hits your hand or arm from two metres away..."

.......................


In his post match press conference Louis van Gaal said he is not happy with the performed and blamed Ben Amos for Roma's goal.

"I am almost 63 but if the ball is in the air for four seconds I could run 50 yards"

chrisley024: Welbeck's movement caused problem.

His movement caused problems too to L A Galaxy. I initially thought it was Zaha having an excellent day until camera zoomed into Welbeck. His athleticism and youthfulness is important.

Manchester United hope to wrap up the signing of Arturo Vidal this week after resurrecting their move for the Chilean.

A £35million move is now back on and could even be completed in the coming days.

Vidal has been on Louis van Gaal’s hitlist since he took over but the deal appeared to have broken down.

However, Van Gaal now hopes to make him his third signing.

[Source: Mirror, Sunday People]

It seems the players who played first half against L A Galaxy were Gaal first eleven from training. Then he demoted Shaw and Smalling to the bench based on their play. Fletcher should be an exception based on the need to give Cleverley his own chance to prove himself in the midfield.

The captain looks set to fall on a midfielder- Carrick or Fletcher.



Just a personal opinion.

chrisley024: Do we even need Di maria with this formation?

If he's bought, it means big trouble for Nani and Rafael in this formation. It will be straight fight between Di Maria and Valencia. Then on 4-3-3 formation, he will be very important for us.

It's interesting how you dopeJemi countered the negative news about Di Maria.

Who wore the arm band when Cleverley left? Nani or Young?

afrodoc: yeah good pass.
the last 15 minutes of the 1st half and 1st 15 minutes of 2nd half were good for us.

smalling is big and strong but his positional play is poor.....i think he is going to lose out in this new system. the young boys beside him didnt help though.
shaw has just been ok in his appearances does not look million pound in any way HOWEVER its still preseason, lots of time for improvement.

Unfortunately van gaal did not play kagawa directly behind the 2 strikers so yet again its difficult to assess him properly though he had some real class moments.

Nani is fighting for his United career playing as a striker in this formation and so far things are not looking good for him.

Young as a wingback was not bad at all......his versatility might yet save him, same with Valencia.

Thanks.

Nemesis83: Sorry bro, i really don't understand all the intricate details you guys analyse here, i just watch the game because of my love for Manchester united, Have Afrodoc do the analysis of player performance for you if you don't mind.

Ok. Afrodoc will update us.

It looks like Herrera later stepped up and he set up Welbeck for the penalty. 'Abi'?

Nemesis83: Yup...Game over , final score 3-2

Good.

Pls give us individual players performance in the 2nd half.

Ref never blow final whistle?

Where's Afrodoc?

More.....

SailorXY, may be DSTV don't have the right to this tournament. 'Cos they are showing Arsenal friendly. I beg DSTV should go and work it out before our next match.