₦airaland Forum

I think like SAF, Moyes tends to favor "British" players --- I see no reason why Valencia shouldn't start at RB ahead of Jones while Kagawa can play behind the striker in the absence of Rooney.

I'm not worried...we'll come good eventually.

Like I said earlier before we signed a new manager, the losses will be much easier to swallow with a Moyes at the helm. We were patient with SAF...same will apply to Moyes!

Hmmm. Isco is the new "star boy", stealing the shine --- wonder how this is gonna go down with some of the other "big egos"!

Utter bollocks!

UTD sign Fellaini and Baines...#unconfirmed officially though# got this from a Britico colleague. Claims he was texted from home.

Just learnt an offer for a Bilbao player, Herrera was turned down...

Personally, at this stage, I'd prefer that Moyes stuffed the money back in the bank and carry on with the status quo. Whatever we get now is going to appear like a panic buy and all these other clubs seemingly want to take advantage.

I just knew we were going to get Sociedad...tricky, tricky tie!

Screwface: When Cooger argues like this, it's hard not to carve in.
My point still stands though, Moyes was much too conservative yesterday.
Need I remind you that the zero zero stalemate was the first time in over 4 years Manchester United failed to score a goal in a Premier League fixture at OT?
I didn't see a mad rush in the final 3 minutes as we used to witness over time.
Anyways sha, Liverpool next. Lets see what fate throws at us again.

Moyes wasn't conservative...he was smart. He outfoxed Jose on this one. I think Jose was shell-shocked; he didn't expect to see Rooney, didn't expect the fans to get behind the team so and certainly didn't expect UTD to come out and stand toe-to-toe with his side! Psychologically, it is a "Moyes victory" --- if he manages to keep Rooney from going to Chelsea, he'd have scored another point against Mourinho.

I read on Eurosport yesterday, an analyst lauding Chelsea's play as a "Mourinho master-class" at stiffling the opposition...problem is with the "quality" they supposedly have and the "poorness" of our midfield - who should be struggling to "stifle" who!? It was Chelsea who came to OT with a negative mindset, set up shop for a draw; no striker, taking out offensive players for defensive ones!

debosky: When Utd start seeing improvements in such toothless performances, then there is a serious issue.

Yeah right...more toothless than Arsenal against Villa abi!

Well, what else do we expect from the fan of a club who have somehow successfully managed to win nothing in just under a decade!

coogar: -his team selection
-the right tactical approach
-timely substitutions
-improved fitness level of the players.

You sum it up well...!

I know its still early doors...but this is the only thing I expect from Moyes in this first season --- make UTD a "hard to beat" outfit.
Either we win or nobody does...I liked what I saw against Chelsea and I hope we can up it against all the other top teams!

debosky: What are the 'loads and loads' of positives from yesterday?

That y'all didn't concede against a team with no CF for over 60 mins?

That United played with a 'do not lose' strategy at OT?

Give Moyes credit for what exactly? Is Utd now Everton reloaded that a 0-0 scoreline against a toothless Chelski side is now deserving of credit?

Is it our fault that Chelsea came to the game "toothless" or was it UTD that were taking off "star" offensive players and replacing 'em with defenders!!?

Martx: The lecturers should go back to school and stop been adamant about this, all thier children are schooling outside the country.

And where are all children of Senators, Gov'nors, Reps etc schooling!?

Guy...go update your brain!

afrodoc: what was needed was a tactical reaction. i can remember almost screaming at the TV for fergie to make a change.a short while after the card we lost the midfield and more and more incursions were being made into our half, he should brought on a fresh leg into the midfield immediately before the goal. fergie's achille's heel was d amount of trust he placed on his players on d pitch,sometimes too much.dat was d reason for his often late subs

I agree that changes and fresh legs were needed. But I also believe amount of tactical or personnel changes would have made a world of difference if the players had already see the game as a lost cause...this is where I faulted Vilanova against Bayern. He had a team that should never be written off regardless of the circumstances because everyone knows what they are capable of when they turn on the style; he made no visible signs to motivate the side!

When a team losses a man in such circumstances heads tend to drop - they first need to be "lifted", positive, upbeat in their approach...energy levels need to go up. Get everyone from players to fans pumped up; get 'em believing that the goal can still be achieved, that is very important too. At a point, you could see Giggs too trying to rouse the crowd and fellow players.

Football isn't all about tactics all the time...the mindset of the players is important too!

chamotex: I'm not talking of him coming to OT, I meant a midfielder with his tenacity and work rate - a box to box midfielder.
I didn't see anything wrong with his overall passing in the game albeit a few.
Medel is the one I wouldn't mind at OT...class!

Sevilla FC is Euro football's shoprite...they have fantastic scouting network and they don't charge cut-throat fees.

Ivan Rakitic is one player who would fit nicely into UTD; versatile, two-footed, can pick a pass and very good at set-pieces!

coogar: we should make a cheeky £4m bid for mikel obi & £8m for mulumbu.

You're kidding right

I wouldn't buy Mikel even for 400,000 NGN!

I suggest Mascherano...thats if he still remembers how to play DM anymore

I disagree with Rene on one thing...SAF did react! He got out of the dug-out went to the fans and urged them to raise the crescendo level...and the lads responded on the pitch, at times you'd wonder if we were indeed a man light. Perhaps only on whim but it was effective nonetheless.

At times that is all that's needed; that "jinja" --- that fire in the belly, heart on sleeve stuff.
Even though we lost, for me, that ranked as one of the very best UTD performances last season!

ZACHIE: I go with Akainzo here. First, what ingredients constitute a cult in Africa trado worship?
secrets and secrecy.
esoteric knowledge that must be guarded
oath of allegiance to the seceets
initiation into it.

are all these present in Oro? Yes.
are they present in some higher Egungun? yes.
are they present in some higher Eyo? Yes.
rites of passage, especially at death,demands some rituals.
those rituals are only a subset of a larger organ. but, you must belong to have those rituals performed...
.like it or not.
aje ke lana, omo ku lo ni.....

One salient point you're missing... did they take possession or demand to take possession or perform any particular acts on the corpse!?

chrisley024: Must confess I don't understand this last minute bid for Willian by Mourinho. Sth must be behind it. He said the only player they need is Rooney and I don't see their need for Willian to the extent of snapin up the guy from Spurs.

Its actually being reported as an "Abrahamovich buy" --- one call to his buddy, the Shakhtar Presido and GBAM --- the deal was sealed!

I see Chelsea as keg of combustible liquid just waiting to implode. The way things are going, we may win this league easier than many would believe!

All I want to see this season, is an FCB that will not let their heads drop even if they are 10-0 down. That second leg UCL semi-final, especially the second-half, still dey pain me die!

chamotex: What about in Europe?

To conquer Europe, you need top-notch "team performances" --- thats what we have to work on --- getting a team that is hard to beat.
SAF showed us that even with a bunch of "mediocres" we can achieve --- I watch that Real Madrid game again and again; and I BELIEVE!

Big midfield signing or not...WE CAN DO IT!

I like the fact that we've been "sensible" with our bids...yes they are getting rejected but it shows that management is not losing their head over things and desperately throwing big, big money around for over-valued players.

This squad isn't that bad if a couple of players can roll their socks down and start putting in quality performances. Consistency and familiarity will play to our advantage in the long run.

As long as Moyes can make this team "tough" and "hard to beat" like the stubborn Everton teams we knew in his reign there, that is absolutely fine by me!

coogar: moyes did well - fergie wouldn't have taken off giggs in the 60th minute. his subs were timely and the right one. we should just start the team that finished today's game next weekend.

Finally you cut the gaffer a bit of slack...indeed miracles do happen.

But I do agree though; seems like Moyes does know how to use the players we have...substitutions were quite sensible!

34 goals in 50 games...RVP...byaatch please who the F*CU*K is Wayne Rooney!!?

Meeen. Who needs Rooney!!?

He will rot on that bench. Moyes Baba carry go!

@ coogar.

Nice analogy with the recording company example. That just about sums everything up!

usbcable: you dont pay through your nose for a product or personel based on mere "potential".
the item at hand must have a track record to warrant such pay.

Everybody pays for "potential"... the guarantee that "usbcable" has a track-record of top-notch performances in Oando, Total, Chevron and Agip doesn't ultimately guarantee he will be a success at Okomu

So the gamble is more or less the same - proven or unproven!

Impressive...very impressive!

That was a different Real Madrid out there... a "thinking" Madrid rather than the gung-ho, break-neck pace (exciting though) playing sides of Mourinho's era. This Madrid tried to control the tempo of the game, passed the ball around more (even though there was still the odd misplaced pass now and then) and looked to play out of the back from goalie. Even CR7 played more of a "team game"; looking to pass rather than run and shoot.

Finally, a Madrid side to challenge rather than play a patchy catch-up game with FCB...!? One thing is evident, Ancelloti has brought a certain sense of calm to the Bernabeu; that was very much needed!

@ elampiro.

I do not understand...please do tell me just how from the number of letters and logos an outlet orders or purchases from SPORT ID or wherever translate into the number of shirts being sold? Or do they just go and order for the letters "R" "O" "N" "E" and "Y"?

nitrogen: Handiwork of SAF.

No!
Handiwork of some useless bunch of consistently unfit, spoilt, over-hyped and under-performing "stars" we've got.

Season in and out, we do not sign new player, do not ship them out and they get another chance to "up their game" but only just manage to improve at getting injured, disjointed performances, whining about playing favored positions and wages!

These bunch of players are the main reason why we the fans grieve; not the Managers, past and present. They are the reason why players like Evra, Vidic, Rio, Young, Carrick, Giggs, Scholes, Valencia etc will always play ahead even till they are old, gray and walking with the aid of canes.

coogar: of course - bebe is destined for big things this season.

5 days to our first game against wigan in the community shield and david moyes is as clueless as ever. we would our players to pull up their shorts and grind hard cos moyes has failed us even before the season has started....

Before nkor! Isn't this why they are paid...to pull up their shorts and grind hard!!

Moyes hasn't failed anything...if your fabled Cleverly-Anderson-Nani-Bebe quartet can get their bloody acts right and contribute something more tangible than "bed rest" to the cause, would we be anguishing over unsigned players!?
Abeg carry waka jor', stop shifting the goalpost. Moyes never even start work una don dey give am headache.

F*ck all the blaawdy bad-belle naysayers - #In.Moyes.I.Trust#

Like seriously...Bebe still plays for UTD!!?