₦airaland Forum

elampiro:
This is not true, as of August 2009 before the league kicked off, Gary Neville said Rooney's best position is behind a striker.

In what formation? Put what GN said in proper perspective. Is it in 442?

coogar:
rooney has always played as a striker. it's his lack of positional discipline that had him dropping deep to search for the ball. capello, sven-goran eriksson & ferguson always complained then that rooney gets too much attracted to the ball.

against the weaker teams(majority of the league games) in the EPL, we played a flat 4-4-2. in europe, the objective is not to concede so we often went with 4-5-1/4-3-3. using number-10 angle to excuse rooney's poor goal return is ridiculous.

Rooney has always been played majorly as a striker in the 442 formation used mostly during Fergie's era. It is only when we are playing a big team in the league and most especially in Europe that he changes his formation when he wants to make it difficult for opponents to beat us.

It was after he bought RVP in 2013/14 that he dropped Rooney to play in the midfield so as to be able to accommodate him in the team with RVP.

coogar:
rooney was a striker....
it's his lack of goal scoring that made the media brand him a number-10. which number-10, i ask? fergie used 4-4-2 throughout in that era - fergie was the last manager to abandon 4-4-2 in the premier league. it wasn't until 09/10 that fergie changed his formation in the league & that was after ronaldo left.

saying rooney was a number-10 in that era would be the same as saying yorke or andy cole was a number-10 in 1999. rooney was a striker like saha, ruud, bellion & solksjaer in his first 4-5 seasons. his fans only use this excuse because they know he doesn't measure up to the elite strikers in europe.

this was rooney's interview in 2008....


Q: How do you feel you’re developing as a striker – would you liken yourself to any of the aforementioned front men?

rooney:
Not really. I think it’s difficult for you to compare yourself to someone else, but I certainly hope I can become as good as them.

I’ve definitely changed the way I play this season in the fact that I’ve played further up front rather than in behind a main striker; that’s something Carlos has done.

I’d probably say I’ve enjoyed that role more as you seem to get more chances and hopefully that means I’ll end up with more goals.

I don`t know how Rooney will be a number 10 when SAF majorly played 442 flat formation but not 4411 or 442 diamond in the league.

SAF only changed his system after he bought RVP to be able to accomodate both Rooney and RVP in the team.

How somebody will be saying Rooney played as a number 10 throughout his Man Utd career except for one season still baffles me.

Congrats to Andreas Pereira for winning the U21s Player of The Year Award.

Congrats to David De Gea for winning the Players' Player of The Year Award.

Nothing is done yet on De Gea as being speculated in Spain. What is being offered is even not up to what we are offering him. This is what Balague is saying

www1.skysports.com/football/news/11667/9855288/david-de-gea-is-still-deciding-on-whether-to-leave-manchester-united-for-real-madrid

Manchester United XI vs Arsenal: De Gea; Valencia, Jones, Smalling, Rojo; Mata, Blind, Herrera, Young, Fellaini; Falcao

MUFC Subs: Valdes, Blackett, McNair, Di Maria, Januzaj, van Persie, Wilson

Crystal Palace giving Gerrard a bad send off result.

Depay just scored a 30 yard free kick making him the player with most goals (7 goals) from free kicks in Europe's top 6 leagues this season.

Van Persie has flu while Di Maria got injured in training on Wednesday.

No Van Persie, no Di Maria.

United XI vs Palace: De Gea, Valencia, Jones, Smalling, Shaw, Blind, Herrera, Mata, Fellaini, Young, Rooney

United subs: Valdes, Evans, McNair, Pereira, Januzaj, Falcao, Wilson.

AdeLaNa1:
Thats been yhe problem sll season. LVG has never had a plan B this season. He keeps on using the same tactics even when its so obvious the opposing team know wat we re goin to do, and wen we re goin to do it. We've been playing cross and nod to Fellaini since as far back as November and today was the same story as usual. He played Fellaini up front and dat one dint even connect wit a single cross all the while being offside like four or five times

He should've moved Fellaini to mata's position and move Mata to play to the right of Rooney. We can get goals by instructing Young to be putting crosses to the back post for Fellaini or any of the through passes from Mata which he is good at.

By this, Rooney, RVP and Fellaini could've scored. He got it all wrong by withdrawing RVP and moving Fellaini upfront. Only my opinion.

AdeLaNa1:
I knew we was gon lose dis match afta watching the 1st half. All West Brom needed was to score early in the 2nd half and park d damn bus. From winning 6 games in a row to losing 3 in a row. Once again LVG gets it all wrong with his tactics, line up & substitutions

The second half tactics was totally wrong. Withdrawing RVP to play Rooney in the midfield and pushing Fellaini up top was wrong. Too many sideways passing with no defence splitting passes. Just too predictive for team packing the bus.

Nairalandinfo:
"@SkyNews: Rio Ferdinand's wife Rebecca has died after a short battle with cancer

Good night Rebecca. RIP

Happy 40th Birthday to LEGEND David Beckham.

Kemizee:
I care less if Bale comes to Man united or not.D style we play wnt help him and besides Madrid will demand for stupid fees which he isn't worth in d first place

I`ll rather go for Depay and still use the excess money to buy two other players.

We need to conclude our transfers early enough. If possible, before the transfer windows open.

chrisley024:
Shaw, Evans, are injured, and Carrick are ruled out of 2moro's game.

Rooney, RvP and Jones are fit.



This Shaw na bad market o!

What of Rojo? Is he fit?

Nothing we'll not hear or read from transfer rumours.

Rooney, Mata and Herrera being offered to Barcelona.

Comparing the exit of Ravel Morrison who had disciplinary issues with the club to that of Paul Pogba who left plainly because he wasn't played when the opportunity came for him to be played is not the same.

elampiro2:
"I understand that people were surprised that I refused to extend my contract with Manchester United," Pogba told L'Equipe. "But Manchester United and Juventus are the same - they are two great clubs.

"There were things which we [Pogba and Manchester United] did not agree on but I don’t regret anything. I learned a lot there.

"The coach [Ferguson] trusted me, but he didn't play me, he said I was too young. He told me 'Your time will come', but it didn’t come. Despite the fact that he is the boss, my goal was to play.

"He said I disrespected him. I do not know why he said that. A 19-year-old who says no [to him], maybe he was stuck. But for me, it will not change anything. This is not to say that I will speak ill of Manchester. I love this club.

- Pogba.

This confirms it. He left because SAF didn't play him despite promising him playing time.

Boss set to promote Pogba

Sir Alex has revealed he is promoting Paul Pogba to the first-team squad after being impressed with the FA Youth Cup-winning midfielder.

The 18-year-old Frenchman replaced Paul Scholes in the Reds legend's testimonial against New York Cosmos and is in the manager's thoughts ahead of the new season. The youngsters at Old Trafford have ensured the manager is in a relaxed mood about his squad ahead of the transfer window closing at the end of the month.

"We've got Darren Fletcher to come back," explained Sir Alex. "Michael Carrick, who tends to develop more around November/December. And we’ve got a young boy Pogba who's showing great promise for us. He came on in a couple of games in terms of progress with the youth team, we’re quite positive about him.

"I mean if we hold Pogba back, what’s going to happen? He’s going to leave.

You know, in a couple of years’ time when his contract is going to finish. So we have to give him the opportunity to see how he can do in the first-team and he’s got great ability, plus he’s got the physique and athleticism.

"He is a possibility so, when you take that roll call of players you know, I’m certainly not looking to add anybody. I’ve been saying that for weeks, but you’ve all been writing differently, you’ve all been writing about how I’m going to buy this one, I’m going to buy that one but we’ve said nothing, I’m carrying on with business."

When asked directly if everybody can forget about Wesley Sneijder arriving from Inter Milan, he replied: "You can forget about anyone you like! I’m happy with the young players we’ve got."

In terms of whether the likes of Tom Cleverley, Pogba, and possibly Ravel Morrison and Ryan Tunnicliffe, when he returns from Peterborough, can push the existing first-team midfielders, the manager is realistic about the situation.

Source: http://www.manutd.com/en/News-And-Features/Football-News/2011/Aug/ferguson-to-promote-pogba.aspx

This is my last post on this. I'm not here for a long-drawn argument.

Good night.

elampiro2:
How to know when a player is ready. The competitors around just give up. The coach is happy to throw you into games.




..........................................................
Gary Neville gives approval to successor Rafael

Wednesday 09 February 2011

Gary Neville is convinced his coveted right-back role at Manchester United is in safe hands.

Neville announced his retirement from the game last week after finally admitting defeat in his battle with injury.

What has this got to do with what we are saying? Okay, that's the reason why he was played in the midfield when Pogba was on the bench.

elampiro2:
Provide evidence.

What evidence? Evidence of his performances when he won U18 FA Cup or what?

SAF said he was going to be promoted that season. Then SAF actually promoted him. Then SAF tested him with some matches and he wasn't convinced he was ready to take the risk of starting him.

I thought you said SAF never promised him. So you now agree that he was promised. Thank God for that.

Anderson and Cleverley were in our midfield in the preseason when we beat Barca. We started the season with these two guys and they were part of the team which gave us the best start to a season as far as my memory can remember. Then Carrick and Fletcher took over before Giggs joined.

The team that beat Barca: De Gea; Rafael (Fabio, 17), Vidic, (Jones, 76) Evans, Evra (Smalling, ht); Nani, Cleverley, Anderson (Giggs, ht), Young (Obertan, 62); Rooney (Owen, ht), Welbeck (Diouf, 77). Subs not used: Lindegaard, Amos, Jones, Ferdinand, Carrick, Park, Berbatov, Macheda.

Yeah, i am not disputing the fact that Anderson and Cleverly were blazing during preseason and the start of the season. When injuries set in for the duo and Fletcher, why didn't SAF call on Pogba instead of playing Giggs, Rafael and Park in the midfield.

Or are these not the same players that injuries ruin their season then? For you to even include Fletcher who had Ulcerative Colitus then and only played 644 mins because of injury shows that you really watched our matches in your big sitting room. Anderson 690 mins and Cleverley 433 mins. The trio of your good midfielders couldn't even muster 2000 mins because of one injury or the other. Whereas Pogba was sitting on the bench without even starting a match.

It's funny that you count them to be our main midfielders in that season.

You must have forgotten what was at stake at the time to be promoting a rookie with the benefit of hindsight. Pogba had his chance but he didnt convince the manager that he was ready. That was my judgement too.

That's your judgement. You are entitled to that. SAF didn't trust him enough despite promising him some game time. That's a big mistake by him. The risk that he could not take, Juve took it and they are enjoying it now. Where's our midfield now?

Park, Fabio and Rafael had won us matches before playing out of position. They even beat Arsenal. SAF played tested players.

That doesn't make it right. Playing players out of position is not good when you have a proper player for that position. We all saw how playing players out of positions affected us last season and at the beginning of this season.

elampiro2:
Kemizee and Tess1, can you people beat you chest that you called for Pogba to be started in games ahead of Scholes, Carrick, Giggs, Cleverley and Anderson in our title chase of 2011/2012? If you wrote such anywhere, provide the evidence or forever remain silent.

I think I had to quit this now.

Read my response up there.

Yes i was expecting his integration in 2011/12 after seeing him in the U18 FA Cup competition. SAF also said that he'll be playing him. Scholes retired in the previous season. Cleverley just came back from loan at Wigan and Anderson was Injury prone. He should have give him some matches to start. Nobody is saying he should play even half of he match. If he had started about ten matches out of all the matches we played in that season, i'm sure he wouldn't have left.

He can not be so worse not to have played against Blackburn where a RB Rafael was preferred in the midfield. Can he be that bad?

elampiro2:
SAF did the right thing. SAF was trying to win the carling cup again after many years of failure. Cleverley did not even get this rapid promotion while coming up.

The bold is not right. We only missed the Cup in the previous season (2010/11). We won it consecutively for two seasons which was 2008/09 and 2009/10. How could missing the cup just a year now be after many years of failure..

Ferguson also preferred using the Carling Cup to ease the reserve team members into the first team. Why didn't he do the same for Pogba?

Also, as at that time it was only Liverpool and Aston Villa that have won the cup more than Man Utd.

Do you want to compare the qualities exhibited by Pogba to that of Cleverley as at the age? Don't even go there.

elampiro2:
Our midfield was far superior than Juventus midfield at the time. It was a midfield that played 3 UCL finals in 4 years beating AC Milan and Inter Milan which were far superior to Juventus in that period. The midfield that had won the EPL 4 times in 5years.

Hahahaha! What an amusing statement! Carrick- 30yrs was the only midfielder of note in that season. Our Midfield was so superior that SAF had to call Scholes (37) who was more erratic in his tackling out of retirement. Giggs (38) at that time was a converted midfielder. You are now telling us that that midfield was better than a midfield of Pirlo - 32, Vidal, Marchisio? You must be joking.

Do you even know that that year was the final end to our solid midfield. How many trophies have we won since the 2011/12 season?

Secondly when did Pogba ask for abit more playing time? Give link and date to analyze the fixtures at the time. The Pogba I watched in my City room large screen TV was not ready. No be view Centre stretch neck. At the time HITV and DSTV shared fixtures I subscribed for both just to see all United matches. This not what I read about Pogba, his game was amateur compared to what others served.

Pele o, baba olowo ti o nfi ori maluu mu oti. So you believe that you are the only one that can afford to subscribe to HITV and DSTV to watch football matches in your Sitting room with large screen TV but not at viewing centre.

Even at that, does it now mean that when players score or dribble on your large screen, it will show that there were no goals and dribbles at viewing centre.

Pogba wasn't ready but he left the club at the end of the season. Four months later, he started and completed a full 90mins for Juventus. He went ahead to have 18 start and 27 apps for Juventus in that season and scored five goals. What miracle did Juve did to him?

Can you vouch for SAF that he'll start playing him regularly if he had stayed at OT?

If you truly watched him objectively during the previous season when he won the U18 FA Cup, you won't be talking this.

In fact i can say that SAF deliberately because he knew and said it that if he doesn't give him playing time he'd go.

Kemizee:
You mean the same Pogba that literally walked and earned a permanent position in a midfield that was infinitely better than ours?A midfield comprising of Marchisio,Vidal and the legendary Pirlo.The same Pogba who is still a mainstay in that midfield till today.Not ready indeed!!

Sir Alex was a human being and made mistakes.He made a mistake with Pogba.You are talking about a player who cud not get game time in a shit midfield that comprised of the likes of Park,Fabio,Gibson,O Shea and an old and out of retirement Paul scholes brought back by Ferguson.
How was he not ready for Christ's sake?

All Pogba asked for was a bit more playing time and 40 thousand pounds(which is even toooo small wen u consider the obscene wages we pay shithouses like fellaini,young and your beloved Valencia.I dnt care wat Fergie did.He was wrong abt Pogba and deep down,u knw it evn tho u may want to deny so

Exactly my points. SAF was dead wrong about Pogba. I know whenever SAF watches him play, he`ll always be annoyed with himself for not trusting him.

elampiro2:
[b]Now, let's even examine all Pogba's 7 games in the season he complained and left. What influence did he even have in the games?

Paul Pogba games in 2011/2012
1. CARLING CUP Tuesday 20 Sept 2011
Leeds 0 - 3 Man Utd........ He came on at 46 mins for Giggs when score was already 3-0.

2. CARLING CUP Tuesday 25 Oct 2011
Aldershot 0 - 3 Man Utd........ He came on at 60th minute for Cleverly when score was already at 3-0. Cleverly and Park played in midfield. Morrison came on for Diouf at 70th minute.

3. CARLING CUP Wednesday 30 Nov 2011
Man Utd 1 - 2 C Palace........ Pogba came on for Rafael at 76 minutes when score was 0-0. A minute later Palace scored us. He was the last substitute. Morrison came on for Berbatov at 46 minutes.

4. ENGLISH PREMIER Tuesday 31 Jan 2012
Man Utd 2 - 0 Stoke ...... Pogba came on for Hernadez at 73 minutes when score was 2-0. He was the only substitute in. Fabio, Radael, Giggs, Welbeck were on the bench.

5. ENGLISH PREMIER Sunday 11 Mar 2012
Man Utd 2 - 0 West Brom..... He came on for Scholes at 73 minutes when score was at already 2-0. Rafael, Giggs, Park and Berbatov were all unused substitutes.

6. EUROPA LEAGUE Thursday 15 Mar 2012
Ath Bilbao 2 - 1 Man Utd....... He went in for Carrick t 63 minutes when United trailed by 0-1. Scholes, Chicha and Fabio were unused substitutes.

7. ENGLISH PREMIER Sunday 18 Mar 2012
RESULT
Wolves 0 -5 Man.......... Pogba came on for Carrrick at 57 minutes when score stood at 4-0. Young, Park and Giggs were unused substitutes.



Any one who after reviewing the above info and still criticize SAF is an Ekwe Sample. Pogba knew for sure SAF was bringing him gradually into the first team even when he was not productive at the time. We should not forget also that 2011/2012 was a very hard two horse race where the best players needed to feature.
[/b]

I reviewed all our matches after the 5-0 win over Wolves, the substitutions and the circumstances. I beg Pogba didnt stand any chance with the quality and calibre of players who needed to be introduced to try and win matches.

The very next match Scholes, Cleverley, Berbatov and Hernadez were on the bench in our 1-0 win over Fulham. Giggs and Carrick played the match.

This doesn't prove anything other than eroding one's confidence. SAF couldn't even start him in any of the Carling Cup you listed there. All the guy needed at that time was a regular starting shirt to build his confidence.

It is simple, SAF made a mistake in his judgement about Pogba and made us lose the guy.

SailorXY:
well said, although your spacing can be better
the long & short is that our strikers failed this season. a clear out & replacement of the frontline won't be a surprise if we are to compete in the business end of all competitions next season.

Falcao & RvP can be allowed to go, even Rooney is not a world class CF anymore.
we can sign Lacasera & return Hernandez, should be enough for next season since we need only one to start per game.

I don't think LVG is ready to take back Hernandez.

Chicharito is busy scoring for Real Madrid.

I hope LVG retains him and lets Falcao go back to Monaco.

chrisley024:
Evans is poor but a better CB than this McNair. The lad lacks the attributes of a CB(think he's better suited for a midfielder). Shaw the same

4 games remaining. We should try get 6 points for top 4, end the season, make clear out of players, buy and prepare for the next.

Hope Carrick and any of Jones/Rojo return for next game.

The whole team was just too lethargic. We also need a proper right back.

dealslip:
Dele Alake don tey o. He almost singlehandedly ruined Tinubu's tenure as Governor, he was revealing too many damning information about Tinubu that almost crippled him.

Mistaken identity. You mean Dele Akele who was the Governoship candidate for NCP.

Dele Alake is one of Jagaban`s trusted guys.

coogar:
we knew this was what he would do as at last week. an early goal from us would have destroyed his plan - with him needing to make an early sub but it's our fault we didn't capitalise in that first 15 mins when we had them by the throat.

he just said in his post match interview that he doesn't care about the possession of the purity even if it's 1% possession they have. it's all about the 3 points and the players who could have made the difference for us today decided to get crocked.

He can afford to say he doesn't care about possession now. Last December when Newcastle did the same parking the bus against him and beat him he said only one team came to play.

I am so proud of the the lads except for Falcao to have played like this despite missing four key players. And all that Mourinho could still do was to come into the game parking the bus.

Falcao was a short one. Though we didn't have a choice but he should have risked him for the last 20 - 15 minutes.

Januzaj should be loaned out if they want him to improve his game. He's not on the same level as last season and that's because he's not playing regularly.

Blacket isn't good as a left back.

Missing four key players against Chelsea at Stamford bridge was going to be a difficult task. The positive thing to me is that this possession football philosophy has come to stay with all our players. We couldn't just use it to hurt Chelsea because Falcao played upfront.