PL predictions thread 2015-16

[itfciain]

Do you know what I liked yesterday - seeing Rooney sing the national anthem

Now I am not one of the fervent nationalists that go around banging on about how good England (Britain) is at every point - but I do like to see people take pride in the country they represent. I went to a ball game over here the other day and as was stood outside when the US national anthem came on - everyone to a man (and woman) stood stock still - most with hands on their hearts.

Now when I used to see Rooney (and especially Gary Neville) stand in the line up with blank faces while the national anthem played before the England games then I hated it - they showed no passion about the country they represented and I am sure that did not put them into the right mood before the game - contrast that to the Germans, the Spanish and others then they were all singing away with enthusiasm

Rooney is clearly growing up - his performance yesterday will have given Wroy something to think about and to be honest I really hope he has a great tournament

 

[edd_jedi]

Utd really need someone to stay for 4-5 and build a legacy or at least rebuild fergy's.

This is the problem though, everyone says "we just need a manager to come in and do what Fergie did!" How many Fergie's can you name? I can't think of a single manager (certainly not in the English leagues) that has stayed so long at one club or had so much success. Nobody has done it before, and it will be a long time until anybody manages it again. I agree with LVG that UTD fans are expecting too much, nobody is going to stroll in and win them 10+ titles in 20 years. That was a one-off, just like a relegation struggler winning the league was this year.

I'm sure Mourihno will do a reasonable job, but he's not going to match Fergie's success.

 

[Michael Sith]

Utd really need someone to stay for 4-5 and build a legacy or at least rebuild fergy's.

This is the problem though, everyone says "we just need a manager to come in and do what Fergie did!" How many Fergie's can you name? I can't think of a single manager (certainly not in the English leagues) that has stayed so long at one club or had so much success. Nobody has done it before, and it will be a long time until anybody manages it again. I agree with LVG that UTD fans are expecting too much, nobody is going to stroll in and win them 10+ titles in 20 years. That was a one-off, just like a relegation struggler winning the league was this year.

I'm sure Mourihno will do a reasonable job, but he's not going to match Fergie's success.

In a nutshell...no one will ever match AF s success, it was a privalaged time to be a UTD fan.
I think Utd fans are just suffering from the immediate decline under Moyes, then the hope of the first season from LVG, we just need consistency, yes I want all the trophies, who doesn't, but the main thing is to see the passion back, some great results and a common drive for success, try to win the PL and get back into Europe CL and I think JM is the man for that

 

[weasel]

Do you know what I liked yesterday - seeing Rooney sing the national anthem

Now I am not one of the fervent nationalists that go around banging on about how good England (Britain) is at every point - but I do like to see people take pride in the country they represent. I went to a ball game over here the other day and as was stood outside when the US national anthem came on - everyone to a man (and woman) stood stock still - most with hands on their hearts.

I suspect I may be alone in this, but I find that utterly ****ing pathetic. Sorry to any Americans reading (it's a footy thread, odds are none of you are) I don't mean to offend. I know you pretty much all do it, it's a national thing, I've seen the videos of your troops stopping whatever they are doing when the flag gets lowered etc, but it's just a fecking song and just a ****ing flag! Yes, I know it's YOUR national Anthem and YOUR flag and you're proud of your country (I'm not saying you shouldn't be). I just don't get why you treat them like they are some divine being. It's the national anthem, or the flag going down, big ****ing deal. The flag goes up and down every ****ing day, it's nothing special. The anthem gets sung **** knows how many times a year, so what!? If there had been some mass national tragedy heck, even a local one, or if it was a memorial or remembrance service, then I'd get it, but FFS why do it every single time!?
I suspect the fact I come from a country where people use nationalism and flags (or "Fleegs" if you're one of the muppets who protests about it) as yet another reason to fall out and kick the **** out of each other, or worse, has tainted my opinion of nationalism and nationalist pride. Even at that, I still feel pride in my national flag and national anthem (although the anthem is terrible) I would never dream of stopping and watching every time a flag is lowered and, let's be fair, 90% of the British population don't know the second verse of the national anthem anyway.
Just one of the many differences between the civilised world and America I guess! :wink: :lol:

ANYWAY, Back to football....

Utd really need someone to stay for 4-5 and build a legacy or at least rebuild fergy's.

<br abp="595"><br abp="596">This is the problem though, everyone says "we just need a manager to come in and do what Fergie did!" How many Fergie's can you name? I can't think of a single manager (certainly not in the English leagues) that has stayed so long at one club or had so much success. Nobody has done it before, and it will be a long time until anybody manages it again. I agree with LVG that UTD fans are expecting too much, nobody is going to stroll in and win them 10+ titles in 20 years. That was a one-off, just like a relegation struggler winning the league was this year.<br abp="597"><br abp="598">I'm sure Mourihno will do a reasonable job, but he's not going to match Fergie's success.

<br abp="599"><br abp="600">In a nutshell...no one will ever match AF s success, it was a privalaged time to be a UTD fan.<br abp="601">I think Utd fans are just suffering from the immediate decline under Moyes, then the hope of the first season from LVG, we just need consistency, yes I want all the trophies, who doesn't, but the main thing is to see the passion back, some great results and a common drive for success, try to win the PL and get back into Europe CL and I think JM is the man for that

I get that no one will follow Fergy and do as well as him. At least, as a Liverpool fan, I bloody hope they don't!
I just think the Utd Board have got the wrong man in Mourinho. Yes, he has the confidence/arrogance to follow from Fergy and not be intimidated, or look like a kid a sweet shop (like Moyes) but what Utd as a club need now is steady long term leadership. Mourinho will not provide that. He never has and his style of management means he'll probably never be able to you. He will, most likely, improve Utd's chances of a serious title push, but when it all goes tits up in 2-3 years, as it always does with him, I suspect Utd will be right back in the mess they are in now.
Granted, there is a very high turn over of managers in the PL, but some do come in and take over a club that is doing well, or at least not scraping brown stuff off the fan. Roberto Martinez took over Everton when they were doing ok and Koeman at Southampton. Mourinho leaves clubs in a mess, look at Chelsea (twice) or Real where he fell out with all the big names. I just Utd have picked someone to solve the immediate problem of no CL football/no genuine title challenge, and not bothered to think about the longer term. Tradionally Utd worried about the latter and reaped the rewards.

 

[theforceuk]

I think JM is a perfect fit for Man Utd and the best option at the moment. He wins things and has the biggest ego going. Ok his brand of Football is poor, but surely he know's that has to change, at least at Old Trafford.

I also think the whole 3rd season disaster thing is not entirely true. The only clubs he fell out with were Chelsea and Real Madrid. (Not on his own there) Porto and Inter Milan he left as European Champions. I dont expect any manager to last longer than 3 season's at Old Trafford anymore anyway. Apart from Arsenal when was the last time a top side had a manager that has lasted 4 full seasons?

The situation at Chelsea was a joke he got on the wrong side of the team doctor and most the players turned on him as well, if he acts like he has in the past at Old Trafford then I agree he has no chance. But the board will stand behind him if he starts upsetting players as you can't have players trying to run the dressing room.

My biggest concern is if he muggs all the young players of and the complaining about dicisions that go against him, that was getting stupid at Chelsea.

That said, my opinion is usually wrong on these things. :lol:

 

[weasel]

He won't change his style or methods just cos he's in charge of Utd. He made Real hard to watch and they are a bigger club than Utd and have just as long standing (if not longer standing) reputation for playing attacking/entertaining football. It will be less bad than LVG's eye gouging dross, but will that be enough for Utd fans? I suspect that depends on where they are in the league.

I take your point on not many managers lasting 4 years now, but I suspect Utd's Board want to appoint a manager who will be around for the long term (that's 4 years in football). They did their best to stick by the comically out of his depth Moyes and you suspect had LVG fluked a CL spot this year they would have given him the final year of his contract. 'Results over performance' and all that.

As for Chelsea, I suspect the players rumbled him with the Carniero thing. They were 2-1 down in stoppage time, with a player injured and the ref waved the physio on. She was doing her job. If she hadn't gone on she would have been negligent and, rightly, due a bollocking. In suspect the players rumbled the fact that Mourinho would happily throw anyone under the bus to save himself, and once that realisation spread through the squad no one wanted to play for him any more and it became a catch 22. They weren't trying as hard as they would have previously because they knew he'd dump on them to save himself, and because they weren't playing well the results were poor and he was coming under more pressure, so he (rightly) singled a few of them out. Those not singled out, saw their mates being blamed and they in turn became more disenfranchised (thank **** for spell checker!) and there was a lovely vicious circle.

If I was Utd I'd worry more about his complete and utter refusal to play and kids, ever. I saw a stat that said something like in 3 years at Chelsea he gave starts 30 times to teenagers or at least U21's. This season alone LVG handed out 80 odd starts. Would Rashford have been given a chance if Jose was in charge of Utd this season...........Nope! He'd still be a complete nobody. Ohh and bye bye Juan Mata, we all know Jose doesn't want you. Sold twice in 3 years. Dam shame cos he is quality player on his day. He's more than welcome at Anfield. We'll swap him for some Cones, a packet of crisps, a half eaten Mars Bar and we'll throw in Moreno, Benteke, and Ballotelli. Honestly, I'll drop the ****ers down myself.