Premier League Discussion Thread 2013/14

[weasel]

I can sort of understand why they didn't go for Mourinho. He doesn't have any sort of record of building teams for the long term. He turns up, spends loads of cash, Chelsea, Inter and Real, and then pisses off after two or three years.
In all honesty I genuinely consider Mourinho the luckiest manager in the world. Ok Napolean once said "give me lucky generals not good generals" but, If Scholesy's goal against Mourinho's Porto side had been allowed to stand (and it was a goal) Utd go through, Porto go out and Mourinho never lands the Chelsea job, and then the Inter job, and the Real job.

I think the Utd Board want someone who will build a team and a legacy, a Fergy junior if you like. Moyes has a track record of loyalty to Everton, although I'm not sure you could say he built a team or a legacy there. Not dismissing what he did, but Everton, under him, were a very work man like, hard to beat team, that's very different from the standard of teams auld Fergy produced at Utd, or indeed Wenger produces at Arsenal.

As I said, I think Moyes was a very underwhelming choice, but I can see the logic in picking him over Mourinho. Personally I think there are a dozen or so better managers out there who could build for long term success, yer boy (Klopp?) who was booted out of Bayern to make way for Guardiola would be an obvious example. Though he is 97 and has no experience of the PL, I'd still put money on him doing a better job than Moyes is doing.

Ohh and I suspect missing out the worthless cup final would be a much better idea for Utd than actually making it. Cos that City team will eat them alive. No one wants to lose a cup final to their local rivals, especially not when all the papers will then be full of "end of an era" "crisis Utd" bla bla bla BS.

 

[Dark Sith Lord]

Some good news! United have made a club record bid of 35 Million for Juan Mata from Chelsea

IMO This would be a fantastic signing and with a bit of luck end Tom Cleverly career at United and put where he belongs - The Championship! :roll:

 

[weasel]

Fantastic player, but NOT what Utd need! He's the sort of player who feeds balls through for on rushing midfielders or elusive forwards. Utd don't have any of them. They need a ball winning midfielder, not someone who will give it away.
Long term, he is a superb signing, though maybe not at that price, but that's academic.
Utd have much more pressing short term needs that should be addressed, ie midfield and that woeful defence.

I also don't think it will affect cleverly at all. Mata will take one of the attacking spots so, nani, young, valencia, januzji, jagawa or zaha will be the more likely victim. Not that any of them bar, januzji would be missed. Even he is still too early in his career to be talked of as anything more than a great prospect. Lee sharpe was a great prospect once....

 

[Michael Sith]

Agreed...Mata is for the long game in regard to what utd need

If Rooney gets the green light for a move, then Mata is already in place in the team, but until that point
Utd have Rooney Januz and Kagawa so He will be asked to play wide playing RVP or Rooney in centre and mata left or right

There is no denying that Mata is world class and is a game changer, creative and a driving force
But all good and well but what needs addressing......MIDFIELD....NOW :!:


Lets see :?:

 

[weasel]

Pretty uninspiring so far tonight. Probably just jinxed it now and Utd will win 5-0! Lol

 

[Michael Sith]

Well...where do you start :?:

I won't bother :roll:

This game just about sums things up as far as Utd are concerned, gutted again :!:

 

[Dark Sith Lord]

I mean DEGEA :shock:

that rivals Green and Fosters **** ups for England :shock:

DM is under serious pressure now. It may not all be his fault but he is gonna take the flak

Catastrophic result I am off to bed!

 

[itfciain]

The body language of the Man U (and to be fair half of the Sunderland) players was all wrong - the only ones who looked confident were Alonso and Ki - too much pressure on Januzaj - Evra should have stepped up

I don't think this makes it any worse for Moyes though - City would have given them a tonking at Wembley anyway - best thing Man U fans can do is get behind the manager as he is going to be there next season whether they like it or not

 

[Michael Sith]

I think the majority of fans are behind DM, but nonetheless we are not happy for obvious reasons.
After so many years of success, it's hard to come to a screeching halt like this

Things will work out, but a long road I'm afraid, just have to take it on the chin, but as any true fan of any team will say, it's hard to take :!:

 

[plantman]

Moyes should never had removed Utds back room staff, its a whole different world going from training evertons players to telling wayne rooney and RVP how to play the game lol.

it will take a lot of willpower to give moyes time, he has no experience at this level, can you imagine him trying to be tactical in a CL final against madrid, he would be clueless.

he needs a couple of years at least, i wonder if he will survive.

but in the meantime im happy giving some stick back to my mates after all the years of abuse lol

 

[weasel]

Moyes continues to look like a deer caught in the headlights. He's been promoted well above a level he understands or is capable of functioning at..........and HE knows it!

You can see the chronic lack of confidence in the Utd players body language and their reactions when they go behind speak volumes. The sense of resignation is palpable. Under Fergy there would have been a **** storm of a reaction, now it's just a shrug of the shoulders and a "here we go again!"


As I said yesterday Mata, class act that he is, solves NONE of Utd's problems. In the long term if they change their style of play then he will be a fantastic addition. But, why change a style that has been so successful for so long!? And does anyone think DM is the man to help bring it about!? His Everton sides weren't exactly famed for their intricate passing and exquisite movement off the ball!

It's almost as if there is no over arching plan at Utd, the left hand doesn't know what the right hand is doing. Why spend how many million on Fellaini (ignoring the farce about his buy out clause and the implications that had for Utd not being able to afford yer man from Bilbao) and refuse to play to his strengths and then buy a 'play maker' like Mata for even more millions six months later, when you don't play a system that suits him either?
Long term planning is essential but Utd don't seem to know what direction they want to go and it's not as if no one saw Fergy's retiring coming! FFS he tried to retire how many years ago!?
Incredibly slipshod from a club that was always superbly well run.

 

[Dark Sith Lord]

The body language of the Man U (and to be fair half of the Sunderland) players was all wrong - the only ones who looked confident were Alonso and Ki - too much pressure on Januzaj - Evra should have stepped up

I don't think this makes it any worse for Moyes though - City would have given them a tonking at Wembley anyway - best thing Man U fans can do is get behind the manager as he is going to be there next season whether they like it or not

I agree Iain. I dont see Moyes going anywhere. United arent like Chelseas sacking managers every couple of seasons! I think no doubt about it tho last night was a new low! We have to stick in there it will come good!
5 defeats in our last 6 games for a team that has just won the eague the season before. It is reflecting great tho He needs to stop the rot.
But I was just thinking qualifying for a Major final would have injected some belief back into the squad now its the polar opposite.

Next up is Ole Gunnars Cardiff at OT. Thats gonna be an interesting occassion

 

[weasel]

But I was just thinking qualifying for a Major final would have injected some belief back into the squad

Ehh Liam, that was the worthless cup last night, so named because........... :lol:

 

[PGowdy]

I understand what everyone is saying about Mata not being the solution to all Utd problems but i must say, Mata is a fantastic signing for Utd and could just what they need to turn their season around. He is one of the best midfielder in the world. I'd only put Yaya Toure and maybe Hazard above him in the Premier league, and that includes Ozil!
He's immense and will improve any team he plays in. And to state the bleeding ****ing obvious- he is a better midfielder then Utd have in their entire squad by 1… million... miles! So how could it not be a fantastic signing?
I thin if they get him they have a serious chance of getting in the top 4. Without him they don't.

 

[weasel]

Mata is a fantastic signing for Utd and could just what they need to turn their season around. He is one of the best midfielder in the world. I'd only put Yaya Toure and maybe Hazard above him in the Premier league, and that includes Ozil!

Ehh Pete have you forgotten about Jordan Henderson!? :lol:

He's immense and will improve any team he plays in. And to state the bleeding ****ing obvious- he is a better midfielder then Utd have in their entire squad by 1… million... miles! So how could it not be a fantastic signing?
I thin if they get him they have a serious chance of getting in the top 4. Without him they don't.

Great player, absolutely no doubt. I think they are over-paying for him, but then given it's Jan and they are 1) Desperate and 2) Buying from a rival, that's to be expected.
I just don't think he solves their biggest problems.

I agree them have no chance of CL without him. Though I'm not sure they do even with him. Whilst five points isn't an insurmountable gap, it's the fact there are three other teams around them who they need to drop points as well. I could see Pool reverting to type and dropping points, or Spuds when Sherwood's honeymoon period wears off, ditto Everton and Martinez. But I'm not sure I can see ALL THREE dropping enough points AND Utd going on the caliber of run they need to.
There is a chance, but it's pretty remote!

 

[PGowdy]

Great player, absolutely no doubt. I think they are over-paying for him, but then given it's Jan and they are 1) Desperate and 2) Buying from a rival, that's to be expected.
I just don't think he solves their biggest problems.

I agree them have no chance of CL without him. Though I'm not sure they do even with him. Whilst five points isn't an insurmountable gap, it's the fact there are three other teams around them who they need to drop points as well. I could see Pool reverting to type and dropping points, or Spuds when Sherwood's honeymoon period wears off, ditto Everton and Martinez. But I'm not sure I can see ALL THREE dropping enough points AND Utd going on the caliber of run they need to.
There is a chance, but it's pretty remote!

Agreed. Except for the overpaying part. I think he is a ****ing bargain. Genuinely proven, top quality Premier league players are not easy to come by and when Chelsea pay £30m for Willian (lol) and Spurs 30m for Lamala…. Mata seems like pretty good business to me.
There's a LOT else they need to do to become title contenders again but this is a ****ing good start. Assuming RVP is any use when he comes back from injury, building a team round Rooney, RVP and Mata is a mouth watering prospect and will give the manager, the fans and the sub-par players in their squad new found belief and enthusiasm. Much as the signing of Ozil did for Arsenal.

 

[weasel]

when Chelsea pay £30m for Willian (lol) and Spurs 30m for Lamala…. Mata seems like pretty good business to me.

When you put it like that! :lol:


BTW did Spuds really pay 30 million for Lamala!?!

 

[PGowdy]

when Chelsea pay £30m for Willian (lol) and Spurs 30m for Lamala…. Mata seems like pretty good business to me.

When you put it like that! :lol:


BTW did Spuds really pay 30 million for Lamala!?!

£25.8m up front and an additional £4.2m in bonus payments. Making him Spurs biggest signing in the history of the club.
He sits on the bench next to Harry Kane.

 

[Dark Sith Lord]

But I was just thinking qualifying for a Major final would have injected some belief back into the squad

Ehh Liam, that was the worthless cup last night, so named because........... :lol:

:lol: :lol: Its at wembley and a european place is up for grabs and it would have been against our local rivals so it certainly would have been worthless for us this year. i see where you coming from tho

 

[Dark Sith Lord]

Well after the League Cup SF draw looks like a nailed on Manchester derby for the final. Cant see either Sunderland or WHU winning over the course of too legs

I gonna try making a ridicolous comment once more -

" Someone might as well keep Man City the title and say everybody travelling to wembley to see a possession"

Now I hope I am to be made a idot again and Sunderland win :lol: