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Arsenal:
played 4, points 12
Chelsea:
played 4, points 12
Man Utd:
played 4, points 5
Four games into the season, and we're already seven points off the pace? My god, we're not making things easy for ourselves here. I know we're injury-struck, but we should at least have enough depth to put up something of a fight.
Maybe we've been unlucky in a couple of games, but we've never looked completely convincing. The League doesn't lie, so they say. Early days to complain, I know. But I will anyway :)
I think what we really need is a new midfield. If you look back five years ago to our team of '99, we had probably the best midfield around. Giggs, Scholes, Keane, and Beckham - all in their prime. You might point out we still have three of those four. That's a very good point. In fact, that's *exactly* the point. Players who were at their peak five years ago are no longer what they once were. Scholes has been inconsistent for quite some time now, and fails to impress more often than not. Giggs still does well, but he's received his fair share of criticism - something that would have been unheard of five years ago. As for Keane? To be honest I think his reputation gets him through. Still influential, yes. Still a good player, yes. But an injury-prone ghost of what he once was.
Even so, they're still better players than most of the new 'talent' we have lined up in midfield. With the exception of Christiano Ronaldo, we have nobody that would ever make it off the bench if they'd been competing with the team we used to have...
played 4, points 12
Chelsea:
played 4, points 12
Man Utd:
played 4, points 5
Four games into the season, and we're already seven points off the pace? My god, we're not making things easy for ourselves here. I know we're injury-struck, but we should at least have enough depth to put up something of a fight.
Maybe we've been unlucky in a couple of games, but we've never looked completely convincing. The League doesn't lie, so they say. Early days to complain, I know. But I will anyway :)
I think what we really need is a new midfield. If you look back five years ago to our team of '99, we had probably the best midfield around. Giggs, Scholes, Keane, and Beckham - all in their prime. You might point out we still have three of those four. That's a very good point. In fact, that's *exactly* the point. Players who were at their peak five years ago are no longer what they once were. Scholes has been inconsistent for quite some time now, and fails to impress more often than not. Giggs still does well, but he's received his fair share of criticism - something that would have been unheard of five years ago. As for Keane? To be honest I think his reputation gets him through. Still influential, yes. Still a good player, yes. But an injury-prone ghost of what he once was.
Even so, they're still better players than most of the new 'talent' we have lined up in midfield. With the exception of Christiano Ronaldo, we have nobody that would ever make it off the bench if they'd been competing with the team we used to have...
Bare in mind, though, that, in the last few games, Eric Djemba-Djemba has actually shown some good signs of coming along quite nicely.
As has David Bellion - a player I have admired if only for his pace. With the goals he's already scored this season, his confidence is on the rise, and so, as you'd expect, his football will continue to follow.
Darren Fletcher hasn't done too badly, he's just adjusting to new things. Without so many 'regulars' around him, as a Scotland international (and captain!), he knows a lot of weight bares upon his shoulders to take things in his own stride and make all the right descisions in a different position to last season.
And he's still so young...
As has David Bellion - a player I have admired if only for his pace. With the goals he's already scored this season, his confidence is on the rise, and so, as you'd expect, his football will continue to follow.
Darren Fletcher hasn't done too badly, he's just adjusting to new things. Without so many 'regulars' around him, as a Scotland international (and captain!), he knows a lot of weight bares upon his shoulders to take things in his own stride and make all the right descisions in a different position to last season.
And he's still so young...
It seems the easy option to blame our poor start to the season on the age-old excuse of 'Too Many Injuries', but, when you look at who has been missing from our squad so far and the youth lacking great experience were are more-or-less 'stuck' with, it has to be the only answer, right?
Signing new players isn't gonna be the answer - that's why it hasn't happened. We've got the players, but, for one reason or another, some of the vital ones (van Nistelrooy and Ferdinand) have been unavailable.
Perhaps we could do with one, maybe two, addittions (another back-up to Roy Keane now Nicky Butt's gone?) - but, signing a player like Wayne Rooney when you already (when fit and ready) have 4 top-draw strikers with you, that is not the kind of deal that should be going on.
I'd really like to save this for another thread, but I, also see no sense in signing the Everton striker (whether or not it all goes through in-time).
When Rio Ferdinand returns from his ban and Heinze's raring to go after winning Gold in the Olympics, we should have rather a strong and solid defense, as soon as they get to know each other. No more 'playing other players in make-shift positions'!
Ronaldo's finally back, Roy Keane has already shown he's still going (even though he's injured now), Giggs is still as vital as ever and, sooner or later, Paul Scholes has got to get back to his beloved best.
And, as Alan Smith has already shown, we have enough strength behind Ruud van Nistelrooy to keep the goals firing in.
The real problem is, players like Eric Djemba-Djemba, David Bellion, Darren Fletcher and others have been forced in earlier than Sir Alex Ferguson would've liked. They're still learning. Although, one-day, they will be ready for this kind of football. Not right now...
During the summer, a manager must conduct his squad with the preparations for the likely event that 'one-or-two' will fall victims to some kind of injury or suspension as the pre-season closes down. But, the number United have already... You could never anticipate that!
Only a team like Chelsea could be ready for something like the kind of torment our squad's suffered so far this year - though, would we really want to be anything quite like them!? :S
Signing new players isn't gonna be the answer - that's why it hasn't happened. We've got the players, but, for one reason or another, some of the vital ones (van Nistelrooy and Ferdinand) have been unavailable.
Perhaps we could do with one, maybe two, addittions (another back-up to Roy Keane now Nicky Butt's gone?) - but, signing a player like Wayne Rooney when you already (when fit and ready) have 4 top-draw strikers with you, that is not the kind of deal that should be going on.
I'd really like to save this for another thread, but I, also see no sense in signing the Everton striker (whether or not it all goes through in-time).
When Rio Ferdinand returns from his ban and Heinze's raring to go after winning Gold in the Olympics, we should have rather a strong and solid defense, as soon as they get to know each other. No more 'playing other players in make-shift positions'!
Ronaldo's finally back, Roy Keane has already shown he's still going (even though he's injured now), Giggs is still as vital as ever and, sooner or later, Paul Scholes has got to get back to his beloved best.
And, as Alan Smith has already shown, we have enough strength behind Ruud van Nistelrooy to keep the goals firing in.
The real problem is, players like Eric Djemba-Djemba, David Bellion, Darren Fletcher and others have been forced in earlier than Sir Alex Ferguson would've liked. They're still learning. Although, one-day, they will be ready for this kind of football. Not right now...
During the summer, a manager must conduct his squad with the preparations for the likely event that 'one-or-two' will fall victims to some kind of injury or suspension as the pre-season closes down. But, the number United have already... You could never anticipate that!
Only a team like Chelsea could be ready for something like the kind of torment our squad's suffered so far this year - though, would we really want to be anything quite like them!? :S
Has been a freak start to the season, everyone it seems gets injured and we put out a very poor team against Chelsea (surprised we only lost that 1-0) scraped past Norwich but then we've been magnificent against Blackburn and Everton only for some Keepers who've obviously had their weetabix before the game and a post that by the end of the Everton game looked like it filled the whole goal to deny us. We're making the chances but unfortuantely they're not going in
Couple of good things though already this season, Spector looks a class act and we need some more Yanks in the Prem :-D Ronaldo looks as good as he ever was leaving defenders flat on their asses as he dances past and Kleberson looks very good now Fergie, as i campaigned for him to do last season, gives him a decent run. Forget about taking him off take that useless lump Fletcher off, he passes more to the opposition then anyone else on the park.Kleberson can actually cross a ball too as well as being able to spank some long range rockets. I can see him getting a few goal of the season contenders already.
Soon as we get everyone back including the awesome Ruuuuuuuuud, the magic shall once again be happening, trouble is by then it'll probably be too late
Couple of good things though already this season, Spector looks a class act and we need some more Yanks in the Prem :-D Ronaldo looks as good as he ever was leaving defenders flat on their asses as he dances past and Kleberson looks very good now Fergie, as i campaigned for him to do last season, gives him a decent run. Forget about taking him off take that useless lump Fletcher off, he passes more to the opposition then anyone else on the park.Kleberson can actually cross a ball too as well as being able to spank some long range rockets. I can see him getting a few goal of the season contenders already.
Soon as we get everyone back including the awesome Ruuuuuuuuud, the magic shall once again be happening, trouble is by then it'll probably be too late
We missed that final ball yesterday and are in need of a creative central midfield to provide ammunition for the strikers. Wing play alone is not good enough and I think that is one of the reasons why kleberson started ahead of Giggs yesterday, he showed flashes of brilliance but we really need him show his worth now.
Utd don't have the quality replacements that they once had too.
The likes of Fortune, Djemba-Djemba shouldn't be playing.
When everyone is fully fit and available for selection there will be quite a good team and a few decent subs but there isn't really a full squad of decent players that should be able to challenge in the league and europe.
They need another defender and midfielder just to strengthen numbers.
The likes of Fortune, Djemba-Djemba shouldn't be playing.
When everyone is fully fit and available for selection there will be quite a good team and a few decent subs but there isn't really a full squad of decent players that should be able to challenge in the league and europe.
They need another defender and midfielder just to strengthen numbers.
Any team that puts The Mighty Giggsy on the bench in favour of Kleberson deserves to get relegated.
No sign of the Rooney transfer yet. But still a few hours left.
Fingers crossed...
Fingers crossed...
Really should have won today, woodwork was struck on 4 bloody occasions. Giggs should have started.
Kleberson has been showing some flashes of genius in the last couple of games. If he can stay injury free he might turn into a class act.
Only one Rio-less game left ya know! him and Silvestre were so solid. Its seems as though Silvestre has fortgotten how to defend without Rio on occasions...
And Heinze will be in now. he was a rock in the argentina team who didnt even concede a goal in the olympics!
Another thing...remember last season was uniteds best ever start to a prem season? We were top of the league at half way even though Arsenal hadnt lost! Good starts are usually bad!
Kleberson has been showing some flashes of genius in the last couple of games. If he can stay injury free he might turn into a class act.
Only one Rio-less game left ya know! him and Silvestre were so solid. Its seems as though Silvestre has fortgotten how to defend without Rio on occasions...
And Heinze will be in now. he was a rock in the argentina team who didnt even concede a goal in the olympics!
Another thing...remember last season was uniteds best ever start to a prem season? We were top of the league at half way even though Arsenal hadnt lost! Good starts are usually bad!
I don't think all your players are past it. I just don't think they are playing as well as they could.
Smith has added grit you needed and Mr Step over had added some flair. It is your defence that I look at and think...who?
Smith has added grit you needed and Mr Step over had added some flair. It is your defence that I look at and think...who?
Arsenal:
played 4, points 12
Chelsea:
played 4, points 12
Man Utd:
played 4, points 5
Four games into the season, and we're already seven points off the pace? My god, we're not making things easy for ourselves here. I know we're injury-struck, but we should at least have enough depth to put up something of a fight.
Maybe we've been unlucky in a couple of games, but we've never looked completely convincing. The League doesn't lie, so they say. Early days to complain, I know. But I will anyway :)
I think what we really need is a new midfield. If you look back five years ago to our team of '99, we had probably the best midfield around. Giggs, Scholes, Keane, and Beckham - all in their prime. You might point out we still have three of those four. That's a very good point. In fact, that's *exactly* the point. Players who were at their peak five years ago are no longer what they once were. Scholes has been inconsistent for quite some time now, and fails to impress more often than not. Giggs still does well, but he's received his fair share of criticism - something that would have been unheard of five years ago. As for Keane? To be honest I think his reputation gets him through. Still influential, yes. Still a good player, yes. But an injury-prone ghost of what he once was.
Even so, they're still better players than most of the new 'talent' we have lined up in midfield. With the exception of Christiano Ronaldo, we have nobody that would ever make it off the bench if they'd been competing with the team we used to have...
played 4, points 12
Chelsea:
played 4, points 12
Man Utd:
played 4, points 5
Four games into the season, and we're already seven points off the pace? My god, we're not making things easy for ourselves here. I know we're injury-struck, but we should at least have enough depth to put up something of a fight.
Maybe we've been unlucky in a couple of games, but we've never looked completely convincing. The League doesn't lie, so they say. Early days to complain, I know. But I will anyway :)
I think what we really need is a new midfield. If you look back five years ago to our team of '99, we had probably the best midfield around. Giggs, Scholes, Keane, and Beckham - all in their prime. You might point out we still have three of those four. That's a very good point. In fact, that's *exactly* the point. Players who were at their peak five years ago are no longer what they once were. Scholes has been inconsistent for quite some time now, and fails to impress more often than not. Giggs still does well, but he's received his fair share of criticism - something that would have been unheard of five years ago. As for Keane? To be honest I think his reputation gets him through. Still influential, yes. Still a good player, yes. But an injury-prone ghost of what he once was.
Even so, they're still better players than most of the new 'talent' we have lined up in midfield. With the exception of Christiano Ronaldo, we have nobody that would ever make it off the bench if they'd been competing with the team we used to have...