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Sometimes it is difficult to tell exactly what is governing our emotional responses. All I can tell you at the moment is that I am not overjoyed with what I am seeing from United. Whether this is because the current side is poor, is playing poorly or simply a wider malaise in society is at work I am not sure. Either way, things ain’t right.
It was horrible seeing Chicharito fall to the floor at the start of the game. Get well soon Javier, let’s hope the injury is not as bad as it looked. He is the guy who has been scoring the majority of our goals recently so it is particularly bad news. Wherever Rooney plays from now on he’d better have his scoring boots on.
United’s level of play cannot afford to drop any lower. Whilst this certainly hasn’t been a vintage week for the club, it is nice to collect another three Premier League points and another clean sheet. We are however, hugely indebted to how lousy Aston Villa were.
Despite Fergie’s protestations prior to the match, if I were a Villa fan right now I would be seriously unhappy. They were abject and clueless in a home game against opposition who had just lost to a lower league club. Aston Villa are the fifth most successful club in the history of this country. They should have had a go and didn’t.
United were little better and instead of winning by the healthy margin all of our main rivals posted at the weekend we stuttered over the line. The club are still on course for 90 points this season but I am a football fan not a mathematician. The games are simply a little turgid to watch right now. There is zero chance of my support and faith in the club or the manager wavering but the glum observation remains the same.
We have had it very good for a long time as United fans yet, if there is one regret I have from the last 20 years, it is that I was too nice to the City fans I know. At the moment they are being intolerably smug. Their fixtures over the next eight weeks do look pretty gruesome though, so perhaps some points will get dropped somewhere.
In the meantime of course, we face the citizens in the FA Cup third round. This is the kind of draw that can only focus the attention. Off the top of my head I can’t remember when United last went out of the cup at the first hurdle.* It definitely doesn’t happen often and I definitely don’t want it to happen this year.
Another thing it would be nice to avoid is crashing out of Europe early and in ignominy. Our performance at St. Jakob Park against Basle this Wednesday will decide the outcome of our fate on the continent in this year’s Champion’s League group stage. The Swiss are surely going to be a sterner test than Villa and if we don’t buck our ideas up we’ll be humiliated. Sorry to be glum, but right now, our performances give me few other emotions to display.
*That Leeds result from a couple of seasons ago has obviously been blocked out.
Follow Mark on twitter.com/markjpayne
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Posted by Ian Gartrell on 12/05/2011
i could not agree with you more, one of the things that impressed me the most is how we started the season , not only with big scores but with the way we played and dominated the games , i am not sure what has happened since then , i know that clevelerley is out but surely it has not been all about him , something is a miss with man u at the moment and i cant quite put my finger on it
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Posted by Hammed abiola f on 12/05/2011
Surely but slowly utd will get there. Remember 2007/8 season we were appauling in the earlier games,but in the end what happened?
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Posted by 68Devils on 12/05/2011
Well said Mark.Wish SAF shares the same concerns but i doubt it judging from his post match comments.When he thinks Nani and Rooney were terrific and Valencia was excellent than something is not right.On the contrary Mancini was more concerned with the lapse in concentration that resulted in Norwich only goal rather than praising a truly 5 star performance from City. its about time SAF looks at the flaws of his players rather than giving credits for average performance.
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Posted by Patrice-Kigali on 12/05/2011
Mark!
1. SAF needs to do something about that midfield when he still has a chance of wining something this season. Because of having no quality midfield, even the attack has been weakened!i.e Rooney asked to play there.
2. While last season's team was also poor, at least it had hunger and guts to take the game to opponents. If i had a chance of asking SAF it would be if he sees any hunger and determination in this team. Why? Because of how they seem to surrender the game when they score a goal!. This situation of scoring one goal and sit back is likely to bring back the 6-1 dubbing by City situation and the Managers needs to sit down and talk with the team.
3. I don't remember of a game in the last 6-7 when united took a game to the opponent in the whole 90 Minutes and i think the major reason is one: The team can't hold on the ball for 2 minutes! Why are they loosing the ball so often?
Surely, if you are not playing counter-attack football, you have got to hold the ball longer!
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Posted by MdHaikal on 12/05/2011
I thought that Man Utd should have scored more with the chances they created. A 1-0 scoreline doesn't settle any nerves
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Posted by SaurabhD on 12/05/2011
I have two observations to add:
1. Man Utd have to start playing a different formation as well. The standard 4-4-2 for home games and 4-5-1 for away/UCL games just do not suffice. The one big reason Real Madrid, Barcelona, Man City have done well is their formation.
2. United's midfield needs more invention and penetration. Cleverly did provide that and it was good to see a youth player do that. But against bigger side you need the experience of a senior player. Also, the current midfield players just seem unable to play in any formation other than the two mentioned above.
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Posted by aussiered on 12/05/2011
The performances of the last couple of months have lacked conviction and confidence. The squad is a talented lot but is currently suffering from an identity crisis. When was the last time SAF publicly ridiculed a players performance. That doesnt mean he is the same behind closed doors.
Without doubt there will be a clearcout in the future but not before the replacements have been secured. Until that time supporters need to sit tight and remember the good times.
Believe in United
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Posted by Ragnar on 12/05/2011
"Off the top of my head I can’t remember when United last went out of the cup at the first hurdle." Not that I wish to remember, really, but we did crash out to Leeds in the 3rd round of the FA Cup in 2010...why oh why do I remember that. Oh, and I'm sorry that I've just reminded everyone about it. :-)
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Posted by teddy on 12/05/2011
you are definitly right,united are not that menacing as before, well as the first couple of months.We are stuck in 2nd gear and it seems that it is going to take magic for us to get back on track.We have seen ratations, still with the same out come. But thats united, they can never right us off.
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Posted by Marty on 12/05/2011
The 6-1 defeat has knocked the crap out of them in my opinion.As much as we don't want it to happen'City are probably going to win the Premiership.United are second best in Manchester at the moment, a position they are not used to.I also feel SAF knows the writing is on the wall.
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Posted by Damian Garside on 12/05/2011
I think we can now start thinking that maybe a nightmare scenario is possible for this year. It includes:
1. Exit from the CL at the first stage courtesy of FC Basle
2. 3 defeats to Manchester City this season
3. (implied by 2) we go out of the F A Cup in the third round
4. We finish third or lower in the Premier League
5. Despite all of the above, there is no change at United in respect of ownership or management
6. Apart from the thumping victories at the beginning of the season, there is not a single match won by United by a margin of three or more goals.
7. Sir Alex says that the reason for the poor season was the `conspiracy' against us.
This is all within our power to change. If anything like this does happen, its painful impact may be heightened by some of the following:
(1) City win the Premier League
(2) they also win something else
(3) they score over 100 goals for this season
(4) Aguero wins the golden boot
(5) Silva wins the player of the year
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Posted by bergomi134 on 12/05/2011
I do not like fickle fans. I have never abused a ManUtd player and I hope not to. ManUtd have enjoyed good times, if patchy times come up then we must endure. We will find the rhythm once again. Away at Basle is the beginning, Glory Glory ManUtd.
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Posted by Ben on 12/05/2011
Mark,
Very well said. It captures what many feel.
A couple of points:
1. We crashed out TWO years ago at home to Leeds (I can see how that detail may not register).
2. Our current (1:0 to the Arse side) is perfect for the Basel job as a draw will do the trick. Fun to watch it will not be.
3. We remain the 2nd best side to date and what better ask can we ask for the new year when Wolves, QPR, Fulham, and Blackburn are next on the calendar while Chicha, Cleverly and Berba heal and that central midfielder that joins in January is prepared.
Finally, for my money I'd ask Scholes to do a Henrik Larson-and since the draw gods gave us the toughest one in the FA CUP maybe it is Apoel Nikosia on Friday:)
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Posted by Neo on 12/05/2011
"Off the top of my head I can’t remember when United last went out of the cup at the first hurdle"
2009/10 3rd round exit a the hands of Leeds.
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Posted by philly on 12/05/2011
The problem with the current crop of United fans, and I say that as one who has been for the last 30 years, is most are spoilt by the rate of success SAF ha brought. "Oh things aren't going our way, go buy now, doesn't matter that nowt's on the market, just buy" The manager understands that winning is an evolutionary process and so do long time fans. Chelsea are starting to understand that now, you can't always spend your way to success( and Roman has written off somewhere in the region of 250 million in debt for the team!)We are in good hands. I think no one is more aware of the state of this team than the gaffer. I will be the first to say there are many times I have doubted his decisions, especially in the early years(what, he let Paul Mcgrath go???, that Cantona lad is nothing but trouble..)but he has shown he has a handle of what needs to be done. I believe Cleverly and Giggs are the keys to unlocking Rooney's goal scoring prowess again, once the midfield is sorted, we'll be fine.
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Posted by David Smith on 12/05/2011
In my humble opinion, and I know it may sound daft to some, but this dip in SQUAD form might just be down to the 6-1. Unless something major has gone on behind the scenes, which in this day and age would be very difficult to keep out of the press, I don't know how else to explain what has come over the entire club. If the 6-1 is in fact to blame, then the 3rd round at Leastlands is their perfect tonic. Carrick was brilliant at Villa; Vidic immense as well. Nani FINALLY delivered a good cross that lead to a goal, although he's no longer taking corners. Lindegaard, at the very least, looks a very capable back up. Overall, I thought the performance at Villa was much better, especially in the first half, although we didn't quite have the attacking flair we showed against Newcastle. Still, it's threee important points, a tricky away fixture overcome and five points from the smug, noisy neighbours. United will turn to their Europan experience on Wednesday and get the job done.
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Posted by KAZEEM BELLO on 12/05/2011
All your comments are very okay but i still believe that our boys will do well in the next couple of games. It is not ao far we started the season but how well we end the season. No matter what we are passing through rite now, we will still lift the trophies. United for life
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Posted by joseph ndowa on 12/05/2011
Though our team has been grinding results it looks like you really need to have steel nerves to withstand these 1-0 scorelines for 90 minutes.hope SAF will change his mind see the logic of beefing up the squad during the next transfer window.the good thing is at least we are getting the points but there is a ray of hope that the current team can up their display to a higher to a higher level .
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Posted by robert rogers on 12/05/2011
Aston Villa fan here from way back when you went to a game to see good football no matter who played it. The other lot got a round of applause when they did something good.Remember those days? Anyhow on Saturday my hands would have been in my pockets all game long Never have I seen such an abject performance in my life,and I was at VP when we were in the 3rd Div. The football in those days was attack and if you let a goal in attack stronger. Just like Man U used to play until this season.Our Scotsman is not the shadow of yours and the sooner he's gone,the better. He plays the game of not being beat too bad instead of looking for a result. Well, it's a well known fact that you can go a whole season and not get beat and still get relegated .Looks like us going down this year then-------- cheers
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Posted by Arjun on 12/05/2011
Mark,
Its just a case of too many injuries in our threadbare positions (read central medfield). We'll be back to our goalscoring best in January.
Till then..
Believe
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Posted by Kapil on 12/05/2011
totally agree with aussiered....what SAF says in front of the media is totally different from what he says in the dressing room.....and its only a matter of time now before United get back to top form (the 6-1 loss is very hard to digest and will take some time)....
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Posted by Radu on 12/05/2011
United's started playing terribly after the 6 goal drubbing by City. They knew they've lost the league at that point.
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Posted by Akula on 12/05/2011
Our performance is down to poor selection by SAF. When we lost to city at home, our bench had Vidic, gigs, park, valencia, berba and Chicha who are all better than the people who started that day.
Again, until we buy a proper midfielder, we need to start either Giggs or Ando in the middle. they are they only Two who press or attack in our midfield. others simply play safe by passing backwards. SAF should have seen that 2 years ago. that said SAF is still the best to have happened to us and he will turn it around
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Posted by TBAK on 12/05/2011
I think we fans should send an open letter to SAF through Mark.
Too many hypertensive moments this season and we are not sure how much we can hold on.
I hope Wednesday's result is in our favour or else, we will be playing with our noisy neighbours in Europa league. ... ouch!
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Posted by Brent on 12/05/2011
A United fan calling anyone else "intolerably smug" is downright ridiculous.
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Posted by Abdul on 12/05/2011
I am a United supporter through and through. The initial part of the season the team played "keep ball" and eventually carved out enough chances and in doing so also limited the other teams attacking abilities.
The last 2 months or so, the biggest downfall has been the poor possession ability of the team. There are too many passes going astray and SAF needs to seriously address the careless surrender of possession. It is all well and good to try the fancy flick or thread the needle with a pass but if we continually give the ball away we cannot gain confidence or dictate the match.
The running off the ball has decreased because the frontline players are not sure if the passing is going to be acurate enough. Come United, practice, practice , practice those basic passes and the visionary passes will come back with us controlling the ball for longer periods.
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Posted by dubs on 12/05/2011
Key away points secured... Well done Phil Jones. He certainly shows he's got goals in him - young, willing and able from many a position. Carrick looked the most determined i've seen him be in some time. Fantastic charge in taking over the midfield. Also, he's showing some of that confidence in hitting incisive interior passes and lurking nearer to the action at the 18. Very positive indeed. Wazza is due for a brace. He gets two shots at it this coming week - fingers crossed he comes through.
My hope is we have both center halves for the Basle match. I don't care if Rio needs to lay in a hyperbaric chamber to and from, but we certainly need the rigidity in the back that only he and Vida provide on a consistent basis.
TRUST IN SAF, TRUST IN UNITED...and the reds go marching on.
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Posted by nick the villan on 12/06/2011
McLeish must be still on Birmingham City's payroll! Gods he's awful. This is worse than when we got relegated.
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Posted by IamUnited21 on 12/06/2011
I cannot expresses the satisfaction and the relief to have read this and now know that im not the only one feeling like this as a fan its dissapointing to see the team one support playing mediocre football I strongly believe our problems are the lack of crativity in midfield dropping rooney to try a scholes role its clever but its backfiring on us rooney doesnt play midfield hes a striker he needs someone to provide him and chicharito with goals to me sneijder would have done so much good to us a different kind of player makes everyone around him play better but we do not have him and the reality is city is killing the league because they pretty much bought the premiership with that kind squad and with unlimited funds any team does wonders and tottenham who are a point behind us and with a game in hand and playing wonderful..
But im not going to lose hope united's fire is still there we just need a spark..
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Posted by revlino on 12/06/2011
am a die hard man u fan in zimbabwe but ever since that hiding from our noisy neighbours we have hit a dry patch i think our biggest downfall is our midfield.we need our anchorman to be a bulldozer look at yaya toure,we also need creativity like what david silva is doing and like one observer pointed out we need to adapt to possession football coz if you dont have the ball you are under pressure you will be defending a lot but whatever happens this season we are red devls for life we will be back
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Posted by Aegean1985 on 12/06/2011
Funny how this is one of Utd's best starts in many seasons and everyone is so unhappy with the performances. Irony.
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Posted by kardajo on 12/06/2011
wow everyone is making lists of what they want...
First off the problem with utd at the moment has nothing to do with any signings or players, yes we are hurt by a ton of injuries, but that happens. The problem with Utd is simply that we don't hit the target any more. Against Newcastle I was actually laughing in disbelief that we couldn't score with the chances we had and against Villa it defied belief that we didn't get another as well. This is a symptom that is across the board in the shooting department. Wee were clinical before and now we're not.
On the other hand, our defense is letting in a lot fewer goals and we've mostly been in control of the games we've played (I don't even consider the Crystal Palace game a Utd team at the moment) That being said. Yes, something is wrong. But a new signing isn't going to fix that unless said signing is a striking coach. All our players are playing well enough at the moment. Cleverly will be a huge boost when he returns.
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Posted by Suhail on 12/06/2011
Some perspective is handy. 33 points out of 42 is championship winning form, even if it's not swaggering easy victories. This sort of form gets you 90 points if sustained over the season, enough to have won the premiership in every year since its inception (I stand to be corrected on that one, but I can't recall the runner up finishing on more than 86 points since the move to 3 points for a win).
The problem is that other teams are not getting results against city. Teams are travelling to Eastlands with the fear they used to have coming to OT. If other teams don't take points off City then what we do is pointless, even if we beat them in the return fixture.
I think the psychological effect of the 6-1 is affecting the entire league. Other teams are terrified of having a go at them seeing how they carved us up.
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Posted by Daniel on 12/07/2011
It is time to support, not time to demand, our team is an ENORMOUS team, many clubs wishes many of our players, it is a difficult time, but something true is that we must BELIEVE...
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Posted by Footballin Lad on 12/07/2011
“The players are brought up much softer, much easier than I was brought up. That's a fact. You are dealing with more fragile people. You use your experience.”–Sir Alex
Alex Ferguson’s arrogance keeps him from conforming to the new “softer” Psyche of the player, and instead romantically holds on to the life and style to which he was accustomed to as a child, and player growing up in Scotland forcing his life ideology on his player’s. Rooney could have saved some money on hair plugs if the stress from his coach, media, and fans were not constantly on his mind. Sir Alex Ferguson’s short tempered, arrogant, and down- right mean tongue-lashing player approach is a dying style. Putting players down constantly to fuel them to rise up and prove him wrong in order to achieve his victory are not acceptable in the modern game anymore. Is it any coincidence that United’s former Gary Neville is now speaking out of the verbal, and psychological abuse playing for England and United? United play in fear of losing; not for the glory of winning which is why Barcelona have been able to dominate world football. They play calm and confident with each other unselfishly as a team. Maybe it’s time for Sir Alex and step down. The Glazers should think about giving Frank RijKaard a call. What a better way for United to get revenge on Barca then to win a champions league with their former coach.
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Posted by Torontored on 12/08/2011
Ugh! Well it wasn't a terrible performance I guess which I think speaks more to our current form than anything. We had the ball for long periods and while Villa didn't look dangerous at all you have to admit even with posession in our favour we didn;t really look like scoring. At least our strikers didn't put shot on goal into touch (ahhh Hesky!)
As bad as it has been we are still ahead of last year's pace though i am afraid the light is not quite visible at the end of this tunnel yet. You figure our form has got to turn soon. 7 goals from 7 games leaves it too open to chance, a lucky goal, bad decision etc. And while last year we certainly ground out some results it never really felt this stagnant and devoid of flair, movement or creativity. Just a bunch of players making a few passes, missing others. Ho hum. The lack of a midfield general is becoming increasingly evident to almost everyone.
We have Basel today so well see if we can get a run going. not totally confident tho
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Posted by AARON MARK HENDRIX on 12/08/2011
And so I sit here,after a sleepless night,having watched another terrible united performance.Oh,we're out of the UCL.and i wore my united jersey to work.Why?Coz i still love ans upport them.Am I dissapointed?Yeah,absolutely.Am I angry.Most def!But what really hit me is is tht we aint good enuff for ntohin this season.I must say,I was probably one of the few who actually felt tht given the current form,We'd be knocked out by Basle.But if we had finished a couple of the gilt edged chances that came our way,it'd have been a different story.But this defeat just puts things inot perspective.As I have been saying all this while,this squad wont win us anything this season.Maybe nxt season,or the season after that,but not this one.Of that I have no doubt.The early wins were just us catching teams in their "current united moment" if you may.Spurs & Arsenal wouldnt have lost the way they did,though Chelsea are up for debate.Yeah we played some crisp attacking football,but we lacked one thing....
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Posted by AARON MARK HENDRIX on 12/08/2011
We didnt replace Scholes.Now,that in itself may not be possible as there'll ever only be one Paul Scholes.But we surely could have brought in someone who played in his position.I know we were all serenaded by Cleverly,and my word he'll turn out to be a gem I believe,but I dont really see him leading us to glory on all fronts,not this season for sure.He's just joined the 1st team, and despite his remarkable form,we cant be expecting him to produce miracles.He'll come good for sure,just not this season.Without Scholes,we could have still survived if Anderson,Carrick,Gibson,Fletch or even Giggsy (when he plays in midfield)were on real form,but alas,not only have they not hit the form associated with United,neither has anyone really.Eeverything was early season,and then it faded.NOW IT'S GONE.We're a shadow of ourselves,not being able to hold the ball,giving it away cheaply and committing mistakes galore.Tha's why it would have been advisable to have got a Sneijder or someone like him...
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Posted by Torontored on 12/08/2011
watched the game and to nobody's surprise, we put in another wasteful performance. I know injuries play a part but other than Chico and Cleverley who are we really waiting for to save us. In our biggest match of the season we once again trod out a midfield that is substandard. Fergie's love affair with Park again let him down. Yes he is industrious but he also gives the ball away far too much. The rest, MEH.
SO now it is the Europa, the shedule killing ugly step sister wich even teams like Stoke, Spurs and Fulham (sorry just threw up in my mouth a little) have even complained about the tournament.
Not good enough by far. No character, no nothing. Rooney hasn't scored in months and the three subs that were brought on, Macheda, Welbeck and Evans. Says it all.
The Christmas season is appraoching which is where we usually make our move but if our drop in form can be traced back the hiding from City, what does this do our psyche.
Chin up lads,
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Posted by Abhishek Unnikrishnan on 12/09/2011
United have just not been able to convert their chances and that just sums up their recent performances(ofcourse the injuries!)..Few months back United almost scored of all the chances they got vs arsenal...Vidic is out and that's a suckerpunch ...its time for the youngsters to prove their mettle ..we still have three trophies to play for( i know its sad tht we're playing in the europa league but if we end up winning it then thats an achievement too).Its tough time for us now,and SAF said, we've to pay the penalty by playing on thursday's..its tough but we're UNITED!!!!!!!!
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Posted by aussiered on 12/09/2011
Reading through the comments, i have to say to footballin lad there is a hell of alot to learn if you fear losing, that is why united have been succesful. The players have understood the options and delivered. Glory hunting players havent lasted. SAF is bang on the money and unfortuntely you are way off it. Winners hate to lose regardless of how much money they do or dont get paid. Personally i think the problem is, there arent enough local boys in the team who have United in their DNA. The 3rd round against Shitty will be the acid test again for all or a great number of squad players how they perform upto and including will determine futures. Ability and confidence are like evil twins when one goes missing the other seems to play up.
despite SAF saying how close we were getting to Barca( he must have had a fuckin cows tongue in his cheek saying it) we are contrary to belief in transition despite winning PL for 4 out of 6 and been in 3 CL finals this squad is not the finished article.
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Posted by johanzul on 12/11/2011
Well, as mentioned, most of the fans that uses their heads had already knew that with the kind of performances that MU players had shown previously and recently, we are not good enough to win CL but shockingly, even to my surprise, surely out of the CL at early stage of this competition is totally out of the fans expectation.
Anyway, served us right as the fans had already screaming for quality attacking midfielders. We are not talking quality of attacking mere 'wolves' here, we are talking team like Barca and Real, that level. But no, lets not go there since we are not up to level as team like Basel even. We have to lower our standard and expectation now.
Nobody like to loose that is a fact but educated people hates unlogically explaination of loosing. Nowdays, everything is about $$$ and self preservation, wanna develop young players and get loyalty from em' is a joke. Why Rooney makes a U-Turn not signing with Man City? B'coz what MU offered were much better than City, period.
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About
Mark Payne writes about football for a variety of media outlets. He reported on the 2010 World Cup for Australia’s ABC network and worked at one of the FIFA fan sites. He has been ESPN’s Manchester United correspondent for four years. His writing attracts a worldwide following and in 2011 this blog was nominated for an award. To contact Mark for football discussion e-mail him on markpayne.editor@hotmail.com at any time. He wears lucky socks on match days.
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