Aug 21
Manchester United launch £20m bid for Wesley Sneijder
I thought that might grab your attention. I’ll apologise now for falsely raising your hopes and expectations as, let’s be honest, this sort of transfer doesn’t look likely to happen in the immediate future.
Although I have to admit that if I were in Sir Alex Ferguson’s shoes, I would be trying damn hard to ensure that this, or a deal of similar proportions, was completed before the end of the current transfer window.
I know it’s hardly a revelation, but I think it’s plain obvious that we lack a creative spark in midfield that is capable of unlocking even the tightest of defensive systems. Ronaldo was clearly capable of doing that from a wide area but now I believe it’s time for a whole new change of tack.
A direct replacement for the Portuguese would’ve been nice, no doubt. Franck Ribery would’ve gone some way to filling the gap but I certainly wouldn’t have been comfortable parting with anything in excess of £40 million.
I’m of the opinion that if Fergie is so hell bent on changing his formation to accommodate the departure of Ronaldo, an attacking midfielder in the Sneijder mould is exactly what we’re after.
I know many of you will argue that we already have enough decent centre midfielders battling it out for two starting berths in the team. Ofcourse it’s difficult to dislodge Darren Fletcher but I don’t see who else justifiably deserves the other slot.
Michael Carrick definitely brings an array of qualities to the table but while a Hollywood pass and expert vision are pleasing on the eye, Carrick isn’t the penetrative player that I feel we’re crying out for.
Cue goal-shy Anderson. I’m a huge fan of the Brazilian but I have to admit that I’m yet to see the attacking qualities that so many fans rave about. I’m not suggesting for one minute that he doesn’t have that in his locker but he’s yet to really step-up to the plate and demonstrate exactly what he’s all about. Then again it doesn’t help when Ferguson chucks him out on the left wing.
So that leaves us with Giggs, Scholes, Gibson and Hargreaves. Well while I’m certain that Giggs and Scholes are still capable of doing a job in certain games, I don’t feel they should be commanding a place in the side week in week out, for obvious reasons.
As for Gibson and Hargreaves, well the latter won’t be up to much while he continues his recovery and the young Irishman is yet to convince me that he’s ready for regular football at the highest level for United despite a succession of decent performances.
Now, at the cut price he’s inevitably going to be available for, I think Real Madrid’s Wesley Sneijder ticks all the right boxes.
Every time I’ve seen the 25-year-old play he’s never ceased to impress me. While he’s got the ability to beat a man and drive forward, his range of passing is hardly a weakness of his overall game too. Anyone that saw his performances at Euro 2008 will have seen what a quality player he really is and surely he’s got to be worth a punt?
I’m sure many United fans will point to his relatively poor injury record but while he probably won’t last a full season without a couple of trips to the physio’s room, I’d hardly place him in the same perilous category as the likes of Michael Owen.
The best part about the current situation regarding Sneijder? It appears he’s not wanted at current club Madrid. Inter have emerged as the favourites for his signature and, to be fair, that’s where I expect him to end up but if I were in charge at Old Trafford, I’d certainly be tempted to test Real’s resolve.
Note: There was one more post published earlier today (surprise, surprise!). It’s a take on the recent Hillsborough t-shirt incident.
Related items from Red Rants:
- On Sneijder, Balotelli, Ozil et al…
- Is Fergie in for a £100m Summer spending spree?
- Can Barca be beaten in Europe?
- Is Arjen Robben worth a punt? Here are some stats
- The next Paul Scholes: Sneijder, Modric or Nasri – who would you prefer?
Tags: Manchester United News
Opti (541)
Stephen (479)
RedDevilEddy (459)
Craig Mc (345)
Moscow is my heaven (272)
He is a player I have long said we should have signed.
He is what we need and a perfect replacement for Scholes.
Even if Ronnie had stayed Wesley would be a player I would sign.
Our centre midfield has never posed the same threat since Scholes has retreated to a deep lying position…so SIGN HIM FERGIE ASAP!
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Wow. Cheated my attention :p
That said, I’m not sure I agree. We have a formation that doesn’t use an attacking midfielder, andg etting one would disrupt our current team. Plus this Ljajic fellow is supposed to be rather good, and he comes in a few months now. Plus Sneijder can’t actually finish a full 90…dunno.
I don’t think we’re making any more transfers. Unless it’s a defender, due to doubts about Rio (which is a f*cking travesty).
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Fergie was announcing on Sky Sports that he wasn’t planning on making any new signings so Id be amazed if this deal came off. But I think Sneijdger would be absolutely perfect for us. I also remember his hugely impressive tournament at the Euros. He is a goalscoring midfielder with a lot of experience, a nice pass, with a lot of creativity.
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that will be an amzing transfer for us.. he sill gave what we are missing now.. but too bad, it will not happened i believed..
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This is indeed someone we desperatly need ever since we were left lacking in Rome. If not Sneider then someone similar. At the minute we are pedestrian and lack not only goals but that creative spark needed to unlock any defence. I’m afraid for the coming months’ before January when we might have to change our non-buying policy, when our league position is not what it should be for the best team in the world
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@Beachryan: Aplogies again for the misleading headline!
Do you not feel that Sneijder could be played in a midfield pair then? Surely Fletcher could sit more often giving Sneijder freedom to push on a bit more?
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I always hate to say i told you so and hate being negatve but this united team has for the past three years been carried by Ronaldo and i predicted its going to be exposed once he left.
We now dont have a genuine world class player in attack and even if we got one,iam afraid the problem is with the manager.The team can not play together for a sustained period and apart from the defence and Rooney,no one is assured of a staring place which is worrying and the players we have are forced to play a cowardly defensive game.Arsenal and Barca dont have superior players especially at the back but they play a certain game that allows any gifted player to fit in,on the other hand we train our players to play like robots and bore fans as much as possible.
it is not just one or two games but you have to take anti depressnat drugs to watch united nowadays
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I wonder if its a case of “I don’t want to come to England”. I can’t believe no club here haven’t tried to sign him for the cut price as well.
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Sign him quick, we need agood midfielder , spend spend spend
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@Stephen Darwin: I agree with you there. Sneijder could be employed in a goalscoring CAM role, like Scholes in his prime, with Fletcher shoring things up. Or if Hargo comes back, the Canadian should play in front of the defence, with Fletch providing bite in central midfield and Sneijder playing behind Rooney and Berbatov. As Beachryan said however, I would like to see what Ljajic has to offer first, though I doubt he would be thrown straight into the first team at 18.
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Stephen, you have to be careful mate when you create a thread like this because I didn’t just wake up and come over to Red Rants to see this misleading headline floor me. No, I always go over to the incredibly untrustworthy blog called NEWSNOW to gather up interesting headlines despite the fact 90% of them are bullshit. Well your thread was at the very top under the Manchester United category and of course I was intrigued until I read your first paragraph. I should have known this was just fantasy or speculation. As if Fergie would actually find wisdom somewhere within in his senile brain and listen to me after months have passed and I had given up shouting out names like Wesley Sneijder as potential signings.
Trust me, Wesley Sneijder would be a great signing but he is not going to be a messiah if by some miracle of physics he should end up at OT. No, from what I have seen, we are in serious trouble and we need a lot more than just Wesley Sneijder. Add to that one more box to box midfielder and a superstar forward and then maybe we can all sleep well. And then next season I would definitely add the name of one Manuel Neuer or Rene Adler and put to rest the myth or fantasy that Ben Foster will be the heir to EVDS. Right now he’s not good enough to displace the starting keeper at Burnley. So lets keep the Sneijder fantasy alive. Even if it’s only high fantasy to be compared to things like The Lord of the Rings or Narnia. Steven, consider yourself right up there with J.R.R. Tolkien.
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@Grognard: That’s probably the worst thing about the headline, the chances of it happening are…well there’s more chance of Michael Owen starting every game this season.
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If we do not have the funds to make another 10 mill plus bid we should at least look at Van der Vaart. He is another attacking MF with a good sense of one touch play and contributes goals too! he should be available for around that!!
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Okay I’m off to Manc land – for a weekend of good ale and football, and great banter with a great bunch of Salford lads. Red Ranter behave yourself while I am away
, and keep an eye on that little love struck guy Eddi 
. To all United fans reading this and going to the game – lets rock the Wigan stands lads 
.
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@Stephen Darwin: Too true mate.
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First time I am actually sad that the weekend arrived…
Damn, this is new! 
Im actually looking forward to school on Monday!
And for the record, I made a big step today…
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@Craig Mc: Enjoy yourself mate, you lucky bastard!
Going to Manc land to catch up with the lads, having a pint and screaming your fucking head off in the JJB stands. Hope United fuck those bitchezz!!! 
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@Stephen Darwin: It’s like another headline I read there the other day about van der Saar blasting Michael Owen saying he didn’t nobody liked him and calling others names. We are all led to believe it because it becomes a headline there and everyone is going to hit on the link out of curiosity wanting to know why he would say such a things. Then you go to the site of the crime and find out it’s a comedy video sketch where somebody adds his questions over a real video interview of EVDS and deletes the real interviewers questions and places his own funny but ridiculous ones instead. I fell for it by going there and many others did too but I can believe that many who go there will not realize that it is comedy and edited for that purpose and will actually believe it. That kind of stuff has no place in journalism but that is the problem today with the world wide web. Anything goes and does.
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@Footy4Eddy: More like those bitches will fuck United. Martinez is a good coach and he will find a way to further frustrate the land of Mancunia I believe.
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Stephen, I love you mate! Everybody who likes Anderson is a loved one in my books!
As for the headline, you put and smile on my face and removed it as quick as a wax paper on a girls leg. Would have been awsome if Sneijder joined us, but as previous commenters have said its very unlikely that we will buy Sneijder. Unfortunately.
We sure could use some of his elegance in the middle of the park, and he is a real danger from set-pieces. Free kicks and penalties alike. So he would be a good buy, and a necesarry one as well…
Still!!!
United will never die! 
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@Grognard: Those “bitches” wont fuck United. Those “bitchezz” are going to get piledrived by United in, out, up, down and rectangular!
Martinez may be a good coach, but neither him or his team are better than Fergie and his Fledlings… 
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@Grognard: They beat Villa but lost to Wolves, so literally anything is possible…..
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I love Schneijder and he would be a great centermid – he also is comparatively diligent in his defensive tasks, unlike Canderrick (Carrick-Anderson, the two headed monster).
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His arrogance, ignorance and attitude towards the fans and the situation is absolutely amazing. Just who does he think really pays his salary? He has done a lot for us over the years but as the old saying goes, “What have you done for us lately?
http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2009/aug/21/sir-alex-ferguson-no-more-signings-manchester-united
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@Footy4Eddy: I fucking hate anderson
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@Traverse: Yes and Burnley lost to Stoke before playing us. It’s really a funny game.
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@Footy4Eddy: Does that mean I’m not a love one?
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@Footy4Eddy: Neither was Burnley.
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@Grognard: I think in recent years, hes become naive in thinking it was a team effort instead of a ronaldo show. He honestly thinks a squad with the likes of neville and scholes and park and anderson is good enough to win the champions league.
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@Elliott: I prefer Canderrickson myself.
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wow fergie and phelan are breaking my balls.
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@Grognard: I prefer to call them shit players
well one of them is…
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@Dan: So what does that make him? If this was any other manager in world football, we’d all be calling a fucking loony toon and a total muppet. But we know different. We know what he’s capable of, or should I say what he was once capable of. It’s clear to me as I see him sitting on his hands and being expressionless during a match that this is not the same person that kicked a boot in Beckham’s face or that read the riot act to the team after a loss and had them stay on the pitch and to running drills.
Something has changed. I think it’s a combination of two factors. He has aged and really mellowed and he has his hands tied by the the Glazer’s and cannot spend the money he needs to improve the team. And if I am wrong on the latter, then he has got some fucking nerve walking around and not spending the Ronaldo money while spouting off BS about the escalating costs of players when he along with Real Madrid are both equally guilty of spiking up the valuation of players through the Ronaldo sale. This coming from a manager who would pay well over the reasonable for Veron, Rooney, Rio, Carrick, Berbatov etc? Please, how fucking gullible does he think most of us with an IQ over that of Joey Barton are?
Alex Ferguson is a class “A” hypocrite and above all he has lied to all of us right to our faces through the tv screen. He has become a corporate lackey and yes man and for that I have lost all respect for him. That is of course if that scenario is the truth over the one where he has just mellowed and the Glazer’s are just not freeing up the funds. If that is the case, then why on Earth doesn’t he just quit? He has given his life blood to the team and to have some corporate American bastards come into town and destroy his creation would be more than I could take if I was him. No, I think he is in bed with them to be honest. And that is the saddest part of all.
Just remember his attitude to the breakaway fans of FC United. Remember how indifferent non supportive he was of their efforts to block the sale of the team to the Glazer’s? Well the truth is really coming out right now. He doesn’t give a fucking damn about the fans and above all, what the fans want and what they deserve. In his arrogance, he has given us 20 years of winning and now we should just shut up like good little spoilt addicts and go cold turkey while he saunters off into the moonlight and leaves Rome in ruins and in burning cinders. Fecking Hell!
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Grognard – replied to you in the Hillsborough thread.
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@Traverse: Am I the only one here who is of the belief that Aston Villa might be bottom 10 club this season? Two games this season and they look toothless and tired.
@Red Ranter: RR, you totally had me going, YES! Schneijder has arrived! But not so… nice hook!
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@Grognard: Of cource I love you mate!
Just because you dont like/hate/wanna boil Anderson it doesnt mean I dont like you. You know that mate! 
Besides, you like Foster. That gives you a major plus in my book!
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@Dan: I fucking hate Dan!
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@[OPTI]Madschester United: Sorry about that mate.
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does anyone have any idea why my computer refuses to load any guardian article recently?? there have been loads that look like a good read but it just gives me the blank screen and the forever loading bar… wtf? any ideas?
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@Will: I’ve just come off the Guardian website so there is nothing wrong with the site itself.
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What’s “perilous” about Owen’s fitness? Yes, he had a bad injury (ligaments) and then when he came back, some oaf jumped on his foot and broke it. That could happen to anybody. That is not being injury prone unless you know somebody with unbreakable feet.
as for this:
His arrogance, ignorance and attitude towards the fans and the situation is absolutely amazing. Just who does he think really pays his salary? He has done a lot for us over the years but as the old saying goes, “What have you done for us lately?
I haven’t read all the posts so may have taken it out of context but you can’t be serious or have just been born into Fergie’s reign which has guaranteed success. Try supporting the Reds without Fergie. You’ll no doubt be off like a shot after 6 months of mediocrity. Another spoilt JCL from the sound of it.
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@Footy4Eddy: Foster? Yes I do love my Fozzy Bear. He’s so cute and cuddly and he just stops everything in sight now doesn’t he? What’s there not to love?
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@Will: Try clearing the cache from your computer. Hopefully that will work. Also, if your computer has been on for a long time, it tends to load a lot of stuff into the RAM and that makes the performance sluggish. Turn it off for 30 seconds then restart and then see if things improve. These things usually work for me when stuff like that happens.
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@Red Rupert: Listen dumb ass, I have supported the Reds for fifteen years before Fergie showed up so take your insults and insinuations and piss off newbie. You come on here for the first time and know nobody on here or there history and you make moral decisions against me? Fuck off. I don’t like getting personal but you have no business preaching to me. As for Fergie, the nature of his job makes him public domain when it comes to praise and abuse. I have praised him for two decades. Now it’s time he receives a little grief. So stick your moral high ground up your ass.
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@Grognard: I have to say I enjoy reading your rants..but sometimes you are a bit off in your comments…I think Fergie’s biggest failing thus far has been tactics…I don’t think we can buy ourselves out of this current problem without totally changing the team which at this point is impractical…considering Fergie shelled out 30m last year for Berba tells me his hands have never been tied by the Glazers…if he did attempt to spend..it would be 40m upwards on a striker and we would want to hang him in a year when that guy was still settling into the squad…I think bar the Owen signing, I think our transfer dealings have been on. The problem with the Owen signing is that it prevents us from going for an Aguero type player who would need to play every week…he was free but becomes more expensive for every chance he doesn’t put away that maybe a Macheda could have a go at…Berba unfortunately is another who can’t be left out of the side because of his price tag…the thing I do want to see happen is for the young talent to come through…as many know on this blog there are some very talented young players on the verge of breaking through our youth system…to buy would not allow for that youth like Macheda, Welbeck, Petrucci, Morrison, Cleverly, King, Drinkwater (and others coming in Jan like Diouf and Llajic) etc to develop and come through…I am not disillusioned to think we will win the league this year but I think we all need to calm down..worst case we will rebuild this year and finish in a respectable position…I don’t feel Fergie is faultless but I do think he is doing a good thing in giving youth an existing players a chance. Definitely he is relying on strikers who have never been known to be proflific to suddenly start coming so which is his biggest mistake…Rooney is not a goalscorer but a playmaker…same as Berba…maybe this Biram Diouf chap will help but by then it could all be over…. Fergie is banking on the fact that we are creating chances and hope our streaky strikers will catch on…maybe its his betting nature…this definitely feels like how things were after beckham left…we basically totally had to change our system…it took time…just as this time it will also take time…this is the time to stand up..support the current squad and the manager….I’m not ready to throw the old Geezer under the bus just yet…
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@Red Rupert: If you are interested to comment here only to make snide remarks and pass judgements on others without any idea of context then kindly and respectfully, piss off. You’re damn right you took things out of context. If you don’t understand the circumstances in which said comments were made, you have really no right to criticise. In case you want documented evidence of Ferguson actually displaying indifference towards FC United fans (which was among the things Grognard was referring to) try reading this.
I have complete respect for Ferguson despite some of his shortcomings, but I also know how to respect another’s opinion.
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@Don: Mate i dont think anyone here doesnt want to see the youngsters being blooded this season, in fact if we could blood say 3/4 players this year, get a top 3 league finish, win a trophy or 2 and return to our old attacking brand of sexy football i think most people would call it a pretty decent season. We all like seeing this team winning trophy after trophy but sometimes you have to look at things in the long term, and maybe a season of transition this year would mean that in the long term we are actually a better team.
So indeed lets give gibson a good chance, lets play welbeck and macheda whenever we can, lets start fabio if evra is playing crap and rafael the same on the right side, i think alot of people would take a season of transition to see these supremely talented kids being given their chance.
The problem i have however is with ferguson coming out this summer saying we wont buy big because we want to give the youngsters a chance which i think is good, and yet none of these youngsters have hardly featured. Fair enough were only 2 games in but already i see an over reliance on the oldies that makes me wonder if fergie is ever going to turn to his talented kids or is he just going to go save for his old reliable lot in his mind in place of them.
I mean if were judging on merit who deserved to start out of scholes or gibson in the birmingham game then i have to say really it should have been gibson over scholes, even though from my point of view neither deserve to start but from a choice of the 2 gibbo should have been starting. You look at scholes’ recent form, last season was a complete shocker for him really, he had 1 or 2 decent games but that was it, and any1 who watched the pre season games a few weeks ago could also see scholes was dreadful there too, so i have to wonder if scholes started in the birmingham game because he deserved it on merit or just because his name is paul scholes and fergie has known him 20 years and will of course have a soft spot for him as hes known him so long.
As i said im not a big fan of gibbo but if fergies going on about how this year is for the youngsters then why not start gibson over scholes who probably would have been more deserving of starting. If fergie doesnt have the faith to play gibson in that game then he obviously doesnt have faith in him as a top player and then you have to ask yourself why was he kept on in the first place.
But thata just 1 such instance. Another 1 going for giggs in the burnley game, i will admit giggs had a decent game there and was probably our best midfielder on the night but this just shows to me how bad our midfield really is. Surely a starting birth in a game away from home against a team who played the game as their cup final, where they would be fighting for every ball was the wrong game for a near coming on 36 year old. As i say he had a decent game looking back on it but surely if you see playing a 36 year old as our focal point in a midfield against a team like burnley is not great.
And then last but not least we have maybe the most crazy decison in neville being brought on in the burnley game. Were loosing, and we bring on neville, madness really. Why was neville picked over say the ever impressive ritchie de laet, did neville really merit being brought on or was it just because hes a legend and his name is gary neville.
This is the problem i have really, im all for the youngsters getting time but i just dont see it happening tbh, already from 2 games weve seen the 3 oldies feature in over 200 minutes already between them. Honestly giggsy imo still has something to give but i just really cant stand us not giving the youngsters more of a chance when they probably deserve to start more, i really am thinking fergie has his definite favourites and some people are getting games on their names and not on whether they deserve it.
Sorry this post is so long its just im really disappointed as ive been bigging up the youngsters for years and yet even when it seems fergie rates them he still goes with the safe option of picking a neville or a scholes over say a de laet or a gibson. I would just be disappointed in the end to see we had come 3rd playing dire football whilst not giving these young players the game time they deserve while neville and scholes get 30 odd games each.
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“He has a languid style and maybe that’s the thing that is counting against him – his style of play, rather than his actual effect on the game.”
http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2009/aug/21/manchester-united-strikers-goal-shortage
Here you have it from the horses mouth. SAF has spoken up about the Berbatov affair and by all sensibilities, this is a damning condemnation on a striker that he bought to score goals.
I may be wrong but this could be the first step in the inconceivable task of SAF admitting his folly and the slight crack of the exit door for Mr. Berbatov!!
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@Matt: I guess to me, the concept of giving a chance to the youngsters is a solid choice, and if we are to accept a less than stellar season, to blood them is a good philosophy.
However, when I look up and down the roster of young fledglings, I see perhaps, 3 players that could be selected without embarrassing themselves in a competitive game (De Laet, Macheda, Gibson). Fabio and Rafael are defenders that have yet to learn to defend and Tosic has not impressed at the top level at all. Welbeck has had a moment or two, but really looks clumsy and out-of-his-league.
With all this said and done, you would have to look at these fledglings as the future of the team – carrying the potential to again, take us to the heights we are accustomed to.
Now I don’t know about you, but that scenario is a little scary for me. Having watched United fall from grace and spend almost 20 years supporting their vain efforts to recover, I’m a little more than anxious to insure that we have enough talent in our ranks to avoid this kind of situation again!!
I’ll go out on a limb here, and say that United, over the next 12 months will address their needs through the transfer market. My big concern is why we didn’t do it this summer.
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Oi Groghead,
“what has he done Lately”? Just made us champions for the 18th and his 11th time. That’s all.
I’m not even planning on being a newbie cos I have other things to do instead of wasting time on here with pricks like you. I’ll take your advice and unsubscibe.
Didn’t realise I was dealing with the FCUM idiots. Pity you didn’t buy shares instead of spraying “die Glazer” to show what big a red you are.
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