Mar 20
Manchester United vs Liverpool: Preview
Manchester United welcome great rivals Liverpool to Old Trafford on Sunday afternoon just over a year from the 4-1 result last season.
At that time Liverpool were real title challengers to United but in the end finished only four points behind the eventual champions. However, this time round Rafa Benitez’s side are way of the table–toppers’ pace, which could see them fail to finish fourth, thus missing out on the Champions League.
Sir Alex Ferguson, in his pre-match press conference was less than complimentary about the Reds’ and feels they are a team past their best:
“Did they over-perform? Yes. I think they did very well. When they got that run going they showed form and consistency,” said Ferguson
“I don’t know what they are mired in.
“I think that their challenge last year was championship form, but sometimes a team peaks with that particular team and sometimes it’s difficult to do again.”
Manchester United will enter the fray with a somewhat settled side. Edwin van der Sar will no doubt be in goal as per usual with a strong United defence in front of him. It has been 699 minutes of league football since we last conceded at home, when Gabriel Agbonlahor scored for Aston Villa in a 1-0 win on 12 December.
Starting at the back for the Red Devils will be first choice pairing of Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic; lets hope the Serbian can stay on the field for the full ninety minutes this time as he has been sent off in the last three matches between United and Liverpool. The left-back slot will be Patrice Evra’s as normal, though Ferguson will have a choice to make at right-back, the youthful exuberance of Rafael or the experience of club captain Gary Neville?
Wes Brown and John O’Shea are still sidelined. Though Jonny Evans has recovered from injury and will be on the bench for Sunday’s game.
A five-man midfield will probably be deployed as Ferguson looks to win the midfield battle. Antonio Valencia will resume right midfield duties, and Nani on the left with both expected to support lone striker Wayne Rooney. The midfield will probably line up with Michael Carrick, Darren Fletcher and Ji-Sung Park all in the middle. The Korean will probably be given the role of keeping Steven Gerrard quiet, similar to the job he did against Andrea Pirlo in the Champions League.
Ryan Giggs has recovered from his broken wrist and is available for selection, though he will probably start on the bench, alongside fellow veteran Paul Scholes. Owen Hargreaves made his long awaited comeback for the reserves on Thursday but he is well short of match fitness still, so he wont play a part.
Wayne Rooney will look to continue his fine form against Liverpool, his 25th league goal against Fulham saw him equal Ruud van Nistelrooy’s best ever league tally for United.
Liverpool make the trip to Old Trafford without Martin Skrtel, out with a metatarsal injury and Albert Riera, suspended by the club for comments made against Rafa Benitez. Alberto Aquilani is also doubtful following a stomach bug, which kept him out of the Europa League clash with Lille. Fabio Aurelio will also face a late fitness test to determine if he has recovered sufficiently from a thigh injury.
Liverpool are desperate for points to help them in their quest for fourth place, but Dirk Kuyt still wants to dent United’s title charge:
“No one here at Liverpool wants to see them winning another league title but the main thing for us is to win our own games,” Kuyt told the Reds’ official website.
The left side of Liverpool’s midfield could see one of either Ryan Babel, Yossi Benayoun or Maxi Rodriguez start the game, though Maxi played a blinder against Portsmouth last weekend, so he looks to be in pole position.
Fernando Torres has scored four goals in the last week and will line-up against old foe Vidic still short of match fitness, even Benitez thinks he will find it tough,
“Vidic is a good player with experience so it will be tough for Torres to beat him but hopefully he can do it,” the Reds manager commented.
In these clashes form goes out the window, but with Liverpool looking a shadow of the side that pushed United so close last year, we must be favorites. Liverpool are without an away league win in their last five games and have lost the last two of three, as well as failing to score in their last four away matches.
United on the other hand are somewhat impenetrable at Old Trafford, whilst scoring 26 goals in the last seven league matches at Old Trafford.
Prediction: 2-0 United
Probable Line Up: van der Sar, Evra, Ferdinand, Vidic, Neville; Valencia, Carrick, Fletcher, Park, Nani; Rooney
***
Betfair, Manchester United’s official betting partner, are offering you a totally free £5 bet to place on the United-Liverpool game.
Related items from Red Rants:
- Man Utd v Everton: Preview
- Porto it is then…
- Portsmouth Preview
- Some Reading Material Ahead of Grand Slam Sunday
- Manchester United 2006/2007 Season Review
Tags: Manchester United News
Opti (541)
Stephen (479)
RedDevilEddy (459)
Craig Mc (345)
Moscow is my heaven (272)
@MaMaToS:
creepy
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@gator: Errrr Gator that’s so disgusting mate!
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@MaMaToS:
People ask me what it would take for me to turn on my team. Well that picture if real would have done it.
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There’s a lot of talk in the media about us getting David Villa. Well I don’t buy it. Fergie is not an idiot. This is a dupe of classic proportions. Get Madrid all hot and bothered and force them not only to go after Villa but to be forced to sell us Benzema in order to free up the cash. Not that they really need to free up cash but they won’t have any need for Benzema then and that is who Fergie really wants. So he lets Madrid believe that we are in for Villa in order to force their hand because lets face it, they do not like to be outbid by anyone.
Now I’m not a big fan of Benzema but I’ll take the Boss’s word on him being the perfect fit for Rooney. And then if you ask me what the final piece to the puzzle is, many would say a LW or CM. Well I used to think LW but I am willing to let Nani get comfortable there if it kills me. For me, the big need is a faster, more aggressive and highly talented Box to Box partner for Fletcher. And for me there is only one name that I think Fergie is looking at and that’s Jack Rodwell. He is going to be either the next Michael Ballack or Steven Gerrard and we must get him at all costs. After that we wait a year and go after a goalkeeper and we are set for the next little while. What do you lads think? And no I don’t want Lio Messi. That guy is a bum.
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@CraigMc: Agree with you regarding the academy and youth set up on the basics and technical skills. It’s not even a matter of expecting the youth teams to produce a goal machine striker or finding the next Scholes/Giggs. It’s the youth players getting the basics wrong that shows how unproductive the set up is. Case and point, Welbeck getting subbed into a first team game late on and then giving the ball away to the opposition, totally unnecessarily, under little pressure, when we have just gotten the lead with time running out.
Your also right about the lack of hunger and winning mentality shown by some of the youth players who seem to think they’ve made the big time already and play selfishly for their own success. Forget about the technical ability of players like Giggs/Scholes/Beckham not being matched there’s not the same level of dedication.
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@Grognard: I agree about Rodwell. Every time I see him he plays like Ballack used to play! Amazing youngster that is defo worth 15 million… maybe even 20 million. A MUST BUY!
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@Grognard: On Jack Rodwell, I agree that he looks to be a big future talent, who can play many positions through the spine of the team and reminds me a lot of Ballack as well. However is he better off at Everton for the moment, where he isn’t an automatic starter but will get greater opportunity than at United to develop and gain more game experience. He will cost a great deal of money whenever he is snapped up by a bigger club, so it might be better to wait. Currently we have sufficient quantity and depth in central midfield so it would be a shame for Rodwell to be wasted. However, we do need to consider what the team will look like when Giggs and Scholes hang up the boots so I wouldn’t be against the addition of Rodwell, and to send Anderson packing.
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How you like this: http://bleacherreport.com/articles/368177-uniteds-summer-dreams-sir-alexs-hit-list#page/1
I agree about all of this except for David Villa. I would love to have Neuer (15-20 million), Kjær (10-15 million), Rodwell (15-20 million), Cole (0), and some target man like a healthy Saha or young RVN (10-20 million). That is less than 80 million I think.
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Two world class goals in the first half by Ronaldo vs Getafe so far today. Great free kick and a fantastic strike from the right side that exemplifies everything I have ever said about this lad’s dominance. Sheer class. If it was not for the heroics of the Getafe keeper he’s have 4 in the first half. No way will Messi lovers ever convince me that little shrimp is better than my boy Ronny.
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@rsg: He is much better under the tutelage of Fergie who will get through to him like he has with so many other UK born players. He will learn how to be a great player with us but he will also learn how to be a winner and what it takes to reach that next level, which is something Moyes and Everton cannot do for any player. He’s not a dumb ass like Anderson. This kid is the genuine article.
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@[OPTI]Madschester United: If Vidic stays I see no need for Kjaer. Joe Cole I think is a certainty unless he gets seriously hurt. Rodwell I think is a certainty but I refuse to believe we are going to go after a 29 year old striker and pay that kind of money. Fergie is not that stupid. Trust me, he is working a ruse on Real Madrid and the idiot Florentino Peres. Also, he won’t buy a major keeper this year I don’t think.
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@[OPTI]Madschester United: Also the term “healthy Saha” is an oxymoron.
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A summer involving the purchase of Rodwell, Joe Cole (on a free) and a striker capable of playing as a number 9 and scoring muchos goals in Rooney’s absence would make me very happy and would keep this squad competitive for the next few years. In an ideal world Id like a creative midfielder such as Gourcuff or Diego but that can wait a season. Imagine a central midfield of Gourcuff/Diego, Fletcher, Rodwell, Carrick. We could play three in midfield and we’d win every midfield battle going.
By the way have people read the interviews in the press with Hargreaves. From the sound of it he will have to play with injections for the rest of his career. I don’t know much about sports medicine but that doesn’t sound at all healthy. Any thoughts on how Hargreaves fits into the equation assuming his condition requires careful management.
He also said he’d rather quit than be a bit-part player, which I admire, but can we realistically expect him to make a strong contribution to the first team.
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@colver: He also has been pulled from the reserves to start training with the first team.
This is either a move of desperation from SAF – thinking that the PL run-in will be too hard without the additional MF cover, or that Hargo needs a make or break trial to see if there is any future for him at all.
With a better knowledge of Hargo’s career prognosis, SAF will have a much better idea of how to proceed in the transfer market this summer!
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I have to say, that on this Joe Cole issue, I have a ton of reservations!
He’s been on the bench since recovering from yet another injury, hasn’t caught the eye of Ancelotti at all, and is known to have a difficult personality that finds it hard to accept uncomfortably assignments!!
On a more positive side;- HE’S FREE!!
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@[OPTI]Madschester United: Kjaer is more unlikely now, seen as Smalling will be joining up next season as well as the place Evans holds in the team. However, should Chelsea decide to part ways a freebie like Joe Cole will interest Fergie seen as he has always held him in high regard.
David Villa’s age and price make him an unlikely Fergie buy, more so because of the form in front of goal that Rooney is enjoying there’s not a great goalscoring gap that needs to be filled. But Fergie has previously mentioned the need for a greater physical/height presence upfront, so there’s always the Benzema possibility, who I am sure still keeps Fergie up late at night.
However, if we just settled for the current forward set up, that looks like this:
Rooney—–Berbatov——–Owen———–Diouf——————–Macheda.
It’s a clear case where quantity and depth are present, but quality not so much, (in terms of reliable and consistent goalscoring if Rooney is unavailable). Then we are really in trouble.
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Playing Hargreaves makes perfect sense. His knee is as good as it is ever going to be so we might as well test it out in some serious competitive football. If it holds up till the end of the season and makes it through the World Cup, then we have ourselves a new midfielder. If the knee flares up between now and the end of the World Cup then we know we have to buy someone like Rodwell sooner rather than later.
Best of all Hargreaves could give our midfield that bit of added steel against Bayern and Barcelona. If he helps us win another Champions League trophy I could care less if his knee gives way and he rides off into the sunset next season.
Scholes has been overplayed this season due to Anderson’s injury and the ginger prince needs a rest. While Giggs is back he needs to be spared and I don’t think Park is the answer as a central midfielder except when there is a tactical reason for it like in the AC Milan game. So Hargreaves could be very useful to have.
Im not holding my hopes though. I am convinced his knee will flare up, his career will end and we will end up having to buy Rodwell this summer. But that is a good thing! We’ve spent way too long waiting for the return of Hargreaves and stalled on buying another central midfielder. Lets find out whether Hargreaves still has a part to play, and if not lets put him out to pasture
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@colver: Isn’t Hargo no longer in the Champions League squad
, I think Da Laet took his place when changes could be made mid-season, not 100% sure. Does anyone have the confirmed CL squad for the rest of the tournament. 
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@rsg: Just done some digging and I can confirm that Hargreaves was replaced in the 25 man Champions League squad with Da Laet in early February by Fergie.
If he does end up playing games in the league run in I hope we don’t end up ruing his absence in CL games against the likes of Barcelona and thinking what could have been.
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@rsg: It’s extremely unlikely that he will feature in any major games left this season.
He hasn’t played for almost 2 seasons and it will probably take 4-6 weeks to get him anywhere close to match fitness.
This is really just a step-up in his training regimen, to see if he’s got any chance at all to regain first team status!!
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Chelski better start scoring 5 on a regular basis now. With only 4 regular defenders left in their squad, they could very well be vulnerable to a persistent attack.
It will at least help in the GD stakes!!
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@Redrich: “He’s Free”. Last time I heard that was equivalent to saying I love you to a Scotsman.
You say free to a man like Fergie and he’s gonna jump for joy.
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@rsg: It’s time Fergie started buying players he loves when they are at their peak and not when they are on their down cycle. Berbatov, Owen, Cole, Hargreaves are all players that were bought far too late considering the boss liked them all years ago and in the case of Hargo, Berba and Cole, could have bought them for cheap then. The only one that was out of touch was Owen. I want more Rooney and Ronaldo like signings. I want great young talent that we can turn into world class stars instead of watching them give their best years to other clubs and then see Fergie pathetically go to the bargain bin to get them when they have little left to give. Fergie needs to pay up this summer or shut the fuck up and retire.
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Hargo will only (if at all) play only in easy games until next season. He needs games and to test his knees. In the quote above from @colver: Hargo also mentioned that he could have 8 years left to play if he can play with the pain.
I am optimistic (surprised?) and can see him back against some of the weaker teams to allow Scholes/Fletcher/Carrick some much deserved rest.
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BTW, if the league was decided by fan enthusiasm and support only, Portsmouth would near the top of the table. It is a shame to see them go down.
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@Redrich: I understand what you’re saying and recognise the uncertainty surrounding his availability for any of the CL knockout stage games, that will have played into the decision to leave him out. But still I would have taken the gamble with him rather than leave him out in place of Da Laet or Welbeck, who will most likely not feature at all at this stage of the competition because of inexperience, regardless how injuries and absences go. If Fergie at the time of deciding on leaving Hargo out of the CL 25 man squad believed that he could still play a part in the end of season league games he should have also thought he could maybe play in a semi or final CL game. He’s now training with the first team and there’s talk that he may feature in the game against Bolton.
You say that it’s unlikely that he will feature in any of the big games, I agree, but it’s not impossible. What if the same situation occurs that we had last season against Barcelona where Fletcher was ruled out of the final and our midfield struggled and was completely overrun. It might not be so bad having the Hargo option there even if never used.
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@colver: Hargo is toast mate. It’s just up to Hargo to come to that realization himself. He has got an incurable chronic tendinitis problem in his knee that is similar to acute arthritis. It will not go away and he knows this. Drugging himself up in order to play is not the way to go about things and I honestly think he has some delusions about being called up for the World Cup and then retiring. Which means he is just using United right now. He should just retire and do himself , his team and all of us a favor already. It’s a shame but that’s the way it goes sometimes.
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@Grognard: I agree that there are shortcomings in our transfer strategy. It’s not even a matter of buying players in their peak, it’s about buying proven quality that are ready to step up to the next level and reach their peak. This is what we have always done well, provided the platform for players a step away from their best like Rooney, Ronaldo and Rio. We are now overloading with unproven and inexperienced pot shot youth signings in the hope that a Messi or Ronaldo will emerge. With a few exceptions we are accumulating a largely unreliable group of younger players that are struggling to make the grade and look out of place.
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@Grognard: Of course, the Glazers thought that having SAF as their front man, would ultimately bring the same success as Andrew Carnegie had, when his Scottish heritage was mixed with raw American capitalism.
Problem is, Fergie only cares about winning the fucking, league!
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@rsg: First of all, the idea that Hargo could ever make a comeback was always in question! The nature of his injuries dictated that this recovery was always going to be cautious, and the ultimate outcome was always going to tentative!!
United didn’t hide the extent of his knee problems, but they weren’t that open about his potential for a full recovery!
Take this as you will, but of course, after spending a bundle on what amounted to “tainted goods”, the spin was always going to be one that protects those that made that decision!!
I love Hargo, and I do wish the best for any kind of recovery, but honestly, I think that this is all about the end-game of his career and the political nicety’s that will try to absolve our management of poor judgement.
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@rsg: I don’t know if you follow baseball at all but in that sport there are two schools for drafting players. The one school likes the more proven physically more capable college graduate. He’s mature, stronger and has less chance of failure but perhaps the upside isn’t super stardom. The other school is the far more riskier high school approach. Grabbing a 16 or 17 year old kid right out of high school and developing through the club’s farm system.. Problem is that the potential is so raw that 90% of the time the player is a bust but that 10% gives you a true superstar. This approach also means taking young kids who have not yet physically developed and putting undue stress and pressure on them and thus creating a higher chance of serious injury or burn out.
The reason I bring this up is I feel United have fallen into the high school trap whereas a club I admire like Lyon uses a system similar to the college one. It has nothing to do with education. Lyon is like the college system because their mantra prefers buying players between 20 and 22 when they are blooming young stars but before they have peaked or made it impossible to afford them. United seem caught up in the high school system of buying young unproven kids who at 15. 16 or 17 show great potential but where so much can go wrong in their development because judging a young teenager’s potential is a very volatile and unpredictable practice. Too much can and usually does go wrong in most of the cases. Lyon however have relatively few failures because the players they buy are older, more mature, can cope with the pressure better and have proven themselves much more so than a 17 year old. United’s brain trust is shit for brains as far as I’m concerned. They are asking for trouble and their arrogance is going to blow up in their face. They would be better off going after players like Gourcuff and Rodwell who have at leas played in the big leagues and who are more mature than the kids they are presently buying like Pogba, and others. And Fergie will not be here forever.
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@rsg: It infuriates me, that to prove fome kind of bloody foolish point, Sir Alex is insisting he wants Hargo to help us in our final run in. FFS how long has Hargo been out of the game – somebody remind me please
. Fergie is messing with our chances in my honest opinion, if he ia willing to bring in Hargo for seven VITAL games which we have to win every one of them. Even if Hargo can hobble thru some games, he is far, far, far from match fitness and only just in full training with our 1st team squad. This is a time for United when we need 11 players on the pitch who will be fierce combatants for us, have a winning do or die mentality, and be prepared to fight like trojans to make history by PL title No4. I mean it, it is no time in the final hurdle of a season, with the leading pack running so close, head to head, to play any less than our fully fit best team in every game. I love Hargo, but he is nowhere near ready for first team action. Then I am not Fergie am I, and maybe he knows something I don’t. I bloody hope so, because otherwise if he gets it wrong, then he could blow our whole season!
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@Redrich: Mate did you see the Chelski/Pompey game? Chelsea are back to their football MUGGING best to grab the title. Elbows flying aplenty – to the cost of one player of Pompey being gifted a broken nose by Malouda, and another a possible fractured cheekbone. How at least two of Chelski player thugs were not red carded I will never know. They are coming to OT too with blood on their minds, and you can be sure they will KILL our players and deliberately try to get players sent off as the scouse GITS tried to do last week. We all know who started the bitch slapping, and over the top dirty tackling in the CL final – Dogba and Ballack. So I sincerely hope we get a good referee and firm one, because otherwise it will be another Chelski foul after filthy foul, and referee surrounding wild eyed remonstrating from their lot.
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Apparently Nani has signed a new 4 year contract! So no Silva or new LW in the summer. It should be OK as long as Nani plays 90% of the matches.
Should get a new CAM though.
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@Grognard: We should be achieving a balance between the two types of transfer strategy. With a pool of both college graduates, the young players that have proven there quality and ability already and are just in need of the United platform to reach the next level together with the high school approach of youngsters, kids that show signs of promise but have not proven their worth already. We are tipping the balance and stockpiling in favor of the high school approach far too much recently and abandoning the college grad. Continuing with this approach will be really problematic because the success rate is hit and miss and you’re left with quantity but not quality.
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@AndyCR7: Well now, that is a surprise!
. Must be that he is being hunted by other clubs abroad or something eh?
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Turns out “Wayne is fit and there’s nothing wrong with his knee,” the United boss told the club’s official website. In addition, Osheasy is back in full training. We will win the title!
BELIEVE!
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@CraigMc: That is very good news indeed and I must say I am a little surprised and underwhelmed by your lack of positive reaction to the news. Seems there is a lot of bitterness floating inside you over his past few seasons with United mate. Remember, red till your dead mate and that means your favorite player must be and has to be red too.
I for one am overjoyed with the prospects of Nani getting the monkey of his back, knowing he has security and the faith of the club and this can only help him come out of his shell completely and show the world what he is capable of. I am also impressed that he has shown this kind of love and loyalty to the team considering the fact that for a year and a half it would seem that the feeling were not mutual. This is a good thing Craig so loosen up mate and go out and party. I think he has won Fergie over……….at last.
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@rsg: I would fine tune it even more. I think that United should just deal with teens within the UK and should scout for 20 to 22 year olds all over the world. Bringing in a 16 year old from another country is not just culture shock for the kid, it’s child abduction. Not in the serious criminal way, but it’s something that I have been against for years. These kids need to grow and develop within their own cultures and close to their families until they are adults and old enough to make such bold moves. Going after foreign 20-22 year old players is a tried and true method of finding class players at reasonable prices. The trick is to not always fish in the same part of the lake as the other big clubs of Europe. Go east. Go to the Balkan countries, Russia and Northern Europe. There you will find more refined and classy players who have also had the proper development and coaching that you will not find in areas like Africa and Asia.
I’d stay away from Brazil, Argentina, Spain and Italy but I would still delve a lot in Portugal due to good contacts made over there over the years. I’d also consider Germany and Holland more as their players are tactically, and technically strong and occasionally they produce some gems that Spain and Italy do not go after due to their own internal biases. How quickly both countries forget the German invasion of superstars from both countries that made both the Italian and Spanish leagues wake up and move out of the stone age. Now all they care about is Brazilians and Argentines like those are the only nations on the planet that can play this fucking game. Closed minded buffoons, and United is also buying into the BS.
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@CraigMc: Personally mate, I think a half fit Hargo right now is better form than Michael Carrick has been of late. And secondly, I honestly think Fergie knows a lot more about who’s fit and who’s not and whether it’s right to bring Hargo out of mothballs or not. Have some faith in the old Gaffer mate. I know he makes us shake our heads at times but I honestly think he knows when a player is ready or not. Hargo is a class player not because of great skill, but because he is one of the smartest players out there. His intelligence on the pitch alone is an upgrade for us. I just worry about his knees because I refuse to believe he will be able to continue for much longer with that problem. But we’ll see.
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@Grognard: Definitely agree there.
And oh!
Gourcuff>>>>>>Rodwell
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What are the odds that Ronaldo’s strange fortunes at Madrid have affected Nani’s decision to sign on?
They must have talked…
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@NicoQB: Gourcouf may be better than Rodwell but that much (as you denote with your >>>>>>) better, I am not sure.
Why is it so dead on here?
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@[OPTI]Madschester United: Remember Jermaine Jenas? Kieron Dyer? David Bentley?
All these players were lauded as players of potent promise, but I really think that the fact they were simply english caused the media to overrate them.
Like them, Rodwell is talented, but also relies on his physical assets to (be it pace or power) to make the difference.
A player who relies on technique and skill on the other hand will more likely remain a top player well into his thirties.
As for the reason why its so dead, its friday night.
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@NicoQB: I has been dead for days. We have a game tomorrow, yet for the past couple days there has been little fanfare…
United to win it, 2-0 – Rooney, Nani.
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@NicoQB: You know, I was just thinking that. I think Ronaldo realizes now what a terrible mistake he has mede not only for his career but for his own peace of mind and privacy. He is really under the microscope over there and although its not affecting his play because he is a go, it is affecting his composure and mental state.
I think he told Nani to buckle up, start playing a team game and understand that there is nowhere better for him than Old Trafford and no manager better for him than Sir Alex. He knows he can’t come back right now but I would not be surprised if he didn’t return in two season if Sir Alex is still in charge. No way does Madrid sell him back right now. They are making a mint off him and need to pay back a lot of loan money. As for Nani, he knows a good thing when he sees it.
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@[OPTI]Madschester United: Gourcuff has more finesse and vision but Rodwell has power and is a box to box player like Ballack, Essien and Gerrard. I love Gourcuff but I see so much homegrown potential in Rodwell. A player who would sign with us, become great and stay most if not all of his remaining footballing days with the club. Gourcuff would come and be gone for Madrid in two seasons. When an English lad pops up and has the ability to be world class, then we must go after him and sign at all costs.
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@[OPTI]Madschester United: I am predicting 1-1. Yet another opportunity for Fergie to bring out the negative road tactics against a minnow and for us to offer up a lackluster performance and manage a late tying goal for a point. You would think Chelsea’s big win the other day would be fuel enough for United but I noticed that United often fall asleep against poor opponents on the road and occasionally offer up a turkey a week before a big game. I hope I’m wrong. Look for Fergie to rest some key players with Chelsea coming up next week. Pig might even start in goal.
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Any 24 fans here, the show has been canceled.
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@Grognard: Yeah he’ll probably rest a few.
Rooney will probably be on the bench, ready to bail out Berbatov if nec.
Munich, Chelsea, Munich, and then away to Blackburn will wind the best of squads.
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