Feb 27
Today’s News In Recycle Mode
An extremely slow day today. In fact, slow would be Concorde in its glory, ear-splitting, window-shattering days whizzing past another shuddering skyscraper, in comparison to news today. No actually that would be fast, wouldn’t it? Hmmm…
So I will just link you to articles on this snoozefest of a day. Be prepared for a few articles that have already been talked about earlier.
1. SAF hails Anderson as the heir to Scholes. It seems the manager has been reading the comment threads on RR over last few days. So here’s to our midfield dilemma, in the long term at least.
2. This season’s media representative-cum-in-form-midfielder, Michael Carrick talks about his place in the team and his form.
3. Bosingwa linked with us — again. Groan! Although nothing in the article really points to that directly.
4. Some decent talk from Owen Hargreaves, who is ready to bide his time and wait for his turn to play a part in the side.
5. Last but not the least, Neville plays an hour against ‘dipper reserves. He must be disappointed to end up losing, though. Anyone willing to bet on when he’ll be back?
Anyway, I must be off now. Sorry about the short one for today, but the news didn’t warrant a long post anyway.
Till tomorrow.
Related items from Red Rants:- Today’s Tosh: Rossi to Parma | Berbatov
- Today’s Roundup: Good News from the Boss
- Boro v Man Utd: Preview
- Today’s Videos: Heinze’s Goal | Beckham Mania
- To The (20)Legend, The Departed: Part I
Tags: Daily Roundup
February 27th, 2008 at 12:37
“Snoozefest”, “media representative-cum-in-form-midfielder” lol!
Gary Neville will die if he doesn’t play this season for United. He’ll be back, even on one leg, to push United to glory.
February 27th, 2008 at 13:51
can a player be so humble, enjoyed readin OH report. thats the attitude man, way to go.
February 27th, 2008 at 14:00
Lets say Nev is ready to come back 100% fit next week…
I don’t think i would take Wes out for him. Anyone else?
February 27th, 2008 at 14:26
with you shannon, lest he’s played, blunders then evry1 coming with the excuse that he needs some run outs to be okay.
February 27th, 2008 at 16:42
If he’s 100% match fit then yes i play him because he’s a consistent defender who never has a bad game and he is excellent going forward. He is a better player than brown and gives more to the team.
February 27th, 2008 at 17:07
i reckon garry will be back in 2 weeks.
February 27th, 2008 at 17:19
Neville would have to play at least a dozen Prem games to get anywhere near match fitness. Certainly Scholes has not shown match fitness and even Hargreaves has fought his fitness all season long. It’s time for Neville to also take a seat on the retirement home bus alongside Scholes and Giggs. Either that or very little playing time on the subs bench. He’s old, coming off a bad injury, out of shape and we are in the middle of a treble run. I wouldn’t start him, I’ll say that much. Sentimentality be damned.
February 27th, 2008 at 17:43
Grognard - I’d start him against Derby, that’s about it. Not like they’re going to be marauding up the left wing (hopefully!) and I want to see if he can still provide some service to the front. Unlike Wes Brown, who I like, but is a centre back and posses the passing ability of one.
February 27th, 2008 at 18:38
Not sure about giggs and neville, but scholes certainly aint taking a back seat in this team. Very important player. With the players we have just now, a fit-again neville also plays an importany role for the team. Not sure about giggs anymore though…
February 27th, 2008 at 19:20
dude, at nevilles age, a year out will do him no good at all, and we would be a fool to start him against any other team than derby, i wwould shoot saf in the foot if i ever saw his name on the team sheet for a CL match even if it is on the bench, and with the way things are going the fa cup, us only getting PL teams, he would be lucky with a bench role, the only matches i would put him in this season, is derby, and if we have won the premier league with a few matches to spare, those matches as well.
February 27th, 2008 at 19:45
Match fitness aside there is no reason why Gary cannot make a decent comeback. If you have played as many games as he had, football is just like riding a bike, you do not just forget. If we nurse him back to fitness in time for the later stages of the season it will be an amazing boost for the side because his experience is vital to the side and he still has a lot to offer the team.
You have to remember Milan’s back line has an average age of about 40 (ok im exagerrating a little) but provided a player is injury free and match fit, experience can more than make up for the natural decline from the ageing process.
February 27th, 2008 at 19:46
Tevez; I’m sorry mate but you are living in the past. Words and wishes are cheap but the reality is that Scholes, Neville and Giggs can no longer play or keep up with the younger, faster players in the BPL. There’s no shame in it, they are just getting old. If the club was run by blokes like you those guys would be playing in to their 40’s and you could still not see that they were a detriment to the team. It’s time to let go already. Let them contribute as subs with the odd start but give up on the dream that these guys can resurrect their form of 1999. It’s delusional. I mean have you watched the way Scholes has played lately? He is slow, loses the ball and lacks any ambition to play a penetrating pass. These are signs of a player who is not up to speed of the rest of the squad and especially the opposition. Therefore they do the safe thing and use up little effort in the process. Yes he lacks match fitness but at his age that becomes a harder thing to find after a long layoff. An odd start here and there is fine as they should be fresh and invigorated but they should never get in the way of our younger and NOW better players. Christ oh mighty but love is blind with some of you out there.
February 27th, 2008 at 20:40
well I dont think age could be a problem for neville and scholes.you cant discard a player just due to age,there could be other facrors leading to thier downfall as well.for example,look at maldini.he is about 40 years of age but still manages to keep most attackers at bay.the downfall could be due to injuries(as in the case of neville),lack of desire etc .many players start out as hot prospects but lose it all in their 20’s.so you cant rule out players just due to age. if scholes and neville feel they can continue(both are still 33)they can have a lot to offer to the squad.many people here seem to forget they were two of the best players of the last season.and many people are writing off other players too unfairly(carrick earlier and hargreaves now).the truth is,no player can perform well throughout the season.they hit a bad patch some time).
PS.I am not suggesting that scholes,giigs or neville(if and when fit) should start every match
February 27th, 2008 at 21:55
Scholes will get it.Giggs and neville i dont think so.
February 27th, 2008 at 21:56
I disagree. Scholes and neville are still the best players in the squad in their positions. I want them in the team based on how good they are now, not the past
February 27th, 2008 at 22:33
Tevez; And I guess DENIAL is a river in Egypt. “I want them in the team based on how good they are now, not the past”. Right now they would struggle to play for Roy Keane at Sunderland. Although I bet you Keano has inquired about their availability. Dream on my friend.
February 28th, 2008 at 0:26
[Grognard]
For a man like yourself who prides himself on calling things as he sees them, without silly sentiment, it was unfair to dismiss Neville entirely. While I can see where you are coming from regarding Scholes, Neville hasn’t played competitively for someone to pass judgment on his ability to cut it. He may play well, or he may not — that’s all we can say right now. We can’t say for sure that he will play shite. Remember, if Neville can play half as decent, we could do with a little bit of his leadership on the pitch at times in the run in.
February 28th, 2008 at 1:36
Red Ranter; Neville has been gone for so long that I and millions others are very pessimistic about his ability to recover fully and to be able to contribute like he used to. He is not 25 and recovering fully and sufficiently from a serious injury at his age is debatable. This site is loaded with sentimental fools that live in the past. Thank God Fergie doesn’t think like that. Play these old legends as subs because they are not able to handle 90 minutes regularly any more. The rumors regarding Lahm and Bosingwa are out there because Fergie realizes that it is time for a long term change at RB. I am for change and I am respective and appreciative of the great contributions of our aging warriors but football is a young man’s game. It’s funny how fickle a lot of fans are when they see a Maldini play well below his best at 40, and thus they think that everybody else has the ability and body to do the same. In Italy they pay a slower game where the ball is moved through the middle. In England the game is fast and furious. It is a young man’s game and I for one have become very frustrated watching Scholes and Giggs struggle and I am not looking forward to an 80% Neville coming back and trying to play when we need our best for a chance at the Treble. Where was everyone to bitch loudly when Fergie dropped the ball over Beckham and RVN? I guess their bad attitude towards being benched near the end turned us all off, where as growing old and almost useless makes us misty, nostalgic and emotional.
I hope Neville can come back and contribute positively, honestly I do. But I am very realistic and so I prepared for the worst. As far as Scholes is concerned, I was down on his play last year when everybody on the planet thought he was outstanding. Go figure! The guy got an A+ for constructive back passes and awful tackles. I won’t say anything bad about Giggsy because I love him dearly but he has lost a step and it shows. It’s time to phase these greats out of the starting eleven and let them bow out as valued and respected subs. Even legends should not outstay their usefulness. United is in a Renaissance period and a major youth movement similar to 1994. Tevez, Nani, Ronaldo, Anderson, Manucho are the future but most of them are the present too. Lets trust these young guns as they are going to take us to the promise land. Faith and trust mates!!!!
February 28th, 2008 at 2:37
[Grognard]
Again, that was not my point. He is old, and is increasingly injury prone. Hence high odds on him returning this season. But we can’t dismiss him on those grounds alone for this particular season. However, I am all for buying a right back in the summer and I had even made my disappointment known in an earlier article when I got to know that Spurs signed Hutton.
About people bitching about Becks and RVN, trust me, a lot of people were up in arms and disappointed when Fergie dropped RVN. In fact, I know plenty of United fans who still go misty eyed over RVN. Fergie has made tough decisions in the past — with Becks, with Ruud, with Ince, Kanchelskis, Hughes and the lot. But I don’t see why a fan can’t feel misty eyed over a player growing old and not playing to his previous higher standards.
It’s a part of being a fan — loving a player — that many tend to feel bad when another fan says that Scholes and Neville aren’t good enough anymore. Yes, we know they may not be that good, but it feels hard for some of us to say it because we’ve grown to love that player. It’s a part of how some people feel about players. Simple as that.
You are a realist, which is again a good thing, because you have an objective way of looking at a player and his performances. I have nothing against that. But I just feel you calling fans as sentimental fools a little unfair. Being a fan has that element of irrationality that makes it a part of following a club and gives it a certain charm. Feel free to disagree on the opinion of the player. But don’t call people out on that, is what I think is only fair.
About Fergie, of late even he has been victim of this ‘misty-eyedness’ that makes him persist with Giggs and Scholes. I don’t know if people noticed it, but Scholes, in his first start from injury against Portsmouth was masterful. With age we can’t expect consistency from the Ginger Prince, and I also think Anderson should get to play instead of him, but I do feel bad that he’s not the same anymore.
All this, of course, does not take away enthusiasm over the current young lot that we have at the club. The future is bright and I am very excited about it.
February 28th, 2008 at 3:04
I can name not 1, but 2 old players that have fared extremely well for United well in their 30s. Teddy Sheringham and Henrik Larsson.
Teddy Sheringham was 31 when he joined United in 1997 but he took a couple of years to settle in, which meant that he was well over 33 by the time he started to be dominant and bang the goals in. If you recall, he was top scorer and Player of the Year when he was 34!
Henrik Larsson was 35 when he came to United on loan. Like Sheringham, he didn’t have the pace of Ronaldo nor the energy of Anderson. But like Sheringham, both used their intelligence, experience to get into good positions, and like good chess players, think 2 steps ahead of opposing defenders.
As with any striker, it’s easy to measure their contribution - goals. It’s harder to measure the contribution of midfielders and defenders. The fact Arsenal was challenging us so keenly for the title between 1998 and 2003 was really because of their strong (but ageing) back four, as much as it was due to their midfield and striking prowess, but it’s always easier to remember who scores than who makes the pass for the goal or who made that last minute tackle to save a cleansheet for the team.
I am really sick of these ‘backpass = bad’ comments because they really smack of ignorance to how the game is played and should really be reserved for arm-chair fans who prefer football on their TV screens as oppose to actually playing it on the field. It is always easier to blame the player for not making an incisive forward, defence-splitting pass than to realise that maybe it’s because the players in front of the ball player are not making the runs into space to receive those passes. Do you seriously think that a player, ANY player, would prefer a back pass than one that can help score a goal?
And please take a look at how the likes of Barcelona play and see how many back passes a world-class player like Xavi makes. Possession is key in football. The team that keeps the ball dominates proceedings. The team that doesn’t have the ball can’t do anything but wait. Football with end-to-end action at 90 miles an hour is a fan’s delight but a professional manager’s horror.
February 28th, 2008 at 3:53
Redd75, well said mate…we often notice those defense-splitting forward passes, but tend to forget the countless sideways and backwards passes that led up to the play where the forward pass that set up the goal happened…as you have pointed out, football, is all about possession…
And over the years, there have been few better than Scholesy at retaining the ball. We all know that both Scholesy and Giggsy are past their prime and it is slowly but surely coming to the stage where Anderson and Nani will be more of a threat to the oposition. BUT…both Scholes and Giggs still have a lot to contribute (either off the bench or in games where experience is required)…
All you Scholes critics, cast your mind back to the goal he scored against Bburn last year at OT when we were 1-0 down and needed an equaliser…that is the value of experience. A less experienced player like Nani or Anderson may have shot a lot eariler in that situation, and yes, they MAY have scored, but the way Friedel was playing that day, I doubt it…We went on to win 4-1…that was the first critical point in the run in last year…
I am not against Anderson and Nani…I firmly believe they should start more games…but I am NOT in favour of dumping the like of Giggs and Scholes either…we cannot simply disregard experience…and Milan are the CLASSIC illustraion of that…Grognard, you have said the Italian football is slow, you are right, it is. But Milan have had the wood over us over the years too…and we certainly don’t play the Italian way…
It is foolish to ignore the claims of young players, but it is perhaps more foolish to disregard the value of experience. Great teams don’t have one or the other…they have mixture of both…the trick is to find the right balance…and as many have suggested, perhaps, Scholes and Giggs should not start together…
February 28th, 2008 at 6:40
Redd75; Yes and you know there are people who live to be a 100 too. Chances are most of us won’t make 80 though. Like Rd Ranter said, I’m a realist and I don’t fall for this sentimental nonsense (I’m sorry Red Ranter but that’s what it is). God know I take my share of criticism for my view so everybody should bloody well get a thicker skin and lear to receive it back a bit.
Yes Sheringham was pretty damned good but rating Larsson as a success after he only played a hand full of games for United is really searching for ammunition in the desert. The majority of footballers are finished by the age of 33. Bottom line is that we should all prepare ourselves for Judgment Day because it’s coming. Fergie respects and appreciates Scholes, Giggs and Neville but he isn’tgoing to keep them around at their salaries just for sentimental reasons. They are going to have to prove they belong. And in order to do that, he will have to dedicate playing time to them at the risk of better and younger players at a time when we are fighting for trophies. It’s madness. Take a hint from Fabio Capello. Did he get all misty eyed and sentimental over David Beckham needing one more cap for 100? No he didn’t. He is there to win and not be popular with the lads after the game at the nearest pub. Experience is great but it is probably just as valuable at the training pitch, on the subs bench and in the dressing room. Experience cannot mask slow legs and and bodies that can’t keep up with the younger lads.
February 28th, 2008 at 7:31
Grognard: I don’t think anyone is arguing with you that Giggs, Scholes and Neville are old and their physical abilities cannot compare with those 10 years younger than they. I don’t think anyone is arguing with you that the younger players, Nani, Anderson, have the potential and need more game time.
I have no doubt that sooner, rather than later, the veterans would step aside and make way for the youth, just as the likes of Bryan Robson, Solskjaer, Schmeichal have done before.
There is nothing sentimental about it and Fergie has sold more players before they have announced their retirement than not. My point is that perhaps physical ability is overrated at the expense of mental attributes. You brought up a good point: the majority of players do not make it over the age of 33. Why? Because they relied more on their physical ability, particularly speed, more than intelligence. Take a look at those old players which play beyond 33 successfully, guys like Maldini, Denis Bergkamp, Inzaghi. Our Ronaldo is clearly a lot faster than Maldini is but i didn’t really see many situations when we played them last year where Maldini was left for dead by Ronaldo’s pace. Bergkamp (and our Cantona) never played the game at more than jogging speed yet scored plenty of crucial goals because his first touch was oh so sweet. Inzaghi, who was born in an offside position, relied more on timing and watching defenders’ movements to beat the offside trap, rather than sheer pace.
On the flip side, players that rely too much on pace (a certain Michael Owen comes to mind) can’t seem to do anything right now that he’s not 21 anymore.
Fergie himself as said before that he rates a player’s mentality more than his skill or physical ability. He wants players with the hunger to win, not just one, but many titles over and over again. He wants players that can play in front of the OT crowd without fear. He values players with discilpline and professionalism, who can keep training hard despite being well into their 30s. The fact is players with the physical ability are a dime in a dozen compared smart, dedicated professionals.
February 28th, 2008 at 8:31
I’m very much with with Redd75 on this.
@Grognard
“But I am very realistic and so I prepared for the worst”
- Thats actually a pessimistic view
@RedRanter
Just some useless information.
SAF is very ruthless at times (as per your examples). However, the sale of Ince was not his idea. His claim at the time of the Ince sale was that he went on holiday and when he came back, the United board already sold Ince (without his approval).
February 28th, 2008 at 8:48
Players like Ruud, Stam and Beckham crossed Fergie and thats why they got the ass.
Nev, scholes and giggs have been magnificient for Fergie… So what im thinking is he will play them with abit of blind love.
Its way to early to judge Nev ofcourse.. but i just think Brown has done exceptionally well at RB and at this stage of the season i wouldn’t drop him.
February 28th, 2008 at 9:42
Scholes and Giggs have roles to play, despite their age. Put it this way, would you rather have Paul Scholes coming off the bench down 1-0 with 20 mins to go or some reserves player? Because those are the options. Nani runs himself dead, is ineffective in the 75th minute, would you really not want a Ryan Giggs to come in and keep the right back busy? I don’t think they should start every game, but they’re not past it completely! It’s not a binary thing, while they’re not as good as 5 years ago, they’re still better than a lot of players even on our own squad!
Neville is a different story, I’ve not seen him play so I have no idea if he’s back to premiership form. I don’t think any of us have. We should hold judgement til we can see it ourselves. Clearly he’s doing something rihgt in training, or else he would have pulled an Ole.
February 28th, 2008 at 11:05
Talk of age deterioration and replacement of the “oldie goldies” are i relevant at the moment. We still have a season to play out. Whatever they can contribute NOW must be grasped hungrily. I say play Giggs, Scholes and Neville 30 minutes at the end of Fulham game(unless tactics require i.e not cruising 5-0). Then we can have a better idea of what Neville can contribute. Hopefully its adequate. Remember Vidic got injured, and Evra was subbed last game that was concerning. We need all the bodies we can get during this run in. Giggs, Neville, Scholes should be assessed at the end of the season. Right now is a time for solidarity and support. Whatever they can contribute we should seek to use as effective and beneficial as possible. Fortunately Fergie is uncanny at getting it right.
This is it fellas, a Treble is at stake and its game time. I want Neville, Scholes, Hargreaves, Saha, Giggs, Fletcher O’Shea all to be involved at Fulham so that they can increase their effectiveness and be useful in the coming weeks when necessary. A lot can happen between now and May…
February 28th, 2008 at 14:33
Beachryan:
What are you saying bout nani..i totally disagree with you,, nani has definately improved the team approach to any game, or you want to tell me beating arsenal 4-0,newcastle 5-1 in games that he has started is just a coincidence,
February 28th, 2008 at 15:12
Manutd Jaluo - Erm yes, Nani has been a very effective starter, hence why he’d be on the pitch after 75 minutes? He’s not superhuman, he gets tired, particularly as a winger, and so replacing him in the 75th when he less effective than at kick off makes sense to me. See Chelsea dominating teams of 2 years ago, Robben and Duff get tired, on come Cole and SWP and so forth.
I think Nani’s great, you’re missing my point.
February 28th, 2008 at 17:13
Well Grognard, Fergie is still misty eyed over said veterans.
Here’s an article.
He wants them to play for another 3 years.
February 28th, 2008 at 17:42
Redd75; I see your point mate and although I do agree in a lot of what you say I look around and see the exact opposite in some cases and wonder if experience at times isn’t overrated. Arsenal have lost one league game this season and have been in front most of the campaign. This is not the old Arsenal with Keown, Parlour, Adams, Bergkamp, Vieira, Henry, Ljungberg ETC. They were all rusty old vets. The present Arsenal is an extremely young team that seems to be achieving tremendous things without that necessary ingredient known as experience overflowing from within their ranks. They are defying the odds of such a youth based core winning the league. Well, our experience will win out in the end I’m sure, but even more so, our ability and youth is better than theirs and that will also be a major key when late season fatigue sets in.
I have said in previous posts that I do value experience but when old bones get slower and more brittle, when making that run past a defender to lay in a cross is getting harder, when making a dribbling run through the middle and then unleash a hard shot doesn’t seem feasible, then it is time to take the subs bench. Let your experience help those younger from the bench, the training pitch, the classroom and the dressing room. I for one believe that all three of the players I have talked about are still valuable assets. I just don’t believe they should start most of the games. Experience is most needed in three situations. In the last third of the game, when we are behind and of course when we are in front late in a game. What better time to insert a Scholes or a Giggs. Fresh and full of energy when everyone else is knackered. When their old legs don’t seem that old and when their wisdom can turn a game by how they impose themselves on the game physically and tactically.
Scholes, Giggs and Neville have not only been great players for United. Physically and mentally they have been superlative. They will make outstanding managerial candidates for many teams in the future. Not only are they smart and experienced but they learned under one of the greatest footballing minds and motivators in history. Experience can take you a long way, but eventually age does catch up with you. AC Milan looks to have finally caught up with Father Time. Then again, you never know. My final words of semi-wisdom is simple. If you go with youth today, tomorrow they will carry experience in their back pockets.
February 28th, 2008 at 18:00
Red Ranter; “I still think we will get three more years out of Scholes because he comes back from injuries very well,” Ferguson said. “Players like him and Giggs, who look after themselves, give themselves extra years. Giggs has been flying this season.”
First off, this was written a month ago. Since then Scholes has played and not shown very much at all. He’s not rebounding back from injury as well as had been hoped by Fergie. And “Giggs has been flying this season”. Even I a hard core Giggs fan has to laugh at that one. Perhaps one should check Fergie’s eye prescription or if his red nose is growing out more.
Fergie is just using a famous motivational tool through the media. He has done it for years. He has also famous for claiming the reason RVN and Becks were benched late in their last season’s with the club was because they were fighting injuries. I will go out on a limb and say that neither of these players will be on the United squad roster sheet at the beginning of the 2009/2010 season. They have a season and a third left in them and that is pushing it. If they are still around, I will be pissed with them as greedy players who don’t know when it’s time to move over. I will also be pissed Fergie for being a hypocrite and moving players out of OT just because they disagreed with him, but keeping player long past their expiry date just because they didn’t disagree with him.
It’s amazing that when I watch these lads play they look old and slow but so many of you wear psychedelic glasses and see young lads from 1994 who have energy and speed. Experience is valuable and you can find a lot of it in a retirement facility. Sorry Red Ranter but the article is lost on me because my perspective is quite different. I also am very aware of Fergie’s mind games. I admire loyalty but not when it’s misguided and blind.
February 28th, 2008 at 18:13
grognard, why not start the old men and then when everyone is supposedly knackered later on in the game bring on the young lads and let their fresh legs show. Surely the youngsters’ physical attributes would then provide a great advantage.
‘When making a dribbling run through the middle and unleashing a hard shot doesn’t seem feasible’ - how old do you think scholes is mate. Do you think age has impaired his ability to hit a shot? I’ve also never ever seen scholes dribble with any more than close control.
February 28th, 2008 at 18:31
I don’t see anything wrong with scholes’ return from injury. He looks the same player he was before the injury. It’s hard to say if they’ll be in the squad in 2009/10. By that season i expect anderson and nani to have stepped up. In fact, by then i expect anderson to be recognised as man utds most important player. So i’m not arguing that they’ll still be first team regulars by then, but i think they rightly are just now, and because of ability not experience which i personally couldn’t care about.
February 28th, 2008 at 18:42
[Grognard]
I was just giving you info on what the Gaffer thought about the veterans. I don’t believe everything he says. Because we know how well he can use the media.
And about Fergie being a hypocrite, in all honesty, he has been so on many occasions — it’s nothing new. We all are hypocrites on some levels. But it’s what you do with the rest of your time that counts, and SAF’s record speaks for itself. So much so, that even die hard fans are willing to forgive him for his step down from his raving-socialist-son-of-the-soil days to the current elitist-Glazer-siding-fan-insulting day, because at the end of the day we all have the good of United at heart. I digressed, but thought I could throw some thoughts around today.
February 28th, 2008 at 20:27
Tevez,you would rather have giggs giving the ball away and doing nothing for about 70 mins? like against lyon.And then nani comes on and tries to get something from the game?By including giggs were making games harder than they are
February 28th, 2008 at 21:33
Tevez; Clearly your feeling on the old boys is clear. And sorry to burst your bubble but Scholes is old and he has now become so slow that he keeps getting the ball taken away from him as well, whenever he has a chance at a shot, his reaction is so slow the shot is either blocked or a tackle prevents it from happening. If you cannot see the downgrade in both his and Giggs game than you are in serious need for a visit to your optometrist. Slowto react and slow of foot is the game these two former greats offer us now.
As for your argument to start the old guys and have the young boys come in as subs, that is ridiculous. I want the youth to play the majority of the game when they can make their mark, not the end. If they have done what is expected of them, United should have a lead by the time the old guard comes in. That is when their experience and change of pace may be needed. We don’t need Scholes killing the game off right from the kickoff. Giggs just doesn’t have the pace to be starting very much anymore. In many ways I prefer him to Nani but he gets dispossessed more often now and his passes ack their old sparkle and accuracy.
Neville is a big question mark but I for one am comfortable with Brown at the RB position until the end of the season. If Neville isn’t 100% fit attackers are going to exploit him and get around him which of course will cause havoc. I am nervous about his return.
February 29th, 2008 at 8:49
my team to face fulham:
vds
simmo
rio
vida
evra
ronny
carrick
andy
nani
rooney
welbeck
subs: tevez giggs o’shea fletcher saha.
February 29th, 2008 at 9:23
I like that but i’d put fletcher in for Carrick.. I’d play Saha instead of Wellbeck and have him on the bench and if we are up by more than two then i’d introduce Wellbeck.
What’s up with Brown? is he injured or suspended?
February 29th, 2008 at 10:16
Think Saha will definitely start, and good shout on Wellbeck, would be great to give him a run, but I kind of doubt it. I think Fergie will play Carrick and Fletcher again, as he will use Scholes and Hargo in the CL on Tuesday. Wouldn’t be too surprised to see Kuzcak as well. Dunno what happened to Danny Simpson, he had a run of games then just disappeared.
Should be a comfy win, HOWEVER, as we saw with Fulham last year, they can be hard to break down, and we can’t hope for a Ronnie miracle every time!
February 29th, 2008 at 18:53
We are 3 points behind the leaders in a crucial part of the season so why would we gamble on Welbeck?! He has had no premier league experience and Fulham are definately no pushovers at home. Rooney and Saha to start with Tevez on the bench. I think Carrick and Anderson will play in the middle of the park. Ji Sung and Ronaldo on the wings. Usual back 4 with VDS in goal. Tevez, Nani, Hargreaves, Pique Kusiack subs.