Official Man United Supporters' Thread

[Velaux]

Hmm, I am not sure.

Who are the other midfields?

Chelski

Fat Frank
Deco
Ballack
Malouda

Lampard, Deco, Essien, Ballack, Mikel.

Pool

Gerrard
Mascherano
Lucas
Benayoun
(Kuyt) basically a striker

Mascherano, Lucas, Aquilani.

Arse

Arshavin
Fabregas
Denilson
Eboue?

Fabregas, Denilson, Song, Nasri, Arshavin, Diaby, Rosicky. Maybe someone like Djourou at a stretch. Most versatile midfield.

It is hard to compare apples with apples as not everyone has 4 regular midfielders. Arse seem to play some sort of 4-3-3 and chelski have that 4-3-2-1 or whatever it is meant to be.

Arsenal play a standard Dutch 4-3-3 (see: Barcelona), and Chelsea play a 4-1-2-1-2, AKA a diamond. Ancelotti used 4-3-2-1 (Christmas Tree!) at Meelan, not at Chelsea.

Pool play what? 4-5-1? Or 4-4-1-1 with Kuyt and Torres up front...

Liverpool play 4-2-3-1, with Mascherano and Lucas as the two, Kuyt/Gerrard/Riera[or Babel or Benayoun or whatever], and Torres up front.

Can't believe you called people like Malouda and Eboue midfielders.....

Agreed.

If everyone is fit, I'd start with Nani, Fletcher, Carrick and Valencia in the middle. BBT and Rooney up front. No messing around.

This would be a comically ineffective lineup. Nani and Valencia would not help Fletcher and Carrick in the middle of the park, leaving them to get swamped by the 3+ midfielders every remotely good team plays, from Stoke to Barcelona.

Instead they would attempt to provide crosses to.........uh no one, because Rooney and Berbatov don't get in the box, and Carrick and Fletcher neither have the inclination nor the ability, as they cannot leave the centre of the park vacant.

And on the topic of Rooney and Berbatov, I repeat what I said when Berbatov was signed: Two forwards who don't get in the box to provide final balls to.....no one. [please don't mention Owen, I don't want to find a youtube video of him fresh airing two chances]

United won't win anything while they play 4-4-2 without a seriously dominant midfielder. Given that there are maybe 3 players capable of doing it, it's not surprising that 4-4-2 has been abandoned en masse.

 

[Fern9do]

wow, brilliant post mate!(You Genius in disguise?)
It's hard to find teams playing 4-4-2 these days but some fans like to revert to "we should play 4-4-2" when they have a couple of bad results. Because its the easiest formation to comprehend

 

[stede]

SAF needs to sign 1 or 2 good midfield players! The currant players won't be
able to cope this season. This year it's going to be tough! There's more teams
that came into play now with the likes of Man City & Spurs.

If we can't beat Wigan on Saturday then we have a serious problem!

 

[dbecks]

Maybe we should can these discussions until DEC! (where we probably wont be having them, being on the top of the log and fighting for trophies on all fronts)

JJB here we come!!!!!

 

[hj2k_x]

Lampard, Deco, Essien, Ballack, Mikel.

Mascherano, Lucas, Aquilani.

Fabregas, Denilson, Song, Nasri, Arshavin, Diaby, Rosicky. Maybe someone like Djourou at a stretch. Most versatile midfield.

Arsenal play a standard Dutch 4-3-3 (see: Barcelona), and Chelsea play a 4-1-2-1-2, AKA a diamond. Ancelotti used 4-3-2-1 (Christmas Tree!) at Meelan, not at Chelsea.

Liverpool play 4-2-3-1, with Mascherano and Lucas as the two, Kuyt/Gerrard/Riera[or Babel or Benayoun or whatever], and Torres up front.

Can't believe you called people like Malouda and Eboue midfielders.....


This would be a comically ineffective lineup. Nani and Valencia would not help Fletcher and Carrick in the middle of the park, leaving them to get swamped by the 3+ midfielders every remotely good team plays, from Stoke to Barcelona.

Instead they would attempt to provide crosses to.........uh no one, because Rooney and Berbatov don't get in the box, and Carrick and Fletcher neither have the inclination nor the ability, as they cannot leave the centre of the park vacant.

And on the topic of Rooney and Berbatov, I repeat what I said when Berbatov was signed: Two forwards who don't get in the box to provide final balls to.....no one. [please don't mention Owen, I don't want to find a youtube video of him fresh airing two chances]

United won't win anything while they play 4-4-2 without a seriously dominant midfielder. Given that there are maybe 3 players capable of doing it, it's not surprising that 4-4-2 has been abandoned en masse.

I am not sure I agree with anything you have said, but welcome nonetheless

When it comes to other teams and their strategies and midfielders, I admit some of my comments may not have been 100% accurate. I based them on the starting XIs of the 1st two games, which seemed reasonable enough.

As for our midfield not being good enough in the formation I suggested. Just how much helping out of Fletcher and Carrick did Ronaldo do last season? I can see what you are saying, but I don't agree.

 

[hj2k_x]

United won't win anything while they play 4-4-2 without a seriously dominant midfielder. Given that there are maybe 3 players capable of doing it, it's not surprising that 4-4-2 has been abandoned en masse.

Just had to quote this bit especially for when it blows up in your face. What is a dominant midfielder? I presume something along the lines of Lampard/Gerrard or even Fabregas/Arshavin. If so, how have we won up to now?

 

[dbecks]

Just had to quote this bit especially for when it blows up in your face. What is a dominant midfielder? I presume something along the lines of Lampard/Gerrard or even Fabregas/Arshavin. If so, how have we won up to now?

Yeah how have we
More so how much have Gerrard's team, Lampard's Team and Fabregas/Arshavin's won (given they are considered the better MF's).

I still maintain that we just need to consistently play a regular pair in the MF.

 

[guru_pitka]

Yeah how have we
More so how much have Gerrard's team, Lampard's Team and Fabregas/Arshavin's won (given they are considered the better MF's).

I still maintain that we just need to consistently play a regular pair in the MF.

the only reason you have won the last 3 years was down to a certain nr 7 who is no more

 

[dbecks]

the only reason you have won the last 3 years was down to a certain nr 7 who is no more

Yooooou Yoooooou just had to bring that up...lol

Are you saying that a certain Number7 is better than Chelsea, Liverpool, and Arsenal...

 

[guru_pitka]

Yooooou Yoooooou just had to bring that up...lol

Are you saying that a certain Number7 is better than Chelsea, Liverpool, and Arsenal...

well 91 goals in 152 apperances in the last 3 seasons says it all Manure will struggle withou Winky

 

[Alan]

Manure need Hardgrieves back desperately

 

[Stickfigure]

Manure need Hardgrieves back desperately

True but imo, he does more bad than good. Here we all are waiting anxiously for him to return and when he comes back he'll be just as good as he was before but 3 games later, his knees are gone again. Then the whole process starts over.

Can't believe it's been nearly a year since he last played :/

 

[guru_pitka]

Manure need Hardgrieves back desperately

and someone who scored an average of 35 goals a season (over the last 2 at least )

dbecks know who im talking about

 

[Stickfigure]

and someone who scored an average of 35 goals a season (over the last 2 at least )

dbecks know who im talking about

Um was 25 last season. get your facts straight

 

[hj2k_x]

LOL. All this talk of Ronaldo is to be expected. So is our slow start. Have you people learned nothing?

 

[guru_pitka]

Um was 25 last season. get your facts straight

well i said average over the last 2 seasons ,so my facts are as straight as and arrow

 

[fishfly]

plz we don't need ronaldo

but we do need a stronger midfield

 

[guru_pitka]

plz we don't need ronaldo

but we do need a stronger midfield

pleeeeeeaze dont talk popo

but i do agree you need a stronger midfield

 

[hj2k_x]

We need to play our strongest team. People getting all excited that our 2nd string lost the 2nd game of a new season. That is how we roll

 

[Stickfigure]

well i said average over the last 2 seasons ,so my facts are as straight as and arrow

42+25 = 67
67/2 = 33.5

You're off by 1.5

But yeah, stronger midfield is needed. WIll be better when Vidic, Ferdinand and van der Sar are back.