Why were you happy United lost? I understand that sort of thing with a local team rivalry but not otherwise. I always want our teams to do well in Europe.
The one thing I learnt last night was why Rooney wanted to leave earlier this season. He was the only United player who could play in that Barcelona team. Man United really need to buy big this summer if they want to compete at this level. Centre midfield is a must, they can't rely on Giggs to play 90 minutes out of position and Carrick just isn't good enough. They were over run last night and the wings got no supply which is the only area I thought they would get at Barca. Should be an exciting summer in the transfer market. Maybe they'll go for Sneijder.
I don't think Rooney would find a place in the starting eleven of Barca. Any other team, it's more than likely but not them.
Barcelona = The best team on the planet right now. I wasn't surprised by the score at all. Man Utd might have won the premiership this year but they've not done it with any flair or even won it convincingly; it was close towards the end. Love to know though where the money is going to come from for Man Utds refit this summer. Club up to the eyes in £750 Million of debt and owners who don't have the pockets to compete with Barca, Man City, Chelsea, Real Madrid. Giggs and Scholes are retiring so the last of Fergies home grown heroes are outta there with no homegrown replacements coming through. Man Utd need a rich Arab to come in and buy them I think.. Rooney will be away if the players and investments don't come in. He'll move down the road on a bumper deal. Btw. I wonder how many Man Utd. fans became Barcelona fans last night? Probably a lot. Well, on the plus side their change in allegiance probably means a shorter ride to home games at least.
The problem with competing with the Spanish sides financially is that they can strike their own TV deals. If our top teams did the same sort of thing, they'd be much richer - especially United - but the premier league would end up more like La Liga.
Apart from that there a few errors in your post there Ichi.. 9 points isn't that close. Giggs has signed a new contract, Scholes hasn't decided. Not really worth it for one season though is it? Did you forget that this will be the last big money transfer window we will see? From next year teams cannot spend more than they earn otherwise they will be banned from UEFA competitions, this will actually make Utd one of the richest clubs again as they earn stupid amounts. The owners were offered £1bn last year but refused, the consortium could offer again this year but I expect them to reject again. Utd as a club do have money to spend, they have spent £18m on a goal keeper (you won't see Arsenal doing that) but Fergie doesn't like the stupid money involved (which will hopefully stop next season as no one will have that sort of money). They don't need that much of a refit, I have been saying all season that the one place Utd need to improve is the 2 middle of the park posistion but other than that where else do they need to improve? Look at this years first choice 9 in the other posistions. GK: Van Der Saar LB: Evra CB: Ferdinand CB: Vidic RB: Rafa/Fabio RM: Valencia/Nani LM: Nani/Park FOR: Rooney FOR: Hernandez Who would you say needs replacing there then? The Da Silva twins might be young but have done well enough (Utd have a fantastic defensive record this year in both the PL and the CL). The Wingers Valencia and Nani are 2 of the best attacking wingers in the country and although Park doesn't have all the same attributes he is a fantastic worker. Rooney and Hernandez speak for themselves. I think 2 decent CM players, especially one who is creative will make this team very strong, it would be lovely to see Modric or Sneijder come in and there have been rumours about both, just imagine both come in and next years team would be.. GK: De Gea LB: Evra CB: Vidic CB: Ferdinand RB: Rafa/Fabio LM: Nani CM: Modric CM: Sneijder RM: Valencia FOR: Rooney FOR: Hernandez Looks pretty good doesn't it, what a difference those two posistions would make. CM has been the weak link for Utd all season and Fergie has already promised at least 3 big signings, he has made 1 so 2 to go. Ashley Young is also a strong possibilty which would give Utd even more options on the wing... Most importantly though remember the spending caps next year, it will change everything. Saying that I expect Chelsea and City to spend big this year to try to compensate for it... Newcastle don't have to worry as they won't get Europe any time soon so they can spend as much as they like really which with Ashley in charge will be no more than £5 million.....
I'm not a big fan of Nani, he hasn't fulfilled his potential, he's just too inconsistent, one week you can compare him to Messi but the next week he can be plain awful. I'd be tempted to offload him for as much as possible because he's not getting any better. Berbatov is out that's for sure, last night must have told him that. I can see him back to Spurs with Modric coming to Old Trafford. Ashley Young will balance the wings very well, Park works hard but you couldn't call him a proper winger, Barcelona knew that last night and suffocated Valencia as he is the out ball man. Young would give us more left side options. One thing's for sure they need somebody to compliment Rooney, he's just too good to be in the current team without another star like Ronaldo or Tevez in the past. I really don't know who that will be apart from Sneijder.
Hang on just one second. When Man Utd took the title this year it was by a point; a point earned by Hernandez's theatrics in the penalty area and one they needed to put them back into a game they were losing. That Chelsea failed to win against Newcastle and Everton after that is neither here nor there; they were assured second place, Ancelotti knew he was out of a job and the squad just wanted to go on Holiday. Maybe so, but they might as well be retiring. They're as old as I am, they're nowhere near the players they were only a couple of years ago nevermind ten years ago when Man Utd were doing what Barca are doing today. They may stick around but they're going to be impact subs and my guess is the only reason Ferguson keeps them around is because they're probably more of an influence in the changing room rather than on the field. Regardless of them staying, he still needs to find two players who can really do the job that those two did in their heyday. I'm all for the fair play rules in football, in an ideal world it should straighten things out and put everyone on an even keel. But you can bet your life that Man City sell their "Royal Box" at £350 Million a season or something rediculous and all the other clubs will follow. There are simply too many loopholes kept in place to allow the clubs who are prepared to spend insane amounts of money at the top of the leagues/competitions. Although I'm interested to see how the part of the rules on operating in the red will work out for Man Utd; the owners don't have the money that Chelsea and City have to write that £750 Million off. As for who should go, I actually agree with Gaffer on Nani. He might actually do better if he stayed on his feet instead of rolling on the floor when a slight breeze crops up but otherwise I think he's a candidate for the exit for sure. Ferdinand I've always thought was overrated. However, I think the whole team itself needs to be looked at. I still don't think they won the prem this year in any convincing manner but I think this year was a weird year for football in general given how close the top of the table was and how close the bottom was too. And as it was painfully shown last night, they simply aren't even on the same level of Barcelona. I love how we have to talk about Newcastle here...this would be the same Newcastle that kept Man Utd to a goalless draw in a fixture they've won for how many years on the trot? That alone probably says more for the state of the current Man Utd team than it does for the current Newcastle sqaud...As for what we're spending this year I don't have any problems with them being frugal if they bring in players of the quality of Tiote. He was £3.5 Million and easily one of the best DM's this season. A few more players of that ilk at cut down prices and I'd be not too sure about claiming we won't make a EUFA spot through league position or a cup run. If todays reports are to be believed we've signed Yohan Cabaye from Lille for £5M who is supposedly a big up and comer; just been called up to the national sqaud. We'supposedly re very near to agreeing a deal for Gervinho too now they've apparently got some wage hiccup seen through but I still think he'll go to Arsenal for CL. If he didn't though, those two alone would make me very happy... On a side note, someone on my Facebook posted last night that he saw Berbatov was at the Jesmond Dene Hall hotel in Newcastle; my friend was there having dinner with his wife. That's where the club put up a lot of the players they're trying to do deals with. I don't know if he's winding me up or what but some other sites this morning have been running the story that he's been seen up here. As I understand it, Alan Shearer was his role model as a boy...I'd take Berba in a heartbeat..would love it. Probably just wishful thinking but they've been promising some "big names"..have to see if they keep their word. I still cant believe Fergie doesn't want Berbatov..
Barton is available on a free, he would be a good player for a lot of clubs and he isn't going to cost a penny. Maybe Harry will go for him as Spurs seem to be unwilling to spend anything in this window. http://www.teamtalk.com/news/2483/7076094/Barton-available-on-a-free
This pre-season gets better and better. Bartoon won't leave until his contract is up though. Good lad.
Barton will probably go if another big enough team come in for him and there are rumours that Liverpools bid of £7m for Enrique has been accepted. We also beat Gateshead 3-1 but none of the first teamers were playing. It keeps getting worse. Ichi, what are you thoughts on this crap?
Our pre-season gets worse as we leave the best LB we have had for years. Enrique. Another class footballer gone from us to Liverpool. I hate those bin dippers. Xisco is also finally gone so that helps num the pain. So far in transfer ins and outs for us: in: Demba Ba Marveuax Yohan Cabaye Obertan Abied Out: Nolan Enrique Xisco Still hoping for a new striker(Probably Bendtner) a replacement LB and maybe a better RB. Supposedly Ben Arfa will be out for even longer. Not looking forward to the Arsenal game on Saturday..
Hardly, two good seasons in the 4 and half years we've had him, (one of which was in the Championship), hardly qualifies him as the best LB we've had for years. Were he really that good Chelsea, Citeh, Man Utd or Arsenal would have had him and he'd have got the Champions League football he was supposedly craving. As it is, he's become another addition on Dogleash's extensive shopping spree which will still fail to get them into a spot to qualify for CL football. As far as a LB goes I was more impressed with young Shane Ferguson in the games I saw him play and that lad needs to be given a chance; we have so much young talent at the club that aren't seeing any first team action..just wait and see. As much as I liked Barton I now wish they'd get rid of him once and for all; he'll be disrupting the dressing room for one thing and I'd rather they got him off the books and spent his wages on another player we need up front. Ben Arfa is out for another five weeks by all accounts..not that long and our midfield is more than capable from the look of it. My friend watches the training games and he went to the Fiorentina game (that was called off) and he says Cabaye is shit hot by all accounts so I'm eager to see him get a PL game. I have some friends who are ManUtd fans and they speak highly of Obertan; just didnt find his game sometimes but apparently his pre-season was fantastic and there's a great clip on YouTube from the states where he sets up that little troll Owen and if he can get him scoring again I'm sure he'll be able to set some of our guys up. Apparently we had scouts watching some German games..we're after a striker over there apparently. And I'm not too worried about Arsenal. 4 points off them last season and they're on the verge of losing their two main players..I think if any team is feeling low it'll be them given their stars are about to quit for other clubs. I am interested in seeing Gervinho though..
Mario Gomez I wish! Supposedly we are after a Danish LB named Pieters. So if we can get him in and a striker we should be sound.
Wooo! We have just signed Davide Santon from Inter Milan on a 5 year deal. Absolutely quality signing and is tipped to be the next Maldini. So now we have signed: Cabaye Obertan Abied Marveaux Demba Ba Santon And hoping to sign Maiga and Mecheda on loan from united. Loving the world, especially as we have 7 points from 3 games already. This will be our season!