[Legend killer]

How many FUKEN times do we need to see Giggs in midfield?? Get him out wide for **** sake

And somehow Tony survives can't cross or shoot yet stays on when we need a goal SMFH

[bbfan1991]

Gutted.

[Brother Leon]

Thank **** we are 15 points clear. Team has been **** since Madrid game.

[Ryan57]

Please, please, let us sign a creative midfielder this summer.

[Legend killer]

Right I have calmed down slightly and this will be my final post on the matter.

The Madrid game has pretty much ended all our players mentally we have played like utter trash since and I hate to say it BUT THE UGLY MIDFIELD ISSUE IS REARING IT'S HEAD again and fergie has to take fully blame for this as it has affected us for nearly 5 years now and nowt has been done.

Our whole game is based on wingplay so take the last couple of years for example even though we still had a useless centre midfield bar Carrick because of the performances of our wingers we were able to compensate for it.

However now the wingers are playing more to there default setting nothing can be done about it as we can't change our default 4-4-2 setting as we don't have the quality midfielders to adapt it to say a 4-3-3 and even the ones who can play that formation like Shinji sit rotting on the bench

Sadly I don't think the issue wil be sorted until Fergie goes

[Brother Leon]

Originally Posted by Ryan57

Please, please, let us sign a creative midfielder this summer.

Please let us sign any midfielder for poor Carrick to play with.

[Legend killer]

All banter aside would not back RVP to hit Anderson's arse in the form he's in at the moment

[the truth]

man utd have neeeded a creative central midfielder since the last millennium....why the heck cant they get one?

[Ryan57]

Originally Posted by the truth

man utd have neeeded a creative central midfielder since the last millennium....why the heck cant they get one?

Well we still had Keane and Scholes at that point. Then we bought Veron who in some games would look class and other games would just pass him by unfortunately.

Then several years later we bought Anderson, who to begin with, looked a beast. Then injuries and inconsistency have hampered him.

Very nearly signed a midfielder in the summer of 2011. Went for Nasri, nearly had him until his agent demanded a stupid amount. Sneijder, not entirely sure what happened there. So much was floating about. Could of been his stupid wage demands, or Inter got rid of Eto'o and that prevented any deal from happening and the fact Sneijder was happy at Inter.
So we decided to put our faith in Anderson and Cleverley. Who looked immense in the first few weeks of the season. Cleverley doesn't look to of really progressed since then. Just doesn't offer much more than a ball retention player.

[Legend killer]

What has happened to Powell seems to be getting the Pogba treatment SMH. Ouside Carrick I would go as far as saying we have the worst midfield in the league

Anderson we have completely ruined TBH. If anyone saw him before he came to us he was a complete monster and was being touted as the next Ronaldinho and then for some unknown reason Fergie tried to turn him into some box to box dynamo

Cleverly Very rarely in CM runs around like a headless chicken alright in a 3 due to his energy

Fletcher for some unknown reason Fergie seems to think he is going to come back and be Vintage even in his prime ball winner nothing more

Scholes SMH

Giggs

SMH

So basically Jones a defender is our next centre midfield yet he can't pass a simple 5 yard pass the whole thing is bloody pathetic TBH

We as fans need to be thankful Carrick has stayed injury free cause without him I can honestly say we would be nowhere near top right now


On a more positive note watching De Gea command his area and come out for crosses yesterday brought a tear to my eye

[Ryan57]

Originally Posted by Legend killer

What has happened to Powell seems to be getting the Pogba treatment SMH. Ouside Carrick I would go as far as saying we have the worst midfield in the league

Anderson we have completely ruined TBH. If anyone saw him before he came to us he was a complete monster and was being touted as the next Ronaldinho and then for some unknown reason Fergie tried to turn him into some box to box dynamo

Cleverly Very rarely in CM runs around like a headless chicken alright in a 3 due to his energy

Fletcher for some unknown reason Fergie seems to think he is going to come back and be Vintage even in his prime ball winner nothing more

Scholes SMH

Giggs

SMH

So basically Jones a defender is our next centre midfield yet he can't pass a simple 5 yard pass the whole thing is bloody pathetic TBH

We as fans need to be thankful Carrick has stayed injury free cause without him I can honestly say we would be nowhere near top right now


On a more positive note watching De Gea command his area and come out for crosses yesterday brought a tear to my eye

We have a better midfield than most in the league, tbh. It's just amongst the top sides it's very poor in comparison.

[bbfan1991]

Originally Posted by Ryan57

Please, please, let us sign a creative midfielder this summer.

I agree!!!

[bbfan1991]

Chelsea 1 United 0

http://www.manutd.com/en/Fixtures-An...up-report.aspx

[bbfan1991]

Boss: We lacked composure

Sir Alex Ferguson admits his team "lacked composure" after conceding the goal which ultimately knocked Manchester United out of the FA Cup at Stamford Bridge on Easter Monday.



Demba Ba's superb finish on 49 minutes proved decisive, as did Petr Cech's incredible point-blank save from Chicharito's close-range header soon after.

United had chances to get back into the match, but Sir Alex felt Ba's goal changed the flow of the game in Chelsea's favour.

"We were comfortable in the first half and I couldn't see them getting into the game or being any great threat to us. But the goal, as it always does, changed the game," the boss told MUTV and ITV1.

"We spoke about Ba and the experience we had with him a couple of years ago at Newcastle when he scored exactly the same type of goal. We were caught napping to be honest. It wasn't a good start for us right at the beginning of the second half.

"After that I think we lacked the composure to win the game and create proper openings. We had a lot of possession but didn't make the best use of it and they caused us quite a few problems on the counter-attack.

"They've got several players like Hazard, Oscar and Mata who sleep in little pockets and can cause you bother on the counter. Fortunately we didn't lose another goal, but I couldn't really see us scoring either.

"Robin van Persie had a fantastic chance and should have scored, but he put it over the bar. We had a couple of headers past the post and Cech made a fantastic save from Chicharito. But we just lacked composure when we had to chase the game and didn't play as well as we should have in the second half."

The Reds will now switch to ensuring victory in the title race and what would be the club's 20th league crown. Sir Alex's men currently hold a 15-point lead over rivals Manchester City who are United's next opponents at Old Trafford on Monday.

"We must kick on," insisted Sir Alex. "We're disappointed and the players are down. They're disappointed because they know they can do better.

"To be honest with you, for the ninety minutes I thought only Antonio Valencia reached the standard that we expect of them. Phil Jones, for a good part of the game, and David De Gea did well. But in terms of the ninety-minute performance, Antonio was the only one.

"But we need to forget this result and look forward to the game with City. A positive result for us next Monday will just about seal the title for us."

[bbfan1991]

Smalling's derby focus

Chris Smalling says United must use the forthcoming Manchester derby as a source of motivation to overcome the disappointment of exiting the FA Cup at the hands of Chelsea on Easter Monday.



The Reds lost 1-0 at Stamford Bridge, following Demba Ba’s second-half strike. The defeat ends United's bid to win the Double and leaves Sir Alex Ferguson’s side with the Barclays Premier League title to fight for in the remaining two months of the season.

While obviously disappointed to have missed out on a Wembley semi-final clash with Manchester City, Smalling wants his team-mates to get over the result by triumphing in next Monday’s league derby and then by sealing the title in style.

“It will take a couple of days to get over this because a lot of us came into it with great confidence and we felt we were going to win this game," Smalling told MUTV. “At least we have a good game next Monday but we need to make sure that we rally together and win this title with aplomb.

“Our fans will be right behind us and we need to make sure that we give them a good performance because the second half today was just not good enough.”

Having beaten Sunderland less than 48 hours earlier on Saturday, United were perhaps a little sluggish at Stamford Bridge but did largely control the first half and limited Chelsea to very few chances whilst looking relatively dangerous on the counter attack.

However, with quite a few tired legs on the pitch, the Reds struggled to keep the upper hand and created very few scoring chances, other than two excellent opportunities for Javier Hernandez and substitute Robin van Persie after Ba had broken the deadlock on 49 minutes.

“The dressing room is disappointed,” Smalling explained afterwards. “I think the first half went very well and we were on top, playing some good football so a lot of us are disappointed that we didn’t carry that on into the second half, which wasn’t like us.

“We were very confident that we would score today and judging by our first-half performance, we thought we wouldn’t concede either because they didn’t create too many chances - but it was really unlike us not to score.

“In the last half an hour, the game started to stretch which wasn’t ideal for us but before that we felt comfortable as a team and played some good football in the first half. The biggest disappointment is that we didn’t carry that on in the second half. That’s what everyone is really down about.”

Naturally, after defeat in the replay, the mind automatically wanders back to when United were 2-0 up in the initial sixth-round meeting at Old Trafford and seemingly cruising towards the semi-finals - but Smalling says such thinking is futile.

“At the start of the day, we saw this replay as a new challenge and a fresh start so you can’t think about the lead in the first match and what might have been. We need to make sure that we remember this defeat next season and not let it slip again.”

[bbfan1991]

Rooney set for return

Sir Alex Ferguson hopes Wayne Rooney will have recovered from a groin injury in time for Monday's Manchester derby after the injury forced the striker to sit out United's trips to Sunderland and Chelsea over the Easter weekend.



The striker picked up the problem while away on international duty with England and consequently missed the league win at the Stadium of Light and the FA Cup defeat at Stamford Bridge.

Sir Alex said Rooney felt the injury again in training on Sunday, but hoped he would be available for the clash with Manchester City at Old Trafford on 8 April.

Jonny Evans, meanwhile, missed the 1-0 loss at Chelsea because of a hamstring strain picked up in Saturday's victory over the Black Cats.

The Northern Ireland international replaced the injured Rafael in the first half at Sunderland and although he completed the remainder of the game, Sir Alex said afterwards that Evans had played through the pain barrier for much of the second period.

Good news. I think we missed Wayne and I hope Jonny Evans is OK!

[bbfan1991]

Evra laments missing medal

Patrice Evra admits he was sad to see another FA Cup campaign fall short for Manchester United as his quest to win the world-famous competition goes on.



The Frenchman has handled every other trophy that English football has to offer during his seven years as a Red, not to mention the European and Club World Cups in addition, but an FA Cup winner's medal has so far proved annoyingly elusive with Chelsea becoming the latest team to knock United out.

“It's a massive disappointment for us,” said Evra. “We didn't expect to lose and we really wanted to win the Double. A lot of players, including myself, haven't won the FA Cup and it was an important trophy for us.”

Evra felt yesterday’s replay defeat confirmed a demise that began in the original meeting with Chelsea, at Old Trafford on 10 March.

“I think we lost the tie in the first match,” he reflected. “We have to be realistic with ourselves - we gave the first game away. We were winning 2-0, they came back from 2-0 down and we drew 2-2. After that we had another chance to win at Stamford Bridge but Chelsea deserved to go through.”

Captain again in the absence of Nemanja Vidic, Evra graciously congratulated Demba Ba on his match-winning strike – and noted its similarity with a goal he scored against the Reds for his former club, Newcastle United.

“He did it when we played Newcastle away [last season],” said Evra. “He showed great technique and I don't think De Gea could have saved it. Well done to Demba Ba because it's a great goal."

Exiting the FA Cup leaves United, unusually, with only league fixtures to play in April and May. And while things clearly remain very rosy in the title race, Evra would love to have complemented its conclusion with further involvement in the knock-out competitions.

“We were really sad to lose in the Champions League, it hurt us a lot when we lost against Real Madrid,” he said. “And this is another really sad day for the club, the players and the fans.

“Now we're going to focus on the league. It's nearly done but we have to win a few games.”

[bbfan1991]

Vidic: I feel blessed

Nemanja Vidic lays bare his footballing soul in a fascinating and wide-ranging interview in the new issue of Inside United, the club's official magazine.



The Manchester United captain talks in depth on a variety of subjects, including what it means to win, his views on leadership and competing, his toughest days as a player, his football future – and the honour of pulling on the red shirt.

“It’s brought me huge enjoyment and the opportunity to express myself on what’s probably the biggest stage in football,” Nemanja says of being a Red. “I feel blessed to play for this club and I learn things every day. I’ve been at United for seven-and-a-half years... I can’t deny I feel something very special.”

Vidic also discusses his fierce competitive streak (“I don’t like to lose a header, I don’t like to lose a game”), his injury pain (“that was the hardest time for me”) and the shalt-not-lose mentality that has been the bedrock of his success (“winning is vital in football; in fact, winning is everything”).

Vida is class.

[Legend killer]

Just watching PSG-Barca and wow Lucas is fuken class. Just think we couldn't get him so we got Young LOOOL hardly like for like. Would not be surprised if Young was getting better wages then him either

[Ryan57]

Originally Posted by Legend killer

Just watching PSG-Barca and wow Lucas is fuken class. Just think we couldn't get him so we got Young LOOOL hardly like for like. Would not be surprised if Young was getting better wages then him either

Wasn't the same summer. However, yeah, I was thinking they have Lucas we have Young.

Apparently he's on 250,000 euros, roughly £212,000. Not sure that's true though. Be shocked if it is.

Edit: Reading elsewhere apparently it's 250,000 euros a month. £53,000 ish. I'm off to go cry.

[bbfan1991]

De Gea: Let's finish the job

David De Gea is typically serene and relaxed as Manchester United prepare for a potentially significant derby clash on Monday night.



Victory over reigning champions Manchester City at Old Trafford would put the Reds 18 points ahead of the Blues with just seven Barclays Premier League games left. De Gea, who has contributed as much as anyone to United’s telling run of six consecutive league clean sheets, is determined to finish the campaign with a first winner’s medal.

The 23-year-old told the latest issue of Inside United magazine: “I’d love to win the league this season but so does everyone else in the team. We’re all focused on getting three points from every game – that is what will take us to our objective. We appreciate where we are in the league and we want to finish it.”

De Gea has made 35 appearances already this term but is still feeling fit, fresh and happy with his form heading into the final straight.

“I’m feeling well, in good shape and I’m at ease on the pitch,” he said. “I’ve played a lot of matches but I get plenty of rest at home and I eat well – it’s important to look after myself.

“I’m more confident and feel I’m playing consistently because I’ve had a prolonged run in the team. But training well and having a good mental attitude brings its rewards. Everything you put in, you get out. That is what you’re seeing now – I’m very happy with how I’m playing.”


DDG is awesome.

[bbfan1991]

Reds duo on track

Wayne Rooney and Rafael are back in training ahead of the derby clash with Manchester City.



The pair missed the FA Cup exit at the hands of Chelsea and there are still question marks over the availability of centre-backs Jonny Evans and Nemanja Vidic, who also sat out the Stamford Bridge clash.

The fact that the Old Trafford showdown with second-placed City is on Monday night at least gives United plenty of time to work on the fitness of those who are carrying injuries.

"Wayne and Rafa have started training this morning," stated Sir Alex. "Which is good news.

"Hopefully, they will be fine by Monday. Jonny Evans and Nemanja Vidic are not there yet but, hopefully, they will start training maybe tomorrow or Saturday morning. We have a little bit of time on our hands to get most of the troops ready for the game."

City will be determined to stop the Reds from taking another massive step towards regaining the Barclays Premier League crown in what promises to be an exciting encounter.

"It's a derby game with a difference from a few years ago," explained the boss at his press conference. "We have to get used to playing Manchester City in big games and that's the case again.

"The important thing is to win Monday's game. It'll be a big game for City. They'll want to come and derail us for a spell. We're at home and our consistency is there for all to see. I expect us to perform really well on Monday.

"We have to congratulate our players on their consistency - to win 25 out of 30 games is a record and should be applauded. It's fantastic. But we've
still got to win the title. We have eight games left and that's 24 points to play for.

"The way we've approached things is the correct way and that's to win the next game. Hopefully, it takes you to winning the league and then we talk about what the season has been like. It doesn't matter what people say outside of the club, it's about what we think inside the club about what we've achieved.

"The staff I have are more critical than anyone - we're always looking to do our best. I think this season has been a good season for us."

Good news that Wayne Rooney and Rafael are fit again. I hope that Jonny Evans and Nemanja Vidic will be OK!

[bbfan1991]

Boss: No rest for Robin

Sir Alex Ferguson is backing Robin van Persie to end his goal drought but feels United's top scorer was unlucky not to be credited with the winner at Sunderland last weekend.



The Dutchman worked the ball onto his left foot at the Stadium of Light and fired in a shot but it took a deflection off Titus Bramble and will go down as an own goal against the Black Cats centre-back.

Following the FA Cup tie at Chelsea, van Persie has now gone nine games without scoring with his last strike coming in the home win against Everton in February. However, the manager rejects any suggestions that the 29-year-old needs a break at this stage of the campaign.

"Robin doesn't need a rest, that’s for sure," insisted Sir Alex. "He's a strong lad with a great physique.

"It's disappointing he wasn't awarded the goal at Sunderland – I can understand that because it took a wicked deflection. His shot was fantastic – it was hit with such venom that it’s not surprising it took a deflection. But his ability to manoeuvre his position at that point was excellent. The goals will come. All strikers have little dry spells – you always hope it ends quickly. It's just part of being a striker."

After bagging the late winner in the corresponding derby fixture at the Etihad Stadium, the stage is set for van Persie to net against City again on Monday. Sir Alex says he can draw on his own experience to offer advice to strikers when it comes to taking chances.

"I didn't have dry spells [as a striker]!" he laughed. "I remember I had a spell at the start of one season when I had a little knee injury and didn't score until October and I still ended up with 30-odd goals!

"You have to get through that period and not lose your faith and belief in yourself. My dad always used to say make sure you batter the ball when you’re in there, don’t tap it or try and side-foot the ball in the net, batter it! That's what I always tell strikers – when you get in the position make sure you hit it. If the goalkeeper saves it, you can say 'what a great save'. But if you try to side-foot it in and the keeper just catches it easily, you’ll get criticised for that.

"It’s just being sensible and realistic. Robin’s shot last week could have come off any defender because it was hit so well and that’s the right thing to do."

[bbfan1991]

Jones excites Sir Alex

Sir Alex Ferguson has predicted a glittering future for Phil Jones and paid tribute to the England international's versatility, although the boss sees him as a natural centre-half.



Describing the 21-year-old as an "animal for football", the boss also outlined some of his plans for the defensive positions in the coming years during his exclusive interview with Inside United.

Chris Smalling and Jonny Evans also look certain to compete for a centre-back slot, Jones' preferred position, but that United's no.4 has the ability to perform all over the pitch marks him out as a special talent.

"Jonny's been really brilliant this season," enthused Sir Alex. "He's 25 years old now and, hopefully for the next six or seven years, he could be a regular centre-back for us. Obviously, Rio [Ferdinand] is 34 now and [Nemanja] Vidic is 31. [Patrice] Evra is 31 so, in that sense, players like Smalling, Jones and Evans will come to the fore.

"Jones is going to be a fantastic player, his talent is unbelievable. Yes [his best position is centre-back] but you could play him anywhere. I think you could play him centre-forward! He’s just that type of player, he’s an animal for football. He grasps the game, he understands it. Play him right-back? Brilliant. Play him centre-midfield? No problem. Play him centre-back? Terrific.

"He’s just one of those unusual players you get now and again who can play anywhere. We’ve not had a player like him in terms of someone who can play at that performance level since, well the closest you would get would be Brian McClair.

"Now, Brian McClair was a fantastic player. He could play anywhere, McClair. I remember kidding him on once; I said to him, just go and play in the right-back area and he laughed. I said to him, ‘What are you laughing at?’ and he said, ‘Next week I’ll be centre-half.’ But that was his character, so composed about life. Nothing bothered him."

Nice praise by SAF for Phil Jones, who I am sure is humbled by it and I am too excited by Phil because he is so versatile and really is developing into a class player!

[bbfan1991]

Sir Alex: League was the priority

Sir Alex Ferguson has pointed out that wresting the title crown back from Manchester City would represent a very successful season for United.



In an exclusive interview with MUTV, the boss admits he is perplexed at any suggestion that the defeats to Real Madrid and Chelsea in the Champions League and FA Cup respectively could take some of the gloss off the campaign.

Perhaps it is the commanding lead in the table that causes some pundits to claim there could be a 'flat' end to the season for the Reds but nothing could be further from the truth for the manager, who appreciates how difficult it is to win the league.

Despite City chief Roberto Mancini's recent comments, the title race is still not over and Monday's derby is one that United will be desperate to win in order to stretch the lead even further to 18 points with seven fixtures remaining.

Sir Alex said: "I was asked about only winning one trophy. I think that's a strange question in the context of the kind of competition we have as we're up against teams from London - Arsenal, Tottenham and Chelsea - plus Liverpool and Everton.

"They're massive challenges every year [for both Manchester clubs]. For every one of those teams, the supporters want to win one trophy. I think we can win the one that really does matter to the fans in particular.

"Yes, I'd love to win the Champions League again but I'd say that we were knocked out in circumstances everyone is still talking about. The disappointment at being knocked out by Chelsea is obvious but the league form has been fantastically consistent."

Meanwhile, Nemanja Vidic remains a doubt for Monday's clash after the captain sustained a thigh injury during last weekend's 1-0 victory at Sunderland with Jonny Evans also struggling to make Monday's encounter.

"Vida got injured at Sunderland," confirmed Sir Alex. "Early on, he had a clash and had a bit of treatment and then he had a clash with David De Gea near the end of the game. It's not serious, just a nerve in his calf, so he should be maybe back in training over the weekend.

"I've got Rio Ferdinand, Chris Smalling and Phil Jones so I've got the right cover, I think."

I agree with Sir Alex that the league is the priority and the title race is not over yet, although it disappoints me how we have not won the FA Cup in ages.