Impressed but concerned

[Krafty]

Its all about the DM for me. If we get the right player, in terms of mentality as much as quality, then not only will we have a qualty DM (and thats not Zokora sadly, I was so willing him to kick on last season) but I think we will start becoming a team that is better than the sum of its parts, instead of a team less than the sum of its parts as we were last season.

We get someone in who gets a grip of the midfield, a leader who the rest of the midfield listen to and react to, especially in terms of presisng and positioning, then I think we could do exceedingly well next season.

Our two main problems were giving away the initiative in games (and struggling to get it back), and being unable to break teams down enough, especially when the oppo had ten men behind the ball. With santos and Modric, and possibly Bentley, a fit again Bale, nevermind a settled/fit Gilberto and an improved Lennon (if we dream), we should get the second problem dealt with. Now we need to focus on the first. We do that we kill off more teams, dont let silly goals in, dont invite 40 miuntes of pressure onto our back line, and generally do better.

This is the chance to finally, for the first time since maybe 1991 when I was a wipper snapper, to have a quality team from front to back, without a big problem that brings the whole team down

 

[That Guy]

Its all about the DM for me. If we get the right player, in terms of mentality as much as quality, then not only will we have a qualty DM (and thats not Zokora sadly, I was so willing him to kick on last season) but I think we will start becoming a team that is better than the sum of its parts, instead of a team less than the sum of its parts as we were last season.

We get someone in who gets a grip of the midfield, a leader who the rest of the midfield listen to and react to, especially in terms of presisng and positioning, then I think we could do exceedingly well next season.

Our two main problems were giving away the initiative in games (and struggling to get it back), and being unable to break teams down enough, especially when the oppo had ten men behind the ball. With santos and Modric, and possibly Bentley, a fit again Bale, nevermind a settled/fit Gilberto and an improved Lennon (if we dream), we should get the second problem dealt with. Now we need to focus on the first. We do that we kill off more teams, dont let silly goals in, dont invite 40 miuntes of pressure onto our back line, and generally do better.

This is the chance to finally, for the first time since maybe 1991 when I was a wipper snapper, to have a quality team from front to back, without a big problem that brings the whole team down

We really do just need that Roy Keane figure. i really believe in Modric we've finally replaced part of what Carrick had, we just need someone to sit in front of defence and to break up play with the same excellent positioning he had.

 

[General Levy]

And Dave Nugent? Absolutely not, never. Other players in red, yes please.

+1

lol @ lukespurs.

+1

 

[talkshowhost86]

We really do just need that Roy Keane figure. i really believe in Modric we've finally replaced part of what Carrick had, we just need someone to sit in front of defence and to break up play with the same excellent positioning he had.

Makes you realise how good Carrick was when you realise it may take two players to give us what he offered on his own.

 

[Krafty]

I am not a great Carrick lover to be honest, I thought even with him we still lacked that Roy Keane type. Davids helped quite a bit in providing some bite and aggression dont forget.

 

[talkshowhost86]

I am not a great Carrick lover to be honest, I thought even with him we still lacked that Roy Keane type. Davids helped quite a bit in providing some bite and aggression dont forget.

Bite and agression is over-rated. Positioning is much much more important.

The best defensive midfielder in Euro 2008 so far has been Senna and his game is not about agression...it's about positioning.

In my time watching football I've seen few players with better defensive positioning than Carrick. And on top of that he had a brilliant pass on him that could start an attack.

If we can find someone who has that sort of defensive positioning in midfield then we'll have done very well.

 

[SpurSince57]

I am not a great Carrick lover to be honest, I thought even with him we still lacked that Roy Keane type. Davids helped quite a bit in providing some bite and aggression dont forget.

United fans moaned about Carrick at first because opposition players weren't flying up in the air. Last season he was getting standing ovations when he came off.

It's funny, there seems to be this perception on here that Carrick couldn't (and can't) tackle. Yet I managed to fish this out the other day—his 2005-2006 OPTA stats, compared to Chelsea's finest:

Essien: 106 tackles, 69% success
Lampard: 100 tackles, 73% success
Makalele: 97 tackles, 69% success
Carrick: 135 tackes, 74% success

It used to be said of Mackay and Blanchflower that when Mackay tackled you you knew all about it, and when Blanchflower tackled you you didn't realise you'd been tackled at all until you noticed you didn't have the ball any more. The relationship between Super Ed and Carrick was similar.

I just can't believe the number of SC members who appear to think that Carrick wasn't a massive loss, and (hilariously) that Fergie doesn't play him that much. I suppose this explains why he's spent more time on the field than any other United CM, and why he's been rewarded with an improved new contract.

 

[MendD3]

I think we have found that player who reads the game like Carrick in Modric, but is more attacking, hence why I believe he will play a team that can defend around him, but if we need the ammunition we have them waiting in numbers on the bench.

 

[robbiesavagehasbreasts]

MendD3, about your signature. It's Giovani, not Geovanni. I don't want another Zakora/Zokora situation.

 

[tommo84]

If ever a player proved doing it in the Championship counts for nothing in the Prem, then David Nugent is that player. And the way he dicked about Ipswich in January shows his attitude sucks and although we'd want a 4th striker prepared to play second fiddle to others, a 4th striker who works hard and shows hunger is far more important, even if we can only have them for 1 season before they move on somewhere they'll get regular football.

 

[MendD3]

MendD3, about your signature. It's Giovani, not Geovanni. I don't want another Zakora/Zokora situation.

corrected

 

[robbiesavagehasbreasts]

corrected

Cool. :wink:

 

[lukespurs7]

For anyone to say we lacked creativity is beyond me. I was so impressed with how many goals we scored, but if we had more creativity, scoring goals wouldn't involve so much effort and also not so many of our players would have to be committed forwards.

Modric and Dos Santos will help with this massively. Lennon was below par, Jenas and Zokora were barely creative and Malbranque was ok but hardly a strikers dream midfield wide man. If we confirm Gomes to improve our defence, sign a CB to go with Woodgate, get rid of the dead wood sign one more top quality midfielder i.e DM or RM(Bentley)and Keep Berby we may have a chance of top4, however for all of that to happen we'd be quite lucky.

 

[SpurSince57]

For anyone to say we lacked creativity is beyond me. I was so impressed with how many goals we scored, but if we had more creativity, scoring goals wouldn't involve so much effort and also not so many of our players would have to be committed forwards.

Modric and Dos Santos will help with this massively. Lennon was below par, Jenas and Zokora were barely creative and Malbranque was ok but hardly a strikers dream midfield wide man. If we confirm Gomes to improve our defence, sign a CB to go with Woodgate, get rid of the dead wood sign one more top quality midfielder i.e DM or RM(Bentley)and Keep Berby we may have a chance of top4, however for all of that to happen we'd be quite lucky.

:shrug:

 

[fortworthspur]

I think Zokora can play holding mid, and the lack of activity in the transfer window thus far for a central defender is encouraging. Maybe King is finally fit. I still think Berbs is the key - if he goes the money has to go for a replacement. If he stays, maybe a defensive midfielder. It seems like right now they're focusing on a new winger regardless. In any case, we're doing great so far.

 

[robbiesavagehasbreasts]

I think Zokora can play holding mid, and the lack of activity in the transfer window thus far for a central defender is encouraging. Maybe King is finally fit. I still think Berbs is the key - if he goes the money has to go for a replacement. If he stays, maybe a defensive midfielder. It seems like right now they're focusing on a new winger regardless. In any case, we're doing great so far.

We did go out and try to sign Richard Dunne, and according to Dan Ashcroft he was pretty close to signing for us, but he wanted to be promised first team football. But that's just adds more to King being fit, seeing as Dunne would've been behind Woody and King in the pecking order.

That said, I think we will add a CB, especially if one of Dawson /Kaboul goes. Rocha and Gardner will leave for sure.

 

[DC_Boy]

My fear is that Dunne did indeed turn us down because of King's perceived fitness and therefore no realistic chance to Dunne of regular first team football, and then one month into the season King breaks down and we're *****d -

I really think this King biz is causing us problems - because while him and Woody are seen as first choice- we have problems getting a top rated CB in - but all the evidence of the past indicates that King won't last another full season or anything like

I fear another gamble by the board that won't come off - however it is also a very difficult situation and I certainly don't know the answer -

 

[SpurSince57]

Well, quite. But clearly there's a shortage of CBs out there who are: a) an improvement on Dawson; b) willing to sit on the bench.

And having marvelled at the bungling of Germany's CB pairing throughout the Euros, particularly Metzelder's, I wonder if Dawson's as bad as some on here have come to think. The great majority of the time he does a very solid job—if we can sort out the concentration issues, are we really going to find ourselves a better back-up?

 

[Coyboy]

I don't think so really. I mean, who knows, there could be someone out there but I think Dawson has been unfairly targeted by some short sighted fans. Regarding King's fitness, I think he is as likely to get injured as any other player. His injury before the world cup was an impact injury and the one after was while playing for England. Yes we are in a precarious situation but the media stories of retirement and not being able to play two games in a week seem to have prompted many to accept the 'inevitable' when if common sense and facts are taken into account, we should be more confident than ever in his fitness.

I think the problem previously is that he has been rushed back either because our cover was poor (but now we have Woodgate) or because we were entering a crucial period of the season (ie 06/07 when we had important UEFA and league games coming up).

 

[mil1lion]

Am i the only one that remembers our form leading up to and including the Carling Cup final win? Yes, it fizzled out completely, but we showed great signs of what life will be like with Ramos. We now have King back from injury after a proper rest. We should have Bale fit for more games this season. We have 4 new defenders from the start after arriving in january, Hutton and Woodgate will start most games. We also have the 3 new signings mentioned. The only players in ther cup final who look certain to be sold are, Chimbonda who played out of position, and Robbo who played out of position for the free-kick.

I cant say i'm concerned at all right now. Its certainly too early right now. If you still feel concerned however, look at our neighbours, Flamini is gone, Hleb looks likely to follow and Adebeyour could also be leaving. We've signed 3 quality players already, and theres no sign of the spending drying up.

For anyone to say we lacked creativity is beyond me. I was so impressed with how many goals we scored, but if we had more creativity, scoring goals wouldn't involve so much effort and also not so many of our players would have to be committed forwards.

Modric and Dos Santos will help with this massively. Lennon was below par, Jenas and Zokora were barely creative and Malbranque was ok but hardly a strikers dream midfield wide man. If we confirm Gomes to improve our defence, sign a CB to go with Woodgate, get rid of the dead wood sign one more top quality midfielder i.e DM or RM(Bentley)and Keep Berby we may have a chance of top4, however for all of that to happen we'd be quite lucky.

I think our biggest problem in terms of creativity was the killing off of games. So often we scored first but failed to add to that. We seem to struggle when teams tighten up at the back and we need that extra bit of quality to carve the opposition open. The biggest problem however, was the lack of width. It got far too narrow with Malbranque on the left coming infield. We can play Giovani there now, and hopefully we can get Capel aswell. That way we can shift Malbranque into the middle where he belongs.