United thread 2017/18

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Wreckless Alec said:
Same here. I love the football we play but I remain to be convinced that, over a long season and assuming a decent level of talent, beautiful football will triumph over brawn. They will certainly be there or thereabouts.
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There are three factors that may assist them and not us: injuries to key players (Aguero and Komps in particular) suspensions and refereeing decisions.

Only three - talent and ability are hugely in our favour. Given a level playing field on the above three issues we win the league by a distance
 
Wreckless Alec said:
Same here. I love the football we play but I remain to be convinced that, over a long season and assuming a decent level of talent, beautiful football will triumph over brawn. They will certainly be there or thereabouts.
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We will seal the deal this year just so long as we finish off the host of chances that we will create. Injuries, suspensions and Grand Larceny from the FA and PGMOL are the other lurking threats.
If we do fail then United are most likely to profit IMO.
The way much of the press and opposition knowitalls talk, we , in a strange kind of way, really cannot win the PL this year only lose it.
We'll be sick of hearing the phrase "with the money spent" when our names come up and it's been decided that if the title is virtually handed to us at the start of the season any failure to do so will seem like an almighty calamity and a campaign to discredit Pep will be launched.
There will no merit in a victory just a sneery acceptance that we've performed adequately and only done what can be expected "given the money spent".
 
Verratti joining the TWGC club shortly apparently.....

Must be a few empty seats that need filling next season.
 
simon23 said:
as an individual he aint an improvement but for what lukaku brings to the team he is....more pace, energy
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Agreed.their new centre forward may not have the touch or control but only the blind could argue he is not a top class goalscorer.his prem record (second only to sergio) underlines this.his pace and power and explosive finishing adds something very dangerous to the scums attack,something they havent had for a very long time.
 
Chelsea - best by a mile last year, added some players, bit downgrade in striker position. Playerwise better but play CL this year.

Spurs - not adding anyone but lost only Walker and with them already being very good team with great manager, they'll again be about there.

Us - no words really. Even if we added only Walker and Mendy, we'd be twice better than last year. And we added more and might add even more.

Rags - doing nothing special in transfer market so far, don't have idea about Lindelof, Lukaku is not upgrade on Ibrahimovic and Rooney and Perisic is not bad player but not the one to make a big difference too. Their selling point might be that it's the second season under Josephina so they should be hard to beat. And if they get Matic it's just strengthening in the part where they are already good - disrupting football.

Liverpool and Arsenal are unknown quality yet. If Liverpool could add VVD and Keita without losing Coutinho and Can, and I'm not sure they are ready to spend that money, than they would be much better than last year. Arsenal is mystery too, they finished very strong last year after changing formations and same as liverpool - if they keep sanchez and add few more players then they surely be a threat, at least until february or so.

All in all, I just can't see how are rags supposed to close the gap fro the last season. they are in no way anything spectacularly better than last year, if better at all, and neither we, chelsea and spurs are worse. I think nobody is guaranteed top 4 in this competition, not even us, but I all I expect for them is to be top 4 contenders, I fail to see how they could have a go for the title.
 
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dennishasdoneit said:
Agreed.their new centre forward may not have the touch or control but only the blind could argue he is not a top class goalscorer.his prem record (second only to sergio) underlines this.his pace and power and explosive finishing adds something very dangerous to the scums attack,something they havent had for a very long time.
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Pretty much agree with that. He'll get 25+ in all comps, you'd think, and create space for others. It also gives them an option for the long hoof over the top (as seen last Friday).

Pogbad can't be awful, and I think will have a very good season if they set the team around him.
 
gordondaviesmoustache said:
I'm sad to say I disagree with you. Too powerful to fail to get top 4.
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Agreed.far too powerful off the pitch (remember ths refs influence last season)) and far too powerful and increasingly rugged on the pitch with a knack of closing out gsmes and winning1-0,....not to finish top 4,imo.
The players have brought into pegs 'style' of football....they ve lost two imobile strikers,replaced with the second highest scorer in prem history....
I hope i am completely wrong and they flounder in tenth,but i cannot see it.
 
MillionMilesAway said:
Pretty much agree with that. He'll get 25+ in all comps, you'd think, and create space for others. It also gives them an option for the long hoof over the top (as seen last Friday).

Pogbad can't be awful, and I think will have a very good season if they set the team around him.
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And also what folk forget is pogbad will have the benefit of a full pre season. In complete contrast to the protracted pre season circus which he encountered last time around while he waited for( RM?, ) to enter the 'race' to sign him...this after playing deep into the close season in the euro,s.
He will be a differnt player this time around.
 
MillionMilesAway said:
Pretty much agree with that. He'll get 25+ in all comps, you'd think, and create space for others. It also gives them an option for the long hoof over the top (as seen last Friday).

Pogbad can't be awful, and I think will have a very good season if they set the team around him.
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MillionMilesAway said:
Pretty much agree with that. He'll get 25+ in all comps, you'd think, and create space for others. It also gives them an option for the long hoof over the top (as seen last Friday).

Pogbad can't be awful, and I think will have a very good season if they set the team around him.
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25 goals is still in the range of what they got from Ibrahimovic - 28. And they need to replace 10 from rooney. how that makes them better than last year if they don't add some more in next weeks.
 
It will be interesting to see if they make the tactical decision to get knocked out of the group stages of champions league in order to have the Europa League path to get to the Champions League again next year. It's all about trophies. It doesn't matter which trophies. International Champions of the World Friendly Training Matches on Holiday Trophy is just further proof that they are the biggest team in the world.
 
almir said:
25 goals is still in the range of what they got from Ibrahimovic - 28. And they need to replace 10 from rooney. how that makes them better than last year if they don't add some more in next weeks.
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I think he'll cause defences more problems, which will create more space for anyone who can run into. Ibrahimovic and Rooney were all but static, and the support attack won't be this season.
 
MillionMilesAway said:
I think he'll cause defences more problems, which will create more space for anyone who can run into. Ibrahimovic and Rooney were all but static, and the support attack won't be this season.
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Ibrahimovic may not have been mobile, but (I hate to admit) he was class on the ball - skillful and great eye for goal. Lukaku on the other hand may be mobile, but his first touch is awful – add to that the fact that teams didn't bowl up to Goodison and park the bus, like they do at the Swamp, so I think he'll find it a bit harder to get that space next season.
And like everyone else has pointed out, even if he does stay on track (in regard to previous seasons), they're looking at approx. 25 goals which is only replacing Big Nose's input, so why are they better off?
 
almir said:
25 goals is still in the range of what they got from Ibrahimovic - 28. And they need to replace 10 from rooney. how that makes them better than last year if they don't add some more in next weeks.
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Once they let Bignose and Rooney go they were short 50+ goals, 35 from them two and they were 20 behind all the top 4 last season, Lukaku just replaces Bignose so they still need plenty.
 
dario2739 said:
Ibrahimovic may not have been mobile, but (I hate to admit) he was class on the ball - skillful and great eye for goal. Lukaku on the other hand may be mobile, but his first touch is awful – add to that the fact that teams didn't bowl up to Goodison and park the bus, like they do at the Swamp, so I think he'll find it a bit harder to get that space next season.
And like everyone else has pointed out, even if he does stay on track (in regard to previous seasons), they're looking at approx. 25 goals which is only replacing Big Nose's input, so why are they better off?
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It;'s not just about the goals he'll score. It's about the space that he creates by making runs which will allow others (Rashford, Mkhitaryan, Pogba) to break into the centre. There won't be a static Swede and a fat lump in the way. If they find a way to leave Fellaini out of starting line-ups, and cross the ball in from deep for Lukaku to chase, the increased mobility will make them more dangerous. I think it'll easily be worth 10 goals of the pudding.

It does require Mourinho to let more than 3 men attack at a time, but it can't be worse than what they did last year.

Worse, they may not play much of Smalling, Jones and maybe Rojo, which makes the defence better too.

Enough to overhaul 5 teams? Don't know, but I expect them to be a lot closer than last season.
 
MillionMilesAway said:
It;'s not just about the goals he'll score. It's about the space that he creates by making runs which will allow others (Rashford, Mkhitaryan, Pogba) to break into the centre. There won't be a static Swede and a fat lump in the way. If they find a way to leave Fellaini out of starting line-ups, and cross the ball in from deep for Lukaku to chase, the increased mobility will make them more dangerous. I think it'll easily be worth 10 goals of the pudding.

It does require Mourinho to let more than 3 men attack at a time, but it can't be worse than what they did last year.

Worse, they may not play much of Smalling, Jones and maybe Rojo, which makes the defence better too.

Enough to overhaul 5 teams? Don't know, but I expect them to be a lot closer than last season.
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I don't think Rashford will start very many games for a start!
We know from experience that Mourinho likes to lump it to a big forward to hold up and bring the rest into play... however Lukaku's first touch is shite, so not sure it'll work as well as they hope!
 
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