johnny crossan
Well-Known Member
we're dodging so many bullets I think we are getting a bit dizzy
BoyBlue_1985 said:I said they will struggle, I think they will get top 4 but i will take a £10 bet utd finish higher than ChelseaDrewmanc said:Boyblue i take that bet with you pal, nothing crippling call it a £10? I say Chelsea will finish top 4.
Matty said:This whole Robin Van Persie "United are now title favourites" stuff is a touch annoying, my take on it is as follows:-
1 - Van Persie is a very good player, he'll improve United's striker force that's for sure.
2 - However, United needed to improve their strikeforce, Rooney was carrying them far too often. Last season Hernandez wasn't half the player he looked the season before, Welbeck is decent enough, but he'll never be a true top class striker, and Berbatov's days are numbered. Plus I'd still argue that the addition of RVP still leaves United's strikeforce behind City's quartet or Aguero, Tevez, Balotelli and Dzeko in terms of quality.
3 - The recognised "peak" period for an outfield player is 25 to 28 years old. RVP? Well, he's 29. So, by everyone's standards, he's had his "peak" years and is at the start of the period of decline. How steep this decline is no-one can say.
4 - RVP had a "career year" last season, it's highly unlikely he'll ever be as good, or as prolific, as he was over the last 12 months or so. United have done what everyoen with an ounce of sense knows not to to, buy high.
5 - £24m isn't exactly chicken feed, and is especially pricey when you factor in RVP's age, the fact he had just 12 months left on his contract, his injury history and the limited possibility of recouping any of that money in sell on fees. RVP will be turning 33 when his contract ends (if the 4 year deal is correct), and he'll be earning (again if rumours are true) in the region of £200k a week, even if United sell him after 3 seasons, a 32 year old with huge wages will not be easy to shift.
6 - Powell + Kagawa + RVP = £45m+ spent on players. By United's own admission £45m was pretty much the maximum they had to spend this summer, possibly this season. That means they have no more cash left to strengthen the areas that really needed it. An adequate backup/replacement for Evra who at 31 is not the player he was. A creative central midfielder so Giggs and Scholes are no longer relied upon (Cleverley is NOT the answer to this problem, ignore the hype, he's Joey Barton without the attitude). A defensive/box-to-box midfielder in the Yaya mould (United have no-one even close to fulfilling this role).
So, in short, RVP is a good player, and will help United in certain areas. However he's overly expensive and doesn't address most of their deficiencies whilst simultaneously eating up all their transfer budget.
You've also got to wonder where a £24m 29 year old fits into the "United invest in youth" and "United haven't got tonnes of cash to spend on proven talent" arguments Sir Drinks-a-lot has been throwing around as if they're the truth.