United Thread 2014/15 (continued)

[mat]

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2014-03-27/manchester-utd-slump-has-cost-premier-league-viewers-ceo-says
An old article I know but with some of the reffing they've had this season it does make me wonder.

March 28 (Bloomberg) -- Manchester United’s troubles are weighing on the rest of the English Premier League, according to the competition Chief Executive Officer Richard Scudamore.
“It’s a double-edged sword,” Scudamore said yesterday in an interview in Johannesburg. “When your most popular club isn’t doing as well, that costs you interest and audience in some places.”
United, one of the world’s best-known sports brands, is 12 points out of a top-four Premier League place that would bring qualification for next season’s Champions League competition for the most successful European teams.
The record 20-time English champion’s performance has dipped this season under new manager David Moyes, the replacement for Alex Ferguson, who retired following a 26-year tenure. The team faces Bayern Munich in the quarterfinals of the Champions League.
“There’s lots of fans around the world who wish Man. United were winning it again,” Scudamore said, without detailing the effect on broadcast audiences. “But you have to balance that off against, generally, we’re in the business of putting on a competition and competition means people can compete.”
The team, known as the Red Devils, stands seventh in the league after 10 defeats from 31 matches and has been knocked out of the F.A. Cup and League Cup. It has 51 points, while Jose Mourinho’s Chelsea leads the league with 69, one ahead of Liverpool.
Mourinho criticized the scheduling of Premier League matches earlier this month, saying that players need more time to recover from European games before returning to league action.
“We have a 72-hour rule,” Scudamore said. “Wednesday and Saturday is a perfectly acceptable rotation, it’s been acceptable since the day the league started and I cannot see any practical way of doing it any other way. It’s just not going to happen. Managers have got a job to do.”

Judging by the sentence I've highlighted, this piece is about 12 months old.

I mentioned it was an old article yet it seems relevant today. Are the Pro refs influenced by making decisions to protect the brand as well as sporting ones? The shite have had a hell of a lot of "luck" this season propelling them into the top 4 with the exception of Oliver who took advantage of not reffing a PL game and showed to fuckers up for what they are.

If Mason or Taylor get the Derby I'd say case proven.

 

[Millwallawayveteran1988]

It's amazing how injuries have helped them this year.

Van Persie getting injured has certainly helped and Di Maria getting sent off as helped with mata coming back.

Having said that they are proving difficult to beat this season and look to have found a bit of form so may be a tricky game with the form we are in.

 

[Nelly's Left Foot]

It's amazing how injuries have helped them this year.

Van Persie getting injured has certainly helped and Di Maria getting sent off as helped with mata coming back.

Having said that they are proving difficult to beat this season and look to have found a bit of form so may be a tricky game with the form we are in.

Said it at the time RVP got injured that it was a big lucky break for them as it would get Mata in as I have always felt he was one of their best players. Even then it took DM to go missing as well before LVG put him in.

 

[Mad Eyed Screamer]

Don't see the correlation mate.

Got propositioned by two arrogant footballers who think they can purchase whatever they want, knocked them back then made herself a couple of quid towards the gas bill informing the rest of the world that these people are scumbags.

Well done her. Played a blinder in my book, I'd be proud if my daughter did that.

Agree with you but........ they were invited back to their hotel room..... and made it clear they were not interested in sex.... so what else did they think they were being invited back for? Watching a film on the TV?

Drinks, music, drugs?

Me and the missus were asked back to another couples house last week after we'd been out. So were two other couples. When my mate said "Do you want to come back to ours?" I wasn't thinking that he wanted to shag me. I thought "He must have a load of beers in."

Your post comes across as though they are slags for wanting to party with a pair of footballers who they'd been drinking with.

I also completely agree with blueinsa. Why the fuck shouldn't she make some money out of a footballer treating her like a prostitute, embarrassing him in the press whilst keeping her morals? Some of you knuckle draggers on here have me extremely worried sometimes.

No I don't thjnk they are slags for wanting to party with them, just think they were a little naïve if they thought the footballers wanted anything other than a shag. And yes, I have no issue with them going to the papers with the story either.

 

[Uncle Wally One Ball]

Don't see the correlation mate.

Got propositioned by two arrogant footballers who think they can purchase whatever they want, knocked them back then made herself a couple of quid towards the gas bill informing the rest of the world that these people are scumbags.

Well done her. Played a blinder in my book, I'd be proud if my daughter did that.

Agree with you but........ they were invited back to their hotel room..... and made it clear they were not interested in sex.... so what else did they think they were being invited back for? Watching a film on the TV?

Drinks, music, drugs?

Me and the missus were asked back to another couples house last week after we'd been out. So were two other couples. When my mate said "Do you want to come back to ours?" I wasn't thinking that he wanted to shag me. I thought "He must have a load of beers in."

Your post comes across as though they are slags for wanting to party with a pair of footballers who they'd been drinking with.

I also completely agree with blueinsa. Why the fuck shouldn't she make some money out of a footballer treating her like a prostitute, embarrassing him in the press whilst keeping her morals? Some of you knuckle draggers on here have me extremely worried sometimes.

 

[Crouchinho]

I've always liked Mata, brilliant player. We tried to sign him but no way would he drop his wages.

On paper I thought they had the hardest run in and would drop out the top 4, definitely proving me wrong. They still have a load of average shite amongst some top class players.

Fellani has impressed me the most the last few months (although the media will probably say it's that shitty Young) . Fellani is still slow as fuck but becoming really important for them. I bet Moyes feels good about that at least

I still can't get over how much their squad is worth

 

[bitsmith]

Even their own fans thought they would get single point count from this 6-7 matches run but fair play to them, they played two top 4 competitors in a row, just after being kicked off from FA Cup by Arsenal, and shrugged them both off. That goal at Newcastle at the end of the game might prove very vital for them.

Shame as football really needed them to not qualify for CL for another year.

 

[bazbarrybazzer]

Even their own fans thought they would get single point count from this 6-7 matches run but fair play to them, they played two top 4 competitors in a row, just after being kicked off from FA Cup by Arsenal, and shrugged them both off. That goal at Newcastle at the end of the game might prove very vital for them.

Shame as football really needed them to not qualify for CL for another year.

Plenty of twists and turns let yet fella, and they still have some difficult games to play.

 

[I'm With Stupid]

Even their own fans thought they would get single point count from this 6-7 matches run but fair play to them, they played two top 4 competitors in a row, just after being kicked off from FA Cup by Arsenal, and shrugged them both off. That goal at Newcastle at the end of the game might prove very vital for them.

Shame as football really needed them to not qualify for CL for another year.

Yeah, I was definitely supporting Liverpool yesterday. I don't like either of them, but Liverpool won't kick on massively as a result of being in the CL. I think the rags will.

 

[the blue panther]

Even their own fans thought they would get single point count from this 6-7 matches run but fair play to them, they played two top 4 competitors in a row, just after being kicked off from FA Cup by Arsenal, and shrugged them both off. That goal at Newcastle at the end of the game might prove very vital for them.
Shame as football really needed them to not qualify for CL for another year.

Plenty of twists and turns let yet fella, and they still have some difficult games to play.

Exactly! They have to play a very desperate Aston Villa next, followed by us, then Chelsea. Their unbelievable run must end, and whether any of the others can catch up, remains to be seen.
In the last few league games, they've played Sunderland - player sent off; Newcastle - gifted the winner to Ashley Young right at the death; Tottenham - totally capitulated at O.T. like rabbits caught in the headlights; and Liverpool - who didn't turn up for the first half, then had 10 players for the second half.
The Gods truly have smiled on them for the last month (if not all season). Their luck can not last. The laugh of it is, though, Fellaini has turned out to be their MVP!
I just hope to God that the real Man City 'turns up' come derby day.