How stupid are Manu?

[catcherintherye]

So LVG's United, despite being handed a fortune and not having Europe to contend with, have the same amount of points as that bloke who didn't know what he was doing eh.

I think this is a very relevant point. You do wonder had Moyes have been given the huge riches Van Gaal has spent would they really have not improved on last season?

Moyes was very harshly sacked in all honesty. He was given a job to do there that would have required 3-4 years and he was looking to rebuild slowly. Van Gaal is given a lot of leeway purely on the fact that he has a previous track record. Moyes got United to a semi final last year, I wonder if Van Gaal will do the same.

 

[SpurtingLesbian]

To be fair, was that not something like the 17th different combination of defenders he's had so far this season?
They've had as many injuries as we have, so like us no consistency whatsoever.
That said, I think there's only Young injured now and 5-6 working on their fitness so if they don't improve something really would be wrong.

 

[Mikey_Fitzgerald]

He has them in the CL places like

 

[Brad McEachern]

He has them in the CL places like

Yeah I thought the same thing. For all the talk that LVG has a tough task rebuilding MUFC and that it's a 3-4 year job, he's proving everyone wrong at that because within his first year he's currently got them in the top four. Yeah there's been a few bumps in his first year, but that's expected and for the most part they been far and few between unfortunately.

As for Moyes. As much as I would of loved to see him stay so he can ruin that squad some more and spend $100 million of the Glazers money on [Poor language removed], thinking objectively on him he needed to go. Like at his tenure here, he bottled it in the big games and allowed any club big or small to come into OT (which as we know was a fortress under whiskey nose) and get a positive decision, including clubs that never got a win in that place in decades.

 

[LinekersLegs]

He has them in the CL places like

But only because several of the other teams that are usually compete have had very slow starts to their season - Arsenal, Spurs, Liverpool and ourselves - plus the superb form of David De Gea has rescued many games. Last season the same points had them 7th in the table.

LVG has had a huge benefit in not having Europe or the Captial One cup to deal with so lots of time on the training ground. Given that and the money spent for him to have the same points total at this stage, with Moyes having to deal with Europe and all the post Fergie trauma, isn't that impressive.

 

[McBain]

Pos 7 Jan 2014 P20 W10 D4 L 6 F33 A24 Pts 34

Pos 4 Jan 2015 P21 W10 D7 L 4 F34 A21 Pts 37

If the league was the same as last year they'd still be 7th.

We'd be still in 12th, but 8 points out of last, as opposed to only 5 points this year.

Van Gaal has been no better than Moyes.

 

[zirc]

The problem the glory-hunters have is that they can't handle a 'transitional' period. This is NOT what they signed up for and they don't like it.

A few years out of CL and they will start to rival kopites for delusion/entitlement.

 

[LinekersLegs]

http://www.itv.com/sport/football/a...ll-soars-above-premier-league-rivals-chelsea/
Chelsea may be top of the Premier League but their wage bill is still some way below their two Manchester rivals, according to latest figures.

The London club's annual accounts have been lodged at Companies House and reveal that Chelsea's wage bill for the 2013/14 season was £190.5million, up eight per cent from £176m.

United are currently the biggest payers in English football, shelling out a total £214.8m on salaries while City's wage bill dropped last season to £205m.

 

[marty mcfly]

LVG has also not had to contend with senior players who are over the hill plotting to bring him down.

Oh and Fellaini has been one of their best players. I think Moyes would have grown into the job but no one apart from Jose or Pep could have taken over from Fergie.

 

[SerenityNigh]

But only because several of the other teams that are usually compete have had very slow starts to their season - Arsenal, Spurs, Liverpool and ourselves - plus the superb form of David De Gea has rescued many games. Last season the same points had them 7th in the table.

LVG has had a huge benefit in not having Europe or the Captial One cup to deal with so lots of time on the training ground. Given that and the money spent for him to have the same points total at this stage, with Moyes having to deal with Europe and all the post Fergie trauma, isn't that impressive.

You can only defeat the competition you face; I'm not totally impressed with what LVG's done, especially given the fortune spent and relatively light schedule, but so far he's near achieving his goal. Silly headline on ESPN this morning, however: "Van Gaal fumbles title bid"

 

[SerenityNigh]

http://www.itv.com/sport/football/a...ll-soars-above-premier-league-rivals-chelsea/
Chelsea may be top of the Premier League but their wage bill is still some way below their two Manchester rivals, according to latest figures.

The London club's annual accounts have been lodged at Companies House and reveal that Chelsea's wage bill for the 2013/14 season was £190.5million, up eight per cent from £176m.

United are currently the biggest payers in English football, shelling out a total £214.8m on salaries while City's wage bill dropped last season to £205m.

Are those Chelsea wages gross wage spend or net wages? They certainly keep a lot of players on loan.

 

[peteblue]

LVG has also not had to contend with senior players who are over the hill plotting to bring him down.

Oh and Fellaini has been one of their best players. I think Moyes would have grown into the job but no one apart from Jose or Pep could have taken over from Fergie.

It didn't matter really, he came from Everton so plainly wasn't good enough for a club that had won sod all for a quarter of a century before Fergie appeared.........

 

[marty mcfly]

First of all, I said UNTIL 1970 United were the bigger club. Both Everton and United had already won 7 league titles before that, but United's way of producing young, vibrant teams, their success in Europe, along with the tragedies meant that United were the bigger side. The philosophy and the style that Sir Matt Busby had regarding youth, was unprecedented at the time. It changed English football and probably the world. Real were winning with mercenaries like Di Stefano and Puskas, but we attempted to win by our Busby Babes, just the Munich tragedy stopped us.

Massive clubs help having a very good national team. Barcelona's and Real's success made Spain great. Bayern's and Ajax's success in 70s made Germany and Holland great respectively. Your greatest English player, Charlton, came from united. He made England the champions. United's success would make England great. Won't you like England to be successful?

As for your demise, your fault is not having a continuous plan like Liverpool and we had. Both the clubs never got tired of success, we kept on planning to continue success. Your club is to be blamed not to have the plans, like making your stadium bigger, to continue success during the 80s. No body can be blamed for such lack of long term vision.

I'm not going to comment on the whole "big club" debate but it was a change in refereeing that made Spain great. When they practically outlawed the sliding tackle and physical play Spain's smaller players and more technical style suited it most. You couldnt play tika taka 30 years ago as you would get either get kicked off the park or give up so many turnovers. However the tactics have adjusted to compensate and we're back where we where and players who are strong tall, powerful with pace is what's more beneficial.

 

[LinekersLegs]

Are those Chelsea wages gross wage spend or net wages? They certainly keep a lot of players on loan.

Sorry, no idea but think a lot of the loanees clubs cover the wages.

You can only defeat the competition you face; I'm not totally impressed with what LVG's done, especially given the fortune spent and relatively light schedule, but so far he's near achieving his goal. Silly headline on ESPN this morning, however: "Van Gaal fumbles title bid"

That is true but contrast what he has done in the first few months compared to two other new coaches.

Koeman took over an asset-stripped S'ton, made good purchases and has got them above Man Utd playing entertaining football. Pochettino also took over a mess at Spurs and, despite having to deal with Europa and the Capital One cup, has begun to get his team playing the style he wants, especially against Chelsea, and is only 3 points behind Man Utd

LVG still seems to be flirting with the 3 at the back that doesn't suit most of his fit CBs and which forced Blind to move from the midfield role he had been playing well in. Against s'ton Rooney was in midfield and Di Maria was second striker which seems an odd use of the players he had - his team probably played their best with a back four and diamond in midfield. In mitigation there have been lots of injuries but Arsenal have had more and depite CL are only one point behind.

I expected Man Utd to get third this season and tbh still think they will. However thought there would have been more evidence of a coherent and fluid style by now given the time he has had and the quality of the players even if their position in the table is on track.

 

[Brad McEachern]

It didn't matter really, he came from Everton so plainly wasn't good enough for a club that had won sod all for a quarter of a century before Fergie appeared.........

This. Despite of what I said above, Moyes never had any chance MU because he wasn't a big name with any managerial honours on his resume. Going to the MU fan sites to see what their opinion was of the hire and most of the comments were negative because he wasn't Mourhino, Klopp or De Boer (which were the three managers I keep seeing come up in what the fans there wanted). As a result of the negative first opinion of the man, he never had a shot to start with.

Although to be fair, that fan base is made up of glory hunters and morons who wouldn't know a good manager to start with. For how much success whiskey nose brought to that club, if it was up to the fanbase he would of gotten the sack in 1989.

I would of been in favor of that though.