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Footy the 22nd!


MercenaryChef

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I certainly don't think Man Utd have the team to beat Chelsea over a whole season, and I can't see them progressing far in Europe without a really favourable draw.

As for players replacing Rooney...Berbatov has the talent, but can he produce it in big games regularly? I'm not sure...Macheda, I quite like him, but he doesn't seem to score many goals, maybe a run in the first team could do them good, Owen...meh, he's good for the odd goal but nothing much else, Hernandez- I'm not convinced by him. He's quick, but I'm not sure if he's good enough, we'll see. As for Bebe, I don't think there's any evidence that he's good enough, if he doesn't even shine for the reserves.

Chelsea have a better starting XI and better strength-in-depth, I think Man Utd should be happy to get 2nd, with Arsenal coming up, though injuries will probably hurt them again. In Europe, it can be different, but I'd have them behind Barca, Real Madrid, Inter and Chelsea at the very least. And there's bound to be another team who have a good run.

And Valencia are hardly one of the best defences in Europe...

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In the midst of tonight's Champions League games, Preston North End managed to rack up a tennis score against Leeds, winning 6-4 away. Yikes.

All the more impressive because they were 4-1 down.

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who do United look for inspiration?

Nani.

Six months ago that would have been terrifying but he's got five assists already this season (ie two less than the- rightfully- much praised Valencia did the whole of last).

I don't think we'll have a problem with goals. People say Rooney missing is a problem in that respect but frankly we were lucky he kept up his form for so much of last year, and we score more from all round atm with several strikers looking good in confidence.

People are acting as if Rooney's dead or something. At some point he'll wake up and be terrifying again. Till then we'll mooch along.

Our defence is a much bigger concern at the moment.

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People are acting as if Rooney's dead or something. At some point he'll wake up and be terrifying again. Till then we'll mooch along.

Has Rooney ever had a good post-Christmas period? Over the past few years United's attack plan seems to be Rooney-based in the first half of the year, i.e. now. Can you really rely on him coming back and winning you some matches in the later bit of the season?

Agreed about your defence, but at least Ferdinand looks like he's coming back.

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My concern even last season were in the defensive positions, yeah. A RB is badly needed. Van der Wiel has been mooted as a signing, which would be alright. I'd also sign Stekelenburg to replace Van der Saar. I wonder if instead of spending all that cash on Smalling, they could've got those two players instead.

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Rooney was immense post-Christmas last season. Before the second Hull game he scored but not much else, then in that game after the goal he was at fault for he woke up, tore them to pieces and spent the next few months on a mad tear. Tailed off a little at the end but was still better than before Christmas.

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The outcome of tonight's match is little less clear than I'd like. United are really due a good turnover of the opposition. Unfortunately, Valencia are on form and look like the loss of Silva and Villa hasn't really affected the team. That is praise. The exact opposite was said of United when they lost Ronaldo and Tevez.

I'm going to call a draw.

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Man U are clearly not in great form. Valencia out for the season is a big blow. Rooney is not in shape, now injured yet again. I don't know for how long eh is out, or Giggs. Nani and Berbatoc are great but that is not enough. It's looking a bit problematic.

Fortunately the opposition in the EPL is also apt to stumble. Arsenal is unreliable, only Chelsea looks like a machine but can they keep it up? Liverpool is nowhere, Spurs is worse than they were last year.

Valencia has a great side, an away draw is not a bad result now.

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The WHL match is turning into quite an entertaining match. Van der Vaart misses on a penalty and scores a goal before getting red carded. Spurs getting three penalties (so far), two of the dubious kind, scoring on two, while Twente is denied a penalty that wasn't that different from the third penalty Spurs got.

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That United-Valencia game was touch and go for so long. Very tactical, with few moments of skill or inspiration from either side. Valencia looked the more likely to score, with some decent balls played into the box. Nice goal from Hernandez to snatch the win.

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WTF were barca thinking giving eto and money for zlatan?

Ah, a fresh new topic that has never been broached before...

I imagine they were thinking as follows: "Eto'o has fallen out with our head coach and it's no secret that he wants to leave. It's untenable for us to keep him, particularly as he only has one year left on his contract, which means we'll have to let him go for considerably less than market value. Bugger. Our unprecedentedly-successful head coach, meantime, has told us he wants to sign Zlatan, who will cost us about seventy squillion euros since unlike Eto'o he isn't agitating for a move and is right in the middle of a lucrative contract. Bugger again. But at least we can cut the cost and kill two birds with one stone, so let's do that."

In market value terms, it was a terrible deal. But that ignores the fact that Barca were selling a player who everyone knew they had to get rid of, and trying to sign one whose team didn't have to sell. Effectively they sold an unsettled player in the last year of his contract for £10m and bought another one for £45m. Not ideal, but what other options did they have, with the market the way it is?

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Effectively they sold an unsettled player in the last year of his contract for £10m and bought another one for £45m. Not ideal, but what other options did they have, with the market the way it is?

buy someone good? not the most over rated, over paid player in the history of the universe perhaps.

but thats just me.

but other than that i agree with everything you said.

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