Cleverley is back! Well, at least defensively. Why Rooney stayed on the pitch after that abysmal performance I don't know.

Hope the players will play their best to save the season. Be it getting into Europe, or win the CL Either way, let this season ends and start afresh.

Have a good World Cup, good rest, and good pre-season together to have better ideas for Moyes tactics.

I totally agree. When Rio came on, team looked more relaxed and composed. Rio with his well-known composure in assuring the defence and find the right pass

(or at least tried). It would be very difficult to find that same partnership formula, but potentials are there with Evans/Smalling/Jones. Rio might have passed it, but

he is a valuable member of the dressing room and can be utilised as back-up. Vida and Evra leaving is already too big of a loss.

I agree with points stating that the young players like Janujaz and Zaha would only have 1 or 2 chances in making and staying in the first team. Janujaz certainly

took his chances and grabbed it by the horns, so to speak but from I have seen with Zaha prior Cardiff, was he was either overwhelmed by the sheer size of the

club or something else. I still think he has the talent, but maybe he needs more time to be introduced into the EPL. Time will tell. I am certainly excited by the

sounds coming from the U-18s and U-21s. Janko, Pereira and Wilson. There is another young player who plays for U-18s who unmistakably plays like Carrick.

Have same stature, the playing and passing style is so similar you would think he is Carrick. Only that he is predominantly left footed but like Carrick, can play

with both feet.

EDIT: Found him. Sean Goss.



This post has been edited by gr8fr8: Feb 14 2014, 11:48 PM

Hope Rooney stays. Play him as the striker rather than the No.10. He is not that clever or tricky enough to be that. He does other things well though, in which he is

an excellent striker.

DDG

Rafa Smalling Vida Evra

Giggs Fellaini

Janujaz Wazza Kagawa

RvP

IMHO, it's not all about the formation. Mostly, it's about the tactics. Lack of player movement, labored movement if

any/walking pace as if the players have no idea what to do next. It's all very predictable. 4-4-2 would still work if the

players have more rapid movements or at least a common mindsets that would make the team ticks. City is doing it,

even though the 'wingers' are not really wingers in traditional sense of the words. Players like Nasri and Silva are

more like the inverted wingers that is so common nowadays. I can't wait for this season to end really, and let DM sort

it all out during the summer.

Bring back Scholes, and Beckham. To be the first team coach or ambassador or something. Probably the younger generation would relate more to the "younger" legends/past players rather than the older ones that currently there already (Sir Bobby Charlton). I am not saying we should discard him, but employing back the ex-players seems to work at Ajax.

I don't think the current crop of players are that bad, considering where United finished last season. Maybe the Fergie Factor affects the players more than they thought. Maybe they lack the motivation, and direction. Something only the players who have been there before, been there done that, would provide that rather than DM. Yes, the results are awful, and some of the performances are that. We were unlucky in some occasions, especially with injuries. I don't think it's all doom and gloom. Just need to redirect the ship a bit.

Haven't play yet, yet you know where his position would be today? Amazing!

Fuuuhhh, United played through the center with quick one two intricate passing. Moyes certainly is clueless.

Good performance, and hopefully this team will be the base for next season. United certainly have been unlucky

injuries-wise. 30++ different teams assembled this season. Certainly not Dm's fault for not having the luck of

consistent team to be put out there. Having said that, some of the performances are truly atrocious.

Still, we criticize when it is bad performances. Tonight, we praise the good performances.

All is not all doom and gloom. Next talent in line, James Wilson.

Robin van Persie has spoken out to set the record straight, insisting he wants to remain at Manchester United beyond his current contract, which runs until summer 2016.

In a revealing interview with official matchday programme United Review, the Dutchman says he felt compelled to address current press speculation claiming he wants out of Old Trafford and doesn’t get on with key staff and team-mates.

“I don’t mind if my performances get dissected and people criticise what I’ve done on the pitch,” van Persie said. “They can talk about my game 24/7 for all I care… and a lot of those opinions and criticisms may actually be right. So I don’t mind that.

“What I need to address are the situations when people are taking it upon themselves to think for me, make assumptions, or interpret things as if they are me. Last time I checked my head was still attached to my body, so I’m the only one who knows exactly what I’m feeling and that is not what I or the fans have been reading.

“The truth is I’m very happy here at this club. I signed for four years and I’d be delighted to stay even longer, beyond the next two years I have left on my contract. This is how I feel, although it’s not what has been suggested in the media.”

Robin also underlined he has a good relationship with his team-mates and club coaching staff, including manager David Moyes.

“I’m very happy with my team-mates and I’m very happy with my manager and his staff. The sessions we have on the training ground are fantastic and I’m learning a lot from them every day. I’ve been a professional footballer for 12 years now and there’s no doubt I’m learning new things and progressing with David Moyes.

“Like I said, talk about my performances or talk about a tackle that was too late. I don’t mind. But it goes too far when people start suggesting, amongst other things, that I have a bad understanding with the manager. That’s not true at all.

“Over the last few years I’ve started to look more closely at the way coaches work to learn from them – not just here at the club but with the international team as well. I’ve worked with some brilliant coaches and I’ve taken a real interest in all the methods they use and the choices they make.

“I can tell you that Moyes’ sessions and the things he says in his team meetings are spot-on. I really enjoy working under him and I’m absolutely convinced things will pick up and we’ll turn it around.

“There is mutual respect between us and the work environment is actually good. He really wants things to work here at Manchester United and I want the same, just like the other players. We’re all working hard to make this work.”

Shame On You All

Evans is more suited to this game rather than Vidic, as the game would be more about speed of movement rather

than aerial battles, which currently is Vidic's only strength. Plus, he always lose again speedy opponent anyway, even

during his best years (Torres, E'too).

Portuguese football has produced far more than its fair share of truly world-class players over the last decade and a half.

Paulo Sousa, Rui Costa, Luís Figo and Cristiano Ronaldo, among others, have lit up pitches across Europe, and the next big thing to come out of Portugal has announced himself in spectacular style this season. The operative word here could well be big.

William Carvalho stands just shy of 6’2” tall and weighs close to 14 stone. He makes good use of his imposing frame to play the holding midfielder role – arguably the most important position in modern football – to near perfection.

William (he generally goes by his first name only in Portugal) is a product of Sporting’s famed academy, and was brought back into the fold by the Lisbon club this season after an 18-month loan at Belgium’s Cercle Brugge. New coach Leonardo Jardim oversaw an overhaul of the squad after what was literally the club’s worst season in over 100 years of history. It was a surprise when William was selected as a first-team starter as 2013/14 kicked off but a handful of matches later and nobody was questioning the wisdom of the decision.

The Angolan-born 21-year-old has been consistently outstanding . David Moyes, a visitor to Lisbon this season , cannot have failed to be impressed by the astonishing young midfielder.

The author of this piece has been fortunate enough to have watched every one of his 24 appearances this season, half of them in the flesh. When I watch him I am left with the same impression I got when watching the young Angel Di Maria, Hulk or João Moutinho burst onto the Portuguese football scene. This is a very special player.

There are several reasons for Sporting’s renaissance, but chief among them is the contribution made by their rock at the base of their midfield. It was telling that in the one Liga game William missed this season, away at Benfica, Sporting were completely overrun in midfield. It would have been a closer run thing had William not been suspended.


Perfect positioning


As with all great players, William seems to have more time on the ball than everyone else on the pitch. This despite being stationed in the thick of the midfield action. His highly tuned sense of anticipation, perfect positioning and swift execution enables him to completely boss games. I lost count of the number of times he has been man-of-the-match months ago.

No matter how big, how fast or how skilful the adversary is, when coming up against William it is the Sporting man who invariably emerges with the ball before playing a neat short pass to his midfield partner in crime, Adrien Silva, or spraying it wide to the wings. His composure and football intelligence – principally his positioning – means he is rarely under pressure.

Not that he is afraid to use his physical prowess when need be. Several bruised opponents can attest to the weight of one of his crunching tackles. He also has surprising speed. I recall a recent match against Académica at Sporting’s Alvalade stadium. The visitors had frustrated the hosts all match, and when speedy Portugal U21 winger Salvador Agra sped away on a late break, William showed a lightning turn of pace to catch up, cleanly barge Agra off the ball and turn in possession.

I wondered why I had never noticed his speed before, then it struck me. He is always so perfectly positioned, it’s an asset he rarely needs to call on.

Composure personified
William is seemingly immune to pressure. He made his full Portugal debut with the Seleção wobbling against Sweden in the World Cup play-off second leg having just conceded two Ibrahimovic goals. Portugal coach Paulo Bento turned to William, who straight away brought a sense of calm to proceedings.

Portugal’s erstwhile porous midfield immediately put a halt to Sweden’s threatening attacks , and soon Ronaldo had scored twice more (the first coming from a move initiated by a timely William intervention) to book a berth at the 2014 World Cup . William earned his first start for the national team yesterday against Cameroon, and is duly expected to take his place in the starting XI when Portugal kick off their campaign in Brazil.

Weaknesses
William Carvalho is not the perfect player. Yet. His distribution is occasionally wayward and largely unambitious, preferring the sideways pass to a more vertical approach. The development of this aspect is not helped by the team’s set-up, where practically all the attacking is channelled down the wings. His second ‘failing’ is his propensity to pick up yellow cards of a frequent basis. At times it is the price paid for an intelligent and necessary foul, but on occasion one feels he could have avoided the wrath of the referee. The good news is that both these weaknesses can be worked on and bettered in training and upon acquiring match experience.

William Carvalho’s character traits offer further evidence we are in the presence of a player that could go right to the top of the game. His dealings with the press mirror his on-pitch displays. He gives short, composed, objective responses to all questions. The story is well-known of how Benfica’s scouting officials appeared at his house in Mira Sintra on the outskirts of Lisbon when William was just 13 years old, only to be left open-mouthed when he refused their invitation to sign for them. When Portugal’s biggest club comes calling, it is rarely knocked back. William was a Sporting fan and had set his heart on representing the green half of the city. Everything points to a man who knows his value and knows what he wants.

Portugal's Next Prodigal Son

This post has been edited by gr8fr8: Mar 14 2014, 09:35 AM

For me I would swap Vidic with Evans first, if not Smalling. That SAS combination is very tricky, and we need more of

speed and interception rather than aerial battle, IMHO.

Have to say, that kind of performance is bobbins!

What if SAF appointed DM just to "weaken" Everton and get rid of him from PL? Have to respect the OT

faithful for their passion and non-stop singing and supporting the team. Have to say though, most of them did not

deserve any of it after that performance.

Let's hope that the players would give their heart and energy like last CL game. If they do that, they would have bigger chance. I don't think they could

"outplay/outpass" BM, but it's not all about possession percentages Still, does not mean I am not worried Buttner, man! Let's hope while he was

not playing, he worked on his defensive skills, which was rumoured to be the skill sets that DM more focused at in training.

Rooney Kagawa combo worked against Leverkusen. Nani to come back to haunt BM (again?)

If Mr. Platini really want the BM vs RM final, decisions like that would eventually happen.