: Mon Mar 09, 2009 7:31 pm  

Enfield Exile wrote:

Managers should take note: you won't win the league unless the team works hard as a unit (with and without the ball). That to me is the key ingredient to United doing so well. I don't have access to all those Prozone stats but it wouldn't surprise me if United players cover more ground than any other team every weekend. It sickens me. The only team who get close to them for workrate is Chelsea.

I'm not so sure, we defend from the front, almost every player in our side has a high work rate. When we played Chelsea this season, both games we out-worked them, in the home game we ran them off the park, the away game we were a little held back in the first half, but were certainly better in the second.

: Mon Mar 09, 2009 7:45 pm  

Robbie Rotten wrote:

I'm not so sure, we defend from the front, almost every player in our side has a high work rate. When we played Chelsea this season, both games we out-worked them, in the home game we ran them off the park, the away game we were a little held back in the first half, but were certainly better in the second.

I just cannot see a hard working team than United. I would guess that Rooney, Evra, Park and Tevez are amongst the hardest working players you could possibly see.

Liverpool work hard, I don't doubt that. Kuyt is a moster when it comes to workrate. However, your full-backs don't work too hard IMO and your midfielders don't work as hard as United's. United attack and defend as a unit. Liverpool defend incredibly well as a unit but they don't appear to get up and down the pitch as much as United. You only have to look at how often United get 5 or 6 players in the box.

: Mon Mar 09, 2009 7:52 pm  

Enfield Exile wrote:

I think United will cruise through to the next round. Inter haven't got the defenders to keep United goalless at Old Trafford. I can see United winning by two clear goals.

I'd say that Chelsea have the toughest job. I actually think Juve are better equipped for CL than Inter.

The biggest problem IMO is the Moureen factor. I'm already having visions of him sprinting up the touchline in the 91st minute.

Enfield Exile wrote:

My dad, who supports United, told me something the other day and it depressed me. He said that United haven't even played anywhere near the level that they can play. Yet they won the CC, are walking away with the Prem and are handily placed in the CL and FAC. I agree with him.

Managers should take note: you won't win the league unless the team works hard as a unit (with and without the ball). That to me is the key ingredient to United doing so well. I don't have access to all those Prozone stats but it wouldn't surprise me if United players cover more ground than any other team every weekend. It sickens me. The only team who get close to them for workrate is Chelsea.

I'd agree with all of that.

Another brainfart from VDS on Saturday worries me though, that's two games in a row, we can't afford to have any of them against Inter or indeed Liverpool.

: Mon Mar 09, 2009 7:53 pm  

Enfield Exile wrote:

I just cannot see a hard working team than United. I would guess that Rooney, Evra, Park and Tevez are amongst the hardest working players you could possibly see.

Liverpool work hard, I don't doubt that. Kuyt is a moster when it comes to workrate. However, your full-backs don't work too hard IMO and your midfielders don't work as hard as United's. United attack and defend as a unit. Liverpool defend incredibly well as a unit but they don't appear to get up and down the pitch as much as United. You only have to look at how often United get 5 or 6 players in the box.

I should have developed what I said. I think without the ball we work as hard as any team, almost every time we close down it's very much 3/4 players doing it. With the ball, though - I feel is where we let ourselves down. Players like Torres, Gerrard and Kuyt work hard without the ball, but I feel sometimes our full backs and Alonso and Masch can be a little too reserved. I know they're 'holding' midfielders, but Masch has the energy to get forward more, and Alonso has far too much quality to just sit deep, in my opinion.

: Mon Mar 09, 2009 7:55 pm  

Mark wrote:

VDS
O'Shea
Rio
Vidic
Evra

Ronaldo
Fletcher
Carrick
Scholes
Park

Berbatov

I don't think there is anyway that we can afford to leave Rooney and Tevez out. One of them has to play. They are looking as though they will have a makeshift CB playing, so we need to try and take advantage of that.

: Mon Mar 09, 2009 7:58 pm  

Robbie Rotten wrote:

I should have developed what I said. I think without the ball we work as hard as any team, almost every time we close down it's very much 3/4 players doing it. With the ball, though - I feel is where we let ourselves down. Players like Torres, Gerrard and Kuyt work hard without the ball, but I feel sometimes our full backs and Alonso and Masch can be a little too reserved. I know they're 'holding' midfielders, but Masch has the energy to get forward more, and Alonso has far too much quality to just sit deep, in my opinion.

Liverpool without the ball do work incredibly hard and in that respect are as good as anyone else. Liverpool's defence at times is impregnable, and one of the main reasons for that is high workrate. However, it has to be done going forwards and going backwards. I think Hughes realises that and that is why he has sidelined some players.

: Mon Mar 09, 2009 9:26 pm  

Nemanja wrote:

I don't think there is anyway that we can afford to leave Rooney and Tevez out. One of them has to play. They are looking as though they will have a makeshift CB playing, so we need to try and take advantage of that.

who misses out for you then?

: Mon Mar 09, 2009 10:21 pm  

Enfield Exile wrote:

I think United will cruise through to the next round. Inter haven't got the defenders to keep United goalless at Old Trafford. I can see United winning by two clear goals.

I'd say that Chelsea have the toughest job. I actually think Juve are better equipped for CL than Inter.

My dad, who supports United, told me something the other day and it depressed me. He said that United haven't even played anywhere near the level that they can play. Yet they won the CC, are walking away with the Prem and are handily placed in the CL and FAC. I agree with him.

Managers should take note: you won't win the league unless the team works hard as a unit (with and without the ball). That to me is the key ingredient to United doing so well. I don't have access to all those Prozone stats but it wouldn't surprise me if United players cover more ground than any other team every weekend. It sickens me. The only team who get close to them for workrate is Chelsea.

I've always said that when people rave about our defensive record that it's our work ethic as a team that stands out.

: Mon Mar 09, 2009 11:16 pm  

A very interesting piece. Didn't know 'Choccy' McClair was the Academy director. http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/columnists/michaelcalvin/2009/03/07/gold-trafford-10-reasons-why-fergie-s-boys-will-dominate-the-next-decade-115875-21179369/

A very interesting piece. Didn't know 'Choccy' McClair was the Academy director. http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/columnists/michaelcalvin/2009/03/07/gold-trafford-10-reasons-why-fergie-s-boys-will-dominate-the-next-decade-115875-21179369/

: Mon Mar 09, 2009 11:45 pm  

flipper wrote:

who misses out for you then?

One of Fletcher or Scholes.