: Tue Mar 10, 2009 8:54 am  

Catalancs wrote: 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/ Our Academy is better, and has been for a fair while. However, I wouldn't expect the national papers to acknowledge this. The better quality young players that United have brought through recently have all been hooked from other clubs at the age of 16/17. They have hardly done that much to improve the players, they are simply buying top, young talent.

Catalancs wrote: 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/ Our Academy is better, and has been for a fair while. However, I wouldn't expect the national papers to acknowledge this. The better quality young players that United have brought through recently have all been hooked from other clubs at the age of 16/17. They have hardly done that much to improve the players, they are simply buying top, young talent.

: Tue Mar 10, 2009 9:07 am  

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.

What went wrong EE!

I don't think United have figured out playing with Berbatov properly yet. I also get the impression that Fergie is planning for war RE Ronaldo and trying to figure out a way to play without him when he goes, be it this summer or next.

Apart from workrate, which as you say, is imperative for all the top teams, United's players are all comfortable on the ball (even O'Shea) and can slot in several positions. Apart from Berbatov probably. Wednesday is going to be fascinating - looking forward to seeing if Ibrahimovic is any better in the flesh than he is on TV.

: Tue Mar 10, 2009 9:10 am  

Enfield Exile wrote:

Our Academy is better, and has been for a fair while. However, I wouldn't expect the national papers to acknowledge this. The better quality young players that United have brought through recently have all been hooked from other clubs at the age of 16/17. They have hardly done that much to improve the players, they are simply buying top, young talent.

Which is precisely why Blatter wants to impose nationaility restrictions to prevent the likes of United and Arsenal doing that. Chelsea do it as well but they usually pick up crap (hello Franco Di Santo), or at least, they have done.

Are clubs still hampered from recruiting players from outside a certain catchment area?

: Tue Mar 10, 2009 9:30 am  

Enfield Exile wrote:

Our Academy is better, and has been for a fair while. However, I wouldn't expect the national papers to acknowledge this. The better quality young players that United have brought through recently have all been hooked from other clubs at the age of 16/17. They have hardly done that much to improve the players, they are simply buying top, young talent.

I think most people acknowledge City's Academy as being one of the best in respect of local/English talent.

The likes of United, Arsenal, Chelsea and Liverpool have simply got their foreign scouting network looking at youngsters as well as established players. When you think about it, they are a bit behind the times relative to Spain and Italy.

: Tue Mar 10, 2009 10:04 am  

Ian [77] wrote:

What went wrong EE!

Unlike my dad, I refused to sell my soul. My dad was brought up in a Blue area too – Ardwick. I was very awkward and disagreeable. I will soon find out if it’s a trait that is in the genes.

Apart from workrate, which as you say, is imperative for all the top teams, United's players are all comfortable on the ball (even O'Shea) and can slot in several positions. Apart from Berbatov probably. Wednesday is going to be fascinating - looking forward to seeing if Ibrahimovic is any better in the flesh than he is on TV.

TBF I think pretty much all of the first team players in the top 4 teams are comfortable with the ball. I wouldn’t say United’s players look more comfortable on the ball than those at Arsenal. However, West Brom’s players look comfortable on the ball but they are rubbish.

My opinion is that United and the rest of the top 4 are equally matched in pretty much all aspects of the game, but I think what has set them apart is the workrate.

Ian [77] wrote:

Which is precisely why Blatter wants to impose nationaility restrictions to prevent the likes of United and Arsenal doing that. Chelsea do it as well but they usually pick up crap (hello Franco Di Santo), or at least, they have done.

We have signed two or three lads from the continent in the last few months. I’m not particularly happy about it but those clubs you listed above seem to have a majority of overseas players in the Academy.

Are clubs still hampered from recruiting players from outside a certain catchment area?

I thought that there was some 60min or 90min rule. I’m not sure though – and I have too much on to bother Googling the answer)


Another thing that I find annoying at the moment is the number of overseas players in the lower leagues. I was watching a match the other week – a League One game – and a team had a Brazilian substitute goalkeeper. What a nonsense. So league 2 clubs have to go abroad to find players good enough to be on the bench?

: Tue Mar 10, 2009 10:15 am  

Enfield Exile wrote:

Snip

Another thing that I find annoying at the moment is the number of overseas players in the lower leagues. I was watching a match the other week – a League One game – and a team had a Brazilian substitute goalkeeper. What a nonsense. So league 2 clubs have to go abroad to find players good enough to be on the bench?

I would imagine that comes down to the wages nthey command as well as transfer fees.

Look at the lower end of the SPL they have a fair amount of Europeans, I would wager the majority are from Eastern Europe too.

: Tue Mar 10, 2009 10:52 am  

getdownmonkeyman wrote:

I would imagine that comes down to the wages nthey command as well as transfer fees.

Look at the lower end of the SPL they have a fair amount of Europeans, I would wager the majority are from Eastern Europe too.

I'm not quite sure about that. The margins involved must be small, even for a lower league club. I just cannot imagine that there is a significant gulf between the wages paid to a homegrown player andthose paid to someone who comes fromn overseas. It's not as if many of these overseas players are any good. I have seen the equivalent and better playing in semi-pro.

Which brings me on to another issue:
5Live - always seem to have stupid debates and calls from the hand-wringing and guilt-ridden when I am cooking - are seemingly trying to encourage top-flight footballers and clubs to put their hands in their pockets to pay-off the debts of those lower league clubs close to financial ruin. Is it just me who has no sympathy for those clubs facing financial ruin?

: Tue Mar 10, 2009 11:06 am  

Enfield Exile wrote:

I'm not quite sure about that. The margins involved must be small, even for a lower league club. I just cannot imagine that there is a significant gulf between the wages paid to a homegrown player andthose paid to someone who comes fromn overseas. It's not as if many of these overseas players are any good. I have seen the equivalent and better playing in semi-pro.

Which brings me on to another issue:
5Live - always seem to have stupid debates and calls from the hand-wringing and guilt-ridden when I am cooking - are seemingly trying to encourage top-flight footballers and clubs to put their hands in their pockets to pay-off the debts of those lower league clubs close to financial ruin. Is it just me who has no sympathy for those clubs facing financial ruin?

The fans yes, the club no.

: Tue Mar 10, 2009 12:58 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.

I'd go with:-

VDS
O'Shea
Rio
Vidic
Evra
Ronaldo
Scholes
Carrick
Park
Rooney
Tevez

The front two looked great on Saturday and should start together although I think SAF will leave Tevez on the bench and look to being him on if we are stuggling to break them down.

: Tue Mar 10, 2009 1:07 pm  

PAUL M wrote:

I'd go with:-

VDS
O'Shea
Rio
Vidic
Evra
Ronaldo
Scholes
Carrick
Park
Rooney
Tevez

The front two looked great on Saturday and should start together although I think SAF will leave Tevez on the bench and look to being him on if we are stuggling to break them down.

id go with that

i thought tevez had his best game last week for you

i hope he gets dropped for saturday tho