Comments on: Frustrations of a Manchester United fan

By: A

Sun, 01 Oct 2006 11:12:31 +0000

Its sad that article is so true. What people dont often realise is that Keane’s job wasnt only to put in the crunching tackles but to shout, abuse and motivate into raising thier gave to a level where the passion felt by players was so much more than their oppositions. Arsenal dont have a tough tackling midfielder but yet their passion for winning lifts them. I recently saw a replay of an old Unied vs. City FA cup match. Tackles were flying in from Keane, Butt, Scholes, Yourke. It looked like they wanted to win. It didnt look like that against Benfica. The problem is we pay 30-40 thousand pounds a week to the like of Fletcher and O’Shea when its sickening to see they dont give thier 100%. The clubs success and name has been built on the never say, never give up attitude and somewhere along the line it has been lost. I dont think Neville is a true leader and captain. I think he was only given captaincy because he is the only member of the old gaurd who is slightly aggresive (unlike giggs or scholes). The sad truth is that we really dont have a leader. You always see Terry, Gerrard and Parker screaming at people, telling them to get in, you never see Neville doing that. We need a leader, be it a defender or a midfielder. We need a Captain.

By: Keith Kaira II

Keith Kaira II — Fri, 29 Sep 2006 11:36:58 +0000

You are right that lack of belief has cost United in the premiership and Europe for a few years now. However you are a bit hard on some of the players. Especially Carrick, Scholes and Rooney who’s pre season was ruined by injury and suspension respectively. Their bad form will disipate once they all get back to peak fitness. And if they keep within 5 points of Chlesea come January, when their true form sets in. They can and will win the premiership because United under Sir Alex can always over haul a 5 point lead easily. And for these pathetic scousers who think their squad is better than United’s: Remember punks! United won a treble with a squad worse than Chelsea’s current assemblage. Why? Because they have Sir alex and no one else does!

By: plasticscouser

plasticscouser — Fri, 29 Sep 2006 09:46:36 +0000

United will win fuck all because their squad is the worst ive seen in a decade. Even liverpools is now superior. Only rooney, ronaldo and ferdinand would make it into a liverpool starting eleven. There, ive said it now…

By: United for Life

United for Life — Fri, 29 Sep 2006 05:59:05 +0000

Why not posting for the post of MANAGER of United from your say, we should have the best MANAGER of the premiership.

By: Hugo Steckelmacher

Hugo Steckelmacher — Thu, 28 Sep 2006 21:31:35 +0000

I think that, actually, Man United had the best players in the league, and by a long way. The problem is that these same players are being judged by today’s premiership standards. It is irrefutable that the average premiership player today is of a higher quality, and a better calibre, than the average player of ‘yesteryear’, and no better proof exists of this than the fact that players such as David May and Jesper Blomqvist, both distinctly average, made a large contribution to Man Utd’s treble-winning season. Even the poorer clubs in the league are now able to attract european class players. It is very much a different game.

By: Soupdragon2

Soupdragon2 — Thu, 28 Sep 2006 20:17:29 +0000

I disagree with the theory that Man United’s players were individually poorer than other sides in the premiership.

Man United were the best because they had the best manager with the best players.

By: Karl

Karl — Thu, 28 Sep 2006 14:54:22 +0000

This article brought back a lot of nostalgia. Your statements about the “old” United are so true. No one in the team was really brilliant (personal exception of Ryan Giggs of course) but together they were exceptional.

I don’t want to critisize the team or SAF but if “Mr. Ferguson is listening…” I want to use the opportunity to say that part of what I feel is wrong is SAF’s predictability. It is this predictability that allows a young team like Arsenal to overwhelm us. The same predictability allowed Benfica to dominate and frustrate us the way they did.
Keep in mind that the bad games are not not all United’s fault. The opposing team/managers also do their part in the game. Benfica’s approach was clear… Congest the midfield and in that way frustrate United by not allowing them to play “their” football. I feel that for the way Benfica approached the game and played that the UNITED TEAM DESERVE CREDIT for not leaking any goals. Benfica’s game plan surely worked because United were frustrated.

SAF should become less conservative and more creative again. I can remember a FA cup game against Crystal Pallace once (can’t remember when exactly) where United were frustrated by Palace (their defensive line was superb and United just could not break through. They kept on moving up as a United causing a lot of United off-sides). The game ended in a 0-0 draw. With the midweek replay, both teams appeared to play the same strategy BUT for one exception… the team were “obviously” instructed to draw the Palace defence line and then chip the ball over them (as opposed to trying to go through them). I can recall it working like magic. United won the game. Something small, yet creative and effective.

Sorry for the long comment. Last point. Did anyone notice the “change in spirit” after the goal was scored? To me it seemed like they played with a bit more belief… I might be wrong but it sure looked that way.

By: Azam

Azam — Thu, 28 Sep 2006 11:48:21 +0000

Straight from the heart stuff…
Felt the same, but the problem with us lies in our inability to break attacks..Every single attack is dealt by sitting deep inside the box.And challenge not put in, till it is too late.That has its impact on the attacking half of the midfield and their self belief.
Scholes was never a gr8 tackler,ronaldo won’t track back either.they want to go fwd and score goals..we must let them do so..
There has to be someone standing right before our defence like keano and say, come near me and i’ll kill you.
Smith was looking like a soln, but we lack strikers and he will be used up front. lets c what sir alex has in his mind..coz none of our inputs are gonna matter and he is the one who always has the last laugh.hoping once again, tht he continues to do so…

By: whiteside

whiteside — Thu, 28 Sep 2006 10:58:20 +0000

We were poor. We were as bad as we were V Arsenal. My biggest criticism on both occasions was this:

Despite being often full of stars United have always had an awesome work ethic. We give nobody time on the ball. Our closing down during both of the aforementioned games was half hearted at best.

Fergy didn’t help by playing silly billy’s with the formation but the fundamentals remain the same whatever formation you play. Give the man with the ball no time or space with which to think and construct a move to damage you.

In short – Take the F Ball off him!

Class is no substitute for work ethic and I fear that the new calmer fergy is not driving this point home with the determination that he once did.