Moneyball won't win the Premiership 2012-13

Fellaini does tend to go missing a lot and playing him behind the striker for United would be ridiculous but United have needed a defensive midfielder who can actually tackle for years. There are better ones than Fellaini out there but I'm pretty sure he was linked to United earlier in the season anyway?

They'd do better with someone like Bender or Sandro really. (xpost)

Strootman has been the most heavily linked not that that means anything. Nothing means anything anymore

as far as transfer policy goes, i think my favourite outcome would be that he sells a key player over the summer and then does nothing else until an hour before the transfer deadline when he signs someone from belgium no one has heard of. or wherever the new belgium is now that place is getting overexposed, slovenia maybe.

I think Moyes will attempt to sign whoever Fergie's targets were, unless Fergie retired because he was told he couldn't get them.

United have needed a defensive midfielder who can actually tackle for years.

― Matt DC, Thursday, 9 May 2013 12:56 (2 minutes ago)

this is one of those talksport truisms but one of ferguson's best insights in recent years was buying carrick instead of a makelélé type in 2006b back when they were all the rage, then initiating his best ever team with a midfield of scholes/carrick

could kinda see him going for james mccarthy

yeah that seems plausible

which one is his best ever team? xposts

bebe needs some support too, maybe get bryan oviedo in

the best team was 07/08 by which time they were 433 and did use more orthodox dmids more often (hargreaves, fletcher, anderson even played there)

still, 06/07 was beautiful

http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/alex-ferguson-retirement-day-hairdryer-1877262#.UYuBc7dmfpg.twitter

lovely memories

Somewhere in the years after the treble lurks the best mix

this is one of those talksport truisms but one of ferguson's best insights in recent years was buying carrick instead of a makelélé type in 2006b back when they were all the rage, then initiating his best ever team with a midfield of scholes/carrick

Nonsense, they had Darren Fletcher to complement Scholes and Carrick at that time, he bought Owen Hargeaves and Anderson a year later. Carrick's been a misunderstood player for years, but his best role is really as a playmaker at the base of midfield. The lack of a great defensive midfielder over the last few seasons hasn't been down to some great insight on Fergie's part, it's been down to a string of unfortunate incidents, coupled with Anderson being a busted flush.

The midfield as it stands is fine against most PL opposition, especially with a strike force that good, but tends to come up short in Europe.

(That was an xpost obv)

yeah you obviously didn't notice but their best xi that season was rougly 4231 scholes/carrick behind twp/cr7/giggs then saha, fletcher was a squad player and even played on the right wing sometimes

j spark and fletcher were there to play in the "big games"

ferguson's insight was that carrick IS a defensive midfielder, even if he isn't particularly aggressive

since 2009 or so their midfield has been dreadful for a team of their stature but it's lacked skill even more than tenacity

1.44pm BST

"Jacob, you're right," says James Galloway, who's a man I'd like to be friends with. "PHILanthropist. PHILharmonic. PHILibuster. The cream always rises to the top... he's nailed on for the job isn't he? Though I suppose there's always PHIListine for those naysayers amongst us."

1.35pm BST

Just thinking about Phil Brown. It can't be a coincidence it's called PHILosophy, can it?

1.19pm BST

"In the picture at the top of the page, exactly what is everyone finding so amusing about the act of taking David Moyes’ pulse?" says Joseph Orchard, who just made me LOL out loud.

this sardonic shit is as bad as the bbc liveblogs in its own way

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2013/may/09/manchester-united-sir-alex-ferguson-successor1

In the first Carrick season it was mostly Carrick/Scholes, yeah, but as you've said he subsequently brought more traditional DMs into the team and they improved after 2006. Even in that season Fletcher still played in central midfield when required, which was quite a bit iirc.

That post-Keane, pre-Carrick midfield was shocking though, especially with Scholes' injury, fudging it with Alan Smith and Giggs in central MF. Anyone would have looked like a genius after that.

Wayne Rooney removes 'Manchester United player' from his Twitter page
• Unhappy striker now terms himself 'NikeUK athlete'

they need for more defensive cover in midfield came once ronaldo had almost no defensive capabilities, hence the change in formation, but it was mostly ronaldo's improvement (along with tevez) that was the source of the team's improvement

i think united could use a powerful stupid central midfielder, but really they could use any good midfielder

the last thing they need is a dumb card collecter tho, the best dmid now (apart from busquets maybe but barcelona is a special case) is javi martinez who is not like that at all

oh jesus that post is so badly composed

news just in Wayne Rooney has driven his car down to London to Loftus Road

silly fucker, cooke's pie and mash do online delivery now

if Rooney goes to Spurs they win the league next season

imagine it

He's only having lunch with Bobby Z, come on

https://encrypted-tbn2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTqA2NrNiy5HGjtp5EWFXFKvc4tUqJJnVUC8SwU-sEROOjSloMP

is this pure animosity to Moyes or do you think he wd've wanted away even if Ferguson had stayed?

well he asked for the transfer two weeks ago supposedly

moyes will be able to keep him. done it once already

posted and swiftly deleted on the Utd facebook page

https://cdn-tabsstatic.buddymedia.com/1368104372076_ThankyouBuddynew.jpg

ThankyouBuddynew - I hope this has a technical fb meaning, because ugh

well it's hosted at something called buddymedia.com

either that or he's going back to St Mirren

is this pure animosity to Moyes or do you think he wd've wanted away even if Ferguson had stayed?

There's been a lot of talk of him leaving for the last six months or more, so I doubt it's connected to Moyes. If (and it's a big if) they can get rid of him for a decent wedge and (and it's a big and) put it towards repurchasing Ronaldo that would be great, imo.

Hopefully Spud can be moved out of the country so we don't have to look at him for a few years

the best team was 07/08 by which time they were 433 and did use more orthodox dmids more often (hargreaves, fletcher, anderson even played there)
still, 06/07 was beautiful

06/07 was fantastic, some of the most exciting attacking football I've ever seen from United. Off the top of my head I can hardly remember anything about 07/08, despite winning the league and EC...Ronaldo scoring a late one at Craven Cottage...Gallas crying...Terry slipping over...that's about it.

the chances of Ronaldo coming back were remote before this but they're nonexistent with Fergie gone

and Everton have just released a statement

i know there's been talk of Rooney going for months but there does seem a sudden urgency in his actions

And thank god for that. I wouldn't want to see the prick play for ManU again tbh

xxp

That urgency probably coincides with the end of the season. According to the Graun today, Moyes and Rooney have been basically cool over the last few years.

who wants twp in 2k13

Hopefully City or, failing that, some team in Antarctica

It'd be funny if Chelsea signed him only to play him awkwardly out of position behind Falcao.

who wants twp in 2k13

PSG was the main rumour, though Chelsea has raised its head in the last couple of days.

mourinho has never really used a second striker, if he wants him then id guess its as a #9

ibrahimovic

pastore twp lavezzi

veratti matuidi