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Manchester United 2014-2015

yinyang

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Jan fixtures. Next is home to Saints midnight sun. All times BST

Sun 11 Jan 2015 - Premier League
Man Utd v Southampton 16:00

Sat 17 Jan 2015 - Premier League
QPR v Man Utd 15:00

Fri 23 Jan 2015 - FA Cup
Cambridge v Man Utd 19:55

Sat 31 Jan 2015 - Premier League
Man Utd v Leicester 15:00

 

yinyang

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Coming to OT (or quitting Dortmund) in Jan or not? :p

Manchester United launch £35million Mats Hummels bid as Van Gaal looks to capitalise on Dortmund woes
Daily Telegraph Jan 08, 2015 22:30 By David McDonnell

The Red Devils failed to land the World Cup winner in the summer, but hope they can make the most of the Bundesliga side's poor first half of the season
Target: Could Hummels be heading for Old Trafford?

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United failed to land Hummels in the summer but are ready to test Borussia Dortmund’s resolve to hold on to their captain and star defender with a new offer.

Hummels remains United’s top defensive target and there is a growing belief at Old Trafford that a deal can be done during this month’s transfer window.

United are hoping to take advantage of the turmoil at Dortmund, who are currently second from bottom in the Bundesliga, with Hummels said to have become increasingly disillusioned.

Dortmund have won just four of their 17 league games this season and are ahead of bottom club Freiburg only by virtue of the fact they have scored one more goal.

German champions in 2011 and 2012, Dortmund are in real danger of a suffering a shock relegation, with many of their established stars ready for a new challenge.

 

yinyang

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Thought this was an apt description of MU's stuttering start to season :p Quoting Ian Dennis BBC

How would you describe Manchester United this season?

It was a question posed to me on Radio 5 live recently, to which I replied: "An expensive red car that at times is no fun to drive.

"A stuttering, sluggish start. Problems with the rear suspension. Logbook shows one fine keeper and plenty of firepower but not firing on all cylinders."

 

yinyang

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Crap mumbo jumbo from LVG. Saints was well drilled and tight in defence, unlike home team's really poor performance. Belied the possession stats. RVP was non-existent, no pace (so not surprising he was replaced). Maria was "lost" as centre forward, with Roon in midfield. What a waste of Gaalactico wages, and outsmarted by old rival RK at of all places OT.:(

And tabloid's front page says it all. What a waste of time (and beauty sleep) :p

blanked out.jpg

Man Utd: Louis van Gaal explains Radamel Falcao omission

Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal said the decision to omit striker Radamel Falcao from his squad for the defeat by Southampton was tactical.

Falcao, who started the previous five matches, watched the 1-0 Premier League loss from the stands at Old Trafford.

"You have to look at the needs of your selection at the time," said Van Gaal, who said he wanted substitute cover for Luke Shaw and Angel Di Maria.

"We have a lot of players who are coming back."

Falcao is on loan from Monaco until the end of the season but has scored only three goals since signing in September.

Young striker James Wilson was preferred on the bench against Southampton for a defeat which means Van Gaal has now collected the same number of points after 21 Premier League matches as predecessor David Moyes did during his time in charge.

Asked about that statistic, Van Gaal said: "You have been waiting for the moment to tell me I have the same points as David Moyes."

United failed to register a shot on target as their 10-game unbeaten run in the Premier League came to an end thanks to Dusan Tadic's 69th-minute goal after Graziano Pelle's effort rebounded off the post.

Juan Mata missed two chances for United as they slipped to a first home defeat since the opening day of the season, a result that saw Ronald Koeman's side replace them in third in the table.

"We played a much better game than Southampton," said Dutchman Van Gaal. "They were lucky to score out of nothing.

"They came for a draw, I believe, and they go away with a victory. That is disappointing.

"It is a bad result - we have to be better. We were the dominating team but you have to create more chances when you are the dominating team.

"We didn't choose the right solutions in the third and fourth phase."

 
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Gallego99

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Crap mumbo jumbo from LVG. Saints was well drilled and tight in defence, unlike home team's really poor performance. Belied the possession stats. RVP was non-existent, no pace (so not surprising he was replaced). Maria was "lost" as centre forward, with Roon in midfield. What a waste of Gaalactico wages, and outsmarted by old rival RK at of all places OT.:(

And tabloid's front page says it all. What a waste of time (and beauty sleep) :p

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It was a farking pathetic performance. Scrappy game. The only player that played with conviction was Juan Mata. Unfortunately he was the one that missed the sitters.....Sigh..... back to the drawing board.
 

RubbingWarmPusi

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It was a farking pathetic performance. Scrappy game. The only player that played with conviction was Juan Mata. Unfortunately he was the one that missed the sitters.....Sigh..... back to the drawing board.

Strange that MU had no shots on target the whole match. Just one of those days at the office coupled with Soton's tight defence.
 

red amoeba

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One of the worst display reminiscent of Moyes era. Akin to foreplay for 90 minutes but never penetrate the chee bye.

And from start I can tell de gea body language boh chup liao must be the signing of valdes making him pissed. There was a through ball that he dint come to collect causing panic by smalling who have to track back.

Totally devoid of ideas how to crack the soton defense. Think soton taught them a lesson in defending. And for Koeman sweet justice. Looks like our luck is running out - playing badly n getting away with it.
 

DavidMoyes

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Strange that MU had no shots on target the whole match. Just one of those days at the office coupled with Soton's tight defence.

You and your team are FLOPS.

See what my football guru said :biggrin:

Man Utd 0 - 1 Southampton.

DiMaria, Rooney, Van Persie, Mata, Fellaini (Falcao didn't even make it onto the team sheet!)

£200 million worth of footballing talent and they still can't get a shot on target!

Next Saturday - QPR vs Man Utd. Come on U Rssss! :biggrin:
 

red amoeba

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Qpr is surprising strong at home. And we r particularly weak playing away. I won't b surprised w a draw.
 

RubbingWarmPusi

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I don't really think West Ham can last the pace and neither will Liverpool. Tottenham will be the dark horse so it will probably be Soton, MU and Arsenal fighting for the 2 places behind Man City and Chelsea.


Don't be too sure. :wink:

Man United, Arsenal, Tottenham, West Ham and Liverpool will all be fighting for 4th place. Let the Hunger Games begin. :cool:
 

Gallego99

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LVG had the opportunity to change the shape of the team in the second half but he didn't. No wonder they're calling him the 150 million pound Moyes.

3-5-2 formation wasn't effective against a well drilled Southampton defence. I thought he would revert to a 4-4-2 with Di Maria on the right, Valencia to right back, Jones in the middle with Smalling, Mata on the right midfield with Rooney in the middle with Carrick and bring on Wilson.
It doesn't matter if you lose 1-0 or 5-0. You put on the players that are going to get you the goals. LVG kept with the 3-5-2 and the rest is history. It's going to be a long season for all the OT faithful. We've wasted opportunities to close the gap at the top in recent weeks but let's hope LVG wakes up from his slumber.:mad:
 

yinyang

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More shoring up at the rear? :p
Manchester United ‘begin transfer talks to sign £30m Marquinhos’
Jamie Sanderson for Metro.co.ukWednesday 14 Jan 2015 7:23 pm

United are desperate to sign a talented centre back this month, and after setting aside huge funds for any potential deal, they’ve turned to Brazilian ace Marquinhos.

marquinhos.jpg

According to reports in France, negotiations have already taken place over a deal, and the 20-year-old could push for the switch to happen after falling behind David Luiz in the pecking order.

PSG paid £30million for Marquinhos in 2013 and would expect to get their money back on the player.

 

Gallego99

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Is 5 million lira(forget the Euro) stupid enough? If LVG has his way, things could come to an unexpected end for Mata or Herrera. LVG should come clean and admit that he wants the Dutch national team to play for United.

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Roma would listen to ‘stupid’ offer for Man Utd target Strootman.

AS Roma midfielder Kevin Strootman would command a massive fee if he were to leave the Serie A club.

They are the sentiments of Giallorossi president James Pallotta who told the Bleacher Report that any interested clubs, including Manchester United, would have to pay a huge amount if they wanted to lure the talented Dutch midfielder.

The Red Devils remain linked with Holland international Strootman, who played under Louis van Gaal with the Oranje, but Pallotta suggests Roma are not looking to sell one of their prized assets.

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http://www.tribalfootball.com/articles/roma-would-listen-stupid-offer-man-utd-target-strootman-4058210#.VLdvuBv2Mfg
 

yinyang

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Man Utd: Will the Glazer family own the club in another 10 years' time?
Stuart Pollitt BBC North West Tonight

Can United compete for more Champions League trophies?
Malcolm Glazer's Man United legacy Watch
Man Utd owner Glazer dies aged 85
Unpopular but unforgettable: Glazer's Man Utd legacy

The Glazers' ownership of Manchester United has been nothing if not controversial.

Nearly 10 years have passed since they bought the club, but will we see another decade with the reclusive American family in charge?

The late Malcolm Glazer's six children, who own United, have four basic options going forward.

Do nothing - reinvest profits into the club to spend on players and pay down debt
Continue selling small portions of shares on the New York Stock Exchange and retain control. Keep the money raised for themselves or put it back into the club
Turn United back into a fully public company by floating the whole club on the stock market, enabling the Glazers to exit at a profit
Sell the club to a private individual or consortium and potentially take a considerable profit
All this week North West Tonight has been talking to experts about Manchester United's future - what do they think will happen?

Jim O'Neill, former board member who led the Red Knights consortium's takeover attempt in 2010
Jim O'Neill: "If somebody came to them with the right price they would sell.

"This is an asset to them - it is not something that they are interested in in terms of what Manchester United really means to most people."

Would he support another takeover attempt if it put fan-ownership at the heart of the club?

"I would always be interested in supporting something like that. Whether it was something I would get directly involved in kind of depends on a whole host of different things."

What does he thinks the Glazers will do next?

"Close to this valuation (around £2 billion) there are very few individuals in the world that could genuinely afford it from a cash perspective.

"There may be others that can try and take a lot of leverage too and replicate the same model.

"I know there are constantly people trying to do that. That could happen at some stage.

"I suppose it is possible they could bring it back to a true public float. If I think of the different paths - if they don't find some buyer from the planet Jupiter - maybe that is the path they may end up pursuing in terms of an exit.

"But it is very unpredictable."

Andy Green, financial analyst and United fan
He is critical of the Glazers' approach to United but says in business terms they have been successful.

"They have done exceptionally well," said Mr Green.

"They have already made back most of what they put in in 2005 and they still have complete control of Manchester United and own the vast majority of it.

"Now they're listed on the New York Stock Exchange they have got a wonderful money-making machine.

"They can sell batches of shares to investors, giving up almost no control, and pocket the proceeds.

"So I suspect they will continue, as and when they can, to carry on selling shares in the club."

He thinks the Glazers should do more to invest in players and the club.

"They have had to spend a huge amount on transfers in the last two years. It's a reflection that they under-invested in the squad for many years.

"It's become accepted that they are not going anywhere. This investment we have seen in the last two years is great but what we need to see is regular investment every year.

"United is the richest football club in the world and should be competing at the highest level, but to do that you have to invest regularly."

Philip Hall, consultant to football investors, Spotlight Equity Partners
"It seems like [the] status quo [will continue] at Old Trafford from my perspective, from an ownership perspective," said the man who represented John Henry in his takeover of Liverpool.

"I don't see anything on the horizon that tells me Manchester United is for sale."

But if the Glazers did start looking for a buyer in the future, with a valuation of at least £2 billion placed on the club, where would they look?

"You look towards Asia and some of those markets where you have a lot of billionaires being minted every day who are certainly big Man Utd fans, so that might be an area," said Mr Hall.

"And then you might also have a media company or a company that owns big brands - they might say 'hey, we see an opportunity here'."

Sam Hamadeh, Founder of Privco
"Over time, we think they are going to continue to pull out cash from the company by selling small pieces," said Mr Hamadeh, who specialises in valuing largely private companies like Manchester United.

"Those people will be buying the stock and putting cash into the Glazer family's pockets while the Glazer family gets to control Man Utd and gets to be the public face of the company."
 

yinyang

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Louis van Gaal will be given the green light for ANOTHER £150million spending spree at a Manchester United transfer summit.

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Van Gaal is due to sit down with United chief executive Ed Woodward and another members of the hierarchy on Friday to discuss their transfer plans.

And that could see first-year boss Van Gaal try to pull off a major signing in January to bolster the club’s attempts to secure a place in the top four.

Top of the Old Trafford giants’ transfer hit-list is Borussia Dortmund’s German World Cup winning defender Mats Hummels.

Roma midfielder Kevin Strootman is also on there, after the Italian club this week admitted they may listen to a “huge offer” for the Dutchman.

United also want a right-back, with Nathaniel Clyne of Southampton believed to be their preferred choice ahead of Everton’s Seamus Coleman.

Clyne is unlikely to be allowed to leave St Mary's in the current window, but Saints may sell in the summer - if United do not move for Goodison ace Coleman now.

Hummels is the most sought-after defender in Europe and it could take £40m-plus to land the centre-half.

But United will lay out their future plans for the 26-year-old to try to lure him to Old Trafford - and could even go for it in this window.

United have seen big-spending Manchester rivals City blow everyone away with their £28million deal for Swansea striker Wilfried Bony and are determined to send a strong message that they can keep up with the neighbours.

The club's top brass will make it clear to Van Gaal, who splashed out £150m on new faces last summer, that there is big money to spend - and that they are prepared to do it now as they gamble on finishing in the top four after issing out last season under David Moyes.

Part of the problem is that United have been hit with a crippling list of injuries in defence. They want to shore that area of the team up while also building for the future.

Neville Williams Bad timing: Villa star Vlaar's knee injury makes a move to Man United less likely

United might have gone for Aston Villa’s Ron Vlaar - out of contract at the end of the season - as a stop-gap.

But the knee injury that will keep him out until late next month coincides with them being ready to break the bank if they can get their top priorities now.

http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/transfer-news/another-150m-manchester-united-transfer-4986353

 
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yinyang

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Despite lame comparisons to Moyes, Man United are better under Van Gaal

ESPN FC's Craig Burley and Paul Mariner discuss Manchester United's form under Louis van Gaal as they currently have the same number of points as David Moyes' side last season.

http://www.espnfc.com/club/manchest...lame-moyes-comparisons-hide-van-gaal-progress

One of the more frustrating things surrounding Manchester United after Sir Alex Ferguson's retirement is the redundant point total comparisons that journalists and fans have become obsessed with making.

Ferguson inherited a team fighting the relegation battle in 1986. How would the number of games won then bear any relevance to how well David Moyes was doing almost 30 years later with a team that had just won the league? Well, it wouldn't, but that didn't stop the endless parallels being drawn up after every match during Moyes' tenure at the club.

Likewise, what have the points won by Van Gaal's freshly assembled squad, one that is fighting injuries and a crisis in confidence after finishing seventh in the Premier League last season, have to do with Moyes' tally when he inherited the champions of England? Again, not a lot, but you will be bored to tears hearing about it thanks to some in the media.

If football were played on paper, if titles or trophies were won in the Opta offices and world-class players were viewed only through their completed passes, then there would be some argument for these mundane comparisons. As it is, and as we all understand, football is about so much more than that.

Still, if anyone needs an explanation as to why United are in a much better position under the leadership of Van Gaal than Moyes, let's look at these comparisons in more detail.

Comparing Van Gaal's points record with United to that of David Moyes underestimates the work of the Dutchman.
This time last season, United had claimed exactly the same number of points as they have this season. Without any context, this would suggest that there have been no improvements in the past year. While the playing style has undoubtedly been upgraded, that should be irrelevant if the team isn't performing any better in the league, right?

But United are performing better. They are currently fourth, one of the prized Champions League spots, whereas this time last year they were seventh. Chelsea, Manchester City and Southampton are above United now but back then it was Arsenal, Man City, Chelsea, Liverpool, Everton and Tottenham Hotspur all above.

No Premier League campaign is the same and therefore points comparisons tell us very little. 85 points were needed to win the league last season but it was 79 the year before, 89 the year before that and 72 before that.

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In the 2007-08 season, United needed 86 points to win the league, a season in which they were crowned champions of England and Europe. Does this mean that side wasn't as good as City in 2012, who amassed more points?

Still, while it is safe to say United fans are much happier now under the guidance of Van Gaal, it would also be fair to say that they still have a few gripes.

For all of the manager's talk about "philosophy," supporters are still struggling to get their head around the 3-5-2 formation. It's funny to recall now, but in the preseason, supporters welcomed this change. European champions Real Madrid were brushed aside, with United also picking up wins over Liverpool, Roma and Inter Milan. Of course the preseason doesn't tell us an awful lot, but the attacking fluency and directness of play that United showed was so refreshing following the dour months under Moyes.

Opinion has changed somewhat since then, though, with fans growing tired of a formation that isn't getting the best out of United's best players.

If the club had three world-class central defenders, you could see an argument for sticking with these tactics. As it is, United's defence is without doubt their weakest area on the field. There probably isn't a team in the world who has a greater difference in quality between attack and defence than Manchester United. So to use an extra player in this position at the cost of another solid midfielder is fairly baffling.

United's weakest spot has been in defence, where the likes of Chris Smalling have struggled to fit Van Gaal's style.
Ander Herrera, Daley Blind and Michael Carrick have all had great games in the centre of the park, while Marouane Fellaini looks like a different player this season compared to last. Wayne Rooney was even voted by United fans as their player of the month in December when he was used largely in midfield.

So far this season, none of United's central defenders have shown they possess the quality to have a long-term future at the club. Repeated injuries may account for some of this inconsistent form, but would the likes of Jonny Evans, Phil Jones, Chris Smalling, Marcos Rojo, Paddy McNair or Tyler Blackett even get in the 18-man squad for the likes of Chelsea or Manchester City based on their performances so far this season? For three of these players to start every week, or sometimes even resorting to pulling Carrick or Blind out of midfield to accommodate the 3-5-2, is maddening.

Van Gaal wants United to maintain possession and control, tactics we have seen from the Dutch manager since his days at Ajax, and he has been successful in doing so in Manchester. United have averaged 58.6 percent possession this season, a stat only bettered by City with 59.8. But what use is your team having the ball if creativity is stifled and there aren't men on the pitch capable of finding the best attacking players? It seems almost criminal that a player of Radamel Falcao's quality is forced to rely on crosses from Antonio Valencia.

It's still too early to judge Van Gaal entirely regardless of his foolish plea for us to do so after three months, something he has since admitted he regrets saying. Building a brand-new team takes time. United have seen 11 brand-new players represent the first team in the league this season, either as a new signing or an academy player earning promotion.

The 3-5-2 is a formation that has been used more regularly with these players, something Van Gaal has attributed to no full-backs being available through injury, and Valencia and Ashley Young suiting the wing-back position. At AZ Alkmaar, Van Gaal wanted his players to put pressure in their half of the pitch on the opposition, win the ball back and then move the ball up the field quickly, using as few passes as possible. This is arguably his vision at United too, adding pressure on the defence to win possession, then allowing the creative players to do their thing. As it stands, this is something United cannot do consistently, as was shown with the painfully slow moves forward United exhibited in the weekend's 1-0 defeat against Southampton.

There may be hope yet for United fans, though, as it appears Van Gaal does not pride himself on being rigid in the formation he plays. When he won the league with AZ, only the club's second league title in their history, he used four different formations that season.

Van Gaal's success with AZ Alkmaar proves he can be flexible, but next season will be his true test at United.
"It's a football philosophy more than a system," he explained at the time, with AZ finishing the season in a 4-4-2. "A system depends on the players you have. I have played 4-3-3 with Ajax, 2-3-2-3 with Barcelona and I can play 4-4-2 with AZ. I'm flexible. The philosophy stays the same, though."

The desire is there from his United players this season and they appear to buy in to his philosophy -- that much is evident -- but at present, it doesn't look as though what is expected of them in their respective positions has been ingrained yet. That is a process, not something that can be taught or learnt overnight.

The target for this season is a place in the top four and a good cup run. The players are learning how to apply Van Gaal's vision and it is taking longer than was hoped, or expected. But if United achieve their target, playing 3-5-2 or otherwise, there shouldn't be too many grumbles.

Next season though, with a place in the Champions League a must, that is when the pressure will be on the Dutchman. If the players aren't doing the business on the pitch, Van Gaal's talk of philosophy and education with fall on deaf ears.

It's hard to bet against him, the man who has won the league with every club he has managed in three different leagues, from rising to the challenge and bringing the trophies back to Old Trafford. It's also hard to imagine that 3-5-2 is the way he does it.
 
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