The Ultimate Football Thread 2013-2014 Vol. 4 EPL, La Liga, Bundesliga, Serie A etc

[Kimchi Papi]

Vienen de nuevo a Espana Juan...

who taught you Spanish?

It's "regresa a Espana Juan" or "ven de nuevo a Espana Juan"

I tried to be slick & use Google translator... Just what I get...

 

[imasoleman18]

i dont know why people think mata at united would work, him and kagawa are the same player, the system is 4231 with 2 DM's mata nor kagawa are DM's it would be a pointless buy

 

[Thierry Henry]

If Mata leaves and Oscar gets hurt, who else is going to play in the 10?

Chelsea can't buy no players this transfer window anyways

 

[cs02132]

Vienen de nuevo a Espana Juan...

who taught you Spanish?

It's "regresa a Espana Juan" or "ven de nuevo a Espana Juan"

I tried to be slick & use Google translator... Just what I get...

Do you think he'd fit in on Barca?

 

[cs02132]

Transfer window open too

 

[miketysonthekiller]

LOL @ moyes

Surprised he still has a job


Adebayor da god

I do the same thing he did today on Fifa UT. His headers are deadly online :x


Would Chelsea really miss Mata if he were to be sold? I feel Oscar more than suffices as a replacement...

 

[after the dance]

Glad to see Mata finally show a little petulance today, I think he could have agitated a move in the summer(there were reports in June that he wasn't in Jose's starting 11) but he clearly isn't that kind of guy. 

And yeah, MU don't need him. Mata clearly isn't the kind of talent that would offer something positive to every club on the planet..

 

[eiddyfouw]

^^^

Mata definitely adds something to any team in the world. He's just not Mourinho's kind of player.
Would be nice to see him at United, I'm quite sure Mata can play on the wing and drift inside, linking with another clever passer like Kagawa.
But Moyes doesn't even know how to play up the middle anyway, so really we're just talking fantasy talk.

For those who are pro-Moyes, tell me, tactically, what have you seen that shows Moyes can adapt and win in top flight football. Cause all I see is 90m+ of the same strategy, then when it doesn't work, someone's individual brilliance either saves him or not. You can blame the players all you want, but it takes a manager to mould a team. It takes a manager to use his tools (players) to get the best end result out of them. A perfect example of this, is how well Everton have been playing with a new manager (strange how there's been no usage of the words 'transition period' at the toffees, when they also just lost a manager of 11 odd seasons- and before we talk about United being a big club and him having to adapt, Martinez was fighting relegation recently, and is now at a top half team, that's quite an adjustment).

Saying SAF also took a few seasons to win at United compared to Moyes is like saying Ronaldo took a while to find his form, so Welbeck also has time to be the worlds greatest. Moyes isn't, and will never be good enough. People forget that SAF was winning at Aberdeen before he came (not just domestically, he won the UEFA Super Cup with them), Moyes on the other hand was popping champagne just to be in the top half of the league.

I didn't expect him to win this season. I just expected UCL, simply for sponsorship commitments. I didn't expect to win the next 3 seasons actually. But hovering around 8th or 10th? Smh. It's not just losing, it's how he's losing. There's a difference between you being a weaker manager, and you being outfoxed.

But let's give him a chance to continue to buy his old team and use his same ol tactics and wait for a different result.

United will be patient and wait, but I foresee a change in management before a return to the top...

*steps down from soapbox*

 

[Sinner]

i feel like im the only one in this thread behind david moyes, there was no guarantee of a positive season regardless of the manager i dont understand how you guys thought he was gonna have instant success, i chose arsenal to win this year and for united to not even make it to the champions league, i hope he never gets fired and i cant wait for the future

I'm sure every sensible Utd fan in here knew they weren't gonna have "instant success".  That was a given.  Prior to the season, I think most of us were expecting a #4-ish finish, which at the time, was a reasonable expectation.  Anything more during this transitional phase  would have been unrealistic. 

The problem is, and as Eiddy pointed out, how they were losing and winning.   Their performances weren't convincing.  Players were lost out there on the pitch, many would switch-off from time to time, etc... to a certain extent, that comes down to the manager.  They might have lucked a draw or win here and there, but fundamentally, they weren't playing in a manner that gave fans the impression that this "work in progress" was headed somewhere and that things were gonna get better. 

Of course, how some players have deteriorated, as well as those forced to play out of their positions doesn't help either.  

The Fellaini debacle was also ugly, but that was probably down to the David-Gill-replacement.

And with regards to Moyes' future.  He was never realistically gonna be fired mid-season or whatever.  Yes, while other clubs might have fired him already, SAF & Utd will have thought this through and will always be looking at it from a long-term perspective.   At least a season or two... maybe three.

 

[quik1987]

As long as Man U keep losing I'm a fan of Moyes.

#MoyesIn

 

[eiddyfouw]

@CentreTransfer: Jose Mourinho has told Juan Mata he can quit Chelsea. (Daily Mail)

...And so silly season begins.

 

[AZwildcats]

That's not the news I wanted to hear, but I knew it's been brewing all season. A player like Mata can't be marginalized like that and be content. What's worse is I like Mata's creativity a lot more than Oscar's. His passing is slick at times, but he doesn't have the defensive presence Oscar has. Gonna kill me to see him in another team's jersey

 

[mastamind89]

Just waiting for Kagawa and Mata to make a move...
There's s PSG vs. Real Madrid friendly at 9am ET today on Beinsports

 

[eiddyfouw]

Expected...

Transfer Centre ‏@CentreTransfer 20m
Bayern Munich will announce the signing of Dortmund's Robert Lewandowski this week. He will join in the summer. (abendzeitung)

Hmmmm....

Gary Neville ‏@GNev2 48m
Berbatov to Arsenal fits for me. Awareness of runs / plays that extra pass and tempo in the last third would suit him.

 

[JJ Goon]

Kagawa can leave if we get a creative replacement, He just isn't cut out for the EPL unfortunately,
He is a very good player and has shown in glimpses what he can do (especially in the CL that is played at a slower pace) but overall I just can't see it working for him at United now, It is a shame though :x

Regarding Moyes,
I don't think Moyes is the man for United, I still think we should of went for Jose in Summer, but ignoring that.. I really do hope he comes good though.
The squad United have simply is not good enough, and Sir Alex papered over the cracks last year, now they are showing and then some.
If you look at some of the deadweight passengers United are carrying it explains why it is happening:

Evra - Done, Seems to make it forward but doesn't even attempt anymore to get back and defend, I can 100% see why Moyes is actively looking for a new LB

Smalling - Is shockingly poor at Right Back, They need to play him in his rightful position in the Centre of Defence or don't play him at all, Why Fabio has not been given a chance baffles me

Cleverley - Drifts through games, Poor energy levels and only passes backwards or sideways, Will not get stuck in either, Not good enough for United, would be lucky to start at many EPL teams

Fellaini - Serious mobility issues (My Pops who retired 15 years ago is probly quicker ), Cannot seem to boss the midfield and gets bullied off the ball so easily, At Everton he dictated the midfield and now he is like a scared rabbit, and no he won't come good IMO. Complete waste of money

Young - No words need said

Rio Ferdinand - Too slow now and the movement he once had has gone, that pace used to bail him out of mistakes, now he is an accident waiting to happen


So that leaves around 6 players that need replaced, Plus the fact we have no midfield either,
Moyes needs to tell the Glazers that they rather invest big or we fall behind

 

[hugebird]

@CentreTransfer: Jose Mourinho has told Juan Mata he can quit Chelsea. (Daily Mail)

...And so silly season begins.

That's not even the quote. Jose was asked about Essien and Mata specifically and he said that he does not want to sell them, but if they are unhappy, the door is open to come in the office and discuss their future. He said that if a player wants to leave there is nothing they can do, but for him he does not want to sell.

Also, if you think about it numerically, if KDB goes like is expected, if Mata was to go, that would leave 4 players for the three attacking midfield positions, which doesn't leave a lot of rotation for a club that is expecting to play a lot of fixtures in the second half of the season. The only way I see it happening is if Juan Mata puts in a transfer request, which I really don't see Mata doing.

 

[mastamind89]

Given that its a WC year, someone like Kagawa is pretty much gonna play for Japan no matter what. But the Beligum managerhas commented on KDB and TV5, whatkind of position they are put in due to the lack of playing time. I would assume the same goes for Mata
I heard about that Berbatov rumor, he has very good instinct that Giroud seems to lack

 

[Sinner]

 

[hugebird]

Given that its a WC year, someone like Kagawa is pretty much gonna play for Japan no matter what. But the Beligum managerhas commented on KDB and TV5, whatkind of position they are put in due to the lack of playing time. I would assume the same goes for Mata
I heard about that Berbatov rumor, he has very good instinct that Giroud seems to lack

I honestly don't think the Mata and De Bruyne situations are very simliar as Mata has started 6 of the last 8 matches in the league and KDB has hardly played. I still believe he's going to fight to stay in the team.

 

[Kimchi Papi]

Do you think he'd fit in on Barca?

Mata would definitely fit with Barca, the trouble is, they have a glut of center mids in Xavi, Iniesta, & Cesc. Then we have youngsters in Denis Suarez & Sergi Roberto. That's not to mention about 3 coming down the pike from La Masia that should be incredible players.

Statistically, Xavi is still playing well but he's struggled against faster teams. Iniesta & Cesc can play on the wings & Cesc can play as a false 9 (with mixed results IMO). Having said that, both can struggle at times playing on the wings especially if you put them out wide to stretch the field.

Roberto has played very well. From the stats I remember seeing, he actually played amazingly well. Suarez's contract supposedly says he's to get promoted to the first team next campaign. From the B squad games I've seen, he's been ok. Barca B hasn't been doing well at all this campaign.

Would I welcome Mata? Yes however where he will fit amongst everyone else is the question.

Kagawa can leave if we get a creative replacement, He just isn't cut out for the EPL unfortunately,
He is a very good player and has shown in glimpses what he can do (especially in the CL that is played at a slower pace) but overall I just can't see it working for him at United now, It is a shame though :x

I disagree. If he was given steady playing time & a chance to play his natural position (or even on the left like he does with the Japanese NT), he could definitely play in the Prem. Unfortunately, Sir Alex never played him consistently & moved him around a bit & now under Moyes, his playing time is greatly inconsistent. Given an adequate chance, I think Kagawa would do well.

 

[eiddyfouw]

Given playing time and played somewhere near his position, and giving him the responsibilities that his skill set suit, I think Kagawa would flourish in the prem, including United.

It's a shame, I really enjoyed watching what he could do at BVB. He had flashes of greatness at United, but I don't think we'll ever get a chance to see that regularly.

 

[Kimchi Papi]

PSG vs Real Madrid friendly on BEIN right now...

 

[Coupé It]

Mata to PSG would be dope also. They don't really have a playmaker.

 

[hugebird]

Mata honestly doesn't seem like a Barca player to me. It's the same issue he has with the national team in that his attacking style is very direct and at times he does dwell on the ball. I do think PSG would be the most likely, but if they could get the funds, I think Inter would be a good situation for both parties.

 

[fear the ibis]

I think KDB's position in the Belgium team will be safe even if he doesn't play. He's simply been too good for Belgium in qualification.


Mata situation reminds me of Joe Cole when Mourinho first came to Chelsea.