Could Cole or Yorke have.....

Knoxy

Guest
....made a difference?

Whilst results seem to suggest you didn't miss a 3rd/4th decent striker since you effectively got rid of them both (Cole sold, Yorke never picked) (ie only 3 defeats 3 draws or somthing since christmas). Could the fine line that prevented you from beating Arsenal, Leverkusen 'boro & derby have been potentially crossed with more options up front?

I am quite suprised that given you were the first team to really make good use of the 4 striker rotation system, you have more or less now resorted to having just the two. Its true that Giggs can play a role up front but his best place is surely on the left flank. Forlan has been a long way off what you'd effectivly want to be relying on coming off the bench.
Personally I think RVN's form has gone off the boil a little of late resulting in his ommission yesterday. This perhaps could be attributed to tiredness caused by not having adequate replacements who could fill in now and again.

I reckon a decent striker should be on your shopping list this summer.
 
Originally posted by Knoxy:
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I reckon a decent striker should be on your shopping list this summer.</strong><hr></blockquote>

No shit Sherlock <img src="graemlins/lol.gif" border="0" alt="[Laugh Out Loud]" />
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Originally posted by An Extremely Boring Man:
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No shit Sherlock <img src="graemlins/lol.gif" border="0" alt="[Laugh Out Loud]" /> </strong><hr></blockquote>

Would you agree then that allowing this situation develop was a major mistake by the manager? or was he just handcuffed by PLC policies?
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Originally posted by Knoxy:
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Would you agree then that allowing this situation develop was a major mistake by the manager? or was he just handcuffed by PLC policies?</strong><hr></blockquote>

Cole wanted out as he didn't accept being just a squad player - no point forcing anyone to stay
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Originally posted by An Extremely Boring Man:
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No shit Sherlock <img src="graemlins/lol.gif" border="0" alt="[Laugh Out Loud]" /> </strong><hr></blockquote>


Its good to see that you can still laugh after conceding the title in your own backyard.. <img src="graemlins/lol.gif" border="0" alt="[Laugh Out Loud]" />

Well done..I applaud you..

;)
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Originally posted by Davo:
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Its good to see that you can still laugh after conceding the title in your own backyard.. <img src="graemlins/lol.gif" border="0" alt="[Laugh Out Loud]" />

Well done..I applaud you..

;) </strong><hr></blockquote>

The title was conceded weeks ago IMO. Last night merely confirmed it.
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Originally posted by Davo:
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Its good to see that you can still laugh after conceding the title in your own backyard.. <img src="graemlins/lol.gif" border="0" alt="[Laugh Out Loud]" />

Well done..I applaud you..

;) </strong><hr></blockquote>
You should be more gutted than us, we never looked like winning it, whereas you were 10 points or so clear. Another year goes by without you winning the title.
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Originally posted by An Extremely Boring Man:
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Cole wanted out as he didn't accept being just a squad player - no point forcing anyone to stay</strong><hr></blockquote>

But seeing as he still had a potentially crucial role to play in your current season, wouldn't it have been wise to keep him until the end of the season? it wasn't as if he was going to go on strike was it?
And in regards to Yorke, was it worth simply refusing to play him ever again because he didn't want to move to boro?

imo these are two of Fergusons biggest mistakes this year, selling a proven PL goal scorer and gambling that a young south american unknown will quickly establish himself as his replacement (a gamble that failed miserably - this season at least) and the other try to sell a player and bring in a proven replacement (Di-canio) but when this falls through effectivly removing your 4th choice striking option through a fit of pique.
The fact that both these blunders have have occurred in the same position has further exagerated the problem.
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Originally posted by Neil Thomson:
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You should be more gutted than us, we never looked like winning it, whereas you were 10 points or so clear. Another year goes by without you winning the title.</strong><hr></blockquote>

Nevermind..

Second will do nicely, if we keep it

its been a difficult season and Arsenal have been class..
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Originally posted by Knoxy:
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But seeing as he still had a potentially crucial role to play in your current season, wouldn't it have been wise to keep him until the end of the season? it wasn't as if he was going to go on strike was it?
And in regards to Yorke, was it worth simply refusing to play him ever again because he didn't want to move to boro?

imo these are two of Fergusons biggest mistakes this year, selling a proven PL goal scorer and gambling that a young south american unknown will quickly establish himself as his replacement (a gamble that failed miserably - this season at least) and the other try to sell a player and bring in a proven replacement (Di-canio) but when this falls through effectivly removing your 4th choice striking option through a fit of pique.
The fact that both these blunders have have occurred in the same position has further exagerated the problem.</strong><hr></blockquote>

Hmmm, we've scored 87 goals this season, you have scored 60, arsenal who won the league scored 75 or something. Yeah, it's our scoring problem that really cost us the title

:rolleyes: , what kind of fecking drivel is this.
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Originally posted by Neil Thomson:
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You should be more gutted than us, we never looked like winning it, whereas you were 10 points or so clear. Another year goes by without you winning the title.</strong><hr></blockquote>

Yeah I don't seem to recall us being 10 points clear of everyone, you lot maybe, and a quick look a the league table confirms that altho that has been reduced, we are still ahead of you.

If the truth be known we haven't played well enough to win the title this season, Arsenal have been clearly the best side imo. Whilst I have obviously wanted us to win the title I can realise that we as a team aren't ready yet, a 2nd place finish wih 80 points would be an excellent improvement in our league form from last year so all things considered I am relativly happy with that.
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Originally posted by An Extremely Boring Man:
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The title was conceded weeks ago IMO. Last night merely confirmed it.</strong><hr></blockquote>

Yes

Any straws you were clutching to were ripped out of your hands and stuck right up your arse..

Weren't they?

;)
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Cole and Yorke would have made no difference. There was no-one creating chances. When Ryan Giggs is off form, United really struggle. He was against Arsenal - and against Leverkussen.
How many decent chances did we have in those two critical games. Count them on one hand - two headers from jonsen and a Solskjaer shot v Leverkussen - nothing against Arsenal.
We need a creative attacker/midfielder
As for the defence... we need one!
 
Originally posted by AhmedDimwitson:
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Hmmm, we've scored 87 goals this season, you have scored 60, arsenal who won the league scored 75 or something. Yeah, it's our scoring problem that really cost us the title

:rolleyes: , what kind of fecking drivel is this.</strong><hr></blockquote>

So you'd be happy with keeping your striking options as they are would you?

You're happy with 2 decent strikers and one other you hasn't scored for you yet as back up to them both? with Ryan giggs as a further option altho this obviously means shifting him from his best position on the left wing and replacing him with Veron or Scholes who are both rubbish in there?

& the reason you've lost 6 games at home (scoring 1 goal in total in those games) in the league this year is purely because you defense is rubbish is it?

I see, in fairness I can't think at all why I thought you had problems up front. You've made me see the light.......
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Originally posted by Knoxy:
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So you'd be happy with keeping your striking options as they are would you?

You're happy with 2 decent strikers and one other you hasn't scored for you yet as back up to them both? with Ryan giggs as a further option altho this obviously means shifting him from his best position on the left wing and replacing him with Veron or Scholes who are both rubbish in there?

& the reason you've lost 6 games at home (scoring 1 goal in total in those games) in the league this year is purely because you defense is rubbish is it?

I see, in fairness I can't think at all why I thought you had problems up front. You've made me see the light.......</strong><hr></blockquote>

I am not denying that there is room for improvement in the striking department. Too be successfull you can't stand still but it's way OTT to start whinging because we sold AC. 87 goals scored, more than any other team then the problem has to be somewhere else. Don't you agree?
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Originally posted by AhmedDimwitson:
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I am not denying that there is room for improvement in the striking department. Too be successfull you can't stand still but it's way OTT to start whinging because we sold AC. 87 goals scored, more than any other team then the problem has to be somewhere else. Don't you agree?</strong><hr></blockquote>
There wasn't just one problem this season, there were plenty. Defensive problems were obviously more significant than the strike force, but only having two goalscoring strikers was a problem, particularly at the final hurdle when they'd been overused and were knackered.
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Originally posted by Neil Thomson:
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There wasn't just one problem this season, there were plenty. Defensive problems were obviously more significant than the strike force, but only having two goalscoring strikers was a problem, particularly at the final hurdle when they'd been overused and were knackered.</strong><hr></blockquote>

Correct, but there's not much you can do if the man doesn't want to sit on the bench because it ruins his WC chances. The best play and AC wasn't there when he left. But you're right, the cover we have hasn't been good enough. Our main competitors who we have to do the bench marking with can field 4 better reserves than us at the moment and with the amount of games played these days the size of the squad is vital. Therefore this is one part that can be improved.
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Originally posted by AhmedDimwitson:
<strong>

I am not denying that there is room for improvement in the striking department. Too be successfull you can't stand still but it's way OTT to start whinging because we sold AC. 87 goals scored, more than any other team then the problem has to be somewhere else. Don't you agree?</strong><hr></blockquote>

I agree that you have problems at the back and that when you have your two decent strikers playing well it is one of your stongest areas, what I'm highlighting is that the striking problem is a probelm and is one that is almost entirely self imposed.
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We need to increase our strike force by at least one, maybe two, as Forlan still seems to me to be midfield material.

But with the number of goals we scored this year, the problem doesn't lie there.

Disco might be OK if he gets his act together - tho it's probably too late - but I don't regret the passing of the Incredible Sulk.
 
Cole and Yorke would have made little or no difference to the end of our season, when the selection policy was poor.

Sheringham (and Paulo DC) might have made a difference.

Playing RVN and Solskjaer together might have made a difference....they've been our most succesful pairing for 7 months, but the manager didn't start them together agst Bayer or Arsenal.
 
Originally posted by christiepark_boy:
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Playing RVN and Solskjaer together might have made a difference....they've been our most succesful pairing for 7 months, but the manager didn't start them together agst Bayer or Arsenal.</strong><hr></blockquote>

Or Liverpool at OT. Right bang in the middle of a brilliant run. :confused:

Instead of going out and taking the game by the throat when confidence was high, we put out a team that implied we were nervous.
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