Which is why you go to the market and buy what you need. There is no point in baking an apple cake if you want to eat a chocolate cake.
As to which tastes better - depends on who is doing the baking.
James Rodriguez | joins Bayern Munich | 2 year loan
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In the latest episode of the United Hour Podcast, Nik (@Rood) and Imran (@Annihilate Now!) are here to discuss Amad saving our blushes in a win against Southampton as well as our now annual loss at home to Brighton. They discuss Amorim's post-match comments, revisit how mid-table we may or may not be, and discuss some transfer news.
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As to which tastes better - depends on who is doing the baking.
Sure but ultimately you have to cope with what you get or have, which can be different from what you'd need or want.
This is what I meant.
It doesn't make sense to stick to a predefined idea of football, especially if you have to make your players underperform because you put them in the wrong position
When you coach a big club like United, Chelsea etc, you dont have to adjust to the players you have cos you can usually afford to buy the players you want. At a smaller club with more limited finances, you do have to make the best of what is available.
Each manager has their own ideas about how the game should be played and its not a case of simply being stubborn. The big clubs will not accept the excuse of I did what was best given the players available, when there was nothing stopping the manager from getting the players he needed or wanted. Clubs dont hire coaches like Pep and Mourinho to get the best out of the existing players, they hire them to deliver results. If that requires an overhaul of the squad, then so be it. It would also be stupid of said managers to risk their jobs just to accommodate the qualities of some or all the players at the expense of the result.
Everyone does that, not just your team; We have played 4-2-3-1, 4-3-3, 3-5-2 and even 6-3-1 in the past three years. It comes down to who's more successful at it and Juve has had a consistent group over the last years. Under Conte, Juve primarily played variations of 3-4-3 and he does the same at Chelsea - stubborn manager indeed. It's the case of manager coming in and getting players to play his brand of football.
No, you go to the market and buy cocoa powder.
It's Sunday.
The wait is over.
The wait is over.
If you watched Chelsea during their last title winning season you would remember that Oscar was doing a lot of the donkey work for Fabregas. He was not just contributing offensively. Will James do the work when Pogba is out of position? I highly doubt it
Defensive effort of attacking players depend more on the coach than the player. Majority of 'flair' players would rather not do the dirty work, and it is up to the manager to get them to put in the effort.
Mourinho knows how to get his attacking players contributing defensively. Ozil, that seems to laze about for Arsenal, worked very hard defensively when he was under Mourinho at Madrid. Similarly, Hazard's defensive game improved a lot under Mourinho. One can also see the effect at United with a player like Martial. I doubt James will be an exception. Any player that joins a Mourinho team should be clear on what he expects from his players and any player not so inclined would be better off joining a different team.
Also the amount of covering required for Pogba by James, also depends on the DM. The better the DM is, the more liberty Pogba, James and other players would have offensively.
2 of the 3 players did not respond well to it. Hazard had a great season after having his defensive duties reduced and Martial is not having a great season, having more defensive duties has added to all his other problems
Hazard had a great enough season under Mourinho to win PL+PFA player of the year while Martial's problems are not cos of his defensive work, in fact that seems to be the only positive thing in his game this season.
Assuming he'll join us, James will have to improve his work rate ~ doing the defensive work, which under Mourinho I'm quite confident he will. Going here, he would want to do well, to prove to his doubters wrong of his time in Real, and to also work well under Jose, I'm sure he'll listen and do the defensive duties well... or faced being dropped mercilessly and risk getting the label 'flop'.
As we can see from Pogba and Martial, two best recent examples, Jose instill the need to put more effort into the players, and they respond well, despite perhaps the early 'reluctances'. Having an already good attacking weapons in his arsenal but without the intent to mark and tackles, Pogba changed his playstyle to add the defensive duties so much that he's becoming a complete b2b midfielder. Martial at least mitigate for losing the ball too much with more defensive work to get it back.
Once James adapted to the system by improving his workrate, I think it could work in Jose's favored formation 4-2-3-1, and 4-3-3, the formation which Pogba seems to be at his best. Against lower teams, he and Pogba in a midfield of three would focus more on attacking yet supporting defensively the CDM, while against top teams, Jose could play him on the right wing with constant movement towards his more preferred center (like what Lingard, Mkhi and Mata often do this season) and letting the right back (Valencia) to overlap.
If James is joining us. I rather if Andreas Pereira to be given chances. Well, personally I want both, to add to the quality and competition of our attackers unit (Martial, Mata, Lingard, Mkhitaryan). At the moment, they're too inconsistent (all except Mata) and not providing enough the necessary goals (Mkhitaryan and Lingard).
As we can see from Pogba and Martial, two best recent examples, Jose instill the need to put more effort into the players, and they respond well, despite perhaps the early 'reluctances'. Having an already good attacking weapons in his arsenal but without the intent to mark and tackles, Pogba changed his playstyle to add the defensive duties so much that he's becoming a complete b2b midfielder. Martial at least mitigate for losing the ball too much with more defensive work to get it back.
Once James adapted to the system by improving his workrate, I think it could work in Jose's favored formation 4-2-3-1, and 4-3-3, the formation which Pogba seems to be at his best. Against lower teams, he and Pogba in a midfield of three would focus more on attacking yet supporting defensively the CDM, while against top teams, Jose could play him on the right wing with constant movement towards his more preferred center (like what Lingard, Mkhi and Mata often do this season) and letting the right back (Valencia) to overlap.
If James is joining us. I rather if Andreas Pereira to be given chances. Well, personally I want both, to add to the quality and competition of our attackers unit (Martial, Mata, Lingard, Mkhitaryan). At the moment, they're too inconsistent (all except Mata) and not providing enough the necessary goals (Mkhitaryan and Lingard).
We changed 5-6 key players per year in the last 3 seasons to be honest, that's the point.
2015 Juve is extremely different from 2016 Juve and then to 2017 Juve. But that's primarily because in our case it's the board that makes the market, the manager has no saying
Though if you go to the market and buy players that don't fit in your system, well...
You all have clearly seen what has happened with Pogba
And to deliver results actually mean to get the best out of your players.
When those coaches get outsmarted and outplayed by the likes of Ranieri and an average Leicester, or by basically the same Mourinho's Chlesea in terms of players you can easily jump to conclusions
Buying the best players in a league (Higuain, Pjanic) you've dominated in the past few years is not quite as much of a risk. It's not like every player goes to Juve and does well, it's more about being shrewd which a few of our managers (Moyes, LVG) were not. Once Mou brings in his players, I doubt there'll be much problem. Pogba has been good, not quite the finished product but it takes time in a new team (in a competitive league).
I think Rodriguez can also be used on the right which will leave Valencia to bomb ahead but in the hole is where he will flourish. If he is provided the right players around him one of which should be the engine (Herrera) he will take over the play-making role we have lacked. I think Mourinho likes his 4-2-3-1 too much and with James in the hole, he sees one defensive mid (Herrera) and one who can do both (Pogba) and will probably buy a CDM to rotate with them. I would also like to see proper wingers who can use James's abilities.
Mou is asking his wingers to work hard. I wonder if hes planning a 4-4-1-1/4-4-2 with rodriguez upfront
People forget that to do that we had to let go Vidal, Tevez, Pirlo, Morata, Pogba, etc.
Besides, who's talking about risks?
Do you think it's reasonable not to put a player in his ideal position for the sake of formation? This is what I'm arguing
Then of course in the market you buy what you want, but this is not the point
It's like when we bought Di Maria and we played him in cm , the wings and as striker it showed that there was clearly no plan in place when his purchase was made
United shouldn't be held to ransom for this guy, and he shouldn't be making ridiculous wage demands either.
If United are sensible they can make this deal happen without a circus.
Real don't want him!
If United are sensible they can make this deal happen without a circus.
Real don't want him!
Tonight's the night. 
No it does not. Juve are in the CL final with Mandzukic playing as a left midfielder. That is not getting the best out of Mandzukic but rather what Allegri deems is best for the team. Similarly, Mourinho used eto'o as a right midfielder at Inter and went on to win the treble and he used Azpilicueta as LB in his title winning season when his best position is on the right. One can find many more examples but essentially what is best for the players is not always what is best for the team.
To deliver results is to win as many games as possible and winning as many of the competitions that the club is involved in, while playing a style of football that meets the expectations of the club management and fans.
Agree with this.
Managers are judged on winning and sometimes style. Even if this happens some individual players are asked to make sacrifices.
For me when it comes to individual players what I look for is attitude and effort. Yes if their talent doesnt quite meet the expectations of the club then their future is considered, however nothing pisses me off more than a supposedly talented player not putting a shift in and playing the game properly.
Hope that Colombian radio station is right and we get some sort of announcement today.
Have we signed him yet then?
Hopefully this does not happen, if it does I don't see us getting Griezmann.
Now that Simeone has confirmed he'll stay at Atletico, I think Griezmann will stay as well.
Astonishingly, we didn't hear anything today as they predicted. They'll probably release an update overnight to say that the next update will be after the Europa League final cos he's waiting to find out whether we have CL football or not. Then when nothing gets announced then either, we'll hear that the next update won't be til just after the CL final because how can Madrid possibly decide anything til that's out of the way. Then after that James will be on holiday and we'll have our next update after his holiday finishes, which'll probably be another 2-3 weeks. And it'll drag on til it doesn't.
I don't see the two as remotely linked to one another. Griezmann will do what is best for him and his career goals.
Devastated if we sign him. Silva is the one we want.
That's true, but the two of them obviously have a great relationship and Griezmann has already implied many times that he'd find it very difficult to leave while Simeone is still at the club.
He'll stay at Atletico, I'm starting to become sure of it as well.
I won't like wasting much time on a deal that may not come. We better go for another choices if he's hesitated and unwilling to come. Griezmann is great but we can do without him if we chose the proper replacements.
I am starting to like this one. If he has a passion to play at United then there is no doubt we could do with his quality.
So much for that Sunday announcement...
Where does he fit if we are after Griezmann?
Silva----------James-----------Miki
-------------Griezmann-----------
The Land of the Giants!! :O
It is bullshit. Real using us to drum up interest. They offered him to us, but he is not a priority. Probably second or third option. Think the Silva and Griezmann talk are more reliable and seem to conclude that James will probably not happeb if the other two do.
Seems like our briefing was probably right then. Madrid can feck themselves. I'd laugh if no one signed him this summer.
PSG will, especially if Di Maria fecks off somewhere
Oh yeah, I forgot about the snake leaving. He can happily move to PSG in that case.
Dont start laughing before we sign someone better
Even James is using us because he wants to play for a top team. He is desperate for a move away from Real and wants to create competition for himself. People here are believing that he genuinely wants to play for us, don't you people get it? We might be the only team willing to sign him and he doesn't have any other options, he will gladly leave us if he joins us when PSG or some other team come knocking.
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