Something different needed

[golden_blunder]

Well, tonight confirmed it again. We struggle to break teams down when they get men behind the ball. Also apparent against teams like Liverpool and Leverkusen.
We dont have that one 'spark' that Cantona used to give us and Bergkamp gives to Arsenal. The one who can pick the pass through the eye of a needle. Pardon the pun.
Maybe Fergie thought Veron would have been the one to provide it, and perhaps thats the reason he hasnt really replaced Sheringham. But it hasnt worked.
Its something we desperately need, especially on nights like tonight when Arsenal shut the width down and packed the middle.
Is DiCanio the man? Who knows, but we certainly need to start looking at options.
Dont get me wrong, im not knocking the team as a unit, because thats usually our best strength, i just think we're missing a bit of spark.

 

[Livvie]

Originally posted by golden_blunder:
<strong>Well, tonight confirmed it again. We struggle to break teams down when they get men behind the ball. Also apparent against teams like Liverpool and Leverkusen.
We dont have that one 'spark' that Cantona used to give us and Bergkamp gives to Arsenal. The one who can pick the pass through the eye of a needle. Pardon the pun.
Maybe Fergie thought Veron would have been the one to provide it, and perhaps he thats the reason he hasnt really replaced Sheringham. But it hasnt worked.
Its something we desperately need, especially on nights like tonight when Arsenal shut the width down and packed the middle.
Is DiCanio the man? Who knows, but we certainly need to start looking at options.
Dont get me wrong, im not knocking the team as a unit, because thats usually our best strength, i just think we're missing a bit of spark.</strong><hr></blockquote>

I still don't like the way Fergie suddenly decides to mess around with the team and change what was doing the job.

 

[Red down under]

I'm right with you here GB. We haven't been able to beat Arsenal, Liverpool or Bayer home or away. To be honest I couldn't see where we were going to get a goal tonight. They just shut us out and we had no imagination. Cantona was the sort of player who could do something from just behind the strikers that would have opened them up. Bergkamp is another and Teddy used to do it too.

I think all our boys looked knackered too, maybe coming back from such a bad start to the season was just too big a job. Giggs had no fire, Scholes looked slow and we gave too many easy balls away. Silvestre's had a great season but he did lose the ball for nothing which led to the goal. Mind you, at the half-way line we had plenty of defenders back and should have dealt with it but another bit of poor luck and poor positional play let us down.

I hope Fergie can work some magic in the summer cos we've got to do better than this next season. Veron is going to be the answer I'm sure, if he can get over the injury.

Well, it's all over and I've got an empty feeling now but roll on next season. THERE'S ONLY ONE UNITED!! <img src="graemlins/devil.gif" border="0" alt="[Devil]" /> <img src="graemlins/devil.gif" border="0" alt="[Devil]" /> <img src="graemlins/devil.gif" border="0" alt="[Devil]" />

 

[Amir]

Originally posted by Livvie20:
<strong>

I still don't like the way Fergie suddenly decides to mess around with the team and change what was doing the job.</strong><hr></blockquote>

Wenger has been 'messing' with his team for months, mostly because he had to actually, and it hasn't worked badly for him.

Thats just life, accept it. Fergie's formation brought us victories against La Coruna (2), Leeds and Chelsea, than suddenly it was no longer good enough... Something else could have worked - and could have not.

 

[Livvie]

Originally posted by Amir:
<strong>

Wenger has been 'messing' with his team for months, mostly because he had to actually, and it hasn't worked badly for him.

</strong><hr></blockquote>

Doing it when you have to is different to doing it when you don't.

A lot of the time this season, players have been used out of position.

And Gary Neville was doing fine in the centre of defence, but Ronny was put in there - in a way that's understandable, but Ronny has played as a right back before, so could have been used there. Why break up Neville and Blanc who had formed a good pairing??

Some things I just don't understand.

 

[Amir]

Originally posted by Livvie20:
<strong>
And Gary Neville was doing fine in the centre of defence, but Ronny was put in there - in a way that's understandable, but Ronny has played as a right back before, so could have been used there. Why break up Neville and Blanc who had formed a good pairing??

Some things I just don't understand.</strong><hr></blockquote>

While unlike other people I don't think we need a new Right back - Gary's good enough - I don't consider him a top class centerhalf. Good yes, the sort you win the Champions League with - Definately no. A fit Johnsen and Blanc, were however.

Yeah Ronny's played right back, but those days and his midfield days are over. He's just too fragile for those roles.

Johnsen's a fantastic players, but he managed to start one of the our 4 last matches in Europe and we had to substitute him in two others. Fergie cannot afford to count on Ronny as a regular for next season. A squad member, hopefully, yes. But anything more would be disruptive to the team.

Having said that, with a bit more luck, a Johnsen cruising through the last month without injuries, might have made the difference this season. I don't think Gary could have.

 

[Livvie]

Well I'm looking forward to seeing all the stats. and which formations/pairings etc. were most successful.

 

[uranushk1]

Originally posted by golden_blunder:
<strong>Well, tonight confirmed it again. We struggle to break teams down when they get men behind the ball. Also apparent against teams like Liverpool and Leverkusen.
We dont have that one 'spark' that Cantona used to give us and Bergkamp gives to Arsenal. The one who can pick the pass through the eye of a needle. Pardon the pun.
Maybe Fergie thought Veron would have been the one to provide it, and perhaps thats the reason he hasnt really replaced Sheringham. But it hasnt worked.
Its something we desperately need, especially on nights like tonight when Arsenal shut the width down and packed the middle.
Is DiCanio the man? Who knows, but we certainly need to start looking at options.
Dont get me wrong, im not knocking the team as a unit, because thats usually our best strength, i just think we're missing a bit of spark.</strong><hr></blockquote>

Surely what you said is right. But I believe that we have already missed out the best time we get DiCanio. Now Fergie will stay for three more years, it is unlikely for him to buy a new player who may not last three seasons for us. (He certainly don't want to buy DiCanio now, risk he will leave or retire two years later, and then he need to buy another new forward in his last year as manager). I guess we may get a suprise name as our new signing, not the names such as Di Canio, Duff or Crespo that are being mentioned at this time.