Man Utd v Arsenal

[JJH]

Giroud loses balance as he goes through - should score there really.

 

[Nath]

Well it looks like we won't be taking up that agreement with Monaco.

 

[Stevencc]

Bellerin's pace. Jesus.

 

[Saddlerrad]

This has been an awful football match.

 

[Red]

Wilshere just stubbing his Silk Cut out on the wall before he comes on.

 

[JJH]

Victor Valdes finally makes his Manchester United debut.

 

[Red]

Lovely play from Young there.

 

[Mustard]

Yessssss.

 

[JJH]

Own Goal that - massive deflection.

Would be harsh to blame Valdes for that - wicked deflection.

 

[Stevencc]

Very unlucky that.

 

[Red]

Can still see another goal in this.

 

[G-Dragon]

Mad Skillz

 

[Nath]

Blackett is so fucking shit.

 

[Whitewall]

4th place for Man U then.

Absolutely shocking performances this season.

 

[Stevencc]

That's pretty disappointing after the excellent first half performance, oh well it doesn't mean much now. Good performances from Young, Herrera, Smalling and Rojo.

 

[Red]

4th place for Man U then.

Massive improvement on last season though. Van Gaal is taking them in the right direction.

 

[mistermagic]

Is it me or is Ashley Young Man Utd's player of the season?

 

[Red]

Is it me or is Ashley Young Man Utd's player of the season?

No, it's definiely Young. You don't even play for them so how could it be you?

 

[Mustard]

Terrible first half, much better in second. As soon as we got a genuine wide player on the right we scored. Hopefully that will be the end of the Ramsey experiment, it seems madness given how good he was in the middle last season. It also makes things much harder for our other players because we end up playing too narrow. Even an out of form Walcott is going to stretch play and pin back the opposition full back. I think we've missed Oz/Welbeck these past few games for the same reason. Wilshere has looked decent since he came back too. Hopefully we'll start both him and Walcott in the last two games, the FA cup final line up will be interesting.

We should be good for at least third now, only need to draw one of our last two unless United can boost their GD.

 

[Who Needs Mourinho]

That's pretty disappointing after the excellent first half performance, oh well it doesn't mean much now. Good performances from Young, Herrera, Smalling and Rojo.

Rojo was rubbish but agree with the rest.

 

[Orion]

It was always a longshot for United to get 3rd. Disappointed with the result, thought after how well we played in the first 50-60 minutes we deserved a win. A draw isn't a bad result against Arsenal, especially with 3 of our starting 11 out of the team.

Oh well, 4th place it is. It's a satisfactory season. Much to be improved on, many players in and out over the summer. Hope that we get an easy qualifier and push through quickly.

 

[Storzy]

Cazorla and Sanchez need 'resting' for the next couple of games. They've been our players of season, but the last couple of games have been awful

 

[Mustard]

Cazorla and Sanchez need 'resting' for the next couple of games. They've been our players of season, but the last couple of games have been awful

Yep. We just couldn't get going in the first half and a few players were giving it away cheaply. It's very unlike Cazorla, but for Sanchez it's a bit of a habit given that he's always playing 'on the edge'. Sometimes it can work and be great, but in a game like today we really needed to concentrate on keeping the ball first.

 

[silkyman]

Massive improvement on last season though. Van Gaal is taking them in the right direction.

Only five points more than they finished with last season. A maximum improvement of eight. Enough of an improvement for the money spent? Especially taking into account more money making a bigger impact the further down the league you go..

(Yes, I know City went backwards a bit but didn't spend as much and MP is being touted for the sack while some people were classing LVG as a potential manager of the season not too long ago!)

 

[Red]

I mean in terms of how they're playing is a massive improvement. He's spent a lot but we know it sometimes takes a few seasons to get players to gel. I reckon he's doing a good job anyway. I'd be more happy with my manager if I were a United supporter than a City supporter.

 

[Jarv]

In case you haven't realised, this week the playoffs have been and as such many football supporters up and down the country have been particularly interested in following how they have been panning out. As such I don't think it's unfair to suggest they would look to sports TV and radio programming to keep track of that.

However, completely needlessly, this wankfest has completely overshadowed everything else because there are so many tossers worldwide who "support" Liverpool, and Gerrard is apparently an "Premier League legend", despite never winning the fucking thing, and will probably be back on loan in 6 months.

Gerrard was world class at his peak, which was a fair while ago now, I've never said any different.

Only five points more than they finished with last season. A maximum improvement of eight. Enough of an improvement for the money spent? Especially taking into account more money making a bigger impact the further down the league you go..

(Yes, I know City went backwards a bit but didn't spend as much and MP is being touted for the sack while some people were classing LVG as a potential manager of the season not too long ago!)

Not a great season but there are at least positive signs this season compared to last year. Had LVG finished wwhere we are this season in the first season after Fergie he might have been gone but the reality is we were shocking a lot of last year. we've been poor at times this year too but we've had decent spells too. The big test will be where we are next season we have to be challenging next season. not saying we'll win the league but we have to at least be competitive all season rather than in fits and starts

 

[Orion]

Only five points more than they finished with last season. A maximum improvement of eight. Enough of an improvement for the money spent? Especially taking into account more money making a bigger impact the further down the league you go..

(Yes, I know City went backwards a bit but didn't spend as much and MP is being touted for the sack while some people were classing LVG as a potential manager of the season not too long ago!)

It's not about the points, it's about the bigger picture. Under Moyes we were a mid-table team. We played mid-table football. Inconsistent at best, never expecting anything out of games against the top 6 clubs, never knowing how we were going to play, whether it was going to be a 70-80 crosses game or a pass it 50 times before you can take a shot game. People say "well, Van Gaal should have done better with the money that was spent". Di Maria has barely started a game this year. Shaw has been injured half the season. Blind and Rojo have been taken out with injuries but when they have played, they played well. Compared to under Moyes where we had Vidic and Evra and Rio and Giggs and Kagawa and all this talent and still we played like a mid-table team.

Under Van Gaal, there is consistency, there is a positivity about the club, we go into games against Chelsea and City and Arsenal and Liverpool thinking "we're going to win this game". We don't always, but we always do well, we always perform, we've never been blown away by a team this season like we were so often last season. And then there is the effect he has had on some of the players. People thought he was mad giving Smalling captaincy today, but he earned it. He was the best defender on the pitch, he was a leader when United needed someone to push forward and he lead by example. Ashley Young, man of the match, he was headed for the bin last season, not a single United fan believed he deserved to stay at the club, now he's one of the first names on the teamsheet. Fellaini, still a limited player, a blunt object in a precision game, but Van Gaal has used him as a wrecking ball and he's made a difference at United this season. For all the crap he gets, Herrera's goal wouldn't have happened if it weren't for Fellaini. He's found new uses for players who last season were seen as deadwood.

Van Gaal has made a phenomenal difference to the club this season. The money spent has played little part.

 

[AdrianDurham]

I think Van Gaal will be found out next season. He has made two world class players into pub league players.

 

[liu]

Di Maria has never been world class. Falcao was not the player he used to be from the beginning. They overpaid for both of them and should have signed some other players instead.

 

[liu]

It's not about the points, it's about the bigger picture. Under Moyes we were a mid-table team. We played mid-table football. Inconsistent at best, never expecting anything out of games against the top 6 clubs, never knowing how we were going to play, whether it was going to be a 70-80 crosses game or a pass it 50 times before you can take a shot game. People say "well, Van Gaal should have done better with the money that was spent". Di Maria has barely started a game this year. Shaw has been injured half the season. Blind and Rojo have been taken out with injuries but when they have played, they played well. Compared to under Moyes where we had Vidic and Evra and Rio and Giggs and Kagawa and all this talent and still we played like a mid-table team.

Under Van Gaal, there is consistency, there is a positivity about the club, we go into games against Chelsea and City and Arsenal and Liverpool thinking "we're going to win this game". We don't always, but we always do well, we always perform, we've never been blown away by a team this season like we were so often last season. And then there is the effect he has had on some of the players. People thought he was mad giving Smalling captaincy today, but he earned it. He was the best defender on the pitch, he was a leader when United needed someone to push forward and he lead by example. Ashley Young, man of the match, he was headed for the bin last season, not a single United fan believed he deserved to stay at the club, now he's one of the first names on the teamsheet. Fellaini, still a limited player, a blunt object in a precision game, but Van Gaal has used him as a wrecking ball and he's made a difference at United this season. For all the crap he gets, Herrera's goal wouldn't have happened if it weren't for Fellaini. He's found new uses for players who last season were seen as deadwood.

Van Gaal has made a phenomenal difference to the club this season. The money spent has played little part.

I failed to see the logic between your last two sentences.
Compared to Moyes, LVG has a much better squad with the money spend. I don't think the five players you mentioned that left last summer really helped Moyes, except for Evra maybe. But LVG signed three players who can play left back.
Moyes' failure was due to an aged first team and years of poor transfers under Fergie. And he wasn't given enough time to see his only two signings settled and starting to perform.
You're right that LVG's money played little part, and that's why he or whoever was in charge of transfers should be blamed.
What actually played a part between LVG's season and Moyes' was Suarez.