Football 2013-2014

[adam1234]

De Gea may not ever justify his hefty price tag, but he's a perfectly good keeper for any side and not their problem position.

I think Jones is terrible at right-back myself. Rafael's having a poor season but I think that's form rather than innate quality.

Man U haven't got a hope in hell of signing Hummels and Gundogan, and probably not Ogbonna.

"They have good wingers" That's just insanely wrong. Janujai is a prospect rather than the finished article, Young is fecking terrible, Valencia's been off the boil for 18 months now, Nani only performs the odd game a season. They won't sell De Gea because they won't make their money back on him, and certainly wouldn't make a profit compared to any other

keeper of similar quality. I don't think Begovic is as good as he's been made out to be lately. Vidic and Evra will free up wages, but won't generate money. Nani will fetch a noticable sum

but not really enough to be a game-changer in terms of their spending power.

[zahidf]

I think this letter from football 365 sums up the fanbases feelings towrds Moyes

'Such is the awful, cringe-worthy stream of quotes our Davie seems to volunteer you might as well just start Moyeswatch.

I've been a 'give him time' guy, but I won't lie, it's been very difficult to justify recently and I keep thinking we've potentially 5 more years of this. The poor performances are one thing - sometimes clubs/players do genuinely go through bad periods during a changing of the guard - but what's really worrying is that his quotes often reveal a guy who sounds like he expected to just come in, take the wheel from Sir Alex, watch as United inevitably romp to the title like he's seen from afar, and finds it utterly baffling it's not happening. Like a child sitting in a parked car getting annoyed it won't go when he's pressing the pedals exactly like he saw dad did.

Take the quote from last night for example: "If there is one club in history who have been great at winning games in the second half of the season...it is Manchester United" - constantly referring to our history. He did it defending 81 crosses the other day ("it's in the DNA of this club"). It's as if he just keeps telling himself, "this is Man United, we all know they'll win in the end", casually ignoring the Scottish, red-nosed elephant in the room.

So David, please stop referring to what we have done, and talk about what you are GOING to do. The bloke responsible for all that stuff has gone and it's up to you now. To that end, comments like "I don't know what we could have done to win that match" will not help or inspire confidence in the team or the fans. Nor does responding to the question of why are we 21 points worse off than last season despite having basically the same group of players with: "Well, I was at Everton so I wasn't 21 points worse off". Are you 10? What does that even mean? Are you trying to make it even more clear that the one difference here is you? You do realise where you were is doing better without you?

This is the biggest job in football and it's time to sh** or get off the pot mate.'

[adam1234]

You really think with janusaj and de gea age and promise they would go for 20m? Behave.

[eFestivals]

You really think with janusaj and de gea age and promise they would go for 20m? Behave.

To take your Utd blinkers off about Januzai, try things a different way.

Sterling at Liverpool is a more-proven and a (so far) better player. How much do you think he's worth?

(I think Januzai will end up the better player, but we've yet to find that out for sure).

[pink_triangle]

They can forget about them fullstop. Why would they leave a team (in their own country) that got to the Champions League final last season, in order to sign for a team that has - at best - scraped into it at the last minute due to other teams in their league screwing up badly.

I think Jones has OK decision making, while Smalling is actually better at tackling. They're a horrible partnership though, each is only good alongside Vidic. They need a moderately experienced CB to partner one of them, and then if neither of them make it then sign another and ship one of them out.

[pink_triangle]

Do you think?

I can't see them getting more than about £8M for him.

[pink_triangle]

De gea wouldn't fetch 20 now, I don't understand why he is so overrated. And it would be difficult to say how much janusaj is worth but I don't think 20 is far off

[thetime]

To take your Utd blinkers off about Januzai, try things a different way.

Sterling at Liverpool is a more-proven and a (so far) better player. How much do you think he's worth?

(I think Januzai will end up the better player, but we've yet to find that out for sure).

[eFestivals]

With age and top level experience he probably would. Difficult to assess value as so many factors involved eg bidding club, amount of clubs bidding, length of contract, nationality etc.

I'd say that the price that Liverpool paid for Mignolet wouldn't be a bad guide for DDG ... (I wrote that first part before looking it up, cos I didn't know) ..... and that was just £9M, wiki tells me.

I reckon that says that Utd might get £15M for DDG at a stretch, and I reckon they'd struggle to get £20M. They'd have to get lucky with a bidding war.

[eFestivals]

Janusaj of course, while sterling is an exciting talent the big European teams in Europe are not clamouring for his signature.

No question janusaj will go for close to 40m if sold today, not so much his talent but all the big boys would be outbidding each other to get his signature.

PSG have supposed to have put in a large figure for his services, of course that's just talk.

Same with de gea, no doubt he will be at barca or Real Madrid in the next few years, again they will have to bid big to get him.

Same reason Liverpool got Suarez and Sturridge for peanuts, no other fecker wanted them. Sell them now there would be plenty clubs outbidding each other for there signature.

Sterling has a season and half's Prem footie in one of the leading teams, and is also a full international, and not looked out of place when doing that.

Januzai has 25 club appearances and zero internationals. He's not shown greater skill than Sterling (tho there's the suggestion - only the suggestion - of better to come).

Yeah, clubs will pay £40M for him.

If either player was hawked around a few clubs, they'd command around the same fee.

And I suspect for two years at least the club buying Sterling would feel they'd got the better deal (he's really coming on in leaps and bounds at the mo).

Edited February 13, 2014 by eFestivals

[eFestivals]

I tend to find that the fans who ring football phone ins on the radio or comment on pieces on the internet are always the ones who change their mind weekly on how good a manager is after a couple of good/horrendous results, whilst the majority of a club's fans don't tend to share these views.

that might well apply with the more occasional posters on internet forums, but the more regular ones tend to get to know each other a little and so hold each other to account (as happens here, and certainly happens at the guardian too).

For news stuff it tends to be the loudmouths that get regarded as 'public opinion', and I can't think of any reason why different should really apply for football - tho I certainly get what you mean.

[kaosmark2]

One of the at-least two different versions Evra told cannot be other than false.

So while Suarez is a prat for re-opening something that won't go anywhere good for him, he's factually accurate to at least some extent.

given the rarity of reliable strikers I could see either of them going for well over £20M. They could go for what you say as well tho.

If someone did pay £20M for Welbeck they'd have massive regrets.

[adam1234]

Janusaj of course, while sterling is an exciting talent the big European teams in Europe are not clamouring for his signature.

No question janusaj will go for close to 40m if sold today, not so much his talent but all the big boys would be outbidding each other to get his signature.

PSG have supposed to have put in a large figure for his services, of course that's just talk.

Same with de gea, no doubt he will be at barca or Real Madrid in the next few years, again they will have to bid big to get him.

Same reason Liverpool got Suarez and Sturridge for peanuts, no other fecker wanted them. Sell them now there would be plenty clubs outbidding each other for there signature.

[pink_triangle]

I think Begovic is a class keeper, but then I watch Krul every week and think he's possibly the best in the league. There's a lot of top keepers in the league, and while I don't think De Gea is, I still think he's better than Mignolet or Szczezny. If going on form of last 18 months, I'd say he's better than Hart as well. I'd say the top ones around are Begovic, Krul, Lloris and Cech (now he's found top form again). However, I don't think a keeper is Man U's priority by any means, De Gea is more than good enough for a team challenging for top 4, which you can't say about their CB options, CM options or wingers.

I think Jones does have potential, but they don't need potential right now, they need quality and experience. It's not that their young players are terrible, it's that they're not good enough to compensate for how terrible their old players are becoming.

[pink_triangle]

I'd say that the price that Liverpool paid for Mignolet wouldn't be a bad guide for DDG ... (I wrote that first part before looking it up, cos I didn't know) ..... and that was just £9M, wiki tells me.

I reckon that says that Utd might get £15M for DDG at a stretch, and I reckon they'd struggle to get £20M. They'd have to get lucky with a bidding war.

[kaosmark2]

To me lloris is the best in the league, for spurs to be in contention for top 4 with that defence and scoring 1 goal a game against anyone but you lot shows he is doing something right. Agree keeper.is not a priority for man utd, it would be change for changes sake.

As for Jones potential may be the wrong word he has played significant seniors games at domestic, champions league and international level. His path to centre back has been blocked but now that's freeing up. I think Jones and an experienced centre back would be the way forward. Jones may be good enough, may not, but I feel he needs the chance. Sticking him in midfield is a waste in my opinion.

[pink_triangle]

With Jones he will never be a top midfielder, he may have the odd good game against real Madrid where he will be called the next makalele but he doesn't have the skillset to excel. Centre back is the only position he could excel, doesn't mean he will but I think he needs the chance to show one way or another.

[eFestivals]

Nah, with Rooney's new contract and being 28 he's probably worth £35/40m.

except he hasn't signed a new contract yet.

Do you think he's daft enough to do so before the end of the season? I don't.

Edited February 14, 2014 by eFestivals

[hot_ice]

Do you think he's daft enough to do so before the end of the season? I don't.

Edited February 14, 2014 by hot_ice

[eFestivals]

i think you mean his "advisers" wont be daft enough,

Rooney is not the smartest smartie in the tube, but I doubt even he's so thick as to think it's a good idea to re-sign without some idea of what the future might hold.

Edited February 14, 2014 by eFestivals

[eFestivals]

his age means 20m wouldnt be unrealistic.

his on-field performances say it would.

[kaosmark2]

except he hasn't signed a new contract yet.

Do you think he's daft enough to do so before the end of the season? I don't.

[eFestivals]

Oh. I'd got the impression it had been signed. 20m then

i have a feeling that it might have been something the club put out when they we4re trying to get the Mata deal done - which would be about conning Mata, of course.

[kaosmark2]

i have a feeling that it might have been something the club put out when they we4re trying to get the Mata deal done - which would be about conning Mata, of course.

[The Nal]

Mourinho deflecting attention from his team to him. As they just get on with it and go top. vintage stuff.