I'm gonna attempt to lift my own spirits here. 1) It can't get much worse. As long as we keep Modric, the next time we play the window will have closed. No more speculation effecting the players on match day. Also, we don't travel to OT again and when we face either of these teams again, we'll most likely have a stronger squad to play with. 2) Levy WILL bring players in. The squad will be stronger by the end of the window. Yep, I'm hoping, optimistically. 3) Injured players are on their way back. Sandro, Gallas, King are all set to return and will make major differences to our spine. 4) Adebayor and Defoe will probably partner in the next game. Defoe is looking sharp and refreshingly hungry for goals. He actually created opportunities for himself today!! Can you think of any more ways to look on the bright side here??
Defoe did look sharp and if we play 4-4-2 while VdV is injured then I think it will suit him better. It can only get better from here surely? We need a big performance against Wolves after the international break thats for sure
Unfortunately, the rat-faced little twat was up to his tricks again, yesterday, according to Harry. He only played because Harry forced him to.. Roll on Sept 1st - at least this nonsense will be over, one way or another, until January, at least
Good post Lock Stock. Think this was needed to be honest. Completely agree with all points. - Also, it can't get any harder than that now. It's just a shame we took a battering! But like you say, on the bright side levy WILL bring players in. maybe more now. Just to add to the Modric scenario. After what's now come out in the media i really think we should sell now. It's all turning a little nasty and we should cut our losses IMO. If we can get £40mill + the 15mill (or so) for crouch + wils + "x"mill from the other dead wood, we can strengthen and we still have time. lass and Parker are almost sorted, lets use the rest of that money for a couple more. That's just my opinion, but as your post is very positive, that's what i think is the most positive move/s going forward.
Far too late now. As Harry has said, we'll be right up the creek if we sell him now, with 3 days left of the window.
I agree, it's late, but are we already up sh*t creek because we haven't sold him NSIS? what is he going to be like after sept 1st? I'm just worried we aren't going to have the same Modric and £40mill might have been the better option.
Modric will sulk all the way through til January if he doesn't get his move to Chelsea, all summer he has thought it was going to happen and now the end of the window is coming he is showing his true colours and trying everything to force a move.
It's another example of how non-match related elements affect teams in the modern game and its something that really annoys me. For example: (1) Speculation about transfers, particularly of vital players, that affect the team spirit in general and the player in particular (led to Modric not even playing at OT and perhaps his less than usual performance yesterday). (2) Ludicrous money available to only a few clubs that means that others can't compete (on wages more than transfer fees) unless one of these super rich teams buys one of your players in which case you get to pay inflated costs for anyone else you buy. (3) Loaning out your players to other teams in the same league meaning you effectively have more than 11 players playing for your team (since that player can't play against you). Yes I know we are doing this but I still don't agree with it. (4) Refs favouring the big clubs. I want the differences to be resolved by the performance of teams on the field... an even playing field as they say. The current situation is far from even. The trouble is that any time a 'smaller' club complains of such things it is seen as sour grapes. It isn't. City (as fielded) fully deserved to win, but compare the two teams and performance against the first game of last season and see how the playing field has now changed between us and City, a lot of which for the reasons I mention above. The degree of which they affected us is debatable, but as I said as long as any of it had an effect its just not fair play. [NB I actually think the gulf between City and us isn't a big as it appeared yesterday because with a full strength team and a settled Modric then we would have given them a much better game. The end of the transfer window can't come quickly enough.]
I agree. I'm wondering if not selling him could actually end up having a bigger impact on the team and great negativity.
I would still maintain it's too late, now. If we sell now, we'll never find a replacement, and even if we do we'll be held to ransom because we are £40mm better off and desperate. All we can hope is that the little cnut settles down a bit once he realises he's not going anywhere.
I agree NSIS, but i'm now questioning whether £40 mill in the bank is a better option than keeping Modric, taking into consideration all that's going on. (what a bad way to be thinking, i know.) Even if we had a bit of time to use SOME of the cash to strengthen. Just very concerned what kind of player he's going to be after sept 1st and the knock on affect he might cause.
I say keep him. Unless we are going to bring in a seriously big, game changing name, to do exactly what Modric does, but better, who has a strong desire to play for the club. I don't see that happening. So he stays. I'd take risk at him feeling better once the window is shut, and we get into the swing of things. It's not as if our main obstacle to bringing in the best players is the £40m Chelsea might be offering. We've had money and still not been able to bring in who we want, or get rid of who we don't. Let him stay and grow some with the team, rather than us being even shorter in the middle of the pitch for half a season.
Get rid of him. His sulking will have an effect on team spirit. And things could get much worse. We could start losing to teams that are not considered top 4 material
It's Harry's job to stop any effect on team spirit. I though Modric was pretty good yesterday but ran out of steam due to the ludicrous team selection. I don't understand why people think Defoe was sharp. He created a bit of space and wasted it completely by pointless long shots or terrible passes - he couldn't pass to VdV from 5 yards away and VdV was on a stretch and injured himself. And as for 4-4-2 being the way forward, has anyone watched the top sides.....
Sorry but have to disagree: thought Defoe was lively and made a positive impact. VdV on the other hand had pretty much run out of legs before getting 'injured' (and I question that because if you have done a hamstring you generally don't feel like taking a swipe at a ball when heading down the tunnel.) Yes, Defoe was shooting pretty much on sight, but still think we looked brighter with him on the pitch.
I work with 2 Man U supporters of long standing (ie more than 10 years). They both agree that,although they want their team to win, strong opposition creates a better quality of game. They feel that there has been a concerted campaign by the media and by the nearest challengers to undermine the strength of our club by unsettling our key players and upping the bar that no one but the mega rich can reach. An unusual expression of sympathy I have not heard from other supporters before.
Didn't Man U play 4-4-2 yesterday? I know Rooney moves around and drops off but one of the "2" tends to do that anyway. Who cares what the other teams do anyway? With the players we currently have available (while VdV is injured) 4-4-2 is probably our best formation.
Too little, too late. What was Redknapp thinking during the summer? Hitching your whole team to one player is nonsense. He should have been out preparing for the worst, getting rid of the dead wood and coaching his team. Instead it seems he did bu**er all and now is reduced to complaining and blaming the players. He is no saint having undermined players in his past but to really hope for sympathy in this case is taking the pi**. Of course players undermine the team when they want to move, we know that Captain Obvious, but you are an experienced manager do your job and get the rest of the players together. We have good players but they seem completely un-focused and that to me points to one thing the manager.
