I don't think there was any intent there. The idea that he'd get the same ban that Ivanovic got for turning and punching a player in the chest seems ridiculous to me. Don't know how Williams got MOTM ahead of Sigurdsson. Great result for Swansea and a sobering one for United fans, Van Gaal got it all wrong.
Is this the first time Spurs have been higher in the Premier League table than Man Utd...without even playing a game?
Maybe Moyes wasn't that bad as manager after all any manager that believes Ashley Young and Lingard can play wing back needs to re-think. Van Gaal said in the past he adopts the system to suit the squad but clearly hes gone back on his words as hes taken his system from his time managing the Netherlands and attempted to fit the players into a system which won't work. 3-5-2 is a flawed system for premier league football, it will work occasionally in one off games but overall its a system best used at international level or against another team using 3-5-2 which is why its popular in italy. Over here it won't last.
I think there was intent alright. I agree about the ban comparison. But Fellaini's got previous in this... Are the wheels coming loose on the "Van"?
Why did he use it in the first place? Doesn't seem like the natural choice to me, looking at the players available. Their squad does look pretty unbalanced though, so perhaps he felt that he had little choice? Expect the Sunday papers to be full of transfer speculation and some of it might even be true.
I think the theory is that because football is dominated by 4-3-3 or 4-5-1 or variants thereof, the 3-5-2 allows you to match the numbers in midfield while playing 2 up top, and to be fair he has in Rooney and RVP 2 of the league's best strikers so that makes sense. It also allows him to fit in Rooney and RVP while keeping Mata central. On paper it should work perfectly but football isn't played on paper....it could work well in time but he needs to make additions at centre back, wing back and central midfield and it will take time to bed in the new system, just as Pochettino's philosophy and system will take time to bed in at Spurs. Even if he sticks with 4-2-3-1 or 4-4-1-1 he still needs additions to the squad though. On a Swansea note, I think Sig is going to be huge for them this year. He'll have his tail up now and with a run of games at no. 10 with a good striker ahead of him and 2 pacey wingers to give him options, I think he could really have a good season. Similar to Huddlestone though, I don't think he was ever going to get a proper chance at Spurs sadly so it was a good move all round.
I note that the "Laugh At Spurs" thread over on the Gooners' board ran out of steam shortly before we began trouncing the Spanners. PESKIE did his best to raise the chuckles, but it was all in vain. He'll be hoping that the last laugh isn't on him!
Did I predict Gylfi would get 25 combined goals + assists? I meant 70. He assisted for the first goal and scored the second. It was a great example of having a match winner versus not. Early on, Man U goofed up and left a Swansea player clear in on goal from twenty yards or so. Or maybe they knew he was no threat. Sure enough, rather than taking a pop at goal, he tried a short cross into three Man U shirts. A few minutes later, the ball came to Gylfi 25 yards away. He dribbed forward and took a good, hard, dipping shot. So the next time he got the ball there two Man U players came over to him and another two or three leaned his way. He sent his teammate a square ball, who buried the open shot. Swansea will win some games with Gylfi and Bony. I've got give Van Gaal credit for adding drama. When you watch him in the wind you keep wondering when that dead rodent is going to come flying off his head.
It all goons so far...no way are palace gonna hold on...they is aready resorting to time wasting Goons final ball not good in first 30 but other than that its all gooner
I thought Williams was deserving as MOTM and had a quick look on the swansea board, their fans agree, so YV you must have been watching a different game Nice little team Swansea and Siggy is at home there, no real pressure and will play with freedom at a club where fans are realistic. With Shelvey & SIggy in midfield then Bony will have plenty of chances to repeat his form of last year as out of the teams outside the big 7, swansea with that trio should be winning games against teams in and around them (including Utd).
Pulis is like a managerial Jedi. Though killed by the Palace director, his "force" will be with those players, always.
So, lucky Arsenal get a late winner. That should have been a draw. You've got to feel for Palace. Still, Arsenal are looking pretty toothless, what with all the money they've spent; and Sanchez looks pretty ordinary to me.
