What a difference a year makes!

This has been mentioned before, but I just thought I would share this with you.

As we will all remember the first game of last season we played away to Manchester United. We go there on Saturday again with higher expectations than when we went there last season. This was our team as the lads lost 3-0 at Old Trafford.

-------------------Harper-------------------

Perch-----Williamson-----Coloccini-----Enrique

Routledge----Barton------Smith------Gutierrez

--------------------Nolan--------------------

--------------------Carroll-------------------

This is the team you would expect Pardew to play on Saturday...


---------------------Krul--------------------

Simpson------Saylor-----Coloccini------Raylor

Obertan------Tiote------Cabaye------Gutierrez

--------------------HBA---------------------

---------------------Ba----------------------

As I say what a difference a year makes (or alternatively for you nitpickers, what a difference 15 months makes). And I am sure everyone will agree that we have a much better team this year!

 

miles better team as our results and league position show

 

I think Tiote alone is a fairly big difference between those two teams, add Cabaye, Saylor and HBA then you have a huge difference. Really hope you guys show the rest of the league that this Utd team is in fact pretty average and don't let them come away with anything after a poor performance.

 

I don't rate them highly at the moment. If you take out Sir Alex Ferguson as manager then they would struggle to keep up with City. They have a poor defence (except for Vidic) and have a very poor central midfield. The difference between them and City in terms of individuals is massive.

 

If City had gelled last year, United wouldn't have won the league, they got lucky unlike this year.

 

God that line up at the top looks awful.

Lump balls to Carroll and for fatty Nolan to fall on to. Routledge and Smith

Perch and Willo

If we have this line up by next season -

---------------------Ba------------------------

Jonas---------------HBA-----------------Hoilett/Drenthe

------Tiote--------------------Cabaye-------------

Santon------Colo---------Saylor---------Pieters

-----------------Krul-------------------------

Subs -

Harp/Elliot
Best
Maiga
Sammy/Marv
Ridgewell
Raylor
Gosling/Guthrie

I'll be very happy

 

psst swap the fullbacks and change pieters to someone esle and you might be close

 

Reckon I'm going to have to get myself across the Pennines this weekend and try and scrounge a ticket from somewhere.

Despite the loss, it was actually one of last season's best away trips - first day of the season, great atmosphere, both sets of fans making loads of noise. We actually matched them for about half an hour and Carroll missed a golden opportunity to score from a corner in the first ten mins. Then when they scored it descended into giving the ball to Routledge on the half way line and him running into dead ends over and over again.

Need to exorcise those demons!

 

Why change Pieters? I would prefer Cissokho personally, but I thought everyone rated Pieters highly.

I would love it if we signed Hoilett, he is a quality player and shouldn't cost too much due to his contract running out.

 

Cissokho is average IMO, and he's getting on. Pieters is young and picked to be fullback for the best team in the world, according to the stats.

edit - wtf he's 24? I thought he was like 29 at least.

 

I can see us going for Hoilett too, a good player but if we were to do so you can expect an 'over the odds bid'.

 

Aye is young, and not average! He's a beast. Very good at getting forward too, by all accounts. Can play on the wing.

And yeah, Pieters at LB and Santon at RB you numpty You put it wrong t'other day n all!

 

I was just going to say who the hell are you thinking of, but then I saw your edit .

Every time I have watched Cissokho he has impressed me and I would love it if we signed him.

 

Can't believe what I've read in some posts about Man U. They are an exceptional side and their defensive options are absolutely fantastic! Vidic, Ferdinand (still quality, people way too hasty), Smalling, Jones, Evans. That for me matches any central defensive options in the league. You have the two best young centre backs in the land backing up possibly the best and an England stalwart whose bad games you can count on your hands. Evra is one of the worlds best left backs. Rafael is an unbelieveable talent at right back. His brother Fabio ain't bad either, on both sides. Fair enough they lack the world class central midfielder most have but they still have some canny options in Anderson, Fletcher, Cleverley, Giggs, Carrick, Gibson. They're attacking midfield and striking options are unreal.

Seriously it is crazy to suggest they're not all that. They are guaranteed to finish 2nd at least, and I'd still have them for the title at this stage. We of all fans should know not to get carried away in November! Don't get me wrong City have been class and the best side so far, but the title is 38 games long, we're not even a third of the way in yet. Man U will kick start around early December and be their usual relentless selves from then on.

 

I must be thinking of someone else. Yes I remember Cissokho now. He's class, however I fear Liverpool are going in for him... not a surprise.

http://www.crunchsports.com/categor...n-Liverpool-FC-in-6million-deal-201111170005/

http://www.football.co.uk/liverpool/liverpool_hoping_to_beat_newcastle_to_lyon_star_rss1947272.shtml

 

All I am saying is that we have a chance against Man Utd. I still expect to lose, but I think that we have much more chance of scraping a point than we did against City.

I have to completely disagree with you on Ferdinand, he is past it now and every time I see him play he has average performances. Vidic isn't the player he was but is still one of the best centre backs in the league. Evra is the same as Vidic, he has gone down hill a lot this season, but is still a very good defender. There right back is a weak area. Smalling is a great centre back and a good right back, but not a title winning quality right back. Jones looks class as well, but Evans is a poor defender.

For me if you watch them at home this season and see the amount of chances they gave away at Old Trafford to Tottenham, Arsenal, City and even Norwich and FC Basle to name a few. That is why people are being slightly confident, if you take one or two chances you just never know, and believe me the way they have played at home at times this season...there will be a few chances.

 

why would liverpool be in for him, they've got Enrique. and even if they were in for him i doubt he'd go to the pool to play second fiddle.

I hear (although i've never watched him) that his stamina starts to wane towards the end of the match (due to a dodgy spine - he has to exert himself more to do the same amount of work or something). If this is true, id have my doubts about signing him since our team's all about high energy play and working hard.

 

I saw that Liverpool story, but it is surely a load of rubbish. They have just signed Enrique and he is playing very well. I doubt they will spend £6 million plus on another left back.

 

A load of the Belfast lads came over with me for the Manure game at St James' and they were toothless looking - this year they look worse.

Even so, they always seem to win regardless...I'd be more than happy with a point!

 

That Cissokho story was doing the rounds in the summer when they WERE after a left back. Note that now they have a LB, Cissokho's being touted as a winger as well? 6mil seems crazy. If the reports are true they wanted 10+ when we were sniffing around him?

Love to sign him. Class player.