[Tsunami2011]

(Original post by rorydaredking)
Mate, theres a point where support becomes blind faith. And I think you're verging on that point. If there is one certain thing its that city will strengthen. And one thing that is near certain is we will not buy more big name players than them. consider both of these and then we will surely be nowhere near them next year.

Also, last year we were certainly the best of a bad bunch. To win 5(i think) away games all season indicates this. Chelsea bottled it and we scraped by on home form.

Don't want to continue to be a doom mongerer, but surely people realise that its some soft of unquantifiable force that has meant were second this year. Yes Vidic was a miss. But anyone thinking Fletcher would have made a bit difference to our success is overstating his quality. If we don't buy big, the best we can hope for is second next year. And that depends on who Arsenal, Chelsea and Spurs buy. TBH, I cant see us out of the top 3, but to be number one, we need to buy. And its not looking like we're going to if I'm honest.

On a positive note though, in Smalling, I think we have an amazing replacement for Rio, and I can see him being an England stalwart for 10 years.

Good to see I'm not the only pessimistic percy on here.

[rorydaredking]

(Original post by Kevmeister)
How is that signing veterans? 4 of those 5 have been at the club for over five years. Park is 31, hardly a veteran. We're not gonna do what Arsenal did and just get rid of anyone over 30.

And Owen will go in the summer.

Well getting a new contract rather than releasing/selling/retiring is signing.

[Kevmeister]

(Original post by rorydaredking)
Well getting a new contract rather than releasing/selling/retiring is signing.

Three of the five you mentioned have shown their worth on the pitch. One is a massive draw in Asia, and the other was a free transfer gamble.

[rorydaredking]

(Original post by Kevmeister)
Three of the five you mentioned have shown their worth on the pitch. One is a massive draw in Asia, and the other was a free transfer gamble.

Scholes: Yes
Rio: Yes but injured a lot, a bit less so this season
Giggs: No. Cost us a few games with his inability to play CM
Park: as above
Owen: as you said.

[Kevmeister]

Rumoured away kit. Its ok, looks kinda like a 'Pool jersey though.

[Mastermind`]

(Original post by rorydaredking)
How are we signing up veterans? Giggs Scholes Rio Park Owen to name but 5. And of those I would say one is good enough game in game out (scholes) and one is good enough but injury prone (Rio). I wont be panicking if we don't win the title next year. Ill be panicking at the end of the summer if we havent strengthened in CM AGAIN.

The danger would be if all these guys were all playing week in week out, but Giggs, Park and Owen are nothing more than bit part players, the latter isn't even bit-part - he's a 5th choice striker. Fans complain that Giggs is past it but he's arguably the only of our midfielders who can make a telling pass centrally. He's been wishy washy in the big games, but still useful against the other sides. It's about using him properly and SAF didn't do that against Man City. Either way, what SAF said at the start of the season was he didn't want to lose too much experience. We had lost VDS, Scholes, Brown and O'Shea, getting rid of those you mentioned could have sent us into chaos. Scholes came back into the fold, of course, but it was hardly the time to get rid of someone Park, who had a good season last season.

Guys like Park and Giggs are just squad players, even City have guys like Milner/Johnson, I highly doubt they'll be bringing in 'excellent' names to replace those who haven't performed - I wouldn't even count guys like Adebayor and Bridge as they're quite clearly surplus to requirements, they've both been sent out on loan. If they do replace their squad players with the excellent names, it'll just disrupt the squad balance.

As for the CM, we'll see what happens, as you say. This summer is the time to get one.

[Teofilo]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england...ester-18033018

Any thoughts on this? Have always thought that sight is ripe for some sort of development.

Interesting to see the club now opposing it, having previously supported Neville's venture.

[Teofilo]

(Original post by Mastermind`)
The danger would be if all these guys were all playing week in week out, but Giggs, Park and Owen are nothing more than bit part players, the latter isn't even bit-part - he's a 5th choice striker. Fans complain that Giggs is past it but he's arguably the only of our midfielders who can make a telling pass centrally. He's been wishy washy in the big games, but still useful against the other sides. It's about using him properly and SAF didn't do that against Man City. Either way, what SAF said at the start of the season was he didn't want to lose too much experience. We had lost VDS, Scholes, Brown and O'Shea, getting rid of those you mentioned could have sent us into chaos. Scholes came back into the fold, of course, but it was hardly the time to get rid of someone Park, who had a good season last season.

Well said; the idea that we are 'signing up' washed up has-been's is horse ****.

I can't believe I'm saying this, but if we had John O'Shea and Wes Brown I don't think we would be in the situation we are in this season.

[Da_hopeful_1]

Fergie confirms, Vidic will miss the pre-season tour but should be back for the start of the league season

He also stresses that 'United will not buy a holding midfielder' Goes on to say...

"I don’t think we’ve had a holding player since I’ve been here. We’ve never had a holding player.

“We tried to get Roy Keane to do that but he just couldn’t do it. He had to play a way that was his own way of playing, so I’ve not had it for 25 years. Why should I think about it now?” Also draws comparisons with Fabregas when he was in England.



Talks here about how the squad's in good shape, and that we will be doing some minor surgery this summer .. "There are definitely specific targets"

[xDave-]

(Original post by Da_hopeful_1)
...

That's a little worrying, but not unsurprising given the last few seasons. I wouldn't say our squad is bad by any means, but I would say that City have a stronger first XI than us. They'll go out and spend another 100m improving on that whilst we'll be doing some minor surgery... We've done well this year whilst plagued by injuries and we really should be winning the title, but I just worry that we'll begin to fall behind. I do have faith in our youth, but I'm not naive enough to think Welbeck will ever be on the level of Ageuro, Cleverley as good as Toure and our other youth to rival their inevitable 40m each signings. With people like Evra, Giggs & Park in serious decline, Owen & Fletcher dead, Berbatov & Fabio(temp) leaving and all of our other injury prone players (e.g. Cleverley, Anderson, Ferdinand), you'd have thought that we might've strengthened significantly this year.

I dunno. Maybe I, too, am just a Pessimistic Percy Hopefully QPR can cheer me up later.

[Akkuz]

I forget that QPR have beaten Chelsea, Arsenal, Tottenham and Liverpool this season

I'm still keeping a tiny ounce of hope.

[Kevmeister]

If we lose the title today it'll be a massive kick in the teeth.

Still a glimmer of hope, though.

[The_Jatt_Joker]

im seriously considering putting a tenner on utd to win the title. i just have a feeling qpr can get a draw.

[Akkuz]

Courtesy of Opta: "Mark Hughes has never lost as a boss away at Man City in the Premier League (W1 D4)."

[rorydaredking]

If city lose it, it will be a hollow victory. Fergie will use the near-record points total and the fact we won as proof the squad doesnt need improving.
Also, stats mean **** all. City are going to win, end of story. If we win the title, dont get me wrong, I'll go mad but I cant see it in a million years.

[Kevmeister]

(Original post by rorydaredking)
If city lose it, it will be a hollow victory. Fergie will use the near-record points total and the fact we won as proof the squad doesnt need improving.
Also, stats mean **** all. City are going to win, end of story. If we win the title, dont get me wrong, I'll go mad but I cant see it in a million years.

Jesus ****ing wept.

Seriously, just **** off and support Arsenal. A few weeks back you were saying how bad it would be to lose to City, now you're saying if we win it'll be a hollow victory. And we won't have won it, no, city will have lost it. Seriously, you'll fit in well with the Arsenal support.

Just do it.

[IanLim93]

(Original post by Akkuz)
Courtesy of Opta: "Mark Hughes has never lost as a boss away at Man City in the Premier League (W1 D4)."

That's really surprising o.O I'm just hoping Bolton gets an early goal to boost the QPR players. I'm not sure if i'll be watching the game, i'm involved in a 7 a side tournament that starts at 2. Depends how far we get into the tournament.

(Original post by rorydaredking)
If city lose it, it will be a hollow victory. Fergie will use the near-record points total and the fact we won as proof the squad doesnt need improving.
Also, stats mean **** all. City are going to win, end of story. If we win the title, dont get me wrong, I'll go mad but I cant see it in a million years.

Fergie knows we have to improve. The fact that he was at the German cup is very promising news. Kagawa coming in will help with the lack of creativity in the midfield.

Hollow victory? Yes we lost to City twice. Once we were down to 10 men and our defenders decided to go attack crazy so we lost 6-1. We lost at the Etihad from one mistake. Yes it wasn't the greatest team we could have fielded but if we had gotten the draw everything would be great. If we do win which is unlikely we deserve simply because we have the most points.

[Mastermind`]

Pretty sure a few weeks ago Jepp was saying any success Man City have would be hollow, how the times have changed! I really can't see QPR gettiing anything. Man City's home record has been near-perfect whilst QPR's away record is awful, they have the worst away record in the league. The chance of them getting anything is extremely slim. I'm not getting my hopes up.

(Original post by Teofilo)
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england...ester-18033018

Any thoughts on this? Have always thought that sight is ripe for some sort of development.

Interesting to see the club now opposing it, having previously supported Neville's venture.

Didn't he say something like "I've always had a good reception at OT so I thought I might as well build the rest of it"?

[sleep99]

(Original post by rorydaredking)
If city lose it, it will be a hollow victory. Fergie will use the near-record points total and the fact we won as proof the squad doesnt need improving.
Also, stats mean **** all. City are going to win, end of story. If we win the title, dont get me wrong, I'll go mad but I cant see it in a million years.

Considering City have beaten us twice and yet we're still level on points with them...

[IanLim93]

I just realised the Keeper Kits were out as well. They're the exact same thing but green. why does Nike have such **** designers...