Wasnt even that great a save tbh. And Ospina is weak with long shots even if he's good at point blank reactions.
The difference between top GKs and good ones is in everything else but shot stopping anyway. Presence, decision making, calmness, cross handling etc. Pretty much every GK is capable of a wonder-save in contrast. Jens Lehmann rarely made these saves but everything else was spot on generally and I know which of the two is more important. Of course the absolutely top top keepers have the lot, like Neuer, Courtois etc. Cech is more about the presence, focus and reliability than the shot stopping, although he's hardly weak at that either.
Ospina for £4m is a reasonable fee if we get it. Would mean we've hugely upgraded our team for net £6.9m which must be good business.
Cech is quite great at shot stopping, he has a presence but it's not like Neuer/Courtois where you have a day where they can do nothing out of the ordinary and you're not confident of beating them as they're so OP. Cech's focused and reliable though and he's probably the 2nd best keeper in the league. Keepers who are regularly shot stoppers always look better than presence keepers(unless they have more to their game) which is why De Gea was seen to be so good last year and why David Marshall got into the team of the season in 2014 lol. It will never favour the GK of a good team defensively, unless the defensive stats are something ridiculous like Capello's Milan/Bayern/Chelsea 05.
Will be interesting to see if Herrera keeps starting though, I reckon him and Mata will rotate. LVG likes playing a 6,8 and 10 in the 3 and Depay and Di Maria will cover the wings anyway. Personally I see Herrera being benched. Herrera and Fellaini played as interchangeable no.8 and no.10's last year because of defensive deficiencies, and now we've got that security and combativeness in midfield we need the better playmaker and creator in there which is Mata. Can see the guy having a beast season, 20 assists possibly.
My problem with Mata(had it at Chelsea) is that he's a player who thrives on control, if the team are struggling to get a hold on the game he usually is having a terrible game as his physicality/defensive awareness is lacking, I'm sure you've noticed this too at United and I noticed it a lot at Chelsea, even when he was having his great seasons with us. Then obviously he's great from set pieces which also mask up some of his poor games.
I guess this reason(control, LVG seems to have a system that requires that) could be why LVG uses Mata, but if he plays at 10(as you've been playing a 4-3-3 rather than a 4-2-3-1) he's going to have to work harder defensively, look to burst forward with the ball at his feet and attack players with dribbling and try to connect the midfield to the strike force with quick interplay rather than long balls to Fellaini. Herrera has more combativeness to his game and more speed, Problem with Chelsea in a few games this season(when Mikel/Fab/Matic played) was that our midfield was a snail midfield, Schneiderlin has physicality but he's not who you'd want to rely on for pace in midfield, it's probably why LVG played Rooney in midfield instead of Mata when Carrick and Fellaini was there and Di Maria was out.
I'd play a 4-2-3-1 if I want to use Mata, or on the right in a 4-3-3. Never will use Mata in a 4-4-2.
Arsenal and Madrid linked with Ghoulam.3x better than Gibbs.One of the best LB's in the world. You guys should pray.
Talk to me a little about Ghoulam? What are his strengths and weaknesses and how much would you evaluate him?Also do you see Napoli cashing in on Hamsik?
Monreal is our LB and he's more than decent, Gibbs is back up.
Gibbs is poverty though tbf
Did Gibbo steal a bird you had your eyes on while on a drug fuelled endeavor at fabric or been ousted as conducting some sort of Dutch genocide or something? Never seen someone rate a player so much then switch on him hard within the space of a year
I stopped taking him even remotely seriously on this kind of thing when he said Jeremie Alliadiere and Pascal Cygan had contdibuted more to Arsenal as a club than Fabregas. Their memories are so short, reckon most forget that he took a penalty for them with a broken leg agains his boyhood club.
I stopped taking him even remotely seriously on this kind of thing when he said Jeremie Alliadiere and Pascal Cygan had contdibuted more to Arsenal as a club than Fabregas. Their memories are so short, reckon most forget that he took a penalty for them with a broken leg agains his boyhood club.
Loooool Cygan completely stole a living at Arsenal
''He's bald, he's ****, he plays when no-ones fit''
Would have Cazorla over Fellaini, but then if we sign Schneiderlin i'd rather have him... Arsenal's players work much better as a team but individually there aren't many who i'd want Van Gaal to sign.
Would have Cazorla over Fellaini, but then if we sign Schneiderlin i'd rather have him... Arsenal's players work much better as a team but individually there aren't many who i'd want Van Gaal to sign.
If you were to create a hybrid XI it'd probably be:
De Gea Bellerin Mert Kos Monreal Carrick Ramsey Sanchez Mata Di Maria Rooney
Would strongly argue Monreal> Shaw at this stage, he had a great second half of the season and the same goes for their CB's once fit and on form. Bellerin is only in as the other options of the clubs are poverty.
If you were to create a hybrid XI it'd probably be:
De Gea Bellerin Mert Kos Monreal Carrick Ramsey Sanchez Mata Di Maria Rooney
Would strongly argue Monreal> Shaw at this stage, he had a great second half of the season and the same goes for their CB's once fit and on form. Bellerin is only in as the other options of the clubs are poverty.
I reckon if you had ADM you should have Ozil next to him over Mata, they had quality link up play at RM. Carrick is an interesting one, he's a better footballer than Coquelin but he's 34 and on his way out, whereas Coquelin has had a breakout season. Schneiderlin would obviously be a safer choice than both of them.
I reckon if you had ADM you should have Ozil next to him over Mata, they had quality link up play at RM. Carrick is an interesting one, he's a better footballer than Coquelin but he's 34 and on his way out, whereas Coquelin has had a breakout season. Schneiderlin would obviously be a safer choice than both of them.
Yeah Mata and Özil both make a case over the other and it's just preference/bias that gets one in the team. Would say if we're judging on ability then it has to be Carrick but if for longevity then Coq yes. Also could have put Cazorla over Ramsey, would say he had a better season than him and Herrera (although he had a great season considering he'd just joined and was in and out of the team).
I reckon if you had ADM you should have Ozil next to him over Mata, they had quality link up play at RM. Carrick is an interesting one, he's a better footballer than Coquelin but he's 34 and on his way out, whereas Coquelin has had a breakout season. Schneiderlin would obviously be a safer choice than both of them.
Yeah, I think Ozil is a better player on the counter attack/fast attacking football as he'll look for through balls after making long runs(why he was great for Real and Germany, best game in the world cup was vs Brazil), but Mata is great when the team are generally in control of a game and have possession of the ball (Chelsea 12/13 e.g.). I liked Hazard's and Mata's link up. was majestic.
Also wouldn't trust a Schneiderlin Ramsey and Ozil/Mata midfield. Schneiderlin played next to Wanyama, so unsure how he'd do to a much more offensive/creative central midfield player.
No Schneiderlin will play in Fellaini's position. United have been playing 4-3-3 recently and Fellaini will get replaced in the starting 11 by Schneiderlin, the only way I don't see him doing that is if Carrick were to get injured and Van Gaal probably will just use Blind there.
Decent idea, so how would Herrera, Mata, Blind, Young and Carrick fit in? I assume the front three will be Depay/Rooney/Di Maria?
I'm infinitely happier to discuss other teams on this thread than the absolute bitchfest of late between certain members. Any football talk is better than none at all.
Also wouldn't trust a Schneiderlin Ramsey and Ozil/Mata midfield. Schneiderlin played next to Wanyama, so unsure how he'd do to a much more offensive/creative central midfield player.
This may be completely insignificant, but he has played a few friendly games at international level alongside Matuidi who is far more attacking minded than Wanyama, and that didn't go well (I think France lost every game).
Decent idea, so how would Herrera, Mata, Blind, Young and Carrick fit in? I assume the front three will be Depay/Rooney/Di Maria?
I'm infinitely happier to discuss other teams on this thread than the absolute bitchfest of late between certain members. Any football talk is better than none at all.
Blind is a cover player for LB and DM. He may possibly be the future DM, or Schneiderlin may be trained to play deeper in Carricks role. But I assume Blind and Carrick will be the main options for DM next season. Blind will get a good amount of games due to his versatility.
Herrera will be an automatic starter in the 4-3-3. Mata I think will rotate across the front 3. I'm not sure if Depay and Di Maria are automatic starters. Plus with CL games and United's relative lack of depth there will be rotation. Mata will get games. Van Gaal may change the formation to a 4-2-3-1 with Schneiderlin and Carrick as well.
Young I think was an option for pace and he had a good chemistry with Fellaini, those two were very important in helping Manchester United move the ball quicker, Fellaini overloads left side of midfield with Young as a second striker, then Fellaini moves far post to the right side. It's very hard to mark unless you have a Zouma type player.
This is all assuming Schneiderlin will join United(sorry for any disrespect to the player Fizzel)
Blind is a cover player for LB and DM. He may possibly be the future DM, or Schneiderlin may be trained to play deeper in Carricks role. But I assume Blind and Carrick will be the main options for DM next season. Blind will get a good amount of games due to his versatility.
Herrera will be an automatic starter in the 4-3-3. Mata I think will rotate across the front 3. I'm not sure if Depay and Di Maria are automatic starters. Plus with CL games and United's relative lack of depth there will be rotation. Mata will get games. Van Gaal may change the formation to a 4-2-3-1 with Schneiderlin and Carrick as well.
Young I think was an option for pace and he had a good chemistry with Fellaini, those two were very important in helping Manchester United move the ball quicker, Fellaini overloads left side of midfield with Young as a second striker, then Fellaini moves far post to the right side. It's very hard to mark unless you have a Zouma type player.
This is all assuming Schneiderlin will join United(sorry for any disrespect to the player Fizzel)
Now that Falcao is off to Monaco or Chelsea, and Van Persie is a massive load of cack, who is Rooney's backup for Striker? Will Van Gaal risk trying to play Depay there, or will he rotate James Wilson in there.