: Thu Aug 20, 2009 9:55 am  

Cubby wrote:

It was the same for Ronaldo.

Took him 2 years to settle in properly.

: Thu Aug 20, 2009 9:55 am  

WireFanatic II wrote:

I wouldn't worry, you'll still walk it this season.

No chance. Liverpool, Chelsea and then Utd.

: Thu Aug 20, 2009 10:00 am  

PAUL M wrote:

No chance. Liverpool, Chelsea and then Utd.

Big threat is chelsea, Man u always start slow we had a 10 point led on you at one stage last season, Spurs will be the villa of last season

: Thu Aug 20, 2009 10:05 am  

McClennan wrote: There was a rumour going around work today that Benitez stormed out of a club meeting earlier today and that he might walk after tonight's game. Anyway, don't know if this has been posted but Sports Direct apologise for selling Manchester United shirt with a Hillsborough slur. Talksport bolllocks rumour, should give that lad a ticket for the Man u game at ours let him wear his new shirt.

McClennan wrote: There was a rumour going around work today that Benitez stormed out of a club meeting earlier today and that he might walk after tonight's game. Anyway, don't know if this has been posted but Sports Direct apologise for selling Manchester United shirt with a Hillsborough slur. Talksport bolllocks rumour, should give that lad a ticket for the Man u game at ours let him wear his new shirt.

: Thu Aug 20, 2009 10:06 am  

PAUL M wrote:

No chance. Liverpool, Chelsea and then Utd.

Come off it, fella! Liverpool, and I hate myself for saying this, will not win the Premier League this year. I just don't think they have enough depth in the team. They get a few injuries, like at the moment, and they're having to bring the youngsters in.

Don't get me wrong though, bringing the young guys through is fantastic for their development, not to mention morale. But it's a burden for them aswell.

: Thu Aug 20, 2009 10:12 am  

WireFanatic II wrote:

Come off it, fella! Liverpool, and I hate myself for saying this, will not win the Premier League this year. I just don't think they have enough depth in the team. They get a few injuries, like at the moment, and they're having to bring the youngsters in.

Don't get me wrong though, bringing the young guys through is fantastic for their development, not to mention morale. But it's a burden for them aswell.

It will be you or Chelsea, one more signing in midfield and I reckon you will have enough depth. Rumoured with a move for Van der Vaart this morning.

: Thu Aug 20, 2009 10:13 am  

Wire_85 wrote:

Big threat is chelsea, Man u always start slow we had a 10 point led on you at one stage last season, Spurs will be the villa of last season

They have a good enough squad to challenge the top four imo.

: Thu Aug 20, 2009 10:32 am  

Cubby wrote:

The reason Cristiano Ronaldo was sold and no big money spent on a replacement.

He's a top youngster with undoubted potential, but even when he does come over, I don't think Fergie will throw him in the deep end. Depending on where Fergie sees him probably depends on how early he'll be in the first team, when I've seen him he's looked better in the hole, given a free role, being able to roam through the channels and do as he likes. Fergie might see him as a wide player and use him like that. If he uses him as a wide player, then he'll probably play a little earlier, but I can't see him rushing him into the hole.

I think United fans should hope Fergie doesn't do the same with Ljajic as to what he's done with Anderson. Anderson, when he was a youngster, used to play in the traditional Brazilian attacking midfield role, he looked set for stardom there but Fergie's dropped him a little deeper with mixed results. Looking at Ljajic now, he looks far too classy and elegant to drop deeper into midfield.

: Thu Aug 20, 2009 10:43 am  

D.D. wrote:

People say I moan but my dad also watched it on the net and whilst I had a big, cheesy grin, he huffed and puffed, moaned about how rubbish we were and how it was the most one-sided embarrassment he had ever seen.

We had many key players missing too, we brought on a series of youngsters, the temperature had reached 43 degrees in the day, we were playing in front of 95,000 against the biggest and best team in the world in their own backyard and we beat them 1-0.

I tell you what, I was an inch away from giving him a damned good slapping!

Obviously post-pre-season results matter much more than pre-season results, because results didn't matter when you were getting beat by Rangers and the South Africans.

: Thu Aug 20, 2009 11:08 am  

WireFanatic II wrote:

Come off it, fella! Liverpool, and I hate myself for saying this, will not win the Premier League this year. I just don't think they have enough depth in the team. They get a few injuries, like at the moment, and they're having to bring the youngsters in.

Don't get me wrong though, bringing the young guys through is fantastic for their development, not to mention morale. But it's a burden for them aswell.

Can't agree with any of that mate. How often in football do you get 3/4/5 injuries? Not that often. Once Agger/Skrtel are back and Aquilani is introduced I would say we have more than enough quailty and depth. I'd love another midfielder (wide player) but Johnson is already adding that dimension down the right hand side. He was awesome last night. Insua loves bombing forward as well and worked well in tandem with Benny last night.

United will improve, Chelsea are probably the team to beat and Arsenal will be there or thereabouts. No-one can be written off at this stage.

EDIT - Sorry, of course I agree about bringing the youngsters in and giving them experience. Ayala did ok last night and it was good to see N'Gog gifted a goal as well.