Summer 2013: Villa Transfers, Speculation, Suggestions and Rumours

[ADVILLAFAN]

By their standards of the last 20 years, this is a really shit squad. Watch them win the double or something now i've said that.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manchester_United_F.C.#First-team_squad

I didn't think their squad was amazing last year and yet they wont he league at a canter. Their forward line was very good (apart from Welbeck), but other than that dross across the park.

[Mazrim]

I see huge simalarities with the double winning side that Dalgliesh bailed on in the early 90's. He knew that the mainstay of that team (Nichol / Hansen / Rush / Johnstone et al) all need replacing and a huge amount of surgery was needed. He bottled it. When Souness went in he cut too deep and they never really came back to what they were

Really hope Fergie saw this and jumped  - nothing would give me more pleasure than the "I've supported United since they won stuff" nouvelle fans start moaning

They won't moan, they'll just switch allegiance.

[fredm]

Does anybody else think that with the BBC sport department moving to Manchester, there seems to be even more of a love in with Utd?

On another note, it will be interesting to see if there is any change in attitudes by referees this season now that they will not have to feel the wrath of Fergie.  Will there be more yellows issued, maybe resulting in sendings off or accumulated suspensions, or even some penalties awarded against them?

[Dante Lavelli]

I realise that you're unlikely to read players bad mouthing Ferguson when he retired but what strick me was how many players genuinely seemed to believe that he raised their game by a considerable percentage.  Take that away and the downward momentum and pressure which could build and Moyes has got a very tough job.


From memory this was a particularly good read:
http://www.theguardian.com/football/2013/may/11/secret-footballer-alex-ferguson-legend

[Eckybloke]

Their home support will be able plan their travel home to Hertfordshire knowing a 90 minute game will be 90 minutes.

[supertom]

By their standards of the last 20 years, this is a really shit squad. Watch them win the double or something now i've said that.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manchester_United_F.C.#First-team_squad

I didn't think their squad was amazing last year and yet they wont he league at a canter. Their forward line was very good (apart from Welbeck), but other than that dross across the park.

I think that was in part down to Fergies ability to get the most out of his players. Largely it was also an indication of the decline of the Premier League. There was only ever one team in it last season and take away RVP, and they were average. If Van Persie was still in his 20's I think he'd be at a better club now. Either Real, Barca or one of the Italian giants perhaps.

I'll be very interested to see what happens now with Utd. Moyes is good but can he get enough out of them. City are a hodge podge of mercs so it depends how Pelligrini handles that. Chelsea have to be fancied with Jose back. Arsenal are always 2-3 signings from being a title challenger again, but will they make those signings?

[eamonn]

Does anybody else think that with the BBC sport department moving to Manchester, there seems to be even more of a love in with Utd?

Was there ever any question of them moving to Brum?

[Damo70]

It would be funny if after chasing Thiago, Fabregas, Ronaldo, Bale, Pele, Cruyff etc the only signing Moyes makes is Landon Donovan.

Jeeze - that's a good point.  A few years ago there were very few players that would turn down Man U, or more to the point you'd certainly not hear about it with Ferguson in charge.

Over the years they've had very public and very unsuccessful pursuits of Ronaldinho, Robben, Mikel, Shearer and others.

Mark Lawrenson, Charlie Nicholas, Paul Walsh, Gazza. At least they got Alan Brazil at the second attempt. As for the coming season, I don't think they will get away with conceding so many goals and going behind in games so often as they did last year.

[Concrete John]

Man Utd's squad has been far from the best in the league for a while now.  What they have had is the know how and experience to close a title out at the business end of the season, a great level of consistency and the Fergie factor.  Plus every single decision going for them, of course!

Player for player, they're no better than Arsenal, IMO.

I think they'll be 3rd at worst next season, but if him going has also lost them the other edges they had over their competition, then the only way they'll have to get back to the top of the pile is to spend like crazy.

[PeterWithesShin]

Chamakh joins Palace on a 1 year loan. Hopefully Bent will join him.

[PeterWithesShin]

And going back to Manure, look at their squad and then decide how many you would want. Not that many for me as many their obvious players for our weak spots are old and/or injury prone. Even RVP, would you have him instead of Benteke?

[SamTheMouse]

From memory this was a particularly good read:
http://www.theguardian.com/football/2013/may/11/secret-footballer-alex-ferguson-legend

Interesting. Especially this part:

The greatest trick Ferguson ever pulled was convincing his contemporaries that they should be grateful to him while he weakened their own chance of success. I remember one of my managers waving a bound A4 booklet in the air during a team meeting and saying: "I've phoned Alex up and he's sent me United's scouting report (on Chelsea, who we were playing that weekend)." He seemed blissfully unaware that if Fergie was doing it for him, then in all likelihood he was probably doing it for everyone else, too. The problem was that our manager refused to see past the fact that, in his eyes, Ferguson had done him a personal favour.

Sounds a bit like the time he recommended the shittest manager in the world to a rival club's chairman, who swallowed it like an idiot and even publicised it because he thought the old bastard was doing it out of pure, unadulterated altruism.

[Clampy]

Chamakh joins Palace on a 1 year loan. Hopefully Bent will join him.

There's talk of him going out on loan. Would this a bad thing? He goes to somewhere like Palace, he has a really good season and we get a bit more for him when we do sell. Mind you, i'd still be happy to have him on our bench.

[Bent Neilsens Screamer]

On another note, it will be interesting to see if there is any change in attitudes by referees this season now that they will not have to feel the wrath of Fergie.  Will there be more yellows issued, maybe resulting in sendings off or accumulated suspensions, or even some penalties awarded against them?

I saw some evidence of this when watching the highlights of the charity shield. I thought the ref let a lot more go than they normally would of if Ferguson was still there, hopefully the refs wont fear the consequences of giving decisions against them.

[PaulWinch again]

Chamakh joins Palace on a 1 year loan. Hopefully Bent will join him.

There's talk of him going out on loan. Would this a bad thing? He goes to somewhere like Palace, he has a really good season and we get a bit more for him when we do sell. Mind you, i'd still be happy to have him on our bench.

Depends if they pay a loan fee and a substantial percentage of his wages.