The Official Manchester United Thread

[Jam]

Anderson, LOL.

[WhiteTT]

http://youtu.be/uOfj_SK10Zo

http://youtu.be/0gKHzrXZ8MI

http://youtu.be/19jWthggS-g

http://youtu.be/XDyqP1GpCjw

 

safe! enjoying these

[anelka]

I think Fellani is a very good signing - that boy can really play

 

He will free up cleverly, i think we might see a more vibrant tom, like we did in that charity shield cameo vs city and then early on in that season, before kevin davies injured him

 

I wonder how moyes will use Fellani, surely he can't put him in-behind rvp and go direct for fellani to chest it down or get flick ons lol

[Kompressor]

"Styles make fights"

Hopefully he'll be used alongside Carrick as he apparently prefers to play deeper, plus added bite is needed in that area and it could allow Carrick to express himself even more.

With Rooney, Kagawa or Cleverly ahead of them.

However at certain times having him able to play behind the front man could be effective. Don't think he gets quite as much credit for his footballing ability as he should,,

[Agony]

Manchester United's Shinji Kagawa frustrated by David Moyes' stance

• Japan midfielder wants more first-team opportunities

• Heightened security for this month's derby at Etihad Stadium

 

Jamie Jackson

theguardian.com, Tuesday 10 September 2013 18.59 BST

 

 

Shinji Kagawa has stated that David Moyes should be asked why he has not yet played him in a competitive match for Manchester United this season, with the midfielder admitting to being frustrated by his lack of opportunities.

Since Moyes became the United manager in the summer, Kagawa has managed only seven minutes of football, as a late replacement in the 2-0 Community Shield win over Wigan.

Moyes has said that the 24-year-old was initially returning to match fitness and then decided Nani was preferable as a substitute for the 1-0 defeat at Liverpool before the international break. The playmaker then equalised for Japan in Tuesday's 3-1 win over Ghana in Yokohama.

"Please ask David Moyes why I'm not in the side," Kagawa told AFP. "It is frustrating not playing but to score a goal like that gives me confidence. Hopefully I can take that back to my club with me and things will improve. It's hard not playing regularly. Some days the frustration is worse than others – it comes in waves.

"So it's nice to come back to Japan and get to play, and to score felt good. I just have to keep working hard and keep pushing for my chance. When I get back it will be a challenge to get into the team.

"When I get back to my club I have to wait for my chance in the Champions League and the Premier League. I'm sure my chance will come."

On Saturday United host Crystal Palace before Tuesday's Champions League group game with Bayer Leverkusen. Moyes's side then make the trip to Manchester City on 22 September for the derby, where there will be heightened security.

Greater Manchester Police are concerned there will be no repeat of the trouble that blighted the corresponding fixture last December, which United won 3-2. Rio Ferdinand was hit by a coin and one supporter managed to get on to the pitch.

GMP officers are expected to be on the lookout for graffiti – there have previously been messages regarding the Munich air disaster and the death of the former City midfielder Marc-Vivien Foé – and sniffer dogs will be used to locate flares. 

 

http://www.theguardian.com/football/2013/sep/10/manchester-united-shinji-kagawa-david-moyes/print

 

[Seydou]

#freeshinji

[Lacoste]

#freeshinji

[Gambino]

Shit is depressing me. Done my Champions League Fantasy teams this week and not a single United player in it.

[Young £]

already clarified he politely said 'you'll have to ask the manager' when asked why he hasn't been playing as 'it isn't a question for me'

 

lol media add the headlines

[Gambino]

Actually dreamt last night that I checked the scoreline of the Leverkuson match this week and they were 4-0 up at HT. This is what Moyes is doing to my club, giving me fucking nightmares.

[Benicio del Toney]

lool

[Wavant]

LOOOOL

[i5_PRODUCER]

LOL Anderson was the bitch the whole tour how can i hear rio call him cumberland fingers lmao

[Agony]

Former Manchester United youngster won't rule out return to club, but will prove himself first

Posted by SPORT WITNESS on September 11, 2013 at 23:01 in Sport Witness Football

Former Manchester Untied player Magnus Eikrem won't rule out a return to the Premier League club but wants to prove himself in Holland first and isn't sure the club would buy him back. Eikrem left Manchester United for Molde in what seemed a shock move at the time, he went on to be successful and won a league title in his first season.

Eikrem had been considered one of the best players in the youth set-up at Manchester United but he was ready for first team football and when Ole Gunnar Solskjaer came calling he simply couldn't say no. This week's edition of excellent Dutch football magazine Voetbal International has a lengthy feature on Eikrem and his time in Manchester and the Norwegian was happy to talk them through things.

"In 2006 I signed a contract as a sixteen year old in Manchester. In the beginning it was very difficult. I really was a little boy, accustomed to no more than the small and safe Molde. From one day to the next I was alone in the big, unknown world. I knew nobody and barely spoke English. At Manchester United I became a man, and not many guys my age can say they have had such great training

"Solskjaer is very important to me, he was for five and a half years my coach. A kind of football father, a winner from whom I have learned a lot. I could have gone to several good clubs in Europe, but I wanted a good start to my career."

Although Eikrem has since joined Dutch club Heerenveen the magazine seemed more interested in his time in Manchester and he told them it was great training with Cristiano Ronaldo and Wayne Rooney, but that his favourite was Paul Scholes and he wanted to model his game on the Manchester United legend.

Eikrem remains popular among Manchester United supporters and he was asked if he was going back to the club, he replied "Haha, I think they have never recovered a player who they sold before. Let me first play good football for Heerenveen."

If he is successful with the Dutch club then his fond memories of Manchester United and desire to be like Paul Scholes would help the Premier League club should they wish to make Eikrem one of the few players who has returned to play at Old Trafford.

http://sportwitness.ning.com/forum/topics/former-manchester-united-youngster-won-t-rule-out-return-to-club-

Meulensteen says he disagreed with Ferguson after manager refused first team chance for Eikrem

Posted by SPORT WITNESS on September 11, 2013 at 18:14 in Sport Witness Football

Manchester United may have a long and proud history of youth football but it's increasingly hard for players to make the breakthrough to the first team. The Premier League us incredibly competitive and cup competitions can see teams so changed that sometimes it's not a fair reflection on many who are brought in. Paul Pogba left Manchester United to try his luck at Juventus and his decision has proved to be correct, he's got much more football than many, including us, thought he would and he's now considered as a certainty for the France World Cup squad.

Whilst Pogba is probably the most accomplished young midfielder to leave Manchester United in recent years, he's not the only young and talented player to do so. Magnus Eikrem was a big favourtie among fans of the club who watch the youth teams progressing and big things were expected of the youngster before he moved back to Molde.

Former Manchester United coach René Meulensteen has been speaking to Voetbal International about Eikrem and was gushing in his praise. "Magnus was very small in stature, but footballing stuck out head and shoulders above the rest. At United I compared him to Luka Modric, who I also find a great player. Strong on the ball, technically and tactically very good. I worked quite a lot with Magnus, so I regret that he never got a chance."

Meulensteen says that if it had been down to him then he would have given Eikrem first team opportunities but Sir Alex Ferguson wasn't so sure and it didn't happen "I would have dared to put him in the first team, but the manager didn't find him good enough."

Eikrem has since left Molde and moved to the Eredivise with Heerenveen and Meulensteen thinks he'll be an instant success, and said that the youngster is like the type of player which Ajax produces, explaining that the midfielder is brilliant technically and particularly good at close control when under pressure. He even claimed that if Borussia Dortmund were to lose Ilkay Gundogan, that Eikrem would be the perfect replacement.

http://sportwitness.ning.com/forum/topics/meulensteen-magnus-eikrem-manchester-united

I remember there was one month(might have been in September or October during his last season at United) where he was involved in every reserve team goal. That must have been the time when Rene thought he deserved a chance. But Fergie didn't think he was good enough meanwhile Gibson was apparently good enough to start Prem and CL games, smh.

[Benicio del Toney]

Manager didn't find him good enough, like you gave him a chance to prove himself.

 

I hate the way youth are written off, lucky for him Ole fucked with him, coulda been a lot worse now.

[Lieutenant]

http://www1.skysports.com/football/news/11662/8916337/kagawa-conundrum

[i5_PRODUCER]

Good read , tis' a shame. 

 

But this whole thing is being overblown IMO guys come from the bundesliga only a season ago.  6 in 20 PL games last season

 

Did people really think SAF was going to play him constantly in his last bowing out season? 

 

TBH its all on Moyes now. This season he will be Key for us , there's no excuses now

[TF S4DK]

Manchester United manger David Moyes has revealed they spent more money on Marouane Fellaini because he was determined to capture Leighton Baines in a joint deal.

 

The former Everton midfielder was signed for £27.5million but he did have a get out clause which meant he was available for £22million until the end of July.

 

But the Scot claimed they only decided to offer a separate amount for the Belgian when the Baines move faltered.

 

He said: "We had chosen to do it the way we did because we wanted to try and get Leighton Baines and we didn't want to give up on that until the last minute.

 

"We felt the best way to do that was to try and keep the two deals together. Only at the last minute did we split them.

 

"They talk about the great Belgium team but every time I go to see Belgium, I always come away thinking Marouane is the best player."

 

Talk about it...

[O Fenomeno]

He watches a different game

Felliani is always upstaged by Witsel

[Young £]

 

'i got this'

[Adotbiz]

When Rooney back?

[Young £]

"Fellaini can do several different jobs, score goals and is effective in different areas," the Scot said at a press conference on Friday. "I hope he can continue to improve.

 

"We've got a busy schedule and I wanted to play a different way in different games. Marouane Fellaini helps me to do that.

 

"Fellaini's presence is very noticeable for many reasons, including his size. But you can't overlook his technical ability."

 

"Sometimes I thought there was no chance [of the transfer happening] but in the end I was so happy to join United," Fellaini said.

"I can play defensive or attacking - whatever helps the team. The most important thing is to win the game."

''MF: I want to play as a defensive midfielder. If I can help the team going forward I will.''

 

Marouane Fellaini has all the physical and mental attributes to bring something new to the United midfield, according to assistant manager Steve Round.

“He will add some real physical presence to us in midfield, some strength, and he scores goals,” Round told MUTV.

“He’s a player that will get regular double figures, and he is maybe a player that we didn’t really have in the middle of that midfield.

“We have some very good footballers – Michael Carrick is an unbelievably good passer, Tom Cleverley is busy, lively and links play, Anderson will drive forward with the ball, dribble and create.

“Maybe we needed that bit of presence and authority that can sit in the middle of the pitch and dominate a game from that perspective. It gives a nice blend and balance to mix the midfield up.”

Round also feels the former Standard Liege player’s strength of character will help him make the adjustment to life in the Old Trafford spotlight.

“He’s a very strong character, with very good self-belief,” Round adds. “It won’t daunt him to play at this level and he

is mentally very tough.

“When a player comes to Manchester United, they have to have the correct mentality to survive here. It’s not enough to be good every so often, you have got to be good every minute of every day.

“Ryan Giggs has said it’s not enough to be good in training, you’ve got to be good with every pass. Not every so often but every pass. Marouane will rise to that, he’ll love that challenge.

“He’s earned and deserved the right to be here. He’s progressed every single year as a player, to the stage where the manager, the staff and the board here feel that he deserved the opportunity to play at this level.”

 

Fellaini is a ready-made Red

In 22 years as a first-teamer, Ryan Giggs has seen many players walk in and out of Old Trafford (few made such a late dash through the doors), so he's ideally placed to run the rule over United's new-boy...

"Marouane Fellaini is proven in the Premier League so he doesn't need any bedding-in time when it comes to learning the English game. That's a big positive. He brings us strength, height at set-pieces and goals from midfield.

He was really keen to join us and that's always a great quality: when a player is desperate to play for United they're usually determined to make the most of it when they're given that chance. I have no doubt he'll enjoy himself here, playing in the Champions League, playing in the big games.

Of course, he's the sort of player you want on your side rather than playing against us. He's caused us a few problems in the past. Last season he scored goals against us, Arsenal and Manchester City... so he has what it takes to perform in the big games.

He was someone who always warranted a mention in our team-talks when we played Everton. In the 4-4 draw at Old Trafford in April 2012 he was a real handful and scored against us again on the opening day of last season, so he was definitely someone we focused on when we played Everton. Hopefully that will work in our favour now and other teams will focus on Marouane, leaving somebody else with a bit more room to play."

 

 

“We’ll play him further back the pitch than up the pitch,” Moyes said. “We’ve got enough people who can play the No 10 role, like Kagawa, Rooney, Danny Welbeck and Adnan Januzaj, who is coming through.”

 

 

"Roy Keane was an aggressive player who could win every ball," said Fellaini. "Maybe I can do this as well. I can win the ball. I can clear the ball. I can play clean.

 

The manager must decide where I play but I want to play defensive midfield. In the past they have had (Eric) Cantona, Keane, (David) Beckham. I hope (I can do it too). I will work hard for this."

[Michel Kane]

Ideal signing.

Fans should be extremely happy.

[youcleanwepaint]

Other areas should have been adressed aswell