Other Teams' Stuff

[Anantax]

I actually like dortmunds stance too, where contracts actually mean something, unless they openly admit to tapping up one of our players who has 3 years left on his contract.

Tbh I was never a big fan of the "no tapping up" rule.....its a silly rule, very difficult to enforce (happens all the time and everyone does it) and is a relic of bygone days where players are "property" of the club, instead of workers...

[Spudiator]

Moyes was at The Liberty to watch Swansea destroy Malmö 4-0 (1-0 at the half). The camera went to Moyes after Bony scored his second to make it 3-0, and the commentators thought he looked worried. I doubt it, though; Everton handled Swansea pretty easily last season.

On the other hand, Swansea had only played seven preseason matches and Malmö were well into their season, so maybe there's something to playing football the right way. Makes me wonder why Swansea, a side I wouldn't trade a single United player for in a straight-up, position-by-position swap, can do it, but United so rarely does.

might have something to do with having a manager who was one of the greatest players in the world playing the game the right way and being used to achieving success as a player and also as a manager by winning trophies and various other accolades

im not worried as we are lucky as our manager is exactly the same..

..oh wait..

I don't see how playing careers have any bearing on managerial ability. Fergie didn't exactly hit the heights in his playing career, and for that matter neither did Mourinho or Wenger. By the same token, look at arguably two of our greatest ever players, Roy Keane's managerial career has well and truly petered out, and Bryan Robson's went south a long time ago!

[captainhormone]

yeah but laudrup did fucking well in spain too..as well as with swansea

and he was a great player and i can well imagine your ronaldos and fabregas's of this world wanting to sign for one of the greatest players ever, as opposed to ...err..david moyes

[RobDiablo]

Actually, my comparison between Swansea and United was meant to be an indictment of the level of effort routinely delivered by the United players. I have been watching and enjoying Swansea's football for some time now, but, let's be honest, Swansea hasn't got a single player in its first XI that is as good as or better than his counterpart in the United first XI (Vorm, Michu, and the wings come the closest). So, why is it that United, a side that also enjoys (enjoyed) a reputation for fast, free-flowing football, can't play that football for more than fifteen to twenty minutes a match (and never in both halves of the same match)?

[Alfonso Bedoya]

Natural leadership is a managers greatest attribute... doesn't matter how clever, tactical, charismatic, or anything else... if he can't win over the players, and make them want to play for him, he'll fail.

Keane has shown that he was a great general on the pitch, but only with the support of his superior... on his own, he was found out to be nothing but a bully that his players resented, not respected... Robson was a pit bull... great leader by example, but needed a master to say, "fetch".

Top coaches understand the subtle sides of personality, and know how to exploit it... an arm around a weak character, to encourage... a kick up the arse to the rebel, to keep in line... well timed flattery to stroke the egotistic... Ferguson was brilliant at this, but he also had a spiteful side, that ruined a lot of the good work he did with players.

Ancelotti is another one... knows how to manage players, regardless of culture... Mourinho is best with a certain type of player... he get's the best out die hard grafters, which is why he loves the English game so much, but I think he clashes with the egotistical... be interesting to see how he deals with Hazard.

[Fuck the Glazers]

Actually, my comparison between Swansea and United was meant to be an indictment of the level of effort routinely delivered by the United players.

The level of effort... are you serious.

That's just typical English bollocks that passes off as football punditry; they're shit because they don't try hard enough. Need more Milners.

Won the fucking league ffs that doesn't happen with a lack of effort

Also, you watched Swansea and all you noticed was the work rate?

80 years

[RobDiablo]

[The level of effort... are you serious.

Perfectly so. You see, I actually watch the matches, and I have noted the steady decline in the quality of the football being played by United over the past few seasons.

That's just typical English bollocks that passes off as football punditry; they're shit because they don't try hard enough. Need more Milners.

So many assumptions... I am neither English nor a pundit, and I sure as hell don't want any Milners in the side.

Won the fucking league ffs that doesn't happen with a lack of effort

You're right; it happened with just enough effort being expended to get the job done.

Also, you watched Swansea and all you noticed was the work rate?

Still more incorrect assumptions...

80 years

...and a puzzle. Okay, I'm guessing it's the average age of Rooney's sex partners. Did I win?

[Fuck the Glazers]

The decline in consistently attractive football has nothing to do with effort.

And they aren't assumptions you bell, they're statesments of fact. People blame effort when they don't know what they're talking about; the tabloids, England fans, Shearer. That shit is idiotic and it retards the game. When the FA say shit needs to change if we're going to get good at football, they mean people like you, they need to stop being thick.

[Alfonso Bedoya]

Well... apparently Piers Morgan has twitted, that Arsenal should sign Ashley Young.

He's a complete twat, Morgan, but he knows his football, and Arsene would do well to take this advice.

[RobDiablo]

The decline in consistently attractive football has nothing to do with effort.

If by "effort" you meant physical exertion alone, you'd be right, but there is more to effort than the physical. Besides, United is well stocked with 'runaboutty' players, and the rest tend to join in when United are trying to sit on a narrow lead in the second half. So, that kind of effort is certainly not lacking. I'm talking about the lack of effort that reveals itself as complacency, which so often leads to faffing. Or the way the midfield doesn't support the defenders trying to bring the ball out of their own end, so we end up watching 'hoofball'.

When Swansea is trying to get the ball out of its own end, one will almost always see four or five Swans in support, moving into positions to accept a pass. Their players are shorter, smaller, and slower (for the most part) than United's, but they don't play 'hoofball'.

And they aren't assumptions you bell, they're statesments of fact.

And yet, I am not swayed. Perhaps, if you substituted a well reasoned argument backed up with examples instead of insults, your assertions would carry more weight.