Is the great man on the decline?

Ash_G

Yeah Giggs has played because we have injuries. If other had been fit then he wouldn't have played as much. As long as he's a part of the squad and still performing it shouldn't be an issue. If others had been poor and he had to play because of that then it would be, as it would for any department.

I don't see how scholes has been dragged out of retirement. He asked to play again and I can't see why anyone would turn him down, espcially when you have the injuries we have.

Anderson might be injured a fair bit but there's no reason he can't get over it. the club obviously thought Fletcher had recovered but I agree that we should have had better precautions in case he didn't though again considering the injuries we've had in that one particular area there's only so much you can prepare for. Jones can clearly play in the middle and is an extra option there. As you said the jury is out on Clev.

We might need a top creative midfielder sure, but it's not the root of our problems at the moment. Our injuries are. As for Rooney well tbh I can't see him spending all of his time as an out an out striker regardless of if we have a creative player. We need him as much as anything to make up the numbers. If you play him as an out and out striker then I reckon we'd have to play another midfielder at the expense of a striker. I personally think that once we get more players back having rooney just behind Welbeck, flanked by nani and young/valencia would be a great set up with any combo of our current midfielders.

Dominated might be ott fair enough but we were pretty comfortably and although we lacked a cutting edge we were in control and bar two mistakes at the back we probably wouldn't have lost. There's no denying the attack was a bit blunt but for me that was more to do with injuries and fatigue then it was to do with us lacking players in the squad.

Crispy71

And on the seventh day God(father) created another title wining team

204Red

Bullshit... Evra tracks back with Kuyt, no goals as a result... 1-1 back at Old Trafford for a replay... then this thread does not exist.

MacMUFC

Good post.

Thank you. I was going to make this thread before the Liverpool game.

Stack

Wouldn't have mad any difference when you made the thread, its bollocks. In fact if you look at the season, injuries and sickness to have us sitting in 2nd place with all the disruption to the squad and the difficulty in making consistent selections I would tend to think Fergie is operating in top gear.

Cling Bak

Two points I've made elsewhere that seem apt in this thread:

1. Scholes probably isn't 100% match fit beyond 60 mins (or earlier). Seeing him go off is no surprise, he's been away for six months.

2. Evra cost us the game. If he wasn't such a day dreamer and stayed goal side, we'd not be discussing this drivel.

Ash_G

Yeah I have to admit I've questioned some of his decisions in recent times but usually most of the blame rests with the players. A lot of our failings in europe came because players weren't doing their jobs and similarly against liverpool, Evra's mistake cost us.

SteveJ

Many of our poorest results this season stemmed from either taking games lightly and/or keeping our eyes on the main prize (right now, that's defending the League title); if Sir Alex prioritised the FA Cup, Rooney would have started on Saturday...he didn't, which leads me to conclude that SAF puts the League first, as he should. Rather than symptoms of SAF or United's decline, these frustrating results are in actual fact signs of strength - SAF gambled on soldiering through the CL, CC & FA Cup with minimal effort & wear-and-tear but the gambles didn't pay off.

charlenefan

I must admit I do agree with this;

Champions League team selection
The way he's handled the goalkeeper situation
and obviously more recently Saturday's subs

I certainly dont think he's on a decline how could he be, no one suddenly just loses knowledge but I've definitely questioned a lot more of his decisions this season than I ever have previously

kietotheworld

The only reason he, or anyone else, is seen as a great manager is that they by and large take gambles which do come off. There's very very little that is certain in football, and being a great manager is about taking the right chances. For every retarded managerial decision in history there is some logic behind it, some way that the manager felt it could benefit the club, but if a man keeps making gambles that don't pay off then it's not simply poor luck, it's poor management.

Feed Me

Except you didn't...

Denis' cuff

whether Scholes is 100% fit or not is irrelevant. He was still looking like our best player when he came off. More likely, Fergie perhaps wanted to preserve him/not push him (poss for Stoke) whilst at the same time gambling on Hernandez snatching one. As Kie said, it is about taking (managerial) gambles and historically, he hasn't done too bad has he? On another day we'd be revelling in another late winner like so many times before. It is true that were it not for Evra's brain fart we wouldn't be discussing this but had Scholes still been on, the situation may not have arisen. Who knows? The passage of play could0/would not have been the same.

I'd agree that I, too, have been baffled by some of Fergie's decisions in the last year or so but considering the injuries we've had, which is another story of concern, he has done wonders with the squad but you can't be totally blind to the fact that one day, he just won't be up to it. It happened to Cloughie but knowing Fergie, he'll know it before we do.

Wan

RedRover and judging talent don't go well together. Jury still out? Probably didnt impress a Wigan mate of his.

Ringo 07

With our best reserve team since 92 winning the FA youth cup last year, Fergie was always going to be patient with some of those young players needing to come though. Shame that the two best players from that team might not be here for much longer but although we are not as strong as we have been a year or two ago, in a year or two Fergie will prove everyone wrong again whilst saving the club a fortune on quick fix mercenaries

dmode

yes you're frustrated but SAF knows best the conditions of his players...

MG

It's highly tedious that these type of threads still continue to pop up after every defeat. You'd think people would have learnt their lesson over 25 years but apparently not.

marjen

With the amount of injuries we have, to take as many points as we've done under a sustained challenge from an unprecedented team, when it comes to financial backing, is incredible.

If SAF wins the league he'll have played a blinder.

MG

Exactly this. City are backed financially by one of the richest people on the planet, they have billions at their disposal and an unlimited cheque book. We have enough injuries to create an excellent Injured XI that would probably finish in the top 4 themselves if they were a separate team. We're only 3 points behind City. We were the better side against Liverpool on Saturday - that's the best I've seen us play at Anfield in a while, but sometimes shit happens. We've done brilliantly in the league though so far given the situation we're faced with, and its all down to Fergie.

kouroux

If he wins the league, it might feel like the best ever.

Brosstan

I think he did everything correct today, tactically and substitution-wise. The team he set out and the shape we had was working - we were easily the better team in the first half and it was unfair that we were behind going into the second half. Correct decision to stay with the shape, but personal mistakes led them to score two quick goals. After that the instant substitutions to make us more threatening while still maintaining midfield dominance were spot on.

FlawlessThaw

Thought he should have started Scholes instead of Giggs as the former is the man in form

Snow

He's also a much better in central midfield.

K Stand Knut

Possibly. I think he should definitely have taken Giggs off for Scholes, IMO.

Let's be honest though, what the fuck do we know and it all worked out in the end with the decisions made by Fergie

Still ill

Tony to right back pays off again.

Randall Flagg

The man hasnt a clue. What was he thinking making offensive changes after being 3 -0 down?

He should have taken off his best players and rest them for next sunday

.

MadDogg

Not sure about that. Giggs was better than Scholes (in central midfield) the last two seasons.

204Red

I'm going to agree with that.

The thing about Scholes is... I actually thought he was poor today... a couple of very bad passes and wasted balls in good positions. But it was clear that he brought an air of confidence on with him which raised the game of those around him... Carrick, Rooney and Giggs all played much better after Scholes came on.

the Hernandez sub changed the game, and it was made at the right time... it was fantastic to see him and Welbeck bombing forward ahead of Rooney, opening up so much space.

Name Changed

MOst of his decisions were right today. I think taking Welbeck off for Park as soon as we got level completely handed them the initiative. Great point though.

Sky1981

We're still 2nd and on close point with the leader despite our injuries. Go to bed, seriously, before you regret this

Cheesy

I'll be honest by admitting that I was the first to question that decision. In the end though, it turned out to be the right one and it paid dividends.