Imagine the carnage on here if Johnstone had started the season whilst De Gea, Valdes, Lindegard and Romero sat on their arses... One mistake and people would have kicked up a proper shitstorm.
Van Gaal accused of 'holding back young English talent'
- Thread starter Drifter
- Start date
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In the latest episode of the United Hour Podcast, Nik @Rood and Imran @Annihilate Now! start with the good news by celebrating Manchester United Women's emphatic FA Cup win over Spurs at Wembley and the future of manager Marc Skinner.
Then it's the bad news and the ever worsening form of our Men with losses to Arsenal and Palace.
Finally the main debate - ETH Out now or keep him until the end of the season - if not longer. Are you Team Nik or Team Imran?
I guess the other possible reason for playing Romero ahead of Johnstone was to give him a taste of English football, where the game is refereed very differently to the leagues he's used to.
Again, my personal preference would have been to not sign him and promote Johnstone to number two. Of course, even if that happened he'd still be looking at a season on the bench and sub keepers can expect to play feck all games in any given season, so would his agent have thrown his toys out the pram anyway?
Again, my personal preference would have been to not sign him and promote Johnstone to number two. Of course, even if that happened he'd still be looking at a season on the bench and sub keepers can expect to play feck all games in any given season, so would his agent have thrown his toys out the pram anyway?
Like we have to imagine any carnage here. 
Christ whos next for the bandwagon
Boring
Boring
Yeah, that's what should have happened. I presume the fact it didn't has pissed him off.
Does tomasz kusczak count? He commented that Fergie refused to let him leave and that he had to run down his contract. Of course didn't help that we had vds at that time
SAF was untouchable. No one dared questioning him or else the fans, the club and the entire world would turn against him. That aura of invincibility ended once he retired. In matter of fact we had players issues with both Moyes and LVG
He did well in the preseason. Hopefully he gets a loan and continue to develop. Can't see him being anything more than a backup here, but would be great to have a homegrown player as a backup. Looking at our transfers we need every homegrown player to fill out our quota in the future
I really doubt even Fergie would have played an inexperienced keeper unless absolutely forced too.
What's the reasoning behind wanting Johnstone as number 2? Doesn't seem to be an exceptional talent to me, nor did he have a breakout performance in pre season.
A number 2 should almost always be an experienced keeper, not a kid who is still learning his trade.
First post in the mains
I'm not sure I understand Johnstone's agent accusations. He wanted to leave earlier in the summer? If that was the case it's perfectly understandable LVG rejected the idea because he had no Idea who was coming or going in our goalkeeping department.
It sounds to me like an agent trying to take advantage of the anti LVG athmoshphere in the media and within some fans to put pressure on the club.
I'm not sure I understand Johnstone's agent accusations. He wanted to leave earlier in the summer? If that was the case it's perfectly understandable LVG rejected the idea because he had no Idea who was coming or going in our goalkeeping department.It sounds to me like an agent trying to take advantage of the anti LVG athmoshphere in the media and within some fans to put pressure on the club.
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I think he is an exceptional talent. Who performed superbly on loan.
Fair point about the number 2 usually being experienced. Another loan probably would have been the best way forward, with a view to him replacing DDG in a year's time. The cluster-feck on deadline day (along with Valdes' intransigence) has really messed up our goalkeeping situation. Every one of them has reason to be pissed off, for different reasons.
Well quite a few goalkeepers from the lower leagues have done well in the premier league, when stepping up. It's a good experience playing in the lower league as you are encountering the physical side of the game more.
It must be hard for him that he started most of pre season and then sees Romero just come and take his place. Especially when Van Gaal said in his pre match conference that he would never usually start a player without preseason. That's why Rojo has not been on the bench.
You mean a young keeper who has never played professionally for a team higher than league one is annoyed that a World Cup finalist and someone who played a copa America final was chosen over him?
Agent has a point personally. Johnstone wants to play. Not his fault that the heirarchy has fallen out with Valdes/De Gea - but it's a mess he has had his own career and development caught up in.
He should have started the season in goal too. He did well in pre-season, so I don't get the point.
He should have started the season in goal too. He did well in pre-season, so I don't get the point.
I don't want to turn this thread into what Fergie would have done. But there's no way our GK situation would have been like how it was at the start of the season if Fergie was around. It would have been sorted in June.
Frankly I think his agent is a redcafe member who is unhappy with the 'direction of the club'First post in the mains
It sounds to me like an agent trying to take advantage of the anti LVG athmoshphere in the media and within some fans to put pressure on the club.
Van Gaal did the right thing.
We have (had?) such a sh** situation with our goalkeepers, that it would have been stupid to let Johnstone go. In every other transfer window it would have been okay and no problem - but this one was... ah... different. He would be my number two though.
Oh, and I can't stand it when managers are talking about the whole country and their talents when what they really care about are the interests of the one specific player.
We have (had?) such a sh** situation with our goalkeepers, that it would have been stupid to let Johnstone go. In every other transfer window it would have been okay and no problem - but this one was... ah... different. He would be my number two though.
Oh, and I can't stand it when managers are talking about the whole country and their talents when what they really care about are the interests of the one specific player.
I'm sorry but LvG has finally cleared out numerous players from the squad that should have been cleared out well into SAF's reign. LvG's getting so much stick because he has to take a non-sentimental approach to players who should have been moved on long before, but I'm sure half the cafe brigade won't remember that....
Did you read what I said?
He started most of pre-season and did well.
Also Van Gaal started Lingard as wing back and Blackett as CB, who both had no premier league experience on the opening day of last season. So yes, I am surprised he did not go for Johnstone.
And will people stop using that World Cup finalist line. Otherwise I will use Kleberson World Cup winner. Romero might have got to the World Cup final, but at the end of the tournament he wasn't even in the top 5 keepers.
Absolutely second that.
My reason for invoking Fergie there was to emphasize that in this situation, even a big youth player advocate like him wouldn't start Johnstone over the rest of the keepers. Of course he wouldn't have let it come to this situation either, but that's beside my point.
Fair enough if you think he's a superb talent, I don't. But you're right, he should have been sent on loan. Can't he still be? The loan deadline hasn't passed I think?
I also don't understand why people think he did well in pre season. He swept up well, but was unremarkable otherwise.
I dont get this whole "didnt want to throw him into the deep end". Isnt that what we did with Romero? Just put him there without any pre-season games, having not played with our defence. Granted he played in a world cup final, but this league is different and you could see with his first moments against Spurs he looked nervous albeit made some decent saves (though he should be expected to, much like the Swansea winner).
Johnstone meanwhile played with the defence that was starting as well as had "match rhthym" which LVG always talks about and was our best keeper pre-season. We have to however trust the manager and the Gk coaches on this.
Johnstone meanwhile played with the defence that was starting as well as had "match rhthym" which LVG always talks about and was our best keeper pre-season. We have to however trust the manager and the Gk coaches on this.
I'd agree with this but at the same time, I'd have some empathy for Johnstones situation. He just got caught up in what was a mess of De Gea wanting out, us wanting Valdes out, Lindegaard leaving and Navas potentially coming in. Nobody's fault really but I can totally understand why a promising young goalkeeper would be frustrated at spending the next 6 months playing reserve football or sitting on the bench.
We had a bad start last year and LVG spoke clearly on needing to avoid that again. We had a choice of an extremely experienced international goalkeeper versus an unproven 22yo to help steer us through the opening fixtures. Romero, until Swansea, did very little wrong and that decision was vindicated in my opinion. I'd love to see Johnstone as our keeper but he hasn't earned that right yet no matter what his agent spouts. I'd suggest also that LVG would've been guided in this decision by Frans Hoek who I don't think anybody could argue is anything other than an extremely experienced and well respected coach.
Only circus around these parts is here. Coming on here and listening to this tripe makes it feel like you've been accidentally kettled into a group of horn honking angry clowns
Unremarkable is how I like my young goalkeepers. Particularly when we're playing Barcelona.
Exactly, he just wants to play. If Van Gaal doesn't want him and he knows it whats the point of wasting his career on the bench.
Typical Man United, not promoting youth players. It's a disgrace.
Having watched him in his preseason appearances, I wasnt particularly impressed by Johnstones, he didnt have many howlers but didnt really stand at all. I'm with LVG on this one, choosing an experienced international over a young kid that has hardly any highest division experience would have been a gamble. And LVG and Hoek may have not been impressed by Johnstone either , and thus have chosen to go with Romero.
With DDG here, Romero goes back to being a no. 2.
With DDG here, Romero goes back to being a no. 2.
No player has ever played above league one level till they do. What kind of logic is that? He´s 22. He had a strong pre-season. Looked the most modern type goalie, too. He can´t sit around forever. There are keepers that have nearly 100 league games at age 22.
This is just another wave in the effects the De Gea situation.
If anything he should feel complimented because we chose to off load Lindegaard instead of loan him out, which would have meant his promotion to 2nd keeper if as we all anticipated, De Gea was going to leave. It would have been between Romero and Johnstone for all games this season. Valdes doesn't count, he just doesn't seem to get the message and/or doesn't want to leave.
But now De Gea stays he's pushed back to third. Its unfortunate, but I dont get how LVG gets grief for this situtation, whats he supposed to do, loan out Johnstone and leave us with one recognized keeper in Romero? The caf would explode if he did that.
If anything he should feel complimented because we chose to off load Lindegaard instead of loan him out, which would have meant his promotion to 2nd keeper if as we all anticipated, De Gea was going to leave. It would have been between Romero and Johnstone for all games this season. Valdes doesn't count, he just doesn't seem to get the message and/or doesn't want to leave.
But now De Gea stays he's pushed back to third. Its unfortunate, but I dont get how LVG gets grief for this situtation, whats he supposed to do, loan out Johnstone and leave us with one recognized keeper in Romero? The caf would explode if he did that.
Holding back English talent? No.
Holding back Sam Johnstone? Yeah, possibly.
Holding back Sam Johnstone? Yeah, possibly.
A very important point. Unless people think LvG makes his decisions unilaterally.
instead of the overly biased, red tinted brigade, where you cant say even an ounce of truth against the club or any one associated with , in case that truth is negative?
Spade is a spade, Van Gaal isnt the man to take this club forward and after the end of this year that will be obviously apparent.
With Navas coming here, he wasnt going to be 2nd choice either way.
I think it is unrealistic for a player whose experience was at League 2 to start for United at once. Romero despite having flaws has played in big tournaments and has more experience than him and was rightly played ahead of him. LvG has given young players regardless of their country a fair chance, even in pre-season.
Its RAWK like , critizing the club doesnt make you less of a fan..Finding a way to justify EVERYTHING the club does even when at times it is clear mistakes have been made is just verging on being brainwashed..Rawkitis in full effect.
Get the doors fixed on your car.
I think this can be applied to the media's attitudes to United hiring British/English managers at times too. If Pellegrini's replacement isn't British, the media won't say a word. If Van Gaal's replacement is foreign, they'll complain and moan about United holding back the cause of British managers.
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Well it was Hoek and Van Gaal playing Thomas Kraft and not wanting Neuer. They not always right.
Just because Hoek is involved does not mean we can't argue the decisions. I mean Romero for me wasn't a GK that I would have wanted to sign.