I would of course love to get into the top 4 but just seeing us improve and play good football in the last few months of the season would make me very happy.
The Race for Fourth Place
- Thread starter KiD MoYeS
- Start date
I think the Mata deal is important, but you still have glaring problems in that squad.
Mentality is big, but it's not as big as having a huge gap in the middle of the field and four defenders in awful form.
Mentality is big, but it's not as big as having a huge gap in the middle of the field and four defenders in awful form.
This signing will kick start our defenders into better form, I'm sure of it.
I think starting Tuesday, we'll see a different United from the one we've seen this season so far.
I'm not convinced, myself.
Cardiff are a very poor side going forward, and I'm sure it'll be comfortable. Whether it will spark some better form I'm not sure.
Hope so, also still possible Mata won't be the only signing this window (its a success regardless but still have the feeling the club will move if they can).
The prospect of van Persie, Rooney, Januzaj and Mata as a front four makes me quietly confident that we can still finish top four. Our football should be more progressive and our chance creation something that will improve immeasurably.
The signing of Mata doesn't amend some of our glaring weaknesses and it might be difficult for that front four to flourish when we have a laboured, immobile and passive midfield as our platform to build attacks. But it will be a huge morale boost to the rest of the squad - hopefully of Ozil proportions - and I'm sure some of our players lacking confidence and out of form will benefit from his signing.
We can all talk about our individual weaknesses, but we are still playing as a team blighted with fear, so this confidence boost to the team should at least allow us to play more expressively and take more risks.
The signing of Mata doesn't amend some of our glaring weaknesses and it might be difficult for that front four to flourish when we have a laboured, immobile and passive midfield as our platform to build attacks. But it will be a huge morale boost to the rest of the squad - hopefully of Ozil proportions - and I'm sure some of our players lacking confidence and out of form will benefit from his signing.
We can all talk about our individual weaknesses, but we are still playing as a team blighted with fear, so this confidence boost to the team should at least allow us to play more expressively and take more risks.
How is Mata going to improve your defence? If anything, surely it will put it under more pressure: Mourinho sold Mata partly because of his poor performance in tracking back.
I reckon signing Mata and getting RVP and Rooney fit will make a huge difference, we just need our two midfielders to sit deep and break up play and I feel the front four are good enough to create between themselves. Get Jones and Smalling starting at CB too and we'll be on our way.
If we can keep Mata, Rooney and van Persie fit for the rest of the season then I think we'll get 4th place, even with our shite midfield.
I don't think the defence is a big problem if I'm honest. Our defenders have made the most clearances in Europe if I'm correct which says more about the lack of protection and our inability to dictate games therefore putting us under pressure.
I don't think the defence is a big problem if I'm honest. Our defenders have made the most clearances in Europe if I'm correct which says more about the lack of protection and our inability to dictate games therefore putting us under pressure.
The defence for me is fine.They are suffering from a lack a lack of protection from the midfield and Carrick and fletcher need time to get their games together after injury and Fellaini will improve.It's still an area that needs addressing and it will be addressed in time.We need time to rebuild but it will happen!
Mata signing will ensure top 4 finish. Book it here.
Bump this post at the end of the season. He will lift everyone at the club.
Bump this post at the end of the season. He will lift everyone at the club.
I will chop my penis off if you go on a 10 game win streak.
@Damien what did your post say?
I didn't post anything, just gave yours a 'like'
Ahh, ok.I didn't post anything, just gave yours a 'like'
Van Persie and Rooney returning will get United to 4th place. They are the difference between the themselves and the rest on the contenders.
I have no idea where Mata is actually going to play. Is he going to be stuck out wide. I think Mata signing will pick up the morale of the fans but I am not sure it will do any more than that. Does buying Mata actually address any of United's issues?
I still expect United to finish 4th though.
I have no idea where Mata is actually going to play. Is he going to be stuck out wide. I think Mata signing will pick up the morale of the fans but I am not sure it will do any more than that. Does buying Mata actually address any of United's issues?
I still expect United to finish 4th though.
Long time no see.
We don't know exactly where he'll play, but the hope from a lot of us is that him along with the others will keep Valencia out of the side and might result in us playing a bit narrower and not just crossing the ball in a lot to nobody in the box. Something along the lines of:
RvP
Januzaj - Rooney - Mata
Januzaj - Rooney - Mata
When we've lined up with both Januzaj on the left and Valencia on the right, Januzaj cuts in while Valencia mostly crosses.
Buying Mata, if he does replace Valencia in the lineup would make us a lot more creative and help fix that issue.
On paper, our poor league position is down to scoring only 14 goals in 11 home games. Signing Mata should address that.
The defence is OK - it has been under a lot of pressure because of injuries and midfield inadequacies, and hasn't conceded too many. De Gea, Rafael, Smalling, Jones and Evans are good enough and young enough to have a big future here. The rest will probably be gone within the next couple of years.
Hopefully we will play Mata and Adnan more narrow instead of Valencia and Young wide
That on paper looks a quality top 4 and would be a match for any defence in the country. The problem is they will have to dance to Moyes tune and
Creative for Moyes though is having Jack Daniels sauce with his steak.
Yeah, that's what concerns a few, but we'll see how it pans out.I think Moyes knows he's under a lot of pressure to deliver now. His reputation has been battered (rightly) over the past few months and he'll know he's turned us into a bit of a laughing stock. So this will be a test of character for him, changing the way we play and getting results has to start from Tuesday. I don't think the Glazers will give Moyes another year if our second half of the season (or thereabouts) is as bad as the first.
A few journos likening this signing to that of Cantona, what with him joining from direct rivals, being a shock signing that is supposed to turn our season around and most likely going to be given the number 7 shirt etc. Also, just out of interest, we were in 8th position when Cantona joined and we went on to win the league. Surely Mata can help us to 4th?
Quite plausible things could look like this after the next three fixtures.
Liverpool: v Everton, v West Brom, Arsenal away (4 points)
Everton: Liverpool away, v Villa, Spurs away (5 points)
Man Utd: v Cardiff, Stoke away, v Fulham (9 points)
Spurs: v Man City, Hull away, v Everton (2 points)
Newcastle: v Norwich, v Sunderland, Chelsea away (6 points)
4. Liverpool (47pts)
5. Everton (47)
6. United (46)
7. Spurs (45)
8. Newcastle (42)
Liverpool: v Everton, v West Brom, Arsenal away (4 points)
Everton: Liverpool away, v Villa, Spurs away (5 points)
Man Utd: v Cardiff, Stoke away, v Fulham (9 points)
Spurs: v Man City, Hull away, v Everton (2 points)
Newcastle: v Norwich, v Sunderland, Chelsea away (6 points)
4. Liverpool (47pts)
5. Everton (47)
6. United (46)
7. Spurs (45)
8. Newcastle (42)
I think we'd have to be delighted to have caught up 5pts in 3 games. And the scenario you've set out there is very plausible.
We've had a gaping hole in midfield for a long time now. It's possible to get past, especially now we have Mata. Remember, we haven't lost a game this season when Van Persie & Rooney have played. Although our defense has been shocking, without these two we've struggled to create and score and 'put games to bed'. A lot of the points we've dropped have been goals we've conceded towards the end of a game when teams have been putting huge pressure on us because all they need is one goal.
With those 2 back and Mata too, hopefully teams might be more concerned with defending than attacking against us. And hopefully we can finish games off and not give the opposition a chance to pull it back.
Very good point. If the 'smaller' teams we face, see a starting lineup including RVP, Rooney, Mata and Januzaj and it doesn't put the fear of God into them, then fair play to them. The can still think we're a wounded animal and go for the kill, they'll get mauled though. When we've mauled a few teams, others will take notice and that fear factor that has been missing, will be back and teams will be very wary about going at us. This, I think will lead to us controlling games comfortably again and get that old confidence back.
The way I look at it is, we've kept reasonable pace with the teams competing for 4th but we now have 3 genuine world class players to come into the team.
That is literally the best case scenario for you. I don't think it's likely to happen though. I think at least one ex-United lad will take points from youse.
It isn't the best case scenario, at all. Everton and Arsenal could quite conceivably take 3pts each of you.
Its ambitious given our recent form, but one has to believe the returns of Rooney, RvP, and the addition of Mata should result in a few favorable outcomes against the so called smaller Prem opponents.
We aren't up against the likes of City and Chelsea, it's Liverpool, Spurs and Everton we are talking about. These teams WILL drop points, and at unexpected places. We just need to sort ourselves out, and by that I mean getting RVP and Rooney fit. Have been saying that all season though just need to go on that 10 game run we usually go on every season and that fourth spot will be ours. Moyes has a history of finishing the season strongly as well.
Since the return of Fletcher and Carrick, there isn't really "a huge gap in the middle". Yes it's not an accomplished midfield but it's a lot better than what we started the season with.
Dude, Carrick's out for a month or more again.
Ah I forgot that
I'm clinging on to it as a positive... may force our hand to go for a midfielder when we may have waited until summer. Glass half full 'n all that.Ah I forgot that
And you won't?
I like that way of thinking.
Of course we will. The point he's trying to make is those 3 teams are very catchable as they will drop far more points than top 3.
Feeling dirty that I'd have to back City on Wednesday.
13 wins out of the last 16 games should be enough... Maybe