You never really lose the ability to hit a good freekick, even after you age. Nakamura was doing it well past the point he could no longer run.
U21s: Manchester United vs Middlesbrough
- Thread starter RedMachine03
- Start date
Don't think it's because of his age but he's definitely not as accurate in the last few seasons as he has been previously.
Pereira hits the crossbar.
Pereira rattles one off the bar
That was a really beautifully shaped shot, wanted it to curl in so badly.
Good game from Pereira, nice to see a reaction from him.
Not the Under 21s' best performance but it's a big result for them. Only two points needed from the final three games as leaders Sunderland and outsiders Chelsea both lost so the lads could win the title at White Hart Lane next week. Rothwell and Weir both looked good before their injuries and I really hope Joe gets a run out with the first team before the season ends, as unlikely as it is. Pereira responded well and I'd say he caught LVG's eye but who knows what gets his attention anymore.
Not that unlikely, with LGV in charge. Likely to be in goal though.
1-0 McNair
Pereira hits the crossbar
Rooney free kick
I don't agree with that at all. If a better player is available then he should take it. And it's an U21 game anyway and Rooney is not the captain. It's stuff like this that keeps United at the back, failing to move on. If our top 4 chances depended on a free kick, I know who most people would rather have on it!
Yep so do I. Honestly it's crazy, I'm not anti-Rooney but he's really beginning to live off of his name. Well within his rights to take it as he's the senior player but he's not better at them than Pereira at them. Besides that I knew he wouldn't score it anyway, much like Pereira probably did too. It was awkward yet quite funny how sheepishly Pereira walked away after Rooney had a word with him though.
I don't blame him for his reaction but people will say he was just being disrespectful to the senior player whereas it could just be a case that Pereira is an U21 player who has been overlooked by the coaching staff for the first team, has an opportunity to win a title with the team that he has been limited to but a player on decline with special privileges wants to take a free kick at 0-0 to "prove" fitness.
Who is the most likely to score or can produce the best delivery should be taking the freekicks.
Seniority should have feck all to do with it.
Seniority should have feck all to do with it.
Couldn't agree more. As much as I don't want to see him kick Rashford to the wayside in the first team, I can't wait for Rooney to regain full fitness and leave the actual under 21s to resume normal order.
midfielders in attack and defenders in midfield?
You see it all the time. If senior players want something, more often than not, they'll get it. Within reason, though, obviously. Rooney is a decent free kick taker, so is Pereira. Therefore, it came down to seniority in the end. Pereira would not argue with Rooney, and rightly so. He needs to worry about trying to get into the first team set up, because at the moment, there's a lot of noise about him, but he's not really producing the goods.
Pereira be able to take all the free kicks he wants next week for the U21's, as Rooney be back with the 1st team.
You saying Zayn isn't albino?
I was on about Rothwell and Weir you slapper.
Glad to hear LVG was there today, thought he wouldn't bother. Rooney didn't really do much today, so hopefully LVG won't stick him straight back in the first team side. McNair was good in midfield I thought.
You started off saying it was all a joke, but you're starting to show your true colours now. The bold bit is pathetic.
Pereira is way superior to Rooney as far as free kicks are concerned and I think that much is fairly obvious. Rooney did not need the free kick to get him back into the team, all he needs is his face. If anything Pereira needed that free kick to be remotely considered, considering that the whole coaching staff was watching bar LvG!
Too late, he is available for Wednesday apparently, according to LvG via the BBC
Haha I know. Yeah waste of space, it's McNairs best position, Andreas showed his class aswell tonight.
Exactly!midfielders in attack and defenders in midfield?
Rooney didn't need it, no, but he took it. It really shouldn't be that much of an issue.
Scoring a free kick is the least of Pereira's problems. If he isn't considered, it's because he's not showing enough. We've seen how many young players have been thrown into the deep end by Van Gaal. Pereira hasn't taken his chance when picked, hence why he's back in the U21's. What he needs to do is get his head down, work hard and try and work his way back into the first team set up. He didn't even start today's game, because he felt he could jog around the pitch against Chelsea all game. Wasn't until Weir switched to CAM we started looking dangerous.
Saying I'd be angry if Rooney sent me away from the free kick was a joke, don't see where I've contradicted myself but whatever. Also, if what I said was so 'pathetic' then don't bother quoting me then
Just making sure people know how silly that quote was.Saying I'd be angry if Rooney sent me away from the free kick was a joke, don't see where I've contradicted myself but whatever. Also, if what I said was so 'pathetic' then don't bother quoting me then
I'm pretty sure that like the first team there are specific set piece takers even in the U21. This was an U21 game and it is common knowledge that Pereira is pretty much first choice on all set pieces. The kid made one error in January and he has not sulked and has applied himself in the U21 and in the Selecao since then. Rooney came to the team to gain fitness and I doubt he had U21 the team's title push at the back o f his mind. As far as that moment was concerned, Pereira was the captain AND the designated set piece taker so Rooney had no right to tell him to bugger off.
Yes, it's just a free kick but it's the stupid privileges that some players get at the expense of the team that annoys me.
I'm sure they saw my post and would've said something if they shared your opinion, but they didn't, so...
His recent shit performances and being benched for the u21s suggests otherwise.
Do you actually believe your quote then? Do you actually believe Rooney not playing will allow the U21's to resume to 'normal order', or was that another one of your 'jokes'?
If I didn't watch the U21s myself I would have thought that he has been as bad on Rooney/Fellaini levels. Don't go overboard with your judgement on his performances. Maybe he was benched to accommodate Rooney.
Privileges that Rooney has earned.
Nope. Young started last week and so did Periera. Rooney had nothing to do with Pereira not starting.
He did feck all last week, it was worse than Rooney. He is meant to be the best talent in the side, you don't bench the best talent in the side, especially when he doesn't even play the same position as Rooney. He was benched for Weir who has outshone him all season. Rothwell fell out with the staff and got to start over him. Love is playing out of position and Redmond is good but is often benched. Andreas was benched because he has fecked around, drifted in and out of games putting up average at best performances and has annoyed the staff.
I question how much you pay attention during the games anyway as you seem to think van Gaal wasn't at the match today.
So it's no longer about football ability anymore but reputation? That fine. It's kinda like United right now isn't it?