arsedoc md wrote:

Timothy wrote:

Thought the refs in both big games were spot on today.

wished the ref in our game brandished a yellow for the dives by the scum. There was also a freekick against gibbs for a dive by their player but otherwise you're right. It was good refereeing.

Indeed the scum were diving all day.
The yellow for Flamster was a bit soft, he clearly won the ball.

Biggus wrote:

arsedoc md wrote:

wished the ref in our game brandished a yellow for the dives by the scum. There was also a freekick against gibbs for a dive by their player but otherwise you're right. It was good refereeing.

Indeed the scum were diving all day.
The yellow for Flamster was a bit soft, he clearly won the ball.

He dived in recklessly with both feet, about 2 foot off the ground, you can't do that, regardless of whether he won the ball or not.

We'd all be livid if some two bit chopper like Shawcross or Spearing did that against us, whether they got the ball or not.

It wasn't 'soft'. It was given for dangerous play, and he deserved it. You can't make a flying two-footed tackle three inches above the ground.

I know, fantastic wasn't it!?

Best thing he did all game to be fair.

Needs to aim a little higher next time. Matty is gonna love being back in the Prem.

Pity it wasn't Shawcross.

Pity he got the ball in that case!

So how does everyone feel about United's chances/Moyes in general at this point? To me, I don't think Fellaini is necessarily what they need, aside from the fact that they flat out lack quality in the midfield.

I'm also skeptical of Moyes' ability to operate with a large transfer budget. Despite having money to spend, all Moyes could do is bring in one of his own. Looking at the bigger picture, not all "good managers" are able to succeed at big clubs. At Everton, Moyes no doubt punched above his weight given his threadbare budget, but does he have what it takes to make use of a big budget? In balance, since this is his first summer at the club, he may just need time to adjust to the realities of managing Man United. Going by this window alone, to me it seems like he might be a bit timid for the weight of the job.

It's going to depend on the club.

In my opinion, Moyes has the ability to coach them to plenty of silverware if he's given a stable foundation and allowed to learn the club and surround himself with good specialists. At the moment it looks like they might go this season without a trophy.

The media will be all over them as cracks appear, as they have done with their transfer dealings this window. Everything that has happened with transfers at United suggests Moyes doesn't really understand the international player market too well, and the focus on chipping his former best assets out of Everton is a bit embarrassing - does he need continuity as a security blanket?

But a couple of solid wins and it will all be forgotten. The City match in three weeks will be a litmus test.

Personally I think United have thrown Moyes under the bus this summer. It was never going to be easy to replace Ferguson to begin with. The last thing he needed was this bullshit. Their transfer window was an utter organisational failure, which can be at least partly put down to the fact that Ferguson took half the backroom staff with him when he left. Contrary to popular belief Moyes has always spent a fair amount of money at Everton. I don't think he's rattled at all by having a few more millions to shop around with.

Replacing both a long-standing manager and chief exec at around the same time seems to have been a big mistake. Lesson for us in that.

jojojo wrote:

AS have the put the shortform version of the Bilbao/player end of the deal on the website.

http://futbol.as.com/futbol/2013/09/02/primera/1378132861_970112.html

The "impostors" were the lawyers who did the Martinez transfer for Munich. The player and United had been using them as mediators with Athletic.

On Sunday, Martinez thought the deal was dead. Then he got a call saying United were offering 30m + 6m bonuses. Athletic rejected the offer but the player asked his agent to tell United to pay the 6m from the salary already agreed with him. (And presumably to give him the +6m bonuses, if he earned them.)

United gave the deal the go ahead.

The lawyers trotted off to Liga HQ. The player was told we'd be in touch to arrange the medical.

The player sat at home waiting for his medical. The lawyers sat in a bar waiting for United to do the money transfer.

At 11pm United were briefing the press that the lawyers weren't authorised to offer money on their behalf.

I await United's version with interest. And at this moment, disgust.

Just read this on redcafe

Klaus wrote:

Personally I think United have thrown Moyes under the bus this summer. It was never going to be easy to replace Ferguson to begin with. The last thing he needed was this bullshit. Their transfer window was an utter organisational failure, which can be at least partly put down to the fact that Ferguson took half the backroom staff with him when he left. Contrary to popular belief Moyes has always spent a fair amount of money at Everton. I don't think he's rattled at all by having a few more millions to shop around with.

I heard Moyes wanted them out as he wanted his own people on board, probably didn't want to be seen as just carrying on Fergie's work with his staff and lay his own mark down on things. Not the wisest of decisions imo, he should of changed things slowly. Why change things if they are working?

Well, from what i've read Utd had a deal for Thiago lined up well before Bayern became interested, but Moyes pulled the plug cos he wanted to go after Cesc instead. In retrospect that seems to have been the fundamental flaw in their summer dealings.

Didn't Thiago say United never actually showed any interest?

Personally, it looks like United didn't want to spend. They'd have signed Fellaini and Baines without blinking in the past.

The Herrera story suggests otherwise. They were ready to sign him for 30m euros supposedly - don't think it was as an alternative to Fellaini either.

When all's said and done their squad will be just as good as last season anyway. No one of note left did they? About the only issue would be a few vets entering a phase of marked decline, like Ferdinand, possibly Evra, certainly Giggs.

Burnwinter wrote:

The Herrera story suggests otherwise. They were ready to sign him for 30m euros supposedly

They weren't, turns out the people negotiating with Bilbao were imposters

Latest reports I've seen suggest they were United people (well, contractors) but managed some incredibly incompetent miscommunication to fuck everything up.

Moyes has been left a hell of a job. This season is his best chance at doing something but it seems like transitioning him and a load of other backroom staff in hasn't worked out all that well. I get the feeling theres a pretty sour atmosphere around United now. I've never been sure on Fellaini either, I can see why they left him so late. I'd have taken him here but more out of desperation than admiration. Moyes needs to get Kagawa into his starting 11 and get him performing. All their best players are over 30 too, they'll need serious re-investment in the next year or 2. They kind of neat to go on bended knee and apologise to Rooney too if they want to keep him in the long term.