What i think saf should do is mould big jones into a def midfield get a left back a kagawa or hazzard in midfield or both if possible and finally a good striker after owen and berbs are out anderson should be tested 4 another year

According to transfermarkt.co.uk recent sales:

John O'Shea Sunderland 3.960.000 £
Gabriel Obertan Newcastle 2.992.000 £
Mame Diouf Hannover 96 1.584.000 £
Wes Brown Sunderland 1.320.000 £
Ravel Morrison West Ham 690.800 £
Darron Gibson Everton 528.000 £

If you want value in the market here it is! Internationals who've won multiple league titles and played in the UEFACL for discount prices!

I thought the fee for oshea was 2m, brown 1m and gibson 500k

FWIW, I think we have missed O'Shea. Even for such an average player, he is a far better defender than any of our full-backs (with the exception of Smalling who can play at right back but is a centre back) and that's a depressing thought in itself. An appalling error of judgment by the manager.

Fergies losing his strangle hold, Fergie will step down this summer etc…

sheesh said:
Here's something I don't understand. We sold John O'Shea, a player who could play right back, left back and centre midfield (in an absolute crisis scenario) to Sunderland for an undisclosed fee (although £4.5 million is the figure stated on transferleague.co.uk). In the same transfer window, we signed Phil Jones for £17 million.

We played Jones as a right back today and the crowd were getting pissed off because he cannot cross the ball.

As much as the Glazers are scummy bastards, can someone explain to me what Fergie was thinking?

Surely you keep the more experienced O'Shea and use the £17 million either for a specialist defender or midfielder? Nobody can convince me that Jones is a better utility man (if that's what we signed him for) than O'Shea. If he's not a utility man, why are we playing Jones in every position bar goalkeeper and centre forward? It's this sort of thing which makes me question the manager.

<img src="http://www.unitedrant.co.uk/forum/my-plugins/bb-smilies/default/icon_biggrin.gif" title=":D" class="bb_smilies" />

Phil Jones will be top class centre half. The Pile made a move for him last summer, which probably forced Fergie’s hand on the issue. Perhaps Fergie feels he is not ready to play centre half yet due to a lack of experience, so he’s letting him get some experience at right back where he might get away with more.
I thought Jones looked immense early in the season. He faltered a bit after Christmas, possibly because he is only 19, and when the reality of playing at a huge club like United kicked in. He’ll be a legend in years to come.
As for Sheasy, I was sorry to see him go. He’s a great squad player for all the reasons you mentioned.

kramer said:
completely agree. i'm getting the o'shea vibe from jones as well. the kid is clearly talented, and he needs to be allowed to develop in his best position - centre back. it hurts my brain when i try to understand the idea of leaving out a proper right back, and playing a centre back out of position, but fergie's been pulling this shit for years.

also completely agree about crosses from the wing being our ONLY attacking option. its like watching a slightly more refined version of stoke. today at least carrick was pushing on and trying to create something from the middle, and cleverley is naturally good at that. didn't help that rooney was shit and hernandez couldn't finish to save his life.

gah, its been a good attempt at a title challenge considering how far behind city we were earlier this season, but seeing us drop an 8 point lead with 6 games to go is a kick in the balls.

It's great to have such talented wingers like Valencia, Nani and AY. But when that option doesn't work we don't seem to have a plan B. We are lacking that world class playmaker in central MF who an open up defences with runs or passes or that powerful leader who can dominate possession and dictate play. To be honest, we really, really need to find and sign those 2 players this summer. But are they available and do we have the funds? I think we know the answer.

sheesh said:
Here's something I don't understand. We sold John O'Shea, a player who could play right back, left back and centre midfield (in an absolute crisis scenario) to Sunderland for an undisclosed fee (although £4.5 million is the figure stated on transferleague.co.uk). In the same transfer window, we signed Phil Jones for £17 million.

We played Jones as a right back today and the crowd were getting pissed off because he cannot cross the ball.

As much as the Glazers are scummy bastards, can someone explain to me what Fergie was thinking?

Surely you keep the more experienced O'Shea and use the £17 million either for a specialist defender or midfielder? Nobody can convince me that Jones is a better utility man (if that's what we signed him for) than O'Shea. If he's not a utility man, why are we playing Jones in every position bar goalkeeper and centre forward? It's this sort of thing which makes me question the manager.

completely agree. i'm getting the o'shea vibe from jones as well. the kid is clearly talented, and he needs to be allowed to develop in his best position - centre back. it hurts my brain when i try to understand the idea of leaving out a proper right back, and playing a centre back out of position, but fergie's been pulling this shit for years.

also completely agree about crosses from the wing being our ONLY attacking option. its like watching a slightly more refined version of stoke. today at least carrick was pushing on and trying to create something from the middle, and cleverley is naturally good at that. didn't help that rooney was shit and hernandez couldn't finish to save his life.

gah, its been a good attempt at a title challenge considering how far behind city we were earlier this season, but seeing us drop an 8 point lead with 6 games to go is a kick in the balls.

Yep couldn’t agree more. We have not spent well imo and SAF seems to have lost it at times with the team selection. Havign said that, we’re still tied with billionaire City at the top of the league.

Here's something I don't understand. We sold John O'Shea, a player who could play right back, left back and centre midfield (in an absolute crisis scenario) to Sunderland for an undisclosed fee (although £4.5 million is the figure stated on transferleague.co.uk). In the same transfer window, we signed Phil Jones for £17 million.

We played Jones as a right back today and the crowd were getting pissed off because he cannot cross the ball.

As much as the Glazers are scummy bastards, can someone explain to me what Fergie was thinking?

Surely you keep the more experienced O'Shea and use the £17 million either for a specialist defender or midfielder? Nobody can convince me that Jones is a better utility man (if that's what we signed him for) than O'Shea. If he's not a utility man, why are we playing Jones in every position bar goalkeeper and centre forward? It's this sort of thing which makes me question the manager.

Commenter said:
Dear me, a lot of you reds have been spoiled by Fergie!
Now that the league is over, lets just accept the fact that City have been head and shoulders above us. We can’t win the league every year, and lets not pretend like the scousers that we have a divine right to win it every year.

It’s a bloody miracle we’re anywhere near City. And by miracle, I mean Fergie. Of course the African Cup of Nations helped too, when Toure buggered off after Christmas and The Bitters stumbled.

Fergie will be well aware of our shortcomings, and he’ll fix them if he has the resources. If he doesn’t have the resources, well lets just hope that we have a fully fit squad for 100% of next season!!

Yep...

However... if we don't spend some proper money this year, bringing in proper talent to address our obvious weaknesses... and Ferguson still comes out with the same old bullshit, to defend the Glazers reluctance to support the team... then he can fuck off as well... because I've had enough.

I can take losing to the better team... and I've got the necessary patience to ride out periods of transition... but the football we've been playing because Ferguson has to find ways of getting results with a team of sub-United standard players is frustrating enough... but knowing the cause of our inability to compete financially, is down to the Glazers pissing away our profits year after year, is making me sick of the whole fuckin football experience...

Dear me, a lot of you reds have been spoiled by Fergie!
Now that the league is over, lets just accept the fact that City have been head and shoulders above us. We can’t win the league every year, and lets not pretend like the scousers that we have a divine right to win it every year.

It’s a bloody miracle we’re anywhere near City. And by miracle, I mean Fergie. Of course the African Cup of Nations helped too, when Toure buggered off after Christmas and The Bitters stumbled.

Fergie will be well aware of our shortcomings, and he’ll fix them if he has the resources. If he doesn’t have the resources, well lets just hope that we have a fully fit squad for 100% of next season!!

Old school.

I have to say Scholesys goal today was utter awesomeness what a fucking legend no celebration just flicked it in and get on with it.

uncleknobheadforfucksake said:
our football is shite, we have zero ideas other than crosses

Even worse than that, nearly all of our crosses come from the right side because we've no proper left-winger. We're so fucking predictable as a side it's depressing.

uncleknobheadforfucksake said:
our football is shite, we have zero ideas other than crosses

We put in 50 crosses today, most of them aimless hoofs

I can see why we're in for a playmaker like Kagawa

On the contrary, QPR winning and Bolton dropping 2 points today means that QPR can go to the Etihad safe in the knowledge that even if they get spanked 6-0 (which they will) they will still be safe because the chances of Bolton winning at Stoke are virtually ZERO.

Spot on.

well its a bit too late even for him i guess
no creativity with the team we had on the pitch in most of the games this season and yet our most technically gifted player was left to rot on the sidelines
absolute travesty - how much worse could he have been playing in the middle than jones or fat fuckwit anderson?
SAF really got that fucked up big time

talking about cycles, looks like our cycle is exactly 8 years long.
Do you see the pattern?

1999-title-2007
2000-title-2008
2001-title-2009
2002-no-2010
2003-title-2011
2004-no-2012 (?)
2005-no
2006-no

2004-2006 period was Chelsea dominance, and it took Ronnie's genius to interrupt it.
Looks like we might face a couple of Citeh years.

But this time even SAF is calm and seems to accept it.
Did SAF finally decide to go?

he put clev through late in the game for a chance that's showed the two things we've lacked, cm runners and attacking creativity

well I've already said I agree berbashite shouldve played more against the riff raff, today and the home wins v fulham and qpr weren't good enough

uncleknobheadforfucksake said:
our football is shite, we have zero ideas other than crosses

if its ideas we lacked this season, we should have tried playing berba in midfield - its not as crazy as it sounds and i have advocated that idea a few months ago only to be slagged off

SAF bigging up hughesy post match for next weekend
tbh he doesn't look at all pissed off and looks in a good mood - maybe he knows something we don't

our football is shite, we have zero ideas other than crosses

lol @ WUM. For saying what exactly?

I guess I’m so good I wound you up without even trying.

uncleknobheadforfucksake said:
rooneys not happy

Probably down to his shite recent form..... Or he's noticed his hair transplant was a waste of 10K!

Unfortunately Ferguson has been talking about ‘youth’ again.

I agree to an extent – the 3 RIGHT players this summer and we will be joint favourites for the title next season.
People have forgotten the quality of football we played at the start of this season. The ingredients are already here, but Ferguson needs to make sure it’s not a recipe for a Shit Sandwich.

Gk – sorted
RB – sorted
LB – SIGNING 1
CB – sorted
LW – sorted
RW – sorted
DM – SIGNING 2
AM – SIGNING 3
ST – sorted

that’s what we need in my opinion, as long as Vidic is still a beast. No need for a Galactico overhaul, just more potency in midfield and cover / replacement for Evra.

If we bring in 3 players in the summer I’d be delighted provided they are the right three. 3 midfield players and its all good again. As for some of the plastics on here, hang your heads in shame. I’m sure Damned United is a WUM. 4 league titles in 5 years and potentially only losing the title on goal difference this year to a club with limitless funds and a half a billion spending spree. I appreciate we have thrown this title away and thats frustrating but the absolute crap people are spouting on here is ridiculous. You can hark on about tactical selections all day long bottom line the players sent out at Wigan and Everton should have won. Thats were the league was lost. End of. Hopefully we will remain injury free for most of the season one year. My only concern with United is the FUCKING GLAZERS! Thats are only clear definable problem. Fuck City they are as likely to dominate long term as Chelsea are. Takes more than money, We will compete and win it back providing we get 3 class players next season.