2015/2016 Barclays Premier League Thread

[M*A*S*H 4077]

That is fantastic news!

[White Out 403]

Sterling and Roberts are just what I wanted city to acquire: blue chip youth players. They have fabulous futures as far as I'm concerned.

[devo22]

Di Maria to PSG is looking imminent. He was supposed to join United on their tour today but van Gaal said he didn't do so and he doesn't know why.

Louis van Gaal has revealed Angel Di Maria has NOT linked up with Manchester United's tour squad.

The winger was expected to arrive in the United States after the game against Barcelona. But the United manager said after the 3-1 win at Levi's Stadium that Di Maria did not get on the flight. Marcos Rojo also missed the flight because of what Van Gaal called 'passport issues'.

Di Maria has been heavily linked with a move to Paris Saint-Germain and Van Gaal admitted he did not know why the 27-year-old had not got on the plane. There are reports in France United have already agreed a fee with PSG and that Di Maria is set to undergo a medical in New York on Monday.

He said: "I have heard he was not on the plane. Marcos Rojo also did not get on the plane. He had a passport issue but with Di Maria I don't know why."

http://www.manchestereveningnews.co....-maria-9729620

James Ducker ‏@DuckerTheTimes
Regardless of whether a move to PSG is imminent, if your employer tells you to get on a plane you get on a plane. Abysmal not to do. That applies all the more when you're in such a public profession, paid £230k a week and your club has bent over backwards for you #mufc #dimaria

Oh well. Too bad it didn't work out but I can't say I'll miss him too much. Started well last fall, but then it all fell apart somehow and he couldn't even get close to win a regular spot in the team in the second half of the season ... you know it's pretty bad if you have no chance to beat out Ashley Young. I think it's become apparent that he never wanted to join United in the first place and the fact that he runs off to Paris at the first chance pretty much confirms that. United are rumoured to get around £45m from Paris - that's around £15m less than they paid last year ... obviously because of his season, but also because of the weak Euro.

[d_phaneuf]

I know LVG has a reputation but I don't think this kind of stuff would have been happening if SAF was still around

[Nuje]

Originally Posted by diane_phaneuf

I know LVG has a reputation but I don't think this kind of stuff would have been happening if SAF was still around

Because Carlos Tevez never existed to begin with.

[Bagor]

Originally Posted by Nuje

Because Carlos Tevez never existed to begin with.

Care to elaborate on that random train of thought?

[Nuje]

Originally Posted by Bagor

Care to elaborate on that random train of thought?

It's a reach I know. But the thought that Ferguson was some perfect infallible being is ridiculous. Don't get me wrong, he is one of the best managers of all time, and it pains me to type it. However, it's absurd to say that he would make no mistake. Van Gaal has a controversial record, but he's managed big teams before.

[d_phaneuf]

I meant the stuff with DDG and especially Di Maria this summer

SAF had malcontents under him but I would say the two biggest were special cases

Tevez has had issues with basically every club he has been at and his national team, and then Roy Keane was Roy Keane...

[devo22]

I'm probably one of the biggest SAF fans you can find, but let's not pretend that he was perfect. In fact he fell out with a number of star players ... all you need is a goalkeeper and you can even field a "Fergie Fallout XI":

[Bagor]

Originally Posted by devo22

I'm probably one of the biggest SAF fans you can find, but let's not pretend that he was perfect. In fact he fell out with a number of star players ... all you need is a goalkeeper and you can even field a "Fergie Fallout XI":

Off the top of my head

McGrath he got rid off because he was part of the drinking culture Fergie inherited.
Stam - Many theories. That's probably the only one that I still didn't really like. Always found it a bit suspicious though that he failed a medical shortly after.
Heinze - I can't remember
Kanchelskis - Not as much him but right to get rid of him simply to cut ties with that bags of money agent. He could have killed SAF's career.
Keane - Self explanatory. Had to go.
Ince - Same. Like who gives themselves the nickname, The Guvnor. Too bigheaded and had to go.
Rooney - Exception to the rule. But at the end of the day he stayed.
Beckham - SAF felt his celebrity status and marketing was becoming a distraction
Above two speak highly of his influence as a manager and father figure.
van Nistelrooy - past his sell by date.
Tevez - Did they fall out?

The difference for me is that SAF was more of a man manger than van Gaal will ever be. Ruthless as he was I would have thought he would have been more understanding and hands on in the handling of Di Maria's domestic situation (pure speculation).

You only have to look at what Giggs, Beckham, Scholes, Ronaldo, Rooney say about his influence to get a sense of his man management. What he was good at was taking talent and creating superstars.
What van Gaal is showing so far is an ability to stifle talent.

Just my thoughts

[d_phaneuf]

for Ince, I think Fergie was just threatened by his tactical genius, and didn't want to be overshadowed

[devo22]

Originally Posted by Bagor

Heinze - I can't remember

Rooney - Exception to the rule. But at the end of the day he stayed.

van Nistelrooy - past his sell by date.

Tevez - Did they fall out?

Heinze was pissed that SAF prefered Evra at left back and wanted to force a move to Liverpool. The case actually ended up at court because United refused to sell to Liverpool. They won the case and Heinze was sold to Real.

Rooney wouldn't have stayed if SAF didn't step down.

van Nistelrooy tried to force a transfer to Real for a couple years and was a locker room cancer at the end

And Tevez was simply a prick, period. Also there was THIS

Originally Posted by Bagor

The difference for me is that SAF was more of a man manger than van Gaal will ever be. Ruthless as he was I would have thought he would have been more understanding and hands on in the handling of Di Maria's domestic situation (pure speculation).

You only have to look at what Giggs, Beckham, Scholes, Ronaldo, Rooney say about his influence to get a sense of his man management. What he was good at was taking talent and creating superstars.
What van Gaal is showing so far is an ability to stifle talent.

fully agree with that assessment.

[devo22]

City is torn apart by Stuttgart at the moment (0-4 at halftime), that defense looks absolutely shambolic

[Bagor]

Originally Posted by devo22

Also there was THIS

Totally forgot about that.

I suppose the take home message for Utd show be steer well clear of Argies. They just don't work at OT.

[Nuje]

All I was really saying is that no manager is perfect. Dick move by Tevez though, wow. I hadn't heard of that.

[devo22]

United is set to replace di Maria with Pedro from Barcelona. Fee around 18m pounds which could rise to 22.5m pounds through incentives.

Absolutely love Woodwards business this summer, he's grown leaps and bounds in his job over the last two years.

[d_phaneuf]

handshake drama!

season is ready to begin

[d_phaneuf]

Originally Posted by devo22

United is set to replace di Maria with Pedro from Barcelona. Fee around 18m pounds which could rise to 22.5m pounds through incentives.

Absolutely love Woodwards business this summer, he's grown leaps and bounds in his job over the last two years.

I think it's a bit easier to buy with LVG vs Moyes as manager

Depay and Schweiny definitely are due to LVG I would think

[cam_wmh]

Originally Posted by diane_phaneuf

handshake drama!

???

[d_phaneuf]

Originally Posted by cam_wmh

???

at the community shield