2013/14 Premier League

[AusKnightRKO]

Juan Mata is one of the top 3 players in the PL, how is that anywhere near wasting money

 

[Mong]

Mata went pretty well and set up their goal. Your call is a bit off the mark so far BM

 

[Mong]

Some nice "21st century defending" from the hammers last night..

I don't think the fat man is going to get tired of laughing at the sook mourinho for a while

 

[BunniesMan]

Juan Mata is one of the top 3 players in the PL, how is that anywhere near wasting money

Top 3 is an exaggeration (if we value keepers and defenders like we value attacking players). I'm not sure if he's even in the top 3 number 10's. Rooney and Ozil are ahead of him. Silva at his best is very close.

Mata is a great player, but 40 million spent on him is still a waste if you're going to play a 442 with Rooney as a number 10 and use predominantly longball tactics. It is absolute madness to play a number 10 on the wing. It is madness to spend 40 million on a player if you're not going to change your tactics to suit him and if you're going to play him out of position.

 

[Jason Maher]

I'll give you one thing BM, you're not afraid to go out on a limb. Mata will prove a bargain long term, of that I'm certain. He is the quality of player who will go well anywhere. Our previous record signing was Rio Ferdinand, a decade ago. Our last signings of his calibre were Ronaldo, Rooney, Vidic, and Van Der Sar, who formed the core of our most recent run of success. And of course Van Persie, who made the difference last season.

 

[BunniesMan]

I'll give you one thing BM, you're not afraid to go out on a limb. Mata will prove a bargain long term, of that I'm certain. He is the quality of player who will go well anywhere. Our previous record signing was Rio Ferdinand, a decade ago. Our last signings of his calibre were Ronaldo, Rooney, Vidic, and Van Der Sar, who formed the core of our most recent run of success. And of course Van Persie, who made the difference last season.

Long term? He could lead United back to contention. I'm not questioning his talent. But he'll only be great for United if and when Moyes is willing to change his formation and tactics. Does he have the vision/guts to do what doesn't come naturally?

I'd play Rooney and Mata next to each other behind RVP and I'd play real football, not the bloody longball rubbish that belongs with the midtable teams. Then get the right players around those big 3 and you'd have a team. But United is a long way off that at the moment.

That's where missing the top 4 becomes a major problem. Most big talents worth chasing will have a Champions League club after them. Will the allure of OT be enough to live through even just one year of Europa. And if you do miss the CL Rooney and RVP will be at least 30 and 32 next time you're there.

A lot of problems, that's why getting Mata firing 6 months or 12 months from now is pointless. Moyes must use him properly ASAP to make the CL.

 

[boxhead]

Top 3 is an exaggeration (if we value keepers and defenders like we value attacking players). I'm not sure if he's even in the top 3 number 10's. Rooney and Ozil are ahead of him. Silva at his best is very close.

Mata is a great player, but 40 million spent on him is still a waste if you're going to play a 442 with Rooney as a number 10 and use predominantly longball tactics. It is absolute madness to play a number 10 on the wing. It is madness to spend 40 million on a player if you're not going to change your tactics to suit him and if you're going to play him out of position.

You do realize Mata has consistently had the best stats of any number 10 in the EPL since he joined Chelsea?

He's pretty easily one of the top 3 players in the EPL. That was the case last season with Bale and RVP in form, and it is still the case now.

Trying to say Rooney is better than Mata as a number 10 is :lol:
Trying to say Mata isn't in the top three number 10s is :lol::lol:

The only one you can legitimately say is better than Mata is Ozil, but Mata still has the pedigree of the last couple seasons to his name. Silva had one better half a season.

Your second paragraph, on the other hand, makes sense.

 

[Tyrone Biggums]

I'll give you one thing BM, you're not afraid to go out on a limb. Mata will prove a bargain long term, of that I'm certain. He is the quality of player who will go well anywhere. Our previous record signing was Rio Ferdinand, a decade ago. Our last signings of his calibre were Ronaldo, Rooney, Vidic, and Van Der Sar, who formed the core of our most recent run of success. And of course Van Persie, who made the difference last season.

Berbatov was bud.

 

[Helmet Man]

And Fellaini will make the difference this season.

 

[Jimbo]

Citeh 0
Chelsea 1

And three more off the woodwork

Game on...

 

[Jack_Napier]

Thought you blokes did it pretty comfortably jimbo. The luiz-Matic DM combo was just boss. Hazard probably best on ground IMO, constant threat.

 

[Tyrone Biggums]

Great game. I thought Chelsea were unlucky to only win by 1 and Mourinho had his tactics spot on.

Matic was my motm easily. He was everywhere. Thought Hazard had a good game too.

 

[Tyrone Biggums]

City missed Aguero and Fernandinho big time.

That ponytailed gimp in midfield was absolute s**t.

 

[Jimbo]

Thought you blokes did it pretty comfortably jimbo. The luiz-Matic DM combo was just boss. Hazard probably best on ground IMO, constant threat.

The pre-game criticism over the team selection was amusing. I'm sure the more feeble-minded observers were begging Chelsea to park the bus so they could call Josè a hypocrite

As much as I could watch Hazard make people look silly all day, I was pretty happy when the fulltime whistle went...

 

[Jimbo]

Great game. I thought Chelsea were unlucky to only win by 1 and Mourinho had his tactics spot on.

Matic was my motm easily. He was everywhere. Thought Hazard had a good game too.

Matic has made a huge difference to the team

He and Luiz now give the back four very useful coverage, which allows the front four to get forward and do their thing

 

[Jimbo]

Citeh fans: "Jose Mourinho, your football is shite"

Chelsea fans: "Jose Mourinho, he's won more than you"

 

[Haffa]

City missed Aguero and Fernandinho big time.

That ponytailed gimp in midfield was absolute s**t.

They probably missed Fernandinho the most. Hazard mugged him Demichelis again and again. Puzzling that Pellegrini didn't opt for Milner or Rodwell

 

[Mong]

Geeze, what's up with Man City letting Chelsea score against them and ultimately beat them?

Even the bye did better than that against them :lol:

 

[Red Bear]

Good result for Chelsea.

Top three have really separated from the rest, which was probably going to happen anyway. Will be interesting to see how Arsenal go, have potential to implode with some difficult stretches of games coming up and injury concerns.

Liverpool best of the rest at present, but need to keep wining. Arsenal at home this weekend would be a nice start, although we generally got stuffed by them even when we were good so I'm not optimistic.

 

[Jimbo]

Arsenal at home this weekend would be a nice start, although we generally got stuffed by them even when we were good so I'm not optimistic.

I would like to be the first to wish you the very best of luck...