Your Ideal United Side?

The August/September ruthlessness in the United attacking line may have eluded them in recent weeks but the ability to grind out results is still ever-present in the current United crop. With new faces such as Jones, Young and De Gea; the squad is still in the rebuilding process so, what would take it from ‘rebuilding to complete.’ Firstly, what is our best eleven? Some will disagree with this but here is mine:

De Gea
Smalling – Rio – Vidic – Evra
Nani – Carrick – Cleverley – Young
Rooney – Hernandez

As you can see from the team above, there is just something missing. The central midfield is lacking that bite and aggression. The creativity is obviously there (remember when we used to score eight?) but after Young’s injury, his performances have been slowly dwindling. The front two are in my eyes the best partnership in the league with Rooney leading the line. Vidic and Rio on their day are just unbeatable which leaves Jones subsequently on the bench. Smalling in my eyes is a top right-back and with his pace, he can deal with most, if not all wingers in that department.

 If you were to start the season again, what would be your ideal side? Looking at the team, I wouldn’t change much and in the upcoming January transfer window, I’d probably only buy one player but as Fergie has already indicated, there is just no point. Would you rather wait until the summer to buy someone that can really change things or buy someone who just isn’t good enough in January?

Sticking with 4-4-2 just to compare with the other side, here is my ‘Ideal United Side:’

Goalkeeper

David de Gea is a young keeper with plenty of potential and the stats show he is one of the best in the league. Even with the media firmly thinking David is a potential flop, his recent performances have been exceptional. The only down point in David’s game is his aerial ability with him fumbling 60% of aerial balls. David’s reflexes and shot-stopping abilities are top-notch and many United fans are excited about the Spaniard. David is certainly a 21^st century keeper with his distribution winning plenty of plaudits. David’s tactical instincts and terrific range of passing is a fantastic asset to have; it’ll only be a matter of time before David contributes in terms of assists.

Full Backs

Both Chris Smalling and Patrice Evra are already first-team choices at United and with Rafael spending more time in the physio’s room than on the pitch, I can’t see anyone replacing Smalling. Evra has been part of the United back four since his arrival in ’06 and with nearly 200 appearances under his belt; Evra has been acclaimed as one of the best left-backs in the world. Smalling, arriving last season from Fulham, has taken every opportunity with both hands and has now been one of United’s most consistent performers. Even without much experience, Smalling has taken to Premier League football like a duck to water and he certainly doesn’t need replacing.

Centre Backs

Ferdinand and Vidic, a centre back partnership that has played a big part in the countless trophies United have won in recent years. Both with vast club and international experience, the partnership has taken a knock this season with both picking up injuries along the way. The constant switch in the centre-back partnership this year has been a question mark with United conceding a few more goals than expected but when both Rio and Vidic feature, they solidify the nature of the team which then allows the attacking emphasis of the side to shine through. Vidic, who arguably is the best centre back in the world, would fit in any side whereas Rio has lost a yard of pace through the constant injuries but Phil Jones aka God wouldn’t be a bad replacement.

Wingers

So here is the first change to the side but then again, who wouldn’t want to see the return of Ronaldo? Cristiano Ronaldo is still one of the best players in the world at this current time and his Portuguese counterpart in Nani just edges Ashley Young due to his much larger contribution. Ronaldo, who has had plenty of Premier League experience with United, would just walk back into the side and like Nani could play either on the right or the left. Sadly, this’ll probably never happen but you can always dream right?

Central Midfield

Two obscure choices I know but I wanted Premier League experience running through the side. The tenacious Cheik Tiote would help out the two centre backs and then let the attacking players play in front of him. Even though he is more likely to miss several games per season through suspension, Tiote is a fantastic player and I’d like to see him in a United shirt soon just simply because of his no-nonsense style of play.

Now, I know David Silva plays for Manchester City but can you remember back in ’08 when we were heavily linked with the Spaniard? What a signing he would have been. His ability to pick out the striker, his close control and he even puts a corner past the first man. Now at City, David is their focal point and without him, City’s title chances will be significantly slimmer. Silva is certainly out of question but Tiote would be a realistic acquisition and for me he’d be ideal. The central midfield is certainly an area that will be addressed but from what I’ve seen from Cleverley, he can certainly do a great job and as I’ve always been an admirer of Michael Carrick, I’m not too fussed if we don’t see a signing this winter.

Strikers

What would be the point in stopping this formidable partnership? Already with 18 goals between them this season (even with Hernandez missing several games through injury) it is obvious that these two clearly like playing alongside each other. Rooney, who likes to drop deep, can add an extra body in midfield and in the current side he is certainly is the focal point. Hernandez, who likes to play on the shoulder, is a defenders worst nightmare. With the pace from both wings, Hernandez’s pace and constant movement is too much to handle for defenders. I don’t see a problem with the strikers; I just think it is a matter of time before United start scoring for fun. With Berbatov and Owen picking up injuries as well as Macheda and Diouf obviously not good enough to step up to the first team, maybe one should be brought in but again it is down to if the right player is available.

That ‘ideal side’ would certainly win the league in my eyes and it would be great to know what your ideal side would be. (I’m pretty confident Tiote won’t feature.)

Thanks for reading,

Brad.





Ravel Morrison - The Enigma

Darren Ambrose’s stunning second-half strike in mid-week deservedly won the game in a historic 2-1 win for Crystal Palace. Manchester United fans found themselves hunting for positives and apart from the composed, ever improving Chris Smalling, many found Ravel Morrison’s performance a particular stand out point. His instant control, the ability to pick out a pass and his surprisingly mature approach especially with the franticity of experienced folk around him certainly made me think twice about Ravel.

I’ve never doubted the boys talent but it doesn’t matter. Even if you’re the greatest ever player, you won’t get far without ‘a lack of attitude’ and a fantastic work-ethic. One of the main things that surprised me was how easy Ravel looked on the ball; it was like his off the field problems were completely off his mind.

I don’t want to hype the kid more than the next fan but he really has the potential to go far. With some better movement in front of him (ever heard of movement Mama Diouf?) Ravel could have had a much bigger part to play in the game and I wouldn’t have put it past him to claim an assist or two. Looking at this season, could Ravel be the missing link? With Tom Cleverley out until after Christmas, I’d certainly give Ravel a chance. We could either play a 4-4-1-1 with Ravel just behind Hernandez with Rooney dropping back to central midfield. An alternative could also be a 4-1-2-1-2 with Ravel playing in the 1 behind the two strikers.

This is all too soon in reality but he deserves a chance. The FA Cup 3^rd round could be a chance depending on the draw and if the injuries keep picking up like they’re, don’t put it past Fergie to give Ravel a possible chance on the subs bench. Ravel certainly is no angel and everyone that’ll read this will know the problems that Ravel has to deal with. Because of this, I don’t want this to be a negative article on Ravel, look at the talent not the trauma that surrounds him.

In conclusion the talent is certainly there but maybe it is too soon for Ravel to take over the world. I’m going to predict that Ravel will play the rest of the year in the reserves and then next year see how things develop. Will United risk letting him out on loan? Maybe it’ll be a good thing to take him away from his surroundings. There are some unanswered questions about Ravel Morrison but I don’t want them answering, I just want him to play like we all know he can.

Thanks for reading,

Brad.

Michael Carrick: Simple but Effective

Since joining twitter last summer, one of the main things that have struck me from United fans is the split opinion on Michael Carrick. Apart from the odd “Where is Ravel Morrison” tweet, Michael Carrick always seems to spark debate with many obviously not being fans of his ‘simple but effective’ style.

Before I mean to go on, I am a Carrick fan. Back in the ’08 season I even had Carrick on the back of my shirt and I’ve always admired his composure on the ball and the ability to pick a short pass rather than the Scholesy sixty yard switch. I’ve always been someone that doesn’t go down the mainstream route of adoring Rooney/Ronaldo which is probably the reason why I support the lesser known players such as Carrick, Gabriel Obertan and even Kiko Macheda.

Carrick for me is a deep lying playmaker (sorry for the Football Manager terminology) that can pick a pass and can keep the move flowing, his ability to not be forced into playing the Hollywood ball I find an asset that some don’t admire. Now 30, this for Carrick isn’t a major issue due to his play style; he has started to gain some plaudits and in particularly from Sir Alex Ferguson who described Michael as “outstanding” after his in my opinion, man of the match performance against Swansea where Michael completed 92/96 passes.

Carrick is someone that also hasn’t been recognised in terms of International level with Michael collecting just twenty-two caps due to Gerrard and Lampard’s dominance which is odd because Carrick against European opposition is excellent. In a European game you normally end up with more time on the ball, something that suites Michael down to the ground. In the Premier League you’re hassled and are hunted in packs which could be a reason why Michael has started a large majority of Champions League games since his arrival.

One thing Michael lacks is aggression but in my view that could be solved with the people around him. Many suggest Michael passes just back-wards and side-wards, well; Michael has played 2.6x more forward passes than backwards + sideways combined. With that in mind, with a more tenacious midfielder beside him, Carrick could easily do the ‘Modric style’ job but from a deeper position/

Michael certainly isn’t any Iniesta or Xavi but I still think he has a place in the England team and certainly a place in the United team for years to come. His experience is invaluable for the likes of Cleverley and Pogba and his tactical knowledge is far superior to other members in the squad. Hopefully this hasn’t come across as a love letter to Michael Carrick but I do feel a little bit of recognition is in order.

Thanks for reading,

TFL.

Gabriel Obertan - Now on Tyneside

Admittedly my guilty pleasure within football, Gabriel Obertan’s move to Newcastle United has certainly given Gabby a platform for first team football but his raw talent was never enough to establish a first team place at Manchester United. Under new Newcastle manager Alan Pardew, Gabriel has established a first team place with fellow Frenchmen Hatem Ben Arfa now in a slightly more central role to accommodate Gabby.

His £3 million move to Tyneside was a shock for some United fans with many feeling a loan move being far more beneficial. Manchester United fans would probably struggle to think of many memories of Obertan’s short stay but for me, the goal against Bursaspor and the brief cameo against Wolfsburg typifies what Obertan can offer. His lighting pace and direct style is a threat for any full back (just ask Patrice Evra who struggled against him on Saturday.) One thing lacking from Obertan’s play is a final product, but saying that, his delivery for Demba Ba’s goal against Stoke showed that Obertan is clearly working on his game with Obertan earning some plaudits for a pleasant change. Another criticism has been Obertan’s balance, even I can’t figure why Obertan seems to spend a lot of time on his arse after running 30 metres.

Back in August I wrote a piece on Gabby and I wanted to outline some quotes that may now come slightly more applicable. I described Gabby as a “raw talent that needs fine tuning” which I certainly stand by today; his game is obviously improving as in a course of three months he has played thirteen times for Newcastle (including a nasty toe infection which left Gabby absent for several weeks) whereas in his two-year spell at Manchester United, he played just twenty-eight times which was mostly against measly opposition in the League Cup or on tour in places such as America where Gabby excelled at times.

Making his debut against Arsenal back in August, Obertan has since become a first team regular under Pardew’s new French revolution at the Sports Direct Arena. Already describing Newcastle as a “big club “when he joined, the fans haven’t got fully behind Gabby like others but when I heard a Gabriel Obertan song busted out against Stoke City, it was a proud moment for my ‘guilty pleasure.’ I must say, in all times I’ve sprung up a conversation on Obertan, he is always described as “that clown with a big head” so it is nice to see that the Newcastle fans are showing some passion towards him.

In the next few months it is paramount for Obertan to get a good run of games as he seems a player that thrives on confidence, only last week he said “confidence was quite high at the moment” a possible reason for a string of good performances? I’m not going to sit here and say Obertan has set the world on fire with Messi esque performances but it seems now he is contributing to the team and it is only a matter of time before Obertan gets his first goal for the club. Lets all hope it comes this weekend against Chelsea where Gabriel will really fancy himself against a ragged back-four with a home crowd roaring him and the rest of the Newcastle lads on.  

Thanks for reading,

 TFL

Frustrating.

Frustrating, the perfect word to describe Manchester United’s recent performances. The 1-1 draw to Newcastle earlier this afternoon outlined several issues that need to be addressed if there is any chance that United can win the league. Four points behind ‘noisy neighbours’ turned serious title challengers Manchester City, United’s free flowing game has taken a battering ironically after the 6-1 drubbing to City.

Since then, United have reacted well, especially defensively.  Since that game in late October, United have conceded just three in seven games (and one of them was a penalty I won’t get into.) This has mainly been down to the return of Nemanja Vidic who has certainly solidified the back four. A problem being is who will be the main centre back partnership? Having statistically the best goalkeeper in the league in David de Gea, the constant switch in the partnership in front of him is a leading factor into some shaky defensive performances. Saying that, when Vidic plays, United look at ease.

A major pitfall (according to many fans I hear the brunt of in the twitter world) is the lack of midfield authority. It isn’t like United don’t have creativity, only this afternoon United had 29! efforts on goal. I personally think we don’t need a Modric style player (even though I’d happily take Gotze) I think United need a midfield enforcer, someone who can break the play up with a bit of bite in midfield. This would free up the likes of Tom Cleverley and Michael Carrick who can disperse the ball out wide into Nani and Young who overall this season have looked threatening.

Many names have been chucked around but for me it would have to be Cheick Tiote from Newcastle. Even though small in frame, his tenacious style has certainly caught the eye. A possible problem is Tiote’s inability to stay out of the referee’s notebook. Collecting 14 yellow cards last season, Tiote is someone who doesn’t fuck about when it comes to challenges. Another problem will be Tiote probably won’t sign in January with the African Cup of Nations starting on the 21^st of January. Some positives? Tiote has openly admitted that he wants Champions League football and his price tag/wage demands wouldn’t be Sneijder esque.

As well as a new midfielder, a tinker into the back four is needed. Referring back to this afternoon, Gabriel Obertan gave Patrice Evra a run-around. Describing Evra as a “liability” earlier today, I certainly stand by that. Patrice on form can be the best left-back in the world but the thirty year old Frenchman hasn’t had the best of seasons. The modern day winger seems to be much more direct than in recent years, something Patrice can struggle with. Patrice’s pace is certainly a strength but recently he seems to have lost a yard (or maybe the wingers have just got equally as fast) meaning his positioning has to be spot on. Patrice is a typical modern full-back with arguably a more attacking emphasis to his play. Because of this, his positioning isn’t the greatest, normally leading to a winger launching themselves down the by-line, whipping in a half-decent cross which Vidic deals with. That doesn’t sound a massive travesty but he is the weak link in the current United side, not the central midfield.

Fabio can certainly fill the left-back role but isn’t that just like for like? I’d like to see a slightly more defensively minded full back. Someone who can still deal with a pacey winger but someone who can stay in position and not get caught ball watching. Left-back is a position that isn’t exactly filled with much talent but I’d like to see Fryers given a go. Fryers has impressed me in his few appearances and also, he can fill in at centre-back if called upon.

  

Sir Alex has already instigated that they’ll be no signings this January and I fully expect that to be the case. A positive to take out of the first few months of the season is that we are within touching distance with the strongest part of the season still to come. Also, City now have a tough few games what’ll be a massive test for the newcomers in terms of title ‘winners.’ We certainly have the squad to win the Premier League but we do need City to slip up, which will happen. They won’t go the season unbeaten (famous last words.) United certainly have the ability to retain the title but with this new lack of ruthlessness in front of goal and a knack of picking up injuries when things are going well, it’ll be slightly more difficult than what we all thought in mid September. If recent performances are to go by, United still can grind out results. Can City win when their backs are against the wall? We’ll find out by May.

Thanks for reading,

TFL.

Euro 2012: Qualified but Mentally Defeated

After securing qualification in a heated Montenegro last week, you’d think us England fans would be delighted. Wayne Rooney again took the headlines from a spirited first-half performance. His petulance and quite frankly immaturity were all to be seen, but the signs were they’re beforehand Fabio, weren’t they?

The sudden reality of losing our star player as well as seeing the opponents in front of us have given England a reality check. The days of expecting to win every game and whitewash the opposition is no more. I think the best club comparison is Newcastle. The fans are fantastic; the players have ability but can’t produce on the big stage. The expectation is huge but with no chemistry, they can’t deliever.

Moving on from a dreary introduction, how can we line-up without the talisman that is Wayne Rooney? Is a quarter-final penalty shootout heartbreak a success story this time? Time will tell. Building for Rio 2014 should also be prominent in Fabio’s mind. What better time to introduce the likes of Cleverley, Jones, Wilshere and Smalling into tournament football.

Starting off with the goalkeeper, is there anyone else than Joe Hart? I wouldn’t say Joe is a great keeper, I’d say he is very over-rated but in terms of England goalkeepers, he has the potential to be one of the best ever. I’m sure David Stockdale will get his annual England call-up for a holiday abroad and hopefully Ben Foster will renter the England fray.

Moving onto right-back where competition is stiff. A Manchester United legend in Gary Neville used to patrol the right-back slot and safe to say another United player will take over. Chris Smalling and Phil Jones are both firm favourites to take over. Personally. I’d love to see Micah Richards get the place and move both Smalling and Jones into the central defence. (This is mainly due to my personal grudge over John Terry. Sorry John, but I think you and Rio have now past it on the international scene.)

Two positions done, 9 to go. Like the goalkeeper, the left-back role is dominated by one player. With over 90 caps with England, Ashley is one of the few “experienced” players that could last another tournament or two. If injured, the next best bet will be fellow international Leighton Baines. Interestingly enough, I’d like to see how Kyle Walker would get on at left-back as I don’t think he’ll make the cut at his preferred right-back.

 Now the centre-backs. Previously I’ve already stated my desire for Smalling and Jones to dictate them roles. Fabio may stay with Cahill and Terry but Montenegro did expose the vulnerability of the defence. In times like this, we need a leader. Can anyone still respect John Terry after his past? Saying that, can a 19 year old lad from Blackburn gain the respect? In my opinion, I’d give the captaincy to one of the two defensive midfielders in this 4-2-3-1 formation.

My captain would be the unsung hero in Scott Parker. Playing on the right of the two defensive midfielders, Scott has the ability and the attitude to lead the team to Poland/Ukraine. I’d play him alongside Wilshere (if fit.) If Wilshere is still having injury problems, Gareth Barry can always fill in after some consistent performances this year. Another name that could make it is Owen Hargreaves; depending on appearances and like Jack, can he keep fit?


On the right of the three would for me be Adam Johnson. AJ doesn’t seem to fit with the Fabio regime. Capello prefers Downing as his left-footed winger. Theo Walcott also starts games on the right but we’ll get to him later. A problem with AJ is that he won’t play week in week out for Manchester City. An England international really wants to be playing most weeks if not, every week of the season.

The central role is for the forgotten man; Steven Gerrard. Returning to action against Brighton, the road to full recovery for Steve is nearly complete. We will get a better understanding on where Steve is against Man United this weekend. As well as Steve, we also have another experienced pro in Frank Lampard and the up and coming Tom Cleverley who is yet to play for England.

Another impressive performance against Montenegro has surely set Ashley Young a certain start on the left-hand side of the three. Cutting in on his favoured right is an additional threat. Another reason on why I would like AJ on the right.

So, who replaces Wayne? Darren Bent will be the man to probably fit the bill but I’d like to see Theo Walcott play down the middle. Theo has openly admitted to wanting to play in a more central role and there’s no better chance to test this out in the friendly’s v Spain and Portugal. Other contenders could be Daniel Sturridge, Jermaine Defoe and even Michael Owen. For extra height, Andy Carroll and Peter Crouch are also options.

If you’re too lazy to read that, here is my line-up.

Hart
Richards/Johnson – Smalling/Terry – Jones – Cole/Walker/Baines
Parker – Wilshere/Barry
A Johnson/Downing – Gerrard/Lampard/Cleverley – Young
Walcott/Bent

Fifa 12 Review or Fifa 13 Preview? – VP and Clubs Part 1

With Fifa 12 having such a broad nature about it, I’ve decided not to necessarily review the whole game in one solid piece. The title also indicates that this isn’t just me reviewing the game; I also want to put across what I’d like to see in future FIFA’s. I’ve had the game for a few weeks now and I feel it’s time to talk about some major and minor issues the game has. Hopefully I can send this to a other well known ‘reviewers’ as well as some EA guys as I know Romily Broad loves to read some community articles etc.

I thought I’d start with someone that hasn’t been mentioned at all. I’ve looked around and seen nothing about the whole VP system. Virtual Pro is a massive feature for me but it also seems quite an untapped market for FIFA players. I’m a big fan of the clubs mode which really ties into the VP system; I’m only 50% through this year but the tedious, repetitive nature has now got to me.

I wasn’t expecting anything drastically different but only a few extra accomplishments and oh... pants for my goalkeeper. That it? As stated before, I know they haven’t gone down this particular route this year so I’m going to chuck a few ideas out there that can revolutionise FIFA 13.  

Lets start with the traits. As you are fully aware, they’re no new traits this year which has really got to me. A major disappointment is only three goalkeeping traits. I generally feel this can be massively updated. If you’re an acrobatic keeper, I’d love some type of special punch trait or something that would really identify you as an acrobatic keeper. The traits should really blend with the play style of your pro. I’d like to see the ability to push the ball around the post (I know you can do this but with an acrobatic keeper; the trait could give that extra incentive for the pro to dive that little further.)

If you’re defensive midfielder I’d like to see a crunching tackle trait or even take engine and move them to the traits section. This could completely eradicate pointless ones like long throw and fancy passes. Flair can easily be both fancy passes/flicks rolled into one. The long throw is useless in the game. In real life the long throw for Stoke is massively effective. So why not in Fifa can I have custom throw-ins? I’d like one of my guys in front of the keeper; so he can’t just run out and collect the ball. Rory Delap has a mixture of flat and floating deliveries... why can’t that be implemented?

I’ve not really gone into major detail about what specific traits I’d like to see, if you want me to carry on with that then I’ll put in another article. Staying with VP, I’ll move onto clubs. I know that it was all about the servers this year and connection improvements (still hasn’t been totally fixed, seem to get lag in certain games, not my connection, may be an issue with the frame rate?) but there always seems to be something missing.

Firstly, fantastic job with the new AI. Brilliant. The only shame is hardly anyone uses an ANY in clubs, something that IMO needs to be addressed. Leaving the defensive work to the computer and bashing A for the ball is pointless and rather annoying to play against. So, I’d like to see either any be a position that HAS to be used. Or, it doesn’t have to be used if 1. Both CB roles are filled and 2. If it is 11 v 11 (obviously.)

I’d like the progressive nature of my club to be noticed. If I’m a 2k point club and I have an away game at the O Dromo, I want to know I’m in for a hard game. For this to happen, I’d like to see real players being able to be bought at set levels. I know they’re 1000’s of players and Fifa and this could be a tedious programme of what players to pick but I’ll give you an example.

Lets use the UT coins system. You’ve hit level 10 as a club. As a reward, you can select one or 2 players but obviously in return for your coins. This would also fix people constantly re-starting new clubs (something people that play it ‘competitively’ can get ratty about.) Lets make this clear, I’m not saying you can get Messi for your club straight away.

If you’re a team who has played a massive amount of games, have a terrific stadium, won a massive amount of games and have won cups along the way, that is something that would appeal to the likes of Lionel Messi. Being part of a club is all about managing it but with clubs, it is just playing games and after a while, becomes very repetitive. If you don’t want to go down the real players’ route, the AI could upgrade (like they’ve hit their potential in career mode.)

 

Another thing I’d like to see introduced is custom kits and badges. The whole point of clubs is to start a new club right with your mates? Why am I restricted to choosing kits that other clubs use? I know this has been on a wish list for a while now and hopefully it can be added. As well as custom kits, do I dare say custom stadiums? (maybe I’m dreaming now.)

 

Before I go, what about Ultimate Team clubs? That is a discussion for another time.

Thanks for reading!