The Skipper

Still wish we signed Thiago a few seasons back. We were so close. Oh well.

Not that table places mean anything significant at the moment - I'm sure Everton and Leicester (impressed me a lot) will finish higher. But yes, we will learn more over the next few weeks indeed. It's been a good start though.

Azpi won't be able to do that comfortably because he isn't naturally left footed or a natural left back. We can easily see a partnership similar to Alaba - Ribery in Luis - Hazard. Just wait on Filipe to be introduced into the first team XI slowly.

We're moving away from too conservative. Our games against Leicester, Burnley and Everton last week proves that - there is now a lot more emphasis on our scoring the opponent. Whilst City are definitely the more attacking side; from our end we've stepped up the attacking nous - thus making our side a very balanced team. Mourinho is trying to develop a perfectly balanced system - not too attacking, not too defensive, and the early signs are that it's going to work nicely. So far we've actually been one of the most entertaining sides in the league. We've scored the most goals. As for the rest of your comparisons, I don't necessarily disagree hugely with any of them. My initial point was just to suggest that it seems like you're overrating City's squad a bit but that was fair.

It's not a bad thing at all - my main point is that you're continuously bringing up the point that the likes of City, Arsenal, Liverpool have Dzeko, Alexis and Balotelli on the bench as back up strikers when they all will play the majority of games regardless. They're not back up players. Dzeko this season will start most games, especially now Negredo has gone - Aguero is not a direct replacement for Dzeko IMO. More so for Jovetic. If you're putting Alexis as a back up forward for Arsenal then I'll put Schurrle as a back up forward for ourselves too. So if that were the case, Costa, Remy, Schurrle, Drogba > Giroud, Sanogo, Welbeck, Alexis. Easily. My point is - which I have mentioned before - we can't compare a system that allows two strikers to play to ours, where we only have one striker in the team; thus, we must account for our backups and reserves in another way, not the same way.

Giroud was on the bench because they had a CL game in the week so they rotated their squad. Giroud is still Arsenal's number 1 striker, not Alexis. Alexis is a wide forward, who can occasionally play up front if needed. Look at their game last Sunday - who started up front? Sanogo, not Alexis. Dzeko won't be benched this year, his direct replacement was Negredo who was in supreme form, not Aguero. He, alongside Aguero, is City's number 1 pairing. Last year it was Negredo - Aguero until Aguero got injured and Negredo lost form. Liverpool started their last game with Balotelli and Sturridge both playing? Just like they played Suarez and Sturridge last year. As I said. You can't compare teams that use two lead strikers in their system to ours. It's irrelevant.

I think Schurrle's finishing is underrated. He's one of the best finishers in the league, we'll see that this year. He's got that cold German finish.

Our defence is definitely better than City's not even debatable IMO. The overrating of the City team is crazy. Courtois and Cech are both much better than Hart. Azpi & Ivanovic are at least both on Zabaleta's level, if not better. JT/Cahill/Ivanovic combo is better than any combo City can put together IMO. Even though individually Kompany is better, as a pairing our CBs are stronger. Kolarov might be a fantastic attacking left back but as an all round left back he's distinctively average. Filipe Luis is better, not debatable. You say City have the best playmaker in the PL? I disagree. Cesc is the best playmaker in the PL in my opinion, Silva is quality but just behind him. Our Matic is better than any DM City have. He would start over both Fernandinho and Fernando if City had him. They do have the best CM in the PL in Yaya however, but he's closely followed by our Cesc IMO. Give me Hazard over any wide player City (or players that play wide) have (Nasri, Navas). Up front they have a distinct advantage, but then again Costa would start for them alongside Aguero IMO. Regarding depth however, it's the over way around IMO. They slightly have more quality on the bench and in their team in general. As I said before. You're overrating City's first team XI.

International break.

Hull are up there for me, phenomenal transfer window from them.

Compare ourselves to people who similarly only have 1 lead striker in their system - Real for example. Who do they have as back up to Benzema? That's right - Hernandez.

All other top clubs have two lead strikers in their first team XI, we only have one.

Dzeko, Balotelli and RVP/Rooney aren't back up strikers because both of these teams play with two strikers... How many times does this have to be said.

Szczesny did well last year, has a lot of clean sheets (most in the league) and made some excellent saves, perhaps Howard and Begovic who are both excellent keepers are on his level but I think Mignolet is slightly overrated tbh. Pretty average IMO, Liverpool would do well to replace him with someone like Lloris for example.

I'd put them in the same bracket actually. De Gea is a very good goalkeeper but right now he has a mess of a system ahead of him so naturally he's very exposed.

It's interesting because I'm sure quite a few would agree that Matic was one of our better players in pre season...

I'm certain that Costa is not injury prone at all. Just picked up a niggle at training. He hasn't had any real injury problems (apart from the end of last season where he was being flogged basically) for years.

Never ever been impressed with Rojo as a CB, however he was decent as a LB. In a sense that he's going to be United's main CB it's a bad signing. I disagree with the Falcao factor too, you're overstating it. 1) Falcao has just come back from injury, who knows if he'll reach that godly Atletico Madrid form - where the team was fully geared to created chances for him - will it be the same at United? I don't think so... 2) As mentioned before, that Atletico team was built around Falcao. United won't be built around Falcao, they have too many quality players there for them to do that. 3) What is United's best XI? Who missed out? Mata? RVP? Rooney? They have an abundance of attacking talent but they're not compatible as it stands now. 4) The foundation of the team is slightly above average. Daley Blind is not a bad DM but he isn't hugely amazing. Can't hold the team down on his like someone like Matic does... He's not the best under pressure. Add Herrera next to him and the foundation of the team is not solid at all. Decent teams (which there are plenty of in the PL) will find out sooner than later that pressurising United through the middle will create opportunities for yourself. I can see them finishing top four too probably but they should be doing that with the talent of their team. It won't be considered an overachievement or anything. Hence why I think United won't do anything serious this year (i.e. title challenge) - unless everything magically comes together I can't see it happening, even if they have no Europe. The team is still a bit in chaos IMO. I'll view them as a threat next season perhaps.

They still seriously need some WC CBs though. Rojo is a bad signing, Smalling & Jones aren't fulfilling their early potential (add Rafael to that), Evans is bang average... - they've been training under the 3-5-2 system predominantly this season - no stability on their back four - no chemistry with so many new players... There's too much to do. I don't think they'll mount anything serious this season no. Maybe next year.

Di Maria and Falcao in one window though... Crazy stuff. I'm just delighted they still have massive holes in their squad.

4231

I know that's a joke but Rooney actually looks in great condition atm.

True, but don't forget they can always slightly alter their tactics and play Silva or Yaya or even Nasri at CAM behind Jovetic or Dzeko if that happened. They're okay.

Yeah maybe not. Guess we could make it a top 4 of Neuer, Courtois, Cech and Schwarzer then.