Tomo

Im not to sure on that, i think the reason we left it until after the August window because we were trying to find him a PL club, when that was unsuccessful we then had no choice but to look at the Championship again. While i can see where you are coming from regarding Alonso, i think we can do with a player approaching his prime which Witsel is, if there is one thing our squad lack it's players in the 25-29 bracket, i can't see Alonso leaving Madrid personally. Yeah Witsel might have not played in the PL yet but sometimes that works out because he will be hungry to make that step up (like say Carvalho was) and he has proven himself at International stage (all be it around great players like you said) and in the Champions League against top opponents. I think he is worth the risk, but i wouldn't exactly complain with Alonso either.

Roman's money plays a part in it yes, but at the same time most top clubs in Europe are very, very cautious with the whole youth thing these days. Chelsea, United, Liverpool, Tottenham have all got a poor record with their academy since the millennium.

I am actually not to keen on signing Pogba because of Chalobah as the ages clash which you are right about, Witsel on the other hand is what 24/25? so by the time Chalobah is 23 Witsel will be approaching his 30's. You are right in the point that Chalobah should have been playing PL football this season, whether that was for us or someone on loan, but i have no doubt he will make it here and will be our next long term captain in my book.

Speaking of Januzaj, didn't Moyes completely chicken out of playing him against Arsenal (i bet he won't get a single minute against a top 7 side this season). Apart from Rafeal, i can't think of a regular that came through at United for a long time without needing/having a PL loan first, like Welbeck, Cleverly. They could have used there academy instead of splashing out for Jones and Smalling, but they didn't. United are better at utilizing their academy for squad depth (but hopefully with us using Bertrand as a squad player the penny has started to drop) but in terms of developing stars from scratch, they have been just as bad as us since the turn of the millennium (if we credit them for Rooney and Ronaldo, then we should be credited for Robben).

It's easier for Southampton because they have no pressure really for them, if they finish top half that will be a successful season for them, where-as with us there's pressure to win every match. Rightly or wrongly teams at the top just don't promote players without successful loans first, there's a few exception's but even Fergie was cautious in that regard (which resulted in him losing Pogba). Wenger who is widely hailed for his youth development wouldn't risk Wilshere until he proved himself on loan. Liverpool's a prime example, last season Rodgers was given time so safe in the knowledge of that gave games to Sterling and Wisdom, now there is genuine expectation at Anfield to (at the very, very least) fight for a top 4 place, those two aren't getting a look in.

My theory about Torres is starting to be proved right, he plays well occasionally just not often enough, that is good enough and can be an asset for a squad rotation player (which he is now), but is be a serious hindrance as a regular starter (like he was last season). The last month was pretty much living proof of that, good against Schalke, very good against City and awful against Cardiff and Newcastle.

Under some circumstances surely the club can pay off the players contract and release them. I love Essien and all that, but his best days are well behind him and we could do with opening up a foreign spot, in my honest opinion it's something the club should consider doing in the summer, we can move on with a midfielder approaching/in his prime and Essien can find a club were he will play regularly for his twilight season;s.

For me it's either going to go one way or the other with Spurs, it usually does when teams perform bad but still get results, they will either start performing or the performances will start showing in results (like it did for us under AVB). The problem AVB has tho is there defense is actually not very good, they are keeping clean sheets through a mix of Lloris and the midfield protecting the shit out the backline, if AVB decides to open up that defense will be picked apart with ease.

Fuck cup tied, the league has to be number 1 priority this season, if he is available for that, that's the main thing.

Good luck with that, it's not on because of the game

I think he personally adapted to the players he had at his disposal in the end, if he had time to sort 'his' team out, we would have probably been the spitting image of his Liverpool team eventually. Tough to break down, cautious and ultimately losing out in the league because of stupid draws time and time again. Also he parked the bus at Eastlands just like Jose did at Old Trafford, which has also been forgotten.

Roman never wanted Robbie full time, infact i think his full time appointment has been the only time Roman has let his heart rule his head at Chelsea or bowed down to fan pressure, take your pick.

Atleast when Adam Le Fondre made it 2-2 in the last minute for Reading these anti Mourinho's could atleast go home and say we were playing free flowing football On a serious note, i wasn't even anti Rafa i thought he did a good job under the circumstances, but there seems to be this myth creeping in that things were all great under the Spaniard, which couldn't be further from the truth. What's also conveniently ignored is Rafa himself was beyond cautious at times with Liverpool, if he got to put together his own team with us, i can bet every penny i have we would not be playing like Brazil.

Tbh i think some people will always have the grass is greener complex. When we got Rafa, people wished we got Redknapp instead When Anelka left and we went on a bad run, all off a sudden he was the answer to all our woes.

I will be shocked if Mourinho isn't looking at options, either that or he has some grand master plan to move Kevin De Bruyne there eventually.

Something will have to go seriously, seriously wrong for Roman to even consider it (especially so soon).

Really? we had our moments last season but i wouldn't say we were playing free flowing football on a consistent basis, far from it.

We need a CM. In other news there is crocodiles living in Africa.

I agree, when he got the job full time my heart was saying it's fate we have found our long term manager in the most unlikely way etc etc, but my head has niggling doubts that just wouldn't go away. They were doing constant battle with eachother for the whole of the close season in 2012. Then when he got replaced by Benitez my heart was disgusted and spitting feathers while my head (begrudgingly) knew it was the right thing to do in the grande scheme of things, which was right as i believe Rafa left Jose a better situation then Robbie would have. Having said that Robbie was the perfect man for the moment in adversity and he deserves all the praise he gets for his management in the interim spell, yes we had our fair share of luck in winning it, but the way he united everyone and we got on with the 2 knockout competition's was amazing. Munich was perfect karma or him and Eddie after having their career's cut short by injury problems, it really was. But he had a completely different remit when taking the job on full time, almost a polar opposite of what was expected in the interim spell. I hope Robbie gets another job in football soon and to say i will watch with interest will be an understatement.

So another person who knows Jose inside out potentially playing against him in the PL sooner or later, great. Not begrudging Aitor he seems a good coach and will do well, but it isn't in our best interest to have 25% of the PL managed by Jose's 'people' as they will know how he works.

it was Hulk.

I really hope he starts getting some game time soon. If Jose could give games to Huth last time round, im sure he can find games for Kalas eventually. Infact against teams that park the bus i would hope eventually we can develop a Luiz- Kalas partnership, purely due to the fact we could play a higher line, which would come in extremely handy against teams that will park the jumbo jet.

When i went through this thread and realized what was coming i got a cigarette out to enjoy the arguing

Just seen this. I apologize if it sounded like i was attacking Bushman on a personal level, im sure he is a decent person in real life, but he's annoying on here (hence why he is on my ignore list), As i said i apologize if it looked like i was attacking him on a personal level, that wasn't my intention and will take a warning for it if need be.

I think he is the most likely to leave at the end of the season out of our veteran Englishmen, i think Lampard will get another year again, but hopefully with a much lesser role with out pivot completely re-energized.