Bailey

Happy birthday fella!

Yep tactics worked for Utd and I thought Vidic in particular was immense. Fellaini by far the worst player on the pitch, he looked completely lost. I thought it was actually an innovative ploy by Moyes to leave Welbeck forward on Martinez and it did the trick because he couldnt handle his pace all game. Probably the most clever in game move I have ever seen from Moyes! Bayern were below their best though and they didnt tick at all. If Utd can keep them goalless for the first half in Munich they have a great chance because I can see these players starting to panic and they could be there for the taking. Bayern wont be as poor again though.

Theoretically it should be the perfect test for Moyes. He will have to sit deep regardless seeing as he has only Vidic and Ferdinand fit (I think) so stick Felli ahead of them with Carrick and someone with energy like Cleverley to get up and down the pitch. Im not sure if Valencia is fit, but it would be the perfect game for him to start wide, possibly with Welbeck on the other side and Rooney up top. Bayern got spooked a couple of times against Arsenal, especially at The Emirates so if Utd did go on the attack then they could cause Bayern problems but I dont see it happening and instead they will have to park the pass and rely on a set piece (because he isnt exactly a counter attack master either). If Utd are going to get anything out of the game they have to start with a high intensity. They should be up for the game, but they also should have been against City and they barely broke out of a walk to close down.

That made me laugh!

Small sample size I know but if you compared Lukaku and Naismiths 90 min goal scoring ratio in the PL to their sub goal scoring ratio I think you would probably find that Lukaku is superior over the 90 mins and about the same as a sub. Naismith held his own admirably when Lukaku was out, but we desperately needed the big man back by the end of it and I think that has showed in the points we have picked up since his return. Like most on here, it was fairly obvious that he isnt a winger and moving centrally was always going to be a bonus but even his biggest supporters couldnt have expected the progression he has made this season and I think I would have him down as the 2nd most improved player at the club this season behind Barkley. Does that mean he is now capable of leading the line for Everton or any team with CL ambitions, not a chance, but his role off the bench could be just as important to club if he keeps popping up with goals when we need him.

I would and I think it shows its a far stronger season than the last couple. The performances in europe from the CL teams have suggested as much and the likes of Liverpool, City, Arsenal and Chelsea have improved bundles with only Utd going backwards and Spurs being very similar. Its certainly the best league we have had for a while.

Just looking at our remaining fixture list compared to Arsenals and there is no way we are going to be able to pip Arsenal to 4th, even if we beat them at the weekend. They have pretty easy games and we have a shocking finish. We would only really be able to drop 3 points at the worst and we are facing Sunderland away who are fighting for their life, Soton who are always tricky, City fighting for the title, Utd who are on the up, Palace who are well disciplined and the a Hull team that probably wont have much to play for. I know Martinez uses the word a lot but it would have to be a truly phenomenal end of the season to see us even take it to the last game.

Not when he started with Everton he didnt, only in his later years. Again I reiterate that he has only done if for a short period after being shocking for the previous season. Is it really that surprising that he isnt being compared to Cahill? If he creates the same type of impact for the next 4 or 5 years then Im sure he will be held in equally higher regard.

And Adam Johnson scores... Wickham should have too but he bottled it. Pathetic.

Cahill did a lot for this club in the early years of his time here. Sure he was crap at the end but he did a lot for us for a long time for 90 mins week in week out. Naismith is doing well. He has shown the impact he can have and long may it continue but he has done it for about 6-8 games this season so lets not get carried away. Both players have their limitations but both are capable of changing games.

Sunderland just dont have a goal scorer on the pitch. Wickham is dreadful, Ki isnt that type of player and Borini is more of a creator. They need to get Johnson on and anyone else who can actually put the ball in the net.

According to transfermarket.com them figures are about right. Dont forget add ons cos I Felli was 15mil plus the extras. Not sure on the fee structure for the rest. He isnt 'just as bad' though Dunc. Ok points wise we havent made the most of the performances but in terms of the games themselves I have seen a big step forward in less than 12 months in charge. Martinez needs to show he can do it season in season out but the signs are encouraging.

Yeh I rate Ki too. Can play in any of the central midfield roles as well.

http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/manchester-united-tom-cleverleys-rise-1322569 Comments from Martinez back in 2012.

Yeh Matt he was very good at Wigan, scoring more goals in 25 games for them that he has done in double that for Utd. At Wigan he played out wide to start with before moving more centrally, but still in attacking role as opposed to the deeper role he is being utilised in under Moyes and Fergie before that. There is no doubt that Cleverley is a good technical player and some of his passing and movement has shown that he has the footballing brain to go with that technical ability. When he first came onto the scene he showed these qualities and quite regularly too. I must admit I thought he was going to be right up there with the other young English midfield talent but since his first 6 or so months at Utd he has gradually become worse and worse and the way Moyes is utlising him now is probably stiffling him even more. At the right price, he would be a good addition to this squad. If we could get his confidence up, he will help the team create chances and whilst Im not sure how great of a finisher he is (did score 11 in 33 at Watford - or something similar), he hasnt looked a natural when I have seen him over the last couple of years.

Jagielka hasnt been out for that long so I dont think he is going to be suffering from match fitness and if anything he will probably be sharper for break much like Lukaku has been. I think it comes down to who are our best CB's and as much as I like Stones, Jags at his best is the better player and assuming he is now fully fit (and not rushed into the game like he was against Liverpool), then he would be my choice to partner Distin. Its a bit of a dammed if you do, dammed if you dont situation. If either of them make a mistake Martinez will be blamed for picking the wrong one.

You fail to really grasp the concept that we have at least put in some good performances against those teams. We arent sitting back waiting to be beaten, we are going out to try and impose ourselves on the opposition. If you cant see the difference between how we have performed against those clubs under Martinez in his first season compared to how we performed in those games under Moyes then you need your eyes testing. The reporter is correct, maybe not in the way he has written the article, but in the main point he is getting across. We have only beaten Utd but we should have taken far more points off Spurs, Chelsea and Arsenal and before we conceded that stupid penalty against Arsenal in the Cup we were the better team in that game too. Dont forget the year before under Moyes we were beaten soundly by an injury savaged Wigan side at Goodison park. If you compare the two games at each stage of the cup its as clear as night and day.

Thats the price they are paying for being so great offensively. Its almost impossible to set a team up to be excellent at both. Even Barca in their pomp were vulnerable defensively.

He really impressed me again yesterday and he looks as if he was growing in confidence as the game went on. I think it was significant that at 1-1 he came out of the line and pressed the Fulham striker on a couple of occasions forcing the turn over which led to us breaking with the ball and I think we created a good chance from one of them. He didnt want to be beaten, he knew what the 3 points meant and he took that responsibility upon himself to win the ball back early in the move. It was almost a captains performance. It will be a hard choice for Martinez and I do expect Jags to come back in, but Stones has shown that he can really step up to the plate.

Stones was excellent and he got my vote. An alien watching that game would think that he was the most experienced CB on the pitch. Can understand the Howard votes but I would have been very disappointed if he had conceded from any of his saves in the 2nd half (other than the goal). Credit to Naismith for changing the game, he was really impressive and should have had a hattrick. Not sure what to make of McGeady's performance. It was a superb through ball for Mirallas' goal but he then went on to make a hash of some far easier passes after we had committed forward.

Yep I agree too. He has done a really good job and even more impressively he has kept adapting his tactics.

But if Beckham bounces his ball before the line he doesnt score. Beckham has probably 3 or 4 square feet to put the ball in to score whereas Rooney had well over half the goal given the keepers error.

I dont really see the point. Its basically a European Championship to help qualify for another European Championship.

Surprise surprise! Of all the attributes a box to box midfielder needs, I think scoring is the least especially in a 5 man midfield. He excels in pretty much every other category and thats more than good enough for me. Regarding goals, he scored some up in Scotland. Not prolific by any means but he showed that he can find the net from midfield which is even more impressive given his age and that he was more than likely used as a sub for a lot of those performances. Ithink I even remember Martinez saying he played wide when he came into the team and showed enough to be successful in that position. I have never said that he will bang in the goals but I think he is one of the most clinical passers in the squad and we are at his best when he is driving the team forward.

Im not saying he is going to be a number 10 but he is the perfect box to box midfielder (albeit he needs to rediscover his shooting boots).