Season 2011-12
The Mail Bag
Winning with the kids
25 Comments: Normally I am pissed when I try to put up a mailbag item so, more often than not, I am talking shite.
I have just watched a Man Utd side demolish a ten-man Wolves and it was by no way a United first team on show. I was watching the game with a Kenyan Arsenal fan (there are loads of them in Africa).
I got to thinking about when United and Arsenal first won their Premier League trophies.... Anyone remember? I do and they both won with young inexperienced teams (granted, United had Brian McClair, Steve Bruce and Brian Robson).
They did not spend megabucks like Chelsea and Man City have. Apart from Rooney, show me a megastar in their current line-up. Their best player came from Wigan.
So why can't we just play our best young players and tell them to go out and destroy teams? We have an experienced back four, whatever that may be, so we have that freedom. As people are always quoting on this site, we have many internationals. So why can't we?
My answer is our manager who is a good guy but is not a risk taker and a winner. Many of you will be thinking "Ah... another Moyes hater". Well, I don't hate the guy but I am not his biggest fan either. But do you know what: give me a Steve Jobs any day rather than playing it safe. Don't forget (for those of us old enough), Ferguson was only one game away from the sack in 1989... and Wenger has never given up on his football philosophy.
How do we want the Everton of the millennium to be remembered? As perennial ne'r-do-wells who just survived? Or as a team who gave it a chance and then went on to become Champions...
I know what bracket I want to be in.
Paul Johnson, Posted 18/03/2012 at 20:49:22
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The kids haven't been properly trained in tracking back, defending corners or running the channels yet.
Man Utd have spent plenty on their current line up.
Carrick was £18.6 million
De Gea was £18 million.
Nani was £22 million.
Thats only the first three I could be bothered checking. Complete tosh...
Paul, do you really think it's that simple? What about the team that took a chance and then went on to get relegated. It is just as likely to happen, if not more so, than becoming champions. and if we do get relegated what are the odds of bouncing straight back up. City didn't, Forest haven't, nor have Southampton, Leeds, Derby.....
Which striker is going to be better than Jelavic? Which wide players better than Pienaar or Drenthe? I'll admit I'd like there to be 2 or 3 central midfielders who could get rid of the one-dimensional Fellaini- Rodwell-Cahill triangle but aside from Barkley, who Moyes clearly doesn't see as being ready, there doesn't appear to be any.
Fortunately the foresight of giving Moyes 10 years has given this production line of top class youngsters in the first team.
He may never win anything, but can you question his vision?
His vision like Tuesday's team selection??
Where is this production line of top class kids?
Oh, I geddit, you were just being a tad cynical.
Massive, massive dose of sarcasm from moi there.
Moyes is killing us, the biggest indictment is his lack of vision.
If we have the kids he won't play them OR they're just not good enough.
Dreadful from a coach given more time than any contemporary.
You cant just say "Look, Utd have done it, why can't we?" ... the answer is QUALITY.
De Gea £18.9m
Nani £13.5
Berbatov £30.7
Smalling £10m
Young £17m
Jones £17m
Valencia £16m
Ferdinand £27.5m
Anderson £15m, so only about £200m out, well done you
Quite simply the model which Ferguson employed so succesfully all those years ago is now unsuitable ? hence why he now (as has been the case for at least a decade) goes out and buys the world's best players for huge amounts of money. Middlesbrough did what you are suggesting, and they had some bloody good young players.
Just be happy that we're being kept in the top flight, otherwise we would be fucked.
If we had a load of kids there were indeed good enough, then they'd be in the team, or end up at Utd like Shrek.
Look at Rodwell; Fergie never bought him coz he isn't good enough. It's as black and white as that.....!!!!!!!
United won the league by taking a gamble with the likes of Giggs, Beckham and Neville. He could spend big on Ferdinand because he only needed to buy one player a season.
Then look at Wenger bringing in Anelka, Henry, Tony Adams.
They both gambled..... Why can't we. We have a good back four and an international keeper so let's give Gueye, Barkley, Vellios, a run in the side. I don't mean 20 mins here and there. I mean 10-15games and let's see if these boys have what it takes.
Let's take some risks what else have we got to lose this season.
You don't get any medals for finishing 8th. If we don't gamble we are always going to finish 8th.
Whoop de dooo. It's like shagging the wife at the same time in the same position every night. Great at first but you soon want something different, I want something different.
Carrick £18.6m - overpriced when bought, panic buy, shite.
De Gea £18.9m - over priced for a 'keeper - could turn out good.
Nani £13.5 - absolute fuckwit.
Berbatov £30.7 - obsolete, waste of money.
Smalling £10m - good business from both clubs.
Young £17m - English, divide by 3 if he wasn't.
Jones £17m - Young and English, see above.
Valencia £16m - United's contribution to keeping Wigan up.
Ferdinand £27.5m - over priced when bought, good player, but shit now.
Anderson £15m - I think a scout may have lost his job on this one.
Not talking about their subsequent careers. When they first hit the scene, no-one called them gambles.
I see your point mate and I agree if the kids are good enough. One or two of ours may be BUT, Giggs, Beckham, Scholes and the Nevilles would be playing every week for us if they were on their way through now.
Those players have all been amongst the best in Europe for a decade. They are too good to keep down. They all made an instant impact at a title winning side. Only Barkley and Vellios can really say they had an impact.
But Man Utd have spent a lot to maintain their top position and have unloaded injury prone and ageing players at the right time.
In Vellios we might have a player who can work with Jelavic or where is Barkley? That's why I think it is time Kenwright called time on Moyes, he won't keep youth in the side.
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234 Posted 19/03/2012 at 01:07:46
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And by the way, just look up how much money Ferguson spent before he finally won the title. It might seem a pittance now but at the time the likes of Webb, Pallister, Phelan and many others cost, at the time, big money. He broke transfer records signing Pallister, Keane and Cole.
I'm not being funny mate, it's just that I sometimes think people believe it was just their 'amazing' youth system that brought them all their success. And it wasn't..... Fergie has always had plenty of money to spend.