Dixon and Keown

[Unrighteous]

Too true... When someone fights United in the midfield, with quality, you see how average their midfield truly is...

 

Except most clubs show up with their pants around their ankles and a dollop of lube placed on their browneye.

[Hyppia 4]

Carrick is made to look to world class because the vast majority of United's opponents concede the midfield battle from the outset. Have him challenged by top class combative CMs like Mascherano and Essien and his ordinariness becomes apparent. Similar arguments apply to VDS, Vidic and Fletcher. In 90% of United's game, the quality of their front 4 is enough to overwhelm opponents and prevent the other 8 from facing any serious or sustained pressure. Hence them winning the league despite taking just 5 of 16 points from Chelsea/Arsenal/us.

 

Spot on.

 

United have not had consistently brilliant performers. They have not been like United of old where they have swept all before them playing brilliant football no matter how much the press want you to believe that. They have not been "by far and away the best side in the league" thank you very much Alan Smith. What they have been is a solid hardworking Unit in the mould of George Graham's Arsenal with enough quality throughout that squad to get the odd goal when they have needed it. No more, no less. I have sat and waxed lyrical over United time and again when they have deserved it, this year they simply don't.

 

The players that stand out are your Fletchers, Parks, Vidic, Rafael and O'Shea and from an attacking point of view Rooney and Ronaldo. When I hear United fans proclaiming this their best side ever I just laugh.

 

99 back to front was a MUCH better side and they dominated most and then dug out results when they had to. United have just been digging out results for the majority of the season. Is it effective? Well obviously but it doesn't make them the greatest side ever, far from it, not even the best side in the league for my money.

 

Bring on next season as for once I truly believe we can win the fucker!

[Dicko]

It just goes to show that Hansen is the fucking glue that binds MOTD together. Even after 18 years not one fucking pundit can actually touch him. Even if he goes through a bad spell.

 

Dixon & Keown weren't fit to lace his boots as players, and they're not fit to attach his microphone to his shirt as pundits.

[Red Nick]

Lets be grateful that they dont have Keane and Ince in the Midfield or more importantly Mascher and Gerrard, then we would all be fucked

[Dani Pacheco]

Carrick is made to look to world class because the vast majority of United's opponents concede the midfield battle from the outset. Have him challenged by top class combative CMs like Mascherano and Essien and his ordinariness becomes apparent. Similar arguments apply to VDS, Vidic and Fletcher. In 90% of United's game, the quality of their front 4 is enough to overwhelm opponents and prevent the other 8 from facing any serious or sustained pressure. Hence them winning the league despite taking just 5 of 16 points from Chelsea/Arsenal/us.

 

All of that is the truth. Carrick will never be a top class midfielder, when he played in the friendly v Spain with Gareth Barry it was just hilarious the difference between the likes of Barry and Carrick against Spains midfield. When he has the likes of Ronaldo, Rooney, Tevez, Berbatov etc making runs and the likes of Fletcher, Park and Anderson doing all the running for him he definitely has by far the easiest job in that United team, makes me sick how overrated he is, I used to play as a central midfielder and reckon I could do most of the things he does in one of his usual games. When United are in a battle against a quality side you will never see Carrick battling hard and getting United going again. I want to kill all the United fans who come out with the bollocks that he is the most underrated player in the world. Ask most people who is better, Carrick or Alonso and sadly most will say Carrick. Hope he gets shown up in the 2010 World Cup against the first decent team England play against when he's in an average team.

 

Most people surely would know Masch is better than Fletcher though, I just pity anyone who would think otherwise.

 

Bah I can't believe this United team is likely to win 3 league titles and 2 European Cups in 3 seasons. Sickening. Rafa has to get it right this summer. Arsenal are still inexperienced and most likely won't do fuck all, they have a lot to fix, Chelsea won't do fuck all either with Ancelotti imo and they'll need younger players so it's definitely going to be up to us to stop them next season again.

 

Lets be grateful that they dont have Keane and Ince in the Midfield or more importantly Mascher and Gerrard, then we would all be fucked

 

Yep.

[Lefti]

A selected few Mancs agree that Carrick is shite as well, which adds to the idiocy of some people. My mate been a Season Ticket holder at Old Toilet for 17 years now and he says he isn't fit to wear Roy Keane's number and he is easily in the top 3 worst CM they've had there in that time. I'm also pretty sure i heard the Mancs chanting "Keano" every time Carrick touched the ball in the Arsenal game most likely a piss take at the expense of Michael.

[chauncey]

What they have been is a solid hardworking Unit in the mould of George Graham's Arsenal with enough quality throughout that squad to get the odd goal when they have needed it.

 

Excellent point, this. One-nil wins when they weren't playing their trademark swashbuckling football :shitsmiley: has made them champions.

 

As for the Dixon and Keown: if Curbishley or some other profile-hungry-out-of-work-manager had been on the panel and picked an XI like those two I'd have been fucking raging. As it was, I just laughed. How I laughed.

[Herp McDerp]

Carrick isn't shit, a player doesn't have to be either world class or shit you know. He's a good player, nowhere close to Alonso, but not many players are, doen't make them all shit. Can't say much bout Dixon, don't really know too much about him, but as for Keown, well the inner mong of his was bound to shine through sooner or later.

[philyhamann]

The way people have described Man Utd on here for the past few months, you'd have thought they were relegation quality if teams didn't bend over and that they were "burnt out and on the way down" as one user put it constantly.

[Haan'sThunderbolt]

Too true... When someone fights United in the midfield, with quality, you see how average their midfield truly is...

 

Except most clubs show up with their pants around their ankles and a dollop of lube placed on their browneye.

 

And that is the main reason why the Title isn't at Anfield.

[Haan'sThunderbolt]

Alex Ferguson really does have the British game by the bollocks.

 

Exactly, that's why the 'penalties' against Bolton & Spurs at Castle Greyskull have been conveniently forgotten. Bullying refs, the FA, media - all to get his own way - and when somebody stands up to him he doesn't like it. Don't remember Bill, Bob, Joe, etc doing any of that. Can't even win with class...

 

The sooner he goes the better....

[gaz181]

Dixon is usually one of the better pundits around, but Keown has always had a bit of the 'rabbit caught in the headlights' look about him when he's on camara. He stumbled through his analysis of Dirk, talking utter shite.

[Whelan]

Dixon is usually one of the better pundits around, but Keown has always had a bit of the 'rabbit caught in the headlights' look about him when he's on camara. He stumbled through his analysis of Dirk, talking utter shite.

 

I have a lot of time for Keown, he was the only 'pundit' that described the criticisms of Rafa last season as a 'witch hunt' he has always been fair with us, plus he gave Kevin Sheedy a good fucking kicking, I think he is great.

Dixon is fair as well, they are there to give an objective opinon that is all, doesn't have to be one that we agree with! There is a world of difference from what they say and the shite Andy Gray comes out with, with him you know it is personal.

 

I was really enjoying Adrian Chilles discomfort (because I think he is a tit) until I realised he will go home and bum Gillian Bleakley to cheer himself up!

[The Golden Eel]

Only the biggest meathead would have VDS ahead of Reina - that's just silly...

 

Tbh, Wes Brown on last season's form should probably play the right back on that team..

 

I'd go

 

Reina

 

Brown

Evra

Ferdinand

Vidic

 

Masch

Alonso

 

Ronaldo

Rooney

Gerrard

 

Torres

 

 

I think that's more than fair

[Kevin D]

Carrick is a very good player.

[Strontium]

Reina

 

Arbeloa

Ferdinand

Vidic

Evra

 

Alonso

Mascherano

 

Ronaldo

Gerrard

Rooney

 

Torres

 

That'd be mine.

 

 

I can't really argue with that. Fuck me, that's some team too.

[RedBrian84]

For a start I wouldn't have Ferdinand, Carrick or Fletcher anywhere near the eleven. Of course there's bound to be bias in something like this, but I seriously believe that Rio Ferdinand is vastly over-rated. As are Carrick and Fletcher.

 

I'd have:

 

Reina

 

Neville/Arbeloa. On current form obviously Arbeloa, although regardless of what you think of him personally, Neville has been an outstanding right back over the years.

Carragher

Vidic- regardless of the Torres horror show, he's a far better defender than Ferdinand.

Evra- I hate him, but easily the best left back in the country.

 

Ronaldo

Xabi

Mascherano

Rooney

 

Gerrard

Torres

 

I'd definitely have Kuyt, Tevez, Agger, Aurelio, Van der Sar, Giggs, Skrtel and probably O'Shea on the bench.

[ratcatcher]

Usually 2 of the best pundits around. Did anyone just see the analysis on MOTD2? Dixon says "there's little difference between United and Liverpool's first 11's, but United have more strenght in depth."

 

Fair enough. Then they decide to put up their combined 11. Given what Dixon's just said, you'd imagine it'd have been made up with at least 4 or 5 of our players. However, they had TWO getting in to United's team.

 

Fucking ridiculous. Even the best pundits seem to know fuck all. Carrick and Fletcher over Masch and Xabi and VDS over Reina.....my word....

 

Makes me laugh this 'how many LFC players would get in filth's team.' The real question is how many filth players would get in ours and the answer is very few ie ferdinand, gaylord and possibly swooney.

 

VDS is 5 years past his best and people forget he wasnt making any world class saves during that period when they didnt conceed a goal for 14(?) games.

[hamstrung]

Gaylord and Swooney.

 

Funny.