Matić's game by numbers vs. West Brom:
1 block
2 tackles
4 interceptions
88 passes completed
100% dribbles completed
Define: Deep-laying playmaker.
United have 41 points after 18 games this season. Here are the seasons they would have been top of the PL with the same amount, at the same stage.
1992/93 ✅
1996/97 ✅
1997/98 ✅
1998/99 ✅
2000/01 ✅
2001/02 ✅
2002/03 ✅
2008/09 ✅
2009/10 ✅
2010/11 ✅
2013/14 ✅
2015/16 ✅
Ignore the negativity
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No plans for big money signings in January for #MUFC. Should be a quite window however money is there should something unexpected present itself. (Mail)
19/12/2017 10:47, Report by Adam Marshall
BRISTOL CITY'S REDS IN THE HOME CAMP
There are plenty of members of the Bristol City staff with Manchester United connections and, ahead of the Carabao Cup quarter-final, MUTV spoke to three of them.
Assistant head coach Dean Holden, the former Bolton Wanderers and Oldham Athletic defender, was a match-going Red in his youth, while goalkeeper Luke Steele and midfielder Josh Brownhill were both at United as youngsters.
Holden, who admitted he expects Paul Pogba to play for Jose Mourinho's men on Wednesday, revealed his passion for the club in the past.
"I was a die-hard fan, you'd probably call it, as I went home and away as a kid," he said. "All over the country, wagging school to go to away games. I remember Eric Cantona's goal on a Monday night, when we nicked it 1-0, and was caught on camera at Newcastle. My mum and dad were thinking: 'How has he got out of school that early, to get up to Newcastle?'
"It comes from my dad more than anything but the whole family are mad United fans. I was a ball-boy one season when Lee Sharpe scored with the back-flick against Barcelona in the Champions League. All of my memories as a kid are all surrounded by United. Bryan Robson and Mark Hughes - these types were my heroes.
"My first memory was of Norman Whiteside's goal in the 1985 FA Cup final. My dad had him in the sweepstake at work to be first scorer and took us on a caravan holiday for a week so it was a double celebration. My favourite kit was the white one when Hughes goes around the keeper and pings it into the net to win the European Cup-Winners' Cup.
"There were some great days going on the bus with my dad, mates and brothers, queuing at Old Trafford all night for FA Cup final tickets with your stubs. I was there when Cantona scored against Liverpool, when they wore their white suits [in 1996], and I recall being down there at Wembley when we lost to Aston Villa in the League Cup final."
Goalkeeper Steele played against the Reds during his Barnsley days, suffering a 2-0 defeat in the same competition at Oakwell in 2009, and joined City in August to provide experience between the posts.
"Luckily enough, I've played United before and I think Michael Owen and Danny Welbeck were scorers that day at Barnsley," he said. "It's great to play them again in the quarter-finals.
"I took a lot from United - I had a fantastic time there. It was four years but I was injured for a year and that was not a good time for me. It was a serious problem with my back and it halted my progress a lot. I still managed to win the FA Youth Cup, played a lot of Reserves matches and made the bench.
"It's not a regret. I was up against Fabien Barthez and Edwin van der Sar - two fantastic keepers who had unbelievable careers. They were two of the best in the world so, when people say why didn't it happen, I say I wasn't good enough. I'm quite happy saying that.
"I was up against those two and they were better than me. If I was the manager I would have played them every game ahead of me too. So I haven't got a problem with what happened. I wanted to get going to play games in my career so I decided to move on."
Brownhill was with United as a schoolboy and was in the same youth side as current Reserves hot-shot James Wilson.
"I was six when I was there but got released at 15," he said. "I was there quite a long time and have great memories throughout the whole spell I was there. I made good friends I still keep in touch with. A lot of them have moved on but James Wilson is still at United. Josh Harrop is at Preston, Ben Whiteman's with Doncaster and Otis Khan is at Yeovil. There are a few others playing non-league and quite a few still playing football.
"United are one of the best clubs in the world at developing players and, if it wasn't for them, I wouldn't be the player I am today. I cannot thank them enough for what I did. It'll be amazing as, growing up there, I always wanted to play for Manchester United. I suppose the next best thing is playing against them."
Phil Neville: "There's a lot of criticism of Jose's treatment of Mkhitaryan but he ultimately didn't deliver when he's played. He's not unlucky, he's lucky he gets to play for United. If you don't perform then you don't get in the team. It's not personal, it's business."” #mufc
vs Bristol
looks like 343 formation
Romero
Lindelof Rojo Blind
Darmian McTominay Pogba Shaw
Martial Ibrahimovic rashford
J.Pereira , Smalling, Herrera, Mata , Lingard, Mkhi , Lukaku
Would have liked to see a 433 with Blind in Holding Mid role though!
Three youth players start and two on the bench...3,894 consecutive first team #mufc games since October 1937 with Academy graduate in squad #80yr#history#youth#culture@ManUtd
Last edited by perumal; 12-21-2017 at 01:05 AM.
Originally Posted by perumal
Samuel LuckhurstVerified account @samuelluckhurst 26m26 minutes agoMore
Think this might be the first time Blind has played in midfield under Mourinho. Don't think he's started there for United since the 2015 Cup quarter-final vs Arsenal. #mufc
Last edited by perumal; 12-21-2017 at 02:10 AM.
Rashford and his love for the upright continues
https://twitter.com/mufcgif/status/943578150008770560
Ryan Giggs advised Manchester United to sign Kylian Mbappe and Gabriel Jesus but claims he was ignored during his stint as Louis van Gaal's assistant.
Part of Giggs's remit during his two years alongside Van Gaal was to scout the opposition and the United great clapped eyes on Jesus at Palmeiras and Mbappe at Monaco.
Jesus, 20, joined Manchester City last year for ?20million and Mbappe moved to Paris Saint-Germain on a season-long loan in the summer. PSG are obliged to pay Monaco ?166m for the 19-year-old France international next year, which would make him the second most expensive footballer in history.
In an interview with The Times, Giggs said: "I watched Gabriel Jesus play three years ago. I watched Mbappe for a year. I was watching them with the scout and it was a no-brainer. It was just like 'get them'. It would have been ?5m or something - get them, loan them back - and that's where the recruitment could have been better." The 44-year-old also also added certain signings made by Van Gaal were not good enough for United.
"I thought I was in with a shout," Giggs said of his chances of succeeding Van Gaal. "But the club were in a difficult situation. They had fallen down the pecking order, so do they go for someone who - and it winds me up saying this - hasn’t got experience as a manager or do they go for a winner?
"They went for a winner, in Jose, a win-at-all-costs type of manager. Is Jose a typical Manchester United manager? Probably not, but United were in a situation of 'How quickly can we get back to the top?' I totally understand that. I just felt I could have brought continuity. I knew the players. I know what a Manchester United player looks like."
Van Gaal signed 13 players during his time in charge of United. Impotent striker Radamel Falcao left after a year on loan, ?59.7million flop Angel di Maria only lasted a year, Victor Valdes made two appearances before he was ostracised after a falling out, Morgan Schneiderlin and Memphis were jettisoned at the start of this year and Bastian Schweinsteiger moved to the MLS in March.
Ander Herrera, Luke Shaw, Marcos Rojo, Daley Blind, Matteo Darmian, Sergio Romero and Anthony Martial are all still at United but there is increasing uncertainty over the futures of Blind and Darmian, while Shaw's is not secure, either.
Giggs also disagreed with Van Gaal's decision to sell Danny Welbeck, Jonny Evans and Rafael da Silva, who were 'United through and through'. Welbeck and Evans came through the club's academy and Rafael and his twin Fabio were spotted at a youth tournament when they were just 15.
Welbeck moved to Arsenal for ?16million on transfer deadline day in 2014, Evans left for West Brom in a deal rising up to ?8m the following year and Rafael departed in the same window.
http://www.manchestereveningnews.co....nsfer-14070692
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