Just goes to show

[Guest Kev]

19 points behind the leaders now. Our start of the season meant we were always catching up and in the end it is proving that we cant.

 

Next season we need to come out of the blocks all guns blazing, and not rest players with the end of the season in mind. Let's either make the pace or at least keep up with it.

 

Pre-season, we need to put more emphasis on the games and not play Reina in central midfield. A good solid pre-season breeds confidence. We should not play those players who are leaving as well or are not in Rafa's plans.

[psl]

Sounds familiar.

[Guest The_Drunken_Clam]

This was shown last season as well

Edited March 4, 2007 by The_Drunken_Clam

[slapnuts]

Pepe only played central midfield as their was no one else to go back on subs wise?

 

I agree with the rest tho.

[Jim D]

I think that has been the case over the past few seasons, since Chelsea came onto the scene, the bar has been raised considerably to try and win the title. That now means you cannot simply afford to have a bad start to the season. Even during the 90s and the early 00s teams that went onto to win the title did so because they had a strong finish to the league but they were not as ultra consistent as you need to be now to win the league. The past 4 title winners have finished on 90+ points.

 

The Mancs are on course to finish on 99 points, if they win every game till the end of the season, quite remarkable.....next season we need a good start (unlike the previous two) keep pace with the leaders till Christmas.

Edited March 4, 2007 by Jim D

[Guest Kev]

Pepe only played central midfield as their was no one else to go back on subs wise?

 

I agree with the rest tho.

 

It was a friendly, normal rules of game can be amended to suit.

[Romario]

19 points behind the leaders now. Our start of the season meant we were always catching up and in the end it is proving that we cant.

 

Next season we need to come out of the blocks all guns blazing, and not rest players with the end of the season in mind. Let's either make the pace or at least keep up with it.

 

Pre-season, we need to put more emphasis on the games and not play Reina in central midfield. A good solid pre-season breeds confidence. We should not play those players who are leaving as well or are not in Rafa's plans.

Pre season yet again will be fecked up by the champs league qualifiers. Unfortunatly it was over last september/October which shocked me as I really thought last summer we had an amazing looking squad.

Winning or losing yesterday didn't / doesn't change the fact that we are well off the pace which has surprised me no end. We used to beat the big teams but come a cropper to rubbish teams especially after a quality performance against a big team. Now it's the opposite. At least that's the way it should be on paper. We are performing exactly like expected most of the time. Better than most not as good as those above.

[Guest The_Drunken_Clam]

I think that has been the case over the past few seasons, since Chelsea came onto the scene, the bar has been raised considerably to try and win the title. That now means you cannot simply afford to have a bad start to the season. Even during the 90s and the early 00s teams that went onto to win the title did so because they had a strong finish to the league but they were not as ultra consistent as you need to be now to win the league. The past 4 title winners have finished on 90+ points.

 

The Mancs are on course to finish on 99 points, if they win every game till the end of the season, quite remarkable.....next season we need a good start (unlike the previous two) keep pace with the leaders till Christmas.

 

Pretty much spot on, the last 3 years the title race was over before Christmas. We used to rely on a strong charge after Christmas to take the trophy. I think its one of the biggest reasons to give players a vacation like they do in the other big leagues, these days we cant afford to rest key players due to how competitive the league is.

[Guest Marshy]

19 points behind the leaders now. Our start of the season meant we were always catching up and in the end it is proving that we cant.

 

Next season we need to come out of the blocks all guns blazing, and not rest players with the end of the season in mind. Let's either make the pace or at least keep up with it.

 

Pre-season, we need to put more emphasis on the games and not play Reina in central midfield. A good solid pre-season breeds confidence. We should not play those players who are leaving as well or are not in Rafa's plans.

 

People were saying that before the start of this season after our poor start the previous season "we can't have a slow start again" was the common view on here, amongst the fans and from people like Carra who made the point loudly over the newspapers before a ball was kicked.......but once again we had a poor start, realistically out of the title race in Oct/Nov and are likely to finish maybe 20+ points behind the champions. I'm sure we'll hear plenty of the "We can't have a slow start again" and "Must hit the ground running" type comments before the start of next season again from fans and people at the club but next time will we actually walk the talk or walk the walk (or whatever the saying is ).

[psl]

Of course we will. We're going to win the league next year.

[Guz]

Was it a case this season of having a poor start or more specifically losing the tough away games we've struggled with under Rafa? Everton, Mancs, Chelsea, Arsenal and Bolton?

 

I think after the first couple of away defeats there was a severe sense of lack of confidence creeping into the side, evident in full at Old Trafford.

[Paul B]

If we finish strongly enough to be European Champions for the SIXTH time, what will the opinion on the season's start be then?

[Romario]

If we finish strongly enough to be European Champions for the SIXTH time, what will the opinion on the season's start be then?

I'll be chuffed.

[4411]

19 points behind the leaders now. Our start of the season meant we were always catching up and in the end it is proving that we cant.

 

Next season we need to come out of the blocks all guns blazing, and not rest players with the end of the season in mind. Let's either make the pace or at least keep up with it.

 

Pre-season, we need to put more emphasis on the games and not play Reina in central midfield. A good solid pre-season breeds confidence. We should not play those players who are leaving as well or are not in Rafa's plans.

 

It also goes to show that rotation is rubbish. In the league and CL Man U have played pretty much the same side form start to finish and their players sure as hell don't look tired to me.

[Guest Kev]

If we finish strongly enough to be European Champions for the SIXTH time, what will the opinion on the season's start be then?

 

Still the same as now. The league is the bread and butter.

[Jim D]

It also goes to show that rotation is rubbish. In the league and CL Man U have played pretty much the same side form start to finish and their players sure as hell don't look tired to me.

 

Yes it appears so, I was half expecting the Mancs to show signs of fatigue as well.........is the whole issue of rotation, to keep players "fresh" for the run in a load of twaddle? Or is it just that everything seems to have fallen into place for them.....no long term injuries to key players, lady luck etc etc

[Guest Kev]

Winning every week does not make you tired, it's all about the mindset.

[4411]

Still the same as now. The league is the bread and butter.

 

touché

[Chili Palmer]

Yes it appears so, I was half expecting the Mancs to show signs of fatigue as well.........is the whole issue of rotation, to keep players "fresh" for the run in a load of twaddle? Or is it just that everything seems to have fallen into place for them.....no long term injuries to key players, lady luck etc etc

 

I think that everything has dropped right for them, playing teams at the right time, no injuries, no suspensions etc, even the sun shines on a dogs a*** somedays!

[Paul B]

Still the same as now. The league is the bread and butter.

 

Aye, but Champagne and caviar taste nicer even though they may not be as nutritious!

[crisps]

It also goes to show that rotation is rubbish. In the league and CL Man U have played pretty much the same side form start to finish and their players sure as hell don't look tired to me.

 

until they get to 70 mins in a game

[Eskimo]

It also goes to show that rotation is rubbish. In the league and CL Man U have played pretty much the same side form start to finish and their players sure as hell don't look tired to me.

 

Not sure I agree with you...Ignoring Rafa's first season, just like players managers also need time to settle in, you could argue that our form against the top teams both home and away is what has let us down. Certainly the case last season and it looks to be the case, so far, this season.

[Guest Marshy]

Was it a case this season of having a poor start or more specifically losing the tough away games we've struggled with under Rafa? Everton, Mancs, Chelsea, Arsenal and Bolton?

 

I think after the first couple of away defeats there was a severe sense of lack of confidence creeping into the side, evident in full at Old Trafford.

 

It'll be really interesting to see our fixture list for next season - surely we can't face ALL our traditional toughest aways in our first 6 away matches again (away on the opening day to a newly promoted team is never easy either). Ideally i'd like the dream start the mancs were served this season - Fulham (H), Charlton (A) and Watford (A) - jeez even us with our hopeless away record would fancy 9/9 out of that little lot putting our confidence sky high and being 1st or 2nd so early in the season.

Edited March 4, 2007 by Marshy

[Guz]

I think that everything has dropped right for them, playing teams at the right time, no injuries, no suspensions etc, even the sun shines on a dogs a*** somedays!

 

They've had no more luck than we have. They had early season suspensions from pre-season and also a couple of injuries to the likes of Neville and van der Saar. Unlike Chelsea though they havent really faced anything long term. Strange about rotation really. Could argue that they have looked pretty poor recently, especially their last two games but have scraped through like champions usually do.

 

In terms of next season for us, it'll be important to identify why our sloppy pre-season full of invididual mistakes/errors crept into the start of the season.

[Paul B]

Let's give credit where it's due. They've won it fair and square. I take my hat off to the best team and they've been the best team over the season in England once again this term.

 

Come on, much as it hurts, man up and congratulate them. You don't want "lucky" tags attached to us when we next win it.