The 2011/12 Gary Speed Memorial Thread

[Dingle]

With fletcher and Anderson coming back scholes won't have to be playing every week. Just save him for when he is needed. Always a nice Option to have around.

My point was that United's options in the centre of midfield are awful, not that there are too few.

[Matt]

Is Fletcher actually coming back?

He's trying to come back by the start of the season, I'm not sure he'll be able to though.

[Christain#1]

Is Fletcher actually coming back?

Well I'm sure he will at some point. The fact he's not being rushed back and getting called up for Scotland will help. I haven't heard anything about his conditioning worsining or him being told he can't play again.

Also people always say that central midfield is shite at united. Carrick and Fletcher work hard, Scholes can still play there well, same Giggs, Andersons fine as a backup and cleverley was looking good until he was injured. He could be good is he can stay injury free.

Edited June 1, 2012 by Christain#1

[Colly]

That'd be all well and good, but it doesn't compare to the teams around them. They can't keep relying on Giggs and Scholes for long, Fletchers out for the foreseeable future, Carricks Carrick and Cleverleys not fit. It's not shite, but its probably not title winning, which is always their target.

[brenchill]

As Colly said, United's central midfield pales in comparison to the rest of Europe's elite.

[Hobo]

The fact that United still continue to call on two midfielders pushing 40 is not a good thing. That would worry me if I was a United fan

On a Liverpool note the club is going forward with a technical board rather than a director of football, so they're still going towards emulating Lyon's model.

[MJB]

Yeah United's central midfield hasn't really been great for the last three or four seasons. The only saving grace back in 2007ish was Fletcher but I'm not convinced he'll be able to come back and be as good as he was. Two of City's best players last year were Yaya Toure and David SIlva, United have nobody who even comes close to either of them.

[Jimmy]

Scott Sinclair is no Stuart Downing!

No. He has a premier league goal to his name this season.

Yeah. That was the joke.

[Jimmy]

Where abouts does Kawaga play? I've never seen him play but I've heard he's pretty fucking good. Is he the answer to United's problems?

[Matt]

Wing/attacking midfield.

[Jimmy]

So he's not. Genuine question for United fans - who would you like to see brought it?

[Thrilla]

Plays on the wing but tends to drift in and play behind Lewandowski, very fast footed, good creater and scores a lot. Had a really solid season for Dortmund this year, he dominated the Pokal final against Bayern this year.

[Dingle]

He's a great addition but he doesn't solve the crisis in the middle of the park. A lot of people seem to be throwing Gotze's name around, but as good as he is, he isn't the answer to United's needs. Someone I was wondering about was Javi Martinez? I haven't seen him play a whole lot but, from what I hear, he fits the bill of a strong central midfielder that is creative enough to lend a hand going forward. Then again, he plays for Bilbao so he may never leave >_>.

[Matt]

Martinez is very defensive isn't he? Besides, I don't think he'd leave.

[Dingle]

Martinez is very defensive isn't he? Besides, I don't think he'd leave.

I don't worry too much about United's attacking prowess with Rooney, Hernandez, Nani, Kagawa, Valencia, Young and Welbeck. I think they need a strong midfielder who is defensive and good on the ball, and then maybe a defender. Depends how much faith he has in Rafael and if Vidic is going to be back properly next season. I imagine between Evans/Smalling they've got a solid replacement for Rio and won't really invest there.

Edited June 1, 2012 by Devil In Jouzy City

[MJB]

Yeah, Javi Martinez would be at the top of my list really.

[Matt]

Martinez is very defensive isn't he? Besides, I don't think he'd leave.

I don't worry too much about United's attacking prowess with Rooney, Hernandez, Nani, Kagawa, Valencia, Young and Welbeck. I think they need a strong midfielder who is defensive and good on the ball, and then maybe a defender. Depends how much faith he has in Rafael and if Vidic is going to be back properly next season. I imagine between Evans/Smalling they've got a solid replacement for Rio and won't really invest there.

Evans is awful And I was under the impression that Man Utd fans wanted a creative central midfielder more than a defensive one.

[Dingle]

Martinez is very defensive isn't he? Besides, I don't think he'd leave.

I don't worry too much about United's attacking prowess with Rooney, Hernandez, Nani, Kagawa, Valencia, Young and Welbeck. I think they need a strong midfielder who is defensive and good on the ball, and then maybe a defender. Depends how much faith he has in Rafael and if Vidic is going to be back properly next season. I imagine between Evans/Smalling they've got a solid replacement for Rio and won't really invest there.

Evans is awful And I was under the impression that Man Utd fans wanted a creative central midfielder more than a defensive one.

I subscribe to the same belief, but a few United fans have told me that he turned his form on at the end of the season and they like him. Well, Javi doesn't fit that bill, but I do think he'd be an improvement over Scholes, Carrick and Fletcher.

[MJB]

I think we need both an attacking midfield and a defensive one, but saying that I wouldn't mind seeing Jones used as the DM. Oh and yeah, Evans is awful but Rio did make him look half decent at times last season.

[DavidMarrio]

You got your wish Summers.

Aston Villa appoint Paul Lambert from Norwich as new manager

Aston Villa have confirmed that Norwich City boss Paul Lambert has been appointed as their new manager.

A statement on Villa's official website said: "The board of Aston Villa are delighted to confirm that Paul Lambert has been appointed Villa manager."

Villa have been without a manager since sacking Alex McLeish the day after the final game of the season.

Lambert, 42, guided his Canaries side to a 12th-placed finish in their first season back in the Premier League.