Zishan:

I strongly agree we need pace and power but i seriously doubt so much spending in just one summer. The best to wish for is an Attacking Midfielder/ creator who will imposed himself Hazard ( he can play as LM also ) , CM/DM Strootman/ Martinez, LM ( either cissokho or Alba ) and if we do not sign a strkier i would like to see kagawa and hazard can be pushed forward since berba, owen , macheda will be gone.

Think Martinez would be great for us, but I must say that Strootman looks the part also........Any 1 of these 2, with Modric, would be nice.........

I strongly agree we need pace and power but i seriously doubt so much spending in just one summer. The best to wish for is an Attacking Midfielder/ creator who will imposed himself Hazard ( he can play as LM also ) , CM/DM Strootman/ Martinez, LM ( either cissokho or Alba ) and if we do not sign a strkier i would like to see kagawa and hazard can be pushed forward since berba, owen , macheda will be gone.

Okay, pay attention: 1) Park is too slow to be a winger (you seriously think a full back is scared of playing against PARK?!!!) 2) Giggs is too old AND slow to be a winger 3) If Gibson had more pace about him, he'd still be at United. But he doesn't so he isn't 4) Darren Fletcher is the epitome of United's1 midfield nowadays: slow, weak, ineffective. So wishing him back. WE NEED PACE AND POWER, NOT SMALL TECHNICAL PLAYERS. ONE LEFT WINGER, TWO FULL BACKS AND TWO CENTRE BACKS

In one sentence, The team is not good enough and does not deserved to be crowned champion full stop. Anyone who suggest otherwise is stupid. I understand as fan we would like to see us champions but honestly speaking we are unworthy with the current crops of performers we have in the team!

Think we should have went for it........But It's over now, we must get on with winning our remaining games, and see what happens.........

Chichasword:

A lot of what the OP said was plain stupid. Like selling Scholes, who 1. Has been great since coming back 2. Is too old for any major club to want him 3. Probably doesn't WANT to leave United.

Your far too small minded. It is not about him not being good, it is about moving the team on. We are living in the past and other teams are not, even chelsea is moving on. We are the slowest team at the moment to replace player and to push forward, we are literally going backwards due to standing sitll. We have some great youth players who would be a much better choiuce than scholes, everyone expects a lot from players like cleverley but it is stupid to think he will become a great player if he is not played. Giggs and Scholes did not start football great and we should take that example and move on, they moved on when Scholes Giggs Butt, Neville etc why cant we do it now?

A lot of what the OP said was plain stupid. Like selling Scholes, who 1. Has been great since coming back 2. Is too old for any major club to want him 3. Probably doesn't WANT to leave United.

But with that apart, I agree that the line-up against City was ridiculous. Park is a great big-game man, but not when he hasn't played in God knows how many games. Giggs hasn't played in a while either. But perhaps the most alarming feature was that Valencia didn't start. I mean, Valencia's practically the pivotal point of the team. He's been on fire since coming back, so I was really shocked when he wasn't named on. All in all, it looked like we were just trying to park the bus and get a draw. If we hadn't defended so well I wouldn't have been surprised if it had turned into another 6-1.

Simple truth we were bullied off the pitch they wanted it more we didn't even try that hard coz we soon realized we couldn't match them despite what many may say on the day the tactics were right but the personnel sent out to carry out the tactics was wrong , from as way back as the 2007 FA Cup final loss to chelsea the midfield combination of Giggs and Scholes was not working even the following year in Moscow one replaced the other, is it now in 2012 that they were going to find more strength and energy to keep up with the likes of Silva, Toure. I really wonder what the thinking was but it did the club a huge disservice I don't honestly believe they we should finish behind Especially having been 8 points clear with 6 games to go that not right. Saf and his team must honestly learn to try different things I saw Valencia play thro the middle last year against Bolton when United Scored late thro ' Berbatov it was the introduction of Valencia thro the middle in those last 10 minutes following Evans dismissal that unsettled Bolton . We had enough options on the team to give City more of a challenge but It seems the gaffer doesn't know which of his players can play well together his combinations are not working hence his constant tikering with the team especially over the last two seasons when the boss has hardly played the same side in consecutive matches.

Nibor1:

mark.k.:

Very interesting analysis HellRaiser20 but most of it is not true.

Rooney is a striker, playing between the midfield and another striker. That's his best position and can't be debated when you look at his record.

Scholes is not a player who would move to another club (for age and loyalty reasons) so saying he should be sold is a bit ridiculous.

I agree Giggs and Park have lost pace. Both are good crossers of the ball but were never brilliant at passing.

The problem at United has existed for long before the City game and is not the managers fault. The problem lies with there being a below par midfield. SAF tried to renew the midfield as players left or retired, replacing Keane and Scholes with Anderson and Hargreaves. These players came at a cost of about 40 million. Both flopped.

Carrick was a successful replacement for perhaps Nicky Butt or JS Veron.

Then you have to consider Cleverley who was so promising but couldn't provide the club with a run of games which would give enough confidence to start him in a big game.

The amazing achievement that United & SAF pulled off is managing to stay level on points with city without having a proper midfield. Players like Carrick, Giggs, Jones and Scholes returning have to be thanked for that. But as Roy Keane says "does Scholes only want to play the Fulhams and Sunderlands.". These players have patched up Uniteds season but they will not be the solution next season.

Regardless of the outcome of this title race, a couple of top midfielders are needed as well as another striker, in my opinion.

Great post and saved me some time. I agree we need a complete shake up of the midfield...have done for two years. But will we spend some of this fabled money? I still have my doubts!

Thanks! They need to make the signings so don't worry about that. Staying still is going backwards and United need a better midfield to just stay still 

I believe Cleverley will be very good, but it is hard to put Cleverley into the lineup with rooney and carrick there. Cleverley pogba and rooney would work, at some point we need to accept that we need a DM, someone who can break up the play as many have said and give energy to the midfield. Against city carrick and scholes were amazing with the ball, but lacked energy off the ball.

Well it's not all about some certain age what players shouldn't go over to be able to compete. Different players have different kind of bodies and play styles. In the end players are at their best generally about bit under 30. Thats the main reason United or well other teams don't really usually buy players above 30. Scholes, Giggs, Park, Evra, Fletcher and Ferdinand all are getting or already are way past their best. Fletcher unfortunately because of his condition that is going to affect him severely. Not saying all should be gotten rid of and some elder players are necessary but too much is too much. United actually doesn't have that many players that are near or above their prime. Much young players that are getting there and quite a few players still hanging on before they have to retire. Just don't see the point on hanging on till the end like Neville did, just retire when you still are even relatively high and not go till the bitter end. Get few players near their prime and redo the team somewhat and all should be ok.

Unger94:

Just for note I would sell scholes only because he is old and it is time for a young midfield not an old one.

Huh ? are you drunk ?

Your analysis is decent but has to much rage and emotion in it as I see some drastic stuff that you said here.

I do agree that this lineup was questionable. The fact that Park played after not playing much throughout the season and being rusty didn't make much sense. We started off well when we pressed them and kept a high line. Then once counterattack from Man. City and we are put into our shells. Park doesn't go forward anymore, so that leaves the forwards Rooney, Nani, and Giggs isolated as they get no midfield support. As a result, we are pegged back in the first half. In the second half, we go to a 4-4-1-1 and bring in Welbeck and get better, but Rooney gets off form and makes many mistakes, whilst the right wing does not provide much good supply with Jones' crossing ability not that good, which is understandable. Our wide and forward players couldn't get much support with Rooney often struggling and Nani lacking support, thereby getting himself isolated. With our four attacking players having a tough time breaking down Man. City as a result of two not at their best, we needed someone else to provide a spark and get things going for us, another attacking player when Man. City were getting defensive in the last 30 minutes. We needed someone like Cleverley to come in and really give us a push. However, we couldn't do so, and we struggled to get a shot on target.

The initial approach really did it for us. We couldn't release ourselves from the defensive shackles, and so we had a tough time on the final third.

Rooney is never a player who can play up front on his own, no matter if he did play there during the 2009/10 season. He's not that kind of a player, naturally. And if a player is rusty and hasn't played in a while, he shouldn't be risked in a big match. Then again, that risk worked with Smalling, so that isn't the case, then.

I guess the main thing was that we shouldn't have taken a defensive approach. In the FA Cup, we weren't defensive from the off. We attacked them, pegged them back, and got 3 goals as a result. They went defensive, then, and we saw off the game, albeit by conceding 2 bad goals.

Now for the positives. Our central midfielders Scholes and Carrick and our defenders were immense. They contained Man. City's flair players and shut them down, therefore leaving them with only 5 shots on target. Smalling was excellent in his return, and Jones looked back to his best. Ferdinand and Evra were good at filling in the gaps, even when Evra was often in a 2 vs. 1 with Giggs staying up front. Speaking of Giggs, he was also much better and looked more at home out wide where he doesn't have as much responsibility as he does in the centre of midfield. He was creating chances, but there was rarely anyone to finish them. He couldn't link up with many people as Rooney was off colour and Welbeck was closed down by 2 defenders. He could have had a greater influence had we not have had such a defensive approach.

I guess what I have to say here, to finish this off, is what's done is done. Move on, and look forward to the next match. Whatever has happened here has happened, and we can't do anything about it.

I don't think the players are the issues here. It's how United approach the game. Yes, I'm pointing my finger at you, Fergie. I don't agree on selling half of the squad. Are you crazy? The players who just cannot physically compete will have to step down. Football nowadays is faster and stronger. If the players cannot cope, they should leave.

SAF's main issue in my humble option is he underestimates opponents and at times shows far to much faith in players who've not done anything yet to warrant it or older players who've not shown reason to warrant it (ie: Park). It isn't just one match either, all through the UCL and league cup matches he did exactly what I'm pointing out.