Ferguson

[Exiled_red]

I kind of agree that they now lack the number of top players - I think you could number Rooney, Giggs (still) and a fit Ferdinand as genuinely top rank players with Vidic, Evra, van der Sar and Scholes as now in the group below. After that they have a lot of very good players in specific roles but very few players you would say are definitely streets better than players in the Spurs or Man City squads, say.

That said players like Carrick and Berbatov have peak performances that many of the players at other teams would dream of it's just that the whole team setup has to be right to get that out of them.

In a lot of ways I think there are a lot of analogies between their squad and our own. the big difference between the two being the experience and resultant self confidence that comes from a long term run of top level success.

That's exactly what I was thinking, except I couldn't be bothered going through player by player. There aren't that many players (where you can make direct comparisons) in their team that I would swap for ours. I think the winning mentality and the greater than the sum of their parts raises their level significantly.

[Joe King]

I certainly feel we should scrap stoppage time and have a system like they do in many sports like Rugby, Basketball and stop time therefore getting a proper full 45mins, it stops cheats and maintains the flow of the game.

[rudedog]

I kind of agree that they now lack the number of top players - I think you could number Rooney, Giggs (still) and a fit Ferdinand as genuinely top rank players with Vidic, Evra, van der Sar and Scholes as now in the group below. After that they have a lot of very good players in specific roles but very few players you would say are definitely streets better than players in the Spurs or Man City squads, say.

That said players like Carrick and Berbatov have peak performances that many of the players at other teams would dream of it's just that the whole team setup has to be right to get that out of them.

In a lot of ways I think there are a lot of analogies between their squad and our own. the big difference between the two being the experience and resultant self confidence that comes from a long term run of top level success.

Fletcher is also a key player for them, he doesn't appear to do anything brilliantly but they always seem to do better when he plays.

[dww]

Fletcher is also a key player for them, he doesn't appear to do anything brilliantly but they always seem to do better when he plays.

Very true. He is a much under rated player. I didn't mention him as I can't quite work out where he fits in the hierarchy. I don't think he has the peak performance of Carrick but he is much more consistent in the way that he develops dangerous positions and has become a vital cog in the machine due to his diligent defensive work and intelligent movement.

[Shaggy]

City-United game called off already, unsurprisingly. Disappointing, I was looking forward to that.

[Exiled_red]

I certainly feel we should scrap stoppage time and have a system like they do in many sports like Rugby, Basketball and stop time therefore getting a proper full 45mins, it stops cheats and maintains the flow of the game.

Interesting idea, it would extent the game significantly. I read somewhere a while back that the ball is typically only in play for less than 60 of the 90mins of a match; which suprised me at first but if you think about the number of freekicks, corners, goalkicks and throw ins and the you probably waste ~30secs a time from the ball going out of play to coming back in. It would be a major change.

[Liverpool]

I think there should have been atleast 6 minutes of injury time on Sunday although that one minute hardly justifys his rant at the forth offical at the time and these comments in the press.

[dom9]

City-United game called off already, unsurprisingly. Disappointing, I was looking forward to that.

Hopefully they'll get a fixture pile up building.

[Guest]

City-United game called off already, unsurprisingly. Disappointing, I was looking forward to that.

Our game against Spurs won't fair any better I'm afraid.

It's building in here in Stanwell, it's going to snow tonight and a pretty big piss up I reckon.

[Joe King]

Interesting idea, it would extent the game significantly. I read somewhere a while back that the ball is typically only in play for less than 60 of the 90mins of a match; which suprised me at first but if you think about the number of freekicks, corners, goalkicks and throw ins and the you probably waste ~30secs a time from the ball going out of play to coming back in. It would be a major change.

Just over 20 mins on average each half.

[rudedog]

Just over 20 mins on average each half.

I like the idea but they'd need to significantly reduce the current 90 mins game time to refect this.

[johnp]

I certainly feel we should scrap stoppage time and have a system like they do in many sports like Rugby, Basketball and stop time therefore getting a proper full 45mins, it stops cheats and maintains the flow of the game.

Don't think they stop for every stoppage in rugby? Just certain things.

If we stopped for everything the game would last for hours!

[red g]

I certainly feel we should scrap stoppage time and have a system like they do in many sports like Rugby, Basketball and stop time therefore getting a proper full 45mins, it stops cheats and maintains the flow of the game.

think they should ask ferguson , so what he wants to do....he is a sir after all

[Joe King]

I like the idea but they'd need to significantly reduce the current 90 mins game time to refect this.

Yes, possibly 75 mins

Don't think they stop for every stoppage in rugby? Just certain things.

If we stopped for everything the game would last for hours!

Agree. Feigning injuries will definitely stop and time wasting substitutions.

think they should ask ferguson , so what he wants to do....he is a sir after all

They'll probably 'consult' him as to what and what not should be included.