Manchester United

[destinydude]

This is gold

Even Martinez has taken a subtle dig at Moyes in yesterday's press conference.

[destinydude]

The champions trail Everton by nine points with a game in hand, even though Moyes spent £27.5million to bring in Marouane Fellaini from his old club and £37.1m on Juan Mata. ‘They are still the league champions and they haven’t lost anyone,’ said Martinez. ‘It’s the opposite. They have two players on top.

‘United’s squad is bigger and better than people are trying to make out.’

Moyes has suggested he inherited an ageing group from Sir Alex Ferguson, but Martinez believes Jose Mourinho has proved that age is no obstacle by turning Chelsea into contenders.

He added: ‘Who are these United veterans? Rio Ferdinand? How many games has Rio played? Not many and Ryan Giggs hasn’t played many, either.

‘You could look at Chelsea and say they are more of an ageing squad. In football, not everything is straightforward — there’s no black and white.

‘An ageing squad if you win becomes an experienced squad with knowhow. If you lose, it becomes the players have no legs. It’s something in between those extremes.

‘You look at Chelsea, title contenders, but squad-wise worse than United.’

To which Moyes came up with this.

Moyes, who enjoyed a rapturous send-off from Everton fans in his final home game last May, knows there will be a very different atmosphere on Sunday.

But he reminded those supporters — and Martinez — that they are building on the foundations he put in place during 11 years on Merseyside.

‘Great credit to Roberto but he has a group of players who were always capable of moving up the league,’ said Moyes. ‘Don’t forget Everton finished above Liverpool last year, and the year before. So it was a great achievement. In a way it should not be a surprise they are doing well. They’ve been in seventh or eighth place for most seasons recently.

OMG I did a partial Bender, didn't I

[baitman]

the everton fans should be eternally grateful to moyes for taking fellatio to the old toilet as it means the remaining players will try and play some football now.

[RichC]

I hadn't realised this

Under his successor Roberto Martinez, Everton are chasing a Champions League place and stand nine points clear of United with 66 points, more than Moyes ever achieved, despite taking the team into the qualifying stage of Europe's elite competition in 2005.

[baitman]

is tony pulis a contender for the manure hot seat...

[BubbaZanetti]

Danny Welbeck considering his future at Manchester United

• Striker unhappy under David Moyes
• Potential target for Arsenal and Spurs



Jamie Jackson
theguardian.com, Sunday 20 April 2014 11.09 BST


Danny Welbeck, who has become frustrated by his lack of striking opportunities at Manchester United, looks for inspiration from above. Photograph: Kerstin Joensson/AP

Danny Welbeck is considering his future at Manchester United after becoming dismayed at his lack of opportunity as a striker under David Moyes and unsure of his relationship with the manager.

Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur are two clubs interested in signing Welbeck whose pedigree as a Premier League winner and established international make him an attractive target in the close season.

Welbeck is aware of the interest and is weighing up his options as he is intent on ensuring his career does not stall under Moyes.

Welbeck will have two years left on his current contract in the summer, the usual juncture when fresh terms would be offered to him. Now the 23-year-old, who currently earns around £70,000 a-week, may decide against signing on once more.

Welbeck has scored 10 times in 32 appearances for the club during the campaign and is frustrated at his limited chances as a forward, with Moyes often playing him in a wide position.

Moyes has caused bemusement on occasion during what has been an unsuccessful first season in charge. In mid-December, Moyes claimed that he had been forced to instruct Welbeck to stay behind for extra training, telling him to follow Wayne Rooney's example.

The Scot said: "I've got to say we had a word with him about a month ago and we said that he needs to be the last off the training field. Wayne's out there practising his finishing each day, whether it's taking free-kicks, shooting from tight angles or bending them in, whatever it may be, Wayne's practising. I said: 'Danny, you need to be out there every day finishing, even if it's 15 minutes at the end.'"

Welbeck questioned Moyes's claim, saying a few days later: "I have been doing that ever since I have been at United. Obviously I have been injured this season so maybe the manager has not seen me on the training pitch as much."

Last week Moyes disciplined Welbeck, along with Tom Cleverley and Ashley Young, for a night out in Manchester following the Champions League exit to Bayern Munich.

While United had no game for 10 days before Sunday's trip to Everton and the manager had given his squad three days off, Cleverley, Welbeck and Young are thought to have contravened stipulations that they should not be out late within 48 hours of the tie.

Moyes's decision was not received well, and if Welbeck was to leave it would be a significant blow to the manager's hopes of restoring United to serious title challengers next season. Welbeck is a lifelong United fan, who is from the city, and his unhappiness signals further disgruntlement within the squad.

In January The Guardian reported that some senior players were uncertain of Moyes's credentials and with United well outside a Champions League berth the questions remain.

Nemanja Vidic, the captain, has already announced he will depart in the summer with the futures of Rio Ferdinand and Patrice Evra also in the balance.

Javier Hernández, Shinji Kagawa, Darren Fletcher, Nani, Young, Cleverley, Alexander Büttner and Ryan Giggs are other members of Moyes's squad whose futures are also in doubt.

[Muddled]

Welbeck gets paid over £3.5 million pounds a year to play football. Wow.

Manchester United need to spend a fortune to overhaul their squad; they can't fund it themselves so they're going to have to generate their war-chest - this would make sense.

[EwarWoo]

[ame="http://youtu.be/yr6pDgx6PR0"]Wayne Rooney Emergency Appeal - YouTube[/ame]

[Exiled_red]

It'll be interesting to see what they do in the summer, there are rumours about van Persie, would they sell both him and Welbeck, also with Vidic on his way and question marks over the likes of Ferdinand, Evra and Giggs they look like they could be losing a lot of experience. I'm hoping that they keep Cleverley, Young and Nani, but knowing them they'll get stupid money for them. The most important thing though is to ensure Moyes remains in charge to oversee the recruitment programme.

[baitman]

It'll be interesting to see what they do in the summer, there are rumours about van Persie, would they sell both him and Welbeck, also with Vidic on his way and question marks over the likes of Ferdinand, Evra and Giggs they look like they could be losing a lot of experience. I'm hoping that they keep Cleverley, Young and Nani, but knowing them they'll get stupid money for them. The most important thing though is to ensure Moyes remains in charge to oversee the recruitment programme.

it depends on how much steve bruce has got to spend for next year

[McDermotX]

Boos for Moyes as he arrived

[Exiled_red]

it depends on how much steve bruce has got to spend for next year

[ChesterDave]

Boos for Moyes as he arrived

Which set of fans?

[TheElephantMan]

Which set of fans?

[McDermotX]

Which set of fans?

Both......united in their bitterness.