How have United managed to pull away?

[victor barry]

If you ask me, they're all a bunch of jammy ****in cock suckers. As for that Faggot Ronaldo- he sure is good at scoring, when they're 2-0 up against some **** mid table team- a true test will come when they have to go to the nou camp, in the champions league- I'll gaurantee the fudge packer wont score against Barca in either leg. Even though, they're such poxy cunts, Barca will probably wont make the semis!!!

[simey85]

utd have splashed the cash on attacking players while we have been tight arses. We have mediocre attacking players with little imagination (bar Torres). We sruggle to create against the top sides and sometimes against mediocre opposition we miss chances like ****. We need to buy top quality attackers which will cost us!

[Kenneth]

Ronaldo has been the main difference. Replace him with Pennant or SWP and utd would be 3rd imo.

[Guest]

Ronaldo has been the main difference. Replace him with Pennant or SWP and utd would be 3rd imo.

Hmmm ... you reckon he's worth the 14 points difference ? Torres scored a lot of goals too for us.

They've got an armada of attacking and interchangeable players. I emphasize on interchangeable because they switch positions often and pull defenses apart ! Kuyt and Babel don't do this a lot because they probably ain't got the capacity to play like that. This has been the difference between us and them. It's easier to stop us playing than them. Not just because they've got Ronaldo.

[Vermilion]

The difference is that United already had a great squad and Rafa had to start to more or less build the whole club up again from top to bottom.

That will take time.

Rafa also had to buy quantity before quality because he had to secure a CL place to get any money at all to spend. It's only this season with the signings of Torres and Masch that that has changed.

Step two is now on the way.

Step two is quality before quantity.

Right, it's the starting point that matters here, UTD had as you say Af a pretty good squad in place, then spent big on more nuggets. It still amazes me when i hear 17mill EACH for Carrick & Hargreaves. We may have bought Torres for a big sum, but UTD have been spending like that for literally years, not every player they bought being successful either. Thats where we need to be.

[Kenneth]

Hmmm ... you reckon he's worth the 14 points difference ? Torres scored a lot of goals too for us.

They've got an armada of attacking and interchangeable players. I emphasize on interchangeable because they switch positions often and pull defenses apart ! Kuyt and Babel don't do this a lot because they probably ain't got the capacity to play like that. This has been the difference between us and them. It's easier to stop us playing than them. Not just because they've got Ronaldo.

Yes, I do. Like I said, put pretty much any other RM in the league in their team and theu would not be top at the moment, imho.

[Rich]

Yes, I do. Like I said, put pretty much any other RM in the league in their team and theu would not be top at the moment, imho.

Agreed

[Guest]

Yes, I do. Like I said, put pretty much any other RM in the league in their team and theu would not be top at the moment, imho.

Ronaldo is not a right midfielder as such. He covers the whole attacking line. He pops in in the middle, left as well as starting on the right.

But they've got Nani who can play there too and can do a job, whilst probably not as effective as Ronaldo. The thing which makes Ronaldo stand out is his goalscoring. 33 goals is an incredible amount for an attacking midfielder / forward.

But I still can't think he would have scored as much if he were in a one man team.

[cannotmakeit]

We won't overtake ManU if we sign second best players. Only the very best is good enough because our rivals won't sign second best players. They will only sign a player if he is better than one they already have.

In short, if DIC don't buy us then United will soon overtake our 18 league titles because we won't add #19 anytime soon.

DIC are our only hope.

I thought Obi wan Kenobi was our only hope

[dww]

Ronaldo is not a right midfielder as such. He covers the whole attacking line. He pops in in the middle, left as well as starting on the right.

But they've got Nani who can play there too and can do a job, whilst probably not as effective as Ronaldo. The thing which makes Ronaldo stand out is his goalscoring. 33 goals is an incredible amount for an attacking midfielder / forward.

But I still can't think he would have scored as much if he were in a one man team.

I think you have a very valid point but that ultimately the fact is that the difference between other very good sides like Arsenal and Chelsea (I'm leaving us out due to emotional bias) who have a number of goal threats remain behind United because Ronaldo produces goals from unexpected places and gives Fergie flexibility within the same tactical framework to move people around.

Ronaldo has undoubtedly been helped by the work rate and intelligence of Rooney in particular but at the end of the day his development along with a consistent back four without injuries have really made the difference that saw United win the league last year and be top this.

[Rich]

Ronaldo is not a right midfielder as such. He covers the whole attacking line. He pops in in the middle, left as well as starting on the right.

But they've got Nani who can play there too and can do a job, whilst probably not as effective as Ronaldo. The thing which makes Ronaldo stand out is his goalscoring. 33 goals is an incredible amount for an attacking midfielder / forward.

But I still can't think he would have scored as much if he were in a one man team.

Of course he needs quality team mates, but we're talking the difference between a top premiership team and the winners; replace Ronaldo with Nani and they wouldn't be winning the league this season. IMO.

[friedk]

As much as I hate to say it, United are the best team in the league at the moment, but watching them it is clear where we fall short.

In goal I think we have the edge, central defence they shade it although with Agger back I would say it's pretty even, central midfield I'd say we are slightly ahead, and in attack I am happy to take Gerrard/Torres over Rooney/Tevez (although both are excellent).

So all of the above I would say is pretty even, and to that you could probably add right full-back, but where we fall miles behind is at left back and in the wide attacking position. Evra is so much better than our LB's that he makes it look like another position altogether. Giggs, Nani & Anderson I would say are an improvement on Kuyt, Pennant & probably Yossi. And then you throw in Ronaldo who, all prejudice aside, is the best player in the world at the moment, then you can see where we need to improve.

Ronaldo has the ability to take a good team to another level, but I still feel that even without him, United are still ahead of us. All he does is widen the gulf.

I do think, however, that the formation we are using at the moment can transform us into a title winning side with a few choice additions.

[Tee]

Bottom line is Utd have the better players. Man for man we probably only have Pepe, Gerrard, Mascher and Torres who are better.

If we add at least 2 more world class players of this level, we will match them, or surpass them next season. If we add 2 or 3 more players like Voronin and Kuyt, we will never ever get close.