Navigation: Jump to content areas:


Pro Quality. Fan Perspective.
Login-facebook
Around SBN: Robert Griffin III On NFL Combine: 'This Is A Business Trip'

Manchester United: Q&A

Liverpool Q&A with Anfield Asylum

LONDON, ENGLAND - FEBRUARY 05:  Javier Hernandez of Manchester United (14) celebrates with team mates as he scores their third goal with a header during the Barclays Premier League match between Chelsea and Manchester United at Stamford Bridge on February 5, 2012 in London, England.  (Photo by Mike Hewitt/Getty Images)

Ahead of this Saturday's Premier League match-up between Wayne Rooney, Javier Hernandez, and the rest of Manchester United and a Liverpool squad led by a finally fit Steven Gerrard and just returned Luis Suarez, we took your questions to our sister site, Anfield Asylum. Adam/Bromantic did an excellent job of answering them yet again. In case you missed it the first two times it was posted, check out his answers from January here. Hopefully Alex Ferguson has the lads ready to play and we see some football like the last 30 mins versus Chelsea.

Also, check out Rory's answers to their questions on the Liverpool blog. They include some thought provoking questions like, "How old does a Man U player have to be to get a "y" at the end of their name like Giggsy, Scholesy or Cleverley?" I can't make stuff like that up. Rory did his best but we have to be fair, its not like they gave him filet mignon to cook with.

How confident are you of getting a result at OT?
I guess it depends on what you consider a result. To me, a point away in a game like this is a fantastic result. The games are always so dicey and unpredictable that I would nearly always take that if offered before the game. I think we could nick a point. Taking three seems a bit more unlikely though, especially if Carroll starts as this changes the whole approach Liverpool take to the game.

How do you think Kenny will set out his side? It is believed he set out his side with three CB's, but changed when we only used Danny Welbeck up top on his lonesome?
I think he will be more traditional this time since I fully expect Rooney to feature this go around. The line up we used against Tottenham proved fairly effective. It was essentially a 4-3-3 and it did very well at keeping Spurs pinned deep.

How much money will you put on Andy Carroll to score? (Considering how much you put on will be how much you lose? :D)
It depends, is it your money or my money? If it is my money, I would bet against it. If it is yours, then I'd bet the farm and we can split the profits if it comes good.

Continue reading this post »

2 comments  | 

Chelsea Q&A -- courtesy of 'We Ain't Got No History'

Sideshow Bob was arguably the standout player last season during this fixture

Ahead of Sunday's upcoming Premier League clash with Chelsea FC, Graham MacAree -- the manager of the excellent Chelsea fansite We Ain't Got No History and Lead Editor of SB Nation Soccer -- has kindly taken time to answer questions for this Q&A. Most of the questions were asked by you -- our readers -- and a few were supplemented in by me. The following contains content on Fernando Torres and Andres Villas-Boas and handshakes, oh my!

TBB: Alright, let's get the Fernando Torres questions out of the way as he seemed to be a hot topic amongst our readers. The Spaniard has once again been given a run of games with Didier Drogba at the African Cup of Nations -- how has he fared during this opportunity? Do you feel the club has given up on Torres and if not, are they close? Same question as well for those who support Chelsea. Is he ever going to work in this team and if so, at who's expense? Do you think there's a certain price -- obviously it would have to be below the £50m he was acquired for in a transfer fee -- that Chelsea would accept for the striker?

WAGNH: Oh, Nando. With Drogba at ACoN, Torres has indeed had a run of games in the side, and he's been... up and down, at best. I don't really care how many goals he scores so long as he's creating opportunities for the rest of the team, and he's been doing that in most of the games this month. That said, he was absolutely awful against Swansea, so he's not on my happy list right now. Chelsea probably haven't given up on Torres yet, although the rumours that they bid €40M for Gonzalo Higuain on Tuesday indicated that they're close to the end of the rope. As for the fans, some have and some haven't, which is pretty much exactly what you'd expect. My personal feeling is (and has been since this) is that he's toast, and with him making £10M or so a year in wages, he should be sent packing at the earliest opportunity. If someone offers £20M for him, I'd snap their hand off.

TBB: Another player who seemed to be a hot topic with our readers -- John Terry. Your thoughts on his upcoming trial being after Euro 2012? Do you think it would be acceptable to have him represent the club as captain if he is proven to have used a racial slur? Should Rio Ferdinand (brother of Anton -- the player accusing Terry of racial abuse) and the other United players shake hands with Terry and the other Chelsea players?

WAGNH: Terry's trial date means that if he's suspended we probably won't have to see much of Gary Cahill, which is a big plus. The timing works out pretty well in terms of there being a transfer window and everything, so I suppose I'm happy it's been pushed back. As for whether I'd be happy to have someone convicted of racially abusing someone captaining the team, that's pretty easy. No. Why did that question even need to be asked? And then the handshake thing... Rio Ferdinand can do whatever takes his fancy. Making a big deal out of a handshake is lunacy.

Continue reading this post »

12 comments  | 

Give us your questions! Chelsea Q&A coming up with 'We Ain't Got No History'

Oh that miss in front of the Stretford End...

Once again, we've arranged to do a Q&A exchange ahead of Manchester United's next match. This time, a trip to Stamford Bridge to clash with Chelsea FC in a Premier League match is on the horizon and We Ain't Got No History -- a Chelsea fansite -- have been kind enough to answer questions that you may have about their club. Certainly, this is a club most of you are very familiar with and it is also one that United faced five times during the calendar year of 2011. Every single one of those matches provided drama and intrigue.

What do you want to know about the Blues? Are you curious on how they will cope without Ashley Cole after he was dismissed yesterday versus Swansea City? Are you curious about their other unavailable players (e.g. Didier Drogba, Frank Lampard, Ramires, etc.)? Do you want to know about the return of Michael Essien? How about their thoughts on their recent activity during the past January transfer window? Give us your questions!

16 comments  | 

Liverpool Q&A

LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - OCTOBER 15:  Martin Kelly of Liverpool competes with Ryan Giggs of Manchester United during the Barclays Premier League match between Liverpool and Manchester United at Anfield on October 15, 2011 in Liverpool, England.  (Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)


Rory and Gene got some questions together for our resident Liverpool supporter, Bromantic, before tomorrow's FA Cup tie between Manchester United and Liverpool. Adam was kind enough to provide us with some in-depth responses. I get the impression he likes us much more than his Liverpool brethren so feel free to post any further questions for him in the comments.

* How important is reaching the Carling Cup final for you and other supporters? Is there more significance to it since Liverpool has not won a trophy since 2006 (I think) and also because this would be your 1st appearance at the new Wembley?
I think the idea of silverware is very enticing for the supporters after what is a long drought. I think just getting something, if we get past Cardiff City, will be a huge boost to a frustrated squad and fanbase who have endured a few years of turmoil. It will be the first sign that there might be a little stability at Anfield. Very few of the current players have won a trophy for Liverpool; that includes the likes of Dirk Kuyt and it feels like he has been here forever. It is indeed our first appearance at the new Wembley, but people forget we also closed out the Millenium Stadium's stint as host while Wembley was finishing construction with the "Stevie G Final" in 2006. It was just an amazing goal he had past Shaka Hislop and overall an emotional rollercoaster ride of a final. So from that perspective being back at Wembley is purely sentimental for me so I really couldn't care less. Then again, I'm not English so that might be part of it as well.

* Can you briefly describe Liverpool's recent tactics? Can Charlie Adam and Steven Gerrard coexist in a two-man midfield? -- they seemed to be overrun by Bolton's midfield. If not, does Adam need to be dropped or should Kenny Dalglish simply turn to a three-man central midfield? What do you believe are the biggest strengths and weaknesses of the squad?
Liverpool's recent tactics have been simply to put one striker up top, recently Carroll for obvious reasons, and hoof the ball to him. It usually plays out in a 4-5-1 kind of formation. The problem is Carroll just can't hack it up there alone, neither the work rate nor ability is there. As for Gerrard and Adam, I think they can co-exist, but it will take time. They both had superb games against City to reach the Carling Cup finals. I think it is partly a product of them not having played together due to Stevie's groin which is clearlt made of wet cardboard and apparently he also has a compromised immune system. They were definitely overrun by Bolton, but I think throughout the game they seemed to be occupying each other's space which has happened a number of games this season with Henderson and Adam as well. Carroll's inability to hold up the ball certainly doesn't help the situation. I would rather see the 4-2-2-2 that worked well towards the beginning of the season as well. I should also make mention of Kenny's recent use of the 6-3-1 at City in the first leg of the Carling Cup. That is how you park a bus in front of net; an Airbus, A380.
As for the biggest strengths, that has to be Stevie G. He is Liverpool through and through and that has been evident by the performances he has put in since his return. There is just something about his presence on the pitch the lifts his teammates. He also has fantastic vision and ability and it has been a real help to the team in stretching the field and link up play that was lacking early on. After the performance against City, I would like to see him play in the hole behind Bellamy just as he did with Torres in one of his more successful campaigns in the past. In addition, our back four have been fantastic. It would only take a few more goals or a little more luck off the woodwork (which Liverpool have struck I believe 19 times this season) to be in third right now.


Continue reading this post »

3 comments  | 

Q&A with "The Short Fuse" - Answers to TBB's questions

Arsene.... Probably struggiling to see a debated penalty or red card?  (Photo by Jamie McDonald/Getty Images)



Here are the answers to the questions that we sent over to The Short Fuse. Sorry it is a tad late. Match Preview will be up by tonight too.

It looks like your young left back will be playing again. Are you worried considering the considerable run of form Valencia is in? He ran rings round Rickets on Saturday.

I'm worried mainly because Ignasi Miquel's natural position is center half, and he's not the quickest player we have in the backline, nor is his positional sense fully developed yet. Valencia could indeed give him some trouble. If Miquel can get forward, though, he has shown the ability to put in a pretty good cross now and again.

Do you have any idea why Van Persie was left off the 40 man shortlist for the Ballon D'or?

Nope! Hard to imagine a better year for a striker to have in England than he has.

Thoughts on your wingers? Walcott scored on Sunday but are you happy with him this season? I would much prefer him to come off the bench regularly so his pace can terrify the defense like he did against Barca a couple of seasons ago. And I am shocked AA is still at the club. He has been terrible for the last year or so.

Walcott has indeed been inconsistent this season. When he's playing well, it shows, as he's able to make runs at defenders, behind defenders, and supply van Persie even if his own finishing is a bit lacking sometimes. I think not having Bacary Sagna supporting him has hurt his game, and he might be more effective as a sub in that case.

As for Arshavin, he's older now, and he seems to have lost his burst of pace, which was what allowed him to get into dangerous positions regularly two years ago (if you watch the goal he scored at Old Trafford two years ago, or his four goals against Liverpool in 2009--he was very nimble for the former, and outran Walcott in some instances in the latter). I don't fault his effort, but he has lost a bit of what made him good on the wing. I still think he could be effective in the middle, if Wenger would ever try him there.

Continue reading this post »

1 comment  | 

Give us your Questions! -- Arsenal Q&A edition

Photo

Ahead of Sunday's tie versus Arsenal FC, The Short Fuse -- the Arsenal site here on the SB Nation network -- have been kind enough to agree to do a Q&A exchange with us. Many of you probably know the routine by now: as always, we have you -- our readers -- supply the majority of the questions for these Q&A's while I supplement in a few of my own. What do you want to know about the Gunners. Quite obviously, much has changed since the 8-2 match at Old Trafford in August. Do you want to know what their supporter's ambitions are for the season? How about their expectations? How about their confidence in a top 4 finish? Do you want to know their thoughts on the return of Thierry Henry? This is your opportunity to gain in-depth knowledge on the London side from their hardcore supporters. Ask away!

8 comments  | 

Q&A with Lion of Vienna Suite | A Bolton perspective ahead of this weekend's match

MACCLESFIELD, ENGLAND - JANUARY 07:  Ivan Klasnic of Bolton celebrates scoring their first goal with Martin Petrov (L) and  Zat Knight of Bolton (R) during the Budweiser sponsored FA Cup third round match between Macclesfield Town and Bolton Wanderers at Moss Rose Ground on January 7, 2012 in Macclesfield, England.  (Photo by Chris Brunskill/Getty Images)

The victory over 'noisy neighbours' Manchester City over the past weekend in a FA Cup tie helped take some of the sting away from Manchester United losing two successive Premier League matches in the outings before that. However, United are forced to get back on the league saddle on Saturday when they host Lancashire side Bolton Wanderers at Old Trafford. Ahead of that encounter, Matilda Hankinson from over at Lion of Vienna Suite -- the Trotters fansite at SB Nation -- has been kind enough to do a Q&A exchange with us. Most of the questions have been supplied by you -- our readers -- and a few have been supplemented in by your handsome and humble editor here at TBB (me!). Without further ado, here is the Q&A:

TBB: Do you feel Bolton should have done more to try and persuade Johan Elmander to renew his contract? How much has the loss of Elmander, and also Daniel Sturridge, been a factor to Bolton's difficult start this season? How do you feel their replacements have fared?

LoVS: I was never a big Elmander fan, and was not especially sad to see him go, along with his wages. That said, it is hard to argue with the goals he scored when he could be bothered doing it. I think we're missing Sturridge more than Elmander, and it is true that the replacements brought in haven't done a stellar job. This is partially to do with lack of service from the midfield and general lack of possession, but that's a whole other argument.

TBB: Darren Pratley came with a good reputation from Swansea and scored from inside his own half in the playoff final last year -- how has he done? Who do you feel your standout players have been thus far this season? Who have been the biggest disappointments?

LoVS: Darren Pratley is a divisive character amongst Bolton fans. He has had his good moments, but the problem is that they are moments, and rather fleeting ones at that. Unfortunately for Pratley, football isn't played as a highlight reel, and so he's been a bit of a disappointment. The standout signing from the summer would undoubtedly be Chris Eagles, who has done a better job at replacing some of the creativity loss in Chung-Yong's injury than many expected. As for the team in general, that accolade would have to go to Jussi Jaaskelainen. The team has been a mess, but without him we would be even worse off. Kevin Davies has been the biggest disappointment to me. While he hasn't been bad, he is not the leader nor the player he used to be.

Continue reading this post »

1 comment  | 

Give us your questions! -- Bolton Q&A edition

Will these two still be with the club when Summer arrives?

Next up for Manchester United is a league clash at the weekend versus Bolton Wanderers at Old Trafford. Ahead of that tie, our friends over at Lion of Vienna Suite -- SB Nation's Bolton fansite -- have been kind enough to do another Q&A exchange with us. Much has occurred since United trekked over to the Reebok in early September but this Q&A is your opportunity to familiarize yourself with the recent happenings of the Trotters. As always, we have you -- our readers -- provide questions and I will be supplementing them with a few of my own. What do you want to know about Bolton? Are you curious about the Gary Cahill transfer rumors? Are you curious to know if manager Owen Coyle is the next to get the sack? Do you want to know how confident their supporters are about avoiding relegation? Are you curious about their tactics? Ask away!

6 comments  | 


User Tools

Covering all things Manchester United | tactics, news, analysis, and sometimes the ridiculous.

Editor-in-Chief

Paddy_small Gene Um

Authors

Images_small Sweet science

Colin_small nolefansam