david in sweden

Agreed!

I think the difference ..apart from the odd £150 million, is that LvG had bought in a series of " talented individuals " but failed miserably to mould them into a real team. TBH....Saints would be an even better side .....if we had only one of their " big money " signings in our squad. I'd take Mata - if the new manager doesn't want him.

not quite lady saint, but a good call. Mickey had been used as sub. in a couple of League games before that.

Actually the Micky Judd goal (I saw that one too - at Highbury) wasn't his debut , although it was his first goal but he'd been sub. in an earlier fixture v Chelsea.

This is an interesting thread for " nerds " who like statistics. Firstly I will admit that I didn't do this from memory, but my well-thumbed copy of In That Number. In fact, it isn't that unusual for debutants to score. From post WW2 era, 16 players between Bobby Veck (1946-47) and Mick Channon (1965-66) achieved it. For Master Pancake's info. The fastest recorded debutant was Tommy Mulgrew in 1954-55 season, which he scored in ....15 seconds. After which, in the old Div.1 (read Prem.level) goals were harder to come by and the list is shorter...but reads; Bobby Stokes, Graham Baker, Steve Moran, Austin Hayes, Stuart McManus, Gordon Hobson, Colin Clarke, Paul Rideout, and ....Tahar El Khalej....(those others who came after have been listed by some of you already). Interestingly; of those named...only Steve Moran and Stuart McManus (and now Charlie Austin) have scored on their debuts... as an oncoming sub. **Alan Shearer's legendary hat-trick v. Arsenal at The Dell (1987)......was his home debut, as he had been a sub. in two earlier away fixtures.

Er?......sorry Batman ....but, what is it we're supposed to be worrying about? One week in football can be.... a long time....two weeks like an eternity.

I'm struggling to recall the exact incident, and when it was... but I read of a striker, who when having his shirt continually pulled throughout a game, suddenly took it off and handed it to the defender who had harrassed him ....... " you want it so badly, you can take it " RESULT : the ref. proceeded to book the striker for ..."ungentlemanly conduct ". You just can win, eh ?

......losing a match to Saints is the last straw, at least to the " big clubs" ...and as we wait for the latest news from Old Trafford we can only ask the question.. Did he jump, or was he pushed?. Louis van Gaal is on the brink of the end of his management career with MU after suffering the ignominy of losing to Saints. Journalists even enlisted the help of a lip reading expert to decipher the words uttered by Sir Alex Ferguson, and (shown on TV).... as he (apparantly) condemned LvG for the dreary MU performance , and defeat against Saints. Older fans will recall another MU side, who came to the Dell in November 1986, expecting to win a League Cup replay, when a precocious teenager named Matthew Le Tissier ...came off the Saints bench, scored twice inside 10 minutes..... and Saints won 4-1. MU manager Ron Atkinson was gone from his office inside 36 hours....such was the disgrace. Losing to Saints, it seems is just too much for the MU board, and after two home defeats at the hands of..." we South Coast upstarts " it is surely too much for them. One defeat was unfortunate.... two is beyond redemption. It can't be too long before LvG is clearing his desk at Old Trafford, and yet another top manager will place his head on the block, and await the jeers and booing of the Old Trafford " faithful " when results don't go the way that they have been brought up to expect. The job of managing United has become a " Catch 22 " situation. Take the job and succeed and you are a legend....fail ..and your career is forever blighted. Just now, I am wondering if there will be any journalist questions to Ronald Koeman .....at his next press conference?.

It takes time for players to adjust to a new team. Some may need more time, whilst others hit the ground running (like Charlie Austin yesterday). Some fans are too quick to say...he's no Schneiderlin , or so-and-so isn't as good as Clyne (who was way out of his depth in the first few games after he arrived) Martina's critics were silenced by his goal v. Arsenal, but he hasn't made any match-losing moves in his brief game time, and now Cedric looks better in every match, and I still can't forget the " footballing genius " on here who wrote ....savagely comparing Mane to Ali Dia ..after his first few games. Clasie was unfortunate not to have had a full pre-season with the rest of the squad, and then picking up two awkward injuries before he came into the team. He maybe short in stature, but I think he showed yesterday that he can give as good as he gets and some of his long passing is inch perfect for the receiving player. He may surprise us all and become Player of the Season.

Talk about Forster's return is significant because (as many have observed) he has hardly had a save to make in three League games, and very little else. YES.. let's put some of that down to the new formation / good defending / whatever /, but playing good football and getting results is also about confidence, and if the sight of a 6' 8" goalkeeper behind you doesn't inspire confidence - then I don't know what does. It must also be intimidating for attackers as Forster takes up so much space. NOTE: I recall reading a quote from " someone's " biography(?)...when the player wrote .... " I was clear of the defender, I headed for goal...looked up and saw it was Peter Shilton. He looked so big, he took up all of the goal, there was nowhere to shoot." Although Peter Shilton was just 6 foot tall, he was a muscular figure but had studied all the angles and it was good positioning that made him the great keeper he was.

I never forget the famous Alan Shearer quote on TV...." there's a lot of difference between being.... fit enough to play...and being match-fit ". I doubt if Charlie has a full 95 minutes in him yet, maybe he'd do well to continue on the bench - for a game or two and build up to " full fitness ". Ronald Koeman seemed (pleasantly) surprised that Charlie passed his fitness tests and could even do normal training. Don't rush him. Shane Long is still a genuine threat ....and Mane is long-overdue a goal. Bring Charlie on .....after an hour....and he might even score twice.

Correct " Whelk ". Luke Shaw had played a dozen games as Adkins' first-choice LB, before we'd even heard the name " Pochettino". Pochettino maybe good at coaching youngsters, although in a recent interview he admitted his big mistake in thinking he could rehabiliate an older one-namely Osvaldo. Aside from bringing in younger players in the usual Cup games, he failed to select the correct start side against a poor Sunderland side in the infamous League Cup when we were within sight of a place in the last four, and were beaten miserably. His "so-called " reputation in bringing on players like Sam Gallagher is also a fallacy. He was forced to play young Sam, simply because of Osvaldo's suspension after the Fonte incident, and the subsequent injury to Jay Rod, at a time when Lambert in in poor form and had no alternative strikers. Poch nevertheless only started Sam in 2 games, and gave him the nominal 10 minutes sub app. in 18 others.

Looking good in training isn't the same as playing out a full 95 minutes. I thought Charlie looked totally whacked in his post match interview, or was he still in shock? and tbf.. I'm not sure he's got 90 minutes in him - yet. Bringing him on after 60 minutes at the Emiriates could be another possibility against a tiring defence? Give Long and Mane an hour to run at Arsenal, and see if anything sticks. Mane is long overdue a goal. A good game will help his confidence. Charlie is going to be " top man" in the future, but I wouldn't drop Long on present form. You never see opposition defences on the half way line when Shane plays. Pelle's injury may be more complicated than we know, Ronald said the problem hadn't gone away. Until JayRod is back in contention, it's hard to predict the best attacking pairing, but as Ronald said in interview ...."no-one wants to change a winning side "

Where van Gaal got it wrong and Koeman won - was the willingness to change formation. We look a totally different side with the changed formation. However this came about - it works. 3-5-2 makes sense as you don't need a " permanent back four " when attacks can only come from one side of play at a time. The new wing backs simply revert to a defensive role - when the run of play requires it. On paper MU have some of the best players in Europe. Aside from Charlie's " Roy of the Rovers " contribution, we have the same squad but look a totally different outfit. If we can work this again - against Arsenal - I'll be totally convinced. This last 10 days have been a total revelation. Matt Targett is a genuine threat on the left, and JWP finally proved that he can DAJFU. Clasie begins to look real quality.

Thanks for that Charlie, (your name is going to be more popular now..eh?) Shows reality after the game rather than the 20 seconds of TV time. Players and Koeman going to salute the away fans, and even saw Man U fans clapping Saints off.

Not very fair. Considering the playing opportunities that he had before his move.... I think Stek DAJFU...even though he's not Forster standard. I'm sure he has improved in some areas, and Watson must have helped him in some ways. It's upto DW to continue to help him improve his game. I think we should keep Stek after the summer, as Kelvin will finally retire and Gazzaniga really needs a season away on loan as he is still very inconsistant. Stek certainly doesn't worry me in the way KD and Gazzaniga have when they've been forced to play in the last year.

more disappointing ...they have had to use 23 players so far this season, includes quite a number of 16 year olds. Hardly a good recipe for consistancy. Slattery and Olomola have been out with injuries, and defender Ben Rowthorn have been out, and CB Alfie Jones has moved up to the U21's. I think 8 or 9 of the U18's have had game time with U21's so far, who have had problems themselves. Mc Carthy is on loan at Wycombe, Isgrove at Barnsley and Sam Gallagher had a fruitless 4 months wasted at MK Dons. If that wasn't bad enough....Mc Queen, Barnes and Sims have all been out with injuries at sometime.

that soon.......I think when they're walking back down the tunnel would be a good time to breathe a sigh of relief.....

Not for the first time, I find it odd that it bothers you....so much.

If Les, Ralph and the "Black Box" are doing their job properly ....they'll have a replacement list ..just in case Ronald doesn't look both ways crossing the road.

I think Jay Rod's original injury was ACL...and took a long time to correct. The present problem was (according to Koeman) a problem with his foot and not the knee.

I thought it was .....that the injury had never previously been recorded for a Prem. goalie. and meaning those rare injuries (previously noted) were for players at a lower level, who (presumably) didn't have the rehab facilities available that Fraser had. also ......thought it was good PR for the whole medical unit, who might otherwise never had got in front of the camera. Good work everyone.

can only echo that Vectis. A really genuine player who always put in a shift. Got ACL problem in 2003 (?) and was in and out of the team for 2-3 years. When George Burley offered him a one year contract...he refused and left three weeks later on a free transfer to Derby. ....and later moved on to Leicester. Has surely passed 600 games by now, and he managed over 250 of those in his 12 years with Saints.

it's early days yet. If Saints go on an unbeaten run .. they'll find away to change the schedule.

you don't give up do you ?.......but you'll have a hard job persuading Ronald Koeman to play him again....... Mane will play a blinder tomorrow .....and probably score the winning goal....get MoM award ......and Man U will buy him in the summer..... Pelle will be a star in Euro 2016.....and get an offer neither ....he (or we )....can't refuse from Juventus.... That leaves us with Austin and Jay Rod ....and Shane Long ....(that's if " Saint Charlie " hasn't succeeded in selling him by then).