Question, what has happened to Schneiderlin?

I would have thought that he would have been ideal to compliment say Pogba, thus allowing him to do what he does best, but he has just not seemingly got anywhere near the first team on a regular basis so far.

He seems to have not really done what we might have expected him to have done for us so far, which is just not really good enough, as he was an experienced Premier League player when we signed him.

He should be the idea type of holding player, someone who puts their foot in, and breaks up play, and gives the ball say to Herrera, or Pogba, and allows them to shine, but he has even got overshadowed by Fellaini this season (who did start off very well).

Even as international standard player for France, he didn't exactly put in the best of performances, when given an opportunity against Northampton.
It is a tad bit perplexing really.

I am not quite ready to give up all hope on him just yet, but he really does need to sort himself out, if he wants an longer term future with us.


In a different point, but still about our team, does anyone else think that we have too many players who are not young players looking to break in, but should be playing first team football? I.e. is our squad a bit too big for our requirements, as players like say Young, Rojo, Schweinsteiger, Schneiderlin, Memphis, and Darmian, are all good players in their own right, but are just not getting much if any game time with us currently.

Would it not really be better, if they were perhaps loaned or sold, and replaced in the squad, by younger hungrier players?
We have a few good young players coming through, like Axel, F-M, Pieriera, and others, which could do a bench or sub role just as well as those players listed that have not had the best of times with us so far.

I am just trying to work out what might need to happen for us to get back to having some sort of sustained push towards the top of the league once again (this is what an international break does!)

Having a settled side might also help, as so far, we have re-jigged the side on perhaps one too many occasions?

I guess it would be a tad bit easier to do if the players on the bench were not big name players signed for huge sums of cash of big wages, as they will not be too happy about being there for a sustained period of time.

There used to be a sort of hierarchy in our more successful times, where the players knew their roles in the squad, (you didn't hear say from Ole about how he thought he was far too good to be a bench player, instead he said how much of a crucial role he thought that it was) now we have lots of players pushing for a place in the starting eleven, and not too many players happy to help out as it were.

Perhaps this is as a result of having too many managers in such a short space of time, so the squad is a hodgepodge of Moyes and LvG players, if we could let Jose put together his squad, and let him stay here for more than three years, we might, might, see a better put together squad, matching all of our needs and requirements.

Sorry for the rant, I just felt like that I needed to post a few things that were on my mind.

Apparently Mensah is going to sign a new four year deal very shortly, that would be excellent news, as he has huge potential, which I hope is realised here with us.

International week is the pits, eh Batty?

I'm just glad most of our big-hitters either got a rest or seemed to have played well during the matches. Even Rooney in his cameo against the Sloves had a couple of good touches and, if Sturridge wasn't so blinkered, made a good run that would have led to a tap-in goal.

Unfortunately his corners are as bad as Kane's and for some bizarre reason Henderson was relieved of his duties once Rooney was subbed on.

From what I saw of Henderson's corners they were akin to that of Rooney's, He may have put a decent one in that I missed in the first half, but none in the second. Rooney put a decent one in the second corner he took, however no one attacked it and it dribbled out for a goal kick.

It's not often these days you see a team deliver lots of great corners, even less a team that scores from them on a regular basis.

I can't believe we don't have any players who can deliver a better corner than our current choices.

We should bring Becks back, if only to just take the corners!

Becks must watch and weep at some of the corners being delivered for England and United.

Agree with BIB. Corners are such an under-used advantage, especially as the officials have clamped down on the ju-jitisu and half-nelsons in the box now.

How do people think we will set up to begin the match at Anfield?

Same starting 11 that should have buried Stoke imo.

I just hope that we don't sit back, as they are there for the taking, if we actually attack them, as I really don't rate their defence, especially at set-pieces.

They have only really got Mane that can really trouble us, I don't really rate Coutinho, or Firminho, they are just playing above themselves, and are in a bit of a purple patch formwise.

I just hope that we come away with the three points, as we are more than capable if doing so.

First bit in bold, given we have only conceded two more goals than yourselves, what must you think of your own defence?

Equally, by your standards, United are there for the taking.

As for your second bit in bold, why do you even watch football when you clearly lack any understanding of it?

It won't matter how many chances their supposedly 'weak' defence offers up, if our finishing is as woeful as it was against Stoke.

Big improvement required, in that respect.

Shaw and Mkhitaryan are both fit, according to Mourinho. I'd be surprised to see either of them start, mind.

As for the defence comment, Matip has been a huge coup for you, however, I just prefer our potential players that we could play at the back (Shaw, Valencia, Smalling, Bailly, Blind, plus De Gea is the best goalkeeper out of the two sides, surely that is non disagreeable??).

We might very well be "there for the taking", however I would be more confident over the longer term, with our squad, then I would be with great respect to Liverpool's.

As for your final parting shot, we may disagree about certain players here, but is there really any need to question another poster quite like that?

I very much understand football, and watch at times perhaps a bit too much of it, nevermind not enough.

He's perfectly within his rights to rate who he wants though. I don't particularly rate Henderson but he's now second choice as captain for England. Does that also mean I don't understand football?

It's just an opinion.

Yeah i'd rather start with Blind and Martial tbh.

That Stoke match was just a crazy, crazy match, I wouldn't really take that match as meaning much in terms of our finishing prowess (or lack thereof), if we get similar chances again, I am confident that the players will take them.

Good to have a fully fit squad (well minus the ever injured Jones of course), be very interesting to see just which way José goes, I just hope that he doesn't set us up to start too defensively, and invite pressure from the get go.

If we start on the front foot, and pick an attacking side, then I would be fairly confident of picking up three points.

I'd be tempted to start Mkhitaryan ahead of Lingard, but I don't see Mourinho doing that.

Thanks for that, football is all about opinions, and that is just my own personal opinion, if it differs from someone else's, then fair enough.

No need to question my liking or understanding of football I would have thought that was going a tad bit ott.


I would like to see Blind stay at left back, with Shaw coming in for the Europa League match, to build up his match fitness.

It is vital to not start too many players who are just coming back from injuries, so I would keep Miki on the bench, (as much as I would love to see him get his season off and running, this is not the match to do so from the start).

I think after what looked like a rushed return against City I don't think he'll be risked to start either.

I would save Miki for the Europa League, to try and start his season in that competition, and then eventually start him on the league shortly after that.

Lingard, or Mata should start on the right, with Martial on the left for me, with Rashford and Ibra up top.

Yeah, I can't see José making that same error twice in a relatively quick time frame.

I'm not taking that match as meaning much in terms of our finishing prowess (or lack thereof), in general terms.

I'm saying that our finishing in that match was dire, and that I'd like to see an improvement in this match. Pretty simple stuff.

Yeah I fully expect to be under the cosh early on so I'd rather stick with with the same players we had against Stoke to contain them.Hopefully Pogba has his scoring boots on.

I'd be more than happy with a draw and have no issue parking the bus if needed either.

My husband's going with a few Liverpool fans and is as giddy as a kipper regardless.