The 2013-14 EPL Discussion Thread

[jasontoddwhitt]

Seems like Kagawa didn't feature a ton with Sir Alex last year either...or maybe I'm daft.

[Brahvocado]

To me, not playing Kagawa seems risky in regards to this whole Rooney situation. RVP was mostly awful today, all he really had to offer was complaints and punching poor Belgian kids in the face. Rooney on the other hand was in excellent form, and Moyes STILL wouldn't let Rooney play up top where he wants to play anyways.

If I was Rooney I'd probably be a little frustrated after a game like that.

[Leon]

Quote: Originally Posted by jasontoddwhitt

Seems like Kagawa didn't feature a ton with Sir Alex last year either...or maybe I'm daft.

He was injured for a month. Featured every other game after, got a lot of PT during April-May.

Quote: Originally Posted by Brahvocado

To me, not playing Kagawa seems risky in regards to this whole Rooney situation. RVP was mostly awful today, all he really had to offer was complaints and punching poor Belgian kids in the face. Rooney on the other hand was in excellent form, and Moyes STILL wouldn't let Rooney play up top where he wants to play anyways. If I was Rooney I'd probably be a little frustrated after a game like that.

Rooney loves being involved in the action, something he did in this match. He wasn't being deployed as a midfielder, he was a 10. RVP/Rooney interchanged positions a number of times as well.

The only thing Rooney should be frustrated about after this match is Welbeck totally failing to score a goal after his lovely pass inside the box.

[ImTellinTim]

I was only able to catch the last 10 minutes and some highlights. How in the world did Lampard not get called for that blatant handball in the box?

[~LiverpoolRed~]

Even though I cannot stand the guy, I thought John Terry was immense at the back.

[mockme]

Quote: Originally Posted by Leon

Kagawa has only played 90 minutes TOTAL of preseason. Though I do think Kagawa should've gone on instead of Giggs or subbed for RVP to let Rooney play up front since Rooney was more present (and my MOTM) during the match than RVP. I expect to see Kagawa in some form against Liverpool, but if he still doesn't, I don't know what's up.

Yeah, but he did play the full 90 minutes for the Japanese NT a number of times. I doubt it's a fitness issue, but maybe due to the low amount of time Kagawa spent with the team Moyes doesn't feel comfortable with him in a tactical sense.

I just hope we don't kill his brilliance by either not playing him or playing him in a wrong kind of role. We could go 4-2-3-1 as we have been doing with Kagawa slotted right behind the lone striker with Cleverley/Rooney/Anderson and Carrick playing in the deeper roles and Zaha/Valencia/Nani/Young on the wings, or we could put Kagawa on the wing and use Rooney in the n.10 role. Though I wouldn't prefer that as Kagawa is absolutely deadly when played there. Or we could even go 4-3-2-1 and play both Rooney and Kagawa behind the striker, but we can't use our wingers like that.

Rooney's the kind of player who's all over the pitch no matter where he plays, so I don't think it matters whether we play him right behind the striker or a bit deeper. He'll still be involved a lot, and that's what he wants. RvP's the number one striker, so if we don't have two up front Rooney has to play midfield at least to start a game. Subs can alter things of course. If we use two guys up front we could go with a diamond where Kagawa holds the n.10 spot behind Rooney and RvP. It just comes down to how to use Rooney, Kagawa and RvP at the same time. But that's one of the important things a manager has to do. Find a way to put your best players out there at the same time. Rooney might make noise about playing a position he doesn't want to play, but like I said, when it comes down to tactics he'll be everywhere regardless of that.

With that said, I don't think Moyes is the kind of manager who appreciates players like Kagawa as much as others. But enough of that. This is EPL Discussion, not the Man Utd thread.

[~LiverpoolRed~]

Hate to say it but Kagawa is at United to sell shirts just like Ji-Sung Park before him.

[Leon]

Quote: Originally Posted by ~LiverpoolRed~

Hate to say it but Kagawa is at United to sell shirts just like Ji-Sung Park before him.

Ji-Sung Park actually played in a lot of key matches. That argument is tiresome and just plain wrong.