I agree on the CM part it was just awful to think what we had was enough

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Fergie though is in my opinion allowed to get it wrong, for all he's done we have to accept sometimes he can't get it right all the time.

i still think he could do with someone more knowledgeable about modern tactics than phelan. or at least someone who offers a different perspective.
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I agree, Phelan doesnt seem to offer much on match days

Just out of curiosity, who actually chooses the assistant managers? Would it be Fergie himself orr the Glazers? Im guessing it's Fergie in which case I seriously doubt he will sack Phelan seeing as though they are great freidns

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If this side had won the title by finishing off Everton (Rafael most to blame hence Jones in the next match) it would have been arguably SAF's greatest managerial achievement in terms of Premiership titles (not seasons). I dont think any other manager would have got close to this points total, and City for the title, with this set of players, particularly given the injuries and inexperience of many key players. Therefore I think it's harsh in the extreme to be talking about his glaring mistakes and poor season. We can't win 'em all

I agree about Smalling, I don't know how he hasn't been ahead of Evans, I don't mind Evans but Smalling is so classy and seems to have everything, against Swansea he was like a young Rio, bursting into the opposition half and spreading it to the wings.

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It has been obvious there have been games this season where we have missed a real powerhouse in the centre.

Considering this, and as Fergie seems to love playing players out of position, I'm surprised he never tried Valencia in the middle in some games.

Valencia has played there for Ecuador. He's a good footballer, his passing and touch are very underrated in my opinion. He has incredible work rate and is so fast and strong. He basically possesses all the attributes we are looking for in a midfielder.

He's been brilliant on the right wing and deserved his place there. I just think there are times where we would have been better off with him in there rather than Giggs, Park and Jones.

Also, it would have allowed us to play Nani on his favoured right wing, thus getting more out of him.

I'm not saying we SHOULD do this, I'm just offering an alternative solution to our midfield that surprisingly wasn't considered.

It sure would have been better than Rafael and Park who lined up against Blackburn at OT when we got beat.

I know Fergie is 'allwoed' to mess up for all he has done for us hence I made it clear that I was only judging Fergie on THIS season alone.

Try to blank out all he has done for us and just look at his performance this season alone. You have to say that in the CL, with the teams we were drawn against, he shoulddve ALOT better.

Same goes for Europa.

I admit, our pts total this season in the PL has been very good and were we to win it, it will be one of his greatest wins but there's no denying he has been out-thought, out-witted by mancini in both league games this season

Haha that's interesting I play Tony V in the middle on Fifa, for those exact reasons.

I def agree Hippo that the CM needs big time strengthening, as well as full back positions, but I dont look around at many players and think they really let us down this season or that SAF is to blame IF we dont win the title this weekend.

I know it's another debate and I dont want to get into it again because noone really knows, but we also dont know 100% what constraints if any SAF is working under. In 5 years time you may look back and think he was even more of a genius to keep us winning and competing over the last few years.

Should all the blame go to the players

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blame for what?

Fergie is the only one to blame for our weak CMs. Going all or nothing on Sneijder was a poor move, surely he shoudlve has alternatives.

Carrick, Anderson, Cleverley, Fletcher were our only 4 CMs at the start of the season. Admittedly, we hvae been unlucky in that Fletch and Anderson have pretty much been injrued all season but Fergie surely couldnt have belieevd them 4 were good enough to oust Barca?

He spent £50+ last summer, and none of that went to strengthening the CM position

'there's no denying he has been out-thought, out-witted by mancini in both league games this season'

Mancini didn't win those games because he out thought SAF, he won because he's squad is immense in comparison to Uniteds. Whatever team SAF picked we were going to be hard pressed to avoid a defeat at City. They've killed everyone at their place, but not because Mancini is some tactical genius.

If Mancini had the United squad they wouldnt have finished top 4 let alone still be joint top on points with a game to go against the most expensive squad in the history of the game, which incidentally kind of gives you an advantage to look good against a managerial opponent in a couple of games.

Just out of curiosity, who actually chooses the assistant managers? Would it be Fergie himself orr the Glazers? Im guessing it's Fergie in which case I seriously doubt he will sack Phelan seeing as though they are great freidns

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I am beginning to think that you don't know much about football.

I admit, our pts total this season in the PL has been very good and were we to win it, it will be one of his greatest wins but there's no denying he has been out-thought, out-witted by mancini in both league games this season

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I think Mancini has simply outspent Fergie, and we messed up MASSIVLEY by ignoring our CM issues last summer.

Had we a stronger CM we would have done better its simple as that. Everywhere else is solid

Mancini didn't win those games because he out thought SAF, he won because he's squad is immense in comparison to Uniteds.
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Come on, give the man some credit?

6-1 at Old Trafford is unheard of. Can you imagine us winnign 6-1 at one of Europe's great grounds, the San Siro? Bernabeu? even the Emirates? Anfield?

1-0 at home without us maanging to create a single chance or test Joe hart at all? That's also unheard of. When was the last time we were shut out that badly?

I think he would actually make a great box to box player. One thing I like about Anderson when he plays is how he carries the ball out of midfield and drives forward with it.

Valencia would be even better than Anderson at this, and has more physicality and an end product. His shooting is good, and he makes good runs into the box, it's just harder for him to score as he's so one footed that a lot of his chances or long distance efforts are from right angles. We he to be in the centre it would make it easier for him to score.

The more I think about it, the more it suprises me it was never considered. Fergie has even said that we've missed Fletcher a lot in some games, and Valencia has better physical and technical attributes than the King. Obviously Fletcher understands the role better, but I think Valencia is a vet disciplined player and wouldn't leave gaping holes in the middle like Giggs does.

I think it's certainly worth a try

The 2 derby games have undoubtedly been the killer blows.Instead of shutting up shop at 1-3 down at home the gungho time added on has done for you on GD with the swing of 6 to city which I imagine could well have been wiped out against Swansea if utd were really up for it and the baffling midfield selection for the derby at the Etihad contributed massively to a workmanlike victory for us.Saying that he must be given credit to be level on points with us considering the injuries and arguably city's squad being stronger

Utd were trying to win the game 3.1 down and with 10 men and 87 mins on clock.

Fergie should have got them to shut up shop, ironically it's them 3 goals which have given us no chance of winning on GD

SAF has made some poor selections at times this season. You can see that he's looking at the bigger picture and trying different tactics, but sometimes it just hasn't worked.

I understand most of his decisions, and obviously some team selections have been caused by excessive injuries.