Incoming? Iliman

[Maryland_blade]

IMO we'd have about 4-5 more points if Ndiaye stayed

I agree - we had a system of which Berge and Ndiaye were big reasons to the success of it. Getting rid and signing two defensive midfielders which results in us having to completely change our patterns of play and balance within the team seemed madness then and still is now.

 

[Working Class Hero]

One player shouldn't make a massive difference, but I think Ndiaye was one of those rare players that did. We'd have had a fair few points extra just because he could actually hold on to the ball in the final third all by himself. He wouldn't particularly have had to do anything brilliant but that act alone moved us up the pitch, brought others in to play and relieved pressure, which is vital when you're out of possession for long periods.

Let's be honest, we wouldn't have even got promoted without him doing that (and his very impressive goals/assists tally).

Couple that with Berge being here and I think things would have been very different as he was another who kept possession (and I wasn't even particularly a fan of his). Even if it had only made a few points difference in the beginning, the confidence the team would have gained from actually competing and being in with a shout of survival would have meant we'd have given a better account of ourselves anyway.

All that would partly have been cancelled out by the fact that Hecky would have probably kept his job though, which I personally don't believe would have done us any favours.

 

[Berkshire Blade]

Started and scored the opener last night and apparently played really well. Here's some French people raving about him

 

[Bladesman]

Started and scored the opener last night and apparently played really well. Here's some French people raving about him

 

[jono_t2000]

Almost bloody missed it lol

 

[SUFC Guy]

So he's not coming back now

 

[Carlton Blade]

Almost as if all the people writing him off as making a bad move and Marseille wanting rid of him were premature and hadn't watched how determined he is for the previous 2 seasons

 

[biggiesablade]

Can't help but smile watching him celebrate like that, as much as he pissed me off I hope he kicks on a bit now he's too good to wish ill on

 

[Revolution]

Almost as if all the people writing him off as making a bad move and Marseille wanting rid of him were premature and hadn't watched how determined he is for the previous 2 seasons

Which is one of the reasons I would have kept him. Because he wouldn't have "downed tools". he'd have bust his arse for us like he always did.

 

[raul]

I would have agreed at the start of the summer.

Yet having clapped eyes on Larouci backpedaling and Thomas, I’m not sure one more year would have hurt. That said he’s missed most of the season through injury, so possibly bullet dodged!

For that matter if I could have kept Sharp and 4m and not bothered with Traore…though maybe we could have let Sharp go and just not spend the money on Traore!

I think if we’d have seen how modest some of the recruitment would become, we might have been backpedaling ourselves!

All criticism of Hecky wanting to keep the gang together has to be balanced out by the fact he knew what he was getting instead and what had been sold.

 

[NateDogg]

Which is one of the reasons I would have kept him. Because he wouldn't have "downed tools". he'd have bust his arse for us like he always did.

Even if he wanted to go? If he wanted to stay then he'd have signed the contract. He didn't want to be here and if we'd gone back down he'd have gone for eff all this summer.

 

[Nedski]

I remember the Secret Footballer talking about his introduction to the PL being hit by a tackle from Antonio Valencia that wiped him out completely. He’d never previously experienced that sort of power, described it as like being hit by a car. It was heading in that direction even then.

 

[Pintor75]

wish Tony Currie had stayed, in stead of going to L...s

 

[FinBlade]

GLTTL

 

[Hamandcheese]

Ndiaye is looking much more like it recently, not being confined to the right hand side. I guess it was only a matter of time. I said I hope he fails at Marseille but I can't help wanting him to do well when I watch him. It would be too much of a waste for him to somehow fade and flop. But mainly, it would make us look small and shit, given how much we rated him

 

[bladesmanluke]

Form is temporary, class is permanent. I maintain that he's the best player I've ever seen at United.

He was never going to struggle for long. Hopefully a nice £100m+ move comes along in 18 months and we get the windfall we deserve

 

[Rodley]

Those skills were on display on their first goal. What a player. Hope he really pushes on, seen few players as committed as him when they stepped onto the pitch.