Manchester United vs. Stoke City

Scholes will start as he normally starts the lads who havent been on away after international breaks. Can see maybe Giggs starting too.
 
Id like to see:

De Gea

Rafael Rio Evans Evra
Carrick Cleverly
Rooney
Nani Kagawa
RVP

But realistically, scholes will start this. Hopefully we can give this 'diamond' formation another try.
 
kafta said:
Id like to see:

De Gea

Rafael Rio Evans Evra
Carrick Cleverly
Rooney
Nani Kagawa
RVP

But realistically, scholes will start this. Hopefully we can give this 'diamond' formation another try.
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I'd be fine with either
 
I still don't like the diamond, I prefer the old 4231.

-------De gea
Rafeal Rio Evans Evra
--Carrick Cleverley
Nani Rooney Kagawa
------Van Persie
 
De Gea to come to claim a Stoke throw, only to punch the ball into Crouch's face and watch helplessly as it sails into his net.

United equalise in the second half, and win via a 94th minute Michael Owen own goal.
 
Antisocial said:
I think we might see the traditional 4-4-2 variation with wingers, but let's face it, we all want to see the diamond again :devil:

So I'd like:

De Gea
Rafael---Ferdinand---Evans---Evra
Carrick
Cleverley---Anderson
Rooney
Welbeck---van Persie

Bench: Johnstone, Smalling, Nani, Young, Fletcher, Scholes, King​

Rest the players that will probably be travelling long distances (Chicharito, Valencia, Kagawa are the usual ones, though perhaps they aren't doing much travelling this time round?) since we're strong in their positions right now and those players will be needed in the coming weeks; hopefully Young and Smalling will be ready for the bench, but if not then Wootton and Giggs get their seats.

I'd like us to start giving some of the young players some more time in the first-team; certainly from the bench. My choice for this one is King (just edging out Brady, whom I also like to see get more opportunities) to come on for either striker in the diamond if things are going our way with 20 minutes to go. If we are struggling, then the rest of the bench is plenty strong enough to change things without risking an inexperienced player.
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Nah, would rather we get a few more points in the bag before we go outside the main 1st team squad. This season is going to be very close, and we have enough young player like Jones et al who need games before promising reserves
 
It will certainly be interesting to see how SAF rotates the team for the next 6 games, it's a tricky run.

Oct 20 Manchester United v Stoke City
Oct 23 Manchester United v Braga
Oct 28 Chelsea v Manchester United
Oct 31 Chelsea v Manchester United LC
Nov 3 Manchester United v Arsenal
Nov 7 Braga v Manchester United

Stoke at home is probably the least difficult of those 6 games, so SAF may rest anyone who plays two games over the break. Van Persie or Kagawa may be rested so they can give their best against Braga and Chelsea in the league. But there's no reason to rest Scholes or Rio.
 
gooDevil said:
It will certainly be interesting to see how SAF rotates the team for the next 6 games, it's a tricky run.

Oct 20 Manchester United v Stoke City
Oct 23 Manchester United v Braga
Oct 28 Chelsea v Manchester United
Oct 31 Chelsea v Manchester United FAC
Nov 3 Manchester United v Arsenal
Nov 7 Braga v Manchester United

Stoke at home is probably the least difficult of those 6 games, so SAF may rest anyone who plays two games over the break. Van Persie or Kagawa may be rested so they can give their best against Braga and Chelsea in the league. But there's no reason to rest Scholes or Rio.
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The Chelsea game is the League Cup isn't it? So that's easy enough. Reserve team outting.
 
I can see us comfortably winning this one. I always fancy us at home and Stoke don't travel well.

4-0.
 
#Carl said:
The Chelsea game is the League Cup isn't it? So that's easy enough. Reserve team outting.
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Thanks, I fixed that.

I agree that the LC game against Chelsea is our best opportunity to rest players in those 5 games. But we've seen teams put out most of their first team against us in the LC many times, so I don't think it will be a team of reserves and bench players.
 
United have only played Stoke City 8 times in the league in the last 27 years, so I'm only going to list the games since Stoke was promoted for the 2008-09 season.

7 wins, 1 draw home and away, 4 wins out of 4 at Old Trafford.

31.01.2012 Manchester United 2-0 Stoke City
24.09.2011 Stoke City 1-1 Manchester United
04.01.2011 Manchester United 2-1 Stoke City
24.10.2010 Stoke City 1-2 Manchester United
09.05.2010 Manchester United 4-0 Stoke City
26.09.2009 Stoke City 0-2 Manchester United
26.12.2008 Stoke City 0-1 Manchester United
15.11.2008 Manchester United 5-0 Stoke City
 
gooDevil said:
Thanks, I fixed that.

I agree that the LC game against Chelsea is our best opportunity to rest players in those 5 games. But we've seen teams put out most of their first team against us in the LC many times, so I don't think it will be a team of reserves and bench players.
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Chelsea's schedule will be as crowded as ours. My guess is that they would be resting a whole bunch of first teamers as well. Plus, most of our rinjured players would be back by then, and would need games. Also, if we win Braga at home the return leg would not be that crucial. We could live with a draw in the away fixture.

It looks tough on paper but there are breathers.
 
I am surprised that quite a few people are wanting Nani in the team. The Diamond has worked well recently, and playing wide players v Stoke will result in crossing the ball into their heavy loaded box where we will struggle to win headers. We are better off with the Diamond and try to work through their defence. Not to mention Nani is completely off the boil right now.
 
Jonno said:
I am surprised that quite a few people are wanting Nani in the team. The Diamond has worked well recently, and playing wide players v Stoke will result in crossing the ball into their heavy loaded box where we will struggle to win headers. We are better off with the Diamond and try to work through their defence. Not to mention Nani is completely off the boil right now.
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Personally Im more worried about how Kagawa and Valencia fit into this current setup. I think Nani is done personally and will be gone by next season.
 
Lindegaard
Smalling Ferdinand Evans Buttner
Valencia Carrick Scholes Nani
Rooney
van Persie​

This is something I'd like to see. But I expect Fergie will start Rafael and Evra, which doesn't bother me obviously as they're definitely first choice. I just think the height advantage could play a part and a game at Old Trafford against Stoke is a good time to give Smalling an hour and some more time for Buttner. They might need it because I expect both of them to start against Chelsea in the League Cup if we got a result in the Premier League there first.

I think Fergie will be reluctant to drop Welbeck though, and perhaps even Kagawa. I'm quite sure Welbeck will start actually, as I don't think he'll start at Stamford Bridge in the League, but probably will in the League Cup. Goalkeeper is also touch and go.

Carrick and Scholes I expect to start no matter what formation we choose. Carrick mainly for the height and Scholes to keep the ball as I expect a fair bit of attack vs defence here.

If we break them down early, it could be a big score even though they've been good defensively (albeit with debatable tactics). Hopefully Old Trafford is a ground where we can get the rub of the green against a team who are overly physical (heh). We normally roll them over at home though, so I expect a win at least.

So, expected line-up:

Lindegaard
Rafael Ferdinand Evans Evra
Carrick Scholes
Welbeck Rooney Kagawa
van Persie​
 
Good thing about the diamond formation is that we will use 4 midfielders who will retain possession a lot. Carrick, Cleverley, Scholesy, Kagawa and probably Anderson if we rotate. Wingers will give us more speed as well as width in our attack but we will take more chances and lose more possession. I think we can afford this against Stoke. We have just gotta be careful not to concede fouls in our half.
 
Think Ando deservers a start after his last few performances. I was surprised he didn't even get a look in against Newcastle. Hopefully De Gea starts....
 
JonMotsonsFur said:
Think Ando deservers a start after his last few performances. I was surprised he didn't even get a look in against Newcastle. Hopefully De Gea starts....
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Apparently Lindegaard is injured.
 
De Gea
Rafael Ferdinand Evans Evra
Carrick
Cleverley Anderson
Rooney
Welbeck Van Persie​

Or Kagawa in for Welbeck and play Rooney further forward.
 
Wouldn't be surprised if Carrick was to be rested. 90 mins on that pitch approaching a congested set of fixtures might encourage Fergie to give him a break.
 
#Carl said:
Wouldn't be surprised if Carrick was to be rested. 90 mins on that pitch approaching a congested set of fixtures might encourage Fergie to give him a break.
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I suppose that's a kinder slant than out of form for club and country.
 
Carrick's form for the club hasn't been that bad and he just had one bad game in which many of the team did
 
I love that moment after the international break when you actually can't wait to see United play.
 
Colin129 said:
Have we given up on Nani & Valencia then?
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Until we go into a game and are not able to create much through the middle because the opposition has gone all Chelsea (against Barca) on us. ;)

With all three wingers available again, I am guessing we would start lining up 4-2-3-1 soon. Though it surely would be headache with need to accommodate four strikers and Kagawa into the starting line-up regularly.
 
Lindegaard

Smalling (if fit)
Evans
Rio
Buttner

Valencia
Cleverley
Carrick
Kagawa

Rooney
RVP
 
It is a good game to go 4231, with Stoke we don't have to worry as much about dominating possession, and they would struggle with the speed of our wingers.

Considering we used the midfield diamond against Cluj, I think we'll see it against Braga. And I'd guess Chelsea as well, it's brought out our best football, so if SAF wants to give the wingers a game this might be their best shot for the coming week.

I have to say I'm curious to see if SAF would play Nani or Valencia in a diamond, and how that might work out.
 
7. Manchester United's goalkeeping selection

Sir Alex Ferguson has long been the Premier League's real tinkerman and this season he is semingly intent on breaking the last taboo in tweaking. Dogma maintains that defenders need constancy behind them but this term Ferguson has taken to switching his goalkeepers incessantly. It is not easy to discern a pattern indicating the basis for selecting David de Gea or Anders Lindegaard (other than when one or other is injured), but nor is it right to declare that Ferguson is doing what England used to do with Peter Shilton and Ray Clemence: since this is not an instance of a manager being unable to choose between two top-class keepers, more like Ferguson dithering between two keepers who have bothersome imperfections. Perhaps Ferguson is challenging each of the them to make up his mind for him. Concerns about Lindegaard's fitness may make the decision this weekend; either way, Stoke have the tools to complicate the issue further going forward, if they decide to be more enterprising on their travels than usual.
 
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