Manchester United vs. Everton

Rest Rio, maybe even Rafael too so long as we have the personnel available to do so.

Get the win over a tough but very beatable Everton side and start planning for long runs in the CL and the FA Cup. The squad is more than big enough to wage battle on three fronts late in the season, now that City have given us a massive cushion and room to sit key players in the last few games of the season.
 
The way form is going at the moment, SAF needs to get our first team really motoring on adrenalin.

They can rest in a few weeks' time, when we're in the quarter finals and 15 points clear...
 
play our best team possible, albeit a few senior players to be rested for madrid. i want us to beat everton badly.

v everton

de gea, jones, smalling, vidic, evra, nani, carrick, anderson, welbeck, rooney , van persie

v madrid
de gea, rafael, rio, vidic/evans, evra, nani/valencia, carrick, cleverley, kagawa, rooney, van persie

there is still potentially 5 or 6 changes for the 2 games which is fair enough i think, when fergei said it is going to be 2 different sides doesn't meant it is going to be 10 or 11 changes, although citeh's result might tempted him to do it even more now.
 
Well, has to be tempting to rest Van Persie at this point, with Chicharito in such good form lately. Perhaps even more tempting to rest Rio along with Vidic, though Rio has shown he can still play twice in a week.

This should be a very hard game for predicting the line-up.
 
play our best team possible, albeit a few senior players to be rested for madrid. i want us to beat everton badly.

v everton

de gea, jones, smalling, vidic, evra, nani, carrick, anderson, welbeck, rooney , van persie

v madrid
de gea, rafael, rio, vidic/evans, evra, nani/valencia, carrick, cleverley, kagawa, rooney, van persie

I think that's a pretty good call, except I'd rest RVP as goodevil says. Be tempted to rest Rooney too as he's generally not that great against Everton anyway, but he's one player who could probably do with the games.
 
So City have 12 games left, for a possible 36 points. Take out the 9 point lead and that leaves a 'magic number' of 27 point to tie and 28 to win the league. Any combination of 28 point won by us and dropped by City and we win the title.
 
Buzzing! Very, very important match due to City's loss and our chance to further extend our lead.

Play our best team - the chance to extend the lead is too good to be taken lightly. Give the lads - Rooney, Carrick, van Persie - around 60-70 mins and should we be ahead, replace them.
 
Opportunity opened up like a porn chicks legs today, I expect Fergie to pick our strongest 11 and plow home the advantage, 12 clear come 6pm!
 
9 points lead with 12 matches to go? I'll take that as a worst case scenario.

Lindegaard; Buttner, Vidic, Evans, Rafael, Young, Carrick, Anderson, Valencia; Welbeck, Hernandez.
 
My biggest concern is whether DDG will play or not. Feels like we need to keep confidence going, seems like Mourinho reasoned in similar fashion when he fielded a strong side last night.
 
de Gea will and should play. Lindegaard can play against Reading next week.
 
play our best team possible, albeit a few senior players to be rested for madrid. i want us to beat everton badly.

v everton

de gea, jones, smalling, vidic, evra, nani, carrick, anderson, welbeck, rooney , van persie

v madrid
de gea, rafael, rio, vidic/evans, evra, nani/valencia, carrick, cleverley, kagawa, rooney, van persie

there is still potentially 5 or 6 changes for the 2 games which is fair enough i think, when fergei said it is going to be 2 different sides doesn't meant it is going to be 10 or 11 changes, although citeh's result might tempted him to do it even more now.

Not sure about Jones and Nani on the right against Everton. I'd rather have Valencia providing extra cover at the back against Baines and Pienaar (?).
 
DDG

Smalling--Vidic--Evans--Evra

Cleverley--Ando

Rooney

Nani--RvP--Giggs

Hopefully this. Rio, Rafael, Carrick, Welbeck and Kagawa rested for Madrid
 
12 point lead would be absolutely incredible. We'd be able to lose to Chelsea, City and Arsenal (doubt that'll all happen), and still be on top.

Go in for the kill!
 
Nervous about this, massive game and massive chance to go 12 points clear.
 
I feel a bit more relaxed about this after Shitty's slip up yesterday. It won't be the end of the World if we don't get a positive result, but playing at OT & the pressure off to certain extent with them still 9 points behind, I see no reason why we shouldn't be 12 points clear tonight.
 
We shouldn't relax about that, we were eight points clear last season with five or six games to go.

After this it's a two week break from the league so would be a huge blow to city if we have a 12 point gap.
 
We shouldn't relax about that, we were eight points clear last season with five or six games to go.

After this it's a two week break from the league so would be a huge blow to city if we have a 12 point gap.

Totally agree with you here. No point in relaxing, or taking the foot off the pedal. Go out for the win today, 12 points is what we should be aiming for, no less. The psychological effect of 12 points above City will really get to them.
 
I think RvP is going to be rested, alongside Rio. Carrick may also sit that one. Rooney can perhaps play about 15 games a week so he will play probably.
 
I think RvP is going to be rested, alongside Rio. Carrick may also sit that one. Rooney can perhaps play about 15 games a week so he will play probably.

Wouldn't be surprised if Carrick is rested. He looked tired lasts time he played. Don't think we'll rest RVP, ideally we would, but considering what happened in this fixture this time last year I don't see fergie taking the risk. I expect us to line up with RVP and Rooney behind him. Hopefully Rooney can continue his good form. Also those that think Jones will be used to mark Ronaldo, I thought he was out with the pox? Stuart Pearce said one month did he not?

God I'm nervous for this. The opportunity to go 12 points clear is tantalizingly good. This could potentially be a great week to be a United fan. Beating Madrid at the Bernabeu :drool:
 
Wouldn't be surprised if Carrick is rested. He looked tired lasts time he played. Don't think we'll rest RVP, ideally we would, but considering what happened in this fixture this time last year I don't see fergie taking the risk. I expect us to line up with RVP and Rooney behind him. Hopefully Rooney can continue his good form. Also those that think Jones will be used to mark Ronaldo, I thought he was out with the pox? Stuart Pearce said one month did he not?

I think RvP would play that one if he didn't play for his NT this week. You want to rest your players but also ensure they are sharp and in rhythm. My guess is he will get half an hour max but obviously I know shit.
 
What's with all this resting of players,not hearing anyone saying Evra should be rested ,but he plays nearly every game.Play the strongest squad and worry about Madrid after.
 
What's with all this resting of players,not hearing anyone saying Evra should be rested ,but he plays nearly every game.Play the strongest squad and worry about Madrid after.

Evra's a freak in that respect. Fergie just doesn't think it's necessary to rest him before big games it seems.

I'd play Nani on the wing. Even if he is to start against Madrid, his stamina has never been his problem and the more games he plays at that point the better.
 
I'll be very surprised if Nani starts against Madrid tbh. Would really mean a 4-4-2 or Benching Rooney.

He is likely to start this game.
 
And don't be surprised to see Buttner today either. :p
 
The pitch maybe a worry too with the poor weather and with respect to Injuries and Heaviness of it.
 
I'm actually more nervous now that City have lost. I hope the lads don't get complacent and let City off the hook.

It'll be interesting to see who SAF goes with now, it's definitely a tough one. Even for him.
 
I think van Persie will be on the bench, but it wouldn't surprise me if he manages to convince Sir Alex to start him. He's had a week's rest and can be subbed off after an hour. The main reason is just to be a one of a kind statistic. If I remember right, no player has ever scored against every opposing team in a single season in the Premier League. Robin hasn't scored against Everton, Swansea, QPR, Norwich, or Aston Villa. So he has a good chance, but it's over if he doesn't play this game and I'm sure he'll be relishing the challenge (he can be rested for Reading in the FA Cup anyway).

As for the wings, I don't think I'd be too bothered since there's Valencia, Nani, Giggs, Welbeck, and Kagawa all pushing for a start and all of them deserve it. I do think that Sir Alex will want to pit Valencia against Ronaldo the most though. He's probably our best shot at matching Ronaldo pace wise and he's the best winger we have defensive (and arguably the best on the counter attack on his day). Hopefully the challenge of Ronaldo and Real Madrid makes Valencia perform. I'd probably prefer Nani and Giggs to start here, but it wouldn't surprise me if Kagawa or Welbeck play over Giggs.

Anderson has to start in the middle and I'd still go with Carrick. Scholes and Jones are big misses for this game if they're injured as they'd had had a good shout at starting or coming on from the bench.

In defence, it still has to be Rafael at Right Back. Ferdinand will surely be rested in favour of Smalling playing, while I can't decide if Vidic or Evans will partner him. Evra/Buttner at left back, doesn't really bother me too much.

de Gea
Rafael Smalling Vidic Buttner
Carrick Anderson
Nani Rooney Giggs
Hernandez
--
Lindegaard; Evans; Cleverley, Valencia, Kagawa; Welbeck, van Persie​

I'm in two minds over this. I'd take a 0-0 draw with a second team right now if no injuries occurred. However, I want us to go at them and try to extend our lead by more than a point. But the thing is, even if we lost we're still 9 points ahead with 12 games to go and that is still fantastic.

I don't think we'll lose this game, but just getting another game out of the way is enough for me considering how City are playing right now. I think we'll get as many points as we did last season and City need to win all of their games now (which they won't either).