Crystal Palace vs. Manchester United

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Sean_RedDevil said:
We're needing now our best XI in every game for the rest of the season

1-2 changes are okay........but not 4-5 in every game

I know we've a injury-prone squad and Mata can't play in the Champions League

But De Gea - Rafael, Jones, Vidic, Evra - X, Carrick; Januzaj, Rooney, Mata - Van Persie should be our starting XI in 80% of games now
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Our defensive partnerships are a problem. We have had the most CB partnerships this season. Some due to injury, others due to Moyes mixing it up. On paper our defence looks great, but having so many strong CB's has also caused us to be unsure who is first choice and who isn't. This entails us to make a lot of different changes which may not look bad on paper, but in reality having a different partnership every game is not a solid platform to begin with.

Now with Vidic definitely leaving and Rio looking like he is on the way out, Moyes needs to get a number 1 CB pairing and stick with it. You could always name his back 4 when he was at Everton, now it's just a game of Guess Who and it's helping nobody.
 
Looking forward to this! With every game there is the hope that there is a sign of progress, this despite little or nothing positive come the final whistle.I hope Fellaini starts so we can start to work out if a fully fit Fellaini can be a player for us.
 
Salfordlad70 said:
Looking forward to this! With every game there is the hope that there is a sign of progress, this despite little or nothing positive come the final whistle.I hope Fellaini starts so we can start to work out if a fully fit Fellaini can be a player for us.
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There have been small signs that things can get better so hopefully this game is a move back towards the positive
 
theyneverlearn said:
Now with Vidic definitely leaving and Rio looking like he is on the way out, Moyes needs to get a number 1 CB pairing and stick with it. You could always name his back 4 when he was at Everton, now it's just a game of Guess Who and it's helping nobody.
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Evans and Smalling, whenever available, for the rest of the season. If he continues to play Vidic then I don't want him managing this club, as it suggests he's completely incapable of planning for the future.
 
Chabon said:
Evans and Smalling, whenever available, for the rest of the season. If he continues to play Vidic then I don't want him managing this club, as it suggests he's completely incapable of planning for the future.
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over reaction?
 
Just a bit.

I've previously said that I'd like Vidic phased out as quickly as possible but I think the most important thing now is to get some confidence back, especially with the games against Liverpool and City coming up so soon. To do this, Moyes needs to pick the strongest possible team this weekend and try to get a convincing win which set a marker for the next few games. The combination of the Arsenal result and a week in the sun will hopefully have the players raring to go. A good win at the weekend could be huge, psychologically. We're lucky in that we've got a better chance than any other English side of continuing this momentum in Europe too.

Vidic and Ferdinand were both very good against Arsenal so it would be daft to throw our toys out of the pram if one or other of them gets the nod against Palace.
 
It's not merely about him leaving, it's also the fact that Evans and Smalling have been much better than him this year. Our 'strongest team possible' features the younger pairing at the back. Favouring Vidic over either of the others (if he does that) reeks of Fergie and Scholes after his comeback.

And that's not to even mention how desperately we need a settled partnership. The last couple of years have been such a mess defensively in part because we've constantly switched things around at the back.
 
You can't ignore the defensive performance against Arsenal though. I thought Vidic was very good in that game and we've had few enough clean cheats this season it might make sense to stick with the back four that earned our most recent one.

Not saying I would have any particular problem with Evans and Smalling starting. Just don't think it's the crazy decision you seem to think it is to stick with a settled back four.

EDIT: Mind you, is Rafael still injured? That might force a re-shuffle.
 
I guess it's all opinions, but I thought Vidic was pretty woeful in the first half against Arsenal. And yeah, if Rafa is out then all bets are off.

Christ, why don't we have an actual reserve right back...
 
Gannicus said:
Another Moyes abomination against a club like this cannot be tolerated.
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Seriously though, after 8 days off and a team building exercise well away from this country, I would expect to see an significant improvement tomorrow evening. If it does not materialise, well frankly, as far as I am concerned, Moyes can do one.
 
Chabon said:
I guess it's all opinions, but I thought Vidic was pretty woeful in the first half against Arsenal. And yeah, if Rafa is out then all bets are off.

Christ, why don't we have an actual reserve right back...
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He was alright in the first half and very good/excellent in the second... which roughly averages out at a good/very good game overall.
 
Rafael was concussed, wasn't he? That's a two week sabbatical, I think. Our other head-banger, Phil Jones, is due back too. Moyes might try to find a way to accommodate him. Feck knows how. Fellaini has to be in contention as well. Plus Januzaj must be due a start. Team selection will be interesting.
 
I'm expecting 3 points, however I wouldn't be surprised if we come away with 1. Since Pullis took charge of Palace they are only two points worse off than us, but have played a game less.
Knowing our record breaking form this season, I wouldn't be surprised if Palace beat us for the first time ever in the premiership.
 
Pretty sure I read somewhere that Palace have taken 16 out of a possible 21 points at home since Pulis took over so definitely isn't going to be an easy game. However, as always, I believe we will win the game. Hopefully the warm weather trip to Dubai done the players and Moyes some good. We keep saying, pretty much since September that we're going to put a run of results together and surge up the table. Well it's almost March and it isn't looking any more likely than it has in the last few months. May this be the start, however unlikely it may be.
 
Freak said:
What's the significance?
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msports65.jpg
 
.Rossi said:
We have to, I mean have to, win this right?

Surely to God there is no way Crystal Pulis will do us?.....Right?
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This will not be easy. Palace haven't lost a home game since October, and have won 5 of their last 7.


Pogue Mahone said:
Apparently plans are afoot to turn up to the game wearing Cantona masks.
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Hasn't gone down well:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2564472/Disgrace-United-fans-proposed-tribute-Cantona-slammed-Palace-fan-ahead-Saturdays-showdown.html?ico=sport^headlines


Deputy Sports Editor at the Mirror:

Ed Malyon ‏@eaamalyon 23h
Won't be getting in then, mugs RT @SEF_MUFC: Lots of Cantona masks and flags will be taken to Palace on Saturday by #mufc fans.

Ed Malyon ‏@eaamalyon 23h
The problem lies in Man United fans who don't realise that the Eric Cantona incident resulted in the death of an innocent football fan
 
"But a number of supporters of Tony Pulis' side believe, given the unrelated tragedy that followed Cantona's lunge at Simmons, that the plans are insensitive."

Possibly my favourite ever sentence in a Mail story.
 
Selection will be interesting. I get the feeling he will keep a few for ECL.
De Gea
Smalling
Jones
Evans
Buttner
Valencia
Fellaini
Cleverley or Carrick
Mata
Young
Kagawa
Rooney.

2-1 WIN will do
 
Sixpence said:
Death of who?
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9 April 1995 - A Dark Day In The FA Cup

On 9 April 1995, 35-year old Crystal Palace supporter Paul Nixon died during an outbreak of violence before the FA Cup semi-final between Crystal Palace and Manchester United at Villa Park.

According to police reports, Nixon and a group of other Crystal Palace fans were outside a pub in Walsall, eight miles from Villa Park, when they were attacked by a group of United supporters. Nixon was stabbed and hit by a brick before falling and being crushed under the wheels of a bus as he tried to escape.

Nevertheless, the match was played, ending in a 2-2 draw. United won the replay four days later by the score of 2-0, with first-half goals from Gary Pallister and Steve Bruce. United then progressed to the final, where they lost to Everton. It was the first season since 1989 that United had failed to earn a trophy.

Tensions had been high between supporters of Crystal Palace and Manchester United since January of that year, when Manchester United played away to Crystal Palace. During that match, which ended in a 1-1 draw, star United forward Eric Cantona leapt into the crowd and kicked a Palace supporter he claimed had been issuing racist taunts. Cantona was suspended for the rest of the season and fined £20,000.

http://tdifh.blogspot.co.uk/2009/04/9-april-1995-dark-day-in-fa-cup.html
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de Gea
Rafa-Vida-Jones-Evra
Carrick-Fellaini
Mata-Rooney-Januzaj
van Persie

It's really been too long since we last played
 
De Gea

Rafael - Smalling - Jones - Evra

Fellaini - Carrick

Mata - Rooney - Januzaj

Van Persie


Lindegaard - Ferdinand - Valencia - Cleverley - Young - Welbeck - Hernandez​
 
De Gea

Rafael - Smalling - Jones - Evra

Cleverley Fellaini Carrick

Rooney Mata

Van Persie

A very narrow system with Fellaini supporting the attack from midfield to get the best out of him and basically equip ourselves of winning the battle in midfield with Evra and Rafael providing the width. Rooney and Mata stays central behind RVP and make things tick.
 
Hope we lose 8 to 7. At least scoring a bunch of goals with some brilliant attacking play.

Ok hope we don't lose and do score 7 with some brilliant attacking play.

DDG
Rafael, Smalling, Evans, Evra
Carrick, Cleverley
Januzaj, Rooney, Mata
RVP

Bloody hell Moysie ... play that team and see the future.
 
Hoping that Moyes has decided to make Rooney the number 1 and RVP the back-up now so we quit playing with two strikers in the same team.
 
Stack said:
Whats wrong with 2 strikers in one team?
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It puts incredible strain on our central midfield which buckles under that pressure as it is our weakness. There is nothing wrong to play 2 strikers up top in theory but it requires an outstanding central midfield which we dont have at all and it also requires those two strikers to have an outstanding understanding of each other and a great team play - which RVP and Rooney doesnt have.

Our central midfield is our biggest weakness, it is much more important and crucial to give Fellaini and Carrick one more man in the central midfield battle than it is for Rooney or RVP to get a striker partner to help them score. Rooney or RVP as the lone striker is more than enough to have a world-class offense but our current CM duos are far from enough to provide a world-class central midfield.

If you have a boat with a hole that is taking in water, would you use the last plug in an area that is already perfectly sound - or to stop the sinking hole and create a functional ship again.
 
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Haven't heard anything from Moyes yet, is Fellaini back?
 
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