Got to leave out players for Bayern.. Can't say I'm too bothered about this result as long as the lads who come in put in a decent performance. Our home form is nothing short of dire, so I'd like to see a positive team of mainly fringe players to just go out and express themselves in the right way. My team for Bayern Munich would include de Gea, Rooney, Giggs, Welbeck, Valencia, Carrick, Fletcher, Rafael, Vidic, Jones, and probably Buttner. So, with that in mind, I'd like to see this side play Villa:
de Gea
Rafael Ferdinand Jones Evra
Cleverley Fellaini
Nani Mata Kagawa
Hernandez
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Lindegaard; Buttner; Carrick, Young, Januzaj; Rooney, Welbeck
If Smalling is fit, I'd play him against Bayern and start Vidic here. Hoping Nani can get some game-time and make the bench mid-week. Was hoping we could get Januzaj back in the team as well, but the system of three no.10's hasn't really worked out for us like I thought it would and I want to see Kagawa play. In an ideal world, we'd get Buttner on in the second half to get a bit more sharp for the Bayern game (if he has to play there) and Young/Januzaj to replace Nani/Kagawa (both of whom I hope make the bench on Tuesday).
We're in a position where the only important games are in Europe - so the focus just has to be that. I don't think we will win this game by the four or five goals it would take to give us any kind confidence / moral boost before the Bayern game (and I honestly believe that starting the lads who haven't played as much gives us just as good a chance to win).
I'm torn between us finishing 7th and really attacking the top four with less distractions next season (which has obviously benefited Liverpool and Everton) or finishing 5th or 6th and having the additional points from the European competition. I'm not sure how it'd work out exactly, as in how far we'd need to get in the Europa League for it to make a huge difference, but being out of Europe for one season will effect our seeding for five seasons if we were to get back into the Champions League the year after. That's obviously something we'd want to avoid, but if it requires us to field strong teams and get far for minimal points increase then I can't say I'd miss it too much. Either way, got to just play all our cards against Bayern and hope for that 'miracle' that cup competitions seem to provide nearly every season!
As for Villa, I just can't even think about this game as I'm more bothered about Bayern (if you didn't guess already), but going for 2-0 United. Mata and Hernandez.