2017 Pre Season | Sampdoria vs Manchester United

Lindelof - Smalling - Blind
Valencia - Periera - Matic - Pogba - Darmian
Mikhi
Lukaku​

That's the only reasonable way to list those players. Blind and Darmian may interchange their positions.
 
and matic there to sweep up :drool:

Could also see Matic and Pereira as a double pivot with Pereira license to play a little further but being defensively disciplined...Pogba playing behind Romelu and Mkhitaryan who should play off each other. That's a lot of defensive coverage on the left side assuming Matic is left center mid and Darmian LWB.
 
Most likely preparing for the SC with this lineup and formation.
 
Looks like some kind of 3-5-1-1. I'm guessing we're preparing to use 3 at the back in the SC.

When was the last time United were in Ireland?
 
Valencia on the right wing?

deGea
Darmian Smalling Lindelof Blind
Matic
Valencia Pereira Pogba Mkhitaryan
Lukaku​
 
Lindelof - Smalling - Blind
Valencia - Periera - Matic - Pogba - Darmian
Mikhi
Lukaku​

That's the only reasonable way to list those players. Blind and Darmian may interchange their positions.
I would understand that linup if we were playing a Barca/Madrid hybrid.
 
Looks like some kind of 3-5-1-1. I'm guessing we're preparing to use 3 at the back in the SC.

When was the last time United were in Ireland?

I hope not, 352 against madrid is calling trouble out wide on their strengths.
 
I called this months ago. Rojo was a LB so hes comfortable on the left side of a 3 and Bailly played a lot as a RB so he's comfortable on the other side.
Swap Blind for Perisic and Mkhi for Griezmann and everybody fits.
Hopefully this works and Antoine comes next year to add some serious quality
 
---------------De Gea---------------

---Smalling---Lindelof---Blind-----
--Valencia-----------------Darmian

-----------------Matic--------------
---------Herrera-------Pogba------

------Rashford----------Lukaku----


Based on tonight's team - that's the team I think Jose will play in EUFA Super Cup.
 
I would understand that linup if we were playing a Barca/Madrid hybrid.
Well we are playing madrid in a week in the super cup. Put herrera for pereira and it could be what we see for that.
 
Mourinho really does not like Martial.:lol:
Now that I think about it, has Martial even started a pre season game beside the Madrid one where he started because they were promised 60 minutes in advance.
 
Looks like the new United way will be to play 6 defensive players. 5 defenders and 1 DM. The 3 at the back only works well if you have very good attacking full backs. Which we currently don't have, especially on the left side. Valencia can play the right wing back role but unless we sign someone decent to pay LWB then i'm not a big fan of this formation.
 
I called this months ago. Rojo was a LB so hes comfortable on the left side of a 3 and Bailly played a lot as a RB so he's comfortable on the other side.
Swap Blind for Perisic and Mkhi for Griezmann and everybody fits.
Hopefully this works and Antoine comes next year to add some serious quality
Blind for Perisic? I hope you meant Darmian because I've no idea why you would play a winger as a left side CB in a back 3.
 
I don't know, he's not very attacking at all. I suppose it's much of a muchness with Blind there though.

Darmian is a full back who can run up and down the pitch much more than blind and defend better in wide areas, where as blind is better as a cb and being naturally left footed fits well as a Lcb than wingback, aslo has the ability to play out from the back.
 
CB06186CD7C04418A5FBFD1B9D0B8D0C.ashx


Texting Neymar apparently...
 

Great strength in depth and many tactical options within the squad. Even more impresive once Shaw, Rojo and Ibrahimovich return.

We are perhaps just one star player away from a perfectly balaced sqaud.
 
It look very much like a potential team for the super cup. Although Herrera to start over Pereira would seem very obvious given how well he often plays in the big games.

Interesting team anyway. Not sure about Darmian as left wing back. Would prefer Lingard even if he is not great at that either. Blind as left back in a 3 man defense is probably the position that suits him best. Did think that was the position Van Gaal had in mind when he signed him.
 
Swap Blind for Perisic and Mkhi for Griezmann and everybody fits.
Or just Mata for Mkhi. The former was excellent there against the Galaxy. Be interesting to see how Mkhi fares today.
 
@peridigm
I think Darmian will play further back, you can't play Blind and not allow him the chance to whip a ball in
 
Now that I think about it, has Martial even started a pre season game beside the Madrid one where he started because they were promised 60 minutes in advance.
Apart from the Madrid and Barca matches, weren't the players all given one halves in the other games? What's the difference starting in the first half or the 2nd half in these friendlies?
 
---------------De Gea---------------

---Smalling---Lindelof---Blind-----
--Valencia-----------------Darmian

-----------------Matic--------------
---------Herrera-------Pogba------

------Rashford----------Lukaku----


Based on tonight's team - that's the team I think Jose will play in EUFA Super Cup.

It will likely be similar to that. Darmian or Lingard is one option he may use. Matic or Fellaini depending on the fitness of Matic. I would personally have Herrera nailed, but given that Periera starts today maybe Mourinho plan to use him?

Lukaku starts no doubt then Rashford, Mkhitariyan or Martial will probably play next to him. The speed of Rashford I would personally think suit best to play against Real Madrid. Martial in that role could be interesting as well.
 
It will likely be similar to that. Darmian or Lingard is one option he may use. Matic or Fellaini depending on the fitness of Matic. I would personally have Herrera nailed, but given that Periera starts today maybe Mourinho plan to use him?

Lukaku starts no doubt then Rashford, Mkhitariyan or Martial will probably play next to him. The speed of Rashford I would personally think suit best to play against Real Madrid. Martial in that role could be interesting as well.

Don't think Lingard will play as he hasn't featured in last two games due to muscle fatigue.
 
Darmian is a full back who can run up and down the pitch much more than blind and defend better in wide areas, where as blind is better as a cb and being naturally left footed fits well as a Lcb than wingback, aslo has the ability to play out from the back.
True, but it's also true that Blind offers a lot more attacking threats with his intelligence runs into the box, crossing and passing, playing as LWB/LB than Darmian. In this case, since it's LWB, then Blind doesn't need to mind much on defending as Darmian and Matic can cover him. Plus, in a back three formation, Darmian often played well as one of the 3 CBs.

:cool: Let's see soon who's playing LWB.
 
Don't think Lingard will play as he hasn't featured in last two games due to muscle fatigue.

Then I guess we have to play with Darmian and Blind most likely. Playing with Tuanzebe could be interesting though.

I do think it is quite given that we will play with 3-5-2 against Real. Playing Jones and Bailly in 2 man defense and the other in a 3 man defense make it fairly obvious. Some minor details about how we attack I guess Mourinho will adapt to give us the best chance to win it though.
 
Then I guess we have to play with Darmian and Blind most likely. Playing with Tuanzebe could be interesting though.

I do think it is quite given that we will play with 3-5-2 against Real. Playing Jones and Bailly in 2 man defense and the other in a 3 man defense make it fairly obvious. Some minor details about how we attack I guess Mourinho will adapt to give us the best chance to win it though.


Bailly and Jones are banned for the Real match.