Liverpool Vs Manchester United

According to SSN just now, Fletch is out and Rooney is still a doubt. I honestly think we'll see:

------------------VDS------------------
O'Shea------Rio-------Vidic---------Evra
Valencia----Carrick---Anderson-----Giggs
----------Berbatov----Owen------------

Subs: Foster, Neville, Evans, Scholes, Nani, Welbeck, Macheda.
 
feck daylight savings. I could have slept an hour more!
 
According to Sky Sports News Fletcher is out and Rooney is doubtful, so Rooney still not out for sure. They also say Johnson and Torres may be fit but Gerrard is doubtful. So it's a guessing game really!
Torres and Gerrard will start, Rooney too.

I hope Fletcher will also start, we have poor record in matches without him.
 
Torres and Gerrard will start, Rooney too.

I hope Fletcher will also start, we have poor record in matches without him.
I think Gerrard is the biggest doubt out of anyone; he could only have had one day training max as he didn't train on Friday.
 
According to SSN just now, Fletch is out and Rooney is still a doubt. I honestly think we'll see:

------------------VDS------------------
O'Shea------Rio-------Vidic---------Evra
Valencia----Carrick---Anderson-----Giggs
----------Berbatov----Owen------------

Subs: Foster, Neville, Evans, Scholes, Nani, Welbeck, Macheda.

if fletch is out then I'd be happy with that line up
 
Apologies if this has been posted before:

ROONEY FIT BUT MAY BE OMITTED - REPORTS

Wayne Rooney has been passed fit to start today's crunch Premier League fixture between Manchester United and Liverpool but may be omitted over fears about his temperament.

The Mail on Sunday reports Sir Alex Ferguson declaring that "Wayne's completely fit, there are no injury worries", but adds that 'sources close to the United dressing room warned that Rooney is not guaranteed a place in the starting line-up because of doubts over his temperament in games against Liverpool.'

'Born on Merseyside in Croxteth, Rooney is a product of Everton's academy. He grew up as an Everton fan and Ferguson is said to be concerned that Rooney has not produced his best form against Liverpool and that his Everton upbringing could be a factor.'

:lol:
 
I hope we don't do what alot are suggesting on here and go with 4-4-2 especially if torres starts for them. We need somebody protecting the back four so for me it has to be:


------------------VDS------------------
O'Shea------Rio-------Vidic---------Evra
---------------Carrick------------------
--------Anderson--------Giggs----------
Valencia-------------------------Nani----
--------------Berbatov-------------------

The whole reason why we lost at OT to them was the lack of protection for the back four and the fact the Gerard was allowed to run at them, even if he doesn't start i'd expect them to employ a player to do a similar job so for me it would be suicidal to start 4-4-2.

Today won't be easy.
 
Apologies if this has been posted before:

ROONEY FIT BUT MAY BE OMITTED - REPORTS

Wayne Rooney has been passed fit to start today's crunch Premier League fixture between Manchester United and Liverpool but may be omitted over fears about his temperament.

The Mail on Sunday reports Sir Alex Ferguson declaring that "Wayne's completely fit, there are no injury worries", but adds that 'sources close to the United dressing room warned that Rooney is not guaranteed a place in the starting line-up because of doubts over his temperament in games against Liverpool.'

'Born on Merseyside in Croxteth, Rooney is a product of Everton's academy. He grew up as an Everton fan and Ferguson is said to be concerned that Rooney has not produced his best form against Liverpool and that his Everton upbringing could be a factor.'

:lol:

What the biggest pile of shit I've ever read. If the lad is fit, he will play!
 
I hope we don't do what alot are suggesting on here and go with 4-4-2 especially if torres starts for them. We need somebody protecting the back four so for me it has to be:


------------------VDS------------------
O'Shea------Rio-------Vidic---------Evra
---------------Carrick------------------
--------Anderson--------Giggs----------
Valencia-------------------------Nani----
--------------Berbatov-------------------

The whole reason why we lost at OT to them was the lack of protection for the back four and the fact the Gerard was allowed to run at them, even if he doesn't start i'd expect them to employ a player to do a similar job so for me it would be suicidal to start 4-4-2.

Today won't be easy.

If Rooney is out then that's the lineup I'd like to see. I'd rather see Owen come on as an impact sub, plus I really think Nani could give Johnson a torrid time.
 
I hope we don't do what alot are suggesting on here and go with 4-4-2 especially if torres starts for them. We need somebody protecting the back four so for me it has to be:


------------------VDS------------------
O'Shea------Rio-------Vidic---------Evra
---------------Carrick------------------
--------Anderson--------Giggs----------
Valencia-------------------------Nani----
--------------Berbatov-------------------

The whole reason why we lost at OT to them was the lack of protection for the back four and the fact the Gerard was allowed to run at them, even if he doesn't start i'd expect them to employ a player to do a similar job so for me it would be suicidal to start 4-4-2.

Today won't be easy.

Why should we play to stop them playing? If we play to our strengths, which is 4-4-2, it should be them playing to stop us. We're pretty poor in a 4-5-1 as the striker gets isolated, especially if it's Berbatov or Owen. It worked with Ronaldo as he got forward all the time, but Giggs and Valencia can't do that.
 
Why should we play to stop them playing? If we play to our strengths, which is 4-4-2, it should be them playing to stop us. We're pretty poor in a 4-5-1 as the striker gets isolated, especially if it's Berbatov or Owen. It worked with Ronaldo as he got forward all the time, but Giggs and Valencia can't do that.

Benitez's side won last season because we couldn't get a hold in the midfield. He'll try and do the same thing this time around as well. Put 3 in midfield and make our players rush through with thier passing. Worked last time. Will work this time if we succumb to the pressing. Atleast for the begining of the match playing a 3 man midfield and nuetralise them would be of great help.
 
I don't really expect Fletch and Rooney to start tbh, or even make the bench. SAF knows the importance of these games, but he isn't one to risk their aggravating their injuries and potentially affect the season.
 
Benitez's side won last season because we couldn't get a hold in the midfield. He'll try and do the same thing this time around as well. Put 3 in midfield and make our players rush through with thier passing. Worked last time. Will work this time if we succumb to the pressing. Atleast for the begining of the match playing a 3 man midfield and nuetralise them would be of great help.
We lost to uncharacteristic individual errors, and Anderson playing instead of Fletcher.

Playing 5 in midfield to neutralise Lucas, Mascherano and Benayoun would be a waste in my eyes. They should be trying to neutralise us. We played 5 in midfield to try and neutralise Arsenal and got raped. Only when we went to 442 did we actually have any of the ball. They were throwing players forward as they were behind but the point stands that with 451 we were doing very poorly.
 
Why should we play to stop them playing? If we play to our strengths, which is 4-4-2, it should be them playing to stop us. We're pretty poor in a 4-5-1 as the striker gets isolated, especially if it's Berbatov or Owen. It worked with Ronaldo as he got forward all the time, but Giggs and Valencia can't do that.

Its not playing to stop them playing its insuring that we win the ball enougth to be able to play our natural game. The case of the striker getting isolated shouldn't be so if Giggs performs his role correctly and gets forward to support Berba. We Have always played our best football away in my opinion when we employed a 5 man midfield and controlled possesion.

4-4-2 would leave us hopelessly exposed.
 
Its not playing to stop them playing its insuring that we win the ball enougth to be able to play our natural game. The case of the striker getting isolated shouldn't be so if Giggs performs his role correctly and gets forward to support Berba. We Have always played our best football away in my opinion when we employed a 5 man midfield and controlled possesion.

4-4-2 would leave us hopelessly exposed.

I don't really see why that would be the case against a midfield which, man for man is not a patch on ours. Having said that I think that's what SAF will start with.
 
We lost to uncharacteristic individual errors, and Anderson playing instead of Fletcher.

Playing 5 in midfield to neutralise Lucas, Mascherano and Benayoun would be a waste in my eyes. They should be trying to neutralise us. We played 5 in midfield to try and neutralise Arsenal and got raped. Only when we went to 442 did we actually have any of the ball. They were throwing players forward as they were behind but the point stands that with 451 we were doing very poorly.

We got raped against Arsenal because their midfield 3 had a better game than ours. They passed around us. Playing a 442 might allow Benayoun the space to link up while Mascherano and Lucas will specifically be assigned to keep up the pressure on our 2 to avoid a smooth flow to the game. We will then resort to hoofing it to Berba (we have done a few times this season) for him to hold it up. If Rooney doesn't make it which it look more than likely, packing up the middle 3 and allowing Giggs on the left and Berba upfront to use their creativity will be a great way to start the game where Liverpool can be totally unpredictable. A feeler of a kind.
 
I'd certainly prefer 4-4-2 as well. Liverpool are there for the taking, especially if Gerrard is out. Torres just isn't as effective without Gerrard playing behind him. I'd like...

Van Der Sar
O'Shea Ferdinand Vidic Evra
Valencia Carrick Anderson Giggs
Berbatov Owen/Rooney​

I'd like to see Nani play, but I'm not sure where he would fit. Possibly throw Giggs in the middle but it'd be risky considering that Liverpool usually have 3 in midfield.
 
I had about 20 different dreams about this game last night. Each one had a different result. Frank Lampard scored in one of them however, and another was played with a tangerine instead of a ball.
 
I had about 20 different dreams about this game last night. Each one had a different result. Frank Lampard scored in one of them however, and another was played with a tangerine instead of a ball.

Brown to start??
 
WIth Fletch out we'll see:

VDS
O'Shea Ferdinand Vidic Evra
Carrick Anderson
Valencia Giggs Rooney
Berbatov​

Nani for Rooney if he doesn't make it.
 
We'll have the same gameplan as against CSKA. Five in midfield, one up top, stifle the life out of Liverpool in the first half and then up the tempo in the second half, and try and get the goal and win the game 1-0.
 
We'll have the same gameplan as against CSKA. Five in midfield, one up top, stifle the life out of Liverpool in the first half and then up the tempo in the second half, and try and get the goal and win the game 1-0.

I don't know whether I'd want to see that. I want us to get at them from the start.
 
We'll have the same gameplan as against CSKA. Five in midfield, one up top, stifle the life out of Liverpool in the first half and then up the tempo in the second half, and try and get the goal and win the game 1-0.

Only problem with that is that we didn't really begin to threaten until we went to 4-4-2...

Argh! I don't know if we should go 4-5-1 and contain, or if that'll leave Berb isolated up front so we should go 4-4-2 and get Owen to stretch their defence and make space for Berbatov.....:nervous:
 
Only problem with that is that we didn't really begin to threaten until we went to 4-4-2...

Argh! I don't know if we should go 4-5-1 and contain, or if that'll leave Berb isolated up front so we should go 4-4-2 and get Owen to stretch their defence and make space for Berbatov.....:nervous:

I like the sound of that more.