Sunderland v Manchester United
- Thread starter Red Defence
- Start date
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In the latest episode of the United Hour Podcast, Nik (@Rood) is joined by CEO Duncan Drasdo and Financial Director Andy Green from the Manchester United Supporters Trust for a special episode on all things behind the scenes at Old Trafford including a brief history of MUST and their aims today, views on INEOS and Sir Jim Ratcliffe so far, and the Old Trafford regeneration.
If we don't win this game I am disowning Steve Bruce.
Think how i feel, ive got his initials tattooed on me arse cheeks from his Agent Wigan days!
We'll be fine:
Agent Bruce
Agent Bardsley
Agent Ferdinand
Agent Campbell
Agent Richardson
Sorted.
Agent Bruce
Agent Bardsley
Agent Ferdinand
Agent Campbell
Agent Richardson
Sorted.
What on Earth? If Chelsea drop points in any game and we win ours we win the title. Simple as. We don't need Chelsea to drop points in 2 games. Just one game will do it if we win our games.
Sorry guys...all wrong...will teach you to count your chickens...
4-4-2, start Macheda. Please. I doesn't work with Berbatov up top.
I was going up for this one but had to sack it off due to the change of date. Cnuts.
I was going up for this one but had to sack it off due to the change of date. Cnuts.
Macheda never looks that threatening when he starts. But Bebratov looks better with a front runner to play off.
But in away game I can see Fergie holding Macheda back, if not just because we need a striking option of some sort on the bench.
But in away game I can see Fergie holding Macheda back, if not just because we need a striking option of some sort on the bench.
Id rather we didnt start Macheda, we looked just a toothless with him in the team at Blackburn as we ever have with Berbatov up top alone, if possible id play the same front 6 that started against spurs, Giggs operating behind Berbatov flanked by Valencia and Nani with Scholes and Fletcher the centre midfield, id bring Neville back at right back and if fit Ferdinand for Evans.
im ok with your lineup but carrick should figure. I think he played quite well after he came on.
Don't you!? Why not?
Only problem then is not having a striker to come off the bench. Macheda has been best as an impact sub so far imo.
He's definitely best used as an impact sub. Especially seeing as he's the only player at the club who fits that description and isn't fecking injured!
Nonsense. Berbatov should start.
Van der Sar
Neville
Evra (if fit)
Vidic
Ferdinand (if fit)
Fletcher
Scholes
Valencia
Giggs/Park
Nani
Berbatov
Nani should play a more advanced role I think.
Hopefully Valencia will wake up for this game. Be nice to have both wingers on form attacking the opposition. Berbatov will probably do his usual trick of jogging about looking uninterested and then find form for 5minutes and take Sunderland apart.
Personally I wouldn't risk Ferdinand from now on. Evans and Vidic should be the partnership to carry us in the final 2 games (unless they pick up an injury).
Personally I wouldn't risk Ferdinand from now on. Evans and Vidic should be the partnership to carry us in the final 2 games (unless they pick up an injury).
Eh? Valencia caused Bale all sorts of problems on Saturday and was one of our best two or three players against City.
He's also probably injured.
Nani in a free role would be interesting. He has started to drift around quite a bit lately which has created some dangerous attacks from the right, and we saw how brilliantly he did on his own against Bayern.
That being said, I share Plech's doubts regarding Berbatov alone up top.
I think sinch assumed Plech wanted Macheda instead of Berbatov. Which would be crazy.
We'll definitely play 5 in midfield though. Macheda won't start.
We'll definitely play 5 in midfield though. Macheda won't start.
Pretty sure that's what he meant.
I think he needs more support. Nani or Park buzzing around him would do it. Giggs is too withdrawn, and Valencia plays very wide - he's more suited to having two strikers to aim at.
It's our best option - but we need to make sure he has players to pass to.
Yeah, the big problem with us playing 433/451 this season is that we've been poor at getting players up in support of our front-man.
This goes way back and includes a bunch of games when Rooney was up top on his own. Tevez, Ronaldo and Rooney himself were all very comfortable anywhere in a front three but Berbatov isn't mobile enough to play wide, Nani, Giggs and Valencia are more at home as traditional wingers and the less said about the support from central midfield in the final third the better.
Valencia still does his best stuff with chalk on his boots but hopefully he can grow into a slightly more central role over time. Park, on his day, suits the role better than anyone but he's been very inconsistent. It's no surprise that he's been part of our best performances in a 433 but he can't be relied on to sustain that level of performance. Since Nani upped his game he's started to impress in a fairly free role but, apart from those two, the rest of our midfielders rarely get close enough to our lone striker to make the formation very effective.
It can be pretty effective - and Rooney has surprised me with how much he has improved in the role - but yes, I agree in general - the system is very dependent on the main support player having a good game, and I think it can be countered by the opposition focusing on that player. I've seen United try this time and again with Giggs in that position, and it's been a real mish-mash - sometimes the whole thing has worked like a dream and Giggs has been amazing, and sometimes we just look bereft of ideas and unable to link the play.
I think we just lack exactly the right player for that linking role, or rather we have that player, but we sort of need him to be the striker as well...
Anyway, side point: I think Berbatov and Nani are a good combination, because Nani can get past the striker and is a decent finisher when he gets through. Need to give him more freedom, and especially not tie him to the left wing.
Yeah, I meant the two of them together in a 4-4-2. Agree it's unlikely to be what Fergie opts for.
I'm never mad about a teamsheet with Giggs in the hole. As sinch said, when it comes off it's great, but a lot of the time it doesn't.
Nani as Ronaldo? Rooney back on the left? Park as defensive winger once more? I used to think we were one well-built attacker short of Nani/Park/Attacker all buzzing around behind Rooney and wreaking absolute havoc. Then we signed Valencia. Everyone went back to their assigned seating.
But yes, players with Nani/Park's intelligence tend to thrive when freed up to read the game and pick defenses apart rather than stick to one position and perform specific functions.
Agreed only if the two stop whining at each other and sort out who needs to go where.
3-2 United. It will be a tough one
One of those days we'll see Nani up top with say Berba. He's the closest thing to Rooney we've got. He's relatively small to be CF but on a free/supportive role he'd be good.
Don't get me wrong. The man is born to be a winger. He's just got qualities to play through the middle
Don't get me wrong. The man is born to be a winger. He's just got qualities to play through the middle
Did a great job against Bayern at home. Would be a great move to play him behind (alongside?) Berba.
And just maybe the two of them mouthing off at each other can gee them and the rest up. Here's hoping anyway.
And just maybe the two of them mouthing off at each other can gee them and the rest up. Here's hoping anyway.
VDS
Rafael, Evans, Vidic, Evra
Valencia, Fletcher, Sir Ryan, Sir Scholes, Nani
Berbatov
Bench: Obertan, Macheda, Gibson, Hargreaves, O'Shea, Neville, TK
Rafael, Evans, Vidic, Evra
Valencia, Fletcher, Sir Ryan, Sir Scholes, Nani
Berbatov
Bench: Obertan, Macheda, Gibson, Hargreaves, O'Shea, Neville, TK
roll over for us brucey please, sunderland have nothing to play for.....
sure neither do the dippers
how can you ask for sunderland to roll over for us and the dippers to give chelsea a beating
Hargreaves 90+2
Dippers have plenty to play for.
Liverpool have 4th to play for! Champions League football.
Don't stop believing.
Don't stop believing.
I have money on us lining up in a 4-4-1-3.
-----Nani-----Rooney----Campbell--
-------------Berbatov--------------
Richardson-Carrick-Fletcher-Valencia
--Evra----Vidic----Evans----Rafael--
While the extra two will be playing in Sunderland kits per rules of the game, It will be hard to mistake which way they are running with the ball.
Also, Richardson probably counts as -1 player, which means higher math may be required to calculate his impact depending on who has possession.
-----Nani-----Rooney----Campbell--
-------------Berbatov--------------
Richardson-Carrick-Fletcher-Valencia
--Evra----Vidic----Evans----Rafael--
While the extra two will be playing in Sunderland kits per rules of the game, It will be hard to mistake which way they are running with the ball.
Also, Richardson probably counts as -1 player, which means higher math may be required to calculate his impact depending on who has possession.
hutton's red hasnt been rescinded
he misses this game
bardo ? anton ..
and whats with sunderland playing myler and henderson in midfield. .
didnt they line up with
malbranque-myler-henderson-campbell as their midfield in their last game ..
was it just against hull or is that what bruce has been going with
he misses this game
bardo ? anton ..
and whats with sunderland playing myler and henderson in midfield. .
didnt they line up with
malbranque-myler-henderson-campbell as their midfield in their last game ..
was it just against hull or is that what bruce has been going with
Thank feck for a kickoff time that is half decent I was getting tired of that noontime nonsense