Manchester United vs. Marseille

Depends on your priorities. For me this season is all about number 19. Not all that bothered about Europe.

Well, I very much doubt Fergie is thinking the same way. It's the scousers and the media who think he's just obsessed with beating Liverpools league record. I'm sure if offered a choice he'd pick another CL win. He's always talked more regretfully about going out of CLs than losing out in PL races.

And I don't agree with the idea that going out tonight makes us more likely to win the league. The confidence blow would be devastating.
 
I'll be on edge if its 0-0. I'll be on edge if it's 1-0 to us (last minute equaliser?). I'll be on edge if its 2-1 to us (last minute equalizer?). Only if we make it two goals clear will I feel somewhat easier. On edge now.
 
This is not confirmed and could be the usual smoke and mirrors stuff, but I'm hearing Vidic is out of tonight's game
Oliver Kay (OliverKayTimes) about 1m ago

eeep
 
Well, I very much doubt Fergie is thinking the same way. It's the scousers and the media who think he's just obsessed with beating Liverpools league record. I'm sure if offered a choice he'd pick another CL win. He's always talked more regretfully about going out of CLs than losing out in PL races.

And I don't agree with the idea that going out tonight makes us more likely to win the league. The confidence blow would be devastating.

Good post and correct, I suspect.
 
This is not confirmed and could be the usual smoke and mirrors stuff, but I'm hearing Vidic is out of tonight's game
Oliver Kay (OliverKayTimes) about 1m ago

eeep

so OliverKay reads RedCafe and listens to TalkSport and SSN?
 
If we go out, we'll only have ourselves to blame. This is Marseille - decent team - but no Madrid or Barca. Whatever team we play should be good enough to get the result we want.
 
It seems that Fergie has decided to rest Vidic tonight so he can play him against Bolton, a bit of a risk when we have so many defenders out..
 
The Champions League is more important than the Premier League, in this season, in any season, but what has to be considered is that we're a lot more likely to win the Premier League than the Champions League. Apart from the fact there are teams better suited to winning it than us in the competition, the very nature of the competition, a cup, makes us unlikely to win it - even Barcelona have less than a 50/50 chance according to the bookies.

I'll be gutted if we go out tonight, but given the fixtures there is a massive silver lining in that we'll have a lot less congestion. Of course, there's no accounting for changes in confidence a defeat will have.
 
Lack of away goal.

Vidic possibly missing.

Go out tonight though and we'll win the league imo and probably the FA Cup too.

Yup. The more I think about it, the less an early European exit bothers me. Winning the league and getting to an FA cup final would be an outstanding season.
 
If we go through, I can't wait for the draw on friday. So many exciting teams and games to look forward to.
 
Going out against a team we know we should be able to beat comfortably will be a confidence blow, as Giggs has said before, at this point of the season you want to be in everything, it's why you become a professional footballer in the first place, going out will not help us long term IMO.
 
when is team released?

No vidic means we need the midfield and forwards to step up.
Do Marseille have a tall team?

Please not the same 6 we fielded against Liverpool.
 
Yup. The more I think about it, the less an early European exit bothers me. Winning the league and getting to an FA cup final would be an outstanding season.

Totally agreed.

Last season really devalued the competiton for me, shite football in the latter stages, poor refereeing, really lost it's magic. Just a personal opinion.

It was great to win it 10 years after Munich and the 50 year anniversary was special too, for Sir Matt in '99, but I'd prefer success in the league every year usually.
 
when is team released?

No vidic means we need the midfield and forwards to step up.
Do Marseille have a tall team?

Please not the same 6 we fielded against Liverpool.

Sometimes UEFA have the teams an hour before kickoff.
 
Premier League first for me every time as well, hard to explain why but I don't feel the same way for Champions League as PL.
 
No further word on Vidic? To me he holds the key. Not as confident that United can keep a clean sheet without him.
 
Nani's recovering from an infection, which will sap his stamina, Valencia is not match fit and Carrick is only just back. Having Vidic play on top of this when not 100% seems like a gamble too far.

I'd risk Carrick and perhaps Valencia, but I'd keep Nani benched, and play Giggs. However if Vidic isn't fully fit, Wes Brown has to play as I don't think Fergie will play O'Shea in midfield to protect him again (which to me seems the only logical continguency), but I can't rule it out either.
 
Not too bothered about the lack of an away goal - we're a better than them and I full expect us to beat them at home, away goal or not.

Weird lack of confidence in this thread.
 
It's hard to determine which one is more important these days especially when you take into account Fergie's age. 19th Prem or that final CL which would secure his legacy as one of the most successful managers in Europe on par with Bob Paisley. Both equally important in my opinion.
 
Nani's recovering from an infection, which will sap his stamina, Valencia is not match fit and Carrick is only just back. Having Vidic play on top of this when not 100% seems like a gamble too far.

I'd risk Carrick and perhaps Valencia, but I'd keep Nani benched, and play Giggs. However if Vidic isn't fully fit, Wes Brown has to play as I don't think Fergie will play O'Shea in midfield to protect him again (which to me seems the only logical continguency), but I can't rule it out either.

Nani didn't get an infection.
 
Confirmed Team:

VDS, O'Shea, Brown, Smalling, Evra, Nani, Carrick, Scholes, Giggs, Rooney, Hernandez.

Subs: PIG, Berba, Twins, Valencia, Obertan, Gibson.
 
VDS

Evra
Brown
Smalling
O'Shea

Carrick
Scholes
Nani
Giggs

Rooney
Hernandez

Subs:

Kuzszcak
Fabio
Berbatov
Rafael
Valencia
Obertan
Gibson