Manchester City vs. Manchester United

It's a typical European away line up to me, and we're normally pretty good away in Europe...
 
Fergie has clearly gone with the experienced heads. I can understand why Carrick, Scholes, Giggs and Park all start together. They've been there, and done it before. It will be a calming influence to the rest of the team.
 
Scholes and Giggs will run out of gas after 60-70 mins. Wonder how Fergie plans his subs tonight? Surely Valencia will come on with fresh legs in the second half.
 
Well, this is certainly a shocking line-up. Surely looks like we're playing to not lose.

Yeah which I always find worrying when we only have Carrick who defends well in the middle. I just hope Park is playing wide and not in the middle.
 
It's not that shocking. Valencia isn't ideal for 4-5-1/4-3-3, no "traditional" wingers are. I find Evans' omission somewhat surprising, considering that Smalling barely played in the last few weeks and I'd put Welbeck in ahead of Giggs as a wide forward, with Park cleaning up the middle. I'm never comfortable with Scholes and Giggs starting together.

But we'll see how it goes. At least it's not 4-4-2.

Omission? Evans must be injured, the rumour was doing the rounds before and there's no way SAF would go with a bench with no CB on.
 
I understand starting Park, but feck me if he's in your head for the game, why not give him a few run-outs in the weeks leading up? He's not played in almost 2 months!
 
Yep, if I were City, I'd be looking at our bench and shitting myself if it's still 0-0 by 75 mins.
If its 0-0 after 75 mins, we wont go all out for the win. And we dont have midfielders on the bench.
Tired players wont exactly be an advantage for us.
 
Far too many writing us off already ITT.

Try taking a more philosophical view of things.

Think....'what would Eric say?'

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Glad for Park, I'm pretty sure SAF's is gambling on Park as a professional and as his last hope of rejoining the first eleven yet to probably be here next season...

Here's all the prayers for my man Park ! You can f*cking do this !

He wouldn't gamble, he trusts him
 
I've been confident all day, I'm not after seeing that lineup. ill be praying for a 0-0 now
 
Bet Clichy is shitting himself. Nani owned his ass every time he played Arsenal. Valencia coming on in the last 20 should finish him off.
 
Giggs Scholes and Carrick. Park has been included to do the legwork.

Against a side who will press us hard.

Hate to say it but another fecked team selection.
 
It is a sensible thing Ferguson has done, the thing I noticed when Chelsea went to Man City eight weeks ago was the nervousness of the Man City fans. Only thirty minutes in with the score 0-0 with not much going on they were going mental as if they were losing a semi final with ten minutes to go, against you lot tonight such emotions will be extended to the extreme which will force Man City to be erratic.

Start the game cagey and solid, let them lose their rag and as time goes on bring Valencia and Welbeck on and hit them hard.
 
I despair. when we get stuffed, Fergie has to answer for that shambles. We have not played well with park and giggs on the pitch for about 12 months, and Valencia has been our best weapon.

For the umpteenth time this season, Fergie has gotten it massive wrong. Is there some benefit to us losing only he can see?
 
I don't like the lineup. Jones-Nani partnership never looked good to me, I was hoping for Smalling at RB. Park and Giggs starting really really fecked my day.
I hope they will prove me wrong, but I am not optimistic about this after seeing the lineup.
 
Jones shoudn't be in. Park shouldn't be in. Welbeck should be in. Giggs better not dick about in midfield as he has been doing as i see him being a player that they'll look to take advantage of.

By some miracle it could come off, but if we lose then I wouldn't be surprised at all with that line up. We're playing for a draw here.
 
The biggest worry is that Jones, Park, and Smalling haven't played much over the past month. :nervous:
 
It is a sensible thing Ferguson has done, the thing I noticed when Chelsea went to Man City eight weeks ago was the nervousness of the Man City fans. Only thirty minutes in with the score 0-0 with not much going on they were going mental as if they were losing a semi final with ten minutes to go, against you lot tonight such emotions will be extended to the extreme which will force Man City to be erratic.

Start the game cagey and solid, let them lose their rag and as time goes on bring Valencia and Welbeck on and hit them hard.

Teeby talks sense.
 
Fergie has clearly gone with the experienced heads. I can understand why Carrick, Scholes, Giggs and Park all start together. They've been there, and done it before. It will be a calming influence to the rest of the team.

Yeah but how much has Park played recently? And he's not exactly looked good at all in recent times. I get the experience thing but it's not like Valencia or Nani haven't played in big games. As Richter said as well, by starting both Giggs and Scholes we've given ourselves an issue if scholes gets tired later in the game which I imagine he will as I can see them dominating the ball and us going for the counter, as we have no midfielders on the bench to come on and no one bar Giggs who can effectively drop there.