Manchester United vs. Sporting Lisbon

Scholesy said:
What channels this on?

I think Eagles will start, i mind after Kiev, Fergie said he wanted to give Eagles some time but couldnt because VDS got crocked.
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Eagles will not start. Fergie has already stated that the two portugese will start. PIG, O'Shea and Fletcher will also start, most likely.
 
Ronaldo set to start

Cristiano Ronaldo and Nemanja Vidic are both fit to face Sporting Lisbon on Tuesday night in United's penultimate Champions League Group F match.

The pair were key absentees in the 1-0 defeat to Bolton Wanderers at the weekend, but both trained with the rest of the squad at Carrington on Monday and Sir Alex Ferguson confirmed they are in contention for a starting berth against the Portuguese side.

"Vidic and Ronaldo are both fit," he said at his pre-match press conference. "They'll be in the squad for Tuesday night."

Sir Alex hinted that Portuguese stars Ronaldo and Nani should both start, while Darren Fletcher, John O'Shea and Tomasz Kuszczak are also likely to make the first eleven. But the Reds manager insisted he won't be making too many changes.

United have won all four matches in Group F so far and are assured a last 16 place. But Sir Alex will be keen to secure top spot and a seeded place in the knockout round draw. The Reds boss is also aware that Sporting can still qualify if they better AS Roma's result in Kyiv on Tuesday night and then beat the Ukrainians in their last game.

"The incentives to win are huge for us," said Sir Alex. "If we win we've won the group and we'll be seeded for the knockout stage. That's important. We've also got an important game against Liverpool straight after the Roma game.

"Beating Sporting would allow us to [rest players] against Roma. But, our next two results matter to Sporting and Roma, so we have to be fair to both teams and we will be determined to win on Tuesday."
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...
 
Fergie always says he'll play a good team, not too many youngsters and then he sticks it to us with a second string team with a couple of first teamers. Contemplating taking the afternoon off work to watch the game but will be really pissed off he does what he usually does and we get beat 1-0.
 
Manchester United target Miguel Veloso will face the Premier League champions for Sporting Lisbon at Old Trafford on Tuesday night having declared that he would love a move to the club.

Holding midfielder Veloso has been earmarked as a potential long-term replacement for Paul Scholes, with United assistant manager Carlos Queiroz last night admitting the player is on the club's hit-list.

And although a deal for the 21-year-old is not likely to be formally discussed until next summer, the Portugal international has admitted he is ready to follow the path trodden by compatriots Cristiano Ronaldo and Nani.

Veloso said: 'My dream is to play in the Premier League and, if possible, for Manchester United. That is not a secret, even though I'm 100 per cent a Sporting Lisbon player at the moment.

'I will wait for the end of the season for any solution to what has been happening and see if an offer finally arrives. But to play for this club would be sensational. It would be nearly impossible for me to reject this option.

'I've been made aware of the presence of the scouts from United. I'm ambitious and want to do more in my career.

'From my time with Portugal I have heard from Cristiano and Nani about what a club United is. Any player would be happy to play there.

'I am still young and I believe that I will arrive in the Premier League one day.'

United scouts have watched £20m-rated Veloso almost constantly over the last two months. Inter Milan and Real Madrid are also in the hunt.

Queiroz admitted United manager Sir Alex Ferguson is a fan of the player but suggested there may not be a place for him in the team who have already qualified for the second stage of the Champions League with two games to spare.

Queiroz said: 'It is impossible to ignore good players and we are following the development of some Portuguese players. One is Veloso. It would be ridiculous not to. Players like Veloso are on the list but maybe not a priority at the moment.

'If Scholes, Michael Carrick, Owen Hargreaves or Anderson leaves the club one day then it is true that a player like Miguel Veloso would be a priority.'

United's preparations were interrupted when Ferguson was charged with using abusive or insulting language towards referee Mark Clattenburg during Saturday's Premier League defeat at Bolton.

Ferguson is likely to be fined for his outburst but yesterday merely underlined his stance that his players should receive more protection from officials.

He said: 'The key point is that referees control what happens on the field. He is the arbiter of the laws and on Saturday we felt aggrieved about that.'

United will field a relatively strong side at Old Trafford this evening as they seek the win that would send them into the next phase as group winners.

Victory would also enable them to rest key players at Roma next month for a final group game that comes before the Premier League visit to Liverpool.

Ferguson said: 'It would give me a perfect opportunity to rest players against Roma if I wanted to. I'd like to field a pretty strong team against Sporting because it's also an important game for them and for Roma, who are trying to qualify with us.

'It won't be easy. Sporting were very unlucky in their last game against Roma and will want to put that right against us.'

Veloso will take his place in a youthful Sporting line-up keen for some kind of revenge for their 1-0 defeat by United in Lisbon back in September.

He added: 'This match is decisive for us in terms of our future in Europe this season.

'From my personal point of view, I do not need to prove anything to the English. Veloso is the same player in each match and I do not try to reach a superior level in one particular match.

'Queiroz spoke about me in the papers in a good way and that is important, but at the moment I'm at Sporting and the question about a move to United is only a possibility.'
 
Lizard King said:
ITV1 if you're in the UK.

I think Fletcher & O'Shea will definitely start, Eagles will probably get some time on the pitch too along with Pique and Evans.
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I reckon Pique will start, before being replaced by Evans.
Upfront is the place up for grabs....but we've only got two strikers fit or at the club.
 
-------VDS--------
Brown...Rio..Vidic..O Shea
Ronaldo..Anderson..Carrick..Nani
-----Tevez-------Saha---
 
---------------Kuszczak

Brown---Ferdinand---Vidic---Evra

Ronaldo---Carrick---Anderson---Nani

---------Saha------Tevez (Giggs)

Evra & Tevez - Not up to usual standards at Reebok. Tevez looked tired physically,, and Evra made a few decisions I feel he would not normally have made, lke shooting in one the last attempts of the game, instead of squaring it to Saha. A few of his tackles were miss timed etc.. I think Tevez is possibly in need of a rest (Bench) making him fully fit for Rooney's return game against Fulham.

Option B

---------------Kuszczak --------------------

Brown-------Ferdinand--------Vidic-------Evra

Eagles(Fletcher)----Carrick-----Anderson-----Nani

--------------Ronaldo------------------------

---------------------Saha----------------------


United 3 - 1

Ronaldo, Anderson, Any Defender
 
MadDogg said:
I reckon we might just see:

----------------Kuszczak---------------
--Simpson-----Pique----Rio-----O'Shea--
-----Fletch-----Carrick----Anderson-----
--Ronaldo-----------------------Nani---
-----------------Tevez-----------------
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I reckon you're 100% spot on there !! Everyone seems to think Saha will start, but I doubt very much that he will. This is the exact team I would have predicted too
 
I think fergie will definately want to see how hargreaves performs in europe for us,as will most of us.

Apart from that O'shea for evra is a needed one,fergie said flecther will start too so defo anderson will play to provide the creative ammunition from midfield.

Ronaldo and Nani will defo want to play against thier childhood clubs,ronaldo especially since he is top scorer in the cl and would want a better argument for his case to be fifa world player of the year award.

Saha needs to start too,he needs to find his place in the team and get his confidence back.

If Vidic starts as we were told,then it might be pique for rio and simpson for brown with Kuszczak in goal.

So i reckon :

---------------Kuszczak---------------
--Simpson-----Pique----Vidic-----O'Shea--
-----Fletch----Hargreaves----Anderson---
--Ronaldo--------------------------Nani--
-----------------Saha------------------
 
Veron said:
I think fergie will definately want to see how hargreaves performs in europe for us,as will most of us.

Apart from that O'shea for evra is a needed one,fergie said flecther will start too so defo anderson will play to provide the creative ammunition from midfield.

Ronaldo and Nani will defo want to play against thier childhood clubs,ronaldo especially since he is top scorer in the cl and would want a better argument for his case to be fifa world player of the year award.

Saha needs to start too,he needs to find his place in the team and get his confidence back.

If Vidic starts as we were told,then it might be pique for rio and simpson for brown with Kuszczak in goal.

So i reckon :

---------------Kuszczak---------------
--Simpson-----Pique----Vidic-----O'Shea--
-----Fletch----Hargreaves----Anderson---
--Ronaldo--------------------------Nani--
-----------------Saha------------------
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With the exception of Carrick for Hargreaves and perhaps Rio for Vidic, i wouldn't be surprised if thats the team.
 
According to Alvin Martin who is covering tonight's game for talkSPORT, the word is that there will be two youngsters/outright non first teamers featuring. These being Simpson and Evans.
 
PIG
Evra
Ferdinand
Vidic
O'Shea
Nani
Carrick
Fletcher
Ronaldo
Anderson
Saha
 
Lot 49 said:
Official Team

Kuszczak
Evra
Ferdinand
Vidic
O'Shea
Nani
Carrick
Fletcher
Ronaldo
Anderson
Saha
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Decent line up. It'll be good to see Anderson playing further up the pitch.
 
TEAM NEWS Man Utd v Sporting
Manchester United team: Kuszczak, O'Shea, Ferdinand, Vidic, Evra, Ronaldo, Carrick, Anderson, Fletcher, Nani, Saha.

Subs: Van der Sar, Hargreaves, Brown, Giggs, Pique, Simpson, Tevez.
 
Tevez needs to be rested then it seems, though I'd assume Saha's not going to be playing the full 90 minutes either. Nice to see Anderson further up the pitch indeed.
 
according to uefa.com we play 4-3-3/4-5-1

Fletcher - Carrick - Anderson
Ronaldo - Saha - Nani
 
Easier on the eye:

-----------Kuszczak----
Oshea----Rio----Vida----Evra
------Fletcher----Carrick-----
Ronaldo----Anderson----Nani
-------------Saha-----------
 
Imagine we had Scholes and Rooney fit..

Subs bench would have Van Der Sar, Giggs, Hargreaves, Scholes, Tevez, Brown and Rooney. Thats some squad.
 
The Good :

We get to see Anderson further up the pitch.

The Bad :

I really thought Fergie should've started Pique ,if not for gaining experience atleast to to show his confidence in the lad so that he can get over his mistake during the bolton match.
 
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