Marseille Vs Manchester United

I really hope we start with Rooney left and Berbatov up top. I don't trust Rooney to provide a performance alone right now, and Obertan is.. Obertan. I would also love to see King on the bench but I think the chances are slim. Can't see why people are so worried, we are able to field a very strong team tomorrow.
 
Pogue Mahone said:
Meh. I've never denied the need to beef up our midfield, ideally with someone who can chip in with regular goals. What we don't need is some specialist "AM" who can only ever play as the most advanced in a midfield three.
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I agree, a specialized AM would be futile when we play 4 4 2. Any midfielder we sign must be comfortable playing in a 4 4 2
 
pauldyson1uk said:
good to see fans with confidence in the team :rolleyes:
What is it with our fans.:mad:
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:lol:

I think that the team wont win tomorrow night, but go through to the next round, yet the whole sky is falling in. Big fecking deal. We're not in great form, our away record is average in comparison to recent seasons, we're against the French champions, our record in France suggest's that we'll be given a tough match, we've just lost 2-3 of our most important players to injury, therefore; I guess I should just pretend that everything is rosy and we'll sail through the match in France.

Do me a favour you lot.
 
Giggs, Rio and Anderson are not playing due to injuries. Are we going to be missing anyone else?
 
pauldyson1uk said:
good to see fans with confidence in the team :rolleyes:
What is it with our fans.:mad:
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Maybe we should just say we'll win every game, engage in no logical/intelligent conversation about it and act like Primary School kids ;)

Just kidding.

But you can see why folk might see this as a tough challenge.
 
We really are missing Giggs, Park, Valencia.

I would go with the following

VDS
Rafael Smalling Vidic Evra
Scholes Carrick
Fletcher Rooney Nani
Berbatov

Playing 4-2-3-1

The reasons:
1) In a 4-3-3 Rooney is wasted wide left.
2) I would rather play Fletcher wide right of an attacking three rather than Bebe or Obertan.
3) Berbatov is good enough to play the lone man up front and if its not working he can swap with Rooney position.
4) Carrick and Scholes provide the right combination of defensive cover (Carrick) and passing from deep - Scholes.
5) Fletcher is capable to play wide right of a three man attacking forward line- if it wasnt for injuries Park or Valencia would be playing here.
 
A game I'd love to see Park in.. Hope his recovery is going well!!!!
 
I've been talking about the squad so much today that I'd somehow got it in my head we were playing tonight :(
 
May have been posted but CBA scanning this thread..

BBC SPORT | Football

Owen, Giggs, Anderson, Ferdinand and Evans out of tomorrows tie.

Manchester United will be without captain Rio Ferdinand as well as Anderson, Jonny Evans, Ryan Giggs and Michael Owen for the first leg of their last-16 Champions League tie against Marseille.
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:smirk: Idiots..
 
I think we could see Fletcher used on the right and Nani on the left, with Rooney and Berba up front. Then if we are beig over run in midfield, Fletcher could tuck in and Rooney move out wide.
 
MacMUFC said:
:lol:

I think that the team wont win tomorrow night, but go through to the next round, yet the whole sky is falling in. Big fecking deal. We're not in great form, our away record is average in comparison to recent seasons, we're against the French champions, our record in France suggest's that we'll be given a tough match, we've just lost 2-3 of our most important players to injury, therefore; I guess I should just pretend that everything is rosy and we'll sail through the match in France.

Do me a favour you lot.
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You do realize our away record in Europe is the best by far in recent years? And we've won all 3 away games this year as well
 
VDS
Rafael Smalling Vidic Evra
Fletcher Carrick Scholes
Nani
Berbatov Rooney​

Nani basically given license to roam to either wing, with Rooney dropping back often when they want full width.
 
Just read this. Sorry if its already been posted

Heinze regrets Ferguson fallout.

Marseille defender Gabriel Heinze has expressed his regret over his acrimonious exit from Manchester United ahead of Wednesday's Champions League last-16 clash between his current and former sides.

The Argentine, now 32, was displaced as the Red Devils' left-back by Patrice Evra and Sir Alex Ferguson subsequently refused to sell him to Liverpool.

In the event, Heinze quit Old Trafford in 2007 to join Real Madrid but now happy at Marseille he is quick to hail Ferguson as a "major influence" on him.

Heinze said: "I don't have many regrets from my career as a footballer but that episode with Ferguson has to be one of them.

"I'm impulsive and strong-willed and this has got me into trouble at times, which was the case at the time when I left United. On reflection, it is easy to see that Ferguson was a major influence on my career, in a positive way.

"Sir Alex makes every player he comes into contact with so much more driven and committed. He demands his players dig as deep for the cause and I'm sorry that we fell out in the final days because I still have so much respect for him.

"I cannot wait for the chance to go back onto the pitch at Old Trafford because this is the most special club of all, and I include Real Madrid in this list."
 
Billy Blaggs said:
Just read this. Sorry if its already been posted

Heinze regrets Ferguson fallout.

Marseille defender Gabriel Heinze has expressed his regret over his acrimonious exit from Manchester United ahead of Wednesday's Champions League last-16 clash between his current and former sides.

The Argentine, now 32, was displaced as the Red Devils' left-back by Patrice Evra and Sir Alex Ferguson subsequently refused to sell him to Liverpool.

In the event, Heinze quit Old Trafford in 2007 to join Real Madrid but now happy at Marseille he is quick to hail Ferguson as a "major influence" on him.

Heinze said: "I don't have many regrets from my career as a footballer but

that episode with Ferguson has to be one of them.

"I'm impulsive and strong-willed and this has got me into trouble at times, which was the case at the time when I left United. On reflection, it is easy to see that Ferguson was a major influence on my career, in a positive way.

"Sir Alex makes every player he comes into contact with so much more driven and committed. He demands his players dig as deep for the cause and I'm sorry that we fell out in the final days because I still have so much
respect for him.

"I cannot wait for the chance to go back onto the pitch at Old Trafford because this is the most special club of all, and I include Real Madrid in this list."
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I'm glad to read that as I really liked Heinze when he was here.
 
Scholesy said:
In a 4-3-3, it is often Fletcher who tries to support Rooney. Carrick will hold back, and Fletcher/Anderson will try to support Rooney. None of these players are good at supporting Rooney well.
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Scholes should play ahead of Fletcher and Carrick.
 
Sultan said:
Scholes should play ahead of Fletcher and Carrick.
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He won't though. If the 3 of them play in a 433 then Fletcher will be the one furthest forward most of the time.
 
wr8_utd said:
Great to see the confidence in the team then.
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I'll just pretend that we'll win every bloody game then. Anyway, shouldnt you be defending your hubby wubby Wazza who can do no wrong in another thread?
 
Scholesy said:
In a 4-3-3, it is often Fletcher who tries to support Rooney. Carrick will hold back, and Fletcher/Anderson will try to support Rooney. None of these players are good at supporting Rooney well.
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Gibson time then!
:D
 
Lester Freamon said:
I really hope we start with Rooney left and Berbatov up top. I don't trust Rooney to provide a performance alone right now, and Obertan is.. Obertan. I would also love to see King on the bench but I think the chances are slim. Can't see why people are so worried, we are able to field a very strong team tomorrow.
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King and Tunicliffe are in the travelling squad and they're competing with Bébé and Obertan for 1 or 2 places on the bench, 1 place depends really if Fabio is a third defender on the bench.
 
Am confident we will win this. Either 0-2 or 1-2. And expect Rooney to have an influential game too.
 
sammsky1 said:
Am confident we will win this. Either 0-2 or 1-2. And expect Rooney to have an influential game too.
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I expect a classic European away performance from us tomorrow night. We;ll be cautious and look to hit them on the break. Our priority will be keeping it tight at the back.

That formula has worked brilliantly for Fergie over the last 3/4 years and he won't start changing it now.

I expect a 0-0. No team will score more than 1.
 
Billy Blaggs said:
Just read this. Sorry if its already been posted

Heinze regrets Ferguson fallout.

Marseille defender Gabriel Heinze has expressed his regret over his acrimonious exit from Manchester United ahead of Wednesday's Champions League last-16 clash between his current and former sides.

The Argentine, now 32, was displaced as the Red Devils' left-back by Patrice Evra and Sir Alex Ferguson subsequently refused to sell him to Liverpool.

In the event, Heinze quit Old Trafford in 2007 to join Real Madrid but now happy at Marseille he is quick to hail Ferguson as a "major influence" on him.

Heinze said: "I don't have many regrets from my career as a footballer but that episode with Ferguson has to be one of them.

"I'm impulsive and strong-willed and this has got me into trouble at times, which was the case at the time when I left United. On reflection, it is easy to see that Ferguson was a major influence on my career, in a positive way.

"Sir Alex makes every player he comes into contact with so much more driven and committed. He demands his players dig as deep for the cause and I'm sorry that we fell out in the final days because I still have so much respect for him.

"I cannot wait for the chance to go back onto the pitch at Old Trafford because this is the most special club of all, and I include Real Madrid in this list."
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Translated: Please don't boo me!
 
Deschamps say United lack Fantasy

Manchester United lack 'fantasy', says Marseille's Didier Deschamps | Football | The Guardian

Didier Deschamps was not intending to be at all derogatory when he was asked to share the results of his near-forensic analysis of Manchester United, but the Marseille coach was emboldened enough not to restrict himself to the usual platitudes. "Maybe this team has a bit less fantasy than we have seen in the past," said a man who has made it his business to watch every minute of every match involving Sir Alex Ferguson's team since the Champions League draw was made.

A fair assessment, you might say, considering that the last time United came to this part of south-east France they were treble-winners with a midfield quartet – David Beckham, Roy Keane, Paul Scholes and Ryan Giggs – that invites nostalgic reminiscences. The modern-day United, as Deschamps acknowledged, simply do not have the same wow factor, particularly with Giggs joining their list of absentees on the flight from Manchester.

That, however, is not to say the current team are a noticeably less efficient model. Ferguson recently bemoaned their performances away from home in the Premier League but these are intrepid travellers in Europe, with 10 wins and three draws from the last 15 foreign excursions. As Ferguson noted: "They don't often let us down in these big games."

An accurate measure of Ferguson's often conservative ploys in Europe can be gauged from the fact Rooney and Dimitar Berbatov have started only three of those games together, United's manager often concluding it can be too risky to play two forwards. His team conceded only one goal in the six group games to get this far and, for Deschamps, that makes them every bit as formidable as the 1999 side.

"I have heard a lot about their style of play, but the thing is it's not always the nicest-looking team that wins titles. In 1993, with Marseille, we didn't have the nicest team but we won a lot of trophies, including the European Cup."

This seems to be United's way this season, even though Ferguson reiterated in an interview with L'Equipe this week that he felt his team deserved more praise. "People don't stop criticising us," he said. "We're not playing well, apparently. Me? I hold on to the fact that at home we've often been fantastic. At home we've dropped only two points all season. OK, away from home it's a different matter."

Those words came before the prosaic 1-0 win over Crawley Town, a performance that left the United manager raging at his players. Now, though, they have the chance to record their 150th win in European competition and, despite an extensive injury list of their own, they can be encouraged by the number of drop-outs for Marseille, most notably the striker André-Pierre Gignac.

"They're a very physical, powerful team," Ferguson said. "Marseille isn't the easiest place to get a result. There is an atmosphere, an emotion at the Stade Vélodrome that is unique. I've often been to matches here and the fans have a genuine power over their players."

The Premier League leaders must also make do without Rio Ferdinand, still unfit after missing the last three matches, while Michael Owen and Jonny Evans have not made the trip either, joining an injury list already featuring Anderson, Park Ji-sung, Owen Hargreaves and Antonio Valencia.

Ferguson had encouraging news about Anderson, who has been told by a specialist in Portugal that his knee injury is not as bad as first feared and that he may be fit again within two to three weeks. Ferdinand is hoping to be available for the trip to Chelsea next Tuesday and there was also a positive update on the fitness of Valencia, who has been out since suffering a badly broken ankle in the opening match of this season's Champions League against Rangers in September.

Ferguson has earmarked United's FA Cup quarter-final at home to Arsenal or Leyton Orient next month for Valencia's comeback after the winger returned to training last week. "Antonio is training very well now," United's manager said. "He is involved on the contact side and the signs are very encouraging. We expect him to be ready by the Arsenal cup tie."

Giggs may be back for the game at Wigan Athletic this weekend. United's longest-serving player has a knee injury, meaning Rooney may be deployed in a wide-left role against Ligue 1's third-placed team.

That means Scholes is the only United player here to have played in the 1999 match and Ferguson said he was "more than hopeful" the 36-year-old would follow Giggs by signing a new one-year contract.

"The important thing for Paul is that he feels that he's got to play all the games and, of course, that's impossible. But he can still play a big part next season."
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Ben Lyttleton RT'd by ManUnitedYouth

L'Equipe: Wolves def Zubar tells Marseille how to beat #MUFC: 'Defence is weak spot, they concede goals all the time & to everyone.'
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As ManUnitedYouth himself says; 'Methinks Mr Zubar hasn't paid attention to the league table (2nd best defensive record) or our tally of 17 clean sheets.'

What a wally.
 
All i'm looking for is a performance tonight.We're due one.Heart tells me 0-2 head says 1-1
 
MacMUFC said:
I'll just pretend that we'll win every bloody game then. Anyway, shouldnt you be defending your hubby wubby Wazza who can do no wrong in another thread?
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By that same token, shouldn't you be wanking over your beloved Gunners in the other thread.
 
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