The lull before the storm...

What I'm really looking forward to is who LVG is going to select in what positions and how well it works. The last thing we need is continual tinkering to find our best lineup. We need to get some stability going.
 
QPR are so dire that the worst I expect from United is a scrappy/ugly win. If they still manage to lose :wenger:
 
You forgot Di Maria.
That's what's great about our squad now, I picked my 'prediction line up' for this week and found it a hell of a lot harder than usual.
It shows how good our summer signings actually are.
 
Really hoping we play our first choice XI, regardless of the new signings/players returning from injuries. Finally get to see proper midfielders starting for us. Having a settled, quality central midfield really is the key to everything. Keeping possession will ease the pressure off the back four and create chances for our incredible forward players. Excited most for Di Maria, think he's right now one of the best players on the planet at the peak of his powers.
 
I fully expect us to struggle like hell, crap ourselves in defence and then pull of a crappy 2-1 win.
 
Excited but nervous at the same time! If we don't win the media will really be on our back after spending so much. It's gonna take time to gel but the media won't see it like that.
 
I'm going for 2-0, we go 1-0 up early then allow QPR into the game, they create quite a few decent chances and then we get a goal in the last 5 mins to kill it off.
 
I remain cautious. This is as bad as I've ever seen United play in recent memory. QPR getting something from the game will not even be a huge shock these days.

Of course, a part of me is hoping for a 5-0 turning point. This is the day to do it too, because it seems the whole country is expecting it. If we deliver now, impressively, it will cause an 'oh shit, United are back' around the country. However, if we don't win, any old pub team will fancy themselves against us. it will look like 'even with x,y and z - they are still shite'.
 
When you take into consideration our form, the number of new players, new tactics, new formation and lots of players returning from injury I am managing my expectations about what to expect both on Sunday and for the next few games. I don’t see a quick fix here and think it might take a while before we see drastic improvements in both our results and performances. I predicted before the season started that we would be in for a rough ride and only expected 9-10 points from our first 5-6 games but we have been worse than I thought and the manager and players will need time.
 
Can't say I'm much of an optimist these days. As long as we score a consolation goal...
 
Its actually difficult to not feel the OP's optimism. This window has been unprecedented, like no other before, for all Utd fans to be honest.
 
I'm not sure 3 5 2 is going to last another 3 games. I think if Jones was fit he may have switched to 4 3 3 at the weekend. I think people (a lot of hack journos) talk about his philosophy and mean the system. He isn't wedded to the 3 5 2 system at all. I was watching BT sport a few weeks ago and they were talking about how he wouldn't change a philosophy he had always played with (meaning the 3 5 2). Do some decking research for feck sake. But I am very excited for the tonking we're going to give 'arrys boys at the weekend.
 
I'm expecting a very 'feisty' encounter too, with the likes of Barton giving our new boys a Premiership welcome. Please no injuries.

We'll have so many new players out there, he won't have the chance to welcome them all.

He'll probably get utterly bypassed and not even touch the ball
 
Absolute meltdown. multiple new Losing identity for nothing threads. we really need a stomping win.
No we dont, we will be putting out a team that has never played together, for me I just want us to play decent football, QPR will not be the push over many are expecting.
Yes I want the win, but if we dont get it, it wont be the end of the world or the season, despite what threads may appear on here and what the crappy red tops have to say.
 
So are we excited now? I think we should be wary of expecting too much against tougher sides, but today was a great first step and just felt nice to enjoy a game for once.
 
So are we excited now?

Title still looks slim at best but 3rd should be easily attainable with the players we have now

Chelsea obviously are the stand out team so far and having seen them play Liverpool and Arsenal City still look like champions, we're still behind both of them
 
The same team doesn't, of course not. But what about when it changes like this:


vs Burnley:

DDG

Jones - Evans - Blackett
Valencia _________________ Young

Fletcher - Di Maria
Mata
Rooney - Van Persie
vs QPR
DDG

Jones __ Rojo
Rafael ____Blind_____ Shaw
Herrera - Di Maria
Mata
Falcao - Rooney
6 far superior players coming into the side and a twist in the formation so that while it is still technically a 3-5-2, with Blind choosing either central defence or defensive midfield... it could also be perceived as a 4-4-2 diamond or a 4-3-3 proving once and for all that formations on paper mean the square root of absolute feck all.

Players weren't quite spot on but that last paragraph. :cool: