And even Valencia's defensive contribution isn't that great this season, Young's defensive contribution in last game on right wing was better than any of Valencia's this season.
Tottenham Hotspur vs. Manchester United
- Thread starter nemanja15
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In the latest episode of the United Hour Podcast, Nik (@Rood) is joined by CEO Duncan Drasdo and Financial Director Andy Green from the Manchester United Supporters Trust for a special episode on all things behind the scenes at Old Trafford including a brief history of MUST and their aims today, views on INEOS and Sir Jim Ratcliffe so far, and the Old Trafford regeneration.
If we were playing at home or a lesser team away I would agree. But this is a tough match and Spurs will be really up for it. The less risky option is to start Valencia IMO.
If in the second half the rythm has been set and we aren't on top then Nani/Kagawa (Hernandez too) would be good options to come on and change things.
If in the second half the rythm has been set and we aren't on top then Nani/Kagawa (Hernandez too) would be good options to come on and change things.
That doesn't make sense. If Nani is fit and ready to go, I don't see why picking him over a severely out of form Valencia would be more risky. Especially based on Nani's decent game vs West Ham and good record vs Spurs.
It would only be a risk if Nani is still very short of fitness, and in that case he's best left on the bench.
Which probably says more about Valencia this season than Nani's eligibility in this instance.
For me it is RVP, Kagawa, Rooney and one other. If Young were fit enough we could easily leave both Nani and Valencia on the bench.
Young's injured and Giggs is unlikely to start so it's a choice between Valencia, Nani and Kagawa for the two wide slots.
I went with Valencia and Nani. Nani getting picked by plenty is not that contentious. For me, I don't think Kagawa has done enough yet so I opted for Nani/Valencia for tomorrow.
And Valencia has?
Nani and Kagawa play a similar pass and move style and having the two of them on the pitch looks far more of a threat right now, than booting it to Valencia, only for him to put in a constant stream of shit crosses.
What Shark22 said. And also, that approach rarely works. If you want us to play dominant attacking football, you have to start with attacking players. Rescue jobs are much harder than closing-out-the-game jobs. And they're a hell of a lot less fun for the fans to watch, too. Better to start positively - it's Spurs, after all, not Barcelona. They're in form, but we still firmly outclass them.
Yes I take that back, I see him now! I agree, you'd think Bale was Ronaldo the way LawCharltonBest is going on.
On the TV team-sheets, yes. But Kagawa struggled out wide and his best moments came when he played more centrally. Welbeck was brilliant off the ball in the middle, but he was struggling there creatively. In the second half he sought space out wide and produced several moments of real class there. That long run when he repeatedly tricked his way past Sturridge is a good example (the embarrassing stumble at the end notwithstanding!)
I guess it's a bit irrelevant anyway, since two players like that are going to interchange across that playmaking 3 as each individual move requires. But I think Kagawa should always start as centrally as possible.
Valencia's not had the best of seasons for sure. It's a push to say Kagawa or Nani look more of a threat than him at the moment going on their recent form(albeit very limited in Nani's case). However, for me, Nani and Valencia are United's two best wide players and I'd be happy with both of them starting tomorrow. Kagawa's recently returned from a long lay off and to have him, Nani and Rooney in the side for a big game all lacking match fitness is to much of a risk IMO.
Kagawa's going to take a while to adapt to United and I think it's best to use him in less demanding games at the moment. I would not be surprised to see him start tomorrow but I think it would be over Nani and not Valencia, if Fergie goes that way.
Either way, not the world's biggest issue for me, but the only way I see Valencia not starting tomorrow is if Young is fit.
These things are subjective of course but i'd have Rooney on the left with Kagawa in the middle.
There'll be interchanging no doubt yet when the need arises Rooney will be better able to lend Evra a hand. Also the trade-off in contribution is less for Rooney than it is for Kagawa when we start the latter in the wide role.
Simply a matter of who to put on the right from my PoV. I wouldn't cast into utter gloom if it was Nani as Valencia isn't having the best of times at the minute however there's not a vast difference at thsi stage.
That said the better question is what do we think Fergie will do? To that i believe the advantage lies with Valencia, call it 60/40.
I don't think Fergie will play Rooney out wide left. If Kagawa is going to start it will be him starting out there, with obvious interchanging. With respect to Kagawa, he's not looked good enough yet to pull Rooney out of position on the left, like we used to do to accommodate Ronaldo. Rooney dropping in to help out Carrick and Cleverley is also important in these big games away from home as well.
Rooney out wide wouldn't be a bad idea at all. I really like him out there in certain games although he rarely does play there these days. Also if he is out wide it won't matter as much if he is in form, as either way he will put in a good shift.
He was just back from injury last game so he should have a better game this time around plus they have Dempsey and we have van persie
DDG
Rafael-Smalling-Vidic-Evra
Valencia-Carrick-Cleverley-Nani
Rooney
RVP
Give that 60 minutes and see how we get on. If we're winning I'd bring on Anderson for Nani and move Rooney to the left then maybe bring on Hernandez for RVP. Otherwise you can take off Nani/Valencia for Hernandez if we're losing and shift Rooney/RVP out wide.
Rafael-Smalling-Vidic-Evra
Valencia-Carrick-Cleverley-Nani
Rooney
RVP
Give that 60 minutes and see how we get on. If we're winning I'd bring on Anderson for Nani and move Rooney to the left then maybe bring on Hernandez for RVP. Otherwise you can take off Nani/Valencia for Hernandez if we're losing and shift Rooney/RVP out wide.
Evans is injured until next week. Vidic and Ferdinand will play.
de Gea
Rafael Ferdinand Vidic Evra
Carrick Cleverley
Valencia Rooney Kagawa
van Persie
Rafael Ferdinand Vidic Evra
Carrick Cleverley
Valencia Rooney Kagawa
van Persie
Quite sure we'll play this, but it wouldn't surprise me to see Giggs over Kagawa, or even Anderson in a midfield three with Rooney on the left. I'm pretty sure Fergie will want Valencia and Rafael's understanding to try and nullify Bale. We've played basically the same team in three of our toughest games and we won them all (Chelsea, City, Arsenal if I remember correctly). The forced changes due to injury are bringing in Vidic and Kagawa, but I reckon once those two are in the swing of things that these changes are making the side stronger.
Hopefully we can get the win, but I wouldn't be too disappointed with a draw is this is arguably our toughest away game left (Arsenal and Stoke could be tougher). At least Sandro is out.
Smalling has to play IMHO, Rio/Vidic is a duo that is too slow
That's a very good point. Nani and Cleverley are the two players that work best with Kagawa.
I also like the combination on the left that Evra, Cleverley and Kagawa offers. I think it can work especially well with Rooney in the center working his socks off, while Carrick secures the space behind him and Rafael/Nani burst down the right flank.
I know Fergie likes to rotate, which in the long run is the best decision. But in terms of balance and attacking brilliance, no combination is better than the one with Carrick, Cleverley, Nani, Rooney, Kagawa, RVP. But it all depends on Nani's form imo. Right now Young is injured and Valencia isn't himself, so it's not crazy to suggest that the right side "belongs" to Nani.
Lady Cathy going too!
Caf's obsession with stopping Bale and Lennon is ridiculous, like they are Ronaldo and Messi and we need just to focus on them, and not on our attacking.
.
Not sure anyone's too obsessed with Lennon, but you're correct on Bale.
We're Man Utd, we have some really quality players, lets focus on making Tottenham worry about us.
We have Rafael to deal with Bale, there's noone I'd prefer to have in the league.
Cleverley and Rooney will add mobility in midfield, and Rio won't have a full paced Bale running at him when stationary hopefully this time!
Let Tottenham worry about how they're going to stop VP, Rooney, Nani, Kagawa etc
Anders looks like a right loner there!
It feels like a season-defining game this one. Despite a fantastic points total for 22 games, City have got their act together and you feel they're ready to capitalise on any mistakes. To win away from home against another 'top' team, added to City, Chelski and Liverpool, would really stamp our intent on the league.
To remain 7 points clear after today feels like it would have a much greater psychological advantage than just maintaining our gap. I do feel, though, that the gap will be less than 7 by tonight.
DDG
Raf
Rio
Evans (assuming Vida's not ready)
Evra
Carrick
Cleverley
Kagawa
Nani
Rooney
RVP
Carrick to stay deeper and protect the defence as I think that was the main issue at OT - Bale was given so much space in front of our defence to build up a head of steam.
I'd play Rooney on the left to gradually get his match sharpness up. Without Sandro, Spurs don't have the physical presence to knock Kagawa off his stride in that central role so I'd expect him to get plenty of the ball along with Cleverley. The quick passing with them two and Nani should find plenty of space to supply RVP.
It feels like a season-defining game this one. Despite a fantastic points total for 22 games, City have got their act together and you feel they're ready to capitalise on any mistakes. To win away from home against another 'top' team, added to City, Chelski and Liverpool, would really stamp our intent on the league.
To remain 7 points clear after today feels like it would have a much greater psychological advantage than just maintaining our gap. I do feel, though, that the gap will be less than 7 by tonight.
DDG
Raf
Rio
Evans (assuming Vida's not ready)
Evra
Carrick
Cleverley
Kagawa
Nani
Rooney
RVP
Carrick to stay deeper and protect the defence as I think that was the main issue at OT - Bale was given so much space in front of our defence to build up a head of steam.
I'd play Rooney on the left to gradually get his match sharpness up. Without Sandro, Spurs don't have the physical presence to knock Kagawa off his stride in that central role so I'd expect him to get plenty of the ball along with Cleverley. The quick passing with them two and Nani should find plenty of space to supply RVP.
I want this team to play soo bad. Fear Val will play though.
Anders is being ostracised because of his giant hair. Kick Hairism out of Football!
Would like to see
De Gea
Rafael
Rio
Vidic
Evra
Carrick
Cleverley
Anderson
Nani
Rooney
RVP
4-4-2ish with Anderson tucked in. Might give Walker opportunities to overlap but I think we'd be able to dominate midfield with this line-up.
De Gea
Rafael
Rio
Vidic
Evra
Carrick
Cleverley
Anderson
Nani
Rooney
RVP
4-4-2ish with Anderson tucked in. Might give Walker opportunities to overlap but I think we'd be able to dominate midfield with this line-up.
This is going to be on....isn't it?
Some of my Chelsea mates moaning that trains from Brighton to London currently taking two and a half hours (normally 65 minutes). And not wanting to do the drive. Health and safety will be the issue not the ground IMO.
Is this game in any danger of being called off? Plenty of snow going to be falling across the South and East today?
Shit and there is still five hours to wait. Is the weather supposed to get worse for the next few hours?
Yeh, I think it probably will. The radar shows the snow moving into the SE and it looks like there's quite a bit to come.
http://www.raintoday.co.uk
Always look forward to this fixture (or maybe not if the snow continues), but i feel we will see a more cautious Spurs than under Redknapp, wouldn't be surprised if it ends in a draw,Or at a push 0-1.
Unless the under soil heating brakes down i think we should be okay.
Unless the under soil heating breaks down i think we should be okay.
Yeh, but it's the stupid health and safety rules we have to worry about.
There is a lot of snow in the South East not due to stop until this evening. This could well be called off.
I'm sure the pitch will be fine but it's always dangerous conditions for the fans in the surrounding areas that gets games called off.
Aye, the issue isn't the pitch but the surrounding area and supporters' safety. Remember the game called off (against Chelski I think?) because of snow a few years ago, when they had a depleted team at the time and there really wasn't much snow?!?
Daily Mail seem to think the games will be going ahead...
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/fo...Manchester-United-set-ahead-despite-snow.html
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/fo...Manchester-United-set-ahead-despite-snow.html
I never understand this "dangerous conditions" talk. Just wear the right footwear and walk carefully!
https://twitter.com/tomvictor/status/292944052125585409/photo/1
My street, about 5-10 mins walk from White Hart Lane. Interesting to see if the game goes ahead
My street, about 5-10 mins walk from White Hart Lane. Interesting to see if the game goes ahead
They usually call the games off the day before if it's travel or health and safety that's the issue. The snow today isn't a surprise. The Met office has forcast it since Thursday.
It'd be extremely dumb to call either game off at this stage unless the pitches are struggling
It'd be extremely dumb to call either game off at this stage unless the pitches are struggling
https://twitter.com/tomvictor/status/292944052125585409/photo/1
My street, about 5-10 mins walk from White Hart Lane. Interesting to see if the game goes ahead
Jeez, going by that it's not looking good.
Fingers crossed though...
I'm not exactly close by but i am in the South East and it isn't snowing right now, nor has it done for several hours.
If the club and the council have recognised that might need to make an extra effort to keep essential thoroughfares and routes open, it shouldn't be in danger without a significant worsening of the weather.
I know a Spurs supporter who is supposed to be going to the match, he lives in Barnet and i've not heard of any serious concerns as yet.
If the club and the council have recognised that might need to make an extra effort to keep essential thoroughfares and routes open, it shouldn't be in danger without a significant worsening of the weather.
I know a Spurs supporter who is supposed to be going to the match, he lives in Barnet and i've not heard of any serious concerns as yet.