United vs. Barcelona [Preseason Friendly]

gooDevil

Worst scout ever
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......vs............
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Kick-off: Wednesday, 8 August, 7:00 PM BST/8:00 PM local time
Location: Ullevi Stadium, Gothenburg, Sweden (capacity: 43,000)


venue.jpg
 
Prediction: We're going to lose.

The team hasn't played much together recently. We've not kept possession of the ball well, and the quality of the teams we've played has bee poor.
 
-------------DDG-------------
Jones---Rio------Vidic----Evra
------Carrick-----Scholes----
Valencia---Kagawa----Nani
-----------Welbeck---------
 
Jaz said:
Prediction: We're going to lose.

The team hasn't played much together recently. We've not kept possession of the ball well, and the quality of the teams we've played has bee poor.
Click to expand...

Yeah, without Bebe and Macheda we wouldn't have any goals so far this preseason, I'd put my money on Barca for this one.

Of course I hope I'm dead wrong! Playing a better team will undoubtedly cause us to play better, it always does.
 
-----------------DDG---------------

Valencia-----Vida-----Rio-------Evra

----------Anderson---Carrick--------

Nani----------Kagawa---------Rooney

--------------Welbeck----------------
 
Lindegaard
Jones.....Vida.....Rio.....Evra
...Carrick
Scholes............
....................Kagawa
Nani....................
...........Rooney
Welbeck...​

:smirk:
 
Villa will travel with the team but it isn't expected he'll see minutes...I haven't yet read that he's received the official medical clearance for matches
 
It´s gonna be a great day out even though I don´t expect the match itself to be too great (it´s still a friendly). Any United-fan in Gothenburg that day should head for John Scotts pub down at Kungsportsavenyn 15 (main street) for a sing song. Hope to see some of you there:devil:
 
Last year's match was far more interesting as both sides were missing a lot players through internationals, injuries, etc., so we saw guys like Cleverley and Thiago given the opportunity to show what they can do. This year though it's mostly first-team players, so I expect same old all over again :boring:

Lindegaard
Valencia---Vidic---Ferdinand---Evra/whomever
Carrick---Jones
Nani---Scholes---Young
Rooney​

The midfield is clearly once again going to be the area where we get destroyed, so I want Jones in there because frankly there's nobody else. That leaves right-back open, but Barca's attack is more central than on the wings, so give Valencia a go there with Nani under orders to track back (which he does anyway, though he doesn't get much credit for it). Scholes and Rooney to drop back and compete in midfield, with Young and Nani being the attacking threats.

I expect Sir Alex will start with a 4-4-2 with Welbeck - hopefully he won't be too isolated throughout the game.
 
------------------De Beard------------
Tony V.----Rio------Vida-------Evra/Evans
--------------Carrick----Scholes
--Nani-----------Kawaga--------Young
---------------Rooney
 
----------------Lindegaard---------------
Jones---------Rio--------Vidic--------Evra
------------Carrick-----Anderson---------
Valencia----------Kagawa------------Nani
------------------Rooney-----------------
 
MUTV saying Evra will be back for this one, with Brady and Wootton joining in the next few days also.

And they've just said that Jones has been sent home as a precaution.

So without him I'll need to change my line-up:

Lindegaard
Valencia---Vidic---Ferdinand---Evra
Nani---Carrick---Scholes---Young
Kagawa---Rooney​

Move Scholes further back, bring in Kagawa to drop back with Rooney to help us try to compete in midfield. If I was looking to win the game (i.e. if it wasn't a friendly and it actually mattered more than just for fitness) then I'd maybe go three at the back, but we don't even have another centre-back to start :lol:
 
Ando will eat them, you know !

After all his injuries, he has a strong hunger.

For football.
 
Those of you who have given up over a day before the actual game can feck off.. Let's give the ball to Valencia and Nani and see how they can cope with that.. Kagawa and Rooney to start their love affair in this game would also be tops.
 
DocRockter said:
Those of you who have given up over a day before the actual game can feck off.. Let's give the ball to Valencia and Nani and see how they can cope with that.. Kagawa and Rooney to start their love affair in this game would also be tops.
Click to expand...

Don't get too excited. It's a friendly.
 
A loss will probably be a good thing. A win might lead us to falsely believe that we are better than Barcelona far too early. Plus, it's just a bloody friendly. I expect Fergie to experiment on a few formations, as what is done in most friendlies. Maybe 4-4-1-1 in first half with Kagawa in the hole, 4-4-2 with Kagawa in midfield supplying throughballs to Rooney and Welbeck, and maybe 4-3-3 with Kagawa playing much further up. Or a more adventurous 3-4-3 with Kagawa in midfield with Rooney, Welbeck and Chicharito up front. It's a good opposition to try these stuff against.
 
I'm wondering if we might try to flood the midfield, say with a 352 or 4312. For what it's worth, when Italy played Spain in the Euros this summer, a team mostly made of Barca players, they did much better with 352 (1-1 draw) than they did with 4312 (4-0 loss). Though I don't think that means 4312 is doomed to fail against them. After trying it out in our first preseason game I wouldn't be surprised to see it again here.
 
gooDevil said:
For what it's worth, when Italy played Spain in the Euros this summer, a team mostly made of Barca players, they did much better with 352 (1-1 draw) than they did with 4312 (4-0 loss). Though I don't think that means 4312 is doomed to fail against them. After trying it out in our first preseason game I wouldn't be surprised to see it again here.
Click to expand...

Good observation.

A 3-5-2 will be interesting to see for us.

...............Vidic-Rio-Evans..................
Valencia-Carrick-Cleverley-Scholes-Nani
.................Kagawa..........................
..........................Rooney..................

Valencia and Nani will have to track back a lot I guess. Wont be a problem with Valencia, but I dunno about Nani. Maybe Young will be more suited with this formation.
 
Right with Jones sent home, my team would then be:

----------------Lindegaard---------------
Valencia------Rio--------Vidic--------Evra
------------Carrick-----Anderson---------
Nani--------------Kagawa----------Young
------------------Rooney----------------
 
MUFCgal said:
Right with Jones sent home, my team would then be:

----------------Lindegaard---------------
Valencia------Rio--------Vidic--------Evra
------------Carrick-----Anderson---------
Nani--------------Kagawa----------Young
------------------Rooney----------------
Click to expand...

Same but me thinks De Gea will start instead
 
gooDevil said:
I'm wondering if we might try to flood the midfield, say with a 352 of 4312. For what it's worth, when Italy played Spain in the Euros this summer, a team mostly made of Barca players, they did much better with 352 (1-1 draw) than they did with 4312 (4-0 loss). Though I don't think that means 4312 is doomed to fail against them. After trying it out in our first preseason game I wouldn't be surprised to see it again here.
Click to expand...

if everyone was really fit, i'd love to see us play

-----------de gea----------
---smalling-vidic---rio-------
valencia--carrick----evra---
------clevz---scholes------
----------kagawa---------
----------rooney----------
 
Pogue Mahone said:
Football Manager has so much to answer for...
Click to expand...

have our tactics and formations worked in rome and wembley?

A good point was made about 3-5-2 working for italy.

I remember before wembley, I believe plech and a few others (i as well) did not want hernandez to start but we went with our bog standard 4-4-1-1 and ended up with our rectum prolapsed by barca. However before the match the vast majority were giddy about 4-4-1-1 'up and at em' and i'm sure you were as well.

it is pre-season, what's wrong trying something new and unique to see how it works out? we could be facing that lot come spring.
 
VoetbalWizard said:
if everyone was really fit, i'd love to see us play

-----------de gea----------
---smalling-vidic---rio-------
valencia--carrick----evra---
------clevz---scholes------
----------kagawa---------
----------rooney----------
Click to expand...

The problem is match fitness for the likes of Nani and Welbeck is important and they are not involved with that formation.

On paper though it's an interesting idea I will admit.
 
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