Manchester United Banter Archive March 31 2014

31 Mar 2014 23:43:44
Banter please.

Reading everyone's posts about potential starting XI tomorrow & the majority of you have agreed pace & attacking wingers is what we need, which, I agree with.

Welbeck & Valencia seem to be everyone's first choice, but I actually think Januzaj would suit this match in a team were the experience of Giggs will balance Adnan's lack of it.

I'd also like to see Nani come on, although he's massively under achieved in a United shirt, he seems to come alive on Champions League nights.

Thoughts?

PS

Great job Eds, been on this site since last summers transfer window & thoroughly enjoy reading the posts & input from you.

{Ed007's Note - Cheers mate, glad you enjoy it.}

Even though I'm a huge fan of Kagawa, I would keep him on the bench and introduce himself and Hernandez later on around the 65min mark. I think are surprise weapon should be Nani, he destroyed Lahm last time at Old Trafford, and his ability to skin players and shoot from distance could help us score. I'd play Januazaj on the other wing, and have a midfield 3 of carrick, fletcher/jones and Giggs. With Rooney Upfront. Hoping cleverly is no where near the stadium, and even though Welbeck is fast off the ball, he's terrible on the ball.

Sulei, I think if there was any chance of Nani starting, then he would have featured against Villa. Unless they are working hard with him behind the scenes and are planning to use him as a shock starter. I think it's unlikely mind.

Nani won't start. I'd be extremely surprised. Though, at 0-0 after 60-70 minutes I do think he'd be good to bring on. He can't be match fit to start, hasn't even been in the reserves has he?

The problem with starting Janujaz is his lack of defensive qualities, & with the state of our defence at the moment it is a risk.

Double edged sword really!

31 Mar 2014 16:37:15
Good news both Smalling and Evans trained today.

IMO it's a must that both start if fit and Vidic is not picked as he has been truly awful this season and the majority of the games we have lost this season Vidic has been in the team.

I agree Fellaini should be played higher up to give their defence a nightmare as personally he looks best in that position. It may not be pretty but we don't care aslong as we can get a positive result.

A 1-0 win would be excellent and 2-0 would be a dream but its a really tough ask but we have to be positive and brave or else we have no chance.

Come on we r surely owed a performance this season lads

I disagree on the Fellaini front. I think he should be playing alongside Giggs in the middle, allow Giggs the freedom but let him sit and then Fellaini run from deep. We need the creative spark of Giggs in midfield with Kagawa behind Rooney. The hard work needs to come from Valencia and Welbeck on the wings, helping out the full backs and closing the opposition down.

To be honest with fresh with the quality Bayern have in the centre of midfield I think Fellaini could be an accident waiting to happen.

I think he could be a real nuisance played further up the pitch but that is just my opinion mate.

Time will tell tomorrow all I hope is that we are just positive and not all cagey and invite pressure onto us because we have never been any good when we play like that.

We are meant to be an attacking side hate all the negative tactics but in fairness to Moyes, Fergie was also guilty of it a lot in his latter years

I hope we set up like Fresh states we are going to have every player at full throttle, they drew at weekend hopefully there still in dreamland after winning the league so soon, but the line up Fresh is saying could well hurt them if every one has a good game there is lots of power there, for me its the defence that will be our conundrum, Kagawa has found a bit of form we need Danny to have a big game and hope his first touch is as good as it can be he will need to run them hard all game but if he has a bad game then its going to be HARD

31 Mar 2014 13:08:17
What are peoples thoughts on our approach for Tuesdays game?
I would like to see us try to put pressure on their defence by playing fellani up the pitch with welbeck and januzaj either side of him and rooney up top.
Giggs and carrick sitting in behind.
Whichever formation and whomever the personelle we must not sit back that would be akin to going out half an hour early to face an execution squad just sitting there waiting for one of them pick you off
We cannot beat them at their own game, i'd suggest make it &fast furious and by-pass the midfield as much as possible getting runners off fellani and turn them around as much as possible, its not something they are use to and while its not the United way I feel we must try a different approach as with the best will in the world we won't outplay them another way.
Ken

I like that a lot, or Carrick cb with fletch in there. Valencia may be able to do a job pressing them in thier half, of course all in theory.

Felliani has a big game in him this season, I hope he gets a goal. Think it will help him significantly in the big picture.

I would give it a go to be honest. We are all expecting to go out so let's do it the United way, attacking and fighting all the way. My team would be DeGea, Jones, Vidic, Carrick, Buttner, Fletcher, Fellaini, Kagawa, Mata, Valencia, Rooney in a 4231. Valencia can give Jones some help at RB and hope Buttner can use his pace and keep Robben as quiet as possible. Really looking forward to it no matter what the outcome.

Amazingly we have managed to get a copy of Moyes's tactics for the big game tomorrow night :

Every member of the United team should be as far apart as possible
from their team mates at all times.

Make sure the person on the ball has no colleagues within 20 yards,
so that he has hit a more difficult long pass in order that we
lose possession easily

Pass and move will not be tolerated under any circumstances

More than 3 consecutive passes between team mates will result in a fine for all players involved.

When in doubt put the ball in the air

Under no circumstances should a forward try to link the play

The ball can only be played to Rooney and Mata above waist height

No midfielder should move in to space so that a defender can pass
out of defence. Far better for the defenders to lump the ball up the field and lose possession

Under no circumstances should a midfielder look to pass to a forward and should always pass to a winger

The full backs and wingers should fire the ball in to the box the same way every time. Variation will not be tolerated.

When in doubt : DEFEND, DEFEND, DEFEND!

Brendan, Mata can't play. For me the team has to be De Gea, Smalling, Jones, Evans, Buttner, Fellaini, Giggs, Valencia, Kagawa, Welbeck and Rooney. We can't sit back, we are at home and have to attack in the true United style. Inviting pressure is not the way to go about this.

I think Moyes will play it very safe tomorrow night and opt for a three man midfield of carrick (fletcher if carrick has to play cb) fellaini and giggs with Valencia and welbeck offering wide support to Rooney. Unfortunately I don't think he'll play kagawa. I'd love to see him throw januzaj on at some stage but he has barely used him in Europe. It wouldn't be the team I'd pick but Moyes will revert to type and be cautious.
Looking forward to it but realistically expecting a chastening experience over the two legs and a heavy aggregate defeat. Hope I'm wrong and we summon a magical performance out of somewhere. Unlikely though. Injuries at the back aren't helping things either.

Remembered that as I pressed send Fresh yeah, long day :-)

In that case it will be same team but Kagawa as the 10 and Welbeck on the left, will help cover Buttner too.

Kagawa Welbeck and Valencia have to play for me pace attacking defensive play when needed Giggs beside Carrick in the middle and a back four of Buttner Jones Evans and Rafael if fit obiously Smalling or Vidic can fill in if not

Ken

I read an article about three weeks ago on Pep Guardiola and how he can change tactics during a game, he used exactly those tactics on Dortmund earlier this season and pushed Martinez up because they pressed his team high.

31 Mar 2014 20:05:23
Yes Red Man, Pep is a very aware tactically he is very astute, he educates his players on all possible eventualities and they know their roles for all. they can switch formations and roles in games and its all seamless as the players are not only technically and tactically better they have a much greater footballing intelligence . They spend 8 hours a week watching dvds understanding their roles and knowing where they should be at all times. he takes a similar approach taken by american football coaches

Same as Moyes then!

31 Mar 2014 12:09:26
Smalling and Evans trained today whilst Dante and Thiago won't be playing for Bayern which helps a little bit haha. Hopefully we can play 4 proper defenders tomorrow. A back four of Smalling, Jones, Evans and Buttner sounds much stronger than what I was expecting earlier today.

All joking aside Dante will be a big miss for them, whenever I've watched them he seems to be their main ballplayer in defence and he's great in the air as well, I suppose it will be martinez replacing him, he never seems quite as assured on the ball when he's in defence so hopefully we can exploit a potential weakness in that position, ill be more than happy with a draw or even a defeat as long as its only by 1 goal, otherwise I don't hold much hope.

Not sure I'd be happy playing two players coming back from injury against the best club side in world football. Maybe Evans if we are really struggling at CB and don't want to play Carrick there, but I'd rather Jones at RB with full match fitness against Ribery.

Wiggy
How will you exploit bayerns weakness mate by playing shrek as an out and out striker
LMAO
Maybe Hernandez can do the job but shrek against Martinez no way