Manchester United Banter Archive March 14 2014

14 Mar 2014 23:11:12
just wanted to know who people would start as the cb pairing for
sunday. i'm stuck between jones and smalling again as although it was a
bit rusty, they kept a clean sheet and will need more games together to establish a partnership. But since its liverpool I think we'll need vidic with smallimg and put jones with fellaini. who would be your choice at cb and why?

If Evans was fit I would play him along side Smalling and then play play Jones along side Fellaini. Its amazing how I think our best CM so far this season is not even a CM.

14 Mar 2014 22:15:59
I have always loved the United Liverpool game weekend. I remember my first United Liverpool game in 1972 which we won 2 nil, Ted MacDougal scoring one if I remember correctly. It always gives me a sense of excitement and dread and I have seen and been to many of these games down the years. This year it is something we haven't experienced for over 20 years, a game that it is more important for Liverpool than it is for us. This game is big for Liverpool and also for Moyes who needs to win or more accurately can't afford to lose badly but this one isn't as big for us as a club as it has been. That doesn't mean it is unimportant because this must be the last game like this otherwise we would be seen as in decline. I also remember role reversal back in 92 when we went to Anfield needing the win and watched the bile and hate on show, the "have you ever seen United win the league" stuff and they took great pleasure in stopping us winning the first league in 25 years. I hope this Sunday we rise above that.
This Sundays game is an interesting one. Liverpool have played well this season, quick attacking football and their fans come with renewed confidence that they are the favourites and we are hopeless. However with expectation comes pressure and performing free flowing football under extreme pressure is very difficult and often that type of football falls down at that point. Funny but this time the roles are reversed and I am not sure Liverpool are ready for it yet. Put a Mourinho in charge of them and it makes a difference but when flowing football goes out the window the pragmatic needs to come in to play and I am not sure they have that.
On Sunday my instinct says we will edge the game by the odd goal, but I hope this isn't our 1992

14 Mar 2014 18:20:54
Alex James, come on mate don't be so negative. Positive mental attitude and all that! 3-1 United with Mata on the scoresheet.
PS do you live in a house, a very big house in the country? :)

Leave Alex alone you big bully. He'll be really cheesed off if he sees that post.

Lol. Glad someone else is on my wavelength. Jokes aren't funny when you have to explain them are they

14 Mar 2014 13:52:47
How to beat Liverpool imo,

The back 5 has to consist of DDG in goal (obviously)
With Rafa at right back, Evra at left back.

One of the most important parts is picking the right Center back pairing, with Evans out (which I feel is a massive miss in this game) Rio looking shot to bits and Vidic looking rash and nervous at times this season I feel it has to be Smalling and Jones.
Smalling imo is one of the best defenders we have at the club and with a run of games in his favored position will get better and show the form of the last few years ago, Jones has looked rusty after coming back from his injury but the only way to improve that is game time in his natural position.

Jones on paper should naturally compliment Smalling and visa versa. Jones has a great engine and is powerful but at the same time is very good on the ball and seems to love defending, whereas Smalling is tactically astute and quick and doesn't mind doing the simple things when needed.
Jones and Smalling will need to show the level of maturity they have before and compose themselves on the ball because Goofy won't give our defense a minutes rest, chasing them down at every opportunity.
Whereas Sturridge and Sterling (who I think will play) will look to stretch them, thus creating big spaces for runners from midfield to get involved in the attacking 3rd.

So that brings me onto CM and the 2 I suggest is Fellani & Carrick. It will be Carrick's and Fellani's job to take turns dropping in front of our back 4 and offering themselves for a pass out of defense and not forcing the lads to just 'hump it' out to the striker.
When one drops in to collect the pass the other then has to stretch Liverpool's CM wider creating Spaces for our attacking players to pick up the ball in space and pick accurate and clever passes to each other. But emphasis will be on the CMer who dropped back to be disciplined enough to hold his position in case the ball is over turned (sorry rugby quote, too much 6 nations) and we are countered on.

Liverpool will likely play a 3 man CM of Gerrard, Henderson and Maybe Lucas but more likely Allen due to Luca's recent injury lay off. Allen is a possession type player who just keeps the ball rolling whereas Gerrard (although played deeper these days) is tasked with winning the CM battle and driving the others forward, Henderson is a poor mans Ramirez but not the worst player in the world either and does pose a big threat with his box to box style and 1 of the CMers will have to keep a close eye on him when we don't have the ball.
Liverpool still look to Gerrard a lot to make the CM tick and it will be Rooney's job to plant himself on him, much like he did against Busquets against Barca in the CL final at Wembly, although we lost he played quite well doing that role.
He will need to win that battle and keep Gerrard as far away from the attack as possible by forcing him to chase Rooney about leaving Allen and Henderson alone in CM.
Mata and Adnan have to play and will I think, the only one I see maybe not playing from the start is Adnan most likely being replaced with Young if he is. These 2 will just have to play their natural game, Adnan likes to stay wide whereas Mata likes to come inside and get more involved with quick and cheeky slight passes and 1-2's and seems to complement Rooney better than I thought he would, those 2 should create quite a few openings for RVP to get on the end of in dangerous area's.
It will be up to Robin to hold onto the ball and stretch Liverpool's real big weakness, their defense.

Even with the great season Liverpool are having the problems at the back remain, quite funny when u think this is the area they invested most in, in the summer.

Skrtyl is still rash and their fullbacks much like ours are prone to moments of switching off and with the quality on display in the middle of each teams attack, this could prove to be the difference in winning and losing.

Adnan has the ability to maul Johnson or Flanagan from everywhere in the attacking 3rd and Sterling has the ability to beat Evra for pace and Rafa for speed of thought.
Goals can be scored from these area's but that does not mean we have to play with out and out wingers and we shouldn't. We just need to use these area's cleverly and much of that will depend on Rafa and Evra choosing their runs at the right time and the midfielder who has dropped in front of the back four to cover one of them when they go forward when needed.

Having said all that I could be totally wrong but I have seen a few on here suggest we just go out and 'out attack' them. With their current form and play we will lose that battle, maybe with a confident team and a truly world-class CM we could do this but in our current predicament this would be football suicide and roll of the dice tatics.
We need to give ourselves the right platform to win the game and exercise our game plan correctly and we will win! when we have the ball we have to be fluid and clever and without we have to stay rigid and force them to play out wide.

I will stick my neck out and predict a 2-1 win but as we all know form and league position often go out the window with games like this.
Either way I'm determined to enjoy this game so its over to the lads now to let me do this :)

2-1 win imo.

Late red card for Skrtel.

Skrtel has escaped hundreds of bookings all season, why will he get bookings on Sunday? I cannot say what I think will be the outcome until I know how Moyes plans to approach the game. If he tries to win 1.0, then I think we will concede for sure. If we go for the throat we will concede, but I can see us scoring more than two goals.

My heart says the same team that started at Brom but my head is saying Vidic for Raph and Smalling moving across I hope we don't go for the tight game and that we pile pressure on them from the start this is a must win for pride if nothing else and nothing but one hundred percent i'm going for a 3-1 I bet on us winning last weekend after GCU convinced me of the win and I going to have another flutter and us again COME ON YOU DEVILS

It's weird Sydney how you are iffy while making predictions about the result but say that Skrtel won't be booked with such certainty.

Is anybody else worried that defensive Dave will revert back to playing Cleverly, Young and Valencia we will get stuffed?

MB, the reason I think this and it's just an opinion, is that he has been fouling opposition players in the Liverpool area all season and is yet to be booked for it. He has been wrestling players to the ground and referees have been looking straight at him and turned a blind eye. Why would that change this weekend?

In depth analysis Chris and you've obviously given this a lot of thought but truthfully I don't think you have a cat in hell's chance in this game. Just suck it up and move on to the rest of the season

Got to agree with Syd on Skrtel. His pulling of shirts and manhandling players particularly at set pieces is nothing short of ridiculous. How on earth he gets away with it is a mystery. Lots of players do it to some extent, but I have never seen anyone do it so blatantly in this country (its common in Italy). I think refs are scared to give these type of fouls in the penalty area because if they are consistent they will end up awarding 5 or 6 penalties in some games. But that is the only way they will stop it. If it means giving several penalties each game they should do it. Managers will soon put a stop to it then.

Here is my in depth analysis on how to beat Liverpool. Score more than them the end.

Id like to see us play narrow against Liverpool with Kagawa Rooney Mata behind RvP Fellani and Fletcher in midfield this would allow Fellani to bomb forward a back four of Rafael Smalling Jones Evra with De Gea in goal

Eevn though I have bet and us winning 3-1 I would not be surprised if it is 1-0

14 Mar 2014 22:21:22
Chris - where do you find the time - shouldn't you be changing nappies!?!

I'm going to put it out there big and bold raf, small jones evra.
Now for the contentious bit Fellaini and with Carrick and . Cleverley or possibly Fletch, pack the midfield where scousers like to play Mata and Rooney behind Welbs, Welbs more mobile and in better form that RVP Roo sitting on gerards arse.

Controversial I know but we can't afford to lose

Al D Red,
My kiddie is not home yet and i'm not one for just sitting at him twiddling my thumb.

14 Mar 2014 11:50:51
Massive week for us.
We won't catch Liverpool this season but if we could beat them it will be a big loss for them and will start to get some confidence and good feeling back into our camp ready for Olympiakos on weds.
I think if he sticks with the same team that beat WBA or maybe Valencia for Adnan then we will beat them. If Vidic and young come back I think we will lose.
If we beat them I think we will go on to reach the last 8 in UCL also.
My bet 2-1 Rooney.
Be great to shut them scousers up if only for a few days.

14 Mar 2014 09:20:17
I said that RVP needs to personally end all of this speculation and he finally has done which I'm glad about. Let's just hope now that Rooney and Robin can form that partnership. Usually one has been injured at any one time so they need more time and a run of games together - let's see what happens!

Is it just me or could RVP not have said this months ago and cut out a lot of the speculation .

I'm with you Bilko, but he does strike me as a guy that does what he wants when he wants, b ut maybe he has thought enough is enough now with all the rumours.

I want to believe him, a small part of me thinks this could be image protection for a move away - but only a small part.

He has ended the speculation.
But for some no matter what he says or does they will make their own minds up.
He says he is happy and wants to stay. Why can't we just believe that? Why does there have to be more to it?

Because his whole demeanour has suggested the opposite over recent months and all these people saying things in Holland are not doing it to screw up RVP!

Hopefully whatever was causing this grump/attitude has been resolved by the club over recent days - hence him deciding now is the time to say he is happy rather than before, when clearly he wasn't.

He maybe hasn't been happy because this season isn't going too well. For him personally or the team. I think others just like to stir things up where Manchester United are involved.
Anyway he is fit now and has confirmed he is happy to stay so its all good.

14 Mar 2014 07:48:47
Glad to hear the comments from RVP saying he is committed and happy with Moyes and at OT. Hopefully this will put the media in there place and hopefully will stop people saying nonsense like he is leaving or should be sold! United especially now shouldn't be selling there best player!

Lets hope this means an improvement in his performances. No better time to start.