team for wednesday's exciting cliffhanger

Sir Alex Ferguson has revealed his defensive plans for Wednesday's Champions League tie against CFR Cluj at Old Trafford.

The boss hopes to have Nemanja Vidic available to make his comeback, although the skipper is unlikely to be considered for the top-of-the-table showdown with Manchester City.

The Reds will field a much-changed line-up, as in the previous fixture against Galatasaray, with qualification as group winners already assured.

"I’m hopeful maybe Vidic will play," stated the manager. "I think there’s a good chance he will but it depends on how he feels himself.

"It allows me to give Phil Jones, Chris Smalling and Vidic [a game] in a strong back-four and Alexander Büttner would be left-back. There’s a good foundation to start in the game in terms of respecting the challenge between Galatasaray and Cluj [for second place]. I think we’re doing the right thing."

Vidic's return would provide a real boost ahead of the midweek encounter against the Romanian outfit.

"I knew Vida was doing really well with the physios," explained Sir Alex. "He was doing his football training with them in terms of turning and striking the ball but he came into training last Monday with the first team and did okay.

"He’s a battler, an absolute competitor. He’s got that dour, uncompromising way of his. He likes defending – that’s what he does."

There has been plenty of debate as to whether Manchester City could benefit in the title race if Roberto Mancini's team fail to qualify for the Europa League.

"City need to beat Borussia Dortmund," affirmed the boss. "I don't think losing for a big club is very healthy. On one hand you can be fresh for the second half of the season and play a fresh team every week but how do you keep them all happy if they’re out of the League Cup and they go out of the European Cup? I don’t know enough about the City players as I’ve never worked with any of them apart from Carlos Tevez. Sometimes players want to play every week. And you want to keep the momentum going and the interest going.

"I don’t know if City would have an advantage. I’m not sure it would suit them. You can spend more time on the training ground, no question, but then you have to deal with the fact you’re not in European football and every manager wants to do well in Europe. I do anyway."

http://www.manutd.com/en/News-And-Fe...d-vs-cluj.aspx

hope powell starts, cheech and welbeck and a couple of the youngsters ( one or two of petrucci, tunnicliffe, lingard, cole).

I'd like to see rafael in midfield.

I'd like to see Lindegaard in goal. Comedy is the only thing this game has going for it.

Originally Posted by borsuk

http://www.manutd.com/en/News-And-Fe...d-vs-cluj.aspx

hope powell starts, cheech and welbeck and a couple of the youngsters ( one or two of petrucci, tunnicliffe, lingard, cole).

jesus, when did she sign

-----------------clown---------------
--jones----smalling-----vidic----buttner---
----------------cleverley--------------
--------lingard-------powell---------
-----king/cole--------------welbeck----
---------------chico------------------

No fletcher pls

Originally Posted by rafabio

-----------------clown---------------
--jones----smalling-----vidic----buttner---
----------------cleverley--------------
--------lingard-------powell---------
-----king/cole--------------welbeck----
---------------chico------------------

No fletcher pls

He'll start Sunday so doubt he'll play Wednesday.

Originally Posted by Tumescent Throb

jesus, when did she sign

Originally Posted by That Boy Ronaldo!

He'll start Sunday so doubt he'll play Wednesday.

wed

de gea

jones - smalling - vidic - buttner

fletch - rafael

cole - powell - welbeck

cheech

city

de gea

rafael - smalling - snoop - evra

valencia - carrick

rooney - cleverley - young

van persie

Originally Posted by jem

wed

de gea

jones - smalling - vidic - buttner

fletch - rafael

cole - powell - welbeck

cheech

city

de gea

rafael - smalling - snoop - evra

valencia - carrick

rooney - cleverley - young

van persie

-----------------Lindadunce---------------
--jones----smalling-----vidic----buttner---
----------------cleverley--------------
--------lingard-------powell---------
-----nat/king/cole--------------welbeck----
---------------chico------------------

Originally Posted by That Boy Ronaldo!

I'd play him on crutches ahead of fletch. but he's going to be fit, no?

hope so or it's scholes for me and that 5-man just got tighter.

or... there's alway rafael in midfield. :0)

Originally Posted by Tumescent Throb

jesus, when did she sign

As a player, Powell won 66 caps for England, mainly as an attacking midfielder, scoring 35 goals

Cheeky bid?

................................Johnstone

smalling............jones..........vidic.......... buttner

.....................scholes.......cleverley
...............................Powell
young.........................................Gigg s

.................................Welbeck

It would be nice to see Welbeck get a game upfront tbh.

I have visions of Macheda on the LW :shakehead:

Originally Posted by dunk

It would be nice to see Welbeck get a game upfront tbh.

I have visions of Macheda on the LW :shakehead:

Same here.

or...

Originally Posted by That Boy Ronaldo!

Same here.

or...

Yeah, not seen him in the 1st team for a while.

I can't believe they haven't even found a loan for him

I was talking to a Blackpool fan the other day (£#%&! off Bunks) and he was telling me that Blackpool had a loan deal lined up for Macheda on the last day of the recent loan window, but in true Blackpool fashion, they couldn't find a fax machine on which to send the documents and missed the deadline

Originally Posted by dunk

I was talking to a Blackpool fan the other day (£#%&! off Bunks) and he was telling me that Blackpool had a loan deal lined up for Macheda on the last day of the recent loan window, but in true Blackpool fashion, they couldn't find a fax machine on which to send the documents and missed the deadline

Originally Posted by dunk

I was talking to a Blackpool fan the other day (£#%&! off Bunks) and he was telling me that Blackpool had a loan deal lined up for Macheda on the last day of the recent loan window, but in true Blackpool fashion, they couldn't find a fax machine on which to send the documents and missed the deadline

Originally Posted by dunk

I was talking to a Blackpool fan the other day (£#%&! off Bunks) and he was telling me that Blackpool had a loan deal lined up for Macheda on the last day of the recent loan window, but in true Blackpool fashion, they couldn't find a fax machine on which to send the documents and missed the deadline

Just let him go, ffs. What do they think is going to happen at this point? Let him try for real somewhere else.