'A team to beat Man Utd'

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/foo...ouchables.html

Not many teams have the courage to face Manchester United with a 4-4-2 formation but that's one of the main reasons why so few ever beat them.

In case people haven't noticed, in order to beat Sir Alex Ferguson's team you have to score against them. The chances are you will have to score twice.

So, I've picked my team from the rest of the Barclays Premier League players to find the strongest side to take on United.

If you set your team up like this then the chances are that you might get rolled over. But there is just a glimmer that you may win.

Newcastle and Blackburn both came to Old Trafford this season with two men up top and both gave United a proper scare. So 4-4-2 it is for this all conquering team.

I make no apologies for including seven Englishmen in the starting XI. We do have some decent players, you know.

Keeper: Shay Given

Defence: Johnson, Carragher, Lescott, Cole

Midfield: Lennon, Gerrard, Essien, Young

Strikers: Torres, Cahill

Cahill...that famous centre forward. I assume he won't actually be playing 4-4-2 himself then

Lescott and Carragher over Carvalho.

the writer is called ian ladyman

say no more

Friedel

Bosingwa
Gallas
Carvalho
Cole

Lennon (given his past performances against evra)
Essien
Lampard
Young

Drogba
Torres (despite his past performances against united)

Originally Posted by Gypsum Fantastic

Friedel

Bosingwa
Gallas
Carvalho
Cole

Lennon (given his past performances against evra)
Essien
Lampard
Young

Drogba
Torres (despite his past performances against united)

Really?

didn't he get so badly abused by us at old Trafford that they had to take him off after 60 minutes? Dunno about Gallas either tbh.

Originally Posted by Gypsum Fantastic

Friedel

Bosingwa
Gallas
Carvalho
Cole

Lennon (given his past performances against evra)
Essien
Lampard
Young

Drogba
Torres (despite his past performances against united)

I'd make a few changes, not sure on Carvalho's partner.

Lennon has no end product, i'd put Gerrard there and stick Joe Cole on the left. Adebayor in for Torres, as i think he is more of a threat to us.

oh, and Fabregas in for Lampard.

.................Cech................
Johnson.....Carvalho..Terry...Cole
Lennon....Gerrard...Essien...Young
.............Adebayor..Torres........

Reasons.... Johnson. Maybe currently the best right back in the country on form (he was better last season imo)
Lennon (Does something that messi couldnt, rip evra apart twice.)
Adebayor ( Rio and Vidic have both said they hate playing against him)
Young ( One of the best up and coming starts in England)

andy gray as manager

Friedel

Carragher
Carvalho
Gallas
Clichy

Cahill
Fabregas
Essien
Arteta

Drogba
Torres

Think the above would be a tough nut to crack - if not necessarily the easiest on the eye.

we really are £#%&!ing great, arn't we?

the article mentions 2 teams who merely scored against us as justification for playing 442?

I happen to think our toughest games are usually against GOOD 433s. Thy trouble us more than any 451 or 442. mourinho chelsea, barcelona come to mind, games where we actually get outplayed, and if a 433 is working we often have no way to stop it other than to defend like dogs, we have no plan b for teams like that.

---------------------cech--------------------
bosingwa ---- terry --- carvalho -- clichy
-----------------------------------------------
--------------essien------------------------
-----------------------------fabregas---------
------gerrard-----------------------------------
-----------------------------------------------
lennon-------------------------------arshavin
---------------------torres--------------------

tough to break down, dogged back four, bags of pace and dribbling, we'd probably have a harder time with this lot then barca due to the balance and players who can thread a ball onto the speedy players.

barca were far too reliant on the right and messi, there was no pace to hit us on the break so they were reduced to trying to break into a fortress in front of goal.

looking at that, they might actually be better than us. more goal threat from long range, every player bar CBs can dribble effectively at pace, all the attackers bar lennon are superb passers and can bang em in at a better rate than say carrick, fletch, anderson etc.

A bit early for Arshavin? He can't even get through 60 minutes.

Regardless of starting XIs just the fact this subject is being discussed makes me smle.

Originally Posted by wonky no

we really are £#%&!ing great, arn't we?

just goes to show how great united are when they have to make a premier league 11 just to try and beat us

Originally Posted by celtbion

Friedel

Carragher
Carvalho
Gallas
Clichy

Cahill
Fabregas
Essien
Arteta

Drogba
Torres

Think the above would be a tough nut to crack - if not necessarily the easiest on the eye.

very tough team.

Originally Posted by wonky no

we really are £#%&!ing great, arn't we?

Originally Posted by mark o

Regardless of starting XIs just the fact this subject is being discussed makes me smile.

Originally Posted by dontdopeas84

just goes to show how great united are when they have to make a premier league 11 just to try and beat us

my sentiments exactly

BA Baracus
Hannibal Smith
Faceman
Howlin' Mad Murdoch.

A team to beat City....

Trinny and Suzanna's makeover team

from the PL, to beat us in a 4-4-2...

Friedel - just always seems to play like Superman against us. The @#%&!.

Bosingwa - (one shit game apart against us, he's very good & an attacking full back is needed to provide width if theyre going to take us on)
Carvalho - dirty, sly, uber @#%&!. Best defender in the league outside of Uniteds squad.
Carragher - simply because no one would want to beat us more. He'd kick Rooney's head off if it meant keeping the score at 0-0.
Clichy - pacey, more attacking than A.Cole ever was, decent in the tackle tbf.

Gerrard - can't be trusted through the middle imo. Like his rat faced partner in crime (chortle) at the back, would want to win no matter what - and he's a decent crosser & would stiffle Evra's forward runs. Probably by trying to snap him in half.
Fabregas - always passes well against us, difficult to get near when on form.
Essien - best box-to-box in the league. By a mile.
Nasri - if he was up against Gary Neville again like he was at the Emirates... it made Evra's display against Lennon look like Maldini in his prime. Plus, there aren't any good left wingers in the league. Young has done £#%&! all against the 'big 4' & Arteta isn't going to attack the full back.

Adebayor - not the best in the league, not the best at Arsenal, but the one who Rio has struggled with the most (in his own words). Gave us a torrid time at OT a few times. Clown shoes @#%&! that he is.
Drogba - the one of a couple of seasons ago. Vidic was maybe the only player who could handle him in the league, but with both Adebayor & him it would be a tall order (literally, massive @#%&!s the pair of them).

We'd still beat them mind, would be a tough £#%&!ing game though.

and only friedel and essien might get in the team. yup, I'd drop fletch for essien.

lennon played against us a bit like messi. terrible performance by evra and still £#%&! all to show for it.

danny murphy > frank lampard


for what it's worth:

friedel

johnson - gallas - carvalho - cole

arteta - essien - fabregas

drogba - torres - van persie

although drogba would not be close on current form. and my team would have no width. route one all day long. and that's without any liverpool players.