I'm looking forward to The European Cup starting again this week

I can't imagine all those not on the bench on Saturday will start.

It baffles me that Hargreaves is considered ahead of Carrick. Carrick should be first name down and Anderson second - with a question mark due to youth and inexperience.

Hargreaves and Scholes are not match fit and it will be bizarre if thats our starting midfield duo.

Giggs, Ronaldo, Tevez fully rested so guaranteed in. Anderson was brought off early so I reckon he will be in.

Carrick played a full game so wouldnt be surprised to see him dropped.

Nani, Park, Fletcher and Anderson is probably the most energetic midfield I've seen us field in ages, all up and down the pitch for ages, closing everything down, carrick was a nice backbone for them and is essential to the way we play now. ronaldo, giggs and scholes dont have a hope in hell of matching that energy.

saha should play.

if necessary, bring tevez on as well.

anyone who would be ok with the same 11 when we have ronaldo needs his head examining. slip in ronaldo instead of park and hargreaves instead of fletch and you might have something.

Originally Posted by Luffy

It baffles me that Hargreaves is considered ahead of Carrick. Carrick should be first name down and Anderson second - with a question mark due to youth and inexperience.

I'll be very disappointed if Carrick doesn't start. On the form he's showing at the moment, he's undoubtedly one our most important players. He spreads the ball long and short, makes the correct decision the vast majority of the time, rarely looses possession and takes up excellent positions during both the attacking and defensive phases. You really can't ask for much more from a player in his position.

It's almost equally as hard to make a case against Anderson starting. He's still a bit over-enthusiastic when it comes to pressing the ball, and he tries to play the killer pass a little too often, but we don't have anyone else who can provide that forward drive from the midfield. And he's definitely stepped up to all the challenges he's faced so far.

If Scholes (or Hargreaves, for that matter) is to come in, then surely it has to be alongside Carrick and Anderson, rather than instead of them.

Originally Posted by Serenity Now

If Scholes (or Hargreaves, for that matter) is to come in, then surely it has to be alongside Carrick and Anderson, rather than instead of them.

with ronaldo, rooney and saha up front?

heh, heh.

go for it.

Originally Posted by jem

saha should play.

if necessary, bring tevez on as well.

anyone who would be ok with the same 11 when we have ronaldo needs his head examining. slip in ronaldo instead of park and hargreaves instead of fletch and you might have something.

gibberish

same XI would be fine; if they can dick Arsenal 4-0 going on 10, then they can sure as hell provide enough to steer us through the 1st leg of the CL round of 16 away to Lyon

Originally Posted by Tumescent Throb

gibberish

same XI would be fine; if they can dick Arsenal 4-0 going on 10, then they can sure as hell provide enough to steer us through the 1st leg of the CL round of 16 away to Lyon

I heard Fergie has said both Giggs and Scholes will play. Not sure if it's %@#$&!s though.

Originally Posted by S/Side.Red

I heard Fergie has said both Giggs and Scholes will play. Not sure if it's %@#$&!s though.

Not sure he's said they will play has he?

Obviously, like everyone else I think Ronaldo for one will come back in if he's recovered. I'm just saying I'd be happy and confident if the same XI were sent out to play again.

United stuffed Roma with a team that probably not a single Red would've picked given a fully fit squad.

Hang on, that was 4-5-1 as well

Really looking forward to the game. Between 04 - 06 I never felt we had any chance in Europe. For most of those years, we really played shit as well - don't think we won a single away game in that time. But last seasons run has given me renewed hope. Bit more confident then I was last week anyway

Originally Posted by The Watcher

Really looking forward to the game. Between 04 - 06 I never felt we had any chance in Europe. For most of those years, we really played shit as well - don't think we won a single away game in that time. But last seasons run has given me renewed hope. Bit more confident then I was last week anyway

best chance we've had in ages.

i love european competitions when they reach the knockout stages.

i just wish they'd sack the league type preliminaries.

Originally Posted by Camel

best chance we've had in ages.

i love european competitions when they reach the knockout stages.

i just wish they'd sack the league type preliminaries.

Yea, can't beat it. Just wish we were better at winning two legged ties

We've had some shockers in recent years - Leverkusen in 2002 was unforgivable - I really hope it turns out to be our year.

Originally Posted by The Watcher

Yea, can't beat it. Just wish we were better at winning two legged ties

We've had some shockers in recent years - Leverkusen in 2002 was unforgivable - I really hope it turns out to be our year.

they had a cracking team at the time, whatever happened to klaus topmuller?

Originally Posted by Camel

they had a cracking team at the time, whatever happened to klaus topmuller?

Ze Roberto and Ballack were their top players at the time. I never though they were a great side tbh, was delighted we got them. Threw the lead away three times over the two legs, missed a couple of great chances at the end of the game in Germany, half our team bottling it....I still get angry thinking about it!

Originally Posted by The Watcher

Ze Roberto and Ballack were their top players at the time. I never though they were a great side tbh, was delighted we got them. Threw the lead away three times over the two legs, missed a couple of great chances at the end of the game in Germany, half our team bottling it....I still get angry thinking about it!

carsten ramelow and dimitar berbatov too, not bad players.

i know what you mean, it seemed to be the easiest tie of the round, but leverkusen were a suprise package that year, an amazing team on their day.

that's what i say to myself to sleep sounder at night anyway, ditto for scholes disallowed goal against porto, too.

Originally Posted by The Watcher

Ze Roberto and Ballack were their top players at the time. I never though they were a great side tbh, was delighted we got them. Threw the lead away three times over the two legs, missed a couple of great chances at the end of the game in Germany, half our team bottling it....I still get angry thinking about it!

They had Lucio too, still can't believe we didn't get through.

Originally Posted by Camel

carsten ramelow and dimitar berbatov too, not bad players.

i know what you mean, it seemed to be the easiest tie of the round, but leverkusen were a suprise package that year, an amazing team on their day.

that's what i say to myself to sleep sounder at night anyway, ditto for scholes disallowed goal against porto, too.

Yea, Berbatov came off the bench in the final, didn't he? Remember Madrid just about hanging on there at the end. Ah well...

Think it winds me up more now, having had to watch shit liverpool and arsenal teams make the final. Very frustrating, given the quality sides we've had. Hopefully this bunch can get us to Moscow.

They were alright but it was criminal we didn't get to that final. We played like utter shite in the first leg at Old Trafford. I don't know if the lads though it would be easy but the level of performance was a disgrace. I remember when we went 2-1 up through a Ruud penalty I wanted the full time whistle there and then. I knew we would allow them back into it, which we did when Ballack got another equaliser.

We should have won the game over there too, but the first leg was just painful.

Originally Posted by S/Side.Red

They were alright but it was criminal we didn't get to that final. We played like utter shite in the first leg at Old Trafford. I don't know if the lads though it would be easy but the level of performance was a disgrace. I remember when we went 2-1 up through a Ruud penalty I wanted the full time whistle there and then. I knew we would allow them back into it, which we did when Ballack got another equaliser.

We should have won the game over there too, but the first leg was just painful.

We were missing Keane and Beckham in that game, both injured against Deportivo. At the time of his injury, I recall Beckham was playing very well (scored a great goal against them before breaking his foot!). Keane was at his peak at the time. I still convinced had he not got missed that game, there's no way we wouldn't have got to the final. Was about the only player that looked arsed during the second leg

It was truly incredible how little that semi-final seemingly meant to the players. You can't tell me they were intimidated by Leverkusen. So disappointing.

Originally Posted by S/Side.Red

It was truly incredible how little that semi-final seemingly meant to the players. You can't tell me they were intimidated by Leverkusen. So disappointing.

Tactically lacking would be the best way to describe that 1st leg. Leverkusen ran amok simply by playing in between us if memory serves - similar (though far more impressive) to what Arsenal did early last season.

The players we have would now seem to be far better prepared; again, the games against Roma 7-1 and Arsenal (last 3 games really, even though we've only seen the job through once) are prime examples of the possibilities and options this current group of players can offer. Instinctive and decisive adaptability during games at the highest level is the next phase.

I've still not recovered from that Leverkusen result.
My love for the competition took a kicking that night...we've hardly looked the same side since either.
However, last season did pick up a bit (well apart from our away form which remains absolutely appalling) ...the Milan game at OT last season (even more so than Roma) was vintage United.
I was in tears of joy after that ding-dong, 3-2 thriller (Wayne's stoppage time winner was £#%&!ing brilliant)

...unfortunately, true to form we failed to turn up for the second leg & capitulated away from home as we so often do.


I am up for the European Cup this season. I am desperate for us to reach another final, but I'm more nervous about Saturday's game than tomorrows.
I can't help it, but I get more tense about League football than anything else.