Team v Milan - The Official Thread

Not the toughest this week, us only having 12 players to pick from.

Eddy Baby
Fletcher
Gabby
Wes
Senegalese Superman(Please be fit)
Andy Gray II
Carrick
Scholes
Rooney
Giggs
Smith

its games like this that we need an out and out defensive midfielder if we can stop Pirlo we will have a chance. I'm not usually a doomlord but our defensive injuries will cost. I also see Scholes getting booked again.

I apologise for this negativity usually I am the eternal optomist

Given the defensive problems it's going to be turtle head for 90mins!!

Come on!

Fletcher
Heinze
Brown
O'Shea
= frightening

Originally Posted by antonin jablonsky

Not the toughest this week, us only having 12 players to pick from.

Eddy Baby
Fletcher
Gabby
Wes
Senegalese Superman(Please be fit)
Andy Gray II
Carrick
Scholes
Rooney
Giggs
Smith

I've got a strange old feeling someone may be brought back early. If only to sit on the bench as a token.
I can't see Evra starting. So:

Edwina Curry

Dazzling Darren----------Strangely Brown--------Hine-zer-------O'Dear

---------------------------- Mikey C -----------------------------

The Drog Destroyer---------TGP------------- Graham Rooney's brother

----------------------------------------Giggsy Wiggsy Woo-------

-------------------------Jo Brand------------------------------------

Originally Posted by elephantstone

its games like this that we need an out and out defensive midfielder if we can stop Pirlo we will have a chance. I'm not usually a doomlord but our defensive injuries will cost. I also see Scholes getting booked again.

I apologise for this negativity usually I am the eternal optomist

The good news is we are at full strength in front of the defence.

Originally Posted by The Return of JC

I've got a strange old feeling someone may be brought back early. If only to sit on the bench as a token.
I can't see Evra starting. So:

Edwina Curry

Dazzling Darren----------Strangely Brown--------Hine-zer-------O'Dear

---------------------------- Mikey C -----------------------------

The Drog Destroyer---------TGP------------- Graham Rooney's brother

----------------------------------------Giggsy Wiggsy Woo-------

-------------------------Jo Brand------------------------------------

Jo Brand ffs

have we ever tried scholesy at full back? tremendous tackler

come on back the lads

Jo Brand?

why not play Giggs at left back? he's played there before. nft.

Originally Posted by El Calafate

why not play Giggs at left back? he's played there before. nft.

Never use a ploy first introduced by Bobby Gould.

O'Shea centre back
Henzie left back

Otherwise, same XI as bedders.

Originally Posted by 808state

Jo Brand?

Smith.

Not so much now. But when she used to have her spikey, crazy hair.

If Evra is fit, it wouldn't surprise me if Fergie put Fletcher into midfield and dropped Smith to the bench.
If Fletcher could put himself about a bit like he did against Roma, it may unsettle Milan and give a little more freedom for Carrick and Scholes and certainly allow Scholes to stay forward and not have to tackle too much.

If the defence is £#%&!ed then they need good protection from the midfield, which they got against Roma.

Something along the lines of:


- - - - - - - - - - - VDS - - - - - - - - - -

O'Shea - - - - - Brown - - - -Heinze - - - -Evra

- - - - - - - - - - - Fletcher - - - - - - - - -

- - - - - -Carrick - - - - - - -Scholes - - - - - -

- -Ronnie - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Giggs - - -- - - - - -

- - - - - - - - - - Rooney - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

I'd be happy with that JC.

Originally Posted by Whalefish

I'd be happy with that JC.

I just think it would give us a little more protection to the defence and Fletcher would bring energy to the midfield and, more importantly, give freedom to Carrick and Scholes.

I can't help but feel Carrick and Scholes are going to be shackled attackwise because they'll be going backwards to stop Pirlo and Kaka.

Fletcher could just be the spoiler.

Also, Milan will struggle with our pace. Smith isn't exactly blessed with pace and I think they'd rather battle with Smith than face the movement of a more advanced trio of Scholes, Giggs and Rooney.
Smith would also be a good option to have on the bench if we can tire the Milan defence out.

The front six can cause Milan problems, but my fear is that they will be so concerned with protecting the weak back four that we may struggle to get into the game in the ways we want them to.

If Evra is fit, this would be my preferred starting 11. If not, then we have no choice. Fletcher must play at right back.

You know JC, I'd probbly settle for that meself.

Originally Posted by The Watcher

O'Shea centre back
Henzie left back

Otherwise, same XI as bedders.

agreed. nft.

Originally Posted by antonin jablonsky

You know JC, I'd probbly settle for that meself.

As strange as it sounds with our defensive problems, the midfield is still the key area.

As great as they been this year, we have seen Carrick and Scholes ge overrun at times. If this is allowed to happen again tonight then we are £#%&!ed because not only will they not offer the necessary protection, but it will nullify them as an attacking threat.

I do think attack if the best form of defence, but we need the platform to go and do that and it's naive to think we can just attack them and @#%&! them.

I'm thinking only in terms of the defence being the link to the defence and attack. We know it can be devastating linking the latter, but tonight we need it both ways.
Carrick excelled against Roma because Fletcher was the insurance behind him. He got forward a lot and I think it's safe to say he never would have scored twice were it not for Darren Fletcher.
It may also reduce the chance of Scholes being booked.

See the contrasting midfield dominance in the seperate Roma games as an example.

I'll go with that as well JC. Spot on in fact.